Most amateur and professional photographers consider only one or two different mediums when developing their photos. The most common is standard photo paper, which is what you would get when developing your photos at any photo store. Photo paper comes in different styles including matte, semi-glossed, or glossy. Most people do not even think about other possibilities including printing pictures on canvas.

There are many reasons why an amateur or professional photographer would consider printing pictures on canvas. First of all, canvases are more durable and have more texture than traditional photo paper. Photo paper can tear, fade, and comes in different levels of quality. In recent years, many people have taken to printing their own photos off of home printers, but this often results in poorer quality photos.

Canvas provides a unique and long-lasting way to preserve memories. If kept in the right conditions, printing pictures on canvas will allow your memories to last nearly 100 years in pristine condition. Even storing your digital photos on the computer does not create such a long life expectancy. This long lasting quality will allow your memories to last throughout the generations for your family and friends to enjoy.

Canvas also can turn amateur photographers into great artists. Canvas gives photos an artistic quality similar to those seen with oil paintings. This unique quality allows you to show off your pictures and make your hobby into something more. You can sell your canvas pictures, give them away as presents, and share your pastime with all of your friends.

Because of the unique texture and painting like effects that are created with printing pictures on canvas, landscapes and portraits are the ideal types of photos you would want to print. Printing landscapes on canvas will invoke curiosity and awe from onlookers. They will not be sure if they are looking at a great painting or a great photograph. Colors are enhanced, and the texture really makes your image stand out. Portraits also look great on canvas causing similar reactions in those that decide to take a look.

Printing photos on canvas wasn’t always available to everyone. There were few photo shops that had the professionals with the skills or tools to print such photos, and few people even knew about the option. However, with the dramatic increase in the use of digital photography and the Internet over the last decade, photographers have a plethora of new resources that they can use to print such photos. There are many online stores and resources that will print your photos on canvas and for a reasonable price. Although more expensive than traditional photos, the value added by printing on canvas makes it well worth it.

Developing photos on canvas is something that every photographer should try at least once to see how they could change the artistic look of their photos. The photos do not lose any quality from the original if being reprinted, and if anything they add quality. They are long lasting, interesting, and make great gifts. If you have never printed a photo on canvas before, you will soon see that it will not be something you regret.

ZaZaGallery - Put your photos on canvas and be the buss in your community. Our fine art prints are gallery wrapped using the finest canvas and inks to create a museum grade art piece.Our product is unique so join the buss and visit us by clicking pictures on canvas. Thank you, Hugh Parker.

photo credit: kennylouie

Lighting a picture safely and effectively is just as much a work of art as a painting itself. It requires a professional understanding of the many nuances that characterizes specific artistic genres. Choosing the correct method and intensity of lighting appropriate to the work constitutes the line of demarcation between amateur art lighting designers and professional picture lighting consultants. This is of critical importance to the serious art collector. Because the value of art continues to increase annually, the importance of protecting works of art has become an equivalent priority to their proper viewing. Picture lighting differs significantly from the illumination of more durable subject matter such as bronze sculptures, crystal, and woodwork. Watercolors and oils, as well as textiles, historical documents, and ancient, painted artifacts will degrade, if not completely disintegrate altogether, if they are exposed to ultraviolet light and infrared heat. The intensity of lighting itself plays a factor in the safe lighting of pictures, documents, and museum pieces. Lumens per annum, a term referring to the cumulative intensity of light over long periods of exposure, can have deleterious effects on colors and canvases. For this reason, museums such as the Smithsonian institute configure their low voltage lighting systems with occupancy sensors that turn off the lights when special works are not being viewed. This specialized method of regulating both the exposure to light and its intensity are used to preserve documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Often, the sophisticated lighting systems go beyond the demands of the home collector. Generally speaking, highly popular, self-installing, over the picture lights are not recommended. In spite of their ability to evenly distribute illumination over the surface of a painting, the type of lighting they produce will severely damage or destroy the painting over time. This is because over the picture lights utilize incandescent or halogen lamps that generate infrared heat. This raises the surface temperature of the piece and causes the oil to crack. Since moisture content is a critical factor to the integrity of oil paint, constant heating and cooling of oil will result in moisture loss and disintegration of the oil’s constituency. One way to combat this is to minimize the wattage of picture lighting lamps and to extend the arm away from the surface of the painting to reduce radiant, forward heat. Some artwork lights even come designed this way, having long arms that extend the light out from the canvas and more evenly distribute it from top to bottom without creating a hot spot near the source.

