selling your photography to magazines

Selling Your Photography To MagazinesWriten by TJ Tierney

The magazine market is by far the biggest market for the freelance photographer, with millions of pictures published each month. If you would like to see some profit from your pictures, its really important to make the right approach.

Taking pictures for the magazine market isnt about taking nice shots that your friends will admire or that will look nice on your wall at home. Its about taking images that will sell to a selective audience, and to accomplish this you must understand the market.

Assuming that your photography ability is to par - there is no reason that you cant start sending your images to photo editors straight away. Start off by selecting the markets that you may have interest in. Pick a market that you like to photograph.

Go to your nearest magazine outlet and buy 3 or 4 magazines that you are interested in submitting to.
Study each image that has been used by the photo editor and then compare the images in the magazine to your own.

This is were honesty comes in.

If your images are every bit as good as the images in the magazine, feel free to submit them. Write or send an e-mail to the photo editor telling them about your work. If you have a website, add it to the e-mail so that the editor can view a sample of your work. If you do send your images by post make sure you include a stamped addressed envelope to get your images back.

Magazines have standard prices for photographs and will pay you after the magazine has gone to print. This differs from magazine to magazine; magazines that sell more normally pay more for their images - the cover picture is normally the best paid, with the double centre being the second.

If you sell an image to a magazine dont submit it straight away to a different magazine - the chances are that theyll find out and wont use your images again.

It doesnt hurt to know the law when selling your images to magazines. The minute you hit the shutter button you own the copyright. As standard practice magazines normally pay you for the right to use your image once. If they use the same image in five months time, they must pay you a second time.

If your images arent as good as the images that are used in the magazine dont submit them. You will be wasting your own time and the time of the photo editor. Photo editors are very busy and get hundreds of submissions every month. Try to improve your photography and submit at a later date.

Photo editors are always looking for new material, but first study the market.

Its a fantastic feeling to see your images published for the first time.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer and a freelance writer.
He frequently writes for the shopping directory http://www.shop-4us.com and the photography directory http://www.goldprints.com.
To view or buy some of his images visit his on line gallery @ http://www.goldenirishlight.com.

how do you apply the rule of thirds to your photos

How Do You Apply The Rule Of Thirds To Your PhotosWriten by Roy Barker

If youd like to learn a little technique which many professional photographers use to spice up their photos, heres one that youll never stop using if youre not using it already

There is a principle in photography known as the thirds composition or the Rule of Thirds.

In photography classes it is in most cases one of the first things you learn. Why? Because it is the base platform for balance and also adds an element of interest to the observer.

Many will say that this rule doesnt always apply and thats true - it doesnt. But as a rule of thumb, its a good principle to follow. Just ensure if you decide to slip outside this rule, that you think about first because in most cases the rule of thirds applies well.

A good simple way to understand the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts.

While youre checking your image you should do this in your mind through your viewfinder or in the LCD display when you frame your shot.

With the 9 part format (3 verticle and 3 horizontal) in mind, the rule of thirds now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in while you frame an image.

In addition, it also gives you four lines that are useful locations for elements in your photo.

How this works is, that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines, your photo becomes more balanced and will allow the viewer to interact with the image more naturally. Some studies have indicated that when viewing images, peoples eyes usually head to one of the intersection points more naturally rather than the centre of the shot - by using the rule of thirds we allow the viewer the opportunity to view the image or photo in a more natural manner.

Using the rule of thirds doesnt always come to you straight away but I guarantee it will come to you in time if you keep practicing. Here are some excellent thoughts or questions you should ask yourself while practicing the thirds rule;

- Which are the points of interest in the shot I am about to take?

- Where do I intend to place them?

- Remember - you can break the rule and this can result in some excellent shots - so once youve learned it, experiment a little to see what you come up with.

Finally - when you edit your photos keep the rule in mind. You can also make some excellent changes during post production of your photos on editing tools today with cropping and reframing.

This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often writes and works closely with Profitable Photography Business. If the previous link is inactive, you can paste this one into your browser - profitable-photography.com This site is dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from Photography or if this link is inactive, you can copy and paste this link into your browser - profitable-photography.com/resources.php If you seek further guides, articles and news, you can go to Photography Tips or if this link is inactive, you can paste this address in your browser photography-business-tips.com

flash photography how to avoid 5 common problems

Flash Photography - How to Avoid 5 Common ProblemsWriten by B.L. Hill

Whether the flash on your camera is built-in or a separate unit, you use it to provide enough light on your subject to take a good photograph. When just starting out taking pictures with your camera, you will most likely encounter at least one of these problems when using your flash. This article provides you with at least one solution to each of these common problems.

1. Flash Glare behind subject this is usually the result of taking a photo of your subject with a reflective surface, such as a mirror, window or polished surface, behind the subject. If it is not possible to move your subject, take the photo at an angle to the reflective surface so that the light from the flash does not reflect directly back at the camera.

2. Subject too far away you must know the range of your flash to know just how far the light will effectively reach. On average, the maximum distance is about 15 feet. If your subject is any further away the photo will be dark. Also note that there is a minimum distance as well, usually about 2 feet. This explains why the photo you took at the concert had the head of the person in front of you over-exposed and the stage in relative darkness.

3. Red-eye the light from the flash reflects off the retina in the eyes of your subject causing them to appear red in the photo. Many cameras have a red-eye reduction feature that fires the flash once to make the pupils of the eyes close more and then fires again when the photo is taken a second later. If you do not have this feature or dont wish to use it, simply have your subject look slightly away from the camera.

4. Glare on Glasses if your subject wears glasses and prefers to leave them on, you can effectively eliminate the glare by having them tilt their glasses down slightly.

5. Shadows if your subject is standing close to a wall, the flash may cause a dark shadow to appear as a halo around your subject. If possible, have your subject move away from the wall. If this is not possible and you can adjust the angle of the flash, bounce the flash off a reflective surface - a light colored wall or ceiling will do. The light from the flash is more diffuse and will reduce or eliminate the dark halo.

For more useful tips and information on photography, visit the photography tips website.

learning about photography by enrolling in a class

Learning About Photography By Enrolling in a ClassWriten by Low Jeremy

Using a camera is very simple. The person will just look through the lens; point it at the subject and then click on the button.

The results of doing this are very different for each person when these have been developed. The individual might notice that the image was too bright, too dark or blurred.

These are the common mistakes when the individual does not know the proper way to use a camera. Professional photographers call it an art and the only way to be good is to take the proper lessons.

Students who are taking up journalism have this as one of the subjects as part of the curriculum. If the person is majoring in another subject in school, this can be taken as an elective. Those who left school years ago can also enroll in the class for a semester to learn everything about photography.

Most classes require the student to have a camera. The person doesnt have to get the model that costs a $1,000 because there are variations selling at half the price.

The first thing thought by the instructor will be to know each part of the camera. The individual should know this inside and out to be able to maximize the use of this device.

The next part will be teaching the students to shoot using the camera. Some instructors will tell the class to go out and take some shots first.

Everyone will have a chance to critique the pictures when these are developed. Some consider this the only way for people to learn what mistakes have been committed so it can be avoided in the future.

Some schools still teach the students how to develop pictures in a darkroom. Though many professionals have decided to have this done by someone else or switch to digital cameras, these are things that the person should know about photography.

The cleaning and proper storage of equipment is another matter that has to be discussed. This will ensure the equipment is in good condition each time it is brought out when shooting a subject.

Learning about photography in class is fun. This can be taken as a hobby or be used later on should the individual want to pursue this as a career.

It is never too early or late to learn how to use a camera. This takes some open mindedness on the part of the student to do this right.

Low Jeremy maintains http://digital-photography.articlesforreprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

digital photography exposure settings and tips

Digital Photography - Exposure Settings and TipsWriten by Richard Schneider

Exposure is the amount of light collected by the sensor in your camera during a single shot or photograph. If the shot is exposed for too long a time the photograph will be washed out. If the shot is exposed for too short a time the photograph will appear too dark. Almost all cameras today have light meters which measure the light in the given composition and set an ideal exposure automatically. Most people depend on the light meter which is fine, but if you know how to control your exposures you can get some creative and sometimes greatly improved pictures.

-Aperture and Shutter Speed

The two primary controls your camera depends upon for exposure are shutter speed (the amount of time the sensor is exposed to light) and aperture (the size of the lens opening that lets light into the camera). Shutter speeds are measured in seconds and more commonly fractions of a second. (1/2000 of a second is very fast and 8' seconds is extremely slow). Apertures are measured in something called f/stops (a very wide aperture is f/2.8 and a very narrow aperture is f/19).

You might wonder why there isn't just a constant shutter speed or a constant aperture so that you would only have to worry about one control. The reason is that even though they both designate the amount of light getting to the sensor they also control other aspects of the picture. Shutter speed, for example can be used to freeze subjects in midair with a fast speed or it can be used to blur water with a slow speed. Aperture controls the depth-of-field which is what is in focus in the picture. Aperture can be used to draw attention to one subject (like the flower on the right) by blurring the background with a wide aperture (low f/stop). Aperture can also be used to focus everything in a picture with a narrow aperture (high f/stop).

