London Drugs photolab blog

Between Light and Shadow

2012-03-22T13:15:00.002-07:00

Meet photographer and lighting expert Tony Corbell as he discusses the essential elements necessary to take your photography to another level. His understanding of light control has resulted in over 600 seminars and workshops throughout the world.

Tony will also demonstrate the techniques and tools he uses in the workflow utilizing Nik Software tools to elevate his work, specifically in terms of light and shadow. By attending, you'll learn why Silver Efex Pro 2 has become one of Tony's most important tools for success. In addition, he'll showcase world-class filter enhancements and quick and easy selective editing with HDR Efex Pro, new Color Efex Pro 4 and Viveza from Nik Software.

This demonstration is free to the public. Come down to the following locations to join in

March 26
Granville & Georgia
710 Granville St, Vancouver
1:00pm-2:30pm

West Broadway
525 West Broadway, Vancouver
5:00pm-6:30pm

March 27
Morgan Crossing
#130-15850 26th Ave. Surrey
1:00-2:30pm

Langley
20202-66 Ave., Langley
5:00-6:30pm

March 28
Brentwood Town Centre
#400 - 4567 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby
5:00-6:00pm

Park Royal Shopping Center
875 Park Royal North, West Vancouver
1:00pm-2:30pm

Electronic Scrapbooking: My New Obsession

2012-03-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last month I wrote about approaching photobooks as you would a scrapbook. This got me thinking, just how much creative freedom do I have using Home Edition? So I tried this little experiment: using the same seven pictures, I set out to create three radically different looks.

It sounds like a simple enough plan. What I didn’t anticipate, however, is the addictive quality of digital scrapbooking. I started with the best intentions—to make three simple looks using the basic layout tools in Home Edition. What happened, however, was an explosion of ideas. Once I started tweaking, I discovered new layers and new possibilities. Before I knew it, three hours had gone by, I had seven different looks, and lots more ideas.

I had to close the program, or else this article would never get written.

Here’s what I came up with.

Taking Home Edition for a Spin

Before you see my pages, I want to be clear that I have no background at all in graphic design. I am not technologically savvy, either, so trust that the program is very simple to use. Take a look at the tool bar for Home Edition—it appears on the right hand side of the screen.

At the bottom you can see your major tool categories. Each category has many options that you drag-and-drop onto your page. Don’t like it? You can undo, or drag something else right on top. Super easy.

Using a Theme

For my first page, I chose the preset travel theme: faded maps on parchment paper. I then selected Page Layouts and chose the staggered three-photo layout and the four-photo layout with the text box. After dragging and dropping the photos into place, I added a pale blue border, chose my font, and added a little clipart—the sun on the upper left and the little sandy footprints on the right.

The result: this was very quick to do, and I like the subtle travel background. Since themes carry over from page to page, this would give a nice cohesive feel to a vacation photobook.

Playing with Photo Shapes

For the second book, I went more freestyle, browsing through the backgrounds until I found this one. The colours are bold and warm, and the flowers on the bottom are similar to one of my photos.

Then I discovered photo shapes. To give some digital interest, I used oval shapes on the right hand page, which I think balances nicely with the squares on the left. The result is a bold page that evokes the feeling of the hot Mexican beaches.

I was happy with this until I delved deeper into photo shapes. At the top right is a drop-down menu, containing even more shape options.

I used letter shapes on the landscape photo, so spell out the word MEXICO in saturated sunset. Then I discovered a tiling feature under ‘Geometric’ that added interest to the flower picture. With a new background of sandy footprints, the page is transformed.

Using a Photo as a Background

If you drag any photo onto your page, Home Edition will ask you if you want to use it as a background. For this page I used the landscape shot as the background. When I selected my Page Layouts, I opted for smaller picture sizes so you can still see the lovely landscape. With a subtle title and soft grey borders, this page came together nicely.

Then I discovered something cool. With any photo, you can apply a filter so it is displayed in black and white or sepia. Just to experiment, I used a sepia filter on the background photo. I think I love it even more than the colour background—the photos stand out and the page has a warm, nostalgic feel.

Playing with Photo Borders

I love a vintage album look, so for this page I started with a black background. I chose Page Layouts with text boxes. You can add a text box at any time, but these layouts included them. To stay with the vintage feel, I found a font called Monospaced, which looks like it was done on a typewriter.

Once my photos were placed, I got creative with photo borders. First I dragged a simple white border to each picture. Then I dragged a white and grey border, and selected ‘Add border’ when prompted. This double border created a matted look that I like very much. Finally, I chose ‘Corners’ from the drop-down menu, and added them to each picture.

It came out beautifully. I think this would be a gorgeous look for a whole book.

Mixing it all together

For my final look, I wanted to capture the same feel as my scrapbooks. I like the texture of handmade paper, and to add more texture I chose Page Layouts that have overlapping photos. To add visual interest, I added a sepia filter to the two focal points—the girl blowing bubbles and the family shot. The colours in the other photos accent the page. To finish it off, I added simple white borders.

These seven looks are just the tip of the iceberg. Given more pictures and more time, I could have played all day.

To get started on your own digital scrapbook, download the free Home Edition software, which works on both PC and Mac.

Angela Ford, Scrapbook Enthusiast

Accessorize! Add-ons that will have you photographing in style

2012-03-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

When I bought my first SLR camera in the year 2000, I was blown away by the photo quality. The same thing happened a decade later when I bought my first DSLR. The quality, the control, and the creative range opened up new avenues of creative expression.

Perhaps the best thing about a DSLR camera is its versatility: with a combination of settings, lenses, and accessories, my camera is tailor-made for me.

For those who have never considered DSLR accessories, let me assure you: they make a big difference. Accessories are not just for professional or serious photographers. Many add-ons are modestly priced and offer huge benefits to casual photographers.

Here’s a taster of the accessories that are available.

Neutral Density Filters

When you see a photograph with a beautiful blurred waterfall, you are likely looking at a shot taken with a neutral density filter.

Bright sunny days pose problems to photographers. The large amount of light limits camera settings: for a proper exposure, the aperture must be small and shutter speed fast. Neutral density filters block some of the light rays that pass through your lens. When you reduce the quantity of light, you can also slow your shutter speed, which gives you the lovely blurring of moving objects. Increasing your aperture allows you to focus on your subject, with the background and foreground soft and blurred.

See the Cameron Neutral Density Filter, available in many sizes to fit your specific lens.

Circular Polarizing Filter

On a bright day, strong light waves will reflect off a variety of surfaces. In photographs, these wonky light rays appear as a whitish glare. Polarizers block out errant wavelengths, preventing glare, deepening colours, and capturing more dynamic skies.

See Tiffen Circular Polarizer, also available in different sizes to fit your specific lens.

Pop-Up Flash Diffuser

Pop-up flashes ensure you get a proper exposure in low light, but the resulting photos are not great. Pop-up flashes are harsh, flattening details, over-exposing faces, and under-exposing the background.

One way to minimize the harsh effects of a pop-up flash is to use a diffuser. This nifty accessory fits on the hot shoe. Your flash pops up behind the diffuser, and when it goes off, the diffuser spreads and softens the light beams.

A flash diffuser may not give you the same creative range as an external flash, but it is light and portable and certainly improves your picture quality.

See Gary Fong Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser.

