Archive for the ‘Digital Photography’ Category

What Is A Megapixel?

November 18th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

If you have never owned a digital camera you may not understand the importance of megapixels or
even know what they are and how they relate to your camera. The first thing you want to understand is
that the higher the megapixels on your camera the higher the quality of the pictures. However, and this
is the other consideration, the higher the megapixels the more expensive your camera will be.
Therefore, you want to look at your own needs before you arbitrarily decide you want to buy a 10-
megapixel camera because it is the latest thing on the market.


You never want to buy more of anything than what you really need. Are you going to buy a 16-passenger
van when a 12-passenger van will do? Of course, you are not because it will cost more to purchase and
maintain. The same is true for a digital camera—you want to buy the digital camera that has the
features you need and will use including the megapixels. Many digital cameras have video capabilities
but if you are not going to use that feature, you may want to choose a more basic digital camera—keep
in mind that even if you think you will use the video feature, you cannot do still photos and video at the
same time. Therefore, do not rely on the capabilities of your video feature.

Another thing to remember is that the video features may require higher megapixels in order to produce the quality in your videos. When you are looking at digital cameras and trying to decide the right megapixels for your needs, keep in mind that 2.0 on a cell phone camera is about average and is a high enough quality for emailing pictures to your family and friends. On the other hand, when you are going to print pictures or put them on your computer, you want a higher quality. That doesn’t mean you have to pay the higher price for a
digital camera that has 6.0 megapixels or higher, but you do want to consider at least 4.0 or 5.0 in order
to get the quality you want for printing and producing enlargements.

It will cost you more money initially, but the quality you will get from your pictures will more than make up for the cost. Make sure you know before you buy your digital camera what your needs are so that you do not invest money in more features than are necessary.


Also with technology changing so rapidly, many digital camera’s become “obsolete” in a very short period of time. You can often find great deals on digital camera’s that have been drastically reduced to make way for the next greatest thing. Don’t be fooled by the obsolete terminology. These cameras will still take great pictures for you.

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The Proof Is In The Pictures…

November 16th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

drinking gives you the same benefits as yoga!!!
Savasana
Position of total relaxation.

Balasana
Position that brings the sensation of peace and calm.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
This position calms the brain and heals tired legs.

Marjayasana
Position stimulates the midriff area and the spinal column.

Halasana
Excellent for back pain and insomnia.

Dolphin
Excellent for the shoulder area, thorax, legs, and arms.

Salambhasana
Great exercise to stimulate the lumbar area, legs, and arms.

Ananda Balasana
This position is great for massaging the hip area.

Malasana
This position, for ankles and back muscles.

Pigeon
Tones the body, and builds flexibility and helps get rid of ‘stress’.

No  matter what situations life throws at  you….

No  matter how long and treacherous your journey may seem..

Remember  there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

You’re laughing aren’t you?
That’s good ’cause my job here is  done!

Have a great day and remember to give thanks….


Cats are so dramatic!

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My Digital Photo Shop: A Members Blog

November 15th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography, Digital Photoshop

Welcome To My Digital Photo Shop Blog

This is a membership blog, and posts can be viewed dependent on your membership level. There are 5 different levels of membership… Free, Bronze Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level allows for unique access to the different types of posts present. The entire blog consists of digital photography and photoshop articles, videos, tricks and tips. Several of the posts will contain downloadable material including ebooks, .pdf documents, software, templates, images, and more.

The Platinum Membership gives access to every post on the site and allows for downloads of all materials at no extra cost. The Free Membership is restricted to just particular posts. The excerpts on the index pages will show what level of membership is need for access. You can upgrade or downgrade your membership at any time.

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Tips That Can Help You Win That Photography Contest

November 15th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

When you aspire to be a professional photographer, one way to see your dream come true
is by entering and hopefully, winning, photography contests. While there is a lot of
competition in these, if you do a good job and are consistent, you can win.


Winning one of these photography contests can be a huge ego booster, and can help give
you that extra edge you need to push you to reach your photography goals. If you really
work at it, you can even make a nice profit, along with earning a name for yourself, with
photography contests. The prizes are highly sought after, and with good reason, as many
of them are worth as much as $1,000,000.

There are some tried and true tips that can help you better your odds of winning the next
photography contest you choose to enter, so keep reading for the inside scoop.

The first one is pretty much common sense, but you would be surprised how many
photographers skip this step. You must carefully read the rules and regulations of the
contest, so that you can make sure your photo isn’t disqualified right from the start. You
don’t want to take the best photo of your life only to find out it doesn’t fit into the
parameters set for the contest.

