5 Professional Digital Photography Tips

It is definitely possible that you can take fantastic photos with a simple point-and-shoot digital camera. The problem doesn't lie with the camera. You can take super lousy shots with the most sophisticated Canon dSLR. It is the skills of the photographer.Below are 10 professional digital photography tips you can use without having to fork out money on expensive equipment:

1. Warming Up the Tones

Do you realized that the shots you took sometimes have a cool, clammy feel? The default white balance setting for most digital camera is "auto". This is okay for most shots but it is more towards the "cool" side.

Try taking a test. Take some outdoor shots with white balance "auto" on and then take the same picture with "cloudy" setting. I am sure you will like the "warm" image better.

2. Use Macro Mode

Some amazing fine details of an object can be taken using "macro" mode. Try activating "macro" mode on your digital camera and explore your surroundings. Objects like flowers and insects can give you very interesting images which you can never thought of.

Bear in mind that you will have shallow depth of field when using "macro" mode. Hence, just focus on the part of the object that is most important for you and let the rest of the image go soft.

3. Use Polarizing Filter

Want to enhance your photos with some punch? You should get yourself a polarizing filter. It is very good for outdoor and landscape shooting. You can lower glare and get rid of unwanted reflections. Polarizing shots have richer and more saturated colors.

Your digital camera can't insert filter? No problem. Use a pair of quality sunglasses. Take them off your eyes and use them as a polarizing filter. Place them as near to your digital camera's lens as possible. It works! I have been using this trick for years!

4. Outdoor Photos that Shine

Do you know you can always put "flash" mode on always? Don't let your digital camera determines the light setting. You can control!

When in "flash on" mode, your camera exposes for the background first. It then adds sufficient flash to illuminate your portrait subject. Your photo will end up where the composition looks good.

Another great technique is to put your object under a shade, e.g: under a tree, and use the flash to illuminate the object. This will keep the person looks comfortable with no squinted eyes due to the sun glare.

5. High Storage Media Cards

Even the most common digital cameras nowadays range between 5-8 megapixel. A high resolution picture can take up massive space. You don't want to miss a great shot because your media card is full. Try to get a 1GB card for your digital camera which are 5 megapixel and above.

Even with just a simple digital camera, you can take great shots. All you need is some creativity and skills. With some professional digital photography tips I mentioned above, you can take on dSLR photographers with lousy skills.

Which Digital SLR Lens Should I use?

Arguably the most important weapon in a photographers' arsenal, lenses are also one of the most variable. From the widest 10mm fish-eye to the longest 800mm telephoto, optics are available in every conceivable size, weight and focal length. Due to the smaller sensors used in many of today's digital SLRs, however, focal lengths vary depending on the model in question. See the previous page for more lens/focal length advice. But whether you're a landscaper looking to capture dramatic sunsets or an architectural fanatic looking to isolate fine details, there's a multitude of options that fall into four categories. Here's the low-down.

Standard



On full-frame digital SLRs standard lenses fall between 40mm and 55mm, though 50mm is the accepted norm. You'll need a 35mm lens to get the same field-of-view on digital SLRs with the smaller APS-sized sensor. Closest to the field-of-view of the human eye, standard lenses offer an undistorted perspective and are often used for flattering portraits. Just for the record, the true field-of-view of the human eye is 43mm!

Wide-angle



With shorter focal lengths and wider angles-of-view than standard lenses, wide-angle lenses are employed by landscape and reportage specialists. Remember you'll need a shorter focal length on many digital SLRs than a 35mm or full-frame digital model. This need for shorter focal lengths on many digital SLRs has produced a raft of new models. A 17-35mm model, such as the one shown below, gives a field-of-view equivalent to 25-52mm on a full-frame SLR.

Macro



If you've ever wondered how photographers fill the frame with small subjects such as petals and insects, the answer is the humble macro lens. Allowing for 1:1 (life-size) reproduction and focusing from as close as 2in, true macro lenses are specifically constructed for close-up photography. They are commonly available in focal lengths between 50mm and 180mm.

Telephoto



Any lens that weighs in with a focal length above 50mm is said to be a telephoto lens. Short telephotos (between 70mm and 120mm) are ideal for portraiture, while longer focal lengths (between 135mm and 300mm and above) are perfect for sports and wildlife. Remember, the magnification of a lens on most digital SLRs is increased by around 1.5x, so a 200mm lens is equivalent to a 300mm on a full-frame camera.

