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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Digital Rebel XTi Close-up Mode and Rick Sammon

How to use the Close-up Mode on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi with photographer Rick Sammon. From the forthcoming DVD, "Rick Sammon's Canon EOS Digital Rebel Photo Workshop"



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

Study Via an Online Digital Photography Course

Creativity will be discovered in the most effective way by any online digital photography course for all those who are serious about going after a career in the art arena. In fact, getting name and fame along with financial stability is exactly what absolutely everyone thinks of. Being a virtually risk free business, photography is a field that is based on the expertise of professionals in conjunction with determination and effort. Gone are the days when individuals needed to rely on the employment opportunities. In fact, you'll be able to select your business timings and working inclinations as per your convenience. Studying any one of the professional courses will likely be of immense help to you.

Attend a Digital Photography Class

Almost all of the reputed institutes provide latest programs on digital photography by conducting workshops in select places. As an enthusiast, you need to attend this type of workshop that can help you in understanding about the positives and negatives of understanding digital photography. You can start attending online digital photography class soon after getting convinced about the features. Keep in mind that anyone can develop your abilities just by learning in addition to practicing a profession. By picking an online course, you will get the benefit of saving time and studying at the comfort of your home or office.

Sharpen Your Abilities by Studying Online

Professional courses are ever more offered by several institutions and online digital photography course is just one among them. But, when you begin attending this sort of course, you'll be left astonished to know about the facts you have been ignorant of till date. You could benefit a whole lot by pairing work exposure to the newly gained knowledge. Many an expert have gained in this way so you can also be one of them. You can readily reference other websites so you can stay updated with the present trends in the field of photography.

Turn Your Passion into Profession

Online digital photography class can be attended by everyone who's motivated with a passion to excel in this field. For almost all recognized photographers, it all starts with a favorite pastime or even a passion that happens to be their actual profession at some or other point of time. Each class will be held with advanced course material that targets content that is meant to greatly improve your understanding about photographic skills. The web based course helps anyone who has got a hectic agenda and can't enroll in regular classes.

Best Way of Getting Familiar with Photography

Picking an online digital photography course that satisfies your needs is something that you should do first. Evaluating this element needs a lot of time as you've got to undergo diverse courses provided by different institutes. You can find courses at novice level which can be finished in couple of weeks. If you are still a starter, then you need to choose such kind of courses. However, you can find expert courses for individuals who are already into the business to ensure that more knowledge could possibly be developed accordingly.

Digital Photography - SLR Vs Point and Shoot

Since the very first digital camera was released to the public, we have fallen in love with the convenience and photo quality of these cameras.

Like all computer electronics products, digital cameras become more affordable over time. The popular point and shoot models have become affordable for most consumers today. The average user of point and shoot models enjoy the ease of use and automatic settings. A good point and shoot camera produces good results for family photos, vacation photos and the like.

Today more of us are swapping the ease of use that is provided by the point and shoot models, for the superior results obtainable by the SLR models.

What Are SLR Cameras?

SLR cameras were originally designed for the professional photographer, and produce superior results in most any situation. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. With an SLR camera you have complete control over all camera settings, providing photographers total flexibility.

The SLR camera utilizes interchangeable lenses, allowing photographers to take crystal clear long distance photos, as well as stunning close-ups. The superior results achieved by SLR cameras compared to those of the point and shoot models, has resulted in the SLR models being the top sellers on the market today.

Comparison Of The SLR And Point And Shoot Models

1) Though the point and shoot models offer users exceptional ease of use, they are not capable of producing the high quality results obtained with the SLR models.

2) With a point and shoot camera you have no choice of the lens you use, limiting photo results. The capability to change lenses on the SLR model provides complete control over photographic results.

3) The price of the point and shoot camera makes it affordable for most consumers today. An SLR camera is considerably more expensive, however, the superior results are well worth the extra expense.

4) Most point and shoot cameras are compact and light weight, making them very convenient to carry in a pocket or purse. Many SLR model cameras tend to be bulky and are not as convenient to carry.

Why Would You Want An SLR Model Camera?

Whether your a professional photographer or just enjoy photography as a hobby, you want your photos be the best they can possibly be. With an SLR model camera you'll get the perfect results you want.

If you don't mind the fact that the SLR model is a little bulkier to carry with you, you will appreciate the crisp professional results you achieve.

Today SLR cameras are becoming more affordable for consumers. A decent entry level SLR model can be purchased for around $500.00. If you are considering the purchase of an SLR camera it is advisable to do your home work. Shop around, read consumer reviews and consider the availability and cost of lenses.

Shooting a Sunrise with Rick Sammon and the Digital Rebel

Photographer and author Rick Sammon gives you tips and tricks to get a great Sunrise shot. Shot on location in St. Augustine, Florida. From the forthcoming Wiley Publishing DVD "Rick Sammon's Canon EOS Digital Rebel Personal Training Photo Workshop"



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