-ISO Speed

On most digital SLR's (Single Lens Reflex) cameras today you can even change the sensitivity of the sensor when collecting light which is called the ISO speed. The common span of ISO speed is 100 to 1600. The higher the ISO speed the faster the camera collects light but it also adds more noise to the photograph than the lower speeds. For example if your trying to take pictures in dim light without a tripod you might want to raise the ISO speed in order to get a picture that's not blurry. Most of the time you should keep it at a lower ISO speed if there is enough light, but it makes a big difference when there isn't. Different cameras make different amounts of noise in photos so I would definitely experiment with your cameras ISO settings so you will know what to expect when it matters.

-White Balance

Most people dont experiment with or use the white balance function on their cameras. White balance is simply a function where the photographer has the option of designating what parts of a scene are white so the camera can adjust to the other color temperatures accordingly. Almost all digital cameras today give the photographer the option of manually setting the white balance which can sometimes be hard if you dont have a white or grey card. Many new digital cameras have a set of preset white balances for certain types of scenes such as snow or clouds. I have found that using the preset modes is almost just as effective as setting the white balance manually so I would definitely advise others to keep the preset white balance modes in mind when they are using their cameras.

-Time of Day

The time of day is usually what determines how much light you are going to be working with. In the early morning and the late afternoon there will be less light than in the middle of the day. During this time there should be enough light for most kinds of exposures except if you are trying to catch an object in motion. If you are trying to catch sports photos or objects in motion you will have to adjust the aperture and maybe even the ISO speed (both of which are discussed in this article) in order to be able to use the necessary shutter speed. In the middle of the day (with typical weather) the light is very bright and you should be able to use any shutter speed or aperture that you want at the lowest ISO setting. At night it is a totally different story if you are not using flash. If you arent using flash and are taking photos at night probably with a tripod then you should set the ISO speed very high and you will need a very long shutter speed and a moderately wide aperture.

To become comfortable with exposure settings is a very difficult task. But if you master exposure enough to know what you should use for each scene, then you could become a much more professional photographer.

Richard Schneider is a digital photography enthusiast and founder of http://www.picturecorrect.com/ which offers tips and news about digital photography, digital camera reviews, and photoshop tutorials. Please also visit http://www.picturecorrect.com/freewallpaper.htm where there is free high resolution desktop wallpaper available.

nature stock photography

Nature Stock PhotographyWriten by Peter Emerson

Photographs of wildlife, flowers, birds, reptiles, snowfall, landscapes, sunsets and other sceneries are often used as stock photographs. Stock photography is photography that is used by a number of people for a number of reasons. One person - usually the person who took the photo - gets paid each time someone buys the rights to it. Nature photography is in great demand among publishers, artists, graphic and web designers, book publishers, greeting card companies and others for web design and publishing their websites, books and greeting cards. Nature stock photographers can earn good money selling nature stock photographs, as some of them fetch a very high price.

For assignment photographs of nature, a customer has to hire a photographer and send him/her to a particular destination to shoot images. This can be very expensive because it not only involves the price of the photographs but the photographers out-of-pocket expenses as well. Instead, a customer can opt for nature stock photographs that are readily available with nature stock photographers or agencies. Stock image agencies or stock photographers have a wide range of nature stock photographs to choose from.

Nature stock photographers who intend to submit their nature images to stock photograph libraries have to be good. The photographs have to be excellent with high resolution. A customer will select the photograph of choice and pay the quoted price. It is advisable that a nature stock photographer market, sell and distribute their photographs through their own website in order to reap the most financial benefit.

Stock Photography provides detailed information on Stock Photography, Free Stock Photography, Digital Stock Photography, Nature Stock Photography and more. Stock Photography is affiliated with Black and White Photographs.

places to sell photos online

Places to Sell Photos OnlineWriten by Paul R

Earn up to $2286/month (based on May'06 earnings) by selling your digital photos online

Its now easier than ever to earn extra money from your images by selling them online via specialist websites. It goes without saying that to be successful you shots need to be well composed, in sharp focus, accurately exposed, digital noise free, and available in high resolution format. But presuming that all this is in order, how do you maximize sale ability?

First, you need to find out whether a website will be worth your while by logging on and having a look around. Views the types of images stocked, and determine whether yours are on par with their quality and style, but be wary if there are a lot of images similar to your own. Most websites offer data detailing how many images are online, how many visitors and searchers there are per week and the number of times each image has been downloaded. Use this information to answer the question: How likely is it that I will actually sell my images through this website?

Once upload, your next challenge will be to make it as easy as possible for potential buyers to locate your images. This involves master the websites search facilities works and decide how youre going to categorizing and keywords your images.

Categorizing

Sellers can usually place images in more than one category exploit this by placing yours in as many as possible. The importance of this is that while visitor and site members browse websites, photo buyers shop by category. Getting your photos listed within the right categories ensures they appear in front of the right audience.

Keywords

Keywords are there to give your photos a further away of being found by searches, and websites will give you a certain amount of characters to play with, which you should exhaust. Keep your keywords simply and accurate.

Please visit http://www.dphotojournal.com/sell-photos-online/ to see which stockphoto agency I submit my photos to and how much money I make from each agency.

Paul R. - Part time stockphotographer and multimedia designer.

Website - http://www.dphotojournal.com

physics of colors tinted simplicity of nature

Physics of Colors - Tinted Simplicity of NatureWriten by Andrea Ghilardelli

Mastering colors in photography is an art only proficient photographers can boast. From a physics point of view, however, color is well known since the beginning of the 20th century. Starring in this brief physical explanation are: electromagnetic radiation, photons, wavelength and energy.

When a charged particle is at rest relative to an inertial observer, the observer measures an electric field. But when the same charged particle is in motion relative to the observer, in addition to the electric field another field is observed, which is named magnetic field. These two fields together are called the electromagnetic field. Energy is required to set up an electromagnetic field. This energy remains constant for a static electromagnetic field (i.e. a field that does not change with time). When the field is time dependent, the electromagnetic energy changes with time. These time variations give rise to an electromagnetic wave, propagating at the speed of light. Such a wave carries the energy of the electromagnetic field, and this energy is referred to as electromagnetic radiation.

A photon is the quantum of electromagnetic energy and it is entirely determined by the frequency of the radiation. The mathematical defining relation of the photon, relating it to the frequency and to the wavelength of the electromagnetic relation is:
E = hf = hc/l
where E is the photon's energy, h the Planck's constant, f the frequency, c the velocity of light and l the wavelength. There is a one-to-one correspondence between energy, frequency and wavelength.

Electromagnetic radiation at different wavelength (or energy, or frequency) takes on different names. For instance, if the wavelength is greater than 0.1 meter the radiation is called adiofrequency; if it is between 1 millimeter and 1 micron it is called infrared; between 0.1 micron and 1 nanometer it is ultraviolet; between 1 nanometer and 0.1 angstrom X-rays and, finally, if greater than 0.1 angstrom gamma rays.

As we all know, photography deals with visible electromagnetic radiation (light). This is a very narrow region of the electromagnetic spectrum, namely between 4000 and 8000 angstrom. Our eye is able to reveal electromagnetic radiation only in this region, and it perceives different wavelengths as different colors. For instance we perceive electromagnetic radiation at 8000 angstrom as red, at 5600 as yellow, at 5000 as green, at 4500 as blue and at 4000 as violet. Black and white are not colors: black is the absence of light while white is the superposition of all the colors together.

All the things in our world rarely emit or reflect light at just one wavelength. They usually do that over a range of frequencies. The curve of the energy distribution, that is the energy of light emitted or reflected versus the wavelength, may have any arbitrary shape. One well-known curve of this type is the blackbody radiation's. If the object we are looking at has an energy distribution curve with a pronounced maximum at a certain wavelength, we'll probably see that object with the color corresponding to that wavelength. For instance, our Sun emits over the entire visible spectrum, but it has a maximum corresponding to the yellow wavelength, and that's why we see it yellow. This depends on how our eyes react to light.

Here is yet another example. An object can have two maxima in its energy distribution. This happens, for instance, if we draw a splash of color on white paper with blue and then with yellow. We will see it as green. It is not surprise. Indeed, look at the wavelengths aforementioned: green lies midway between yellow and blue. But, again, from a physical point of view a real green with its unique wavelength has nothing to do with something with two maxima centered on yellow and blue. This is only our vision system's interpretation.

So, the colors of nature and the struggle we make for capturing them boils down to how our eyes see electromagnetic radiation at different wavelengths.

Andrea Ghilardelli runs an online photo retouching service. To get your pictures beautifully retouched and for articles about photography, please visit his site: www.ilghila.com.

online digital photo printing

Online Digital Photo PrintingWriten by Ken Marlborough

Digital photo printing is the process of developing digital photos into prints. Online digital printing first uploads images to a photo service providers website. Prints are ordered stating your preferences. Online printers use huge professional photo printers such as Fuji Frontier Digital Minilab or machines of similar type. A relatively new process of developing prints is known as giclee printing; this is quite a color-accurate way to develop digital prints. The prints are instantly delivered through email. Shipping costs are charged if delivered by other means.

As digital printers are cheaper, printing can be done at home using a printer of your own choice but can be quite expensive. Online Digital Photo Printing is a viable alternative. Online printing is faster, reliable and free from risks.

In order to get better prints, most of the online print services use high quality Kodak paper or comparable paper. For a large number of prints, it is better to go use a high-speed Internet connection such as a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line.) That way, you will not spend all day walking around your computer while your photo files upload.

