Looking For Hacker Training?

Hacking or penetrating into the information system in order to gather details of the organization is rampant these days and this calls for help to protect the system. Entering or sneaking into a system to check for any faults in the system is termed as ethical hacking.

This is done by professionals who are employed by companies to check if the system can be penetrated into and also to devise ways of preventing such activities. This is why hacker training is very popular these days and there are many workshops that are held for certified ethical hacker training. Shopping on the net is the best option if you are looking for hacker training.

What to look for in ethical hacker training?

The hacker training that is imparted by professionals during the workshops train people to think and act differently. Hacking is a term that is synonymous with computers, but that is not the only system that can be hacked. People can hack into telephones, mobiles and other similar networking systems. In order to get ethical hacker training you can also research on tools that are available on the net. Some of the tools that are really good are not available free of cost on the net, but you should have some of them. They are Snoopers, Compilers, Hex file editors and APIs.

Along with these basic tools, in order to get ethical hacking training, you should also garner techniques that help you in scripting, formatting and editing of the disk and accordingly help you to disassemble. Programming is a basic requirement in ethical hacking training. There is a lot of programming that is involved in the process of hacking and therefore you should be familiar with programming languages. Another requirement is the familiarity of Windows, UNIX, Linux and other operating systems.

Successful certified ethical hacker training

Apart from the above mentioned requirements there are some general requirements in order to make the training a successful one. The first and most important requirement is learning in a group. There needs to be a lot of discussion and exchange of ideas when you are getting training for such a certification. The next important thing is for you to get involved in some live projects.

Hands -on experience is always better than what you read and understand from the books. It is always important to start a project from scratch and build on it so that you understand every minute detail of the working. The next very important step is to make complete use of the internet. This is the place where you can get all the information you would ever need and you also need to learn every required aspect of the net like making Boolean searches.

Every time you stumble upon a good site you need to book mark it so that you can visit it later when you need it. These days there are many institutions that provide training for hacking and if you are looking for hacker training then you need to surf the net to find all the required information.

Table top photography tips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDZ7uy_OyA&hl=en

Are You Prepared For A Hard Drive Failure?

Have you ever experienced the feeling of a hard disk failure?

Have you ever witnessed boot failure when you lose precious data forever?

Over the world, one of the worst fears among most users appears when a hard disk failure occurs. A lot of valuable information is lost either at homes or corporate sectors. In this kind of critical situations, one thinks how to recover the data back? Well, there are some solutions applicable and would be discussed later.

But let's talk about the reasons why a hard disk fails in the first place?

The data can be revived in some cases depending upon the kind of damage caused. A number of factors can be responsible such as electronic and mechanical failure, firmware gets corrupt, or the logic fails. At times, these factors are collectively behind the loss of data from your hard drive. Bad sectors may be formed over a period of time and the information on those sectors becomes unreadable or is lost.

The data used for interaction between computer and hardware is called firmware. If this interaction data (firmware) gets corrupt or fails to perform its functions, the hard drive fails.

Regarding electronic failures, there is a controller board on hard disks that may get damaged due to electrical surge resulting in hard disk failure. There are number of software available usually used by data recovery experts who can recover the data lost in these cases. Even replacing the controller board with another one possesses risk as these boards are specific for each drive they come with.

Most fatal is the mechanical failure in which data recovery becomes much more difficult compared to the electronic one. In case of a mechanical failure the read/write head fails or it may get crashed. Head usually crashes when the computer is moved around or a physical shock occurs due to an electrical surge. Logical errors can also be causative factors of hard drive failure. These logical errors are separate from hardware components and occur if the firmware gets corrupt or there are excessive wrong entries in FAT (File Allocation Table).

In almost all situations, the data stored is of vital importance and you need to recover it. Data recovery experts should be contacted instantly in such cases to recover lost information. If the hard disk has failed because of viruses or improper software functions as mentioned earlier, the experts can help increase possibilities of recovery. Data on almost all the computer operating systems which may consist of versions of OS by Microsoft Windows, Linux/Unix, Novell, Macintosh and Apple Inc etc. on almost every file systems including FAT32, FAT, NTFS, NTFS5, HFS, HFS+, NWFS, EXT3 AND EXT2 can be recovered.

In order to recover the information the hard disk might be taken by the professionals to workshop and returned later. They have usually their own laboratories where can they test, repair and recover the lost data effectively.

You as a user would never want to lose your precious data so you have to assign a role to the recovery experts in such a situation. Information recovery experts also recover data from most of the important storage drives such as tape, DVD, CD and other relevant media. To avoid such a situation, you as a costumer should take precautionary measures like creating regular backups of necessary data every week or so. Some OS have backup programs already installed like Windows.

