Thursday, September 4, 2008

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Better Photo Tips - For Photo Composition

The difference between a photo being considered a work of art or just a snapshot, has to do with basic composition. Composition is made of several different elements of design. This article helps you understand those elements and how to apply them to your photography.

For most of us it seems fairly common sense that you can’t fit a square peg into a round hole, yet many beginning photographers attempt to do just that. If you have a tall, vertical subject like a person or a tree your camera needs to be held in a vertical position. Why? Because if you do not fill the frame of your camera, you are wasting visual space. Have you ever seen a finished painting where 2/3rd’s of the canvas has no paint on it at all? Very doubtful, because to the painter ever square inch of his canvas, is part of his creation. Therefore the first photo tip is the format (vertical or horizontal) must match the subject. This basic concept covers several elements of design. To have balance in your image the subject must match the format. To make sure the subject is the main focus of your viewer, you must be aware of the background so it does not distract. Of course, the easiest way to eliminate visual distractions is to move in closer. Getting back to the painting analogy, most painters are very aware of the point of focus in their finished product. Likewise; as an up and coming photographer your next photo tip to remember is to always be aware of the viewer’s point of focus. Just for clarification, I am not talking about depth of field. When I use the phrase “point of focus” I am referring to what the viewer sees within your image. You might think that is obvious, they are looking at my subject. That is only true, if you shot your subject correctly. For example, let’s say you take a picture of a girl at the beach. Regardless of what format you choose if the horizontal line of the water crashing on the sand is dramatically off it will distract your viewer. If in the background there is a little boy playing with a big round ball, this will also pull your attention away from the main subject. If the subject is fairly light skinned and you have her lying on a bright red towel, that color will also visually distract. To this end, learning the rule of thirds will greatly enhance the odds that your viewer is looking specifically where you want them to look. If you divide any image into thirds, (both vertically and horizontally) the points where those thirds meet are the natural focus points of most viewers. Therefore if you design the image so that your subject falls on one or more of those natural focus points, you will have a great advantage over those who shoot everything dead center. The third photo tip is this; place your subject where it is visually the most pleasing. Most painters when they have finished their great work of art will frame it. Why is that? A frame helps draw your attention into the image and says, “Hey look at me, I’m important!” While you can do this in the same way that most painters do, when it comes to photography the word “framing” tends to take on a different meaning. In most cases, framing consist of something in the foreground (usually slightly out of focus) that helps set off something in the background. One of the reasons this is such a powerful tool, is that this is exactly how the human eye sees things. Think about it: A flower at the edge of a canyon, you can either focus on the flower or the canyon, but not both. Your camera, can make both in focus at the same time (depth of field), but that's not really how you saw it. Another great photo tip is to make the viewer feel what you felt. This can often be done by framing and the creative use of a narrow depth of field. To summarize: A) The format (vertical or horizontal) must match the subject. (Don’t waist space, plan every inch of your canvas.) B) Always be aware of the viewer’s point of focus. (Don’t let lines, shapes, or colors become distractions.) C) Place your subject where it is visually the most pleasing. (Use lines and the Rule of Thirds to your advantage.) D) Make the viewer feel what you felt. (Use framing and Depth of Field to your advantage.) If you were already an artist, composition might come naturally. But for those new to photography, this is the starting point not the final destination. Each of these tips helps you to remember several other issues involved in making a great photo. It helps if you think of yourself as an artist and each image as a work of art. Study the elements of design. Be aware what lines, shapes, colors, texture, and balance can do for your image. Take pride in every shot you take, and above all . . . have fun!

About the Author
Award winning writer / photographer Tedric Garrison has 30 years experience in photography. As a Graphic Art Major, he has a unique perspective on the Elements of Design and how those elements relate to all aspects of photography. His photo eBook "Your Creative Edge" (http://www.betterphototips.com/creativeedge.htm) proves that creativity CAN be taught. Today, he shares his wealth of knowledge with the world, at:http://www.betterphototips.com 

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Editing Photos for the Rest of Us

Occasionally it takes in complete versions of an older, but quite competent, editing program. Whether you are a beginner or have a sort of mastery in photo editing, you are likely to get a photo editing software to meet your needs.

Before the digital age, photo editing was an arcane process, only performed by experts. It required exposure to chemicals, expert timing, and a lot of care. Now, however, you can use a computer program to easily produce effects that were a lot of work when 35mm film was the standard. There are a lot of different programs to choose from, for every price range and skill level. This article aims to talk about just a few.

In the arena of free photo imaging software, popular options are GIMP, Serif PhotoPlus, Paint.NET, Pixia, and ImageForge. All of these programs are available to the user legally and free of charge. However, some freeware programs are older or cut-down versions of software that's available for a price, so they may have limited functionality. Others are fully functional, and released under a GPL, or General Public License.

These programs, like GIMP, are volunteer-coded and supported, so there could be unexpected bugs or strange program behaviors. However, if you want a functional editor to help you modify and improve your digital images, but can't afford to buy a higher end program, these freeware programs are a great place to start.

In the arena of pay photo imaging software, there's a wide range – from programs meant to satisfy the home or occasional user, to high-end professional ones like Adobe Photoshop. At a retail price of $649, this is a bit pricier than most individuals can afford. However, Photoshop is well known for being the cutting edge of photo manipulation technology, so if you need its functions, it's worth the cost.

