Digital Photography Tips and Tricks

Cameras Of Tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:28:00 -0700

One time you had only to look into a little lens and press a button to take a photo, but these days cameras are more complicated. Much advertising money is spent on telling us all just how simple and easy it is to take a photo, and it is certainly easier to load a film in the average camera now than it used to be, but you still have to know more about it. You can’t just pick up that brownie box and ready, aim, fire. There are warning lights that tell you to change your angle or adjust your exposure, to mention just a few.

So what is the camera of the tomorrow going to be like? Will it be so complicated that only a rocket scientist will be able to operate it? Probably not, since manufacturers must get good sales for their products. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that there are more sales in the masses than in an elite group of rocket scientists.

So come on guys, make it simple. How about a talking camera to tell us what to do? Just imagine Great-aunt Ethel lining up her new camera to take a picture of the latest nephew. The sun slides behind a cloud and the camera growls, “Hold it, stupid!” Ethel retrieves the camera from the grass, dusts it off and focuses again. “Beep-beep-beep! The subject is not smiling!” As the family gathers around with fans and cool drinks for Aunt Ethel, little Johnny grabs the camera and drops it into the fishpond, where it happily snaps the goldfish every time they wiggle.

The camera of the tomorrow may not talk, but at a recent exhibition in New York Canon had a prototype that waits until all the subjects are smiling before taking the picture. Another can tell if you’re blinking. These are expected to be commercial within a year. Fuji has already announced it has a digital camera far superior to most in clarity and resolution.

We think of the digital camera as possessing the most modern technology, but what if it is simply the Model T of cameras? Perhaps today’s digital cameras are the forerunners of some amazing new technology hiding around the corner, just waiting for someone with vision to invent it? Some time in the future, there will surely be moving 3D images that can be clicked into being on our desktops, in mid-air, or beamed to the other side of the world in less than a second. They’ll be in full color and at the click of a button, we’ll be able to hear what is being said. I can hardly wait!

Digital Camera Photographers

Camera Tripod Variations & Uses

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:27:00 -0700

In simple form, a camera tripod is best explained as a three-legged stand used to stabilize and elevate a camera. A camera tripod can be used in either still or motion imagery. Most commonly used by professional photographers in a studio, a camera tripod is designed to capture the perfect image every time.

A camera tripod is available in several variations, including floor model or tabletop. The least expensive begins at $50.00 and goes up, depending on the size and features. A basic camera tripod is designed for consumers and is best used for amateur photography or filming. An expensive camera tripod features feet suitable for rough ground and the head of the unit is designed move smoothly for improved video recording. The most expensive, which are used is studios and professional filming, are made of wood.

A full-size camera tripod is much better equipped to handle heavier equipment, whereas a tabletop model can accommodate up to 50lbs. These portable units are ideal for traveling and where compact equipment is needed.

There are several ways that a camera tripod can be used, including a family portrait where you want to be included in the photo. Simply set the camera up on a tripod and position it so that everyone is in perfect view, set the timer on your camera, push the button to take a photo and get into place with the family. Other uses may include an instance where your hands are shaky and you want to stabilize the camera for a quality image or if you are responsible for taking school pictures. Do you remember the days of middle school when the photographer would come into the gymnasium, set up his/her background sheet and tripod? All he/she had to do was to situate the child, convince him/her to smile and snap the picture. A camera tripod makes it easy to take multiple photos, in which the subjects are in the same location, without having to worry about placement every single time. With a tripod, placement is always perfect so long as the subject is where he/she should be.

When shopping for a camera tripod, first consider the uses that you will need it for. The weight of your camera, the needed features and swivel capabilities, the locations that the tripod will be placed and the needed height. In addition, a realistic budget that you can afford will be best considered early before shopping for a camera tripod. Most photography supply stores, both online and local, may offer camera tripods. Before purchasing, be sure to check out the dealer’s reputation with the Better Business Bureau and also learn about their return policy.

Des Moines Iowa Wedding Photographer

Camera Cases: Be Ready for Anything

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:26:00 -0700

A successful photographer must be ready for action at a moments notice. A successful photographer never really stops shooting when the action happens. A successful photographer has everything they need close at hand. For all of these things to occur, a photographer needs the right camera case for their needs. There are lots of options available to suit any type of photography.

What Type of Camera Case do you need? First identify what type of camera case you need. Consider the type of photography you are doing. Is it action packed, constantly moving and on the go? Or is it time intensive and localize to one area? These factors greatly affect the type of camera case a photographer chooses.

M-Rock camera cases come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit different types of photographers. For the first case of action photography, a small digital camera case is the perfect fit. M-Rock small camera cases fit a digital camera perfectly inside with soft felt lining so there will be no abrasion during movement. The rigid outer structure composed of water resistant materials, plastic panels, and thick foam protect the camera inside for the worst case scenarios. The small camera cases also have a belt strap that keeps the camera gear where you need it, and also have two small pockets for storing supplies and accessories. With a small M-Rock camera case, photographers can run, jump, and even bike, without worrying about the protection of their camera.

Imagine all the features of the small camera cases on a large scale. For the second case of localized photography, M-Rock large camera cases offer everything a photographer needs. The same quality components are used, with added features that allow the case to store larger cameras, lenses, tripods, and other supplies. To protect valuable lenses, large camera cases come with a u-shaped cradle to carry lenses within the case.

The best advantage of M-Rock camera cases is that they are modular, meaning the can be used alone, or in conjunction with other M-Rock cases for added storage. M-Rock camera cases have Velcro arms on either side that slip into the modular belt or other camera cases for a secure connection.

Visit M-Rock.com and see what types of camera cases are available. You may find some advantages of camera cases you never even dreamed of. M-Rock is number one for camera storage and protection, and will have a successful photographer ready for anything.

Calendar Men: How to Publish a Calendar Featuring Hot College Guys at your University

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Tue, 6 Oct 2009 08:25:00 -0700

Ever thought of putting together a pinup calendar featuring hot guys enrolled at your college or university?

Most people who think of creating a "Men of (Your) University" calendar assume that all they need to do is locate 12 hunky college males and have them photographed. This is true, but there are more tasks to publishing a calendar and many more than 12 college guys must be recruited.

Besides recruiting, selection, and training of these student male models, there is production of the actual calendar, which includes photography, arranging graphic design and commercial printing. After the calendars are delivered, news media publicity must be arranged. Promotional Events must be held.

But, first, the best college guys on campus must be found. After a decade of publishing, recruiting of college men is an area were Campus Men Calendar operation is an expert.

