Digital Photography - What Are the Different Types of Special Effects?

There are different types of special effects that you can achieve in digital photography. Some of these can be done using the digital camera while for the others; you need to make use of specialized digital software editing tools. Let us take a sneak peek at some of the interesting special effects that can enhance your digital pictures and images.

Most of the new age digital cameras come with settings for sepia tones and also for black and white photos. These can be used to achieve this effect but will not always produce the best quality images So if you are looking to get this effect for some great shots, then the best thing to do would be to shoot in color and then use the digital editor tool to make it sepia or black and white. You can also use software editing tools to remove unwanted objects from your digital photo. For example; if there is an awkward looking tree or building behind your image, then this can be wiped out using digital tools. The task is easy if the unwanted object has a mono-colored background behind it; all you need to do is spray paint over the object after sampling the background color.

But if the background is uneven, then removing the object which is unwanted can tend to get a little trickier. One easy thing you could do is to superimpose the image of the obscured object over the image that you want to remove. A second option would be to alter the photograph by removing the image pixel by pixel; this is quite tedious and you also need to be an expert to carry out this trick. Another common special effect that is used in digital photography is removal of red eyes and also correcting closed eyes. Now most amateur photographers end up getting red eyes and hence this special effect is probably the most commonly used one in digital shots. Most image editing tools come with red-eye reduction which actually means inserting natural colors in the place of the glowing red to get normal looking eyes.

You could also correct a person's closed eyes using tools but this one is quite difficult to achieve and requires an expert hand. What essentially needs to be done is to crop the person's open eyes from another image and then superimpose these on the closed ones. It might sound easy but getting the perfect fit is always a problem if you have just started using the tool. Another regularly employed special effect is changing the background of a picture and replacing it with any other of your choice. This way, you could take a photograph of you in your home and then digitally enhance it to look as if you are standing next to the Eiffel Tower.

Digital photography and software editing tools has bought with it a whole new approach to clicking pictures even for the amateur photographer.

Looking for great photos?

Visit the Hotel Photographer website and look through a range of great photos.

There are lots of great Photography Websites out there so have a good browse and find some inspiration today.

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Photography Basics - How to Click Interesting Pictures of Children

Children are probably the most preferred subject for both professional and amateur photographers. And if you are the parent of one, then you know how much you enjoy clicking away memorable photographs of your tiny tot. There are so many precious moments that you can capture which become priceless memories for a lifetime. But child photography is not as easy as they tend to be the worst posers. By the time you take out your equipment, the child has either lost interest or the moment has passed. So here are a few tips that can help you shoot some pretty kid pictures with relative ease;

The most important thing before you start shooting pictures of children is to take time and interact with them. This is easy if you are clicking your child's images but if you are a photographer or covering any event like a birthday party where there are many children, then the best thing would be to spend five to ten minutes with them. Try and understand their likes, dislikes, preferences etc. This will greatly help you to communicate with the child during shooting and get some great pictures.

It is also important to note how the child responds to the camera. Is she shy or does she make eye contact? Some children are natural posers and would love to make gimmicks in front of the lens while some tend to be very shy and has to be coaxed to open up. If you are shooting a group picture at an event, then keep your camera ready and stand aside observing the group. When the children are playful or up to something cute, then go ahead and capture the moment. Child photography is all about impulse and spontaneity; if you want to take a lot of memorable images of your child, then always keep the camera ready at home so that you can shoot at your whim and fancy.

Try to be as unobtrusive as possible while taking photos of kids. Use a telephoto lens and capture the tiny tots at their best. Whether it is playing with a toy or making faces or even throwing a tantrum; capturing the emotion and expression is the key to getting a great photograph. Using a telephoto lens gives you the advantage of being at a considerable distance away from the child; this makes the kid less shy and you can click pictures of him running and playing around.

Look beyond the ordinary always even when you are taking pictures of your own kid. Try to capture as many moods as possible like playing, studying, eating etc. Some of the best photographs are of children sleeping; the peace and serenity on a child's face while asleep is simply beyond words. Try black and white photography; it helps to add drama and dimension to the picture and also take zoomed images of the kid without too much interference from background images especially when you are trying to shoot an expression.

Looking for some photographic inspiration?

Visit the http://hotelphotographer.org/ website and check out the great range of photos.

There are lots of great niches including Outdoor, Hotel and Travel Photography

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Can You Fake Your Own Product Photography Studio In House?

