Photography Blogs

Photography Blogs are a fantastic place to get photography inspiration, they are frequently updated with new articles usually on the daily basis. Some blogs that I like are http://http://photo.tutsplus.com/, http://scottkelby.com/, and http://aboutrc.com/

Google Plus

Google Plus is a social network for connecting with people with similar interests. The idea of the site is to create circles which you can add people to based on different interests. Google+ is also becoming one of the main social networks for photographers due to its exceptionally good support for displaying images; you can even view the exif data of an image on Google+ to see which settings the shot was taken with.

500px

500px.com is a photography community for displaying your photos to the world; the front page of the website is full of beautiful images from various photographers; it is definitely great for photography inspiration.

Pinterest

Pinterest.com is a social network where users can create pinboards for things that they are interested in. Despite some people’s beliefs Pinterest is now only for women, Jeremy Cowart, a well known photographer has several pinboards on the site.

So what do you think? Are these good place to pull inspiration from? What other places do you look at for inspiration?

Featured Image Credit: fallingfifth.com

Use a Gary Card

Using a gray card is a great way to get better color in your images. After you take your photos you can use the curves feature in Photoshop then click on the highlight eye dropper and select a near white area in your photo and the eye dropper will turn that color to pure white which will correct the color cast in your image if there is one.

Note: To find a near white color, use the information eye dropper and look for an area around 255, 255, 255 RGB.

Use a colorimeter and profile your monitor

Using a colorimeter to profile your monitor is another great way to achieve better color in your images as often the colors that our monitor shows are not accurate.The colorimeter works by projecting different colors on your monitor and then checks them to see if they are displaying properly by utilizing a fancy algorithm .

Note: To achieve the best results from your colorimeter you will need to profile your monitor at lest biweekly if not weekly.

Use spot proofing.

Spot proofing works by simulating the paper type you will be printing on giving you an idea of what your photo will look like when printed.

Note: Spot Proofing is pretty much only useful when printing your photos on paper.

If you follow these steps you are sure to get better colors in your photos.

What are other good ways to get better colors in photos?

Header Image Credit: Dough Wheller

1. Wacom Intous 5 – Starts at $229

The Wacom Intous 5 is an indispensive tool for photo retouching, allow you to use various levels of pressure sensitivity. Plus, the new version comes with a multitouch interface for even more creative control. You can check out wacom at http://wacom.com/ 

2. Colormunki Photo – $439.95

The Xritie Colormunki Photo is an excellent colorimeter allowing you to get accurate color on your monitor, it also allows you to make printer profiles as well. You can check out Colormunki Photo at http://xritie.com/ 

3. Alzo Flip Bracket – Starts at $84

The Alzo Flip Bracket allows you to place your compact flash off camera allowing for more creative opportunities. You can check out the Alzo Flip Bracket at http://alzodigital.com/

4. Boda Lens Bag  - $99.99

Ever had to carry many lenses only to find that it’s frustrating to have to open and close your bag to change lenses? Well, the boca lens bag is designed for this purpose. It allows you to easily access your lenses so you can change them on the fly, but not only does it hold lenses, it allows hold water bottles, business cards, etc. You can check out the Boda Bag at http://goboda.com/

5. Nik Software Suite – Starts at $299.95

As photographers we all want to take our photography to the next level, the Nik Software Suite allows you to create stunning images with various effect presets which are fully customizable. You can check out the Suite at http://niksoftware.com/

6. Scott Kelby’s Crush The Composition DVD – $49.99

Scott Kelby is the CEO of NAPP and has made various videos and books on photography, Crush The Composition takes a modern look at getting better composition in your images. You can check out the DVD at http://kelbytraining.com/ 

7. Chris Orwig’s Visual Poetry Book – $30.48

Chris Orwig’s book is a keep addiction to any photographer’s bookshelf; it is full of inspiration, tips and ideas to enhance your photography. Check it out on Visual-Poet.com

8. iPad Mini – Starts at $329

The iPad Mini is a fun and awesome gift for the photographer in your life, with over seven million apps just for iPad alone. You can buy one at http://apple.com/

9. Gdrive Hard Drive – Starts at $99.99

As photographers we all need someone to storage all our images, the gdrive makes this simple. Check out the gdrive at http://g-technology.com/

10. 500px.com Awesome Account – $49.95 per year

We all need a place to share our images with the world, 500px.com is the leading online photo community for sharing photos with the world. Check them out at http://500px.com/

I hope this list gives you good gift  ideas for the photographer in your life. Did I miss anything? Let me know by commenting on this post.

If you would like more gift ideas check out this post by Photodoto.com at http://photodoto.com/gifts-for-photographers/