Photography for beginners

Basic Photography Additions Vol 17

2013-02-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the February 8, 2013 edition of basic photography.

AYMAN EMG presents 4 Types of Tea: How is Each One Made posted at The best recipes food.
Tom presents Best “How-To” Beginner’s Photography Video Tutorial We Have Found posted at PhotoBotos.com.

Basic Photography

Sydney Bell presents 30 Blogs for the Novice Photographer in You posted at Longhorn Leads, LLC, saying, "Like everything else, photography has changed and grown since the first camera was invented in 1840. Technology keeps evolving and growing, and now even amateurs are able to produce some professional looking results."

Laura Anderson presents Expert Insights with Lifestyle Photographer Becca DuVal posted at eNannySource, saying, "Anyone who has tried to capture a photo of their infant or toddler knows what a challenge that can be; never mind trying to get one decent family photo, which can prove to be both an all-day and very frustrating affair."

Photography

Sydney Bell presents 10 iPhone Apps for Editing Photos posted at Longhorn Leads, LLC, saying, "Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular mobile devices on the market, powerful enough to manage every detail of your personal or professional schedule, boost your productivity and simplify a staggering assortment of daily tasks."

Jonny Edwar presents RED Taylor Swift posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

Kaylee Adams presents 30 Blogs With Tips for Organizing Family Photos posted at Find A Nanny, saying, "Culling your collection isn’t always easy, nor is finding the right method for storage and organization that allows you to find the pictures you’re looking for when you need them."

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 16

2013-01-20T04:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the January 18, 2013 edition of basic photography.

2gstudio presents What is NEXT DAY photography (or after day- concerning wedding) posted at V&A Giotopoulos Studio Photography, saying, "What is NEXT DAY photography (or after day- concerning wedding)"

Basic Photography

Sindhu presents How to Enhance Your Photography...More Basic Terms posted at Sindhu Chennupati Photography! :), saying, "Just some more basic terms and tips for somebody looking to enhance their photos! :)"

Zhu presents 10 Tips for Better Baby Pictures… With Examples! | Correr Es Mi Destino posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, "I took countless pictures of Mark since he was born (I think he is about one minute old on the first one!) but as I quickly found out, taking pictures of a baby can be a challenge. Babies move a lot, they don’t open their eyes much at first, and their skin can get quite red."

David Oliveras presents Working With Young Models | DAVID OLIVERAS PHOTOGRAPHY posted at DAVID OLIVERAS PHOTOGRAPHY, saying, "Award winning filmmaker and photographer, David Oliveras shares his insights on the craft, from practical lighting diagrams to critical commentary."

Photography Galleries

Jonny Edwar presents

Hello 2013

Firewood

Blue is My Color

posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

Sindhu presents Flashback Friday! Candles! (: posted at Sindhu Chennupati Photography! :), saying, "Just some photos to inspire you to take more photos! :)"

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 15

2013-01-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the December 28, 2012 edition of basic photography.

I would like to apologize for the late update of this article, it has been a while since i put an article again. Ill try my best tokeep everything up to date

Basic Photography

Doug H. presents Quick Photo Tip: Tap and hold on the screen for 3 seconds to lock focus (AF) and exposure (AE) | TeachMeiOS.com posted at TeachMeiOS.com, saying, "iPhone Photography Basics"

Photography

Jennifer Saksa presents After You Point and Shoot, Convert and Share posted at NCH Software Blog.

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 14

2012-12-21T04:21:00.004-08:00

Welcome to the December 21, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Photography

jumboworldin presents Inspiring Creations posted at Jumboworld.in A website brings the internet users up close with exclusive content on Jumbo things/concepts, Buzz videos, Inspiring Creations and content on People & lifestyle that will change the way people live or think for better. The objective is to of.

Sindhu presents How to Enhance your Photos...Photography as an Art Form: Principles of Design posted at Sindhu Chennupati Photography! :), saying, "Photograph is a form of art?! Here are some principles of design, and how to use them in your photographs!"

Zhu presents 10 Tips for Better Baby Pictures… With Examples! | Correr Es Mi Destino posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, "I took countless pictures of Mark since he was born (I think he is about one minute old on the first one!) but as I quickly found out, taking pictures of a baby can be a challenge. Babies move a lot, they don’t open their eyes much at first, and their skin can get quite red. So I practiced daily with Mark and… ta-da, we are getting better every day!"

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 13

2012-12-14T12:58:00.003-08:00

Welcome to the December 14, 2012 edition of basic photography.

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY

Cambridge in Colour presents Understanding Digital Camera Sensors posted at Cambridge in Colour Cuchi's comment "Ever wonder how your camera detects and record light and colour? Well, if you are a bit curious read this article"

Cambridge in Colour presents Using Camera Shutter Speed Creatively posted at Cambridge in Colour Cuchi's comment "Learn how to create quality images by learning one of the most powerful tools provided in your camera, the shutter speed."

