Photography Secrets from One of the World's Top Shooters

Excerpted from The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally. Copyright 2008. Used with permission of Pearson Education, Inc., and New Riders

Wing It
Sometimes, you just gotta wing it. Got a job to shoot a photo portfolio of the overlarge freshmen NCAA hoopsters for Sports Illustrated. Started conjuring. One kid, Brandan Wright, had a wingspan of 7'4'. Okay, Batman comes to mind. Magazine liked the wings idea, but wanted them white. Cool...just switched screens in my head to X-Men 3.

Now try finding wings for somebody six-eleven with arms that don't stop. It ain't easy. My studio manager Lynn, who is a magical producer, started making phone calls and after a lot of dry wells, finally found the wing makers to the film and television industry, a small outfit in L.A. (where else?) called...Mother Plucker! I kid you not.

Money is a huge concern in any production, and these wings cost $3,400, last minute drop shipped straight to North Carolina. Steve Fine, DOP* at SI, called. "Can't you go to a Halloween shop?" he asked. I reminded him of the size of our subject. Got the go ahead.

(Steve Fine and Jimmy Colton are currently the best one-two punch in picture editing, by the way. Steve has the calculus of sports in his head. He knows that if LSU beats Auburn this Saturday, he has to move three photogs on January 3rd to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl 'cause LSU will go up against Florida State.

He doesn't even have to look at a schedule. Jimmy has always been a voice of reason and counsel to young photographers, an open door, and a shelter from the storm. Together, they are formidable and fight the good fight.)

So we got the wings at 11:30 in the morning for a 1:00 p.m. photo shoot. I was being allowed 30 precious minutes of this very important 18-year-old's life, no more. I had exactly an hour and a half to figure out how to hang these wings, stage and light the photo, and come up with at least two different solutions.

How to Get This Type of Shot

Okay. Usual deal. Speed lighting. Overhead softbox for him, small spot for background. Now the wings. Clamped 'em to the boom arm of a C-stand and sand bagged the heck out of it. Then put three strobe heads with magic arms on the same stand, all with honeycomb spot grids**. The whole rig looked like a science project gone bad.

Fanned the heads out desperately trying to get an even spread for backlight on the wings. They gotta look heavenly, right? So backlight's the deal. Got it close enough to work just as Brandan came around the corner. Retouching took it the rest of the way.

Like much location work, this one was truly a wing and a prayer.

Ring Light
The ring light*** needs to be used...carefully. It has gotten a bit of a bad rap, probably from overuse in those downtown magazines with catchy names that usually last for about two issues and run page after page of disaffected, outlandishly dressed young people, apparently high on some form of illegal substance, staring vacantly at the camera with a circular highlight in their overlarge pupils.

It's too bad, because when used properly and judiciously, it is a pretty snappy light that edges out your subject with the clean and definitive efficiency of a drill press. Throw in a bit of hair, makeup, styling, a fishnet cat suit, a killer look, and oh my! Have to be careful tipping it around too much though, 'cause at an unfortunate angle it produces shadows that can turn even a shimmering sex goddess into something that dropped out of the ugly tree.

Bring a Chainsaw
I was sent to the Southwest to photograph a Tyrannosaurus head for the cover of Discover.

Now this T. rex head turned out to be a realistic-looking, eight-foot hunk of polyurethane that was in the sculptor's garage, gathering dust. This is a typical assignment for me. Go make a national magazine cover out of a grime-laden piece of plastic.

We cleaned it, loaded it into a pickup, and trucked it out into the desert area, which was actually part of a national park. I rented a heavy-duty crank lift and a chainsaw, and got some rope and lumber. I'm an overgrown adolescent who saw Jurassic Park too many times and I wanted this puppy coming out of the trees, just like on the big screen. We found a tree, made sure no park rangers were around, chainsawed the $#!& out of it, and stuffed the lift in there. Then we took some of the branches and A-clamped them to light stands, lit the whole thing up Hollywood-style (shot at dusk), and got outta Dodge.

Tech Note: It was my first shoot with the Nikon D2X. Nikon had squirreled me away an early prototype. I'd been shooting with the D2H, and with my first few frames from the D2X, I saw the colors pop and knew, digitally speaking, we weren't in Kansas anymore.

How to Get This Type of Shot

A shot like this depends on really defined, colorful splashes of light. When using gels to create these colors, it is best to use honeycomb spot grids. This shot was "spot grid city." Big, broad sources of light don't work with gels, because the different colors overlap and bleed into each other. One spot with a green gel was just out of frame by his eye. There's a light with a tight grid and a red gel in the tree lighting his neck. There's a Nikon hot shoe flash inside his mouth—in the lower jaw—giving some detail to his tongue, and there's another spot grid to the left of the camera lighting his nose and upper row of teeth. This shot was taken with a 12–24mm wide-angle zoom.

Get There Early
I get there early. What can I say? I was raised Irish Catholic, so I feel guilty about stuff I'm not even responsible for. If I'm not in the parking lot two to three hours ahead of my appointment or assignment, I feel guilty. If I'm ever outright late, I feel like I gotta recite a frikkin' Novena.

