Landscape Photography Tutorial - Learn Landscape Photography

Looking for a landscape photography tutorial course? The best courses today can be founds online. The fact is, what with all the multimedia training, experience building exercises for hands-on learning, and technical know-how taught in an easy-to-take-in manner, it's the best to learn such things online. Also, the ease at which such a vast wealth of knowledge can be taught electronically makes such education phenomenally inexpensive.

Landscape photography tutorials are wonderful when you realize one thing... you can take breathtakingly beautiful photographs even with the cheapest of equipment - even with the most basic of digital cameras as well. After all, besides knowing your personal camera, taking awe inspiring photographs is all in the talent, and the artistic ability to see.

With desire, and perseverance, you can develop your talents to a career quality level of expertise. Online landscape photography tutorials broaden your horizons of knowledge and experience and are a great way to gain confidence in your work. You can learn about the inner workings and functions of your camera, filters, and techniques of taking award winning photographs in a way that stays with you all your life. You can even learn little tricks of the trade, like taking a bit of crumpled up, lightly-colored cellophane candy wrapper and wrapping it over a lens filter for an interesting effect.

The best landscape photography tutorials can be found online, and these courses can be taken in the comfort of your own home, at your own pace, and in your own time. This way, you can revolve your education around your daily schedule - not the other way around. Whether you choose to take landscape photos as a hobby, or make it into a career, using such a landscape photography tutorial is the best thing you can do for your growing photography talents.

When You Start a Photo Business

Syncing the objective to start a photo business with practical situations is one thing that needs a great deal of expertise from your part. If you are someone who has already been in the same field for quite a while, then it should not be really problematic in your case as you're pretty much aware of dealing with real time issues. You should organize all the tools that help you in commencing your business in a lucrative way. Your inability to manage situations more effective will magnify your inexperience. Nevertheless, there isn't any reason to panic since it demands a while even for the experienced photographers to establish their business.

Show Up At Seminars and Workshops

Starting your own photography business not only requires determination from you but also needs your expertise. If you're a complete novice having no understanding of how to commence and flourish in the business, then the best way to get rid of such a circumstance will be to attending seminars and workshops that will be completed by reputed institutes and branded firms often. Their main aim would be to draw in more and more people towards photography so the creative skills of an individual may be increased with altering times.

Resolve Your Issues from Agencies

There are photographic agencies that guide you on how to commence a photo business by explaining you on the real situation. Most of them would have tie-ups with corporate houses and this attribute of theirs may help you to get big projects devoid of more initiatives from your side. You are able to deal with all of your problems with them while still having to disturb your standard work. Getting advices from corporate bigwigs will be even more helpful. Search online for independent consultants who are able to provide you with a better word of advice. You can even offer them a chance to work together with you for you to get instant solutions for the issues.

Prepare a Budget and Never Exceed It

Though you really don't need enormous expenditure in starting your own photography business to be successful, you need minimal investment to buy the necessary equipment to click photos and developing prints. The technology has evolved considerably with the advancements in computer technology and the arrival of digital photography has taken this to further levels. You have to plan budget accordingly. Once you are done with this task, you should continue with the costs as incorrect spending for equipment will result in going above the budget which will end up being too costly for you.

Keep All Your Options Open

You need to start a photo business by allowing changes anytime and wherever required. Your business capacity will likely be put to test along with your capability to change. Learning additional skills, honing your techniques, sharing your understanding with others and looking for crucial information from relevant channels are a few of the tasks that need to be performed often by you while balancing your work. Following all these steps in a consistent way, you'll be able to reach your main aim of making it big in the photography field effortlessly.

Wedding Photography Tips To Become A Good Wedding Photographer

We all love taking pictures of people and places around us. It is not that hard, one just have to look at the camera and take a picture of what our eyes see. What the eyes see is what the picture will look like. If you can make extra money from it, that will be great. Everybody loves wedding and if you think you have what it takes to become a good wedding photographer. Here are some tips to start a wedding photography business.

Read and Learn

If you want to be a good photographer learn everything about your digital camera. They are not complicated, exposure, f-stop, shutter speed and iso speed. Learn the basics of photography by reading books. You can Google on the Internet for wedding photography forums, join and learn from wedding photography experts. Attend a wedding photography workshop.

Get yourself a cheap DSLR, something like a Canon 40D which sells for less than 500 dollars and a cheap 50mm lens. Don't bother getting the most expensive DSLR equipment, as soon as you earn from your wedding photography business you can buy yourself a pro DSLR like a Canon Mark II. A cheap Canon 40d or any cheap DSLR will do for now especially if you are just trying to learn the basic photography. Whatever DSLR you decide to buy you can still use it later as your second DSLR camera unit.

Shoot and Practice

Now that you have your digital camera and a lens, start shooting. Start taking photos of anything and anybody. The more you shoot the more you learn about your digital camera. The more mistakes you make the better. The idea is to make them now. Ask people you know if they can pose for you. That way you would learn how to properly pose subjects which is important if you want to be a good wedding photographer.

Advertise

Set up your website. Use it to advertise your wedding photography. Place some of your best work and if you have already taken wedding pictures of friends and family create wedding albums on your website. Follow it up by advertising on Craigslist by offering your professional wedding photography services for free. Try to do at least two free weddings and tell the couple that you are doing this to get experience. Be honest. Tell them you are doing it for free to build a portfolio and they get free wedding pictures which works out well for everybody. Couples looking for a wedding photographer would always ask for sample of work and if you don't have something to show nobody will hire you as their wedding photographer.

Another way of getting yourself started into the wedding photography business is to become a second shooter for an established photographer.This will help you learn everything you need to know to become a wedding photographer. After a few free weddings, you get yourself a good looking portfolio and that is the time to start advertising. You can start advertising your wedding photography services on your social network like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also buy Google AdWords, advertise on Craigslist and in your local newspaper.

Good luck.

Five Standing Pose Tricks For Photographing Women

When photographing a woman standing, there are five key things you can do that will instantly flatter her figure. She will be your client forever if you make her look amazing. It does not matter if you can see her legs because she is wearing a bikini or shorts, or if they are covered by a dress. The position of her legs helps to set up her attitude, and that will give her confidence and help you make a remarkable photograph.

Here are the five key things you can do that will help you with that:

1) Have her put all her weight on the back leg. The leg that takes the weight goes thick and heavy. It's not as attractive as it sounds, so you don't want that effect to be front and center. With all the weight on the back leg, she becomes stable and can easily position the front leg in a variety of ways. With no weight on the front leg, it will look slender and shapely.

2) Raise the heel on the front leg. This is especially effective if she is barefoot. It gives the illusion of having a longer leg. It will also give a better shape to her calf. If she pushes down a bit on the toes, this isometric effort will activate her calf muscle, add a little sidelight and the muscle shape pops right out.

3) Turn her hips away from the camera and her shoulders back to the camera. This creates a shapelier waist illusion. The hips present the thinnest width to the camera while the shoulders present the widest view. This gives the waist a V-shape, creating a fit and curvier female shape. If you place the hands on the waist it projects a very confident image. If she has a bit of a tummy, bring the far hand across the tummy to the pant line - she can hold a purse or something, or if it's casual have her hold the belt. This hides the tummy while strengthening the V-shape body build form.