Sindhu presents Photography as an Art Form: Elements of Design posted at Sindhu Chennupati Photography! :), saying, "Learning Photography and Art, whoo! (:"

PHOTO GALLERY

Jonny Edwar presents Black White Country Borage posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 12

2012-12-07T05:03:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the December 7, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Myphotographylesson presents DSLR-principle scheme posted at myphotographylesson saying "Before you are starting getting familiar with the basic photography terms, it is necessary to understand how your DSLR works. Regardless the model all DSLRs work under the same principles"

Ken Rockwell presents How to Set White Balance posted at kenrockwell. Here is another article on the use of White balance. If you want to explore more on this area, try to read this article

Ken Rockwell presents Your Camera Doesn't Matter posted at kenrockwell. This is an article about the use of the camera. If the user of the camera has a good eye for photography and knows how to take good pictures then it doesn't matter if he or she has a disposable camera the taken pictures would always be great. Investing on learning the art is better than investing on gadgets.

Photography Journal presents Art Of East Jesus posted at Photography Journal.

Go Green Travel Green presents Pictures of Puffins: Our Best Puffin Photos from Iceland posted at Go Green Travel Green, saying, "One of the things I was most looking forward to about visiting Iceland was seeing puffins. Our first spotting was on the ferry to the Westman Islands. But they were flying and far away. (Despite their distance I still tried to capture a few pictures of puffins. None of those photos made this cut.) When we arrived in the Westman Islands, we drove a short way up a hill to a hike through a field of sheep, where we discovered hundreds of puffins. And in Vik (at Dyrholaey) we saw even more puffins. They were even cuter in real life than I thought they would be. Here are my favorite pictures of puffins."

Jenn Dixon presents Sunset in Snow Shoe posted at Jenn Dixon Photography: Blog.

Nicole Elena Robertson presents Nicole Elena Robertson: Mount Washington posted at Nicole Elena Robertson, saying, "Photos of New Hampshire's stunning Mount Washington."

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 11

2012-11-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the November 30, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Klaus Stiefel presents Getting Started with Underwater Photography – Part 1 – Buoyancy posted at Pacificklaus, saying, "This is the first of my 10-part series about getting started in underwater photography. Enjoy!" Photography

Diego Brown presents 5 Fun Poses for this Year’s Family Christmas Photo » National Nannies posted at National Nannies, saying, "Every year, many families like to take a Christmas photo with their family. Whether they use this photo for their Christmas cards, to place in their scrapbook, or to frame and hang on the wall, it can be challenging to come up with the right outfits to wear, the right location to have the picture taken, and how to differentiate it from past Christmas photos. Have no fear, Christmas photo pose ideas are here."

Jonny Edwar presents Steve Jobs and Howard Schultz posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

Exposure Guide presents Night Sky Photography Tips posted at Exposure Guide. Capture star trails, the night overcast skies, Auroras & Polar lights and more tips in Night Photography.

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 10

2012-11-23T00:17:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the November 23, 2012 edition of basic photography

Exposure Guide presents "Beach Photography Tips". Having trouble because of the sun? Get the best pictures on the beach. Follow this Photography Tips. Posted at Exposure Guide

Jonny Edwar presents Black White Grasses posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist. Have a look at this cool Photos. Grass has never been interesting!

Jim Harmer presents 10 Posing Tips for Group Portraits. Improve your group portraits with this 10 tips from a seasoned Photographer. Posted at Improved Photography

Cuchikoo presents Removing Colour Casts in your images : Understanding White Balance. Learn and Understand White Balance feature in your camera Posted at Photography for Beginners

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Removing Colour Casts in your images : Understanding White Balance

2012-11-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why there are some instances that the images that you are taking has a different shade compared to the natural tones that you see? For example, it is a bright sunny day and you wanted to take a photo of someone who is blowing bubbles. In actual, you see the colour of her undershirt as grey. However, in the photograph that you have taken it has a yellowish tone or a blue!?! Now you are going to ask yourself, how come this happens? What should I do to make these pictures look natural? Well, the answer to all these questions is related to White Balance Setting.

Shade

Cloudy Setting

High colour rend fluorescent lamp

Direct Sunlight

Flash

Incandescent lamp

PHOTOGRAPHED BY: Cuchikoo; MODEL: Jameira Suansing

Everything that surrounds us has a light source; you would not be able to see anything without a light source. At home, there are the fluorescent lamps, and incandescent lamps. Outdoors we have the sun as a light source. But definitely, you would have noticed that these light sources have different colours. Normal domestic light bulbs are yellowish in colour and fluorescent lamps are white. In order to get natural colours in photographs, a colour adjustment must be done in the camera in order to compensate with the different light colours in the environment. Hence, the White Balance Setting. Colour Casts on images can be related to colour temperature. A wrong setting of white balance can result into a colour cast on the picture and this might be one of the things that photographers must avoid.

The White Balance is used to adjust the camera to provide natural looking photos or images to whatever light source available. White is the most neutral color and this colour is mostly affected by the light sources present. Colour adjustment is based on the white colour (that is why white balance is the term used in your camera). Colour temperature is measured by K (Kelvin). At 0 Kelvin, there is no particular heat energy from the object. White Balance was derived by using what they call the “Black Body Radiator”, which means when a particular object is heated it glows. The table below provides a list of light sources and its corresponding Kelvin.

