Thursday, November 29, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Photographing Babies - Getting Started
Photographing Babies - Getting Started By Bobby Jonnes
This article will focus on photographing babies. The baby portraiture session gives you a good opportunity to get to know the family and sow the seeds of a long-term relationship with potential for repeat business.
Baby portraiture, is unlike other forms of portraiture, yes it is still about capturing light and complementary images, however you don’t have the same opportunity to communicate what you are looking for from the subject! This requires a different approach to posing as well as lighting your subject.
There are some basic rules to follow to achieve your goal. Some methods and techniques work best with newborn babies, while others are most used for older babies (by older my definition is up to approximately 2 to 3 years old). No technique is restricted to a specific gender or age group, however.
It is up to you as photographer to determine the wants and needs of the parents, then adjust your lighting and posing to meet those wants and needs. You should also keep in mind that when photographing babies all of your best laid plans can be turned on their head, and you can end up with no saleable shots.
This is one of the reasons that some photographers refuse to photograph babies. I have found that it is best to have some standard lighting setups and ‘poses’ to use as a starting point. I use the word poses loosely, because it’s more a case of you positioning the baby in a pre-determined way to leverage your chance of a good shot. These can be varied to better suit the individual subject.
Using more than one setup is something you should do to keep all of your baby portraits from looking the same. You will get many and varied bookings as a long-term result of customers being satisfied with the portrait of their beloved baby. I have had many customers who have started their relationship with me through having their baby photographed. This has led to birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and even wedding shoots for the same family, so never underestimate the earnings potential of that first baby portrait session.
Do I Need a Studio?
Before I had my studio I started doing baby portraiture in the homes of my customers. You can do this too. Some of the best shots I have taken of babies were taken in customer’s homes, with minimal equipment.
For example a hand held single brolly can give excellent results when photographing babies.
There is obviously a limit to the amount of equipment that you can easily transport around, assemble and disassemble, without the exercise becoming counterproductive. If you have the luxury of a large enough spare room at home you can elaborate on the portable setup.
One advantage that I find in the studio is the immediate availability of a large number of props. This coupled with the consistency of semi permanent lighting set-ups and backgrounds will give you the added confidence of predictability of results, compared with the range of different environments and potential enforced variations in lighting encountered when visiting the customer’s home.
However, having mentioned the advantages of having a permanent studio, I am not suggesting that being portable does not have its own advantages. Parents often feel more comfortable in the surroundings of their own home; this is often reflected in the mood of the baby, relaxed parents give more chance of relaxed baby! Also, if the baby is wearing something which you know will look dreadful it is easier for the parents to change them quickly into something else.
I hope you have found this article helpful.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written a comprehensive guide on baby photography.
Find our more from here Photographing Babies
Bobby is a photographer and author. He has been commissioned to shoot thousands of events, including weddings and portraits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
This article will focus on photographing babies. The baby portraiture session gives you a good opportunity to get to know the family and sow the seeds of a long-term relationship with potential for repeat business.
Baby portraiture, is unlike other forms of portraiture, yes it is still about capturing light and complementary images, however you don’t have the same opportunity to communicate what you are looking for from the subject! This requires a different approach to posing as well as lighting your subject.
There are some basic rules to follow to achieve your goal. Some methods and techniques work best with newborn babies, while others are most used for older babies (by older my definition is up to approximately 2 to 3 years old). No technique is restricted to a specific gender or age group, however.
It is up to you as photographer to determine the wants and needs of the parents, then adjust your lighting and posing to meet those wants and needs. You should also keep in mind that when photographing babies all of your best laid plans can be turned on their head, and you can end up with no saleable shots.
This is one of the reasons that some photographers refuse to photograph babies. I have found that it is best to have some standard lighting setups and ‘poses’ to use as a starting point. I use the word poses loosely, because it’s more a case of you positioning the baby in a pre-determined way to leverage your chance of a good shot. These can be varied to better suit the individual subject.
Using more than one setup is something you should do to keep all of your baby portraits from looking the same. You will get many and varied bookings as a long-term result of customers being satisfied with the portrait of their beloved baby. I have had many customers who have started their relationship with me through having their baby photographed. This has led to birthdays, anniversaries, graduation and even wedding shoots for the same family, so never underestimate the earnings potential of that first baby portrait session.
Do I Need a Studio?
Before I had my studio I started doing baby portraiture in the homes of my customers. You can do this too. Some of the best shots I have taken of babies were taken in customer’s homes, with minimal equipment.
For example a hand held single brolly can give excellent results when photographing babies.