An much more effective method of picture lighting uses recessed low voltage halogen accent lights mounted in the ceiling above the painting. The housing traps the majority of the heat, allowing only the beam spread to reach the canvas. Sophisticated fixtures such as the MR16 light source use dichroic reflectors that send the heat out of the back of the lamp. This creates a completely heatless form of home picture lighting and is well worth the additional equipment costs when one considers the preservative value it brings in return. Additionally, these lamps are designed with small aperture trims that minimize glare and eliminate distracting “white spots” that over the picture lighting is notorious for creating. Our professional consultants precisely adjust these lights to dispel frame shadows that often result from angle of incidence. This is a problem that many people who attempt picture lighting on their own often have difficulty solving. It requires professional science to correctly aim angles to avoid casting a shadow when beam spread contacts the surface of a traditional frame. Likewise, glare is caused by glass, varnish, or other reflective surfaces from that originates from often-indeterminable sources above eye level. Lighting designers know how to pinpoint these problem areas and make the necessary adjustments to resolve the issue.

For those interested in the most superb technology and least obtrusive form of picture lighting, the Art Projector is by far the best method of illuminating art. Art projectors install in the ceiling, assuming a position above eye level and normally remaining unnoticed by visitors to the room. An Art Projector lights a picture by casting a finely tuned spread of light over the surface of the painting. The beam itself remains invisible until it reaches the subject, where it shapes itself to meet the exact contour of the artwork and creates a “lighted from within” effect. Most professional art galleries prefer to use Art Projectors for picture lighting because of their near invisible presence and the special lighting effects they create that no other technology is able to duplicate.

Illuminations Lighting and Design multi-specializes in all forms of art lighting and maintains an outstanding reputation among residential, corporate and professional galleries throughout Houston and Greater Texas. Visit http://www.illuminationslighting.com/picture_lighting.htm and http://www.illuminationslighting.com

If your hobby is digital photography, or if this is your business and line of work, you might have noticed that even the best photographs and most talented of photographers is going to need some help with touch-ups and corrections. In the “old days” when film was used, photographers would spend time in the darkroom manipulating their photos manually; today photographers of course use digital photography software to help them improve and correct problems with their photos.

When you’re ready to shop for digital photography software, you need to first of all determine your needs from this software and your budget as well. If you’re an amateur photographer and just need something that is going to let you upload and share your photos, you can find many basic software packages that allow you to do just that. Most have very few options and just let you frame your photos, crop your photos, and not much else. For beginners or amateurs, you probably won’t need much more from your digital photography software, and shouldn’t spend more than $25-$50 for it either.

For professional photographers or someone that is serious about this hobby, your digital photography software is going to need to have a lot more options for you - and of course it’s going to cost you a lot more as well.

Adobe PhotoShop is one of the leading digital photography software packages available. Most who are new to these types of packages also report that it’s one of the more difficult to learn because of its many features. However, it allows for quite a bit of photo editing and graphic design. It has tools for drawing, retouching photos, working with different types of photos, painting, adding notes, and so many other elements. There are layer styles, adjustment layers, masks, smart objects, and filters. If you’re unfamiliar with these phrases and options, you may want to consider some digital photography software that is less complicated and more user-friendly.

Corel Painter is another common digital photography software package that is more of an artistic and painting program rather than simply something you use for photos. Suppose your business of photography includes working with products for marketing material; you may want to think about how you can make those photos more artistic and appealing. However, if you work with landscapes or portraits, you might not need something in your digital photography software that is so artistic.

Serif PhotoPlus is considered by many to be a more basic and affordable version of PhotoShop. It of course has many less features than Adobe’s digital photography software but is also much more affordable, typically around $100. It is a basic program that allows you to manipulate your photos and improve them without letting you get bogged down with features you may not need. For an amateur that is simply looking for a way to improve pictures, PhotoPlus is a good digital photography software package that you might want to consider.

Digital photography software is not always that difficult to learn and use, and depending on why you’re investing in this software you might want to consider taking a class that gives you some basic instruction. Of course, this will depend on how comfortable you are with the learning curve needed to use these packages. If you have a history of graphic design or arts, you might already be familiar with many of the terms and options you’ll find in digital photography software. However, as with every other program or computer accessory you might invest in, it would be well worth it to learn how to use it properly so that you get your money’s worth!

I have written a Free photography report. I’ve design this report for newbie who wants to improve their photography skills in a buzz and understand things you need to learn and not to learn. Get your Free copy of my report! Or you can visit thedigital-photo-tips.com for more info. Enjoy your hobby!

photo credit: SOUVENIRS DVD“

We cannot command nature except by obeying her.” Francis Bacon

Whether you’re taking a picture of a geranium in your backyard garden or a grizzly bear in the Rocky Mountains, capturing a great photo outdoors means working with Mother Nature, and not trying to impose your photographic will upon her.