Other efficient software programs are also available for data backups in the market and can prevent you from such issues.

Another most important aspect of this problem is the loss of valuable time in resolving the complex problems. It could possibly a long procedure. I personally suggest you to reserve a second source of computer like a portable notebook so that you could be able to carryon in a disaster. You can always transfer the required information between them and would likely not fear hard drive failure anymore.

Canon Professional Network - EOS 5D Mark II Jeff Ascough - Shoting Weddings

A multimedia presentation of Jeff Ascoughs stills and video work with the EOS 5D Mark II. Canon Ambassador Jeff Ascough is regularly voted as one of the worlds top wedding photographers by photo experts on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Although he has been an habitual Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III user, for his regular wedding work, CPN gave him a new EOS 5D Mark II to see how it suited his field of photography.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOd5stlGRQQ&hl=en

Digital Landscape Photography - The Sky Is The Limit

With digital landscape photography, one of the most satisfying aspects is that you can evaluate your pictures right there in the field. With emotion playing such a big part of digital landscape photography, you can now get a good idea right there of how much of the moment you were able to capture...

However, making the transition from film to digital landscape photography it is important to get past the technological hurdles, in order to pursue your particular vision of the landscape around you.

The first step in digital landscape photography is to ensure that you have a good theoretical grip on the technology and functions of the camera you will be using. For that purpose you should take time - before packing your tent and setting of into the countryside! - to study all you can about your camera's specifications, as well as visiting a couple of the many excellent online guides and tutorials on digital photography.

One of the best ideas would then be to go on a field workshop. Many expert and experienced digital landscape photographers offer such field tutorial trips where you will be able to learn the ropes right from the horse's mouth. These digital landscape photography workshops are popular. To be sure that you can be accommodated, you have to plan ahead and make your booking in good time.

One such opportunity is presented by digital landscape photography pioneer Stephen Johnson. You can spend a week with him exploring the Maine coast, where you can take part in digital image capture, exposure, and composition. You will also get the benefit of critiques and lab work in image processing, printing, and presentation.

Another way to improve your skills in digital landscape photography, is to join a seminar or workshop by landscape photographers such as Michael Reichmann, Alain Briot, Craig Samuel, Daniel Bergmann, and others. These events are usually booked up far in advance!

With digital photography now being pursued in many speciality spheres, it is even possible to attend specialized workshops on, for instance, digital landscape photography in black and white.

These events will offer you a better opportunity to get to grips with what you want to achieve in digital landscape photography. To use Michael Reichmann's distinction, you will learn how to shoot an image that is different from a mere snapshot or just another pretty postcard picture...

A few digital landscape photography tips:

1. Point your digital camera lens upwards, and capture more of the sky. This can signify openness, freedom, and wide expanses - the effect you are striving to achieve in digital landscape photography.

2. The best time to shoot landscape pictures is during the first 2 hours and last 2 hours of daylight.

3. For panoramas: Meter all scenes beforehand and use the one with the least exposure. Then take all scenes with that constant setting.

4. Shooting in below zero degrees? You should keep your batteries warm by alternating sets between the camera and your inner pocket. Below zero temperatures shorten battery life.

5. Setting White Balance: For nature photography set WB to daylight.

More tips and advice can be found in 'Digital Landscape Photography Step By Step', by Michelle Perkins. This book may be compact, but it is packed with good advice about composition, the technique behind photographing sunsets, night work, and creating black and white images. This book will give any beginner a good start.

Another renowned photographer, Tim Gartside, gives detailed information about this subject in his book, 'Digital Landscape Photography'. This volume includes topics such as software manipulation of images, but also guides the novice through composition and the basic techniques of digital landscape photography.

For more information visit Best-Digital-Photography.com

The Difference Between Save and Save As

This is a common question for new computer users. It may take you a while to understand the ideas; so, be patient with yourself on this one!

The answer goes deep into the computer. You need to save your information somewhere in the deep dark recesses of the computer so you can get it again when you need it. The computer stores information on various media. In the old days, the media was disks: floppy disks, Zip disks, the hard drive, CDs, DVDs, etc. Now-a-days, we are more likely to use USB drives and external hard drives. Whatever the media, it is sectioned off into little storage units. Each storage unit has an address. The computer finds what you stored by looking at the addresses.

When you first "Save" something on your computer, it needs a new storage place reserved because it has never been stored before. The computer finds a vacant place on the disk you choose, copies the information into the vacant place, and records the fact that that address is being used by your file. That's what keeps it from being kicked out and the place taken by something else - Windows says that place is taken and won't let anything else in that storage spot.

