Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

In my last article on photography project ideas, I talked about the need for photographers to think out of the box, and stimulate their creativity by photographing subject matter outside of their comfort zone. Here, I present 10 self-assignments that you can use to get your own creative juices flowing. Many of these projects are best executed over a period of time, rather than in a single session.

1. The Park Bench. Take your camera and a tripod to a park, and find a busy park bench. Set yourself up some distance away with a long lens aimed at the bench and pre-focused. Settle in, and for the next few hours, take images at fixed time intervals, say every ten minutes. This is really an exercise in time lapse photography. I think the resulting images would make a fun photo essay. The setting stays the same, but the subjects change at random.

2. Evolution of Construction. Find a nearby construction site, and take a picture every day. If you choose the same vantage point each time, you'll end up with a series of images that show the building in progressive stages of completion.

3. Through the Seasons. This exercise is similar to number two, but is best done in a less urban environment, and over a longer period of time. Find a landscape that you can shoot in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The works especially well if you live in a place that receives snow in Winter, and where the leaves on the trees turn colour in the Autumn.

4. Self Portrait. The concept of this is simple: take a picture of yourself every day. It helps to use a tripod and shutter release, rather than limiting yourself by trying to shoot with the camera at arm's length. You are the most patient subject you could ever work with, so use this to your advantage. Get creative, overact, dress up, and use props. You decide how you want to show yourself to the world! If you do an internet search on this topic, you'll find related Flickr and Twitter groups, where you can share your images.

5. A Day in the Life of... This is a great project to document a particular occupation. For example, you could take photographs of a nurse at work to show all the various aspects of his or her job. It may take you more than one day of shooting to capture a representative set of images.

6. Get to Know Your Neighbourhood. So often, we never really take a good look at our own neighbourhood. Make it a point to walk around, and shoot ten images of the area where you live. Do this once a month, or even once a week, if you really get inspired.

7. Colour Challenge. This is a fun challenge for an urban environment. Take you camera downtown, and give yourself a few hours to take pictures. Choose a colour (or for added challenge, have a friend pick the colour for you), and shoot only objects of that colour. By the end of the session, you'll be surprised how that colour jumps out at you! When you're finished, it's great to take your best images and assemble them into a collage or mosaic. You can do this using Photoshop, but for something free and simple, try this tool.

8. A Collection of "Somethings." Whenever you're out, carry your camera, and be on the lookout for whatever "something" you choose. It could be feet, garbage cans, vegetables that look like faces, bicycles - you name it! Get creative, and pick a theme that you don't usually see in pictures.

9. Pet's Eye View. Pretend that you are your pet. How would you see the world if you were a dog? A hamster? Shoot a series images from the perspective of your pet's eye level.

10. After Dark. We don't always think to take our cameras out at night. Try shooting after dark. If you're in the country, you can shoot moonlight or star trails. In the city, you can shoot vehicles' tail-light trails or downtown buildings. Wherever you are, you can try light-painting - using a long exposure, and moving a flashlight over parts of the scene.

Hope these ideas inspire you to get out there and start shooting!

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Tube. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

photographyequipment.yolasite.com (Budget Equipment) razzi.me www.facebook.com twitter.com A detailed video on Night Photography. You'll find effective ways to slow down your shutter speed. In order to photograph cityscape at night you'll have to do long exposure which allows to slow down your shutter speed in order to get the proper exposure without increasing your ISO. Don't forget to subscribe as it's FREE.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

12 Creative Photography Ideas

Here are 12 ideas to get your creative juices flowing and increase your skills and value as a photographer.

TIP 1 - Time Lapse photos. I showed my niece how to do this with clay figures and stitch the resulting frames together into a video file, and she was busy for days. If you control the exposure consistently to keep the images consistent with one another, you can do some really fun stop-motion animation. Or, you can set up your camera to capture other slow motion effects such as flowers opening and seedlings growing.

TIP 2 - Night Lights. Things look very different at night. Shooting city scenes with available light creates some interesting images. And shooting outdoor images under moonlight or with "light painting", where you open up the camera shutter for an extended exposure, and "paint" your targets with colored or plain light, can create some truly bizarre images.

TIP 3 - Astrophotography. Hook that SLR up to a telescope, and you are ready to peer into the depths of space and time. You'll need some adapters, and ability to compensate for the earth's rotation for really long shots. Start with the moon and move on from there.

TIP 4 - Macro photography. From flowers to coins to stamps, you can polish your skills at close-up photography and capture some really detailed images. Often a macro lens or close-up attachment will help. See my tips on Flower Photography to get more information.

TIP 5 - Micro photography. If you can interface that camera with a microscope, you can get some really crazy images. Or, stack up a bunch of close-up magnification and try your hand at turning salt crystals into surreal imagery.

TIP 6 - Insurance Photos. OK, maybe a bit boring, but you and your friends and relatives will thank you. Take a couple hours and touch and photograph everything of value, with a full shot or two if each item of value, accompanied by a shot of the identifying marks - manufacturer model or serial number. Then burn a CD or DVD and store it off site. If you have a fire or other loss, this could save the owner thousands of dollars.

TIP 7 - Family Recipe book. Anytime those family favorites are prepared, copy down the recipe and take some photos of the food. You can produce a printed or electronic cookbook of family favorites that everyone will love.

TIP 8 - Stock Photography. This is a very busy market niche, but the cost of entry is low. Specialize in things you love, and you may be able to generate some income from your stock images. Search for stock photography sites, and make sure you understand your rights before you post images.

TIP 9 - Special Effects. Maybe you want to specialize in high-speed images of athletes, or surrealistic collages. Try your hand at using your editing skills to put someone in a soda bottle or floating on a candy lifesaver. Often more artistic than photographic, it will test your composition, lighting and editing skills to come up with believable artificial realities.

TIP 10 - Still Life. Ahh, the bowl of fruit. Sometimes a simple object or collection, properly lit, shot and edited, is a thing of beauty. It's a great way to study light. Start with an egg on a light background, a lamp and a window and see how you can learn about lighting and composition.

Compare Canon Rebel T3i VS T4i

Which Canon Rebel is right for you?

When considering a Canon Rebel T4i VS T3i, first impressions can be misleading. In this case, the T4i looks pretty much like a knockoff of the older T3i. But when you examine the new digital SLR in more detail, you find some astounding changes.

