Selling digital photography to stock photo sites or selling photos over the internet can be a very profitable business if you know all the nuances that will get you a good amount of sales. Learning the technical aspects is very important, and really paints the fine line between making money and wasting your time. I don’t mean to discourage anyone, because it should be conveyed that anyone with a digital camera, an internet connection and a little spare time can do quite well. A lot of people sell their freelance photos through stock photography sites or through their own page/web host without a particular theme and do fairly well, but I will take more time and effort. A better battle plan is to find a particular type or subject of digital photography that you can easily focus on.

To explain further what picking a theme really does for photography sales, it helps consumers easily find what they are looking for when they type in specific descriptions or set of keywords. This benefits you because if a consumer types in your specific subject there is a good chance that it will bring them directly to your freelance photography. If you don’t already have the program called Camera Dollars, then labeling and specifying keywords is something you have to learn, but this tool will help you. And after you read the Camera Dollars lessons, you need to sign up with these companies and do a bit of research in order to figure out a profitable theme to pick for your photography.

Here are are several different types of freelance photography themes and short descriptions of each.

The method of taking pictures as a Theme:

Some examples of this would be macro, scenery, black and white, geometric, architecture, abstract, micro, motion, portrait, or panoramic.

These are usually recognized by simple types of photography and aren’t usually profitable on their own. Usually you want to combine this with other themes, like instead of “50’s Television” you could use the theme “Black and white 50’s televisions.”

Nominal Themes:

Simply put these themes based on any object, person, or place. Examples are Dvd, chair, cookware, doorknobs, Bahamas, Britney Spears and so on.

Themes Based off of Photo Utility:

Instead of think of what to take pictures of think of what the person buying the photo is using it for. You can base your theme off of a particular job or usage for the photo. To give an example a lot of graphic designers buy digital photos off the internet, do some research and try to sell particularly to them.

Intangible Themes:

Intangible digital photography themes are based off of ideas, emotions and other ambiguous images. Here are some examples: Love, hope, existentialism, correction, trust, triumphant, justice.

Your digital photography doesn’t have to be specified by just one form. Any of these three types of subjects can be put together to make an even more specific category of photos. An example of mixing two themes would be like Motion and friendship, which can be a picture of two friends doing some activity together or otherwise being in the state of “motion.” You could have hundreds of themes by the time your done, but it is better to focus on a few at a time. Do your research and in order to learn about how to sign up or start your own business check out Jobs in Digital Photography

About Author

Nicholas Normandy -

About the Author:

When choosing a photographer for your child, there is much more to consider than price.  You want to make sure your photographer does all of the following things to ensure that your portrait experience is excellent and that you get photographs that will stand the test of time.

The first thing your child’s photographer should do is to meet you and your child in advance of your portrait session.  They should meet you on a day before the actual session just to meet you and your child and discuss ideas to personalize your session.  During this “design consultation,” your photographer will get down on your child’s level and get to know them so that on the day of the session, the photographer will not be a total stranger to your child, making the session go smoother and be much more successful.  Your photographer should do this design consultation at no extra charge to you.

The second thing your photographer must do is to do the session on location, instead of a boring studio, at no extra charge.  This is so important to making your session successful.  You should be able to choose a location that is special to you or your child, an environment that your child is comfortable in.  This could be a local park or playground, or other favorite location, or even your own home.  Being photographed on location is so much more fun for everyone involved, and the results are creative and unique images of your child.

The third thing your photographer should do is to be flexible.  As a parent, you know that for some reason, a perfectly healthy child can (and often does) become ill on important occasions, such as Christmas Day, their birthday, or the day you have scheduled for their portrait session.  Your photographer should understand this and allow you to reschedule the session at no extra charge.  This goes for any other unforeseen problems that may come up.

The last, and most crucial, thing you should make sure your photographer does is to guarantee you will love your portraits.  Many photographers say that satisfaction is guaranteed”, but this is not good enough.  If your photographer cannot guarantee that you will be thrilled with your portraits, or your money back, it’s time to move on and find another photographer.  A portrait of your child should be something that moves you every time you look at it, not something that you are just “satisfied” with.  It is so important that your photographer has such a strong guarantee.

If your photographer does not do all of the above things, move on to another one and don’t stop looking until you find one that does.  The kind of photographer I have described is one who truly cares about you and your child as people and about giving you the highest quality photographs to preserve for you the precious years of childhood.

