Where does the time go. Feb 3, 2010

Wow where did the time go I have done 3 weddings since my last blog and other settings in between.  I am saddened by this as I have come to find out there are actually people following my blog and learning things from my tips.  So back by popular or semi popular demand my blog will start being updated no less than once a week. Including the photos that I have taken in the last couple of months and new shots as they come in.  The weather has been weird and unpredictable so shooting outside has been slim but the weddings I have done have proven fruitful.  I am actually liking the challenge I get from them and happy with the outcomes even if getting them has been a labor of love.  I have now learned that when you take strobes and have them set to slave that you really should warm guests to wait to take their shots til after you have gotten yours.  I learned this on the 30th of January I shall just say it was trying to get in my shots half the time with my strobes not firing so having to take multiples to get the shot.  I have also learned that when working with my speedlite I would really like to know more about the settings on it so I can benefit myself as well as others.  But, for the life of me cannot follow the instruction manual I swear engineers write those things just to confuse us to where we just have to wing it so to say.  I have also learned that I may not be charging enough for what I do as I am figuring out the more photos you take the more hours post processing it takes and I am making less than what I would going to my mindless job. But alas I do it cause I love it not to get rich and will only alter my pricing slightly to make up for my labor.  For those of you who do not know me personally I am a country girl at heart and am in the process of breaking a 4 yr old horse.  Man has he proved to be a major project in my life as I have altered my sleeping and family schedule to make time for him.  But, again alas he is my baby and I have to put the work in now to enjoy the rewards later there will be photos of him to come as he makes his learning journey.  We have both graduated to the second grade of horse breaking and making progress everyday. Well now that I have updated you on life progress and business progress now on to the lesson of the day.  I have noticed that it is more and more common to see amatuer and just for fun photographers with higher end point and shoot cameras and DSLR's.  There are two sides to every opinion of this as there are a lot of ppl out there that get a fancy camera and all of the sudden start calling themselves a pro.  Now granted a nicer camera does help in taking better shots but there is a lot more than a fancy camera that goes into becoming a pro or even pro am photographer.  So today I will share a lesson and some words of wisdom especially when you are looking to hire someone and you want more than just someone with a fancy camera who has business cards.

Todays lesson:

20 Beginner Tips for Taking Digital Photography

New to digital photography? Looking for information to help you take better pictures? Here are 20 digital photography tips to help you along...

Digital cameras are one of the greatest inventions of modern times. We are so fortunate to have this modern convenience called Digital Photography. To be able to capture a precious moment or beautiful scene at the click of a button, is something we should not take for granted.

Many beginners find digital photography rather challenging and rightly so. Today, more and more digital cameras are being created and it seems like the more digital cameras they make, the more difficult they become to use.

I own a Canon Powershot S3 IS. I purchased this digital camera about a year ago and I still haven't utilized all of the awesome little features this camera has to offer. Now you may not want or even need a camera with tons of features. It really depends on the type of pictures you plan on taking.

Regardless of the camera you own or are planning to own, you should have a well rounded knowledge of digital photography. I hope the following 20 tips for taking digital photography will prove to be useful in your quest for taking better photographs.

1. Know your camera. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not taking time to learn about the features of your camera. Don't be lazy. Read your instruction manual.

2. When shooting sunny outdoor shots, try adjusting your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. The auto setting will make your shots appear too cold. When you change it to cloudy, it will increase the warmth of your pictures.

3. If you are looking for superior image quality, the ability to use a variety of lenses and print large high quality photos, then considering a Digital SLR Camera.

4. Use your flash outdoors. Sometimes, even on a sunny day outdoors, there is still a need for a flash. If the sun is directly over head or behind your subject, this can cause dark shadows to appear on the face. The flash will help lighten the subjects face.

5. Sometimes simply turning your camera and taking vertical shots can make a world of difference. Experiment more with vertical picture taking.

6. Do not put your subjects directly in the center of your shot. Move your subject off center to inject more life into your photos.

7. Learn how to hold your digital camera. One of the most common problems beginners face is the shaking of the camera because they are not holding it properly. Of course, the best way to avoid shaking the camera is to use a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, then you should be holding your camera with two hands. Put one hand on the right hand side of your camera where you actually snap the photo and the other hand will support the weight of your camera. Depending on the camera, your left hand will either be positioned on the bottom or around your lens.