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When In The Day To Get Married For The Best Pictures

Unlike the venue for a religious ceremony, you do have a choice of your venue. Although many other factors do come into play when picking a reception all (location, quality, and of course cost) one of your primary drivers should be how the reception venue is configured for pictures. Some of the obvious things to look for are:

* Formal/Artistic Pictures Locations: You don't want to have to take your formal pictures in the parking lot. Make sure you have, either inside or outside, a place to take formal pictures which will allow room for your largest group AND your photographer. The more green, the better. The more unusual objects (statues, interesting trees, benches, a fountain) the better. However, don't fall in love with a river site or a lake-side venue whose only attribute is the river or the lake. If it is a cloudy day, or a sunny day, the sky will end up being white and your pictures will end up being boring. Best to pick a pond for a water view, which will allow for a lush background to balance out the scene. But whatever you do, don't plan to have your pictures at high-noon. Try to have your formals and outdoor ceremony pictures within three hours of sunset. The closer you can get (without going over) the better!

* Windows are great, except at sundown. Windows will lighten up the room allowing for more natural pictures to be taken, and are generally something you should look for. The exception to this rule is if you are having an evening wedding, you want to make sure the sun will not be entering the room at a low angle. Not only will this blind the guests looking out the window (if they don't drop the blinds) but will fill the room with a yellow tinted light. It will also produce heavy shadows which aren't generally preferred.

* Indoor venues for formals/artistic shots: Needed for both variety and if you have a nighttime wedding, indoor locations such as staircases, pianos, couches and niches will allow the photographer a lot more creative freedom in creating your picture.

* White ceilings and paint: The lighter the ceiling and walls, the more natural your pictures will be, as the flash on a camera picks up a lot of the natural color of the room when reflected. Green walls, green face. You ideally want the ceiling to be about 12-15 feet high, any higher it is hard to bounce flash, any lower, too much light is focused in one place.

* Easy access: If everyone is young and fit, having a wedding in an old lodge is a wonderful thing but if Grandma is invited, how is she going to get there?

New America (USA) Artist Carter's Exhibitions At The Saatchi Gallery

Carter's work reflects a fascination and unease with the human body as a metaphor for an anxiety of persona, the body being an outward projection and defining image of self. Untitled is set quite literally on a blank canvas. Here Carter presents a profile in the making: his half-finished portraits are accompanied by sketchy forms at the bottom of the drawing, inviting viewer participation in completing the image. Through piecemeal assemblage, Carter attributes his figures with personality traits as well as physical features: through the subtle quality of line, tone, and placement his characters resolve as fluctuating and contradictory personalities.

Though Carter's drawings are directed by an intuitive aesthetic, they evolve from an incredibly time consuming and considered process. Carter begins each work by making his own marbleised paper. Referencing the emotive brushwork of Abstract Expressionist painting, Carter's swirling patters are created through a 'hands off' procedure of dipping individual sheets into a water and oil solution – a process similar to developing photographs. Using these designs as a template over which multiple drawings are arranged and pasted, Carter merges repetitive forms with his 'instantaneous' colour-fields, creating a conceptual symbiosis between the intimacy of abstraction and the mechanisation of pop.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2005


Hotel Gallery, Liste '05 Art Fair, Basel, Germany


Bebe le Strange, D'Amelio Terras, New York


Sticks and Stones, Perry Rubenstein, New York


Self Formation, Art2102, Los Angeles


White Columns, The Armory Show, New York


Trade, White Columns, New York

2004


Bulletin Board, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco


Rebus, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco

2002


Art Point, Midway Contemporary Art, Miami


The Stray Show, Midway Contemporary Art, Chicago


Multiplicity, Midway Contemporary Art, St.Paul


Being There, Derek Eller Gallery, New York

2001


Artist of the Month, April 2001, Artists Space Gallery, New York

2000


Faculty 2000, Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore


The Future of the Body, Richmond Art Center, Oakland

1998


All of Me, New Langton Arts, San Francisco


SAP: The Residue of the San Francisco Art Scene, Lanai Motel/Four Walls Gallery, SF, CA


Covert Pleasures, New Langton Arts, San Francisco


Spoon Full of Sugar, Southern Exposure, San Francisco

1997


Introductions, Gallery Paule Anglim, San Francisco


New Work, Four Walls Gallery, San Francisco


Deep Forest, Four Walls, San Francisco

1995


Big Bundle of Joy, Pence Gallery, Davis

1994


Skowhegan Annual Exhibition

1992


Word and Image, Bauhouse Gallery, Baltimore

1990


Miniature Art, Art Gallery of Fell's Point, Baltimore

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Carter's work references a time when these "options" weren't options, but rather necessities in the construction of the closet, as in Rock Hudson's 1966 film, "Seconds." There, plastic surgery transforms Hudson's character from straight-laced, Manhattanite businessman into an artist living in Malibu, CA.

