Photography Blog

Travel photography jobs are tons of fun! But not just anybody can just point and shoot a camera. So how can you be a good travel photographer and stand out from the crowd of camera wielding enthusiasts?

Taking up travel photography is more than just taking pictures. It is a passion for capturing beauty and there are intricacies in the craft that one can only learn through experience. Needless to say, travel photographers with lack of experience are amateurs. They will either have a hard time capturing pictures that are stunning, dealing with local culture, setting up their equipment for optimal results, or all three.

If you want to be travel photographer or just started to become one, this article can help. Let me share some things that can save you a lot of headaches and stress.

In your quest to take quality pictures in a foreign place, let this be your guide. Avoid these amateurish mistakes so you can monetize your passion for photography in a flash. Pun intended.

Travel Photography Job Mistake #1. Not Planning The Right Equipment To Bring

Remember to travel prepared but travel light. If you are traveling in a place where your goal is to capture beautiful landscapes, you should only bring the appropriate equipment for your goal. Bringing your complete set of equipment will only end up being a burden to your travel so why bring equipment you won’t really use?

Travel Photography Job Mistake #2. Not Using A Camera’s Automatic Settings

The thing about photography is that sometimes great opportunities for a picture are fleeting. You don’t have enough time to change lens or adjust your camera settings. So you should know when is the right time to bring and use a camera with fixed lens. Learn to love your camera’s automatic settings such as, exposure and focus.

Taking photographs about culture and local activities requires readiness and photographers instinct. So you should be ready to point and click whenever an opportunity presents itself. Trust your equipment!

Travel Photography Job Mistake #3. Not Being Polite Or Respectful To Local Customs

Taking candid shots of people is priceless but sometimes people just don’t want to be photographed. Before, doing some “people shooting” you must assess first if the atmosphere and the mood of the locals who you are photographing.

You should ask first before taking the picture. Ask if you can take some portraits of the people and if you can take some candid shots of them going about their daily business. Once you have permission, you can fire away with your camera even without asking.

Take note that some places have traditional customs that go against your craft. Islamic countries for example, they don’t want their women photographed. Always be informed about the customs of the people you are photographing.

If you can do it without looking suspicious use a camera with a long zoom. That way you can take pictures without causing discomfort to the subject.

Travel Photography Job Mistake #4. Not Scheduling the Photographs

As a photographer, you should take note of the best times of the day to capture your photograph. Always study the scenery first. Find out when the natural light will be most beneficial to your photo capture. Some shots look better at dawn while others look better during early morning or evening.

Most of the time, landscape photographs can be best captured when the there are no distractions from people. If it is best taken early, make it a point to go their early.

These are just some of the mistakes amateur travel photographers make. Avoid them in order to get the best out of your travel photography adventure!

“It will be decades before Digital Photography reaches the quality needed to replace film.” Oh yeah? Only a few years after that prediction was made, digital photographic technology had reached a quality, resolution and affordability sufficient to make film all but extinct.

The convenience, the cost, the ease of use coupled with huge technical advances in converting photons into pixels have combined to make digital photography popular among top pros, advanced amateurs and novices alike. As early as 2006, 82% of a group of photographers surveyed said they had tuned to digital photography.

Digital photographic equipment is just as sophisticated and expensive as film equipment ever was. The results are obviously of a high enough standard to be used in any professional application. And the technology continues to advance at great speed.

There are many advantages to digital photography. The ease of transferring photos to a computer and then post-processing them in programs such as Photoshop; the fact that you can take a photo and see the results on an LCD screen immediately; the fact that you can, from one photo to the next, vary the ISO from 50 to 3200; the fact that you can take 1,000 digital photos on a reusable card and not have to pay for the processing; the fact that you can take stills and video with the same camera without needing any other equipment; all these things and many more combine to make digital photography so popular.

In a period of about 10 years, the entire photography world has done a major shift from all film photography, with digital being a sort of distant hope of being able to get results, to a photography world dominated almost exclusively by digital photography.

Some dyed-in-the-wool film photographers claim that there is a difference in quality still, favoring film over digital photography. And it may be true. Film photography is an analog process so the gradations in tone could perhaps be smoother than those created by the digital photography process. But obviously the differences are not sufficient to outweigh the many advantages of digital photography in the eyes of most of the photographers shooting today.

In the end, of course, it is an individual and personal choice whether to use film or digital photography or both. If you are a long term film photography aficionado, you might consider renting or borrowing some good digital equipment and trying the medium out for yourself. Likewise, if you never knew film but started straight in with a digital camera, you might get hold of a good film camera and shoot a couple of rolls of 35mm or medium format transparency film and see what you think.

You might end up liking both media for different reasons. They do produce different results and both have their applications. But one thing is for sure, digital photography is going to continue to increase in popularity and advance in technology and who knows what the limit is.

Please visit us at http://www.smokinphoto.com for other Photography related articles.

Aerial photography is the art of taking photographs an in elevated position from the ground. Aerial Photography is usually the term that is referred to when the images taken from the camera are not supported by any type of ground based structure. Aerial Photographs may be triggered remotely, they may be triggered automatically or they may be taken by photographers, the cameras can be hand held or mounted. There are many different types of platforms for Aerial Photography, some og these include:

Fixed Wing Aircraft Balloons Kites Helicopters Dirigibles and Blimps Rockets Parachutes Poles

The History of Aerial Photography

Gaspard-Felix Tournachon was a balloonist and photographer from France, he was the first person to practice Aerial Photography. He was widely known as ‘Nadar’ in Paris (France) 1858. It was on April 24th 1909 the first use of a motion picture camera was used, this camera was mounted to a heavier-than-air aircraft and was used over Rome. It was used in ‘Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine the 3:28 silent short film.

