PHOTOGRAPHY

Canon EOS 7D DSLR

2012-09-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Canon EOS 7D is an 18.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS digital single-lens reflex camera made by Canon. It was announced on 1 September 2009 with a suggested retail price of US$1,699 Its particularly notable features are HD video recording, its 8.0 frames per second continuous shooting, new viewfinder which offers 1.0X magnification and 100% coverage 19 point auto-focus system, movie mode, and built-in Speedlite transmitter.

An 18.0 megapixel Canon-developed CMOS sensor together with Dual DiG!C 4 Image Processors combine to deliver outstanding image quality with fine detail and brilliant reproduction of colour and tones. Features also include 19 point Auto Focus, with an ISO range expandable to an incredible 12,800 and Full High Definition movie recording making the Canon EOS 7D an essential for the promising enthusiast.

18.0 effective megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor Dual DIGIC 4 image processors with 14-bit processing Liveview mode 100% viewfinder frame coverage with 1.0× magnification 1080p HD video recording at 24p, 25p and 30p with drop frame timing 720p HD video recording at 50p (50 Hz) and 60p (59.94 Hz) 480p ED video recording at 50p (50 Hz) and 60p (59.94 Hz) 8.0 frames per second continuous shooting ISO sensitivity 100–6400 (expandable to 12,800) 3.0-inch Clear View II LCD screen with 640 × 480 (921,600 dots) resolution 19 point auto-focus system, all cross-type 63 zone color sensitive metering system built-in Speedlite transmitter Magnesium alloy body Popup flash Weather Sealing.
With a host of features designed to enhance every facet of the photographic process, from still images to video, the EOS 7D represents a whole new class of camera. Made to be the tool of choice for serious photographers and semi-professionals, the EOS 7D features an 18.0 megapixels APS-C size CMOS sensor and dual DIGIC 4 image processors, capturing tremendous images at up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps. The EOS 7D has a cross-type 19-point AF system with improved AI Servo AF subject tracking and user-selectable AF area selection modes for sharp focus no matter the situation. The EOS 7D's Intelligent Viewfinder provides 100% coverage and displays user-selected AF modes as well as a spot metering circle and on demand grid lines. iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer metering system uses both focus and color information to provide accurate exposure even in difficult lighting. The EOS 7D also captures Full HD video at 30p, 24p and 25p with an array of manual controls, including manual exposure during movie shooting and ISO speed selection. The EOS 7D features a magnesium alloy body that is dust- and weather-resistant and shutter durability of up to 150,000 cycles.

The Canon 7D denotes a new creative class of DSLR camera with a throng of brand new features designed to make each and every photographic experience better, including still photos and video, Designed to be the preferred instrument of choice for earnest photographers including semi-professionals, the Canon 7D launches a completely new 18.0-megapixel CMOS APS-C size sensor plus Double DIGIC 4 image processors for capturing incredible images as high as to 12800 ISO with speeds ranging up to 8 frames per second. The EOS 7D encompass a ground-breaking 19-point AF all cross-type system including user-selectable AF scene selection controls for spot-on focus , enhanced AI Servo AF target tracking no matter the situation. The Intelligent viewfinder of the EOS 7D, with a completely new inspired technology, provides 100% coverage and also displays AF modes selected by the user including a circle for spot metering and grid lines on demand. New i63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering system employs both color information and focus to impart accurate exposure even in poor lighting. The Canon 7D also shoots Full HD video at 29.97 frames per second, 23.976 frames per second and 25p with a selection of manual controls that includes ISO speed selection and manual exposure while shooting movies. The EOS 7D is constructed with a weather and dust resistant body of magnesium alloy and the shutter durability goes up to 150,000 cycles. Harmonizing with more than 60 EF / EF-S canon lenses along with other accessories for the EOS System, the inspired occasions--with not only stills but also video--are beyond bewilderment. Plus Enjoy the amazing poor-light ability -->

CANON EOS 600D

2012-09-15T00:02:00.001-07:00

The Canon EOS 600D allows anyone to capture breathtaking images with creative freedom. With an 18.0 megapixel Canon developed CMOS sensor and DiG!C 4 Image Processor, users can create inspiring images with incredible detail even in low light. The EOS 600D is perfect for those looking to pursue the creative world of DSLR photography. Lenses sold separately

EOS 600D can record full HD 1920x1080p videos that offers manual control where exposure and frame rate of 30.25 and 24 fps at full resolution, and 60 and 50 fps at a resolution of 720p. Other than, the EOS 600D provides several filter effects to make the photos more interesting to the RAW image and all JPEG images. Features filter can be applied after the user performs image capture and apply different filters to the same picture with some selection effects

600D Camera Body (Exterior) Some photographers (including me) expected a redesigned camera body. In fact, the Canon 600D looks almost identical to the camera it replaces, the 550D (T2i). When you look at the front, you can see that the camera is a bit larger (133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7 mm) than the 550D (128.8 x 97.3 x 62 mm). So according to the specs, the T3i is 2.3mm wider, 2.2mm wider and 17.7mm larger in depth (probably due to its swiveling LCD). In terms of ergonomics, it would feel the same as the T2i. The 600D is also ~40g heavier than the 550D. When you look at the backside, you can see that the buttons are arranged almost the same, just a minor placement change due to the swivel-tilt LCD switch on the right side. Talking about the LCD, Canon has equipped the EOS 600D with a Vari angle 3-inch (7.7cm) 3:2 Clear View TFT display with 1040k dot resolution. This is most probably the same LCD screen used on the 60D. The LCD has 170° Horizontal and Vertical viewing angles and has Anti-reflection and anti smudge coating. I am sure that videographers will be happy to see that Canon has decided to use that type of screen on this entry-level DSLR too.
From personal experience with the 60D, I must say that the LCD is very useful for shooting in awkward shooting angles, both in stills and videos. Its built quality is very good and it has a tacky and sturdy feeling to it when tilting and swiveling it. The LCD image quality is also excellent. I really enjoyed viewing image and videos on the 60D and I am sure that you'll get the same experience with the 600D as well. TIP: Even though this is a swivel screen and you can collapse and close it with the viewable part towards the camera, I recommend getting a protecting cover for it. I bought an InvisibleShield 3.5" screen protector which perfectly fits this screen. Yes, 3.5-inch, not the 3.0. I didn't want the 3.5-inch, but that what they have at the store. After buying it and putting it on, I've realized that this is the perfect size for it (apparently). I didn't try the 3-inch one, but the 3.5-inch does fits this LCD. Just note that this is not a recommendation, just this is what worked for me. Ask your dealer about a screen protector for the 600D. The camera body has USB 2.0, Video Out, remote control, mini HDMI and 3.5mm stereo connectors. The 600D works on SD/ SDHC / SDXC memory cards (no dual slot) and support the BG-E8 grip. Does the 60D battery grip works with the 600D? - According to the specs, No. The 600D supports the BG-E8 grip, while the 60D supports the BG-E9 grip (BTW: excellent grip, very comfortable). The camera itself weights 570g including battery and memory card. Overall, the 600D looks almost identical as the 550D, but with minor changes in size, weight, button placement and button size.

Nikon D600 Specifications

2012-09-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Nikon D600: Key Specifications
24.3MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (10.5MP DX-format crop mode)
ISO 100-6400 (expandable to ISO 50-25,600 equivalent)
Maximum 5.5fps continuous shooting
39-point AF system with 9 cross-type AF points
3.2in 921k-dot LCD screen
1080p30 full HD video mode with stereo sound recording
Headphone jack for audio monitoring in movie mode
Uncompressed video recording via HDMI
Single-axis electronic level in viewfinder, duel-axis (pitch and roll) in live view
Dimensions: 141mm x 113mm x 82mm (5.5 × 4.4 × 3.2 in).
Weight: 760 g (1.6 lbs) (camera body only, no battery)

A full-frame camera for the rest of us?