External Flashes and Off-camera lighting

Long, cold Canadian winters mean we do a lot of photography in poor lighting conditions. For me, the accessory that packs the most punch is lighting. I have an external flash, which transforms my indoor shots. I bounce the light off my white ceiling, and the result is a softer, more flattering photos. I also have an off-camera light, which I use in my makeshift studio.

When you are thinking about lighting, consider this. The larger the light source, the softer the light. Also, the farther away the light source from your lens, the more interesting the visual effects. As with nearly everything in photography, finding the right light accessory will be a balance between the ideal and the practical.

A beauty dish may be the answer for casual portraits, with a large surface area and portable construction.

See Cameron Mini/Max Beauty Dish Set.

Accurate, Comfortable Shooting

The LCD screen on the back of your camera has its limitations. In bright light, it can be difficult to see and tricky to carefully compose your photos. When you are shooting video, it can be next to impossible to control your shot in sunny conditions.

We have a neat product to help with this. The Hood Crane fits onto your hot shoe and over the LCD screen on the back of the camera. It shields the display from light and magnifies so it is easier to see. Although it looks unwieldy, the Hood Crane is lightweight and moves up and out of the way when not in use.

See Hoodman HoodCrane Kit.

Display Monitor for Professional Results

For those who shoot a lot of video, this accessory is a must. A 7-inch monitor attaches to your hot shoe and gives you clear, enlarged viewing as you shoot. With the large visual, framing your photographs is easier, allowing you to control the different elements of composition.

See Marshall 7inch Monitor.

If you are considering camera accessories, we encourage you to jot down a few things before you come into the store.

What is the make and model of your camera and lenses?
Where do you shoot?
What are your usual subjects?
What is your typical lighting?
How do you think your photos could improve?

We will look at your individual needs and help find the accessories to suit you perfectly.

By Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Easter Mug: A Photo Project

2012-03-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Have I got an easy, fun Easter project for you! Some months ago, I was fretting about gifts for the grandfathers, two people who are notoriously hard to shop for. It occurred to me that photo mugs don’t have to be photos. Any image can be printed on a mug for an instantly personalized gift.

For Easter, I thought I would put my idea to the test. I thought up three simple craft projects that the kids would enjoy, then transformed them into keepsake mugs.

Here’s how I did it.

Step 1: Choose your mug and determine your image size

Before I started, I looked at the different mug options. Notice that each item gives you image dimensions.

I measured this out on my paper and drew borders. For small image sizes, you can double the dimensions (for a 4” x 4” image on a latte mug, draw an 8” x 8” box). As long as the proportions remain the same, you can scale down the size at the end.

I chose colour mugs with a 3.5” x 8” wraparound image.

Step 2: Create your artwork

My artwork had to be Easter-themed, quick to do (and to clean up!), and actively involve two toddlers and a school-aged girl. I came up with these three, but any kids’ artwork will do.

Thumbprint animals
With a little paint, my boys made two handprints and a bevy of colourful thumbprints on plain craft paper. Once dry, I used a black marker for little details—ears and tails for bunnies, spots and antennae for ladybugs, and stick legs and beaks for chicks.

Once everything was dry, I scanned the image into my computer and added a title. Voila!

The finished product is absolutely gorgeous. Since the image wraps around the mug, I have taken two shots for you.

Handprint tulips

If you read last month’s article on gallery wraps, it will come as no surprise that I love tulips. For this project I had the boys make green paint handprints. Once they were dry, I painted tulip swirls, extra leaves, and a pot at the bottom. Again I waited for the picture to dry, then I added little details with a marker, just to finish it off. I scanned it in, added a title, and here’s the result.

I chose a pink mug for this one, and the result is fantastic.

Fancy Egg Photo
Decorated Easter eggs seemed like the perfect way to test out three-dimensional arts and crafts. I first dyed the eggs a solid colour using a standard mixture of water, vinegar, and food colouring. A dye kit would work just as well, and would offer you more precise colours.

Once the first layer was dry, I added a tablespoon of olive oil to the bowls of dye and swirled it around with a fork. Then, choosing contrasting colours, I rolled the eggs in the oil-dye mixture. The oily swirls adhere to the egg’s surface, repelling the new shade of dye. The result is a marbelized egg.

I took photos of the eggs in a line against a white background. It took some playing with position to eliminate the shadows.

The yellow of the mug is a nice contrast with the purple eggs. The eggs wrap all the way around, and the result is really sweet. This would look sensational with intricately decorated Pysanky eggs.

Kids’ art mugs are a simple, price-conscious way to make a personal, unique gift. If you have any questions about your images, scanning, or creating photo gifts, please drop by the nearest London Drugs photolab.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Fresh and beautiful Spring-inspired art

2012-03-05T11:42:00.002-08:00

Like a good prairie girl, born and raised, I am obsessed with spring. That first warm afternoon, the melting snow, and the tiniest buds appearing on bare tree branches are little signals the winter is done, and glorious spring has arrived.

Spring botanicals are particularly beautiful. From delicate pastels to bold, riotous colour, nature has provided a spectacular palette. This year, I decided to create a piece of artwork to hurry spring along.

Here’s how it went.

Step 1: Choosing colours to fit my décor
My living room is in neutrals—off white carpet, sand-coloured walls, with a deep grey feature wall and apple green accents. I first thought about a subtle look that would tie in the room’s shades. Artwork that picks up the hues of the room looks polished and sophisticated; I could also leave it up year-round.

For this piece, though, I wanted the artwork to be the first thing I saw in the room. I thought about contrast—deep saturated colours against the neutral background. Off to my hard drive to find a photo.

Step 2: Find your photo
Finding the perfect spring photo was easier said than done. I wanted a close-up look, and it seemed my spring photos were more landscape-style. I thought about setting up a still-life of tulips in a vase. If I took a picture on the macro setting, it would give me the lines and shapes of the tulips, with a pleasantly blurred background.

Just as I was ready to give up, I found this image of tiny tulips. I took it four years ago with an old point-and-shoot camera. The colours are a little dull, and the resolution is only medium, but I thought I could work with it.

Step 3: Photoshop
Time to transform the picture! I have a beginner’s version of Adobe Photoshop that I dabble with from time to time. I opened the image and started playing around with it, but I was unsure of my results—would the printed colours look like what’s on my screen? I decided to turn to the experts.

I took the photo to London Drugs and had them Photoshop it. They use professional version of Photoshop, and more importantly, their monitors are calibrated for the printer. If you are altering colour, a calibrated screen makes a big difference.

My instructions were this:

Crop it so it’s square
I love green, so brighten up the leaves
I want the tulip colour to pop

Here is what they did to the photo.

I love it. The colour retouching brings out the variegated leaves, and emphasizes colour. It is a transformed image that to me, sings of spring.

Step 4: Gallery wrap
I didn’t want to bother with framing, so I opted for a 12x12 gallery wrap. The next day I picked up my artwork, and here’s what it looks like.

It’s exactly what I wanted: a fresh spring theme in bold, eye-catching colours. The result is simply beautiful.

Questions about Photoshop and gallery wraps? Drop by the London Drugs Photolab and speak with one of our experts.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

The Rule of Thirds - A practical guide

2012-03-05T11:32:00.001-08:00

If you’re like me, your natural instinct is to place your subject smack dab in the middle of the photo. Smiling kid? Centre her. Beautiful building? Centre it. Beach landscape? Horizon cutting the photo in half. It took a little research for me to see I was neglecting one of the most basic rules of composition: the rule of thirds. Following this one guideline, my pictures were completely transformed.