Colour Temp	Light Source
1000 K	Candles, some flashlights
2000 K	Pre-sunrise
2500 K	Household Bulb/Domestic Energy Saving Bulbs (used)
3000 K	New Bulbs / some studio lights
3000 – 4000	Sunrise/Sunset (w/o smoke or heavy smog)
4000 – 5000	Flourescent bulbs, cool white – daylight balances
5000 – 5500	Electronic Flash, portable new bulb
5500 – 6000	Studio Electronic Flash new/Sunlight
6000 – 7000	Bright Daylight
7000 – 8000	Slight overcast skies at lower elevations
8000 – 9000	Heavy overcast / slight shade
9000 – 11000	Rain at lower elevations / clear day at higher elevations (above 8000 ft)
11000 – 18000	Overcast to snowy days at higher elevations (above 8000 ft)

NOTE: ***Sunlight and daylight are different in colour temp, sunlight is light directly from sun about 5500 K, daylight is combination of sunlight and sky light and has a colour temp of 6300K (Source: “White Balance”. Photography for Beginners Vol. 01. Bournemouth. Dorset: Inagine Publishing. Copyright 2011. page 45)

I have asked several people regarding colour temperatures, all of them perceives blue as the coolest colour and red as the warmest colour (In my opinion, people associate the blue colour for water that is why we see this colour as cool. On the other hand, the red colour is associated with fire that is why it is perceived as a very hot colour.) It is the opposite for the Kelvin scale. Red is considered as the coolest colour and blue as the warmest. Cameras measure light according to RGB (Red, Green and Blue) colours. Technically speaking, in order to provide a basis for measurement, the Kelvin Scale is used by the camera for the White Balance.

White balance adjustment is done by introducing the direct opposite of the colour cast in order to neutralize the strong colour. As an example, domestic light bulbs have a yellowish tint colour, a bluish cast is put in for adjustment to compensate and neutralize the effect. Human eyes does the same thing, humans do not realize that it happens because the human eye easily adjusts the balance for the surroundings. Since the camera is there to capture images and as much as possible it needs all the input that the photographer can provide thus, settings for the white balance is important.

WHITE BALANCE SETTINGS

All cameras have different settings and terms that it uses for white balance. It has a built-in Auto White Balance Settings. This setting acts like a pair of eyes for the camera. The camera gets an ambient reading from the light source and would base its adjustment on the reading that it gets. Auto settings is usually correct if there is a single light source in the environment, however, this is not the case for two or more light sources. Manual adjustment is introduced in the camera in order to correct White Balance. Commonly used terms for point and shoot cameras are

Auto WB – all digicams have Auto WB setting but it doesn’t get it right all the time, always check
Tungsten – used under tungsten bulbs ; this can also be used if the photographer is aiming for a blue tone
Flourescent – this setting is suitable for indoor fluorescent lighting to combat yellow/orange tones from the light source
Daylight – this setting is ideal for outdoors in open sunlight and no sunshade
Flash – this setting is ideal for studio work; this is to prevent blue tones that are coming out of the flash bulbd
Cloudy – this setting is suitable outdoors when there is an overcast of clouds to give images some warmth

Each of these settings has a different symbol in the cameras and would compensate for the shooting conditions available.

For serious photographers and those who own a DSLR Camera it is a different story, the concept of white balance is the same for all cameras but settings are much broader and complicated. Since I have the Nikon D90, I am going to use it as an example in this article. Another important note, if you have a RAW format setting in your camera, then it is best to use that format. Post adjustment on the images can be done for White Balance using the RAW format without affecting the quality of the image (see the article “Understanding your picture formats: RAW vs Jpeg")

The Nikon D90 has 9 White Balance Setting. Out of that 9, in the Flourescent settings there is another 7 settings that the user can choose from. Provided below is a list of these settings and its use.

1. Auto – best for most circumstances, camera takes ambient (present/existing) light and makes colour adjustment
2. Incandescent – standard household light bulb
3. Fluorescent – coming from a fluorescent type lamp

7 types of Fluorescent Settings in Nkon D90

a. Sodium Vapour – found in street lights, parking lots, and sports arena, emit deep yellow colour

b. Warm-White Fluorescent – white light with a bit of amber cast to add some warmth in the scene at 3000K similar to incandescent

c. White Fluorescent – casts a neutral white light at 3700K

d. Cool White Fluorescent – cooler than white fluorescent at 4200K

Day White Fluorescent – approximates sunlight at about 5000K

e. Daylight Fluorescent – same colour as daylight 6500K

f. High temp Mercury Vapour – vary in temp depending on manufacturer between 200K to 7200K

4.       Direct Sunlight – outdoor setting in the sunlight
5.       Flash – built in Speedlight, hot-shoe speed light or external strobes
6.       Cloudy – overcast skies
7.       Shade – shade of trees or a building or under an overhang or a bridge, any place where the sun Is out but is blocked
8.       K – Choose Colour temp
9.       Preset Manual

There are two settings in the camera wherein an input is needed from the photographer. This is the K setting and the Preset Manual Setting. The K setting is used to choose the right colour temperature based on the Kelvin Scale. The colour temperatures range from (2500 [red] – 10000 [blue]).