Changes Abound

It's time to get up close and personal so you can appreciate the differences between the new and the old. However, before getting into the techy stuff, there are some things to observe on the camera body. You will have to find the name on the front of the camera to know which Rebel it actually is. Look at the top of the camera and notice that there is a slightly different mode dial on the newer DSLR.

You can see two new mode selections. They are "Hand Held Night" mode and "HDR with Backlight" mode.

"Hand-held Night" is kind of self-explanatory. The user can apply this selection when light levels are overly challenging.

One of the more popular features for new models is HDR. It gives the photographer a series of 3 shots, changing the exposure of each shot and then combining them into a single "High Dynamic Range" picture. The sudden popularity of HDR makes this one feature very desirable to many camera buyers.

The "Nuts and Bolts" Have Been Fine-Tuned

The addition of a new DIGIC 5 image processor has made some of the newer features possible. Canon hasn't enhanced the processor for quite some time, but the claim is that the DIGIC 5 has "four times the processing power of the DIGIC 4."

Going back several years and models, the Canon Rebel T4i has the same size, 18 megapixel CMOS sensor. Similar 18-megapixel sensors inhabit the bodies of such models as the Canon 60D and 7D.

In spite of being the same size, it is quite a bit different. Does "hybrid CMOS AF sensor" make an impression on you? The improved technology adds significant performance in continuous focus in Live View and video, as well as facial detection. Of all the new and improved features, this one has impacted my personal opinion of the Canon Rebel T4i VS T3i most.

Here is a first from Canon. Touch-screen LCD technology is the newest cutting-edge feature for the Canon Rebel T4i. This is very cool, and it will entice some of you tekky folks with iPhone-like actions such as pinch to enlarge and swipe through your images by moving your finger across the LCD panel. Not only that, you can now select settings by touch. You don't have to learn which button to push or which direction to go using the myriad of selectors on the right side of the LCD screen.

ISO sensitivity has also been upgraded. On the T3i, ISO max is 12800, but on the T4i that number has doubled to 25600.

Improved Performance

Continuous shooting rate is another major upgrade. Continuous shooting rate is how many images your camera can record per second. Faster rates make it easier to capture actions shots. Here are the numbers: 5.0fps for the T4i and 3.7fps for the T3i.

A new focus system which includes 9 cross-type focus points vs just one for the T3i is another impressive improvement. It would seem that this one item will push the T4i to a level playing field with the 60D.. just sayin'. (I'm no expert, just a casual observation)

Three elements of video have been improved.

First, as already mentioned, one now has the capability of continuous auto focus. The second point also has to do with focus. It is "touch screen" focus while in video mode. Just touch the point on the screen that you want the main focus on, and the camera does a great job of keeping that point in focus. Additionally, there is also better audio input. There are now two stereo mics repositioned on top of the camera to pick up sound so much better. The videographer can also set the sound input level, something new for a Canon Rebel camera.

Maybe you need a Rebel, now?

Compare Canon Rebel T3i VS T4i

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Tube. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Follow these tips to capture great photos at Prom time!

1. Choose a clean background. If possible, choose an outdoor setting with some greenery - trees, bushes, anything with green or flowers. Place the subjects several feet in front of the background. If indoors, take a couple minutes to select a posing spot and clear any clutter out of the background. Try to avoid direct sunlight. If you have no choice, place the sun behind them and off to one side and force the flash to fire. That will create a highlight on their hair, but you will have to balance the lighting with some front light from flash or reflectors.

2. Fall back and zoom. Most cameras have a zoom feature. To compose your image, you can either zoom out (wide) and get close, or zoom in (tele) and step back. Try the latter. By stepping back, you shorten the facial features and create a more attractive image of the subjects' faces.

3. Stabilize the camera. If you have a tripod or monopod (stick), use it. If not, try to set the camera on a stable object. The worst possible way to shoot is to hold it out in front of you with two hands. The camera will move and the image will be blurry.

4. Know when to flash your subjects. In general, don't use on-camera flash indoors. If you have an SLR camera with a separate flash, you can consider bouncing if off of the wall or ceiling. But indoors, the little camera flash will create a very cheap look and very hard shadows on the wall behind them. It's better to use available light and shoot with a stable camera. Outdoors, a bit of fill flash may be good to minimize eye circles.

5. Mind the white balance. Most cameras have a white balance selection. Instead of auto, choose the white balance that is appropriate for the predominant light source. Outside in shade: choose Shade. It will have a great impact on your image colors.

6. Compose the groups. If you have multiple couples, take a couple of shots of each lady in full length, then half (waist up). Then get each couple, generally with the man a bit behind the lady and off one shoulder. Have him place his arms around her waist and you can show his and her flowers as well. Then get all of the ladies together and then all of the men, and finally, one shot with all of the couples. Avoid the "Adam and Eve" look with hands together in front. Hands at sides, or partially in pockets, or holding flowers or each other. A bit of physical contact between subjects conveys a much warmer, frendlier image.

7. One camera at at time! To have the photos come out best, make sure the subjects place their attention on just one camera at a time. Otherwise, the eyes of some subjects will not be looking at the camera. If you have one parent with all the gear and experience, let them guide the posing and the first shots, and then the others can step in before the pose is changed.

8. Vary your angle. Sometimes shooting waist level is a good way to capture the whole dress, or far above for a dreamy look.

9. Throw in some creative and fun poses. Everyone is nervous and feels a bit akward about being so dressed up and being with a crowd of kids and parents. Encourage the kids to loosen up and shoot some fun candids. Add the little sister or brother for a shot or two, or the family dog.

10. Multiple shots for multiple people. The more people in an image, the greater the likelihood that someone will be blinking in any shot. For larger groups, take at least 5 images. One trick is to have everyone close their eyes, and on a count of three, open them and smile.

11. Share! Post the images on your Facebook page, or Flikr page or other areas. But before doing so, spend a couple of minutes to rotate the images so they all show up correctly, and consider a few basic edits: Contrast, color saturation, exposure levels, cropping. These fundamental editing steps will take a good shot and make it great.

Enjoy taking great prom photos!

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

12 Creative Photography Ideas

Here are 12 ideas to get your creative juices flowing and increase your skills and value as a photographer.

Have fun with these ideas, and let me know when you become famous!

12 Creative Photography Ideas

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Follow these tips to capture great photos at Prom time!