Here is the rule: to create tension and interest in a photograph , the focal points should not be in the middle, but where the image would be divided into thirds. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over the picture. The theory is that the human eye naturally moves to these intersection points. As you frame your picture, you ‘place the elements’ at the intersection points or along one of the lines, and then press the shutter.

In this picture, the horizon is along the upper line, the tide pool is at the lower left intersection point, and the rivulet begins at roughly the lower right intersection point. There is no focal point in the centre square. The rule of thirds helped me to capture the expanse of the beach and the motion of the sun-dabbled water.

Here are some ways to incorporate the rule of thirds in common types of photos.

Portraits in thirds
When you are taking someone’s picture, position the eyes at one of the intersection points. If the person is standing, place them along one of the vertical lines.

In this photo, the baby is positioned so his eye is in the upper left intersection point. This draws your eye to the baby, and creates the feeling of him peeking around the flowers in the foreground.

I find that thinking about portraits in thirds encourages creativity—it allows you to think of the portrait as a composition of different visual elements rather than just a snap of one person.

Landscapes in thirds
My landscape shots used to be terrible—with the horizon in the middle, they seemed flat and uninteresting. By applying the rule of thirds, I began to see landscapes in a totally new way.

When you approach a landscape, think about the unique quality you want to capture. Sometimes this is easy to discern—an interesting rock formation, a twisted tree, a farmhouse in the distance.

It can be trickier if you are trying to capture a large open space. In person, sweeping vistas are breathtaking, but they seem so constrained in a photo. For large open spaces, think about the two horizontal lines. Placing the horizon on the upper line gives the illusion of expansive foreground. Placing the horizon on the lower line creates a magnificent big sky.

This photo was taken with the horizon on the lower third line. It evokes the feeling of the vast blue sky.

Action shots in thirds
Action shots may be the toughest to apply the rule of thirds. You must frame action shots with split second timing, which is hard to do.

This photo of kids playing road hockey was one of nearly a hundred snaps—it took a lot of practice to anticipate the motion and get the proportions right. My goal was to capture the girl coming into the frame at the vertical line. When you can see the space where she is about to travel, the photo conveys a better sense of motion. To practice, I made the kids skate by me again and again—they were glad when I finally got it right!

Exploring the rule of thirds will open up a whole new world of photo composition. As your pictures improve, consider enlarging your successes. An 8x10 enlargement magnifies the interest, tension, and beauty of your well-framed shot.

Looking for other tips, ideas, and information on taking better pictures? Browse the London Drugs Photolab website and our Photolab blog for everything photography!

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Electronic Scrapbooking - All of the fun, none of the mess

2012-03-02T12:57:00.004-08:00

When the scrapbooking craze was at its height, I had a suitcase full of paper, stencils, corner clippers, and shape punchers. I spent hours cropping photos, arranging and rearranging page layouts, and sticking on letters and borders. Scrapbooking satisfied a creative need to present my images as a story.

My first foray into photobook creation was intimidating, to say the least. The options for layout, theme, photo borders, and text boxes seem endless, and I looked at my first blank page for ages.

After fiddling for a few minutes, it occurred to me that I know how to do this. I know how to scrapbook, therefore I know how to create a photobook. The media is different—menus instead of a suitcase of supplies—but the principles are the same.

Here is my scrapbook approach to building a photobook.

Defining your beginning and end
The first step is to limit your scope. I have thousands of photos on my hard drive—where to start? For my first photobook I chose a time frame: the Ford Family in 2010. For another book, I did a compilation of photos from five years of an annual family vacation. Occasion books are easy to define: weddings, trips, reunions, and sports tournaments. Finding your limits will help you through every step of the creation process.

Choose your pictures
You will need at least 20 photos for a 20 page book, so at this stage choose lots of possibilities. Vary the types of photos if you can—candids, portraits, landscapes, close-ups, action shots.

I suggest copying these images into one special folder. This one little step will save you time later on: you can see all the photos together and you can quickly select these images when you open Home Edition.

Plan your story in pages
Each page of a scrapbook or photobook is a mini story. As you sort through your photos, the stories will emerge—fun on the beach, the big ball tournament, spring in the garden, any story that can be told in a handful of snapshots, or one or two beautiful photos. Each story will be a page or spread.

At this point, don’t worry how many photos you have for each story—you will edit as you go.

Layout
Here’s where the fun begins. Look at each group and determine your focal point: the one image that tells the story. Think about the relationship between that photo and the rest in the group. For a birthday party, for example, you could have one large picture of the birthday boy, surrounded by smaller snaps you took during the party. Play with sizes and relationships—digital scrapbooking means you can resize photos to fit your page.

Home Edition gives you a good assortment of layouts that are presented in a menu on the right hand side of the screen. You can switch layouts as you go, experimenting with different looks. Once your photos are placed, it’s easy to tweak the photo size and position (something that was tough to do when scrapbooking on paper!)

The Undo Button is Your friend
Just as scrapbookers move pictures around the page and add borders, brads, shapes, and text, so you can with electronic scrapbooking. Nothing is permanent—try out everything until your pages are perfect.

Once you get started, digital scrapbooking is as engrossing as its paper predecessor. I like how mistakes can easily be fixed. With an email request to friends and family, I can include other people’s pictures. I can order multiple copies, so my kids will have a set of family albums when they leave home. I especially like how the end product looks like a professional job, no matter how many times I moved a photo around.

To download our free photobook software, Home Edition, click here and have fun!

By Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer and Scrapbooker

London Drugs Home Edition Links to Social Media Sites Coming Soon

2012-02-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

A new version of our popular Home Edition software will be launching in March, 2012. One of the many new features is the ability to easily import images from your Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa Web accounts.

When creating your personalized photobook, calendar, greeting card or photo gift item, just select the social media of your choice from the file list, log into your account, and you can import your images into your project.

Check back later for more sneak peaks of our Home Edition Photobook software.

Fall in Love With Personalized Gift Options

2012-02-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Whether your Facebook status reads “in a relationship”, “engaged” or “married” it’s time to start thinking about Valentine’s day. Avoid “it’s complicated” from appearing in your News Feed by adding an additional layer of thoughtfulness to your Valentine’s Day gifts with these photo gift ideas:

Photobooks: Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to reflect on all of the memories you’ve shared with loved ones. Create your own customized London Drugs Moments Photobook. Simply download the London Drugs Home Edition software to your computer, create your professional quality photo books and send them to London Drugs Photolab where your pictures will be colour corrected, printed and bound. London Drugs Moments Photobooks come in a variety of styles including photographic albums and coffee table books. Photographic albums start at $34.00. Coffee table books from $9.99 for softcover - $49.99 for hardcover.

Personalized Greeting Cards: Customized cards can include a beautiful picture of you and your special someone on the front and a personalized expression of your love inside. Customized 5” x 7” folded greeting cards come in packages of 12 ($19.99) so you can have more reason to declare your undying love in a special way at different times throughout the year.