There is a high demand to appear in pinup calendars of college men. Therefore, we do not cater to, or try to convince any one college student to appear. We want to be able to choose from many college guys.

The theme of Campus Men's calendar photographs is very important to who we chose to recruit and select. We present young, all-American college guys in sensual poses in which the viewer never gets to see them.

We answer the question of: I wonder what that incredible-looking guy I saw on campus would look like in bed? We have found that to sell calendars, we do not feature college men wearing sweaters. We appeal to the sexual motivations of the viewer, whether through a cute smile, great face or body or what little you wear. We attempt to give the viewer a fantasy of what it is like to be intimate with the college student.

We also prefer photographs with a "college feel" - a collegiate or athletic feel to them, rather than "beach" photos to them. We try to plan imagery that brings college life to mind or portrays the college student as a sexy athlete.

Remember, the theme of Campus Men Calendars is: "We show people what that athletic guy they passed on the quad looks like in bed."

Far more than 12 must be recruited. Calendar production process calls for locating as many attractive males on your campus as possible. It is not usual to evaluate at least 125 college guys and as many as 500 during the entire process. If you want to organize a calendar, your goal should be to sign up hundreds of hot college guys.

A large number must be secured because the most important issue - other than quality of photographs - is timing of delivery. Timing is very important. Calendars must be produced for delivery June 1 of each year. This allows a seven month long selling season, allows appearing college guys to sell calendars during the summer (when they have ample time to sell because they are not enrolled in classes; are usually home among family and friends; and eventually order more after selling out); allows us to sell through national magazines; and allows us to reach incoming freshmen college guys visiting the campus during orientation sessions, held during June through August. This means the calendar also will be on store shelves in time for college guys who arrive back for the beginning of fall quarter who shop for items to decorate the dorm or sorority room walls.

Winter term is a poor time to recruit college guys because completing any activity takes generally more time due to cold weather. We cannot easily see what college guys look like because they cover themselves with clothing when outdoors. College guys generally stay indoors, become sedentary, gain weight, and do not have tans.

If only 12 college guys are recruited, the operation can be delayed if even one college student drops out of the publication for any reason or is dismissed.

We also need to recruit a large number of college guys because appearing in a calendar is not for everyone. We find that we must screen all guys to select only those who are willing to pose nude or nearly nude. Why? Because college oriented calendars are not the thing for timid or conservative young men. We have published many pinup calendars of varying degrees of provocativeness. Tame pinup calendars are nice. But, few buyers actually part with $15 to buy a boring male calendar. Calendars which have been more risqué have always been more popular in sales.

We found this is the best profile for college guys to appear in a pinup calendar:
• Outgoing, can sell calendars
• Nice body, muscular or lean
• Comfortable posing nude, uninhibited, the kind of guy who would skinny dip or go streaking at the drop of a hat

Help in locating attractive college guys from other college guys is an extremely valuable resource. We found that advertising to get students to contact us did not bring in the "right" kind of college guys. Many young men who are perfect for a calendar would never think of applying. They must be invited. That is where student recruiters are valuable.

We advertised to locate a team of students whose sole duty is to stop college guys on an informal basis. Advertising to locate recruiters can include classified want ads, fliers to sororities, career placement offices, and to all dorms and their resident advisors. We aimed for at least three "hard core" recruiters, a Greek system and a minority representative. Recruiters need not be female. Guys can recruit and sometimes find it easier to approach other guys in gyms, class and on the quad.

We estimate 60 percent of the college guys our recruiters find will be acceptable. Of those college student 75 percent will accept our offer to appear. Therefore, to secure 22 acceptable college men, recruiters should locate 50 guys per calendar.

Compensation to recruiters is a finder's fee paid per college student who appears in the calendar. Finder's fees are payable only if a college student the recruiter found appears in the calendar. We did not pay a finder's fee if we did not select the college student to appear, if the college student declined our offer to appear, dropped out before publication of the calendar, if we dismissed the guy for any reason, or if we did not publish the calendar.

If you can locate a large number of attractive male college guys at your university, Campus Men can work with you to publish an edition of the Campus Men calendar which features college guys enrolled at your school.

You must have an ability to identify many attractive male college guys on your campus, and guide them through the application process, follow up, collect and upload an image of every guy, and collect biographical info on each college student. You upload their name and email address and a photo to us through CampusMen.com. We must receive a snapshot or we ignore the guy's application.

After a college guy applies through CampusMen.com, you will collect a bio or interview the guy on video tape, and supply us with the tape. Then selection of new "male models" begins!

Wonderfullymadephotos.com

Buying Digital Camera Batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:24:00 -0700

A digital camera battery is probably the most important digital camera accessory. Some digital cameras can consume power at an alarming rate, providing no more than a few hours of continuous shooting time before the battery is drained. Other cameras are renowned for the long life of their digital camera battery which allows users to snap away with barely a thought to power consumption. It is important to know how you intend to use your camera and what type of battery it needs.

There are two types of digital camera battery. The most widely available digital camera battery is a standard AA-size battery. The other type of digital camera battery is a rechargeable battery that is made by the manufacturer, otherwise known as a proprietary battery.

A proprietary digital camera battery offers the advantage of being lighter and more compact, but they are substantially more expensive, making the prospect of buying one or two backup sets much less appealing.

The alkaline AA-size digital camera battery usually has a very short life - less than an hour in extreme cases - when used in a digital camera. This type of battery makes an acceptable emergency backup, especially if you are travelling with your camera. However, the Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) digital camera battery can be used instead of the alkaline ones with a charger and this rechargeable NiMH digital camera battery has a substantially longer life at an affordable price.

Another type of AA-size battery is the non-rechargeable Lithium batteries and rechargeable Nickel Cadmium (NiCD) batteries. The lithium digital camera battery has a superior life to alkaline AA's and offers good cold-weather performance but their price and non-rechargeable nature make them less useful than rechargeable NiMH batteries. It is also important to ensure that your camera can take a lithium digital camera battery. On the other hand the NiCD digital camera battery offers the advantage of retaining their charge while unused, unlike NiMH cells, but have shorter lives and need to be discharged completely before recharging which can be extremely inconvenient.

The LCD screen of a digital camera is responsible for consuming the most power from a digital camera battery so it is worth only using the LCD when necessary to help conserve the battery life. Always try to carry at least one backup set of batteries, especially if you plan on being away from power outlets for an extended period of time. The universally-available alkaline AA-size battery can make a convenient emergency backup if your regular digital camera battery fails.

