The Toll Men

Almost nothing is more important than composition. No amount of manipulation of your image will help a badly composed picture.

But what is “composition”.

Don’t worry about the fancy terms, but basically, composition is the art of getting the final image looking right, starting from the moment you take the picture.

There are several elements:

- choose the correct subject: make sure the subject is relevant to your audience and to the message you are trying to convey

- place the subject: the “rule of thirds” means that subjects look best one third in from the side of the image or one third from top or bottom

- associate your subject: use the appropriate setting which gives “meaning” to your subject

- clear clutter: check the background for unnecessary rubbish or distractions

- watch for inanimate objects: don’t have lampposts growing out of people’s heads

- choose the correct lighting: no squinting or shadowy faces allowed, unless intended

- isolate your subject appropriately: use different apertures to change depth of field

- make your subject “talk”: get your picture to tell a story of some sort

- use props: where necessary, consider using a complementary prop (for example, someone holding a flower, or a boy on a bike)

- use an appropriate lens: telephotos and wide angles have different fields of view

- fill the frame: where possible, make your subject fill the frame and avoid unnecessary inclusions

Composition is the backbone of good photography. Use it wisely and your images will have impact.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

Owners of digital cameras enjoy many advantages over those with film cameras. A couple of these advantages are that they can take multiple pictures of the same thing without the fear of wasting shots and they can simply take the memory cards out of their digital cameras and put photos on a computer without worrying about storing sensitive film rolls. However, when the subject of getting digital camera photos into picture form comes up; inexperienced owners may be left scratching their heads and yearning for their old film cameras. But these digital camera owners need not fear because there is an easy solution for their problems: digital photo printing processing.

Sure the easiest solution for getting a digital camera photo into picture form is to print it straight off of the computer. This leaves people with no hassles and quality pictures, right? Well, not quite because ink and printing paper always seem to have the nasty habit of increasing in price every year and the average printer just isn’t capable of producing good, presentable prints. This is why seeking out an established online company to carry out the digital photo printing and processing duties is the common sense solution. Finding online websites to carry out theses tasks is extremely easy due to the fact that there are multiple sites throughout the Internet that specialize in digital photo printing processing. After finding a website of choice, all a person needs to do is upload the pictures saved on their computer to the company’s photo service and choose their preference of options. After payment and shipping details are complete, the pictures will be processed and printed by the company and then sent by mail.

While it would be nice to think that just about any online photo service will fit your needs, the reality is that there is many variations among the various companies. Some companies may be higher priced but offer more quality and some may offer average prints at lower prices. Make sure to check out online reviews about whatever company that you are planning to use to make sure that your preferences will be fulfilled.

To view our list of recommended sources for digital photo printing online,
visit Recommended Sources For
Digital Photo Printing Online.

Did you ever see an image where only a small part of it is sharp? Using the aperture ring correctly can maximise the artistic look of your image.

Not only does it determine the depth-of-field, it also has the power to direct the human eye.

The human eye is instinctively drawn towards noticeable points of an image. These are usually the sharpest and most important parts of an image. Using a wide aperture to limit the area of sharp focus can direct attention to the most important elements of your image and blur out any off-putting backgrounds.

This isn’t that hard to accomplish, and can be blissful if done correctly.

Lets start off with understanding depth-of-field, aperture and f/stops.

Depth-of -field: The distance from the front to back that is in reasonable sharp focus is called the depth-of-field. There are two ways of controlling depth-of-field: Use a small aperture or focus on a point farther away from your camera.

Aperture and f/stops: The aperture is an opening in the centre of the lens through which light passes. The amount of light, which passes through an aperture, is indicated by f/stops. The lower the f/stop the more light that passes through the aperture. Opening up one full f/stop doubles the amount of light entering the camera. F/4 admits twice the light of f5.6.

By selecting a small or narrow aperture (f/16 or up), all or most of the scene will be reasonably sharp. This is ideal for landscape photography. By using a small aperture you increase the depth-of-field.

By selecting a large or wide aperture (f/5.6 or below) you decide which part of your image is sharp. This is ideal for taking pictures of wildlife, portraits, sport and small objects. By using a large aperture you decrease the depth-of-field

The smaller the f/number, the wider the aperture.