Nowadays, online digital photo printing is becoming more and more popular. The growth in technology and the wide use of the Internet have made many improvements in the printing techniques. There are a number of online print services. Based in San Francisco, Snapfish is one of the most commonly used sites, and Shutterfly, Kodak Easyshare Gallery, Agfanet, Ez Prints, and Fujifilm.net are some of the other popular print services.

Digital Printing provides detailed information on Digital Printing, Digital Photo Printing, Digital Printing Companies, Online Digital Photo Printing and more. Digital Printing is affiliated with Public Relations Firms.

want to do more with your digital photos

Want To Do More With Your Digital Photos?Writen by Dan Marques

You have all these photos from your new digital camera and they are just sitting on your hard drive. You have some free time and want to enjoy your photos in a while new way? Here are some ideas:

• 1. Create screensavers of your favorite photos.

• 2.Use a photo sharing service like Flickr (http://www.flickr.com), but be sure to create albums and tag your photos, as well as share your URL with your friends and family.

• 3.Join a social network. Sites like MySpace (http://www.myspace.com) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) allow you to create a profile, add your friends, and then upload unlimited photos.

• 4. Make sure you back up your photos so you do not lose those precious memories. Carbonite (http://www.carbonite.com) offers unlimited back up of all your photos and documents for only a few bucks a month.

• 5.Want to give that special gift? Have that amazing photo turned into a hand made oil painting by the folks over at Oil Expressions (http://www.oilexpressions.com).

• 6.Create a mosaic of all your favorite digital photos. Check out Picture Mosaics (http://www.picturemosaics.com/)

• 7.Use a service like Filmloop (http://www.filmloop.com/) that allows you to have your photos scroll on any website with a few easy steps.

• 8.Start a photoblog for free using a service such as Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)

Dan Marques is an entrepreneur, author, and photography enthusiast. He writes daily about entrepreneurship and his ventures at Start-Up Guide (http://startupguide.typepad.com)

photography be persistent

Photography: Be PersistentWriten by Eric Hartwell

Are you hampered by your own inertia or the unwillingness of others? If so, in photography at least, you are missing out on some great opportunities,.

It pays to be persistent sometimes. How many times have you come across a great opportunity only to have it scuppered by either your own inhibitions or those of others. Many times a photo opportunity Is lost because the photographer has not been able to pluck up the courage to ask for permission to take the photograph. Or perhaps, that candid has been lost because you have been spotted.

It certainly can feel uncomfortable, but by taking the bull by the horns and steeling yourself, you can learn to feel more comfortable in these situations.

Asking someone if you can take his or her photograph will often be met with a yes and a subsequent great photo which you can even share with your subject. In other cases, a polite no is the response, in which case thank the person politely and move on.

Access to land for the purposes of photography can also be a stumbling block. But if you see a potentially great image in the making, whats the problem with knocking on someones door to ask permission to photograph? If you explain why you wish to do so and offer to share the images you will feel more comfortable doing it. Again, a negative response can simply be shrugged off before moving on to your next assignment.

Be persistent.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

slr film photography special effects part 2 impressionist effect

SLR Film Photography Special Effects (Part 2) - Impressionist EffectWriten by Carl Chesal

This is a second article addressing SLR film photography Special Effects techniques that can be accomplished through the lens, being immediately immortalized on the film and ultimately the negative.

It requires no special instructions to the developing agent, whether your local photography shop or mail in developing service. Your prints will be developed with perfect exposure.

The Impressionist Effect, like the Ghosting Effect detailed in Part 1, is accomplished by using your SLR's multiple exposure feature, with a simpler procedure than outlined in your SLR user manual. The Impressionist Effect is more like photo art, ideal for still life or landscape photography, where all is motionless. This effect works particularly well for photographing flowers but would create an equally impactful and artistic photograph of any still life shot that exhibits lots of different colors; like brightly painted houses, fishing boats or toys.

You only take two exposures on the same film frame, one in-focus and the second out-of-focus. This will give your photograph that Monet-style look. The key is that nothing within the frame moves between the first and second shot.

The simple steps to execute the Impressionist Effect are:

1. Stabilize the camera using - a tripod is best, a stable surface is a second option. You might even want to use a remote shutter release cable to avoid any camera jitter.

2. Set number of multiple exposures on your SLR to '2';

3. For the roll of film in your SLR, determine the film speed (S);

4. Reset the camera film speed (Yes, you can override the setting) to (2 S) or, if not an exact match, set it to the absolute closest speed ((2 S) adjustment);

5. Turn OFF the camera's LENS Automatic Focus feature (located on the Lens itself);

6. Take your first shot with the frame in sharp focus;

7. Take the second shot with the frame completely out of focus (Yes, turn your lens to extreme out of focus.

REMEMBER: Check and reset the SLR film speed and number of exposures to their original settings before continuing with your next shot. Some SLRs will automatically reset the number of exposures back to '1' before advancing the film to the next frame. It's always better to verify this.

All of the SLR Film Special Effects for the Impressionist Effect, detailed in this and the previous Ghosting Effect article, require no special instructions for developing your film. Normal developing at the rated film speed will ensure the picture is properly exposed and developed.

This truly artistic photograph will have you considering a number of display options - maybe an 8 x 10 enlargement, or alternatively, a 4 x 6 print in an 8 x 10 double mat accentuating the Impressionists Art with the classic beauty of a pewter frame. What a thoughtful gift idea for someone special or that special occasion.

Carl Chesal is a business development consultant, trainer, photographer, and avid snowmobiler. He owns Bizfare Enterprise Inc.(http://www.bizfare.ca), Foursight Marketing and Consulting, and Foursight Photography (http://www.foursight.on.ca) which provide business, marketing, and internet marketing consulting services. He also co-operates a number of e-commerce web-sites with his wife: MyLeatherExpressions.com, CoolComfortWear.com and Pewter Frames and Collectibles (http://www.PewterExpressions.com), which in addition to Pewter Home Decor, sell custom leather bags and casual and activewear apparel.

photoshop pencil portrait

Photoshop Pencil PortraitWriten by Fabian Barajas

This tutorial will explain the techniques I use to create digital pencil portraits in Photoshop. I have been doing these for a few years now and have searched the web for some techniques of how to do this. I have tweaked what I learned to give this tutorial a more accurate (and pleasing I might add) rendering.

There are some things that can be done in advance before the photograph is taken to help give a more pleasing result. For instance, having a white background helps to have a cleaner separation of the subject. Also, having the subject wear white (or some other light color) clothing is a big plus as it helps draw the viewer to the person's face. Though these tips are helpful, they are not absolutely required.

Okay, let's begin!

1.Open the image in Photoshop.

2.Create a copy of the background layer by pressing Control J on your keyboard. Now invert the new layer by pressing...
Control I.

3.Convert image to grayscale by clicking (Image

photo restoration

Photo RestorationWriten by Victor Strelkovsky

More than a decade ago photo retouchers work was comparable with oil painting restorers scrupulous efforts. It goes without saying that digital technologies turned over image restoration service: complicated procedures became easy; some things seemed impossible at the time are real now. Faded colors, scratches, tears, missing or damaged areas are not the problem. Would you like to turn your black and white picture into color, adjust contrast and sharpness, replace an old background by a new one? Photo restoration artists will do their best. They fix only a digital copy, not the original picture.

Its not a secret that new digital culture led to a boom in online use. There are a lot of photo restoration web studios, which offer faultless service to its customers. Yet is it so easy to find really professional and right artist? That is the question and Ill try to find an answer. I got a lot of mails from the customers who asked me to redo restoration work made by some other studio. And their complains are really not without reason. So lets try to settle the requirements a professional online digital photo service must meet.

Pay attention to sample images on the site. Are there enough quantity of quality works? Enlarged pictures could tell you much more about studio artists skills than small versions. Trustworthy online resource has second level domain name, professional layout and design. Be curious about methods and order of payment. Could you pay for your order only after youll get a proof? Will the artist promise to touch up your image after you paid for it and notice some small defects? Does the studio provide a bonus and discount system? It will be also good if you can see how the work is going. Its nice if you get an answer during one business day. Professional photo restoration studio gives a free price quote and offers rush order service. You can find customers testimonials on the right studio site. It offers maximum services, individual attention, full confidentiality, convenient files upload form, good site navigation. You should have a possibility to get a detailed calculation and to discuss the details of your order. Careful attention to client and his/her photos is the most important thing.

Its hard to write about all details in one article. Ill be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Kind regards,

Photo 911 digital photo service

leading expert,

Victor Strelkovsky

www.photo911.biz

svs@svsphoto.com

Victor Strelkovsky, a professional photographer (you can view his portfolio here - http://www.svsphoto.com), who loves photography (it is his lifework!), has many years' experience and prefers to avoid computer filters when it's possible and work on each pixel personally.

I feel pleasure when I back old photographs to life, enhance modern digital images or create photo collages and montages. Im happy to serve you!

your photos should have a theme

Your Photos Should Have a ThemeWriten by Rohn Engh

Stick To Your Theme

I think I'll choose a Pepsi, the lady says in front of the vending machine.

Out comes the soft drink can of her choice.

