Posted December 18th, 2008
by Shane Butler
I just got word of a special on memory cards this weekend. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday Abe’s of Maine, a great electronics store that has been in business for several years, has some great rebate deals on 4, 8 or 16 GB SDHC cards and/or 4, 8 or 16 GB CF Cards. I am excited about this deal and can’t wait for Friday morning to get some.
This is a great deal for your camera or your palm pilot, mp3 player etc.
You can get yours Friday through Sunday at www.AbesofMaine.com (This link should get you an extra 10$ off if you buy more than 75$ worth of items (before the rebate) That’s my plan for this deal)
I found the direct link to the rebate form. Simply click here or on the cards above and happy shopping!
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Posted in Photography
Posted December 18th, 2008
by Ben Johnson
by Ben Johnson
Imagine walking around in a garden on a nice sunny day. How beautiful everything looks! The sunlight seems to bring out all the colors and shapes so well.
But wait! That bright sunlight is actually not the best for showing your flowers at their very best. Rather, try a slightly overcast day. The softer light on such a day is easier to handle.
That was the first practical photo tip in this article. And here are a couple more:
Use a piece of cardboard to create a shadow: Hold the cardboard to shade the background. This will help to make the background darker and thereby less distracting.
Want more light on that special flower? Then take some object with a reflective surface like a mirror, and use that to shine extra light on your subject. The pro’s use this method all the time.
Need to soften up that harsh sunlight? Then make a diffuser – take a white plastic bag or some other semi-opaque stuff, and stick it to a frame made of a bent wire coat hanger. Use this to diffuse the sun’s rays and create a more subtle effect.
Some professional photographers use a technique where they have the sun coming in from behind the subject. This one of those techniques you might need to work with in order to get it just right. Experiment with it, and you will like the results. The effect of this technique, called “backligtning” is very special.
Around noontime, the sun is at its peak and actually producing the most dull type of light for picture-making. Try taking out your camera at dawn… or near sunset. You will be amazed at the difference.
Does your camera have a zoom lens? Most modern digital cameras have that, even really simple ones. Using the zoom function, you can handle a distracting background. Zoom in, or in other words, change to a telephoto setting; and you can then easily crop out any distracting stuff that may be sitting somewhere behind your subject of interest.
Just because you may not be a professional photographer, doesn’t mean that you can’t capture your subject the way they do it. It will take practice and patience to get the photos to look their very best, but since you can take a lot of pictures with a digital camera at no extra cost you will be able to experiment until you get everything right.
Tags: flower photography, gardening, Photography Posted in Photography
Posted December 16th, 2008
by Gugu Martini
by Gugu Martini
The big improvement in shutter speed and photo resolution, makes Digital Photography convenient and easy for both beginners and professional photographers alike, to take good pictures. For digital photography enthusiasts there has never been a better time for them to create work that looks professional as well as very creative. It has also had an impact on businesses, both in the real and virtual world of the internet.
One area where it has made a big improvement is in the area of digital fashion photography. Digital fashion photography has been able to move forward in a way that it wasn’t able to using traditional film.
It can improve on the mundane and make the good look perfect which is excellent for images that rely on perfection. The world of fashion is fast moving and short lived so digital fashion photography is an excellent medium to both capture and portray these images. Like fashion designers, digital fashion photographers also work in a prestigious field, filled with beauty and glamour.
There are few points to consider about digital fashion photography that will help if you are thinking about taking this step in your career. Any professional photographer will always have their camera with them at all times so they will never miss a shot; this is something you will need to stay focused on.
Good digital fashion photographers know what it is they want to achieve and find a way by experimentation, on how to achieve the desired result. Like any artist you must place the model or models in the way that will create the image that you’re looking to achieve. A digital photographer should also be aware that the results of his photos will show others the many steps and points to remember when you are taking a shot.
Knowing what you want and having the knowledge of how to obtain it are two different things and you cannot be a serious digital fashion photographer without learning this. Studio shots and sometimes outdoor shots require the use of a tripod, background Curtains and other backdrop materials can produce wonderful color emphasis and for bright light, a polarizing filter can be used.
Is the important aspect of digital fashion photography which can be easily achieved by have plain backgrounds of white or grey. It is unlikely that until you see the final result, you will not understand what the digital fashion photographer was trying to create. A final tip would be that whilst many people do not really study the background as their attention is rightly focused on the image, the two can easily be connected even if it is not at first apparent.