8. Vary your angle. Sometimes shooting waist level is a good way to capture the whole dress, or far above for a dreamy look.

Enjoy taking great prom photos!

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Tube. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Compare Canon Rebel T3i VS T4i

Which Canon Rebel is right for you?

Changes Abound

You can see two new mode selections. They are "Hand Held Night" mode and "HDR with Backlight" mode.

"Hand-held Night" is kind of self-explanatory. The user can apply this selection when light levels are overly challenging.

The "Nuts and Bolts" Have Been Fine-Tuned

Going back several years and models, the Canon Rebel T4i has the same size, 18 megapixel CMOS sensor. Similar 18-megapixel sensors inhabit the bodies of such models as the Canon 60D and 7D.

ISO sensitivity has also been upgraded. On the T3i, ISO max is 12800, but on the T4i that number has doubled to 25600.

Improved Performance

Three elements of video have been improved.

Maybe you need a Rebel, now?

Compare Canon Rebel T3i VS T4i

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

9. Pet's Eye View. Pretend that you are your pet. How would you see the world if you were a dog? A hamster? Shoot a series images from the perspective of your pet's eye level.

Hope these ideas inspire you to get out there and start shooting!

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Tube. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Christmas is coming and so is the urge for us who love digital photography to get out there in the burbs and photograph the beautiful Christmas lights. It's a beautiful time of year and when you are as passionate about digital photography as I am, then this is the time you whip that digital camera out.

Taking photos of Christmas lights with your digital camera can be a very disappointing experience for digital photography enthusiasts. Pictures of Christmas lights in digital photography are aimed at being crystal clear with beautifully bold colours and hopefully we can capture the delicate glow that radiates from the lights themselves.

But...Christmas lights don't always provide the ideal digital photography experience does it? J In fact, in digital photography, Christmas lights can turnout to be smudged dots of colour, like water over ink and way too dark. The first time I took a digital photography image of Christmas lights the flash went off accidentally causing a flattening out of my images not to mention the lovely colours disappearing and it ended up just being a digital photo of the neighbour's front lawn. Not to mention how it set the dog off barking!

So just what is the digital photography secret to getting crystal clear shots of our suburban Christmas lights?

Okay now I'm going to share a secret with you. The best way to get suburb results of sharp, colourful Christmas lights is to choose the house you are going to photograph. Depending on where you live and how fast you can run, you may need to tee it up with your neighboughs first and offer them the photo. The same rules apply with your Christmas tree.

Take your tripod with you. Take your digital camera off "auto" and take it off "auto flash".

Now try a method called bracketing. Set the aperture at a wide f stop, such as 2.8 or 3.5 for example. Then proceed to try some different settings. Set the shutter to 1/30 or higher. I'd recommend, if it's really dark in the street something around the one second, two seconds or three seconds shutter speed.

There is a groovy little trick you can also do for helping you learning faster, about what works in digital photography and what doesn't. That's recording and documenting your digital photography experience. I usually take a note pad with me and write down the number photo and the f stop and shutter speed so when I look at the photos I know which digital photo has worked and what has not.

But in the dark it's very hard to write down anything so you can do what I sued to do, and that is record on Mp3 what your settings you had on what photo. For example you can record yourself saying "picture one, f stop 2.8, shutter speed 2 seconds." Then again as you have tried another setting "picture seven, f stop 22, shutter speed 1 minute."

These are just examples but they really work. Don't forget the basics with your night time photography such as wide aperture and slow shutter speed and the necessity of a tripod.

If you are in a moving vehicle for example and you are taking shots of Christmas lights from a bus or car, then you can always use the maximum aperture and a smaller shutter speed. For example f stop 1.4 and a shutter of 1/350 or higher.

And don't forget if you do have the time to set up a tripod and try the bracketing technique (ideal) also remember if you have the shutter open for a while the light can bounce off other objects such as windows and roofs. If you get too much reflective light, simply reduce the time the shutter is open.

Good luck and may you have a beautiful Christmas!

Happy Shooting,

Amy Renfrey

P.s Take a look at the photo used to describe the article; http://www.nomorebadphotos.blogspot.com

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

So You Got a New Digital SLR? Here Are a Bunch of Tips on How to Get the Most Out of It!

Here are a bunch of tips and ideas for you to learn more about your new Digital SLR camera and make better images!

1. Shutter Priority. Use this mode to control the camera's shutter speed. It's best used in these situations: a) Dark rooms, such as auditoriums, when you need to stop motion but can't use flash; b) Settings where you want to blur movement, such as a mountain stream, and c) Settings where you want to stop fast motion, such as an insect wings or water droplet.

To learn about this, set your camera to Shutter priority and experiment with various things that move. You'll be able to see the difference in the motion of the subject by varying the speed and letting the camera do the rest of the exposure settings.

2. Aperture Priority. Use this mode to control the camera/lens aperture. Often this is used to force a "wide open" shutter, which will focus your subjects but blur the background, or a "stopped down" shutter, used to put every item in the viewfinder in sharp focus.

To learn about this, experiment with a couple of staged "still life" images and vary the aperture or "f-stop" from wide apertures such as f/3.5 (wide opening), to small apertures such as f/8 or f/11. Let the camera figure out the rest of the settings, and then compare the images to see how the sharpness of the background changes as the f-stop gets smaller.

3. ISO settings. The ISO is a measure of the sensitivity of the image sensor. Similar to the different film speeds of the film cameras, you can vary the ISO to get specific results. Remember that the smaller ISO number means better quality but less light. So if you want the sharpest, best image in bright daylight, ISO 50-100 may be your best setting. Shooting in low light? Maybe ISO 800, 1600, 3200 or higher would work for you. You'll get exposures with more noise in them, but the subject movement will be minimized.

To learn about this, Change your ISO out of Automatic, to 100, choose Aperture Priority of around f/5.6, and then take a series of shots in a somewhat dark setting, such as an indoor room out of sunlight. Then change ISO from 100 to 200, 400, 800 and as high as your camera will go. You'll find the camera choosing faster and faster shutter speeds, but the images will start to become noisy.

4. Macro mode. Your camera has at least one removable lens. It has a minimum focusing distance, meaning that it can't focus sharply on images closer than that.