This has benefits as an assignment shooter. You get the best parking spots at events, for instance. The security guys can't believe you just showed up at 6:00 a.m. for an event that evening, but no matter. So many people think I'm odd, I've given up worrying about it.

Even for local jobs, it's good to get there early. In New York, I was assigned to shoot a bunch of actors doing public readings in an effort to save some of the older, historic Broadway theaters. It was cool. Some very famous theater people gathered and gave stirring public readings to save the old playhouses.

Didn't work, of course. Money was at stake, and when that goes down, even having Lauren Bacall on your side don't matter. The furry creative types are swell, but it was like sending shovel-toting peasants up against the Vikings.

The theaters went down, but the readings were great to shoot. It was like having a play for free right there in the street. I got there way early and ducked into a coffee shop, eternal refuge and impromptu office of the freelancer. Turned around, and there was Jason Robards rehearsing his lines.

You have to choose your strategies here. Years ago, I was assigned to cover the circus-like trial of Sid Vicious in New York City, which basically meant hanging around the courthouse all day to no photographic avail whatsoever. I mean, there were no pictures except for some of Sid's punk friends who were hanging around as a show of support for their crackpot, unwashed, misogynist leader in spirit and kind. So I followed a group of these into the greasy spoon of the courthouse cafeteria, sat at the counter across from them, and ordered coffee. After a moment or two, I quietly snapped a frame with my Leica. This produced a baleful glare. Another snap.

Another glare. Another snap, and this time a snarl: "If you fookin' take another photo of me, I'll fookin' kill ya!" At this point, I'm in for a penny, in for a pound, and I reach down to my camera bag and pull out a motor-driven F2 with a Vivitar and start pounding flash pictures. He came right over the counter at me.

There are, perhaps, better ways to break the ice. Like walk right up to your subject and ask.

Mr. Robards couldn't have been more gracious, or more wonderfully oblivious to being photographed.

Stuff like this happens in New York when you're there early.

* DOP is Director of Photography. He's the guy that controls my air supply -- he assigns the story, has control over the overall direction of photography, and is the main tap. Everything flows from him.

** Honeycomb Spot Grid: A circular metal grid (that looks like a honeycomb) that goes over your strobe head and limits the spread of the light.

*** Ring Light: A circular light source that wraps around the barrel of the lens. Produces a hard, shadowless light. Very popular with fashion photogs.

Canon PowerShot G10 Review, Don Wan, November 2008

Review based on a production Canon PowerShot G10, Firmware version 1.00

The G10 is the third incarnation of Canon’s flagship ‘prosumer’ compact since the G series was reinvented with the G7 in 2006. Announced two years after the G6, the G7 caused quite a buzz; partly because everyone had presumed the budget SLR had killed off this sector of the market, partly because it lacked several of what had become G series trademarks (fast lens, tilting screen, raw mode, secondary LCD panel), and it would be fair to say the response was ‘mixed’. The G9 went some way towards placating the critics, reintroducing raw mode and improving handling, but it still suffered from the fundamental problem that the sensor inside couldn’t deliver on what the fantastic camera promised on the outside.

When we reviewed the G9 last year, we praised it for the styling, handling and build and for its excellent output at low ISO settings. The G10 builds on this by adding handling and control refinements, improving the LCD resolution, and, most importantly, adding a wider lens starting at 28mm (equiv.). It also retains the rangefinder styling and solid build quality, and reduces the amount of silver accents on the camera. All the external controls have been carried over, and a new one has been added (a very useful exposure compensation dial).

The things we criticized the G9 for (the unneeded increase in resolution, and the slow-ish lens) have not been addressed. Instead Canon has increased the resolution for the sensor even more, to 14.7 megapixels. The updated lens, though wider at the wide end, is also shorter at the long end, and has less zoom range overall. The speed of the lens is again almost the same F2.8-4.5, though the wider lens does retain the G9’s relatively compact dimensions. The price remains at around $500.

Note that some sections of this review (feature descriptions where nothing has changed) are reproduced from the G9 review.

Headline features

• 14.7 Megapixel CCD sensor
• 5x wide-angle (28mm) optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer
• RAW image recording plus support for Canon Digital Photo Professional
• DIGIC 4 for clear, sharp images, high-speed AF (including Servo AF) and fast response times
• Targets all the main causes of blur with High ISO Auto, optical
  Image Stabilizer, Motion Detection Technology and Auto ISO shift
• Improved Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB plus Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-Timer
• 3.0” PureColor LCD II (461k dots resolution) with wide viewing angle and optical viewfinder
• i-Contrast boosts brightness and retains detail in dark areas
• Dedicated Exposure Compensation and ISO dials
• 26 shooting modes with manual control and custom settings
• Accessories include tele-converter, Speedlights flashes and waterproof case
• Smooth, 30fps VGA movies

Powershot G10 vs G9: What's changed?