As you have seen, price is not the only thing to consider when choosing the best photographer for your child.   Think of photographs of your child as investments, as you would when buying a house, or as important a decision as choosing the best doctor when you need surgery.  While those photographs won’t bring you financial gains later on, if they were created by a photographer who does the things I discussed above, you will reap priceless rewards of the heart for years to come.

About Author

Angela Griffin -
About the Author:

Angela Griffin is a photographer and owner of Angela’s Portraits in Denton, Texas, which is now in its 6th year! Photography is Angela’s passion, particularly photographing babies and children. To view her portfolio and get portrait session information, visit her website at http://www.angelas-portraits.com. Angela is also the founder of http://www.photomarketingsuccess.com and author of the course Marketing Magic for Children’s Portrait Photography. Angela invites you to stop by http://www.photomarketingsuccess.com for free information on starting your own business, marketing it for success and lots of other resources for portrait photographers.

It’s just a few days until Christmas so I thought a quick tutorial on the topic of Christmas Photography might be appropriate. Hopefully this will give you some good Christmas photo ideas.

Here are 16 Christmas Photography tips and ideas to try that come to mind for digital camera owners wanting to capture the big day:

1. Prepare – Making a List, checking it twice….

Making sure you’re ready to capture any planned event is part of the key to a successful shoot. Getting yourself ready but also the location of your shots is worthwhile.

Pack the camera – goes without saying? I forgot mine last year in the rush to get the car packed. Make sure your batteries are charged and you have extras and/or the recharger packed. Pack extra memory cards – have them empty and ready to fill up Put someone on ‘photos’ – our family has someone on drinks, main course, dessert – why not put someone on ‘photos’ so that in the craziness of the day they don’t get forgotten. Consider the light in the room that you’ll be photographing in. Is there enough light? Will you need a flash? Are the backgrounds too cluttered and distracting? 2. A White Balance Christmas

Here in Australia we often celebrate Christmas outdoors, but many people around the world do it inside in unnatural lighting. Pay attention to what type of light you’re shooting in and set your white balance settings accordingly. Alternatively, if you’ve got a camera that shoots in RAW you can shoot away and set your white balance later.

3. Set up a DIY ‘Photo Booth’ The shots were great – people went back to it throughout the party and the photos got crazier and crazier as time went on. It was the hit of the party. 4. Capture the preparation stages Photo by paper by design

The actual Christmas meal or party is obviously the best part of the day, but there are other photographic opportunities, particularly in the preparations stages of the day.

Food preparation Putting up decorations Wrapping gifts Kids throwing a tantrum while getting dressed in their Christmas outfits Setting the table

The shots before the event starts properly are often great because they show everything at it’s best before everyone descends on your party zone.

5. Before and After Shots

Speaking of shots before the party starts, why not set up some before and after shots both of the place you’re holding your party and what it looks like afterwards. Make sure you take the shots from the same position.

6. Time-lapse Christmas series

I have one friend who set up his computer with a web cam in the corner of the room with the camera looking down on the Christmas table. He set the camera to go off every 5 minutes over the day and ended up with one of the most wonderful series of shots that I’ve seen for a long time.

Photo by rachel r 7. Christmas Lights

Photographing Christmas lights is something that can be tricky to do. David Hobby from Strobist has put together a great tutorial on how to do it. Check it out at How to Photograph Christmas Lights.

8. Find a Point of Interest – but just per shot

All good shots should have a focal point that holds the attention of those viewing your images. The problem with Christmas is that there can often be too many competing focal points in shots with people, color, decorations, food in every shot. Work hard and de-cluttering your images. Check out this post on minimalism which contains some tips on de-cluttering images.

9. Fresh Group Photos

One of the most common types of shots at Christmas is the ‘group photo’. It’s usually taken at the end of the evening or day when everyone is looking at their worst. For a ‘fresher’ shot take it once everyone has arrived. Also think before hand about how you might pose everyone and where you might take the shot. I’ve posted 12 tips for taking a great group photo previously.

10. Opening Gifts – Shoot in Continuous Mode

There are certain moments during a Christmas gathering that are filled with all manner of photographic opportunities and the opening of gifts is like no other in that it is filled with an array of emotions, facial expressions and excitement – especially if you’ve got kids around. Switch your camera to burst mode (sometimes called continuous shooting mode) and take lots of shots at this time of the festivities. You’ll find you end up with some excellent series of shots when you do this that capture everything from the anticipation of getting the wrapped gift, through to the excitement of unwrapping to the joy (or occasionally disappointment) of seeing what’s inside. Don’t forget to shoot the reactions of those who GIVE the gift as well.