At its list price at launch of $2099 the D600 is one of the most affordable full-frame cameras yet, and there's no doubt that it's a product which a huge number of photographers (not only Nikon users) have been waiting for. Although Nikon insists that there are still good reasons to buy the D300S, it seems very likely that the D600 will finally supplant the older DX-format model as the 'upgrade of choice' for users of the D3200, D5100 and D7000. But despite its relatively low cost the D600 is very far from a 'no frills' model. Features like 5.5fps shooting at full-resolution, 100% viewfinder coverage, full HD video capture with an option to record uncompressed footage via HDMI and a customizable 39-point AF system would be pretty impressive in a camera costing much more.

Nikon's last big DSLR release was the D800. The big news with that camera was its pixel count of 36MP, which when it was released, comfortably eclipsed everything else around (and at the time of writing still does). The D600 doesn't quite reach those dizzy heights, but at 24MP, it matches or exceeds the pixel count of every other full-frame system camera. It is also one of the most versatile, offering a useful 10.5MP DX crop mode and an in-body AF motor, which ensures AF compatibility with older, non-AF-S Nikkor lenses. These factors alone will give it serious appeal to two camps - D800 or D4 owners looking for a smaller, lower-cost second body, and D300S and D7000 owners who want to step up to full-frame but don't want (or can't afford) to replace all of their DX-format lenses.

Ergonomically, the D600 will be very familiar to both of these constituencis. The D600's UI is all but identical to the DX-format D7000, and It shares the same 39-point AF system. In terms of functionality though, the D600 also has a lot in common with its big brother the D800, particularly when it coms to video specification. Something that we didn't expect on the D600 was the ability to shoot uncompressed video footage via HDMI. This, plus a mic socket for an external microphone, and a headphone jack should make the D600 very appealing to videographers. The only real difference between the implementation of the D600's video mode compared to the D800 is that you can't adjust aperture during movie recording on the new model (unless you use an older manual focus lens with a mechanical aperture ring).
D600 versus D7000: Specification highlights

24.3MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (compared to 16.2MP DX-format CMOS) Maximum 5.5fps continuous shooting (compared to 6fps) 3.2in 921k-dot LCD screen (compared to 3in) D800-style combined movie/still live view mode button Headphone jack for audio monitoring in movie mode Uncompressed video recording via HDMI D600 versus D800: Specification highlights 24.3MP Full-frame CMOS sensor (compared to 36.3MP CMOS) 10.5MP DX-format crop mode (compared to 15.3MP) 39-point AF system with 9 cross-type AF points (compared to 51-points, with 15 cross-type) Autofocus sensitivity down to -1EV (compared to -2EV) Maximum 5.5fps continuous shooting in FX mode (compared to 4fps in FX mode) 2,016-pixel RGB TTL exposure metering sensor (compared to 91,000 pixels) 2x SD slots (compared to CF+SD) No 'Power Aperture' aperture control during movie shooting (offered by D800 using Fn + Preview buttons) Shutter rated to 150,000 cycles (compared to 200,000 cycles) Magnesium-alloy top and rear, polycarbonate front-plate (D800 is full mag-alloy except flash housing) USB 2.0 interface (compared to USB 3.0)

NIKON D600

2012-09-13T16:39:00.004-07:00

With the ever-encroaching reach of interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs), it's about time that the SLR world brought out some big guns to lure the headlines away from the little guys. Photographers who are looking for an upgrade from their entry-level SLRs have most likely heard of full-frame cameras, but price-wise they have often been far out of reach. Enter a camera such as the Nikon D600, which has a 24.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. Full-frame sensors have the advantage of being larger than their APS-C or crop-sensor cousins. In a nutshell this means that they are able to gather more light thanks to the larger photosites, and are not susceptible to crop factor. This means that when you mount a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera, it's a true 50mm focal length. Borrowing a lot of the same shooting configuration and look-and-feel of other full-frame Nikon SLRs like the D800, it does have a new locking mode dial design. That means there's a button that you need to depress every time you want to turn the mode dial, similar to what's found on some Canon SLRs. Along with the requisite still image-taking capabilities, the D600 can shoot full HD video (1080p) at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second. Recording can also be done in DX crop, which uses the centre portion of the sensor to provide a 1.5x focal-length crop, still able to record at 1080p. An uncompressed and clean video out is available through the HDMI port, with headphone monitoring also available. At the back is a 3.2-inch, 921,000-dot LCD screen, and the D600 comes with dual SD card slots Connectivity has been all the rage in 2012 camera models, with the D600 being no exception. An optional Wi-Fi transmitter attaches to the USB port and can send images to any number of wireless devices using a dedicated Nikon app. It also offers remote, wireless tethering. There's also a built-in time-lapse functionality to snap images at set intervals. Continuous shooting is at 5.5 frames per second, while there's a 39-point AF system with 9 cross-type points on board. Nikon Australia no longer issues official RRPs for its products, though one Australian retailer is offering it for AU$2599 for body-only. The D600 will be available in Australia from Tuesday 18 September.

fashion photography

2012-09-11T19:34:00.003-07:00

For a fashion photographer, every opportunity to shoot means finding the perfect clothing, the ideal background, and the right mix of light and color. Whether shooting for print ads and magazines or as part of a personal appreciation for fashion, every photographer seeks the ideal inspiration. Here are 30 remarkable fashion photography shots to help offer you the inspiration you need to get the best photos of your own.

Images by more than forty of the most innovative photographers working in the fashion industry today will be on view in Weird Beauty: Fashion Photography Now, at the International Center of Photography from January 16 through May 3, 2009. To highlight the original context of these photographs, this exhibition will feature hundreds of tear sheets, along with approximately twenty original photographic prints, and online media. The inclusion of such a variety of presentational formats will serve to illustrate the diversity that is characteristic of current fashion imagery.

was one of the most sought-after fashion photographers of the late '70s, and his work appeared in top magazines. Since then he has explored other areas, including short films. Since 1984, Greg has photographed dancers from Australia's premier dance companies, bringing to his photographs of dancers the same discipline as his subjects do to their art.

Using few props and costumes, he relies very much on his relationship with each dancer to push the expressive boundaries of the human body. The results of this artistic collaboration are photographs of extraordinary beauty, spontaneity and wit.
fashion photography explorers the new current fashion in fashion industry and you can stay tuned by watching these pictures with fashion industry. If you are a fashion lover you should be familiar with the fashion industry some people love fashion some peoples say that fashion is life. If you don’t do a fashion then there is no purpose of living in the thsi world. Celebrity are the main source of fashion industry they wear new style clothes these clothes become fashion. And models are also are the great source of inspiration for fashion. The fashion photography usually takes place in the fashion shows and on special events. Fashion world is a complex world only a complex person can unerstand it . you learns fashion by heart and with creative mind. Below here i have gathered the most unique and popular fashions photography in the world. photographer can take the idea about photography. And fashion lover watch the latest the fashion .Don’t forget to comment.

OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY

2012-08-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Photographer is the premier magazine about outdoor photography. Our photography technique articles are geared to helping you capture the best wildlife, travel and outdoor sports photography. Review photography tips and keep up with digital photography as applied to nature photography; stay current with the latest in photography equipment.