Some of the uses of Aerial Photography

Aerial Photography has many different uses, and is becoming more and more popular today, as technology gets better, the images and ways they can be taken in an aerial sense also improve. Bellow are some examples of what Aerial Photography is used in today:

Cartography uses Aerial Photography; they are particularly relied upon in Photogrammetric Surveys. Photogrammetric Surveys are often the basis for Topographic Maps Commercial Advertising – The camera is usually mounted on a plane or helicopter allowing a great range of movement and speed to achieve the required photography. Surveillance – This is performed similarly to the Commercial Advertising but will use very high tech equipment, that can take many shots in a short period of time, the image quality will be great zoomed in aswell Archaeology Movie Production – This type of Aerial Photography will be like Surveillance, also high tech equipment but also accompanied with video footage. Conveyancing Environmental Studies Artistic Projects – Aerial Photography will tend to focus on landmarks and great views above land.

GIS systems are often what are used to process Aerial Photography. Property Analysis (Phase Environmental Site Assessments) heavily use Aerial Photography in the United States.

Low altitude Aerial Photography is now possible by radio control due to advances in today’s technology (Radio Controlled Models). The camera equipment is mounted on to radio controlled equipment like (planes and blimps), Blimps are usually the preferred choice as they are easier to control at low speeds. Real Estate advertising has greatly benefited from this, this is because a full manned aircraft by law is prohibited from flying at low altitudes above populated locations. Therefore small scale model remote controlled models which are allowed to fly above populated areas open up the possibilities for better Aerial Photography. These small planes cannot replace a full size aircraft tho as they only have short fly times. Lower altitudes and can carry less equipment.

The first thing that any budding photographer needs to learn are the fundamentals of photography starting with the basics. Get these under your belt quickly and you have already won half the battle. So, what needs to happen to get you going as a beginner with your first digital camera? Let’s take a look at my top seven.

1. Equipment

It’s not all about equipment. Don’t go rushing out to buy expensive equipment without knowing what you need. A keen sales person will sell you as far as your wallet or credit card will take you. Wait until you know what you need and what you like and match these desires with the right equipment.

2. Decide on the type of shots you’d like to shoot

A good idea is to browse the internet photo galleries, look in magazines or visit your local library to get an idea of what type of photo you really like. Try it out with your camera and see if you are able to, or, want to persevere until you can. Once you’ve made a list plan to go out and shoot on a regular basis. It’s practise that makes perfect. Stick to it until you master your genre. Only then start looking for the equipment to match your area of interest.

3. Decide on a structured learning plan

Find out what you’d like to learn and what you need to learn in order to shoot the type of photos that interest you. For example, macro and nature photography is a more specialised art form and there are a number of techniques and skills to learn, as well as equipment you’ll need to buy. Research it on the internet, read books and if possible take a course on macro or close up photography.

4. Take photos often

If you are not regularly shooting images you are not going to grow in your skills and abilities. Set yourself assignments based on what you are studying. Of course, in a structured course you will be given assignments. A photo a day keeps the creativity flowing and helps you to keep motivated. I did an assignment once taking a 100 photos of the same subject from a host of different angles. It gave my photography an unexpected boost.

5. Learn your camera’s settings

Getting to know your camera is paramount if you want to learn to take great photos and the best way to do this is by reading your manual. Like I should be telling you this. I am the last one who reads a manual. But, if you do it in a structured way you’ll be amazed at how quickly you get to know your camera. The way I did it was to go through the manual highlighting everything I already knew about it. Then I went back through the manual reading up on each section I didn’t know, practising as I went along. Once I got to know it I was amazed at how much more I could do with my camera. The key is to experiment.

6. Keep your camera with you

Take every opportunity to get a great shot. Whenever you see something that would make a great photo, shoot it. I have often wished that I had taken my camera with me and got an amazing shot. If you don’t have it with you, you won’t get the shot

7. Buy a tripod

Besides my camera, my tripod is the most important piece of kit in my equipment bag. There are shots you can only get if your camera is steady. The sharpness of your shots will improve dramatically. If the pros use them then why not the amateurs?

As you begin your photography journey, work at learning in a structured way so that the fundamentals of photography become second nature. Photography should be fun but your learning process needs to be serious. Happy shooting!

If you are setting up a photographic studio, you camera is your most important piece of equipment.  The best camera will not perform at its best without the proper photography lighting equipment.  Proper lighting makes all the difference in your shots.  There are many ways of lighting a given shot and the proper lighting equipment, used properly, can make the difference between an okay shot and a great shot.

You will need standing lights, studio flash lighting, diffusers, reflectors, soft boxes and gel films to get the most out of your camera.  Standing lights create shadows which can be softened by diffusers or soft boxes.  Studio flash lighting creates very strong contrasts and shadows.  If you don’t want these strong contrasts, reflectors can soften the light while giving the impression of multiple light sources.

You can control the color of the light with gel films and the direction of the light with reflectors.

Camera lens filters can also affect the way you use light.  The best way to find out which photography lighting equipment you should use to get certain effects is to experiment.  Backgrounds also change the way the light is perceived.  Light backgrounds reflect light and dark backgrounds absorb light highlighting the subject of your shot.  Diffusers or soft boxes cut down on shadows and are especially important when taking portrait since deep shadows are usually not desirable in portrait shots.