Digital Photographer Des Moines

Bringing Memories to Life

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:23:00 -0700

Many us of have many treasured photo albums that with just the flip of a page allowing us walk again down paths long since traversed. Dipping in and out of memories as though it all happened only yesterday – until we realise abruptly that our treasured memories are, in fact, from years ago, and we no longer remember where that snap shot was taken, or what year is encapsulated there in paper form. While it is quick and easy to write a brief note upon the back of our photographs, the best way to rekindle those special memories is to log them all, each one, is in a scrapbook.

Using scrapbooks is a wonderful way to raise the storage of photographs and other memorabilia to a more personal level. There is little doubt that retaining keepsakes from important events or occasions is the ideal way to recapture the essence of a particular moment once it has passed us by in time, but it is only in using a scrapbook that the story really comes to life. Our precious memories so often wither in old shoeboxes, clumped together into confused bundles, where their special meaning fades. By gathering our memories into a scrapbook, we can suffuse life into them once more, and bequeath the joy we once shared to a whole new generation.

A scrapbook is nothing less than our own storybook, storing particular items that capture the meaning behind the memories. The straw you kept from your very first date with the man you’ve now been married to for over twenty years, that’s a precious memory, but think how the memory of that date comes alive when you scrapbook that straw with a photograph of the new couple, and include your thoughts from that special night. How much more meaningful does this memento become to your children and your children’s children when it is conveyed as a part of the whole story of your love? What once was a small plastic tube found at the bottom of an old box is now a living memory, conveying far more than you ever thought it could.

A scrapbook can store your memories in the most precious and personal way. Don’t keep your life to yourself; share it with a scrapbook, and relive your memories through the eyes of others.

Great Des Moines Photographers

Black And White Digital Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:22:00 -0700

There are several ways to achieve black and white digital photography. With black and white digital photography, you are bringing the end user back into a period of time when life seemed a lot simpler. Many digital cameras come equipped with a function to take these types of photos. If your digital camera does not support this function, you can still change your photographs into black and white with software programs.

You’ll want your black and white digital photography to look its best when you are finished. A technique that can help you get the best image out of your digital photograph is through image manipulation. You may find it better to convert your eight-bit color images (which are usually jpegs) into 16-bit colors first. This is important because an 8-bit RGB can be the same as a 10-bit grayscale.

You can find information all over on the Internet to help you with your black and white digital photography. These resources can be found in everything from websites to magazines. Colored pictures can look truly beautiful as a black and white display. You will usually have to convert your graphics, because although there are options with digital cameras, there are no true black and white digital cameras.

Correct the Colorcasts

An important part of black and white digital photography is correcting the colorcasts. These are caused by bad lighting, but you can use software such as PhotoShop Elements to make the relevant changes by using their editing applications. The Imaging Factory is also software that can help you to easily convert and fix lighting areas in your graphics to get the best look with your black and white digital photography. If you want to turn your graphics into black and white digital photography, you can step into a completely new dimension in photography. You can do an endless array of projects right from your own computer.

Best Des Moines Wedding Photographers

Bird Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Sun, 6 Sep 2009 08:20:00 -0700

Birds have been one of the greatest subject for photographers for centuries now because they have an inspiring beauty and mystify us with their gift of flight and diversity. When it comes to photographing birds and their behavior, catching it on film will add a tremendous visual impact and feeling to any picture. There are different locations where birds gather, but really the best place you may what to start is your backyard. The thing about birds is that they are busy little bodies and a bird feeder in the backyard is a great place to get a picture when they are feeding or even the bird in the air getting ready to pounce one of the birds that is currently feeding.

When you venture out of your backyard to look for birds to photograph your vehicle may just become your newest piece of equipment. Birds see our cars less of a threat then a person carrying a long lens underneath their arm. A vehicle makes for a great blind and along with this patience is a virtue. When you find a location such as a prime feeding ground, park a bit of a ways from it and stop your engine to cut down on noise that may scare them.

Standard,wide-angle and short zoom lenses can be used for photographing birds, but for serious bird photography, a quality 500 mm or 600 mm telephoto lens is ideal.

Please keep in mind to avoid any situation that can put stress on the birds and their surroundings. If you notice a bird that is starting to show any kind of stress, this means that there is a nest or chicks near by. Any further picture taking should be disengaged and you should leave the immediate area. As a photographer of birds or any wildlife, it is a good thing to remember not to put ourselves or the birds around us in any kind of danger.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

Beginners Digital Photography Equipment Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:17:00 -0700

When you first begin using your digital photography

camera be sure you have got the correct equipment you

will need before you set out. Owning the proper equipment

is essential whenever you would like to make it

successfully wether you are a beginner or a professional.

If you're going to become a professional with your

digital photography then you had better be willing to

spend a good deal more on equipment than simply somebody

wanting to do this as a hobby. Depending upon what you

would like to do with digital photography it's entirely

up to you as to how much equipment you're going to be

checking out in buying. A professional career in digital

photography might not be what you are looking for do if

you don't have the money for these kinds of equipment

that you will need to have.

Then, if you are merely wanting to enjoy digital

photography as a hobby then I should be able to assist

you out in letting you know what you may require for your

digital camera, accessories and all. For your first

digital camera the important thing is to not spend overly

to much on it. There is no call for in purchasing an

pricey digital camera until afterwards down the road once

you get a good deal more experienced with it. On several

digital cameras you could be capable to even utilize them

as a manual camera. You will merely have to work out how

to adjust all of it's operations. You'll be able to go

out and buy a book for dummies on digital photography as

well, those are always handy to own. They have them for

virtually everything you want to know. Just keep in mind

that owning the proper software for your digital camera

is really significant, it will help you organize all of

the images you have created.

You will need to purchase a bag or case to keep your

digital camera safe and all or any accessories that you

may have bought as well while you're active. Purchase the

camera that you feel best suits your needs and remember

you only require a basic one for beginners. They will

have all of the features you will need just to get going

and with this camera you'll even be able to take truly

great photographs.

Spending more doesn't all of the time mean that you're

buying the better product. If there's not a photographing

equipment store in your city then I suggest you will be

able to simply go online and look up anything you may be

interested in purchasing. You will be able to discover a

couple of really good deals on the internet if you're

wanting to save a little money, who would'nt like to do

that? Or you can ask around, you might have a friend that

can assist you out with your first time purchasing needs.

If there's a local store where you can go in and purchase

digital cameras for digital photography there will be

somebody in there that can help you with any questions

you could have about the product.

Iowa Photographer

Baby Photography.

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:12:00 -0700

Babies can be the most challenging and rewarding portraits to take, but can also be the most frustrating.

