Photography as a Hobby

by Ted Burns

Photography is a hobby that you can easily learn if you are serious and invest time practicing. Although some think that taking good quality photographs is complex, there are actually some fairly basic elements that need to be learned and eventually mastered.

Photo Source and copyright: Uzedphotography.com

Other than through video cameras, today there is not a good generally available alternative to "freeze" and retain memorable moments of our lives than through photography. You can capture special events from birthdays to graduations and more. These will be available to you - with all their rich memories - for the rest of your life. You can always relive those one-time moments and share them with family and friends.

Photography can only truly be enjoyed optimally if you learn the proper skills and techniques needed for taking good shots. Initially you may need some informal - and perhaps formal - training and reading material.

Below are a few simple techniques for the beginners to learn photography.

1. First, determine which general topic interests you most. Is it science? Nature? Sports? Whatever it may be, become a student of that area of interest. It is important to have some level of understanding - if not expertise - to enhance your ability to catch a niche's best shots at opportune moments.

2. If you can afford to purchase an SLR camera with its easy-to-use features, this will help. However when searching for a camera, either stay within your price range or save up for and later buy a camera that is currently out of financial reach.

3. If nature photography is your area of interest, it is important to evaluate the areas you select for locations to be included in your shots. For example, avoid taking a picture in direct sunlight, as that would almost surely ruin your picture quality. Position yourself so that the sun is behind you while snapping the picture.

4. Practice as much as you can by regularly taking pictures of just about anything. Use different light settings, locations, people, animals, inanimate objects, bodies of water, and so on. When you photography people, capture them in both expected and unexpected contexts.

5. Stabilized images are important. You don’t want your picture to be distorted because of your shaking hand. To avoid this problem, use a tripod to steady the camera. Doing so also assists in taking pictures at different angles. And take into account the size, position and shape of your subject as you aim.

6. If you are taking pictures indoors or the required amount of light is not available, you will need to use an artificial source of light to brighten the target area. A camera's built-in flash will help, but sometimes even it doesn't produce enough light to sufficiently brighten the picture.

Adhering to these recommendations will help you gain the most out of your photography experience. The more practical knowledge and skill you bring to the hobby, the better will be your results and subsequent enjoyment.

For practical photography & camera information, please visit http://www.photography-and-cameras.com, a popular site providing great insights about photography training, camera types, and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Burns

The Art of Photomanipulation

Photo source and copyright: Domen Lombergar

Although you will constantly hear photographers scold and nag about the photomanipulation process, it is actually one that has been used for many years, and one which is able to offer a variety of benefits. It has also existed throughout the art of photography in many different forms, including everything from different angles, how to use different lights and settings, hiding imperfections, and so on.

Especially in the world we live in today, where everything and everyone is expected to be perfect, namely in the magazines that stare back at us from off the shelves, photo manipulation has played an incredibly large role.

What is it?

Photomanipulation is basically the art of taking a normal photograph and then manipulating it the way that you want it, namely through use of a computer and various tools and applications on the computer. This modifies photographs either by analog or digital means, and is also commonly referred or related to what is known as 'Photoshopping', which is the slang term for the digital editing them, and although it is not directly aimed at the Adobe Photoshop application, it was named after it. Adobe Photoshop is only one of the many different digital editing applications that are available however, and for instance there is Paint Shop Pro, Corel, and even Paint, although this is one of the less advanced programs and is rarely used in the photomanipulation processes of today.

Ethics

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of photomanipulation, and although there are definitely many people who have good, positive things to say about it, there are also those who feel that there are concerning issues surrounding it. For instance on the covers of magazines, when celebrities heads are pasted onto different bodies, this in the past has stirred up a lot of commotion. One instance in particular was when the O.J. Simpson trial was taking place and the Newsweek magazine posted his mug shot as their magazine cover picture, while Time Magazine posted the exact same picture only used photomanipulation to alter it, and ended up making Simpson appear much darker than he was in the actual picture, and as well they removed the serial number and darkened the area around him. The Lebanon reuters incidents is just another prime example.

The ironic part was that the magazines ended up side by side on a newsstand, and it was incredibly clear what a significant amount of this had taken place in Time's version of the photograph.

Journalism is only one area that uses a great deal of photomanipulation, and fashion magazines are definitely topping the list as well. One of the biggest problems with these photomanipulated photographs is that they alter the opinions and views of the public who, for the majority of the time, have no clue that the particular photo was even altered at all. Therefore there really needs to be certain standards set in the field of photography when it comes to something such as photomanipulation.