Source: Thomas, J. Dennis. Nikon D90: Digital Field Guide.

A table was provided above regarding the measurement of light sources based on Kelvin temperature. It would be helpful to read and understand that table if the photographer would be using the K setting. On the other hand, it is a different story for the Preset Manual Setting. This setting is based on a neutral object to measure the white balance. Neutral colours are grey and white. The figure below shows the White balance fine-tuning grid that the Nikon D90 has.

Source: Thomas, J. Dennis. Nikon D90: Digital Field Guide.

HOW TO CALIBRATE YOUR CAMERA FOR WHITE BALANCE

Normally, in order to get the right white balance manually, the camera is introduced to a photographer’s grey card. The grey card is completely neutral at 18% LTF (***18% LTF Australian Standard; Light Transmission Factor – the darker the percentage the lighter the shade), this shade reflects all colour equally. If you do not have a grey card, a white sheet of paper can also be used to calibrate the camera. Take an image under the lighting source with your grey card or paper, and check your camera. Review the image and check which setting is appropriate for the environment until you get the natural colour that you are aiming for. For Auto White Balance settings, the camera will do calculations and apply the correct white balance on the other images that you would be shooting at these conditions. It is important that once in a while you calibrate your camera in order to balance the images in different conditions. Repeat the process if you are under a different condition in order to make sure that the correct balance is achieved all the time.

There is another way to calibrate the white balance setting. This is through the use of an Expodisc. An expodisc is an accessory that can be attached in front of the lens like a filter. The lens is pointed at the light source and the camera would automatically adjust it to the correct colour temperature. Before using the expodisc, the camera must be set to Preset Manual or Custom White Balance Setting.

REFERENCES:

Basic Photography Additions Vol 09

2012-11-09T02:16:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the November 9, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Jonny Edwar presents DAVID GUETTA Nothing But The Beat 2.0 posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

Constance Reeder presents Fall Photography posted at simplyliving101.com, saying, "These are photos of my homestead taken with my cheesy camera. I have no experience as a photographer."

Jonny Edwar presents ELLO Live In #PKU posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

Silverlight.co.uk presentsAn Introduction to Exposure posted at Basic Photography Tutorials . This article was just found using google.com. The article talks about basic information about Aperture.

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 08

2012-11-01T23:05:00.004-07:00

Welcome to the November 2, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Basic Photography

Nino Estrada presents 8 simple ways to improve your photography. « nino estrada photography blog posted at nino estrada photography blog, saying, "8 simple ways to improve your photography"

freelee presents Black stripes or white stripes? posted at Weird Wonderful World News.

Photography

Jonny Edwar presents Black White Red Harbor posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 07

2012-10-26T13:07:00.002-07:00

Welcome to the October 26, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Photography

AllPhotography presents Amazing: Fly Geyser posted at AllPhotography, saying, "Fly Geyser is a small geothermal geyser that is located Washoe County, Nevada. It’s a fabulous place ,but unfortunately is located on a private property and can’t be visited."

AllPhotography presents Tip of the day: Make a list of shots you’d like to get! posted at AllPhotography.

Jonny Edwar presents Afternoon Sky from Rooftop posted at jururekamphoto: from absurd-tivist.

destinationeu presents Lisbon in September posted at Rear View Mirror, saying, "iPhone photos of Lisbon, Portugal"

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Basic Photography Additions Volume 06

2012-10-19T04:59:00.004-07:00

Welcome to the October 19, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Basic Photography

Kimberly Sanberg presents 7 Creative Ways to Share Travel Photos posted at Go Green Travel Green.

Cuchikoo presents Understanding picture formats of your cameras : RAW VS JPEG Format posted at Squidoo.

Featured Photography Stuff

Kyle Stephenson presents A Splash Of Colorful Nature | iPad Photo Log posted at iPad Photo Log.

Jonny Edwar presents All For Widy Vierra posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents Unhappiness Violet Dragnet posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

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Basic Photography Additions Volume 05

2012-10-12T01:35:00.002-07:00

Welcome to the October 12, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Jonny Edwar presents Woi! Let's Skate! posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents Pieces of Middle Earth posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents Pancasila Sakti! posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

anisha@nerdwallet.com presents PHOTO GALLERY: Fishy Faces at Monterey Bay Aquarium posted at NerdWallet | Travel, saying, "Beautiful sea life photographed by the everyday aquarium goer."

Zhu presents The Best 3 Photography Tips I Was Given | Correr Es Mi Destino posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying, "When I first got into photography, I had no clue what I was doing. I didn’t read any book, didn’t take any classes. I simply listened to my instinct, trying to capture moments, more or less successfully. Most of what I learned was by trial and error. I trained with a small Kodak Easyshare and eventually allowed myself to graduate to a DSLR when photography became a true passion."

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Basic Photography Additions Volume 04

2012-10-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the October 5, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Basic Photography

anisha@nerdwallet.com presents PHOTO GALLERY: River Street in Savannah, GA posted at NerdWallet | Travel, saying, "Want to see what a beginning photographer can do? Beautiful pictures taken by a newbie."