Babies tend to sleep, eat and cry a lot and won’t pose in front of the camera but don’t let that put you off photographing them. Creating the perfect baby portrait, when done right, will certainly be rewarding.

One of the most important factors in photographing babies is patience and the way you apply child psychology when relating to the baby. Babies over six months may be shy and won’t react well to a complete stranger. This is where child psychology comes in - you must try to play with the baby, or even become a child yourself while taking the photograph. The keys of your car can be very effective. But remember, your job is to take a baby portrait; you must be able to react quickly when the infant responds to your entertainment.

Shooting a portrait of a newborn baby can be difficult. At this age the baby will not be active, so it’s better to focus on close-up headshots. Try using natural light from a bedroom window to add mood to the portrait.

Babies over a few months of age will be more alert and will have a lot more movement in them. Shooting fast is a necessity, the infant will tire quickly.

Babies seven months or older can be very tricky to shoot. The baby will bore quickly and will not want to stay in the same position.

If you are serious about baby photography and you tend to shoot from your own studio make sure you have a lot of toys to amuse the infants. A light colour background will work best and shoot the portraits in colour and black and white.

Parents may be worried about the affect of studio lights on their baby. Point out that strobe lights have no effect on kids. Try to point this out before the parent asks.

Don’t ever handle a baby without the parents consent. Most parents will be very protective and won’t react well to a stranger lifting the infant.

Watch out for the fingers - fingers in the mouth can be attractive but on most occasions they will obscure the face.

If you plan to resell the baby photograph to an agency make sure you get a release form signed from the parents. There is a large market out there for baby pictures but agencies or magazines won’t touch them without the parents consent. For baby portraits to be sellable they must be technically perfect, but the picture must illustrate the baby being active or some form of child care.

Des Moines Iowa Children Photographer

Art Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:11:00 -0700

Art photography is photography that is designed to express the creative vision of a particular artist. It is not necessarily documentary in nature, but sometimes, is purely expressionistic. Art photography can be representational. Art photography can be portraiture, landscapes, still life or nudes. This type of art photography tries to set a classic, sophisticated tone.

Art photography has gone through many phases during its history. At one time, art photography did its best to mimic paintings in their presentation, but art photography just didn't find the same acceptance as paintings did. As time went by, more and more galleries began to display the fine art photography of the day. Art photography moved into larger and larger formats. Art photography went through more phases, but has generally been predominated by the natural landscape, the portrait and the nude figure study. People have begun to accept that even documentary photos can have artistic merit and galleries today display all sorts of art photography. Some of the most famous art photography images in the world were actually taken by photo journalists.

Many rt photography pieces today are large, elaborate stage scenes depicting all sorts of creative visions. Art photography, by its nature is not mass market or commercial photography. Art photography is meant to be one of a kind pieces and small number series works. Art photography is collected by museums and individuals, but generally does not appreciate in value the way fine art paintings have.

With the advent of digital technology, art photography has expanded and the ease of using photo editing software has meant that art photography artists have gained more control over their work and that more people than ever before can produce art photography. Color and composition are now still important elements of art photography, but a vision for your art photography is crucial as well. If you have a digital camera and a computer with photo editing software and a creative vision for your art photography, you can produce some very nice art photography. Photo collages have become more prevalent in art photography since the advent of digital technology and the computer's in creasing role in art photography.

As computers become faster and more powerful, they will further impact the world of art photography. What you can do in art photography is limited only by your imagination. Computer technology coupled with digital photography can create almost any kind of image. Art photography now encompasses so much more than ever before. And art photography is so much more accessible to the average person that the limits of art photography will continue to be expanded. With technology advancing the way, the future looks bright for art photography.

Des Moines Photographer

An Introduction to Pet Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Fri, 7 Aug 2009 08:10:00 -0700

Photographing your pet can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Done well, it will allow you to immortalize Fluffy or Spot - that significant member of your family - the pet that shared you food, chewed your shoes, and brought you the newspaper. In fact, the act of seriously photographing your pet will bring you both closer because the process opens you to noticing the small, wonderful things that you might have missed before - the way he wags his tail, etc. This is a grand adventure.

Goal
As with anything, it's best to proceed with a goal in mind so you know where to start. What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to capture your pet's playful side? Are you trying to setup a funny photo using a prop such as a birthday hat? Is this an interactive portrait between your pet and your child? Sit down and put on paper this goal, because it will help you in preparing properly. Nothing is worse than spending an hour going to your favorite scene with equipment in hand and realizing your forgot a favorite toy - do your self a favor, do not skip this step.

Setting
Now that you have decided on your goal, it's now time to decide the proper setting. Indoors vs. outdoors. Near the fireplace with an open fire in the background, or in a studio. At the beach or in the woods. As you think about the proper setting, think about how your pet will respond to that setting. If you decide the public park is the perfect place, you must think about your pet's resistance to distractions. Is he/she able to resist running after another animal or person? The more you know your pet and look through his/her eyes, the better off you will be.

Preparation
Now you are at the critical preparation stage. You've set your goal, you've decided on the appropriate setting - let's try to anticipate all that can (and will) go wrong. I use the word 'wrong' loosely - try not be too rigid and to have fun - we will talk more about that in a minute. Write out on paper every possible thing you can think of. Here are some suggestions:
· Exercise your pet - just enough so they are still alert, but not hyper
· Lighting - outdoor is best, but flash will work too - should be natural lighting
· Grooming - only if it doesn't adversely affect your pet's mood - then do it days beforehand
· Props/Toys - favorite of the pet
· Food - favorite of the pet
· Be prepared for sudden movement - shutter speed about 1/125th and use iso 400 or 800 film (if indoors)
· Watch the scene clutter
· Have pet at least 6 feet away from background to reduce shadows
· Bring an assistant to help manage your pet
· Zoom Lens
· Camera, Film, Tripod, Equipment, etc.
Etc., etc. Are you getting the idea? The first time you make out your list, the process will be a little tedious, but the beauty is that once the list is made, all you need to do is modify it slightly for the next sessions.

On Location
Whew, you've made to shooting location - congratulations. Hopefully, you've brought everything you are going to need, right? Right! Now, it's time for setup. Be organized; get everything laid out in a logical fashion. The last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around with equipment when you need to be shooting pictures - an animal has a zero attention span and you have got to be ready to snap that picture when the moment is there. How is you animal's demeanor? Is he/she super wound up? If yes, then perhaps some light exercise would be in order - nothing too heavy, but just enough to help him/her calm down. How are you? Are you stressed? Relax, and go with the flow - animals are super sensitive to your mood. Give your pet some last minute grooming - just touch-ups. If you are outdoors, how is the wind? Is it too strong? Is the sun too bright? Remember, overcast is much better for exposure. Make sure that your pet is far enough away from your background so as to not cast any shadows.