To learn about this, check in your lens manual or look up online the minimum focus distance and experiment with some close-up imagery. Some suggestions: pull out some kitchen items like grains or beans and do a close-up. Vary the f-stop and camera angle to get some of the material sharply in focus and some blurred. Try it with office supplies, pets, you name it. The key is to play with the "world of the small".

5. People perspective. It's not intuitive, but the best images of people may be taken at the farthest end of your zoom lens. When you use the wide angle setting, you have to approach your subject and in doing so, your lens will distort the closest features, such as the nose. By stepping back and zooming in, you place the subject's features in more of the same distance, so distortion is minimized.

To learn about this, get a cooperative subject and make a series of head and half-body shots in the full zoom range of your lens, starting with wide angle, and stepping back as you zoom in to keep roughly the same body proportions. Then look at the series of images and see if you can detect the difference between wide/close faces and zoom/far faces.

6. Monopod. This handy and inexpensive device will let you create many good images in lower light. It has a thread that connects to the bottom of your SLR. Use lt like a walking stick when out and about, but put the camera on if your shutter speed is below around 1/250 second, and it will keep your camer from moving too much.

To learn about this, get a monopod and experiment with some hand held shots, then put the camera on the stick and take the same images. It works!

7. Anti-shake. It's called many things - Anti-shake, VR (Vibration Reduction), and IS (Image Stabilization) to name a few. Some cameras have it on the body (Sony), and others in the lenses (Canon, Nikon). Some don't have this at all. The trick is that the camera/lens compensates for some amount of camera motion from your holding it, allowing you to get sharp images at much lower speeds.

To learn about this, find out how to turn it on (if you have it), and experiment with hand held images with it on and off. Note that this feature is not useful if your camera is on a tripod.

8. Night Images. If you can keep the camera very still, you can get some amazing images after dark. Usually you use a tripod and sometimes a cable release or a timer release to keep the shutter open and minimize the vibration from the camera's mirror.

To learn about this, put your camera on a tripod after dark and shoot your neighborhood or indoors at various exposure times. Take that next birthday photo only using candle-light, or try "light painting", where you illuminate part of your set with white or colored lights for a creepy effect.

9. Reflectors. You can take some wonderful natural light shots, but sometimes the contrast from bright side to dark side is too high, leading to blown out highlights or black shadows. An external reflector can help to smooth out the contrast and provide highlights.

To learn about this, make a cheap reflector from a flat white object such as foamboard, white cardboard or a ceiling tile. place it to the opposite side of your subject from the bright light source, and let it reflect some of that bright light back on the subject to lighten the shadows. Try another one to divert light from the back or side to provide highlights for hair or the back/side of a subject. Experiment with "negative light", where you place black objects near the subject to reduce the level of light on that side of the subject.

10. Put it all together. Go through these exercises and then build an assignment for yourself. Try to set up and photograph some of these things to show your knowledge and skills with your SLR:

A. Compose a still life with nice side light and narrow depth of field and clean background. Try a fruit basket.

B. Compose a portrait with a subject lit nicely from window light, with and without fill light.

C. Photograph a piece of fruit falling into a container of water. Provide enough light and a short enough shutter to capture water droplets.

D. Take an image of a moving person or animal where the subject is frozen.

E. Take an image of a person or animal where the subject or background is blurred.

F. Compose a portrait in or of your residence and shoot it after dark.

Note that I didn't mention that little flash on the top of your camera. I think of it like a fire extinguisher - use only in emergency! The camera flash will do more to harm your images than it will do to help. Learn to work without it. If you really want to use flash, consider a separate flash unit, especially one that you can remove from your camera and fire from other locations.

With a little constructive play, you can learn a lot about photography, improve your composition and shooting skills, and create some great art!

So You Got a New Digital SLR? Here Are a Bunch of Tips on How to Get the Most Out of It!

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

How to Shoot Portraits - 5 Camera Setting Tips For Great Results

Camera setting tips for portraits:

Portrait photography delivers best results when you focus attention on the subject and control the background. Avoiding distracting elements or blurring the background draws the attention on your subject. Besides making your subject "the star" of the frame you also need proper exposure and focus, showing right skin tones and details.

Whether you are shooting for posed portraits or moving children, if you can control 5 camera settings you will capture excellent portrait shots.

Control 5 Camera settings for superb results:

1) Shooting Mode
2) Focus Settings
3) Exposure
4) Metering
5) White Balance

SHOOTING MODE

Aperture priority is the most popular shooting mode for portraits. Using this mode Photographer sets the f-stop and the camera chooses the shutter speed.

Aperture priority mode gives direct control of depth of field. Controlling depth of field means that you can blur the background to draw attention on your subject.

Alternatively you can use Manual Mode. Using this mode you can you can control both aperture and shutter speed. If there is a consistent light source use manual and you still be able to control surroundings of the subject.

EXPOSURE

When you shoot portraits and slightly overexpose you will notice that your background details will be washed out and your subject's skin tones will appear lighter. After your camera meter suggests exposure values,first shoot with suggested settings. Later shoot couple extra using plus 1EV or plus 2EV of exposure compensation to see what they look like.

FOCUS SETTINGS

Single-Shot AF (Auto Focus) mode is perfect for shooting portraits. When using Single-Shot AF Mode, select a Single Auto Focus point. For example for portrait shots, focusing closer to the subject's eyes works best. When focusing on the target point, you may use either Centre or Off-Centre settings. This way you will get sharp focus.

One of the most difficult portrait shot is a moving subject. If you are photographing moving children use Continuous AF mode. In addition choose multiple focus points. Combination of continuous AF mode and multiple focus points will increase the chance of capturing a sharp image.

METERING

For general portrait shots Multi-Segment Metering works just fine. However, if you are shooting a back-lit subject, Multi-Segment may not work properly because this mode will underexpose the subject's face. In such case take a reading from your subject's forehead or cheek using Spot Metering. Then use the values and shoot in Manual Exposure mode. Make sure that you are not shooting in Aperture Priority mode - (you will need to set both aperture and shutter speed values manually since you have use the spot metering and received new exposure values).

WHITE BALANCE

Auto White Balance is good for general shots. However shooting in different environments things may go wrong. For example if you are shooting in a shady area you will not get the proper white balance. Or if you shoot in scenes with predominant white blue or green (beach, botanic garden, forest etc...) your subject's face will reflect that predominant color. In such you can take a custom white balance reading and use it.

