Canon Studio Solution - Studio Operation Customer and Employee Management - 3/8

Canons new Studio Solution software integrates management, image capture, sales, retouching, and output into an intuitive and completely scalable package. Dramatically streamline your business and maximize your income with key features including: Customer and employee management, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting Canon's advanced image processors and color algorithms from processing RAW files to automated printing with Color Management built in. Basic to advanced retouching tools. Built in templates, composites, borders and greenscreen tools with integrated border workshop. Client presentation sales tool with slideshows and frame views.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnkSMrwvUnc&hl=en

Canon Studio Solution - Client Presentation Mode - 7/8

Canons new Studio Solution software integrates management, image capture, sales, retouching, and output into an intuitive and completely scalable package. Dramatically streamline your business and maximize your income with key features including: Customer and employee management, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting Canon's advanced image processors and color algorithms from processing RAW files to automated printing with Color Management built in. Basic to advanced retouching tools. Built in templates, composites, borders and greenscreen tools with integrated border workshop. Client presentation sales tool with slideshows and frame views.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I35ep6zki4&hl=en

Know More About Landscape Photography

Photography is the only profession that will not be a stress giver but will actually help you in taking the stress away from you. You will get to see a lot of new places and experience the beauty of nature in its real sense. It is important that you should be clear and be prepared for a lot of research and also keep in mind that it will not be stressful the way it can be in any other profession. If you are planning for a career in photography, there are certain important landscape photography tips that you have to know about this domain.

Hard work and persistence:

If you are under an impression that getting a photo is easy then you might have to do a little homework on that. It will depend a lot on your luck and experience will make it a piece of cake for you. It is all about hard work and persistence. To capture the perfect picture you should have the dedication and motivation for it.
Researching for the perfect location:

Research about the location is necessary, so that you get the perfect look at all times. You should be able to spend more and more time on the location to get a clear picture. For example, if you are planning to get the view of sunrise, you should be available at the location at least an hour before the sun starts to rise. Take time to get your perfect angles. Take a few shots to see how it will work. You can even try to take the picture from different heights. You can climb up the tree or lie on the ground. The efforts are important to get the perfect picture on time.

Getting pictures from different angles is important, so that you have options. However, try not to repeat the location as you might loose on time. Talking to people who know about the place will also help you a great deal. You should also take care of the weather as that can either help you to get a great picture or even ruin your efforts. Therefore, if you do not get good weather conditions in the first time, keep going to the same place until the magic happens.

Persistence and hard work:

If you are unable to find the right weather conditions, you should not lose heart; some people give up because of the same. You might not be able to succeed the first time but if you give up you will never get it. Visit the place again and again. Try different angles under different conditions. Always remember, that getting a perfect landscape photographs is all about persistence and hard work.

If you are really for it, you can try getting your self certified professionally. Attending a photography workshops or seminars is also a good option to gain more knowledge about it. There are many people who are paying good money for perfect pictures. So you can also try for the Cash Cow method to make money through it

Some Tips in Getting the Best Photography Training

People who are interested to photography should consider photography training if they want to be more of an expert in this field. If you are one of those people, you can have several choices of training to explore your ability. Some types of photography trainings are revealed here for you to give you some ideas about the most suitable training for you. Here they are.

Photography College
This is a great idea to get best training on photography, particularly for people who want to earn some amount of money professionally from this field. Here, you will have every single useful detail that will improve the quality of your captured pictures. If this certain training suits you the most, you can start to contact some colleges or universities near your area. Ask them more information about their photography degree program and the facilities provided for their students.

Photography class
This is a place to learn more details and techniques on photography without taking degree program. This is a perfect option if you want to improve your skill in photography while taking degree program in another subject. Surely, you can easily find classes for beginners, intermediate, and expert. There are also a lot of subjects that you could choose during attending those classes, such as portrait taking, studio lighting, as well as the techniques of digital photography itself.