Backlighting is another way to add interest to your photographs.  If you use a diffuser as a backdrop, you can place standing lights behind the backdrop for an impression of light coming from behind the subject.  Up lights or down lights can be used to create interesting shadows.  In some cases, the subject itself can be light with a small flash from within, causing it to appear luminescent.

A relatively new area of photography is called light painting.  In this type of photography lighting equipment may include laser lights.  Gel films are used to excellent effect in light painting.  The photos can used very structured light, or abstract light.  The effects created can’t be duplicated by photoshop programs.  Film photography is an art form and light is the medium.

Before purchasing your photography lighting equipment, consider the type of photography you would like to do.  Consider the best lighting equipment and studio flash lighting to achieve the effect you are trying to create.  If you already have a studio set up, you may want to add new lighting equipment.  Choose your lighting with care and shop around for the best prices.  Lighting equipment is to the photographer what paints are to the artist. 

If you think the only piece of equipment included in photography kits is a camera, you would be wrong.  While a camera is certainly the most necessary piece of equipment in photography, it is by no means the only equipment you will need.  There are different kits to cover every aspect of photography from lighting to developing.  Each kit is tailored to different aspects of photography.

Lighting kits usually include one type of light in several sizes or strengths and stands of varying heights to hold the lights.  Many include a boom stand.  A boom stand allows the photographer to move the light around as he shoots his subject.  The ability to move the light to different angles or heights can make a difference as you shoot the same subject several times.  Each shot will have a somewhat different perspective.

Continuous lighting kits usually include either hot lights, like halogen or tungsten, or cool lights which are fluorescent.  They also include stands to hold the lights.  Depending on the kit you choose, you may get a boom stand as well.  Some kits come with an umbrella.  If you are a professional photographer you may want to purchase both hot and cool lighting photography kits.

Studio flash lighting kits generally include different strobe lights for short intense bursts of light.  These lights are most frequently used in portraiture.  Stands are also included in these photography kits.  With studio flash lighting, many photographers use a diffuser or soft box which may not be included in the kit.  Small soft boxes and diffusers are usually inexpensive.  Boom stands are not usually used with studio flash lighting.

Many photographers make their own soft boxes and diffusers.  It’s easy to do and instructions are available at photography websites on the Internet.  While it may not be possible to save a great deal on photography kits, it does help if you shop around and build some of the simpler equipment yourself.  Reflectors are another useful piece of lighting equipment and are relatively inexpensive.

If you are outfitting your own studio, you will probably need to buy several different photography kits. Choose your kits carefully to avoid duplicating your equipment.  If two kits you are considering come with a boom stand, consider whether you actually need a second boom stand or if you can purchase a different kit to avoid duplicating your equipment. 

Red head light kits are sold separately and should be seriously considered if you have a video studio.  Red head lights are continuous hot lights which are primarily used in shooting video, although many photographers find them useful for certain effects in still photography.

If you are an amateur photographer who is setting up his first studio, it is wise to get advice on photography kits from more experienced photographers.  There are lots of websites devoted to both professional and amateur photography on the Internet.  Consider discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the photography kits you are considering with other photographers in chat rooms and forums.  You may get several conflicting points of view, but it can help with your decision.  You can find very good advice at these sites.

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When you first begin using your digital photography

camera be sure you have got the correct equipment you

will need before you set out. Owning the proper equipment

is  essential whenever you would like to make it

successfully wether you are a beginner or a professional.

If you’re going to become a professional with your

digital photography then you had better be willing to

spend a good deal more on equipment than simply somebody

wanting to do this as a hobby. Depending upon what you

would like to do with digital photography it’s entirely

up to you as to how much equipment you’re going to be

checking out in buying. A professional career in digital

photography might not be what you are looking for do if

you don’t have the money for these kinds of equipment

that you will need to have.

Then, if you are merely wanting to enjoy digital

photography as a hobby then I should be able to assist

you out in letting you know what you may require for your

digital camera, accessories and all. For your first

digital camera the important thing is to not spend overly

to much on it. There is no call for in purchasing an

pricey digital camera until afterwards down the road once

you get a good deal more experienced with it. On several

digital cameras you could be capable to even utilize them

as a manual camera. You will merely have to work out how

to adjust all of it’s operations. You’ll be able to go

out and buy a book for dummies on digital photography as

well, those are always handy to own. They have them for

virtually everything you want to know. Just keep in mind

that owning the proper software for your digital camera

is really significant, it will help you organize all of

the images you have created.

You will need to purchase a bag or case to keep your

digital camera safe and all or any accessories that you

may have bought as well while you’re active. Purchase the

camera that you feel best suits your needs and remember

you only require a basic one for beginners. They will

have all of the features you will need just to get going

and with this camera you’ll even be able to take truly

great photographs.

Spending more doesn’t all of the time mean that you’re

buying the better product. If there’s not a photographing

equipment store in your city then I suggest you will be

able to simply go online and look up anything you may be

interested in purchasing. You will be able to discover a

couple of really good deals on the internet if you’re

wanting to save a little money, who would’nt like to do

that? Or you can ask around, you might have a friend that

can assist you out with your first time purchasing needs.

If there’s a local store where you can go in and purchase

digital cameras for digital photography there will be

somebody in there that can help you with any questions

you could have about the product.

People should choose what kind of photographic lens?

