Archive for August, 2009

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Artistic Wedding Photography – Creativity Makes the Best Memories

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Stephanie Cox asked:




Finding a wedding photographer that is willing to use his or her imagination can be a challenge. For the most part, you are going to find a photographer that wants to take “safe” pictures of your special day. Of course, this makes a lot of sense.

However, if you are looking for something a little more, such as artistic wedding photography you might have to work a little harder at finding the perfect candidate to take photos of your wedding.

Although taking safe pictures is the typical method and preferred method for many photographers, you can find some that are willing to think “outside of the box” in order to make your wedding photos everything you want them to be. Here are some suggestions to help you hire an artistic wedding photography company or photographer.

1. When you are interviewing the photographer, ask him or her how they feel about capturing photos that are more on the artistic side of the spectrum versus the traditional side of the spectrum.

2. Ask to see a portfolio of some of their work on non-traditional style wedding photography.

3. Explain in detail the type of photos you wish to have taken at your wedding.

4. Ask for ideas on some non-traditional and more artistic poses for your wedding.

5. Pay attention to the body language of the photographer and make sure you are comfortable with his/her reactions to your questions. If the person seems uneasy about being able to capture what you want. I suggest you continue in your quest to find a photographer that is going to be comfortable with your needs.

6. Once you find your ideal artistic wedding photographer, you should have all of your desires, needs and demands clearly put on the contract.

Having your wedding captured the way you want it is important. As you look over the wedding pictures in the future, you should relive the entire experience again and again. The way your pictures are taken directly reflect you and your new spouse’s love, uniqueness and compatibility. Do not trust your memories to any “Joe Schmoe” off the street. Check the credentials and make sure you are comfortable with the individual.

The possibilities are only limited to your imagination when it comes to the artistic wedding photography. Don’t settle for the second best photographer, you should never have to settle when it comes to your wedding day.

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Photoshop Files and Formats

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
Shaun Pearce asked:




People often ask me: What image file formats will Photoshop open or save in? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

Photoshop has the capability to open and save many different graphic files. Here are some of the most popular ones.

Note: When you open an image file other than a Photoshop one, that image will default to the background layer.

.psd, .pdd, .eps

Photoshop File. This format preserves the information in all the layers. If you’re going to continue working with a picture, this is the best format to use. File size can be quite large, however. Note: It is advisable to save your work in the most up to date Photoshop format available. For example: if you have Photoshop CS and are sent a Photoshop 7 file, you should save it as a Photoshop CS file to preserve any elements that may not be supported by Photoshop 7.

.jpg, .jpeg .jpe

This format compresses the images, so that information (details and colour subtleties) are lost. You can choose how much you want to compress the image. Good format for use on the web. Small file sizes. Millions of colours.

tif, .tiff

Common in use with early scanners. Will produce high quality images, but very large files. Not for use on the web.

.gif

Pronounced both “Gif” and “Jif”, this file is one of the most popular for web graphics as it loads quickly. 8 bit format (256 colours max.). It has possibilities for transparent colour and animation.

.png

New format for use on the web that is intended to replace both gif and jpeg. Compressed, millions of colours, transparencies. It compress in a different way than jpeg, and has advanced possibilities, such as alpha channel (opaque or partly transparent colours).  In 8 bit (256 colours) mode it compresses better than gif.

.bmp

Windows bitmapped image. Used by Microsoft Windows applications. Good quality, large file size. Not for use on the web.

.wmf

Windows MetaFile. Useful for clipart, and can be used to make large area, small sized background files.

.pcx

Older general purpose format. Practically obsolete now. Not for use on the web.

.psp

Internal format for Paint Shop Pro, useful if you want to swap files between these two applications.

.pcd

Kodak PhotoCD format, used with Photo Developing – although most photo processors will save your photos as jpegs if you ask them to.

.pdf

Portable Document File. Adobe’s file system that allows electronic cross platform sharing of documents.

So what’s the best format for web graphics: gif or jpeg?

