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.

Nov 14 Catching up Again

So here I am again playing catch up.  I decided this time to share a photo taken at the end of Oct. caught this guy hanging out in the tree in my front yard.  He even hung out long enough for me to go inside get my camera come back out and take a few shots before he shot up the tree and out of site.  Lucky me.  I have done some sessions but they have been sports pics not real creative but fun.  Have some more sessions coming up so definitely will be sharing from them soon.  I sit here reflecting on where my business has come from and where it is going I can't help but be extremely thankful to those that have been my clients and those who have told others about me.  There is definitely a greater power involved in this as I could have never seen this coming.  I feel blessed that I can share my skills and make others happy.  Til next time, take care.

Today's Photo Tip: Short and sweet with the Holidays fast approaching make sure you have a full memory card and lots of battery's and take tons of photos you will be thankful later you did. Young ones grow up, old ones leave us but photos last forever.

Oct 27 Fall Family Session

Well another successful session under my belt.  What a fantastic family to work with which makes my job of making them look good so much easier.  I am definitely loving the amount of work I am getting as it keeps me keen on my photography skills and gives me a much needed break from the reality of the ER.  I just hope I don't run out of people to photograph.  I have found a great little model out of this session definitely a keeper as she is a natural in front of the camera and extremely photogenic.  You will be seeing her more as I will be doing some promotional sessions with her for the business.  I have a few more sessions set up for the end of Oct and into Nov. a wedding to attend in Dec. and hopefully a wedding to photograph in Jan.  Even my husband is surprised at how well I have been doing even in tough economical times.  But, I stay humble and just look at this as a gift and know that I may be doing well now I may slow down.  Still I hope that I don't as I am having the most fun sharing what I see with my clients.  Today's photo is of the family session from Oct 18 definitely a fun session.

Today's Photo Tip: Ok so we have now talked about ISO, F-stops, and shutter speed but those are not the only keys to great photos there is also composition.  That is today's lesson but remember knowing the basics is half the battle knowing when to bend or break the rules is the other.  That I cannot teach it is something that you must learn by experimenting and playing around.

Photography: The Rules of Composition

           Composition is the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole.  In photography that thought is very important in taking good pictures.  The following guidelines are just to be thought about though, it is not necessary to try to use them with every picture you take or there wouldn't be any creativity in your work.  Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great picture spots and opportunities.

           Before you just step up and take a picture you should consider what you want your viewers to look at and how you should display main points of interest.  You should ask yourself, what is the main subject?  What angle should the light be hitting in my picture?  Is there anything that could accentuate the main subject?  Where should the main subject be in the frame?  These are all important things you should consider, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow the rules exactly.

           The Rule of Thirds has been used for centuries and is probably the most important of all the composition techniques.  The Rule of Thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture.  By locating your main subject at one of the four intersections you give the subject more emphasis than if it was right smack in the middle of the picture.  This is also a good technique if you have more than one important subject, the intersections can still work even if there's a subject on more than one.  The divisions can also be helpful in setting up a picture, they can for example, help you determine how much horizon you want.  Most famous photographs or paintings in the world today have the rule of thirds applied to them in some way.

           Simplicity is the method of keeping the information in a photograph relatively simple.  If your main subject is close, then your background should be very simple to avoid distractions.  You should try to keep everything not important much less interesting than what's important in the frame.  Especially avoid lines or objects that lead the eye away from the subject.

           Framing is the tactic of using natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject.  It could be anything such as bushes, trees, a window, or even a doorway like in the picture at the top of this page.  In the process of doing this you need to be careful that you don't only focus on what's framing your subject.  Make sure you focus on the main subject, and also it is a good idea to use a narrow aperture (high f/stop) to achieve a high depth-of-field.  It also wouldn't hurt if the part of the picture framing the subject was darker so make sure you take your light reading on the main subject.