Making your photos pop, whether they are wildlife or indoor studio photos, requires great light and contrast. There are five major light types for outdoor photographs. Light offers distinct illumination on the subject from within, offering a translucent glow, the front, the back, the side and at a three-quarter angle. By utilizing the light, your photograph can have additional drama and interest. For outdoor shots, contrast reduction should be utilized as the sun is lower. The contrast is naturally reduces when sunlight closer to the horizon and when the sun is higher to the sky. By utilizing these times, your photos can contain shadows as well as highlights. Natural light should be utilized for outdoor photos. Indoors, two strobes can add dimensions and life to shots which deal with high stress and are fast moving inside darker interiors. Natural light creates this for you. Direct sunlight during the middle of each day should be avoided and shade is more attractive because shade retains subtle light with dark relationships for the subject. Flash outdoor will reduce or even eliminate those details. Shallow depth and complementary lighting are great for outdoor photographs. In terms of outdoor lighting, color, quantity of light, quality of light, and direction are what determine how your subject will appear. Daylight as well as sunlight change each hour and are distinct based on season, location, weather, as well as latitude. By utilizing the changing daylight, shapes, colors, as well as tones can be altered for each scene. Best used near the ends and beginnings of each day, strong color can be found in mist, haze, or during storms. The lights direction will change with the movement of the sun over the sky, offered alterations in the shape of the shadows and their direction.xplore our readers' favorite places that offer the best in photography locations.

Direct sunlight is referred to as hard light because the shadows it produces as well as the highlights are well-defined. This type of outdoor lighting creates more intense strong colors but weaker pale colors. This natural light can be diffused by pollution, mist, or haze, producing a weaker light which creates softer shadows and duller highlights. Diffused sunlight is referred to flat. This is because it flattens form but provides well-saturated colors. While many will tell you to maintain the sun behind you, lighting over-the-shoulder will create a flat effect and will not bring out detail or impress upon the viewer any depth. Since our eyes see three dimensions we are able to compensate for poor quality lighting. A photographer, however, only works with two dimensions and must utilize light from an angle or the side to impress upon the viewer the depth of the subject, their form, and their texture. Turning your subject, changing the viewpoint of your camera, or waiting until more light falls on a single side can create side lighting. If you are creating photos in black and white then relying on the grey tones are particularly important in order to best record your subject. In this case, side lighting is extremely important because it reveals shadows and other texture-like details.

There are three very simple things that improve all photography, including portraits. To this day, there is no trick I have found that replaces the need for proper exposure, white balance, and sharp focus. Today’s digital cameras have less exposure latitude than a roll of Kodak gold film. In-camera metering systems have become much more advanced, but the sensors still lack the seven ƒ-stop exposure latitude that negative film has.

1) Never select all of the focus points for portraits, pick one.
When you pick the autofocus option that allows the camera to select focus points, you are doing your portraits a terrible disservice. This feature of a camera is usually designed to pick whatever is closest to the lens and focus there. In some cases, like with my 1DS Mark III, the camera will choose a cluster of focus points and make a “best guess” based on averaging the distance between all of the chosen points. Using one focus point gives you, the photographer, ultimate control.

2) Always focus on the eyes.

The eyes are the windows to the soul, and should be the focal point of any good portrait. Not only are the eyes the most important part of a good portrait, but they are the sharpest element on the face and should be left that way. When you are shooting with a wide aperture value focused on the eyes, the lens’s bokeh will aid in softening the skin as well.

3) Shoot wide open for shallow depth of field.

There are quite a few reasons to invest in a fast lens capable of wide aperture values; the most common is for shallow depth of field. Now that you can shoot at ƒ2.8 or ƒ4 you should use it. Most fantastic natural light portraits are from wide aperture values and it is all because of the wonderful smooth background blur we call “bokeh”.

4) Never, ever, shoot a portrait at less than 50mm; try to stay at 70mm or higher.

The last thing you want to hear from a client is “Why does my head look swelled?” Any focal length below 70mm can distort your subject, however it doesn’t become very noticeable until you are below 50 MM. The compression effect of a telephoto lens will also increase the blur of bokeh. Most of my portraits are done between 120mm and 200mm.

5) Always shoot in RAW.

A thousand times these words have bellowed from my mouth, and it will surely come out a million more. Raw is an unmodified compilation of your sensors data during the time of exposure. It is your digital negative. When you shoot in JPG format, everything but what the image processor needs to make a shell representation of the image you intended to capture is stripped away. For every edit you make to a JPG, you lose more data. With RAW, you can make a vast range of edits before creating the JPG. How can this make you portrait better? Think about the last time your white balance was set incorrectly, and you tried for hours to remove the color cast only to destroy the image with every attempt. RAW would have saved you by allowing you to fix the color before opening the image for retouching.

6) Always bring a gray card or a piece of a gray card for white balance.

You got me, gray cards aren’t free. However, $5.95 US for a cardboard Kodak gray card is darn close. To avoid confusion, I am going to explain this backwards. When opening Adobe Camera Raw or any other RAW image editing application there is always a way to select a custom white balance. Usually it is an eyedropper of some kind that you can use to click on what you think is neutral gray in your image. Imagine a world where your photo shoot involved 4 locations and a total of 800 images, and all day the camera was set to Auto White Balance. That is 800 different white balance values, a post production nightmare. If, at each location, you have your subject hold the gray card on the first shot, you will save hours of work. When you open location one (200 images) in your favorite post production application, all you have to do is click the eye dropper on the gray card, select all and synchronize the rest. Precious hours have been saved. (If you plan on taking your time, it may be wise to do this once every 30 minutes or so to compensate for the changing light of day.)

7) Shoot in the shade (Avoid direct sunlight)

Direct sunlight is harsh, makes your subject squint, and creates hard directional shadows and unpredictable white balance conditions. When shooting in the shade, there are no more harsh shadows, only smooth milky shadows created by your subject’s natural features. With proper exposure and white balance, you can make these shots look amazing.

8) Shooting carefully on an overcast day.

Natures softbox is a giant blanket of clouds. A good heavy blanket of cloud cover can help you enrich your colors, and make some very smooth and pleasing shadows.

9) If you must use hot, hard, bright light…

Always try to control the direction, use some kind of reflector, and try to mimic a studio light. Putting the sun directly behind your subject isn’t a good idea, unless you are trying to make a silhouette. When the sun is at my back, I have the subject look off camera (away from the sun) and get very nice results. Another great trick is to wait for a cloud to move in front of the sun, this usually creates a very bright yet contrasted look.

10) Use an existing reflector.

For example, my guess is that about 75% of the delivery trucks on the planet are white. These big white delivery trucks can make amazing fill light reflectors as long as they weren’t painted with an off white. (A yellow tint can change the white balance in your shadows.) Picture framing outlets and craft stores always have medium to large sized pieces of foam core lying around that have been left for scrap. They are usually more than happy to part with these scraps, and if not, chances are there are pieces by the dumpster.

11) Learn the sunny ƒ16 rule.

Why? So you have a baseline for proper exposure in your mind to work with if no other tools are present. The sunny ƒ16 rule states that on a sunny day, with your aperture value set to ƒ16, your shutter speed will be the inverse of the current ISO speed. For example, if your camera is set to ISO 100, and your aperture value is ƒ16, your shutter speed will be 1/100th of a second. On a cloudy day (or when in the shade) you simply use ƒ8 instead. If you own either an incident light meter, or gray card use either for the most accurate exposure instead. (Note: the procedure for metering exposure with a gray card is not the same as a custom white balance.)

12) Bring a sheet and a few spring clamps from home.

Leave the expensive 200 thread count sheets on the bed. You already got them? Well go put them back. You know that cheap old sheet you stuck in the corner of a closet to use as a drop cloth the next time you paint? Go get it. (Another option is to buy the cheapest, lowest thread count, white top sheet you can find.) A queen size sheet is an amazing, cheap, diffuser. Sort of a sever foot soft box for the sun. Wrap an edge of the sheet around a branch or clothes line and clamp for a side light. (Anchor the bottom corners with rocks to keep it from blowing into your image.) Clamp all for corners to anything you can above your subject for an overhead light.

13) Keep the power-lines and signs out!

We have already discussed keeping your camera focused on the eyes; keep your mind focused on the image as a whole. Power lines, signs, long single blades of grass, single pieces of garbage, sometimes even trees can be serious distractions from the overall focus of the image… The person you are photographing.

