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How To Shoot Amazing Digital Photo Portraits

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you ever wondered why the ‘people’ photos you take with your digital camera end-up looking more like snapshots than the compelling portraits you intended to create?  You’re not alone. This is one of the most common experiences shared by amateur and, yes, professional photographers.  It’s not surprising that this is such a common problem, given that most of the photographs produced around the world at any given moment on any given day involve a human subject as the significant theme.

But if you count yourself as a member of the “BPB”, or the Boring Portrait Brotherhood as I like to call it, you’ve already set yourself apart from the pack and will likely be able to improve your results – perhaps even dramatically.  That’s because most of the fingers snapping those shutters belong to people that simply cannot discern the difference between a compelling portrait and a rather ordinary snapshot of a human being.  The fact that you want to improve the portraits you create suggests that you already recognize there is a difference between what you compose and what you’d like to compose.

Try some of these easy-to-follow tips to begin creating digital photo portraits that appear thoughtful, original and that show an authenticity of expression or personality.

Location, Location, Location

  • Find a location that will compliment your subject rather than compete for his or her attention.
  • Avoid flat backgrounds; set your subject closer to the camera with greater distance between the subject and wall.
  • Find a location where your subject will feel comfortable and relaxed.
  • Choose locations that fit the subject’s mood or the overall atmosphere you intend to create in your photo.

Comfort is King

  • One of the main stumbling blocks concealing the authenticity of a portrait subject’s mood or personality is the artificiality of the entire situation.  That’s why many of today’s up-and-coming portrait photographers prefer to go to their subject’s home or meet them at another place of the subject’s choosing.  While the controlled environment of a studio can enhance a photographer’s confidence, it also unfortunately tends to mute the subject’s genuine response.  Ask your subject where THEY would like to have their portrait taken.
  • Consider having your portrait subject DOING something while you snap the shutter.  Whether he or she is manipulating something with which they are familiar, are at work or are at play, the act of “doing” tends to encourage more natural, relaxed and honest expressions.

Get Closer

  • Most professional photographers have one very important piece of advice for amateur photo enthusiasts who wish to improve their portrait skills.  It goes like this, “Get closer.  Now get closer again. O.K., now get even closer.  Filling more of the frame with your subject’s face will make it hard for momentary expressions and revelations of various personality traits to evade the camera’s lens.
  • Try using a “gentle zoom” to get a bit closer.  This will have the added benefit of shorter depth of field, which is sought-after in most portrait images.  (Short depth of field allows the subject to be in focus while the background gets increasingly blurry with greater distance from the lens.)  For those with some technical savvy, try using a zoom in the 80-120 mm focal length range which will allow you to get a closer shot without being in your subject’s face and yet avoid the distortion that often comes with longer focal lengths.

There’s far more to learn and, best of all, it’s all free!  Visit www.FreePhotoCourse.com, for more in-depth photography lessons, pro-secrets and tips, free desktop images, contributor’s gallery, how-to’s, photographer’s forum and great deals on top-selling cameras and photo gear.  You can also find Part 2 of this article as published at this site and elsewhere on the web.

Article by Steve Kristof.  Steve Kristof is a writer and a professional instructor in broadcast media production and photography.  He also writes articles and contributes images for the popular free photography course website www.FreePhotoCourse.com, Find out more photo secrets by visiting www.FreePhotoCourse.com,

 

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Digital Photo Album And 5 Other Personalized Photo Gifts

December 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The digital photo album can be customized by adding a single photo that is printed on the front and back cover of the album.  Alternatively, and for a more unique look you can include two photos; one of which will be used to customize the front and other for the back cover.  The self mount pages enable you or the gift recipient to create a unique photo album that can include photos of the family or pictures from specific events such as weddings, graduation, or other milestones in a person’s life.  Here are five other personalized photo gifts that you may also wish to consider.