There is about twice the depth-of-field behind the point of focus as there is in front of it, using any aperture.

Now you know how to isolate your subject, so it’s time to put it to use. Set your camera to aperture-priority (AV) mode, and then select a large aperture (f/2 - f/5.6). By doing this the camera will select the shutter speed automatically. If you are shooting wildlife choose a low viewpoint to maximise the image, try putting the camera lens at eye-level with the subject.

While the above will help to isolate you subject, it’s only a start. Know your subject, especially when shooting wildlife. Don’t be fooled into thinking all elements of an image must be sharp to be considered a good photo.

TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit: Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland.

Sharing and printing photos on the Internet has always been difficult for everyone. Trouble with attaching the photos when emailing as well as when uploading them inevitably occurs if you are trying to make it in the commonplace manner. Recently, the situation has improved by the appearance of online photo albums. There exists a large variety of different photo albums on the Internet. Their priority is to ease the process of photo sharing and printing. Online albums offer photo hosting for all kinds of photos. Both professional photographers and laics use the service to show their photos in publicity.

In what these photo sharing sites differ from the ordinary photo albums that people create on their web sites? The difference is only that online albums provide easier ways to share your photos. Many people in the past years became virtually fed up with life when they tried to upload their photos on a given web site. The procedure of uploading was so tediously long and took a really long time. First people had to scan their photos. Next, they had to convert them into a .gif or .jpg file format. They had then to resize the photo in case it doesn’t fit in the hosting services guidelines. Uploading it to the Web site’s server was the next procedure. Another thing was to ascertain the URL for the photo. Additionally, a code on the page had to be put, so that the photo would show up. As this long procedure wasn’t enough, people also needed to create thumbnails for every photo on the site so that loading of the page became faster (of course, not forgetting to create links to each graphic from the particular thumbnail!). If there were too many photos, the site would take years to wholly load. Uploading digital photos is a little bit easier, as scanning and format converting are omitted, but there still remain the other exasperating procedures, which usually take forever to accomplish.

What are the priorities that photo hosting sites have over the commonplace photo albums on web sites?

Pixyshare.com is designed to accomplish the whole uploading procedure for you. Your photos will be uploaded in just a few clicks and their online display will not depend on your HTML abilities. You don’t need to know anything about uploading to use the photo hosting service that Pixyshare.com offers. Another point is that the visitors of your album will have full access to the photos, if you only give them one URL address.

Pixyshare is one of the various photo hosting sites, but it offers many new extra features that other photo hosting albums lack. It is designed for photographers who like to display their photos on the Internet without having to bother about uploading procedures. For creating an account you only need to choose an username. Creating photo albums is easy and what’s more, it brings pleasure. In addition, there are no limitations about the amount of photos to be uploaded on a given album. In comparison to other photo hosting albums, which limit your files sizes up to few MBs, Pixyshare.com gives you the opportunity to upload a file with up to 10 MB in size. You may as well delete or compress original images, using our Original Image Processing tool, so that you have full control of your disk space. Another advantage of Pixyshare is the affiliate program, which offers a discount if your friends also become members. Any time a friend of yours becomes a member, you will be paid 6 $ for having asked him or her to use our service. Unlike most of the paid photo hosting sites that give you limited trial period, we offer you no time limitations when you want to try our service. Get your pictures online for as long as you like, and take your time to decide whether you like to join us.

Pixyshare is designed to make everything automatically - thumbnails, changing photo sizes and so on. You can add comments about each one of your photos. You may password-protect some of the photos so that only selected people can see them. You can choose the size of your photos: medium, small or large, depending on your preferences.

Pixyshare is the perfect photo hosting portal on the Internet if you want to discover the advantages of online albums. Just try it, without spending any money: the primary service is free and offers many extra features.

Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click online photo album

If you shoot and save your images in the JPEG format then you have already thrown away some of the original information that the camera captured when the shot was taken. This cannot be retrieved.

In most circumstances, this will not matter and the vast majority of high quality JPEG images produce highly acceptable and pleasing results.

Your camera itself may save the image as a JPEG in which case, its internal processing has already discarded some of the original information. If you then subsequently manipulate the file on your computer and then re-save, even more information is lost. As the file loses information, so the image becomes progressively degraded.