4) Have her place her hands on her waist, not on her hips. This better defines the waist, gives a strong hourglass impression, and can also hid soft rolls or waist issues. If she has a soft tummy be sure she does not push in too far or firmly, as this will often push more of the tummy forward, creating a bulge.

5) Tilt the camera upwards slightly. This will give the impression that she is taller. Be careful not to go overboard since it will also make her head look smaller if gone too far. When you do this, be mindful of the background. Quite often you will find the head goes above the background top creating a lot of clutter you will have to fix in post production.

The more of these techniques you can incorporate into your pose, the happier your client will be. Remember that the legs are the foundation of the pose. Always start there. Their position will become clues to the viewer as to the mood and attitude the subject has, even if the legs are not in the image.

Master the tricks of leg position and the rest comes relatively easy.

Photoshop Tutorial - How to get Great Skintones with your Digital Photography

Good skintones. The search for the holy grail of digital photography. I have been banging our heads against the wall for years trying to perfect "THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL" solution to working with skintones and I'm talking about capturing, workflow, output, the whole nine yards. What I've figured out so far is that skintones are somewhat subjective. The procedures that ultimately create good skintones are as follows:

Good capture:

When you capture the image 99% of your job is done. If your exposures are off and your colorbalance is off, then your skintones will be off. Of course this means your lightmeter will be your best friend (second to your dog). Be on top of your exposures like dirt on a pig. Know your histograms and image tones. Don't just use your LCD as a reference. Your LCD brightness varies, and is not 100% reliable to use on it's own, however it is an integral tool that works with everything else. Never get lazy here, always check your exposure, know your exposures and keep it
accurate. Make this a part of your mind set and workflow. And don't forget to test new stuff, never assume....

Colorbalance:

I like to shoot a greycard under the lighting conditions we are shooting in as a custom whitebalance setting. For some reason a greycard seems to work better for us than a whitecard. What can I say. I get images that are neutral, I can warm them up later if I choose. However, for many digital photographers, using a white card to create their custom white balance weems to work just fine.

Workflow:

I like to get an idea of what a good skintone is by using the colorpicker. Now remember, skintones are subjective, so it's purely arbitrary but you will get used to it in time. So, as a rule of thumb, using the color picker, depending on the actual pigmentation of the subject we find the reds are about 20% higher than the green and about 30 - 40% higher than the blue. Since during the capture the tone has been turned off (in camera parameters), I can add more to the skintone by using colorbalance and saturation.

Assuming that you have good capture, (exposure/whitebalance), there are several ways to acquire or enhance skintones. One of the best ways is by using the selective color (IMAGE/ADJUSTMENTS/SELECTIVE COLOR, or ALT-I-A-S). I have been using this for a little while now, and so far it's rendered me outstanding skintones. Here's how it works.

Simply reduce the amount of cyan in the reds. Usually about 40-50%. I could go more, but I hold off. Why? Because when I adjust the contrast later it will bring out more tones in the image, thus giving me more red in the skin. There is al lot or red in the skin, especially caucasians, so by doing this technique you will give most people more warmth and glow to their skin tone- but be careful!! Do not over do it.

The thing I like about using the selective color this way, is that I am only working with the red tones. If I didn't want to affect any other reds (like the reds in her coat) I can simply do several things:

1. make a selection around her face and then perform the adjustments.

OR

2. after the adjustments simply use the history brush and erase the areas I don't wish affected.

That's it. Simple isn't it, when you get down to the basics.

Taking Pictures vs Making Pictures

A friend and fellow photographer recently made a very bold statement over drinks one night...

"Rangefinders help you take pictures and single-lens reflexes help you make pictures."

I believe there is a colossal difference between taking pictures and making pictures, and an equally enormous difference between rangefinders and and SLR's. However, I can't help but take offense to the statement that SLR's help you make pictures.

Rangefinders help me make pictures all the time...

The differences between these two types of cameras are obvious. Through the lens versus a viewfinder, focusing mechanisms, size, weight, film advance etc. What we as photographers seem to forget is that a camera is a tool.

When I was little my father had a workshop in the basement. In the workshop was a hammer. This was not a special hammer, other than the fact that is was older than dirt, rusty, beat up, just a really old hammer. I asked my father why he did not just buy a new hammer. He said, "It still pounds nails." Point being, my rangefinders still pound nails.

That aside, the real issue I have is the difference between taking and making a picture.
The other day I was at a friends house for dinner. She took a picture of everyone at the table with her digital camera. Result: She took a picture. Short, sweet, to the point.

Last month I bought a roll of Tri-X (yes I still shoot film). I had a few things in my head I wanted to photograph. I made some exposures over the next week or so. I developed the film, made a contact sheet, edited down to a couple of frames I thought would print well. I then proceeded to the darkroom where I made an 11X14 fiber base print. When I was pleased with the print, I then matted and framed it. Result: I made a photograph.

Some people take pictures, other people make photographs. The camera is just a hammer. Film, digital, rangefinder, SLR, all just ways of recording an image. Our individual process is what makes photographs, not our hammers.

How I Learned Glamour Photography

Before Jeff

As an amateur photographer I spent many years and many more thousands of dollars attempting to recreate the vivid images which filled every one of my magazines. I simply could not, until I found the best photography teacher online. In a few short months with Jeff Black I could finally produce those professional photos.

Desperation led me to buy a refurb Nikon D5000, close-up lenses, a few reflector discs, all top-of-line. My photos before this stunk, and despite all my pricey equipment their mediocrity persisted. I clearly needed help, instead I toiled away for another year, practice shoot after practice shoot. I was showing slight improvement over my original basement shots, using an easyshare zd15, but certainly not what I had expected when laying down over a grand on my new gear.

I nearly lost the dream of making money from my expensive hobby, when I realized I had spent all my money on cameras and none on myself. I had no idea my meter was not actually calibrated to my camera, or even that basic post-production can have such a huge affect on the quality of my photos. I got a basic overview of these tips from a quick browse of the net.

The Best

My search ended when I came across a website by a photographer named Jeff Black. The site was pretty flashy but I was immediately attracted to the free videos page for obvious reasons. In one sitting I watched every video and felt like I had been brought out of the dark ages of photography, I could finally achieve the proper lighting which had been missing in all my photos so far.

I decided I could afford a month of access to the member's lessons and I'd watch all he had to offer in that time. I found this to be quite impossible. The amount of imformation contained on this page astonished me. I entered a whole new world of F stops, shutter speed, and ISOs before I finished the basics section. Another six month subscription, that will soon run out, and I finished the basics and moved on to the wonders of the post-production editing.

Today

Working through Jeff's lessons on using photoshop has brought my images to a new level of quality. I can now go back to my original shoots and refine the images to a quality I could not have imagined was possible at the time. I would strongly recommend to anyone aspiring to become a professional, or well-educated hobby, photographer to check out this photography school by Jeff Black included at the end of my article.