Photo Canvas Prints

Choose a single photo and have it printed on high quality HD Satin canvas.  The canvas print is available in a variety of standard sizes but can also be printed with bespoke dimensions in order to ensure that you get exactly the look that you want from a canvas print.  As well as being very personal, a canvas print can be converted into an incredible looking piece of wall for any room or any property.

Photo Montage Prints

Rather than having to choose a single photo to customize a canvas print, you can instead choose a series or collection of pictures and combine these into one great looking montage.  The montage can be used on a number of different items to great effect and is especially good looking when printed as a photo montage print.  You can add a personalized greeting to the back of the canvas too, to make it even more personal.

Photo Calendars

Choose a photo and a title for the cover of a photo calendar and then select a photo and accompanying caption for each month of the year.  The photo calendar, like all photo gifts, is made from high quality materials in order to ensure that it won’t just see out the twelve months but can be kept for many years as a mini photo album.

Photo Blankets

The photo blanket is another great use of a photo montage.  Use dozens of your best looking photos in order to create one great looking montage and then print this on a small, medium, or large blanket.  The montage blanket can be used on a bed, in the living room or even when traveling.

Photo Cushions

A photo cushion is another great looking personalized item for the home.  Available in either medium or large, the photo cushion is particularly good looking because your photo is printed on a velvety cushion cover that is not just good looking but very comfortable and practical too.  Cushions and blankets are just two types of home bedding that can be customized with photos, other items include pillow cases and duvet covers and you can even customize the wallpaper that is hung above the bed.

A customized digital photo album from Bags of Love makes a great looking gift idea for any occasion. Visit bagsoflove.co.uk now to see details.
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Giving New Life To Old Photos

December 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Everyone has an abundant supply of old photos.  Sites like Exposures and Ancestry.com know just how much those old images mean to you and will help you give your old photos a new life.  The memories that are attached to each photo are priceless, and for those prints that are from the past (where digital cameras were not used), time can really take a toll on their condition.  You can preserve your old photos in many ways.  Use your scanner to load them onto your computer and edit or retouch them to create beautiful new looking prints or keep them in their tattered condition and display them proudly as part of your heritage.  Below are some fun and unique ideas on how to use and display your old photos.

Family Trees

You can make a family tree in a variety of ways.  Use the photos in the condition they are in to show the age or scan and restore them using digital software.  You can find tons of great projects for creating family tree displays that include simple frame placements, collages and even murals that cover an entire wall in your home.

Art For Your Home

Use the old photos that you have as artwork for your home.  Some of the older photos in your home would look great displayed in antique frames.  Something as simple as a picture of the old boat dock that you used to play on as a kid can add an eclectic charm to your décor.  You can even use the old photos as décor by printing them onto lampshades, throw pillows or storage boxes.  Why buy décor that is printed with a meaningless scene or image. Create your own to have an item that is priceless and that you will cherish for a lifetime.

Collage

Make a collage of all your old photos.  You can take up an entire wall or just a small space in your home to add together your favorite photos of the good ole’ days.  Collages are fun to make and you can even have your children help you find the favorite pictures you will use and decide on where and how to display them in the collage.

Jewelry

If you have a favorite old photo that you want to be able to carry with you, think about creating a piece of jewelry with the image embedded into it.  That old photo of your favorite grandmother can become part of your locket, bracelet or even a large ring or brooch.

Calendars

A calendar is a great way to display some of your favorite photos, and each month as you turn the page, you will have a new one displayed on your wall.  Desk calendars are a great gift to give to someone to have in their office. This way, they will always have a special moment to reflect back on as they schedule their hectic days.  Check online for some more exciting and fun ways to display your old photos!

To find Exposures coupons or Ancestry.com coupons, visit UltimateCoupons.com

Article by Robin Burton

Robin Burton is a freelance writer for UltimateCoupons.com

 

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5 Tips To Improve Your Digital SLR Camera Photos

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 

Digital SLR cameras are amazing tools to expand your creativity and to document special moments.  Mastering these five important tips will improve your SLR camera photos and make you proud of digital photographs.