Photo Crystals: Give your heart to someone this Valentine’s day – a heart-shaped laser etched optic crystal ($34.99) with a picture of you and your sweetie. The pictures have a translucent effect when viewed through the crystal and the photo appears suspended in the centre. The crystals are available in a variety of shapes starting from $14.99.

Photo Keepsakes: London Drugs also offers a range of custom-made keepsakes including puzzles, calendars, ceramic tiles, jewelry boxes, aprons, t-shirts, pillow cases, mugs and more. The photo printing process generates crisp, sharp details and accurate colour reproduction. Choose the perfect picture and add a sweet sentiment to make your valentine’s heart aflutter. Photos and text can be included on each item. View the complete catalogue online. From $6.99.

London Drugs has made it even easier to create personalized gifts with the launch of a new Photolab website. Now you can login and access images directly from Facebook, Flickr, Google+ and Picasa accounts. Experienced and professional technicians inspect and correct each photo before and after printing, ensuring superior-quality images every time. Customers can also have the option of adding a Valentine’s Day logo to any photos. For more details visit the Photolab in store or visit http://www.londondrugs.com/photolab/order/chooseSource.aspx

Future Photos: The Brave New World of Compact System Cameras

2012-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that delights us at London Drugs more than new camera technology. We put cameras in our first drugstore in 1945—big, boxy black-and-whites—and each new wave has been thrilling. Colour film, Instamatics, polaroids. Digital, smartphones, compact system cameras.

Wait—compact system cameras? If you’ve been relying on your smartphone as your main camera for the past few years, you may not have heard of CSCs. Small as a point-and-shoot and powerful as a DSLR, these are the cameras of the future.

The Advantages of a Compact System Camera

Crisp, gorgeous pictures: Compare your smartphone photos with a CSC and you will simply be blown away. CSCs are built on the same principle as full-sized digital SLRs—the image goes through a high quality, changeable lens and hits a large sensor. The result is an image quality that rivals large, full-featured cameras.
Fits in your pocket: They are called ‘Compact’ for a reason—CSCs eliminate the bulky mirror apparatus of an SLR, which allows for a smaller lens and camera body. Many CSCs come with a ‘pancake lens’, a general use lens that is nearly flat. With the pancake lens in place, the CSC is the size of a pocket camera.
Big creative possibilities: Your smartphone is built to take generally good pictures in generally good conditions. CSCs are built to take great photos in nearly any circumstance. Wide angle lenses capture sweeping vistas, macro-like lenses capture crisp close-ups, and the large sensor makes even low light shots beautiful.
The future is now: Each component of a CSC is a mini technical marvel. The sensors are better, the processors are powerful, and the response time for focus and shutter is quick and sharp. Manufacturers have looked at each part and thought, how can we make this better? The result is a tiny camera that takes simply stunning pictures.

If you’re used to smartphone snapshots, drop by our Camera Department and take a look at what a CSC can do. You will be amazed at how such a small machine can take such beautiful, creative images.

Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Perfect Presents for your Valentine

2012-02-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Valentine’s gifts can be surprisingly tough to buy. One year, many years ago, my husband bought me a video game. He thought it would be fun. I have received flowers every year since.

If video games are not sentimental/personal/romantic enough for your Valentine, let me suggest a photo gift. These specialty items are so much more than printed mugs (although the mugs are awfully nice and come in a bunch of sizes, styles, and colours). Photo gifts include crystals and tiles, jewel boxes and gallery wraps. Browse through our selection and let your creativity guide you. Your images, combined with our quality photo gifts, can create gorgeous, unique Valentines that are infinitely better than a video game.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Honeymoon Crystal—photo crystals transform your image into a translucent, shimmery vision. Available in many shapes, including heart, wave, and teardrop, crystals add a dreamlike element, perfect for honeymoon landscapes or wedding portraits.
Grandma’s Valentine Mug—children’s artwork looks sensational on a photo mug. Have your child make a special Valentine for Grandma, scan the picture, and choose your favourite mug style.
Collector’s Jewel Box—one idea we love is creating a unique jewel box for a hobbyist or collector. A beautiful botanical close-up is lovely for a gardener; a rare bird is perfect for a bird enthusiast. Trains, pets, exotic animals, vintage photos—all make meaningful keepsakes that are one-of-a-kind.
Portrait Gallery—canvas gallery wraps make art out of your most beautiful images. Start a family portrait gallery with vintage photos and special memories from your life together.
Personal Pet Dish—for your four-legged Valentines, create unique pet dishes. Many people use their pets’ photos, but we have also seen customers use their own artwork, like hand-drawn mice for a cat, or paw prints and a stylized ‘Rover’ for a dog.

To order your photo gifts, visit London Drugs Photolab and get started. If you have any questions, please drop by your nearest London Drugs. We can show you gift samples and help you through the ordering process.

Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Off-Camera Lighting - a Beginner's Guide

2012-02-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

It’s the photo we all want to avoid: a harsh snapshot where the flash obliterates the subject’s face, leaving overexposed skin, red eyes, and ugly shadows. I am disappointed when I take a photo like this, and even more disappointed when my face is given the flash treatment. Time to find better light.

Last month we talked about finding better light through natural sources. This month we tackle a trickier subject—better illumination through unnatural sources, namely flashes and off-camera lighting.

You two stay away from each other!

The reason that typical flash photos are so unflattering is simple physics. When the flash is very near the lens, the light is directed straight onto the subject. This obliterates natural, gentle shadows on the face and casts harsh shadows behind. The flash and the lens are like grumpy siblings—the farther apart, the better.

The first solution is to add an external flash to the hotshoe of your camera. The few inches’ distance between flash and lens makes a subtle, but improved difference to the light’s direction. Angling the flash to bounce off a white ceiling or wall is even better, so look for an articulated head when shopping for external flashes.

Farther apart, I mean it!

For even better lighting, the flash needs to come right off the camera. If you already have an external flash, consider adding a TTL cable. One end of the TTL cable clicks onto the hotshoe, the other to your flash. Now you can hold the light up and to the side of your subject, finding the best angles and the most flattering shadows.

Many external flashes have wireless remote capabilities, eliminating the need for a TTL cable. These flashes are even more versatile—without the limiting cable, you can place the flash wherever you want.

All right, you on this side of the room, you on that side!

Studio lighting is one of the best options for indoor lighting—basic kits include a single light, stand, and umbrella for diffusing and softening. I have the Opus M40, the entry level kit. I use the light as my main source, placing it above and to the side of my subject so the shadows are flattering. I then angle my external flash up—this provides a soft ‘fill light’. When I press the shutter, my camera flashes. The flash is detected by the Opus’ photocell, triggering the Opus light to flash as well. It is terribly easy to use.

The more advanced lighting kits add more lights and more features to subtly control your light output. By adding softboxes, umbrellas, and colour filters, these kits offer you exciting creative freedom.

Although the principal of separating flash and lens is a good rule of thumb, the right off-camera lighting for you depends on many factors. Come into the store with your camera, and have a chat with our experts. We will consider where you shoot, your preferred subjects, your typical lighting conditions, and your budget to help you find the perfect off-camera lighting.

Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Solar Power: Better Pictures Using Natural Light

2012-01-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

A decade ago I took really terrible pictures—mostly with a flash, mostly indoors, and mostly unflattering to my poor subjects. When my son was born, his first pictures were typical flash photos: over-exposed faces and dark, muddy backgrounds. I bought an SLR and a book on baby photography, and I was thus introduced to light.

