AVOID LENS FLARE OR ADD IT FOR A MORE ARTISTIC PICTURE

Lens flare can destroy your picture by overexposing your subject or improve it by giving a dramatic effect,so it's very important to learn to control it.
What is Lens Flare?The lenses of your camera contains several lens elements,even if it is the simplest camera.Lens flare is caused by light not included in the image which does not pass (refract) directly along its intended path, but instead reflects internally on lens elements any number of times (back and forth) before finally reaching the film or digital sensor.Like the sun rays at the photo on the right.
Lens elements often contain some type of anti-reflective coating which aims to minimize flare, but they don't eliminate it entirely.
Although flare is technically caused by internal reflections, this often requires very intense light sources in order to become significant (relative to refracted light). Flare-inducing light sources may include the sun, artificial lighting and even a full moon. Even if the photo itself contains no intense light sources, stray light may still enter the lens if it hits the front element. Ordinarily light which is outside the angle of view does not contribute to the final image, but if this light reflects it may travel an unintended path and reach the film/sensor.
Prevent lens flare- it is necessary to shade the lens from the light source.Lens manufacturers create lens hoods to help minimize lens flare and are made to fit a particular lens focal length but may not always be sufficient to block all of the flare (careful-lens hoods made for zoom lenses do not work as well as those made for prime (single focal length) lenses and you have to choose the appropriate lens hood for your camera).Or you can use your hand, a hat, a reflector or any other object that can block the light from falling on your lens.Just be sure that you do not place whatever you use to block the light so close that is can be seen in your photograph. Another alternative is to position yourself so that an object within your frame blocks the light source partially or completely
Inexpensive UV, polarizing, and neutral density filters can all increase flare by introducing additional surfaces which light can reflect from.If flare was unavoidable and it produced a washed out image (due to veiling flare), the levels tool and local contrast enhancement can both help regain the appearance of contrast.

Artistic effect-As we said before lens flare can add a special effect to the picture so here we will give some ideas to create it:
1.Shoot in direct sun light or another powerful source of light-This is the main way to create lens flare.
2. Think Silhouette: Place your subject in front of you, with their back to the sun. Your subject will be backlit as though you were capturing a silhouette.
3. Use Manual Mode: Your camera will expose the scene for the total amount of light in the photo. If you follow the camera’s metering, you will be left with a silhouette as it tries to compensate for the amount of light. Shooting on Manual will enable you to over-compensate for the back light, so your subject is perfectly lit - even with the over exposed background.
4.Create it with photoshop-is a very fun way to add lens flare.After you have captured the perfect image you can decide where you need your lens flare to be and what dimension you need it to be.follow this is steps:

• Open your image with photoshop
• Go to Filters, then go to Renders and then choose Lens Flare
• Move the target by using left mouse to wherever you want the flare to starts
• Choose the britness level
  
• Choose the lens type, from small to big
• Press OK and there you go...You can add one or more lens flare depend on your photo.
  

VALENTINE'S DAY PHOTOGRAPH

On Valentine day there are a lot of ways to show your affection:a special gift,a romantic trip,a romantic dinner or...if you don't have much to spent and want to do something great,you can take a romantic portrait of the one that you love.You can take a great portrait of yourself and put it in a great frame.Or you can pay a professional photographer to take a special portrait to you as a gift for your boyfriend/girlfriend but this depends on your budget.
Here we are going to give you some basic tips for portrait photography so you can take photos of your self or your boyfriend,but remember if you want to take some self-portrait you will need a tripod.