The G10 continues the G series tradition of incremental upgrades. Here are the key changes:

• Higher resolution (14.7MP vs 12MP)
• New wider coverage Lens (starts at 28mm)
• Redesigned front grip with textured cover
• Improved Face Detection technology
• DIGIC 4 for improved image processing
• New higher capacity battery (1050 mAh up from 720mAh)
• Improved LCD screen resolution (461K vs 230K)
• Exposure compensation dial
• New flat and tilted buttons

Canon G10 specifications

Street price	• US: $456 • UK: £370
Sensor	• 1/1.7" Type CCD • 14.7 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 4416x 3312 pixels • 3648 x 2736 pixels • 3072 x 2304 pixels • 2560 x 1920 pixels • 2048 x 1536 pixels • 1600 x 1200 pixels • 640 x 480 pixels • 4416x 2480 pixels
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 @ 30fps • 320 x 240 @ 30fps • 160 x 120 @ 15fps
Maximum clip length	• 640 x 480, 320 x 240: 4GB or 1 hour • 160 x 120: 3 mins
File formats	• JPEG (Exif v2.2) • RAW • AVI (Motion JPEG + WAVE)
Lens	• 28-140mm (equiv.) • 5x optical zoom • F2.8-4.5
Image stabilization	Yes (Lens-Shift)
Conversion lenses	Yes
Digital zoom	up to 4x
Focus	TTL
AF area modes	• Face Detection AiAF • 1-point AF (center or Face Select and Track)
AF lock	Yes (on/off selectable)
AF assist lamp	Yes
Focus distance	Closest focus distance 1 cm
Metering	• Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame) • Center-weighted average • Spot (center or linked to Face Detection)
ISO sensitivity	• Auto • High ISO Auto • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600
AE lock	Yes (on/off selectable)
Exposure compensation	+/- 2EV in 1/3 stop increments
Shutter speed	15-1/4000 sec
Modes	• Auto • Program AE • Shutter Priority AE • Aperture Priority AE • Manual • Custom (2 modes) • Special Scene • Stitch Assist • Movie
Scene modes	• Portrait • Landscape • Night Snapshot • Kids & Pets • Night Scene • Indoor • Foliage • Snow • Beach • Fireworks • Aquarium • Indoor
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Fluorescent H • Custom
Self timer	• 2 or 10sec, • Custom or FaceSelf Timer
Continuous shooting	• Approx 0.7fps until card is full
Image parameters	My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Custom Color)
Flash	• Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Slow Sync, Red-eye reduction • +/- 2EV in 1/3 stop increments • Face Detection FE compensation • Safety FE • Flash exposure lock • Manual Power Adjustment • Range (Auto ISO):30cm - 4.6m (wide) / 2.8m (tele)
Viewfinder	Optical Viewfinder
LCD monitor	• 3.0" TFT • 461,000 pixels • 100% coverage • Adjustable
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed • AV out (PAL / NTSC switchable)
Print compliance	PictBridge
Storage	• SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus , HC MMCplus compatible
Power	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-7L
Weight (no batty)	350 g
Dimensions	109 x 78 x 46 mm

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Innovative Portrait Photographers

Ever since photography was invented, there have been famous names associated with it. Ansel Adams, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Dorothea Lang are just a few of those who have changed how we look at the world and at photography. What about famous photographers today, those who are currently changing the way the world looks at photography, especially at portrait photography.

One of the all time great portrait photographers was Don Blair. He was known as a master in the field of portrait photography where he used lighting and composition to create timeless images. His interest in photography came when he was in sixth grade, when he went to work for a photography studio carrying equipment and helping in the lab. He learned all he could from the owner of the studio and eventually took it over and named it Don Blair Photo Studio. He was an advocate of continued learning and growth. He was known for his kindness to amateur and professional alike, and was willing to share what he knew with everyone, if they had the desire to learn. He was a mentor to many contemporary photographers.

One couple that he mentored is Joseph and Louise Simone out of Quebec, Canada. They learned the skills of seeing light and paying attention to composition and use this to not just take pictures, but create art with their photography. They met while working at Don Blair's photo studio in the 70's. The experience they had at his studio and the things they learned set them on their photographic path and they are still creating beautiful photography today. They are unique in their photography in that Louise "paints" their portraits after they have been photographed. She uses both Corel Painter and Photoshop tools to do her painting digitally, creating timeless, lasting portraiture.

Anne Geddes is another photographer who has chosen a different subject and path for her art, with a very successful outcome. It wasn't until age 25 that she really started into photography. She had always loved looking at images and when she finally started capturing them, the results were spectacular. She specializes in infant and childhood photography and keeps the prints simple and clean. She often times uses props or adds in props digitally after the shoot. Her style is innovative in that she is the first to pose infants in such simplistic, unique poses. As a mother herself she knows and understands children and her photography reflects this. Each of Anne Geddes photos capture more than just a stunning image, it is difficult to look at Anne Geddes photos and not feel an emotional connection to the image.

Capturing portrait photographs of individuals is more than just capturing an image, it is about capturing facets of the subject's character and those subtleties that make them a unique individual. Great portrait photographs speak volumes about the person. Great portrait photographers capture not just the likeness of the individual, but also preserves the person's personality.

