As is the case with most of our macro photos, the inspiration behind this series came from getting outside and actively searching for subjects – you can’t always expect to come up with good ideas whilst sitting around!

We were looking for subjects in our garden in the UK when we noticed some mosquito larvae developing in a pot of stagnant water. We did a bit of research into their development and discovered that it takes about 1-2 weeks (depending on the temperature) for them to develop into the adult form that we all know and love! This was perfect, since it gave us a good amount of time to devise a set up to photograph them as they emerged.

Over the course of about 14 days, we maintained a keen eye on their development. We kept the larvae in a glass of distilled water indoors and covered it with perforated cling film – we didn’t want to suffer their bites during the night! Once the larvae had turned into pupae, we knew they were close to hatching. We soon discovered that when we saw one straighten out, we had about 5 minutes until go-time.

We transferred the mosquito into a special pot of water and made final adjustments to our setup. We were using a Canon EOS 5D with a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens. For the lighting, we had three flash units – a macro ring light and two supplementary speedlite flashes. Additionally, we had two halogen desktop lamps to illuminate the green printed background. Working at such large magnifications meant that we needed plenty of light to keep the ISO low, the aperture small and shutter speed high.

In order to obtain a strong reflection, we had to get an extremely shallow angle with the surface of the water. An aperture of around f/16 provided a sufficient depth of field, however, this meant that we did encounter some softness in our images due to small aperture diffraction. The mosquitoes were only a couple of millimetres long so in order to get the required magnification, we zoomed the lens in to 4x (this means a 1 mm object was projected to a size of 4 mm on the camera sensor).

After a mosquito had fully emerged from its pupal case, it would rest on the surface of the water for a few minutes whilst it pumped fluid into its wings. We took as many photos as we could, but we were limited by the time it took the flashes to recharge to full power. In total the whole process took no more than 5 minutes from start to finish.

It really was an amazing transformation to observe and the project gave us genuine respect for these much-maligned little insects!

Note that no mosquitoes were harmed during the taking of these photographs!

To see more mosquito photographs and many other projects, please checkout our wildlife photography blog, flickr stream or facebook page.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Macro Photography: Mosquitoes Emerging

Do you want to know how to photograph fireworks? With 4th July just days away I thought I’d refresh this article in which I give 10 Fireworks Photography tips to help you get started.

Fireworks Displays are something that evoke a lot of emotion in people as they are not only beautiful and spectacular to watch but they also are often used to celebrate momentous occasions.

I’ve had many emails from readers asking how to photograph fireworks displays, quite a few of whom have expressed concern that they might just be too hard to really photograph. My response is always the same – ‘give it a go – you might be surprised at what you end up with’.

My reason for this advice is that back when I bought my first ever SLR (a film one) one of the first things I photographed was fireworks and I was amazed by how easy it was and how spectacular the results were. I think it’s even easier with a digital camera as you can get immediate feedback as to whether the shots you’ve taken are good or not and then make adjustments.

Of course it’s not just a matter of going out finding a fireworks display – there are, as usual, things you can do to improve your results. With 4 July just around the corner I thought I’d share a few fireworks digital photography tips:

Get more Digital Photography Tips like this in your email with our free newsletter

1. Use a Tripod

Photo by Piero Sierra

Perhaps the most important tip is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure it doesn’t move during the taking of your shots. This is especially important in photographing fireworks simply because you’ll be using longer shutter speeds which will not only capture the movement of the fireworks but any movement of the camera itself. The best way to keep your camera still is with a tripod (read our series on tripods and how to use and buy them). Alternatively – keep in mind that there are other non Tripod options for beating camera shake.

2. Remote Release

One way to ensure your camera is completely still during fireworks shots is to invest in a remote release device. These will vary from camera to camera but most have some sort of accessory made for them. The other way of taking shots without touching your camera is to use the self timer. This can work but you really need to be able to anticipate shots well and its very very hit and miss (read more on remote shutter releases).

3. Framing Your Shot

One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is working out where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you’ll be photographing goes off – anticipation is key. Here are a few points on getting your framing right.

Photo by Stuck in Customs

• Scope out the location early – Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also). Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into – you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).
• Watch your Horizons - One thing that you should always consider when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in it’s framing. This is especially important if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots (ie a cityscape). Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. As you get your camera on your tripod make sure it’s level right from the time you set up.
• Vertical or Horizontal? – There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape). Both can work in fireworks photography but I personally find a vertical perspective is better – particularly as there is a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if you’re going for more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length of if you’re wanting to capture multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot – but I don’t tend to go there that often.
• Remember your framing – I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.

4. Focal Length?

Photo by asmundur

One of the hardest parts of photographing fireworks is having your camera trained on the right part of the sky at the right time. This is especially difficult if you’re shooting with a longer focal length and are trying to take more tightly cropped shots. I generally shoot at a wider focal length than a tight one but during a show will try a few tighter shots (I usually use a zoom lens to give me this option) to see if I can get lucky with them. Of course zoomed in shots like the one to the left can be quite effective also. They enable you to really fill the frame with great color. Keep in mind however that cropping of your wider angle fireworks shots can always be done later to get a similar impact in your photography.