• Focus on the subject- you want the focus of attention in your photo to be your subject's face and expression. Suggest dark clothing that will be subdued - avoid checks, stripes and big patterns, unless such outfits are your subject's trademark. The subject's face should stand out, not the clothing!
• Fill the frame- come in close and fill the frame with your subject. Generally, you'll be better off with a "head-and-shoulders" shot in which the hands don't show.
• If the hands do show- give them something to hold - gloves, a small bouquet, a hat - anything that's appropriate.
• Shutter speed-use fast shutter speeds:outdoors ISO 200, indoors ISO 400 or faster.
• Flash-Shoot some pictures with flash, some without.When using flash, keep your subject a few feet from the background to minimize dark wall shadows.
• Continuous shooting mode-Because you will shot yourself or your partner with continuous mode you have the possibility to take a lot of picture where to choose from.
  
• Careful before printing-Examine your photos carefully you still have time to do some adjusts using a post-processing software that you are familiar with ,or use online sites.
• At last-Then take the best photo and have it enlarged so that you can put a 4 x 6, 5 x 7, or 8 x 10 print in a tasteful frame for a great Valentine's Day present!

The previous tips are the basics for shooting a photo of your partner or your self independently if you are a male or female.
Now if you are a girl and want to do something special for your boyfriend here are some other tips,but as we said earlier you will need a good tripod,maybe if you will shoot just face and shoulder you can work without it but if you want to photograph the entire body you will definitely need a good one.

• Make up-Put on makeup as though you are going out for a fancy evening. This is generally heavier than your usual "look", and will usually appear light and natural under the studio lighting. Use a bit more foundation than normal, carefully blending it from your face down to your upper body. If you plan to wear something revealing, you do not want your face to be one color and your upper body another color.
• Avoid overdoing tanning at salons prior to a photo session. You may burn or freckles may become more prominent. Tanning lotions may cause your skin to appear splotchy when makeup is applied. Eye shadow should be a lighter color rather than darker to bring your eyes forward. Blush and lip color should be heavier than usual. Blush should be evenly blended and lip color should be a shade darker than usual avoiding light colors and especially anything that looks frosted. Most importantly, use enough powder for a matte finish. You should have a solid foundation of powder. This matte finish is very important to avoid shiny reflections of the lights, called hotspots. You will have an opportunity to touch it up and make small corrections prior to starting the session.
• Heels-put on the tallest heels that you have in a variety of colors (black, white, and red for example). If you’re not sure what to wear, consider some of the following:
  -An apron & high heels
  -His uniform or favorite shirt
  - Cowboy boots & hat
  - A tux shirt with black studs and black cuff-links
  - A tux bow-tie
  - A body stocking
  - Strings of different colored beads
  - A leather jacket
  - A vest
  - Cutoffs
  - A bath towel with wet hair
  - Wet T-shirt
  - Silk boxer shorts
  - A T-shirt
  - Anything thin, transparent or translucent
  - Halloween costumes
  - Anything fishnet (tops, stockings etc)
  - Artificial flower petals or leaves
  - A mini skirt
  - An off-the-shoulder top
  - A tank top which is either too tight, cut-off too much or both
  - Sunglasses
  - Scarves
  - Lingerie
  - Stockings
  - A fun wig
  - Anything unusual or outfits that you would never wear outside
  
• For boudoir portraits, leg openings in panties and other items should a high cut style, French cut, to make your legs appear longer and more attractive. Be sure to bring matching jewelry, shoes, and accessories for any outfits. As with clothing, bring any props which have special meaning.Examples might include special jewelry received as gifts, sports equipment, or unusual accessories. If these photographs are for somebody special,think about their likes and dislikes and hobbies for ideas on what to bring.
• Depending on your interest, I’d suggest signing up to receive free catalogs from companies such as:Victoria's Secret,purchase magazines like Playboy, Maxim,or King or find books of artistic nudes. Study them and pay particular attention to how the models pose in different style clothing. Look closely at how they hold their hands, arch the backs, legs and feet.
• Black and white photography-Sometimes when your colors aren't so beautiful is better to make your photo in black/white as it gives a more intimate feeling and because the viewer will be more focused on the subject that in the colors
  
• If you have an i-Pod create a play list to get you in the mood for creating great photos.You may like love songs but choose songs that will energize you.
• 
  
• Get your nails and toes done. Generally, short and neutral (nude polish or a French
• 
• manicure) is the best way to go.
• 
  
• 
  
• Drink plenty of water; avoid salty foods and alcohol prior to a shoot so that you are n
• 
  
• ot puffy on the day of the shoot.
  
