Color

The use of color is great. DSLRs have come a long way since they first hit the market place. Picture quality and color spaces now are amazing in cameras now, so I say why fight it. Find a way to pop some color into your portraits. It can be as simple as adding some colorful flowers or finding colors in your environment that can help enhance your photograph. Often I start a wedding day at a hotel with the bride and groom so they can have some getting ready pictures. When I arrive at the hotel I look around the lobby or hallways in search for some fun colors or unique lines. Hotels are trying to be come more modern which means bold colors and strong lines down hallways or walls. Use this as a great spot to stop and take some portraits on the way to the ceremony. It will only take a few minuets but I bet the pictures will look different then the rest of the portraits at the church or venue. As a general rule variety is a good thing.

If you are outside at a venue I will bet they have some grass. try laying down in the grass and putting your bride and groom 20ft or more in front of you. This will create a new angle but will also put a lot of green grass in the foreground of your photo.

photo: CarlosMendozaPhoto

Different Unique

One way to get an amazing wedding picture is to find a way to create something new for the bride and groom. If you take pictures that everybody has seen 100 times, you will just blend in with the rest of the wedding pictures. If the bride and groom want a picture you have taken 100 times you should do it because they will like them so make sure they are happy first. After I get all the official/safe pictures I try and spend a few minuets creating something new and unique. Not every experiment is a winner but I always try to put the bride or groom is a different environment or use a different view point. More times then not these pictures turn out to be our bride and grooms favorite pictures.

photo: CarlosMendozaPhoto

Fun/Lines

Creating lines with your subject/model is more of a fashion photography move but why can’t it work with wedding photography? Creating lines with your bride and grooms is actually very easy even for the non model. You want to get your bride or groom to lose their good posture, for example we normally stand with equal weight on each foot, but try to get your bride to put all of her weight on her back foot and to slightly bend her front foot. This may sound like a little change but will create a great shot. I think my favorite trick is to have the bride point her body 45 degrees away from the camera and to look back over her shoulder at you. This is great as it will show the back of her dress, and if she has a double chin it will make everything stretch out. If The bride is holding flowers you can have her put them on her hip which is closest to the camera, which will then make her arm look slimmer.

photo: Corey Ann

Details

When you are taking any kind of portraits try to find a way to get your couple to relax. When the couple is relaxed they will have more fun and their smiles will look much more natural. Often I will tell brides and grooms during their wedding pictures that I need a second to set something up (which is not true). Usually when I tell couples this they will relax and interact with each other which give me a great time to take more candid photos of them. When you are taking these candid style pictures go a head and take detail pictures of little moments as the couple will love these. Believe it or not often these little detail pictures are the pictures our bride and groom get printed in large sizes.

photo: Adrian Dreßler

Negative Space

Ok so negative space is a tricky concept to pick up and master. Most photographers want to fill their frame with pretty people and backgrounds. If you take pictures that have a lot of negative space it will force your viewers to look at the subjects in your pictures. Using negative space is also a great way to get your wedding pictures to pop, because the subjects will be strong in the picture, and because average photographers will not/can’t take this style of picture. Using large amount of negative space is a move I will almost always use when we are stuck inside for wedding pictures because of a raining day.

photo: raulsantosdelacamara

Nikon has updated the old D7000 by introducing the Nikon D7100 Ohhh…Ahhhh

Quick Overview

• 24.1MP DX format CMOS sensor
• water and dust resistance
• Max 6 fps continuous shooting in DX mode
• ISO 100-6400 standard, up to 25600 expanded
• 51 point AF system, 15 sensors cross type
• 3.2″, 1.2m-dot LCD screen (640 x 480)
• Spot white balance in live view mode
• 1080 60i/30p video recording, built-in stereo mic,

Biggest Changes from the D7000

• The D7000 had 16MP now the D7100 has 24MP
• The D7000 had 39 Focus points now the Nikon D7100 has 51
• The D7000 had a 3″ Screen now the Nikon D7100 has 3.2″
• The D7000 Shot 1080/29p now the Nikon D7100 will shoot 1080/60i/30pm

Weather Sealed

This camera has a good build and weather seal like the Nikon D300S, which is nice since the Nikon D7100 is a few  hundred dollars cheaper. I personally feel like the build quality is a big deal since my cameras get a lot of miles and I don’t want them breaking. The weather seal is a good feature as it’s a layer of insurance for us. I shoot in sand and rain often and its nice not having to panic about a little weather getting in the way.

Photo Talking Points

Dual SD Card Slots

Nikon has been rocking the dual card slots for a while now, but this is great if you want to shoot in RAW and JPEG at the same time. Or for me I like it cause I can shoot on RAW then when card one is full it will automatically switch to card 2. This is great if you are shooting something where you can’t stop to change cards.

White Balance Spot Meter

Ok this is cool. The Nikon D7100 has a white balance spot meter!  I am constantly dialing my custom white balance temperature to make everything as accurate at time of capture as possible. This sometimes mean I am taking a few test shots to get everything where I want it. Now with the white balance spot meter I can remove the guest work. It works just like a normal spot meter, where you will put the spot over something you know to be white, and select it. Now with your white balance selected the camera will adjust the color temperature for you! This may be my most exciting feature.

Auto HDR (two photographs)

The Nikon D7100 has a feature where you can take two pictures….with out a tripod and it will try to auto HDR your image. I only played with this for a little bit and was not all that impressed. I guess it is a fun feature for photographers who don’t do any post processing. But if you are like most photographers who do post process their photos you can get a better quality image if you just do it the old fashion way with a tripod. Also When I am doing any HDR shots I try to get more range then 2 images any ways.