The general rule of thumb is to use gifs for diagrams, line drawings, illustrations, and images that contain large areas of flat colour, and jpegs for photographs and images with continuous colour tones. The jpeg format has a very good compression rate, but compression reduces the quality of the image, so it’s best to experiment with the tools in Image Ready until you have the optimal quality/file size. The gif format, on the other hand, has a smaller file size – but a limited range of colours.

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Photo Restoration: The Art Of Restoring Memories

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
 

Photographs are your windows to the past. Nothing can preserve memories of an unforgettable occasion. But with time, the photos can get dulled due to age, or may get creased due to mishandling or improper storage. Photo restoration procedures are carried to restore old photos to their original state.

 

Photo restoration procedures are ideal for removing imperfections from photographs. The photos are first scanned and the digital copy is saved on a computer. Then with the help of specially designed photo restoration software, the imperfections are gradually removed from the digital version. The various imperfections that can be removed via photo restoration services include the following:

 



* Creases – Due to improper storage or mishandling, photos can develop deep creases. After the photo is scanned, the photo restoration software identifies the creases and helps the specialist to remove the creases and restore the photo. Crease removal takes considerable amount of time and is quite tedious as well.



 



* Faded colors – This problem is pretty much unavoidable no matter how well the photos are stored. The color will always fade with time. Photo restoration software can take care of these as well. The scanned digital version of the photo is fed into the computer. The software analyzes the photo and compares the color saturation between different sectors of it. It restores the color to the faded sections of the photo by comparing the saturation of hues and applying the required amount of color.



 



* Tears – Photos are, after all, printed on paper. So, there is always a chance of the photo getting torn due to mishandling. In these cases, the photo restoration software can work wonders. Even if photos have been torn to pieces, the photo restoration software can often reconstruct the photos and create new copies of those, provided all pieces have been found. The pieces of the photo are spread over a paper containing a light adhesive on one side. The photo pieces are rearranged properly to form the outline of the photo in question. Once the photo has been rearranged and being held together by the adhesive, the photo is scanned and the remaining process is carried out by the photo restoration software.



 

These imperfections and many more can be fixed by professionally designed photo restoration software. Photo restoration is the best way of ensuring preservation of our precious photos for years to come.

 



By: gardnerwilkinson

About the Author:

Photo Restoration Services – Picture Evolution offers a full range of photo editing services. Whether you are looking for a unique photo gift or just need a photo repaired or enhanced we can take care of all your photo editing needs.

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Digital Photo Enhancement

Sunday, August 9th, 2009
Sutocu asked:




Digital photography is a quite recent development that has converted the large masses into photographers. It is by far the easiest way to take a snapshot and allows the photographer to enhance its overall features later on. Because digital cameras use rewritable digital memory instead of film, you can have the convenience of taking good shots and eliminating the bad ones. It offers the easiest way of capturing good images and converting them to interesting art pieces.

Indeed, even digital photography has come a long way ever since the first digital cameras and computers entered the consumer market. The development of budget digital cameras has induced tremendous change in the world of photography, as everyone with a digital camera can take a photograph, upload it to their desktop computer and then share it with friends.

The birth of mass photography has also brought a niche for online photography related services. There are several companies that cater the consumers’ needs of this sort. Usually, they offer services such as digital image restoration, photo retouching, and photo editing or digital enhancement. These services bring satisfaction to photo hobbyists, as they are able to develop many “failed” photos into acceptable form.

Even though digital cameras allow immediate feedback on the shot, not all mistakes are easily noted on a small camera screen. Therefore many photographs that look quite right at first will actually need some attention before they can be used on the high resolution needed on for example printing them out.

Enter Digital Enhancement

Digital enhancement is the answer to many of the image quality problems mentioned above. It is the way to improve your shot and make it look more attractive, or the way to recover a photo from a lesser failure. With digital enhancement, you can easily increase the attractiveness of images by simply adjusting the brightness, contrast and sharpness of the image. You are also given the chance to enhance the color balance of the picture. The high resolution of modern digital cameras also allows for digital resizing and cropping later on.