Digital Photography Basics - Getting Started With Digital Photography

To start off with you should find a good reliable camera. I can't review or tell you what camera you should get personally but there are many different choices out there and many different ways of purchasing one so it shouldn't be hard to find

Once you have your camera get used to it and all its ins and outs. Make sure you know what your camera is capable of and test out all its features at least once to get a feel for it. Remember all cameras come with a manual if you ever find yourself lost. Make sure you know what other equipment you may need and get yourself set for the picture taking.

Next you should find out exactly what u would like to do with your new camera if u don't know already. Would you like to be a studio photographer? maybe capture nature is more your type of thing? or you just want to start snapping all over the place. once you can find out exactly what it is that gets you motivated and what types of shots you aspire to get. once you find your goals it makes it much easier to set yourself up to succeed.

Once your all set up with what you want to snap and have all the tools you need to start taking those pictures you can start your way to taking amazing shots. You need to start off by practicing. Learn what types of angles and lighting works in certain types of environments, or how to best capture the main subject of your photos. The more you practice taking photos the easier it will be to recognize what makes a really great shot. The more you get used to it the easier it will be to reach your goals.

Video Camera Tripod in Filming and Shooting

There are many camera and video accessories available in the market such as video camera tripod, zooming lenses, camera bags and many more. Photography and videography are fast growing hobbies for many individuals. Many workshops and schools profit out from these individuals who are in love with this art. They are not the only establishments that profit from the growing demand for professional studies in these fields, and many sellers of camera equipment and accessories profit a lot from them too.

Pictures and videos are always worth a thousand words and it is a settled rule that people resort to this kind of hobby because it is a form of art. Pictures and videos bridge the gap between some things that you haven't seen in the past or places that you want to go to in the near future. It keeps memories at the same time as it shows you many stupendous things, animals, places, unbelievable creatures that you don't know. We would not have great movies nowadays if this kind of media arts was not discovered.

For experts in filming and photo shoots, they highly require their cameras to be ready at all time. Equipments and other enhancement accessories are very important to produce great video or movie. The most common equipment that you can see in a photo shoot or taping venue is the video camera tripod. Most experts use this often specially in creating a movie and in photo shoots. This helps them to stabilize the video camera that they are using while shooting. You can never rely on your hands for how you may spend many hours just holding the camera up. Sooner or later you will get tired and it will affect the quality of the video that you are making. During some running scenes in many movies you have watched, videographers actually used a video camera tripod placed in a moving platform while filming. With the help of the tripod, your filming and shooting activities would surely be clear and vivid. But it would be useless if you are using a low mega pixel video camera. No matter how nice and stable your tripod is, the result will still be ugly.

There are plenty of tripods out there. It can be second-hand, refurbished, or brand new but the important thing is that it is still in a good condition that can perform the entire task you need in filming or shooting. There are also a lot of designs when it comes to a video camera tripod. They vary in sizes, shapes, and functionalities like being foldable or not. There are very handy tripods that are fit for travelers and people who make documentaries.

Photoshop For Beginners - The 3 Basics of Using the Curves

Most beginners to Photoshop (and many advanced users) avoid using the Curves command because it reminds them of school math classes and geometry! I know how you feel, but if you take a little time to understand the basics of how curves work you will lose your fear - trust me. In this article I will show you the 3 basics you need to understand to effectively use Curves.

What do Curves actually do?

The Curves are very like the Levels in that they are used to adjust the tonal contrast of the photograph. More importantly they are also used to adjust the look of the various grey tones of an image. The difference between Curves and Levels is that the Curves dialog allows you to control any portion of the grey tones whereas the Levels changes all of the various tones at the same time; you have less control with Levels than you do with Curves. This is why professionals prefer using Curves; they put you in control!

Use the Curves command to change overall contrast by:

1. Choosing the first tone in the image you want to have a pure black value.

Known as black point adjustment, moving the black slider along the bottom of the grid in the Curves dialog allows you to set which tone will be pure black in the photo. Bear in mind that if you move the slider past the start of the graph shape you will lose some of the subtle really dark tones and this will lose details. For example, if you move the slider to the right so it is at the very left end of the graph (the value of the tone at this point will be shown in the Input box), this value will be changed to pure black (value 0) and all the other grey tones will be darkened proportionally. If you move the slider even further to the right i.e. make a slightly higher tone value pure black, you will lose any tones shown in the graph that are to the left of the slider. Let's say the very end of the graph shows an Input value of 20, this is the darkest tone in the image and so when it becomes pure black we do not lose any other tone values because the other tones have higher values (they are lighter in tone). However, if we move the slider further into the graph, say to Input value 30, we will lose all of the tones between 20 and 30 because they will all be made to be pure black.

Now we know how to set the darkest tone of the image to pure black to obtain rich looking shadows.

2. Setting the pure white tone of the image.

Now we use white point adjustment to set the lightest tones of the image. Moving the white slider to the left so that it just touches the right end of the graph will make the tone at that position become pure white. Just as with the black point adjustment described above, since all the other tones below this point are lower in value (i.e. they are all darker), we do not lose any of the subtle light tones. However, if we move the white slider further to the left so that it is inside the graph shape, we will lose all the tones to the right of the slider as they will be made pure white in the image.

Setting the end points in the Curves dialog as explained above is exactly the same as setting them using the Levels dialog. For the end points the two commands do exactly the same job. The real power of Curves is in how we can control the other tones of the image as we shall now see.

3. Controlling the intermediate tones of the image.

The first difference you notice between Levels and Curves is that there is no grey slider shown in the Curves dialog and that there is a diagonal line from one corner to the other that cuts across the histogram shown behind this line. (To understand more about the graph in the Curves dialog see my article on understanding the histogram.) This line is actually a curve without any bends in it! When the line is straight (as it will be when you have only set the end points in 1 and 2 above), the relationship between the intermediate tones is being affected equally by the line. However, you can now click and drag anywhere on this line to create a curved line. When the line becomes a curve shape it no longer controls the tones equally. The real power of the Curves adjustment is that you can click and drag from several points on the line to create any curve shape you want. By changing the shape of the line into a curve you can control which portions of the tone scale are adjusted. You can also simply click on the line to create fixed points that act as anchors to stop the line from curving. When the line remains straight no changes occur to the tones in that area. This is how you can select just a portion of the tones to alter; create several anchor points along the line over the tones to preserve and then bend the line up or down in the area you do want to change.

A word of caution; if you have the curved part of the line that covers the shadows of the graph higher that the curve over the lighter tones you will cause the tones to reverse. This is known as posterisation and is not good! Try to make sure the curve is raising all of the way from left to right and that it doesn't dip down too much in the middle section.

There you have the 3 basics of using the Curves command. Using Curves is the most powerful way to control the contrast of your photograph and you should now be able to use it with confidence.

Photoshop For Beginners - How Much Should I Sharpen a Photo For the Internet?

What is USM or Unsharp Masking?

The most common method of sharpening an image in Photoshop is to use the USM or Unsharp Mask filter. The unsharp mask filter has its roots in traditional darkroom printing and involves increasing the contrast at the edges of detail. This increase in contrast produces a perceived increase in sharpness.

How much USM should I use?

Before we get too far let's just establish that there isn't a 'one stop' group of settings for all occasions. Many beginners think you can use just one amount of USM for all images but that is not usually possible. The amount of sharpening has to be done on an image by image basis.

