Damburger

It doesn’t matter how hard you try, taking pictures, especially in public, can cause stress and embarrassment for the photographer. Most amateurs will shy away from a shot they would really like to capture because of the threat of public exposure or ridicule. When the time does come for that great image, shots are often hurried with little thought as to composition and, not infrequently, incorrect camera settings.

If you fit into this category, then you need to act like a pro

Professional photographers make their living from taking photographs. Their work may be diverse - from a group shot with an important corporate client to a simple record of a church bazaar for the local press. In all cases, the images have much importance as they might be used for illustration in a glossy brochure or magazine or needed for the front page of the daily newspaper.

Many professionals have to work to a tight schedule and all of them will have a client that is eager to see the results expertly delivered. The client (or employer) pays for the professional’s expertise and the photographer is under pressure to come up with the goods.

How would you do in this situation? Would you sweat and panic? Would you fumble and stutter? Do you know how to handle your equipment under the severest of pressures and conditions and could you produce acceptable images each and every time?

How would you feel if your livelihood was dependent upon getting paid for perfect images?

Luckily, for most of us, there are no such pressures and we can either forego an important shot or accept substandard quality. After all, we are only amateurs and our day job pays the bills.

However, by looking at how professional photographers carry out some of their tasks, you can learn and gain confidence and skills in taking those all-important shots.

In the next part I will discuss attitude.

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

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QUICK RESPONSE IS KEY

When it comes to salvaging photographs that have been damaged by water, sooner is always better. Mold and mildew will start to form on damp records within 48 hours. The best way to inhibit the growth of mold and mildew is to reduce humidity. Increase air flow with fans, open windows, use air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Moderate light exposure (such as open shades, or leaving the basement lights on) can also reduce mold and mildew.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES

Do not attempt to pull apart photographs or negatives that have stuck together.
Soak them in clean water until they separate on their own. Rinsing and drying can
take quite a while. Newer photographs can be temporarily stored in a bucket of cold
clean water until you have time to work with them. Keeping them wet prevents
mildew growth because mildew can only grow on damp material, not wet. Freezing
is another option for temporary storage, but should not be used with photographs
that are over 50 years old. For older photographs, electronic restoration is your best
option.

Rinse them in more clean water as you go. Be careful not touch the emulstion
(image) side of the print while it’s wet. There are two acceptable drying methods:
spread out face up on a clean, dry, smooth surface or hanging on indoor lines with
clothespins. The first method requires more space, but is gentler to your photos.

COMPUTER DISKS AND TAPES

Disks should be rinsed in clear water, placed in a plastic bag and put in your
refrigerator. The next step is to take it to a professional drying center and have the
data transferred to a new disk or tape. You can call the Disaster Recovery Institute
toll free at 888-374-7845. Companies that are members of the institute specialize
in restoring computers and computer records after a disaster.

MORE FREE INFORMATION AVAILABLE BY PHONE & INTERNET

• The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has an entire section
devoted to Disaster Assistance. http://www.nedcc.org/welcome/disaster.htm. You
can also call their emergency phone line day or night, seven days a week.
(978) 470-1010. This service is free.

• Conservation Online (CoOL) http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/ is
packed with free information. The link above will take you directly to the section on
disaster recovery. CoOL’s main site has articles on just about every aspect of
conservation and preservation.

DIGITAL RESTORATION

Many independent camera stores contract with experts to restore damaged
photographs digitally. Rates vary based on the extent of damage and how much
work is required. Call your local camera shop or Jacobs Archival Services for more
information.

And remember — digital copies can serve as an excellent emergency backup. Just
be sure to keep a set in a different location than your house. A safe deposit box or
office works well. You can also send disks as gifts to family and friends around the
country. That way, everybody wins!

