Light is the critical element in getting the perfect photograph. This is most true when it comes to outdoor photography, since you have almost no control of the light. Also, when you are shooting outdoors, there are many weather-related factors that can influence your photo.

photo credit: Windy Angels

What’s more, in photography, it’s important to be ready when the “right” shot comes along. When the special moment happens, you want to capture it and enjoy it for a lifetime. A big part of being ready is knowing enough to take advantage of whatever lighting conditions exist in a given moment.

These three tips will help you capture more moments, in a flash (and with or without a flash!). With a little trial and error (yes, expect to make some mistakes – maybe even a lot of mistakes), you’ll become a better photographer and get more great photos.

Tip #1: Know your ISO. It’s easy to set the ISO on most digital cameras – just check your owner’s manual or play around with the settings a bit. The ISO number indicates how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. ISO settings are 200, 400, 800 and 1600 on most cameras. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor, and the more control you exert over the lighting conditions.

So if you’re sitting through double-header little league games and the light gets darker during as the day wears on, then you might want to check you ISO setting when your child gets his or her last at bat. After all, you wouldn’t want to miss a big play that will be a memorable moment for the rest of your lives.

Tip #2: Know the type of light you’re dealing with. There’s a distinct difference between the light you see at sunrise versus the light you see at sunset. Ditto for light in the mid-morning, noon, afternoon and early evening. Your photos will look a lot different depending on the time of day you take the photo, no matter what you’re subject matter. Also, the angle of the light and the shadows impact your photo a great deal.

Recently, I was photographing cottonwood trees in the late afternoon. The leaf of a cottonwood is shiny on one side and dull on the other. This made for a dramatic effect as the slowly setting sun caught the reflection of the shiny side as the wind moved through the branches of the tree.

If you’re taking photos on a bright day, be on the lookout for shots that make best use of sharp shadows. You’ll get a stunning effect. If it’s cloudy, then make sure you find the color (flowers, green grass, etc.).

Tip #3: Know your flash. Your flash has more uses than at night or indoors. Flash is important for many outdoor photos as well. This is called “fill flash,” because the flash fills in dark or shadowed areas of your subject matter. It is really useful when your subject’s back is to the sun.

You should consider using fill flash when you’re subject is in the shade, as a shady spot can often make a photo appear flat. A flash will bring out the highlights and give the photo more depth. Stay within your flash’s range, usually about four to 10 feet. Too far away, and the flash’s impact will be minimal. If you’re too close, you’ll wash out your subject with too much light.

Remember, light plays the biggest role in whether a photograph turns out or not. Keep these tips in mind, and you’re to get a lot of really great photos you’ll be proud to share.

CJ Carroll writes for a variety of clients, including Hoorray, a photo sharing website that offers a free online photo album to new members and is the easiest place to create a digital photo album, calendar, and more.

At some point most photographers consider how long their printed pictures will last. As we think about this point we can see how this thought originates at the heart of photography, after all when we take a picture we are trying to preserve a moment in time. We are creating a remembrance of something that will never be exactly the same. In view of this expressed thought when we print our images we want them to keep their visual integrity. Yes, we want them to look as good as they did the day they where printed 100 years from now and longer.  Digital Art is at its best.

Realistically is this possible and how can we determine how long photo’s and specifically in this article photo’s on canvas will last? As a consumer this question becomes important especially when we are parting with money in exchange for prints.

To answer these questions there are a few variables we must consider.

photo credit: Jan the manson {condemns stealing pictures}

We must appreciate that not every one is going to display their images under the same conditions. Some will display their image framed with glass, others will without glass. Some will hang them in rooms with bright lights, some in areas of there home or office that get sunlight for part of the day. Still, others will hang them in areas with high humidity such as bathrooms. All of these scenarios have a bearing on the longevity of a photo on canvas. In light of this we realize that applying “Display Permanence Ratings” to an image that we are going to hang in a given area, will give us not an exact, but general idea of how long that image will last. The determining factors are not just the ink, canvas, sealer, ext. although these are important, equally important is the environment the image will be displayed in.