Domen Lombergar uses photomanipulation to create his limited edition prints and windows vista wallpapers, come check them out!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Domen_Lombergar

Personal Note: Although it is not directly related to photography you can say. But What a great artist Mr. Domen Lombergar is. I request you all to take a look at his website.

How To Take Adorable Photos Of Your Pet

Photo Courtesy: Camroseanimalclinic.ca

While great pet photography is an art like anything else, if you master these tips you can create photo stories your whole family will talk about for years to come.

Tip #1: You can't get a 'staged' photo

The first thing to remember is that Fido, Fluffy or Tweetie may not pose exactly like you want - unless you simply want them to sit and look at the camera. While posed shots have their place as records of important moments or events, it'll take a little more work to create photo stories of your pet you'll truly cherish. But the effort you put in will be well worth it.

Tip #2: Get down to their level

In one respect, pets are like kids. They're all over the place, they fidget and rarely, if ever, keep still. So it helps to get down to their level. No, that doesn't mean making funny faces or acting a bit foolish. What is does mean is getting down on the floor in order to take the best photograph. Basically, you wan to be eye-to-eye with your pet -- whether he's relaxing on the sofa or on top of the picnic table.

When you do you'll have be able to share memories of your pet in some of their most natural poses!

Tip #3: 'Go below'

If it's at all possible, try to take pictures of your pet from a perspective that's below them - get underneath their normal line of sight. This will make for an unusual and intriguing shot and create photo stories no one will ever forget! You'll have fun for many years as you share memories of these moments.

Tip #4: Be quiet!

You never want to startle or alarm your pet. So try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises that might frighten your best friend. This is especially important when you're sneaking up on him while he's playing with a ball or rolling around on the floor.

Tip #5: Bring out the performer in him!

This is very different than actually trying to get your pet to pose. The fact is, many cats or dogs will actually perform tricks for certain family members they are comfortable with. And they'll do it on command. If you can capture one of these moments, you'll share memories that will be special and quite hilarious!

Tip #6: Keep your pet's personality in mind

If you're struggling for some good ideas, why not concentrate on your pet's personality or his features? What makes him special or endearing? He may love to sleep on his back in a funny way? Or he may love jump real high when waiting for a treat. Or he may have unique eyes or an unusual color.

The point is, you know your pet's best attributes. Capture them with your camera and create photo stories so you can share memories in the years ahead.

Tip #7: Put yourself (or a child) into the photograph

In the great scheme of things, people and pets go hand in hand, especially children. Who can resist a little kid and a pet?

While solitary shots are perfectly good, you can add real excitement and drama by creating contrasts and contradictions. Small children and big animals or big men with a small dog or cat will make everyone smile...and create photo stories that are truly special!

Tip #8: Avoid flash photography

Again, this is an easy one. It should be obvious that any type of flash may really frighten or alarm your pet. So it's always best to shoot when the natural light is good. Besides, animals are prone to red eye and eliminating the flash and using natural light is a great way to end the red eye effect!

Tip #9: Be prepared!

Let's face it - getting the perfect shot of your family pet involves luck, being in the right place at the right time. So be prepared at all times. You never know when that precious moment will occur. Catch them while they're sleeping or munching on a snack.

Oh, and don't try for the perfect shot. Just have fun. That's one of the biggest secrets to being able to share memories and create photo stories of your pets!

Matt Smolsky develops marketing programs and has written articles for a variety of clients, including HOORRAY, a new way to share photo memories.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Smolsky

Birthday Photography

Birthday parties are times of great fun for kids (and adults!) but can be a source of stress for the photographer. Luckily they are informal occasions which can help you to relax a bit with the camera, but it is always nice to receive – and intend to keep – images that are of good quality.

Many images are given away or shown to others and what better outcome than having images worth showing and which have that “wow!” factor.

The key is in preparation. What shots do you wish to take and when?

- the arrival of guests and the “special” person
- opening of gifts
- blowing candles out on the cake
- group photos with friends and relatives
- informal shots
- activity time
- partying!

Try and visit the place where you will be taking the photographs. What is the lighting and space like? Where would you be best placed to take photos? Check out backgrounds, colours and clutter.

Are you going to use flash or natural light? This will depend on the circumstances of course but remember that flash will give a flatter, often harsher, image. Consider using natural light and increase the ISO on your camera to minimise camera blur. If you do use flash, bounce it off a ceiling to reduce the intensity and diffuse the light. Don’t stand people too near to backgrounds when using flash.