           Texture can add a significant amount of interest in any picture.  When people see texture in pictures they start imagining what it feels like to touch what's in the picture.  Texture is a good idea when your taking pictures of rocks, walls, surfaces, someone's hands, or leaves.  In order to make a picture reveal a texture you must make sure the light is coming almost exactly from the side of the surface so it creates shadows in places key places.

           Leading Lines are used to lure the eye deeper into a picture or to an important subject.  Straight, curved, parallel, or diagonal lines are all good at promoting interest.  Good examples could be roads, rivers, streams, bridges, branches, or fences but there are endless things that could be used.

           Colors are what add heart and emotion to your pictures.  Certain color configurations can inspire awe and amazement in onlookers.  Colors can be used to add all sorts of accents and effects, but you must be careful to not draw attention away from the main subject.

It might not be a bad idea to keep these key terms with you when you practice taking pictures.  The best way to learn and improve your composition is just lots of practice and experimenting.

Oct 12 Another successful session.

I am totally happy with the direction my business is going with every successful session comes another session. I am having the time of my life getting to be creative and help spread joy to those I photograph. So yesterdays session was originally planned for outdoors then the Kansas weather stepped in and forced us indoors. So I didn't get to be as creative as I would have liked but am happy with the results and so is my client which in the end is all that matters. So 2 beautiful girls and a beautiful mom later I had a collection of photos with edits that I am happy to post as mine. For the common public you will only get to see one photo from the session as the album on my website is password protected to you will get the sneak peak version. My session for tomorrow has been rescheduled again Ks weather has stepped in only this time the client wants to stay outdoors so has been moved to the weekend when the weather is to be most favorable. I am excited with anticipation as outdoors is where I feel I really shine and I can get the most candid of shots. So am very eager for the weekend to come. Today's photo is your sneak peak to yesterdays session.

Today's Photo Tip: Bringing it all together. This tip goes with the two previous about ISO and aperture.

Quick Guide to Understanding Shutter Speed

Written by Ron Risman

In a film camera, light travels through the lens opening (aperture) and past a shutter that opens and closes to allow light through to the film. While a digital camera doesn't have a mechanical shutter, it does use electronics to simulate this same process.

As light travels through the lens opening (aperture), the shutter opens and closes in a timed fashion to determine how long the image sensor ("film") gets exposed to a scene. A faster shutter speed, similar to blinking your eye more quickly, helps to reduce the amount of motion the cameras image sensor will capture. If the shutter stays open longer, it will allow more potential motion in the captured frame. Any movement during the "capture" process of a scene will end up as a blur. If it's camera movement then the entire photo will be blurred. If only the subject moves then only the subject will be blurred.

In order to capture blur-free "action" photographs (Sports is one example), you'll need to make sure the camera is using a high shutter speed. Typically a shutter speed setting of 1/125th of a second (shutter speeds are measured in fractions) is considered a "high" shutter speed, although the setting will depend on the speed of the action that you want to "freeze". Example: To capture a golf swing you might need to use a 1/500th speed shutter, while trying to capture kids playing basketball might only require a 1/125 or 1/250 shutter speed.

Important: Less light gets through to the imager (or film) as the shutter speed is increased, thus it's very difficult to use higher shutter speeds in lower light situations. There are ways to improve the speed of the shutter in these situations. One is to allow more light to pass through the lens (aperture setting), the other is to increase the ISO sensitivity of the imager.

Oct 10 Brrrrrrr it's cold out there baby.

Man talk about freezing. 29 with wind chill and my crazy butt is out there doing a session. What were we thinking. Although it was chilly you can not tell by the photos that turned out great. I am posting my favorite one for my photo of the day. I love bridges and am glad there are some close. May try to shoot again if not too chilly because I would really like to get a few more of this senior. I have another shoot tomorrow thank heavens it is indoors.
No tip today will be posting again in the next few days so will post my tip with that one.