The Photographer's Mindset
Your mindset should be one of peace and serenity. I can't overstate that enough. Also, you need to climb into the mind of your pet as best you can. What are they thinking and feeling? Align your expectations properly. If you have never done this before, don't expect perfection the first time out - that will just raise your anxiety level and will stress out your pet.

Shooting
One of the most important things to remember is to get down on your pet's level, physically, as much as possible. A shot from above doesn't portray intimacy. In addition, when you are at your pet's level, it's easier for you to empathize with it. If you've never crawled around on the ground before, you might feel a bit foolish, but trust me, it makes all the difference in the world. Make sure that you and your handler work with each other - you have got to be in charge, but also try to be flexible - you have a lot of variables that you are managing.

Be patient, and have a lot of fun!!!

Iowa Pet Photographers

All About Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:22:00 -0700

Photography is the art of reproducing pictures of people, objects or places in their exact likeness. These images can be transferred on any photosensitive material. Photography includes taking and printing pictures.

The backbone of photography is the camera, the instrument or device that works on the principle of optics. The camera and photographic techniques have undergone phenomenal changes since the time the first camera was made. The earlier model did not contain the film; instead, it had a small light-shield box with lens and translucent screen on either side. The image that traveled through the lens was stored on the screen. Known as 'camera obscura,' it was no more than a sketching device for artists.

Then the scientists discovered the quality of silver nitrate that changes its color when exposed to light. This was the beginning of photogram, a method of making permanent images.

They would place objects on the paper dipped in silver nitrate and expose it to the sunlight. After sometime the area covered under the object stayed white while the rest of the space turned black. However, the image formed was temporary, so the method did not last long.

Over the centuries, the principles, the method and the material used in photography went through many changes. After experimenting with various methods like Daguerre and calotype process, finally collodion, or the wet plate technique was universally accepted.

Modern photography has given a totally new meaning to the entire perception of life and privacy. Photography has made it possible to capture and preserve special moments, in private and in public life. History became more authentic with pictures, and photographs served as evidence in many cases. People made their family tree in their albums. Suddenly life was so much more fun and meaningful.

With the tremendous technological advances in the art of photography, it is no more just fun and frolic but has acquired the dimensions of a full-fledged profession. Photography has many branches and types, such as:

- Aerial photography is the art of taking photographs from the air.

- Art photography is devoted to beautiful pictures for the sake of beauty only.

- Studio or advertising photography is dedicated to promotion of products and institutions.

- Photojournalism takes pictures of events to support the news story and to create awareness among the people.

- Outdoor and travel photography is focused on taking pictures of landscapes and natural places.

- Sports photography records images of the sporting events and games that take place in the world.

- Some types of photography like the macro and scientific and macro or close up photography are restricted to specific fields and are not widely known.

The charm of photography lies as much in the end product as in the process of taking pictures. Looking at an album is like taking a trip down memory lane; it makes us feel highly nostalgic and emotional.

Photography In Practice

Advertising Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:08:00 -0700

We've all seen it. That picture in the ad of the fruit that looks so fresh and plump and ripe you could almost reach out and take a bit. That's advertising photography. Or that big juicy, fresh hamburger, steaming on a soft bun, looking so delicious that it makes your mouth water. Thats advertising photography too. What about that happy couple so in love, enjoying their coffee? That's dvertising photography. Or those beautiful, sexy people all looking so smart, smoking their cigarettes? That's advertising photography. It is all advertising photography. And it is designed to make you buy things, make you do things, designed to make you feel things.

Advertising photography is very manipulative. Advertising photography is very cynical. Advertising photography is visual fiction that is designed with one purpose in mind, to influence you. And most advertising photography is designed to influence you to part wit your money. Oh, sure there are the public service campaigns that use advertising photography to maybe affect your thinking about a subject or to get you to do something for your health, but this advertising photography is in the minority. Most advertising photography you see has a lot of thought and money behind it in order to make a sale.

Advertising photography is designed to move the merchandise off the shelves. Advertising photography exists to make the cash register ring. And advertising photography will use any tricks it can to accomplish its goals. Pictures sell products. And good advertising photography sells a lot of products. It doesn't matter to the advertiser if the advertising photography is misleading. It doesn't matter to the advertiser if the advertising photography makes you want a product that is bad for you. It doesn't matter to the advertiser if the advertising photography sells products that are environmentally unsound or unsafe. It only matters to the advertiser that the advertising photography sells you the product. It only matters to the advertiser that you buy the product either now or later, but that you buy.

We are all so accustomed to looking at photography now that we don't stop to think that the advertising photography that we see is not a casual thing. The advertising photography we see is not candid, even if it appears that way. Our minds are trained to accept as fact something we see with our eyes and advertising photography takes advantage of that fact. But that is what is so cynical about advertising photography. The advertisers using advertising photography are taking advantage of you and they are fully aware of it. In fact, it is planned and carefully orchestrated.

Des Moines Iowa Photography

Advertisement Photography.

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:07:00 -0700

Advertisement photography is by far one of the most competitive forms of photography. This is mainly due to the fact that you can earn far more money than in any other aspect of photographic industry.

Every day companies pay millions of dollars on advertisement; with one goal - to sell their product. Companies want to tell the reader that their product is best - so you must be able to match this.

The photographers work must be to the highest technical quality and he/she must have the ability to create a masterpiece from something simple. Close enough is just not good enough. Close enough will not sell a product.

To become an advertisement photographer one must first understand the market and understand what the client is looking for. The best way of understanding this is pick up a magazine and look at the ads. Study each image. Study the images you see on billboards or images that are used to advertise movies.

Most parts of advertisement photography can be classed as still life photography. So if you are interested in taking images for the advertisement market your first job is to set up your own home studio. This can be a great place to practice.

Every thing in your home can be photographed. Start off with a few glasses. But remember you are not trying to make the glasses look nice - you are trying to sell them.

The second thing you need is a large format camera. Buy a range of the best lenses. Slide film is your best choice for advertisement photography. The client may want to blow up the images to a billboard size.

The most important thing when starting off is creating a portfolio of your work. This can be sent to advertising agencies or can be shown directly to a company. Always have a few copies on standby. Also set up a web page. On-line advertising is growing at a spectacular rate. Your portfolio should also consist of a different range of images.

