Royalty Free is the relative newcomer to image stock licensing and has become probably the most common license due the rapid growth of the Microstock agencies. In effect, it is a pay once, use for anything license, but with certain important caveats, that I will come to shortly. The person buying a Royalty Free license is generally granted the rights to use the images as they like and as many times as they like. They do not own the image but they do have a virtually unlimited license to use it as they please.

The caveats are as follows and are usually set down by the stock agency. Any people, trademarks or other copyright objects will not be accepted unless accompanied by the relevant model/property releases. This is because Royalty Free images can be used for commercial products, for example a picture of a young girl may be used to sell a type of yogurt. Because the agency licensing the image has no idea what the image will be used for, they lay down fairly stringent rules as to what can be accepted without releases.

A classic example is that an image of the Eiffel Tower shot in the day would probably be accepted. If it is shot at night, it would require a release because the lights on the tower are subject to copyright. It is a veritable minefield but fortunately when sending images, the submissions department will spot potential problems and reject the image.

Two shots taken the the same time in the same location. The first image would be acceptable as Royalty Free as no licenses are required. The second shot would almost certainly be refused unless you had permission from the ship’s owners as the company’s logo is clearly visible.

The Rights Managed license was, until the advent of digital photography and Microstock agencies, the more predominant license. It is still the most important license in higher end stock photography because it allows an image to be used exclusively.

Roughly, a Rights Managed image is licensed for a very specific use and time period. For example a magazine may license an image to be used as a full-page front cover for one month. Under the terms of the license the magazine would not be able to use that image for anything else unless they extend the terms of the license or purchased a new one.

Generally images sold under a Rights Managed license are not as restricted by releases as Royalty Free. This is because the terms of the license define its use. In the above example, the magazine would be defined as editorial use and therefore an image of a person would be allowed. If a company advertising a product or service within the magazine used the same image, its use would be defined as commercial and therefore would require release.

In a further sub clause of the Rights Managed license, a potential buyer can request restrictions on further use of the image by other licensee’s. For instance a British bank using an image for advertising in the UK may request that the image is not used for any other advertising within the UK. These restrictions usually incur an additional surcharge to the original license.

This Rights Managed image has sold both commercially and editorially. Penguins do not require releases.

As mentioned, this is only meant to be a short rough guide to licenses; there are further sub clauses within licenses and various other restrictions. If in doubt, contact your stock agency and ask them what license would be preferable. There is also a wealth of information out there regarding releases and what can and cannot be used without them.

Duly Noted Studio Outtake by dollen, on Flickr

Lights – The age old question: Strobes or continuous lights? The answer will vary greatly and is seemingly widely based on personal preference. A strobe light, will only emit a burst of light when it is triggered to do so, usually by the camera it is synced with; whereas continuous light will emit light without hesitation until you physically turn it off, much like any household lamp. Continuous lights come in hot and cool varieties, the difference being one can get scorching hot and make for some really unhappy models and the other stays cool to the touch while delivering an unwavering supply of light. For obvious reasons, cool continuous lighting has the advantage.

Hot or cool, continuous lighting is nice because you can see immediate results of your lighting pattern, since the lights are always going. That being said, many newer strobes are being made with a “modeling light” which will temporarily give you the same benefit. Strobes and flashes will also give you a greater degree of control of light output over continuous lighting.

When choosing strobes, buy a high wattage variety. It’s impossible to make a low wattage light brighter, but fairly easy to stop down a high wattage one. Whether you prefer strobes or continuous, it’s pretty important to provide the lights with heavy duty, solid stands. Lighting is expensive, a good stand will help protect your investment from falls. You may even consider using sand bags to weigh them down.

Light Meter- Photographers seem to hold very strong opinions on certain types of gear and light meters are the subjects of many heated debates. Some argue that light meters are becoming more and more obsolete as the days of shooting on film are quickly receding. Not only are the light meters in newer DSLRs much improved, but when shooting digital you also have the capability to instantly see the results, allowing you to make any needed adjustments before shooting the image again. Others argue that this is the lazy man’s way of finding the proper exposure and prefer a light meter to get the job done right the first time around.

Unlike the meter inside your camera, a hand-held incident light meter will allow you to meter specific areas of an image such as a model’s face, shoes, or props, allowing you to average out the readings to get the ideal exposure. New photographers often find meters invaluable as they essentially take out all the guesswork and can be vital tools when shooting in certain situations.

Photography studio SFMOMA, Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, California, USA by Wonderlane, on Flickr

Reflectors & Umbrellas – If your budget allows it, keep both a set of reflectors and an umbrella in your studio. Reflectors are an inexpensive way to add fill light to photographs and also give them different light temperatures depending on which color reflector you are using. When purchasing a reflector, buy a fairly large collapsible one. They are lightweight, easy to store, and can be folded down to smaller sizes if need be. If you have an assistant on hand to hold your reflector for you, excellent. If not, pick up a couple of clamps and just clamp them to a standard light stand. Umbrella’s are great for taking portraits because they bounce back highly diffused light, which softens skin tones. Some umbrellas have a black backing that can be removed to further soften the light. Again, invest in a good quality stand for your umbrella. If you’re really feeling the process of building your studio, a softbox is another type of diffuser that some consider essential to their arsenal.

New Equipment by Bruce McKay Yellow Snow Photography, on Flickr

Most photographers that are just beginning to build their studio will feel quite comfortable with a two light setup. Yes, more will inevitably be better, but most shoots can be done well using just a handful of equipment. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the basics before you indulge in the extras and be sure to let us know what piece of lighting equipment you couldn’t live without in the studio in the comments below.