Last, and most important, have a great time shooting, enjoy what you’re doing and it will show in your work, and the expression of your subject.

indoor photography

2012-08-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Indoor photography can be among the most challenging subjects for amateur and professional photographers. Lack of windows, natural light and the terrible effects of artificial lighting can all create unappealing or even undistinguishable images.

I decided to post this photo in the Lighting On Location section because location doesn’t just mean outdoors. Many times I like to use the available light that is in the room. In this instance it was a bathroom. Now this is something I learned from Helmut Newton. When he first started shooting he couldn’t afford professional lighting. He was very poor. So he used the lamps in his house as his lighting source. Of course back then he used film and did all his color correcting in the darkroom or used the correct film for such lighting conditions. But I have come to like the warm color cast that results from NOT white balancing my camera. This is the original shot.Composition is Everything. Because indoor photography consists of so many architectural lines, keeping good composition is of the utmost importance. Really pay attention to how you frame images, especially in places that have exposed brick or tile work. Maintaining a nice, constant flow through the images is essential and even slightly off balanced it will be noticed.

Pay Attention to the Small Details. It doesn’t matter if you’re shooting friends over for a dinner party or a paid architecture gig, the small details matter! Look at the counter tops for pens and notepaper, do they belong in the shot or can they be stashed somewhere else? The toilet seat cover being down probably looks more attractive, and taking the time to even out towels on a rack will provide a better photo. If there are dirty dishes in a sink, clean and put them away. Full ashtrays look gross and crooked picture frames can make properly composed photographs look crooked. Take the time to stage your photograph, these are things that can’t be easily edited in post production.
Bounce the Flash. If you must use a flash inside, use a hotshoe mounted flash, not the pop-up on-camera one. I’d also strongly suggest a flash bracket to get the flash further away from the lens and reduce red-eye. Bounce the flash off a wall, ceiling or, if none are available, utilize an Omni-Bounce or similar diffuser. When you bounce or diffuse a flash, be aware that you essentially lose some of the effective power of it. You’ll need to utilize either exposure compensation on your camera or adjust the ISO slightly higher to compensate for the difference. Flash photography indoors should only be utilized when you can’t achieve the desired look from natural light.

Windows, Picture Frames, Mirrors and Glass Cabinets. Perhaps one of the most frustrating things to deal with while shooting indoor photography are reflective materials, especially when shooting with a flash. Avoid using your flash if there is glass or reflective materials in the room at all. Pack a circular polarizer filter to deal with the reflective and glass objects in your shots, and be aware you could lose 1/2 to 2 full stops of light, so adjust accordingly either via opening up the aperture or bumping the ISO higher.

Also take note to whether or not you show up in the reflection of any shiny objects!

A Tripod is Your Friend! While I know it’s nearly impossible to shoot candid photos of people with a tripod, if you’re doing architectural shots or photos of non-moving subject matter indoors, utilize a tripod. Not only will it allow you to utilize the lowest possible ISO for the least amount of digital noise, it will provide a solid platform for you to properly align and compose your photograph.

As mentioned, indoor photography is a bit tricky and a lot of people can give up on it quickly. I strongly suggest that you continue to experiment and take several shots of everything, also known as bracket shooting. This will give you a better idea of what is and isn’t working for you. One tip worth mentioning that is often overlooked is knowing the time of day and current weather outside, and how that relates to the house or building you’re shooting in. For example, shooting in an eastern facing kitchen at 9am is going to provide some pretty bright light through the windows on a cloud free day. The same kitchen at 4pm will probably be much darker since the sun will be passing over the house to the other side and shadows will be far less harsh.

Indoor photography is perhaps one of the most challenging places to shoot for new and experienced photographers. Natural and artificial light combined with natural light reflecting and refracting through windows and off walls can lead to some funky photographs. Mastering indoor photography can be one of the most frustrating things to learn. These seven deadly sins of indoor photography should be avoided, doing so will result in far better photographs. Lack of Custom White Balance. I’ve already shown you how and why you need to manually set your white balance, why not take the time to do it? Because almost all indoor photography has some sort of mixed lighting situation, it’s almost positive that auto or one the presets available on your camera won’t give you great results. On Camera Flash. Utilizing the on camera flash for indoor photography will surely give you a washed out, unflattering photograph. Avoid it at all costs if you can, even if you need to raise the ISO, avoid on camera flash whenever possible.

a very slow shutter speed and a high ISO. The model has to keep very still OR even a little blur is ok. It makes it more artistic. Again, remember there is no right or wrong UNLESS the client doesn’t like it. In this case my client, Deliverance Poker did like it.

Now I also wanted to try something else so I made the image black and white in Lightroom. I also cropped it much tighter. I like both versions. I just want to show you how you don’t ALWAYS have to use additional lighting to capture a great shot.

This is the black and white cropped version.

photography backgrounds

2012-08-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

A great photograph often consists of more than just a primary subject. Compelling pictures can be accented by interesting backgrounds and tools that allow the subjects to express themselves. That's where the challenge lies -- finding those perfect accents. Never fear. Many Web sites aim to provide photographers with backgrounds and props for use at home, in a studio or on location. You can find sites that'll provide everything from small snowflakes to a complete Tuscan scene.

Lighting set-up for this shot is as follows.

1. Main Light – 3×4 Soft-box at f11

2. Fill – 4×6 Silver Reflector

3. Edge Light – Covered with Amber gel at f 5.6 1/2

4. Background Light – 7″ parabolic reflector with barn doors, covered with purple gel – f8

5. Background Light – 7″ parabolic reflector with barn doors, covered with blue gel – f8

6. Edge Light – Covered with Blue gel at f 5.6 1/2

When it comes to photography backdrops, nothing is more important than keeping them clean and unwrinkled. Fabric backdrops look great in photographs, as long as they are well maintained. Washing a backdrop is not recommended. Even if it is not a backdrop rental it can significantly degrade the quality and should be avoided. However, sometimes things are just unavoidable; in that case you should try to spot treat the stain with mild soap, a scrub brush, and warm water. If you use bleach or detergent, it can greatly damage the backdrop. If the stain is resistant to spot treatment, you may need to soak the area in warm water and a mild soap solution overnight. Try very hard to get the stain out using this method as a stronger detergent may damage the backdrop. If an area is damaged and the backdrop cannot be replaced, it is possible to shift the spot out of the camera’s view or place objects in front of the stain. Creases and folds are generally unavoidable, especially during shipping. However, there are several ways to solve this problem. If you are not going to be using the backdrop for a few days, simply hang it on the backdrop stand and let the creases work them out. If you cannot wait, then use a hand-held fabric steamer. Do not iron! Ironing your backdrops will create noticeable shiny hotspots in your backdrop and ruin it. If you can ensure that it won’t be stepped on or otherwise destroyed, you can allow your backdrop to lay outstretched on a clean portion of your yard overnight. The natural dew will help remove most of the wrinkles and folds. This is similar to hanging up clothes in the bathroom during a shower to use the steam to work out the creases. However, you would have to have a pretty big bathroom to hang up a backdrop near shower. Like any fabric, theme backdrops will eventually attract dust and hair. To remove dust, simply shake the backdrop. Pet or human hair can be removed using a large lint roller which can be bought for fewer than 10 dollars. These are very effective for cleaning backdrop lint quickly and effectively! Most people think that folding a backdrop the same way it was shipped is a good way to store it. However, it is best to roll it up into a wrinkled ball when storing them. Natural wrinkles actually add texture to the backdrops. You can store it in a large plastic tub to eliminate excessive dust from accumulating on the backdrops. Now that you know how to properly care for your backdrop rentals you can start working on taking great pictures!

tips baby photography

2012-08-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

The newborn posing scene has been massive in the US for a while now, and is finally catching on at speed here in the UK. I’ve been a newborn photographer for a few years, and whilst I welcome the increasing popularity in this genre, I’ve seen and heard of some really scary practices when posing fragile newborn babies. I absolutely love the thrill of taking the elusive shot, the perfect pose, the windy smile, though it’s really important to never compromise the safety of a baby.