Read Entire Article about USA Artist Carter paintings and artwork at The Saatchi-Gallery http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/carter.htm

Find The Right Digital Camera At The Right Price

Digital cameras of a high-resolution are no longer a luxury item; five mega pixels are the norm. The cameras are becoming ever more sophisticated and yet the prices have plummeted. Comparison sites will search for the best prices and a keyword search of eBay will list thousands of offers. Internet review sites provide all the technical information you want to make an informed choice. It's that easy to find the right digital camera at the right price.

So what specification do you need? One mega pixel is one million color dots per picture. Ideally you should buy a camera with four mega pixels or more. Actually five mega pixels is the norm these days and cameras are now being made with eight mega pixels. More mega pixels mean larger pictures without sacrificing quality.

Digital cameras come with built in memory capacity but it's never enough. No problem! The flash memory card has been invented. It not only increases the amount of pictures you can take and store but makes transfer to a computer child's play. The amount of flash memory you need depends on your application. Test it out, a 256Mb or 512Mb may be enough and memory prices are so low now it won't break the bank to buy a spare.

Digital cameras have a zoom facility and you should consider the zoom factor carefully. There is optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom uses the lens to enlarge the image. The optical zoom factor is the most important. Digital zoom on the other hand enlarges pixels digitally, no surprise there! This is a useful feature but remember you can always enlarge the image on your computer so it's not so important as optical zoom.

The advantages of digital photography were first recognized by real estate agents and motor traders. These sectors have always recognized the benefit of adding photographs to their ads. Instant digital photography was an answer to their dreams. But as the mega pixels increased so did the fans.

Anyone earn extra cash with a digital camera. Listings on auction sites such as eBay always get better results when one or more photographs of the product are included. Some online classified sites allow photographs also.

The use of pictures in advertising is just one of the many examples where you can earn extra money.

Whether you use a digital camera for fun or profit carefully consider what is required to get optimal results for your needs. Maybe the camera you already have is adequate. Maybe that latest hot-off-the-production line model is actually over specified for you. Hopefully this article has given you a few ideas and the facts to make an informed decision.

Photography - Where To Place The Subject In The Photo?

Where to place your subject in the photo? Do you place it at the center? This is usually what we will tend to do. When we are confronted with an awesome view, it is our naturally instinct to point our camera right at the face of our subject and capture it. We care less about the overall composition of the photo. We just want to capture that awesome view.

This usually happens when we are on a tour where we need to rush from places to places. This is especially so when you are traveling with a tour group where you are only given a limited time to view the place. Given this fact, you almost always just want to capture as many shots as possible leaving you no time for a proper composition.

However, if you have sufficient time to capture your shot, you should take time to compose it. So, where should you place your subject in the composition? As a rule, you should avoid placing your subject at the center. Sound strange, isn't it? After all, the subject should be at the center of attention. However, you will be surprise with the effect it you start to shift your subject away from the center.

So, how do you do it? You can use the rule-of-thirds. Basically, what you need to do is to divide your view finder into nine squares or rectangles. You draw two imaginary horizontal lines and two vertical lines in your view finder to form a grid. Using this simple technique can dramatically improve your composition. When you have done that, focus your subject at one of the intersection point. Focus it and shot. For a better understand of this techniques, please see here.

One of the points to take note when putting your subject off center is your focus point. The default center focus point can be a bit tricky. What you need to do is to focus at the subject, lock the focus and then reframe the whole composition before you shot. This needs some practice.

However, if you digital SLR comes with various focus points, then your job will be easier. You can select from the various focus points present in the camera. If you have one of these cameras, read the instruction manual on how to make use of them.

Place the subject of interest is an important element of photography. You can use the rule-of-thirds to improve the overall composition of your work. Test it out and see the difference. For more information, please visit Freelance Photography.

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