Posts Tagged ‘photos’

What Are Photo Books?

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

When we wish to relive a special moment in time or think about someone near and dear to us, we often gaze fondly at photographs. Pictures enable us to travel to a time and place gone by, and keeping them on display grants easy access to this journey, either by yourself or with friends and family. Photo books are wonderful ways to present photographs in a stylish manner. What are photo books and how do they differ from photo albums?

Photo books are very much what you probably envision them to be considering their name. They are bound books that are comprised of photos printed on the pages therein. You might have these photos stored in a number of locations such as your computer’s hard drive, facebook, or a photo sharing site like Shutterfly. Depending on how you want it to look and the types of pictures you wish to include, a photo book varies in style and theme. For instance, if you desire several photos to appear on a single page, maybe 15 or 16, you may opt to utilize pictures of a smaller scale. You are likely to find companies that provide pre-set and customizable backgrounds for the pages as well as several colors and designs that fit the photographical scheme. If you are a well-versed publisher, you may want to create your own background to obtain the optimum results.

Photo books are quite similar to any other book you will encounter. Your photos are printed onto paper of a high grade and often on glossy printing paper. To truly take advantage of the book format, text is added to the margins or to the bottom of the page that further enhances the events that the pictures on the page portray. Photos books are most often hardcover bound in suede, satin, or leather. Some present die cut windows on the cover so that photos on the first page are able to show through. Photo books differ from photo albums mainly in that they consist of printed pages rather than of pages that physical photographs are attached to. Photo books are pre-printed books that read and look like a book you would buy at the store. Photo albums are more like a scrapbook of images compiled by the photographs you adhere to the pages inside, not like a book that has been created with a printing press.

Photo books add an air of professionalism that really sets off the photos inside. They read like a book of any kind, providing a dimension to your photographic display that albums do not possess.

Now Try – Photo Books

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Simple Tips To Ensure A More Successful Photo Shoot And Receive A Higher Acceptance Rate

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

I’m continually amazed at how photographers and their work are so entwined; Prior to coming to PhotoSpin, I spent 20 years as a commercial photographer and remember all too well those sinking feelings of rejection when I didn’t get chosen for a project or someone didn’t like my work . Let’s face it, it hurts both your ego and your wallet.

I find that it’s just as difficult to deny artists’ work as it is to have my own work rejected . But that’s business. It’s normal for the photographers[/spin[ to take the rejection as a personal front against them, unable to separate the business from the art. Here at PhotoSpin, we can't accept all the images from potential [spin]contributors so you just have to learn to ignore your ego and don’t take the rejection personally. If we accept your images and sign you, that means we like your work, however, that doesn’t mean that all of your photos will be accepted. We need to maintain a certain image quality that our clients have come to expect and your images need to meet that quality in order for us to accept them. If they don’t meet our quality standards your photos will get rejected.

When your work is rejected let it be an inspiration to create even better work . Just remember, it’s your photography that got rejected, not you. Recently I’ve had several photographers question why our rejection rate is so high with certain collections. The simple answer is: Most Stock agencies have very high standards for what is accepted and offered to their customers.

It is important for all contributing artists to remember that, just because they shoot a photo, it doesn’t mean a stock agency we will automatically post it. Stock agencies’ editors evaluate each image for quality and content before they accept an image to their site. Once an image is accepted and makes its home on a stock agency’s site, it is the agency’s customers that ultimately determine the image’s worth.

The following are simple tips to ensure a more successful shoot and higher acceptance rate:

People shots:

*Do the models work together? Are you thinking ethnic diversity?
*What are you trying to say with your image?
*Does your model fit the theme of your image (sticking a crystal ball in front of a model doesn’t make her a fortune teller)?
*Does the wardrobe, styling, hair, and make-up work with your theme?
*Is the location and lighting appropriate for the situation? Try not to force a shot just because you have a model (i.e. don’t just stick a hat on your model and call it a graduation photo).
*If you are a product photographer don’t try to shoot people as a still life. They will look stiff and the photos will reflect it.

Food for Shots:

*Did you hire a food stylist to prep your image or are you just shooting what’s in front of you? The photographers that are getting a higher return for their images are using a food stylist to prep their shots. Even a large restaurant chain will hire a professional to prepare their food for an advertisement.
*Are you using the right utensils, plates, and stemware that fit with your image (i.e. crystal stemware for a black tie dinner)?