Amanda Lanter presents New to DSLR Photography- Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and Exposure posted at BlogShopWin.com, saying, "This is intended to help those new to photography. It is a rough explanation of shutter speed, ISO, and aperture to help the user "put the pieces together"."

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BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY ADDITIONS VOL 03

2012-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the September 28, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Photography

Jacques Bouchard presents Introducing Our 2012 Photo Contest! posted at Onward Healthcare Blog, saying, "Onward Healthcare is holding a photography contest for anyone working in travel healthcare -- including nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and others. Prizes include a Kindle Fire, a $250 gift card, and more."

Jonny Edwar presents Black White Plants posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents Absurd-expressive Photos at Closing Ceremony posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Cuchikoo presents Finding the perfect Camera posted at Squidoo.com. If you do not have any idea on what camera to buy. Here are some tips to help you pick the perfect camera that would work for you

anisha@nerdwallet.com presents PHOTO GALLERY: River Street in Savannah, GA posted at NerdWallet | Travel. That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of basic photography using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page

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Basic Photography Additions Vol 01

2012-09-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the September 11, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Zhu presents 5 Ways To Ruin a Picture posted at Correr Es Mi Destino . Brief words from the author: I take hundreds of pictures each month and maybe only 70% make it through my very own quality control parameters. I realized that if I wanted to improve my skills, I had to be hard on myself.

Cuchikoo presents Basic Rules in Photo Composition posted at Photography for Beginners

John Morrow presents NerdWallet’s Top 4 Visual Arts Nonprofits posted at NerdWallet Credit Card Blog. That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of basic photography using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY ADDITIONS VOL 02

2012-09-20T04:23:00.003-07:00

Welcome to the September 20, 2012 edition of basic photography.

Jenny Sprackling presents 5 Top Tips for Photographing Bright Sunny Days posted at jengablog.

Jenny Sprackling presents And So It Begins... posted at jengablog.

Cuchikoo presents Creating a photo slideshow for your baby's first birthday posted at Photography for Beginners

Photography

Jonny Edwar presents Nikmati saja PON Riau ini posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents GIGS RockThat! 1.0: Soundrenaline 2011 posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

Jonny Edwar presents Monday Quote 2.0 posted at Photo(s)-Geek.

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What is Photo Composition

2012-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Learn the basics of Photo Composition

Most beginners like me do not have any idea about photo composition. If I think that the picture would look nice then I would just take a shot and that's it. Whatever perspective, pattern or placement of the subject sometimes you just think that this picture would just look nice. Take for example the photo below. When I took a picture of that photo I just think that it would be nice if the houses are there with the Taal Volcano in the background. I do not have any idea about the rules of composition for any photos because I haven't read anything about photography composition. I actually did apply the rule of thirds in the photo without knowing it.

Technically speaking, before a picture is taken, the photographer usually scans the scene and takes a shot of something interesting. Well, there are really no rules in photography composition but most photographers follow certain rules in order to capture the best image possible for their photos.

The rules of composition can be grouped into two main sets. First set is to help the photographer in the arrangement of the subjects or objects to achieve the most pleasant or intriguing way possible in the photograph. Second set is to provide depth and perspective in the photograph

Set I. Subject or Objects arrangement

In this set, the subject in the image is placed on a strategic area to capture the viewer's attention in the photograph. This is done depending on how the photographer imagines the scene.

a. RULE OF THIRDS
If you are new to photography then this might be the first time that you would hear about the rule of thirds. Based on the name of the rule, the photograph is basically divided in to thirds.

The photograph is divided into equal divisions using 2 imaginary horizontal and two imaginary vertical lines. The grid intersections would be the basis for the optimal points to position the main object or subject to help balance the scene.

For landscape photos, it would be very interesting to apply the rule of thirds. Take for example the Landscape picture. The scene is divided into thirds. First part is where the sky is meeting with the mountains, second part is where the mountain meets the lake and last horizontal part is the lake. The photo is composed in a very organized way and the viewer is immediately drawn at the landscape horizon.

b. GOLDEN SECTION RULE
Another rule for this set is what photographer's call the golden section rule. The same as the rule of thirds an imaginary grid of 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines are put in the photograph however, it is unequally placed. The large start of the lines marks the "golden" section where the object/subject is placed. This provides a sense of equilibrium in the image.

Take for example the photograph above, (Courtesy of Japs Rodiguez) the subject is placed on the intersection of the 2 grid lines and the viewer is focused on themain subject which lies on one of the four lines or four intersections (subject's eye for example).

Set II. Perspective and Depth

In this set of rules, the image depends on the pattern, the lines and the angle of the shot to create perspective and depth on the image. There are two different rules that you can follow to give perspective and depth these are what the photographers call the lead-in lines and foreground interest.

a. Lead-in Lines
These are lines in an image that would help direct a viewer to a point in the scene. Photographers can play around with different line patterns to engage the interest of the viewers. There are a lot of patterns to played with but I narrowed it down into four types, the vertical lines, the horizontal lines and the diagonal lines.