The company that has really pioneered the most excepted tests for measuring displayed print longevity is Wilhelm Imaging Research Inc. The expression “Display Permanence Ratings” refers to a standard of tests that show the longevity of prints. This company is not a manufacturer of imaging products but is a third party research company which allows them to be more objective and non partial when rating print permanence. Their tests take into consideration such factors as light-fastness humidity-fastness ozone-fastness as well as other factors. Their research has shown that quality inks, combined with quality canvas, printed on a quality printer and finally sealed with a quality sealer can produce photo canvas prints that will last anywhere from 60 to 142 years without “noticeable fading”. Some of the constant features of these test environments are that the light is 12 hours a day at an exposure brightness of 450 Lux The temperature being 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity. It is of great value to know that many household display areas are similar to this description of these test environments.

Information like this is invaluable to both Print Professionals and consumers.

No doubt many would agree that it is the responsibility of the print professional to be educated about such things.

The canvas chosen by a print shop should be archival. The company that manufactures the canvas should stand by there product with a guarantee that their canvas will out last the inks used to print on them.

The inks too should be archival, industry tested like Epson Ultra Chrome K3

photo credit: kevindooley

Just aim and shoot, right? Anyone that’s interested in photography knows better than to think that taking pictures is just that simple. Sure, pointing your camera at something and taking a picture will certainly record an event, but if you really want photographs that are worth looking at year after year, you may be interested in some more advanced photography techniques. Well, whether you’re just taking pictures on vacation and of your friends when they come over, or if you are looking to actually start making money from your photos, we have some great but simple photography techniques you can try.

The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is one of those basic photography techniques that is typically applied to shots like landscapes or nature scenes, where it’s easy to have a picture of just one element. If you’ve ever looked at that photo of a beautiful lake or sunset and thought that is just didn’t quite capture the beauty of the scene the way you remember it, you may want to consider the Rule of Thirds. This is where there are three distinct layers or parts of your photo. For example, suppose you want to take a shot of that beautiful lake where you’re staying on vacation. The blue water against the blue sky is going to make everything blend in. Applying professional photography techniques to this type of shot means waiting until sunset when the setting sun breaks up the lake against the sky. This is the Rule of Thirds - you have the sky, the sun, and the lake; three distinct parts.

This is also good for photographing something like autumn foliage. A jumble of color is not going to have much interest. Try to apply these photography techniques by adjusting your shot so that you have the sky above those trees and perhaps a field or hill below them. The Rule of Thirds gives you those three distinct parts, and makes those beautiful autumn leaves that much more outstanding.

Angles

Trying different angles is one of the most used photography techniques by professionals. Again, if you just point and shoot at your subject, then you have a photo of them that has not much interest or depth. You may document what you’re shooting, but that’s about it.

Applying photography techniques for angles means moving yourself and your camera around for unique and interesting shots. If you want to shoot a beautiful flower garden, try getting right down on the ground so they’re in front of you, rather than just standing above them. To take a picture of your new motorcycle, try getting down on the ground and aiming above you so that it really captures the majesty of the bike. Play around a bit with angles when it comes to pictures of people as well; by being experimental and creative, you can come up with your own special photography techniques that are perfect for you, your subjects, and your photos.

“Want to take your knack for casual photographyto the Next Level and develop the expert eye and photo-shooting skills of a professional photographer? If so, then you’ll want to check this out this Photography Report Today! You’ll learn how to harness the talent rumbling inside you and take photo’s like a pro!

photo credit: anuarsalleh

Digital photography backdrops are very important as they provide an attractive background that can enhance photographs a great deal. More digital photographers than ever have turned to digital photography for many reasons, which include the convenience, cost, and ability to make photos unique looking by enhancing the images. Available in a wide range of styles and colors, finding the perfect digital photography backdrops for every image or photo is easier than ever.