Tags: camera, entertainment, Photography Posted in Photography
Posted December 15th, 2008
by Jimmy Johnson
by Jimmy Johnson
Depending on what type of camera you are planning to buy, you may want to seek out professional advice in helping you to choose the right model. Digital cameras come in many shapes and sizes, from pocket-size types for everyday use to large SLR cameras for more professional shots. And of course there are still analog cameras bravely kicking around in this world of technology.
There is so much digital camera information that it’s difficult to sort through all of it to make an informed choice. But of course, it is always important to adequately research any major purchase, or you are just going to be setting up yourself for disappointment.
With an analog camera, you have a lot more manual control over your pictures, in regards to focusing, light management and composition. You also can have control over the development of your pictures with your own dark room. Unfortunately, between the picture editing and developing there isn’t much you can do in regards to editing the content or composition of your pictures.
Nowadays, as with everything technological, it has become difficult to even keep up on all the camera information, even if all you want to do is to know enough to make an informed choice. There are just too many options. Different digital cameras have different resolutions, different memory formats, different features such as panorama and zoom, different lenses (which requires you to look up camera lens information as well), and dozens of other features. To wade through all of the digital camera information, you practically need to be a PhD!
Of course, ultimately what you really need is a friend who is a tech geek who knows all of the camera information already. That has always been my solution since computers took off, and everyone really does have in their life that one good-natured soul who is obsessed with all of the latest gadgets and willing to share their expertise. Why wade through all of the camera information when there is someone in your life more than willing to distill it into a simple recommendation for you? My tech geek friend, after listening to my desires for what I wanted from a camera, and asking a few targeted questions, recommended a new Cannon, and I have been nothing but pleased with the purchase.
About the Author:
Jimmy Johnson is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about
Camera Information visit
Digital Cameras for informative articles and discussions.
Tags: camera, Cameras, Photographs, Photography Posted in Cameras
Posted December 14th, 2008
by Jeff Johnson
by Jeff Johnson
Have you ever thought about taking flower photos on a cloudy day? Most people don’t. They think the photos will come out dark. Actually, there is enough light even when it is cloudy outside. Plus the light then has a soft and subtle touch to it.
Taking flower photos does not require a lot of sunlight as some people may think. If you take pictures in strong sunlight, you may end up with harsh shadows showing up in the image, which is not a pleasing result.
Your eyes can adapt quickly to different levels of light, but the camera has a more limited capability to capture strong contrasts. Harsh contrasts between sunlit and shadowy areas are not what you want in a good flower picture.
There are remedies which make the flower photos much more pleasing. For example, rather than taking photos on sunny days, you can use cloudy weather to make flower pictures. Cloudy days provide a softer light, which tends to make flower photos come out better.
There are some other techniques you can use to make your photos look like the ones made by professional photographers. They are easy to implement, and you can use simple household items.
For instance, you can create your own clouds by using a coat hanger, and a white t-shirt or white garbage bag. Bend out the hanger into a square shape. Then attach the t-shirt or plastic bag to the hanger. You then hold it above the subject to shade it and make the light softer.
Another thing that you can do is to get up very early in the morning and make pictures at dawn. Notice the special quality of that light! Or make photos near sunset; the light is very interesting then also.
Professional photographers often use reflectors to shine extra light where it is needed. You can try using a mirror, or some other reflective object, to bring out the beauty of some little flower standing in a dark corner of the garden. You will be amazed at the difference!
Tags: flower photography, flowers, gardening, Photography, photography tips Posted in Photography
Posted December 13th, 2008
by Jonathan Roman
by Jonathan Roman
When someone mentions “canvas prints”, mounted artworks first come to mind. The blend of radiant and lively colours of popular art and abstract paintings brings burst of life and style even to the most boring space. Not into art works? Try photos. Imagine your favourite photo – of your child, your best friend, your weeding day – mounted on a canvas for everyone to see. You can practically put anything you want into canvas – your child’s doodle, a caricature of yourself, an image of your favourite basketball team, your first artwork – it’s your choice.
Canvas prints are the newest fashion in home decoration today. Cheaper than a commissioned painting, but still with elegant look, canvas prints becomes even popular in the interior design world. Options include using digitally-printed canvas prints or traditional offset-based canvas prints. Printing companies provides various mediums for canvases, including water-resistant, cotton, matte and glossy canvases.