6 Frames Per Second

So 6fps is not much to brag about:(  If you are a standard photographer just taking pictures of family and vacations you will be just fine with this. Other cameras on the market will do 8fps, again this is not that big of an issue unless you are shooting something high speed like a car.

Video Talking points

Movie Modes

If you are going to be shooting video this is a big point!!! The old Nikon D7000 would shot video only in 1080/24p while the Nikon D7100 will shoot in 1080 60i/30p. If you are not totally into video let me give you an example.  Classic movies are shot at 24p (frames per second) This gives your video the more cinematic artsy feel. TV is mostly shoot at 30p (frames per second) Since the frame rate is higher the video will look more life like and smooth.  60i is a great feature if you plan on slowing down your playback. when shooting at 60i  you can slow down your play back in editing software and still look smooth. If you were to slow your playback and you shot on 24P your footage would look choppy.  Now here is the down side….. if you were wanting to shoot an artsy film  you could no longer shoot at 24p.

Stereo Mic for those video lovers

On top of the camera there is a Stereo mic just below the hot shoe. This is a great feature if you are filming a lot with your camera. Older DSLR cameras on the market have only mono sound.

Can’t Control Aperture

So if you are into shooting video with your DSLR pay attention….. in movie mode you can not change your aperture or Iris known if the video world.  Now that DSLRs are bridging the gap between photo/video this in my mind is a big fail.

Overall Talking Points

Screen is upgraded

The new screen is a big improvement which will make looking at pictures on the back of the camera so much easier/nicer. The new screen is 3.2″ which is only .2″ larger then the D7000 but every bit helps. The screen resolution is also upgraded to a 640×480 with 1.2m-dots. Long story short the screen will be easier to read.

After playing around with the Nikon D7100 in my mind the only real selling points is the build quality with the weather sealed body & the white balance spot meter. For me this is very important since I am hard on my equipment, while the spot meter is a great way to speed up my work flow!