Of course, if you regularly produce images of the same basic size, for example for your internet gallery, you may find that one amount of sharpness works most of the time; for that size of image! To determine the amount of USM required, it is best to look at how we want to use the image.

The Internet

For the internet, where the image is to be displayed only on screen, we usually resize the image so that it produces a reasonable size on the computer monitor. For screen display the 'resolution' of the image shown in the Photoshop image size dialog is irrelevant (this is only used for printing); the only important information is the actual pixel dimensions of the image. Now most monitors display at a screen resolution of 96ppi (pixels per inch) and the commonest screen pixel sizes are 1024x768 or above. So, if you want an image to fill half the screen on a 1024x768 display the width needs to be 612 pixels. This would produce an image of just over six inches wide on the screen.

So, we resize our finished image (and save it as a copy!) to 612 pixels wide. Now we apply USM. Since this image is only destined to be viewed on a computer screen you can simply use your eyes to determine how much to sharpen. Adjust the USM settings visually with the preview box checked. If you get haloes around edges bring it back, you have gone too far!

This is easy as you can see the result instantly, just use your judgement. If your screen size is bigger than 1024x768 adjust the figures for your own screen since you have absolutely no control over other people's screens. Just keep thinking about how big you want the image to appear ON SCREEN and use pixel sizes to get there (or use 96ppi to calculate screen inches). This is all done for you in PS using the Image Size dialog so you don't need the math.

If you are submitting your photos to online libraries or for use on printed products you should follow the guidelines set down by the particular website you are sending the images to. Most commercial websites will have very detailed help to guide you.

By doing some simple tests you should learn all you need to know about USM for Internet photos without worrying about how much or little to use. By the way, this is also getting to know your visual preferences for your Internet based photos!

How To Start A Wedding Photography Business And Be A Good Wedding Photographer

Wedding photography is one of the best money making field of photography. Once you have mastered the creative and technical requirements, you become a better wedding photographer who can make his clients happy and sustain a wedding photography business with new clients. If you want to expand your photography to include wedding. You should do a research. Here are some tips to get you started in creating your wedding photography business and become a good wedding photographer.

The first thing to learn is know your digital camera equipment inside out. Doing wedding photography requires perfection. It is a unique art which requires attention to detail. Always make sure your equipment is working, your digital camera, batteries, and light sources. It is common to have a second unit or even a third digital camera unit. It will save you from embarrassment if something happens to your first digital camera unit. A good photographer captures and create dream photographs. Something all couples desire on their most magical day of their lives. One must capture the love story of the wedding couple. Good wedding photography is focused on creativity and flexibility. There are no rules except to come with stunning beautiful pictures.

A good wedding photographer has to learn and master a few things to be able to capture good images, composition, lighting techniques, quality lenses, correct aperture, high quality memory cards, good digital camera and knowledge of a good lab to make the perfect prints. To perfect the craft of wedding photography one must learn the art of photography. If you learn the art it will help you succeed in your wedding photography business.

Create a good wedding album is the best testament that you have succeeded as a wedding photographer. It is what will make the wedding memorable to the couple and their parents. All photographs that the wedding photographer must include in the wedding album should be highly creative. As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words. Not only should a wedding photo speak 1,000 words but captures the emotion and mood of all the people involved in the wedding and capture the ambiance of this once-in-a-lifetime-event. The wedding photos should be able to bring back all the memories of the wedding day. Everything about the wedding day will fade except the wedding pictures which brings back memories of the wedding day. That is the real purpose of a photo album. A good wedding photographer must capture different expressions and moods of the groom and bride. There are several money shots worth mentioning, like the bride getting ready, being made up, walking the aisle. For a groom his arrival at the wedding place, shots with his friends and family.

Before you decide to become a wedding photography and start your own wedding photography business remember that wedding photography is creating a masterpiece. If you can create one it is very easy to make it a wedding photographer.

Photographers - Increase Your Revenue!

There are many industries that are particularly hard to compete in. In fact, any industry that can be inexpensively accessed by an amateur is going to be filled with thousands of "knock off" professionals. Photography is one of those fields, but those who do it well will influence every part of our culture with their invaluable creativity.

Ok, so it's obviously hard to compete in a market that is over-saturated, but there is an upside. Any skilled, experienced photographer can capitalize on the increase of novices.

Here are ways, I believe, that photographers can dramatically increase their revenue. Many of these ideas are low cost projects, and they will all cause you to stand above the crowd.

#1 Host a Workshop.
Educational marketing is a very powerful tool. In fact, the reason your reading this article is probably because I'm teaching you something for free. If done correctly, a workshop can be relatively inexpensive and there are multiple streams of income available to the host. The most obvious income will come from ticket sales, but, you can also record the workshop and resell it online as a "course in photography". As the "expert" in your field you can offer one-on-one consultations with the attendees for an additional fee.

#2 Start a Community Runway Event.

I suggest every company get as involved in their community as possible. As I have said before, A community defines a company, one cannot exist without the other. Hosting a local fashion show is an easy money maker. There will always be young aspiring models willing to jump at the chance to walk a runway. As with the workshop, you can charge per ticket. You can also charge a runway fee to the designers who are showing their pieces on your stage. In a project like this I would encourage you to donate a portion of the sales to a community charity. If you advertise that tickets will go toward improving your city, people will be all the more willing to attend, and you will be investing in the community that is investing in your company! Of course the shots you take at the event will also improve your portfolio.

#3 Donate to a Museum.

One of the quickest ways to get free exposure for fine print photography is to donate a piece to a museum. Again, this is a win-win situation. You will get massive amounts of people looking at your work, and you will be donating something valuable to the artistic community in your city. Don't forget to write off the donation at the end of the year.

In any business, find a niche that isn't being addressed and create ways to service it. The person who does what no-one else is doing will get noticed every time.

Bryant Jaquez,

Redding California's premiere small business marketing consultant.

Good Ways to Ruin a Fine Photograph - #1 Don't Use a Tripod

Hand holding a camera limits the shutter speed you can use without getting a blurred image. It depends on who's holding it as some have steadier hands than others, but most people find the lowest shutter speed at which they can keep everything steady is by matching the shutter speed to the focal length of the lens setting. So if you have a 100mm length lens you should use a shutter not slower than 1/100 of a second, 200mm setting, 1/200 of a second, and similar. OK, but what happens if you need a slow shutter speed?

Try a tripod. After a camera and lens, the most useful accessory you can have

Before you go on about extra weight to carry, nuisance value and more, consider this. A tripod is a light extender. Do you like to get those beautiful sunset shots, great color and sharp landscapes? It won't happen effectively without a steady tripod support. Shoot at night with a long exposure? No go without a tripod. How about shooting breaking waves over rocks on the shore, long after sunset, with a 30 second exposure creating a misty water effect You need a tripod. Any time you can use one, do it, because the results come up with a clarity missing otherwise.

Important point

The longer the lens you use, in other words, the greater the focal length, the more likely you are to get camera shake. You mightn't get movement with a 50mm lens hand held, but put on 200mm, 300mm or more and the blur is magnified.