A variety of camera lenses, although the figures can be used for photography, but, strictly speaking, people should have the following lens photography some of selectivity:

1, imaging

People photography lens image quality, it is necessary to end like the clear, but also have some soft effect. Because people are generally the performance of face-based photography, the camera image quality should be able to achieve levels of rich, realistic texture, detail absolutely shattered, skin moisture requirements.

2, the focal length

Generally equipped with a standard KODAK EasyShare M753 battery lens on both cameras, the war film camera focal length of the frame similar to the length of the diagonal. This lens, it should only take pictures of people the whole body or large bust. If the half-length figure or head for shooting close-up as too close, image perspective distortion is often caused by people, and some shots if the provisions in the near distance of the most recent photo shoot, can not be clustered into clear focus. So, head shot or close-up characters, then use the focus or telephoto lens, its focal length lens usually takes 1-2 times over the standard to 135 cameras, for example, the lens focal length to be as high as in the 105 meters, so that the camera and People distance, more than 1.5 meters can be maintained, both to make the focus clear, but also to avoid a big nose and ears and small deformation. Small photos of the indoor shooting, if you encounter the lack of deterioration of the situation, we need to use short focal length lens (ie wide-angle lens), but prone to near the far smaller and slightly deformed characters on both sides of the defect.

3, diameter

Half-length figures and head close-up shooting, to a large effective aperture of the lens is appropriate to make the subject clear and the background slightly blurred, and enhance a sense of near and far space perspective, thus highlighting the subject. In addition, the effective lens aperture large, slightly darker in the light of the circumstances but no flash, shooting people, still use a faster shutter speed.

Fifth, tourism pictures of people, what photographic equipment and accessories to bring?

1, photographic equipment

Travel pictures of people want to carry photographic equipment, generally light and appropriate. Typically, the film tour commemorative photo, holding an ordinary camera, a small 135 or “fool” the camera, can be applied. If the person preparing to further engage in photography, such as shooting some of the local customs, etc., it is best to carry a 135 interchangeable lens single-lens reflex camera, and coupled with a 28-80 mm zoom lens, both for photography needs to adapt to , but also reduce the equipment volume; Alternatively, you can use the camera, while the original standard lens, and then configure the 24-28 mm lens and 85-105 mm wide-angle lens, one each in order to choose. If you need the same time people of color and black and white photography, it is best to have two aircraft, each equipped with color and black and white film, alternating (if carrying the adjustable back 120 single-lens reflex camera, you only need one can be applied.)

2, annex

No matter what portable camera, lens hood and II are advised to keep a yellow filter. If conditions permit, it is best used to bring color and black and white photography of various main filter (including the UV mirror, sky mirror, polarizer, etc.) as well as black and white photography of yellow, red and green filters. Also carrying a small electronic flash or self-reflective panels for auxiliary lighting. To be able to maintain the camera and lens clean, to bring the lens paper and lens brush, if even with a good blow up balloons. Travel pictures of people, due to the hand-held shooting angle can be more free to choose, so a tripod with a low frequency, do not have to carry; but if can take to prepare for contingencies, and of course better. In addition, should made available for a pocket notebook, a brief record of shooting situations, including the date, weather, time, situation, characters and the use of aperture, HP pavilion zv5000 battery, shutter speed, etc., in order to accumulate the data, at any time refer to continually improve their standards.

What additional black and white figure photography often mirror?

Black and white figure photography, the camera lens before the commonly used additional mirrors, including the nature of change and change shade shadow imaging Results of two series. Example of the former variety of colored filters, air filters, UV microscopy and sky mirror and so on, which for example, soft mirror, halo of the lens and close-up lens, etc., are as follows:

(A), commonly used to change the nature of additional lens shade

1, a variety of colored filters

Such filter is optical glass with color and refined, yellow, green, red, orange, blue and other, were named in various colors. Its role is to prevent or reduce unwanted shade, relative to the required increase in the amount of light shade of the pass, to change the color and feel Gan Guangpian. Black and white figure photography, yellow filter is most commonly used, for example, in the case of blue sky, shooting outdoors people, once plus, you can absorb some blue light, making it less sensitive blue film, which appears in the photo the sky darker, and the effect of clouds was outstanding; otherwise, will be mixed to the same color blue and white. Into the white sky, dull. Yellow filters can enhance the level of character texture and delicate vivid color performance. It also has a transmission range, the characteristics of low light resistance, therefore, added with yellow filter, only half of file to open the aperture, while the addition of the yellow filter, but also just opened freshman profile aperture.

2, sky filter

This is half of the pale yellow or light gray, colorless translucent add a mirror. As part of its edges colored by the deep to shallow, gradually over to the colorless, transparent, therefore, also known as the gradient filter. Its role is to adjust the contrast between sky and ground. Specifically, the colored part of the purple blue of the sky can absorb or reduce the intensity of light the sky, the sky part of the limited amount of exposure in the film, so that the ground segment in the film more exposure. Use, the colored part should be facing up, no additional exposure. When photographing people in backlight, plus air filter, the effect is even better.

3, UV and Skylight lens

Most are colorless UV microscope, there are slightly yellowish; sky mirror is close to colorless or slightly reddish. Their main function is absorption of ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere. UV effects on alpine photography more serious, and often hinder the clarity of the image. UV plus or sky mirror mirror, you can eliminate the influence of UV on the Gan Guangpian to improve image clarity, especially for distant scenery is more effective. Since UV and Skylight lens is a colorless or near colorless, no need to increase exposure for photography under any circumstances and no side effects, therefore, often added wear on the lens to protect the lens.