5. Aperture

A common question around photographing fireworks displays is what aperture to use. Many people think you need a fast lens to get them but in reality it’s quite the opposite as the light that the fireworks emit is quite bright. I find that apertures in the mid to small range tend to work reasonably well and would usually shoot somewhere between f/8 to f/16.

6. Shutter Speed

Photo by *vlad*

Probably more important to get right than aperture is shutter speed. Fireworks move and as a result the best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. This is a mode that allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter (preferably using a remote shutter release of some type). Using this technique you hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds).

You can also experiment with set shutter speeds to see what impact it will have but I find that unless you’re holding the shutter open for very long exposures that the bulb technique works pretty well.

Don’t keep your shutter open too long. The temptation is to think that because it’s dark that you can leave it open as long as you like. The problem with this is that fireworks are bright and it doesn’t take too much to over expose them, especially if your shutter is open for multiple bursts in the one area of the sky. By all means experiment with multiple burst shots – but most people end up finding that the simpler one burst shots can be best.

7. ISO

Photo by Mr Magoo ICU

Shooting at a low ISO is preferable to ensure the cleanest shots possible. Stick to ISO 100 and you should be fine.

8. Switch off your Flash

Shooting with a flash will have no impact upon your shots except to trick your camera into thinking it needs a short exposure time. Keep in mind that your camera’s flash will only have a reach of a few meters and in the case of fireworks even if they were this close a flash wouldn’t really have anything to light except for some smoke which would distract from the real action (the flashing lights).Switch your flash off.

9. Shoot in Manual Mode

I find I get the best results when shooting in manual exposure and manual focus modes. Auto focusing in low light can be very difficult for many cameras and you’ll end up missing a lot of shots. Once your focusing is set you’ll find you don’t really need to change it during the fireworks display – especially if you’re using a small aperture which increases depth of field. Keep in mind that changing focal lengths will mean you need to need to adjust your focusing on most lenses.

10. Experiment and Track Results

Photo by y entonces

Throughout the fireworks display periodically check your results. I generally will take a few shots at the start and do a quick check to see that they are OK before shooting any more. Don’t check after every shot once you’ve got things set up OK (or you’ll miss the action) but do monitor yours shots occasionally to ensure you’re not taking a completely bad batch.

Also experiment with taking shots that include a wider perspective, silhouettes and people around you watching the display. Having your camera pointed at the sky can get you some wonderful shots but sometimes if you look for different perspectives you can get a few shots that are a little less cliche and just as spectacular. Most of the best shots that I’ve seen in the researching of this article have included some other element than the fireworks themselves – whether it be people, buildings, landmarks or wider cityscape perspectives.

More Tips from DPS Readers

• “Find Out the Direction of the Wind – You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they’ll come out REALLY hazy.”
• “Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.”
• “Remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you’d normally think necessary). That way, you’ll up your chances of getting that “perfect” shot.”
• “Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn’t much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest one.”
• “Get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure”
• “Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!”

Tell us your fireworks display photography tips in comments below. Don’t forget to tell us which city you’re in and what the fireworks are like there!

We post tutorials like this every day – Get more via email with our free weekly newsletter.

PS: Got some fireworks photos to share with us? Head over to our forum where there are a few fireworks photography discussions taking place.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays

As you can gather from the title, this post relates to travel photography. However, I want to note that travel photography is a broad topic and so for most part, the mistakes that I’ll discuss here are actually made by the majority of those of us who are in the beginning of our journey into the world of photography, regardless of the genre we’re involved in.

Because I wanted to go into some detail and to provide some visual examples, we’ve decided to split this post up into two parts. Without further ado, here’s part I and check back for part II tomorrow.

1. Having misconceptions about equipment

The two main misconceptions that we most often have about equipment when we’re starting out in photography are:

• The latest, greatest gear results in better photos.
• The gear you have is not good enough because your images are not. In other words you blame the equipment.

A camera doesn’t take the photo, nor does any piece of photographic equipment. Photos are made by you – the photographer. Sure in some very rare cases you might have a technical issue with a camera body or a lens, but for most part that’s not the concern. Most of the essential photographic gear is better than good enough these days, it has been for the last five years or so (with the development of affordable digital SLRs), one just has to know how to use it to its full potential.

My advice here in short is – forget about chasing the latest, greatest stuff. Get out there with what you have, figure out how to get the most out of your equipment, learn when to use one lens over another, when to use a tripod and of course, learn about the basics of photography – setting the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This might seem like the most obvious advice imaginable, but somehow so many aspiring photographers still think that it’s all about the equipment you have, there’s just nothing further from the truth.

2. Not Researching

When I refer to research, I simply mean gathering as much information as possible about the place you’re traveling to. The best time/season to travel, the DOs and DON’Ts, the modes of transportation – these are the necessities, that we must find out about before every trip in order to have a smooth experience not only as far as photographing, but traveling in general.