Workshops
There are always a lot of workshop events held by some camera supply stores. You can also attend those events to get more training on photography skills. You can simply ask for more information to the contact person of the workshop regarding the kind of class offered by them. Besides, in this certain event, you will have great chance to meet other local photographers. You can also get more useful knowledge from them.

You can choose the most suitable training that matches your needs well. Surely, you will not get anything from your training if you never do regular training. Therefore, do not miss any chance to practice and to improve your theoretical knowledge.

Digital Photography Tip - Which One To Follow

Itching to churn out photographic masterpieces? Then a digital camera is a handy and inexpensive aide to your photography cruises. Digital cameras combine a range of features to ensure that you capture the scenes and moments of life in all their stunning reality. But to expound a popular myth, a frightfully expensive digital camera is not a guarantee to skillful digital photography. Remember the phrase about the sloppy workman who always blamed his tools! Let the tips on digital photography come to your rescue.

Tempting Tips to Dazzling Digital Photography

Seasoned digital photographers are unanimous on one thing: they honed their photography skills mostly by tinkering with the camera and taking a whole lot of trash shots in the beginning. Thus after you have acquired your camera, fiddle with it to your heart's content and snap at anything and everything under the sun. Tips to increase your digital photography proficiency levels include the following:

- Flip through the instructor's manual and know your camera by heart. In particular, be aware of its potentials and limitations. For instance, most digital cameras come equipped with different scene modes to complement varying settings. A thorough knowledge about them will help you to come up with the optimum results.

- Pack in a sizeable memory card into your camera. This will enable you to shoot at the camera's highest resolution and come up with top-notch pictures. Also think of the logic, if you have paid through your nose to get a 8-megapixel camera why on earth should you be stingy about making it go all the way only for want of a voluminous memory card.

- Most tenderfoots with the digital camera have a hard time with keeping the camera still while shooting. The result is pictures where the Leaning Tower of Pisa looks upright while all other towers look inclined and about to topple over. This is especially true when these amateur photographers are using their LCD for composing the photos. The best way to counter this is to take multiple shots with varying angles of a single scene. One is bound to turn out right. Practice will make you perfect.

- For acquainting yourself with the basics of lightning, you do not need to attend workshops and seminars. Just remember that if the sun is behind the subject, the photograph will turn out to be a silhouette and if you intend to capture the shot with the subject facing the sun, be prepared for narrowed eyes and a little bit unnatural looking photograph. An interesting variation would be rim lighting, wherein you can have the sun light up the hair of the subject from a side.

- Let not your flash shots be only flashes in the pan! Make it a habit to take good and discernible photographs in the flash mode and for this you need to stand a bit close to your subject when using the fill flash outdoors (most in-built flashes have a range of 10-feet or less). This way you can ensure an even exposure all the elements in the scene.

- Explore the Macro Mode and add a new, exhilarating dimension to your photographs. But as you maneuver this mode, it is important to remember that you are dealing with very shallow field depths. So focus on the part of the object that you deem most significant and let the remaining parts go soft. Sit back and marvel at the result!

- Be an actual part of the picture you are taking. And for this you need to use the self-timer on the camera, which just happens to be the most slightly used feature of a digital camera. A self-timer is also a great way of ensuring that there is no jerking of the camera while you zero in on the correct exposure parameter.

- Don't always go by the settings that come with the camera. You will be missing out on a lot of exciting and visually appealing openings. For instance, the white balance setting is usually "auto", but try adjusting it to "cloudy" when taking shots out in the sun. You will be amazed by the results, more precisely, the warm tones of the image. This is because the "auto" white balance mode leans on the "cool" side.

The road to National Geographic status photography is not easy. But these tips on digital photography will just give the impression that you have arrived on the scene.