(B), change the video used an additional lens imaging Results

1, soft mirror

Soft lens effect, is to be part of the light through the lens refraction, so the photographer can maintain a certain image clarity, while a softer tone contrasts but also natural. The construction of soft lens in various forms, usually in a transparent glass, have the density of different circular ripples, or is the use of nylon or other fibers are woven into the mesh, so as to achieve the purpose of refraction separate incident. Add to wear soft mirror, close-up photo shoot women and children, can be soft and pleasing effect of images.

2, the halo of the lens

Halo shape of the mirror structure, is to open a hole between the glass lens, was surrounded by sand-like. Hollow in between, COMPAQ Presario r3000 Battery plus worn on the front of the camera will not affect the main image is focused. When photographing people, will face arranged in a circular hole location, you can get the normal resolution, and face around the outside of the image, due to lens-like effect on the sand, then show the effect of hazy halo. Add pictures of people wearing a halo of lens to use single-lens reflex camera is appropriate, because the photographer by the camera viewfinder, direct observation of the situation to the image halo.

3, Close-up Lens

Half-length mirror, also known as close-up lens is a convex positive lens, plus wearing, you can shorten the lens focal length, but also to shorten the distance of a recent photograph, so that images of people to expand, take full advantage of Gan Guangpian area. When shooting, the general need to increase exposure, but to use a small aperture in order to increase the dark deep corners to prevent false negatives loose. Practice in photography, taking pictures of people close-up close-up lens is not appropriate, because the close proximity of photography, easy deformation defects. In addition to the commonly used additional mirrors, there are many shadow mirror, star mirror, mirror in the ash and other special effects add a mirror, by the addition of, the first two can be respectively different radial multi-light image and the effect of the latter which can help reduce the amount of light rays through the role.

Photography the art of capturing a moment forever at the click of a button is a unique and creative medium of self-expression.it is an art form requiring aesthetic sense as well as technical expertise. Photography is also a hobby that can be made profitable. One of the best parts of being a photographer in the digital age is the freedom to shoot things that fall into your range of interests and abilities.

The beauty of photography is that no matter what you are interested in you can earn money by photographing it and selling those photos both online and offline. These photos can include anything from landscapes to local events, businessmen to bees and from children to celebrities

Starting to make money through photography is very easy and you can start off with a few basic tools like a computer with an internet connection and a digital camera.

Tips to get started and earn money

Exposure: The main requirement to earn money through photography is exposure of your work. No matter what kind of photography you are into, it is crucial to get as many people as possible to view your photos.

You can get your photos online either by getting your own website or by using existing websites. Setting up and hosting your own website is very easy and it has the advantage that it will establish you as a photographer and you can directly sell to your clients without other agencies taking a share of your money

Getting your Basics right: Before starting out to make money through photography you must get your basics right so that you can start on the right track and avoid the common mistakes made by an amateur photographer. You can join hands on classroom program or take up an online course. There are a number of websites dedicated to photography which can be of great help to an amateur photographer

Area of specialization: One of the secrets of earning lots of money through photography is not to specialize. Though you might be having your area of interest, you will be able to make more money by being flexible rather than confining yourself to a single area. Photograph what people want whenever they want and they will love you for it

Market research: Market research is crucial to make money by selling photographs. Before clicking pictures look at what the buyers are looking for and you must also make sure that you are able to meet the quality standards set by the buyer. Whenever you are trying to sell your photographs you must set your prices competitively neither too high nor too low

Stock photography website: It is the fastest growing area of photography. Stock photography agencies present a great opportunity for the amateur photographer who is making some part time money through photography. They provide an excellent platform to showcase your work and these can be viewed by millions of people.

If a person wants to buy your photos from these sites he has to pay you since you hold the copyright over your photos. The biggest advantage is that you can sell them over and over again making more money each time you do so

Building a portfolio: An important aspect of earning money through photography is to make the customer want to hire you rather than just taking pictures. To prove to your customers that you are good at taking pictures you must build and maintain an excellent portfolio of pictures that cover many different aspects of photography. Once you build up a nice portfolio you can easily make a lot of money.

In a micro stock photo site you should focus on pictures that are more worth to buyers and set aside a couple of hours a day to build your portfolio. To make a huge amount submit hot selling photos to the sites

Photosharing: You can also earn money through photosharing sites, marketing your photos in these sites will get you the attention that you need to make money with your photos since many people visit these sites frequently. Though you cant sell through these sites you can imply to the user that licenses to your photos are for sale so they can contact you further.

You can also post your photographs in online forums; you must take criticism in a positive way and improve upon your work

Selling offline: If you think you don’t have an artistic eye and can’t take quality photos, there are lots of people who will pay for simple click and shoot images like insurance agencies and sell it to various newspapers and editorial. Any picture that tells a story or documents an event can be useful.

Your best bet when selling you photographs offline is to find a particular niche and market to it.field service representatives is also a great job opportunity for you as a photographer

Restoring old photographs: An overlooked area of photography is the restoration of old photographs, you can make a lot of money in this field. Restoration is easy and a number of softwares are available for this purpose. Restoration of old and damaged family photos generally fetch a lot of money because of the sentimental value they hold.

It is essential that you keep a record of the work done by you to show your customers that you are good at restoration and you can even do a couple of restoration works for free to show the quality of your work.