If you use binoculars you know how hard it can be to get a steady image at big magnification. The same applies here. Good clarity always calls for a tripod. And while image stabilizers have their place in allowing you to use slower shutter speeds, they run out of effect after two or three stops down.

Shooting portraits

Portraits are often shot with a lens longer than the standard 50mm, compression of distance and out of focus backgrounds being two reasons. However while it's good to have a blurry background that doesn't compete with the subject, the person you're photographing needs to have a sharp appearance, especially around the eyes. Tripods, or plenty of light and a fast shutter speed will help. Often however, the amount of light available is not enough for a fast speed, so the tripod will have to be used to get the best effect.

Shooting landscapes

Holding a camera on uneven ground or on a windy day can be tricky. Landscapes usually call for great clarity through the whole scene, and even a slight movement can spoil the effect, not visible in the camera preview screen perhaps, but very obvious on the computer editing screen. And if you want to try landscapes using high dynamic range techniques (using three or more shots with different exposures and exactly the same framing), a tripod is a must.

So what makes a good tripod?

Consider these points.

1. The tripod should be strong and rigid enough to take your camera and lens firmly, with a margin for heavier equipment later if required. Put your camera on one and try before you buy.

2. Those long handles on pan and tilt heads dig you in the throat. Get a ball head for easy manoeuvrability.

3. Make sure the head has a quick release for the camera, so you're not screwing things in and out. Wastes time and adds to frustration.

4. Check the tripod is steady at full extension, and the legs are independently adjustable for uneven ground setting up.

5. If the center post is removable you can use it mounted horizontally or upside down, useful for closeups and avoiding the tripod legs in vertically down shots.

You get what you pay for

The more you pay, the more you get. Expect at least to fork out $200 for a good one, and more for one that will last many years. Carbon fibre tripods are strong, rigid and light, and don't transmit vibrations as metal ones do, but are relatively expensive. If you're a landscape photographer these have ideal qualities. But don't waste your money on a cheap, shaky one. They only make matters worse.

After a camera, a tripod should be the next consideration to improve your work's quality. It opens up many ways of extending your vision. You also gain time to think about what you're shooting and to check such things as framing and what is really in the viewfinder. Cut down the number and step up the quality of your images. Here's a great way to do it. Go shoot a scene with a tripod and then without. Carefully note the differences. Happy shooting!

Six Steps For Safe Digital Photo Storage

You are starting to get an impressive and personally important collection of digital image files. So how do you ensure that these images will be safe and protected? Try the following digital photo storage suggestions:

1. Always download your memory cards to the hard drive of a virus-safe PC as soon as you've finished a day's shooting. It's wise to not reformat the card until you've confirmed that the download was successful.

2. Back up the images to an external hard drive. External drives are economical, and typically cost less than fifty cents per gigabyte of photo storage--a tremendous bargain. Plus they are separate from your computer, meaning that they are less likely to fail at the same time your computer's hard drive might.

3. For added safety, back up your images again to a new location. This can be an additional external hard drive that you can store in a different location or an online sharing/storage site like Phanfare or one of the other popular sites.

4. Burn a DVD (or CD, depending on the number of images you need to archive). In fact, burn two or three--DVD media is very cheap.

5. Copy every image to the Shared Folder on your family's network hard drive. Don't have one? Give one a try. They're reasonably priced, reasonably hack-safe and are very easy to install and configure. Best of all, they allow everyone in the family to back up--and share--all of the images.

6. Make a print! The picture that lasts the longest is the one you hold in your hands.

How To Improve Photography Skills

In the past, photography was a very expensive hobby. Every photograph you took went onto a piece of photographic film. Film comes in a roll. That roll needs to be processed and the photographs produced. How do you mprove photography skills when even a film roll is so expensive?

It costs a lot of money to process and print a roll of film - especially if you have more than 10 rolls a week to feed your passion. But the good thing about that high cost was that people took time to learn the basics of photography.

In today's digital age, it does not really matter if you have poor pictures. The only thing you suffer from would be disappointment. It costs you nothing. So, many bad habits are formed.

Here are five simple tips to help you take better photos:

1. Hold you camera steady

Thanks to modern technology, the "camera shake" problem has been solved. But if you really want sharp photos, you do have to hold the camera steady. Relax. Use both hands, and rest your elbows on your chest. How to improve photography skills depend on how steady your hands are.

2. Put your light source behind you

Always know where the light is coming from. If it is the sun, then make sure it is behind you so that the light falls on your subject. Or you might want the light from the side. But never take a photo with the light source in front of you and behind your subject.

3. Move in closer

The best shots are the simple shots. Move yourself close to the subject so that you get a tighter, more focused image. Removing image clutter helps capture better photos.

4. Choose the right format

Which way you hold the camera will determine whether the image is in landscaped (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) format. For tall things, use a vertical format, example, trees, tall buildings.

5. Include life in your photos

How to improve photography skills if you only take one kind of subject? If you merely take landscapes, it could appear dull. Try to capture some people or even animals in your shots. You can even use yourself (using a timer) if there is really no one else around. Another advantage is that including a person will give a perspective of size to the photo.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) Digital Photography Expands One's Creative Range

High dynamic range (HDR) photography captivates viewers through its bedazzling attention to details and its stunning array of color. Rich and beautiful images created using HDR techniques directly responds to the age old problem of not being able to record what the eye can see. HDR overcomes this limitation and more.
From the earliest days of photography, the days when photographers created glass negatives using a mixture of silver nitrate and egg whites, photographers complained about being unable to record a scene on film as the eye sees that scene. Many photographers learned to master these limitations, think about Ansel Adams' Zone System for black and white photography, learning to manipulate exposure with filters, film sensitivity, developing processes, and much darkroom gymnastics. The result was, and remains, stunning imagery. For amateurs and serious hobbyists, however, found themselves fighting against murky shadow detail and washed out skies. The struggle was real even for the seasoned professional.
The problem originates in the real world. The dynamic range of what the eye can see across the visible spectrum is enormous. Our eyes evolved to see the entire range from deep shadow to bright highlight and everything in between. Capturing that range on film or using a digital sensor presents one with an efficiency problem. Film, digital sensors and the techniques for printing not to mention computer monitors, are simply not up to the task of capturing detail across a wide dynamic range. HDR photography changed all that forever. Photographers using HDR techniques are now able to capture light across the widest dynamic range with relative ease.
What is this dynamic range I keep referring to? In its simplest terms the dynamic range refers to the variation in luminance from the brightest to the darkest light values in any given exposure and high dynamic range photography refers to the ability to capture light across all or most of the dynamic range of the scene being photographed. HDR is accomplished by exposing from 3 to 7 bracketed exposures across a range of f-stops and/or shutter speeds and then recombining those exposures into a single merged image which now reflects exposures made for highlights, midtones as well as shadows.
Every bracketed image contributing to a finished HDR image inputs important information about the image being created. Underexposed images contribute to highlight detail while overexposed images provide information about the shadows. When combined, the bracketed exposures produce an hdr file that contains all of the information necessary to produce the hdr image. A second step, often referred to as tone mapping, converts the hdr file into a usable image that may then be saved as a TIFF or JPEG file. The tone mapped image is the one that is most useful when we print an HDR image. The tone mapped image displays the full range of color and detail in both the shadow areas and the highlight areas while holding the midtones true and rich.
HDR doesn't just happen. This should come as no surprise. No photography, at least not good photography, ever just happens and HDR is certainly no different. Long before the first picture is taken one must have a good feel for the technical aspects of the equipment being used. Knowing how to successfully bracket, how many exposures to make and what intervals are appropriate for a bracketed series is important. Knowing how to manage images on your computer is a boon to speeding your workflow as you process your images. Paying attention to the details of HDR goes a long way to helping you create rich HDR images.
Is HDR perfect? Heck no! It is appropriate for some but not all conditions, it is not appropriate for all subjects. In fact, most subjects that display a large degree of motion are generally not candidates for HDR photography. But when the conditions and subjects are right, HDR solves many dynamic range problems.