If you are thinking of using an advertisement agency, get their guidelines from them. These should be very helpful to you in understanding the market. Dealing with a well established agency should be very profitable for you if your photography is to par.

Advertisement can be seen everywhere - and about eighty percent of all ads use photography. Most advertisement these days consists of a few words and a stunning picture that should attract the viewer’s attention.

Photographer

Adventurers Need Small Camcorder Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Tue, 7 Jul 2009 08:55:00 -0700

With warmer weather comes activities and adventure for many travelers. No adventure retreat is complete without a camcorder to capture the most amazing of events. For all travelers, a quality small camcorder bag is just as important as the camcorder inside. Whether your traveling to the Yellowstone to see the wildlife, of traveling aboard to visit foreign culture, travel with a quality small camcorder bag like those made by M-Rock to ensure your equipment is safe. M-Rock is becoming the leaded in camcorder bags. Continue reading to find out why.

For the adventurer, a small camcorder bag has many advantages. A quality camcorder bag like those made by M-Rock keeps camcorders protected from falling and breaking. M-Rock small camcorder bags have comfortable shoulder straps and belt loops so the bag can be kept at your hip, on your back , or across the chest for easy access and comfort.

M-Rock small camcorder bags are very protective. Small bags offer triple protection from the elements with a rain-flap, zipper, and front buckle. The equipment inside is protected by thick foam and durable water resistant material. And if that is still not enough, all M-Rock camera bags come with a weather jacket that acts as a dry bag when the weather acts up.

M-Rock offers several sizes and styles of small camcorder bags. The Biscayne Bay, The Mesa Verde, and The Yosemite, are all great small camcorder bags that hold several different models of camcorders. The Niagara is a vertical bag that holds camcorders with lenses up to seven inches and comes with rubber straps to hold water bottles. All camcorder bags come with two additional side pockets for storing accessories.

Whatever type of travel or adventure you take this season, don’t forget to take along a camcorder, and don’t forget the camcorder bag. Visit M-Rock.com today to see the products they have available and see why everyone is switching to M-Rock.

Wedding Photographer

Abstract Photography - Has photography come of age

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:02:00 -0700

“Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance. Always, I am on the threshold.” -W. Eugene Smith

The invention of the camera liberated painting from its reportage role. Gone was the need to produce a likeness, detail the events of the story, painting was free to express emotions. True what had gone before contained an emotional content but now painting could experiment and through imaginative interpretation allow the emotional content to predominate. Freed from this constraint the painter was able to create a new language and explore the motivations of their art.

As the 19th century evolved and throughout the 20th century painters from the impressionists through the cubists and expressionists to the minimalists could to use colour, line and form to go straight to the emotional content of their work. The representational aspect of the work become coincidental and was pushed to the point that it became akin to lying on the grass making shapes out of clouds. Enjoyable as it may be it is secondary to the nature of clouds.

The introduction of the digital darkroom has given this freedom to photographers. The range of tools to fix and enhance the camera’s capture when pushed to its extremes produces a range of fascinating effects. When added to the filters built into the better software, images can be produced that any comparison to the original photograph is purely coincidental. As photographers explore these tools and incorporate them into their photographs so their visual language will grow. The revolution of the medium with the development from black and white into colour is taking its next step. Now with the digital darkroom’s ever growing range of tools the only limitation is the photographer’s imagination.

With the use of these tools, the skilled photographic artist can take the pop song and create, in visual terms, the lyric beauty of a baroque symphony or the down town jive of a jazz variation without a tree or a high rise in sight. Just the light captured by the camera and fine tuned into something completely different, something new that comes from the photographer.

The photographer has been liberated like the painter before them by technology. Now photographs can explore the full range of human experience including those they have no words to express. Large statements will be accessible by the photographer not only in physical terms. Although like their painter counterparts, through an additional feature of the technology, the large canvas is becoming the order of the day. That this canvas can express feelings rather than just illustrate them denotes that the photography has become an adult in the arts.

Des Moines Photographer

A Picture Perfect Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:02:00 -0700

Weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details.

The process of listing down and cutting down everything into specific details—the wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage—are the areas where stress usually ushers in.

Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding—the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERENCES

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have.

Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a “timeless” and the “safest” style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with brides maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the “photojournalist” pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He’s more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story.

Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.

In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one:

1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of one’s life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress.

3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Photo Pillow: A Great Gift for Grandparents

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:56:00 -0700

How many generations of your family are alive? It is likely that there are at least three generations in your family, but due to science and medicine that number could be higher. More generations in your family makes it possible for senior family members to meet and possibly get to know the newest family members.

It is important to remember that even though more seniors are living longer than they ever have in the past that does not necessarily mean that they will be in good health. There are many seniors who may have a difficult time traveling or are confined to a nursing home. This may make it difficult or virtually impossible for your grandparents to see and spend quality time with your children. There is nothing better then actually being able to see, talk to, and hold your grandchildren, but there is something that comes in a close second.

Photo pillows are a way that many grandparents are able to connect with a grandchild or great-grandchild. A photo pillow is created by taking a traditional black and white or color photograph and constructing it onto a pillow. Since it is not uncommon for many seniors to rest, read a book, or watch television it is likely that a photo pillow will come in handy. What can be better than offering a family connection and comfort all at once?

The easiest way to purchase a customized photo pillow is by finding an online photo pillow designer. Once you have found one or multiple designers to closely examine you will want to look at the photo pillow products that they have to offer. Many of the companies or individuals who make photo pillows have a selection of different pillow styles and designs. A small sofa-size pillow and a larger bed size pillow are common pillow sizes that can be transformed into a personalized photo pillow. It is likely that a grandparent would prefer any size photo pillow; however, the smaller sofa-size one tends to be the most popular.

Perhaps the best thing about photo pillows is that they can work in just about any room setting and they can be transported if need be. A photo pillow is a great gift idea for grandparents, but it is not the only photo gift idea available. There are many children or grandchildren who have purchased photo blankets or even both for their grandparents. Regardless of what photo items is purchased it is sure to be a hit with the grandparents them.
Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Photo Blanket: The Perfect Gift for Any Occasion

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:55:00 -0700

Have you ever sat in front of a computer, flipped through multiple store catalogs, or paced through the aisles at your local department store looking for the perfect gift for a friend or family member? If you have then you are not alone. Each day there are multiple individuals who need to purchase a special gift for a birthday, anniversary, or another special occasion.