Keep Your Photos and Environment Safe

With all the pictures out there of little polar bear cubs and their mothers up in the arctic looking very thin in recent years, it makes you wonder what the end result will be regarding the impending environmental changes. Is this a natural cyclical change at work here, or have our internal combustion engines, aerosols, fertilizers, chemicals, etc., over the past 100+ years been a factor in all of this? At this point, the jury is still out on that issue.

But something is definitely happening, I'm sure you'll agree. Is there anything out there, we as modern day folks may ask ourselves, that doesn't damage the environment? Rest assured, there are products out there that don't damage the environment one iota, among them being the absolutely beautiful eco-friendly photo albums available on several websites scattered across the Internet.

They're handmade works of art, and are made of jungle-renewable materials which, because the growing season never ends in the tropics of Indonesia, the island of Bali will always have the resources for their manufacture readily at hand right outside the front door of the workshop--things such as bamboo, seeds, pressed leaves and pressed flowers.

On top of that, because they are organic photo albums, they most likely don't have the dangerous chemicals (polyvinyl chlorides, or PVCs) in them that are in the plastic pages of many photo albums found in your local drug store, so your photos will be safe for decades to come, instead of getting bleached out over time.

Summing up--no damage to your photos, no damage to the environment. Additionally, most are very affordable.

9 Great Landscape Photo Tips from Calumet and Ernie Cowan

Photographer and teacher Ernie Cowan gives 9 great landscape photo tips. You can sign up for a workshop with Ernie at www.calumetphoto.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vkgMJ_rT4o&hl=en

Highlights of Good Photography Courses

Those who have chosen photography for earning a living have several options to consider while they are in need of an introduction to the profession. Online courses are preferred by people who are running short of time or who are living in remote areas where it is difficult to find a good course. Classroom courses are preferred by those who feel that it is better to dedicate some time for such courses on a full-time basis as they feel that it is concentrated effort.

Some private institutes have an excellent placement record and this has the effect of attracting many students. Some colleges are already well-established and so you can be sure about the quality. Some of them even have noteworthy alumni that they can boast of. It is better to join colleges that are accredited so that you can be sure of the value that you will receive for the invested money. You must choose a specialization with care as it will help your professional career.

It is common to find professionals and amateurs registering for well designed photography workshops. Some colleges offer night and day classes. Some students even make use of the facility for staying in the college campus. Some courses target those who are already working.

Though the highlights of the various courses vary, it is possible to state a few points about the courses. A complete course that is aimed at preparing a beginner for professional photography will cover the following:

- Details about cameras/lenses

- Guidelines of photography

- Camera usage

- Processing images

- Effects of lighting

- Photography applied to various themes like: sports, pets, kids, marriages, fashion, etc.

- Techniques related to printing

- Tips and techniques

Some people find short courses beneficial. Such courses will compress the various topics and strive to teach as much as possible within a limited time frame. You will also need to know the special effects that will come handy from time to time.

IDP TV - WPPI 2008 - Bambi Cantrell

WPPI 2008's official show report continues as renowned Author & Wedding Photographer, Bambi Cantrell, Cantrell Portrait Design joins Inside Digital Photo TV's host, Scott Sheppard live from her "Fantasy Portrait" Workshop to share some tips on what photographers can do to get out of their creative rut. Bambi's hands-on workshops inspire photographers with high-energy models featuring the work of her favorite stylists and airbrush artists. Hear her tips on how she keeps her work on the cutting edge integrating fashion with her wedding and portrait work. For more information about Bambi Cantrell, her training DVDs, and workshops visit: www.cantrellportrait.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLsC-U4lCX4&hl=en

The Photographers Biggest Marketing Sin

How to stand out in the marketplace

There are only five ways to stand out in the marketplace:

1-Price, 2- Product, 3-Process, 4-Service and 5-Marketing Let's look at these areas:

Price. If you compete on price you are asking for heartache and headaches. I guarantee it. Charge what YOU WANT, and find ways to justify it. Never stay stuck in the price war competition. It is very, very frustrating. I talk to many photographers who stay stuck and fail to work on other areas to strengthen. I believe it often is a sign of deeper problems and self -image. I am not suggesting avoiding it altogether, but it certainly is a prime focus for too many.