You want to try to make your work stand out above all the rest, so take some time to
come up with a unique idea, and put some thought into selecting your photo to submit to
the contest.

Don’t wait until the last minute to try and get that winning photo, start early, and work on
it everyday. You may work several weeks before you actually end up with a photo you
are happy with.

Make sure that you don’t waste your time entering a contest that you aren’t interested in.
If you don’t have the motivation to win, odds are you won’t.

Incorporate the elements of humor, color, expression, and shape into your photos, for
maximum appeal. You want your photo to grab and hold the interest of anyone who
views it, so this is important.

Make certain that your photos are clear and in focus, and that you have your photos
printed or developed by a professional. You want to have the mindset of it has to be
perfect, down to the tiniest detail, which is what it takes to win a major photography
contest.

Remember, that if your photograph wins, it may become the property of whoever is
hosting the contest. Meaning that you will accept whatever prize you are given as
payment in full, and will earn no more profit from that photo, no matter how many times
it is used in the future. This is another reason why it is so important to read all the rules
and fine print.

There are always new photo contests happening, simply do a search for photo contests

Good Luck!

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Setup Your Own Photography Studio

November 12th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

So, You Want to Setup Your Own Photography Studio

When most people start out in the photography business, they work on a part time or
freelance basis, until they build up their reputation, and if they do well, will eventually
open up their own photography studio. You have the option of setting up your
photography studio in your own home, which can save you some money if you have the
extra space, or you can rent a local space for your studio. It all depends on your budget
and your own personal preferences. If you live out in the boonies, odds are you will be
more successful by renting a space near town for your studio, so people won’t have to
drive so far out of their way to get to you. Your studio will be a reflection of your own
style, and so you should set it up by being creative… being you. There are three basic areas that you will need with your photography studio, regardless of what type of photography you are doing, or what kind of studio you have planned.

In general, your photography studio will need to have an office space, an equipment
storage area, and a work area. You will use your office area to store your paperwork
pertaining to your business, invoices, expenses, bills, etc. You should have a decent sized
desk, which you will use to sign contracts, do billing, and other routine office functions
related to the running of your business. You will want a phone, so that customers can
contact you, a computer equipped with a fax and a printer, and a filing cabinet to store
everything in. You may also choose to use this space for creating and maintaining your
portfolio as well. You can store photos here, which you may use in the future for projects
or your portfolio as needed.

In your storage area, you will keep all of your photography equipment. That being said,
you will need to install some strong shelving units, to hold fragile, heavy items.
Organization will be important here, so you might want to come up with a way of storing
everything so you can access it quickly and easily when it is needed. There is nothing
more frustrating than knowing you have an item, but not being able to find it, until you
give up and purchase it again.

Odds are, the work area will be the focus of your photography studio. This will also be
the area that is allotted the most space. You also will need to pay special attention to the
lighting in this room as well, as it can impact photo quality. You will want to have
several different types of lighting, so that you can change them around to get different
effects in your photos. It is also equally important to have plenty of natural light as well,
so skylights and windows are also important. You will want to have different photo
backdrops, and some seating for parents and waiting customers. It may be a good idea to
also create a space that customers can use to change their clothing, especially those
who are doing many different poses. You don’t want to be wearing the same clothing in
all of your photos, so this could be important.

Above all be creative, and have fun. Some of the most successful photography studio’s are those that really enjoy what they are doing. It shows in their work, and it shows in their customers faces when they review and purchase their photos.

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Basic Photography Gear You Will Need When Starting Out

November 8th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

When you decide to make your mark on the photography world by starting your own business, there are a few integral pieces of equipment that you must have, if you hope to be successful. Even if you don’t have a huge startup budget, it is a good idea to purchase the best equipment, most hi-tech equipment that will fit into your budget. If you find yourself in need of special equipment that you just cannot afford to purchase, you may find that you will be better off renting those items, until you make the funds needed to
purchase them. This may be a good idea anyway, for that equipment that you may only use once in a while. This way, you will have more money to spend on the equipment that you will be using often, so that you can get better equipment, without blowing your budget.

As your business progresses and makes money, you can reinvest this money into better photography equipment, or even buy that special gear that you have been previously renting. It is a good idea to get insurance coverage on your photography equipment, so that you can replace it in the event it gets damaged or stolen, rather than you having to come up with the money to purchase it all over again.

As you probably already know, the single most important piece of photography
equipment you will purchase is your digital camera. If you already have one, you can probably use it, but you will have to purchase a better model sooner or later. Professional digital cameras come with features that will help ensure you always get the perfect photo, which is crucial to your business. Check out the features available when you are camera shopping, and make certain you get one that comes with a good warranty.