There is obviously a limit to the amount of equipment that you can easily transport around, assemble and disassemble, without the exercise becoming counterproductive. If you have the luxury of a large enough spare room at home you can elaborate on the portable setup.
One advantage that I find in the studio is the immediate availability of a large number of props. This coupled with the consistency of semi permanent lighting set-ups and backgrounds will give you the added confidence of predictability of results, compared with the range of different environments and potential enforced variations in lighting encountered when visiting the customer’s home.
However, having mentioned the advantages of having a permanent studio, I am not suggesting that being portable does not have its own advantages. Parents often feel more comfortable in the surroundings of their own home; this is often reflected in the mood of the baby, relaxed parents give more chance of relaxed baby! Also, if the baby is wearing something which you know will look dreadful it is easier for the parents to change them quickly into something else.
I hope you have found this article helpful.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have written a comprehensive guide on baby photography.
Find our more from here Photographing Babies
Bobby is a photographer and author. He has been commissioned to shoot thousands of events, including weddings and portraits.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bobby_Jonnes
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Photography - Where To Place The Subject In The Photo?
Photography - Where To Place The Subject In The Photo? By John Peace
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.
John Peace enjoys photography and maintained a website providing information on photography. He invites you to visit his website, Freelance Photography to learn more about this exciting hobby. You can even make a living out of it at home! Believe it or not. Or visit the llink at: http://www.internetbizcenter.com/photography/index.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Peace
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.
John Peace enjoys photography and maintained a website providing information on photography. He invites you to visit his website, Freelance Photography to learn more about this exciting hobby. You can even make a living out of it at home! Believe it or not. Or visit the llink at: http://www.internetbizcenter.com/photography/index.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Peace
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Graduation Gifts Mean Personal Electronics
Graduation Gifts Mean Personal Electronics By Chris Robertson
Graduation season is just around the corner, so it's time to start thinking of gift ideas for the graduate in your life. This year, electronics top the "most wanted" list of nearly every graduate. And with such a variety of personal electronics available in virtually every price range, there's no reason you can't make your grad's wishes come true.
Digital Cameras
When your graduate heads off to college in the fall, a digital camera will help ensure that he or she stays in touch. After all, what could be easier than attaching a photo to an email and hitting the "Send" button? Besides, college years are so precious and fleeting that your graduation gift will be put to good use and provide a lifetime worth of memories.
What should you look for in a digital camera? A digital camera with at least three megapixels should do the trick, as long as it also has an optical zoom. The most straightforward digital cameras come with a cable that hooks right up to the computer so that photos can be easily uploaded, and software that can manipulate photos by cropping them, adjusting the lighting, and removing that fabled red eye. Digital cameras are notoriously hard on batteries, and there are almost as many proprietary camera batteries as there are manufacturers. If possible, choose one that uses rechargeable AA batteries, and tuck some extra batteries and a charger into the graduation gift.
Cell Phones
What young adult doesn't live and breathe without a cell phone plastered to his or her ear - or to his or her fingers as they furiously text message their friends? With the rite of passage of graduation, it may be appropriate to spring for one of the latest models, and include a calling plan that makes it free (or nearly free) to call home. If you're willing to foot the cell phone bill for the first six months, chances are you'll hear more often from your grad.
Computers
A notebook computer is a must-have for every college student. The student will be more inclined to take thorough notes in class, and have an important tool for writing and submitting papers. College campuses are increasing jamming wireless signals in lecture halls and classrooms, so you probably won't have to worry that your grad is surfing the Internet instead of listening to the professor. When you purchase the computer, don't forget to pick up a printer. There are many compact color or black and white printers available that take up little room but give your student the flexibility he or she needs to print out research, papers, and other important documents.
Graduation is a memorable time; by selecting a graduation gift that's both useful and sought after, your gift is sure to be treasured.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Graduation Gifts Mean Electronics! or Majon's Gifts and Collectibles directory.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
Graduation season is just around the corner, so it's time to start thinking of gift ideas for the graduate in your life. This year, electronics top the "most wanted" list of nearly every graduate. And with such a variety of personal electronics available in virtually every price range, there's no reason you can't make your grad's wishes come true.
Digital Cameras
When your graduate heads off to college in the fall, a digital camera will help ensure that he or she stays in touch. After all, what could be easier than attaching a photo to an email and hitting the "Send" button? Besides, college years are so precious and fleeting that your graduation gift will be put to good use and provide a lifetime worth of memories.