Tiffany Mueller is a professional music and fine art photographer. Published in various publications including magazines, art journals, as well as books, Tiffany has been fortunate enough to have been in a perpetual state of travel since her youth and is currently working on a 50-states project. You can keep up with Tiffany via Twitter at or on her personal blog.

Winter waves by dicktay2000, on Flickr

When Water Drops Collide by laszlo-photo, on Flickr

golden waterfall by paul bica, on Flickr

Habanero splash by Tambako the Jaguar, on Flickr

quarter past 5 by Debasis ~~, on Flickr

Autumn leaves at the top of the weir by Steve-h, on Flickr

Bokeh-licious by VinothChandar, on Flickr

espejo by A6U571N, on Flickr

Oceanic by Έλενα Λαγαρία, on Flickr

wallaman falls IR by paul bica, on Flickr

blue dream by paul bica, on Flickr

Blue mists at Snoqualmie Falls by joiseyshowaa, on Flickr

Viv goes surfing! by kevin dooley, on Flickr

niagara falls by paul bica, on Flickr

Pink drops by aussiegall, on Flickr

H2O by Luz Adriana Villa A., on Flickr

Twitter 365 Project – Day 71 by rich115, on Flickr

another reason by notsogoodphotography, on Flickr

Ethereal blue bubble trip {Explored} by Kerekes János Csongor, on Flickr

A moment in time by blinkingidiot, on Flickr

Mijocama by Phil Grondin, on Flickr

hidden colors by spettacolopuro, on Flickr

Freshwater lakes by kevin dooley, on Flickr

Riffelsee by Jeff Pang, on Flickr

Diana’s sunset by kevin dooley, on Flickr

Bangladesh by Orangeadnan, on Flickr

International season´s week – semana internacional de las estaciones. Colombian Fall – otoño colombiano by Luz Adriana Villa A., on Flickr

Other Cool Links on Photographing Water

• 45 Clever Close Up Photographs of Water Drops
• How to Photograph Water Drops
• 21 Creatively Captured Moon Reflections in Water

Night photography can be split into to distinct timeframes, the hour just after sunset, l’Heure Blue as the French call it, which translates as the Blue Hour and the time after, the night proper. The two need slightly different approaches and can give very different results.

Tips for Shooting in the Blue Hour

l’Heure Blue is in many ways perfectly described, it is the time after the sun goes down when the sky and the shadows become a dark rich blue. The first thing you need to do is pick your subject carefully, by its very nature the Blue Hour still leaves a little ambient light mixed in with the artificial light. Architecture, bridges and other large infrastructure subjects are good things to shoot at this time. Look for a subject that is well lit with artificial light as well having enough space around to show some of the detail in the sky. It is that combination of the rich blue with the orange, red and yellow of the artificial light that makes these images so potent.

A tripod is going to be your friend here, allowing you to keep to the slower shutter speed required with the optimum ISO for your camera. If you are shooting architecture, try to use a fairly small aperture to give you good depth of field.

To meter, use your camera’s spot meter or if it does not have it, then switch to center weighted and take a reading from the sky region only. Then add between one and one and a half stops to the exposure. Experiment around this point using your histogram not LCD as a guide. You will also need to work on your white balance if your are shooting jpg as the mixture of ambient and artificial light may cause cross colour problems. A better option would be to shoot Raw and correct in the post production, this has the double effect of giving you a better dynamic range as well.

The biggest issue you will have with the Blue Hour is its brevity. Depending on where you are in the world, the timespan for good shots can range from one hour down to just a few minutes. For this reason, prepare, arrive early and concentrate on just one subject to maximize your effectiveness.

The Keys to Better Night Photography

Night Photography can yield very different results to the Blue Hour. Gone is the deep blue of the sky, replaced by an inky black darkness. The contrast between this darkness and the bright lights of your subject can make exposure challenging as can finding a subject itself. City skylines work well, the light pollution of the city eliminating too many dark pockets in the image. The obligatory use of a slow shutter speed can be put to good use in capturing the light trails of vehicles as well as blurring reflections on water.

Unlike film, digital cameras do not suffer from reciprocity failure, an effect where the color curves in a film cross, leading to all sorts of unpredictable results. Because of these you can use very long exposure times to capture as much detail as possible. Because the light is not going to change very much, experiment with your exposure using anything between 1/15 of a second all the way through to several minutes if your camera is capable. In order to get the very best quality, use an external timer to eliminate camera shake and if possible lock your mirror up before the exposure.

Use a sturdy tripod and if there is any wind then try to weigh your tripod down with your camera bag. One issue you may run into with very long exposures is noise, there is a technique for reducing this, exposure stacking. Because noise is random, by taking two identical exposures, you can merge the two in photoshop resulting in a dramatic reduction in the image noise. As with the Blue Hour, it is best to work in Raw, especially as you may have a range of different light sources.

This is just a small selection of ideas and tips for night photography, there are many other themes you can follow, such as painting with light, moonlit landscapes and astrophotography to mention just a few.

The beauty of digital photography is that you are free to experiment, review images instantly and find out what is working for you. Just don’t forget your tripod.

When you open a Raw file in Photoshop, the program will automatically open the ACR plugin and preview the image in a large window. Surrounding this window are the important tools you need for your Raw conversion. Running along the top of the preview window are a set of image manipulation tools, in essence, very similar to Photoshop’s own tool palette.

The first two tools from the left allow you to zoom in to, and move around the image. The next tool, the first of the eye droppers, allows you to set a white balance by clicking on a neutral grey area of the image. The next eye dropper tool allows you the measure the RGB value of any point within the image by clicking the tool on that point.