Before deciding to take the photograph of newborn baby, there are many things to do first. Make sure to know what to do or how to take photograph of newborn baby. So, find some articles or writings about the newborn photograph. There should be many tips for you to follow, so make sure to follow it step by step. It should be done since it can help in producing the best newborn photography. The most crucial part to know is about the lightning of the shot. It is important since there are many reasons why it should be considered well.

One of those reasons is since it may harm the newborn babies’ eyes. The lightning of the shot can expose their eyes which sometimes can be a problem for their eyes too. So, what to do is just take the picture in natural bright without any excessive lighting. If the room is too dark, find another one which is brighter, so it will not need some addition lighting. The other thing to do is make sure to increase the ISO and the exposure compensation of camera especially in the light level which comes in very low. Make some adjustments for this part since if the adjustment is not right the image will be too grainy to get. It might take many times in trying, but it should be done to get the best result. If you are experienced in photography, you will not need too much time for adjusting it. The next important thing to consider is the angles to take. This is important since the result of the photograph taken from one angle is different with which is taken from another angle. So, make sure to think which angle to take. People tend to take photograph of their newborn baby by shooting from above. It is not a problem, but it might have been done too often, and the photo album of the baby will be full of picture taken from one angle.

tips on baby photography

How old? Babies generally are classed from 0 – 1 or 2 years (before they are able to walk). You can take photos of newborns at any time from 5 days old and onwards. Some of my most striking photos are taken with newborns only days old. However, some cultures celebrate photographing babies only when they reach 100 days old.

Clothing – what should the baby wear? It depends on what sort of photo you want. If you want to focus on the baby with no other distracting features, you may want the baby nude with or with the use of blankets/slings/fabric etc. on a neutral background. You need to consider whether or not the photo will be black and white, sepia, or colour. If you want an outdoorsy baby photo and/or a coloured/printed studio background, you will need to consider the colours the baby is wearing and how that will complement/clash with the background. Sometimes, it is best to keep things simple – multi-coloured, extremely bright, printed/patterned/frilly clothing (and accessories) can take the focus away from the baby and consider how that will sit in with the choice of background. If parents are intending to take the photo with the baby, simple clothing in one colour is the best. Start off with black, white and nude coloured clothing such as tank tops, tube tops, dresses and t-shirts. Simple jumpsuits in one colour and dresses are good clothing choices for babies. Remember to bring a few changes of clothing in case accidents occur.

When to take the photo? Babies generally do not know how to smile (when directed to), however, some babies are ‘happy’ doing certain activities and the photographer should take the opportunity to take the photo when babies are ‘happy’ (as in not crying). Bath time, playing with their favourite toy, ‘reading’ a book, music, feeding time, sleeping etc, can be a good time to take a photo. Remember to bring their favourite food items, blankets, toys, and music. Taking the perfect photo could take all day. You can create very striking images whilst the baby is asleep. Some babies also smile when asleep. Whilst the baby is asleep, you can create poses that could not be possible if they were awake. Babies are also very flexible – they can sleep on their bellies with their legs and feet tucked under them, and do all sorts of yoga-like poses (within certain limits of course). The trick to taking baby photos is to be patient. You will get that perfect photo here and there (but you will have to work for it), as most babies have a momentary attention span. If their basic needs are not met, there is little chance you will be able to take any good photos. You will just have to wait patiently until they have been fed and had a nap.

Where to take the photo? The benefits of studio photography is that there is control over lighting, time (when the photo can be taken), and access to babies’ amenities. It is also a more comfortable setting for babies (and family members and you have control over the temperature in a studio. A warm and comfortable studio will make it more inviting for the little one as well as bring on sleepiness. Outdoor photos can also be very beautiful, for instance, the beach and rock settings, and in a field. You will need to consider the time of the day when the lighting is gorgeous. As a general rule, the lighting is the best at dawn and dusk. It may be too bright with the glaring sun for the baby during midday times.
Angles, poses and props Babies (depending on the age) are generally not able to sit up or hold a pose unless they are propped up by pillows, toys and or held by people. There are only a number of limited poses babies can achieve, such as lying down, sitting upright, being held or nursed by a person and variations of those poses. I generally use low-angled photos, aerial shots (above the baby) and close-up shots. Focusing on certain body parts such as feet, hands, bottoms and so on create an intimate picture of the minute details of the newborn baby. Sometimes I use lighting, shadows and black and white photography to create a ‘landscape’ of the newborn’s body, with its delicate curves, lines, bumps and shapes. Consider using props to achieve certain poses and to add a little something, such as the use of huge cuddly toys, baskets, rugs, buckets, hats, umbrellas, flowers, balls, baby beds, bean bags and so on.

Your imagination is the limit! The rule is to focus on one or two props and use that as the theme. Too many props make photo cheesy and/or too busy. The use of knitted slings (hung from a tree/pole), cocoons, hammocks, wraps and blankets using neutral coloured natural fibres create a more simple and organic image. You can create very arresting images using black and white and sepia tones for these images. Just be careful when tying these slings and make sure your baby is secure and have some foam/net catcher under the baby for safety purposes. Also neverleave the baby unattended. However, you can still create a gorgeous photo without props – the baby is the only accessory you will need!

Lighting I prefer to use less harsh and direct lighting when photographing babies. Firstly, I find when using direct lighting/flash, babies generally blink and look unfocused/startled/are upset. Babies are unable to hold expressions like adults can and the moment can be lost. Secondly, I understand direct lighting/flash is not harmful to babies’ eyes, however, I prefer not to use it. As a professional photographer, I use soft box, a device which produces diffused lighting and umbrella lighting. However, these lighting devices are expensive and if you do not have them, you can ‘bounce’ lighting off surfaces. Thirdly, a softer and more natural image is created. I generally use lighting bounced from the ceiling (or off the wall), or if baby is lying on their bellies, a reflector placed under the babies’ face will brighten their faces. If the sky is overcast or it is night-time or there is not enough light, you can increase the ISO setting (stands for “International Organization for Standardization”) on your camera. The benefits of increasing the ISO setting is you can take photos in very little light without having to use flash, however, the disadvantages are the photo will be more grainy (or blurry).

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIPS

2012-08-27T17:57:00.002-07:00

Marriage (also called matrimony or wedlock) is a social union or legal contract between people called spouses that creates kinship. The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures, but is usually an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged. Such a union is often formalized via a wedding ceremony. In terms of legal recognition, most sovereign states and other jurisdictions limit marriage to two persons of opposite sex or gender in the gender binary, and some of these allow polygynous marriage. In the 21st century, several countries and some other jurisdictions have legalized same-sex marriage. In the 21st century, several countries and some other jurisdictions have legalized same-sex marriage.
In some cultures, marriage is recommended or compulsory before pursuing any sexual activity. People marry for many reasons, including: legal, social, libidinal, emotional, financial, spiritual, and religious. These might include arranged marriages, family obligations, the legal establishment of a nuclear family unit, the legal protection of children and public declaration of commitment. The act of marriage usually creates normative or legal obligations between the individuals involved. Some cultures allow the dissolution of marriage through divorce or annulment. Polygamous marriages may also occur in spite of national laws. Marriage can be recognized by a state, an organization, a religious authority, a tribal group, a local community or peers. It is often viewed as a contract. Civil marriage is the legal concept of marriage as a governmental institution irrespective of religious affiliation, in accordance with marriage laws of the jurisdiction. Forced marriages are illegal in some jurisdictions.Surveys show that people who are married are more likely to be happy than those who are not married.