Actually, what you just did was a "Save As." Any time you put something in a vacant spot, it's a Save As, but the computer knows if it's the first time and does a Save As without you knowing it. Now, if you work on that file some more and want to add the new work to the same storage place, you do a Save (File -> Save). Each time you Save your changes, you add (or remove or change) what's in that storage unit.

Sometimes, however, you want to make a copy of something. For example, maybe you are working on your family photo album and your family web site. You have a picture of your new house to add to both places. You will need two copied of the photo: one for print and one for the web site because they need to be in different formats. You Save your photo (the first time) and get it all ready for the album. Then you Save As to a different copy and work on the photo for your web site. Now you have the two versions.

Picture Framing for Photographers - Part 1

Imagine being able to frame all your own photographs just as well as a professional. You can save enough money to easily pay for all the necessary tools, and the convenience of being able to do it yourself frees you from having to get someone else do it. If you're an amateur a mount cutter, a frame clamp and a hand-operated frame joining tool is all the equipment you need to make professional looking frames. These days the tools are easy and safe to operate, inexpensive, and give you a good result. Picture framing can be divided into four areas. Cutting the bevel mount, cutting and joining the frame, mounting the photograph, and fitting and finishing the job. The tools required to perform each one of these functions are as follows.

1. Mount Cutting: A hand-operated bevel mount cutter is essential for all photographic work. The most important feature of modern mount cutters is to have one that runs on its own ruler or straight edge.

2. Frame cutting and Joining: The professional framer uses a guillotine to cut wooden frames, and an automatic v-nail joiner. But the cost is prohibitive for the small volumes of frames required by our industry. However, there are tools that give you a professional result at a fraction of the cost.

3. Mounting Artwork: Dry mounting presses and laminating machines are not the only way to safely and effectively mount down all your artwork ready for framing. We will look at vacuum press mounting, hinging methods and other less expensive options.

4. Fitting and Finishing: There are a number of hand-operated tools on the market to make this job quick and easy. These can be used safely by any person to give a professional finish to all framing jobs.

Our series of articles over the next four issues will examine each one of these processes.

Mount Cutting And Decoration

Mount cutting is the creative face to picture framing. What distinguishes one framed photograph from another is the creative use of mounts. There is a wide choice of mount board brands and colours, possibly too many! Supplies are easy to come by, and the cost of the boards is not prohibitive. The best thing about cutting your own mounts is that once you cut it you get to keep the fallout from the middle, which can then become a mount for a smaller photograph. This saves money and helps qualify the investment in the mount cutting machine.

Most hand-operated mount cutters available in art shops come with the cutting head only and not with a guide rule. For successful bevel cutting and good clean corners a guide rule that the cutting head runs on is essential for good results. The FrameCo systems are ideal for the DIY framer or small workshop.

Mount cutters also come attached to a base board or just with the straight edge rule. The baseboard makes the system steadier, easier to use and more reproducible, however to cut a few mounts per year for you're own photographic works, the head/ruler systems are quite sufficient.

Another consideration is the sizing or cutting down of fullsize sheets. The large professional mount cutters are large enough to take the full size sheet. But a sharp Stanley knife and straight edge can be used to cut down full-size sheets into the blank sizes ready for bevel cutting. A straight 90 cutter is available from FrameCo, which will also attach to the rule. This can be used for cutting the mount board to size, and is safe and easy to use. The advantage of this optional cutting head is that it can also be used for cutting foam-core board up to smm thick. It uses the same blade as the bevel cutter.

Cutting a Single Bevel Mount

The technique for cutting bevel mounts is quick and easy. After cutting the mount board down to the right size to fit the frame, rule lines on the back of the mount board to the border size that you require. The bevel cutter head then attaches to the rule, so it's steady when cutting. Another feature of the head is that it has a start/stop indicator line. Following the ruled lines on the back of the mount makes it easy to get good straight bevels, but to get clean crisp corners you need to know where to start and stop the cut. The indicator mark guarantees no overcuts on the corners, giving you a professional cut mount every time.

Cutting a Double-Bevel Mount

Rule lines on the back of the mount. Start and stop line guarantees perfect corners.