Portrait photographs are cherished because they capture and preserve an individual at a specific point in their life.

About the Author:

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com and Digital Photo Tips http://www.digital-photo-tips.com/

Traveling With Your Camera

When you are traveling the world, having a camera handy is very important. People who are very busy don't have much time to practice photography so during a vacation or holiday is a great time to get that old camera out and take some pictures.

Traveling brings together the best aspects of photography and people take some of their best pictures in the unfamiliar territory of another city, state, country, or even continent. This is because they are surrounded by people of all sorts of different cultures, not just the locals, but other tourists as well. There is also the transport aspect of travel, this can involve very picturesque things such as planes, boats, cars, bicycles and even rickshaws.

An important part of travel photography is being prepared, I cannot stress how important it is to have your camera with you at all times. You will also need to be ready to get your camera out and snap the moment when it arises. People who are overseas are often out of their comfort zones and can express a lot of emotion, which can be amazing if captured well.

Culture is a great thing, it is what identifies people and what some feel very strongly about. Pictures that reflect culture can be very interesting. This is because traditions and ways of life that are foreign to you can shock you and have a major impact. These include poverty, religion, tradition, music, art and more.

How to get these shots

Like stated before having your camera is a good start. Look for things that are unusual or pleasing to the eye. When on a guided tour or safari, try to go off the beaten track and get pictures of things that everyone else misses. It is also a good idea to avoid postcard shots, which are over-photographed scenes, usually landscapes. However, a "postcard shot" shown in a different way or new light can be a great way to convey a message through the medium of photography.

Traveling with your camera is imperative and can produce some of the best pictures you will ever take.

About the Author:

Visit Giles Thompson at http://photographertips.net

The Importance of Lighting

Lighting

is one of the most important parts of photography, after all, it is what makes up a photograph. A real photographer will always take light into account. Making sure there is plenty on a subject and enough to expose a film well.

Having a well lit subject is what most photographers aim for, this can be achieved by using several different light sources. Some ways of doing this are:

Reflectors

A reflective surface used to reflect light onto the darker side of a subject. Reflectors are simple and cheap to make. Just use tin foil and wrap it around some cardboard of something. When taking macro or studio pictures, having reflectors can turn a god picture into a great picture. The idea is to use them with a light source such as the sun or a studio light and reflect light that is going past a subject back up onto it.

Flash

A direct flash can make your subject too light and give it a 2D effect which makes it stand out from the background and seem flat. However, this is not the only way to use a flash. You can turn your flash and bounce it off a wall or surface. This side on flash can be a very desirable effect that can bring out subtle shapes such as the lines on someone's face.

Lamp or Light

Even just a regular lamp is a great tool when shooting somewhere dark, it can flood your subject with the light you desperately need. A soft bulb will probably be better. Another option is to use two lamps or a reflector to give your subject better overall lighting.

The Sun

When it comes to the sun you just have to work with what you have. Try to get a subject well lit, but not in the direct sunlight. On a very sunny day, having your subject in the shade should be fine. On a day when the sun is less bright it may be alright to have your subject in direct sunlight. Overcast or cloudy days are great for photography because everything is evenly lit.

About the Author:

Visit Giles Thompson at http://photographertips.net

Black & White Photography

Photography is a diversified field of creating a spectral variety of art. It is a specialization that deals with different experimentations with colors, however it is also a fact that only shades of black and white can also do wonders in this zone of creative art. With the advent of the digital camera the scope of this wonderful business has opened up new horizons for the users and photographers who seek to explore new lands and trod the ground of innovative creation and thus it can be aptly said that black & white can become more creativity with the boon of digital photography and digital camera. This discussion is primarily aimed at exploring the incipient information regarding the blessing of the digital camera in black & white photography so that the novice as well as the expert photographers can become richer in knowledge!

The exploration can be further extended in defining that a lot of modern digital cameras contain a series of mono modes in the advanced menu settings. These can be used to become more creative with digital photography and in the areas of black and white too. For example some of the modes are as follows: Black & White that takes black and white photographs encompassing of a spectral range of gray tones. This gives the black and white photographs a serious and ethereal look with the richness and grandeur of the past, present and future captures in just two tinges! Another mode is Sepia that again takes pictures in varying tinges brown tones. Looking into a matter a bit more technically, it can be stated that as the digital camera is switched into any of these modes then the color LCD becomes grayscale. The technology proceeds as in the process the pictures are taken the color signals get recorded by the CCD, but the image is later de saturated when processed to remove all color.

A lot of interesting points exist in the area of black and white photography using the digital cameras. For example shooting in black & white becomes more interesting with the use of filters. Experimentations can be done by the enthusiastic photographers as to how a particular color would appear in black & white. This can be demonstrated by the fact that perhaps a red filter placed over the lens lightens any red color in the picture making them appear as lighter shades of gray in comparison to other colors like blue green. This process can be very challenging and in the same time very interesting! It is true that digital black and white photography can be used often for the purpose of portraiture and taking pictures of landscapes and can also become very effective in abstract shoots offering a graphical view of the subject to be photographed. The ultimate truth is that the black and white digital photography can make the world look complete different from what it is through the human eyes.