Wedding Photography Tips

1. Create a ‘Shot List’

2. Wedding Photography Family Photo Coordinator

3. Scout the Location

4. In Wedding Photography Preparation is Key

5. Set expectations with the Couple

6. Turn off the sound on your Camera

7. Shoot the small details 8. Use Two Cameras

9. Consider a Second Wedding Photographer

10. Be Bold but Not Obtrusive

11. Learn how to Use Diffused Light

12. Shoot in RAW

13. Display Your Shots at the Reception

14. Consider Your Backgrounds

15. Don’t Discard Your ‘Mistakes’

16. Change Your Perspective

17. Wedding Group Shots

18. Fill Flash

Once you’ve chosen the photographer and the package you want, you might think that your part in the wedding photo's is over.

night photography tips

2012-08-26T22:52:00.001-07:00

Photographers who have photographed at night include Bill Brandt who photographed the Second World War and post-War England; and Lee Miller, also a World War II photographer whose work included a famous night image of the burning of Hitler's house. Ansel Adams is also well-known for his photograph "Moonrise Over Hernandez" which was shot by moonlight.

What are our tools in night photography?
1. Tripod. While not always necessary (see further on for how to cheat on this), a tripod will give you the greatest flexibility to get the angles you need while keeping your camera steady for those long exposures.
2. Wide-angle lenses. This is a personal preference, but I love the way they work in night photography. I use Canon’s 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 ($700), but if you can afford it I’d get the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II ($1300). If both of these are out of your price range – don’t worry! Try it out with whatever you’ve got as the only thing that will limit you is your imagination.
3. A lens hood. To minimize lens flares from light entering at angles outside of your frame.
4. A flashlight. Sometimes you’ll want to draw attention to or simply lighten up an important part of the foreground which is too dark.
5. Our imagination. Tools lie all around us in everyday objects to help us make our work better in this; I’ve used bicycle lamps, lampposts and newspaper boxes to get it done.

Night photography has become a huge hobby of mine, and I enjoy all of its facets, from taking photos of city lights, abandoned eerie and spooky places bathed in moonlight, and even remote desert and mountain landscapes where there is a complete lack of light pollution during the hours of darkness. Successful night photography takes above all a high degree of patience, and mine has been tested many times. However, I feel the enjoyment and relaxation it gives me, and the surreal quality of the photos it can generate make it well worth it, so I have prepared the following tips so that others new to the practice may get a better head start.

Night Photography Tips: 9 essential steps for beginners

Night Photography Tip 1: Get high quality night shots

Night Photography Tip 2: Use a tripod for sharp pictures

Night Photography Tip 3: Pick your night photography locations in advance

Night Photography Tip 4: Use the lens sweet spot

Night Photography Tip 5: Night photography settings

Night Photography Tip 6: How to get a ‘starburst’ effect on street lights

Night Photography Tip 7: Composition at night

Night Photography Tip 8: Use Mirror Lock-up

Night Photography Tip 9: Don’t touch your camera!

These Night Photography Tips will enable all photgraphers to shoot stunning evening images. Many compact digital cameras and even some higher end cameras will have a night time setting to allow you to take shots after dark.

However to really be able to capture truly stunning night time photography you will need to have a SLR camera and a solid tripod which will enable you to have total control over the camera which is necessary to cope with the low light conditions.

Nature photography

2012-08-26T22:20:00.001-07:00

Nature photography refers to a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures. Nature photography tends to put a stronger emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photo than other photography genres, such as photojournalism and documentary photography. Nature photographs are published in scientific, travel and cultural magazines such as National Geographic Magazine, National Wildlife Magazine and Audubon Magazine or other more specific magazines such as Outdoor Photographer and Nature's Best Photography. Well known nature photographers include Frans Lanting, Galen Rowell, Eliot Porter and Art Wolfe.

Wildlife photography is devoted to capturing interesting animals in action, such as eating, fighting, or in flight. Although usually shot in the wild, game farms are also a frequent location for wildlife photography. The techniques of wildlife photography differ greatly from those used in landscape photography. For example, in wildlife photography wide apertures are used to achieve a fast shutter speed, freeze the subject's motion, and blur the backgrounds, while landscape photographers prefer small apertures. Wildlife is also usually shot with long telephoto lenses from a great distance; the use of such telephoto lenses frequently necessitates the use of a tripod (since the longer the lens, the harder it is to handhold). Many wildlife photographers use blinds or camouflage.

Macro / Texture The macro photography article explains close-up photography in general; however, this is also a type of nature photography. While common macro subjects - bees, dragonflies, and so on - could be described as wildlife, their world also makes for good photography. Many photographers record images of the texture in a stone, tree bark, leaf, or any of other small scenes. Many of these images are abstract. Tiny plants and mushrooms are also popular subjects. Close-up nature photography doesn't always need a true macro lens; however, the scenes here are small enough that they're generally considered different from regular landscapes. Use of color Color images are not a requirement of nature photography. Ansel Adams is famous for his black and white depictions of nature, while Galen Rowell praised Fujifilm Velvia film for its bright, saturated colors, asking "Who wants to take dull pictures that will last a hundred years?" Both men distinguish between photography as an expressive art form and sensitometry; an accurate reproduction is not necessary.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TUTORIALS

2012-08-26T03:20:00.004-07:00

Several months ago Richard wrote a Photoshop tutorial on How to Create Light Effects. I’m not a Photoshop master like Richard, and every time I look at that article, I think about creating light effects (called light painting) with my camera.

The tutorials on this site will help you turn your 'snaps' into pictures that will delight your viewers rather than bore them to death. Click here to find free tutorials to read online, covering all aspects of photography. There are articles on all aspects of photography and photo editing, which I have collated into eight different sections; Equipment The Basics Composition Exposure Lighting Color Working with Different Subjects Using Photoshop If you are new to photography and are not sure where to start, I recommend you begin at the beginning. There are a growing number of video tutorials on various aspects of photo editing for you to watch. They are suitable for both beginners and more advanced photographers. If you are not a big reader or just want a 'quick fix' solution to a problem, try the Top Ten Photography Tips page first. Learn Digital Photography with Geoff Lawrence I have recently compiled my first eBook, Learn Digital Photography with Geoff Lawrence which is available for download in PDF format, so you can read at your leisure on your computer or tablet. If you get bored with just reading, try your luck in the Photo Quiz. It's just a bit of fun but you might learn something too. Don't miss the members' gallery where you can see many photos taken by photographers from all around the world. It is developing into a friendly community where you can give and receive advice to help improve your photography. Don't be shy, upload some photos. If you have any questions on photography related matters, visit the community forum where, after registering, you can ask anything you want.

An Introduction to Studio Lighting

Once you develop a taste for indoor photography it is only a matter of time before you will want your own studio setup. A studio setup can be anything from a few table lamps and a spare sheet for the background to an elaborate multi flash system. Although continuous light can be used, I would thoroughly recommend that, if you want to get serious about studio photography, you invest in a couple of studio flash heads. These do not need to be expensive, nowadays you can get a couple of lights for about the same price as a halfway decent telephoto lens.

Studio flash heads have several advantages for the photographer because they are powerful, even the lower priced units kick out much more power that the average portable flash, and infinitely more than continuous light. This means that you can control the light in interesting ways by using umbrellas and soft boxes to diffuse the light and soften the shadows, whilst still getting a reasonable exposure at a small aperture. Flash can freeze the action (as you can see from the picture on the left), with very fast exposure times, and give you all the depth of field you need. All the head shots below were exposed at 1/100sec at f32 with the ISO set at 200. Although your portrait sitter will not move as fast as my Martini, hopefully, the pictures will be a lot sharper using flash than they will using continuous light. Studio flash heads also recycle very fast, much faster than a portable flashgun, so you can keep shooting at a fast rate, which is important when you are doing portraits.
You don't need to go for any top of the range lights unless you are going to take up studio photography for a career. The top professional gear will be bigger, more powerful and more reliable when used all day everyday, but in my experience the bottom of the range lights are certainly powerful enough for use with our DSLR cameras, and as for reliability, I have had the same lights for ten years now and would expect at least another ten years' service out of them. I have never had any reliability problems with studio flash, which is a lot more than I can say for the portable battery flashguns that I have used over the years.

digital photography

2012-08-26T03:04:00.001-07:00

Digital photography is a form of photography that uses an array of electronic photodetectors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on photographic film. The captured image is then stored as a computer file ready for digital processing, viewing, digital publishing or printing. Until the advent of such technology, photographs were made by exposing light sensitive photographic film, and used chemical photographic processing to develop and stabilize the image. By contrast, digital photographs can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing. Digital photography is one of several forms of digital imaging. Digital images are also created by non-photographic equipment such as computer tomography scanners and radio telescopes. Digital images can also be made by scanning conventional photographic images.