Vertical lines in an image would make the viewer scan the scene from top to bottom. These lines give a sense of energy and suspense in a photo. The particular subject in this photo is the Philippine flag. The viewer is able to have a perspective on how the flags are lined up based on the vertical lines of the poles. The angle of the photograph gives the viewer an idea that the photographer was looking up at the flags sideways.

Horizontal lines on the other hand, give the image a sense of serenity and relaxation. Common examples of images that have horizontal lines are landscapes

The main subject in the photograph is the boat, the boat is aligned horizontally with the beach and the mountain giving it a tranquil appearance.

Diagonal lines
This lines give more energy compared to the horizontal lines. It provides a dynamic scene by cutting diagonally across the photograph. The diagonal lines works in such a way that the important elements in the image is placed along the lines.

Converging Lines
The converging lines produce an emphasized point of perspective in an image. The viewer is drawn the point of convergence

The viewers are drawn to the center of the photograph because of the converging line. Hence, the subject in the image becomes more interesting.

b. Foreground interest

Being able to provide an interesting element in your photo is very important to capture the viewers. By putting a foreground in an image, this would give balance in the composition to neutralize the strong element in a particular background. The viewers are given awareness on how far distant or up-close the size of the object of interest is. In the picture above the foreground interest is the person looking at something in the image. The viewer would have to imagine what he is looking at, hence, making an intriguing photo image.

PREPARING A SLIDESHOW FOR FIRST BIRTHDAY

2012-09-03T17:44:00.001-07:00

PREPARING YOUR NEWBORN FOR THE FIRST YEAR

1st Birthday Tarpoulin (Collage of pictures from the photoshoot

Celebrating first birthdays is extra special. Parents are usually thankful that their children reached the one year stage and that is why most people have a very big celebration. A friend of mine has a new born baby last 2010 and as soon as the child was born, she was thinking of ways to capture every moment that her child was growing up. During this time, my friends and I were just starting our photography hobby/career. All of us decided to create a group meeting every month for a photo shoot session with the baby. Thus, this resulted in our combined efforts to make a video slideshow especially for her first birthday.

ASK INPUT FROM THE PARENTS

When making a slideshow, you must first consider what the parents would like to see. Since the parents would love to see how their child is progressing from her first month up to her 11^th month, I had decided to feature each photo session and official photographs chosen for each month.

CONCEPTUALIZE

Second thing to consider is, you must have original ideas for each month in order to have spontaneity. If all you just do is self-portraits without any themes, it wouldn’t look interesting at all. So as a demo example, I would be featuring the slideshow of Francesca Larin that we had made.

1^st Month Concept – Newborn Concept

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Hancel Darroca & Darwin Tenebro

In this concept, we had made the baby sleep in her parent’s arms. The photographers emphasized the baby’s body parts showing how small and delicate it is in contrast to her parents’. The baby is naked and sleeping while the shooting was happening.

2^nd Month Concept - Think Pink

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Hancel Darroca & Darwin Tenebro

This concept was taken out of the current materials that we had. The baby had a pink fluffy blanket so we wrapped her there. We used a pink stuffed teddy pillow as a cushion for the baby while she is sleeping

3rd Month Concept - Mother and Child

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Hancel Darroca ; VIDEOGRAPHER - Cuchikoo

This was just conceptualized during the shoot. We had this idea of Madonna and child and we thought it would be nice to show how special the relationship of mother and child. The photographers direct the mother and what to do and there are some extra people to support the baby if she needs adjustment in position with her mother.

4th Month Concept - Baby Lady Bug

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Hancel Darroca & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

It just so happen that the baby has a lady bug costume. We decided to make use of it. We just showed spring time at its best. A chair was propped near the wall and the baby would be holding on to the chair. An assistant would be holding the baby at the back of the chair to make sure that she doesn't fall.

5th Month Concept - Baby in the clouds and butterfly concept

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Darwin Tenebro, Vincent Ama, Hancel Darroca & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

The butterfly was just thought of in post processing. Since it was really hard for us to take a photo of the baby looking directly at us, the photographer (Japs) decided to make something with the existing photos that he has (this photo can be seen in the slideshow below). Since she was looking at her fingers it is like she is looking at a butterfly hence, the theme. Using a lot of white soft styro, we decided to make it like a cloud enveloping the baby. In the post processing you would only see the white stuff there but it is not that obvious.

6^th Month Concept - Christmas Theme

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Hancel Darroca & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER - Cuchikoo

Obviously, this was done in December. Christmas is a very popular theme for photo shoots. The photograph was conceptualize during post processing (photographer - Japs ) putting a sleigh in the background. Same as the chair concept, the baby is also supported at the back of the chair while being shoot.

7^th Month Concept – Playing around with colours

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Darwin Tenebro, Hancel Darroca & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

Different coloured cloths were used to play around with the baby. We just let the baby have fun with the cloth for it to look natural. Since it is hard to force babies to pose for you, you have to make do with what poses she is making. In short, the photographers adjust with the model and not the other way around.