If you end up purchasing a gift from a department store or a catalog it is likely that the gift you selected isn’t as personalized as you wished it would be. The problem with purchasing a personalized gift is that many individuals are looking in the wrong spot. A personalized photo blanket is a gift that would likely meet your needs; however, it is one that cannot be found in most department stores or store catalogs. Many times the only way to purchase a personalized photo blanket is to find a photo designer online.

Finding a personalized photo blanket designer is easy thanks to the internet. Many individuals who make a living developing personalized photo blankets only advertise their business online. This is why you may have never seen or heard of a personalized photo blanket before. Each photo blanket designer is likely to offer different product features and designs; therefore, you are encouraged to see what each individual has to offer before planning your blanket design.

Personalized photo blankets often come in a large number of different sizes and styles. To determine which size and style you would like to purchase you should first learn what is offered. It is not uncommon for small throw blankets to be offered; however, it is possible for smaller and larger photo blankets to be developed. When purchasing a personalized photo blanket you will also need to know if color blankets are available. Most individuals prefer a black and white blanket; however, both items are popular.

When a personalized photo blanket is purchased it is possible for the blanket to be used; however, many times they are just used as a memento. If you are purchasing a personalized photo blanket for someone that you know you should keep this in mind when making the purchase. There are many photo blanket designers who sell wall hanging kits. This is a great personalized photo blanket accessory for those who will want to preserve the blanket and keep it as clean as possible.

A personalized photo blanket is a great gift for friends and family members. Whether you are ordering a personalized photo blanket with a picture of you and your best friend or a picture of your family there is nothing as meaningful and as personalized as a photo blanket. Why purchase a generic gift when you can offer so much more to the person that you care about?

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Guide to Disposable Digital Cameras

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 07:54:00 -0700

Disposable Cameras (also called single-use cameras) first came on the market as film cameras. You would take the entire camera back where you bought it and they would crack it open, take out the film and process it, resulting in photos that were virtually indistinguishable from photos taken with a more conventional camera. Now, following the trends in conventional cameras, there is a choice between using film or digital disposable cameras.

Some people think digital cameras are too hard to use; the disposable digital cameras offer a solution. Disposable digital cameras still have all of the great features that attract people to digital cameras such viewing your pictures before printing and photo manipulation. With a disposable digital camera, you get a flash, a timer, and a viewing monitor (depending on the model you buy). This means that you can see whether you want to take the picture over or not, as you also have the ability to delete an unwanted photo, and retake it if you have the opportunity. Additionally, a free picture CD is usually included with your prints in a disposable digital camera package.

Does a disposable digital camera offer the same features as a regular digital camera? It does offer the most frequently used features, but you will not get zoom or night shots, or most of the other bells and whistles that come with a $400.00 camera. But disposable digital cameras do not cost anywhere near $400, and they do allow you to leave your valuable cameras safe at home and still have the technology that you may crave in a camera for between $10.00 and $20.00, and sometimes even cheaper.

However, you cannot connect your disposable digital camera to your PC or Mac. The photos must be developed at a retailer that provides the proper equipment for your particular brand of disposable digital camera. This may actually be a plus for the technologically challenged, though, since you don't have to hook up the wire, crop, fix the color -- no need to waste hours in front of a computer, as it's all done for you. Your time is valuable

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Custom Photo Purse: A Great Gift for New Moms

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:51:00 -0700

When a woman becomes a mother, whether it be for the first time or not, life changes at that very moment in time. When a mother has a child there is pride that is associated with that child. The pride associated with having a healthy baby boy or girl is amazing, but it is hard to put into words. As much as a mother would love to spend every minute with their child there are many who are unable to. When life starts calling there are many parents who are required to place their infants into childcare. Leaving a child behind, even only for a little while, can be heartbreaking, but what if there was a way to reduce that heartbreak even just a little bit?

When a mother returns to work for the first time after having a child it is likely that she will take a number of photographs with her. Photographs are a great way for mothers to always keep their child in their thoughts, but there is a newer more modern way. A custom photo purse is one of the newest ways to bring photographs alive and they can literally be carried everywhere you go.

A custom photo purse is created by using a special purse that is able to have a photograph constructed on a portion of it. The purses used to create a custom photo purse often come in a wide variety of different styles and sizes. It is possible for color or black and white photos to be constructed on a purse. There are only a small number of limitations; therefore, creating a custom photo purse is great way to help brighten up any mother’s day.

If you are a new mother yourself or know a new mother you are encourage to consider purchasing them a custom photo purse. For a reasonable price it is possible to turn a baby photo or a family photo into a custom photo purse. There are a wide number of companies or individuals who specialize in making custom photo purses. This means that different individuals may have different purse styles or design options. While it may not always occur, it is often possible to select not only the style of the purse, but the interior and exterior border colors as well. This feature truly makes a photo purse a custom photo purse.

Going back to work after having a child is one of the hardest and most painful things for a mother to do. Almost always the child is being cared for and it is the mother that is suffering the most. With a custom photo purse you can help a friend or family member cope with their return to work.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Guide To Buying A Digital Camera Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:52:00 -0700

How to Buy Digital Camera Equipment

There are so many digital cameras that it can be confusing trying to buy digital camera equipment. Here are some tips to help you decide which the best choice is for you and buy digital camera equipment that you will get the best results with:

• The first step before you buy digital camera equipment is to set a basic budget on how much money you want to spend. You do need to be realistic about the fact you won't be able to get the best of every feature, as you may have to make tradeoffs when you actually buy digital camera equipment.

• Your experience level has to have a big influence in your decision to buy digital camera equipment. There is no point in buying too much buy digital camera equipment than you can actually use. For a novice you should buy digital camera equipment that is point and shoot so that you don’t have to worry about manually changing any settings. Digital zoom is not as important a part in the process of choosing to buy digital camera equipment as you may first think. Basically it just means that the camera crops the picture and gives you the center piece of it. You do not need to buy digital camera equipment that does this as you can do it better yourself after you take the picture. You can usually move closer to the subject anyway and to buy digital camera equipment that includes an optical zoom can add a lot of unnecessary cost and weight to the camera. Of course, expert photographers will want to buy digital camera equipment that gives them more manual control over the exposure process.

• Next you need to consider what you will use your camera to capture before you set out to buy digital camera equipment. A fast shutter speed is necessary for moving subjects. You can also buy digital camera equipment that has special features to enable you to take multiple pictures in quick succession for high-action pictures.