Photo by grace*c* 11. Fill your Frame

One of the most common mistakes I see in Christmas photos (or any party/even photography) is that people often end up with shots of their subjects off in the distance on the other side of a room with lots of space around them. Fill your frame with your subject either by using your zoom or getting up and moving yourself closer. While this is one of the simplest tips I ever give it is one that can have the most profound impact on your shots.

12. Diffuse/Reflect Your Flash

- Another common problem with Christmas shots is ending up with shots where the flash is so bright that subjects look like rabbits in a spotlight with harsh shadows behind them. One way around this is to use some sort of a flash diffuser or reflector. If you’re lucky enough to have an external flash try bouncing it off walls or the ceiling. Another way to reduce the impact of your flash and to create some interesting effects is to switch your camera into ‘night mode’ (slow sync mode). This will tell your camera to choose a slower shutter speed but still fire your flash. In doing so it’ll capture some of the ambient light of the room as well as freeze your subject. Be warned, you can end up with some wacky shots doing this (but they can also be lots of fun).

13. Go Macro

Most digital cameras come with a macro mode and an increasing number of DPS readers are buying macro lenses so flick to that mode, attach your lens and photograph the smaller things around your party. Ornaments on the tree, table decorations, sweets in the bowl on the table, a nativity scene on the mantle piece, holly above the doorway – sometimes it’s these small things around your party that are the real ‘money shots’. Don’t forget our Macro Hacks for compact cameras.

Photo by Splat Worldwide 14. Watch Your Aperture

I quite often shoot in Aperture Priority mode on a day like Christmas and am constantly changing the aperture depending upon my subject. For example when taking shots of a christmas decorations on the tree I’ll select a large aperture (a small number like f/2.8) so as to throw the background out of focus, but on a shot taken from the end of the table of everyone sitting down eating I’ll choose a small aperture (like f/8 to f/11 or more) so as to have a larger depth of field and keep everyone in focus.

15. Explore Your Neighborhood

If your neighborhood is anything like mine there is an almost unlimited number of photographic opportunities presenting themselves all around you. Christmas carols services, houses covered in Christmas decorations, shopping malls filled with busyness etc. Get out there with your camera and capture it. What a wonderful time of year to practice using your camera. Have fun!

16. Related Reading:

Here’s another tutorial and discussion thread you might like to read in preparation for your Christmas Photography this year.

Share Your photos - Looking for some inspiration or wanting to share you Christmas shots? Head to the Christmas Assignment in our Forums to see what shots others are taking this Christmas and to share some of your own images. Candid Photography – this tutorial on candid photography might be helpful as much of what you’ll be doing at a Christmas even will be in this style. Christmas Wishes from DPS

Lastly – let me wish all Digital Photography School readers a very happy holiday period. It’s been a great two and a bit since we launched this blog and while I’m looking forward to a few days off over Christmas I also can’t wait to get back to DPS and to take it to the next level in 2009. Have a great holiday period and we’ll see you in the new year!

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Watch the video related to strobist photography

This is a brief introduction to basic gear and terminology for the beginning strobists, photographers using small off-camera flashes to take their photos to the next level.

Help answer the question about strobist photography

Fellow photogs: Ever hear of the ‘Strobist’ movement?
I’ve been doing some hot linking from a few of my other photography groups and from flickr and I ran across the ‘Strobist’ group. It sounds pretty cool, at least they think so, but I wanted to get the opinion of other photographers.

What is your thought on off camera flash lighting with small speedlight external flashes, as opposed to big and expensive pro studio lighting?

Has anyone ever heard of the strobist?

My opinion is that so far I have no opinion because I can’t say I’ve given it much thought. I have a need to improve my work with better lighting, but is this strobist ‘thing’ hype, or something that a lot of photographers have been doing all along?

And do we really want to snub our noses at our trusted i-TTL equipped speedlights?

Give me your opinions…

About Author

Terry Divyak -
About the Author:

Terry Divyak has been an avid photographer for over 30 years. With publisher photos featured on two magazine covers, he was also featured in Photo District News Magazine as a winner in the Pro Division of PDN’s World in Focus Travel Contest. This work appeared in Photo District News February 2008 issue. His current project is the photography informational site, www.piqfire.com

Photographing food is probably one of the most challenging kinds of photography out there. It is considered difficult by most professional food photographers because there is a time constraint in the whole photo shoot.