The graphics software from Adobe - Photoshop - with its more advanced options a person can edit each of the colors in the image to lighten or darken and provide the effect of brightness in varying intensity too. Becoming an expert in this can make a person versatile in techniques of adjusting the tonal range of a black & white image. This is the liberty that the digital camera provides in the field of black and white photography. Thus the users can make much more efficient and richer quality photographs.

The above lines of this discussion has explored the incipient ground of interest and information of black and white photography using the digital camera, however it has to be noted here that to get the real taste of the honey the users or photographers must not waste time and take up their digital cameras and get going into the cool new and most beautiful world of digital black and white photography! It is out there for everyone.

Digital camera auto exposure and auto focus

The digital camera being a fantastic and technologically advanced device contains many different applications of its own. Many users of this fabulous device are unaware of quite a few of these functions which can actually do wonders. And it is the duty and right of every person possessing the digital camera to intervene into the depths of knowledge to understand their prized possession and their varying qualities in order to foster the true respect that this device deserves. This article deals with providing information regarding one those qualities - Auto focus and auto exposure!

Exploring the information in slight more details it can be stated that auto exposure cameras are provided with a fixed focus lens or manual focus lens. These cameras are the simplest to set exposure. To obtain the correct exposure for a particular subject of photography, the only thing that needs to be done is to simply lock the exposure by pressing the shutter down halfway on the digital cameras upon a reference object that is about one fifth gray and also illuminated by the aid of the same source of light as subject of photography. After locking the exposure, the photographer has to recompose the frame and shoot the picture. Auto exposure and auto focus cameras are to some degree harder for setting the exposure, because they contain the exposure lock that is generally tied to focus-lock. However, the users or photographers using these auto exposure and auto focus cameras can still make adjustments for the correct exposure and correct focus using the digital cameras and make the photographs perfect! Again, the exposure can be adjusted by locking on an 18% reference that is illuminated by the aid of the same source of light as subject of photography. The users have to only ensure that the distance to this so-called reference is the same as the distance to the subject of photography that actually sets the focus.

Now discussing the auto focus and auto exposure lock (AE/AF) a bit more in detail. The shutter release button on a digital camera has more function than just snap a cool picture. The users have to grab a technique where he or she has to depress this shutter release button half way down thereby locking both the auto exposure and auto focus. This enables the users or photographers to have more control on exposure in difficult lighting situations while using the digital camera. Moreover, this entire process also helps him or her to determine where the camera focuses. Like if the photographer intends to set the exposure before composing the final shot of the photograph then he or she can move the digital camera slightly so that only the subject to be photographed is visible prominently in the auto focus frame in the viewfinder. As a next step he or she can depress the shutter-release button down half way to set focus and exposure and then recompose the picture and finally completely depress the button in order to capture and freeze the moment of time! It is to be noted here that the auto focus and auto exposure lock (AE/AF) is available in all photography modes of the digital cameras that are nowadays available for the general people.

Not much remains to be discussed about this particular topic of auto focus/auto exposure and a brief discussion as above is enough to reveal a bounty of information regarding this fantastic feature of the digital cameras. At the end of this discussion it can be expected that both the novice and expert photographers and user of the digital camera would benefit from whatever has been revealed and the effort to bring out the human mind from the dark oblivion about auto focus and auto exposure lock would be a success in the magic light of the digital camera!

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

Miscellaneous

Flowers

Architecture

Animals

Landscape

How to Avoid or Reduce Red-Eye

Photography with the aid of a digital camera

is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also must be well educated to deal with in order to produce good photographs worth the most prized digital camera. Such a concept is that of the red eye! In order to understand what this red eye actually is, a little detailed introspection is necessary. Basically speaking red-eye is a function of at least three things, they are firstly, ambient level of light because stumpy light level causes the retina of the person to be photographed to open wider to admit more light thereby divulging open the iris, which is the primary part that reflects the red light hence giving the appearance of red eyes for the subjects. Also secondly the younger the person being photographed the wider remains the retina and hence the greater the effect of red eye in the picture.

Thirdly, the reflection angle of the flash plays a vital role, as the light is recoiled back to the digital camera and the closer the incident light beam is to this reflected light beam, the greater becomes the red eye effect. To prevent this instruments such as flash brackets are useful to make the flash a bit removed from the propinquity of the lens. Thus the red eye effect is somewhat revealed till this part of this discussion. Now is the time to look into a greater detail in order to analyze the various aspects of the red eye effect and also find out ways of reducing the problem as far as possible.

It can be noted here that the only important thing is that the users must ensure that the proper fixing of the angle between the flash beam and the lens axis. The general rule here is that the photographer must keep the angle wide enough that the light beam from the flash does not reflect off the retina of the person being photographed and comes right back into the digital camera lens. A good idea is to make the red-eye reduction work by making the flash shine a light into the eyes of the person being photographed just before the flash is incident and the shutter is pressed. This causes the irises in the eyes of the person being photographed to narrow down or shrink. As a result of this the eye develops a smaller opening for the eye view of the digital camera and does not show off the blood filled retina. This light is called pre light! And very importantly this process works only if the person to be photographed is in point of fact looking directly at the flash for the pre-light to come.