Equipment used: The equipment you use contributes significantly to the money you earn through photography. The quality of your pictures to a very good extent depends upon the equipment you use. Equipment includes the type of camera, lenses used, the types of filters etc. The equipment you use can either make or mar your dreams of earning money through photography

It would be better if you have an idea of the type of equipment used for your area of interest. Put in simple words you are only as good as your equipment

Rajiv Jain – Cinematographer – Director of Photography – Rajeev Jain

Information for Indian Cinematography Students……

Some of the responses to the questions asked by visitors to the website! Drop me a line today.

QUESTION: HOW DO I BECOME AN INDIAN DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY?

For people with successful careers in this business, the question most often heard is the one that asks how you got where you are. Sure enough, as soon as I began to set up this Web Site and state my willingness to share this information and answer questions about production I began to get inquiries regarding what I call “The Big Question”.

So I have written this generic answer. I hope it is useful to anyone contemplating a career behind or in front of the camera.

If you ask 10 or even a 100 different people as to how they got into this business you’ll get as many as 100 different answers. As for me, I’ve had a natural, lifelong interest in photography, partly due to my Guru, whose hobby was black and white still photography. Learning and training under him gave me loads of exposure to that type of photography which soon graduated from a hobby to a full blown passion. At that particular point of time I was also involved in theatre doing plays for small Theatre Companies in Lucknow, and apart from the character roles I also worked back stage as a carpenter / light operator/ Set construction on these plays. It all tied in together so perfectly.

The experience and training I gained in my adolescent years paid off full returns when i decided to get into a full time job. I began with a job as a light man in a TV station, my back stage experiences in carpentry/ set construction further sharpened and enhanced my skills. i began small time but with time my vision and my dreams grew and I saw for myself the possibility of a career as a cameraman in the television or film industry, to make this dream a reality i went back to Drama school full time  and i majored in theatre (stage craft) & in stage light designing production. Believe me completing my education was the best thing I could have done. In addition to a thorough education in many different phases of the business, it allowed me to focus and hone my natural abilities (which are strongly visual) to the point that I was sure I wanted to be a cinematographer.

In a way, because of my prior experience of working in a television station where I was allowed to do lighting, cameras, and build sets, etc., I was already way ahead of many of my peers when I started Drama school. Even so, I continued to hunt for part time work, projects, whatever would allow me to work with cameras, lights etc. A couple of summers before graduating I worked as a temporary technician in a TV station and right after graduation I was offered a full time apprentice position with Binod Pradhan to work behind the movie camera in Mumbai. While doing that job I continued to make little films on the side, by volunteering to shoot on VHS format, direct and edit anything for anybody as long as they would pay for the equipment, film, etc. Soon, after working for an 8 year time span where i covered and worked at different levels of cinematography i.e., as a spark, grip, key grip, loader, focus puller, camera operator, gaffer and through constant lobbying and showing my work, I was offered a cameraman s position at a TV production house. 

From there, after a couple of years of effort and with several long-form TV commercials, industrial, corporate, documentaries & serials under my belt, my work was noticed by a very successful independent producer of network Film / TV / Commercials specials. He made me an offer I could not refuse; i.e. to spend a few years shooting many of the shows he produced for the network. That stroke of luck put me on the map as a DOP and my career has gone well ever since. 

Nurturing the desire to become a DOP is a lot like saying you want to become a movie star. There are no set routes to such goals. Many try but few succeed. But the fundamentals of the craft can be learnt, and learnt well in a film school. So, incase of the special privileges that are bestowed on a selected few (like being born of a great cameraman, director or studio executive), film school is probably the best place to start. It will also expose you to a lot of information about many other aspects of the business. 

What You Need To Know

There are obvious things one should study to become a DOP, i.e., photography, including composition, lighting, movement, and fine arts in general, including music, painting, even sculpture. It also helps if a DOP has good eye-hand coordination and is good with his or her hands, with tools. After all, a camera is just a big, complicated, delicate tool, with lots of interrelated parts which must be mastered by the DOP. It is also highly important for a DOP to be a good leader, a good communicator and have good people management skills. But one of the most important things a DOP should know well is often overlooked. It is the study of the theory of “montage” or editing. Montage theory is at the heart of what makes “movies” work, whether for television or the big screen. It also encompasses and necessitates the study and understanding of the psychology of human perception – the things that go on between “seeing” and subjectively “perceiving”. 

Some of the most important dynamics of the moving images that we see on television or in a theater are the dynamics of “cutting” one scene, or shot or frame against another, then another, then another, etc. This dialectic process, this joining of two things to create a third, then joining that with yet another and so on, endlessly; this is the basic grammar of film as we know it and it works at many levels. It works in the juxtaposition of scenes, of shots within a scene and of the elements of sound and picture and movement. In what direction are the composition, lighting and physical movement leading the viewer s eye and what effects are the juxtapositions of these elements having on the viewers emotions and perceptions? Wide shot, medium shot, close-up, screen direction; these progressions are as basic to the language of film as subject and verb are to the spoken language. These concepts and more are fundamentals of the visual language of the moving image and should be well understood by anyone wanting to be a Cameraman. 

On being a Director of Photography…

Q: Could you define the Cinematographers job? How does one find themselves in the lighting/electric department?

A: The Director of Photography/Cinematographer (yes one and the same person) is like the photographer of a movie. All the technical related dept (camera, lighting/electric, and grip) work qualifies as work for the DP. One in thirty-four (1/34) makes it as a DP. It takes years of professional experience to gain your I.C.S. AND W.I.C.A. accreditation.
Ask yourself this question… 

So the bottom line is that there is no real set way of becoming a cinematographer. Ask yourself this question – “What is your life about?” What are your hopes and dreams and find a path that best fits your needs. Do you want to work in the industry, learn from the pros and then start shooting? 