Digital photography has many advantages over traditional film photography. Digital photos are convenient, allow you to see the results instantly, don't require the costs of film and developing, and are suitable for software editing and uploading to the Internet. While shooting on film will always have a place in the world of photography, digital models have taken over the consumer camera market almost completely. Just five years ago, buying a digital camera that could take photos of the same visual quality as a film camera could cost more than $1,000. But prices have dropped tremendously, and camera quality has increased. Today cameras in the $500 range are near-professional quality, and all but the cheapest digital cameras produce decent looking images.

Learn More Digital Cameras Digital Camera Quiz TreeHugger.com: Digital Picture Frames There are also many additional features available on digital cameras, including image stabilization, on-board image editing, color correction functions, auto-bracketing and burst modes. A lot of these can be handled by image editing software, and so they can be unnecessary (and often inferior) when built into a camera. Burst mode, macro mode and image stabilization are probably the most useful extra features, but the best way to find out which camera is best for you is to explore any of the numerous digital photography magazines and Web sites that offer comparisons and user reviews of hundreds of different cameras. If you own or are planning to buy a digital camera, this article will take you beyond point-and-shoot and help you get more out of it. See the next page to get started.

Many camera phones and most digital cameras use memory cards having flash memory to store image data. The majority of cards for separate cameras are SD format; many are CompactFlash and the other formats are rare. XQD card format is the latest form of storage medium. Modern digital cameras internal memory for a limited capacity for pictures that can be transferred to or from the card or through the camera's
connections; even without a memory card inserted into the camera.

Memory cards allow for vast numbers of photos to be taken, requiring attention only when the memory card has exhausted its free space. For most users this translates into dozens to hundreds of quality photos to be stored on the same memory card. Transferring the images is also possible for archival or personal use to another medium as required by the photographer.

PHOTOGRAPHY 3D

2012-08-26T02:51:00.003-07:00

We present an approach to convert a small portion of a light field with extracted depth information into a cinematic effect with simulated, smooth camera motion that exhibits a sense of 3D parallax. We develop a taxonomy of the cinematic conventions of these effects, distilled from observations of documentary film footage and organized by the number of subjects of interest in the scene. We present an automatic, content-aware approach to apply these cinematic conventions to an input light field. A face detector identifies subjects of interest. We then optimize for a camera path that conforms to a cinematic convention, maximizes apparent parallax, and avoids missing information in the input. We describe a GPU-accelerated, temporally coherent rendering algorithm that allows users to create more complex camera moves interactively, while experimenting with effects such as focal length, depth of field, and selective, depth-based desaturation or brightening. We evaluate and demonstrate our approach on a wide variety of scenes and present a user study that compares our 3D cinematic effects to their 2D counterparts.

How to take 3D photos

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a tutorial on how to see cross-eye 3D stereo photos on your computer screen. Today I’m going to tell you how to take your own 3D photos.
The process is really very simple, and the basics can be explained in less than a minute, but to become good at taking and presenting 3D photos take a bit more time, and it’s something that really develops with practice. I hope you’ll take what you learn here and get out and get lots of practice taking 3D photos.
The typical and easiest single-camera 3D photography technique is commonly called the “cha-cha” technique, for reasons which will soon become obvious. Here’s the technique in a nutshell:

Taking the Photos

Always take photos in portrait orientation
Set the camera to full manual and choose the correct exposure and focus
Put your feet square on to the subject of your 3d photo
Put your weight onto your right foot, without lifting your left
Take the first photo
Put your weight onto your left foot without raising your right
Unless your subject is very close, you don’t need to turn your camera to keep it in the centre
Take the second photo

And you’re done! As simple as that. Simply by shifting your weight from one foot to the other, you move your viewpoint by several centimetres, sufficient to get a 3D effect. The “cha-cha” name refers to the side to side sway you do when taking the photo.

proccesing
Now you’ve got two photos, but you need to make one. I use a fantastic piece of free software called StereoPhoto Maker. It’s not the prettiest software, but it does a fantastic job. It can be used in conjunction with a plugin called AutoPano, that can analise the two images and automatically correct for many of the problems that can come from shooting two separate images. This includes tilting and twisting, moving forward or back between shots, and the “keystone distortion” that occurs when you turn the camera to centre the subject for close 3D photos.

Step by step

Drag both photos onto the StereoPhoto Maker shortcut icon
Zoom out a bit with your mouse’s scroll wheel if you need to to make it easier to fuse the pair into 3D with the cross-eye technique
If the 3D effect seems reversed, click the swap button to swap the images correctly for a crossed eye view
Click on the auto align button to use autopano to correct for any distortions
Click on the Easy Adjustment button to fix the 3D images position relative to the 3D window (see below for more information)
I find adding a border helps, so if you like, in the menu go to View – Border Options
Check “Show Border” and adjust the border settings to your liking
Save the image by clicking in the menu File – Save Stereo Image
Enjoy your new 3d photo!

The 3D “Window”

The edge of the image is more than just the boundaries of the 3D photograph. In a 3D photo, it is also a “hole” into which you look and through which 3D subjects can appear. A good way to think of the edge of the image is as a literal window in your computer screen. This is one of the reasons why I find a border around both parts of the 3D image helps me, it more clearly defines the edge of the 3D window.
Just like a real window, you expect to look through it, and rarely do you expect things seen beyond it to come back through it at you. One nasty optical illusion that can happen with 3D photos is when part of the 3D subject “touches” the window, or worse, appears to overlap it. Have a look at the two examples below:

The subject is placed too far forward in the 3D window, and appears to overlap the window’s edge, creating an uncomfortable optical illusion. This is most obvious on the left of this stereo photoHow to View

Here the photo has been corrected, pushing the 3D subject back in 3D space beyond the window frame.

How to View

Now that you’ve got a whole bunch of awesome 3D photos, it’s time to share them around.

If you’d like to share your new 3D masterpieces, and I encourage you to do so, there’s a Stereophotography Flickr group, and one on Yahoo too. I’d love you to put links to your 3D photos in the comments to this post, so I can see how you’ve done! I’m relatively new to 3D photography, so I’m sure there’s much you can teach me too!

Advantages

You don’t need expensive specialist 3D equipment
Each eye’s image is captured on a full frame, so the resulting 3D image can be very high resolution
There is no blurring or ghosting at the edge of the frame, which can be seen in many “beam splitter” attachments where the two views join
You can take a 3D photo with any lens in your SLR kit, including macro, for extremely close 3D photos
Many 3D attachments have very limited control over focus and aperture, with the cha-cha technique you have complete control over the settings
You can do this with any camera, if you forget to take your 3D attachment or camera, you can still take 3D photos this way

Disadvantages

The most obvious and critical shortcoming is that this method only works with still object that don’t move between shots
Any movement between the two shots will cause a distracting 3D error, so people, animals and even trees in a light breeze will be difficult or impossible to shoot
You need to take two photos for every 3D image, which takes twice as long, and uses twice as much space
It is easy to introduce errors such as twisting or tilting the camera between shots which can cause distracting artifacts
You need to shoot with manual settings so that there’s no accidental variation in exposure or focus

What is the meaning of the word 'photography'

2012-08-24T15:27:00.002-07:00

Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film, or electronically by means of an image sensor.Typically, a lens is used to focus the light reflected or emitted from objects into a real image on the light-sensitive surface inside a camera during a timed exposure. The result in an electronic image sensor is an electrical charge at each pixel, which is electronically processed and stored in a digital image file for subsequent display or processing.