Things are worse with JPEGs over some other formats as the process also compresses the file when it is saved leading to even greater potential degradation of the final image. With a TIFF image, not so much data is lost.

If you want to avoid loss of image information, then shoot in RAW format. Then make a copy of the resulting file and save the original as a “master”. Use the copy to work on and save as a JPEG. You can then always go back to the original RAW (don’t forget to make a copy!) and regain the original information once more before working on it further.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

So you want to be a photographer. Well, you’ve got a long road ahead of you. Photography is one of the most competitive fields in the world. It doesn’t matter where you live or what language you speak. Anyone with a camera can be a photographer, which makes the competition fierce. So if photography is something you have your heart set on doing, then there are a few things you’re going to need to know. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it will give you a start.

The first thing you absolutely must do is decide what field of photography you want to get into. There is fashion photography, sports photography, glamour photography, studio photography, outdoor photography, children’s photography and the list goes on and on. The market for each of these and many other types is wide open. And with those wide open markets also comes a lot of competition. Deciding on which field you want to get into should not be based on the path of least resistance. There is no such thing. Pursue the path that you have the most passion for.

The next thing you have to do is get all the equipment that you’re going to need. This is going to vary depending on what kind of field you want to get into. For example, if you’re planning to become a photographer who specializes in stock car racing, then you are going to need a lot of equipment for taking high speed photos. The good news is that you’re not going to have to spend a lot of money on lighting since these photos will be taken outdoors. Conversely, if you’re planning to photograph fashion models, lighting is going to be critical to your photos and your lighting equipment expense is going to be quite high.

The next thing you’re going to need to do is advertise. You’ll have to print out business cards, take out ads in magazines and newspapers and more or less get the word out that you exist. If you’re hoping to break into the field taking photos for a magazine like Playboy, then you’re going to have to first get some private work photographing models in order to submit these photos to the magazine itself. Before you do that though, you’re going to have to write to the magazine for permission to send photos. Most publications do not accept unsolicited material.

If you’re planning on opening up a studio to take children’s photos then you’re going to need to lease a building. It doesn’t have to be anything large but it should be in a visible part of town with a lot of other businesses. Visibility is half the battle won.

Finally, you’re going to have to take lots of photos, especially if you want to build a reputation for yourself. You’ll want to put together a portfolio of your work so that you can bring it around with you. Again, this is going to depend on what field you want to get into, whether it be freelancing for a magazine, setting up your own shop, or working for somebody else, which is usually a good way to break in.

The world of photography is wide open. There are many options to each aspiring photographer. So pick a game plan and stick to it. With patience and perseverance, you’ll eventually get to where you want to be.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Photography

I often wish I had some of the wildlife photography experience I have now, all those years ago, when I was still a struggling amateur wildlife photographer. I now know exactly what it takes to get a good wildlife photo, and I have also learned what to do to achieve what it takes…

1. Get up early in the mornings and stay out late in the afternoons

The main thing that makes a wildlife photograph excellent is the lighting. In the early mornings and late afternoons when the sun is low, the light is very warm and makes for excellent wildlife photography. You have to be in the field when this is going on… So, drop the excuses, get up earlier and go get that shot.

2. Use proper camera support

Sharpness is a must for any wildlife photograph that is going to be admired or published. If your pictures are not sharp, forget it. They won’t cut it. Trust me, I learned this the hard way…

Always use proper support for your camera. In Africa, this would have to be inside your vehicle, as you can not leave your vehicle to use a tripod while photographing dangerous animals. I use a door bracket or beanbags.

3. Get that prime lens

I have worked with both zoom and prime lenses over time and I am a really big fan of prime lenses now. The are sharper, faster and smaller than zoom lenses (except those f/2.8 or f/4 monsters).

I know they are expensive, but there is nothing that would improve your photography more than using the best equipment. I know, as I had to figure this out the hard way. I wish I got the best gear sooner, as I would have been able to use all my old photos now that I am professional.

4. Spend time in the right places for wildlife photography

Go there where it is still really wild. Nothing beats the photographs you get when you go into the real wilderness.

Stop wasting time at your zoo, and organize a trip to Africa!