Beyond the necessities, when photography is the main focus of your trip, it’s worth finding out as much as possible about what’s visually special in the place you’re going to. Sometimes this isn’t going to be obvious, you might have to dig a little, but when you do, a great number of photographic opportunities arise.

Traditional Vedhic school, Thrissur, India

I’ve chosen to include the image above because the story behind it is a good example of what even simple research can lead to. The photo depicts a Namboodiri boy (priest caste) chanting the Vedhas (which can be described in short ancient Indian bits of wisdom) in a traditional Vedhic school in the town of Thrissur. This place (the school) is not a major attraction, it’s not something that the regular visitor travels to Thrissur for, but to me it provided an incredibly interesting photographic opportunity. Despite the fact that I would have never just wandered in there by random chance, as the school is isolated from the main town, it wasn’t at all hard to find it or gain access to shoot there, it was simply a matter of knowing that it existed.

The reason I knew about it is very simple – I researched and by this I don’t mean that I did something complicated and difficult. I went into the tourist office and chatted to the staff there, telling them that I’m a photographer and that I’m keen to see anything that’s visually interesting and unique in their town. After “picking their brains” for about an hour I got a few bits of useful information and the traditional Vedhic school was one of the places I realised I just had to check out.

3. Not looking beyond the main attraction

A lot of travel destinations have “must see”, “must photograph” main attractions. Sometimes we get so obsessed with getting an image of these attractions that we fail to see the subjects around them which could be equally or even more photographically interesting.

I’ve been guilty of this numerous times in the past and so these days I consciously force myself to look at what else there is to photograph besides the obvious. Sometimes this might even mean that I stay at a place for an extra day or two. I photograph the main attraction and then discover the lesser known yet still photo-worthy subjects. This is how the following image came to be. It was taken in Bromo National park.

Bromo National Park, Java, Indonesia

During my first couple of days I shot what everyone shoots there – the Bromo volcano and the neighbouring mountains, from different viewpoints. On the third day, rather than make my way to another viewpoint from which to photograph the volcano and mountains at sunrise, I decided to purposely focus my attention elsewhere. I rode around the area on a rented motorcycle and noticed the spectacular scene of these horsemen walking in the fog through the surrounding volcanic desert.

4. Not being aware of light

Not being aware of light means that you simply shoot whatever you see in any given lighting conditions without giving much thought to the whole matter. Your results might have impact on the viewer every now and then and they might sometimes reflect what you want to say and how you feel about what you see, but more often than not that won’t be the case.

Being aware of light means that you know there are different kinds of light and that the way your image looks will greatly depend on the light you shoot it in. This of course also means that you can make a conscious effort to photograph in the kind of light which will reflect what you want to say and how you feel about the subject you’re photographing.

Let’s look at a simple example.

Transylvanian countryside, Romania

The landscape in the image above looks beautiful, vibrant and dramatic because it is lit by the golden light during sunrise. I made a conscious decision to photograph in this kind of light because I knew that it would bring the colours present in this scene to life and it would basically “beautify” everything.

The light enabled me to create an image that reflected what I wanted to say – how beautiful Transylvanian countryside is, as well as to communicate the excitement which I felt. Had I photographed the same scene without considering light, I could have very well ended up with something much less dramatic. I would have likely just photographed the landscape the first time I saw it and that was on an overcast day, when the light made everything look rather grey and drab.

5. Avoiding artificial light

As we get a little more familiar with light and begin to develop an understanding of how it effects our photographs, a lot of us tend to move away from using artificial light, especially flashes.

The reason most of us do this is because we don’t have enough knowledge about artificial light. It’s true that the on-camera flash should indeed be avoided at all costs, but it’s not the only available artificial lighting option and avoiding artificial light altogether means you’ll never see what you can achieve with it, which in my opinion is a big mistake.

The artificial lighting tools that I consider a great addition to any serious travel photography enthusiast’s kit are an off camera flash in a softbox and/or a reflector. The reason these tools are great is that they allow you to control the light or to manipulate it. This opens one up to a whole range of creative opportunities or even opportunities to make photographs in situations where it would be impossible to do so otherwise. The following image is a good example of this.

Nomads at a camel fair, Kolayat, Rajasthan, India

The only reason I could make this shot was because I had the artificial light from an off-camera flash in a softbox “assisting” the light from the fire, which on its’ own was no where near strong enough to allow me to make the kind of photo I wanted.

Without getting into too much more detail because of the constraints of a blog post, I will say that artificial light is a very exciting topic. If you’re interested in learning more about it, particularly portable, artificial light in the form of an off-camera flash and a reflector, you can check out my eBook “Seeing the Light”, which was featured here on DPS a while a go. Find out more about Seeing the Light.

Update: check out the continuation of this post – 5 MORE Common Mistakes Aspiring Travel Photographers Make (+ How to Avoid Them) – also check out our new eBook – Transcend Travel: a Guide to Captivating Travel Photography.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

5 Common Mistakes Aspiring Travel Photographers Make (+ How to Avoid Them)

In response to this we have published an E-book, explaining in easy-to-understand language how to get the most out of your camera.

Discover How Your Camera Works and Take Better Photos Today

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a brand new downloadable PDF E-book designed to help you know your camera and take better photos.