In today’s market there are several different digital photography backdrop types available for both amateur and professional digital photographers with a different application for each type. The basic background is certainly one of the most popular and best-liked types of backdrops. These use the digital photography backdrop types to conceal the background in the photograph behind the subject with a more satisfactory one. A digital backdrop is also an excellent way to take an average digital portrait and, using a good digital photography backdrop, change it into a quality photograph that resembles one from a professional photography studio. Digital photography backdrops of this type have both commercial as well as personal applications. There are innumerable types of digital photography backdrops geared toward family, friends or children and intended just for entertainment and fun. Some of the many include:

• Image enhancing blocky letters

• Fanciful creature backdrops

• Bright color backdrops

• Island themed backdrops

• Sports themed backdrops

• Holiday themed backdrops

• Landscape backdrops

• Abstract themed backdrops

Compatible with numerous photo-editing software types, digital photography backdrops are very easy to use. Although you can use digital backdrops with practically any image and background, images or pictures taken against the green or blue backgrounds seem to transfer the best to digital backdrops. It is very easy to use photo-editing digital photography backdrop software. Simply open the image, using photo-editing software, onto the same chosen backdrop screen. Render the prior background transparent and then paste the image onto the backdrop, using photo-editing tools. Photo editing programs include tools that edit and smooth any rough edges when using photography backdrops.

The internet is one of the best places to find good digital photography backdrops as online retailers often have a far larger selection of backdrops. Many online retailers are professional photographers themselves, so along with selling digital photograph backdrops, they will share their extensive expertise with you if required. These online retail websites permit customers to look at the digital photography backdrop types they carry before purchasing any and provide customers with troubleshooting tips, easy to follow instructions, and answers to questions people may have about the product.

For a digital photographer looking for backdrops or props to use when taking photos, thrift shops are an excellent place to start looking, as you often find inexpensive and unusual items that will work great. Camera shops and computer stores often sell digital photography backdrops. Very low cost backdrops include using tape and rolls of seamless paper or low thread count, sold color sheets that only need ironing before using. For a photographer that is shooting something small, cheap fabric, curtains and tablecloths work well.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist with a wide range of hobbies. His website, Photography for Novices, gives advice for beginners. Don’t miss his 7 Tips for Digital Photography Beginners.

photo credit: thenestor 

Remember the old saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words? For the reason, almost people decide to hire professional photographers for the important moments of their lives. Wedding time is one of the important moments and memorable events of your life. Brides and grooms alike are now enlisting the professional photographers to get the best wedding photography for the special time. Because of they would surely want to get the best photo taken so that the best memories will be preserved as long as they live.

Professional photographers should be able to produce wedding photography that will express the special moment such as joy, love and intimacy between a couples. But it doesn’t come easy.

Wedding photography is not limited to only portrait style, or only indoor style in the church, it also includes formal photography in the studio, outdoor, posed and candid shots of the wedding couple and their guests at the ceremony.

Below are a few basic techniques to get the best wedding photography.

1. Choose the right background

For taking a picture of a couple or any intended target. You can use the decorations in the church or in the reception areas as a background for your photos. Make sure the environment is not so crowded, if it is hard to focus on the couple, you may shoot them from shoulder up.

2. Avoid the glaring effect

Looking for any kinds of glass, may it be jewelry or wine glasses. They will cause a reflection or brightness include in the picture.

3. Taking candid shot

Because of candid shots are very dramatic. These candid is a powerful photography. In fact, many professionals do this to capture intimate and memorable moments.

4. Maximize the memory

Should be equipped with maximum memory card for ensure that no great moment is missed. Other advantage of maximize the memory card it is best to review every shot taken.

You can plan to preserve your memory card by using the data below.

  photo credit: justintosh

- For 3 mega pixels – use minimum 1 GB memory card

- For 4 mega pixels – use minimum 2 GB memory card

- For 6 mega pixels – use minimum 4 GB memory card

- For 8 mega pixels – use minimum 4 GB memory card

- For 10 mega pixels – use minimum 6 GB memory card

- For 12 mega pixels – use minimum 6 GB memory card

5. Keep the best shot for digital wedding photography practice

You can apply the best shot with special techniques by digital photography software to make your creation more.

For digital wedding photography practice, the list below is the simple effect to make your creation.

- Black and white effects.

- Vignettes effect.

- Soft focus effect.

- Multiple exposure effects.

That is not a secret for the best way to learn any type of wedding photography. In additional you should learn more about:

- Traditions even (The wedding cake, Confetti, etc.)

- Who pays for what? (The groom’s family, The bride’s family, etc.)