Cutting a Double Bevel Mount

Double mounts enhance most pictures. A narrow show of colour can pick out the dark spots in the subject, which will increase the contrast between light and dark, and thus sharpen the image. So a double mount is not only decorative, but also functional. The "secret" to cutting a double mount, so that the edges of the inner mount are exactly parallel to the edges of the outer mount, is NOT to cut two separate mounts and then stick them together. The best way is to cut the top mount first, then stick the two together with double-sided tape (ie: the top and the bottom mounts, then cut the bottom mount). The reason for doing it this way is that you use the same edge as a reference point to measure from. The mount will then be in line with one another and will look OK.

It can sound confusing, but it's not once you get the hang of it! The most important aspect of mount cutting is that with the right tools you can get a professional result relatively easily.

Once you've mastered cutting single and double mounts you can also add decorative finishes to the mounts, which will enhance the image and add value to all your mount work.

The Decorative V-Groove

One of the most important techniques in decorative mount cutting is the "V" groove. This is a small v-shaped cut set into the front surface of the mount. The v-groove adds a stylish look to all your framing. It is that creative touch that gives any picture a professional finish.

The professional framing industry uses existing large mount cutters to cut v-grooves. It is a twostage process because it involves cutting two separate bevel cuts to make the "V" cut. This is difficult to do and there are no guarantees for a perfect accurate v-groove. FrameCo has introduced the GrooveMaster. This is a hand-held v-groover, which cuts the "v" directly into the top surface of the mount. The GrooveMaster also attaches to the rule that you use for bevel mount cutting, which means it is accurate and easy to use.

Now v-grooving is within reach of any DIY picture framer. And the technique is easy to master. You can purchase pre-cut mounts and decorate them with a v-groove, adding value to the mount, and making it much more versatile.

Doing your own framing is ideal for the amateur, portrait or weekend photographer. You can save on framing costs to more than offset the investment in tools and accessories. You control the mounting and matting stage, and there is a great satisfaction in doing it yourself. However if you have a retail outlet handy then I wouldn't suggest you try and compete with the mass market of ready made frames. These frames are cheap and well made. But there is a significant market for the one off odd-size frame that is not available in the ready mades. Either cut an odd size mount to fit a standard frame or make up the frame to suit. With your own framing, however, you can produce your own work and save money doing it over the longer term.

More Digital Photo Basics with Erin Manning

Portrait and Candid Photography Photo Workshop: Develop Your Digital Photography Talent (Photo Workshop) LEARN TO CAPTURE PERSONALITIES WITH YOUR LENS Taking great "people pictures" isn't a matter of luck. The secret is in observing your subjects and connecting with them, and then using your camera to its best advantage. Here's how to work with lighting, location, angle, composition, physical characteristics, environment, and a host of other variables, including the unique challenges of photographing babies, group activities, and action. Apply these techniques and watch your subjects come to life; then test your newfound skills by completing the assignments at the end of each chapter and collecting feedback on your work at pwsbooks.com. Book Description * Erin Manning, DIY Network host of The Whole Picture, tells aspiring photographers how to take outstanding photos of people in this full-color book filled with great images * Helps readers gain the skills and confidence to successfully use the digital camera as a tool to create and capture life's moments * Every chapter ends with an assignment that readers are encouraged to complete and then upload their best image to Photoworkshop.com to share with others and receive critiques * Introduces the technology and the basics for developing an artistic eye, arming readers with real-life techniques that will help them connect with and photograph people.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SgSKQInKjE&hl=en

BiGeye Profinder DSLR LCD View Finder LCW LightCraft Workshop

Read full article: cheesycam.com Zoom H1 with built in Mic was used for audio recording. This is LightCraft Workshops latest View Finder called the BiGeye Profinder. As far as I know, this is the first video review about this item. Enjoy and there's more information and photo gallery at http



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJjkDJb2tZ8&hl=en

How To Take Amazing Digital Photos Of Your Kids (Or Anyone Else)

Children and a Camera - probably the most difficult, but creatively satisfying way of archiving your life's wonderful moments.

Shooting pictures of children can be more difficult than getting a shot of that awesome dunk or the spectacular home-run hit, because a sports moment is probably more predictable than the expression of a child. It's almost like trying to hit a moving target, except you don't know when your target will show up, and which way it will move!

But rest easy - amazing advancements in digital photography, both in terms of technology and lower prices, have made it possible for your special moments to be captured with far better accuracy and detail than ever before. Newer cameras with improved photo resolution and shutter speed, with the help of spectacular low-cost lenses, help to make it easier for both professional and novice photographers to take excellent pictures. When these features alone cannot help take the picture you want, fancy software that comes for free with the digital cameras lets your alter the pictures to do full justice to the moments they capture.