Next along we have a fairly new and very powerful tool, the Targeted Adjustment Tool. This will allow you to make adjustments on selected parts of the image, for example clicking and dragging it in an area of blue sky the tool will adjust only on areas of the image similar to the point selected. Right clicking in the image with this tool selected, will reveal a number of different adjustment types available, including curves, hue, saturation and luminance. One other tool of significance along the top, is the Graduated Filter tool. Clicking and dragging this tool in the image will create a rectangular selection area that can be manipulated using the adjustments in the palette on the right hand of the screen, these include exposure, brightness and contrast.

Moving to the main palette on the right of the screen, at the top we have the all important histogram. The two small triangles at the top left and right of the histogram, when clicked, will reveal areas of the image that are clipped. The white triangle shows the shadows clipping, and are shown in blue on the image, and the black triangle, the highlight clipping shown in red. Below the histogram is basic camera and exposure information. Below this is a selection of icons, each of which reveals a different set of tools.

By default when ACR opens this is set to basic mode. This allows you to control the most important image adjustments, such as white balance, exposure, recovery, which allows you to pull back the highlights and blacks which does the same for the shadows. The adjustments are very similar to the ones you would find in the image/adjustments menu in Photoshop. The auto icon will set values based on the histogram, to give what it believes is the optimum image and default reverses any corrections.

The next icon along from basic is the curve tool. When first opening you will see two tabs, Parametric and Point. Parametric allows you to adjust the curve using the sliders below the graph, whilst point is more accurate, allowing you to select points within the curve for finer adjustment.

The third icon at the top, reveals a combination of sharpening and noise reduction tools, although you may find Photoshop’s own tools are more comprehensive. The fourth icon allows fine adjustment to Hue, Saturation and Luminance in eight of the main colors and also allows conversion to greyscale whilst still being able to adjust those colors. This is useful for attempting to simulate filter effects in black and white. The next icon, allows you to change the highlight and shadows saturation for any particular hue and is useful for removing color casts in the shadows.

The next along is the lens correction tool. Enabling this will give you a seres of drop-down menus where you can define your lens make and model. You can then use the sliders below to correct distortion, chromatic aberration and vignetting. You can also auto correct and create your own lens profiles. If your lens is not listed, clicking on the manual tab reveals a range of more specific controls. The remaining tools are less significant than the ones already mentioned, but allow you among other things, to take snapshots as you correct an image or create your own profiles.

At the very bottom right of the screen you have three choices. Open image will open the adjusted image in Photoshop, cancel will remove all adjustments and close ACR and done will apply the adjustments and close ACR. One other useful ability ACR has is batch processing. If you open multiple Raw files in Photoshop, all of these will be shown in a browser to the left of the main image in ACR. You can then make adjustments to individual images or apply them to multiple images.

All in all, Adobe Camera Raw is a very powerful tool and may be very useful for those who do not use image management programs or people looking for tight integration into the Photoshop world.

Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his site, The Odessa Files. He also maintains a blog chronicling his exploits as an Expat in the former Soviet Union.

Man on The Street by Bob Jagendorf, on Flickr

Please feel free to check out the Toad’s newsletter!  If you head over to sign up for exclusive Free HDR Guides, Tips and News you can download his first edition eBook “The Toads Tog Tips | The f-stops Here” instantly!  The next edition of eBook is well underway now and will be made available exclusively for free to his subscribers.

TUTORIALS

Dodging and Burning With a Purpose: Photoshop CS5 – Blake Rudis creates and shares a new 10 minute tutorial video that takes the viewer through the process of using the dodging and burning tool in Photoshop CS5.

HDR – The Capital Transit Snow Sweeper – Monochrome HTDS – Mark Neal shares a brief article on the drama inherent in monochromatic images.  Using a true HDR shot as the source, Mark takes us through his steps in converting this shot and posts examples of the workflow in progress.

Learning Speedlights – The First Step in Expanding Your Photography with Lighting – Chase Jarvis introduces us to what looks like a wonderful online workshop to help those just starting out with speedlights.  Mark Wallace hosts a 3 day symposium online that is free to register for that looks to be of huge benefit to those breaking into this genre of photography.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Return to the Penitentiary – a leader in the realm of incredible UrBex HDR photography, Mike (Theaterwiz) takes us deep inside the famous Eastern State Penitentiary for a close-up look at two presentations on display there.  You will find some of the most incredible colors, details and textures in these mesmerizing images.  Great drama is found in the details visible, but the real strength in these shots lies in what remains unanswered.  An absolute must-see post in this week’s list.

Hayley Lewis Photography – Hayley is an amazing 15 year old photographer with much passion and hope for her life.  She has a natural knack for photography, and her site contains some really great examples of her work broken down into categories.

Shepherd with 300 – the power of the ability to express scale and scope in a single image is shown in this great photograph by Marcin Sobas.  A shepherd works his flock on a beautiful hillside, and we get an incredible image that is sure to captivate the imagination of all who visit.

Tower of Dust – Mike Olbinski captures a stunning image of a natural phenomenon.  A massive dust cloud creates a scene of incredible drama, and Mike takes a picture that leaves the viewer absolutely astonished.

San Diego City Skyline – this is a truly breathtaking photograph by Aaron Barlow of the city of San Diego’s striking skyline.  The black-and-white image accents the incredible architecture of the city and produces a strong sense of drama, which is all accented by some gentle reflections in the water.

Smith Tower Moon – another epic shot of the recent supermoon is captured and shared, this one by Jay Taylor.  The dramatic city skyline of Seattle adds a touch of interest through drama, producing a scene that is a must-see image in this week’s list.

Avebury Henge – a sense of time and space is presented in this wonderful picture from Chris Maskell.  This historic location is oft-photographed and Chris does a great job of sharing his vision and story with this image.

Washed Up – the power of long exposure photography is explored in this wonderful post by Mark Mullen.  There is a strong contradiction between the silky, smooth water and the sharp natural elements that make the shoreline, combining to really create a piece that is sure to delight and amaze everyone who visits.