So many factors come into play when taking a nature photograph … sun, clouds, wind, rain, sleet or snow … and if you’re photographing animals in their native habitat, you’ve got noise, odors, and movement to deal with.

It can get complex, but the enjoyment you’ll get by taking nature photography seriously will far outweigh the extra time and effort you put into it. Rather than just clicking a snapshot of your sugar maple in all its fall glory, you’ll have a photo you’d be proud to hang on your wall as a piece of art. Or, you might even become so good that you’ll find yourself selling some of your better photos.

After all, everyone loves a great nature photo. It’s easy for viewers to put themselves into the picture. Even if they’ve never been to the mountains, people enjoy looking at pictures of mountains because it transports them, at least for a brief moment, to a peaceful place.

So in order to help you get the most out of the time you spend outdoors with your camera, here are five fundamental tips for taking better nature photos. As a photographer, I’ve learned that if you approach your outdoor photography with the right mindset, you are certain to succeed — oftentimes in ways you never expected.

Tip number one: Understand the nature of nature. There’s an old saying, “You can’t fight Mother Nature.” Plan on working with the elements of the natural environment you photograph. A backyard squirrel might not blink at the sound of your shutter. But a rarely seen black squirrel sitting in the woods 50 miles from the nearest road might run upon hearing the same click.

Animals, trees, bushes, grass … everything associated with nature functions uniquely in different weather conditions. If you’re looking for a “money” shot, you need to understand the conditions you’re working in, and the subject matter you’re photographing.

I recall walking along a large pond in a forest clearing many years ago. I was looking up for a shot, but saw nothing remarkable. Then I looked down and realized there was a fantastic shot right at my feet. It was of some green algae that had formed in the corner of the pond. It was a beautiful color, and contrasted nicely with the water. Itended up being one of my most popular shots.

Tip number two: Be prepared. Study the area you plan on photographing, even if it’s your own backyard. Watch how the light plays on your flowers at different times of the day, and under different cloud conditions. Pay attention to the patterns of birds. Animals are creatures of habit, and weather and light is somewhat predictable.

The same goes if you plan on venturing out into the wilderness. Get familiar with the local surroundings by talking to locals, watching weather reports on the Internet or TV, and by just taking some time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings.

Tip number three: Know you’re equipment. If you’re trying to get a close up shot of a deer in the wild, even if you’re using a telephoto lens, turn off your autofocus, autoflash and motordrive. Get to know you’re camera settings, from the f-stop and shutter speed to the ASA and ISO settings.

Experiment at home and in the field. After buying a new camera, I like to take number shots just around the house, in a variety of conditions. Spend about an hour or so walking around your home and yard, instruction manual in hand, and try out all the features. Use different exposures and settings. Do this as a refresher from time to time as well. It is well worth the effort.

Tip number four: Be patient. Natural events happen when they happen. You are not going to rush that beaver out of his watery den any faster. The perfect glint of sunlight playing off your prize rose bushes will not happen any sooner or later than you want it to. Keep your camera at the ready, and don’t force the shot. You may arrive five minutes too late for a great shot, but you may be five minutes early for the perfect shot.

Tip number five: Have an outcome in mind, but be ready for the unexpected. If you go out looking for cardinals in the forest, you’re likely to find some. So be ready by having a telephoto lens, a tripod if necessary, perhaps a birding book to help with recognition, and something comfortable to sit on. Take food for yourself – don’t feed the animals! – and water. Picture the shot you want in your mind’s eye. You’ll often get something close.

But don’t close your mind to other possibilities. The sun may be absolutely perfect at that time of day, and you could get a stunning picture of rays of sunlight piercing the forest canopy. Ansel Adams’ famous “Moonrise over Hernandez” was taken while he was driving down a highway. He stopped the car, jumped out, grabbed his camera, took one shot … and nailed it because he was ready for the unexpected.

I had a similar experience. It was night, and I was just walking around the area I live looking for a good picture. I had been walking awhile, ready to give up and go home, when a flash of light caught my eye. I came upon a construction site of a multi-story building. The welders were getting in some overtime, working on the 8th or 9th floor. The sparks from their welding were arcing out from the side of the building and down to the ground. It made for a beautiful picture, and one I would have never gotten if I hadn’t been ready for the unexpected.

When it comes to photographing anything in the great outdoors, don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking you can control your subject matter. All you can control is your equipment and your knowledge about the subject matter. So with the right camera, an understanding of nature, and some patience, you’re likely to get the recognition you’re looking for as an outstanding outdoor photographer.

Matt Smolsky develops marketing programs and has written articles for a variety of clients, including Hoorray, a new website for easy photo sharing and easy photo printing.