After twelve years and thousands of images, here’s what I have learned.

Get Outside!
Professional photographers can set up their powerful lights indoors. For the rest of us, the best lighting system comes from the sun. Natural light is free and plentiful, and your photos will automatically improve by moving outdoors.

From Dawn to Dusk
To take even more beautiful photos, think about the quality of your outdoor light. As the sun’s position changes, so does the direction, colour, and strength of the light. Knowing the advantages and pitfalls of each time of day is the key to taking stunning naturally-lit photos.

The Golden Hours
There are two times of day when the light is lovely for photographers: the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. The light is warm and soft, casting shadows to the side of your subject. However, the gentle light can be so low, your shutter speed will slow and capture handshake. Use a tripod so you can capture crisp and sharp shots.

High Noon
The day is brightest and whitest when the sun is at its highest point, between 10am and 2pm. This abundance of light can create problems. Coming from above, the strong light casts strong, downward shadows that are not flattering for portraits. Consider moving into the shade where the light is more diffuse.

Morning and afternoon
Although not as dramatic as sunrise and sunset, the light in the morning and afternoon is warmer and softer than at noon. Direction is the key to these times of day. The sun comes from above and to the side, so pay attention to where the highlights and shadows hit. Play with the angles until you find the most flattering spot.

Cloud cover
Do not put your camera away because it’s overcast! Clouds diffuse the light, eliminating harsh shadows and strong contrasts. The main drawback is the colour of the light: compared with the warm tones of a clear morning, the clouds diffuse a cool blue light. To compensate for this, take a look at your camera’s ‘white balance’ settings. Most cameras will allow you to choose white balance based on your light source. Choose ‘cloudy’ or ‘overcast’, and the processor will correct the colours for you, producing an image with lovely tones and hues.

When you get it right
Here’s an idea for when you get the light right. Custom thank you cards are easy to create and beautiful in print. This is a personal, meaningful way to share your best photos with loved ones.

To get started making custom cards, download our free Home Edition software here.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

New Year's Resolution Calendars for a New You

2012-01-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year and I have a new photo project that will keep you on top of your New Year’s Resolutions: your personal success 2012 calendar, full of your own inspirational images.

While we all have vague goals about getting more organized, fit, and healthy, experts suggest that we break our big goals into specific, attainable chunks. We take it a step further: find photos that will spur you on, and give yourself a timeline for each mini-goal. Your resolution calendar is like a photo cheerleader to keep you on the path for change.

Step 1: Break down your goals

The key to reaching a big goal is to define all the little steps that lead there. Break your big goal into 12 small steps that you can achieve each month. Here’s an example:

January: Eat less junk
February: Move more each day
March: Cook nutritious meals at home

If you want to go further, break each monthly goal into smaller goals.

January: Eat less junk

Week 1: Eat fruit instead of candy
Week 2: Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Week 3: No fast food
Week 4: Leafy greens every day

Specific and attainable mini-goals help you map out your big goal. By writing them down, you are planning for your own progress.

Step 2: Find your photo inspiration

Think of images that will inspire you to stay on track. If your resolution is to keep in touch with old friends, choose images of good times past. If your resolution is to get fit, look for active shots that make you want to get up and move. Don’t forget to look through your Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa Web Albums—these online treasures may be the image you need to stay the course.

Step 3: Put it all together

The Home Edition Calendar Wizard walks you through the design process. Plug in your 13 photos and add your mini-goals to each month. Perhaps you have inspirational quotes that resonate—you can add one for every day of the year, if you like. Your resolution calendar is personal and unique. Include anything that will keep you moving in a positive direction.

Step 4: Print it out

When you are finished creating your calendar, upload it to our server and we will print it out for you. It takes just a few days, and you will have your personalized, printed plan for success.

To download our Home Edition Software, click here.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Save and Protect your Pictures

2012-01-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

It’s called Blue Screen of Death: the critical error message you receive when something very bad has happened to the innards of your computer. It has happened to me twice. The first time, I lost 40 pages of writing—that’s about 10,000 words—never to get them back. The second time, the London Drugs computer department was able to salvage my files, but only after I missed a crucial deadline.

Many, many awful things can happen to your computer: hardware problems, surges, viruses, drops on the floor, spilled water, theft, old age. To protect your pictures, you must make a habit of backing up your photo files as you go.

Here are 4 steps to protecting your pictures.

Get the photos off your camera: Cameras are more vulnerable than computers, so after every photo shoot transfer your images to your hard drive. It takes only a few minutes.
Save the good shots: When I shoot, I get snap-happy. I will take 40 shots from subtly different angles, thinking I will edit later. What happens? My photo files get out of control (see “Declutter your photo library” for a look at one ridiculous folder). As soon as you transfer your images, look at each and ask yourself: Is this good enough to print? If the answer is no, delete.
Backup in print: Printed photos are the best, most tangible way to create a permanent archive. Upload your photos to our site, order prints, and store them in an inexpensive album. Your prints will serve as a permanent backup, as well as a way to share photos and refer to images when you want to create photobooks and calendars.
Backup electronically: There are many ways to back up your files—uploading to an album on our website is a great first step. I also have an external hard drive which plugs into my laptop. Recently, I have delved into online storage, uploading photos to Flickr, Picasa Web Albums, and Apple iCloud, all with success. Wherever you decide to backup your files, do it often and keep them in a separate location from your main computer. The London Drugs computer department can help you set up a solid back up plan based on your particular hardware.

It comes to this: your photos are more than just digital files. These images are moments from your life story, moments that can never be recreated. These few small steps will save a lot of heartache if you ever, like me, suddenly face the Blue Screen of Death.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Last minute shopping? We print really fast!

2011-12-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas is a like a science fiction time warp—my list gets longer the closer I get to the big day. No matter how organized, no matter how much early shopping, there’s more to do as time gets short.

For all of your last minute printing, we have compiled this handy guide to very fast printing at London Drugs.

About an hour
We can process any print size up to 12x18 in about an hour. We usually can offer expedited one-hour service on posters up to 24x36. Ask at the counter and we’ll give you a specific time for pick-up.

Same day
Mini calendars—at the handy size of 4x8.5, these small custom calendars can often be finished in an hour. Come into the store with 13 images (one for each month, plus a cover shot) and our photolab staff will be happy to help you build the calendar and print it out.

Greeting cards—come in with your images, and we can print 4x8 and 5x7 custom cards, often within an hour. Our photolab staff will help you build your custom card right in the store.

expressbooks—these small photobooks hold 20 or 40 images, and are printed right in our store. Come in with your images and we will help get your book ready to print.

Next day
We can prepare any print between 16 x20 and 44x60 within 24 hours, and often the same day. Ask at the photo counter as we may be able to accommodate rush orders.

Canvas enlargements and gallery wraps can be ready next day (the canvas must cure overnight).

If your favourite images have small flaws—red eye, blemishes, strange shadows, or awkward framing—London Drugs experts can touch up spots and blemishes and add Photoshop effects for you. Come in and tell us what you want—photo editing can be as little as $6.99.