You may wish to bracket your exposures and take several shots of the same scene (to reduce the chances of a poor image, for example having someone with their eyes closed or looking away)

Don’t forget to make sure batteries are charged and that you have a spare one handy. Similarly, ensure you have enough memory cards available for your images.

Ask the special person if there are any particular pictures he or she would like. If the birthday person is a child, ask the parents their views. Consider taking candids as well as the usual formal shots.

Children love to smile, giggle and pose. Give them props and you will get a great picture. Capture them when they are active as well – children have few inhibitions and will gladly do as you ask of them.


Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

How to Take Better Portrait Photos

Portrait photos are very impressive. A good portrait can project so much emotions and feelings and captivate the viewer. Taking high quality portrait photos is an art that takes time to master. This article will give you a few guidelines that can help you achieve high quality portrait photos in a short time and without being a professional photographer.

When taking portraits photos try to follow the following guidelines:

Choose the right background: A portrait photo is all about the object’s face. The most important part of the photo is the face. Choosing the right background can make sure the viewer is focused on the face. Pick a neutral background that does not attract attention. For example a soft solid color background is better than a busy street background. Avoid having people or moving objects in the background.

Blur the background: In addition to choosing a neutral background you should further blur it. This will put even more emphasis on the object instead of its surroundings. Blurring the background is best achieved by taking a photo using a shallow depth of field. This can be accomplished by using a zoom lens and shooting from a short distance or with a wide aperture manual setting. If your camera does not allow you to blur the photo by setting a shallow depth of field (for example it is hard to achieve such a depth of field with simple pocket cameras) you can always blur the background later using photo processing software on your computer.

(i can not remember the image source. author please forgive)

Focus on the eyes: The center of a good portrait should be the object’s eyes. Before taking the photo look at the object eyes and try to figure out what story they tell. Depending on what you would like to capture in the portrait guide the object to look straight to the camera or maybe sideways focusing on some object. Adding a smile is also recommended unless you specifically want a face that does not smile in order to send some message to the viewer.

Use natural lighting: Natural lighting is necessary in order to capture the full color range and warmth of the skin. It is best to take portrait photos outdoors during the day. When shooting outdoors position the object in a way that the sun light hits it from the side. Never take a photo with the sun behind the object – results in shading – or right in front of the object – results in over exposing the face and distorting its natural colors. If some shades appear on the face use a soft fill-in flash to get rid of them. If you have to shoot indoors and use artificial lighting always use indirect light sources such as bounce flash or lights that illuminate the room instead of directly shining on the object.

Take many photos and experiment: I can not over emphasize this. In the digital era the cost of taking another photo is zero. One of the best ways to shoot a great photo is simply by shooting many photos. In fact all professional photographers do that they keep on shooting more and more photos so don’t be shy about it. Experiment with different settings – lighting, object position, white balancing settings to get different color temperatures, exposures, depth of field and more. When you are done sit down and sort the photos until you choose the one that you like the best. It is common sense that the chances of finding that one great photo are much higher if you tried 500 photos than if you just shot a few.

In conclusion if you have a good camera and the willingness to experiment portrait photo shooting you will quickly achieve the skills needed in order to shoot great portraits and impress your friends with portraits photos that look impressive and professional.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ziv_Haparnas

Photography Tips For All

by Duncan Wherrett

Photoshop is now one of the major computer programs around. The basis of it all, however, is the photographic image.

Very often the quality of the original image can get overlooked or can be considered unimportant. We hear sentences like: "Oh that'll do - we'll fix it later in Photoshop".

Perhaps it can, but starting off with a better photograph in the first place can save a lot of trouble later.
Well begun is half done. Here is the first of a series of tips to improve basic photography.

Landscapes are one of the most continually photographed subjects. Impressed by an attractive scene, most people quickly pick up the camera and snap. Unfortunately, the results are all to often disappointing.

The real scene has the direct experience of the sun's warmth, the breeze and general atmosphere. The photograph obviously misses these features. The real scene also has a depth and the eye moves around the landscape, seeing objects close by and far away, and so deliberately putting some depth into the photograph can make a great difference to the effectiveness of the picture.

A few moments used to select the right viewpoint can be well spent so it's best to avoid shooting too quickly. Look for ways to give the picture depth with a foreground, mid-ground and distance. This can often be achieved simply by moving one’s position just a few feet.

Standing near a path, hedge, fence or wall which stretches away into the distance will carry the eye from the foreground through to the distance, giving the picture the extra dimension of depth. Rivers and streams, stretching into the distance, can be used to serve the same function with the added advantage of sparkling with light and reflecting a blue sky.