She makes a choice based on preference (or need) and makes payment for it. Vertical marketing works much in the same way. If you were to open the interior of the machine, you would find that the soft drink cans are all lined up in a vertical row. All soft drinks of one selection are slotted into one vertical column, ready for dispensing.

There's no crossover. The cans must be lined up in the same dispensing vertical row, or they will deliver a wrong selection to the customer.

If you were the serviceman and haphazardly placed the cans in the machine in random positions, the results would be chaotic and unsatisfactory to customers.

NO CENTRAL THEME

Most beginning stock photographers make the mistake of building a stock file in random fashion, with no focussed marketing themes. Their picture-taking choices are all across the board.

Because any one photobuyer's publication appeals to a vertical market (gardeners, pilots, medical technicians, teachers, etc.) photobuyers turn to vendors who can supply them pictures within those specialty areas. They can't afford to waste time on a vendor who does not offer an extensive selection of the product in the vertical market they need.

NO TEARS MARKETING

If the customer at the vending machine is served up a soft drink that doesn't fit their choice, they become irritated and pound on the machine and demand a return of their money. This is not what I wanted!

The soft drink they received may be of excellent taste and quality, but it doesn't match their needs. This realization may help to assuage your disappointment when a photobuyer rejects your submission of excellent pictures. The pictures may be of high quality, but you are vending them to the wrong buyer.

Stay within the vertical markets that you enjoy photographing in, and match with markets who need photos in those subject areas. At this moment, buyers are searching for you. Don't waste film or time on picture-taking that doesn't fit into your vertical market areas.

Rohn Engh is director of PhotoSource International and publisher of PhotoStockNotes. Pine Lake Farm, 1910 35th Road, Osceola, WI 54020 USA. 1 800 624 0266; Fax: 1 715 248 7394. http://www.photosource.com

please dont blame the photographer

Please, Don't Blame The PhotographerWriten by Eric Hartwell

If things can go wrong, they will. And they will go wrong in the most distressing of circumstances.

A local press photographer was covering a school shoot. The schoolchildren were putting on a stage play. All the parents were there together with a few school dignitaries and the inevitable grandmothers, aunts and friendly neighbours.

The star of the show was an 8 year old girl. She performed magnificently and received due credit from the gathered audience. As this was the last night, it seemed prudent for the local press to run her picture as a commemoration of her success.

Enter the photographer at the end of the show. It would be nice, or so he thought, to have the starlet standing stage front in a suitable pose. Up steps starlet.

However, stage front is covered with false snow (as part of the show) and the beautiful starlet slips on the snow, bounces on her bottom and ends up in the orchestra pit.

No serious damage a few cuts and scratches but enough to make her burst into floods of tears and run to her mother. Bruised egos, bewildered audience and gasps of incredulity.

Consequently, the photographer is left standing without a picture and with a good proportion of the audience staring across at him. After all, if he hadnt asked her to pose there, at that time, none of this would have happened.

But, dont blame the photographer however guilty he looks.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

how to be a great photographer

How to Be a Great PhotographerWriten by Edward Ginsberg

Take one camera (digital or analog) and film as needed. Put film into camera (if necessary). Snap shutter. Before snapping shutter, point camera at a subject that will give the viewer a meaningful aesthetic experience.

For someone who has no idea of what a camera is, learning how to carry out the first part of the prescription should take anywhere from a week to a month. However, the second part will take from a few years to forever. It's this part that I want to discuss.

There are several approaches to developing as a photographer.

1. Do nothing

A lot of people use their camera to record family celebrations and vacations and are content with the outcome.

2. Study web pages that have tips for better photographs

These will often help to tighten up your pictures. If you want to get a few ideas in a few minutes, this is the place to look.

3. Get your photographs critiqued at an appropriate website

This is a good way to learn how others respond to your pictures. But be careful. Not all criticism is equal. Some of your evaluators may be experienced professionals and others beginners. If you are going to rely on this method, it is important that you learn enough to evaluate the evaluators (see point 4).

4. Study the work of acknowledged great artists

By taking this route you can learn what elements contribute to a fine photograph. This takes time and study. Don't simply look at a few photos but read art criticism to find out what professional educators think and why.

One drawback here is that you won't be able to see how your work measures up. If you plan to take this route and also join a critique website (see point 3), you will be in a position to know which criticism to ignore and which to pay attention to.

5. Join a photography club

Clubs often have lectures, workshops, and juried shows. This can be a good hands-on learning experience.

6. Take a class (online or in person)

There are all sorts of classes. If you choose one that has assignments and feedback, you can be guided through the fundamentals by an experienced photographer.

7. Get a coach

At this point I have to say a few words about the difference between a competent photographer and a person who uses photography as an art form. The competent photographer will be able to produce pleasing postcard- or calendar-quality pictures that look like postcard and calendar pictures. The artist will be able to take photographs that represent his or her vision of the world. If you are after the former and not the latter, you should choose among methods 1 through 6. A good coach should help you develop your unique way of seeing.

8. Go to an art school

This, for people who have the time and the money, is by far the best. I studied at the San Francisco Art Institute. Here's how it worked. I went to a photography class two or three times a week. At every class meeting each student pinned 20-30 photographs to the wall and, under the supervision of an accomplished professional, we criticized our own and one another's work. We also took photography history classes as well as courses in other fields of art. Mine were film, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. There were frequent guest lecturers. We never learned any rules. In fact, rules were never mentioned. But through a combination of years of exposure to all types of art, classical through contemporary, and having to produce 50-60 new photographs every week, we eventually learned what art was about.

There are many ways to improve your photography. Before you make your choice you should decide on your goal. If you have little time and just want to tidy up your pictures a bit, read the tips pages. On the other extreme, if your goal is to be an artist, there is nothing close to attending art school. Most people fall between these extremes.

Edward Ginsberg is currently writing a book to help the beginning photographer find true happiness as he embarks on the road to creativity. Ed's photos can be seen on his website, http://www.line17.com, where he also offers a free tutorial.

photography photographing children

Photography - Photographing ChildrenWriten by Michael Russell

Ever see the movie where the photographer is trying to take a family photo and the kid is doing everything he can, short of starting World War III, to keep that photo from being taken? Every tantrum in the world ever taken is captured in that one scene. Very funny, yes. But the truth is, photographing children is not an easy task for several reasons.

For starters, kids have a very short attention span. To get them to sit still for even a minute is like asking for a miracle. Fidgeting is like a way of life for kids. Bill Cosby used to have a blast doing comic bits about the brother and sister who couldn't stop touching each other and were always getting into some kind of trouble. Sit still? Not a chance.

Aside from that, children don't take direction very well even if they aren't restless. To say to a child, urn your head slightly to the left is like asking him to do advanced calculus. It isn't going to happen. Either the kid is going to move his head so little that it won't have made a difference or he'll turn his head half way around. A little to the left is a foreign concept to children.

So what is a photographer to do, especially if his assignment is to take photos of a church directory, or maybe of kids in school? Well, there are a few tricks he can use that will actually produce very good results. However, these tricks aren't going to work without one very key ingredient and this is the hardest thing to be able to do because you either have it or you don't.

The number one key to being able to photograph a child is to be able to relate to the child one on one. You have to have the kind of personality that either mesmerizes the child or at least makes him feel enough at ease with you that he or she can follow simple instructions. Unfortunately, some photographers have the personality of a fig leaf and there is just nothing you can do about it. These people probably shouldn't be photographing kids at all. But if you do have a bubbling personality, use it. Make the kid laugh and feel at home.

If, however, you're not exactly personality plus, there are some things you can do to get the kid's attention. One of the oldest and most effective tricks in the book is to bring along objects with you that the child can either play with or look at.

For example, if you want to get the child to tilt his head and look in a certain direction, the easiest way to do this is to hold up an object. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but the more colorful the better. All you need to do is hold the object up in the direction you want the child to look. So let's say you want him to move his head slightly to his right. What you do is hold the object in your left hand and move it to your left to the point where you want the child to look. Then simply tell him to look at the object, using the object's name. So if you're holding up a small brown bear, tell the child to look at the brown bear. Also, smile when you do this. Eventually the child's head will be in the exact position where you want it so you can take the photo.

Another thing you can do, in the case of a child who won't sit still, is to give him something to play with. While he's looking at the object, simply call his name or do something to get his attention and as soon as he looks up you can take the photo. Yes, you have to be fast. But with a lot of practice you'll get real good at this.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Photography

how to submit digital pictures for magazine publication

How to Submit Digital Pictures for Magazine PublicationWriten by John Hutchison

Most magazines now accept digital images. The question is will they accept mine!

I wont answer that question Ill leave that to you to answer once you have finished reading this article.

Its only just recently that magazines have decided to accept digital images this is due to the image quality of early digital camera were not man enough for the job i.e. did not produce images with enough resolution and level of detail to reproduce well in magazines. Most Picture Editors on magazines prefer either slides or prints as this is mainly at present habit but is currently changing due to more professional photographers using digital cameras. A good reason your images may not be accepted is if you supply your images already printed, it's OK to do this for your Granny, family or friends its a no no when submitting to a publication. Why, have a close look at your printed image the picture is made up of tiny dots and lines. When scanned by the repro department they have to blur your image to try to get rid of these dots and lines otherwise your image has a moir effect so you end up with an image that looks bad. Your best option is to supply your images to the magazine on CD-ROMs again dont use cheap ones they go wrong! You can get approx. 31 images onto a CD of 700mbs if each image is 22mbs in size.