A canvas print refers to the reproduction or re-printing of an artwork or a photograph on a canvas. This can be done either through wide-format inkjet printers or dry sublimation. When the ink dries, experts paint on protective coating to keep the photos from fading and scratches. Then the print out is stretched by hand to fit a customized frame. While this is a complicated process, many printing companies offer canvas printing services at a very affordable price. Just send them your photo or artwork, and they’ll do the complete works for you, from fixing red-eyes and blurs to the actual framing. Digital editing and photo enhancements can also provide special options like colour posterization, sepia tint, and can even turn your photo in a pop art style. You’ll have a personalized canvas print in no time.
Amateur photographers and budding artists especially benefits from canvas prints, as canvas is the perfect material in which to mount their works. Canvas-printed photographs are durable, capable of producing high-quality images with vivid colours, and come in different artistic designs. These can even last longer than regularly printed photographs.
If you’re into marketing and tired of using the usual posters and brochures as advertising materials, you might want to consider using canvas prints. Know your target audience, come up with a unique and interesting campaign and put it on canvas. Eye-catching and refreshingly different, it will sure attract audiences’ attention.
Photo canvas prints are also perfect as presents. Custom-made presents are much appreciated so why not give out an impressive portrait of your friends on their next birthday?
Keep your canvas prints looking crisp and brand new for a long time by following these simple tips: don’t place your prints in direct sunlight; avoid getting your canvas wet; avoid using acidic materials; and use brush or soft cloth to remove dust and lint in your canvas.
From home decorations, gallery-worthy art or photo displays, marketing tools, a perfect all-occasion present, the benefits of canvas prints are truly limitless.
Tags: art, gift ideas, gifts, home decorating, home improvement, interior design, Photography Posted in Photography
Posted December 11th, 2008
by Herbert Reich
by Herbert Reich
Born in Philadelphia, in 1890, Man Ray (aka Emmanuel Radnitzky) came to be known as one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. Although perhaps best known for his avant-garde black and white photography, he was active in many visual arts, including sculpture, performance art, and especially painting. Like many avant-garde artists, he received little recognition or appreciation for his work at the time, but they have been slowly growing in popularity since.
Upon moving to New York in 1912 and becoming involved with its lively art community, Man Ray’s work began to focus on showing movement despite the inherently static nature of a painting. For example, his 1916 painting “The Rope Dancer Accompanies Herself with Shadows”, great care was paid to the repetitive positions of the dancer’s skirts. As Man Ray continued to explore experimental art, he gradually moved away from painting. At first he merely experimented with different materials-for example, his 1919 painting “Aerograph” was done with airbrush on glass-he eventually left the canvas altogether and moved into experimental art in the sculpture and photography mediums.
Man Ray’s first sculpture, titled “Self-Portrait” was exhibited in 1916. He worked for a while with “found” or “readymade” sculpture-objects chosen by the artist and displayed, with very little modification, as a sculpture. Other sculptures stressed form over subject, such as his sculpture “Enigma of Isidore Ducasse”, in which cloth is draped around an unknown object and tied with rope. In 1920, he assisted fellow avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp designing and building one of the first pieces of kinetic art in which glass plates were rotated by a motor. In the same year, Man Ray, Duchamp, and Katherine Dreier opened the Socit Anonyme, effectively the first museum of modern art in the United States.
Man Ray began working with photography in 1918. Although he was to become a renowned fashion and portrait photographer, it was the potential of the camera for experimental artistic images that he proceeded to develop. It represented a further step away from static, two-dimensional painting, and he experimented with mechanical and photographic ways of creating images. After moving to the artistic community of Montparnasse in Paris, France, Man Ray spent the next twenty years redefining the art of photography. Man Ray juxtaposed objects, subjects, backgrounds, and lighting in his photographs to alter the meaning and message it would at first glance appear to be sending to society. The Surrealist artist Mret Oppenheim posed for Man Ray in 1934 for a famous series of photographs, in which she stood nude next to a printing press. Later, Ray revisited and reinvented the photographic technique of “solarization”. He developed new techniques of using photograms, which he named after himself, calling them “rayographs”. During his life, he also directed several short avant-garde experimental films.
In 1976, Man Ray died in Paris. He was buried in the famous Montparnasse cemetery. His tombstone bears the inscription “Unconcerned, but not indifferent”. In 1999, ARTnews magazine rated him among the 25 most influential artists during the 20th century due to his exploration, expansion, and blending of the artistic disciplines of painting, sculpture, and black and white photography.
Tags: Black and White Photography, Photography Posted in Photography