Below you will find the complete spec sheet from Nikon

• Type
  Single-lens reflex digital camera
• Lens Mount
  Nikon F bayonet mount
• Picture Angle
  Nikon DX format
• Effective Pixels
  24.1 million
• Sensor Size
  23.5mm x 15.6mm
• Image Sensor Format
  DX
• Image Sensor Type
  CMOS
• Total Pixels
  24.71 million
• Dust-reduction system
  Image sensor cleaning
• Dust-Off Reference Photo
  Yes
• Image Area (pixels)
  DX-format
  (L) 6,000 x 4,000
  (M) 4,494 x 3,000
  (S) 2,992 x 2,000
  1.3X Crop Mode
  (L) 4,800 x 3,200 (13.5 MP)
  (M) 3,600 x 2,400 (8.6 MP)
  (S) 2,400 x 1,600 (3.8 MP)
  Photographs In Movie Live View (16:9)
  (L) 6,000 x 3,368 (20.2 MP)
  (M) 4,496 x 2,528 (11.4 MP)
  (S) 2,992 x 1,680 (5.0 MP)
  Photographs Taken In Movie Live View Using The 1.3X Crop (16:9)
  (L) 4,800 x 2,696 (12.9 MP)
  (M) 3,600 x 2,024 (7.3 MP)
  (S) 2,400 x 1,344 (3.2 MP)
• File Format Still Images
  JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant with fine (approx 1:4), Normal (approx 1:8) or Basic (approx 1:16) Compression
  NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single Photograph Recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG Formats
  NEF (RAW): Lossless compressed, compressed 12 or 14 bit
• Picture Control
  Landscape
  Monochrome
  Neutral
  Portrait
  Standard
  User-customizable Settings
  Vivid
• Storage Media
  SD
  SDHC
  SDXC
• Card Slot
  2 Secure Digital (SD)
• File System
  Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0
  DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)
  EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
  PictBridge
• Viewfinder
  Eye-level Pentaprism Single-Lens Reflex Viewfinder
• Viewfinder Frame Coverage
  100% Horizontal
  100% Vertical Approx.
• Viewfinder Magnification
  0.94x Approx.
• Viewfinder Eyepoint
  19.5mm (-1.0m¯¹)
• Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
  -2.0 to +1.0m¯¹
• Focusing Screen
  Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark II screen
• Reflex Mirror
  Quick-return type
• Lens Aperture
  Instant-return type
• Depth-of-field Control
  Yes
• Lens Compatibility at a Glance***
  AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible
  Metering with AI lenses
• Compatible Lenses
  AF NIKKOR, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC Micro-NIKKOR lenses and DX lenses.
  AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (exposure modes A and M only)
  Electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports the center 1 focus point with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster).
  IX NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used.
• Shutter type
  Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
• Shutter Speed
  1/8000 to 30 sec. in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
  Bulb
• Fastest Shutter Speed
  1/8000 sec.
• Slowest Shutter Speed
  30 sec.
• Flash Sync Speed
  Up to 1/250 sec.
  Synchronizes with shutter at 1/320 s or slower
• Bulb Shutter Setting
  Yes
• Shutter Release Modes
  Continuous low-speed [CL] mode; 1-6 frames per second
  Continuous high-speed [CH] mode; 6 frames per second
  Interval timer photography supported
  Mirror-up [Mup] mode
  Quiet Shutter Release
  Self-timer mode
  Single-frame [S] mode
• Continuous Shooting Options
  DX-format
  CH: Up to 6 frames per second
  CL: Up to 1-6 frames per second
  1.3X Crop Mode
  CH: Up to 7 frames per second
  CL: Up to 1-6 frames per second
• Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
  6 frames per second
• Self-timer
  2, 5, 10, 20 sec.; 1 to 9 exposures Timer duration electronically controlled
• Exposure Metering System
  TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
• Metering Method
  Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8mm circle in center of frame
  Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)
  Spot: Meters 3.5mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
• Metering Range
  0 to 20 EV (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)
  2 to 20 EV (Spot metering at ISO 100 equivalent, f/1.4 lens at 20°C/68°F)
• Exposure Meter Coupling
  CPU
  AI
• Exposure Modes
  Aperture-Priority (A)
  Manual (M)
  Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
  Shutter-Priority Auto (S)
• Scene Modes
  Autumn Colors
  Beach / Snow
  Blossom
  Candlelight
  Child
  Close-up
  Dusk / Dawn
  Food
  Landscape
  Night Landscape
  Night Portrait
  Party / Indoor
  Pet Portrait
  Portrait
  Sports
  Sunset
• Exposure Compensation
  ±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
• Exposure Bracketing
  2 to 5 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2, or 3 EV
• Exposure Lock
  Yes
• Mirror Lock Up
  Yes
• ISO Sensitivity
  ISO 100 – 6400
  Hi-1 (ISO 12,800)
  Hi-2 (ISO 25,600)
• Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  100
• Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  6400
• Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
  Hi-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
• Expanded ISO Sensitivity Options
  Hi-1 (ISO-12,800 equivalent)
  Hi-2 (ISO 25600 equivalent)
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction
  Yes
• High ISO Noise Reduction
  Low
  Normal
  High
  Off
• Active D-Lighting
  Auto
  Extra High
  High
  Normal
  Low
  Off
• D-Lighting Bracketing
  2-3 frames
  2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 frames using preset values for all frames
• Single-point AF Mode
  Yes
• Dynamic AF Mode
  Number of AF points: 9, 21, 51 and 51 (3D-tracking)
• Auto-area AF Mode
  Yes
• Autofocus System
  Nikon Multi-CAM 3500DX autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection
• Detection Range
  -2 to 19 EV (ISO 100, 68°F/20°C)
• Lens Servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
  Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
• Focus Point
  Can be selected from 51 or 11 focus points
• AF-area mode
  9, 21 or 51 point Dynamic-area AF
  Auto-area AF
  Single-point AF
  3D-tracking (51 points)
• Focus Lock
  Focus can be locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
  Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF)
• Focus Modes
  Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
  Continuous-servo (AF-C)
  Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
  Full-time Servo (AF-A) available in Live View only
  Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder
  Normal area
  Single-servo AF (AF-S)
  Wide area
• Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
  51
• Autofocus Sensitivity
  -2 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
• Autofocus Fine Tune
  Yes
• Built-in Flash
  Yes
• Flash Bracketing
  2 to 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
• Built-in Flash Distance
  Approx. 12/39, 12/39 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F)
• X-Sync Speed
  1/250
• Top FP High Speed Sync
  Up to 1/8000
• Flash Control
  TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor is available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
• Flash Sync Modes
  Auto
  Auto FP High-Speed Sync supported
  Auto with red-eye reduction
  Auto slow sync
  Auto slow sync with red-eye reduction
  Fill-flash
  Front-curtain sync (normal)
  Rear-curtain sync
  Red-Eye reduction
  Red-Eye reduction with slow sync
  Slow sync
• Flash Compensation
  -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
• Flash-ready indicator
  Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output
• Accessory Shoe
  Yes
• Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
  Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander
  Built-in flash can serve as master flash in commander mode
  Auto FP High-Speed Sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
• Flash Sync Terminal
  Sync Terminal Adapter AS-15 (available separately)
• White Balance
  Auto
  Choose color temperature (2500K–10000K)
  Cloudy
  Direct Sunlight
  Flash
  Fluorescent (7 types)
  Incandescent
  Preset Manual
  Shade
• White Balance Bracketing
  3 shots in steps of 1
• Live View Shooting
  Photography Live View Mode
  Movie Live View Mode
• Live View Lens servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
  Manual focus (MF)
• Live View AF-area mode
  Face-priority AF
  Wide-area AF
  Normal-area AF
  Subject-tracking AF
• Live View Autofocus
  Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
• Live View Scene Auto Selector
  Auto mode
  Auto (flash off) mode
• Movie Metering
  TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
• Movie Maximum recording time
  20 minutes at highest quality
  29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality
• Movie File Format
  MOV
• Movie Video Compression
  H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
• Movie Audio recording format
  Linear PCM
• Movie
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 60i
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 50i
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 30p
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 25p
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 24p
  HD 1,280×720 / 60p
  HD 1,280×720 / 50p
• Movie Audio
  Built-in microphone, stereo
  External stereo microphone (optional)
  Microphone sensitivity can be adjusted
• Monitor Size
  3.2 in. diagonal
• Monitor Resolution
  1,228,800 Dots
• Monitor Type
  Wide Viewing Angle TFT-LCD
• Monitor Angle of View
  170-degree wide-viewing angle
• Monitor Adjustments
  Brightness, 3 levels
  Brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
• Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator
  Yes
• Playback Functions
  Auto Image Rotation
  Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar)
  Highlights
  Histogram Display
  Image Comment
  Movie Playback
  Movie Slideshow
  Playback with Zoom
  Slideshow
• In-Camera Image Editing
  Color Balance
  Color Outline
  Color Sketch
  D-Lighting
  Edit Movie
  Filter Effects
  Fisheye
  Image Overlay
  Miniature Effect
  Monochrome
  NEF (RAW) Processing
  Perspective Control
  Quick Retouch
  Red-Eye Correction
  Resize
  Selective Color
  Side-by-Side Comparison
  Straighten
  Trim
• Image Comment
  Yes
• Interface
  Accessory Terminal: Remote Cord: MC-DC2 (available separately); GPS unit: GP-1 (available separately)
  HDMI output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
  Hi-speed USB
  Stereo Microphone Input
  WR-1 and WR-R10 wireless remote controller (available separately)
• Wi-Fi Functionality
  Eye-Fi Compatible
  WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter
  UT-1 Communication Unit + WT-5A Wireless Transmitter
• GPS
  GP-1 GPS unit
  GP-1A GPS unit
• Save/Load Camera settings
  Yes
• Total custom Settings
  50
• My Menu
  Yes with customization
• Recent Settings
  Yes
• Supported Languages
  Arabic
  Bengali
  Brazilian Portuguese
  Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
  Czech
  Danish
  Dutch
  English
  Finnish
  French
  German
  Greek
  Hindi
  Hungarian
  Indonesian
  Italian
  Japanese
  Korean
  Norweigan
  Persian
  Polish
  Portuguese
  Romanian
  Russian
  Spanish
  Swedish
  Tamil
  Thai
  Turkish
  Ukrainian
  Vietnamese
• Date, Time and Daylight Savings Time Settings
  Yes
• World Time Setting
  Yes
• Battery / Batteries
  EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
• Battery Life (shots per charge)
  950 shots (CIPA)
• AC Adapter
  EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5B Power Connector (available separately)
• Battery Charger
  MH-25 Quick Charger
• Tripod Socket
  1/4 in.
• Approx. Dimensions
  Width: 5.3 in. (135.5mm)
  Height: 4.2 in. (106.5mm)
  Depth: 3.0 in. (76mm)
• Approx. Weight