Increase the resolution.

Digital photography and getting your pictures into print is supplying an image to the correct pixel size and resolution in a format that can be easily opened by another computers operating systems. What does that mean, well not everyone uses Microsoft Windows many publishers use Apple Macs some even use Linux if your image can't be viewed IT WILL NOT BE USED!
Many magazines now included brief information on submitting digital photographs in the content section. Have a look at http://www.photographymonthly.com/reqsdetails.cfm. To see how to submit images to Photography Monthly. If in doubt, ask. Did you notice they want your image resolution at 300dpi, your camera only takes a picture at 72dpi, how do I know what size my image needs to be at 300dpi. Help is at hand heres a link to a little tool, which will help with image sizes, pixels, colour depth and file size.

http://www.searchhuts.co.uk/portal/version/cpi.asp it free. Its called Commercial Printing Information, there does not seem to be anything thing like this software anywhere else on the internet! Using this software to see what size your image can go to and then you can resize your image accordingly in your normal photo editing software.

Size matters!

The pictures pixel dimensions can be read with the above tool so dimensions of say 3200x2400pixels we would be looking for a file size of about 21mbs this would be OK for a full page. The above program can help you decide what size your image will be OK up to.

Why JPG?

Another problem magazine picture editors come up against is images supplied in a unusual format. To save problems later ALWAYS save images in JPG format. JPG format is optimised for compressing full-colour or grey-scale photographic-type digital images. The reason for using this format is that any computer system can open JPG images. Remember, not everybody uses Microsoft's Windows, many magazine publishers use Apple Macs and some people are using Linux systems. Regardless of the system used all will read JPEG files.

Submitting work.

When submitting work remember to include your name & address with a brief synopsis of what is on the CD together with a high quality printout of your images and the file names of the images, this can be easily done in PhotoShop by going to File > Automate > contact sheet. Find the folder your images are in pick your paper size and number of images on each sheet of paper. Please remember someone has to look at these images so small images get a thumbs down as does too many. Don't forget to stick a DO NOT BEND label on the envelope as CDs don't like being bent.

New words we have learnt

Moir effect A moir pattern is the combination of two or more patterns viewed at the same time.

DPI stands for dots per inch and is used with resolution
JPG or JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group is the name of the committee that designed the photographic image-compression standard.

Do's and Don'ts of submitting your Digital Pictures

Dos

Do Make sure your images are to the correct pixel size and resolution.

Do Make sure you send a contact sheet of the images on the CD together with file names.

Do save in JPG format.

Do clearly name image files on CD-ROM.

Do use high quality ink and photo paper for contact sheets.

Do turn off time/date stamp, as its difficult to remove and takes time.

Do enclose return postage if you require your bits back

Do e-mail if you are unsure of what is required or how files should be submitted

Dont

Dont e-mail huge unsolicited images

Dont over sharpen images

Dont send hundreds of images be selective, send only pictures to do with that publication (*see below).

Don't send pictures of different subject matter unless requested

Dont use cheap blank CD-ROMs, paper or ink.

Dont send expensive storage media i.e. the card from your camera

Dont use long file names remember, not everybody uses Microsoft's Windows.

Dont use 3rd party software on your CDs to try to display your images when viewed.

*If the magazine is say an aircraft magazine don't send irrelevant images of an say landscapes, animals etc... Stick to the magazine subject.

John Hutchison has been a professional photographer on and off since 1981, he gained an LBIPP in 1990 from the British Institute of Professional Photographers so he has first hand experience! He worked for a newspaper for over 12 years dealing with flat copy and digital images till the begining of this year.

photography essentials of a good landscape photo

Photography Essentials of a Good Landscape PhotoWriten by Richard Schneider

Landscape photography has the ability to take your viewers into another place without actually being there. Anybody can pick up a camera and take a photo of an interesting place, but it takes a careful and mindful photographer to take a landscape photo that is truly compelling. Most of the really impressive landscape photos that you will see have a few common elements. They have some type of foreground element, some type of framing element, and they all comply with the rule of thirds in some way.

Foreground Elements

In order to show the depth of a landscape it is very important to include some type of foreground element. Without something in the foreground, the viewer has no way to distinguish distances or sizes; everything looks more flat and closer to the camera. A foreground element adds a substantial amount of improvement to what would be a drab amateur photo. But when using foreground elements in landscape photos make sure you use a very narrow aperture (high f/stop) so the whole scene will be in focus.

Just about anything can be used as a foreground element but of course some things work better than others. For example, when I am taking landscape photos in the Napa Valley I always include some grape vines close to the camera leading off into the distance. That way, the viewers eye is drawn into the photo more effectively because the grape vines lead the viewers eyes deeper into the photo. The vines also perform the function of providing the viewer with some idea of the size of the Napa Valley because the vines in my photos go from being large when they are close to the camera to being tiny as they lead off into the distance.

Some photographers like to use foreground objects that are really more like subjects. One example of this would be a boat sitting on a long beach or a car staring down a long road. Other photographers like to use simpler foreground elements such as long grass with large fields in the background or a rusty railing with a city standing in the distance. Sometimes when foreground elements and background elements dont seem to fit together the result can be even more compelling. A good example of this would be photos taken from Central Park in New York City with grass and trees in the foreground and massive corporate buildings in the background.

Framing Elements

Framing is the tactic of using natural surroundings to add more meaning to your subject. It could be anything such as bushes, trees, a window, or even a doorway. A good example of this would be tree branches that occupy the top part of the frame pointing out at your landscape. I once saw a great photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; the photo was from a distance and it had tree branches covered in pink flowers in the foreground all pointing towards the Eiffel Tower that was off in the distance. Framing elements commonly either add more meaning to the subject by surrounding the subject or by simply pointing in the direction of the main subject.

In the process of doing this you need to be careful that you don't only focus on what's framing your subject. Make sure you focus on the main subject, and also it is a good idea to use a narrow aperture (high f/stop) to achieve a high depth-of-field. It also wouldn't hurt if the part of the scene framing the subject was darker so make sure you take your light reading on the main subject such as in a shadow filled archway leading into a large courtyard.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds might seem overused and artistically unnecessary, but the photographers who hold true to the rule tend to create the nicest landscape photos. Since landscape photos are so broad they need some type of structure that the rule of thirds provides. The rule of thirds means that the frame can be divided into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections and therefore, where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect makes an ideal location for the more important parts of your picture. For landscape photographers, the divisions can also be very important in setting up a picture; they can for example, help you determine that only 1/3 of the photo should be foreground or horizon.

Richard Schneider is a digital photography enthusiast and founder of http://www.picturecorrect.com/ which offers tips and news about digital photography, digital camera reviews, and photoshop tutorials. Please also visit http://www.picturecorrect.com/freewallpaper.htm where there is free high resolution desktop wallpaper available.

get involved with digital photography

Get Involved With Digital Photography!Writen by Kenneth Snodin

The continuing advances in digital photography make it possible for everyone to capture moments of their lives with more detail and accuracy than ever. Improvements in photo resolution and shutter speed make it easy for both professional photographers and beginners to take great pictures. And even if a photo is not perfect when it is taken, sophisticated editing software can transform it into a work of art.

Experienced photographers say that timing is the most important factor for getting a good picture. There is only a small, limited opportunity to capture a great shot. Whether you are trying to get the perfect sunset photo or get a picture of the winners as they cross the finish line, you must have a good sense of timing and the intuition that lets you know exactly when to press that shutter button. It is this factor that makes photography an art form.

Most people never quite realize the dream of getting a perfect shot. Maybe your picture is framed well, but the lighting is not quite right. Maybe youve got the lighting just right, but you forget to use the flash or red-eye reduction option. In cases like these, digital photography offers an excellent way to get just the look you want in a photo.

Any picture you take with a digital camera can be edited to reach its full potential. Digital photos can be automatically enhanced to improve their color; they can be zoomed or cropped to their optimal size. And, of course, the red-eye reduction capability can improve any portrait. These editing options can all be completed within minutes, giving you the chance to have the most wonderful photos youve ever taken.

With a good digital camera and photo editing software, you can accomplish great things. The capabilities built into your camera represent only the beginning of the editing potential. Software programs really help you make the most of the photos you have. You can use editing software to change the images in any way you desire.

Local or online retailers can provide you with the equipment, software, and information you need to take great digital photos. When selecting a digital camera, you should be sure you buy one that has the features you need and want. You should look for a model that gives great pictures and that also has simple docking methods for downloading the photos from the camera to the printer or computer. Good photo editing software that will let you alter your digital pictures includes products like Kodak Picture, and Corel Photo Album.

There are a vast range of hobbies and pastimes availble for everyone to take part in, for more information about a variety of hobbies and pastimes visit http://great-hobbies.com.

digital photo printing what are your best options

Digital Photo Printing - What Are Your Best Options?Writen by Thad Pickering

With so many people making the switch from film to digital cameras, the demand for high quality photo printing has risen dramatically too. Thankfully there are several options open to you for getting your photos printed easily and quickly, and here is a rundown on the pluses and minuses of each printing choice.