For the rest of us, there are programs like Photoshop Elements, the scaled down version of Adobe's premier photoeditor, which retails at a much more affordable $99, PhotoImpact, Digital Image Suite, PhotoPlus, Paintshop Pro, and Picture It! Ranging between around $20 and around $100, all these programs offer digital camera support, can import images from a scanner, and feature important tools. You can use photo imaging software to crop, resize, and rotate your photos, remove red eye, correct over exposure and under exposure, changing lighting and coloration, and even remove or add elements.

There's a photo imaging program for every user. Whether you're a professional who needs to work on photos and other images on a daily basis, or just a home user with some snapshots that need work, you'll have no problem accomplishing what you set out to do. Today, it seems inconceivable that photo imaging used to require so much expertise and so many chemicals. Now, simple photo manipulation is available with just the click of your mouse.

About the Author
Learn how to easily or more elaborately edit your favorite photos at: http://www.photoeditingsoftwaretips.com Photo Editing Software.

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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Great Tips To Become A Travel Photographer

By Wade Nembhard

The saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This has been true since modern man first laid color to walls and caves, and renaissance masters laid brushes to canvas. Today, travel enthusiasts armed with a great film or digital camera and a keen eye for artistic beauty and uniqueness of images can turn their hobby into salable works of photography for others to admire and enjoy.

There are certain factors you must consider beforehand. Anyone can take a photo, but truly professional and gorgeous images are most often taken by serious freelancers who've cultivated their hobby into a passion. It can be done full time or part time and if done properly, you can make a decent living at it. Other things to remember are that you have to work very hard, pay attention to details, and produce great pictures that can be licensed or sold to different media such as magazines, books, or websites.

One great example of how to achieve great travel photography can be seen in the works of Gordon Sinclair, a man who has turned his love for travel and beautiful destinations into a serious and enjoyable passion. He summed it up quite well on his website (www.gsinclair.com) saying, "I believe photography has always performed two basic functions, to Inform, and to inspire. The content of good travel photography should include one, or better still, both of these qualities in abundance. I am passionate about taking photographs and love to travel, and my sole aim is to convey this love, so it may inform others and lift their hearts as it does mine." Contact him or visit his web site and you can truly see the way travel photography is supposed to be done.

Things You'll Need:


Camera
Great Sense of Creativity
Love of Travel

Steps to Publication:

Locate publications in your field of interest. The best resources are books such as Photographer's Market.

Research these publications. review the history of the publication to understand photographer's guidelines for those publications the guidelines which photographers must follow

Make sure you have sufficient qualifications, and if unsure make a checklist of the following questions:

A. Do your pictures share similar qualities with those of the magazine or website?

B. Do you understand proper angle, motion, and lighting techniques?

C. Will the subject matter capture viewers' attention


Target your market with the objective to make your photos sellable. Practice makes perfect, so take many different shots and see how they look on different media such as websites and magazines.

Wade Nembhard is an accomplished publisher, entrepreneur, and co-founder of DaddysBlogs.com ( http://www.daddysblogs.com ), a men's online magazine and news portal. You may visit the magazine and browse topics such as money and finance, sex and relationships, men's health, exotic cars, women, music and movie entertainment, and other topics related to men's interest
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wade_Nembhard
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Black & White Photography Tips

By Ian Pennington

Black and white photography was once thought of as being a thing of the past. Colour photography and technology were leading the way and everything became bright and bold. More recently, however, the art of the monochrome picture has been re-evaluated by many and has become a chosen format by some. By understanding some basic black and white photography tips it is surprising what a difference you can make.

There are some subjects that will always look better if photographed in colour. For example the starting grid of a Formula One race would look fairly lack lustre without the exciting race colours of the cars and drivers. Some scenes can look equally good, although very different, in both black and white and colour. Scenes such as a woodland, for example, can benefit from either format but the two pictures would have a very different feel. Some simple black and photography tips can ensure that you bring out the shade and shapes in your pictures and this will result in an added depth that is often missing with colours.

Portraits can be given a lovely timeless feel if taken in black and white. It is almost like losing one of your senses. If you shut your eyes you will find that you are able to hear better. It is similar with photography. If you take away the colours, you will tend to see more deeply into a face. Some black and photography tips regarding the taking of portraits include consideration of texture. It is best to have your subject dressed in plain clothes as too much pattern can draw the attention. However, add some texture to bring depth into the frame. This may mean in the background. Perhaps you could use a brick or stone wall as a back drop. Alternatively, you could use texture in the clothing. Try woollen sweaters in place of smooth cotton tee shirts.

Consider the content of your pictures and try to incorporate some interesting shapes. Either similar or contrasting shapes will create interest, but be careful to keep things simple and well constructed. Try to structure the shapes so that they have a relevance to each other. You can get some great black and white photography tips just by looking at others people's work and trying to evaluate their reasoning behind the construction of the shapes in their pictures.

Black and white photography tips, as well as advice on all aspects of the art, are available on the internet, very often freely. If you become interested and think that you would like to become involved in photography either as a hobby or as a profession, there are many courses available at colleges, often on a part time basis. You may also find that there is a photography club in your area where you can meet others with a similar interest and sometimes with work to exhibit.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about photography, please visit Photography for Beginners for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ian_Pennington
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