Do you really need a product photography studio, or can you get away with photographing your products in house? If you look at the average sort of price charged by a commercial advertising photographer you'll almost certainly be tempted to consider avoiding having to rely on a fully equipped product photography studio, instead using lower grade equipment, and hoping that a few key techniques will get you by.

It's understandable since at the moment almost all small and medium sized businesses are looking to make cuts wherever possible. Sadly many photographic studios seem unwilling to help smaller businesses keep up with the big businesses, pricing themselves out of the market in many cases. It should be noted though that this isn't always the case, and if you're prepared to look about there are a few photography studios offering lower priced deals for small and medium sized businesses.

But is even that expensive fully justified, if it really is possible instead to take your product photographs in house? Certainly it's relatively easy these days to pick up a pretty decent digital camera in any high street store. With even mobile phones now able to take the same sort of quality image of a decent digital camera a few years ago, the quality of the image is likely to be very good if you're prepared to spend over £300 at least. But you shouldn't just be budgeting for the camera, because there are many other camera equipment items besides the camera itself which will be necessary.

Thinking small and simple to begin with, you'll certainly need a tripod in order to make sure the camera is stable and lined up correctly. But if you hook a camera to a tripod, no matter how careful you are there is often a slight bit of movement once you press the shutter button. This is why it's often a good idea to have a remote shutter button on a lead, so that you can trigger the camera without nudging it, even slightly.

Then of course there's the lighting. Don't think for one moment that the built in flash on even a good camera will be good enough. In fact you needn't even consider the flash as usable on most digital cameras. You'll need to look at an external flash or lighting system, and this will of course need to be hooked in to the remote trigger. Different products will require different lighting solutions. A fully equipped product photography studio will have a whole range of lighting solutions, including soft lighting, hard lighting, coloured lighting and even LED lighting.

But then again, lighting is not just about lights, because sometimes it will be necessary to diffuse the light, or even have it reflect in different ways for a clearer result. This is where reflector boards, panels and umbrellas will be helpful, creating the sort of diffused lighting which allows products to be seen clearly, as they would in optimum daylight, without lights creating or exacerbating shadows and contrast. Another issue you'll find with taking product photographs in house is that you'll be unable to remove the backgrounds very easily. You can tell at a glance when a product photograph has been taken in house, 'on the cheap', because you can see the background - often just a sheet hung over something.

A professional product photography studio will usually have what is called an infinity cove, which is a specially designed room or space which has no corners or edges, and therefore nothing to suggest that there is any background at all. Products can be photographed in front of this, and will stand out clearly, and can even be cut out from the backgrounds and superimposed on alternative backgrounds. This is just the starting point for creating decent photographic images, although there's a great deal more besides these first few tips. If you're looking to save money, you really are best off looking for a product photography studio which specialises in offering service which are affordable for small and medium sized businesses.

If you're looking for a professional product photography studio which offers affordable services with a professional commercial advertising photographer then visit The Packshot People.

http://EzineArticles.com/6506618

Baby Photography Tips for Beginners

It's such an exciting time getting ready to photograph your newborn so with some good baby photography tips you can get some great shots. Firstly create a list of shots you want to take before you reach for your camera. When taking photos of your newborn your a very limited to time as there are many confounding variables that come into play. Be sure to get a good grip of your safe shots first and once you are confident with theses, start greeting creative with new angles and ideas.

The best lens to use for this kind of photograph would be a fast 50/85mm prime lens. shooting at wide apertures and F-stop numbers between 5.6 and 4 will allow you to work in darker environments and capture the focal point on your subject with a blurred backdrop to remove distractions.

When taking the photographs set your camera to Aperture priority and opt for the wide f4 - f5.6 F-stop. Focus on your newborns face and allow a bit of the backdrop in the frame. Interesting or colorful backdrops are really good to use in these situations as they make the scene and image more dramatic. Another perspective you could consider would be to aim your focal point at your child's feet throwing the rest of his or her frame into a creative blur, best position for this is to stand at the end of your child, in a fairly low position.

Attaching a zoom to your camera to vary the composition of your shots is a great idea to consider. You can get really cute pictures of feet, hands, ears, and nose. Try to span the image out wide to reveal the entire length of your child's body.

When taking any kind of portraiture photography you need to consider an even light distribution. Don't ever consider using your flash, it disrupts the calm atmosphere your creating, and it will rob your image of tone and texture. Position your child, cot or basket, in a room with big windows and white walls, or near a window using a white sheet or curtain to diffuse if it is a very bright, sunny day out.

make sure there are not distracting items like bottles, nappies, toys in the foreground or background of your shot. Incorporate soft blankets for interesting colors, tones, and textures. Consider using props for size emphasis, and objects to keep to a theme. Make sure though not to have too much clutter in your shot. Keeping it simple is the key.