- Duties of the main players (Duties of the Bride, Duties of the Groom, etc.)

Jack Vallieres is the professional freelance writer. He’s also the webmaster of Manyfoto.com

photo credit: Sebastian Fritzon

Ever wonder why some photos have a yellow or blue color cast? Why did this happen? Well it has to do with how your camera sees colors in a scene. Correct white balance is one of those technical aspects of photography that is often overlooked or misunderstood. But it can have a great impact on your photos, so it is important to understand how color in photography works.

What is White Balance?

Color is measured in temperature, in units of Kelvin. Warm colors have a low degrees Kelvin, while cooler temperatures have a higher degrees Kelvin. For example, the flame of a candle has a Kelvin temperature of around 1,500, while a blue sky has a Kelvin temperature of around 9,000. The human eye is very good at adjusting for variation in color temperature. Unless the temperature of the light is very extreme a white wall will generally look white. But a camera doesn’t have a human brain behind it (yet, anyway!) and so isn’t able to make the same adjustments. The result of this is a color cast that either looks too “cold” or too “warm”.

Adjusting White Balance

The purpose of adjusting white balance is to tell your camera to either warm things up or cool things down, depending on the lighting situation. So how do we do this? Most Digital cameras have automatic and semi automatic settings. Most commonly these are:

Automatic: where your camera takes a guess at the correct white balance. In most conditions this is pretty accurate, however in tricky lighting situations it is easily fooled.

Tungsten: used for shooting under tungsten (artificial) lighting such as an indoor bulb. As this type of lighting is quite warm, the setting cools down the colors slightly.

Daylight: used for shooting outside. Colors under a sky can appear quite blue so this setting is used to warm up a scene.

Different makes of cameras also have more variations on these settings, such as for cloudy conditions and flash photography.

Manually Adjusting White Balance

In most cases, using the automatic or semi automatic settings on your camera will produce good results. But if it’s just not doing it for you, or like me you are a complete control freak, most digital cameras will allow you to manually set the white balance.

This can be done in two ways. Some cameras have a setting that will allow you to set the white balance in degrees Kelvin. To do this of course you will need to know the temperature of your light source. This is easy to find out with a few test shots. For example, if you are shooting indoors under a standard house globe, you know that the temperature of the light will be quite low. Adjust your setting to a low number and take a test shot. Then check and make adjustments as needed until the color in your images looks right.

The second method is the tried and true grey card. By holding a neutral color in front of your lens, you are essentially telling the camera what white looks like. It then adjusts all other colors accordingly. To do this you need to have your white balance setting on manual.

With all the automatic settings that digital cameras have to supposedly make our lives easier, it is easy to be lazy and let the camera do all the work. However putting in a little extra effort into learning why things work the way they do gives you the edge next time you are dealing with a tricky lighting situation and helps you improve your photography.

Mark Eden is a freelance travel photographer and owner of Expanse Photography, a photographic services company You can see Mark’s, travel photography and contact Mark through the Expanse Photography website http://www.expansephotography.com.

photo credit: ** Ahimsa ** 

The advancements in digital photography are constantly changing the techniques and standards of photographers. The luxury of digital photography has become more available over recent years, giving people the power to capture special moments and edit them to their personal satisfaction. From the amateurs to the professionals, this ever-evolving technology has had a beautiful influence on the way photos are taken, developed, and presented.

Photographs are no longer limited to the standard, glossy finish. By printing digital photos on canvas, people can give their photographs a natural, artistic quality that traditional printing often lacks. Canvas prints combine the detail and vibrant colors that digital photography allows with the unique look of oil paintings. The quality of the camera itself obviously affects the quality of photo produced, but the medium on which it is printed can determine the artist’s ultimate feel of expression. Unlike ordinary photo paper, canvas has a texture that gives the advantage of minimizing lower-quality resolution.

Another advantage of the canvas is its durability. With the protection of the water-resistant sealer, photos on canvas can survive conditions that regular photographs cannot. Not only are they protected from water damage, but they are less likely to fade when exposed to direct sunlight. Under the proper care, the canvas prints can last up to 100 years! Investing in canvas printing is a great way to display pictures that can be enjoyed by generations.