Product/Still life Shots:
*Did you remove the labels?
*Consider the lighting: If you are using candles as a prop do not over light. Create a mood, not just record an image.
*If you are not a studio photographer don’t force it. Work with what you know. As you learn studio lighting then shoot for our collection.

These are just a few basic suggestions. Most importantly, remember who is using the image. Here at PhotoSpin, we believe that our customers deserve the very best thus, by accepting only the highest quality images, we intend to deliver it to them.

For more information on becoming a PhotoSpin contributor please visit: www.photospin.com/contribute

Check out useful recommendations in the sphere of heirloom organic seeds – read the publication. The times have come when concise information is really within one click, use this opportunity.

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How To Improve Your Photography

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

If you aren’t an expert photographer and want to perfect their skills then these five suggestions as well as a photography degree can help. But, even though these are good tips they can’t improve the quality if you’re not already succeeding with the essentials. Remember to keep the photo rather balanced and centered. And if you’re taking a photo of someone or something in action use a faster shutter speed. There are lots of things you can do to improve your pictures but here are five basic tips that can change the overall quality.

1. Focus the Camera
This may seem like common sense but unclear photographs keep appearing. Some people shoot great pictures without ever thinking about it while others have photo albums full of crappy photos. Many digital cameras come with automatic focus yet people still don’t recognize that they have to hold the button part of the way down before it goes into focus. Make sure you know how your camera works but if you struggle focusing on small subjects then put your camera in spot focus mode which will let you have more control over what the camera is really focusing on.

2. Use a Tripod
Although tripods can be a pain to carry around they will improve the quality of your pictures. Especially if you’re trying to get a picture from a ways away and you have to use zoom. The more you use the zoom button the harder it is to get a picture that isn’t blurry from the slightest movement. A cheap tripod can make a huge difference in the sharpness of the photo.

3. Aperture Priority Mode
If you want something to be the focus of the picture then put your camera into the aperture priority mode. Setting the aperture to the highest number is essential the closer you get to the subject. This mode allows the photographer to control the depth of the field and is used especially in landscape and portrait photography.

4. Use Soft Lighting
Product photography hardly ever gives good results if your camera has a built-in flash. So for soft lighting you should shoot outside or on an overcast day. Soft lighting creates the best product photography but if you can’t tell which type it is then perform this test. Start out by holding out your left hand and keep it flat and then use your other hand to hold a finger sideways from a few inches away on top of it. The darker and harsher the silhouette cast by your finger the greater the hard light conditions.

5. Image Editing Software
It doesn’t matter what kind of software you use, but the quality of your photo will increase by using it. Editing software is great because it allows you to take an imperfect photo and crop, resize, or sharpen the image in a minimum of sixty seconds.

Sharpness and lighting are the greatest distinction between personal and expert photographs. And these steps will help you improve your skills and ultimately your pictures. Ideas one through three help with sharpness while four increases the lighting and five is the final solution. Photography can be fun and these tips can help you improve the sharpness and lighting of your photos.

If you’re not sure which career path to take, general school online or adult education can also benefit you.

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How To Improve Your Photography

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

If you aren’t an expert photographer and want to improve their skills then these five tips as well as a photogrpahy certificate can help. But, even though these are great tips they can’t improve the quality if you’re not already succeeding with the basics. Keep in mind to keep the photo rather balanced and centered. And if you’re taking a photo of a person or something in action use a faster shutter speed. There are lots of things you can do to improve your pictures but here are five main tips that can change the overall quality.

1. Focus the Camera
This may seem like common knowledge but fuzzy photographs keep appearing. Some people shoot great pictures without ever thinking about it while others have photo albums full of crappy photos. Many digital cameras come with automatic focus yet people still don’t recognize that they have to hold the button part of the way down before it goes into focus. Make sure you know how your camera works but if you struggle focusing on small subjects then put your camera in spot focus mode which will let you have more control over what the camera is really focusing on.

2. Using a Stand
Although tripods can be a pain to carry around they will improve the quality of your pictures. Especially if you’re trying to get a photo from a ways away and you have to use zoom. The more you use the zoom the harder it is to get a picture that isn’t blurry from the slightest movement. A low-priced tripod can make a huge difference in the sharpness of the photo.

3. Aperture Priority Mode
If you want to focus on a single thing then put your camera into the aperture priority mode. Setting the aperture to the highest number is essential the closer you are to the subject. This mode allows the photographer to manage the depth of the field and is used especially in landscape and portrait photography.

