A New Camera? Get the Most Out of It

A feeling that many new camera owners frequently experience is that the pictures they take 'do not look as good as I had anticipated... '

The simple solution to this problem is to get to know your camera properly. Modern digital cameras are technological marvels - even the lowest priced 'point & shoot' and they can help you to take delightful images that you really enjoy. But...

Most people go straight to the "Quick Start" leaflet, make sure they know some of the crucial buttons to press, ignore the instruction manual and begin taking pictures. 'Real women and real men do not read instruction manuals!'

This is all well and good but you will never get to appreciate the technological wonder that you now possess and you will absolutely not get full value from your purchase. Your instruction manual is the most important accessory possible for your camera and it's free!

The key point is that your instruction manual is not a book to be read from cover to cover - that way lies confusion - 'there is just so much to learn!' It is a reference manual! For ease of reference download it as a PDF file - both to your desktop and to your smart phone. This gives you easy and fast access to both the menu and to whatever subject you need. You would normally use your desktop but the smart phone as a reference can be really useful in the field.

An old proverb:
'I hear and I forget'

'I see and I remember'

'I do and I understand!'

There are any number of courses that you can take to help you get to know your camera. The major brands offer them as a free service if you buy a camera above a certain level. The courses are given by people who really know the camera and they take you through everything it will do in a relatively short time. Many owners come out of the course slightly bewildered thinking 'what a complex camera - I will never understand or be able to do all of that!'

'I do and I understand!'

This is the key phrase. Anything that you teach yourself is far more likely to be remembered than anything you have been shown.

So, using your manual, you gradually build up your knowledge of your camera. Learning functions and techniques as you need to use them rather than trying to learn everything at once. Everything will gradually become second nature to you - remembering that practice does make perfect!

By using the PDF format everything is full screen and easy to read and follow. You also have two hands to hold your camera and experiment with the various buttons.

The various diagrams in the manual refer you to different sections for extra detail. Every lever and button on your camera is explained in clear, easy to follow language.

Use your manual and teach yourself all about your camera as you progress along your photographic journey and you will reap full benefit from your technological wonder.

This will cover all the practical aspects of using your camera - along the way you will have to develop your own approach to the challenging fun of composition etc!

Enjoy your Camera!

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Is White Balance Important in Digital Photography?

Camera owners often ask about 'White Balance' and the part it plays in digital photography. Is it important and can they perhaps use it to improve their photography.

Well, the colour of the light reflected from an object varies with the colour of the light source. The brain adapts to all these changes so that white objects appear as white objects whether seen in the shade, direct sunlight or under incandescent lights. Unlike film cameras, digital cameras can mimic this adjustment by processing images according to the colour of the light source.

With 'automatic' white balance the camera identifies the brightest element in the picture, assumes this is white and then adjusts or balances all the colours in the picture based on this.

Most of us just leave the White Balance setting on 'automatic' and the camera does a pretty good job of estimating the correct setting and we are generally happy with the results.

However, if we really want to improve our photography and add our own individual touches to our images it is really well worth experimenting with the various white balance settings available on your camera - AWB (automatic) Cloudy, Daylight (Bright Sun) Shade, Tungsten etc - and seeing the difference they can make to your pictures. Remember, you know what the prevailing light is. Your camera can only guess!

If you experiment with these, you will soon be able to see how to make the best use of them to help your photography. For example, if you use the 'cloudy' setting, even when it is not cloudy, it will have the effect of 'warming up' the picture - great for sunsets! The automatic setting may well remove most of that wonderful glow you wanted to capture.

The wonder of Digital Photography is that you can experiment freely at no cost - play around and experiment with your camera to your heart's content - the more familiar you become the better you will get at taking pictures that actually reflect what you have seen and which are not just 'postcard clones' as it were!

Continual experimentation is one of the key secrets of digital photography. It can take people some time to get out of the habits of film photography where it cost money each time you pressed the shutter button! Once again - time spent reading the instruction manual for your camera will pay serious dividends in helping you to really enjoy your photography!

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What a Photographer Should Not Miss in a Wedding

A Wedding is the most important day for any couple. That is the day when two people become one and look forward to living their whole life together. Sometimes couples spend years and all their life savings planning for this big day so we can understand how critical it is to get everything right on this occasion.

An essential part of any wedding is photography. Some weddings also have videography but even though you might find a wedding with just a photographer, you will rarely find one with just a videographer. It is imperative that the photographer hired to document this holy union understands the responsibility of their job.

Marriage is not just a union of two people but also two families. Even though the stars of the wedding day are the couple, what makes a wedding memorable is the presence of friends and family. As a wedding photographer, you might think all your shots should be of the couple but you risk missing some great moments of other people.