With film cameras you just dropped the film of at the local developer, which could be a local photo store, a department store, a mall kiosk, etc. And with digital film you still have the same options open to you as well. The advantage of using an outside developer is that all of the printing work is done for you in convenient fashion. The disadvantages include having to wait for your prints just like you would have with your film prints, and the added costs associated with having all of the work done for you. Another point to consider is that you will have no control over the final prints, which is one of the positives of using digital cameras.

Basically, this option allows you to keep getting your prints the same way that you always have before now with film. And most of those photo print retailers use either Fuji or Kodak processing to make their prints. Generally speaking, the quality of the prints you receive using one of these in-store processing labs is pretty good, with most reviewers favoring Fuji kiosk processing over Kodak's. A little wrinkle that some of these photo print retailers have added is the convenience of uploading your digital photos to them by the internet instead of having to make an actual physical visit to the store instead. This can be a big time saver that you may want to consider in this process too, but you will have to visit them to pick up your prints.

The other most popular method of making photo prints is to just do it yourself using a photo printer at home. This method is actually gaining in popularity most rapidly as you can easily turn out excellent prints in no time with the high quality printers that are available today. You can choose from snapshot printers that just let you print 4 X 6 photos only and are perhaps the simplest of all to use, to full photo printers that will allow you to print enlargements on up to 8 X 10 or more in some cases.

One of the advantages of these kind of printers is the immediate processing of your prints. Just plug in your camera and print out your snapshots in minutes. No travel, no muss, no fuss. They also allow you to edit the photos beforehand to make them appear their best when printed which you can't do with store processed photos. The disadvantage is mainly just the initial investment in the equipment necessary to get started. If you print a lot of photos though, it may be cheaper for you in the long run.

So whichever photo printing system you use is entirely up to you, but hopefully this information can help you know about the choices available to you and how to make the best choice for your needs.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including digital photography. You can find the best photo printer and photo printer reviews by visiting our Digital Photography website.

digital printing companies

Digital Printing CompaniesWriten by Ken Marlborough

Digital printing companies provide high impact digital printing solutions. These companies have replaced older conventional printers and have improved the printing and quality of prints.

Digital printing technology has ushered in an era of its own. Today, a number of commercial digital printing companies flourish throughout the world. Most commercial printing companies provide short-run digital printing services with an extensive array of graphics. These companies take special care to enhance the quality of printing as needed by the customers. To ensure quality, the companies use digital printers that perform the best.

Print-on-demand is another service that most companies offer. An affordable service, it is well suited for small printing projects that require faster turn around times. Most printing companies have the ability to print high quality digital documents that include brochures, business cards and post cards.

A large number of highly qualified and reputed commercial digital printing companies have a well-identified place on the worldwide web. Print on Demand Initiative (PODI) is an industry association of many digital printing companies. They promote the digital printing market and fix standards for better interoperability between brands of printing equipment.

Certified digital printing companies include United States Cardinal Brands and Standard Register, ExpeData Digital Solutions, Japans Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd, Swedens Holmbergs, Malm AB and Germanys Red Trade Media Service GmbH. Leading digital companies include LaVigne in the United States, Print Three in Canada and Trendsetting in Australia. Based in Longmont, Colorado, Circle Graphics is one of the largest digital printing companies in the United States.

Digital Printing provides detailed information on Digital Printing, Digital Photo Printing, Digital Printing Companies, Online Digital Photo Printing and more. Digital Printing is affiliated with Public Relations Firms.

getting good picture results

Getting Good Picture ResultsWriten by Paul Hood

Creating beautiful photographs can prove to be very difficult if you are not using the right equipment as well as the appropriate technique. To help you with that predicament, below are helpful tips to guide you in your quest for photographic enlightenment.

The first thing to keep in mind when shooting photos is that you have to look your subject in the eye. Direct eye contact can get your viewer transfixed with your picture thus enjoying more view time. Position your camera at your subjects eye level to reveal those beautiful smiles. Getting a good angle will give you photos that are appealing and good to look at. A plain background is good for giving emphasis to your subject. It is never a good idea to have the background upstage the person or landscape you are taking a picture of. Also, if you are going to shoot pictures outdoors, use flash. Glare from the sun can create ugly facial shadows. For this problem, the flash is the key. You must also be particular with the proper distance between you and your subject making sure that you are not very near nor very far. The closest possible range for shooting pictures without making your subject blurry is about three feet. Other than that would be disaster. Subjects place in the middle make for boring photographs. Try to make your pictures livelier by placing your subject away from the middle. Just keep in mind that you'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder. Failure to do this will give you blurry images which are sure to hit the trash bin. A common mistake that usually happens is taking shots beyond the range of the flash resulting in very dark pictures. You can avoid this by reading your cameras manual or if not take pictures below ten feet away from you. A very important component of a great photograph is good lighting as this will greatly enhance the appearance of your picture. Choose the right time of the day like a sunset to improve your subjects appearance. Try to take vertical pictures from time to time. There are subjects that will look better if shot vertically. The last but not the least, make conscious efforts to have better control of your shots to boost your picture quality. Take charge of your photo sessions. Manipulate every situation to fit your taste.

Armed with the right knowledge, you are most likely to produce great looking pictures. Continually try to hone your skills to improve your chances of making worthwhile pictures. Making great shots can be a very rewarding experience.

About The Author

Ariel Velasco goes by the author alias of Paul Hood. This author is into books and writing. Reading is an essential part of his life and this has lent a considerable influence in his writing. Well traveled and would always want to travel more. He loves learning more about people and their ways. Took up a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology to further this fascination and had a fulfilling educational experience having been exposed to a wide spectrum of people. Always ready for new opportunities to learn and have a great deal of interest in different fields of expertise.
Additional Information about the articles can be found at http://www.fullcolorprintingcompany.com.

how to put colors in your photograph

How to Put Colors in Your PhotographWriten by Paul Hood

Wouldnt it be nice to see your black and white photos in full color? Learning to create and edit old photos is fairly easy and very worthwhile. Digitally restored photos can be used to make digital scrapbooks, posted to Web sites, shared through email, and printed for gift-giving or display.

To achieve this effect, we will need to colorize using Paint Shop Pro. According to Bill Brewer, colorizing is a feature built into PSP that keeps the luminance values (the bright and dark parts that make up the recognizable image) and colors the image with one color. The image to be colorized needs to have a color depth of 16.7 million colors, and it can be in full color to start with (reduction to grayscale is not required before colorizing). Using that command brings up a dialog box where you have control over the hue and saturation, with a preview. I suggest you DON'T use that menu item to colorize images. Instead use the more powerful HSL adjustments accessed with the Colors>Adjust>Hue/Saturation/Lightness... command. That way, you have complete control over the hue/saturation/lightness, and the color preview is much better than what you get with Colorize.

To start off, get your photo ready. Begin by scanning your black and white photo into your PC. Make sure that your picture is straight and if not, use Paint Shop Pros Straighten tool to uncrook the image. Next then would be running the One Step Photo Fix by clicking the Enhance Photo button in the Photo toolbar atop the screen and choose One Step Photo Fix. Try to clean up whatever dirt or scratch that you may see in the picture.

Now, moving on to the next part. Working in layers. Choose the Layers, Duplicate tab to make a duplicate of the image you want to colorize. We can now make color changes to the top layer without affecting the original image underneath, letting us adjust the intensity of the colorization by playing with the layer's opacity.

Now for the final part, you may choose to use either the Freehand Selection toll in Smart Edge mode or you may opt to use the Magic Wand. Set Feather to about 1 pixel, and select one of the faces. Once done, click on the Flood Fill tool and set the Blend Mode to Color in the toolbar at the top of the screen. For a typical Caucasian skin tone, set the Red, Green, and Blue levels to about 215, 190, and 150, respectively, then click OK. Now click Flood Fill to colorize the selected face. You can repeat this process for all of the skin in the image.

Then select the clothing and background and add color to as much or as little as you wish. When you're done with the image, you might want to adjust the overall intensity of the colorization. To do that, make sure the Layer Palette is open (if it isn't, choose View, Palettes, Layers) and then double-click on the Copy of Background layer--this is the one on top that we've been painting. Then you can use the Opacity slider in the layer's dialog box to change the color effect. When you're satisfied, click OK to keep your changes.

Above simple instructions from Dave Johnson is very easy to follow and is very helpful for the particular purpose.

About The Author

Ariel Velasco goes by the author alias of Paul Hood. This author is into books and writing. Reading is an essential part of his life and this has lent a considerable influence in his writing. Well traveled and would always want to travel more. He loves learning more about people and their ways. Took up a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology to further this fascination and had a fulfilling educational experience having been exposed to a wide spectrum of people. Always ready for new opportunities to learn and have a great deal of interest in different fields of expertise.
For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.ucreative.com

advantages and disadvantages of buying a digital slr

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a Digital SLRWriten by Anton Sheker

I bought my first digital camera in the mid 90's it was a Casio QV10 now there are
more and better choices from a range of suppliers that include Canon, Nikon,
Olympus, Fuji and other big names.

Before you make your choice on buying a digital camera, Here
Some Advantages and disadvantages of a DSLR compared to a
Digital Point and Shoot.