Product. I've always felt that if you can make people look good and create great photos they will tolerate just about kind of abuse or otherwise appalling behavior that would never be tolerated in other industries. If you are a great photographer why not be a great marketer too? And a good person. You will only have everything to gain by it and if you treat people badly, in time you are bound to pay a price. How exactly? Who knows? But why be a jerk? Likewise if you take okay photographs it will help you immensely by being a memorable person. I know average photographers who earn good money and get a ton of business largely because they are likeable. This factor really helps in this business. If you take okay photographs you should be personable and likeable, and you should create a lot of excitement with your marketing and ability to innovate.

Process. When you create systems that work, you become efficient. Use a system, do not take away from the system by letting employees change it or use their own discretion. A finely tunes operation will impress clients and you will stand out.

Service. There is ample opportunity for every business to become excellent in the area of service. It's vital to create standards, and stick to them consistently. Use a process for the delivery of great service. One key area is training,and training staff often. They need weekly reminders of every aspect that you want great service to be delivered. Most business's suffer from apathy in this area, so if you decide to be unusual, and offer great service, you will stand out big time.

Marketing. Let's look at this one. Without a doubt the biggest marketing sin is being boring. You can have the greatest ad writing skills in the world but if your offers are boring you'll likely stumble and fail. You can have the greatest photographic talent in the world but if your offers, copy and promotions are boring you're doomed. Being boring in any way shape or form is considered marketing suicide. Maybe that's why so business's fail. Simply because they use boring, run-of-the-mill, seen-it-a-million-times, looks-like-everything-else out there marketing. I have no doubt that this is true and it is so often ignored by so many business's it actually creates opportunity for those of us who decide to do something about it.

But first, let's look at the obvious question: Why do we fall into the habit of creating marketing suicide with boring promotions, boring ads, boring offers, boring copy etc...in the first place....? Simple. We are human beings. We like to copy each other and copy others who we think are successful. We take on the "monkey-see monkey-do" way of thinking. It probably has something to do with peer pressure and other social conditionings, fear of trying something new or radical, fear of ridicule....whatever it is, the pressure is great. There are probably many reasons and ways of explaining it, and since humans are basically lazy it only compounds the problem.

This is a behavior that makes no exception. It applies equally to all industries and is so common it can be considered the true cause of failure. It's what I like to call cannibalism.You see it everywhere. Everyone starts doing what everyone else is doing and we all start looking alike. What this ultimately amounts to is suicide because the marketing that results from cannibalism is so boring it has virtually no effect on that target group that we are trying to get into our studios.

Okay, so why don't we simply take the opposite approach and copy the successful models such as Starbucks and The Body Shop to name only a few. The rules they play by are simple, but they did something amazingly simple that we too can us in our own business. They didn't look at what all the other business's in their industry are doing and duplicate. They didn't go to a coffee convention and notice what all the other coffee places were doing so they could use those same old and tired ideas. Did they? As a matter of fact they did the opposite. They simply innovated new and exciting ways to sell their boring coffee and boring soap products. Think about it. They succeed, many fail. Look any other industry. Pick any and you'll see the same behaviors over and over.

Strive to find your own voice and your own message. I know we are all selling the same commodity with our own style of shooting as the only way to differentiating from one another, but if we avoid cannibalism by not copying what all the other photographers are doing and by doing something totally different, totally outrageous (yes, going through the phone book and calling people cold is considered outrageous in my books...could you do it?? I'm not suggesting that we use that as a marketing strategy but as a source of inspiration, a guide post, a virtue, ultimately asking ourselves: do I have the guts, determination, discipline and willingness to stand above the crowd and not look like everyone else in my field?)