Rolled – shapes in geometry when created through natural elements can make for great photography.  Jerry Denham grabs a shot of a rolling hillside peppered with bales of hay, creating a really wonderful image to visit and enjoy.

Macro Beauty – Lee Brown captures and shares a series of images of beautiful flowers in the spring.  Lee also posts a few technical details, providing the viewer with a little insight into how these wonderful images were created.

feeding time by hofluk, on Flickr

Waiting for Sunset – a lonely bench waits on a hill for a visitor to come sit a spell, and Curt Fleenor uses this as a subject for his photography.  The natural tension that Curt captures in this scene leaves the viewer mesmerized by the incredible pending sunset.

Le Globular – an incredibly sharp and shallow depth of focus brings this plant to life for everyone to enjoy in this wonderful photograph.  Great details in the flower begin to emerge for the viewer as you spend time taking it all in.

Namaqualand Landscape – a magical South African landscape is photographed here by Barbara Youngleson.  The beautiful colors in the flowers are juxtaposed against the rolling and mountainous landscape that creates the backdrop.

The Steel City – this is a completely tricky image to create given all the brackets and panels involved in putting it together.  Dave DiCello creates an almost 360 degree view of the city of Pittsburgh from the 58th floor of a skyscraper.

The Homestead – nothing that a lick of paint and some gardening wouldn’t fix up.  Bob Lussier takes us deep into the desert where he finds an abandoned travel trailer and an old bus…  the perfect subjects for his wonderful work with HDR photography.

Leatherman Bridge – the old covered bridges in the States speak of an older time, preserving the character and heritage of the area.  Rich McPeek captures three iconic shots of one of these bridges, and shares a really wonderful series here with everyone.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona – perhaps older than time itself, Anne McKinnell takes us to a place where the trees are 200 million years old, and today are petrified.  These ancient trees today are mostly made up of quartz, requiring a diamond tipped saw to cut through them.  This is an absolutely mesmerizing post, sure to leave the visitor with many questions left unanswered.

Binky Blue – Wayne Frost captures and shares a colorful image of a new generation Chevrolet Corvette.  This is a great image contrasting the mechanized marvel of engineering against a beautiful natural outdoor setting.

Weekend Relaxer #19 – just back from what sounds to be a wonderful holiday Chris Nitz continues his tradition of sharing great images of labels and bottles.  In this edition, we have a bottle of rum front-and-center, and Chris really does a great job of composing and creating another great image here.

The Secrets That They Keep – a stand of trees silently contemplates the universe in this dramatic image from CJ Schmit.  The composition that CJ used to create this shot accents the height of the trees adding further drama.

The Shape of Rust – cars can make for striking photography subjects, and Rachel Cohen finds a great example in this photograph.  This classic old car creates a striking pose in the scene, and all the textures, details and lines she has captured really come to life for all to enjoy.

A New Spring – this is a really cool image with subtle gifts.  Chris Maskell creates an abstract piece with a selective spot of green color to bring the scene to life.  This gentle expression of spring is a real joy to view, and is something that is sure to please everyone who pops by for a visit.

Theme: “Shadows” – shadows create incredible drama in photography, and form some of our personal favorite elements to explore.  Howard takes us on a journey at a farm where he finds and captures some of the best shadows we’ve seen this week.

A Southwest Sunset – fabulous colors in the sky are punctuated by a dark and dramatic sky in this sunset photograph by Helene Kobelnyk.  The dichotomy of these two elements merge wonderfully to create a very striking image.

Portland Transmission 2012 – summer is definitely on its way, and this is always a harbinger for great cars to start popping out of garages everywhere.  Bob Byington captures and shares a colorful image of a well-done hotrod.  Note the ability to open the pipes on this car: you would probably hear this badboy from quite the distance.

Abandoned Wedding Venue – a great set of gritty and textured images awaits the viewer in this post.  An old mansion lies abandoned for several years now, and as Mother Nature begins her disassembly process we get to view a fabulous set of images that highlight some of the features of this facility.

Purple – selective color can add so much drama and interest to a scene, providing a strong sense of contrast and punch.  annie69hun captures a wonderful photo and then pulls all the color out of the scene, except for the gorgeous purple flower, and in turn this delivers a delightful image to view.

Percival Landing sunset – exquisite silhouettes create striking outlines against the backdrop of a sunset.  Scott Wood captures and shares a very compelling scene, one that is sure to engage to viewer.

The Lake, Central Park – Infrared – there is little doubt that anyone has seen the lake in Central Park expressed like this before.  This is a truly compelling photograph from Mark Garbowski that takes us to this iconic park lake and shares a vision created using infrared techniques.  This technique really highlights the details in the scenery and in turn creates compelling imagery.

Serenity – Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck capture and share a foggy scene captured in San Francisco.  The pier creates a strong natural leading line in the shot with a touch of a vanishing point, and this is all accented by the dramatic fog.

Hunting Lodge A – Guest WC – Mark Blundell takes us deep into a washroom in an abandoned hunting lodge.  Great, gritty textures are all brought to life in this shot, and the shadows on the wall add a strong sense of drama to the scene.

Hunting Lodge – Main Stairs – this image is perfectly composed, creating a dramatic and beautiful image to take in and enjoy.  Mark Blundell takes us back to the abandoned hunting lodge where this time we get a view of the absolutely exquisite main staircase.

Hunting Lodge A – Kitchen – this post completes the trilogy of images captured at the abandoned hunting lodge by Mark Blundell.  This nearly empty kitchen is full of wonderful textures that Mark captures so perfectly, and these textures are highlighted by some really wonderful shadows that make an appearance here.