  23.8 oz. (675g)

  camera body only
• Operating Environment
  0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
• Supplied Accessories
  • EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
  • MH-25 Quick Charger
  • UC-E6 USB Cable
  • AN-DC1 Strap
  • DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
  • DK-23 Rubber Eyecup
  • BF-1B Body Cap
  • BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cap
  • NikonView NX2 CD ROM

6 Easy Tips for Newborn Pictures

#1 Use The Correct Gear

Like with any job or task having and using the correct tools is extremely important. Can you imagine trying to hang a picture without a nail, or digging a hole with our a shovel? When taking newborn pictures you need to make sure you have the proper tools available.

Camera Body

I know what you are thinking…you can’t take pictures without a camera body and well you are correct. I would recommend using a DSLR with the ability to shoot in RAW. This may not be the time now but if you would like to read the differences between JPEG and RAW please visit here. Long story short you are going to want to shoot in RAW to give your self the best flexibility when editing the images later.  If you are taking newborn picture outside of a studio you may find yourself in a dark environment so I would recommend shooting with a camera body that is full sensor with the ability to shoot on a high ISO with out too much noise. Everybody has a different budget but here are a few Cameras I would recommend looking into.

#1Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP Full Frame CMOS

#2Nikon D700 12.1MP FX-Format CMOS

#3Nikon D5200 24.1 MP CMOS

#4Canon EOS 7D 18 MP CMOS

Lens Selection

Lens selection is important like always. I personally Love shooting newborn pictures with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro

This lens is my go to for a few different reasons. The 2.8 is nice if I’m trying to have shallow depth of field, and not to mention the Macro is amazing!  Often when I am taking newborn pictures I like to take detail/close up pictures of their hands and feet. The Macro gives me the ability to get close and still get a crisp focus.  The other reason I like this lens is its 100mm focal length!   When taking any kind of portraits I like to stay above 100mm to get a nice compression on the image. When shooting above 100mm the lens starts to compress you image which makes body features more flattering. For example your subjects nose will become smaller as well as large goofy ears, after all we are trying to make people look as good as possible.  Just for example sakes if you were to use a wide angle lens and stand close to your subject their features are actually distorted or amplified like in the example below.

photo: Paul Stevenson

I am not saying you have to use the Canon EF 100mm
but I would try and use a lens that has a longer focal length for good image compression and just having the Macro ability is just an added bonus.

Continuous Lighting

Lighting with any picture is make or break for a few reasons. Good lighting can take any average portrait and take it to the next level.  With lighting you can control what people look at in the picture, as well as add direction to your portrait. I Try to use lighting in every picture so I have full control, I also light most portraits because you want to create an image the customer could not do on their own. Lighting is usually the difference between an armature and pro photographer.

With most pictures the photographer is using strobes or flash photography since the picture is just a fraction of a second. With newborn photography I never use strobes.  You can take Newborn pictures with flash but I believe its hard on the baby’s new eyes. I am no doctor but I think I remember my doctor saying that when we had our baby….in my experience trying to be cautious or respectful for the newborn is always a good thing for mom and day. Remember mom and dad are the ones wanting the pictures so I always make them happy.

Continuous lights are small and cheap now that everything is LED. You can pick up some LED lights for $29 but I would look into getting some lights that you can manually dim this way you have control over your key or kicker lights. I am currently using Yongnuo Pro LED Video / Studio Light YN-160s, LED Panel and I have been loving it.

#2 Be on the same level as the Newborn

Now that you are rocking the newborn photography gear its time to take some pictures! I think one of the best and easiest tips for taking newborn pictures is to get down onto their level.  You can take some pictures looking down on them, as that is no problem, but spend some time going down to their level. If you are lazy like me you can build a set on a table or counter this way you don’t have to bend over or lay on the ground.

photo: peasap

I say this with any kid photography or pet photography but being on the level of your subjects makes for a more personable/friendly picture, not to mention they will look better. let me give you an example on why you want to take picture on the level of your subject.  If you were to look down onto your subjects it will make them look as if they have no power or they are in trouble.  If you were to look up at your subject it will put them in stance of power and dominance.  Look at official pictures of presidents as long as it’s not a head shot it will by slight at an upward angle, giving them a sense of power. Now think of the commercials on TV where they are trying to get sponsors for abused animals or kids, they will always be looking down on the subject to make things look sadder.