And since the marketability of the food itself depends primarily on how it is seen in print, food photographers should be well trained and skilled in order to come up with satisfying results.

TIPS IN TASTEFUL FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Know your camera well. It is a must that you familiarize yourself with all its features and functions especially the basic operations like focus/auto focus, exposure compensation, white balance, image resolution and size, and flash modes operation. Know when to use these features in order to highlight the best angles of your subject.

2. Familiarize yourself with other equipment. Knowing the proper use of a tripod or stabilizer will help you focus on your subject better and will also avoid camera shake that usually causes blurring.

3. Fill the gap and the distance. If space and time permit, get close to your subject as close as possible. It is recommended that you fill the entire frame of with your subject to create a satisfying image. Distance will give a full view of the food’s texture and ingredients.

4.Carefully calculated focus and depth-of-field (DOF). The use of depth-of-field never fails to create wonders in food photo shoots. With careful adjustment of focus and depth of field, you can bring to life any dish that is your subject. (TIP: Use wider or more open for a shallow DOF and a smaller or more closed one for a deeper shots.)

5. Identify the standout ingredient. Before taking any shot, assess the scene closely and look for something that can grab people’s attention right away. You can use this main feature of the food as the subject of your subject.

6. It’s all in the lighting. Like in any photography styles, lighting or available light can make or unmake any photograph. Since food is the major subject in food photography, it is better that the setting is bright and the lights are soft so as to make the food more appetizing. In digital cameras, turning on the White Balance feature of the equipment can solve dark settings in an instant.

7. Pay attention to your set-up. It is a must to take the time off to setup your food photo shoot. If there are distracting elements in the background, remove them. If you think there’s something missing in the set up, then think of something else that would fill the empty space or gap. Prepare the garnish, the props, and other materials you might need for the shoot.

Here is another tips (video) about food photography tips taken from youtube:

About Author

Low Jeremy -
About the Author:

This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on photography & other useful information, please visit http://photography.articlekeep.com

The aperture is measured in terms of f-stops and this can perhaps be a bit confusing since a smaller f-stop is equivalent to a larger aperture. It is usually written like this, the scale going from large aperture to small aperture:

f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16…

These are the standard values, separated by one unit called an f-stop. Each lens has a maximum aperture and can be stopped down from there to gain larger depth of field and to set the exposure (which it does together with the shutter and ISO speed). Another good reason to stop down your lens (to use a smaller aperture) is that the lens usually works better when stopped down 2 to 4 stops from it’s maximum value. It draws sharper and lessens unwanted effects such as chromatic aberration and vignetting. Using a lens wide-open so to say, is rarely a good idea unless you are pressed for light or using an absolute top-of-the-line lens.

A fast lens, you say?

Sometimes the large-aperture lenses are also referred to by photographers as ‘fast lenses’. Strictly speaking this is nonsense since it’s still a piece of glass and not a racing car! But what it means is that with a large aperture, more light will come in allowing for a faster shutter time in the camera. The lens itself is in no way ‘fast’, it’s just easier to say that ‘the lens is fast’.

With a ‘fast lens’, you can use a high shutter speed, ie. in the thousandths, 1/1000 sec or less. This allows you to really capture moments that’s gone in the blink of an eye and opens up a new world of things that happen too quickly for the human eye to catch.

As is now evident, the depth of field is directly related to the lens aperture. Having one of these ‘fast lenses’ on your D-SLR camera gives you lot’s of creative possibilities. One of the big challenges in serious photography is to separate your main subject from all the background clutter, to focus the viewers attention on the subject without distractions. To get a blurry background, set the aperture quite high, go a little close to your subject (without exaggerating the perspective too much) and allow some distance between your subject and the background. It’s important to remember that the placement of you, your subject and the background also plays a role in how much blur-effect you get. It’s not only about what lens aperture you are using.

Bokeh

Ok, so now you have an out-of-focus background. But there’s a bit more to it than that. (Admittedly, we are moving into the subtler details now.) If you look at the out-of-focus areas of different photos, you’ll see that it can look quite different. Some lenses have a really nice, soft, smooth and silky way of rendering the out-of-focus details while others have a tendency to render hard rings and edges around high-contrast objects. This can be a bit distracting to look at although it is somewhat subjective. The quality of the out-of-focus areas is generally called ‘bokeh’ and is largely decided by the way the lens is constructed, how many aperture blades it has and what f-stop you are using. Photo aficionados can debate at length about the quality, characteristics and effects the bokeh has on a photo while more ‘normal’ people would give far more importance to the focused areas of the photo. In some genres though, it does play a significant role. In portrait photography, wildlife photography (using long tele-photo lenses) and macro photography the silky bokeh can really be the dot that makes the ‘i’, an add a magical touch that’s hard to pin down.