When you have taken pictures in the Okavango Delta, you will never photograph in your back garden again.

5. Get some action into those photos

Frankly, the world has seen more than enough pictures of wildlife doing nothing. Enough already. Get that action shot!

My results improved considerably when I realized this and started taking photographs of animals doing something. Start trying to capture that special moment where the Impala is flying through the air while fleeing something, or the lion is chasing the warthog, or even just a pretty water bird catching a frog.

Conclusion

If you start applying the principles outlined here, you will see big improvement in your wildlife photography results. Who knows, maybe shortly you will also be among the prizes in that famed wildlife photography competition.

Dries Cronje is a professional freelance wildlife photographer and web designer. He has a passion for teaching and has dedicated one website completely to helping his fellow wildlife and nature photographers.

For wildlife photography, see http://www.africa-nature-photography.com/wildlife-photography.html

For landscape photography, see http://www.africa-nature-photography.com/landscape-photography.html

What would you say if someone told you that your tripod is the best piece of equipment to enhance your creativity? Perhaps you would point them in the direction of your latest lens instead. Or your camera bristling with buttons and switches.

Or perhaps you would tell them to go and bother someone else with their trivialities.

But, your tripod can really make you a better photographer. Sure, tripods are heavy, cumbersome and not exactly for the fashion-conscious. But they can really help.

How?

Well, firstly, setting up your camera on to a tripod actually slows you down. And by slowing down, you can start to think about what you are going to take pictures of. Think about where the subject is, where is the light coming from, what viewpoint you need to choose and how you are going to compose the shot.

Then, after mounting your camera on to the tripod, start to think about the exposure settings. Now that you have a rock solid platform, you can open your mind and think about shutter speeds and apertures. It is not uncommon for landscape photographers to use shutter speeds as long as 1, 2 or 4 seconds. The outcome of this is that you can use very small apertures or fantastic depth of field.

Or, alternatively, you can render light trails and human movement blur without risking camera shake. What possibilities can this open up for you? How will you use them? Now you open your world to great images of cityscapes, fairgrounds, water at night, car lights at night, softy lit buildings and many other possibilities.

Eric Hartwell is an experienced photographer and owner of the photography resource website ephotocentral

There are some disadvantages of putting your photos online but I believe the
benefits out way the disadvantages.

1. Your photos can be used as an inspiration for others to learn and try out the
technics that you have implemented or executed on a photo. You can serve as the
online guru and the viewers your students. People always admire good photos and
will go out of their way to let you know if you have done well and at times will ask
for advice on how to capture and achieve the same effect.

2. You give people a opportunity to experience and see what you have shot even if
there are miles or maybe continents away. The story you paint in your photo can tell
a thousand words. The visual impact gives the viewer a first hand experience into
your photo whether it be travel, food or even a wedding photo. Your photo tells
them a story, how you tell the story is up to you.

3. Your online gallery can be used as your very own online a stock photo bank.
There are always people or agencies looking for photos online and maybe you can
use your gallery to show of your diverse collection of photos. Good Travel Photos
are always in demand.

4. You can use your gallery to share your photos to friends and family and keep up
to date about each others events. You can send photos of your birthday parties and
other personal events to give others a chance to see your joyous moments even if
your family or relatives are half a world away.

5. Lastly, you are given a venue to express your own creativity without limits. Not
everyone is blessed with a chance to share their gift of photography with others so
use your online gallery and share what you can and show the world and how you see
it through your photos.

Anton Sheker is a professional photographer based
in Philippines. Owns and operates Philippine Online Photo Gallery
http://www.photo.net.ph and founder member of
http://www.worldphotodirectory.com - a free professional photographer
resource guide and directory

For more photography articles visit his site
online at http://www.photo.net.ph/blogalicious

Alrighty. Now that we pretty much have an idea why we want a camera and what we’re going to do with it, let’s get to the next steps.

Shop Smart, Shop Used-Mart

This is the secret many of us photographers don’t like to admit to each other but we do it anyway. You would be surprised how many cameras and electronic gadgets sell on the most popular auction sites, which are basically new, and are only a few months old. Why is this? Well, it goes back to the What Are Your Plans question. Many don’t ask themselves this question, and after a few months, come to discover the camera they purchased is just not for them, and they might as well sell it, and get something else that takes their fancy.