October 8 Business is Thriving

Another end to a beautiful week. With my new version of Photoshop to play with I can offer so many new photo enhancements it is insane. Definitely lovin CS4 and getting new plug ins everyday to expand my creative edge. Have 3 sessions coming up I am very much looking forward to one Sat., one Sun., and one Tues evening. The only downside to them is the weather is getting colder and will prove to be chillier sessions than I am used to. But, so is the life of a photographer you take the good weather with the not so good weather when shooting outside. I just am hoping for no more rain as that just ruins any chance of shooting cold I can handle rain is a big fat no way. So todays photo is of me playing with my new lens and the mirror. Such fun to do odd ball things and then experiment with the outcome. I did a glamour enhancement to the photo so you can't see too many smile and frown lines.

Today's photo tip: Going along with last times tip here is a bit on aperture or f-stop.

Quick Guide to Understanding Aperture

Aperture Information

In the dictionary the term Aperture has this definition: "a usually adjustable opening in an optical instrument, such as a camera or telescope, that limits the amount of light passing through a lens...."

All lenses have an opening (Aperture) that allow light to pass through to the camera's image sensor (digital) or film. A larger aperture, (measured in fractions: i.e. f/3.5) allows more light to pass through while a smaller aperture (F/22) allows less light to pass through. The size of the aperture, or its range is determined by the lens itself. If you look around the front of the lens on your camera you might see "f-stop" numbers listed. An example may be: F3.8 - 5.4. These number tell you how large the opening of the lens can get at wide angle (F3.8) and at the telephoto setting (F5.4). In this example "zooming in" will allow less light to pass through compared to shooting the same scene at wide angle.

The smaller the F-stop (fraction) the larger the aperture (opening) of the lens can be. An F-stop of F2.0 lets in more light than a setting of F2.8, etc.. A lens with a maximum F-Stop of F2.8, F2.0, or F1.8 are considered fast. Most consumer priced cameras usually offer a maximum opening size of F3.5 or F3.8 which are fine for normal everyday shooting but not great when trying to reduce motion blur in lower light situations (school plays, indoor sports).

A larger lens opening (brighter lens) offers the following advantages:

• You'll be able to shoot more often with just natural lighting. This helps to reduce harsh shadows and red-eye caused by flash. A flash will still be needed when the scene is too dark, even for the bright lens.
  
  
• By allowing more light to pass through, the camera will be able to choose a slightly higher shutter speed which helps to reduce motion blur when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions.
  
  
• A larger aperture (F/5.6 in photo example) helps to reduce "depth-of-field" (the amount of area from front to back that stays in focus) which makes for beautiful portraits (sharp subject, blurred background).

Sept 30 Went for a walk today.

So instead of going to an optional Disaster Drill for work I caught up on all the things today that I wanted and needed to do yesterday. Both boys were home sick from school so had to stay homebound on the day I had planned on getting all my stuff done on. So yesterdays walk turned into today's walk. Very lovely as I am a huge lover of fall and all the beauty that comes with it. Kansas turns so many different colors in the falls. Oranges and reds, yellows and browns the colors will take your breath away if you let them. So today's blog will be special as I will share my favorite 3 photos taken today instead of just one. So as the weather and colors change so does my business I am getting busier and hope the momentum carries me into the holiday seasons. I am loving every minute of it. I feel I have finally reached my true potential and what I was meant to do with my life. Yeah it is slow going and a labor of love but I don't believe I would have it any other way as I really appreciate it because I have put so much into it all. I want to take a moment and just say a word of thanks to all those who have stood by me and believed in me these last 2 years. Thank You to all of you and you know who you are. I could not have done it without you especially my family who even when I thought my photos were bad they stood beside me saying if you don't like them change them. Ok enough of the mushy stuff as it is not typically my style back to today. All the photos taken today were with my newest lens canon 55-250 IS I can definitely see the image stabilization making a difference in the variety of shooting situations and assignments that I can say yes to. I am even daring to start doing more weddings and even some advertising for them. What a difference a lens can make.
So today's photos were all taken in ElDorado Ks smack dab in the middle of the afternoon.