This resource has been written by regular contributor to DPS – Neil Creek and works through a series of 10 lessons centered around the basics of photography.

10 Lessons to Give You Control Over Your Camera

After investing in this book – you’ll be walked through the following topics:

Lesson 1 – Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2 – Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3 – Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4 – Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5 – Aperture
Lesson 6 – Shutter
Lesson 7 – ISO
Lesson 8 – The Light Meter
Lesson 9 – White Balance
Lesson 10 – Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation

Photo Nuts and Bolts Contents Page: Covering 10 Lessons on the Basics of Understanding Your Camera

By the end of it you’ll understand how your camera works and be in a much better position to be able to make decisions on how to best use it rather than just sit in Auto mode.

Photo Nuts and Bolts Features:

• Takes you back to basics and builds your camera knowledge from the ground up
• Smoothly animated diagrams, right in the page, showing complex concepts simply and clearly
• Photographic theory made accessible
• Demonstrates how technical concepts relate directly to taking photos
• All lessons are written with a focus on helping you to be a better photographer
• Diagrams, photographs, analogies and lists makes the book fun and accessible
• Each lesson comes with homework and exercises that you can go away and DO to make what you learn stick
• All lessons come with extra resources for you to go away and learn more about the topics covered

Sample Pages from Photo Nuts and Bolts

Feedback from Photo Nuts Owners

This E-Book is brand new but the feedback from readers is already coming in:

“Thank-you, for such an innovative product. Just skimming through the book and cheat sheet tells me heart, soul and mind went into their production.” – Mary (Anacortes, WA)

“This e-book just got me inspired. I’m reading it at my computer, then dashing outside to test what I’m learning and then coming back in to learn more!” – Grant Thompson (Brisbane, Australia)

“I always knew my camera could do more than I was using it for and now I know where to start in doing more than just pointing, hoping and shooting.” – Ian Bishop (Boston, MA)

Brand New Teaching to DPS

Photo Nuts and Bolts is an e-book that centres around content published on DPS in Neil’s Photography 101 series of posts but has been updated and rewritten with a lot of new content including:

• Over 5000 words of new original content
• New chapters covering the topics of White Balance, Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation
• Selected reader comments and questions answered and added to every chapter
• Glossary covering lots of technical camera terms
• All content has been revised and reviewed where necessary for more accuracy

LAUNCH WEEK BONUS: Photo Nuts Pocket Reference Guide

Grab your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts E-book in its launch week and we’ll throw in a free bonus Printable PDF Photo Nuts Pocket Reference Guide.

This is a quick guide to get you started with camera settings in various situations.

For example if you find yourself Indoor in a low lighting situation it’ll suggest where to start with setting your Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO. If at the beach it’ll suggest how to approach shooting in that situation.

It covers 10 situations and will help you to take what you’ve learned in the main book and put it into action in a practical way while shooting.

This handy little bonus will only be available for one week after the launch of the Photo Nuts and Bolts E-book. After the first week it’ll be available no more so act fast.

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

If you’re not satisfied that Photo Nuts and Bolts ebook is helping your photography within 30 days just let me know and I’ll refund your money – that’s how confident I am that this is a resource that will help you improve your understanding of your camera and as a result, your photography.

Download Your Copy Today

Be among the first to secure your copy of Photo Nuts and Bolts and to grab the bonus Pocket Reference Guide. This bundle would normally be priced at $29 but we’re offering it directly to DPS community members and subscribers at $19.97 (USD). Grab your copy today – Payment is via PayPal or Credit Card.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Get Complete Control Of Your Camera

Image by Stéfan

1. Don’t leave your camera

You never know what opportunities will present themselves to you if your camera is always at your side. It may be a bit of extra hassle, but you will develop a greater sense of observation by being aware of your camera constantly.
 

2. Shoot a Photo a Day

No greater photographic progress can be seen than by a personal photo a day challenge. Watch your development over a period of 1-3 months and be amazed at how far you’ve come.
 

3. Smile: Photos in your daily life

Most New Years resolutions include spending more time with friends and family. Take a photographer’s spin on this one, and make it a priority to take casual photos of your friends and family on a day-to-day basis. Capturing memories for others is commendable, but capturing memories for yourself is priceless.
 

4. Prioritize your goals

Do you want to develop your business practices? Learn a new technique? Save for a lens? Allow your tasks and plans to filter through your long-term goals.
 

5. Read a photography book a month

Many professional photographers have tremendous resources for up and coming photographers. Check out this list to get you started.
 

6. Join or Start a photo club

Camaraderie between photo buddies and colleagues is a treasure worth investing time in. Gain invaluable advice, and accountability by joining a local photo club. And if you don’t have a photo club in your town – start one!
 

7. Subscribe to 5 new industry leader blogs

David Jay. Jasmine Star. Mike Cologne. Dane Sanders. Scott Roberts. Becker. Ron Dawson. The list of industry leaders who enjoy giving back to others is endless. Glean from their wisdom and experience as often as you can!
 