Now rules are meant to be broken but these are just a few things to think about when taking pictures of newborns or any body much shorter than you.

#3 Use Props & Colors

The use of props and colors will help enhance any photograph, especially newborn pictures.  I am sure there will be some different point of views her but I am personally over the black and white baby pictures. Most Newborn photographers in my area just turn all of their pictures black n white or sepia, which is fine but I always try to find ways to make my pictures stand out from the crowd.  I Like to use bright colors and props in newborn pictures. I like to find colors that help make our baby pop out. For example if we have blue eyes (which all babies have blue eyes when they are born…some just turn brown or another color later) I like to use a blue shirt or a blue head band for the girls. I try not to introduce 30 colors into the photograph but it’s nice to have one key color just to make things pop.

photo: Sweet Carolina Photography

Props are also a fun thing to play with. Props can be as simple as using a head band or pair of fun socks.  You can also use old vintage furniture  to add some personality or style to your image.  The picture is about the newborn but if you can add something to your image to make it more visually interesting I say go for it!

photo: phalinn

#4 Depth of Field

Using shallow depth of field is a great way to make your pictures stand out and above most pictures. Most people out there taking pictures are using point n shoot cameras and they don’t have the ability to shoot with a real low depth of field, so if you take a few pictures at 1.8 it will make you look like a rock star.  Shooting at 2.8 or 1.8 is not super easy you need to be careful that the correct part of the image is sharp, otherwise it will look like a fail.

photo: Vincent_AF

5 Be patience

This one is not easy for me but patience is key with newborn photography or even children pictures. I often will tell people taking pictures of newborns or children is like fishing, you are going to take a lot of pictures to just get a few good ones.  If you only take one or two shots expecting it to be a winner you may run into problem.  You should also set aside more time to take newborn pictures because you never know what mood they will be in.

photo: Raphael Goetter

#6 Make Mom and Dad Happy

Now if you are taking pictures for somebody else take the time to find out what style or pictures they want.  at the end of the day you are taking the pictures for them so you want to try and make them happy.  Also find a way to make the portrait session fun and excited for them, try and find a way to get them involved. If they are having a great time they will most likely call you back.

photo: A. Blight

I hope you find this helpful and if you have any helpful ideas we would love to hear them.

They other day I picked up a simple job where the client wanted head shots of his staff for his website but they did not want old boring studio pictures.  They have a fun Hawaiian theme in there office so they were hoping to have a pretty sunset in the back of their pictures.

Using green screen to remove the back ground in your photo or even photo is very easy if everything is shot correctly.
You can just put up a green sheet and call it good.

How to take a picture with green screen in Three easy steps!

#1 try and keep the wrinkles out of it~ When hanging your green screen backdrop try and stretch it tight as you don’t want many wrinkles in the backdrop. If your backdrop has wrinkles everywhere it will show up in the photo as highlights and shadows from where the light hits it or doesn’t.  When you are editing your green screen shot later in Adobe Photoshop it will create more work for you which is never a good thing.

#2 even lighting is key~ You don’t have to light your backdrop but I highly recommend it.  Just like in step one we are wanting to make the green screen one even color to make editing it in Adobe Photoshop. By lighting your green screen backdrop with a large even light source you can control the brightness and evenness, which will make everything some much easier for you in post production.

#3 don’t get too close~ Try not to put your subject too close to your green screen backdrop. If your model or subject is too close to the backdrop you will get a green bleed in the shadows.  When you are lighting your back drop green light will bounce off the background and if you are too close you will see a green rim light on your subject or in the shadows.  As you can imagine this a pain for a few reason. One if you can see green on your subject in the final picture people will know you just shot on green screen which takes away the magic. The second reason is nobody wants green skin in their picture.

In my mind setting up the picture is more important than how to remove the green screen in photoshop, If you shoot it correctly this will be fast and easy, but on the other end if there are some errors you will have lots of photoshop work in the future.

Now that you have everything shot and you are back in front of the computer. Here are a few easy steps to guide you through removing the green screen.

How to Remove Green Screen in Photoshop

Just like with any thing in Adobe Photoshop there is 100 ways to do anything  just like there is more then one way to remove green screen. One way is not better than another it all just depends on the photo and your style. The method below is just easiest for me.

#1 Open Image

Start by opening your image in Adobe Photoshop That first step was easy!

#2 Duplicate the layer

You don’t have to duplicate your background layer but when I am doing anything in Adobe Photoshop I just start by creating a duplicate layer just in case I goof up and need it. It is more of just a habit by now.

#3 Color Range

While you have your duplicate layer selected you are going to want to click Color Rage at the top of your menu click on Select>Color Range  When you do that you will see a new window open just like the one you see in the photo below.

When the Color Range window is open you are going to select the green from your image.  You can see in my sample picture that our green screen is not perfectly even there are some highlights and shadows. So what you will want to do is hold down SHIFT and start clicking all the green area around your subject.  As you do this you will notice all the shades of green you selected will turn white in your Color Range box.  If you select too much that is no problem you can always start over.