Try to incorporate some bokeh awareness into your photography and there’s most likely improvements to me made.

About Author

Morten Svenningsen -
About the Author:

The author, Morten Svenningsen, is an award-winning Danish photographer and journalist based in Asia. Visit his web site www.mortensvenningsen.com to see examples of his work. It’s now even possible to order his photos as fine art prints and posters!

When you are using a camera, the media you are recording the image to is fixed in the amount of light required to create the image. This is referred to as the ISO, or speed, and is represented by a number such as ISO 400, 200, etc. The exposure to the light is controlled by the shutter speed and the aperture f/stop. This is a simple explanation of the f/stop mechanism.

First one must understand that the shutter speed and f/stop directly affect each other. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure to the light. So, in order to prevent flooding, or overexposure, of the medium, the amount of the light must be reduced. This is done using the aperture, or f/stop, by decreasing the amount of area of the lens that is open to the light. The inverse is also true, if you wanted to take a photo of an athlete in motion but wanted very clear, crisp photos, you could use a very fast shutter speed, and a very wide aperture.

Now you know what it’s used for, here’s what the f/stop numbers mean. The numbers printed on your camera lens can range anywhere from f/1.0 to f/128, but this isn’t all of them, by any means. This number represents the ratio between the focal length of the lens, and the diameter of the aperture opening. For example, a 50mm lens with a 25mm aperture is a f/2 lens, and a 100mm lens with the same 25mm aperture setting is a f/4. Most every lens manufactured today has several f/stop adjustments available to the photographer, but the values printed on the barrels may be a rounded off, for simplicity.

For this example, keep the above in mind. If a person wanted to fill a container with water, but the container had a small hole at the entrance, the flow of the water must be reduced. This will require more time to fill the container, but if the opening is larger, the flow can be increased, thus allowing for faster filling. So, if the shutter speed is slow, i.e. 1/8, the f/stop number must be increased to allow less light in, to prevent overexposure. The opposite is true if the shutter speed is perhaps 1/125th the f/stop number should decrease, to allow more light in. This means that if the bottom number i=on the shutter speed gets bigger, the f/stop number should get smaller.

One last thing that should be mentioned is that the wider the aperture rating on a lens, the more expensive, and bulky they tend to be. there are lenses on the market, both new, and used, with maximum apertures of f/1.2, and as low as f/.95, but the costs of lenses like these can be prohibitive. That coupled with the fact that the f/.95 lens requires the use of a tri-pod, make these almost exclusively professional equipment.

About Author

David Chappell -
About the Author:

David Chappell is the owner of  SLR Lens Depot – Camera Lenses for Sale, Reviews, and More. A website featuring digital photography guides, lens reviews, lenses for sale, news and much more.

When buying a new digital camera, most people start out with the best intentions of becoming a truly creative photographer. One look at that thick, complex technical manual, and they switch the camera to auto…and that’s where it stays. As a result, most of us settle for snapshot photography when our cameras are capable of so much more.

Does this sound like you? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Camera manuals reflect the technical power of modern cameras, but they are intimidating to any beginner who just wants to take a decent photo.

Digital cameras are like most computer programs; you may find you can get by with about ten percent of the available functions. So don’t get tied up in knots trying to understand everything. Just learn what you need to know, and learn it well, and you will be well on the way to being a better photographer.

Here are a few tips that may just take the complexity out of photography for you.

Tip #1. Stick with the basics. In the days of film, good photographers used SLR cameras with two main settings; aperture and shutter speed. These were the ingredients of all great photography. Today, cameras come with hundreds of features, but guess which ones you really need to understand? That’s right, aperture and shutter speed.

If you can understand these two settings, you are halfway to becoming a better photographer. Your manual (I never said you could throw it away) will tell you which buttons to press on your camera. However, to really understand what these settings are all about, don’t rely on the manual. There is plenty of information out there; workshops, websites, books and ebooks can help.

Practice has never been easier than it is today. Most cameras have semi-automatic settings, called ‘aperture priority’ and ’shutter priority,’ that allow you to operate one setting while the camera takes care of the other. This is a great way to practice a skill without fear of getting too many failed exposures.