8. Compete!

Submitting your photos to competitions is one of the greatest ways to get your photos off your hard drive and into the sights of important judges and industry leaders. Remember, it’s not about who you know, but who knows you!
 

9. Plan a formal shoot a week

If you want to learn more about portraiture, schedule a months’ worth of weekly sessions with models, couples, or seniors. Take a few hours to set up a shoot with as many details as possible, and build your techniques and portfolio.
 

10. Share online

Facebook, Flikr, and other photo sharing sites are obvious ways to share your photos online, but don’t stop there. Set up private albums for friends and family on picasa albums, or other services that will enable ordering and downloads to the people you love.
 

11. Learn a new slideshow program

Windows Movie Maker and iMovie may be convenient, but they may not offer you all the tools you need to display your photos with wow! Take some time to learn another program for your slideshows to create the most professional look.
 

12. Create a photo book a month

What do you do with the photos you take every month? Instead of simply storing them on a hard drive, put them into a simple photo book. Use Blurb, MyPublisher, or Snapfish for easy and professional looks. You will be ecstatic when, at the end of 2010, you have 12 books featuring your work!
 

13. Build your website

Whether it’s a free template or a friend’s design, take the time to present your work on your own piece of the web. It adds to your credibility, and enables you to easily share your work with others.
 

14. Challenge yourself with flash lighting

Flash is bad – NOT! Flash may be a bit scary and intimidating, but a little bit of discipline and hard work, and you can become a flash pro. Check out some of these articles to join the ranks of the proud flash photographers.
 

15. Get a photography or business mentor

Sometimes it takes a little bit of assistance to get where you need to be in creative or business endeavors. Send
 

16. Inquire at a newspaper

Look for connections in unexpected places. Even if you don’t want to go into photojournalism full time, getting some work at a newspaper will give you some good connections, and provide opportunities you may not have had otherwise.
 

17. Display your work

Many local cafes and coffee shops are interested in supporting local artists. Make some appointments to sit down and inquire if the owner is willing to display your work on the venue’s walls. You may not be able to display them for sales, but you will generate additional interest and possible clientele.
 

18. Get published

These days, being published does not simply mean by paper medium. There are hundreds of blogs relevant to the kind of photography you want to create. Do some investigating. Make a list of a dozen blogs and submit your work. Then – be persistent!  Be cordial, but follow through.
 

19. Take monthly photo walks

Do you take photo’s to relax? Sometimes amid the tension of photographing for business, or photographing for development, it’s easy to forget the enjoyment of photography. Return to the joy by scheduling an afternoon or an hour to walk through a new town, trail, or area and find inspiration. Your eyes will be opened in a new way, and you will remember the euphoria of creative discovery.
 

20. Plan a monthly calendar for next year

What one theme do you love more than anything else? Florals? Landscapes? Smiles? Eyes? Shoes? Find your favorite theme, and plan to shoot one photo a month in that theme, and put them together in a calendar for next year. Friends and family will love the calendar, and it gives you an excuse to display your work on the walls of homes!
 

21. Follow a regular photo blog-posting schedule

Photo-blogging weekly will develop your skills rapidly. Your readers will force you to be accountable to shooting consistently, and you will be able to see your development by leaps and bounds.
 

22. Teach a class

You are always one step ahead of someone else. Challenge yourself to host a photography class for a group in your area of influence. A church youth group class on composition. A low income after school program on creativity. A free reach out to professional amateurs on best business practices. You have something to offer, and sharing with others will also help you know your stuff as best you can.
 

23. Promote your work in an online Gallery

Can’t afford to print and frame dozens of pieces in a photo collection? Don’t have to. Using a hosting provider such as Zenfolio, Shutterfly, or Pictage, you can bring your work into the homes of others with the click of a mouse. Force yourself to use your photos instead of allowing them to sit on a hard drive, never to be used.
 

24. Give away monthly desktop calendars

There’s no better way to stay in the thoughts and mind of future clients than offering monthly calendar wallpaper for free download. Design something with a photo, and perhaps a special quote or verse. Post on your blog, and forward it on to friends and family. If it’s really cool, they’ll forward it on to others also. Suddenly, strangers will know who you are, and you will be competition on a different level.
 

25. Reach a hand

Get involved with HelpPortrait, or offer your services to a Boys and Girls club, or other nonprofit. These organizations are infamous for having low budgets for multimedia, and if you can offer your skills for their cause, it will bring your name out, and give you value and worth that you don’t otherwise have.
 

26. Develop a post processing workflow

Systemizing your work is the best way to a quick development for future work. Even if you are not in the business of photography, deciding on a good workflow for every single shoot will help you save time and energy in post processing.
 

27. Create a business plan

Want to start a business? Or already have? The best way to get a quick start on competition is to develop a business plan answering questions such as, “where do I want to go?” “What do I want my business to become?” and “who is my ideal client?” Even if you are not sure about starting a photography business, setting a few goals for jobs will help you pay for that new lens.
 

28. Experiment with new presets

Develop your own editing style by playing with presets. Start here for a good list of presets, and then adapt them to your own style. Your photos will become more cohesive and specific – causing you to have a brand with your images no one else can mimic.
 