Other factors influencing the red eye are the level of ambient light during the time when the photograph is being taken and how near the flash light is to the lens. The rule of thumb comes out that the brighter the ambient light; the lesser is the effect of red eyes, everything else being one and the same. As the flashlight goes farther from the lens, the fewer becomes the effect of red eyes, everything else being one and the same again. Thus the key idea is that red eye is not caused if the ambient light is comparatively high. And it does have a significant effect if the shooting area is dark. Many digital cameras have built in features for anti red eye that is used to reduce red eye when taking a picture of a person looking straight at the camera also. But manually, the best red eye reduction can be obtained with the help of an external flash as described.

The above discussion has dealt with the most important ideas regarding the red eye effect. The discussion has analyzed the inherent facts about the digital camera red eye effect, their causes as well as remedies. The only thing that remains is that the users must implement these ideas while shooting under circumstances discussed here so that the red eye effect cannot harm the beauties of art created with the aid of the fantastic device, the digital camera!

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.snapjunky.com. Visit his digital camera guide and learn how to take better pictures with your digicam.

The Great Things About Photography

Are you thinking about taking up the hobby of photography? Many who have already discovered this exciting and fulfilling hobby can tell you the top ten reasons why photography is so great. Maybe you will be captivated by this compelling and diverse art as well.

1. The Challenge of Getting the Perfect Picture
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Sometimes a hundred shots have to be taken and you have to try for several days to get just the picture you want. An individual must have patience, but at the end of the day a great sense of accomplishment is felt from capturing the best part.

2. Tell A Story
From beginning to end of a snowball fight, with people throwing their first snowball and eventually rolling in the snow and then dusting off, you can see the event and it tells the story of friendship, fun and joy of life. Looking at pictures of an old family farm from its humble beginnings to the growth and increase over a hundred years it tells a story of family, hard work and sacrifice. Everyone has a story, photos can share that story and bring it to life.

3. Express Individuality
A photographer subject matter will reflect their interests, likes and preferences. A photo can also reflect the individuality of a subject. The clothes they choose to wear and the location they want the pictures shot all show who they are and their personality.

4. Joy and Laughter Increase
Anyone who looks at their first grade picture can attest to this fact. What is more fun than looking back at your younger years or seeing the awkwardness of adolescence? In your later years of life, seeing a picture of your family working or playing together warms your heart and lets you remember good times and better health. A photo lets us travel over the decades and brings back moments that make us laugh and carries us through the hard times.

5. See Things Truly As They Are
Somethings are so perfect- the petals of a flower, the height of a Redwood, the still calm of the lake at dawn. They draw you in to the grace of nature and life in purity and simplicity. The sweet smile of a child reflects the goodness of life and all the hope for what we can become and achieve. This is what life is and who we are in it.

6. Solitude of the Dark Room
The magical atmosphere of the dark room leads you to discover the potential of the photograph. Lightness, darkness, shadows all are in the control of the photographer. It is a work done alone with your ideas and skills combined to bring out the story of the photo before you.

7. Understand the Emotions of Others
As you look over the events of history and witness the faces of those who endured the depression or see victims of the Holocaust you can see in their eyes what they have endured. Their faces portray their hearts and hurts and although you were not there, you understand what they carry with them a little more.

8. A Gift to Others of Their Most Precious Moments
After the couple returns from the honeymoon one of the first priorities is to get the wedding photos. One of the happiest days of their lives is recorded forever. When someone does something for you that you can't do for yourself you feel indebted and forever grateful. It is a special gift to give someone their special memories and most cherished events.

9. Once You Capture a Moment You Can Display it
From the famous to the personal, photographs reveal lives of people. Some are placed in history books, some on the walls of a museum and some in the home. When they are displayed they are able to reach into the lives of others and stir emotion and thought. Photos are meant to be shared and seen.

10. The Only Way You Can Freeze Time
A photo is a moment frozen in time for a person to enjoy and remember whenever they want. The look, the expression, the emotion only happen for an instant. Although someone might carry it in their heart, with time the memory fades. If a photo is taken a child is able to see the happiness of their parents on their wedding day, a parent can see how small their child was the day they brought them home for the first time and all the years after as they grew to adulthood. All the birthdays, first days of school, vacations and friends can be captured and with you always. Time and space do not take a loved one from us when we can see them and the moments we share together, always.

About the Author:

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com and Photo Wizard http://www.photo-wizard.net

Cute Baby Pictures What Is the Secret?

Ultimately, taking cute baby pictures is the only thing that matters. How, where, and when are necessary evils, but all we really want to do is to capture that magical essence of our baby.

Three questions need to be answered when taking this type of picture:

1. What do I need in the way of equipment?
2. What camera settings are best for each situation?
3. What are all the factors regarding "posing" my baby?

Taking better pictures of your children and babies is a lot easier than you think. Believe it or not, the most confusing aspect of baby pictures is not knowing...