Whether the photograph is framed to give a vertical picture (portrait format) or horizontal picture (landscape format) will always be dictated by purely visual considerations. Just what is visually most effective in any particular situation will determine whether we should take a landscape or portrait format photograph.

Street scenes are another popular subject in this category. Streets in villages, old market towns or the endless variety of town scenes in other countries provide a continuous source of interest. Looking down a street automatically gives the picture a certain depth. Finding a suitable item for the foreground can help this along. This might be such things as a quaint shop front, a market stall, the wing of a car or a person.

In this way, the photograph will have a strong foreground and the street will carry the eye into the picture. But watch out for any rubbish lying around. In real life, a couple of bin bags can go unnoticed in the general stimulus of a new environment, but they will shout out at you when you see the printed photograph.

So have a strong foreground, as well as the distance, and if possible have subject matter in the foreground, the middle-distance and the far distance.

Looking through an archway or standing by a tree so that the branches frame the picture will give a strong foreground and serve to give the photograph a good impression of the depth there will be in the actual scene. Other objects can be found in the country to have a similar effect, such as flowering shrubs, gates, pieces of farm machinery or perhaps a charging bull.

Photography Tips

* Put depth into the photograph
* Have a strong foreground
* Don't shoot too quickly

To see sample images which illustrate these points, please go to http://www,photoshop-tutorials-plus.com/photography_tips.html

Duncan Wherrett
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duncan_Wherrett

Photography Tip - Create Mood With Color

Just as music builds mood, colors can also help create mood. A lot has been written on what each color denotes, what emotions it evokes. Colors also have an impact on one's health. Did you ever think that the colors in a photograph can actually make someone look at it over and over again or probably turn-off the viewer. In fact the colors in photographs can set the pace and mood of your surroundings and impact you deeply.

Let's understand the core of a photo or a painting for that matter. Human subconsciousness readily sees things in symmetry. Therefore, a symmetrical figurine or view would register faster. Asymmetrical view (in this case a photograph) would also catch attention but with some portions drawing more attention than others.

Next comes the color and texture. Colors in your photograph can have an impact in two ways. One, through the contrast created by using colors of ‘cooler hues' along with colors of ‘warmer hues'. Second, through the use of a color-type in dominance you could create vibrance, tranquility or royal elegance. Red, Orange and Yellow of the spectrum are warm colors. Blue, Purple and Green on the other hand are cool colors

If a photograph is created with a contrast, the warmer tones need to be occupying less space as these colors draw away attention. They have an effect of warmth & excitement, which when used in excess can also be agitating.

Red is the best choice for creating warmth & passion in your photo. Why on earth did you think that Valentine's Day is all about red flowers, red balloons and a long flowing red dress? Red with a background in white adds drastic contrast but has an element of grace to it.

Orange gets created by mixing yellow and red. It therefore, brings in enthusiasm and warmth. Nature's best hues are when the sun goes down and colors the sky in a confused array of pink, orange and yellow.

Yellow reflects most of the light and thus draws lots of attention; too bright a shade will leave you irritated. Prolonged exposure can also have a tiring effect. It is best used in down-tones; as background for white articles/figures.

Green is the color of tranquility and vibrancy. It's nature's color and often gets used in pro photography for food advertising. It seems perfect when paired up with yellow. They have opposite impacts on your mood. Though it may sound like a garish combination, when used in equal proportions it has lasting impact on your photographs.

Blue produces a sense of calmness, which edges more towards sadness. Someone once said-‘I am felling blue'. Blue is also a very responsible color, very corporate and powerful, when paired with black.

Black has varied meanings in different cultures across the globe. Universally, it's the color of choice for most formal occasions equally for men and women. It magically makes your outline look much slimmer. It takes in all the color and should be used sparingly in photos. Most welcome to be used with warm colors or when the sentiment is serious..

Use white and pink to create a softer look. White creates a sense of space and is ideal to give a deeper look to your photograph. And if you got a flared pink dress, just sit on the green rug across a white background to get clicked….you will appreciate and cherish that photo hanging on your wall for years and years to come.

Now that you are aware of what colors can do to the photographs! Now go enliven yourself with those snazzy snaps in the living room or retire in that lounge area with cool blues. Ah! and not to forget the right kind of shades too.

Domen Lombergar runs a web 2.0 photo portal - it's full of photography tips, tricks, techniques and other advice. Check out some tutorials today!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Domen_Lombergar