So how do we do this? Where do we start? Simple, take the basics and work from there. Your offers and packages in all your services should be exciting. Never boring, Start with your basic menu of services. If you are a "a la carte" photo studio then get off your high horse and create packages at different levels. Thinking is hard work so make it real easy for clients to understand what it is you are offering them. And please, don't forget the golden rule: make all your offers speak in terms of how they will benefit the client (not an ego massage for you).

Look at everything your studio stands for. Is it unique? What areas can you improve? How about your personality? Your shooting style? Your skills? The studio smells? Your staff? Attitudes? Everything is a potential area for improvement and could be polished with that extra sparkle that you could call your own, not a copy of what you saw at the convention last month. Inject big and small ideas. Infuse personality into all your marketing, your personality.

Why do you think Wendy's used Dave Thomas in their ads? Simple, sales went down when they stopped using him. He was a lovable, believable human being. Not a cold, corporate and sterile message like most ads out there. When you stop being a cannibal and stop feeding the same message over and over you start the right path to marketing.

You won't find the answer in any textbook. However you can follow guidelines. The biggest job you have in your studio is that of being a marketer. A strategist first and foremost. Your life depends it and your business too. It is the only way to not becoming a cannibal.

I was once asked if location was important for the photographer. My answer was and is that location is a very, very small factor, unless you are building a franchise mall type studio and plan to expand it. This type of store depends on location to a much larger degree. If you focus on location and make it a primary strategy without making process', service and marketing your main focus, you are creating a very weak plan.

Be grounded, realistic and focused on what is important and deserving of your attention and efforts. Your success depends on it.

Canon Studio Solution - Installation and Configration 2/8

Canons new Studio Solution software integrates management, image capture, sales, retouching, and output into an intuitive and completely scalable package. Dramatically streamline your business and maximize your income with key features including: Customer and employee management, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting Canon's advanced image processors and color algorithms from processing RAW files to automated printing with Color Management built in. Basic to advanced retouching tools. Built in templates, composites, borders and greenscreen tools with integrated border workshop. Client presentation sales tool with slideshows and frame views.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ1Vm8a2-zM&hl=en

Kite Aerial Photography and Photogrammetry

Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) and Photogrammetry at an archaeolgical site at the Mexican/US border. This video was generated from data gathered with a standard digital camera triggered remotely while hanging from a kite.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbLjti0D1A&hl=en

Canon Studio Solution - Border Templates Greenscreens - 6/8

Canons new Studio Solution software integrates management, image capture, sales, retouching, and output into an intuitive and completely scalable package. Dramatically streamline your business and maximize your income with key features including: Customer and employee management, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting Canon's advanced image processors and color algorithms from processing RAW files to automated printing with Color Management built in. Basic to advanced retouching tools. Built in templates, composites, borders and greenscreen tools with integrated border workshop. Client presentation sales tool with slideshows and frame views.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpuNlvXdJZQ&hl=en

Photoshop For Beginners - Understanding Levels and Curves Input Values

When you set the INPUT value in the Levels or Curves dialog either by dragging the black or white triangular sliders or typing a value directly into the Input box, you are telling Photoshop to change all of the pixels in the image that have this new tone value so that they match the default OUTPUT value. For example, when you move the white slider in the Curves dialog to 250, you are basically saying "I want all the pixels with the value 250 AND HIGHER (i.e. the range 250 to 255) to have the same value as shown in the OUTPUT box."

Since the default OUTPUT value is 255 for white, all of the pixels in the image with a value of 250 or higher will be made to be pure white (value 255). The other light tones in the image will also become lighter. The same is true for the black slider. When you move the black slider you set the INPUT value which will change all of the pixels with this value AND LOWER equal to the default OUTPUT value which is 0 (i.e. black). For example, if you move the black slider or set the black INPUT value to 25, all of the pixels with a value of 25 or lower will be made equal to the output value of 0 (black). This will also cause all of the shadow tones also to darken.