• There are a number of helpful websites that give reviews on photographic products to help you decide on the best camera for your needs before you buy digital camera equipment. Of course, you can also ask friends and family about their digital camera choices. Price comparison websites are also essential to help you to buy digital camera equipment at the best possible prices. Remember that when you buy digital camera equipment there are often a list of extras that you may want to purchase, including batteries and memory cards.

Don't be tempted to go for a trendy-looking, colorful camera if you really want to buy a less cool looking one that does more of what you want. Make sure that you have got as many of the features that you wanted to have in the first place and haven't compromised too much on them for the sake of a few extra dollars. It is important to ensure that you buy digital camera equipment that you are happy with and enables you to take the photographs that you want.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

A Brief History Of Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:49:00 -0700

For centuries images have been projected onto surfaces. The camera obscura and the camera lucida were used by artists to trace scenes as early as the 16th century. These early cameras did not fix an image in time; they only projected what passed through an opening in the wall of a darkened room onto a surface. In effect, the entire room was turned into a large pinhole camera. Indeed, the phrase camera obscura literally means "darkened room," and it is after these darkened rooms that all modern cameras have been named.

The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce on a polished pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative called bitumen of Judea. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine. However this process turned out to be a dead end and Niépce began experimenting with silver compounds based on a Johann Heinrich Schultz discovery in 1724 that a silver and chalk mixture darkens when exposed to light.

Niépce, in Chalon-sur-Saône, and the artist Louis Daguerre, in Paris, refined the existing silver process in a partnership. In 1833 Niépce died of a stroke, leaving his notes to Daguerre. While he had no scientific background, Daguerre made two pivotal contributions to the process.

He discovered that by exposing the silver first to iodine vapour, before exposure to light, and then to mercury fumes after the photograph was taken, a latent image could be formed and made visible. By then bathing the plate in a salt bath the image could be fixed.

In 1839 Daguerre announced that he had invented a process using silver on a copper plate called the Daguerreotype. A similar process is still used today for Polaroids. The French government bought the patent and immediately made it public domain.

Across the English Channel, William Fox Talbot had earlier discovered another means to fix a silver process image but had kept it secret. After reading about Daguerre's invention Talbot refined his process, so that it might be fast enough to take photographs of people as Daguerre had done and by 1840 he had invented the calotype process.

He coated paper sheets with silver chloride to create an intermediate negative image. Unlike a daguerreotype a calotype negative could be used to reproduce positive prints, like most chemical films do today. Talbot patented this process which greatly limited its adoption.

He spent the rest of his life in lawsuits defending the patent until he gave up on photography altogether. But later this process was refined by George Eastman and is today the basic technology used by chemical film cameras. Hippolyte Bayard also developed a method of photography but delayed announcing it, and so was not recognized as its inventor.

In the darkroomIn 1851 Frederick Scott Archer invented the collodion process. It was the process used by Lewis Carroll.

Slovene Janez Puhar invented the technical procedure for making photographs on glass in 1841. The invention was recognized on July 17th 1852 in Paris by the Académie Nationale Agricole, Manufacturière et Commerciale.

The Daguerreotype proved popular in responding to the demand for portraiture emerging from the middle classes during the Industrial Revolution. This demand, that could not be met in volume and in cost by oil painting, may well have been the push for the development of photography.

However daguerreotypes, while beautiful, were fragile and difficult to copy. A single photograph taken in a portrait studio could cost US$1000 in 2006 dollars. Photographers also encouraged chemists to refine the process of making many copies cheaply, which eventually led them back to Talbot's process. Ultimately, the modern photographic process came about from a series of refinements and improvements in the first 20 years.

In 1884 George Eastman, of Rochester, New York, developed dry gel on paper, or film, to replace the photographic plate so that a photographer no longer needed to carry boxes of plates and toxic chemicals around. In July of 1888 Eastman's Kodak camera went on the market with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest". Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others. Photography became available for the mass-market in 1901 with the introduction of Kodak Brownie.

Since then color film has become standard, as well as automatic focus and automatic exposure. Digital recording of images is becoming increasingly common, as digital cameras allow instant previews on LCD screens and the resolution of top of the range models has exceeded high quality 35mm film while lower resolution models have become affordable. For the enthusiast photographer processing black and white film, little has changed since the introduction of the 35mm film Leica camera in 1925.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers

10 Tips In Better Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Darwin Curl) — Fri, 15 May 2009 07:46:00 -0700

Taking a good photo isn’t as hard as you may think. You don’t need the most expensive camera or years of experience, just 10 simple tips.

Enjoy!

Tip 1 - Use All Your Available Space

Don't be afraid to use all the space in your photo. If you want to take a picture of something, it's ok for it to take up the whole shot with no or very little background showing. Keep distractions out of your shot

Tip 2 - Study Forms

This is a vital aspect to photography. Understanding forms in your photos. Don't see an object, she its shape and its form and find the best angle to photograph it from. Form is all around us and I highly suggest you read as many books on it as possible.

Tip 3 - Motion In Your Photos

Never have motion in your photos if you are photographing a still object. If there is something moving while you are trying to photograph a stationery object, your photo won't turn out anywhere near as well. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.

Tip 4 - Learn To Use Contrasts Between Colors.

Some of the best photos have shades of white, gray and black. You can take great shots with just one color on your subject, but the contrasts between colors in a shot is what makes you a great photographer.

Tip 5 - Get Closer To Your Subject

This is one of the biggest mistakes most photographers make, not getting close enough to their subject. Get up and personal and close the distance gap. You can always reshape and resize a good shot but you can't continue to blowup a distant object.

Tip 6 - Shutter Lag

Shooting action shots with digital camera's can be tricky due to shutter lags. What this means is, when you press the button to take the photo, it can take up to a second for the shutter to take a photo, by that time what you were photographing would have moved or changed somehow. This means you have to compensate for shutter lag by predicting what your subject is going to do and taking the photo just before it takes the action you want. More expensive digital cameras don't have this problem.

Tip 7 - Pan

If you are taking an action shot and your shutter speed is slow, pan with the object. Follow through with the subject, from start to finish and one of those shots will be a winner. You have more chance of getting a good shot if you take more then one photo.

Tip 8 - Continuous Shots

To pan like I suggested above you will need a camera that does continuous shots and doesn’t need to stop and process after every shot.

Tip 9 - How To Take Fantastic Night Time Shots

Night time shots can be spectacular, almost magical.... if done right! If not they can look horrible. Really horrible. Without adequate lighting, even good camera's can turn out crappy photos if the photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing.

Tip 10 - Study Your Manual

If your digital camera has a special night time mode, read the manual and follow their instructions on how to use it properly.

Des Moines Iowa Photographers