If you buy used, you may even find yourself a DSLR with a lens or two, for the same price as a DSLR-Type camera. Camera manufacturers are producing more DSLRs than ever before, and more camera owners are selling their DSLRs in a short period of time, more than ever before. If you have doubts, check eBay and other auction websites. There are virtually endless lists of sellers.

Another reason why you should buy used, is many photographers are upgrading quicker than ever before. Technology is evolving so fast, a new DSLR is announced almost every 3-6 months, and compact digitals and DSLR-Type cameras are introduced almost every 3 months. This is another subject for another article altogether, but the reason for this, is the purposeful actions of manufacturers to flood the market with their own particular brand for recognition. Some say it’s technology working its way into the market replacing the old–some say it’s a plan to overwhelm a particular sector with a particular brand due to marketing behavior. I think it’s a combination of the two. In any case, we have photographers who are upgrading their barely-used models for the latest and greatest Techno Shooter.

A Few Things To Consider When Buying Used

I won’t go into extreme detail when purchasing a used camera, but let’s take a look at a few factors and options.

eBay Protocol

My advice when searching for used cameras on eBay, is to look for a few distinguishing factors that I have found attribute to a legitimate seller:

• Positive Rating of 25+
• Has no consistent negative ratings
• Several images of the product being sold
• Responds to inquiries with direct anwswers, not vague generalities
• Has knowledge of the equipment they are selling

Yes, a seller can have negative ratings. Some people who give eBay advice say never buy from a person who has even one negative rating. That’s just unrealistic, and is very uninformed about the buying and selling sector. As an example, I will use myself. I purchased a vehicle on eBay for $5000. The seller had negatives. However, when I corresponded with the seller, he responded within 24hrs. We sent several emails back and forth, and I even talked with him on the phone a few times. It’s been over 18 months since I purchased the vehicle and it hasn’t given me any problems other than having a very small coolant leak which only does this in the winter months.

When you’re thinking of dealing with a seller, be sure to read the comments. Most of them if you can. This will give you an idea of the overall profile of the seller.

Buying From Outside The US

This is risky. I won’t deny it. In fact, since you’re reading this article, you probably are looking for a first-time digital camera, so I recommend avoiding this option altogether. Personally, I’ve conducted transactions outside the US, which include Germany, the UK, France, Belgium, New Zealand, Japan, and others. In time, you may do the same. However, the key in dealing with anyone anywhere, is knowing the equipment you want.

eBay Is Not The Only Place For A Deal

Believe it or not, you can find some good deals online besides eBay. For example, one of my favorite used camera stores is KEH–a new and used camera equipment dealer out of Atlanta, GA. They have a very strict grading system, and you can be confident when they mark a camera as “Like New”, it will be like new.

There are other shops like this located throughout the United States, and conducting a simple Google search should give you a used shop that is within driving distance. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you might be limited to online purchasing, as camera shops and cities are not as closely populated farther East.

Ma & Pa Shops

It is true that many “Ma & Pa” shops charge much more than what you would find online. However, there are a few deals you may discover when you’re browsing. Also, start to forge a relationship at the camera shop. If you like the owners, and the only thing preventing you from buying from them is the higher prices, commit yourself to buying from them exclusively, and they will more than likely give you a nice discount which would almost be similar to buying online. Remember these shops are physical buildings, located in a business district, and they have many more overhead costs than your typical online store. Thousands, and I do mean thousands, of online “stores” could actually be storefronts, who merely go through a larger distributor. This is fine, and there’s nothing really wrong with this method of selling, but the seller is mostly someone who’s looking to make a fast buck, and may not be concerned when and if your camera equipment is defective. In addition, the store may actually close and then your hung out to dry altogether. Your only recourse is going through the manufacturer, which can take several weeks, and even months, to get a replacement.

So, don’t give local Ma & Pa shops the cold shoulder automatically. Give yourself a little time to initiate a relationship, purchase a few items here and there, and see if the store owners pick up on it and reward you with your committed purchases.

In the next part of Choosing A Digital Camera, we will discuss even more alternatives to buying new.