Understand How The Focal Length Of Your Lens Relates To Your Shutter Speed

 

If your shooting with a 50mm lenses the rule of thumb is that you can hand hold your camera with shutter speeds of 1/50th of a second and higher.  With a 200mm lenses that it’s 1/200th of a second. With expensive image stabilization lenses you can hand hold a 200mmm at about 1/100th of a second maybe 1/60th of a second if you have steady hands.  One trick I have used to squeeze an extra shutter speed stop while hand holding my camera is holding my breath and keeping my arm tight close to my chest.  Knowing your lenses and remembering this simple tip should yield sharper results in your photos while hand holding your digital SLR camera.

Understand The Focus System In Your Camera

 

Practically every digital SLR camera focuses when you press the shutter button halfway down.  Usually you will hear a beep and see a green or red square through the viewfinder.  This is what the camera is focusing on.  Then press the button the rest of the way down to take the picture.  Understand that the computer inside the camera is looking at differences in image contrast and that difference is what is focusing the camera.  Most digital SLR cameras also let you change the focus point manually to anywhere there is a predetermined point in the viewfinder.  At a minimum you will get 9 points of focus up to 45 points of focus.  It depends on the model and make of your digital SLR camera.

 

While executing my day-to-day shooting I always start with my focus point in the center of the viewfinder then I move it according to the subject I am shooting. It is easy to forget about where you set your focus point and then wonder why your photos are off focus or out of focus. So when you start a shoot the first place to check is where your focus point is and then center it, this should help you get more shots in focus.

Use A Tripod To Stabilize Your Camera

 

If you are dealing with long exposures when shooting or if the shutter speed exceeds the focal length, then you need to use a tripod.  All tripods are not the same.  If in the studio a lightweight tripod can be used effectively if you weigh it down with sandbag or an alternative weighting device.  When outdoors use a tripod on the heavier side is probably best, it also depending on weather condition. If there is a lot of wind you really need to secure the tripod with weight or some tripods even have a feature where you can spike them in the ground for more stability.

 

Any movement during a shot with a long exposure will almost always render that shot useless and that is why stability is so important. One of the newest advancements in camera technology is “image stabilization” in both lenses and camera bodies.  This new technology is great and its best used if shooting with two hands on the camera and bracing your body against something.  Still in some shooting situations there is still no replacement for a good weighted tripod.

How To Handle Backlighting

 

Backlighting subjects can be your enemy.  Many people try to shoot a photo with a strong bright window light in the background, and then wonder why the shot didn’t come out.  Why does this happen?  The bright light from the window floods the lens, and your camera usually can’t compensate for it.  One way to combat this is to use a fill flash on your subject or use a large white fill card.  Another option is to diffuse the strong window light and fill the subject with a white fill card.  Do not be afraid of backlighting.  Use it to your advantage.  Just remember you need to counteract a strong backlight with a strong fill.

Understand The Effects Of ISO In Digital SLR Cameras

 

Digital SLR cameras have some of the same characteristics as film SLR Cameras like interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, matrix metering, etc, but they do not handle ISO the same way.  They are similar in that the relative ISO setting handles the light sensitivity that reaches the sensor or film.  Where they differ is in the look they achieve in the final product.  High ISO speeds on film have a certain film grain look to them that can be pleasing, but high ISO speeds on a digital SLR camera creates noise on the files and the look is not the same as film grain. In most situations noise is your enemy.  If you want that film grain look, shoot your digital photos with the lowest possible ISO and then use Alien Skins Exposure® 2 plug in for Photoshop to achieve that film grain look.

 

Mastering these five tips will make your photography stronger, sharper, in focus and properly lit.

 

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Digital SLR Camera Photography Tips

November 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

DSLR, digital SLR or SLR, single-lens reflex is the rage in the ever-growing field of digital cameras.  They are not the same as a digital point and shoot camera, although the name is similar.  It is generally believed that digital SLR cameras produce more true to life pictures than digital point and shoot cameras.  Digital SLR cameras cost a little more but the investment will be worthwhile if you want great digital photographs and are serious about digital SLR camera photograhy.  Here are some tips to succeed at digital SLR camera photography.