Keep in mind that you have the option to change white balance settings and apply correction if you are shooting in RAW mode. So if that portrait shot is quite important for you, shoot in RAW so you have an option to correct white balance later on.

How to Shoot Portraits - 5 Camera Setting Tips For Great Results

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!

If you are considering becoming an Event Photographer this guide may be useful. I spent a long time researching all the kit needed to be a successful Event photographer, testing and costing carefully. It's all current gear available now so it's up to date unlike some of the guides I read.

I've been on training courses and I've done quite a few different Events now, so this is to help others avoid some of the common mistakes. This guide to Event photography is based on my personal experience and you are welcome to reproduce it as long as you credit this article with the website address

I do recommend anyone interested in Event photography going on the excellent training course supplied by Systems Insight, speak to Mike Orr, Stuart or Darren at systems insight. I've also found the Event Photographers Society really useful.

It is divided into sections as follows:

1, Camera Equipment needed for Event Photographers;
2. Lighting equipment for Event Photography;
3. Printers for Instant Event Photos;
4. Mitsubishi Click system for Event Photography;
5. Green Screen Event Photography;
6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

1. Camera Equipment for Event Photographers.

You don't NEED the latest high-end professional DSLR with pro glass lenses to shoot an event! It's nice to have good kit but that should be a given for any Pro Photographer. In reality the customer at a football tournament, school prom or black tie event doesn't care what kit you have as long as the results are good, and you don't want to be carrying a heavy camera with fragile glass in an environment that is often boisterous and busy!

You don't need to shoot huge resolution RAW files and won't have time to post process or mess about with hundreds of settings.You are aiming to get a sharp, vibrant and well lit photograph of enough resolution to print at your final output size. Concentrate on making the people look great!

I do recommend a wireless work flow which I cover later, and again you need the files to be small enough to send quickly. I use a Nikon D700 but that's only because I have one for Property photography as I need the full frame and low light capabilities.

I shoot jpg at just medium resolution for most events, and use a Sigma 24-70mm HSM lens so I can quickly zoom between individuals and groups. A Nikon D40 with a kit lens will do just as well. and I always carry one as a backup. It also takes my Nikon flashguns and is much lighter than a D700.

It is important to have a backup camera, I've even made do with a Nikon Coolpix P6000 when my D700 was being used pitch side at a Cricket Event. With proper lighting (see lighting section) I got almost identical results shooting people in front of a green screen. You must have at least one fully charged spare battery for each camera at an event, a couple of spare and preformatted memory cards, and spare batteries for your flashguns. I use the new Duracell rechargeables for the flashguns as they stay

So don't go mad on the camera kit, it will get bashed around at an event! As for settings, indoors I shoot at around f7.1 to f8 for groups so I get good depth of field, I use shutter speeds of around 125 to get sharp shots as I don't like a tripod, too restrictive, and I use ISO 400 to get enough sensitivity. White balance is easy on a Nikon, see lighting but the flash setting will do. For individuals and couples I open up to around f5 and shoot full length, head and shoulders and a close-up. Outdoors events are more dependent on the available light and the lens.

One tip, using a wireless transmitter to send the images straight to your PC, Mac or Click system avoids the pitfall of people (the ladies mainly) wanting to see each shot on the back of the camera as you take it! That gets them through quicker and lets your team at the workstation show the images properly at full size. I do actually keep the images stored in the camera as a backup though in case the wireless system stops working.

Another tip, if you are shooting groups at a School Prom or Corporate event, take a stepladder! If you get above them and shoot down it changes the angles and stops the people at the front looking much larger than those at the back! This lets you squeeze bigger groups in as well, especially useful if you are shooting in front of a green screen at an event.

Also, if you ever get a large group of girls at a School Prom or Sweet Sixteen event, take LOTS of shots! It is very hard to get a single photo where every girl is happy with how she looks, guys really are not as fussy. The girls will buy the photo that they look best in.

We tend to charge the standard rate £10 per shoot including a 6x9 mounted photograph, but do offer incentives for groups such as discounting copies of the same photograph, or offering 3 for the price of 2 if they are different shots that need processing.

2. Lighting Equipment for Event Photography

I don't use studio lighting for indoor events! Initially I used the standard large softbox above the camera and shot in front of a grey, back or white backdrop. But that's boring and old hat nowadays, the lighting is very flat and there is always the risk of people tripping over cables and the hassle of finding a nearby power socket.

At School proms, Bar-Mitzvahs and especially Sweet Sixteen parties it gets very busy and although we carry full insurance I don't want a heavy studio light falling on a guest. It's the same at Corporate events and Black Tie dinners, there's usually a huge rush after dinner for photos and even a taped down light can get pulled over by an inebriated partygoer!

So now I use a Nikon SB-900 on the camera with the wide-angle flap down and the soft diffuser fitted. This controls two other Nikon SB-600's also with the wide-angle flaps down using Nikon's excellent CLS lighting system. The two SB-600's are mounted on sturdy but portable stands and shoot through white umbrellas for lovely soft lighting.

At an Event you don't want to be messing around changing lighting when you have queues, but this setup is flexible and light enough to be safe to move quickly if you need to. The Nikon system lets me control the brightness of each flash directly from the camera without having to touch the lights.

As we use Green Screen backdrops at most events to add effects and digital backgrounds, I have to ensure the backdrop is evenly lit to avoid problems when chromakeying out the green. By mounting the umbrellas high up at either side and shooting through them, the green (or blue) backdrop gets evenly lit where it matters. The guests get a nice flattering lighting setup which I can easily adjust for large groups or closeups. I

I shoot on full manual with the on camera flash at about 1/32 power to give a little fill light, but mainly to trigger the two mounted lights. These are usually on about 1/8th power which is plenty! Recyling is very fast and I've never had to change batteries yet at an event, although I have charged spares on hand.

If I get a large group like a football or cricket team at a sporting event I can quickly move the two sidelights back and up the power.If it quietens down and we get a guest who wants some special shots, the lights can be moved so one acts as a keylight and one as a fill for classic Rembrandt lighting. We have professional makeover software running on the workstations so can enhance pictures quickly if someone wants portfolio shots.

The SB-900 on the camera can also be removed and used as a slave for hair lighting or other effects, triggered by the on canera flash. So we can do a three light setup easily! White balance is crucial, on Nikon cameras just stand where the subjects will be, set the white balance to "pre" then hold down the wb button for three seconds. When the display flashes, point the camera back between the lights and shoot. If it says "good" in the display, you are set to go. If not, try shooting again straight at one of the sb600, it will work!