HDR Photography and Equipment

Because I lead workshops, I am often asked if a point and shoot digital camera is okay.  Well, the simple answer is absolutely yes.  Here is a little story to illustrate my point.  Let's say that two photographers wake up early one morning for a full day of shooting.  They both want to capture HDR images during the early morning and late afternoon golden hours.  Photographer one, I'll call him Sam, has an expensive, professional grade D-SLR camera with an expensive 28-105mm f/2.8 lens but has only a moderate understanding of the camera and its functions and has generally poor technique.  Photographer two, I'll call her Betty, is using a mid-level fixed zoom lens on a camera with some manual control options.  Betty, unlike Sam, has excellent knowledge of the camera and its functions and has really good technique.  If I were to choose in advance which of these photographers will return with better images I would bet on Betty.  One becomes a better photographer, not by purchasing expensive equipment, but by learning how to use the equipment one has and by practicing good technique.

If one wants to learn how to shoot HDR then one must first learn technique.  One need not have a ton of fancy equipment to create the drama inherent in the HDR image.  Quite the contrary, one can get started with the bare essentials.  All one really needs to get started is an inexpensive point and shoot digital camera so long as you have the ability to use some kind of manual exposure compensation.  You also need a sturdy tripod.  Holding the camera steady during exposure bracketing is an absolute must for merging files to create an HDR image.  Most point and shoot cameras do not have the ability to capture RAW files but no worries.  While not perfect, merging JPEGs works well in most merges to HDR.

Shooting handheld with a point and shoot camera, or even a D-SLR for that matter, is only possible if the camera offers an automatic exposure bracketing (AEB) feature.  Even then, I tend to not recommend one attempt a handheld bracket exposure if one can at all avoid it.  Without AEB the tripod is an absolute requirement.  It is next to impossible to play with the exposure settings while trying to shoot holding the camera in your hand.  Remember, creating an HDR image requires that one merge three to five digital exposures into a single file.  While currently available software is really good at aligning images, hand-held exposures may have such a range of misalignment that the merging software cannot figure out just what to do.

When shooting HDR one is also advised to take white balance off auto mode choosing the most appropriate pre-programmed white balance setting.  If your camera has an auto ISO feature, take it off auto and select the slowest (lowest) ISO setting possible for the luminance of the scene.  Whatever you do, do not use your built in flash.

Here are a few tips for using a digital point and shoot camera when capturing images for later conversion to HDR.

Remember, a tripod is preferable to hand-held shooting
Turn off as many automatic settings as possible thereby controlling as much as possible manually
If your camera offers aperture priority mode then use it.  Vary exposure by shutter speed keeping the aperture fixed.  This lets you control depth of field.
Decide how to bracket.  On a bright sunny day +2,0,-2 or a 5-stop range is appropriate range.  In shadows or on an overcast day or even indoors a +1,0,-1 or 3-stop range is more appropriate.  A bit of experimenting will help you decide which works best for you.
In the final analysis, equipment is far less important than learning and then using good technique.  I have a black and white image hanging in my home that was shot using an oatmeal box, sheet film and a pinhole.  The image is stunning and the camera was made from the simplest of tools.

Create Astonishing Digital Photographs With HDR

HDR / High Definition Resolution photography software is definitely one of the greatest additions to Photography since the onset of pixels. HDR allows photographers' to capture a dynamic range not previously possible before. Dynamic range is the contrast ratio between the lightest and darkest areas within a scene. Film and digital capture prior to HDR lacked the latitude to capture a scene with an extended tonal range, common example that we have all been confronted with: a bright sunny day with deep shadows and blasting highlights.

In the days before Pixels photographers used graduated density filters in order to compensate for the brightness of the sky and the Zone System which allowed photographers to compress tonal values within a scene into eight zones of gray plus a pure white and black. Getting the zone system set up required numerous tests with film, exposure and development as well as dark room printing times etc. not a method for the faint of heart and quite time consuming in the beginning to get the system fine tuned. Today photographers can capture an extended range of tonal values using HDR Software from Photoshop or Photomatix; the process is straightforward and relatively easily pulled off.

HDR software allows the photographer to make multiple exposures per scene; exposures will range from highlights all the way to the deepest of shadows. Like magic the software will blend the over and under exposures together creating an image with shadow and highlight detail in full tonal fidelity, a magical feat compared to days past. There are still some inherent problems with HDR technology but in most cases HDR software can be coaxed to pull off a natural looking high dynamic range photo without the over exaggerated color saturation which produces the HDR LOOK.

Newbie's to HDR can easily be seduced with HDR LOOK that frequently distracts from the content of the image itself. With a few Photoshop tweaks and a bit of understanding in regards to photo imaging the HDR software can be tamed down to impart a natural looking beautifully balanced image with an extremely long dynamic range that still preserves the HDR PUNCH. When the viewer has to ask "IS IT HDR?" My take is; that is the point where HDR is successful.

Once you have processed your multiple exposure HDR image using either Photoshop or Photomatix software the next step in the workflow is to back off the overstated color using the Black&White adjustment layer in Photoshop. Apply the black & white adjustment layer to your image and you will see that your image has been morphed into a gray scale. Simply go up to the opacity slider in your B&W adjustment layer and slide it over to the left for starter to around 20%or 30% you should see that your overly saturated HDR image is now looking a lot more realistic and has maintained its highlight and shadow detail.

You are now ready to fine-tune your tonal values within the image with the color sliders in the B&W adjustment layer. At this point you can easily create a vector mask and tweak out the area's of saturation that you would like to fine tune, add a little dodging and burning to create the proper relationship between the highlights and shadows and your done, its that simple!

The HDR process is inherently noisy so a good noise filter will help reduce the pesky color noise in your image. Noise Ninja is a good choice as is Topaz Denoise. Both work well and are a great addition to digital imaging. A bit of tweaking with a noise filter and Photoshop layers adjustments will raise the level of your photo capture and the over exaggeration of HDR will be a thing of the past. You will have found your balance using HDR, a powerful tool and a straightforward process to incorporate into your digital workflow.

Take a look at a website by Trey Ratcliff/stuckincustoms. Trey's site is filled with lots of good info on the HDR process, although in my opinion his HDR photographic aesthetic is somewhat over the top in regards to exaggerated color however he has a good following. I can see how easy it can be to be tempted by the HDR LOOK, it allows one to put aside foundational basics for traditional photography on the back burner and leaves the outcome to the software without the intervention of the photographers' personal photo aesthetic.