29. Make personal postcards to send friends

Print mail is a rarity these days. Imagine how you would stand out if you sent out monthly postcards to select friends and family? No one can afford an entire Christmas List every month, but you can rotate the list of recipients by month. Your work will get out, you will bless others with your images, and once again, you won’t have images sitting on a hard drive, idle and wasted.
 

30. Take a workshop

There is no shortage of professional photographers wanting to give back through workshops. You can find workshops of all kinds, levels, and price points. Want to get away for a weekend? Or study at your own pace? You can find a workshop on location or online and continue the transformational journey of your photography in an unforgettable and rewarding way.
 
 
 
 
 

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

30 Photographic Goals for 2010

I’m planning to update our Popular Digital Cameras and Gear page here on DPS in the coming week to help answer the question but thought I’d do a quick post looking specifically at what’s hot at the moment when it comes to DSLRs (as this is what many of those asking questions are focusing upon).

Note: it’s a particularly good time to buy a digital camera. Most online stores have Black Friday sales on at the moment. Here’s Amazon’s Camera sale (they’re updating it every day) and B&H also seem to have a lot of specials on at the moment.

What’s Hot in DSLRs?

Note: The following DSLRs are the most popular with our readers in their purchases over the last month. We’re listing them in the order of popularity in terms of sales and in the configuration (ie with or without lenses bundled) that they’re selling in best.

1. Canon EOS Rebel T1i

This camera has topped our best selling list for the last few months.

It’s a 15.1 megapixel DSLR which comes with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Image Stabilised Lens.

It has a 3.0 inch LCD, full HD video capture, live view framing of images, face detection autofocusing and a good range of features.

The T1i is currently priced at $718.56 at Amazon with the lens or $631.89 body only and is a great choice if you’re looking for an entry level DSLR.

2. Nikon D90 DX

The Nikon D90 DX is a 12.3 megapixel DSLR which comes bundled with an 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AF-S VR lens.

While not Nikon’s newest camera it has many fans in our forums and it is no wonder when you see its feature set including 3.0 inch LCD (high res), Live View framing, Face Detection, Video recording Image sensor cleaning, 4.5 frames per second shooting and a lot more.

The Nikon D90 with it’s 18-105mm lens comes in at $1031.89 or you can grab it Body Only for $794.95. It’s probably one of the best cameras in the ‘enthusiast’ range of cameras and in most reviews I’ve read of it gets a very high rating.

3. Canon EOS 50D

The 50D is another mid range/enthusiast camera that is often put forward in our forums by users as one to consider and it is reflected in the sales figures among our readers. Featuring a 15.1 megapixel image sensor, 3.0 inch LCD, Live View Framing, DIGIC 4 processor and 6.3 frames per second shooting – this camera still packs a punch despite having been on the market for over a year (although no video which is becoming standard on DSLRs).

You can pick up the 50D as a body only unit for $940.89, with a 28-135mm lens for$1,131.89 or an 18-200mm lens for $1499.

4. Canon Digital Rebel XSi

Another popular entry level DSLR from Canon contineus to be the 12.2 megapixel XSi (also known as the 450D in some parts of the world).

Features on this DSLR include a 3.0 inch LCD, DIGIC III processor, dust cleaning, 3.5 frames per second shooting, Live View Framing and a range of other standard DSLR features.

Again – this gets great reviews but is perhaps starting to date a little (although is selling well according to our figures.

The Canon XSi retails on Amazon for $521.89 as a body only purchase (and a little more for a silver one). You can also pick it up with an 18-55mm lens for $556.80.

5. Nikon D5000

Nikon’s turn – with their 12.3 Megapixel DSLR.

It’s another entry level offering but this one a little more up to date than others, having been released this year – plus it has a few extra features and probably puts it in the upper end of the entry level spectrum.

Feature wise it has a 2.7 inch tilt and swivel LCD, 720p HD Movie capture, Live View, Face Detection, 11 AF points and 4 frames per second shooting.

The D5000 is getting great reviews and takes great images for something of this price point.

Speaking of price – the D5000 bundled with an 18-55mm lens (the most popular bundle we’ve seen sold) retails at Amazon for $651.89 or body only for $599.99.

6. Nikon D3000

The little brother to the D5000, this 10.2 megapixel camera has been a popular buy with those right at the entry level of DSLR purchases. In fact at present the D3000 is the top selling DSLR on Amazon.

Features include a 3.0 inch LCD, Image sensor cleaning, 11 AF points and 3 frames per second shooting. Missing in comparison are a number of features including Live View, no automatic chromatic aberation correction, slower burst shooting, no tilt and swivel LCD. It also does not have a video mode.

The price of the D3000 will be attractive to many – with an 18-55mm lens it is $469.99 and body only it’s just $419.95.

7. Canon EOS 7D

One of the newest cameras on this list is Canon’s 18 megapixel 7D – a camera that has had ALOT of press this year.