The result in a photographic emulsion is an invisible latent image, which is later chemically developed into a visible image, either negative or positive depending on the purpose of the photographic material and the method of processing. A negative image on film is traditionally used to photographically create a positive image on a paper base, known as a print, either by using an enlarger or by contact printing.
Photography has many uses for business, science, manufacturing (e.g. photolithography), art, and recreational purposes.

Diaphragm (optics)

In optics, a diaphragm is a thin opaque structure with an opening (aperture) at its center. The role of the diaphragm is to stop the passage of light, except for the light passing through the aperture. Thus it is also called a stop (an aperture stop, if it limits the brightness of light reaching the focal plane, or a field stop or flare stop for other uses of diaphragms in lenses). The diaphragm is placed in the light path of a lens or objective, and the size of the aperture regulates the amount of light that passes through the lens. The centre of the diaphragm's aperture coincides with the optical axis of the lens system.

Most modern cameras use a type of adjustable diaphragm known as an iris diaphragm, and often referred to simply as an iris.

See the articles on aperture and f-number for the photographic effect and system of quantification of varying the opening in the diaphragm.

THERE IS ONE GOOD QUESTION

"Only the print contains the artist's meaning and message."

Examples_-_The_Making_of_40_Photographs, _1983 "> Ansel Adams, Introduction to Examples - The Making of 40 Photographs, 1983

The term comes from the Greek word phos, photos - light and graphos - writing. The word photography means writing with light but most photographers claim they are painting with light!

As far as can be ascertained, it was Sir John Herschel in a lecture before the Royal Society of London, on March 14, 1839 who made the word "photography" known to the world. But in an article published on February 25 of the same year in a German newspaper called the Vossische Zeitung, Johann von Maedler, a Berlin astronomer, had used the word photography already.The word photography derives from the Greek(PHOTOS), genitive of (PHOS), "light" and (GRAPHE) "representation by means of lines" or "drawing", together meaning "drawing with light".

PHOTOGRAPHY FILM

2012-08-24T14:51:00.001-07:00

Photographic film
is a sheet of plastic (polyester, PET, nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate) coated with an emulsion containing light-sensitive silver halide salts (bonded by gelatin) with variable crystal sizes that determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film. When the emulsion is sufficiently exposed to light (or other forms of electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays), it forms a latent (invisible) image. Chemical processes can then be applied to the film to create a visible image, in a process called film developing.
In black-and-white photographic film there is usually one layer of silver salts. When the exposed grains are developed, the silver salts are converted to metallic silver, which blocks light and appears as the black part of the film negative.
Color film uses at least three layers. Dyes, which adsorb to the surface of the silver salts, make the crystals sensitive to different colors. Typically the blue-sensitive layer is on top, followed by the green and red layers. During development, the exposed silver salts are converted to metallic silver, just as with black-and-white film. But in a color film, the by-products of the development reaction simultaneously combine with chemicals known as color couplers that are included either in the film itself or in the developer solution to form colored dyes. Because the by-products are created in direct proportion to the amount of exposure and development, the dye clouds formed are also in proportion to the exposure and development. Following development, the silver is converted back to silver salts in the bleach step. It is removed from the film in the fix step. This leaves behind only the formed color dyes, which combine to make up the colored visible image.
Newer color films, like Kodacolor II, have as many as 12 emulsion layers,[citation needed] with upwards of 20 different chemicals in each layer.
Due to film photography's long history of widespread use, there are now around one trillion pictures on photographic film or photographic paper in the world, enough to cover an area of around ten thousand square kilometres (4000 square miles), about half the size of Wales.

Film speed

Hurter and Driffield began pioneering work on the light sensitivity of photographic emulsions in 1876. Their work enabled the first quantitative measure of film speed to be devised.

Film speed describes a film's threshold sensitivity to light. The international standard for rating film speed is the ISO scale which combines both the ASA speed and the DIN speed in the format ASA/DIN. Using ISO convention film with an ASA speed of 400 would be labeled 400/27°. A fourth naming standard is GOST, developed by the Russian standards authority. See the film speed article for a table of conversions between ASA, DIN, and GOST film speeds.

History of film

Early photography in the form of daguerreotypes did not use film at all. The light-sensitive chemicals were formed on the surface of a silver-plated copper sheet. Beginning in the 1850s, thin glass plates coated with photographic emulsion became the standard medium. Although fragile and heavy, the glass used for photographic plates was of better optical quality than early transparent plastics, and in early years it was also less expensive, so the use of such plates persisted long after the introduction of film. Eastman Kodak marketed the first flexible photographic roll film in 1885, but this original "film" was actually coated on paper.

Spectral sensitivity

Early photographic plates and films were usefully sensitive only to blue, violet and ultraviolet light. In 1873, Hermann Wilhelm Vogel discovered that the spectral sensitivity could be extended by adding very small quantities of certain dyes to the emulsion. The instability of early sensitizing dyes and their tendency to rapidly cause fogging initially confined their use to the laboratory, but in 1883 the first commercially dye-sensitized plates appeared on the market.

Color

Experiments with color photography began almost as early as photography itself, but the three-color principle underlying all practical processes was not set forth until 1855, not demonstrated until 1861, and not generally accepted as "real" color photography until it had become an undeniable commercial reality in the early 20th century. Although color photographs of good quality were being made by the 1890s, they required special equipment, long exposures, complex printing or display procedures and highly specialized skills, so they were then exceedingly rare. The first easily used and commercially successful color "film" was the Lumière Autochrome, a glass plate product introduced in 1907.

Effect on lens and equipment design

Photographic lenses and equipment are designed around the film to be used. Although the earliest photographic materials were sensitive only to the blue-violet end of the spectrum, partially color-corrected achromatic lenses were normally used, so that when the photographer brought the visually brightest yellow rays to a sharp focus, the visually dimmest but photographically most active violet rays would be correctly focused, too. The introduction of orthochromatic emulsions required the whole range of colors from yellow to blue to be brought to an adequate focus. Most plates and films described as orthochromatic or isochromatic were practically insensitive to red, so the correct focus of red light was unimportant; a red window could be used to view the frame numbers on the paper backing of roll film, as any red light which leaked around the backing would not fog the film; and red lighting could be used in darkrooms.

Special films

Instant photography, as popularised by Polaroid, uses a special type of camera and film that automates and integrates development, without the need of further equipment or chemicals. This process is carried out immediately after exposure, as opposed to regular film, which is developed afterwards and requires additional chemicals. See instant film.

Films can be made to record non-visible ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation. These films generally require special equipment; for example, most photographic lenses are made of glass and will therefore filter out most ultraviolet light. Instead, expensive lenses made of quartz must be used. Infrared films may be shot in standard cameras using an infrared band- or long-pass filter, although the infrared focal point must be compensated for.

Exposure and focusing are difficult when using UV or IR film with a camera and lens designed for visible light. The ISO standard for film speed only applies to visible light, so visual-spectrum light meters are nearly useless. Film manufacturers can supply suggested equivalent film speeds under different conditions, and recommend heavy bracketing (e.g. with a certain filter, assume ISO 25 under daylight and ISO 64 under tungsten lighting). This allows a light meter to be used to estimate an exposure. The focal point for IR is slightly farther away from the camera than visible light, and UV slightly closer; this must be compensated for when focusing. Apochromatic lenses are sometimes recommended due to their improved focusing across the spectrum.