In Pelourinho you will find the Lacerda Elevator and with a 5-cent coin you will be transported (like the 28,000 passengers who do daily) to the Mercado Modelo, traditional and gigantic market with sixty-three crafts shops. This unique place is the perfect setting to go during the special occasions that are repeated year after year. One of them is the “Lavagem do BonFim da Bahia”. This religious ceremony takes place every year. The crowd, mostly wearing white clothing with blue details starts the journey at 8 am from the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, near the Mercado Modelo, in the lower part of the city. Surrounded by the gorgeous Baianas, in their white typical dresses and full of lovely and delicate laces, with flowers and large jars with water scented with alfazema (lavender), the journey began. The lucky inhabitants from this paradise mixed up with tourists from around the world. Flowers, necklaces, music and drums. Beer, lots of water, hats of all kinds. After an 8 km walk and climbing the hill that takes to the BonFim Church, the Baianas would be in charge of washing the stairs that takes us to the main entrance.

This event is one of the most important celebrations in Salvador de Bahia, toguether with the Carnaval and the Iemanja´s day. Iemanja is one of the “Orixas”, the african gods worshiped by the Yoruba religion. She represents motherhood and is the Queen of the Sea. Her day is February 2. Her followers gather next to her temple, in the neighbourhood of Rio Vermelho. Small, waterfront, could be mistaken for a fisherman’s cottage. People would offer the goddess necklaces, mirrors, perfumes, various foods and flowers, many flowers. Infinite boats venture into the sea, carrying more and more gifts for Iemanjá.

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Love to travel! From Argentina.
http://www.valeriatorrens.blogspot.com

A nurse called me and instructed me to wash my hands, but without my lens cap the water splashed all over my lens, I tried to clean my lens with the coat but it was an awful clean, but there wasn’t time I entered the operating room and my wife was there with all the crew of doctors, I took my wife´s hand and I wasn´t able to be stable with one hand and all the stress and I was trying first of all not to be intrusive. On the other side, and also comes to mind that time I think the camera helps a lot because it gives me a “scenic task” and it made me to lose some stress thinking in the situation, but personal feeling transcends everything and I forgot about the photos and just thank God everything was fine.

The second image was taken I think 15 minutes after my baby´s birth I was alone in the hospital room, alone, euphoric walking side to side of the room and I went to the window and a beautiful sun was raising behind the trees joining me in my loneliness, but the sight from that building wasn’t so beautiful, so I switched to a 100-300 lens and shot bracketed pictures for taking as much sun as I could.
Sometimes, if not always, the events are much greater than the images, but the images are great keeping these events latent.

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Photographer since 1993 also electronic engineer and actor, I was born in Mexico City in 1974 and I had traveled to different parts of Mexico seeking to discover its wonders.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curbina74/

Since this was taken, I recently went back over again, (February 2013) and I have produced a NYC series, check it out at on my website under new york/ongoing.

New York is certainly a city that excites your imagination and when submerged, you definitely feel the buzz of the place, whether you’re in Times Square, Greenwich Village, Battery Park or Murray Hill. There is always something happening, every area is so completely different and that is one of the reasons i think that i love going there, with a camera in tow to be producing new work because it is generally like an on the go Photography Documentary.

The two other images below are from the New York Series. All the images are black and white – though i do delve into colour too. There is something about stripping back the colour from the city that is always in colour to give it a more simplistic approach and look.

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Scottish born Photographer
http://www.sallywanless.com

It wasn’t therefore difficult to approach people, because people at the beach also lose much of their distrust towards the photographer.

If the inhabitants of the north the beach is pure relaxation, for those in the south (but I think more widely to the south of the world) the beach is a second home, the place where contact with the sun and the sea flows into a single joy, a time light and carefree; a place where the reluctance and bustle of city life finally finds a vent. The happy faces of children or the motorcycle ride to the beach are evidence.

Every shot was taken in Porticello, a little a small fishing village on the outskirts of Palermo, Sicily.

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I’m an amateur photographer from Palermo, Sicily . I started taking pictures at the age of 15 years using the Polaroid of my older brother. My greatest influences: Newton, Doisneau and Basilico
http://peppefrank.wix.com/giuseppefrancavilla

We spent a lot of time in small villages, meeting and talking with people, and spending time in their churches and communities. At one point we were forced to head inside because of a violent storm that rolled through. About a hundred people crammed into a tin-roofed church, and we could hear next to nothing because of the sound of rain on the roof.

I love this image because it shows how people can be in poverty and yet give so much at the same time. In this picture, adding to the cacophony were the voices of everyone in the building crying out at the same time in prayer for some of our friends in the U.S. who were suffering from cancer.

I was crammed into a small corner of the building with a wide-angle lens, trying to capture some sense of what was happening in the room. One of my favorite details is the oversized suit the man in the center is wearing, as so much of their clothing is donated from the West, but of course when choosing suits in Uganda, a tailor is rarely available.

The second two images were taken just a bit earlier, before the storm forced us inside.

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Ryan Estes is a Philadelphia portrait photographer.

So I want to ask you… what is your favorite place to photograph?  Comment below to share.

Here are some things you should be aware of before hiring your photographer to ensure your day goes as smoothly as possible.

Digital Or Film?

While the vast majority of photographers these days have made the switch to digital, there are some photographers who prefer to keep it traditional and use film. It is down to personal choice and budget as to which method you choose, bear in mind using film will be more expensive due to the process of developing the prints afterwards. The drawback of film is that it is not quite so easy to make changes to your prints, even switching a colour print to black and white. With digital, there is no danger of over-exposure and the photographer can literally take thousands of shots at no extra cost to you.