What should you look for in a digital camera? A digital camera with at least three megapixels should do the trick, as long as it also has an optical zoom. The most straightforward digital cameras come with a cable that hooks right up to the computer so that photos can be easily uploaded, and software that can manipulate photos by cropping them, adjusting the lighting, and removing that fabled red eye. Digital cameras are notoriously hard on batteries, and there are almost as many proprietary camera batteries as there are manufacturers. If possible, choose one that uses rechargeable AA batteries, and tuck some extra batteries and a charger into the graduation gift.
Cell Phones
What young adult doesn't live and breathe without a cell phone plastered to his or her ear - or to his or her fingers as they furiously text message their friends? With the rite of passage of graduation, it may be appropriate to spring for one of the latest models, and include a calling plan that makes it free (or nearly free) to call home. If you're willing to foot the cell phone bill for the first six months, chances are you'll hear more often from your grad.
Computers
A notebook computer is a must-have for every college student. The student will be more inclined to take thorough notes in class, and have an important tool for writing and submitting papers. College campuses are increasing jamming wireless signals in lecture halls and classrooms, so you probably won't have to worry that your grad is surfing the Internet instead of listening to the professor. When you purchase the computer, don't forget to pick up a printer. There are many compact color or black and white printers available that take up little room but give your student the flexibility he or she needs to print out research, papers, and other important documents.
Graduation is a memorable time; by selecting a graduation gift that's both useful and sought after, your gift is sure to be treasured.
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Graduation Gifts Mean Electronics! or Majon's Gifts and Collectibles directory.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Scrapbooking Graduation Memories
It's hard to believe that my daughter has just graduated from high school. She has some great memories of this event for us to preserve in a graduation scrapbook.
We decided to purchase a ready-made scrapbook instead of assembling one. At a local bookstore we found a large spiral bound scrapbook/journal on clearance for $2.99!
My daughter was not able to get her senior yearbook before graduation, so she had her friends write notes to her in her scrapbook. She took the book with her to her senior class party, then we set the book out at her family graduation party for friends and family to sign.
We had many photo taking opportunities over the weekend. We have pictures from the graduation ceremony, from her senior class party, and from her family party to put in her scrapbook. I will mat one of her senior portraits on the front of the scrapbook.
There are other mementos you can preserve in a graduation scrapbook. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Cards from family and friends - Program from graduation ceremony - Newspaper clippings - Report cards - Achievement and/or award certificates - Senior party mementos
I will finish off the scrapbook with graduation stickers from a local craft store.
A graduation scrapbook doesn't have to be a work of art. The important thing is to preserve the memories of your graduate's big day.
This would be a great project to do with your teen. If they would like to tackle the project themselves, give them all the supplies and let them unleash their creativity. My daughter loves the finished project, but is not much interested in scrapbooking, so she is more than happy to let me do it for her.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Paxton
We decided to purchase a ready-made scrapbook instead of assembling one. At a local bookstore we found a large spiral bound scrapbook/journal on clearance for $2.99!
My daughter was not able to get her senior yearbook before graduation, so she had her friends write notes to her in her scrapbook. She took the book with her to her senior class party, then we set the book out at her family graduation party for friends and family to sign.
We had many photo taking opportunities over the weekend. We have pictures from the graduation ceremony, from her senior class party, and from her family party to put in her scrapbook. I will mat one of her senior portraits on the front of the scrapbook.
There are other mementos you can preserve in a graduation scrapbook. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Cards from family and friends - Program from graduation ceremony - Newspaper clippings - Report cards - Achievement and/or award certificates - Senior party mementos
I will finish off the scrapbook with graduation stickers from a local craft store.
A graduation scrapbook doesn't have to be a work of art. The important thing is to preserve the memories of your graduate's big day.
This would be a great project to do with your teen. If they would like to tackle the project themselves, give them all the supplies and let them unleash their creativity. My daughter loves the finished project, but is not much interested in scrapbooking, so she is more than happy to let me do it for her.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachel_Paxton
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What Can You Do With Your Old Digital Camera
What Can You Do With Your Old Digital Camera By Ziv Haparnas
So you just got a new digital camera. Congratulations! What are you planning to do with your old digital camera? Many people just forget about it burying it in a drawer or somewhere around the house. There are better things to do with it, here are a few.
Digital cameras evolve all the time. New cameras have more megapixels, they have better lenses, electronics and software. It is very common to get a new digital camera every few years and sometimes even more often than that. Every time you buy a new digital camera you need to make a decision as to your old one.
You have many options for what to do with your old digital camera. Here are a few:
Put is aside: the simplest thing to do is just to put the digital camera somewhere in the house and forget about it. Many of us do just that. This is not the best solution though as your are wasting a perfectly good product.