8^th Month Concept – Valentines Day

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Vincent Ama, & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER - Cuchikoo

This shoot was supposed to be a concept of the cupid holding her bow and arrow but unfortunately it was really hard to do because the baby was not in the mood for shooting. (See the video below showing the baby tantrum) Since the baby was fascinated with the red balloons, we just put all the balloons in the carpeted floor and let the baby play there and boy that is when we had our best shots taken from.

9^th Month Concept - Autumn

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Vincent Ama, & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

Here a blanket was put inside to protect the baby from the rough surface of the basket. Since it is autumn, perfect concept are falling leaves. We tried to look for dried autumn leaves for props. Looking for the perfect tree was hard but we saw a bunch of nice looking leaves in Port Melbourne and decided to get some for our photo-shoot.

10^th Month Concept – Mini Me

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez

The parents’ bought a cute teddy for the baby and this is not all, the teddy has a matching clothes with the baby which is really cute. This is Mini Me. Since the baby also enjoyed playing around with the stuffed animal it wasn’t hard to shoot it because the baby was smiling all the time.

11^th Month Concept – Winter

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Vincent Ama, & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

Winter time is the coldest time of the month, so what do we need to do in order to show it in the photographs, winter clothes, of course. We asked the parents for winter costumes and we put a white backdrop to emphasize the cold (since snow is white having it as a background would let them think it was snowing there, and having snowy particles for the video is also nice for this particular concept)

IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO DO THIS EVERY MONTH HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND SOME COSTUMES FOR YOUR SHOOT

PROPS FOR YOUR SHOOT

Once you had created a theme, Props are important for each photo sessions. We tried to find a prop for each theme that we have so as to make it livelier. For the newborn concept, most of the time babies are naked for this session. The photographers emphasize how delicate and small newborn babies are in the photograph.

Since we did not plan in advance what concept we would have for each, we ask the parents what the child would be wearing and from there, we conceptualize. This is to minimize expenditures. As we all know, costumes can be a little expensive so if they have something nice for the photo shoot then that is what we would gain ideas from.

PROPS & COSTIMES USED FOR THE WHOLE SHOOTING

Pillow – essential for a comfy spot where the baby can rest if she needs to, it could also act as a support for an uncomfortable pose
Chair & Table – used as a platform for the baby
Mink Blankets – nice and soft for the baby to play around it and be comfortable in
Teddy Bear – nice prop to make the baby happier
Dress (Whatever nice is available in her wardrobe) – available clothes in the wardrobe are nice to play around with. But having new costumes are also ok. This would depend on the budget of the parents with the photo shoot sessions
Winter Jacket – used to convey winter theme
Basket, dried leaves – used as a prop for autumn theme
Balloons – nice background for the picture plus, babies like balloons.

HERE ARE SOME PROPS THAT YOU CAN USE FOR THE SHOOT

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF TANTRUMS

Now, if you are planning to take of the shots while the baby is awake, then prepare yourself for the worse. A kid would have tantrums most of the time. It is better to let the baby do what she/he wants and let them enjoy the moment. If they don’t then you are in for a big trouble. During our photo sessions the photographer and assistant photographers have to be entertaining in order to make the baby smile and happy. Since we are portraying a happy baby for each shoot then we have to make her happy. Here are some behind the scene shots during our photo sessions.

MAKE YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD

Be open to new ideas and new concepts as you shoot. This is very important because as you shoot, new concepts would buzz in your brain. These ideas have to be turned into reality in order to make it happen. Let your imagination run wild while shooting.

HAVE FUN

Last thing is, you should have fun while doing it. Treat it as a new project that would give you an opportunity to experiment and hang out with your friends.

In the slideshow, it would also be nice to mix videos and photographs of the baby outside the photo sessions. This would develop the character of the baby. I took out some pictures and videos that the parents’ uploaded in their facebook pages.

FINAL PROJECT

Here is the slideshow that I had made to show all the photo-shoots that we had.

What Camera Suits You Best?

2012-08-29T01:16:00.003-07:00

Finding the perfect camera is hard nowadays because there are a lot of new models and types coming out. Well, before you choose one, it would be best to consider three important things.

1. Budget

First consideration is the budget. How much are you willing to pay for the camera? In order to fully optimize your budget, I prepared a list of possible cameras that you can buy in a certain budget range. If you want to explore what models are currently available click on the price links

BUDGET CONSIDERATION
Budget Range	Type of Camera
100 to 300	• Simple point and shoot camera
300 to 600	• High-end point and shoot camera (if you’re lucky you might get a zoom lens) • Beginner DSLR Camera
600 to 1000	• High-end point and shoot camera • Beginner / Intermediate DSLR Camera
1000 to 1500	• Intermediate DSLR Camera • Advanced DSLR Camera
Over 1500	• Advanced DSLR Camera • Professional DSLR Camera

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2. Purpose of the camera

Second consideration is what would the camera be used for? It is not all about fancy features, you have to know if the camera would suit your purpose in every single way. Below is a list of camera categories that I took from PCWorld’s Article “Choose the Perfect Camera” (PJasper, Author) to determine the perfect camera for you. The eight categories feature compact cameras and the last category features the DSLR Cameras.