This is a camera for the serious enthusiast (in fact I know a couple of pros who have this as their 2nd camera) and it is feature rich (a true big brother to the 50D mentioned above). Features include – Dual DIGIC 4 processors, 100% viewfinder, 19 point AF system, 8 frames per second shooting, built in flash (that can control external flashes), 1080p HD video, 3.0 inch LCD and environmental sealing.

In some ways this is actually a better camera than the Canon EOS 5D Mark II – and if you don’t need a full frame sensor this could be one to consider.

Getting very high ratings – the Canon EOS 7D is priced at $1699.95 as a body only package or with a 28-135mm lens is $1899.99 (although if I were spending that much on a body I’d want to grab an L series lens to put on it).

Nikon D300S

In a similar space to the Canon EOS 7D we find the D300S. While lower megapixels (it has a 12 MP sensor) it’s got a great feature list. The D300 (its predecessor) was widely regarded as the top of its class by many and the 300S is a worthy update.

Features include – 720p 24 frames per second HD video (with some in camera movie editing), 7 frames per second shooting, 3.0 inch LCD, image sensor cleaning, 51 AF points, Live View and a lot more.

A camera for those who are serious about their photography the Nikon D300S is priced at $1575.95 as body only or for an 18-200mm lens bundled with it you’ll be paying $2,427.70.

Pentax K-7

Yay! Finally a non Canon or Nikon in the list. We promise we’re not biased, we’re just reporting what people are buying from our readership!

The Pentax K-7 DSLR is a 14.6 megapixel DSLR. It has a 3.0 inch LCD, Live View framing, Moving Mode (1280×720p 30fps moview), 5.2 frames per second shooting and weather/dust/cold resistant body.

The K-7 has a retail price on Amazon of $1,114.95 when bundled with a 18-55mm lens.

10. Olympus Evolt E520

Rounding out our top 10 list is a DSLR from Olympus which will appeal to the entry level DSLR buyer.

This camera was released this year and features a four-thirds 10 megapixel sensor, in body image stabilization, face detection, shadow adjustment, Live View and more.

While it’s features are not as advanced as some of the other cameras above for its price it’s going to be very attractive to many – Body Only it is $399.92 and bundled with a 14-42mm lens it is $449.95.

Have Your Say

There you have it – the top 10 most popular DSLRs among our readers when it comes to purchases over the last couple of months.

Of course as with all of these types of posts there will be debate over whether the cameras should be ordered in that order or whether others should have made the list – but in the end this is just a list based upon our community’s spending patterns.

Is your camera in the list? If so – which one is it? If not – what have you bought?

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Top 10 Popular DSLRS

Whether it be casual photography of family or friends or more formal portrait work – it is people that are often what our cameras are focusing upon.

This guide is all about helping you to maximise the results and take portraits with a WOW factor next time you see a person through your viewfinder.

Since starting DPS back over 3 years ago we’ve written hundreds of posts on the topic of portrait photography. One of the questions I’m asked the most by readers is for a condensed version of these posts – something that will help them get to the meat of the topic in a logically ordered way.

This downloadable ebook is a combination of our best posts from the DPS blog (updated for this edition) as well as newly commissioned (and never previously released) tutorials.

25 portrait related topics are covered including:

• How to bypass portrait mode on your digital camera and get great portraits
• Photographing Children
• Travel Portrait Photography
• Environmental Portraits
• Posing Tips
• What to Wear in Portraits
• Introduction to Portrait Lighting
• Plus much more!

See a full listing of the topics covered here.

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the pages inside:

FREE BONUS SECTION – Interviews with the Pros

The first section pages of The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography are largely ‘how to’ in nature. While the teaching is practical and meaty (we believe you’ll get a lot out of it) we’ve also put together a further 17 pages of interviews with some great portrait photographers.

While theory is great – it’s often when you see how someone else uses it where things really click – so as a free bonus we’ve picked the brains of six great portrait photographers and authors:

• David Duchemin
• Jack Hollinsworth
• Chase Jarvis
• Bert Stephani
• Neil Creek
• Kris Krug

Each of these photographers gives practical tips and more importantly – they each show us at least one of their favourite portraits and talk us through how they achieved the shots.

25% Discount – This Week Only

To celebrate the launch of our first ever e-book and to thank you for being a part of our community we’re launching it with a special 25% discount for one week only.

Normally $19.95 (USD) we believe this resource is real value for those who buy it – but with the discount you’ll be paying under $14.95 (USD) this week. The price will go up at the end of the week so make sure you don’t miss the special price.

Note: during the checkout process PayPal gives you an option for a Discount code – ignore this as the 25% off has already been applied to the price. Click here for a visual of what to do.

What are People Saying about The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography

We released this brand new resource to a small group of our Twitter followers over the weekend just gone to get some feedback on it and the response has been fantastic. Here’s a few quick screen grabs of the very first tweets about it:

30 Day Money Back Guarantee

We’re so confident that this is an ebook that will help you that if you’re not satisfied that The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography ebook is helping your photography within 30 days of purchase just let me know and I’ll refund your money – no questions asked.