Today's photo tip: I am sharing a more technical side of photography today for those who follow that are a bit more advanced. When I started out I always let the camera make all the decisions for me and found it really put restraints on exactly what I could and could not do with my camera. The more you know the more you can experiment and find what really works in all situations for you. Next tip will be aperture or f-stops when coupled with shutter speed and ISO these can be handy to have a grasp of even if you are simply a shoot the kids at the park kinda person the more you understand the more you will love photography. This is how I learned and now I will be sharing it with you.

Quick Guide to Understanding ISO "Speed"

Written by Elizabeth Giargiari, Cameratown.com

A camera has to make a lot of decisions when you press the shutter button. It needs to determine the brightness of the scene and the distance of subjects in order to set the camera's ISO, aperture, shutter and focus. This all happens within milliseconds. It is these settings that I'll explain in order to give you a better understanding of how they affect your final captured image. ISO Sensitivity:
A camera's ISO function sets the light sensitivity of the camera's image sensor (this is similar to the speed rating of FILM). ISO settings are often rated at 100, 200, or 400 but go as high as 800, 1600, and even 3200 on some advanced models. A lower ISO setting is used when capturing overly bright scenes, since it reduces the light sensitivy of the image sensor. This is ideal when shooting at the beach, on a ski slope, or under the midday sun. A higher ISO settings is often used when shooting under dimmer conditions (cloudy days, indoors, etc.) since it increases the light sensitivity of the image sensor. As brightness in a scene is decreased the camera tries to compensate by slowing the shutter speed which in turn lets in more light but increases the risk of motion blur. To prevent this, you can increase the ISO or sensitivity of the camera, which allows the camera to select a higher shutter speed, thus reducing motion blur. Why not just use a higher ISO all the time?

While using a higher ISO setting is often needed to capture images with reduced blur in lower light, it also increases the noise level of the image (In film this is often referred to as "grain"). A lower ISO setting is preferred whenever possible since it helps to reduce this noise or grain.
ISO settings can also be used to help control the shutter speed of a camera while in automatic mode. In order to "freeze" motion in a scene, a camera needs to be able to use a higher shutter speed. By selecting a higher ISO you are allowing the camera to gather more light, this automatically forces the camera to select a higher (faster) shutter speed, which helps to reduce motion blur.

With film, the ISO rating is considered a "speed" rating. ISO 100 would be considered a slow film, while ISO 400 would be considered a faster film. Digital cameras obviously don't use film thus the ISO number corresponds to the image sensor's light sensitivity.

ISO 100:	Great for bright sunny days, at the beach or on the snow. Produces clean images that are great for enlargements.
ISO 200:	Great for overcast daylight pictures (noise levels may increase, but in most cases not noticeably)
ISO 400:	Great for lower lighting conditions (indoors, night time) or when you need to capture faster moving subjects in lower lighting conditions. In many consumer cameras, ISO 400 can make photos look very noisy in dark areas of the picture. The reason a higher speed ISO helps you capture fast moving subjects is because a higher ISO makes the image sensor of the camera more light sensitive. This forces the camera to use a higher shutter speed to compensate for the extra brightness, which in turn helps to "freeze" movement in the captured frame.

In the above example I set my camera to a fixed shutter speed of 1/200th of a second and the aperture value to f/5.0. I then changed the ISO setting for each photograph to demonstrate how a faster ISO setting can make the camera more light sensitive.

This example demonstrates increased noise (and depth-of-field) in a photograph as you increase the ISO. This example was shot using a Canon EOS-10D which is known to have very little noise at higher ISO's when compared to consumer level digital cameras. As you can see, the photograph on the far right has increased noise (grain) but is also a bit more in focus. I focused and zoomed the camera in on a tree (bottom left corner) which was about 80 feet in front of the garage (window). The higher ISO setting allows the image sensor of the camera to be more light sensitive. It also allows the camera to set a smaller aperture which helps it to achieve a greater depth of field. This is why the Window is a bit more in focus in the photo on the right.