Consider shooting in black and white or editing to black and white for some of your shots. Black and white imagery always carries our more emotion than colorful shots. When editing your shots play around with the curves, or presets in the software you are using to control your contrast and brightness of your shadows, mid tones and highlights.

As your newborn grows up at such a dramatic speed, it is a good idea to shoot at a well thought out periodical interval to chart the change and growth of your child. A collection of these images can printed in a photo book and make for a great gift or a great visual memory of your child.

It is always a good thing to try an emphasis the petite proportions of your newborn. This is best done with the parent. Babies hand on mums and dads hand, or your child's feet in between the fathers.

To get the best images of your newborn, make sure you take the photographs after a good feed and a quick nap when your child is waking.

Melbourne Baby Photographer, Ellie Williams, is an award winning fine art photographer, specializing in newborn, baby, children and family portraits and is based in Inner Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

http://www.melbournebabyphotographer.com.au/

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Learning Photography - The Basics on How to Take Good Photos

Many people dread picking up the family camera to grab that perfect moment. Much of this is said to come from their misunderstand of the equipment. It can also be because people misuse the best camera of all, their own eyes. To become a great photograph 'taker' you need to have an appreciation of what goes into making a great photograph. Being a professional photographer I often see this king of image produced by beginners.

Seeing a wonderful Peak District scene is something that we all enjoy but often we do not realise that the camera does not see the way that we do. Human beings look about; our eyes constantly rove a scene picking out interesting elements which either appeal to some hidden primaeval emotion or an interest we currently have. Put these elements together an you have a wonderful scene to photograph.

For example in the Derbyshire Peak District you will find some great landscapes (primeval emotion), we will also see wonderful properties (current themes and aspirational). Often people will reach for a camera to record this image because it presses a few pleasure centres for us. We might even think that the image will look terrific on our lounge wall. The bad news it that we didn't see the quarry and Peak District limestone processing factory in the middle distance. The result is that when we review the image back home there is an amount of disappointment.

The point being that before you pick up a camera you really need to survey a scene. Look for the things in the prospective image that will cause problems when you take your photograph. quarry's (unless that is the subject) might be one to look out for. Equally there are lamp posts which have an unnerving habit of sticking out of people heads. If you are taking a portrait this is even more important, as it is so easy to have a branch of a tree poking out from the side of some person's head.

Equipment is another consideration. These days cameras can produce clear sharp results in a range of locations and conditions. It really isn't that important to invest a small fortune to get the right results. Many high street store will a mass of cameras; when you are starting out get a modestly priced model. many professional photographers use high end equipment because they are designed for constant use and will produce images able to be enlarged to poster size. Most people really don't need this functionality and simple 'point and shoot' camera will do. Some basic tips would be to look at your scene, don't try to fit everything in; pixels are cheap so just take more photographs. Bring the camera up to your eye whilst looking at the scene, not at the camera. This will ensure you don't have to search around with the camera to find the shot you wanted in the first place. Relax your arms and most importantly of all, squeeze the shutter button don't stab at it, this will cause camera shake and your picture stand a chance of coming out blurred.

Enjoy your photography and remember to enjoy it. Photography is an art that requires practice and with the era of digital photography upon us the art has never been so ap to have a go at.

David John King a photographer working and living in the Derbyshire Peak District, United kingdom http://www.davidjohnking.co.uk/

http://EzineArticles.com/6490771

Commercial Product Photography - Turning Passport Photos Into The Mona Lisa

Believe it or not, commercial product photography is actually a good deal more complex than simply propping a product up against a sheet, pointing a camera and pressing a button. In fact, product photography is both an art and a science, requiring ingenuity and imagination, scientific know how and cutting edge technology.

Of course, that's not to say that you can't just prop a product up against a sheet or stand it on your desk, point a camera at it and press the button. Obviously both approaches will result in you having a photograph of your product. But don't mistake a photograph of a product with product photography. They may sound the same, but they have about as much in common with each other as your most recent passport photo and the Mona Lisa. The difference between those two is likely to be that your passport photo is a reasonably accurate, albeit unflattering image of what you actually look like, with no help whatsoever. The Mona Lisa is an artistic interpretation full of imagination, creativity and interest. Which is likely to attract more attention when hung in a gallery? If both images were available as postcards, which would sell better?