Stavekirke Chapel – this chapel is a direct recreation of an 840 year old facility in Norway.  We are taken on an exploration of some of the incredible architectural details in this facility by joining Dakota Visions Photography on their expedition.

Amsterdam impressions – a canal in Amsterdam is visually explored through the lens of Jim Nix in this colorful photograph.  All the inherent wonder in this old, old city is brought to life in this shot for everyone to enjoy.

1928 Ford Sedan – Jimi Jones delivers a truly exquisite set of HDR images of this iconic American classic car.  The paint job on this car is beyond description, and Jimi shares a set of images that brings all the depth and rich colors of the finish to life.

Something special…. by -Delphine – Back, on Flickr

Operation Super Moon – a beautiful church is bathed in the gentle light of the super moon in this wonderful photograph from Tim Stanley.  This is one of those shots that paints an almost mystical scene in the viewers mind, one that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua (Part 3) – a wonderful blend of old and new is explored in this series from Mark Summerfield.  Great details in the stonework is offset by the restoration work that has been done here, and Mark does a great job in photographing this interesting facility.

Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua (Part 4) – a final post to the series above takes us right into the harbour to view and enjoy the nautical theme of the area.  Mark Summerfield once again delivers a series of images that is guaranteed to absolutely amaze everyone who visits.

Notes From The Camera – Page #10 – our very own Tom Dinning (@tomdinning) here at Light Stalking delivers a striking post with this fence line.  His accompanying words really help to paint the scene he captured, creating a post that leaves the viewer introspective.

Skógafoss – this is truly one of those scenes that is almost impossible to describe properly.  Anna Guðmundsdóttir captures a stunning landscape scene that displays a gorgeous waterfall and reflecting pool, creating a compelling scene that is sure to captivate the mind of all who visit.

Stay Gold – gentle natural tones are exposed in this waterfall scene as captured and shared by Jerry Denham.  The juxtaposition of the smooth and fast running water is contrasted by the crisp details and colors in the rock formations creating a wonderful image.

The Painted Ladies – the lovely homes of San Francisco form the subject of this image by Hansrico Photography.  These iconic homes are known worldwide for their character and beauty and Rick does a fabulous job of bringing this scene to his blog and audience for all to enjoy.

Yosemite Panorama – this stunning 7 frame panorama is created and shared here by Jason Hines.  Jason uses this technique to create an expansive image that captures a strong sense of the scale of the area.

Ross Bay Cemetery – this historic cemetery holds much value in the city of Victoria in terms of our heritage.  Local photographer Ehpem captures and shares a scene from here that really delivers both a strong sense of drama as well as serenity in the black-and-white photograph shared.

An Evening in Piazza Plebiscito – Adam Allegro delivers a breathtaking architectural study of Piazza Plebiscito in Naples, Italy.  Taken in the evening, the delicate light and rich character of the setting is wonderful explored by Adam, who creates two images that are sincerely without peer.

Time Bends. Space is Boundless. – tons of great elements are explored in this wonderful photograph from Andy Gimino.  A beautiful natural waterfall creates a lovely little eddy at the base, and all this is brought together with the rich green tones of the surroundings.

The Haagsche Tramweg-Maatschappij 1329 Trolley – a wonderful old streetcar forms the perfect subject matter for Mark Neal.  Mark delivers a scene here reminiscent of a period from 50 years ago; a very compelling shot, sure to please all who visit.

Morning At The Fitz – Jim Denham shares a great photograph of a historic theatre in St. Paul.  Jim does a truly wonderful job of composing this shot, creating a picture that highlights all the best that the architecture exposes.

Outside – delicate processing techniques bring the vision to life as expressed by Mark Garbowski.  This HDR shot of an abandoned and decaying room possesses an almost magical light streaming in from the right creating a strong sense of tension in this highly dramatic scene.

Into The Mist – an otherworldly scene is painted here with the lens of Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck.  Great natural leading lines formed by the fence are accented by the wonderful mirror reflections cast from the still waters, all of which come together with the rolling fog to create a super image.

The International – one of the oldest hotels in the Western States is explored in this post from Bob Lussier.  All the great details of this storied building are brought to life with the interior shot that Bob shares.  We also get a bonus of several outside shots of the building, helping to paint an entire scene for the viewer to take in and enjoy.

Dance of Light – an absolutely breathtaking laser show of immense proportions is photographed by Elia Locardi.  Incredible colors and amazing details are all carefully and masterfully captured in this shot, a must-see image in this week’s list.

Belvedere – this is an image of a truly incredible Italian landscape.  The green rolling hills guide the viewer through the frame in this epic photograph created by Tonio Di Stefano.

before the sun goes down – wonderful colors and tones in the sky are all captured in this wonderful photograph by Adam Dobrovits.  Piers extend out over the horizon, leading the visitor quite naturally through the image with incredible leading lines.

Blue hour over Bratislava – prepare to be utterly amazed with this incredible photograph by Jim Nix.  Perched high over the city below, Jim and his friend capture a magical scene full of wonderful colors and details to take in and enjoy.

Tiger Moth – de Havilland DH 82 – a classic biplane awaits the viewer in this iconic shot by Jimi Jones.  These old aircraft are truly romantic and compelling to see, and this image as shot by Jimi really brings all this wonder to the viewer.

Idyllic Hillsborough Vineyards – we are taking on a brief exploration of the Virginia wine area by Jay&Jacy Photography.  The two HDR images of the landscape posted here are both absolutely gorgeous, well worth the time to visit and view.

Empire State of Mind – this is a true gem!  Rick at Hansrico Photography delivers a gorgeous nighttime panorama shot taken high atop the Rockefeller Center, delivering a stunning scene of the city of NYC below.

A Splash of Red – great selective color images have the ability to convey a story in one quick view.  Edith Levy uses her new ND filter to create a long exposure shot and in turn processes the result using selective color to really share a wonderful visual story with her visitors.