1. Greater Lens flexibility

Digital SLRs offer more lens flexibility and choice with more than hundreds of
combination lenses to choice for different intended purposes. From Zooms to
Telephotos, ultra wide angle to Super Close Up. There are even Specialty lenses to
correct perspective control.

2. Image Quality

Generally all DSLR will have better image quality because they have bigger and
better optics than those small lenses they use for high-end point and shoot
cameras. When printing images bigger than 8x10, the point and shoot camera
image quality degrades dramatically (especially for lower end models)

3. Better Performance

The SLR gives better performance even in almost every aspect; autofocus,
virtually no shutter delay, continuous shooting, bigger buffer memory, better
metering and more accessories to use.

4. Feel and ergonomics

Design plays a huge role especially if you are going to use in long hours. Some
cameras fit well into your hands and make you feel like the camera is part of you.
Easy access to shutter and other settings help in giving you better control to capture
your photos.

5. Loads of Features

Range of Features and Accessories are so wide that you can even find 3rd party
makers that have products for your DSLR. Some of the accessories that SLRs have
include External Flash triggers, external, portable power sources, vertical grips,
wireless transmitters, remote triggering devices.

Disadvantages of Having a DSLR.

1. Heavy and Bulky

SLRs are definitely bulkier than the point and shoot's in the market. Heavy and bulky
because these cameras require a higher degree of durability. Materials are for used
are for high performance use. The power requirement for these items are also huge
so they need batteries to power them up.

2. Increased Complexity

SLRs have so many functions and features that is possible to mix and match
different settings to achieve your optimum combination. In short, it is easy to mess
up your settings, too much combinations and choices may confuse you at the
beginning.

3. Expensive Tools

With the Loads of features and functions and other goodies the SLR delivers, there is
a cost that has to be paid, and it isn't cheap. But you get what you pay for and that
is getting a better, faster Tool.

4. LCD Framing

Most shooters prefer to frame their subject using the LCD, this feature is no where
to be found on any DLSR. Many shooters think the ease of use of LCD Framing and
viewing should be extended to the DSLRs (but not all).

5. Lens Variety and Cost

With the Flexibility of Lens Choice comes the variety and cost of these specific use
lenses. Some specialized lenses cost more than the camera itself, so choosing the
best options for you and your use is the best to avoid wasting your money on lenses
you won't use to often.

Anton Sheker is a photographer based in Philippines. For more Photography tips, tricks
and articles visit his site online at http://www.photo.net.ph/blogalicious.

Anton Sheker
is also founder and member of the World Photo Directory

http://www.worldphotodirectory.com

- Add your photo resource online

the art of communion portraits

The Art of Communion PortraitsWriten by Kenneth C. Hoffman

The First Communion is first in many ways. It is the first formal event in a young persons life, the beginning of a life of good character and a milestone in a seven year olds education. The First Communion portrait is especially treasured by the parents, showing the innocence and hope for the future in their young faces.

For these reasons, a natural, happy face takes precedence over creativity in posing. Communion poses are studies in confidence and naturalness. An ideal session starts with a standing full length pose holding the missal and rosary beads. Girls have their weight on the back foot, their front knee slightly bent toward the camera. Boys stand with legs slightly apart facing twenty degrees off center. Several shots from the left and right sides will assure a perfect expression.

While the subject is standing come in for a medium shot cropped just above the knee. Some happier expressions can be included in this variation. Lighting should be soft but modeling, say two and one half to one ratio.

Medium close up poses are the most popular, so concentrate on getting a good selection for the parents to choose from. A posing bench that simulates the altar rail places the hands and elbows comfortably at waist height. Variations include hands on missal, reading missal, looking up, smiling and serious. You should photograph both left and right sides for a good selection.

Girls allow a little more leeway in prop usage. White tulle placed over a bouquet of flowers, a white or brass candlestick with candle in the background or a small, round topped table holding the missal and gloves off to the side and behind the subject are appropriate props. If there is time, a seated pose for the girls can be effective. Boys can stand with their elbows on a raised marble column holding the missal, the other hand in their pocket.

Always check that the tie is centered and the collar fits snugly to the neck in front. If the shirt collar is too loose, place a roll of tissues behind the neck to tighten it up. Make sure the roll is not seen by the camera. Shirt cuffs ideally should show one half inch of white past the sleeve end. If this is impossible, then show no cuff at all. Too long cuffs can be rubber banded under the coat to the correct length. Veils should be checked for equal length on the sides and the crown centered on the head. Gloves look better held in the hand or on a pedestal, never worn. White dresses and accessories are a natural for high key photography. Boys in navy blue suits look better on a medium gray background with the edges darkened.

Some unusual shots can be tried for appreciative customers. A super close up with eyes raised is quite angelic. Place a small light above the lens for a nice catchlight. Profile shots with a candle and rosary are very effective for the more artistic clients. Throughout the session talk to your subject, tell them how nice they look and give them a chance to relax and look confident. At any sign of nervousness, take a break and distract them with conversation on another subject. Remember that expression is nine tenths of a good portrait.

Retired portrait and wedding photographer. Any thoughts?

how to get the best in digital lighting

How to Get the Best in Digital LightingWriten by Low Jeremy

Digital photography concerns photographs in hundreds of thousands, or millions of tiny square picture elements, pixel. Computers and printers use these minute pixels to display photograph images. It's compared to a painter who dabs small bits of paint on subject he expressed in canvas.

Determining color and brightness is processed thru number-value counts of grid pixel from the digital photograph prints, after computer divides the screen and print page into grid pixels. Controlling grid of each pixel this way is bit mapping, and it-maps are the produced digital images.

Purchasing a digital camera starts to digital photography. Hundreds are available but the best digital cameras run down to a few top feature cost brands, guaranteed to produce best quality results with complete lighting kits.

Combining passion in portrait photography skills, computer software applications, and digital technology completes the elements of digital photography. Putting into photos the perfect touch of light distribution and color is essential to a successful print copy.

Taking pictures in most cases does not focus on the subject always. It's up for the photographer to apply a situation best suited to time and place of photo sessions.
Manipulating control of lights is done either ways: under the direct heat of the sun, or in the interior of a closed dark room. A seasoned digital photographer can do both, finishing photos of standard quality.

Capturing Light Effectively

1. Direct Sunlight - The mid-day sun creates shadows immediately underneath a certain subject. Set some modifications to control bright sunlight in facing the reality, you can't move the sun from its axis.

Dark shadows that bounce beneath developed the harsh accoon image on the subjects' face, an ill effect-results of the whole process. If it can't be avoided, placing a reflectors underneath the subject's chin, takes instant neutralizing effects of unpleasant shadow, could lighten intensity.

Other reflectors could cause eyes to be watery. Recourse is to use a white poster board also providing enough light to the shadowed face. Avoiding direct sunlight and be devoid from eye squinting that destroys beautiful facial expressions, is a shift to some shaded place with likewise shaded background. Bright backgrounds could result on the iris' automatically turning the subject to silhouette form in effort to compensate the bright effect of the sun.

2. Orange Color - The hues of dawn and near twilight, best peak setting in photography. For best results in lighting about digital photos, do your shooting just after sunrise or just before sunset (at daytime and dusk, Orange disappears), when the color of orange around makes everything look better.

Your computer represents the dark room in digital photography, mediating to take the tasks necessary on adjustments you wish to achieve of images input after photograph sessions.

Necessitates cropping, working on brightness, contrast, and color adjustments. You can add special effects in frames and shadowing to create a unique dimensional appearance, taught in multi-task image editing software.

Low Jeremy maintains digital-photography.articlesforreprint.com .This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

digital photo recovery 101

Digital Photo Recovery 101Writen by Susan Kinley

Long gone are the days of worrying about over exposing or damaging your precious film, for digital cameras and the memory cards that accompany them have replaced the traditional photographers temperamental 35mm equipment.

But all of these advances arent exactly blunder-proof. In fact, the digital photography era has opened up a whole new can of worms when it comes to errors, some of which can easily delete your valued keepsakes before your very eyes at the click of a button or mouse.

So, are your photos gone forever? According to many experts in the field, its not necessarily the case. Many digital cameras and computers offer a second chance with a back button, recycle bin, or a file for the accidentally deleted pictures to call home until they are restored.

Of course, so many other things could have gone wrong to make your pictures vanish. The memory card may have been removed from the camera while the device was still on, or maybe the camera was turned off too soon, therefore, corrupting the data.

For these reasons, image recovery software has become the latest rage within the digital photography industry. Many of these software programs have been developed by the very same companies that have created computer hard drive recovery programs, so they know how to recover.

A plethora of programs are available for your immediate use through downloads over the internet, recovering such misplaced files as photo and image files, audio, PDFs and video, just to name a few. In order to get the results you are after, be sure that you have, at least, a general idea of what type of file youre trying to recover, as different software programs will yield differing results.

If these options arent solving your problem, you may want to consider a recovery service for your long lost files. There are a number of companies that offer a mail-in type of service for you to send your camera and/or memory card in for them to analyze and retract the missing files. Of course, there are no guarantees, but the odds are definitely in your favor.

If the files in question are in your computer and youre not having any luck, a recovery technician may be able to make a house call to your ailing PC, or have a drop off service for you and your computer to utilize.

Of course, if files have been severely damaged of written over, restoring them may be impossible. For this reason, the professionals suggest that as soon as a problem occurs with your digital camera, you begin recovering your photos and backing up your files immediately. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-especially when it comes to such memorable possessions.