What Exactly Does a Cute Baby Picture Look Like?

Without having a background in modeling, photography, or advertising; the biggest challenge to creating magical baby pictures is knowing what the final photograph is supposed to look like. In other words, the average person doesn't see many examples of adorable baby pictures.

Once you actually see a completed picture, it's not too hard to tell a mediocre photo from an outstanding one. For example, I would consider the photo on the left to be an outstanding example of a cute baby picture.

However, the one on the right... well, not so much! But, the real challenge is to tell whether the photograph is likely or unlikely to be a winner BEFORE we take the shot.

That's the key, because in the beginning of your "baby photography session," it can feel very intimidating since we often don't know what we want the final image to look like! Sure, we hope it turns out looking very cute, but do we have an image in our mind of what we want it to look like? Probably not.

Digital Photography Articles & Tips Accessorize Your Digital Camera! By Patty Hankins and Bill Lawrence

Are you getting or giving a digital camera for the holidays? Perhaps you're planning on getting one in the after Christmas sales? Don't forget, to get the best out of a digital camera, there are some other things you might want on your shopping list. We have listed a few things we think are essential below.

In camera storage - the "film" for your digital camera. There are a number of formats, though compact flash is probably the most popular (others include smart media cards, secure digital cards, and Sony memory sticks). Almost all digital cameras are sold with a storage card that is way too small for them - if you can fit a number of photos on the card that comes with the camera, there is a good chance you want to consider reducing the file compression. The more you files are compressed on your card, the lower the quality of your final images. Price per megabyte of storage varies by format of the card and by how large the card is, but plan on buying something reasonably large, and preferably at least one spare card. How big is large? Many camera manuals will tell you how many photos fit on different size cards, plan on something that you can afford, but will take more than you imagine you could possibly take in a session. We have three 1-gigabyte (1,024 megabyte) microdrives, which fit in most type-II compact flash compatible cameras, and an emergency 128- megabyte compact flash card (which also doubles as our digicam storage card) for our main cameras, and we are due to add to our storage supply soon. More is definitely better here - it is better to have too much storage rather than having to stop taking photos when your storage is full.

Spare batteries - Digital cameras are notorious battery hogs, especially digicams which use the LCD on the back as a viewfinder to take your photos. It is always a good idea to have a spare rechargeable battery around (if your camera uses them). If your camera uses AA batteries, look into a good set (or 2!) of NiMH rechargeable AA batteries.

A case - Large or small, depending on how much you carry, it's nice to have something to protect and store the camera, and to carry around all the necessities like spare batteries.

A computer - Normally, this would be considered a little expensive to be a digital camera accessory, but the rest of our list requires one.

A CD or DVD writer - All those photos add up in the amount of space they take in your computer storage. Back them up to a CD or DVD. We recommend at least two copies, preferably stored in different places.

A card reader - Some come free with storage cards, others will cost you up to about $30. These devices allow you to insert your camera's storage card into the reader, which is attached to your computer (we recommend getting one compatible with USB 2.0). You can then treat the card as another disk drive, and copy all your files to your hard disk or to CD. We have found this much easier than trying to link the camera directly to the computer.

Photo editing software - How powerful depends on your level of comfort, but you should at least have software for viewing, cropping, and making basic adjustments to your photos, such as lightening or changing the color balance.

A photo printer - A printer designed specifically for printing digital photos is optional, but if you plan on having prints of a good number of your digital photos, is much easier than going to your local Walmart or 1-hour photo place. There is a learning curve to doing this right, though, so if you haven't done much photo printing, you will want to pay attention to the printer's manual and look at its settings. "Why don't my printed photos look like what's on the screen?" is a very common question on the newsgroups (say . . . not a bad topic for a future article!). There are many good printers out there in reasonable price ranges, but we have found the Epson C82 to be a good entry-level printer that can act as both a good photo printer and a document printer.

You may also find information in these articles we've published previously to be of some help in getting started with your digital camera. They can be found in the newsletter archives at http://www.hankinslawrenceimages.com

Digital Photography: Avoid Too Much File Compression (Feb 03) Digital Photography: File Size Matters (Jan 03) Get the Noise Out of Your Digital Images: Neat Image (May 03) Printing Your Digital Images: Q-Image Pro 2003 (Aug 03) Software to Organize Your Images: BreezeBrowser (Apr 03)

Patty Hankins & Bill Lawrence are the co-owners of Hankins-Lawrence Images, LLC, a digital photography company based in Maryland. HLI Photonotes, their monthly ezine, provides information and tips for photographers. To subscribe email hl_images@earthlink.net with subscribe in the subject or visit www.hankinslawrenceimages.com.

"Reprinted from Zongoo.com Daily Press & Consumer Information"

20 Beginner Tips For Taking Digital Photography By Ralph Serpe

Digital cameras are one of the greatest inventions of modern times. We are so fortunate to have this modern convenience called Digital Photography. To be able to capture a precious moment or beautiful scene at the click of a button, is something we should not take for granted.

Many beginners find digital photography rather challenging and rightly so. Today, more and more digital cameras are being created and it seems like the more digital cameras they make, the more difficult they become to use.