Just Drop In

Frames: we carry a great selection of frames and precut mattes. Choose from single frames in a variety of standard sizes, or a double, triple, or collage frames to showcase multiple images.
Albums: choose from small and simple ‘brag book’ albums, all the way up to 12x12 scrapbooking albums that give you the space to create a gorgeous keepsake.
Scrapbooking supplies: For the scrapbooker, we carry paper, stickers, die-cutters, and other specialty items to create unique and beautiful pages.

Questions about last minute printing? Come into our store and talk to our photolab specialists. We can help you find the right product that will be ready in time for Christmas.

Written by Angela Ford, amateur photographer

Compact System Cameras: Quick Snaps, Quality Shots

2011-12-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

For active photographers—hikers, campers, and parents who live at the hockey rink—choosing a camera is a balancing act. I love my digital SLR, but when I’m already carting pounds of kid-related stuff, my camera is often left behind. Point-and-shoots are nice and small, but the creative options seem limited compared to a full-sized camera.

Camera manufacturers are listening to our woes. Over the past few years, they have created a third option, the Compact System Camera, which takes the best of dSLR and point-and-shoot and combines them into one small, powerful package.

What is a Compact System Camera?
Compact System Cameras have interchangeable lenses and large sensors (like a DSLR) that allow you to take creative, quality photos. The camera body, however, is small and light. While a DSLR has a bulky mirror that sits behind the lens, reflecting the image up through the viewfinder, a CSC instead displays the image on the LCD or through an electronic viewfinder. No mirror means the lens sits closer to the sensor, allowing for smaller lenses, a lighter body, and a much more convenient camera size.

Note: Compact System Cameras go by different names in the industry. They are often called “mirrorless,” Interchangeable Lens Compact, Hybrid, or Micro 4-thirds.

Versatility of a DSLR
The CSC is perfect if you like the creativity of a DSLR. CSCs typically come with a short zoom lens that is ideal for general scenic shooting and portraiture. You can purchase accessory lenses according to your preferences. Unique to the CSC is a “pancake” lens, a very flat, fixed focal length lens (no zoom). This lens makes the camera even more portable, and its large maximum aperture is good for general photography and scenic shooting, especially in low light conditions.

Convenience of a Point and Shoot
Perhaps the biggest advantage of a CSC is its small size. Just a fraction larger than a point-and-shoot, the CSC is much lighter and more portable than a full-sized DSLR. The newest models are even more streamlined, as manufacturers use the latest, most powerful image processors to allow for smaller sensor sizes without sacrificing image quality.

The best of both worlds
If you would like more than a point-and-shoot, but the size and bulk of a DSLR puts you off, consider a CSC. These small, snazzy new cameras are easy to use, simple to carry, and they produce really good, high quality images.

Angela Ford is a writer, blogger, and amateur photographer. Her main photography subjects are small, human-shaped wildlife in their natural habitat: the soccer field, the ice rink, the backyard, and the rec room.

Stocking Stuffer Photo Gifts

2011-12-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

What is thoughtful, unique, and fits comfortably in a Christmas stocking? Our express photo gifts! Mini calendars, expressbooks, and greeting cards are perfect last minute stocking stuffers, and they are ready the same day, often in about an hour.

Creating your express photo gift is very quick and simple. Here’s a step-by-step to great stocking stuffers.

Choose your product
Mini calendars: At the convenient size of 4” x 8.5”, a mini-calendar is perfect for a stocking or small gift. Mini calendars are printed on photo paper and coil bound.
expressbooks: These simple photobooks are printed on photo paper, one image per page, and bound with a classic black cover. Small expressbooks contain 20 images; large expressbooks contain 40 images.
Greeting cards: Available in two sizes—4” x 8” or 5” x 7”—customize your greeting card with borders, clip art, and a personal message.
Pick your pictures
Our customers often choose from their photo highlights of the year, and we also see creative, unique ideas. Avid wildlife photographers make their own nature calendars and travellers make books with their best vacation shots. Sports teams create expressbooks of their season’s highlights and parents make art calendars with scanned pictures painted by their kids. Perhaps the most beautiful calendar we have seen was created by a gardener—she chose month-by-month beauty shots to showcase her botanical year.
For a mini calendar, you will need 13 images.
For an expressbook, you will need 20 or 40 photos, depending on the size.
For a greeting card, choose one great shot that sums up your holiday message.
Save your photos on a thumb drive or memory card as they allow the fastest transfer. We can accept the images on CD or DVD but these media types will take longer to transfer your images.
Come and talk to us
Come to your nearest London Drugs photolab and talk to one of our experts. Express photo gifts are built in our store—it takes only a few minutes, and we will walk you through the process.
For a calendar, it helps if you choose an image for each month beforehand.
For an expressbook, jot down the order of your photos. This will make the ordering process even faster.

When you are happy with your file, we will give you a specific pick up time. Express photo gifts are often ready in an hour, and occasionally they will be finished later that day.

Questions about last minute photo gifts? We would be happy to help! Come into the photolab and talk to one of our experts.

Written by Angela Ford, amateur photographer

Dotto Tech - Photo Gift Ideas and Social Media

2011-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Steve talks to Nikki from London Drugs about Photo Gift Ideas and our use of Social media

Introducing our New Photolab Website

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

Streamlined, simple, and seamlessly integrated with your social networks

We are thrilled to introduce our new photolab website, a simple, flexible way to upload your photos and order prints and photo products. When we designed this new website, we first looked at you, our customer. Where do you store your photos?

While many photos are kept on hard drives, our customers are also using social networking to share pictures with friends and family. Sites like Facebook, Picasa Web Albums and the new Google+ can hold multiple albums of images, while Flickr has a mobile function that makes it particularly suited to storing shots taken on the go.

We also asked ourselves, how can we make ordering prints simple and seamless? The answer is a clean, efficient design. Easy to navigate, you can now upload images from your computer, order prints from your Facebook album and create a photo gift from a shot already in our system, all in one transaction.
Take a test drive of the new photolab website; we think you’re going to like it.

Get Started:

The Get Started button puts you right in the driver’s seat. Any time you would like to access a new source of photographs, or order a new type of product, click on Get Started.

What are you making?

When you click on Get Started, you will open What are you making? Prints, enlargements, and many photo gifts can be created quickly on our website. Click on your product, but remember that you can change your mind and modify your order at any time.

Note: Photobooks, greeting cards, and calendars require more time and attention. When you choose these products, we will direct you to download our free Home Edition software. This program is easy to use and will allow you to create photobooks, calendars, and greeting cards on your own computer. When you are finished, upload your file to our server. For a simple walkthrough of Home Edition, click here.

Where are your photos?

We have looked carefully at where our customers store photos. Some store everything on their hard drives, while others share online with Facebook, Flickr, Google+ and Picasa Web Albums. Our new, streamlined website allows you to order prints from all of these places, simply and hassle-free.

If your photos are on your computer, we will guide you to browse through your libraries and select your images. If you already have photos on our server (you may have created albums with us in the past, or you may have an access code), click and we will take you to your photos.

Facebook

Facebook is extraordinarily popular, particularly for sharing photos with your social network. Photolab is now fully integrated with Facebook, so you can access and print your Facebook photos from our site.

When you click on the Facebook icon, you may be prompted to login to Facebook. Note that accessing your Facebook albums through London Drugs does not add our promotional information to your daily news feed.

Click on any of your Facebook albums. Choose your photos, choose your prints or products, and add them to your basket.

