Want sharper images at lower shutter speeds? Famous photographer Joe McNally shows us a tip on how to hold your camera to achieve this.
Most people are a“right eye” shooter normally, but I’m going to try this technique using my left eye instead and see what happens. He says that you’ll be able to shoot at shutter speeds (while hand-holding your camera) that you never thought possible. Give it a try and see what happens! Check out the video at the end of this post.
The digital camera - Blown highlights -canon digital cameras - a view. An article on understanding what Blown highlights are.
The histogram function on digital cameras is a picture lifesaver. Before digital there was no way of seeing blown highlights or dramatically underexposed areas, but today you can quickly assess the image and its histogram and correct the exposure to get it close to perfect.
One of the important uses of the histogram on the camera is ensuring that there are no blown or burned out highlights in pictures.
Loss of details in the highlights is the biggest problem with digital images. In most cases there will be details left to salvage in the dark areas, but once the light areas go pure white (or pure any color - you can also blow one color channel at the time), there is nothing left to save.
Blown-out highlights is the enemy number one of the digital photographer, and they should be avoided using all means. Unless it’s a goal in itself to overexpose, like in high key pictures, you should try your best to avoid loosing details in the light areas of the picture. Details can often be found in the dark areas, but once they are gone in the highlights, that’s it. They’re gone.
This can be avoided by looking at the histograms.
Canon PowerShot A470 - 7.1 MP
I’ve had to do a lot of sorting. I was figuring-out what images to use as art prints. A photo image that has noise/grain may be quite suitable for a smaller photo art print (not too large) of your own.
As I was sorting, I had questions on my mind. Sometimes I could just not figure-out the basis on what stock sites want. I have my own experience … but it is good to hear about other photographers experiences. I find some of that info. in the Forums. Just now I have found an interesting Site. I could identify with the different information about the various microstock sites.
http://www.freewebs.com/mygardenofeden/allaboutmicrostock.htm
I will put the Link over on the Left side column here, recommended sites.
Photo art prints can be a beautiful scenic or wilder Abstracts. Unfortunately there are more than buyers out there in cyberspace! Photographers should be aware of how large they upload their images to certain sites.
Most sites like the stock sites are pretty good. They use their own water mark; you are required to upload in a certain size. But there are some Galleries in which you mark your own images. I would suggest not going too large on your images size. There are photo stealers out there. They will get rid-of your water mark, and download (copy) your image. One has to protect themselves the best they can.
I am into large water marks or 2 watermakrs, and a size no bigger than 300.
Wild rose bush - photo art print #18
On stock photography & art prints
I have a photo, I looked it and thought… this is selling a lot more than I thought it would, hmmm. This morning I looked at it in a different light. Light… meaning in different way. The shot was romantic, in a sort of way. It was dusk, and in the picture was a bus. But, it had a certain atmophere about it. I thought yes I would buy! I am glad that now I am more objective about my stock work.
Sometimes it takes quite awhile to come-up with a winning photo. It sure is great when you have it! Here is a photo taken in the Maligne Canyon near Jasper, in the Canadian Rockies. I’m lovin it!
Kissing Rocks - photo art print # 15
Art prints and photo stock. Try, try again. Just do it. Don’t get all caught-up in thoughts of all the rejections you have gotten from stock photo agencies, please! Don’t feel bad because you don’t have that camera you want, the expensive deluxe model. Take pride in the surprises get when a photo is accepted and you didn’t expect it. Look at your photographs in an objective eye. Yes, rejection is a bad word. But, it makes you get going. Even if you are in a huff… you get going. I think we all are personal about our pictures at first. Don’t think we should be. (well, maybe the real winners). I stopped being too personal about my work, yes I consider it work now. A designer may buy your photo and use just one corner of it; and anyways designers may, more than likely change it.
I’m not a tech. but sometimes I can tell if a photo is good. I will re-submit it. I probabably exhaust it, ie; submitting it to more than one photo site. I may submit more than once to the same site… waiting awhile to submit again. I have has several successes. One of the reasons is photo sites change what they are looking for; sites have quite a number of staff, and one is most likely to get a different body, and maybe more in favor of your photo. I have many files burned onto cd, so I can pull-out the rejected ones, even after a year. Things change. I have had them accepted.
Misty peonies - 5 art print
Digital Photo Frame and Photo Albums - A TFT LCD screen with the LED backlight provides ample surface and brightness to display your images and video clips from any format. That’s the new… compared with the framing the old prints and photographs. I still love framing the old vintage prints too.
Wildlife Photography - Photographing Birds
Catching inspiring images of birds takes more than just good luck
By Mike Stensvold
Birds are fascinating critters, a fact that hits home more frequently the more I hang out with them. Photographing birds is a challenge, but a most enjoyable and rewarding one. Here are some keys to creating better bird photos.
Look For Light
As with all photography, light is the key ingredient. So look for good light and then look for birds in that good light. While great shots can be made in backlighting and moody, misty light, the best light for most bird photos is frontal sun, early or late in the day. That means looking for birds toward the west at sunrise and toward the east in the afternoon—you want the sun at your back.
Bird pair looking at their portrait - vintage art print # V7
Ever wonder what to hang on that office wall? You have the older gray file cabinets, along with your newer ones. Wanting a good blend for your gray tones… you think a nice painting or art prints may be just the thing you need.
A beautiful picture of winter is not - out! Sure the wonderful Autumn scenes are so cheerful. Everyone loves summer pictures. But, in your space with grays and blues… and nice print of buildings, or steely tones - winter pictures would be nice for effect and decor.
Feeling nostalgic? Salute golden days past with vintage art, art prints. I just love the work of the old masters. They had simple tools, so they went into great detail.
What wonderful heritage. Drawings reflect that time period; what people wore, what they did. It takes you back… they tell a story.
Pa pa playing with baby - Vintage art print V8
Olympus stylus a great series of the Olympus digital cameras. Information on the basic qualities of light. Light is life!
Understanding natural light is a “must” for good landscape images.
The job of a landscape photographer is to record a scene. Yet, photographers often fail to capture what it felt like to be actually at a scene.
A good landscape photographer arrives at a scene early, and waits for the scene to unfold. Waiting patiently for changing colours and changing mood, which all go along with the change of the weather.
Vital to all of this is light - natural light and all the elements it brings to a scene.
To be able to use light correctly and creatively we first must understand it. Once we understand it we can use it to our advantage in creating beautifully, dramatic landscape images.
There are three basic qualities of light: intensity, direction and colour.
Intensity: refers to the strength of light. If the sun is high in the sky, light can be harsh and too strong. Cloudy days bring soft and defused light.
Ma ma Mallard with duckling