Many believe that great cameras take great pictures. Well, there's both good and bad news for you - the good news is that you don't need a $2000 camera and a $3000 lens in order to take an amazing picture; the bad news is that you - the photographer - are the one who can single-handedly make or break an amazing photo - all by yourself, just with your "eye" for photography (or the lack of it).

Any photographer worth her salt will tell you that when it comes to taking good photos, timing is everything. There is a very small window of opportunity to capture a truly great shot, and whether you're after that exhilarating sunset, or trying to capture that all fleeting expression on your child's face, your fingers must have precision, timing and an intuitive sense of when to click. It is tougher than it looks, and that's why photography is an art.

Similar to the famous saying, beautiful pictures lie in the eye of the photographer, and not in the camera.

Famous photographers charge thousands of dollars to take a picture. It is not because they have better cameras or expensive lenses (even though that does matter, but not as much as you probably think), but because they know what to focus on, and when to click.

Most of us only come close to getting the ideal shot, never fully realizing it in the end. More often than not, our pictures have most of the elements, but fall short in a few key areas: Perhaps you frame your subject well, but the lighting is just a little bit off; or perhaps the lighting is good but you forgot to include a flash or use red-eye reduction.

This is where modern digital photography becomes a necessary component in taking the perfect photo. Within minutes, just about any picture can be edited to reach its full potential when it is created with a digital camera. Automatic color enhancement, red-eye reduction, and zoom and crop features that go along with taking digital photos are just a few of the many awesome features that digital photos have to offer. With these tools in easy reach, taking beautiful pictures has become easier than ever.

It is then a no-brainer that you should be buying a digital camera, and not a film-based camera, for obvious reasons: you can shoot as many pictures as you want, repeatedly, till you get that perfect picture, without having to worry about burning through tens if not hundreds of dollars worth of film rolls, development and printing costs. Plus when shot using popular formats like RAW, the things you can do to your pictures before you print or publish them, are mind boggling.

All you need is to find the right camera. You want a camera that offers great pictures as well as easy options for downloading to your printer or computer. You can edit your pictures as you like with commercial programs like Photoshop or Corel, or with software that comes with the camera, like Canon's EasyBrowser.

Technology has advanced so much and there is so much competition amongst camera makers, that the prices are now so attractive which makes it very hard to mention money as an excuse.

The hardest choice then becomes what 'type' of camera to buy:
- a Point-and-click (that has a built-in, permanent lens), or
- a SLR (Single Lens Reflex - whose lenses can be removed and changed).

Point-and-click cameras are meant for the average person, who doesn't want to be bothered with too many options or choices - someone who wants to just point at the target, and click, and be done with it. The average auto-focus camera comes with an in-built zoom lens, has a little flash bulb, has a little screen behind the camera where you can see the full frame of what you are about to shoot, as well as a preview of the photo after you've shot it.

They take great pictures, no doubt. But they can, in no way, be compared to the pictures taken by the slightly more expensive SLR cameras.

An SLR camera comes with the ability to switch lenses, so that you can choose the right lens for that super-close up picture of that bee pollinating a flower, or the perfect wide-angle lens to capture the entire view of the Grand Canyon from where you stand.

Other features that make a SLR a much better choice for taking great pictures that last a lifetime, are:

* Built for speed - Super fast start-up speed so that you never have to miss that perfect moment because it took your camera 20 seconds to get to ready-to-shoot state.

* Accurate "what you see is what you get" picture when you compose your shots through the view finder instead of the LCD display. In fact, the LCD display on an SLR will not show you a preview of your current composition, but will only show you the photo after you've shot it.

* A wide choices of lenses: You're not stuck with just one lens like you would with a point-and-click camera. You have the option of buying and using a variety of lenses to match just what you are about to shoot.

* Better pictures in low light - Due to the ability to vary aperture, a SLR lens can open the aperture long enough to let in more light in low-light situations, or click faster in a very-bright situation (like a bright overhead sun).

When you are ready to buy your digital camera, you need to take the price into consideration, but it is more important to think about the features of the camera that you buy. It is the features that will help you to make the most of your pictures. You will not need an feature filled camera if you are only using it for recreational purposes. However if you plan to do a lot with your photos, you will want a camera that offers the right features for you.

Even though I own a Canon Rebel XTi myself and cannot recommend it highly enough, here are some digital SLR cameras to consider:

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi: http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000I1ZWRW/nosim-20
This is what I own - a 10.1 MP (Mega-pixel) camera that takes phenomenal pictures, and offers a great combination of performance, ease-of-use and value. It comes with a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, a integrated cleaning system featuring a self-cleaning sensor that vibrates the sensor to shake-off dust, all of this in a very light, ergonomic body.