PURPOSE OF THE CAMERA
Category	Description	Recommended Camera (Based on product review)
The Starter Camera	• For beginners • Basic camera operation with some manual controls	HP Photosmart R717 Canon Powershot A520
The Family Camera	• Same description with starter camera • Practical features like camera dock to transfer images directly to PC and comes with a software to create a photo gallery • Featured Zoom lens, great addition for long distance shooting (far away from the kids)	Kodak EZshare z450
The Travel Camera	• Lightweight camera but packed with features • Flexible to capture a variety of settings	Fujifilm FinePix F10 Canon Powershot G6
The All – Weather Camera	•Water resistant camera • Underwater camera/Accessories if taking photos under water	Olympus Stylus 500
The Vanity Camera	• Sleek design of the camera creates a fashion statement	Casio Exilim EXZ57
The Sports Camera	• Fast Camera reaction to freeze the action • Strong Zoom lens to get long distance shots	Olympus C5500 Sport Zoom Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
The Backcountry Camera	• Camera that can handle rough environment conditions • Wide lens to capture the sky vista • Teleconverter to capture wildlife	CCanon Powershot S70 Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom Nikon Coolpix 8400
The Backup Camera	• Good backup camera for DSLR • Captured sharpest image for a point and shoot camera	Canon Powershot SD500 Sony Cybershot DSC-W7
The Advanced Camera (DSLR Cameras)	• For serious photographers • Wide range of manual controls that photographer can use for the perfect photograph • Variety of lenses to choose from	Nikon D70 Canon EOS 20D

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3. Features of the Camera

After considering which type of camera you wanted then you need to choose the features of the camera that you would like to consider. Below is a list of camera features that you could consider to find the perfect camera

CAMERA FEATURES
Feature	Description
Pixels and Resolution	The higher the Megapixels is equal to a higher resolution
Image Stability	Shot Stability of the camera to avoid blurry shots
Zoom	Closer shot to subjects
Auto-focus	Adjustment of camera to get the best focus on the image
Red Eye Reduction	Reduce light reflection of the eyes from photos
Shooting and Scene Modes	Auto light adjustment for a particular scene (e.g. night shooting, sports mode)
ISO	Adjustment of light sensitivity of camera in the environment
Metering Modes	Determine how your camera will expose a picture
White Balance	Correction of unnatural light from different light sources in the environment
Face Detection	Allows camera to identify faces in a shot to adjust focus, flash and exposure
Smile and Blink Detection	Allows user to identify if the people photographed are looking their best
Noise Reduction	Reduce graininess in an image
Sweep Panorama	Capture panoramic images continuously
Back Illuminated Sensors	Give a high light sensitivity reducing noise in the image2

Hope this has helped you to choose which camera you prefer.

Photography for beginners

Basic Photography Additions Vol 17

Basic Photography

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Vol 16

Basic Photography

Photography Galleries

Basic Photography Additions Vol 15

Basic Photography

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Vol 14

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Vol 13

PHOTO GALLERY

Basic Photography Additions Vol 12

Basic Photography Additions Vol 11

Basic Photography Additions Vol 10

Removing Colour Casts in your images : Understanding White Balance

WHITE BALANCE SETTINGS

HOW TO CALIBRATE YOUR CAMERA FOR WHITE BALANCE

REFERENCES:

Basic Photography Additions Vol 09

Basic Photography Additions Vol 08

Basic Photography

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Vol 07

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Volume 06

Basic Photography

Featured Photography Stuff

Basic Photography Additions Volume 05

Basic Photography Additions Volume 04

Basic Photography

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY ADDITIONS VOL 03

Photography

Basic Photography Additions Vol 01

BASIC PHOTOGRAPHY ADDITIONS VOL 02

Photography

What is Photo Composition

Learn the basics of Photo Composition

Set I. Subject or Objects arrangement

Set II. Perspective and Depth

PREPARING A SLIDESHOW FOR FIRST BIRTHDAY

ASK INPUT FROM THE PARENTS

CONCEPTUALIZE

1st Month Concept – Newborn Concept

2nd Month Concept - Think Pink

3rd Month Concept - Mother and Child

4th Month Concept - Baby Lady Bug

5th Month Concept - Baby in the clouds and butterfly concept

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Darwin Tenebro, Vincent Ama, Hancel Darroca & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

6th Month Concept - Christmas Theme

7th Month Concept – Playing around with colours

8th Month Concept – Valentines Day

9th Month Concept - Autumn

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez, Vincent Ama, & Leo Larin; VIDEOGRAPHER – Cuchikoo

10th Month Concept – Mini Me

PHOTOGRAPHERS - Japs Rodriguez

11th Month Concept – Winter

PROPS FOR YOUR SHOOT

FINAL PROJECT

What Camera Suits You Best?

1. Budget

BUDGET CONSIDERATION

2. Purpose of the camera

PURPOSE OF THE CAMERA

3. Features of the Camera

CAMERA FEATURES

RELATED LINKS:

1^st Month Concept – Newborn Concept

2^nd Month Concept - Think Pink

6^th Month Concept - Christmas Theme

7^th Month Concept – Playing around with colours

8^th Month Concept – Valentines Day

9^th Month Concept - Autumn

10^th Month Concept – Mini Me

11^th Month Concept – Winter