If you're still thinking that your passport photo has a pretty good shot, then either you are the reincarnation of Ms Lisa herself, or your ego is so big you can't see past it to the delusions beyond! No doubt you can start to see the difference between merely taking a fairly honest but unflattering photograph of a product, and using commercial product photography experts to create an image which is likely to catch people's attention, and encourage them to buy the product, or at least to find out more.

There are many techniques used by advertising photography studios, and of course a good deal of state of the art equipment too. Naturally it helps if you have access to a huge studio, infinity cove and an abundance of lights and lighting rigs, as well as cutting edge digital cameras and powerful photo editing software. But this alone won't convert your product photograph into the Mona Lisa. After all, you can sit inside a Formula 1 racing car, with some of the world's leading racing car technology at your fingertips, but that won't necessarily mean you'll win, or even come close, or even finish at all!

Technology is one part of the equation, but it's not the most important part. That lies in the heads of commercial product photographers, who know not only how to use that technology to best effect, but also how to create an image which sells. Sometimes it can seem that a product really is just a product. But you have to make people stop, take a look at the item, instantly see themselves holding it, or using it, and wanting to find out more.

If you can get people to imagine using the product, or even just holding it, then you've achieved a huge step, because once we have that virtual kinaesthetic experience of holding or using the product, it not only becomes more real, but our ownership of it becomes more real in our minds, greatly increasing the likelihood of us being prepared to take the next step and make the ownership real.

If you're running a small or medium size business and you're looking at creating some product photographs, then don't imagine that publishing their passport photographs will get people running in your direction. Sometimes it pays to get the job done properly, and in the case of commercial product photography it's more of an investment than an expense, and much more of a certainty than a gamble.

If you'd like to find out more about how commercial product photography can help your business, talk to The Packshot People, who can offer very affordable advertising photography services for small and medium sized businesses.

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Why Digital Photography?

Technology has changed so many things over the years, and part of this revolution is the invention of digital photography. Some photographers, whether hobbyists or professionals, claim that film photography is still the best way to capture stunning images. They may be right to an extent, digital photography advocates assert that digital cameras can also produce equally beautiful photographs with the right technical know-how. Let's look into the top five reasons why computers can also be a photographer's best friend:

1. Fast

Photos captured with a digital camera can be viewed on a computer screen and printed as soon as they are taken. This is actually one of the best advantages of digital technology - photos are instantly available. Professional photographers can also save a lot of time for each project, considering all they have to do is load their photos on their computer for editing. Wedding albums, in particular, can now be finished half as fast as photos taken with with old-fashioned film. This means more time, more projects and even more income.

2. Manipulable

With digital photography, pictures can be easily manipulated according to preference. Everything usually starts out as colored images, but lighting and color tone can be easily changed with the use of editing software. Flaws in photographs, such as unwanted marks on the subject's face, accidentally captured objects or unflattering shadows can be easily removed. Effects can also be applied to enhance the drama of images, or to create a particular mood. Manipulating comes fast and easy as long as one knows how to use a photo editing program.

3. Cost-efficient

Digital photos do not require film and are simply stored in a memory card, thus, translating to significant savings. No matter how many pictures are taken, everything will be accommodated as long as the technical capacity of the equipment allows. When showing off photos to relatives of friends, one also need not spend money as photos can be easily sent online through email or chat, and can even be posted on an online album. There is no need to spend for each batch of recopied pictures because everything can be reprinted using a photo printer. For those who are less meticulous, even common multi-purpose printers will be enough to print photos at need.

4. Forever

Photos taken using traditional methods often deteriorate in quality over time, no matter where or how they are kept, while digital photo quality can be preserved forever as long as the memory disk is kept safe.

5. Convenient

Some people love to show their photos to friends and relatives but can't always be bringing their albums around. With digital photography, these photos can be stored in a laptop or even a tiny memory card to be inserted into any computer. In simple terms, it simply makes things way easier.

While there may seem to be that classic, unspoken charm known to old traditional film photos, nothing cannot be rendered in modern form with the power of digital technology.

http://EzineArticles.com/6485432

Choose the Right Digital Backdrops for Photography

Previously with the analogue pictures you had to go through a long process to change the background but now with digital photography things have become easier. Today you can easily put your favorite background in your picture with the help of the computer and software programs.

You might be well aware of the popularity of Photoshop which is widely used to edit the photographs. But the question is how do you get the backdrops for photography? You need not worry because there are various websites which can offer you series of backdrops for your photographs.