You can see in the photo above there is a great outline of our subject, which is great as this is what you are wanting yours to look like. When you are looking at your Color Range Window you will see a Fuzziness slider this will help to make your selection cleaner. Not every photo is the same but I usually move my to the 50-75 range.  Once you are happy with your Color Range selection hit the OK button

#4 Layer Mask

Now that you make your Color Range selection you will see the marching ants around your subject in the same pattern you saw in your Color Range Window.  Before you make your layer mask you are going to want to select the inverse, which there are several ways to do this but I use the hot keys CTRL+SHIFT+I You can also right click with your mouse and a window will open and you can select inverse.

Now that you have the inverse selected you will are going to create a layer mask. You will do this by going to your Layers tab and selecting the layer mask button. If you don’t know which button that is, its the black square with a white circle in the middle.  When you click on that you will see your mask show up on your layer.  (see image below)

#5 Drop your new Backdrop in!

At this point your photo will look just the same as you opened it but don’t worry that is all about to change.  Now you are going to open any image you want to use as your backdrop, which in our sample we are using a sunset! When you place the new image onto your Adobe Photoshop document you are going to place it under your subjects layer. See in the image below how our new sunset layer is below the subject.

Most likely your new background layer is not going to be the exact same size as your original picture so you can move it around and re size it to fit your needs.  You can stop here but  I would go one more step.  I can bet the picture you are using as  your back ground is in focus which may make your working image look funny. Why is the subject and background both in focus. Maybe you want this or maybe you don’t.   If you are wanting your background image to be out of focus this is no problem as it is an easy adjustment.  With your background layer selected you are going to go to FILTER>BLUR>GAUSSIAN BLUR  When you are here a new window will open where you can select the amount of BLUR you want to add to your background.  You can see in the image below we put a little blur to our background but not too much.

If you are looking for a begginer and cheap Green screen I would look into  ePhoto 10×12 Foot Chroma Key Green Screen Muslin Backdrop

That is what I have been using as its large enough to get things going for you. They do sell them larger if you are wanting to do large groups at once.

I hope this helps and if you have any tips we would love to hear your tricks in the Comments.

This post originally appeared on Photography Tips and is copyrighted. If you’re reading this elsewhere please let us know.

Whether you are new to photography or a seasoned photographer with a new camera the chances are you know that you will need to understand aperture.

Of course photography lessons will help you understand the terms as well as learn about the different features that your camera has, why they are important and how to use them.

Until you decide that investing in photography lessons is the way to go then using photography tips from experienced photographers can help you begin to understand your camera and its functions ensuring that you take fantastic photographs.

Information about the maximum aperture is given in camera descriptions. Perhaps you are wondering what it means and why it’s important to know. The following photography tips will explain the basics of aperture so that you will be confident when choosing a new lens for your camera or just simply shooting your photos.

• What is Aperture?

Aperture is the term given to the opening or hole in the diaphragm that controls the amount of light passes through and enters the camera to expose the film. The aperture (hole) size can be changed just like the pupil in the human eye changes size according to the amount of light passing through. To allow more light through the aperture will be larger and to let less light through the aperture will be smaller.

In photography the aperture size is measured in what are commonly known as f-numbers or f-stops. The larger the f-stop number i.e. f5.6 the smaller the aperture the less light is allowed to pass through the lens to the film.

• Depth of Field

This refers to the area in front of and behind the object in focus (the subject of the photo). Aperture size has a direct affect on the depth of field. A larger f-number such as f32 will result in the foreground and background being in focus whilst a smaller f-number such as f1.4 will put the objects in the foreground in focus and blur the background.

Remember that the larger the aperture the smaller the area of focus (depth of field).

• Maximum and Minimum Apertures

Every lens has a maximum and minimum aperture which will be shown in the specification for your camera. If you are choosing a new camera or lens then you should focus on the maximum aperture size as that determines the speed of the lens. A fast lens is one with an f-number of f1.2 or f1.4 as it will allow more light through and be se suitable for photography in lower light levels.

• Shooting at f2.8

photo: Thomas Tolkien

An f2.8 aperture setting is at the heart of what is known as the ‘portrait and macro zone’. An f2.8 aperture setting will be used to blur the background and bring the foreground subject into sharp focus. It is frequently used for portraits, close-ups of animals, bugs, faces, flowers and other objects and where the background is not important.

• Shooting at f11

photo: szeke

An f11 aperture setting is part of the range of apertures known as the ‘landscape zone’. Aperture settings of f11 or higher are used for shooting outdoors and capturing landscapes as well as for attempting to capture as much detail as possible. However, it is important to think about exposure as shots will probably require a longer exposure and would therefore benefit from the use of a tripod to hold the camera and reduce the chance of camera shake.

Photography lessons will provide more information about aperture, the settings and uses as well as provide useful photography tips.

One of the most fun, and most dangerous shoots I have ever done was shooting a moving vehicle as it sped down the highway. I had briefly covered this in a previous article (here) when discussing how to shoot vehicles as they travel over a distance. But to fully be able to explain how to do this requires it’s own article, not because it is vastly complicated, but because it is very dangerous when not done right. I am not exaggerating when I say that you should not do this unless you are 100% confident in your own skills and abilities. Messing up while doing this can result in severe damage to your equipment or severe injury to yourself. The directions I layout here are not good suggests, so much as requirements for safety.

There are three things you will need to do a shoot like this:

1) You will need two friends who are excellent drivers.
You cannot do this shoot alone, it requires the aid of two other people. Before asking someone to do this you need to be certain of their abilities to drive. Once you start moving you cannot be worrying about the vehicle is driving. One friend will drive the vehicle you are trying to shoot, the other will drive the vehicle you are in. The person who drives the vehicle your shooting needs to be able to react to situations quickly and accurately as they unfold, since he will be your performer.