Tip #2. Learn from your mistakes. If you just delete every photo you are not happy with, you are missing a golden opportunity to learn from your own experience. Photos you consider ‘rejects’ actually contain useful information – you really can learn from your mistakes!

Let’s say you are experimenting with aperture. Try photographing a scene three times, with three different aperture settings, for three slightly different results. Instead of keeping your favourite and deleting the others immediately, you could transfer them to your computer and take the time to examine them properly. You can see how each setting changed the look of the picture, and which setting worked best for that subject. Now you can learn from your own results, not from some theory in a book.

Did you know that if you right-click your mouse over a photograph on your computer and select ‘properties’ you will find a lot of information embedded in the file? You don’t have to keep a note of the aperture/shutter speed information; your photo does it for you!

Of course in the long term you don’t want to keep every single photo you take, but you might want to keep a folder of ‘learning photos’ to refer to later, with maybe two versions of each subject you experiment with. To make it even easier, rename the pictures with relevant titles, for example: Wildflowers/Small Aperture, Wildflowers/Wide Aperture; Waterfall/Fast Shutter, Waterfall/Slow Shutter.

Tip #3. Learn The Art As Well As The Technique. Every problem in photography cannot be solved by the camera. Experienced photographers know that good lighting and creative composition is often more important than up-market technology. In fact, most photos fail not because of bad technique, but because they were taken at the wrong time of day, or the photographer did not put enough thought into the composition. Yet daily I meet people who think that all their problems would be solved by a better camera, or some mysterious technique they are yet to learn.

Remember what I said in Tip #1; aperture and shutter speed are the fundamental skills, and with a little practice, they are not hard to learn. Master them and you are halfway there. The key to becoming a really good photographer is a balance of technical knowledge and artistic skill. Practice both, and soon your friends will be coming to you for photography tips!

About Author

Andrew Goodall -
About the Author:

Anyone can learn the basics of good photography with Andrew Goodall’s simple, non-technical approach. Visit http://www.naturesimage.com.au to see Andrew’s images and ebooks, and learn even more by subscribing to the online newsletter…it’s free!

Digital photography has given almost anyone with a camera the potential to become a creative photographer. These days even compact cameras offer features that once were only found on ’serious’ SLR cameras.

The trouble is, most people who have grown up with point-and-shoot cameras have very little idea what these features are all about. After buying a good digital camera with the best intentions, they soon give up and switch to automatic.

Are the settings on your camera really so hard to understand? Of course not, but it can seem that way at the start, especially if they are not explained to you in simple terms you can understand.

The two settings you need to understand here are Aperture and Shutter Speed. Aperture is the size of the hole that lets the light in for your photo. The larger the hole, the brighter the exposure. The shutter speed is the length of time given to each exposure. Slower shutter speeds allow more light, resulting in a brighter exposure. By finding the right balance of these two settings, you and/or your camera control whether your photo is overexposed, underexposed, or just right.

With your camera set to Manual mode, you control both settings. If this seems daunting, you can start with the semi-automatic functions, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority.

How do the semi-automatic functions work? They allow you to choose one setting (either aperture or shutter speed), while the camera chooses the other. That way you can be a little bit creative, but with the safety net of knowing your camera will make sure your exposure is correct. It is a good halfway point between automatic and manual.

Let’s start with Aperture Priority. This function allows you to set the aperture on your camera; the camera chooses the shutter speed for you.

The aperture controls depth of field (the area in front and behind the main subject that will be in focus). When you set a wide aperture, you reduce the depth of field; when you choose a smaller aperture, you will have a greater depth of field.

Obviously when you change the aperture, you change the level of light in your exposure. The camera will compensate by adjusting the shutter speed. So when you operate your camera in Aperture Priority mode, you have control over the depth of field, but your camera still makes sure your exposure is correct.

The catch here is, you still need to keep track of what your shutter speed is doing. If it falls to a very slow speed, you need to use a tripod to eliminate camera vibrations.

How about Shutter Priority? Here you set the shutter speed, and the camera balances the exposure by setting the aperture. This is a great system if you are working with moving subjects. Sometimes you may want to freeze a moving subject with a fast shutter speed, or create a motion effect with a slower shutter speed. Meanwhile the camera compensates for the changes in shutter speed by adjusting the aperture.