You are actually setting the upper and lower limit values of the white and black tones in the image which in this example would increase the overall contrast of the image. So, if you have a low contrast image that hasn't got a black tone and hasn't got a white tone, you would normally be saying "OK, the darkest tone in this image has, say, a value of 20 BUT this is not true black and I want it to be black. Right, so I need to set the INPUT value of the black slider to 20 and leave the OUTPUT value at 0."

This will change the value of the selected tone from 20 to 0 thus increasing the depth of the shadow tones. Note that all the tones in the dark areas will be lowered in value proportionally. You now have either a Levels or Curves tone adjustment that has 'mapped' the value of 20 down to 0. Working with the lighter tones now, let's say the lightest tone in this same image has a value of 230 (a light grey tone, typical of low contrast photos). Now let's assume we want the image to have a pure white. So, we need to change the value of this tone from 230 so that it looks white (value 255). Using the Levels or Curves adjustment dialog we move the white slider until the INPUT value is 230 and leave the OUTPUT value at the default of 255. This will change all the tones with a value of 230 so they have the new value of 0 (zero) which will change them to become white in the image.

The result of these two changes to the black and white input values will be that you have increased the image contrast to make it fill the full tonal range and appear more 'normal'. Now you understand how the Input values in the Levels and Curves dialogs work and how to use them to correct a low contrast photograph.

What Should We Pay To Improve Our Photography?

Many of us, when looking to improve our photography, spend money on equipment. We think that the better/newer the equipment the better our photography. We pay plenty of money because we believe that the equipment will enable us to create better photographs. Most of the time our photography remains the same, only the equipment, and our bank accounts, have changed.

What do we need to create a photograph? We need a camera, a lens and light sensitive material to record light. If you are using a pinhole camera you can dispense with the lens.

What do we need to create a GOOD photograph? An understanding of the craft of photography can help. The more we understand about the craft of photography the more depth we can bring to our pictures. If we can't teach ourselves about the craft, a class/workshop with a good teacher will help us enormously and is well worth the cost. But there's something else that won't cost us anything.

What do we need to pay to create GOOD photographs and yet cost us nothing out of our pockets? ATTENTION!

Our cameras record EVERYTHING that we place into our framing and, assuming that there is enough light being reflected or transmitted by the objects in the frame, whether we see it or not it's there!

We see with discrimination. We see what's interesting to us and pay attention to that, usually at the expense of everything else in the frame. On the other hand our cameras see indiscriminately and are interested in nothing.

We have to learn to see like our cameras record our photographs, without discrimination. Although we need to concentrate on what's interesting and important to us, we also need to pay attention to everything else in the frame. If we don't pay attention to everything else, we get things in the photograph that we don't want in the photograph..like poles growing out of peoples heads!

Pay attention to EVERYTHING in the frame. If we look at our photograph after the exposure was made and see something that wasn't there, we weren't paying attention. Things that weren't in our viewfinder prior to our exposure don't magically appear in the photograph after the exposure was made. There's nothing wrong with a pole growing out of someone's head if that's what we saw in our viewfinder before our exposure was made and decided to keep it there.

We need to look at ALL of the picture in our viewfinder and organize it. We should be filling the frame with the elements of the composition that are important to us and paying attention to how those elements relate to each other then, when everything feels right to us, we make the exposure. By doing this at the very least we'll have a well composed picture. At the most, if we are true to OUR feelings about whatever we are photographing, we'll not only have a well composed picture we'll have a picture filled with feeling.

We can't force feeling into a picture. A picture filled with feeling is usually an automatic result of examining what's important to us as individuals and including those important compositional elements, and their relationships, in our photographs.

If you want to improve your photography, before plunking down a pile of cash to pay for that new state of the art super mega-expensive piece of equipment that you think will improve your pictures, try paying attention. It'll cost you nothing and I believe that our thoughtful attention is the best investment we can make when it comes to our photographs.

