Wednesday, 29 August 2012

What's Photography About

It's about the perfect moment; when the elements of composition coming together as what we see as a perfect picture, or even as you might put it, a work of art. Photography is about light and having the artistic vision to use that light in a way; that makes that one shot, the perfect shot. It's a powerful means of communication, with visual expression. Where today: most of the photographs; are taken as snapshots, a casual record of personal events; like birthdays, weddings and graduations.
What defines a snapshot from photographic art; is that the photographer possesses the skill to use all the elements around their subject, to compose the best image of what is being photographed. Photographic art: usually is not created by some random snapshot; but by the skill of the photographer, to knows the area their shooting in, and the way the light will affect the subject, at different times of the day, in that area. The word photography: means "drawing with light"; the word photo, is a Greek word meaning "light" and the word graph, is a Greek word meaning "drawing". The experienced photographer; who understands how to control the light, in his photographs, will not just give you another snapshot, but a genuine piece of art that will be admired for a life time.
A camera is an expressionless piece of equipment, until someone snaps a picture with it. No matter how fancy the camera or the gadgetry, a skilled photographer will take that piece of equipment and turn a photograph, into a work of art. My favorite photographer in my life time was Ansel Adams and he started out with a Kodak Browning, "No 1 film camera". And Ansel has taken some of the most famous photographs ever taken. Ansel Adams was a master of composition and lighting. Not only was he familiar of what he was photographing; but how the light in those areas, affected his shots, at certain times of the day. But his gift was being able to show you; what he seen through his eyes, how he saw it.
Photography is about knowing the subject that you're shooting; being familiar with the surroundings, and being able to control the lighting when composing your shot. These three simple rules are necessary: no matter where you're shooting; if it's in the great outdoors, or in a camera studio. It doesn't matter if you're shooting a mountain or a model. You should know a little about your subjects before you start photographing and find out how lighting may affect them. It wouldn't be nice; if your lighting made your beautiful model look five pounds heavier; or give him or her, unsightly shadows that change the contour of their face.
Good Photography isn't just about a snapshot; it's about creating the best picture you can get at that moment. And when composing a shot on the fly, your head is full of questions you ask yourself about that one shot; hoping that you don't second guess yourself on the final result.

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Which Camera Type Is Ideal For Underwater Photography?

It's true that so many amazing sceneries can be found on land worth taking photos of. There are the beautiful landscapes, sunsets, mountain ranges, plains and a lot more.
But while these are easily available to people anywhere they may go while on land, there are also wonderful sceneries awaiting you at the bottom of the sea. And it's very possible these days to take images of what's underneath from sea creatures, plants and caves.
So what type of camera is best for underwater photography? Is it the compact point and shoot or the more advanced DSLR?
Experts point out that, of course, the DSLR is the sure winner. Being an advanced photographic device, it has its advantages over the compact unit. Firstly, one is able to change lenses depending on his needs in terms of focal length and optics. Secondly, it assures of quality images owing to its large sensor. Thirdly, it has reduced shutter lag and focus delays.
But of course, certain features of compact digital cameras should not be ignored. Despite their small size, they are also capable of capturing great photos under the sea.
Some advantages of a compact underwater camera include its small size and light weight which means it's very ideal for travel, less drag when underwater and lower cost compared to the DSLR. You should also know that a point and shoot camera can shoot video and in the event you get your lenses wet, you can always shoot using the macro mode in wide-angle.
Now if you're on a budget and would like to just get the compact digital camera for your underwater photography, what features should you look for?
The first consideration is a unit that has full manual mode. The experts believe this is an important factor particularly in controlling light.
Get a top quality housing for underwater use. There are plenty available today but if possible, find one that allows you to easily adjust the manual controls including the aperture and shutter speed.
Find out if the brand can take images in wet lenses, macro mode and wide angle. You can also ask if t is able to take fisheye lens.
Look for low shutter lag and long battery life features as well.
A good auto focus feature is also necessary so ask about it from the staff. Keep in mind that certain cameras are slow to focus when underwater.
Some older cameras that can help you achieve your goal when doing underwater photography are the Canon A570 and G9, Olympus 5050 and SP350. There are newer models, however, that can perform better.
One of the latest is the ReefMaster Mini. It is a dive camera that is totally waterproof and one that can be used up to 200 feet. This 9-megapixel camera is very affordable and features automatic settings for diving and snorkeling. It also comes with a color correction software and detachable wide angle lens.
The Canon S95/S100 is also strongly recommended. It comes in a Recsea housing made from solid aluminum and has F2.0 lens as well as a 3-inch LCD.
So choose wisely the digital camera that fits your need to ensure that you get quality images when snorkeling or diving.

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Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Top Ideas and Tips for Taking Great Light Painting Trick Photography

Light paintings are beautiful and dramatic, and looks a bit similar to lightning photography. In lightning photos, something about the awesome power of nature in comparison to our existence is very humbling. This is probably why the high contrast between the night darkness and the bright flash of light results in some very powerful photos. Light paintings are softer and more ethereal, but still have the same high contrast and dramatic effect if lightning photos. Here are some top tips to help you take great light painting photos.
Set your camera to manual mode
One of the first thing you should do when preparing to take light painting photography is to set the camera to manual mode. Since all the preparations are done in a dark environment the camera cannot automatically set the right focus, exposure, aperture, ISO, white balance, and others.
Use a tripod
Make sure your camera is on a tripod because you are going to take photos in low light conditions. Increased exposure time and high ISO guarantees blurring and noise if your camera isn't on a stable platform. It also mean you get to do the painting yourself!
Set the focus beforehand
Set the focus manually so the light will appear to be sharp and in focus. You can keep some lights on to set the focus and then turn it off when you're shooting. Set the exposure to anywhere between a few seconds to a few minutes. The right exposure depends on how long you'll take to use a light source to paint. Not only that, longer exposure means a brighter and clearer background, even if it is done in the night.
Don't forget your camera flash
Remember your camera's flash unit. For light paintings you're using an external light source such as a flashlight or glow sticks to draw, so the camera flash is not really needed. But some people use the camera flash to create a stroboscope effect. You can set the flash to fire at specific intervals, and then you strike a different pose in different location after each flash. The result is a bunch of clones of you in the final photo.
Play around with the background
Light paintings by itself are cool, but choose a nice scene or environment to complement your paintings. The light you're using to paint will illuminate the background objects and make it more interesting. You could also play with your camera settings to apply different filters and achieve different effects. For example, changing the white balance will give you different color temperatures for your light paintings.
Last but not least, have fun! By doing thing out of the norm you will discover new techniques or effects that other people haven't even though of. Be willing to experiment, because you never know a fluke could turn out to be your best shot.

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