There are many innovative ways to improve a digital photograph using these computer aided techniques. Anyone who is into digital photography can take advantage of the services that offered online, but most enthusiasts want to learn the way to do it themselves.

The professional Adobe Photoshop is a good tool that can also be used by hobbyists. The steep price can push users away from professional tools, but fortunately Photoshop Elements from Adobe or the Paint Shop Pro series from Corel have a cheaper price tag attached. There are also free alternatives available, such a GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program.

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A Photographer’s portfolio

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Miguel Base asked:




With all the events, places and things that I’ve photographed, it becomes a struggle to keep track of them. The tendency is that I lose some and for a newbie at the photographer’s realm, it is vital to keep all previous works to back up your credibility. This seemed impossible for me at that point. I lose focus. I lose the drive because I keep thinking where my other works are.

A free online photo gallery became my ally. With this, I can upload my photos and store them online. I can access them any time I want and I don’t need to worry in terms of security. It serves as an image gallery website where I can put up a number of pictures and people can view them to their heart’s content. Another advantage of this is that I am able to get customers out of the people who are looking. Some of them are bound to contact me. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have visited, right? I can also have a flash photo gallery template to make uploading and viewing of pictures as easy as a piece of cake. I can even use a photo website builder to make the site for me! Now, there’s a hassle-free task.

For photographers who need to create photography portfolios, these photo album websites will definitely do the trick. It’s easy to use, secure, functional and requires less attention from us. Because we are always on the move and on the lookout for great angles and scenes, free online photo galleries are the way to go.

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Understanding Photo Id Systems and Their Many Uses

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Sher Matsen asked:


In our modern, high tech world photo ID cards are found far and wide, with many different uses. No longer are driver’s licenses or passports the main focus for photo ID. Thanks to sophisticated yet affordable photo ID systems, companies are able to easily integrate photo ID into their organizations and enjoy the benefits they have to offer.

Let’s have a quick look at just some of the places you might be able to utilize a photo ID system within your organization.

1. Educational – Colleges and universities have been providing photo ID to their students for years. However, today that practice is expanding right down to elementary school. The latest photo ID systems are able to meet individual needs. For example, some schools may be focused mainly on identification of the student to the staff, while others may be looking for a more sophisticated approach with additional security features or the ability to be used to check out library material.

2. Churches – With today’s religious environment where religious organizations are working around the world providing aid, proper photo ID is often necessary.  They also hold large conventions where security can be an issue. A quality photo ID system will allow you to produce the type of photo ID you need for the delegates and coordinators to be easily recognizable.

3. Conventions – Organizations from all walks of life gather together in facilities to hold conventions of all sizes. Behind those conventions are always the people that make it all happen. But in today’s environment of hostility, it is important for all of those behind the scenes to have proper photo ID. Sometimes it’s even necessary for those attending the convention depending on the type of convention.

4. National Security – There are many levels of security within the country. There are also many types of facilities, all requiring photo ID.  There will be various levels of security associated with national security depending on its purpose. With the many photo ID systems on the market it’s very easy to meet these needs.

5. Cities and Hospitals – Municipalities and hospitals around the world cannot possibly have all their staff know each other.  Therefore proper photo ID is necessary for security in many different levels. These photo IDs must be of the highest quality.

6. Airlines – In our insecure world where terrorists and other security threats are a reality, security is of the utmost importance. After 911 the way airlines handled security of those that worked on the plane, and worked in the airports changed dramatically. In most cases, the photo ID must be so much more than just a photo. It will be associated with entering secured areas, and often will have embedded electronics. Many airlines outsource the production of these photo ID cards, yet with the sophisticated photo ID systems available for in-house printing, there’s an opportunity for increased savings by in-house production.

That’s only a few of the types of customers that find themselves in need of photo ID. With the range of photo ID systems available on the market there’s a system for everyone. Of course we can’t possibly address all the photo ID system options in one short article, so let’s look at a few of the features to give you an idea of what is available on the market.