Yes, by all means get a lot of shots of the couple. Do their portraits, candids, etc but if you have a second shooter, tell him/her to keep an eye out on the guests and take photos of them too. A second shooter might be duplicating the same shots that you are taking and there is a reason second shooters do that. They want to use these shots in their portfolio and the only money shots according to them are of the couple so it is up to you to tell them firmly what you want.

Few years down the line or even a few decades later, when the couple, their children or grand children look at the wedding photos, they will not be thrilled to see five hundred photos of just the bride and groom in five hundred different poses but what will bring lot of smiles and a lot more of happiness is to see photos of their friends and family who all came together for that day. Those kind of memories are priceless. Would a couple rather just show their children or grand children just those amazing shots of them or would they want to talk and show their friends and family who might not be around anymore and who were not part of the group family shots? I am not saying that beautiful portraits and moments of the couple are not important, they definitely are but at the same time, don't lose sight of other people in the wedding. When I am photographing a ceremony or a dance, I tell my second shooter to once in a while turn around towards the crowd and shoot the reactions, while I take care of the ceremony. You will be surprised with what you will get. Some priceless emotions.

Few years down the line or even a few decades later, when the couple, their children or grand children look at the wedding photos, they will not be thrilled to see five hundred photos of just the bride and groom in five hundred different poses but what will bring lot of smiles and a lot more of happiness is to see photos of their friends and family who all came together for that day.

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7 Wedding Photography Tips

Learning the art of wedding photography takes some time and practice. Given below are some tips that can help you take photos at a wedding. If followed properly, these tips will help you take your desired shots. This will also help you grow as a professional. Read on.

1. Create a list of places

Make sure the couple knows about the type of shots they want to be taken on the big day. Ideally, you may want to make a list. This is important as far as taking family photos is concerned. Don't forget to take the shots that you think are the most important to the couple.

2. Find the Location

You may want to check out the place where you are going to shoot the photos before the wedding day. This will give you a pretty good idea of some good positions for photos. These will be the positions where you will get enough light.

3. Preparation is important

Since many things can go wrong on the wedding day, we suggest that you stay prepared. You may have to create a backup plan and get the batteries fully charged. If possible, you may want to be present at the ceremony place. This is the place where you can get important information regarding some good position for the shots.

4. Set expectations

Let them know your style. What you need to do is find out the purpose they want to achieve. Moreover, you may want to find out the number of photos they want you to take. In addition, you should not forget to agree on the photography service charges.

5. Consider the details

You may want to take photos of the shoes, rings, dresses, table settings, flowers and menus, just to name a few. This will give an extra dimension to the album. Moreover, you may want to check out some wedding magazines in order to get inspiration.

6. Use Two Cameras

Having two cameras is important. If you don't have more than one camera, we suggest that you borrow or hire one. Make sure you have multiple lenses at your disposal. It's a good idea to use a longer lens and a wider lens. If you have the budget, make sure you buy another camera for better performance.

7. Shoot in RAW

Like most people, you may dislike shooting in RAW since this takes more time. However, keep in mind that on a wedding, shooting in raw can be very useful. Since you may have to shoot in poor light, we suggest that you shoot in raw. While editing, RAW images won't lose too much details.

So, if you have been struggling as a photographer, we suggest that you follow the tips given in this article, especially if you are going to shoot photographs at an upcoming wedding. Remember: you can't be a good photographer unless you spend a good deal of time, effort and money into the art. With practice, you will become a skilled photographer. Hope this helps.

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Photographic Image Licensing Explained in 2 Minutes Flat!

So you are hiring a photographer to do some work for you and he/she mentions licensing. What is licensing, why do I have to deal with it and wouldn't it be easier if we just forgot the whole thing and you just give me the pictures?

Well, the short answer is that there are countless way to use and abuse a photograph that you might never imagine in a 100 years, but U.S. Copyright law is there to protect the artwork's creator when things get complicated.

Okay, so how do things get complicated?

Let's imagine you made a lovely painting of your dog. You show your painting at the state fair and it sells for the princely sum of $20. You hear a couple of years later that the painting is hanging over the mantel at the new owner's house, they love it and enjoy it everyday.

Now, what if you heard that the same couple, took a photo of your painting and shopped it around to the dog food companies, landing a big contract. They licensed your work to be used on dog food bags for 5 million dollars. Well, luckily for you that would be illegal, because you own the "intellectual property" of that painting. Even though you no longer own the physical painting. That is because the artist always owns the copyright to his or her own images. The couple could burn the actual painting or throw it away because they own it, but they cannot transfer the copyright because it was never theirs to sell.