You can choose the backdrops according to your choice and requirement. You can order for a single series or multiple series to use in your photography. Some of the popular series available are flower, Christmas, Halloween, birthday, wedding, winter, studio as well as classic series.

Each of the series consists of 20 backdrops for photography of size 6000-4800-300 dpi. These backdrops are usually available in jpeg image file or tiff image file. You just need to search for the right website which can offer the best backdrops for your pictures.

Even if you take photography as a hobby you can use the editing software and the backdrops to make your pictures more interesting and beautiful. You might have an idea about the fact that you can sell unique pictures on the internet which can help you earn some dollars.

This is one of the best ways to make your picture unique. The samples of backdrops for photography are always available to you and you can order them just with a click. But before you choose a website you need to make sure the website is authentic.

This should be done specially before making the payments. If the payments are processed through click bank or pay pal then you have nothing to worry. Check out whether the website offers a money back guarantee if the customer is not satisfied with the product.

While choosing the program on the internet you need to consider certain things. First of all, you need to make sure that the website offers best features. Check out the main features offered and then compare it to the other websites.

Other than comparing the features you should also compare the prices quotes by the other programs on the internet. Search for the programs which offer a variety of backdrops. There are some programs which might concentrate on a particular type of template, it is better not to choose such programs.

The more the variety the better the chances are to make your photographs look brilliant. While choosing the program you should also make sure that it is user-friendly. If the program is difficult then changing backdrop would be time-consuming.

Use backdrops for photography and transform ordinary looking photograph into amazing, studio-quality masterpiece. You can use these backdrops easily even if you have zero graphic design skill.

http://EzineArticles.com/6509727

Why Does So Much Product Photography Fail?

There are countless small and even medium sized businesses struggling to make their mark largely because their advertising photography is simply not achieving much. In some cases it may be achieving nothing at all, and in plenty of cases it is clear to see that the company's product photography is actually having a negative effect on sales.

It's easy to see the product photograph as simply being an added extra, attached to an advert, flyer, web page or other marketing material simply to add a little colour and appeal. But the truth is that the overwhelming majority of people take one look at the photograph before reading any of the text, and then make a snap judgement not just about the product, but about the company itself, based on the quality of the product photograph. That's not the product they're judging - just the photograph.

Because often it is the quality of the picture which gives people the best clue as to the amount of care and attention the company gives to everything else. We've all got good quality digital cameras at home. Photography isn't the privilege of the few - high quality photographic imaging is in everyone's hands, and as a result we've become even better at making judgements very quickly about images used in advertising. A photograph that's little better than the sort of quality we might be expected to achieve on a family holiday is not going to achieve much in the eyes of most people.

In fact on many cases the product photograph isn't even looked at, because sub consciously we've already evaluated it out of the corner of our eye and made a judgement about it that it's either not good quality, or not meant for us. It's crucial therefore to think about how to make sure that product photography is able to achieve several key things. Firstly it must jump out at people and make it itself noticed. This doesn't just mean using bright colours, lurid backgrounds, supersized images or other gimmicks. Often quality will stand out all by itself, without recourse to gimmicks and tasteless trickery.

The second thing it should achieve it to make itself appear relevant to the consumer. For example, if you have two mobile phones, one of which is full of social networking tools, games, video camera and tools and features ideal for teenagers, and you have another phone with a built in 'Qwerty' keyboard, video conferencing facilities, management software and easy PC integration ideal for business people, it makes sense that the advertising photography needs to take these two different audiences into consideration. For teenagers the photograph is likely to include images or graphics which suggest movement, connectivity, excitement, fun and energy, whereas the product photograph of the other phone may offer a crisper, cleaner, more organised impression.

Once you've grabbed people's attention and made it clear that the product photograph is relevant it's then also important to achieve three more things. Firstly you need to be able to provide an unequivocally good quality image. This means that the quality of the product is clear enough that it will easily be recognised if seen in real life, and that people can see clearly aspects of the product which will be of interest and relevance. The next thing it will need to achieve is to communicate to the customer that the product and the company is about quality, and about standing out, being unique and being better than alternatives.

Finally product photography needs to engage the consumer by creating an emotive bond. The image should excite, enthuse, intrigue or otherwise actively engage the consumer so that they start to already imagine using it, having it and being seen with it, without really thinking consciously about it. That's a lot to ask from a photograph, but if you don't ask it, you won't get it and if you don't get it you won't get the sales you deserve either.

For very affordable, high quality product photography contact The Packshot People, experts in advertising photography that sells.

http://EzineArticles.com/6506641