1. Superior Print Quality – In today’s market there is simply no reason to settle for anything less than superior print. Even level entry photo ID systems have exceptional quality available. Fargo’s high definition printing™ technology is recognized throughout the industry as the standard to aim for.

2. Holographic HDP Film – For the most secure HDP card you simply need to print them with HDP holographic film. Holographic imaging has become very popular in the past few years. Its popularity is based on the reduced ability of reproduction. An added bonus is its superior ability to recognize fake photo ID.

3. Card Printers & Encoders – There are many choices in card printers and encoders, and there is a wide range of pricing associated with them. There are options such as laminators, encoding, oversized printing, financial card encoders, dual or single side printers, color or black white printing, and more.

4. Larger Photo Printing – Traditionally photos were always a bit small, but now many of the photo ID systems allow for much larger photos. This makes identification much easier because of these more detailed photos.

5. Integration – You want to choose a photo ID system that’s easy to integrate into other components of your business. With so many different photo ID systems on the market there’s simply no reason why you can’t have this integration.

Not so long ago photo ID cards were more of a novelty then a real asset. Photo ID systems were far too expensive for most companies to consider adding to their office. Today, things are much different. Technology has changed and become more available, and our world has become more threatening and less secure. That means more companies are looking to integrate some type of photo ID into their workplace. Today it’s easier than ever to do with so many photo ID systems available for in-house printing.



Caffeinated Content

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Learn Digital Photography With A Digital Camera – How To Take A Better Photograph

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Alex W.K. asked:




Learning how to compose a great shot

Have you ever notice that the picture you took did not turn out the way you wanted? I want to share some techniques to help you to take some better picture. When you begin to learn the basic about compositing your image be remember about everything when you look through the view-finder but it can be a little difficult so I recommend you starting with one technique per situation and with practice composing your shot. It will become your secure nature.

Experiment and take a lot of photographs with digital camera. You can take as many pictures as you want and keep shooting even after you think the magical moment is over because you will never know what you are going to capture.

When you are taking a portrait look at the background and make sure nothing is distracting back there, then stand back and zoom in and fill your frame with the subject. When you get close to someone it provides an immediate impact. Include a natural frame in your photograph, this can be an over hanging tree branches and any other thing that is going to draw the attention to the subject. The image will create a visual interest.

To oddly compose the shot you would want to consider the rule of thirds. Here is how you can do it, place your subject off centre, think about visually dividing your scene like a “Tik-Tac-Toe” board and place something of interest like the one of those intersections.

I hope the above techniques can help you to improve a little in your photography. In order to take your skill to the next level the secret is to practice shooting until your photograph looks like those on a magazine.

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Photography Composition: the Rule of Thirds

Monday, August 3rd, 2009
The rise of digital cameras has turned our focus very much onto the technical aspects of photography. Unfortunately, in our ongoing rush for more advanced equipment, the artistic aspects of photography are often neglected.

If you bought a great digital camera and your photos still look like snapshots, it is not the fault of your equipment. Perhaps it is time to start looking at your subjects with a more creative eye, and think a little more about good composition. Where to start? Well, a good place to start is the Rule Of Thirds, a convention used every day by experienced photographers.

What is the Rule Of Thirds? It is a sort of guideline to help you structure your composition in a balanced way that pleases the eye. Like all rules, it is made to be broken, but we will look at that later. Experience will give you the confidence to decide when you need to apply the Rule Of Thirds, and when you can get by without it. However, before you can make that decision you need to understand the Rule Of Thirds and how it works.

Imagine the rectangular shape of any photograph. Now draw a horizontal line one third from the top of the frame, and another one third from the bottom. Then draw a vertical line, one third from the left, and another one third from the right. Your rectangle should now be divided into nine equal sections.

According to the Rule Of Thirds, the lines that divide the picture into thirds are the most effective places to position objects in your photo. So, for example, the horizon should be positioned on or near the line a third from the top or a third from the bottom of the picture. Vertical objects like trees should be placed on or near the lines a third from the left or right of the picture.