Manhattan Round Up – another series of shots of the NYC skyline is presented here.  Dave DiCello creates a set of HDR images of this iconic city twinkling below.  Dave’s unique style really brings all the shots to life, delivering a set of photographs that is a must-see in this week’s list.

Longing Long Exposure – Jim Denham displays his skill and mastery of photography in this pair of wonderful photographs.  The first image explores the intrigue and romance inherent in trains, and the second photo shares a scene of a beautiful landscape on a lake’s shore.

Package Goods – a door rich in heritage and history is photographed here by Bob Lussier.  The wonderful old school font used to paint the letters on the door deliver a strong sense of nostalgia, and Bob has done a top drawer job in capturing and processing this scene to share.

The Same, But Abstract – a dreamy ethereal piece awaits the viewer in this post by Eden R. Ellis.  As spring finally lands, gorgeous, bright scenes like this one are absolutely captivating to view and enjoy.

HYP Club – lovely tones and details in the brickwork are captured and accented by the processing of Rich McPeek in this photograph.  This fabulous architectural study of an iconic building in Pittsburgh is a true joy to take in.

Groggy by SodanieChea, on Flickr

Dandelion – a lone fluffy dandelion poses for the shutter of Aaron Barlow in this great shot.  Aaron somehow magically separates the flower from the background, producing a piece that is both mesmerizing to look at and also leaves the viewer wondering how he managed to do this.

Power of nature – bright and vibrant tendrils of lightning grace the beautiful sky as Dmitry Zvolski stands ready with his camera to capture this stunning photograph.  In a scene reminiscent of what a world would look like if the Gods were angered, this breathtaking piece is a must-see shot in this week’s roundup.

A Nighttime View of St. Thomas from Villa Kia Ora – a beautiful, beautiful tropical vista is shared in this breathtaking piece by Chris Nitz.  These incredible islands are oasis’ in the maelstrom of modern-day living, and Chris captures and shares a shot here sure to bring peace to all who pop by to view.

sakin – a gentle reflection punctuates a winter scene in this wonderful image by omer72.  Really gorgeous colors in the home on the shore are reflected back delicately in the water, combining to produce a very compelling piece that is sure to be enjoyed by all who visit.

Down On The Farm – a wonderful and peaceful scene of a barn sitting quietly in the countryside is posted and shared here by Jerry Denham.  This beautiful reflection in the still pool of water in the foreground creates a strong element of interest.

Final Destination … – the aurora borealis cast an amazing green glow on this breathtaking scene, and Iurie Belegurschi creates a truly compelling scene by photographing it.  A weathered boat sits on the shoreline, creating a huge element of intrigue for the shot.

Dancing in Phoenix – stepping outside our comfort zones usually results in expanding our horizons.  Chris Frailey recently attended a presentation on lighting and came away with a truly fabulous series of images of dancers in action.

Harwood Rails – a classic composition awaits the viewer with this photograph created by Michael Trauffer.  This shot delivers a sense of Americana which is absolutely accented by the vanishing point created by the never ending railroad track.

HDR – Trolley Graffiti – the natural results of rust oxidation can produce the best textures for photography, especially if created using HDR.  This rusty train car as photographed by Mark Neal is truly a great example of this.

Bluebird Passing Food To Its Mate – these beautiful and colorful birds are the perfect subjects for Steve Creek.  Through Steve’s photography we get to see a new family going about daily life, and because of this these photographs are a true joy to visit and view.

Peony Bloom – Mark Paulson captures an absolutely beautiful image of a peony in bloom.  The rich and vibrant colors in this shot are wonderful beyond description, resulting in a must-see shot in this week’s list.

Squares – this is a great architectural and shape study as done by Edin Chavez.  Edin employs his personal composition in setting up this shot and in turn creates a very compelling photograph that is very captivating to view.

In The Pink – a beautiful little ladybug goes about her business in the midst of a huge pink flower.  Bev does a wonderful job in composing this shot, bringing the natural beauty of the scene to life for all to enjoy.

Red-bellied Woodpecker – and His Red Belly – we always marvel at the raw beauty of Mother Nature, and in this incredible photograph by Kerri Farley we get a great example of this.  This colorful and character-rich bird is eloquently captured by Kerri.

Out of the Blue – rich details and gentle colors are explored in this great image of a busy insect.  The shallow depth-of-focus that Bev used to create this image really makes the little creature stand right out in this shot; a picture well worth the time to visit and view.

INTERESTING BLOGS

Software To Replace Photographers [The Ones That Deserve It] – technology continues to evolve and as a photographer it’s imperative to keep up with the evolution.  With that being said, it’s hard to imagine a world where the vision and artistic touch of a human being are not required to create certain forms of art, and Chase Jarvis discusses this in his post here.

Burnouts in Australia! – this looks like WAY too much fun!!  This incredible set of photographs showcases a burnout event held in Australia.  Blown V8’s go about their business of turning new tires into shredded carcasses and we get to see the results of this epic event.

Lister Block – Between the Darkness and the Light – this is something you just don’t see often.  A decaying and forlorn UrBex location is carefully documented as it goes about a restoration and refurbishment process.  This is an amazing post, guaranteed to be well worth the time to visit and view.

Chernobyl / Pripyat – Oct 2011 – one of the biggest known man made disasters in history is explored in this brief series of photographs.  This eerie set of images shares a landscape that most will not see in person in their lifetimes due to the lingering radiation that exists even after all these years.

Rusted Beauty – rust can create the most amazing natural textures and in turn makes for great photography.  This post highlights a series of various shots from people all over the world who have found examples of compelling scenes full of rusty goodness.