Image by Fabio Aro

2) You will need two vehicles.
Obviously one of these vehicles will be the one you are shooting. It is not as important as the second vehicle however. The other vehicle you will need is not very important, but needs to have one important feature: A hatchback. This vehicle needs to have a truck/back door that opens fully. This will allow you to keep the back open without obscuring the view of the driver. Do not use just a regular vehicles truck, as the open trunk will make it harder for the driver to view out the back of the vehicle. Also You will not have as much room to work with, and have a higher risk of getting thrown from the vehicle.

Image by Fabio Aro

3) You will need a harness system
This is one of the most important steps in doing this shoot. The harness is what is going to keep you in the vehicle, preventing you from falling out. There are several types of harnesses you can use for this, but the important factor is that it is secured around yourself and secured to the interior of the vehicle. There are five point harnesses that you can tie your self down with, but they can be very costly. I used a waist harness that resembled a tie-down cable. Whatever harness you use the important thing is to check the give before you start moving. Secure yourself into the vehicle and make sure that the give on the harness does not allow you to fall out of the back of the vehicle. Make sure you pull pretty hard when your testing this to ensure the harness is secure. It is also a good idea to attach a lead from the harness to your camera in case it gets dropped it will not fall out.

Image by Fabio Aro

In this part of the segment on Photograph Composition (First part here) I’ll be covering a few of the most basic rules of composition. As I explained in the first part, these rules are designed to help photographers design aesthetically pleasing photographs.

Rule Of Thirds
Of all the rules of composition, the rule of thirds is the most well know, most commonly used, and most fundamental rule of composition. This rule is actually one of the oldest rules of composition when dealing with visual imagery, such as photographs, paintings, and other artworks. The rules proposes a very simple concept: Images should be divided into three equal parts with two straight lines, both vertically and horizontally (creating a total of 9 equal squares in all), and all important composition elements should be placed along these lines. The basic concept behind this rule is that by aligning elements to these lines you create more dramatic pieces, as opposed to simply centering objects. For example if you were shooting a tree on an open field, if you align the tree to either center right or left you will create a more visually stunning image. One of the often unspoken additions to this rule is that the horizon line should fall on either the bottom center or top center line (the horizontal lines).

photo: chantrybee

While this rule does hold true in most situations, there are many times when it may not create the imagery you are trying to achieve. For example if you are trying to create a shot of a tree, and want the tree to look powerful and encompassing, you may find it better to center the tree in the image (additionally you would want to shoot from a lower vantage point aim up at the tree). This does not mean you need to completely disregard the rule, however. While the tree may be your primary element and centered, you can still align secondary elements to the rule’s lines, such as tree branches or other unique features of the tree.

Balanced Elements
This guideline comes from the same general area as the rule of thirds, and in fact uses most of the same principles. If you are shooting a single subject in a relatively wide open space, and align the subject to one of the rule’s lines, there is a good chance you are going to leave a good portion of empty space in in the image. Considering the tree in the field from the example above, if you align it to the left third line then you are going to leave a wide open space to the right of the tree. Balancing elements is a guideline that suggest that you fill this empty space with some distant object that does not take attention away from the primary object. In the tree example, you could use a mountain set far off in the background.

This guideline helps keep photos from retaining excessive amounts of dead space and helps create a more interesting look. You can also create an interesting look by not balancing elements too, however. In the tree example again, if you leave the space to the right of the tree void of any strong balancing element, you can create a solidarity or lonely looking image which can add interest itself.

Up until now I have covered mostly the manual settings and adjustment needed to shoot great photography, such as Shutter Speed & Aperture, Lens Focus & Perspective, Proper ISO, and White Balance. Now it is time to cover aspects of photography that do not involve setting your camera any specific way, but rather involve your own personal aesthetics and abilities.

What is Composition?
In photography the settings of your camera are not always the determining factors of whether or not your photos come out looking amazing. These settings will ensure that your photo is exposed, color corrected, and focused exactly how you want it to be, but what makes a photograph look breath taking is the way it is composed. The composition of a photograph is the way the photo is set up to look. Essentially, the composition is not what the photo looks like but what is in the photo and where the objects in the photo are located in correlation with other objects in the photo. Mastering your camera settings will make you a good photographer, but being able to compose an image in unique and interesting ways that not only are eye catching but also aesthetically pleasing is the mark of a great photographer.

photo: joiseyshowaa

Professional Composition
There is a single fundamental law that applies to the art of photography, a law which applies to both the technical side and the aesthetic side. That law is: There are no rules, no guidelines, no absolutes of photography that cannot be changed, manipulated, or completely ignored. What this means is that while I will be laying out the most common guidelines, rules, and suggestions for composing a great photograph, they are not absolute rules in which you must abide. The following rules and guides are designed to explain the most commonly aesthetically pleasing traits of photography, but that does not mean that they cannot be modified or just outright ignored. Additionally, while it is good to know each of these rules and guidelines by heart and consider how they can aide your photography, you should not dwell on each one, trying to make sure you account for it.

While I encourage you to experiment with different and unique styles, that may not entirely fall within the same constraints of the following rules they do provide a great starting point for most beginning photographers. Each of these rules are designed to help you account for different aspects of your photo in different ways. Some help almost strictly with aesthetics and some help actually setting up a shot. When you are able to account for these guidelines and rules when you shoot without even thinking about them, then you are in a position to really start to develop your own modifications and disregard for them. A professional composition however, is a composition that can use, modify, and break most of these rules in the same shot. Most of those ironically are done without the photographer giving a second thought to the rules of composition.

In the next part of this segment I will cover the different rules and guidelines of composition, such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, perspective, framing, and camera angles.