The real beauty of this system is that it all fits in one calumet rolling case and is easily portable! It is very flexible for other types of photography. These flashguns are just as powerful as studio lights, and we even carry Fong diffusers and softboxes just in case we get a chance to do some glamour photography. (and yes, you can book us for private shoots!)

3. Printers for Instant Event Photos.

I used to to run a large independent company selling calibrated colour printers, scanners and displays into the corporate design market and previously worked with Canon, Xerox, Mitsubishi and Tektronix as a colour consultant. So choosing the best Event printers was an interesting exercise!

Inkjets and colour lasers were instantly dismissed as I needed portability, reliability and photographic quality. Plus I needed to know exactly what each print would cost. An inkjet will produce the quality with a bit of tweaking but will never match the quality, speed or durability of a dedicated dye-sublimation printer.

I don't believe in compatible inks as I've seen first hand the amount of R&D that goes into a manufacturers own ink. So ink-jet prints are going to be too expensive for event printing. Lasers are fast but lacking in colour quality, and extremely tricky to transport. After testing all the current offerings I decided on the Mitsubishi 9550 DW linked to the Mitsubishi Click system as our basic workhorse for producing large 9 x 6 inch photographs.

As I use a full frame camera this is exactly the size the camera shoots at, so no cropping needed! The photographs are fast and very accurate thanks to the dedicated colour profiling we use supplied by Systems Insight and fine-tuned by me!

The dye-sub process basically involves heating the ink on a ribbon until it turns into a gas and sublimates into the special paper. This is a true continuous tone process so the colour gamut is much wider than other processes, giving smooth and accurate skin tones with no dot patterns.

You can actually roll a photograph up and stand it in a pint of coke, leave it for hours and then wipe dry without any signs of running or fading, as demonstrated on the training course by Stuart! These photographs really won't fade and are fingerprint proof thanks to the special coating. They will last longer than any other photograph!

The fixed cost per photograph allows us to offer discounted pricing for pre-paid events like weddings or school proms as we know exactly what our costs will be per photo regardless of how much of each colour is used.

But we also offer a unique digital make-over service for events using a very special PC with professional retouching software so needed a printer we could connect directly. And we wanted to be able to offer instant 12" x 10" photos and other large sizes for Sporting Events like football and cricket events where team shots are popular.

So we decided on the larger format Mitsubishi as well as we have now found out it also works on the Click! Consumables for the Mitsubishi Event printers are readily available and therefore discounted prices help bring the costs down. Some of the more obscure brands like Shinko and Olmec are often tricky to source.

We are happy with the speed, quality and reliability of our printers, but more importantly, our customers love the results.

4. Mitsubishi Click System for Event Photographers.

My background is in colour technology as mentioned, but prior to that I was a DEC system manager, I have a HND in Computer Science and am a qualified programmer. Yes, I'm old enough to have done all that and spent 7 years in the Army controlling Artlillery fire by computers and by slide rules and log books when those systems were taken out.

So I'm probably more of a technical geek than most photographers. So why did I choose a dedicated turnkey solution for producing event photographs rather than use my expertise in PC and Mac solutions?

Laziness really, why re-invent the wheel! I quickly realised that to make any money at all in Event Photography you have to produce very good photographs to a very high standard very quickly! Work flow is very important. Initially I was either going to use a big 27" Mac with a studio display for quality to handle all the incoming pictures, or go down the Windows 7 route with a couple of fast Sony Vaio AW notebooks with their gorgeous Adobe RGB 18" monitors, with either system linked to a dye-sub or two.

But once I started looking at the workflow and software required I realised the Mitsubishi Click would cover all the bases. Yes, I could run either system quickly and use dedicated green screen software and professional retouching software to produce stunning results. But then who would take the photos? I needed a system that was streamlined and simple to use so I could train others to use it.

My first event was a corporate Xmas dinner and the only person available to do the green screen effects, printing, mounting and sales was my wife! The Click system is very straightforward, you set up a new event and pictures are sent wirelessly from the photographer. Selecting them by just touching the screen allows for full screen previews, once the customers have decided which photographs they want it is quite easy to drop in a green screen background and print, all by touch!

Camera cards and CD's can be easily read or burnt, multiple printers are supported and the whole system runs smoothly and look very professional. We've even had customers connect their own cameras or mobile phones by bluetooth and print their own photos! My wife managed well on our first event, and we had over thirty satisfied customers that evening, in a very short period of about 2 hours from when the meal ended to going home.

Many purchased multiple photos, with different backdrops and effects, but she handled it all while I took the shots. Now we have more trained assistants as it did wear her out a bit:) But I still wanted the flexibility and power to use more specialised green screen software to drop in overlays and fine tune some of the more tricky effects.

So with a bit of help from the techies at System Insight I worked out how to access the system directly, and underneath the smooth software front end is a powerful windows PC. So now if we get a really special request (like "put me in the Oval Office with President Obama") I can jump in and alt tab to Photokey or Portrait pro running in the background! And yes, you can print directy to the dedicated 9550DW by dropping jobs straight into the queue, email for details:)

You can also boost the processor speed, add more RAM, put in a HDMI graphics card to support external displays, even change out the motherboard if you are brave enough and don't mind voiding your warranty!

I'd recommend this system to anyone starting out, and would also recommend you buy it from Stuart or Darren at Systems Insight as they know the system well!

5. Green Screen Event Photography

To be successful in Event Photography as in any business you need a key differentiator, something to make you unique. We all provide basically the same service, photographing people having a good time and offering prints or downloads. Some specialise in niche markets like weddings or school photographs, or certain types of events like Equestrian or Motorcycling. I chose Green Screen Event Photography for a variety of reasons.

I like the portability of our lighting system and didn't want to spoil that by having to carry around various huge coloured backdrops for different occasions. I find it boring having dozens of people shot the same way, and I'm sure most people who go to events are getting fed up of the same bluey grey backdrop, or the "ultra modern" white or black high or low key shoot.

I want to have fun at an event and want the guests to experience something new. So we shoot everyone in front of a blue or more usually a green screen and then our special software can replace that colour with any of our 2500 digital backgrounds! This gives us the flexibility to add classy studio backdrops to Black Tie and Corporate Events, and lets us choose appropriate colours to enhance what the guests are wearing.