Shutter priority may be a better option for some beginners. It is much easier to stay aware of when to use your tripod. Also, when your camera manages the aperture, it controls the depth of field, which is not usually as critical as the shutter speed. You may not always get exactly what you want, but you won’t get any catastrophic failures.

These two semi-automatic functions appear to offer you the best of both worlds. You get to be a bit creative, and try out your photography skills, while your camera’s high-tech hardware makes sure you don’t overexpose or underexpose the photo. So far, it sounds perfect.

So why should you learn to operate your camera in Manual mode? The answer is simple.

Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority both work on the assumption that your camera’s reading of the exposure is always correct. Unfortunately, that is not always true. In fact, sometimes you have to be smarter than your camera.

Imagine you are photographing a flower in the sun, but the background is in the shade. This simple situation can be all it takes to confuse your camera. It may expose for the background, brightening the exposure and totally overexposing the flower.

In this situation, semi-automatic settings will not solve the problem. You could try to darken the exposure by (for example) closing the aperture. The camera would simply adjust the shutter speed to compensate, maintaining what it believes to be the correct exposure.

What you need to do is switch the camera to Manual. Then you can adjust both settings and create an image that is slightly darker, bringing your flowers into perfect exposure.

This is not just a hypothetical exercise. Situations arise all the time that require you to out-think your camera. If you understand how to operate your manual settings, you can take control, and you won’t be left blaming your camera for ‘the one that got away.’

About Author

Andrew Goodall -
About the Author:

Andrew Goodall’s top selling ebook “Photography In Plain English” is a great place to start learning the art and skills of nature photography. Find it at http://www.naturesimage.com.au along with a great collection of Andrew’s landscape and wildlife photography. You can also sign up to the online newsletter for free gifts and tips on photography.

Food photography is a necessary component in marketing campaigns for any company that deals with food and beverages. In fact, restaurants that utilize photographs in their menus will sell more food than those who use only food titles and written descriptions. This is the main reason marketing and advertising companies use food in their campaigns today. Simply photographing food and products will not work unless viewers find them particularly tempting. To ensure effective food photography that entices a craving from viewers, follow these simple tips and tricks:

Tricks Of The Trade

There is more to photographing food and products than simply dishing up a nice meal, setting it on a tablecloth, and taking a picture. The advertising will not lure in customers if the edible focal point does not look like the tastiest thing they have ever seen. For example, if you require a photograph of a vegetable such as a tomato, the food stylist might only use two out of an entire case. Substances such as glycerin can be added to lettuce or a tomato to make the vegetables appear to be fresh, cold, and moist. When working with a steak in food photography, for instance, the chef is instructed by the food stylist to prepare several at once so that only the best ones are used in the photos. To make perfect grill marks on the steak, a wire is used with a propane torch.

Using Props

The use of props is vital for successful food photography. When photographing food and products, a stylist will often choose several items to compliment the main object. A photo of ice cream in a plain bowl will get the point across, but adding props such as nuts, chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream, and a plate of cherries will tantalize the viewer. Every detail of the photo shoot is decided on between the photographer and food stylist before anything else can occur.

Lighting

When photographing food and products, the use of lighting to create a certain feel can have a major impact on the pictures. In food photography, substitutes are often used when setting up the lighting to keep the actual food as fresh as possible. In addition, some lighting is specifically designed to enhance the texture of a food to make it look more appetizing.

Have Perfect Timing

Timing is everything when it comes to effective food photography. For most successful food photographers, on-site photo shoots are preferred over studio sessions simply because it allows the pictures to be taken with the freshest food possible. The photographer and stylist will use substitutes to perfect the setting and lighting while the chef is preparing the actual food that will be used in the shoot. This way, rather than being dried out from the heat of the lights, the food will be fresh and juicy. For food photography involving fresh fruit, the food stylist will cut it during the last seconds before a shoot and then apply ice or glycerin to give the freshness an extra boost for the picture.

There is more involved in food photography than simply cooking and taking a photograph; it requires the knowledge of a team consisting of a food stylist and chef along with an expert photographer. When looking for a team to produce high-quality advertising materials, choose one that is skilled in the art of photographing food and products.

About Author

Christine OKelly -
About the Author:

Christine O’Kelly is an author for Earl Kogler, a professional commercial photographer with clients that include architectural photography, hotels, and many other people and businesses. With more than 25-years experience, Earl Kogler’s delectable and award-winning food photography creations sell.

Some of the most common techniques used in photography will not necessarily work when taking pictures of your kids. Telling a child to “freeze or “hold it will not make much sense to them. Children will often do as they please so it is the job of the photographer to anticipate what a child is about to do and be ready to capture it.

