Framing snapshots and creating calendars and coffee mugs with your images can be fun, but have you ever considered producing your own limited edition art prints? An art print conveys quality and creativity and by limiting the number of prints produced, you establish value to your series.
Art Prints are a great way to share your photos. They make beautiful personal gifts, lucrative crafts to sell, or eye-catching decoration.
It isn’t necessary to be a professional artist, photographer, or print maker to produce professional-looking results. All you need is a digital camera, computer, printer, special paper, a pencil and a desire to express your creativity.

Visit me at the Canon Digital Learning Center to read more!

Whether it’s for social networking, a business website, or online dating, we all need a good portrait of ourselves. Now, thanks to technology, it’s possible to capture a professional-looking portrait in the comfort of your own home.

Erin’s Home Studio Lighting Kit from Erin Manning on Vimeo.

The quality and direction of light can make or break a photograph. Notice where the shadows are falling upon your subject and it’s easy to identify which direction the light is coming from.

• Top light is just like a sunny day at high noon – not attractive. Overhead light creates under-eye shadows.
• Front light is considered beauty light, because it minimizes wrinkles and bumps. The shadow under my subject’s nose indicates the light is placed in front of the face and above the eye line.
• Sidelight creates dimension and texture in your image. Sidelight is found outside in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky.

Natural light can be beautiful, especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon, but you can’t rely on it. If you’re using an on-camera flash the results are often unflattering and difficult to control. That’s why it’s best to use a constant, flattering light source to achieve consistent results.

I discovered that a lot of people want professional-looking pictures without spending a lot of money, and they’re intimidated by the technology and price of professional lighting kits. So I teamed up with FJ Westcott to offer a safe, simple, “cool to the touch” daylight balanced lighting kit that makes you look good!

I took a picture of Karla on That Morning Show on E! Look at the results I achieved in the “After” photograph, just by using one of the Home Studio Lights.

Here are a few other tips for capturing a beautiful portrait:

• Tip 1: Look for a catch light in the eyes. This reflection of light in the eyes makes your subject come alive in the image.

• Tip 2: Give yourself room to zoom for a flattering perspective. If you want to fill the frame with your subject’s face, don’t use the wide-angle setting and move in close. Instead, stand back and give yourself room to zoom in with your telephoto lens to fill the frame.

• Tip 3: Create a more visually compelling image by using the “rule of thirds.” Visually divide your scene into thirds and place something of interest at one or more of the intersections.

These are just a few things you can do to improve your images and create amazing portraits that will make a lasting impression.

Watch the video to see a live demonstration!

Erin on E! That Morning Show from Erin Manning on Vimeo.

2. Change your point of view.
If you’re photographing kids, get down on their level, and zoom in to fill the frame and capture their personality.

3. Keep it real.
You don’t need to say “cheese” to take a good picture, be encouraging and positive. Get people to laugh with you or give them something to do, and you’ll capture more natural expressions.

4. Don’t forget the details.
At the holidays, it’s the little things that count. Use your camera’s Macro Mode to get up close and capture the moment.

5. Be creative.
Our world is full of reflective surfaces, especially during the holidays – shiny ornaments, mirrors, windows, and water, are a few. Look around and see if you can find a unique way to reflect your world. This technique works best if you turn off your flash.

6. Control your flash.
The warm glow of lamps, candles, and outdoor lights are often blasted into darkness with an on camera flash. Here are two ways to remedy the problem:
• Turn off your flash and raise your ISO to let in more light and reduce blur.
• Use your camera’s Night Flash or Slow Synch setting to illuminate your scene. This setting uses a slower shutter speed to capture more ambient light in the background. Hold the camera very still or use a tripod to reduce blur.

7. Get together.
Take charge and do a little directing to gather everyone together and capture that group shot. Position your subjects in an overall shape, with some people sitting, some people standing, and in a variation of body angles towards the camera. Take multiple shots to ensure that everyone’s eyes are open in the final picture.

8. Simplify.
Pay attention to the background, you don’t want plants coming out of people’s ears or lamps coming out of their heads. You can choose something holiday related, but think “less is more.”