Not finished? Click on Get Started to find pictures from other locations. Your Facebook photos will be saved in your basket until you are ready to check out.

Flickr

Flickr is one of the best online photo management and sharing applications. Flickr users love the flexibility of uploading shots on the go, sharing photos with specific friends and family, allowing comments, and storing these bits of ‘metainformation’ as part of the photo library.

Now you can print your Flickr photos through our new website. When we ask you Where are your photos? click on Flickr. You will be prompted to login and allow access through the London Drugs Photolab. Note that we have only specific and limited access to your Flickr account: we can only use the images you designate to make prints as you choose.

Now you can choose images from your PhotoStreams and add them to your basket. To order more prints from another location, click Get Started and your Flickr order will remain in your basket.

Picasa Web Albums

Picasa by Google is a photo organization program that is wonderful for sorting, organizing, and storing images on your hard drive. Picasa Web Albums is its online cousin—a photo sharing application that is great for sharing pictures with family and friends.

Now you can print photos from Picasa Web Albums through our new photolab website. When we ask you Where are your photos?, click on Picasa Web Albums. You will be prompted to login to Google. Once you are in, you can add any of your Picasa photos to your basket.

Would you like to order more photos from a different location? Click on Get Started and your order will be saved in your basket until you are done.

The New Kid on the Block: Google+

New from Google is the social networking site, Google+, a platform for sharing photos and updates with your friends and family. Google+ has a unique ‘circle’ technology, where you share specific photos and information only with the circles of friends who are interested.

In one simple step, our new online photolab connects with your Google+ albums so you can order prints. Do you want other prints that are stored in a different location? As with all of our online connections, click on Get Started and your order of Google+ prints will be saved.

This is just the beginning

This new, integrated photolab website is the first step in our mission to provide easy, seamless ordering of prints and photo products. As technology progresses, we will continue to find simple ways to get your photos into print.

Take a few minutes to explore our new site. We think you will like the smooth interface, the simple uploading steps, and the streamlined process for ordering exactly the prints you want, from the places you store your photos.

Click here to go to the new London Drugs Photolab website

Big Picture Ideas

2011-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has a beautiful framed print on her wall: a little girl is walking, her back to the camera, down a narrow, quiet street in Tokyo. The colours are muted and gentle, with a hint of colour in the girl’s coat. It is wistful and beautiful.

As it happens, this print is simply an enlarged snapshot. The big picture is gorgeous, and it was taken by a point-and-shoot camera.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking big:

Life-sized toddler: My husband’s parents enlarged a photo of him at two years old. Wearing a fuzzy winter coat, he is running toward the camera, arms wide. At the size of 24” x 36”, the image is nearly life-sized, and decades later, it is a family keepsake.
Life is a beach: Crystal blue waters and white sand are always eye-catching. When the beach is your snapshot from your divine Hawaiian vacation, the big print will bring you back to the hot sun and soothing waves.
Botanicals by Design: Flip through any home design magazine and you will find botanical art. Big prints with natural shapes, bright floral hues, and soothing greenery create a visual balance with the trend of neutral paint and furniture.
The Action Shot: When a big sports moment lines up with the perfect angle and you press the shutter, it’s like winning the lottery. Big action posters are fantastic for rec rooms, or wherever you gather to watch the game.
Conversation-starters: Goofy pictures, memorable moments, strange architecture, quirky landscapes, and snapshots that make you smile. If you love an image on your screen, imagine the smiles when it’s poster-sized.
Unconventional portraits: Large prints have traditionally been reserved for formal portraits. Think beyond the pose—candid portraits can capture big personalities, which look sensational as big pictures.

If you ever have a question about enlargements, save your file to a thumb drive and bring it to our photolab. We make thousands of enlargements each year, so we can look at your file and help you choose the best enlargement size.

To order an enlargement, visit www.londondrugs.com/photolab.

Written by Angela Ford, amateur photographer

The Gift of Gallery Art: A Quick Photo Project

2011-12-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Looking for a gift idea to spruce up a living space? Gallery wrapped art is perfect: crisp, modern, and ready to hang.

Photos do look great on the textured, canvas surface—every London Drugs photolab has samples on display—but I like a fine art look. So, armed with my trusty Photoshop Elements 10 and some good images, I tweaked, enhanced, and filtered to create some lovely effects that make my images wrap-ready.

Last spring, I shot this gorgeous waterfall along the British Columbia coast. I love this picture: the rushing water is dynamic and the rock face has so many different facets.

I wanted a painted effect that would highlight the detail of the water and rock. The ‘Paint Daubs’ and ‘Palette Knife’ options—my favourite go-tos—didn’t look right.

Then I clicked on ‘Accented Edges.’ This filter highlights all edges with a gentle glow. The effect is sensational. The rushing water and rock faces look artistic and crisp, enhancing the most important parts of the image. Printed on canvas, this looks like a painted picture.

Technical note: For the past few months, I have shot everything in RAW +jpeg (check your camera’s menu—you likely have this option). This means I get two files for every one picture: the “digital negative” RAW file and a “snapshot” jpeg.

As you become familiar with post-production editing, you will to work with RAW files. Every time you edit, you lose original detail. In RAW, there is so much information you can easily edit out the bits that don’t work. Editing a jpeg file is a little like using markers on a snapshot—you generally lose some detail and clarity the more you fiddle.

That said, this photo was a large jpeg, and I think it looks great.

When I took the second picture, I thought about composition. I placed the beach shoes in the foreground and the stream of water forms a nice line, drawing the eye to the horizon.

To edit, I first straightened the horizon. This takes three seconds and instantly improves the picture. Then I fixed the colour by increasing the saturation and contrast, creating bold blues and bright whites.

Then, the filter! For this image, I used ‘Palette Knife.’ This gives an impressionist look and mood that I love. The beach shoes and tide pool are the whimsical focal point for this gentle ‘painting’ on canvas.

For my third photo, I took an entirely different approach. This time, I had vintage photos in mind: the timeless look of a black and white photo with hand-coloured details.

I chose a snapshot with a good composition—the kid is well-positioned, his brother is in the distance, and the colourful toys in the foreground are a natural focal point.

First, this photo needed a little first aid, specifically the two ugly shadows in the foreground. I eliminated them by using the Spot Healing tool, essentially painting the sand texture over the shadows.

Then I selected the toys, and converted the rest of the photo to black and white. As I suspected, the brilliant beach colours look magnificent against the greyscale background.

Finally, I applied the ‘Film Grain’ filter, which adds noise to the image, just like photos from years gone by. To me, the final product is poignant and moving, a completely different mood than the original. On canvas, this photo is gorgeous.

Hints for choosing photos to turn into art:

Imagine the photo on canvas—Remember that a gallery wrap is textured, which will form the foundation of your art piece.
Look for good composition—To find images with a pleasing, harmonious balance of shapes and colours, blur your eyes. Details can distract your eye from the overall composition.
Focal point—when you add photo effects, you are altering the detail. Look for a focal point in each photo, and see how the different filters enhance that focal point.
Bold colours, contrast, or details—high contrast, bold colours, and sharp details hold up well to photo editing. Choose photos where at least one of these elements is strong. Remember, you can always play with colours and contrast before you begin adding artistic effects.

No time to spare? London Drugs experts can add Photoshop effects for you. Come in and tell us what you want—photo editing can be as little as $6.99.