When writing my previous How To Not Be A Photographer I realized I did not do proper justice to the form of iPhone Photography that I loath the absolute most. While I did briefly cover editing on a cell phone in that article I fell I should be more in depth about a certain editing app that in my personal opinion has earned many people a special place in the photography nether. That app is Instagram.

The concept behind Instagram is pretty cool, I’ll admit. Take a photo, make sure it’s not bad, and share it with everyone. That’s pretty neat, but that is were my admiration ends. When I first found out about Instagram I held the previous sentiment, really only having an issue with the sheer number of people who were posting “vintage” photography. That sentiment instantly changed once I found out that it wasn’t just those people, it was the entire point of Instagram, to create “memorable photos” (translation: Add filters to all photos). My issue with this come from a major issue I’ve begun to have with photographers lately, who seem to think that ever image should look “retro”. This is insane. Yes, some photos look good when they’ve been made to look like they were taken half a century ago, but not every photo should look like this. Same as with my previous article, my biggest issue came from seeing colleagues start to use Instagram as their portfolio.

I’ve had a colleague argue with me over this point, trying to justify it saying that as photographers we should only shoot styles that are popular to ensure everyone likes our work. So why not shoot with the current style? Several reasons.

1) Versatility and Adaptability

Image by Ari Helminen.

Reading down to this point it might seem that I have a bias against this, in favor of my own style of shooting and editing. This is not the case, however. My problem with this ideology and things such as Instagram is that there is no room for creativity or profitability. If you limit yourself to only making these types of images, you are essentially eliminating most of your prospective clients. You should be able to showcase a wide range of style and ability, even as a specialty photographer, and what ability you do not have you should be able to learn. These traits and abilities mark a truly great photographer, not keeping up with style and trends.

2) Quality and Control

Image by Ari Helminen.

I will not iterate on these aspects too much as I covered them more in depth in my previous How To Not Be A Photographer. But suffice to say, iPhone photography lacks the ability to retain high quality images as well as lacks anyway of really controlling a shot.

3) Sheepling (the act of doing what someone tells you because others are doing it)

Image by Ari Helminen.

This is very annoying, and should never be encouraged. If you are just learning photography, it is fine to try to imitate what is popular and photography styles of others. But you really need to develop a style of your own, one that sets you apart from the rest. As I said in the first point being versatile is a great mark. That is why things such as Instagram are so terrible for photographers. The idea of only taking images that look similar to others because it’s “cool” is a novelty idea that hinders all creativity in photography.

There are several differences in a digital SLR versus basic digital cameras. One of the most notable differences is the ability to use interchangeable lenses. Where basic digital cameras have a fixed lens, digital SLR cameras have the ability to use a large variety of lenses. This allows you to be more creative with your photographs, as well as shoot in a variety of situations.

The basic digital camera may have any number of options in its control panel. You’ll likely find standard choices like portrait, landscape, macro, night time, and action. Each of these fundamental functions has specific settings that help the user in the most common photographic situations. As a general rule all of these settings are automatic, making these cameras very user friendly. You don’t necessarily need to know about ISO, shutter speeds and f/stops to get great photos from the basic digital camera.

Portrait, as the name suggests, is best used when wanting to photograph people in a close setting. It chooses a depth of field and exposure that should help your subject stand out from the background, depending on how close or far your subject is from the lens.

Landscape is best used when needing a large depth of field, or focus area. This setting allows you to focus on something far away, and still gets a good part of the foreground in focus as well. Again it chooses all the settings for you so all you have to do is point and shoot.

Close up shots are made easier by the macro setting, which allows sharp focus at a very close distance. Subjects like insects and flower petals become extremely interesting when photographed with this function, as it helps you see those little details quite clearly.

Night time photography can be a challenge. With this setting the camera decides what f-stop and shutter speeds are needed, as well as determining if the flash is necessary.

photo: MSVG

The action setting is helpful when taking photos of fast moving subjects. Whether it’s sports, or kids playing in the yard, you can freeze the motion with the action function and still get a relatively sharp photo.

Your digital camera may have any number of other specialty settings as well. One option that can be found on some basic digital cameras is the manual setting. Manual allows you to complete control and creative freedom over your photographs. The downside to this setting is you really need to understand how each of the settings, such as f/stops and shutter speed, affect your photos if you are to use them properly.

The basic digital camera has a fixed lens, which only allows for certain settings to be used, which are usually indicated on the lens rim. These lenses are generally equipped with mid-range settings that are less useful in very low-light situations, when wide angles are needed, or when wishing to zoom in from very far distances. These instances are where interchangeable lenses play a key role. Knowing this gives you a good idea of the benefits of using a digital SLR versus a basic digital camera.

The preference of professional photographers around the world, digital SLR cameras can give you better photographs because they allow you complete control over every aspect of your shot. There are two types of lenses to choose from. Prime lenses are a fixed focal length and are said by some to be sharper than its counterpart, the zoom lens. A zoom lens is more versatile and allows you to shoot in different situations without the need of an arsenal of lenses at your side. Which you choose will be personal preference and your situation.

If you are photographing a majestic landscape, or large group of people, you’ll need a wide angle lens, such as 35mm, to capture the entire scene. Macro lenses work the opposite way and are made to help you get those close details in sharp focus.

Long lenses are fantastic for those wildlife shots. With a 600 mm lens there is no need to get too close and risk scaring wildlife away, or worse yet risking injury to yourself from an animal that may feel threatened by your presence.

photo: ML_Duong

Knowing the difference between a digital SLR versus basic digital cameras will allow you to make the choice best for your needs. Having the right camera will enable you get the most enjoyment from your photography.