Reliving the Civil War through Digital Photography – dramatic civil war scenes are recreated and John Mead is there to photograph the events.  John highlights some of his personal family history in this post, which really adds a wonderful depth and interest to the photographs he has so carefully captured and processed to share with everyone.

Alex Koloskov’s best liquid photography of 2011 – you won’t believe the crazy talent that Alex has in the realm of liquid photography.  This short video piece shares his best images from 2011.  He creates really wonderful shapes and features in his work, creating natural looking images that are full of splendor and wonder.

Hay algo más etéreo que un museo del aire? – our very own Astaroth (@astaroth) here at Light Stalking takes us to an aeronautical museum.  He captures and shares a large series of images of propellor and jet planes, creating a post that makes the viewer feel like they’ve had a chance to visit the facility personally.

The Exploration of Letchworth Village – take a tour of an abandoned asylum in this post from Thomas Slatin.  He shares a great set of shots as well as some links at the bottom of his article that take the visitor deeper into the facility through posts made by other UrBex adventurers.

The Vanishing point by Mustafa Khayat, on Flickr

Patterns on a rooftop by Steve-h, on Flickr

The lonely walk by VinothChandar, on Flickr

Dawn Mist on the Chiltern Line by Ella’s Dad, on Flickr

Almost to the point by Steve-h, on Flickr

Atomium Escalator by saturn ♄, on Flickr

The Calatrava Tunnel (Explore) by Bert Kaufmann, on Flickr

O’hare by papalars, on Flickr

Passage by fdecomite, on Flickr

endless by Victor Bezrukov, on Flickr

The Grand Corridors @ Tanjore Brihadeeswara Temple by VinothChandar, on Flickr

Vanishing Point Chileno Valley by St0rmz, on Flickr

Vanishing Cables by laszlo-photo, on Flickr

2011-25-09 by Manu_H, on Flickr

Vanish by -= Bruce Berrien =-, on Flickr

Untitled by Mikelo, on Flickr

the road ahead by Dave_B_, on Flickr

Vanishing Point by rynde, on Flickr

The Vanishing Pier by प्रतीक, on Flickr

Other Resources on Photographic Composition

• The Rule of Thirds
• The Golden Section
• Use These 5 Elements to Compose Great Photographs
• When to Landscape a Portrait and Vice Versa

So why would you choose to host images online? Well there can be many reasons to do so – firstly, simply to share your latest creations with friends and family or with your peers for critique. You may wish to sell some of your images as prints, again to friends and family  or to the wider world. For some it may just be a simple requirement to back up images offsite. Some of you may need a full commercial product to sell prints, digital licenses and a full range of products. Whatever you require, there will be a site for you. In this article we will take a look at range of the more popular sites available.

Free Image Hosting – The following are some of the most common free image hosting services. Most of these sites also offer extra features on a subscription basis

Flickr – Flickr is the grand daddy of image hosting sites and these days can boast a membership of more than 50 million people and some six billion images. Images can be hosted on a free account or a Pro account which allows you unlimited space, no advertisements and the ability to upload HD video. Flickr employs a system that allows you to license your images using the various creative commons licenses or maintain full control with the all rights reserved license. Since 2009 Flickr has been closely integrated with Getty Images which can allow the user to mark his or her images for use as stock.

Google Picasa – Picasa is different to Flickr in that it is based on software downloaded to your computer. From the software, you can organize, manipulate and then upload to the Picasa web albums, which give you 1GB of free space. Picasa has been tightly integrated into Google+, the social networking site and any images you upload to Google+ are automatically stored in a Picasa web album.

Photobucket – Actually one year older than Flickr, Photobucket is another very popular free online service. It offers 500MBs of free hosting but restricts bandwidth to 10GB. The image size is restricted for free users to around 2000×1500 pixels. Photobucket has recently introduced online photo editing and effects tools.

Shutterfly – The unique selling point for Shutterfly is free unlimited storage space and full resolution images. They also promise to never delete an image without your permission. The site offers the usual integration with social networking sites for sharing as well as the ability to create prints, photo books and other gifts.

Paid Hosting – The following sites are more aimed at enthusiast and professional photographers who require features such as having your own domain name, professional looking galleries and online sales.

Smugmug – This is a very versatile site allowing unlimited hosting for a monthly fee. The site features professionally designed themes for all users and for a higher monthly fee you can customize your site, and include your own domain. The highest priced account offers a fully integrated e-commerce service and advanced marketing tools. One of the features the Smugmug highlights is the ability to protect your images online, they also offer a free trial.

PhotoMerchant – Specifically for photographers who want to sell online, this service has various pricing options (the higher the set fee, the less percentage of sales commission they take). It has integrated order fulfilment, a shopping cart, is SEO friendly and offers quite a lot of other options for marketing your photography. It’s also constantly improving in the features department.

Zenfolio – Very similar in specifications to Smugmug, Zenfolio offers tight integration with commercial online photo labs in a number of countries worldwide. Zenfolio have produced plugins that allow direct upload from image management software such as Aperture, Lightroom and Photo Mechanic as well as a migration facility that allows you to move your images easily from other hosting sites.

500px – This is a paid site with a different focus from the two above. The basic premise is to inspire and be inspired by a community of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide.You can comment and vote on images and the highest rated get seen as the most popular.  500px has great merit for marketing you photography.

Photoshelter – Another site similar in vein to Zenfolio and Smugmug, Photoshelter offers a similar range of features and pricing plans. Photoshelter is said to have the most advanced  search engine optimization of any professional site with control over a large range of SEO tools. A free 14 day trial is available.

This is just a brief look at the most popular sites. The are of course many many more but the ones listed above are the most international, offering features to users worldwide. As always, its worth doing your research, taking up the trail offers and choosing what is best suited to your style of photography.