Usually the dog food company would know better than to use an image that they don't have the rights to use. So, let's say the dog food company calls you up and wants to use your image, they want a very limited run of dog food bags and offer $500. Then, after you agree to the terms they decide to use your image for all of their products, a national ad campaign, billboards and every single dog food bag they make. They also decide that they already paid you so there will be no additional payment. Again, luckily for you, the dog food company didn't buy the copyright. They simply paid for a usage license specific to their needs. If the company decided to use your image on a big campaign then you would license your image based on how much use the image will get.

So what did we learn? First, the artist keeps the copyright for their creative work, and as such, the artist can go on to sell prints or license that very same image. Second, if you buy an image there is no transfer of copyright implied, so you can't share it with other businesses because it is not yours to give. Third, licensing is how you go about getting images for use in advertising, and the licensing is tailored to the way the image will be used.

So who wins when images are licensed for use? Everyone, the current system insures that images cannot be exploited by a third party, the artist gets paid for their work and the client pays only for what they need.

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9 Setting Recommendations For New DSLR / Mirrorless Cameras

So you just bought a "serious" camera, whether it's a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, for the first time. The most fun is directly used. But then you see. That is available and start to confuse what with your new camera settings.

In this article, we will discuss and manage some basic DSLR / Mirrorless camera settings that will make it easier for you.

1. Memory Card

Go to the camera main menu, then search for format commands. In Nikon D5500 for example, you go to Menu >> Setup Menu >> Format. While in Fuji X-E2 and push Menu OK >> slide down in Setup Menu 3 >> Format.

2. Determine the Image Size and Quality

Because your camera is now quite "serious", it's good to make the best possible to produce images with the best quality available. Use the highest quality JPEG format (Extra Fine or Highest Quality) with Large file size. 

If interested in the RAW format that stores more photo information, you can also use it. Make sure you understand the difference between the image files with JPEG vs RAW format. When using RAW format, make sure your computer has enough software and specifications to read and convert RAW to standard format.

3. ISO

The ISO setting in the camera determines how much light money the camera needs to produce photos.

High ISOs such as the 6400 are useful when you shoot in a place with dim light but are at risk of producing photos with spots / noise. While a low ISO such as 100 or 200 produces images without clearer noise and with the best quality but make the photo vulnerable when you shoot blur indoors.
 
For the initial stage of use, the best ISO setting you can choose is Auto.

4. White Balance

The camera's white balance setting affects the color accuracy of the photos. As discussed in this article on white balance, skin color or color of the shirt may seem strange when the camera uses a white balance that does not fit.

Fortunately, today's cameras are so sophisticated that they rarely miss. Use the auto white balance setting as a prefix while experimenting with other white balance settings.

5. Metering

Metering settings determine how the camera measures the reflected light of the object then how they produce a combination of shutter speed and lens aperture that matches the measurement results.In the early stages of using your new DSLR / Mirrorless camera, use the Evaluative (Canon) metering mode or Matrix (Nikon). As the addition of flying hours with your camera, start using other metering modes according to the shooting conditions and objects that you photograph: center weighted, spot and others.Metering mode options can be understood in more detail in Understanding DSLR Camera Metering Modes.

6. Focus

The lens in the camera you use can automatically find focus by utilizing the camera's autofocus system or manually by rotating the focus ring on the lens.In this early stage, take advantage of the camera's autofocus (AF) system and use Single AF mode (One Shot AF or Single Area AF). In this mode, the lens will lock the focus at one point you have specified when you press the shutter button halfway. Use the midpoint of focus and start practicing so that your hand is frisky to change the focal point. 
 

Other AF mode options such as AI-Servo or AF-C can be used when you are shooting a child who keeps running. Discussion about autofocus mode you can read here.

7. Drive Mode

The camera mode drive determines the speed of the camera in taking exposure. Single Shot mode is suitable for most shooting conditions and everyday photo objects. Set the camera in this mode when you first use it. In this mode, whenever we squeeze the shutter button, the camera will make a photo.Another mode available is Continuous Mode, useful when shooting moving objects. The camera will continue to make photos as soon as we press the shutter button full, the mode of telling the senior photographers. There is also a Delay or Remote mode that can be used in other conditions. Read more about Drive Mode in this article.

8. Exposure mode

There are two fairly friendly modes for the new camera owner: Auto Mode, Scene and Program Mode. In both modes, the camera determines all or most of the camera settings so you can focus on taking pictures.Unfortunately when the camera is in both modes, many parameters are turned off the camera. On the first day, you can use one of the 3 modes.Next, start using Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority. And please also start experimenting with Manual mode. Re-read about Camera Exposure Mode.

9. How to Make Sharp Photo Result?

One of the most questions that go into the contact page is why the resulting photo remains blur, not sharp. Make sure you read 20 Tricks for Photo Sharp and know 5 Photo Cause Why Photo Not Sharp.  

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