…be prepared for the big drop in pay

A lot of camera assistants will work for a minimum of five to seven years and then start shooting. Camera Assistants make the most money in the entire techie dept. Money can be an evil sometimes, in the sense that you lose sight of your goals because you’re being offered so much of it. All of a sudden years go by and all you’ve done is made money.

Be prepared for the big drop in pay because you are not gonna lands a 00 – 3500/day commercial gig in your first year much less your first three. Some people start shooting as soon as they get out of film school and five years later they might be a professional DP (in my opinion, a pro is someone who makes a living with their craft).

You will need an incident light meter (I recommend the Sekonic L398 for the beginner) and a spot meter (Minolta F or M). Also handy, working knowledge of various cameras, which means understanding depth of field, circle of confusion, camera operating and learn a feel and understanding of lighting which means an understanding of color temperature, gels, diffusions, bounces etc, etc.. 
Advice on volunteers…

People volunteer on shoots for three reasons:

1. To gain experience or upgrade.

2. To make contacts.

3. as a favor to someone whom they work with a lot.

Getting volunteers on a feature is very difficult because no one can really afford to work for free for eighteen weeks. My crews are loyal to me because I gave them a chance when no one else would. One of my camera assistants just got his letter from F.T.I.I. He was one of the lucky few who were accepted this year for the cinematography course. When a crew member cannot work with you because they have to make money you have to respect that. 

Your key personnel have to have experience there is no doubt about that. Everyone else can be a volunteer. I worked on a lot of volunteer shoots when I was making the transition from corporate videos to film. The keys were always experienced and were always usually paid (usually below scale). You can do this on shorter format films but not on a feature.

Film is not only an art. It is also a business. 

Executive Producers tend to not invest on inexperienced people such as the director or producer. I have seen ads where people are claiming that they could make a feature for 0,000.00 It can be done if you are an industry veteran who could get a lot of great deals from people and pull favors from other industry people. For every one of him there are hundreds whose film does not get finish for one reason or another. I humbly urge you, DO NOT approach the money man until you have done your job as a producer and everything is in place.

Find that gem of a script that is character driven, simple and has very few locations. Actors – you won t have any problems. Find an actor who has done a lot of work but is not quite on Bollywood s A List and give them a part that they cannot refuse. If you can attach names to your film then people will take interest and even give you money.

…filmmaker at heart!

I am one of the few people that actually worked in all three departments. Most people work in only one dept. But I think this is what made me a unique shooter. It also attracted a lot of directors towards me because I can do all three depts. I was a technician for hire but I am a filmmaker at heart. My theatre and filmmaking knowledge has helped me immensely in working with directors and understanding where they are coming from. 

The Bottom Line………………

Final tip: If you really want to be successful as a DOP (or anything else in life) – be tenacious! Never give up! But be ready to spend many long, even frustrating years finding the road and climbing the ladder. Since there is no set route to becoming a Director of Photography or Director or Actor the way is often unclear and that can be very frustrating. But if you look at the careers of those who have become successful in this business you will see three things they all have in common: Tenacity, Tenacity, and Tenacity! Of course, talent is important, but more than that it is just lots of hard work and desire and sticking to it. Becoming a Doctor, Lawyer or Engineer is easy by comparison because the road is quite clear. If you just do the work, you get the title. It is very cut and dried. Making your own way in this business is far more challenging and that is really what separates the wheat from the chaff. 
And do not forget luck & destiny. You will need lots of that. Not the kind you need when you are rolling the dice, but the kind that exists “where opportunity and preparation meet”! That kind of luck you can make for yourself. By becoming prepared, you are fully ready to seize the opportunity when it arises. And by diligent preparation you will also be exposing yourself to many opportunities as well as seeing ways to create your own. 

Remember – visions are worth striving for.

What the mind can conceive, you can achieve if you believe.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / CINEMATOGRAPHER

The cinematographers’ responsibilities as outlined below are an attempt to describe the duties a cinematographer is likely to encounter during his/her career. No two jobs are the same and the duties will contract or expand depending on the scale and complexity of the job. As can be seen, there is a vast amount that a cinematographer is required to know and do and this can only be learnt over a number of years of filming. Our thanks to John Hora ASC who drew up this list for publication in the? American Cinematographer? Magazine. It has been slightly adapted for this website to reflect Indian technical terminology.

I Preproduction

A. Conceptual research and Design
* Discuss all aspects of script and directors’ approach to picture in preliminary talks with director
* Analyze script as whole
* Analyze story structure
* Analyze characters
* Research period, events, general subject and appropriate design elements
* Devise style, visualize approach
* Continue talks with director on new ideas
* Come to agreement with director
* Discuss and come to agreement with production designer
* Discuss and come to agreement with technical adviser.