• Trim split ends and dye your roots. Studio lights exaggerate both of these! It is not the time to try a new hair color or cut.If you end up hating your hair it will show up in your photos.
• Make sure if you are going to have “special” favors such as hearts that those are photographed.I think color is important and red is the call for the day…well so is pink and white. I would try to incorporate as much of the color as possible in to the photography.

Make sure you get lots of photos because not everything you shoot will be perfect.
We wish you a happy Valentine's day

SHUTTER SPEED

Shutter Priority mode- is a semi-automatic exposure mode.In some cameras you will find it Tv,and in some S on the camera dial.You select the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the aperture for a proper exposure.For digital cameras without Shutter Priority,you can use use Sports, Kids and Pets or Fast Shutter mode.
Shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter remains open to allow light to reach a digital camera sensor. Shutter speed is measured in seconds, or fractions of seconds.
How an image is exposed is determined by the combination of the lens aperture and shutter speed. A fast shutter speed will use a larger aperture (small F-stop number) to avoid an under-exposed image. A slow shutter speed requires a small aperture (large F-stop number) to avoid over-exposure.
Typical shutter speeds are: 1/2000 second, 1/2000 sec, 1/500 sec, 1/250 sec, 1/125 sec, 1/60 sec, 1/30 sec, 1/15 sec, 1/8 sec, 1/4 sec, 1/2 sec and 1 second. On some digital cameras you can manually set shutter speed a lot slower than a second for very long exposures.But if you want to use a shutter speed slower than 1/60 sec you will need a camera support,so you have to consider a tripod to prevent camera shake.
Slow shutter speeds are often used in low light conditions, extending the time until the shutter closes, and increasing the amount of light gathered. This basic principle of photography, the exposure, is used in film and digital cameras, the image sensor effectively acting like film when exposed by the shutter.
But slow shutter speed can be used to intentionally blur a moving subject for artistic effect.
A slightly slower shutter speed will allow the photographer to introduce an element of blur, either in the subject or if the camera ispanned to follow a moving subject, the background is blurred while the subject remains sharp.This is called motion blur.The exact point at which the background or subject will start to blur depends on the rate at which the object is moving, the distance it is from the camera and the focal length of the lens in relation to the size of the digital sensor or film.When slower shutter speeds, in excess of about half a second, are used on running water, the photo will have a ghostly white appearance reminiscent of fog. This effect can be used in landscape photography.
Zoom burst is a technique which entails the variation of the focal length of a zoom lens during a longer exposure. In the moment that the shutter is opened, the lens is zoomed in, changing the focal length during the exposure. The center of the image remains sharp, while the details away from the center form a radial blur, which causes a strong visual effect, forcing the eye into the center of the image.
Very short shutter speeds are used to freeze fast-moving subjects, for example at sporting events,or sometimes to capture moving objects.Careful excessively fast shutter speeds can cause a moving subject to appear unnaturally frozen. For instance, a running person may be caught with both feet in the air with all indication of movement lost in the frozen moment.

DEPTH OF FIELD (DOF)

The depth of field (DOF)-is the portion of a scene that appears sharp in the image.
The DOF is determined by the subject distance (that is, the distance to the plane that is perfectly in focus), the lens focal length, and the lens f-number (relative aperture). Except at close-up distances, DOF is approximately determined by the subject magnification and the lens f-number. For a given f-number, increasing the magnification, either by moving closer to the subject or using a lens of greater focal length, decreases the DOF; decreasing magnification increases DOF. For a given subject magnification, increasing the f-number (decreasing the aperture diameter) increases the DOF; decreasing f-number decreases DOF.
The advent of digital technology in photography has provided additional means of controlling the extent of image sharpness; some methods allow DOF that would be impossible with traditional techniques, and some allow the DOF to be determined after the image is made.
For some images, such as landscapes, a large DOF may be appropriate, while for others, such as portraits, a small DOF may be more effective.
The image on the right can show you better what does it means.In the first photo you have a large DOF,same as the one used for landscape photography where all the chess pieces are very sharp.In the second photo you have a small DOF like the one used for portrait photography where just the first piece the rook and maybe the second piece are in focus and are sharp background instead appears blurry.