You will need an up to date computer, one that can run all of the software that you will be using to edit your photos. You want to make sure the computer is loaded with RAM and hard drive space, as you will be using lots in your editing and cropping. You will need to also make certain you have the proper equipment needed for hooking your camera into your computer, and downloading your photos.

You should try to at least purchase one good quality printer to use at home as well. It will be best if you have a scanner, either separate, or built into your printer. You only want to use this printer for printing photos. If you need to print out contracts or reports, do so using another printer and a cheap model will do nicely. Look for a bulk deal when buying your photo paper, as it can be quite expensive if you don’t shop around.

You will need to have some lighting that you can easily transport by yourself, from shoot to shoot. Professional lighting can be quite pricey, but you can occasionally find used lighting that can be much more affordable.

Depending on what type of photos you plan to specialize in, you will need a couple of backgrounds, portable being the best, unless you have your own studio and clients come to you.

These are just the bare essentials that you will need when starting your own photography business. Remember, that you are looking for both quality and a good price!

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The Pros and Cons of Using a Digital Camera

October 31st, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

Although we usually tend to think of the digital camera as the best thing since sliced bread, there are both pros and cons with its use. Nothing is available on the market that does not have both a good and a bad side, but the key is to weigh the good against the bad in order to come up with the best of both worlds.

For instance, we know the digital camera can take pictures without film, so therefore you do not have to worry about having enough film on hand when you travel. There is no need to worry about not having enough film or buying rolls that have damage and therefore damage your pictures.

We also know that with a digital camera you do not have to worry needlessly about taking a poor picture because you can delete any that don’t come out like you had hope and start again. If the lighting is poor, you have a chance to adjust it and take another picture. If you accidentally cut off the top of someone’s head, you can delete that picture and start again. You do not have to wait until you develop the film to discover a problem… it’s instantaneous.

Though not a problem in most cases, if you are traveling or photographing a special event it can be frustrating and even disappointing to find you do not have all the shots you wanted.

On the negative side, you may find it inconvenient to have to worry constantly about having enough memory in your camera or batteries to assure you will be able to photograph an entire event. Of course, when you compare this to the cost of buying film at close to $10 a roll, batteries, and then developing the film the cost is minimal.

No matter how you look at it the cost of a film camera although cheaper in its initial phase far exceeds that of a digital camera.

Of course, if you use the video feature of your digital camera you will shorten your battery life but for still pictures, you can get quite a bit of life out of your batteries before they need replacing or recharged. Of course, you still need to recharge the camera before each use but that is also minimal compared to the cost of operating a film camera.

In my opinion, there is no comparison. Even professional photographers use digital camera’s now as opposed to spending hours in a darkroom developing film. If they have images that need editing, they simply do it on a computer with applications such as Photoshop.

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The Right Camera for Professional Digital Photography

October 30th, 2010, posted in Digital Photography

Like its predecessor the film camera, digital cameras have different models for different purposes. If you are taking pictures for personal use, you can use a basic digital camera However, for professional photography you need something more sophisticated with higher megapixels and more memory. It is imperative you choose a professional capacity digital camera if you are going to be doing professional digital photography.

Although as a beginner you may not see the importance of having a different camera for professional and personal use, it is imperative. Although you could use your professional camera for personal use, you do not want to cause it to wear out sooner than necessary.

Something else to consider, professional digital cameras  will have features that you may not use in a personal use camera such as… more capacity for videos and longer battery life. You may also find a larger camera
that you can place on a tripod much like the 35mm SLR that used to be in use for professional photography.
You have to make sure your professional digital camera can handle the types of shots you take. You might need something different if your specialty is portraits instead of outdoor or indoor scenes.
Portraits must be more precise and have more clarity, so you have to keep that in mind when you choose a camera for professional use. If you enjoy shooting outdoor scenes, you may be able to use an ordinary digital camera with higher megapixels instead of a professional camera.

Your choice in the type of photos you take will determine the type of camera you will need. In some cases, you may need to buy more than one in order to have what you need for various photography jobs. You will need to weigh each one on its own merit and determine what you need for each job.

As you work, more you will discover what you need and will be able to determine what you will need for each job. In photography, there is never a “one size fits all:’ remember all of the different lenses photographers used with 35mm cameras? There is always a need for different cameras or camera features with different types of photography. If you want to be a professional, you have to learn what works best with each individual scene or shooting session.

One of the major contributors is the quality of the lighting in the area of the shooting so you must keep that in mind. Purchasing a digital camera can be a daunting experience. This is the first in a series of posts that will help you choose the right Digital Camera for your photography needs.

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