With a little de-saturation as stated in the above article and some basic color balancing techniques most HDR images could pack a more realistic punch and in my opinion appeal to a larger and more sophisticated audience. That said, enjoy the journey of creative process and chances are you will enjoy the results. Creativity is dynamic; the magic is in the doing!

Creating an HDR Look

When creating HDR images one must be concerned with the HDR look. But what exactly is the HDR look? If one wants to be technical then the look is defined as a tone mapped look; an image that is the product of the merging of three or more bracketed exposures that is the result of tone mapping and not the merger alone. So what! In reality, the HDR look is a creative look, the tone mapping that produces an image that resembles a traditional photograph but no longer looks like a traditional photograph. Colors are richer, more saturated. Edges are better defined and detail is clear across a wide tonal range. High levels of localized contrast along side richly detailed areas of shadow luminosity where tonal barriers are crossed to the point of surreal presentation. Now one is coming close to a definition of the HDR look. It is recognizable if not definable; much like the definition of pornography when someone said, "I can't quite define it but I know it when I see it." the HDR image is clearly recognizable by all who see it.

Tone mapping software, especially Photomatix Pro, offers one a wide range of creative control. One may use controls to keep the image looking more natural, more realistic look, much like a single image shot or one may use controls to achieve what some have described as painterly, cartoonish, or surrealistic. In my own work, I tend toward creating the more surreal look which often prompts people to ask if I enhanced the colors. In fact, the rich saturation I achieve is the result of the HDR process and nothing more than that.

That being said, one must also realize that tone mapped images are rarely perfect, hence the need for a powerful image processor such as Photoshop.

Tone mapped images may look flat, may lack overall contrast, and often suffer from ghosting, halos and other artifacts. Depending on the amount of a surreal look one wants to achieve, the first step in adjusting the final image file is to use curves to enhance contrast. The S-curve to the right is a simple adjustment that adds contrast to a flat image. One must be careful to not go overboard in making curve adjustments. I like to do curves adjustments on a separate layer so I can also take advantage of masking, blending and opacity adjustments separately. The object of the curve adjustment is to preserve highlights and shadow detail while boosting the contrast of the midtones. You will notice a significant improvement in the appearance of your tone mapped image with the application of just a slight S-curve adjustment. There are other ways to creatively approach your HDR imagery. But I will save some of those for a later post.

Taking Aquarium Photos

Aquariums are a popular destination for photographers of every level of skill and experience. They provide ample animal subjects of varying size, shape, and color. Aquatic scenes can be vibrant and dynamic, but they can also be surprisingly difficult to capture. Many factors contribute to this fact; from the lighting to the glass of the tanks to the contained water itself. These simple tips will help you take great shots on your next trip to the aquarium.

Amateur photographers often don't realize that the lighting in aquarium calls for some special consideration. The tanks appear bright to humans because our pupils dilate to allow more light into our eyes. Our pupils remain open, too, allowing for ample time to process the light they are receiving. A camera can pull some similar tricks, but you must remember to employ them when you are taking your aquarium photos. You should use a larger aperture (smaller F-stop) and extend your shutter speed. Don't go above 1/60th of a second, however, as the moving fish are likely to come out blurry. A film speed of ISO 800 is recommended if you are shooting without a flash. Do your best to exploit the tank lighting. Aquarium displays are usually lit from the top, so think about taking your shots from an elevation if this is possible. Also ensure that you do not use a flash when photographic light-sensitive creatures.

The glass or plexiglass of the tanks in aquariums can be up to a foot thick. Both materials distort and bend light, especially at these dimensions. They are also prone to reflecting a nasty glare whenever a flash is used. You may need to use manual focus, as the glass can confuse automatic focusing systems. It is generally a good idea to try to shoot perpendicularly to the tank, as this will minimize the light-distorting effects of the material of its walls. If you must use a flash, then be sure to shoot at at least a 45 degree angle to the wall of the tank. This will cause some distortion of the subject of your photo, but it will mitigate the chances of capturing your own flash.

The last substantial hurdle to aquarium photography is all of the water between your camera and your subject. Watch the clarity of the water and plan to shoot when the densest concentrations of waterborne particles have passed. While this should be obvious, you should take your photo when your subject is closest to the wall of the tank. This will enhance the quality of the final image. Some aquariums offer aquarium photography workshops to interested photographers. Consider these programs if you want to further refine your skills.

How to Decide Whether to Be a Generalist Or Specialist Photographer

Too many green (newbie) photographers rush in believing that being a generalist photographer is where the money is. The truth is you'll do better if you specialize in a mode of photography you enjoy:

- wedding photography
- pet photography
- portrait photography
- fashion photography
- advertising photography
- newspaper photography

The choice is endless. Identify your photography category passion. This is a good start to knowing what photography mode to slip into. Here are some things to think about:

- What do you enjoy photographing the most?
- What are you good at?
- Where will the money come from?

While thinking about this here are a few tips that will help you make good choices in your photography business.

Planning your Business Strategies

Think of it this way. If you are going on holiday you do not just turn up at the airport to catch the first flight out. You can plan where the destination will be, your starting point, and any stops along the way.

Too many photographers think it is as simple as printing business cards and building a website. It is not. These are great ways to showcase your work and start being recognised but they may not bring in many paying clients.

Sit down and write a business plan include your goals and a plan to achieve them. Include a marketing plan, your financial information, and strategies for the everyday running of your photography business. Your goals should be evident in your business plan so that someone can read it and see what you're planning to do, how you'll do it, medium and long term.

If you find writing a business plan too daunting then there are plenty of people around who can help - seminars, workshops, and consultants.

Get Professional Help

Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Don't force yourself to attempt the weak areas yourself, think carefully about hiring someone. Maybe you just cannot get your head around the accounts - then hire an accountant. Sure it will cost you more but how much will it cost you if you get it wrong? If you are worried about a lack of skills in any one area, get a 'subby' (sub-contractor).

You can always learn the skills yourself, but it may not be worth it for the cost of hiring someone on a project basis. And, in the new age of the Internet, there is always the option of virtual assistants who can do all manner of tasks to help ease the burden of running a photography business.

New Methods of Photography Instructions

Photography is art that has to be mastered, and here we talk about learning the art of photography. One thing that is most important is the passion for this art, and we need a lot of practice as "it makes man perfect" so we can say that the way to learn photography is "photograph, photograph, photograph."

However, other than simply photographing, we learn from several other things, for example, learning from teachers, by emulating the works of other good photographers by looking at their works of art, by participating in workshops, by going to schools and taking photography degrees, by reading books, etc. so we have so many options that we can learn the art of photography.

Nonetheless, the latest one is learning by yourself over the Internet. This is one of the easiest way because the Internet has abundant photography instructions and tips in one or another form, most of which are free to learn and which can be done from the comfort of homes.

Books are now the things of the past in almost all the fields as we now have the internet and the computer and everything can be downloaded or presented at the comfort of your home. You don't have to buy books any more; you can just browse the internet and learn the art of photography in your own time and speed and without having to go to school.