APERTURE PRIORITY

Aperture priority often abbreviated Av (Aperture Value) or A on a camera dial,is a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific aperture value while the camera selects a shutter speed to match.The purpose of using aperture-priority mode is to control the depth of field.
The camera will ensure proper exposure.Aperture Priority mode is different from manual mode, where the user must decide both values, shutter priority where the user picks a shutter speed with the camera selecting the aperture to match, or program mode where the camera selects both.
It is also useful to suggest how the camera should decide a shutter speed, without risking a poor exposure. In landscape photography a user would select a small aperture when photographing a waterfall, hoping to allow the water to blur through the frame. When shooting a portrait in dim lighting, the photographer might choose to open the lens to its maximum aperture in hopes of getting enough light for a good exposure.
In addition, aperture priority mode allows the photographer to force the camera to operate the lens at its optimum apertures within the limits of maximum/minimum aperture for a given focal length of the lens. Commonly, lenses provide greatest resolving power with a relatively medium-sized aperture.
When would you use Aperture Priority Mode?
Use Aperture Priority Mode when they are attempting to have some control with regards to Depth of Field (DOF).If you want a shallow DOF (for example in the shot to the middle which has the bird in focus but the background nice and blurred) or in portrait photography, where a wide aperture is desired to throw the background out of focus and make it less distracting,you have to select a large aperture (for example f/1.4) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed. If you want an image with everything in focus like in landscape photography, where a narrow aperture is necessary if objects in foreground, middle distance, and background are all to be rendered crisply(for example the image in the bottom) you have to pick a smaller aperture (for example f/22) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed (generally a longer one).
When choosing an Aperture keep in mind that the camera will be choosing faster or longer shutter speeds and that there comes a point where shutter speeds get too long to continue to hand hold your camera (usually around 1/60). Once you get much slower than this level you’ll need to consider using a tripod. Also if you’re photographing a moving subject your shutter speed will impact how it’s captured and a slow shutter speed will mean your subject will be blurred).

HOW TO MAKE PERSONALISED GREETING CARDS FOR HOLIDAYS

Since we are near Christmas holiday aren't you tired of sending the same kind of greeting card every year,every birthday or sending the same party invitation.Here we are going to give you some tips on how to make greeting cards using your own photos.Why do it?
It's Something special-Everyone one loves to see picture of their loved ones,especially members of your family who live far away.This will show that you care enough to create something unique and it's great to make somebody lough even for some minutes.
It's cheap- A box of store-bought cards can cost, on average, about $12 for a box of 10. Customized cards purchased online cost about $6 for the same number. And that includes shipping.
It's easy-Creating your own holiday cards is as easy as a few clicks of your mouse. There's no need to trudge though slush or snow to pick up a box of cards. Just follow our tips below and you'll receive your personalized greetings in days, delivered straight to your door.
It's lovely-There's nothing grandparents love more than a picture of their adorable grandchildren (other than a visit with the real thing, that is). These cards are sure to be plastered on the fridge or carefully placed in a purse for an impromptu show-and-tell.