Nikon D80: http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000HGIWN4/nosim-20
This is a 10.2 Megapixel camera with instant 0.18 sec. start-up, and fast 80ms shutter response. Allows continuous shooting at up to 3 frames per second and up to 100 consecutive JPEG images. Takes about 2,700 images per battery charge as per Nikon. Has a similar 2.5" LCD color monitor with 170-degree, wide-angle viewing. A little more expensive than the Canon Rebel XTi.

Sony A100: http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000DZH60O/nosim-20
A 10 Megapixel CCD, that has quite similar features to the Canon and Nikon, like Anti-Dust system, 2.5" LCD amd 9-point autofocus. The distinguishing feature of the Sony A100 is the Super SteadyShot image stabilization feature that moves the CCD to compensate for camera shake. This will come in handy especially when shooting in low-light situations, where the aperture opens more to let in more light, which means it could take a lot longer for the "click" than in normal-light conditions, and both the photographer (you) and the targets (your kids, friends or family) have a greater tendency to not stay still for that few precious seconds.

Canon and Nikon overcome this by incorporating image stabilization features into the lens, instead of into the camera itself like Sony does. This leads to slightly more expensive lenses, but some believe that lenses do a better job of handling "shake" rather than the cameras themselves. So, this is one more thing for you to consider while making the choice between say, a Canon and a Sony.

Finally, the bottom line is cameras can only enhance a great picture - they cannot create it from scratch. You are the one who has the ability to elevate an ordinary shot into an extraordinary one with your sense of timing, angle, and composition. So, depending on your own internal "brand" preference, any of the above cameras would make a great choice.

To see how others have shot pictures of their little ones, check out the world's cutest baby pictures at http://www.BabyNamesIndia.com. After that, head over to Amazon.com, read the reviews, do your research, and take your time in deciding which digital SLR is right for you.

If you are thinking that deciding which camera to buy is a difficult task, wait till you have that beautiful camera in your hand, and you wait for your little one to come up with that same expression that he had on his/her face last week, when you missed taking a photo because you had a slow and tedious point-and-shoot camera in hand!

Take amazing pictures that last a life time. Get a digital SLR.

Just the Right Angle - A Photographic Perspective

While in Korea I learned that sometimes the best way to take a picture is to look like you're not taking a picture. With today's digital cameras that have LCD viewing screens that can twist, turn, or flip so that you can view the image at almost any angle it would have been much easier. At the time I did not have that privilege, so I was focusing by estimating distance. The average non-photographer assumes that if you don't have the camera up to your eye then you can't be taking a picture. People tend to relax, and you get more natural results.

When shooting pictures in a crowded area there are two angles that many photographers over look. The first is the waist level shot which we just mentioned above. The second involves putting your camera on a mono pod, using your self timer, and lifting your camera as far above the crowd as you can. This "bird's eye view" can often have interesting results.

When you are taking picture of a subject with a lot of straight lines, like someone against a wall or a fence for example, turn the camera itself at a 45 degree angle. Remember, straight lines tend to be boring. Diagonal lines on the other hand, are much more dramatic and will lead your eyes right to the subject.

If you are shooting a public event, like a wedding, it is always good to ask in advance, "Is there any location you do not want me to shoot from?" In most cases they will have no objection, and legally this helps protect you later on. Some of the best shots are usually found at some of the most unusual angles. Taking pictures from behind the minister and looking towards the couple as they take their vows for example. Most people attending will only get shots of the back of their heads at this point.

If you want to make something look larger than life and much more dramatic, try laying on your back and shooting straight up. Sometimes, it doesn't need to be that dramatic and standing on a step or getting down on one knee can make all the difference in the world.

The point of finding the right angle is not to be different for difference sake. The point is to find the angle that gives you the greatest insight to your subject. The right angle can be dramatic; the wrong angle can be boring. Often when you are looking for the perfect angle, you are looking for the one angle that has the least distractions in the background.

Don't Buy an Eye-Fi

You would think a nifty new product that has been reviewed by the
techies for the major daily newspapers would fare better, but I regret
buying the Eye-Fi WiFi SD memory card, and recommend that you learn
from my mistakes and steer clear of it when you consider upgrading
your camera's memory card.

The card, which sells for about $100, contains two interesting things:
2 GB of memory and a WiFi radio that can send your files back to a
photo sharing Web site of your choice. The idea is - once you set it
up - you never have to worry about uploading your photos from your
camera ever again. As long as certain conditions are met, every
picture that you take will be uploaded to your sharing site
automatically.