Also according to the rule, the most powerful points in the composition are the areas where the lines intersect. So, if your horizon is a third from the top of the frame, a house or tree on the horizon would be best placed a third from the left or right, at the intersecting point of the horizontal and vertical lines. If you have positioned a tree along one of the vertical lines, a bird sitting in a fork of the tree would be best positioned where it intersects with the horizontal line a third from the top.

If this seems hard to follow, sketch it out and it will start to make sense.

This may sound a little too structured for the real world, and in most cases it is. After twenty years in photography, I can tell you that nature is not so neatly packaged for our convenience. You cannot expect all the objects in your photos to fall into place according to the Rule Of Thirds. However, by using the rule as a general framework, you can begin to create structure in your photography

Why does the Rule Of Thirds work? Don’t know, don’t need to know. But it does work. It satisfies our sense of visual proportion, so that photos structured in this way appear balanced in the eye of the viewer. You can prove this for yourself right now, just by looking at a book of your favourite photos. When you apply the framework to each picture, you will probably find that most of them, at least loosely, fit the Rule Of Thirds.

Many photographers have a natural sense of visual balance. They take their photos according to the rule of thirds without being aware of it. They may simply shoot the picture that ‘looks right’ or ‘feels right’ to them, unconsciously applying the rule as they go. For new photographers who are struggling with composition, this simple guideline will make a world of difference. In time, and with experience, these beginners will develop their own natural ‘feel’ for composition.

Am I suggesting that every photo must be taken using the rule of thirds? Is any photo that falls outside these guidelines a failure? Absolutely not.

Some photos are made more effective by deliberately ignoring the rule of thirds. The photographer may choose to draw attention to a feature of the photo by placing it where we would not normally expect to find it. If it is done well, the impact of a photo can be enhanced by disrupting the natural sense of visual balance. I can give you a very simple example from my field of nature photography.

A sunset photo is usually all about the sky. A photographer can add impact to the sky by lowering the horizon to well below the ‘normal’ horizon level. The result will be a sky that really towers over the foreground and imposes more strongly on the entire picture.

There are probably millions of other examples of great photos that were taken outside the framework of the Rule Of Thirds. As I said at the start, all rules are made to be broken. That does not mean that photographers should not know the rule and practice it. There is no harm in breaking with convention. The important thing is that you do it knowingly and for a reason, to make your photos more effective. Breaking the rules is a lot more fun when you understand the rules you are breaking.



By: Andrew Goodall

About the Author:

To see the Rule Of Thirds in action see Andrew Goodall’s nature photography at http://www.naturesimage.com.au . If you found these tips helpful, Andrew has released two top selling ebooks which have already helped thousands of beginners learn the art and skills of good photography. To learn even more, sign up to Andrew’s email newsletter…it’s free!

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Portrait Photography – Posing the Subject

Saturday, August 1st, 2009
John Burton asked:




Shoulders

When the shoulders are square to the camera, they will appear artificially broadened, and give the portrait a very static look. It is usually best to position the subject so that the line of their shoulders is about 30° to the the subject/camera axis. The easiest way to do this is to sit the subject on a chair placed at an angle of 30°.

Use a chair without arms, because the subject will automatically use them, and this tends to make clothes ride up, affecting the shoulder and neck lines. The best shoulder line is produced when the hands are placed in the sitter’s lap, or the far hand place on their knee (the idea here is that the near shoulder should always be higher than the far shoulder).

Depending on the subject, a good pose can be obtained if the subject sits facing away from the camera (i.e. back to camera with shoulders still at about 30° to the the subject/camera axis), and looks back over their shoulder.

Head

When the shoulders are at 30° to the the subject/camera axis (facing the camera), the head can rotate through an angle of about 100°. The head can also be tilted either side of the vertical axis. The exact degree of rotation and tilt will depend on the subject, and require some experimentation (and you may need to adjust your lighting) . If the head is turned too far, it can produce unsightly neck wrinkles.