Now follow these tips and you will do a great job.
1.Decide what kind of card you need-All the work you are going to depends on what kind of card you want to make.For example you want to send greeting card for Christmas,for New Year or every other kind of fest,or you need a invitation card for a party or an event.Having a vision ahead of time can speed up the process even if you'll be using templates straight from the software.
2.Choose the photos you are going to use-Go throw your whole gallery photos or if you don't have nothing suitable start shooting some photos and our previous tips will help you do that.Some quick tip for holiday cards of your kids or family are:

• Keep outfits simple- With babies, less is better. “Newborns look best naked,”For toddlers and bigger kids, think basics and solids; no metallic fabric, writing, logos, characters, stripes, prints, or polka dots. They’re distracting and date the photo. Similarly, have your kids dress for their age in clothes they like. Don’t put a toddler girl in a stiff frilly dress or a toddler boy in a suit or a buttoned-down collared shirt. Besides being uncomfortable, grown-up garb will camouflage your child’s personality, which should shine through in the photo.
• Coordinate the clan-If you’re taking a family photo, have everyone wear different shades of the same color, such as light blue to navy, or pale pink to burgundy. And avoid white if you’re shooting outside; it can be too reflective.
• Don’t worry about the backdrop- If you’ll be taking your own holiday photo, don’t fret about finding a perfect pastoral scene in your neighborhood. People receiving your photo will concentrate on your family, not the scenery.But focus on the children’s faces and do make sure the surroundings aren’t too busy. An adorable expression gets lost when it has to compete with with a jumble of toys, furniture, traffic, and other people in the background
  
• Don’t tell your kids you’re taking holiday-card photos. It’ll make them self-conscious, which will come through in the photo. The less kids are preoccupied by the camera, the better off you are. In lieu of a posed shot, pack your camera on family outings and watch for impromptu card-worthy photo opportunities, or tell your kids to go play while you casually click away.And always take holiday photos hen your kids are happiest.
  
• Take holiday photos when your kids are happiest. That could be right after a meal rather than before or immediately post-naptime.
• Use previous vacation photo. If you got a great summer vacation shot, it’s fair game for your holiday photo card, even though it may be six months old by the time it’s sent. But if you have a baby or a toddler is better to make new photographs as they change so much within a few months.

3.Choose an online site if you want them to print your cards and a lot of other options-Is important to google for a site that will help you make your greeting cards.When you find a site with designs that appeal to you, create an account and upload your photo to the website. Most sites will provide terms of use that you will have to read and accept to proceed. Sites also normally provide editing tools to crop or remove red-eye. Play around with these tools until you’re satisfied with the results.

• Kodak.com offers Best Quality, Best Options, Most Expensive-You'll find different options on here, like making a coloring book out of your favorite photos (cool!!), and Kodak does have an exceptionally high quality printing service. This is definitely one of the best products on the web, but not necessarily best for your money.
• Shutterfly.com offers Good Quality, Good Options, Good Price-I'm a big fan of Shutterfly, because they have options that continually surprise me, and their photo books have a lot of customization without being outrageously expensive. This is the most popular online photo service, with good reason--they are a great intersection of quality, options, and price.
• PhotoWorks.com offers Good Quality, Great Options, OK Price-Generally, I find PhotoWorks a little more expensive than it's worth (especially for photo books) but for their holiday cards they have a surprising amount of really elegant options that I really fell in love with. Still a little expensive, but they have options I haven't seen elsewhere.
• Walmart.com offers Decent Quality, Fair Options, Unbeatable Price-Yes, it's Walmart. Their printing quality is decent and wholly comparable, their options are limited but still solid, and their prices are totally beyond compare. They are definitely the cheapest option in the business, so if you are printing a bulk amount of holiday cards, they would be a good choice to consider.