Use it as backup: you can use your old digital camera as a backup for your new one. If your new digital camera breaks you can revert to the old one. Another option is to keep the old digital camera in a place where you would not normally store your camera. For example you can keep the old digital camera in the car. You can safely do that since you are less sensitive to the old camera getting damaged or stolen. By doing that you can take pictures when opportunity strikes and you do not have your new camera with you.
Give it as a gift: give your old digital camera to someone who can use it. For example give it to your kids or to other family members. Usually you would want to choose someone who can use it and for whom using your old digital camera will be a step forward relative to what they are using now.
Sell your old digital camera: One obvious option is to sell your old digital camera. Depending on how old it is and its condition you can get a nice sum of money for it. Getting any money is better than just throwing it away. You can sell it online on auction sites like eBay or you can use local classifieds.
Donate your old camera: you can donate your old digital camera to charity, to a local community center, to your kids’ school and more. With some donations you will be able to get a tax receipt so you can also get some money back as tax deduction.
Continue using your old digital camera: This option is not obvious. Why would you keep using the old digital camera when you just paid for a brand new one? There are many reasons. For example in some scenarios your old digital camera might be more appropriate. If for example your old digital camera is a small pocket one while your new digital camera is a big digital SLR there are times when you would not like to carry the big SLR around but you would still want to capture experiences on digital film. In such cases using the old camera is a good solution.
The way of thinking is that you did not replace your old digital camera but got a new digital camera that complements It. This is not relevant of course if you bought the same type of camera but with better features. For example this does not make sense if you bought a brand new digital pocket camera that looks the same as your old one but has more megapixels.
The most important thing is not to forget about your old digital camera just to find it uselessly thrown in a closet somewhere after a few years. Digital cameras like other consumer electronics devices age fast. Their value drops significantly after a few years. Be conscious about your old camera. You can use it for a while as a secondary camera, you can later on decide to sell it or donate it or to do something else with it.
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
So you just got a new digital camera. Congratulations! What are you planning to do with your old digital camera? Many people just forget about it burying it in a drawer or somewhere around the house. There are better things to do with it, here are a few.
Digital cameras evolve all the time. New cameras have more megapixels, they have better lenses, electronics and software. It is very common to get a new digital camera every few years and sometimes even more often than that. Every time you buy a new digital camera you need to make a decision as to your old one.
You have many options for what to do with your old digital camera. Here are a few:
Put is aside: the simplest thing to do is just to put the digital camera somewhere in the house and forget about it. Many of us do just that. This is not the best solution though as your are wasting a perfectly good product.
Use it as backup: you can use your old digital camera as a backup for your new one. If your new digital camera breaks you can revert to the old one. Another option is to keep the old digital camera in a place where you would not normally store your camera. For example you can keep the old digital camera in the car. You can safely do that since you are less sensitive to the old camera getting damaged or stolen. By doing that you can take pictures when opportunity strikes and you do not have your new camera with you.
Give it as a gift: give your old digital camera to someone who can use it. For example give it to your kids or to other family members. Usually you would want to choose someone who can use it and for whom using your old digital camera will be a step forward relative to what they are using now.
Sell your old digital camera: One obvious option is to sell your old digital camera. Depending on how old it is and its condition you can get a nice sum of money for it. Getting any money is better than just throwing it away. You can sell it online on auction sites like eBay or you can use local classifieds.
Donate your old camera: you can donate your old digital camera to charity, to a local community center, to your kids’ school and more. With some donations you will be able to get a tax receipt so you can also get some money back as tax deduction.
Continue using your old digital camera: This option is not obvious. Why would you keep using the old digital camera when you just paid for a brand new one? There are many reasons. For example in some scenarios your old digital camera might be more appropriate. If for example your old digital camera is a small pocket one while your new digital camera is a big digital SLR there are times when you would not like to carry the big SLR around but you would still want to capture experiences on digital film. In such cases using the old camera is a good solution.
The way of thinking is that you did not replace your old digital camera but got a new digital camera that complements It. This is not relevant of course if you bought the same type of camera but with better features. For example this does not make sense if you bought a brand new digital pocket camera that looks the same as your old one but has more megapixels.
The most important thing is not to forget about your old digital camera just to find it uselessly thrown in a closet somewhere after a few years. Digital cameras like other consumer electronics devices age fast. Their value drops significantly after a few years. Be conscious about your old camera. You can use it for a while as a secondary camera, you can later on decide to sell it or donate it or to do something else with it.
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