Sally J. Jacobs has a Master’s degree in Library & Information Science with a
specialization in Archives Management. She has worked on collections at the Library
of Congress, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the University of Wisconsin. Her
FREE monthly Ask the Archivist eZine includes tips on how to
organize, preserve, and enjoy
your cherished photographs, letters, quilts, and wedding gowns. It will even help you
with your “born digital” photos! Signup is quick and easy online:
http://www.jacobsarchival.com. Stop by the website and pick up some free preservation information. Your great-granddaughter will
be glad you did.

Don’t Let Your History Disappear!

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We have all seen the scene of the photographer being surrounded by the heavies, the camera being confiscated and the film being thrown on the ground. Makes for great dramatic footage but in most jurisdictions such behaviour is illegal unless accompanied with a court order.

Essentially if you are in a public place, you can shoot away to your heart’s content. Even in the paranoia of post 9/11 and officers from security forces both private and government saying otherwise. But do use some commonsense, taking pics of military installations is just dumb as with any other sensitive government building.

Conversely if you are on private property such as a shopping mall or somebody’s farm you must heed the owner’s instructions. It is their property so they get to call the shots. Although from the public road you can click away.

However you will have to exercise restraint with regard to a person’s privacy or expectation of the same. The person seen in the window of your shot of that lovely composition of windows could land you in trouble if they took exception to being in the pic. Conversely, the same person walking down the street would be fair game.

An excellent article on the state of play in the US by Andrew Kantor, published in USA Today, can be found here. As he says, “If you can see it, you can shoot it”. He also refers to a downloadable PDF by Bert P. Krages The Photographer’s Right.

In England things a little more complicated, not only do you have to take English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish law into account, which can vary from place to place, but the European Convention on Human Rights also gets a look in. An extensive over view is the The UK Photographers Rights Guide

There is no such guide available for Australia at the time of writing although the information available from the Art’s Law Centre indicates that taking photos in public places you can just click away. Justice of the Peace, Barry Daniel spells it out a lot more here and in essence says. “The general rule in Australia about photographing in a public place seems to be that, unless there is a legal prohibition such as a statute or ordinance or a legally authorised sign indicating photography is not allowed,
you can photograph virtually anything you wish.”

For street photographers, overcoming the invasion of another’s personal space is a greater concern. It does take some nerve to get in close and personal with a stranger. Although being completely legal, the subject’s reaction could be down right illegal. If it comes down to a choice between a broken/stolen camera and a broken photographer, I know my choice.

Fortunately it rarely escalates to that extreme and in 5 years of street photography it has only happened to me once and that was my own fault. I was so intent on what I was shooting I didn’t notice the agitated subject in the lens, who was incidental to my shooting. When he turned up a short while later with 2 large mates in tow, well a stolen point & shoot isn’t high on the police crime statistics.

If you do find yourself the subject of a street photographer, ignore them. It isn’t you they are shooting it is the scene, which you just happen to be a part of that is their point of interest. Unless you are providing a street performance, in which case its free publicity. If you’re embarrassed by your performance, should you be doing it in the street?

Canadian street photographer, John Brownlow has some very good advice regarding overcoming shyness when engaged in street photography, it can be seen here. Nitsa, another very good street photographer suggests taking a friend along on your shoots, not only are they good back up but can help distract a subject from giving you their photo face.

In this post 9/11 time of terrorists under the bed, shooting infrastructure will be sure to attract attention. As happened to a colleague in Australia, who became enthralled by the way the light was working the local oil refinery. He stopped to take some shots and a couple of hours after getting home the local gendarmes were on the door step with the mandatory who, what, where and especially why. With some help from the local press his right to take photographs in a public space was confirmed by his minister for police.

It escapes me why the person with the big, black SLR is such a subject of official concern. Any self respecting terrorist is going to go to some trouble not to be noticed in their activities. If they can’t get what they want with a Google search, one would suspect that a cell phone would be their camera of choice. But such are the times we live in.

Henry Bateman is an artist/photographer, his work can be seen at http://www.pissedpoet.com

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Gone are the days when you would need to employ a professional to take a video for your business projects. Whether you need it to provide training to your employees or students, you can do it yourself with the help of a digital video camera. In fact, with the advent of the Internet, and e-learning becoming so popular nowadays, a digital video camera has become essential equipment for all organizations, especially training or educational institutes.