Susan Kinley recommends Media Recover for digital photo recovery software and services.

what is dpi dots per inch

What is DPI Dots Per Inch?Writen by Ziv Haparnas

You have probably heard this term many times before especially in the context of printing your digital photos. DPI is sometimes used as a measurement of digital photo printing quality while the truth is that DPI is an indicator of the printer quality.

DPI stands for Dots per Inch. DPI is a physical characteristic of a printer. Every printer prints dots that when put next to each other comprise a photo. Each dot has a physical size. DPI is also known as the maximum resolution that a printer is capable of. Low-end printers have lower DPI while high-end printers have higher DPI.

DPI is defined as the number of dots a printer can print per inch. For example if a printer supports 1200 DPI it means that the printer can print 1200 dots per inch (on both X or Y axis). When printing it is important to make sure that the DPI is higher or equal to the number of pixels per inch in the source photo. If the DPI is lower the printer will not be able to fully display the high resolution photo. When the DPI is higher the printer will use multiple dots to represent one photo pixel.

DPI is not relative to the page size. DPI is a fixed number for a given printer.

Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.

digital photographic images part 3 resizing and optimizing images

Digital Photographic Images - Part 3: Resizing and Optimizing ImagesWriten by Robin Henry

With the price of cameras and other digital image capturing devices dropping, everyone can now produce dozens of digital images easily and inexpensively. While anyone can produce a digital image, it takes additional knowledge to manipulate the images. This article discusses several of the options available to prepare images for transmission via email or for posting on the Internet.

The Nature Of Digital Images

Digital images consist of picture elements (pixels for short). The total pixel density of an image is calculated by multiplying the horizontal row of pixels by the vertical column of pixels eg, 640 horizontal by 480 vertical (the size of some computer monitor displays) which equals 307,200 pixels.

Digital images displayed on visual display media generally use a rate of 72 pixels per inch (2.5 cm), but this resolution (the number of pixels per inch) is unsuitable for hardcopy printing without degrading the appearance of an image. Thus, anything produced for hardcopy printing needs to be of much higher resolution. And here lies the heart of some of our challenges.

Digital cameras come with a range of resolution settings. For example, my Panasonic Lumix has a top setting of 6 million pixels (2816 pixels horizontal by 2112 pixels vertical) and a lower quality setting of 0.3 million pixels (640 by 480). As would be expected, a larger number of pixels takes up more space than a smaller number of pixels.

I use the analogy of a book: you have a book with a beautiful cover, but underneath the cover you have numerous pages. A large image is represented by a very thick book ... a small image by a thin book. (This is not exactly correct, but is suitable for our discussion).

When you use digital images for hardcopy printing, you need a thick book. When you wish to email them or place them on the Internet, you need a thin book. Let's see how we can make the change.

Rule of Thumb

Create your images at a higher resolution than you need and reduce the size to suit. While high resolution images can be reduced and retain quality, it's not possible to improve the quality of a low resolution image by increasing the resolution.

Resizing Images

There are many utility programs available that allow you to resize images. Usually they require you to enter the number of horizontal and vertical pixels you wish to downsize to or alternatively, you can simply 'grab' a corner of the image and stretch it up or down. When you resize, you need to be aware of the aspect ratio (the ratio of the horizontal pixels to the vertical pixels eg, a television or computer monitor screen is often 4:3). If you don't maintain the ratio you'll find that your image is distorted. Typically an image of people will make them look unusually wide and short or tall and thin when aspect ratio is not maintained.

The easiest way to maintain aspect ratio is by grabbing one of the corners of an image and dragging it towards the center. That way, the resizing is symmetrical.

Cropping Images

Cropping occurs when you take a piece out of an image. Utility programs that allow cropping usually have a lasoo (a tool that allows you to create a square or rectangle on your image) to outline the area you wish to crop. When you crop, all of the image outside the defined rectangle or square is disposed of, thus reducing the number of pixels and weight of the image (think of a book as having pages torn out and the weight reduced). Cropping is particularly useful to get rid of the parts of an image that don't make any significant contribution to the aesthetics of the image eg, additional, wide landscape.

Optimizing Images for Email or Internet Use

If you cropped and resized a 6 million pixel image by half you've now got a three million pixel image. The next step is to use an optimization program to optimize it for the Internet or email. Optimization processes generally extract pixels that aren't necessary for the image to display. For example, the image may contain 10 different shades of brown, nine of which can be discarded without making a significant change in quality of the image. So, the utility reduces the number of pixels by getting rid of the surplus brown pixels. These changes are usually done in low, medium or high quality and you can choose the degree of change before comitting to the optimization.

Once your images are optimized they take up less disk space and are therefore easier to email and more suited for Internet use.

Learning More

The short exposure in this article won't make you an expert, but should at least have familiarized you with the processes of resizing, cropping and optimizing. Look on the Internet under relevant headings for further explanation and get yourself a good utility program that will allow you to manipulate your digital images.

NB: Please consider rating this article so that I know whether you have found it useful.

Copyright 2006 Robin Henry

Robin Henry is an educator, human resources specialist and Internet entrepreneur. He helps home-based businesses and individuals improve performance by applying smart technology and processes and developing personally. He runs his business Desert Wave Enterprises from his home base at Alice Springs in Central Australia, although at present he is on temporary assignment in the United Arab Emirates.

photographing twins

Photographing TwinsWriten by Kenneth C. Hoffman

Capturing a portrait of twins compared to one person is more than twice as difficult. For a good comparison while retaining individual characteristics, all eyes must be focused at one point. There is a tendency to place the twins on a bench which unfortunately puts them both at the same height. This produces a static look and may lead the viewer to place false emphasis on minor height differences. Many methods can be used to place the twins at different heights. The ideal configuration is one in which the chin of the lower subject is even with the eyes of the upper subject.

Many methods can be used to attain this height difference. A small (four inch) riser can be placed under one subject or one subject can be standing. A small chair for one subject and the floor for the second satisfies the composition for a full length portrait. Teens to adults can be photographed one in an arm chair and one on the arm.
Some sporty poses have one kneeling on one knee and the other sitting back on his heels. The aim is to make a diagonal of a line drawn between the faces. This has the effect of a more dynamic and energetic composition.

For twins portraits that have a priority to compare faces, it is important to make sure that the turn of the faces is identical. If the differences in facial characteristics is important, the body angle and head angle may be slightly different. Many more exposures should be taken in order to insure there are enough good poses. Blinks, off looks and bad expressions have to be discarded.

Triplets portraiture follow the same rules with the addition of the third subject. A constant flow of conversation is helpful in keeping the triplets attention on the photographer. Make sure no two heads are in the same plane and that all three heads are the same distance from the camera. This is to minimize any effects of foreshortening. A longer than normal telephoto lens can be used to help in this department. If identical clothing is worn, extra attention should be placed in arranging the clothing for a neat effect. Inevitably, comparisons will be made. Facial expressions that are on the moderate side will help create a nicer twins portrait. Buddy pictures are ideal for twins. Arms around shoulders, leaning on one another and interaction shots (reading, gaming) play up the closeness of twins. Be sure to have twice as much fun!

Retired portrait photographer. Comments welcome.

macro photography

Macro PhotographyWriten by TJ Tierney

Exploring the world of miniature objects with a macro lens is a special and exciting area of photography, and once you start, you will quickly become addicted. The world of macro photography holds many delights and is an area that cannot be appreciated with the human eye.

Macro photography is the name given to close-up photography, and is best explained as images that are taken at reproduction ratios of life-size and above. Ratios of between 1:7 and 1:1 fall into the macro photography category.

Understanding Ratios: This is a term used to express the magnification of a macro lens or other macro equipment that relates the real life-size object to the reproduction size on a slide or negative. If you shoot an object that is 3cm in length and it measures 1.5cm on a 35mm slide or negative - the ratio is 1:2. When both are equal length the ratio is 1:1

Choosing the right lens is the most important factor with macro photography. While a telephoto lens may be acceptable with some types of close-up photography, the macro lens is invaluable to get really close and really accurate focusing.

There is an endless range of subjects that fall under the range of macro photography. The most common subject for macro photography is the natural world - all types of flowers, plants, and insects. For the more creative photographer, macro photography is used in abstract imagery.

With many forms of macro photography, especially with insects, a lens with a long focal lens - minimum 200 mm is required for some nature subjects. You need to keep a working distance from the subject to get a successful image - you dont want to frighten your subject away.

When shooting close-ups you are limited with depth-of-field - to get an attractive image you must focus on the most important part of the subject. This will be achieved easier if you place your camera on a tripod or monopod.

By using your tripod you will reduce the risk of camera shake. Subject movement is also an important factor to consider. Macro photography magnifies the subject, leaving more room for blur. A strobe unit can be used to freeze movement - even on the brightest of days you should consider using your strobe unit. Try bouncing light from your strobe unit off a reflector. This will give your image a softer illumination.

Many amateur photographers stay away from macro photography because they feel that their technical ability is too inept - your personal ability should not turn you away from this exciting part of photography - macro photography is like all types of photography - practice makes perfect.

TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. For more tips you can visit his photography site. To view his images visit his on-line gallery of pictures of Ireland or see his travel site.