For School proms and Sweet Sixteens we can get the guests flying through space, on stage with their favourite rock bands or in the latest movies. Bar and Bat-Mitzvahs are great fun as we can transport the guests anywhere in the world, and for all events we offer free personalised overlays and designs so the event is memorable and unique.

The secret to Chromakey Event Photography is keeping the workflow fast! If you offer a guest 2500 choices, expect a huge queue or a lot of disapointed people. We tend to design 10 choices for each event and will print an example of each so they can decide before we shoot. That way if they are going to be posing alongside a Twilight Vampire or on the dance floor with John Travolta, they can strike an appropriate pose! It does slow things down having to add backdrops but we prefer the interaction and the guests enjoy the experience.

It's not all about getting them shot and printed to us, some event companies work like a slaughterhouse concentrating on quantity rather than quality, that's what the auto cameras at theme parks are for, we would rather spend a little time earning our money!

We prefer green screens to blue screens as less people wear the actual shade of green we use. Blue clothing, eyes and jewellery are more common and can cause probems unless you know how to mask out those areas. We use very special green screen material now, direct from the film studios. This is a special white backed material that absorbs light and glows evenly. Ordinary green muslin will reflect light and cause problems especially with very blonde hair. Contact me for details, it's twice the price but worth it!

Don't worry about evenly lighting the backdrop as many claim, that will just cause more spill and you need more lights power and cabling! You can't get your guests the recommended 10-12 feet away at an event, which you need to if you light the backdrop! Imagine if you were shooting a group and they all had to be 12 feet in front of the cloth!, how big would it need to be! Using pro software lets you quickly adjust for spill and reflected green light.

The trick is to light the people not the backdrop, that should only appear in the gaps anyway and if you have a light enough green it will work. Less is more, light from the sides and above so any shadows are still green and they will disappear.We use overlays and backgrounds to get realistic Magazine covers and special effects.

People don't notice that usually the models on magazines go in front of the title heading but behind the informative text! And watch out for copyrights, design your own magazine covers that are similar but not identical, you can buy these from the USA as overlays..PNG files are best but won't work on the Click, you need to do what we do and switch.

The President Obama shot is a good example, He is in the background, the guests are dropped in on top, then the desk is added as an overlay in front.

6. Starting an Event Photography Business.

Don't believe some of the salesmen out there who claim it's a licence to print money! That is their job and they do it well, but like any business you need to really work at it. Most pro photographers woudn't dream of doing a photoshoot AND supplying a framed large photograph for a tenner! And don't think just because you get a booking at a black tie event for example with 100 people that you are going to sell 100 photos!

30% of those people won't even want a photo taken! That's just the way it is. There won't be many single people wanting a photo on their own, and there's always a large group who want just one shot of all of them, but will buy additional copies at a discounted rate. That leaves the couples, so that brings you down to around five singles, a large group and twenty couples.

You will earn about £300 at an event of this size. Ok, that's a small event but just about possible for two people to cover so that's only one assistant to pay. Then there is the cost of the prints, mounts and bags, travelling costs, insurance costs not to mention an hour to setup and an hour to pack down plus sometimes many hours of waiting for a dinner speech to end.

Don't forget the website you need, the adverts to get bookings, the expense of all the gear, marketing your website, the admin and post production work to get the images online. The usual business costs of stationery, phone bills, promotional gear and all the insurance.

Also remember there are a lot of excellent photographers out there, and anyone can buy a good camera, lens, and a fast printer and go out and do this. The big companies will already have the big events sewn up, So you need to use your contacts, ask around, advertise and promote. Offer to do some small events free for the practice, but still charge the going rate. Even if you only sell 10 shoots in a night, the experience is invaluable before you tackle a busy event.

Once you get a booking, splash out on some pop up banners showing what you do, flyers and business cards. When you get there and setup, take a few test shots of the bar staff, waitresses and event organisers to test everything. Frame these up and give them out as gifts, asking them to show the guests! Great advertising! Get the DJ to tell guests where you are and what you are doing. Work the tables if it's quiet. Above all enjoy it and be polite and professional as you are representing us all!

That's enough secrets revealed for now, if anyone wants to ask any questions feel free. This is just my opinions and experience so far, I'll add more as I get time. If you find this at all useful, please tell others, I'm not charging to write all this, nor am I selling anything, but links to my site will really be appreciated, or a mention in any blogs etc. Cheers, Paul Harrison

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Tube. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

So just what is the digital photography secret to getting crystal clear shots of our suburban Christmas lights?

Take your tripod with you. Take your digital camera off "auto" and take it off "auto flash".

These are just examples but they really work. Don't forget the basics with your night time photography such as wide aperture and slow shutter speed and the necessity of a tripod.

Good luck and may you have a beautiful Christmas!

Happy Shooting,

Amy Renfrey

P.s Take a look at the photo used to describe the article; http://www.nomorebadphotos.blogspot.com

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Head Shots and Portrait Sessions - What to Bring, What to Wear

If you're getting professional headshots taken, or if you're having a professional photographer do a portrait session for you, here are the things you might find useful to know in advance...

HOW TO PREPARE BEFORE YOUR SHOOT:

- Get a good night's sleep the night before. This isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it's really important to try. The more rested you are, the better you'll look.

- Drink plenty of water at least an hour or two before your session. Hydrated skin looks much healthier than dry skin. Try not to drink too much coffee that day and avoid eating greasy, salty or fatty foods for at least a day or two before your shoot.

- Apply moisturizer. Men as well as women should use this tip. Moisturizer prevents your face from looking dry and it gives your skin a fresh, smoother texture. Use a plain moisturizer without any color or shine in it. Be sure to do this before you apply any makeup or powder.

WHAT TO BRING:

1- A comb or brush and a light hair-spray. Heavy sprays and gels make your hair look unnatural and stiff, so something with a light hold is a better idea.

2- A light face powder (yes, also for men) and a powder applicator. This is to reduce any shine on your face that may build up during your shoot. Make sure the powder is a good match for your skin tone.

3 - A plain lip-balm. For men (or women who prefer not to wear much or any makeup), bring a lip-balm. Dry lips show up very badly in photos. A non-shiny, non-waxy, no-color lip-balm is essential! Avoid chapsticks and beeswax lip-balms, as they tend to leave a white residue.