B. Practical Research and Design.
* Ascertain or find out budget requirements
* Scout and approve locations
* Plot sun position for locations
* Check local weather
* Check tide tables near ocean
* Review, discuss and approve set plans
* Review, discuss and approve spotting plans for stages
* Review and approve props, picture cars, airplanes, boats, horse-drawn vehicles, mock-ups and miniatures

C. Technical Research and Design.
* Visit laboratory to calibrate, customize and evaluate exposure system for any combination of electronic or chemical image capture, and establish developing, printing, set timing and transfer protocols
* Visit equipment vendors
* Explore new equipment
* Learn how new equipment works
* Invent (or cause to be invented) special equipment or techniques for show
* Standardize and create effects bible for show
* Help create and approve any storyboards
* Design (or cause to be designed) and approve any built-in or practical lighting fixture
* Design lighting-plot plan and rigging for stages and locations with gaffer and key grip

D. Quality Control
* Choose and approve crew, film stock, lab, equipment, second-unit and visual-effects crews
* Supervise manufacture and testing of new modified equipment
* Visit sets under construction
* Approve wild walls, ceiling pieces and any moving set pieces
* Check lighting-fixture crew
* Walk locations and stages with all departments to discuss requirements
* Approve set colors and textures
* Approve costume colors and textures
* Approve makeup and hair
* Generate (or cause to be generated) and approve equipment lists for camera, electric and grip
* Check dailies screening rooms for correct standards

E. Implementation
* Cast stand-ins
* Train crew to use any new equipment
* Walk locations and stages with director and device shooting plan
* Make list of special equipment for production manager and indicate number of days required
* Work with assistant director on shooting schedule (order and days required for each scene)
* Estimate and order film stock (type, size and quantity)
* Generate (or cause to be generated) and approve rigging and shooting manpower and man-days
* Assist other departments in getting required equipment, manpower and tests
* Drop by all departments and visit department heads at least twice a day to answer any questions
* Mediate any problems between departments
* Check loading of production trucks or cargo containers for location or international shipping
* Visit cast run-throughs and rehearsals
* Advise and back up director on any problems
* Help production problems

F. Testing
* Shoot tests for style
* Shoot tests for lab
* Shoot test for lighting of principal actors
* Shoot tests for camera and lenses
* Shoot tests for wardrobe and makeup
* Shoot tests for any special effects processes, unusual rigs props or methods

II Shooting

A. Planning
* Check and approve all call sheets and shooting order of the day?s work

B. Blocking
* Watch rehearsal of scene to be shot
* Device shot list with director (coverage)
* Choose lens and composition; show to director for approval
* Make sure composition and movement fulfill scene task
* Work out mechanical problems with camera, dolly and crane grips
* Set any camera-movement cues
* Place stand-ins and rehearse, fine-tune
* Ensure proper coverage of scene for editor
* Work with assistant director on background action

C. Lighting
* Design lighting to show set/location to best advantage relative to story, style and dramatic content
* Light each actor to reinforce and reveal character
* Make sure mood and tone of light help to tell story
* Design light for minimum reset time between setups
* Utilize painter for control of highlights, shadows, aging, dusting-down of sets and props
* Set and match light value, volume, color and contrast of each setup (exposure)
* Set any lights cues (dimmers, spot lights, color changes and any preprogramming)

D. Preparation
* Work out any sound problems
* Work out any problems with other departments
* Check, set and approve all stunts with stunt coordinator
* Set any additional cameras required for stunts
* Double-check safety with all concerned
* Show shot to director to make any final changes
* Get actors in for final mechanical rehearsal; solve any outstanding problems

E. Photography
* Photograph scene
* Approve or correct take
* Check parameters and reset for next take
* Shoot any plates
* Shoot any video playback material
* Move to next step

F. Administrative 
* Define first setup in morning and after lunch
* Make sure that stills are taken of scene
* See that ?making of? and/or EPK crews get needed footage
* Make sure script supervisor has any special camera or lighting notes
* Check film raw stock inventory
* Try to shoot up short ends
* Check that camera logbook is being kept up to date
* Complete day’s work
* Discuss first setup for the next day
* Ensure that camera, electrical and grip crews get all copies of equipment rental or purchase invoices and approve before accountants pay vendors
* Take care of any future or ongoing production at end of day
* Check for return of all unused equipment

G. Quality Control
* Call in for lab report
* View previous day’s work in projected dailies with director, producer, editor and camera crew
* Discuss and approve dailies
* Consult with makeup, wardrobe, production designer and assistant director about dailies
* View, discuss, correct or approve second-unit or effects dailies
* Order reprints if necessary

H. Training
* Teach beginning actors movie technique (hitting marks, size of frame, lenses, etc.)
* Train camera crew for next job up the ladder

I. Contingency
* If director is disabled, finish day’s shooting for him or her

III. Postproduction

A. Additional Photography
* Discuss and be aware of delivery dates for all postproduction
* Photograph or approve any additional scenes, inserts, special effect or second-unit footage

B. Timing (Color and Density)
* Time and approve trailer for theaters and TV
* Approve all optical and digital effects compositions
* Time the picture
* Retime until correct

C. Quality Control
* Approve final answer print
* Show to director for OK
* Approve interpositive (IP)
* Approve internegatives (IN)
* Approve release prints
* Approve show prints from original negative
* Approve all blowups or reductions

D. Telecine/Color Correction
* Supervise and approve film or digital original transfer to electronic or film media (Hi-Def, NTSC, PAL, Scam masters, digital intermediates, archival masters, etc.)
* Supervise and approve all transfers to and from digital intermediates
* Supervise and approve all letterbox, pan and scan or reformatting of film
* Supervise and approve tape-to-tape color correction and VHS, DVD, digital projection media, etc.
* Show electronic transfers to director for OK

E. Publicity
* Do any publicity (newspaper, magazine, Internet, radio, TV, DVD commentary etc.)

F. Restoration/Archival
* be available for any future reissue, archival reprint or electronic transfer of film.

This list of duties of the cinematographer was published in http://www.rajeevjain.com/