9. Capture the action.
When an emotion or reaction occurs, capture every second by using the Sports Mode setting on your camera. Some cameras allow you to hold your finger down on the shutter button to capture multiple frames in quick succession.

10. Compose your shot.
Create a visually interesting photograph by moving your subject off-center and use the “rule of thirds.” Visually divide your scene into thirds like a tic-tac-toe board and place something of interest at one or more of the intersections.

You bring your digital camera along everywhere you go, snapping photos of people, places, and things that are important to you (even if just for the moment). Problem is, you can’t seem to capture the image you were hoping for and you’re frustrated! Sound familiar?

With a few tips and a little knowledge about your digital camera, you can start capturing those special moments in a way that is both practical and gratifying. I’ll start with the problems, briefly explain why they occur, and follow up with some real-life solutions. In no time, you’ll be on your way to taking better photos!
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By using the self-timer to capture your own portrait you have control over how you look, how the photograph is taken, and what happens to it afterwards. And with digital photography, you can take as many pictures as you want - whatever you don’t like, you just delete.

Let’s get ready:

What to wear?
Wear a solid color shirt that complements your skin tone and/or eye color. For example, if you have light eyes, wear a blue, green, or grey shirt that enhances your eye color; darker skin and eyes tend to look best against brighter colors. Hold up solid colored shirts next to your subject’s face to see what looks best. Bright white and dark black clothing may be more difficult to photograph, and stay away from patterns and logos.

Check the shine
Check your face in the mirror, is it shiny? If so, apply a translucent face powder to reduce the shine (men too).

Find the light
Avoid taking your photograph in direct sunlight–it creates unflattering, harsh shadows on your face. Soft, even light is best. To find good light outdoors, look for open shade under a tree, a door, or next to a building, and turn off your flash. For example, this photo of my Dad and me was taken under an open doorway leading to the garage. If you are indoors, position yourself near indirect window-light.

What’s the setting?
For 1-4 people, set your camera to Portrait Mode (this setting helps isolate your subjects from the background). For larger groups, set your camera to Landscape Mode (this setting ensures that everyone will be in focus from near to far). Cameras vary, so this setting may be located on your Mode Dial or in your Scene Mode settings. Check your manual if you’re not sure.

Find the self-timer icon - it’s typically located on the back of your camera and it looks like a clock. Press the self-timer icon and cycle through your options. Self-timers on digital cameras vary. Some let you select the time it takes for the self-timer to release the shutter, usually between two and 10 seconds. Others have a custom self-timer that allows you to set the countdown time and the number of shots to be taken.

Get in position
Position your camera on a tripod or stable surface at least 6 feet away from the chair.

Get rid of any background clutter.

Compose your shot by looking through your optical viewfinder or your LCD viewfinder. Zoom in with your lens to fill the frame with your friends or family. Leave some room in the frame so you can jump in.

Press the self-timer icon and cycle through your options. The 10-second option will give you enough time to position yourself in front of the camera.

Take the shot
Press the shutter button halfway down to lock in the focus and exposure; then, fully depress the shutter-release button to trigger the timer.

The red warning light on the front of the camera will blink steadily during countdown and just before taking the picture it will start to blink faster.

Now move into place, get comfortable, laugh, look into the lens and give the camera a real smile.

As you take more shots, position your body at an angle to the camera and experiment with various expressions. Keep in mind that smiling and leaning towards the camera will convey a friendly, approachable personality. Leaning away from the camera or tilting your head back will appear snooty.

Share
Finally, transfer your images to your computer, pick your favorite shots and get ready to share them with those you love - it may be the most precious gift they receive.

This scenario reminds me of the problems we face as adult creative entrepreneurs trying to sell our photographs, art, or other creations, without the Girl Scout legacy or an advocate to help us out. To sell anything, you need to call attention to your product and engage with your potential clients—find out what they want, offer ways to solve their problems and answer their questions. Now that internet connections are faster, and social networking websites have gone mainstream, why not take advantage of the many ways you can market your work online, and connect with potential clients for FREE? Start a blog, a newsletter, open up a Facebook account, upload videos on YouTube – put it out there! Otherwise, people are not going to know about your fabulous product or service, and you aren’t going to be selling any cookies.

www.facebook.com
www.wordpress.com
www.blogger.com
www.youtube.com