Today’s digital photography offers sharp, clear, bright photographs with great clarity. What’s more, digital film allows the photographer to quickly and easily edit the photographs, put them onto DVD and email the shots to the client. This means you can share your photographs with family and friends without waiting weeks after the event.

Choosing A Photographer

No photographer is alike; they have their own individual style which reflects in their work. Depending on the occasion in which you want the photographer for, you need to check out their portfolio. For example, a wedding photographer should have an extensive range of photographs in different conditions, outside, indoor, candid, formal and more classic shots. Businesses and corporations may wish to use a commercial photographer. Make sure the photographer you select has adequate experience in photographing most events such as weddings, christenings and graduations etc. Check out their colour and black and white work as there can be variations on both styles.

Personality

A sign of a good photographer is one that is prepared to listen to what you want and work closely with you to get the best results, a good photographer will never dismiss your ideas and tell you that he/she knows best, they will want you to be happy with their work and though they may offer their opinion the final decision should always rest with the customer. Also evaluate how they work with other people. A family photographer, particularly working with children should be patient and accommodating.

Experience

How long have they been in the business for? Do they have experience in working at many different events? Make sure they have at least a few years’ experience under their belt before hiring them for an important event. This will ensure that there are no tears when looking at the images of the day. Check out testimonials and ask around for references of your chosen photographer.

Pricing

Before signing on the dotted line, make sure the photographer is upfront about all of the costs involved. And don’t be afraid to ask. Be wary of photographers that offer a very low fee initially as you can get caught out when purchasing the prints as they most likely charge extremely high prices to buy the prints.

Get a full written and signed contract of what you are paying for, the hours, the location/s, the date/s of the event etc. Does the photographer have a cancellation policy? What about copyright?

By following these guidelines will assure that you will have a permanent record of your special day for many years to come.

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This post was written by the team at Beck Photographic – the premier Northampton wedding photographers.

When preparing for a trip, pack your equipment carefully. Take all different kinds of lenses, and make sure you take cleaning accessories and enough batteries. You should avoid taking any equipment you will not use, and consider how each item you bring will be useful to your goals.

You do not want to risk missing a fantastic photo because you do not know which camera setting to use or how to adjust it properly. Do not pick a preset because you need to modify your settings. Experiment with your camera’s features to see how different settings affect your photos.

When you go travelling, look around for new ideas on all the different things you can shoot. If you do not know where to start, take a look at some postcards. There are also postcards highlighting the major attractions in town, so make sure you include these on your subject list.

Even with drastic technological improvements in cell phone cameras, lighting is still an issue for most of them. Cell phone cameras generally lack a flash. Therefore, you’ll need to compose your shot to take advantage of the available lighting. Zooming in is a great way to cut out some of the shade or shadows around the user.

One technique for capturing a great shot is to start taking pictures at a distance and then move forward, taking additional photos, until your subject fills the frame. The viewer will have the ability to more clearly see a shot’s details. Sometimes, these details can increase the interest of the shot to the viewer.

Always hold your camera at your eye level, or adjust your body so that the camera’s perspective is level with your own. This is a great way to pull the viewer to the photo because it creates a personal atmosphere. If you want to take pictures of children, kneel to their eye level.

If you are photographing a bride or another person wearing white clothing, make sure to use a contrasting background color. Majority of cameras have auto focus, so it takes in all the shades present in the full shot. White is almost always “washed out” in shots like this.

You can get free photo editing software, and have a little fun with it. All photographers use some type of photo editor, so you don’t need to feel bad about using it. It can make the difference between a so-so photo, and one you want to frame. with only a few minor modifications.

Though you may not think you need a flash outside, take a look and make sure. Bright sunlight can create harsh, dark shadows on your subjects’ faces. Set your camera to the setting that allows you to use a technique called “fill flash” when you see shadows. This setting will eliminate the shadows that appear in deep facial folds.

Don’t be afraid to break some photography rules with your camera. Good photography takes unique style, and you want to show the world a new view through your lens. Try to stay away from taking pictures that are described as ‘classic’. Experiment with new angles, and be creative.

Your photography skills will improve from a mere hobby to a work of art. Produce photographs that you are proud of and wish to share with the world by utilizing some of the tips here. It will take a lot of practice, but take some of these tips and give it a go.

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Thanks for reading. The author is an editor at camerashq

As you can see, without leaving Lightroom you’re able to organize and generate amazing blog collages using the new MCP Actions Lightroom presets.

Here is an example:

What do you think? Will you be picking up a copy?

Thanks for reading,
Scott

SEO is often overlooked or thought to be a waste of time, but Photocrati has made it a point to tell you why it is well worth the time.

Photocrati has recently launched two interactive courses on the Udemy education platform. Here are some details:

For $97, Supercharge Your Photography Website teaches you the fundamentals of getting your photography website going and how to optimize it for your customers and business success.

You will learn about: Hosting, WordPress, Website basics, Plugins, Themes, Layouts, Galleries, Pages, Blogging, Social Media and more.

For $49, SEO for Photographers dives into the SEO of your photography website and how you can implement the basic, most crucial SEO techniques into your website.

You will learn about: What and Why, On and Off Site, Meta Tags, Link Building, Local SEO and more.

In the graphic below, you can see how blogging plays a roll in your site’s rankings.

With Google’s  new Author Rank algorithms, blogging and social media is more important than ever.  To learn more about this, check out the courses and get started today.

• Supercharge Your Photography Website
• SEO for Photographers

Thanks and good luck.