Digital video cameras are extremely simple to use. They are lightweight and compact. Also, the transfer of video data to your computer for editing is extremely simplified in a digital video camera using todays Firewire cables.

So, now the question arises that how does one go about choosing a camera for himself/herself?

Before you go shopping for a digital video camera, it is essential that you answer a few questions. These will help you to pick up the best camera which is most suitable to your needs.

Since voice clarity is critical in a digital video camera, you need to know whether you will be shooting indoors or outdoors.

Also, what kind of videos do you plan to take - are they going to be of people shopping around in a mall or mostly of officers giving multimedia presentations in a conference room?

What is the kind of lighting that you are going to get? Is the weight of the camera an issue?

What is the battery life of the camera that you will need? Do you plan to shoot for a couple of hours together or only a few minutes? Do you plan to use any special effects while shooting?

Once you have answered all these questions, you will be able to get a basic idea of the kind of camera that you need.

Let’s go over the types of digital video cameras for consumers and hobbyists. First there is DV, HDDV, Mini DV. Handheld palm size cameras, larger full featured cameras with great audio options, and finally cameras that rival professional quality and can be used to make some very professional looking video products.

It is also important that you have the correct software for enhancing the images once you have loaded them onto your computer. These will help you to edit your work in the best possible manner and also easily load them for video conferencing, emailing etc.

Many software programs for NLE editing (non linear editing) exist for the consumer and pro alike. Adobe makes it Premier line of editing software which has proven to be quite popular and effective over the years. This is more of a mid level software and is relatively expensive. I use it for my corporate editing needs. Other mid to high level software packages include Final Cut Pro (on the Mac platform), and DV Express (from Avid). Final Cut is an awesome product if you use the Apple computers. Hollywood uses it to edit movies nowdays, and it has tons of amazing features to it. However it is not user freindly to the novice. The learning curve is steep. On the cheaper side of things you can use the Imovie software on the Mac side of things, Pinnacle Studio 9, Ulead Video Studio 8, and My DVD5 from Sonic. These products will get you editing your DV in no time.

Hence, if you do your homework in advance, you will be happy in the end. So, go and check out websites and shops for information on what you need, talk to shop keepers, and then simply zoom away! There are so many wonderful things you as a consumer can do today with digital video cameras. Don’t wait for the next wave. Jump into digital video today and have some fun with it.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports.
http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html

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How do you take a silhouette? It’s pretty easy most of the time. However, it can take some experimentation to get right. If you get it perfect, you can capture some truly fantastic images.

The basic end point you are trying to achieve is to underexpose your subject. The best way to do this, and for it to have some effect, is to have your subject against a bright background - the sky or a window and to expose for the background.

When outdoors, point the camera at the sky (not the sun) to get your exposure and either transfer those readings manually or use “exposure lock” to keep them in the camera when you take the shot (this can be achieved often by pressing the shutter halfway down and holding it there whilst you recompose for the subject).
If indoors, have your subject against a window and expose for the window light itself.

The brighter the sky (or window light) the more contrast there will be between the subject and the background and therefore the silhouette will have greater impact and crispness. Use different settings until you get it right - sometimes the background can turn out a bit muddy looking.

You may need to experiment as the technique is open to distortion because of a number of variables. Give it a try.

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

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A digital sports photography article would have been fairly brief as recently as a couple of years ago. In essence, it would have stated that digital cameras have unacceptable shutter lag, and cannot yet achieve the frame rates of their film cousins. End of story.

Well, that particular story has in fact ended. These days the focus is on digital cameras finally reaching the level of film cameras, and being widely used with great effect in digital sports photography. The aim nowadays is to point out the clear benefits offered by the digital route.

In fact, a number of excellent books have appeared on digital sports photography, confirming that this type of photography has finally become an acceptable mainstream digital activity.