Check Your ISO Setting

Remember the ASA film speed number you would get for your traditional 35mm camera?   The same numbers, now called ISO, apply to digital SLR camera, as well.  100 would be for bright sunny outdoor shots, 200 for cloudy days and 1600 for night shots or subjects moving at a fast speed.  Since digital SLR cameras don’t use film, the settings are equivalent to a traditional film speed.

Be sure your ISO mode is set before you start taking your pictures.   If your ISO is not set, your camera will just pick a default ISO setting.  Some digital cameras have an “ISO Auto” button or mode where you just let the camera decide, or the camera will automatically just lock on to the next highest ISO setting.

Use A Tripod

If you are thinking of setting up digital SLR camera photography or portraits with you in it, you will need a tripod.  Invest in the best quality one you can afford or you will have one that’s unreliable or falls apart after a few uses.  The tripod should be stable, firm yet portable.  You don’t want the slightest breeze to make the tripod and your camera shake.

Join An Online Photo Sharing Community

An economical and fun way to get extremely specific digital SLR camera photography tips is to join an online photo sharing community such as Photobucket, Flickr or Stock.Xchnge.  Many of these sites not only offer places for professional and amateur photographers to network, but also publish free articles about the latest and greatest in digital SLR camera photography.

Allow Yourself To Make Mistakes

When you learn a new skill, you are bound to make a lot of mistakes before you become proficient at your skill.  The same is true with digital SLR camera photography.  The advantage of digital SLR camera photography is that you can quick check what you’ve just taken and edit any mistakes right away rather than having to wait for your film to be completed and then developed.  Mistakes can be a great teacher if you have the right attitude towards them.

Article by Britney Smith.  Britney Smith is an Internet Marketer that writes articles on various resources.  She shares her thoughts on Digital Photography Tips Guide and invites you to her lens to Learn About Basic Photography Skills

 

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Tips To Improve Your Digital Photography

October 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Taking photographs with your digital camera can be very exciting. However, you can make your pictures even more appealing if your learn a few simple tricks of the trade.

Digital photography is suppose to fun and rewarding.  Here are 5 digital photography tips that will make your digital photography a great experience

l.  See The Light

Learn how to see the light.  See the color of light, the direction of the light and the quality or light.  Be sure to observe the shadows and the highlights.   Also, don’t forget the contrast of the scene.  That way you can set your exposure accordingly.

2. Depth and Dimension

Try to create a sense of depth and dimension in your pictures.  In other words, we see the world in three dimensions which are height, width and depth.  However our digital cameras only sees the world in two dimensions.  It is your job as a photographer to try create a sense of depth.  One way to do that is to use a foreground element when composing your shots.

3. Tell The Whole Story

Take the wide angle shots, medium shots, vertical shots, horizontal shots and look for details.  Do not be afraid to shoot close ups.  If you have a lot of pictures you can tell the whole story.  As photographers we are story tellers and we need a wide variety of pictures to tell the whole story.

4. Frame It

When you’re photographing someone look for a doorway,  a window so or stationary object that that you can frame the person with.  Do not just take pictures of the subject standing in front of a boring background.  You will get a much more interesting picture; good enough for framing.

5. Envision The End Result

Always envision the end result.  For me photography is a 50/50 deal.  Fifty percent image capture and fifty percent digital darkroom work.  Take a simple photograph of a rock in the Arizona desert for example.  You can turn that into a black and white picture, you can warm up the picture to make it look like it was taken early in the morning or later in the day. You can cool it off to make it look like it was taken at midnight and perhaps best of all if there is a subject in the scene that you do not want, you can crop it out.

Next, get more FREE digital photography tips and techniques, at our blog: www.430exflash.com
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