While it might be assumed to be an expensive process, printing digital photos on canvas is actually quite affordable, with prices starting as low as $30 (depending on customer specifications). Why pay the high price for decorative oil paintings when you can get the same look with your own personal photos?

Canvas prints make great gifts and home accents for both personal and professional settings. The canvas gives a creative touch and will attract attention that a small, framed picture will not. Customers have the option of a gallery wrapped canvas, which wraps the photograph around the edges of the canvas or a standard print that centers the picture on the front. Also, digital technology gives the added options of photo cropping and color enrichment.

With the help of photo editing and enhancement, the quality of pictures can be improved. However there are some guidelines that will allow for a superior canvas product. The clearer the picture and the higher the contrast between colors, the better it will look on canvas. Dark colors on a dark background will be much harder to print clearly than bright, distinguished colors. If a picture is blurry to begin with, it could look even more so when enlarged and stretched to fit the canvas. Pictures that are taken from a distance can be cropped to focus on the subject (whether it be a person or an object), allowing for more detail and better color on the canvas print. Changing the camera’s settings to the highest resolution possible will help the photographer to achieve the best picture.

All in all, printing digital photos on canvas is a unique, high-quality, affordable way to turn everyday photography into displayable artwork for all to appreciate.

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: peaceandlove197

Everyone loves visiting a museum and appreciating the fine art of a picture gallery. The beautiful paintings seem to have a magical feel, as being almost larger than life. Every detail of paint strokes on the canvas seems to have its own story, all intertwined to create a masterpiece. This is what people mean when they say that a painting speaks to them, as if the art work itself is sending them a personal message. This is possible because of the surface of the painting itself. Only with canvas can paint and ink truly reach its full potential to create a piece of art. For many years it was impossible to convey this same effect with photography. With special paper, the process of getting pictures developed and printed was a long and arduous procedure. The outcome was a photo on paper that usually didn’t capture the full effect of the moment it was intending to immortalize.

Now that has changed. The technology to create a gallery wrapped photo on canvas make it possible for people to have the same feelings about digital photos as they do about those paintings hanging up in museums. Now you don’t have to be an artist to be able to move people, just be ready with a camera to capture that perfect image or moment and transform it into a gallery wrapped photo on canvas, and create works of art that will be suitable for any occasion and appreciated by many.

Creating a gallery wrapped photo on canvas is a reasonably simple process that has become readily available through online shopping and printing technologies. All a customer must do is upload their photo with a website and order their desired frame size. The printers then go through the process of printing your picture onto the canvas using the best canvas and ink the industry has to offer. A gallery wrapped photo on canvas is then stretched large enough to wrap around the sides of a stretched frame that the canvas is mounted on. This gives your picture a nice three-dimensional feel as opposed to two-dimensional photographs. By stretching the canvas around a frame to which it is mounted on, a gallery wrapped photo on canvas is ready to hang on the wall as soon as you receive your order. It is so nice, that in many instances they can be hung or put on display without another outside frame being needed. A great look for any environment!

A gallery wrapped photo on canvas is a perfect way to celebrate past memories, and create great gifts. Some of the most popular photos that are transferred onto canvas are ones with babies, pets, wedding pictures, family pictures, reunion pictures, graduation pictures, vacation pictures, and many other special photos that may either hold a special place in a person’s heart, or be visually pleasing to look at. For these reasons, a gallery wrapped photo on canvas is a great way to liven up any room, and represent cutting edge technology in the art of photography.

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: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Who says you need to pay thousands for a surveillance system? Get an IP camera and get your house wired up and secured against intruders.

An IP camera is an excellent, yet inexpensive camera for your home surveillance system. It can be installed in anywhere in your house for home monitoring and intruder protection. Set up one in your bedroom, living room, garage, or doorstep, and you will get the status of your home in video.

All IP cameras come with a built in web server, so you don’t have to worry about special hardware or software. You just set up the camera and you’re ready to access real time images anytime and anywhere there is Internet connection.