In ‘Digital Sports Photography’, G. Newman Lowrance offers a wealth of information on the techniques and equipment you will need for successful digital sports photography - either as an aspiring professional, or taking shots at the local basketball game.

Lowrance has many years’ experience of digital sports photography, and his pictures have been widely published in Official Super Bowl and Pro Bowl game magazines, NFL videos and calendars, NFL Insider Magazine, and elsewhere.

He doesn’t hold back, and gives you a lot of information from some excellent sports photographers and editors. Issues such as color management, camera setup, and equipment options are covered. You will discover all the ins and outs of the unique techniques applied to shooting for baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and tennis.

Lowrance also uses his own experiences in digital sports photography, and gives true, autobiographical examples of how to get started and how to succeed as a professional.

His book features many eye-catching sports action photographs that will generate excitement and inspiration. The informative content will motivate you to become familiar with new aspects of the technology, stimulating a keen interest and involvement in this aspect of photography.

In short, ‘Digital Sports Photography’ will give you the help and guidance you need to make your photos stand out from the crowd!

Another book that illustrates how far digital sports photography has come, is ‘Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time’, by Serge Timacheff and David Karlins.

This book helps you to take great shots by overcoming obstacles like rain and crowds, bad lighting, fast-moving athletes, flash limitations, and other challenges.

The authors give advice on how to shoot a wide range of sports: extreme, outdoor, indoor, competitive, recreational, and more. The book provides many full-color examples illustrating professional tips and techniques, and shows how to tackle skilled digital sports photography with any kind of digital camera, from point-and-shoot to SLR.

And the bottom line for many aspiring digital sports photographers is that this book will also teach you how to actually sell your images!

One of the advantages of digital sports photography highlighted, is that once you have the equipment, including enough batteries and memory cards, it doesn’t cost anything to snap away at that baseball game…

For more information visit Best-Digital-Photography.com

Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

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Resolution can be defined as the number of pixels that, constellated together, form an image or a photograph. Pixels are small points on the image that can have various colors. Digital photography uses pixels to create photos. Image sizes in photography are measured by the number of pixels in width and depth. The measurement is generally determined as resolution. Computer screens use the same measurements as digital photography. Most typical are sizes such as 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 960, 1280 x 1024, and so on.

The general thing about digital photography is the number of pixels. Different resolution makes for different images. The more pixels an image has, the more elaborate it is. Details depend on the number of pixels. But bigger resolution also means bigger image file size and larger print size. This may cause some difficulties if you are trying to print the image by yourself. Larger file formats also cause trouble when sending files via email: some email accounts have specific space and your attached files are too large to be received. Despite this, people prefer resolution with greater number of pixels. The picture looks much more realistic when more pixels construct it. It is the same as in the puzzle game: the more pieces a puzzle has, the more complex it looks. Pixels give additional shades and nuances because they can take different colors, so the image looks as real as possible.

Let’s discuss the difficulties of file and print size. Using a 3 megapixel camera, you have no trouble printing 8×10 or smaller photographs and get satisfying results. If you want to print something bigger, you will get into trouble. You’d better go to a printing shop. For prints of larger size, you may need special paper and a professional, who can do it for you. Another thing to remember is changing of size. You can change the print size without making defects on the resolution. But this can only be done when making an existing photo smaller. If you decided to enlarge a small image using a program, you’d better give it up. Smaller images are made of different resolution formats and when you enlarge them, the number of pixels stays the same and is no longer compatible with the larger copy, so the quality of the photo is lost.

Resolution defines the file size as well. You may try to convert larger files into smaller ones, before sending them through email. Before re-sizing an image, you should better save it in its original resolution quality. Save it in its larger and pixel-rich size and then make it smaller in the editing program for emailing. In that case you will always have a copy of the original if you like to print it. Remember that once resized, an image cannot be brought back to its previous size, as it is larger and resolution would be changed for the worse. This effect is called pixelation: when you try to enlarge an existing copy. It always results in worse printing image quality.