4. Use Soft Lighting
Product photography rarely gives good results if your camera has a built-in flash. So for soft lighting you should shoot outside or on an overcast day. Soft lighting produces the best product photography but if you can’t tell which type it is then do this test. Start out by holding out your left hand and keep it flat and then use your other hand to hold a finger sideways from a few inches away on top of it. The darker and harsher the silhouette cast by your finger the greater the hard light conditions.

5. Use Image Editing Software
It doesn’t matter what brand of software you use, but the superiority of your photo will increase by using it. Editing software is splendid because it allows you to take a flawed photo and crop, resize, or sharpen the image in a minimum of sixty seconds.

Sharpness and lighting are the greatest difference between individual and professional photographs. And these steps will help you improve your pictures. Suggestions one through three help with sharpness while four increases the lighting and five is the final solution. Photography can be enjoyable and these tips can help you improve the sharpness and lighting of your photos.

If you’re not sure which career path to take, general online school or adult education can also benefit you.

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Things We Don’t Get in Miami… The Colors of Autumn

Saturday, October 24th, 2009


Tall Trees with Autumn Leaves

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

So, I was in the Seattle, Washington area earlier this month for a conference at Microsoft when I found out that it happened to be the peak of the season for the leaves changing colors. With a little research, I found out about the Washington Park Arboretum.

The Arboretum consists of 230 acres including North America’s largest collection of Sorbus and Maple. Since I had NEVER seen this up close and personal, I eagerly drove to the park to see the famous colors of fall that everyone talks about. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!

My GPS took me directly to the visitor’s center at the park where I promptly gathered my back pack along with my camera to capture the spectacular beauty of the colorful trees. I shot hundreds of pictures (many bracketed for HDR later) as I walked along clearly defined paths in the park. The colors of fall are indeed something to be seen first-hand. Whether you are in the Pacific Northwest, or elsewhere, take a drive to one of these areas in the middle of October and see what you have been missing!

In capturing the image here, I was challenged with framing it properly. There is actually a sprinkler head on a pipe sticking out of the ground about 2 feet high just behind the center tree. I had to take small steps left or right of my optimal composition to get the shot you see here. My walk in the park was cut a little short that day unfortunately, as the famous rain in Seattle started to come down and chased me out of the park.

I hope you all get to see this in person sometime – it is spectacular!

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How to take pictures for HDR processing

Sunday, August 9th, 2009


The US Capital HDR

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

During this week’s trip to Washington, DC, I decided to take some bracketed shots to process later to see what they would look like in HDR (high dynamic range).

The first – and most challenging thing to do was to convince the rest of my travel party to give me a few extra moments during our walk through our nation’s capital to take pictures, change some settings and take some more. If you have a choice, I suggest that you find the time to take pictures for HDR processing on your own.

Now that you have my first tip, the next and “real” first step is to setup your tripod. I like to attach my camera to the tripod and carry it around while looking through the viewfinder to frame the shot properly. Once you find your shot, set your tripod down and use the built-in bubble level to ensure your shot is setup as most people would expect to see it. Once the tripod is set, and your shot is properly framed, move on to “step 2.”

Next, you will want to go into your camera’s menu and look for AEB, or auto exposure bracketing. On my Canon Digital Rebel XSi, I set this to +/- 2 for this shot. I encourage you to experiment with this setting and take lots of practice shots using different settings. Check out the results when you set it at +/- 1, 1 1/2, 1 2/3, etc.

The third step I take is to attach my remote control AND turn off the image stabilization (IS) feature on my lens. The purpose of the remote control is to avoid causing any camera shake by simply pushing down on the shutter release. As for your IS setting, I suggest you read your user’s manual for the camera and/or lenses. My manual clearly states that one should NOT use IS when taking pictures on a tripod. The simple explanation is that the IS can make a mistake and compensate for movement when the shutter is released. Personally, I prefer the cable release over infrared – it’s just one less thing to fail in the field.

Now that your tripod, AEB, remote control, and IS setting has been taken care of, be patient! For this shot for example, I was waiting for the LEAST movement possible from the US flag. I also had to wait (along with the rest of my travel companions) for about 5-10 minutes for pedestrian traffic to clear this area, but in the end it was all worth it to me. Finally, the moment was here – I held down the remote control button and it took 3 automatically bracketed pictures for me within one second. I should take a moment to tell you that if you do not know, or like to use the AEB, you can also pause between shots and set your F-stops the old fashioned way too.