So now, we have the new way of learning photography, which is learning online by either enrolling to a program, or by looking at others' work, by paying for tutorial or even learning via some sites that offer completely free tips, tutorials and other great information about learning the art of photography as well as learning about the business side of it.

There are several advantages in learning photography online as compared to learning by using the book. Books are relatively more expensive than the most of the online sources, and you can find some fabulous and absolutely free-of-charge photography instructions on the Web. Moreover, books take physical space as well, and you cannot carry all of your photography books so it may be inconvenient when you are traveling, and when it comes to learning by book you have to be where you have the books which makes life harder

On the other hand, you will have access to all the online resources any time and any place because of the development of the technology and the internet, and if you want, you can save important documents in a thumb drive and travel with it anywhere you go. Owing to all these things, people now are more inclined towards learning photography the new way, which is learning online.

Tractor in Hayfield

I shot Tractor in Hayfield with a Canon 30D with a Tameron 28-105mm f/2.8 lens. I set the ISO to 400. Using aperture priority, I set the aperture at f/16 and varied the shutter to capture a 9-shot bracketed exposure over a 5EV range, exposing in 1/2EV increments. I shot in RAW.

After my discovery that a 7-shot bracket is far superior to a 5-shot bracket over the same 5EV range, I decided to try a 9-shot bracket at the next available opportunity. I wasn't planning on doing this the very next day but, while driving to deliver some prints to a client, I saw this tractor in a hayfield that just screamed, "Photograph ME!!!" On my way back I took out my camera and tripod, parked the car and shot away.

If a 7-shot bracket over a 5-stop range is fantastic, how can I describe the 9-shot bracket over the same range? I am not certain there are enough superlatives in the language to describe anything like what I have in front of me. The richness of the shadow detail along side the sharpness of the highlight detail is quite striking. I printed the image on Moab Entrada Rag Bright matte paper and the image simply jumps off the page. The luminance value of matte paper is far less than a glossy finish so I also printed the image on Photopaper Glossy Professional paper from Office Max (I use this paper for proofs and presentations) and the image nearly jumped off the page.

I want to say a bit about when to use more exposures in a bracketed shot. The scene with the tractor was a high contrast scent, bright sunlight, dark shadows. While in the days of film one might refer to such a day as a 5-stop day, the truth is it is more like a 17-stop day. In a high contrast situation, in order to cover the totality of the dynamic range, one must make more exposures over the 5-stop range. As one overexposes one really is exposing for the brightest part of the dynamic range while the opposite is true for the under exposed shots in the bracket. While a 5-shot bracket is better than a 3 shot bracket, so a 7- or 9-shot bracket will capture incrementally more of the dynamic range and, therefore, provide an hdr image that captures more of that range.

In low contrast situations, what one might call a 3-stop day, say, for example, in overcast skies or in foggy conditions, or just in shadow, a 3- to 5-shot bracket across 3-stops will be adequate to capture a vivid hdr image. Indoors, in normal tungsten light, I shoot as I would in low contrast conditions.

A couple of other thoughts. I have written about the need for a sturdy tripod when shooting for hdr images. I use a carbon fiber tripod because it is lightweight yet incredibly sturdy. The problem with carbon fiber is the expense. My tripod cost a bit under $900.00, and when I bought it that was a bargain. Today, however, the story is different. Induro carbon fiber tripods start at around $300 and provide the same light weight and sturdy features that my tripod does. Trying to shoot hdr without a sturdy tripod is something like balancing on a tightrope in a 30 mile per hour wind. The results won't be so good. By the way, a sturdy tripod on soft ground is not sturdy. When setting my tripod on soft or spongy ground I generally wiggle it around until it settles on a firm surface. In another situation, you may set your tripod on a smooth polished surface, tile or marble flooring, which may cause your tripod to slip. Again, a remote trigger is advisable in a situation like this. When you are out in the field you must do everything you can to get the shot right the first time because you may never again have the chance to re-shoot.

Another thought, if you are shooting at 1/15th of a second or faster and your camera has a mirror lock up feature you might want to use it. The movement of the mirror causes some camera shake and that shake is likely to place stress on the merger of your bracketed images. You might try shooting the same image with and without mirror lock up and compare the difference. If you do use a mirror lock up it is a good idea to have a remote firing device, either an electronic device or, if your camera allows, an old fashioned cable release. Shutter speeds less than 1/15th of a second don't really require mirror lock up simply because the vibrations caused by the mirror are long over before the pixels begin to saturate across the digital sensor.

Top Three Tips To Sell Photos Online And Earn Profits From Your Photography Hobby

Do you think you have what it takes as a digital photographer to sell photos online? Do you think you can make money from your photography hobby? Most digital photographer hobbyists are now making money by selling photos to stock photography websites online. You can even earn more when you sell photos online to media outfits.

What is stock photography? It is the supply of high quality digital photos that can be used legally by media outfits and businesses to suit any purpose such as advertising collaterals. Nowadays, it is very common for businesses to use stock photo websites to find digital photos for their advertising. Some use it for magazines to complement articles with good quality stock images. Even graphic artists use it for their web design needs. This means a lot of savings as compared to hiring and paying the fees for professional photo services by a digital photographer.

What one needs is to become a member of this stock photography websites and upload stock photos that you think will sell online. Every time a buyer purchases one of your stock images, you get paid for commissions which are usually 50%-80% of the amount paid by the buyer. The commission varies and depends which stock photography website you sell your stock photos.

The usual fee is between 1 to 10 dollars for every sold stock photo or image. The selling price of each stock photo starts from a dollar to about 10 dollars and if there is a need for a special stock photo and there are less supply than the demand then the price per stock photo increases. When you think of the commission you get from each sale you feel that when you sell photos online it makes your images amount to nothing. But if you add up all the sales you get when you sell photos online each month, it can become a source of profit for your photography hobby and even become your full time income online.

Follow these tips if you want to sell photos online and make a profit from your photography hobby online:

1. Do research on these stock photography websites.

Try to register with the best and know stock photography websites to maximize your potential to earn if you sell photos online. The more stock photography websites you register the higher your chances for buyers to see your photos online. Be careful with choosing the category to submit your stock photo online, it may end up being rejected by the stock photography website.

Always make sure that you have full copyright of all the photos you sell online. It is to avoid claims and legal problems if another photographer make a claim on your stock photo.

2. Choosing the subject that sells.

Remember most of these images are used for advertising. Don't use your family as your subject. A good tip is to choose generic subjects such as common objects and places of travel which is a popular subject among buyers of stock images online. By doing research online, you will see which stock photos actually sell online. You can now recreate images based on a particularly popular subject.

3. A good digital camera.

It can be the difference of actually earning form selling photos online and being rejected by the stock photo website for not being able to produce high quality stock images to sell online. If you think you can earn from selling photos online invest on a good and high end digital camera. In the end the digital camera will pay for itself.

Take thousands and thousands of frames to get the best possible stock photo from a particular subject. This will help you start making money and earn some profit from your photography hobby.

It comes natural to a digital photographer who loves photography to take a lot of frames anyways it is part of the whole experience.

Hope you learn something about making money selling photos online. Last tip to successfully sell photos online, you need to start shooting!