There are three points you should remember about resolution.

1) The higher the resolution, the better printed image quality.

2) The higher the resolution, the larger the file size and the larger the print size.

3) Do not confuse pixels with dots. They are not the same. Pixels per inch (PPI) and dots per inch (DPI) are variables completely different from one another.

Article by Robbie Darmona - an article writer who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information click Photo hosting.

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Patience is a virtue. It always has been and always will. In photography terms, it is vital.

We are so used to things happening rapidly in photography that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed and ever ready for the sudden shot or opportunity. Candids, objects going at breakneck speed and the general rush of life all make us believe that getting the correct shot “as soon as possible” is the only way to capture a great image.

No so. Take your time, relax and chill out.

There will be times that you need to act quickly. But in more cases there is a need for patience and perseverance.

Consider a bird in your garden. He visits you on a regular basis and you have even put up some hanging nuts to capture his attention and entice him to stay that little bit longer. He visits and you snap away because he only stays a few seconds before he is gone - perhaps alerted or frightened by something around him.

Why not take a different approach and instead of rushing to get that photograph when he is newly landed, set up with a view to staying an hour, two hours, three,,,,

In this way you are likely to capture him when YOU are ready. Even more, you are likely to find that he comes back again and again, giving you the opportunity for more shots of him in action.

If you are lucky, careful and patient, there might very well be other birds visiting that same bag of hanging nuts. Perhaps you hadn’t even noticed them in your garden but now, because you were prepared to watch and wait, you now have additional opportunities for a great photo.

Patience is a virtue. Oh yes.

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

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Slowly I walked up to this small flock of geese. Their colorful feathers glistened in the afternoon sunlight. I was being very careful not to disturb these beautiful creatures of nature.

The four of them walked in unison closer to the wall. They were preparing to take flight if things became too much of a threat from this silver faced bird. I often wonder what I look like to the birds and wildlife I am taking pictures of. They always seem to sit up and take notice, as if to pose just for this photograph opportunity.

I got several pictures and turned to leave them to their daily routine. Then as I turned I thought of something I had told a friend not long ago. “I am just going to have to go up to a flock of geese and make them fly off. Then I will get a close enough picture of geese in flight.” I am always trying to capture these birds as they fly overhead. But they fly so high and so fast, I am rarely happy with the results.

So here I was with the perfect opportunity. If I held my camera just right, and approached them gently I was hoping they would glide into the river in front of us. I returned to my quiet approach. After all I didn’t want to scare the feathers off of them. I walked with my camera in front of me slowly, and just as I had hoped, off they went. One at a time they flew off the wall and into the river. A fellow walker even
stopped so I could get the best photograph possible. It was an exhilarating experience.

When I checked the pictures later I had two excellent shots of the Canadian geese wings as they folded to catch the wind. You can almost count the feathers as they carry those large bodies into the water. Sometimes in nature, you have to set the stage for the photographs you want to take.

Even though I got a good shot, I must say that it could be better. I do admire the work of photographers as they sit for hours sometimes behind a blind (hidden from site) just waiting for the right shot to come along. You have to love nature to want to do that.

But sometimes little tricks like a bird feeder on your patio or in your back yard can attract wildlife closer for your own nature pictures. I certainly prefer sitting in my kitchen waiting for the birds to come to me. Okay so I am a little lazy, but I do love taking pictures of nature and flowers.

I remember the picture I lost of an owl swooping down to capture a newborn duckling one spring. And another that flew off from his perch when he decided I had taken enough pictures of him. It certainly does not pay to get too excited when you are taking pictures of birds in flight.

Sally Stoneking is an enthusiastic photographer and digital art dabbler. Owner of Nature and Flower Pictures where you can share in her enthusiasm for taking pictures and creating art. Visit http://www.nature-and-flower-pictures.com for a full selection of pictures to download. Join Nature Tales for more tips and tricks in nature photographs.

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