Setting Up You IP Camera

Installing the camera doesn’t require special knowledge about computers. It is practically designed for homeowners, not techies. All you have to do is plug in the Ethernet cable to the IP camera, connect it to your existing network, assign an IP address, and follow the user’s manual to set up your PC.

The Works

Most IP cameras support password protection, so that access to the camera is strictly confined to the defined user who has a user name and user password. You need not worry about hackers logging into your system and getting videos of your home, given that you don’t give out your user name and password to anyone.

The IP camera comes with a motion detector so that when it senses movement from anywhere within its range, it will automatically take a video clip of that movement and alert you by sending the video clip to your email or your security personnel. Other IP cameras may be set up so that it alerts two or three other individuals aside from your. This is useful so that when you’re away from your computer during a break in or something, someone else is informed. You can also program it so that the alarm beep will be sent out from your computer and scare off the intruders.

Hard Disk, Hard Evidence

When you use an IP camera, the recorded video can be stored into the hard disk of any computer. This way you can be sure that you have evidence you can use when you need it.

The video will be stored into your hard drives or uploaded to your FTP server. This makes it easy for you to find the video records you need - you don’t have to constantly change video tapes, as you would when using VCR or other types of surveillance systems.

The camera can go on recording surveillance videos 24/7. Just make sure you have enough free space on your computer. To do this, you must constantly check the recordings and delete those that are of no use. Or, you can program it so that it follows schedule.

There a lot of different IP cameras out in the market offering different features. If you want to get the most for your dollar, make sure you choose one that has all the above-mentioned features. It’s your best bet for home protection without worrying too much about you bank account. But when you can afford to, it won’t hurt to get one that offers more.

Get an IP camera and secure your house without compromising your budget. Check out Linksys WVC200 and the latest webcam surveillance software for your home. Visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today.

photo credit: Venom82
photo credit: Venom82

Digital photography is an extremely popular hobby today and certainly a wonder of modern technology. Unlike years ago, today it only takes the push of a button and a minute or two later you have your prints. The days of having to purchase film, take the entire roll in for developing, and pay before seeing the results is long gone. With a digital camera, memory card, batteries, accessories and practice, you are prepared to capture beautiful images and moments. Many people with an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of photography have learned the art of capturing eye-catching scenery, subjects or unforgettable moments and discovered ways to turn digital photography into a money making business.

You do not have to be a professional photographer to make money but you must be able to produce excellent quality pictures that are clear and that people will pay for. Whether someone chooses to do this full time or part time, they will be prepared to capture a money-making photo by having the camera close by at all times. The flexibility and quality of digital photographs and the internet has given people many opportunities to make money with their services and pictures. One creative way to make money with digital photography is finding places where people would pay to have memorable pictures taken, such as tourist attractions, parades, concerts, and competitions. Take your business cards along to these hot markets, take pictures and then post them on a file sharing service or website that allows people to browse and buy your pictures. Selling your digital pictures online as stock photos offers digital photographers another excellent way to earn money. There are stock photography agencies or companies on the internet where you can use their database to upload your pictures and then they pay you when somebody buys any of your pictures. Most have certain terms, such as quality of pictures, content, resolution and pixels of the digital photographs. Usually if your work is made up of lower resolution pictures, many digital photo   stock agencies pay less photo credit: Maik Radke  for it. There is a demand by graphic designers, magazines, website publishers and others that require backdrops and photographs of people, weather, birds, animals and nature, which are always in great demand.

Contact local real estate agents, car dealerships, insurance companies, hair salons and other agencies and businesses in your area that often require freelance photographers to take pictures of houses, vehicles, hair styles, property for refinancing or sale and insurance pictures, just to name a few. Make money by selling your services to capture special occasion moments such as graduations, birthdays, weddings, family reunions, new babies and other important events. There are many ways to make money with digital photography but it takes skill, credibility and dedication. To take exceptional, awesome photographs requires an individual to always keep learning and perfecting their abilities. The ways to make money using your digital camera are almost endless and it just takes a creative mind and lots of imagination to find your niche. Come up with a business and marketing plan and soon your digital photography hobby will produce a steady income.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist with a wide range of hobbies. His website, Photography for Novices, gives advice for beginners - don’t miss his 7 Tips for Digital Photography Beginners.