8. Learn about the "Rule of Thirds". This is a well known principle of photographic composition that every beginner should become familiar with. Do a search online and you will find many tutorials on this subject.

9. Look at other photographers work. Just spending time studying the work of other photographers can provide loads of inspiration.

10. Join online photography communities. Get active and ask questions.

11. Do not compare your photography to anyone else.

12. Do not copy the work of other photographers. Try and develop your own unique style.

13. Do not leave your batteries in your camera if you don't plan on using your camera for long periods of time. Some batteries run the risk of leaking and this can damage your camera.

14. Subscribe to a good photography magazine. Read books on photography.

15. Find experienced photographers to go out on shoots with.

16. Post your photographs in online forums. Learn to accept criticism.

17. Try taking your pictures in RAW format. RAW is a powerful option available in today's digital cameras where no in-camera processing takes place. This allows you to do all processing using your favorite image editing software.

18. Don't buy the most expensive photography equipment right away. Practice and learn about photography using cheaper equipment first. After you have been taking pictures for a while, you will then know what kind of equipment you will need.

19. Invest in a tripod. Some of us have very shaky hands. If you can't stop the shakes, then get a tripod. It will make a world of difference.

20. If you are not able to carry your equipment with you everywhere, make sure you have a note pad handy. This way if you find a nice shot, you can write it down and visit that location at a later date.

Ralph Serpe is Webmaster for Creatives Polite, a free arts and photography community for beginners. Find more free beginner digital photography tips and tutorials. Be sure to also check out Digital Photography here.

By Ralph Serpe Published: 7/24/2008

So now onto my opinions on what makes a pro photographer.  Please remember these are solely my opinions and have no bearing what so ever on what would so call make a pro photographer.
Breaking into the business as a photographer is hard work harder than you can ever imagine only through lots of time, energy, taking thousands of photos sometimes for free, and talking to almost everyone I come in contact with have I built my business.  For me it has been 2 and 1/2 long years of feast or famine income which is why I still hold a full time job with a large company steady income and benefits that I can't afford to loose at this time.  So what do I really think makes a pro photographer well first off it is not the equipment that you have, all the fancy bells and whistles are great and aid in creating a better quality but have no effect what so ever on the feel and emotion of the photo.  Your eye is the only thing that can capture this.  I also feel you have to have a technical knowledge of what made your photo stand apart from others.  Why does a photo come out too dark or too light what setting should you have used, how could I have moved  to make it better.  Another thing is connecting with the subject anyone can set up outside on a sunny day and take a photo that is good, lighted properly, and in focus. But, did you connect with the subject, is there emotion in the eyes, did you get your subject to produce a warm inviting smile.  These are key as well as the technical attributes.  This is probably what sets me apart from those so called pro photographers First I still do not consider myself a pro Second I am very humble when it comes to photos I never feel no matter how good the photo is, that it is perfect there is always something about it I would like to change Third I let my clients do the talking for me. My business thus far has been solely word of mouth and people seeing my work.  I do not advertise, I do not go to Bridal shows, I do not brag on how many people have been satisfied with my work I simply tell who the photos were of and show the photos my business runs solely on impression and customer satisfaction.  Even when I am not happy it most always seems that my clients are happy for the both of us.  Now I don't want these statements to stop any budding photographer from reaching for their goals and I am more than willing to help when I can.  God knows I have received an abundance of help from fellow photogs that simply shared with me what they had learned and I am more than happy to pass on and add what I have learned.  I am simply stating my feelings for those who stand back and say I could have done that but, in reality could not have these people and they do know who they are make pro's look like they are just overpriced versions of the common public and makes it to where they have to slave to gain the trust of others.

Ok now I will step down from my soap box and wish you all a happy week this will be the first and last time I rant on this subject.

Funny side note I have been drooling to get a new camera actually a second but primary camera for my business and at my last wedding had a grandfather tell me not to let my camera out of my sight as it might grow legs and jump into his camera bag.  It made me think truly do I need or just want a bigger and better camera.  I have come to the conclusion that I just want that camera.  I have never come across anyone that made me chuckle and think that they had camera envy over my equipment.  Made me feel like I belonged there taking photos at that wedding.  Who would have ever thought it could happen to me.