Wedding Photography: How to Become a Successful Wedding Photographer

Once in while I receive e-mails or phone calls from aspiring or beginner wedding photographers asking me for advise on how to become successful in the wedding field. My first question is always what their motivation is to become a wedding photographer. Some will reply that they heard from somebody that it is easy money, or that they got a cool camera that takes great photos or that they would like to make some money on the side etc.
While it is true that wedding photography can be a very profitable business achieving success in the wedding industry is not just a matter of getting a camera and start shooting. Wedding photography involves artistic talent, human sense, complete mastery of photographic techniques, business knowledge, and a strong desire to learn and deliver the best to the wedding couple.

Here I have summarized some points that I believe will guide beginner wedding photographers:

1. Learn photography before anything else. A wedding photographer is expected to be a master of the craft. You will be in charge of capturing people's most precious life moments. The wedding day is not the place to learn photography.

2. Just because you got a brand new camera it does not automatically make you an effective and reliable photographer. Photography goes beyond cool toys and gadgets. Learn composition and develop a unique artistic vision. Some of the great photographs of all time were taken with manual cameras.

3. Master the digital workflow, including color management, digital image processing, file management and image correction and enhancement.

4. Learn to love photography more than anything else. Don't come to the wedding photography field with just dreams of making money. It is true that there are many successful wedding photographers that make a lot of money. However according to the Professional Photographers of America the average photographer in America makes about $24,000 a year.

5. Focus on delivering quality more than quantity. Seek with all your heart to capture unique photographs.

6. Develop a style that is recognizable and unique. Don't try to be like somebody else. Clients look for unique photographers, with a unique vision.

7. Give wedding photography all your heart and effort. Long when you are gone your photographs will last forever. It is a great way to be remembered.

8. Open your heart and your mind and great photos will happen. Concentrate on the human aspect of weddings, the details, and emotions and be ready to capture them. Let the camera become an extension of you.

9. Share your technical knowledge and make connections with other wedding photographers.

10. Participate in wedding photography image competitions. It will give you the opportunity to have your work evaluated by peers and the motivation to improve your work quality.

11. Learn something new everyday. Take advantage of professional photography organizations such as Professional Photographers of America (PPA), WPPI, etc. Attend their seminars, workshops. Participate in Internet wedding photography forums and learn and share tips, tools and techniques.

12. Don't neglect the business aspect of wedding photography. Learn to manage your business effectively. Take business courses and seminars.

10 Top Travel Photography Tips

Whether you’re taking a short day trip or going halfway around the world, there are things besides a destination and a camera that can ensure you return home with a collection of wonderful photographs. Here are 10 travel photo tips to help you do just that.

1. Look For Local Cultural Events because these can make for some great photo opportunities.

2. Carry A Wide-Range Zoom (28-200mm) to reduce weight and still have plenty of focal range. Bringing a lot of lenses can really weigh you down.

3. Previsualize Your Shots at a scene. Walk around while considering light, weather, lens selection and how to frame some unusual and fresh compositions.

4. Get Up Before Dawn At Least Once and photograph a scene as the morning light emerges.

5. Show The Picture On The LCD to people you shoot, especially when there’s a language barrier. It involves them in what you’re doing and builds trust.

6. Use A Portable Reflector To Control Light, fill in shadows or brighten colors in the foreground.

7. Make Sure You Have A Tripod, preferably one that’s strong, lightweight and fairly compact when fully compressed.

8. Back Up Your Images with a portable storage device to free up memory cards and ensure that you come home with all the photos you took.

9. Don’t Forget A Cleaning Kit to keep your lenses and sensors clean.

10. Shooting Some Video in addition to your still images can turn slideshows into dynamic, multimedia presentations.

Make the most of your next photographic adventure, with all of our travel photography tips [http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/content/2005/june/20_travel_tips.shtml].