YOU can turn this into your advantage: Since your kids don’t always do what you want them to do, or what you expect them to do (actually they rarely do!). A solution often is: don’t expect them to become a cooperative little adult merely because you want to take their picture. Trick them – expect them to act like your kids. Don’t expect anything in particular. DO this and you can enter the fun and profitable field of child photography.

Know your stuff – Before you start booking sessions with your kids you must know exactly what you are capable of doing – what your camera is capable of doing – what all your equipment is capable of doing. Operating your camera and equipment must be second nature. Have your style of photography down pat, so when you start a session your mind is on the your kids). This takes your complete focus. This is not the time to be fiddling with you camera, or trying to figure out your light setup. Children take 100% of your concentration. For some your kids the entire shoot may only last 10 minutes – though you feel you have just run a marathon – so you have to be able to get in position , get the most cooperation from the child, get great shots. At times, this has to be done very quickly, BUT you cannot make the child feel they are being rushed.

When photographing your kids, expect anything and everything to happen. If you have a better understanding of the various behaviours of your kids at certain ages, it will go a long way to being able to capture the images you want thus increasing your financial gain. In addition, knowing what you can expect from a child at age two versus one at age five, will help in keeping your clients satisfied.

During a session photographing your kids you can get a variety of poses, expressions and antics. In no other field of photography are you liable to get such variety. The more you learn about little ones the better child photographer you will be. Children are not just your kids until they become adults -they come in all sizes. Between four months and four years you can place them into quite a few categories: 4-6 mos, 6-12 mos, 12-18 mos, 18-24 mos, and then you can lengthen out the age span. Awareness of these ages are needed to help you – the photographer – be aware of the limitations your kids (especially little ones) have.

Keep in mind that parents can play a key role when photographing your kids. They will be able to tell you certain things about their child that can go a long way to helping you through the picture session ultimately ensuring you obtain the best possible shots. Given most your kids have difficulty sitting through a photography session, you will not have time to win them over; knowing their likes and dislikes, their fears, their favorite things, to name a few, can be extremely helpful.

Above all else, get your camera ready to go – second chances to capture an impromptu moment don’t come around very often (if at all) when photographing your kids.

In most areas of photography a tripod is great for sharp photos. However with child photography you do not always have such a luxury. Once they reach the moving around stage, a tripod limits your ability to capture expressions and poses. Be mindful of your camera settings – keep that shutter speed fast enough to prevent blurring – and be ready to move quickly!

There is no limit to what you can capture in a shot when photographing your kids; it can be anything from climbing on or out of something, to taking their shoes and socks off. The more experience you gain photographing your kids, the more you will know what works for different age groups.

There is no question that photographing your kids is a challenge. And just when you might start to feel comfortable doing it, along comes a new challenge – multiple subjects. Dealing with twins, triplets, etc. will really test your skills as child photographer! But don’t worry, this is part of the job and over time you will learn tricks to keeping all your subjects engaged.

When capturing a child or your kids on film, get creative when trying to get their attention; use different techniques and use them quickly as you won’t have the time to try again. Using a digital camera can help in this regard as there are no limits to the amount of exposures you can take and luckily, you can look at the pictures very quickly as you go.

Brothers and sisters can also play a vital role in your photography session with your kids. Siblings may actually be more successful than parents in getting their brother or sister to laugh, cry, smile, or make a funny face. Use the comfort level a child feels with their sibling to your best advantage and get the pictures you want. Another bonus to having sibling present, is that the parents may decide that they too should be photographed- all this means a bigger photo package for the client and more money for you!

Take your act on the road – You can do child photography at the park – on the beach – in the backyard, just as easily as in a studio or home – maybe more so – and nature will take care of the lighting for you, as long as you select open shade.

Items to have on hand: Depending on the ages and whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors you need a supply of items to catch and keep their interest and that look great in a photo: rattles feather dusters soft toys dolls hats mirrors a telephone (the bigger the better) a big whistle duplicate toys (for twins & overly competitive little ones) treats & snacks.

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Dan Feildman -
About the Author:

Did You Enjoy These Digital Photography Tips? Now It’s Time To Discover Dan Feildman’s weekly blog Digital Photography Tips First Get This FREE Digital Photography Report And Enjoy The Most Complete Of Digital Photography Tips. By Visiting LearnDigitalPhotographyNow.com