Generally, very formal portraitures are produced when the axis of the facial features is vertical (i.e. it is not tilted to either side). This is often a good option for more mature subjects. Tilting the head to either side creates a diagonal axis to the features. This suggests movement an vitality, and is often best for younger subjects.

If the subject has a weak chin, get them to tilt their head back a little, which will make their chin stick out. If they have a strong jaw, have the subject tilt their head forward reduce its prominence.

Care needs to be taken with 3/4 portraits (i.e. the face is at an angle of about 45° to the subject/camera axis). The tip of the nose should not coincide with, nor cut through the profile of the cheek.

Eyes

The eyes are the most important element of a portrait. They should not be looking down, unless you wish to convey thoughtfulness or any other emotion (e.g. coyness, sadness, etc). Eyes looking directly at the camera is usually the best option. Take care when photographing eyes that are not looking at the camera. This creates a sight-line (a line that the viewer’s eyes follow), which can lead the viewer’s eyes out of the picture. The best option here is to include a little more background, so that the subject’s gaze falls within the frame.

Smiles

Genuine smiles are hard to capture. Avoid big grins and grudging smiles. Some people smile easily, while other rarely smile at all. Go for a natural expression, be it serious or smiling, and remember, true feelings are expressed by the eyes!

Camera height

The optimum camera height for portraiture is at about the same level as the subjects eyes. Raising the camera height a little about eye level can cause the subject to open their eyes a little wider. Conversely, dropping the camera height a little below eye level can add height and dignity. Experiment.

Hands

Hands can be included in a head and shoulders shot, but are difficult to photograph because they can easily look like a bunch of bananas. They should not be nearer to the camera than the face, or they will be too prominent. Hands turned sideways with fingers extended look elegant. If including hands, try and give them somewhere to rest, or something to do (e.g. holding a prop).

Arms

 If forearms are to be included in the shot, they should not form a vertical line. Ideally forearms and hands should point towards the face. However, watch for changes to the shoulder line, as raising a limb can also raise a shoulder (the near shoulder should always be higher than the far shoulder).

Multiple subjects

 The single most important objective is to connect the subjects in some way (e.g. looking at each other, touching heads, etc), otherwise they might as well be photographed separately. Avoid heads in a row, and gaps between the subjects. Make one head higher than the other(s) to create a triangular composition. Two heads inclined towards each other also forms a triangle.

Footnote: There are circumstances when these “rules” may be broken, but the intention of this article is to convey simple guidelines applicable to most situations.

Portraits by John Burton

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The Absolute Truth About Online Digital Photography Courses

Saturday, August 1st, 2009
Alex W.K. asked:




Online digital photography interactive course can be found by searching through google. But there are a few courses which are the best course available online.

A quality photography course should be designed and created by real professional photographers and trainers keeping in mind the requirements and ambition of the amateur photographers.

A valuable online digital photography course should contain the level of quality curriculum that met the requirement of professional standard. An essential photography lessons should focus in the field with extensive and specialize training. An introduction of photography lesson should help you obtain an overview of the designs, capability and function of cameras available today. Online digital photography course will show you all that you may need to learn about many different kinds of camera’s lenses like prime, fish eye, zoom, wide angle etc. The training includes necessary accessories like tripods, flashes, filters, monopods, cable releases, exposure meters etc.

Under the digital photography section you will learn about the pros and cons of digital versus film camera, about the uniqueness in them so that you will have an option to choose the right thing for the right purpose. The lesson includes the learning of film speeds of 35 mm cameras together with the sensors inside the digital one. The professional will explain to you everything that is related to digital imaging like dots per inch, JPEG and TFF image file formats, mega pixels, compression setting etc. The content has the subject of how to retouch digital images on your own computer and you will also learn the differences between CMYK and RGB color modes.

The online digital photography course also provides emphasis to their students with technical subject such as shutter speed, composition, aperture, light, Exposure, black and white photography, shooting portraits, landscapes etc.

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