That's the theory. In practice, I found plenty of gotchas. First, the
Kodak camera that I was using for the test worked intermittently,
until I found out that digging into the FAQ on the Eye.fi Web site,
this brand of camera isn't supported. (Their FAQ is very poorly
organized, and it isn't easy to find the list of supported cameras.)

Second, the camera has to be configured to work with particular
wireless networks, and this can be confounding, to say the least. It
won't work at a coffee bar or at most hotels, since these networks
require you to bring up a Web-based sign-in page. It also won't work
on networks with what it calls "shared WEP" security, which is what I
was using on my home network. It will work on networks running static
WEP 40/104/128, WPA-PSK, and WPA2-PSK, which is commendable. The
product comes with a USB-to-SD reader that is used as part of the
configuration process: you need to have your SD card plugged into the
computer to configure the wireless network authentication details, and
to specify which sharing site you want your photos to end up on. You
also have to open up ports on your personal firewall too when you
first set it up. And you have to keep your camera on after you snap
your photo, to give it time to do the upload. This may be far too
complex for the average person, and a lot to deal with to get the
ability to automatically upload photos without having to attach a
cable or insert your SD card in your laptop and copy the files.

Third, a note of warning. Once you get everything working, every photo
is sent to your sharing site. This might not be what you want to do,
particularly if you or your subjects value their privacy (don't even
get me started down that path, that will have to be a subject for
another column). So you might want to bring along a second SD memory
card that is just a plain old card and doesn't transmit anything
anywhere for these situations. (Thanks, Bruce, for this point.)

Despite these issues, Eye-Fi has done some impressive work. The
packaging is close to iPod-clever, and the software will work on both
Macs and Windows. It does support a great many different camera models
(just not mine), provided they have an SD memory slot. And if you are
traveling and want to share your pictures with friends around the
globe, it is pretty cool that they can be seen almost immediately
after you take them. If you upload them to a social networking site or
set up an RSS feed, you could have almost real-time photojournalism,
which is a very interesting concept.

My bottom line is that this is way too pricey for the convenience. A
plain old SD 2 GB card runs now about $25 and takes almost no time to
insert and setup. If Eye-Fi could work out some of the above issues,
it might be a more attractive product.

Photo Competition Tips and Ideas

Most beginners never thought of actually participating in a photo contest, they probably do not even think of it in the first place. Photography contests may seem very intimidating but it can really help newbies gain some experience by competing. You may face professional photographers and other photography adepts but photo contests could be won regardless of your title. There are many cases that popular picture contests were bagged by newbies, people don't expect it but it can actually happen. So, I encourage you guys to take your chance and go for it. If you want to win a photo competition it is critical for you to have an eye on what the judges expect on a particular subject. This may be difficult but if you read the instructions carefully and use a little imagination, you might be able to nail the first place. So here are some excellent tips to help win photography contests.

Instructions

Reading the rules, criteria and the picture contest instructions should be the first thing you should do. Most of these instructions use photography lingo so you better educate yourself while reading on to grasp it all. Judges look for many other qualities that you must learn. While the instructions might be a bit confusing, it's best to read them.

Choosing the Subject

I recommend subjects with character such as the streets, wildlife, sunsets etc. Still life photos are classic, most people appreciate the artistic value of this technique in photo competitions. You also have to apply the appropriate techniques when shooting your subject like the rule of thirds, lighting, composition and so on.

Be Spontaneous

The streets is a very good subject for everyday activity and candid shots. Keep your shots spontaneous and do not wait for your subjects to strike a pose. Its better to take their pictures while doing things they love most. For photo competitions, its nice to focus on the subject's activity, not necessarily the person. Profiles make great pictures, but never take a picture of a person's back.

Time of the Day

Always consider the time of the day to shoot your winning portraits. An early morning sunrise, a foggy coastline, or a child playing in a sunbeam make for unplanned, beautiful photography.

Artistic Eye

Judges will be digging up entries that exhibits a unique and powerful technique that can dazzle everyone who stares at it. What the judges want to see is how you work with your subjects. Do you pose them or frame them just like any other photographer or do you have your own unique viewpoint?

Canon EOS 5D Mark II - EOS Moving Image Workshop - Beyond the Still

The EOS Moving Image Workshop propels professional content creators into a world of artistic possibility through new technology that transcends the traditional boundaries between motion and still.The boundaries between motion and still photography no longer exist. Canon HD SLR technology empowers you to capture video and still photography with a single camera and a vast selection of accessory options. Find out how industry leaders are forging new creative territory when you go behind the lens at the Canon EOS Moving Image Workshop. This hands-on workshop puts the equipment in your hands as you work on a soundstage with professional instructors and award-winning cinematographers for three days of collaborative, practical learning. Starting with camera selection and fine-tuning your EOS HD SLR for optimum performance, you will then explore the functional and creative considerations of EOS DSLR-based HD video. Balancing creative opportunity with technical understanding, this dynamic event is designed to quickly build skills that allow you to craft beautiful moving images that optimize the possibility of the technology.