I own a Canon Powershot S3 IS. I purchased this digital camera about a year ago and I still haven't utilized all of the awesome little features this camera has to offer. Now you may not want or even need a camera with this many features. It really depends on the type of pictures you plan on taking.

Regardless of the camera you own or are planning to own, you should have a well rounded knowledge of digital photography. I hope the following 20 tips for taking digital photography will prove to be useful in your quest for taking better photographs.

1. Know your camera. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not taking time to learn about the features of your camera. Don't be lazy. Read your instruction manual.

2 - When shooting sunny outdoor shots, try adjusting your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. The auto setting will make your shots appear too cold. When you change it to cloudy, it will increase the warmth of your pictures.

3 - If you are looking for superior image quality, the ability to use a variety of lenses and print large high quality photos, then considering upgrading to a Digital SLR Camera.

4 - Use your flash outdoors. Sometimes, even on a sunny day outdoors, there is still a need for a flash. If the sun is directly over head or behind your subject, this can cause dark shadows to appear on the face. The flash will help lighten the subjects face.

5- Sometimes simply turning your camera and taking vertical shots can make a world of difference. Experiment more with vertical picture taking.

6 - Do not put your subjects directly in the center of your shot. Move your subject off center to inject more life into your photos.

7 - Learn how to hold your digital camera. One of the most common problems beginners face is the shaking of the camera because they are not holding it properly. Of course, the best way to avoid shaking the camera is to use a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, then you should be holding your camera with two hands. Put one hand on the right hand side of your camera where you actually snap the photo and the other hand will support the weight of your camera. Depending on the camera, your left hand will either be positioned on the bottom or around your lens.

8 - Learn about the "Rule of Thirds". This is a well known principle of photographic composition that every beginner should become familiar with. Do a search online and you will find many tutorials on this subject.

9 - Look at other photographers work. Just spending time studying the work of other photographers can provide loads of inspiration.

10 - Join online photography communities. Get active and ask questions.

11 - Do not compare your photography to anyone else.

12 - Do not copy the work of other photographers.

13 - Do not leave your batteries in your camera if you don't plan on using your camera for long periods of time. Some batteries run the risk of leaking and this can damage your camera.

14 - Subscribe to a good photography magazine. Purchase books on photography.

15 - Find experienced photographers to go out on shoots with.

16 - Post your photographs in online forums. Learn to accept criticism.

17 - Try taking your pictures in RAW format. RAW is a powerful option available in today's digital cameras where no in-camera processing takes place. This allows you to do all processing using your favorite image editing software.

18 - Don't buy the most expensive photography equipment right away. Practice and learn about photography first using cheaper equipment. After you have been taking pictures for some time, you will then know what kind of equipment you will need.

19 - Invest in a tripod. Some of us have very shaky hands. If you can't stop the shakes, then get a tripod. It will make a world of difference.

20 - If you are not able to carry your equipment with you everywhere, make sure you have a note pad handy. This way if you find a nice shot, you can write it down and visit that location at a later date.

Some Basic Tips On Using Your Camera

It's true that taking photos is as simple as running out and grabbing a cheap five dollar camera. But taking good, quality photos has never been easier. So lets explore some quick ideas that can help you take photos that you will be happy to share with friends and family.

Photography as an art has never been more exciting or enjoyable. Todays photography enthusiast has many styles, topics, and tools open to them. Plus, the blending of digital with print makes the craft of taking photos very versatile.

Here are four tips to help.

1. Get a little closer, don't be shy. One of the biggest mistakes most beginning photographers make is shooting from so far away. They leave too much distance between themselves and their subjects. Instead, get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame, with your subject, as you can. You can always reshape, trim, and resize a good quality shot. But you can't continue to blow up a distant subject and hope that it will come into focus. It just won't happen.

2. This tip springs directly from #1(above)... focus your shot on only one subject. Determine what the main subject of the photo will be, and catch that image. Try and find the one key subject, person, or event that accurately portrays the feeling you are trying to capture.

3. In addition to getting one subject, in your photos, you will want to make the background of the photo as simple as possible. Busy, distracting backgrounds pull the attention away from the central theme of your photo. The subject of your photo is absolutely the most important element, and anything that detracts from the subject can ruin your shot.

4. Finally, you want to take your subject out of the exact center of the frame. You do this by using the rule of thirds. Imagine having a camera lens split into 9 equal sized boxes, 3 across and 3 down (like having a tic-tac-toe game printed right on your camera lens). Where those "tic-tac-toe" lines cross, should become the focusing point of your subject, when you are arranging to take your photo.

Based on this tip, every time you compose a shot, the main subject of your photo should be located primarily on one of these "third" lines.

These are just four very basic tips and strategies to help improve your photos. As you know, photography skills can always be improved. In fact, most professional photographers exhibit a life long passion for learning new techniques, photography angles, and photo inspirations.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Yvonne Volante is an author, webmistress and camera junkie. She has a site at http://www.ylcamera.com/ which is a great source for camera information. Please be sure to visit http://www.ylcamera.com/