Order gallery wraps online at www.londondrugs.com/photolab.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Customized Gifts

2011-11-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

Save time by shopping online for meaningful customized gifts: a growing trend in holiday gift giving

Christmas is all about tradition. But braving the crowds at the mall to find the perfect gift is not always necessary now. There’s a less time consuming and hectic alternative: ordering customizable gifts online. It’s the new trend in gift giving and it’s helping shoppers easily select meaningful gifts that leave lasting impressions – without spending hours at the mall.

We all love opening a present that speaks to us about who we are. Selecting a customized personal gift adds a layer of thoughtfulness to your gifting that can be done on your own time, in your own space at your computer.

Online shoppers have time to browse personalized gifts for even the most hard-to-buy-for individual. Whether it’s for a co-worker, hostess gift, family member or for an exchange between friends, London Drugs’ PhotoLab offers several customizable and inexpensive gift giving ideas that will make your gifts truly unique.

Personalized Christmas Ornaments: These easy-to-personalize ornaments can include unique details such as a photo, names, special dates and holiday greetings on a variety of ornament shapes. The customized design can be created at a London Drugs PhotoLab or online at www.londondrugs.com/PhotoLab. From $6.99.

Photo Gifts: Memories are one of the greatest gifts we can give anyone. London Drugs offers a range of custom-made photo keepsakes including puzzles, ceramic tiles, jewellery boxes, aprons, t-shirts, pillow cases, mugs and more. Photos and text can be included on each item. View the complete catalogue online. From $6.99.

Photo Books: As the end of 2011 approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all of the memories of the passing year with a London Drugs Moments Photobook. Simply download the London Drugs Home Edition software to your computer, create your professional quality photo books and send them to London Drugs PhotoLab where your pictures will be professionally colour corrected, printed and bound. The easy- to- use software allows you to individually select images straight from your computer, create customized themed backgrounds, intriguing page layouts and add special touches with personalized text. You can also further simplify the book creation process by selecting the Fast Track option, which lays out an entire photo book within minutes. London Drugs Moments Photobooks come in a variety of styles including photographic albums and coffee table books. Photographic albums start at $34.00. Coffee table books from $9.99 for softcover - $34.99 for hardcover.

Order your creative photo products by Dec 14th to ensure delivery or pickup for the Holidays. Print orders up to 8”x12”, for pick-up at your store, can be ordered up to Dec 23rd. Enlargement orders up to 44 x 66, for pick up at your store, can be ordered up to Dec. 22nd. Please contact your local London Drugs for more information.”

Express yourself in a Flash

2011-11-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Introducing expressbook, the newest member of the London Drugs photo family. Quick, simple, and beautiful, expressbook is a hassle-free way to print your memories into a gorgeous keepsake. Here’s our step-by-step guide to creating your first expressbook.

Choose 20 or 40 photographs. Perhaps these pictures tell the story of your vacation, your big party, your loveliest landscapes, or your baby’s first year.
Save your pictures in a separate folder. Put them in the proper order (try renaming the files with a number at the beginning, for example):

rehearsaldinner.jpg
decorating.jpg
gettingready.jpg
bridalbefore.jpg

Copy the folder and photos to a CD, SD card, or thumb drive
Take your file into London Drugs Photolab. Load your device at our photo kiosk and order 20 or 40 4”x6” prints.
At the desk, tell the Photo Specialist you would like to order an expressbook.

Simple! Requiring no software, your photos will be duplex printed, one on each side of a page, and bound into a lovely square book. Ready in about an hour, expressbooks are as fast and simple as ordering prints.

For more information about expressbooks, come into our London Drugs Photolab. We would be delighted to answer all your questions.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer

Declutter your photo library

2011-11-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

If you’re like me, you keep every image you shoot, regardless of closed eyes, strange expressions, or thumbs over lenses. When I’m shooting, I snap away thinking I will edit later. But once the photos are on my hard drive, I have a hard time pressing the delete key. Take a look at one of my folders. Can you pick out the good shots?

As you can see, procrastinating the editing process becomes a big issue, particularly as Christmas approaches. It takes time and focus to click through hundreds of images from the past year to find the best shots for Christmas cards, photo gifts, albums, photobooks, and frame-worthy enlargements.

The solution is simple: set aside an hour or so to trim your photo library. It took me just under two hours to winnow this year’s library of 2059 images to 534. This whittling process is surprisingly smooth once you start. The time you spend now will save you hours in the weeks to come.

Really Bad Pictures: These are the Easy Ones
Blurred pictures, accidental shots of the ceiling, photos where people have a mouthful of food. Plants coming out of heads, cropped faces, thumbs over lenses. Underexposed, overexposed, hazy, muddy. Glare on glasses, group shots before everyone’s ready, sun off a bald head. Delete.

One Good Group Shot
We all take multiple group shots, “just in case.” All of these images are copied onto the hard drive and, in my case, left there to sort later.

Here’s the problem: every time I open my photo library, I see a ton of thumbnails that are very similar (see above). Most are junk—someone is blinking, turning away, or making rabbit ears. Every time I look for that group shot, I have to enlarge each image to find the one good image.

Delete the discards. This is the beauty of digital images—it costs you nothing to snap a picture, analyze it, and toss it out. You only need one good group shot, the best of the bunch, easy to pick out later.

Cute people do not necessarily equal cute photos
Here’s where I run into trouble. How can I delete pictures of my kids? Aren’t they cute and delightful? Truthfully, sometimes my adorable kids look odd in pictures: they are in mid blink, turning from the camera, or pulling a goofy face. Even the most beautiful person will take bad pictures some of the time. Delete them.

Photography is not video
During a fun event, I am tempted to record every moment so I can recreate it later. Since I am an amateur photographer, not an amateur filmmaker, I must resist this impulse. Great event pictures capture moments, and together these moments form memories.

As you examine images from a big event, categorize each one: a high point, unexceptional moments, or a dull shot that is not worth printing. Delete all of the dull moments, and then divide the unexceptional images once again into high points and dull shots.

When you are finished, look at the remaining photos as a group. You will find that the images have transformed from individual snaps into a story of the event.

Use Your Artistic Eye
For artistic shots like landscapes, architecture, wildlife, and botanicals, look for artistic composition. Is there an interesting focal point, does the photo follow the rule of thirds, does the image form interesting shapes and lines? Ultimately, an artistic photo must grab you. Imagine the images enlarged and framed on a wall. Would it capture your attention?

This analysis has a side benefit—as you look critically at your artistic shots, you will learn what works. Make a mental note of angles and framing that create lovely images.

Now for the rest: Blow them up!
When you are finished the trimming process, you will have a good idea of which images deserve to be shared. You may want to create special folders for photobooks, enlargements, and Christmas cards that will make the process smooth.

One note about enlargements: after you have chosen your best shots to enlarge, you may want to tweak them using photo editing software. Small adjustments to white balance, tint, contrast, and saturation can transform a nice image into a spectacular photo.

Before sending your edited photos to enlarge, order a small, 4x6 print first, or prepare a proof book (Home Edition will walk you through the process) so you can see which changes look the best in print.

For more information about photobooks, Christmas cards, proof books, and enlargements, visit us at www.londondrugs.com/photolab.

Written by Angela Ford, Amateur Photographer