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

Your PC and Disaster Recovery

My entire day today has been one of frustration and wasted time. Well, the time wasn't so much "wasted" as much as ''unproductive".

My laptop had a major hissy fit last night and I was informed that the 120gb local drive was "used to 100% capacity". There was no reason for this as I do not use the local drive for the retention of any online records.

Being the advocate I am of appropriate online records management, you would assume that I have my data and records appropriate filed and backed up. I practice what I preach and this is exactly the case.

However, my shortfall was that I had purchased quite a lot of software online and therefore do not have physical copies. I have the records that I have produced from that software, but I am now going to have to go through a time consuming and painful exercise of having to find and reinstall the software hopefully without having to pay for it again.

I have learnt a painful lesson from this and I share it with you as a risk that you too should mitigate. In larger organisations, I encourage them to manage a register of various types of information. A register of their mobile equipment, a register of printers & relevant details, a register of software, libraries and many other compilations of information surrounding a list of assets.

I didn't do the same for myself regarding my own software and I am beating myself around the head because of it. I have access to what I've installed, passwords etc - but it will take me a great deal longer to rectify because I didn't compile this into a simple list with all the variables and details included.

So there are two things I should have been doing:

Maintain a Software Register including all purchase, installation, password and user details within the IMS/Source (part of the online Records Management system).
Ensure the first step of any downloadable software initiated a "save"of the installation file to a specific location on the IMS so that it could be backed up and reinstalled at a later date.

So, I will recover and I have my online records and data structured and backed up as well.

Thank goodness for external USB network drives. They are so cheap now that there is no excuse for not having an appropriate records management structure and also an independent backup.

No matter how small or how large your business, you need to give your records AND your software the respect they deserve regarding disaster recovery. In the meantime, of course, my laptop is pulled apart and laying in pieces on a workshop bench in the hands of a professional. I can simply plug in my external usb drives into any other computer and keep working (so far as the limited software allows me).

It's always frustrating and time consuming when there are technical issues, and I never claim to be technical so I put my hand up for outside assistance. Disaster recovery and Records Management go hand in hand. I simply should have included disaster recovery for installed and downloaded software as well. It is a lesson well learnt.

I trust you are having a far more productive day than I did.

Pure White Background for DSLR Video

www.learningdslrvideo.com I have started on my stock photography using my Canon T2i/550D. Every time I take a picture I also want to create a video. I think I nailed this photo of a wine glass last night (below), it took some time to figure out how to light and position it just right. Then this morning I wanted to create a video of me pouring red wine into it in slow motion. I don't think I nail it like I did with the photo. I use Lightroom for my photos and Sony Vegas for my videos, but I can't seem to get the same look to my videos. I couldn't get the background to be pure white like I wanted. I tried many times to get the white balance just right and then using the contrast curves to blow out the highlights but Vegas will not let me blow them out without scarifying detail in the glass. I know I can do better before I release this video clip into creative commons, does anyone have suggestions on how to get the background to be pure white?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZupy6UiDbk&hl=en

It's Not The Words

David Stoecklein is a legendary photographer and chronicler of the way of life of the cowboy. Check out his recent experiment with video as Stoecklein uses the Canon EOS 7Ds HD video capture to bring motion to his vision of the cowboy way of life. Go to Stoeckleins website to see more of his photography, order books or sign up for the Daves Digital Photography Workshop which is at his Mackay ranch on February 5-8. Hurry. As we write this there are only two spots remaining for the workshop. Music by Lyle Lovett ("I Married Her Because She Looked Like You").



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERvJ0RapskU&hl=en

Which Wide Angle Lens Works Well for DSLR Video

www.learningdslrvideo.com I only have two lens, Canon 50mm 1.8 and the 28-135 zoom with IS. The 28mm is just not wide enough for some of the videos I do and the landscape photos I take so I am in the market for another lens. So I went down to my local photo shop in Boulder Colorado called Mike's Camera and tried out a 3 lens that Darrel behind the counter recommended. I would love to have the CanonEF14mm prime but it is way out of my budget range. Caleb Pike gave me the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 as a recommendation which the store did not have so I have to try that one too. I really trust Caleb's opinion so it is one to try.



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