Photography For You

It is a fact that stress is one culprit that could make someone unhealthy. And these days, people are so obsessed with their career, chasing time and not even pausing to take a breath. Sure, it is invigorating to have a job and be productive in the society you live in but you should also keep in mind that your physical body needs to rest once in a while. Even your mind needs to take a break from all the stressful thoughts from work and from the chaotic world around you.

Money and all the beautiful things you have amassed are good to own but how can you enjoy them if you do not have the luxury of time to smell the roses? A good way to spend your free time is to take a hobby. It is not only a good way to enhance your skill but it is also good for your mental state. A hobby can be relaxing and it can bring joy into your heart which money cannot give.

If your hobby is photography, you have to keep in mind that it is not merely the snapping of photos that is needed to capture a good photo. You need to keep in mind that the angle, background, and even the type of camera you use are big factors to consider when taking a picture. Investing in a good camera should be number one in your number list. And the second would be your skill. If this is your first time to venture into photography and you have no educational background in arts or photography, it is, therefore advisable that you join photography workshops, seminars and clubs. This will not only enhance your skill but this will also allow you to gain more friends who have the same passion.

Another thing to consider is to invest in photography books. You can check out your local book store and get the latest books about photography, cameras and the like. You can also make use of the Internet to research about self-help photography or photography for newbies.

Indeed, photography is a great way to spend your free-time as a hobby while capturing emotions, faces and places. Having the right subject, tools and skill plus your passion would surely capture the best images in your camera. Who knows? You might turn this hobby into something that can generate money. Just remember to have fun while snapping pictures.

Best Photography Classes in Chicago

Whether you are looking to become a professional photographer or you have recently picked up this popular hobby and you want to improve your current photography skills by learning a new trick or two, you are more than likely going to want to take a few classes. When it comes to finding photography classes in the Chicago area, you will find that there are several different options to choose from, depending on the type of setting you are looking for, as well as the types of courses offered. Each of these varies greatly from one institution to the next.

If cost and time are a major factor in your decision on what types of classes would be right for you, then you should try out the Chicago Photography Center. They offer one of the most affordable and quick photography classes in the Chicago area. Founded by students and photography instructors in the summer of 2002, the Chicago Photography Center is a nonprofit organization. They offer evening courses and workshops under a hundred dollars as well as a seven week course that runs $350, or $250 for non-darkroom courses. They offer a classroom, darkroom, computer lab, studio, and gallery space in an informal setting, making it the ideal place to brush up on your skills.

Looking for something a little less informal? If you are looking for photography classes in the Chicago area that are more geared toward a degree program, Harrington offers a specialized digital photography school where you can earn an associate's degree. Led by experienced professional photographers, Harrington's program sets you up to join in this highly competitive field as a professional photographer yourself. You'll be required to purchase your own camera and equipment but are provided in return with state of the art labs, studios and software.

Still not elite enough? Columbia College Chicago offers some of the most exhilarating photography classes in the Chicago area, and in fact the largest photography program in the country. Offering the most up to date innovations in the industry as well as a rich history behind photography, taught by over 70 professors, Columbia College will surely meet all your needs. Students at Columbia are eligible to obtain a B.F.A or a B.A. in photography or they may couple it with another major as a minor.

If you still want to take some photography classes in the Chicago area, but your heart is set on a broader art program, Truman College might be best for you. They offer areas of study in liberal arts and science programs that specialize in areas of art, illustration and design, intended to be used as a transfer program to a college or university offering baccalaureate degrees. The programs may also be used to get your foot in the door of a professional career in the many aspects of art, illustration or design.

This is in no way an exhaustive list of the places in Chicago offering classes in photography. No matter what type of setting it is that you are seeking, be it formal or informal, expensive and tuition based or inexpensive and nonprofit, you will no doubt find a variety of places offering photography classes in the Chicago area. You can find more information on the programs listed above by searching for the following:

o Chicago Photography Center
o Harrington Digital Photography School
o Columbia College Chicago
o Truman College