4- If you normally wear makeup, bring it with you. Blush, concealer, eye-shadow, mascara, lipstick etc. Be sure to bring a few different shades of eyeshadow and lipstick, as some colors may not look as well on camera as others. Avoid anything with too much gloss or shine. In particular, don't wear high gloss lipsticks or very shiny lipgloss. Also avoid any face creams, bronzers or blushes that contain any sort of shine or sparkle. These often look too unnatural and reflect too much light in photos.

5- Deodorant. If your session is indoors or in a studio, you can usually expect to be under warm lights for quite some time. You don't want to have perspiration stains in your photos, so remember to apply an extra 'layer' of deodorant right before your session begins.

6- A toothbrush or dental floss. Just in case you have the remnants of your last meal stuck in your teeth!

7- Eyedrops. Sitting and not doing much blinking for any period of time, can be very irritating for your eyes. Especially if you're in bright light of any kind. Red, watery or puffy eyes will ruin your photos, so having eyedrops with you is essential for your photo session. Chances are, you won't need to use them, but it's better to have them just in case you do.

WHAT TO WEAR

For headshots, it's usual to have at least two or three different 'looks'. These tend to be
1: Casual and informal.
2: Elegant and slightly formal.
3: Edgy and/or unusual. This means you should bring the following clothing choices:

1- Casual and informal clothes. A simple shirt (or sweater) and jeans, is always a good bet here. IMPORTANT: Do not wear shirts with logos, brand names or any obviously printed words on them. These draw the eye away from your face, which is the last thing you want in a head shot! Do not wear work-out clothing or sweats, although a plain hoodie is fine. Make sure your jeans are basic as well. No applique, no artfully splattered paint or bleach marks and if there are rips or holes, make sure they're small and fairly unnoticeable.

2- Elegant and slightly formal clothes. A well tailored jacket and a well tailored shirt is a very good choice for men. For women, a fashionable, figure-flattering top, dressy sweater, nice trousers, or casual cocktail style of dress is a good choice.

If your headshots are for acting, online dating sites, etc., you don't want look as if you're going to a job interview. You do want to wear what you would for a nice dinner party or event. Dark colors are best for this look.

When you're choosing what to wear, ask yourself whether you want your photos to look corporate or not. Women: If you don't want a business-like look, don't wear button-up shirts. Men: If you don't want a business-like look, don't wear a tie.

3- Edgy and unusual clothes. Particularly for actors, musicians and entertainers who have a unique look or play a broad range of performances of any kind. For this 'look', bring the clothes that define your particular style. If you are from a specific ethnic background and have traditional clothing (saris, kimonos, sarongs, etc.), bring those! If you prefer to dress in vintage clothing, bring your favorite vintage suit or dress. Whatever your style, bring the outfit, accessories and makeup that you feel really exemplifies your individuality.

As for what to wear for a portrait session, the range is a bit more broad. It depends entirely on what type of portraits you're getting. However, the following rules will still apply...

A FEW BASIC RULES FOR ANY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION:

1- Colors which look great on almost everybody: White, black, and greys are always a good choice. For color, choose earth-tones (reds and browns) and jewel-tones (turquoise and most blues). Certain pastels are also good: light blues, lavenders and pinks.

2- Colors to avoid: For most people, khakis, greens, oranges, dark purples and yellows are not flattering to the skin and should not be worn for photos. (However, if you are an exception to that rule, by all means, bring the colors that suit you best.)

3- Clothing choices to avoid: Large, bold prints, logos or patterns. Again, these draw the eye away from your face, which is not a good thing. You don't want your outfit to dominate your photos. Don't wear clothing that is too loose or too clingy. Very loose clothing and very tight clothing both have the effect of unflatteringly altering the shape of your body. Shiny fabrics should generally be avoided as well, anything with a lot of shine will reflect light and tends to overemphasize the figure.

4- Do not over-accessorize. Keep it simple. Too many extra visuals will detract from your face, which should be the only focal point in your pictures. If you have one particular piece of jewelery you'd like to wear, don't wear any other pieces with it. A big, bold necklace can sometimes look really wonderful, but not if it's also worn with big, bold earrings. Small, basic earrings, one or two simple rings, and no necklace are usually the best choice for women. Just a watch and one ring (if you wear any) is usually the best choice for men.

5- Heavy application of perfumes or body-sprays before your session is not a good idea. If you must wear a scent, wear much less than you normally would. Many people have allergies to scents, and you don't want a photographer who is trying to take your photo through watering eyes and sneezing fits.

Although there are a lot of things to factor in here, they're all quite simple. If you keep these tips in mind, you're certain to look and feel your best for your professional photography shoot!

Head Shots and Portrait Sessions - What to Bring, What to Wear

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Video Clips. Duration : 13.63 Mins.

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

No URL Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

photographyequipment.yolasite.com (Budget Equipment) razzi.me www.facebook.com twitter.com A detailed video on Night Photography. You'll find effective ways to slow down your shutter speed. In order to photograph cityscape at night you'll have to do long exposure which allows to slow down your shutter speed in order to get the proper exposure without increasing your ISO. Don't forget to subscribe as it's FREE.

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Night Photography Techniques

Head Shots and Portrait Sessions - What to Bring, What to Wear

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity
Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Night Photography Techniques

Thursday, February 14, 2013

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Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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12 Creative Photography Ideas

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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12 Creative Photography Ideas

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

Perfect Prom Photos - Tips For Capturing Great Formal Images on Prom Night

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Compare Canon Rebel T3i VS T4i

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

Photography Project Ideas II - 10 Assignments to Stimulate Your Creativity

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Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

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So You Got a New Digital SLR? Here Are a Bunch of Tips on How to Get the Most Out of It!

So You Got a New Digital SLR? Here Are a Bunch of Tips on How to Get the Most Out of It!

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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How to Shoot Portraits - 5 Camera Setting Tips For Great Results

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!

Event Photography - If You Enjoy Parties and Photography, Here's a Free Guide to Earning From It!

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Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

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Digital Photography Tip - How To Photograph Christmas Lights

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips

Head Shots and Portrait Sessions - What to Bring, What to Wear

Head Shots and Portrait Sessions - What to Bring, What to Wear

Night Photography Tutorial - Focusing - Light Meter - Camera Settings Tips