Grab a Copy Today

Make sure you take advantage of the 25% discount by securing your copy of The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography today.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

The Essential Guide to Portrait Photography – 25% OFF This Week Only

The 3 e-books are only $5 (USD) each – yet they contain some really great information that I’m certainly many DPS readers will really find useful.

Lets take a look at each of them in turn:

1. TEN (10 Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.)

David describes this ebook like this:

“10 is my 32 page answer to everyone that’s ever written in and asked me “So, what can I do to make better photographs now? I have the basics but want to take my images up to the next level. Where do I go from here?””

It’s filled with practical tips and inspirational images to illustrate the points David is making.

2. TEN MORE (10 More Ways To Improve Your Craft. None of Them Involve Buying Gear.)

A followup to the first ebook in this one David shares another great 10 tips for photographers wanting to take their work up a notch (or two).

The tips are simple – yet powerful.

3. DRAWING THE EYE (CREATING STRONGER IMAGES THROUGH VISUAL MASS)

This newest ebook from David moves beyond some of the more general tips in the first two ebooks and hones in on principles of composition, ‘visual mass’ and ‘drawing the eye’ of those viewing your images.

All three ebooks are beautifully put together and contain loads of great visual examples of the principles that David is talking about.

Buy one or grab all three – for $5 each they’re a great opportunity to get inside the mind of one of the world’s most respected photography authors.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

3 Affordable E-books to Improve Your Photography

In our photography forums we’ve got a creative group of photographers - many who set themselves all kinds of photographic projects and then share how they took the shots.

Here’s 21 from our ‘How I took It‘ section. Click pictures to read the story and techniques used behind the shots.

1. Light Sugar Cube

2. Dart Shot

3. Know When to Fold’em

4. How I Shoot the Moon

5. Bubble World

6. Digital Unmasking | Ripping one’s face

7. Bottles on Fire

8. Light + Clothes dryer

9. Partial Solar Eclipse on Feb 7 in New Zealand

10. Parabolas

11. Balls

12. Long Exposure While Driving

13. Light Painting “Love”

14. Master Chief’s Bad Day

15. Splash of Color

16. Make Your Own Cadillac Commercial

17. Chuck Norris Eyedrops

18. Shaped Bokeh!

19. Smoke Photography

20. Create Flames Using Light

21. Skateboard Motion

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

21 Great Shots [And How They Were Taken]

Image by Lawrence OP

There has been a lot of buzz around the iPhone lately, especially among photographers.  And for good reason… the iPhone has a host of photography-related tools that are both fun and useful.  I find myself using it more and more lately, so I thought I might share some of those functions with you.

Using the Camera

The most obvious photography-related feature is the camera.  Though the iPhone won’t be replacing my DSLR anytime soon, I almost always have my iPhone with me which means it is available many times when my DSLR isn’t.  As the quote goes, “the best camera is the one you have with you”.

 
One of my favorite ways to take photos with the iPhone is using an app called Pano.  Pano allows you to shoot up to 16 images side-by-side which are then stitched together on the fly in about a minute.  I shot this image while at a baseball game last week…
 

 
Granted, this is probably not something I would print and hang on my wall… there are a few areas where the stitching didn’t quite line up correctly and the noise levels are higher than I would prefer.  But still, I shot this in less than 5 minutes without a tripod on my cellphone.

Beyond panoramas, the iPhone is capable of shooting a variety of other styles on the fly including tilt-shift fakes, fisheye images and night photography.

Location Services

I can’t even count how many times I have used Google Maps and the iPhone’s GPS to help find a location I wanted to shoot.  A couple of weeks ago, some friends and I were headed to an abandoned school and we had to hike through almost a mile of woods to get to it.  Had it not been for the GPS on my phone, I am certain we would never have found it.

I have also started using GeoLogTag for geotagging my images.  Once you have the app running (and verify that your camera’s clock and iPhone are in sync) it will keep track of everywhere you have been during a photo trip.  The data can then be exported as a standard GPX file or you can link GeoLogTag to your Flickr account and the app will automatically update the map data through that site.

Sharing Images to the Web

Using the data services of the iPhone, you can publish photos to the web from almost anywhere.  Even when I have my DSLR with me, I will usually use my iPhone to send a photo and a quick update to my blog or Facebook page so that people can see what I am doing in real-time.  With the applications available on the App Store, you can upload photos to just about any social media service on the web.

Digital Portfolio

All of my favorite photos are synced to my iPhone, which turns the device a perfect little digital portfolio.  The screen is very high quality and having a collection of images in my pocket at all times makes sharing with people very easy.  I have used the iPhone to show off photos to friends, family and even recently used it to discuss some images with a gallery director for an upcoming exhibit.  I can not overstate the importance of being able to show people your work, and the iPhone is another useful tool for doing exactly that.

Do you have an iPhone? Do you use it’s camera or other features in your photography? What applications do you use? Got any images to share with us? Feel free to link to your best iPhone images in comments below.

Chris Folsom is a hobbyist photographer who spends much of his time photographing buildings that are no longer in use. You can view his site at studiotempura.com or see more of his photos at Flickr. His photos have been published on numerous websites and newspapers.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Use the iPhone as a Photography Tool