I hope this posting helped you get some kind of idea on what to do to take pictures for HDR processing. Now that you have your bracketed shots, I will let you decide on which method or program to use to process your shots.

One final note… Remember that the end result of your HDR creation is for YOUR enjoyment. If you are happy with the end result, that is all that matters. Some will say that it is too “fake” for their taste, or that it looks like a pencil drawing as opposed to a photograph – but that is quite alright. Your HDR creation is for YOU!

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Capture the Moment!

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009


Your Boat is Ready!

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

During my current trip to Alabama, I took a ride into Oak Mountain State Park on what most considered a horrible rainy afternoon. While driving through, I saw a lake to my right and was fortunate enough to find that NO ONE was around! Their loss, my gain…

When I came around the corner, I saw a beautiful clash of colorful paddle boats and canoes sitting at the dock. The amount of color was just too much to walk away from, so I parked in the empty lot, put on the best lens I had with me, and walked out to the dock looking for the right angle to get this capture.

All I can say is walk around your subject until you can see what you really want to capture. I never imagined I would stand where I did to capture this shot. But, it was the best for lighting and color. Time was also on my side when the sky opened up and I caught the gorgeous blue sky with gray and white clouds just above the tree line. Don’t stay in if it is raining, you never know what you will find!

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Shooting Pictures from the Air

Monday, April 20th, 2009


Miami From Above – Residential Islands and Miami Beach

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

First and foremost, a very big thank you goes out to my buddy Ross at www.floridaphoto.com for a great flight on a perfect afternoon yesterday. Can’t wait to do it again!

Last time I went flying with Ross I had a Sony DSC-H1. The pics came out ok, but back then I was a pure point-and-shoot kinda guy. No manual settings, everything was set to automatic. The pictures came out fine, but nothing like the ones from yesterday using manual settings on my 450D!

I started out trying to shoot at ISO 100, then 200, only to find out that my shutter speed was way too slow for what I wanted to capture. Based upon his suggestions, I made some adjustments and all I can say is THANKS – it definitely made a difference in the sharpness of the pics.

Another thing I learned is that next time, I won’t be attempting to use my circular polarizer AND I will wear a dark color shirt to minimize the reflections from the inside of of the window on my side. Of course, one of those nifty holes in the window on the other side will help as well Ross – LOL.

If you are looking for aerial photography around South Florida – take a look at Ross’ site mentioned at the opening of this entry. If he doesn’t already have what you want, you won’t be disappointed with his work!

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Perfect Timing!

Friday, April 17th, 2009


Merlin Falcon in the Florida Everglades

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

Talk about timing!

I was recently out with a friend of mine and his wife taking Loop Road out by the Miami-Dade / Collier County line… It was a 25 mile or so drive through the Everglades off of Tamiami Trail which proved to give me one of the best shots yet.

But, I must say, that all of this was absolute perfect timing! I was using the standard 18-55mm lens on my XSi, while my buddy was using his new 200mm lens on his camera. After standing out there for a few minutes, I asked if I could borrow it for a couple of shots and that’s when the magic happened!

The apparently young falcon was simply sitting there enjoying the sunlight when it decided to spread its wings and turn around for us! It was stunning to say the least! Needless to say, I am now in the market for the Tamron 18-270mm lens with the Canon mount for my XSi. With a couple of back-to-back trips coming up in May, I can tell you that I will absolutely have this lens for that next perfect timing moment!

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Framing your Photos

Sunday, January 11th, 2009


South Beach Living

Originally uploaded by dgmiami

I have been told that I may have an eye for framing pictures. We are not talking about putting a picture inside a border for display, we are talking about looking through the lens and seeing the shot in its entirety as one would want to have it if printed.

When I was walking by this building, I looked up and saw the angles created from the balconies, the curves from the building itself, the reflections of the sky in the windows, the trees, the sky and the clouds above. I could envision all of these aspects in a picture and it was not until that point in my mind that I picked up the camera and framed the shot I wanted to capture through the lens.

I wanted to capture the height, the angles, etc. to ensure that it is more than a flat image. I also wanted to capture the depth of the shot by having the palm trees up front and the clouds over head. This was a simple shot that I really enjoyed. Now, if I could only live here and look over the ocean every morning – that would be awesome!

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