Round and Round – Taking the shot

Taking a panoramic photograph can be as simple as shooting a few frames and turning the camera as you go but if you want to get a descent result that will stitch together well, then you will need to follow a few basic rules.

• First, use a tripod. This will allow you not only to make sure that your horizon is level but it will also make composition easier. You can define your start and finish points and work out how many shots you will need overall. If possible use a tripod with a built in spirit level or use a hot shoe mounted one and check that the camera remains level throughout the pan.
• Secondly and maybe a little counter intuitively, shoot with your camera in portrait format. This is because you will have less lens distortion at the frame’s edges.
• Where possible use a lens in the “normal” range for a zoom i.e. between 35-70mm. Again this will reduce excessive distortion.
• Pre-focus the first shot and then switch the camera to manual focus, this will prevent the lens changing the focus point through the subsequent shots
• Watch your exposure very carefully, if you can set your camera to manual exposure. If there is going to be large shifts in exposure through the pano, then it may be worth shooting a bracket to get the right exposure.
• Manually set your white balance, on auto white balance you may find the color shifting as you move the camera around.
• Use a small aperture to get a good depth of field on the image and try to avoid prominent foreground objects. These can cause parallax issues for the stitching software
• Work fast but carefully because the light can change quickly.
• Allow for a generous overlap between the images between 20-30% of the frame size should be sufficient as you move the camera around. This is to give the stitching software something to “bite”.

If you want the ultimate in panoramic quality, look at getting a panoramic head for your tripod. These allow the camera to pan around the center of the lens rather than the camera and greatly reduce parallax issues. To further improve image quality use a remote shutter release and mirror lock to minimize any vibration.

The Stitch Up

So we have the shots, now we need to put them all together. There are a number of dedicated panoramic stitching programs available, but also it can be done in Photoshop or Photoshop elements. We will assume Photoshop for this section but the procedure will be similar in other programs.

• First, select all the images that you want to use and put them in one folder. Keep the original file names so that they will remain in the order that they were shot.
• From Photoshop, open the File – Automate – Photomerge selection
• With the Layout Mode set to auto and Blend Images Together checked, browse for your shots and import them.
• Photoshop will now stitch the images together keeping each shot as a separate layer. If some images are not well aligned you can adjust them by manually dragging them into position. You can also crop the top and bottom to remove any over bleed. Once you are happy, flatten the image and save it.

As mentioned Photoshop is not the only choice to stitch your panoramic shots, there are numerous third party applications available. Many of these will have more advanced controls for stitching and controlling exposure and color and if you are going to be doing a lot of pano work, investment in one of these dedicated programs may be a worthwhile investment.

Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his site, The Odessa Files. He also maintains a blog chronicling his exploits as an Expat in the former Soviet Union

Why photography jewelry?  There’s a list of reasons, some more obvious like setting up an Etsy or eBay shop to sell items or being hired by a local jewelry store to provide photos for their website.  A less obvious reason would be to create a list of detailed photos for your home owners’ insurance, something most people overlook.  Another reason is for the sheer pleasure in taking on a challenge and successfully doing it.

DIY lightbox /1 by Tom BKK, on Flickr

What’s needed?  Like the primer, most of all the the equipment is the same.  The one variable is the use of flags, in photography terminology is a piece of fabric or non-reflective board, using black, that is placed in a manner to block any unappealing reflections on the jewelry.  If you look at the piece below, you can slightly make out what appears to be someone’s hair in the lower left corner of the heart.  Using a black flag would have eliminated that and made a much more appealing transition between the reflective silver and the black.

Jewellery 2 by Richard Stebbing, on Flickr

Actually putting these flags into place can be a bit of a challenge for even the most seasoned photographers.  In a case where it’s just one that’s needed, setting your camera on a tripod and using a timer will suffice.  Even if you’re holding a 4×4′ piece of black foam core over the subject to block the reflection of your ceiling, it will only be for 10 seconds.  The real challenge comes when you have something with facets or that’s very angular and you have reflections from every different angle.  A lightbox will help greatly eliminate odd reflections, like the one shown below:

My new lightbox by GuySie, on Flickr

But again, be aware that only white will be reflected and sometimes gold and silver items and especially clear stones like diamonds really benefit from black reflections.

Setting up the shot.  Like the primer to product shots, a heavy tripod is your friend, a macro lens on a DSLR or mirrorless camera will also be your best bet, although some of the high end point and shoots that have hot-shoes (for triggering remote flashes or strobes) also work really well. A cable release or wireless remote also becomes really handy too.  And preparation.  I cannot stress enough the importance of preparation.  Have several clean microfiber clothes with you to clean and buff the jewelry, careful to remove any oil from your fingers and small particles of dust.  Some product photographers have been known to wear latex surgical style gloves during shoots.

Angles.  Realize that laying an item directly down on a flat surface probably won’t bring the best visual impact you can provide, so propping the jewelry up will be required.  There are several ways to do this, from professional Lucite holders seen in high end jewelry stores to DIY methods, which most people end up doing.  Some amount of experimenting will be required.  Don’t be afraid to grab some paper clips and bend them around to fit your needs, trim them with tin snips or even small amounts of children’s play-doh.

Radiant Jewelry by negative13, on Flickr

Shooting on white or black isn’t the only acceptable way to shoot jewelry though!

Jewellery by miandadr, on Flickr

Utilizing tumbled stone, like in the photograph above, is a beautiful way to showcase the jewelry, and there is no limit to what can be used.  Sand, rocks, feathers and even a Christmas tree garland can be used to show off the jewelry.

Keep in mind that every new object you add may have reflections to manage along with the jewelry.  The end results, like those above, showcase beautiful pieces where the photography skill is no longer as apparent as the jewelry, and that’s when you know you’ve done a great job.