4.Use appropriate software- If you are already familiar with the operation of PageMaker, InDesign, or other professional desktop publishing software.An extremely useful piece of software that shows you how to turn your digital pictures into charming Christmas photo cards is the MonkeyPhoto Version 3.0, from Monkeymen Software.But we are not going to talk about this in this post,maybe we will do that in another post.
5.Find an appropriate greeting-Based on the occasion choose a message .Depending on the style of card you chose, you'll have between 50 and 500 characters to create a personal message. Folding cards allow much more space as the message goes on the inside. You can often choose your own font as well. Want to make it even more personal? Not only will Shutterfly allow you to develop a separate message for each card, but they'll also address, stamp and mail your cards. (Note: This option is more costly.)
6.Preview your card-View your card complete with photo and personalized greeting. Most sites allow you to change your photo or edit your text. And many also allow you to choose a different design for your card if you're not happy with the original. Note: Once you click “choose another design/card,” Wal-Mart and Snapfish automatically insert your picture into all of their greeting cards, making it much easier to visualize which card will look best.
7.Specify quantity and pay- Choose the number of cards you'd like (they all come with envelopes –Kodak Gallery lets you choose the colour of the envelopes while Shutterfly will add a return address). Then, enter your shipping address. Once you've chosen a method of shipping (expedited – more expensive or regular – cheapest) it's time to approve the overall cost. Then, enter your payment information and wait for your shipment. Note: Wal-Mart is substantially less expensive than the other sites. Cards cost roughly $0.33 each and shipping is cheap (or free if you pick the cards up from a nearby store). I ordered 20 cards and only paid $9.10 with shipping, while mailing me 10 cards from KodakGallery cost $15.81.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

Christmas is coming and we all want to capture some great photos of a beautiful Christmas tree,

of Christmas decoration, and we all want to capture our family and friend.
There are a lot of opportunities to photograph during Christmas like the opening of gifts that are filled with emotion,excitement especially for the kids.You can shoot great photos inside the house with your family or you can shoot great photos on the outside,because the Christmas lights and decoration are great.You just need to be prepare in both cases and here are some tips that will help you do that.
1.Prepare your photographic equipment-if you think you have it all,I advice you to check twice to be shure.

• Pack your camera (goes without saying)
• Charge your batteries and is better if you have two of them
• Check your memory card and be sure you have one with a big memory or if possible keep two of them
• Consider if there is enough light and if you will need a flash or no?
• If you can bring a tripod with you and if you don't want to bring a big,heavy tripod you may use a mini tripod but you will definitely need one

2.Know The Location- It is important to realize that wherever the holiday celebration takes place, If possible, prior to the event...if not take a walk and choose the best places where you can shoot from.So you learn what kind of light is there,what kind of white balance to use,and what other camera setting to use.

3.Always shoot in RAW-As any other kind of photography is better to shoot in RAW format so you can make changes later on some elements of your photos.But also you have to try shooting the better you can because some thing you can not change like a bad background,blur on your subject face etc...

4.White balance-Is very important to have the right white balance when photographing on Christmas.If you aren't sure you can set it to automatic white balance or if your camera allows you ,shoot in RAW so you can make changes later.
5.Flash light or light diffusion-Sometimes we see some photos with a harsh light that causes the photo to loose details,

so is better not to use flash but use the night mode setting on your camera or a slow Shutter Speed(in this case you will definitely need a good tripod).Or if you can to use a external flash and try bouncing it off walls or the ceiling.
6.Macro Shooting-Some of digital cameras have a preset option of macro or if yours doesn't have it,use a large aperture (low F-stop) when shooting non-people subjects like 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’.
7.Be careful on your background-So when you shoot your family or friend portraits or Christmas decoration you don't have nothing on the background that distracts the viewer from the subject like columns, fixed objects, plants,etc...If the background is good use it,if not maximize your depth of field (smallest possible F-stop) to blur the background.
8.Make a list of Christmas pictures you must have-As we are distracted from the party and excitement most of the time we dont remember all great shoots we wanted to take during the celebration,so if you have a pocket list you can check it whenever you want and remember everything.

9.Shoot as much as you can of "non-people" photos before anyone arrives-Sometimes we want to take some pictures of the ornament during Christmas but we cant because of the chaos that people cause.Some tips on what to shoot are:Capture the preparation stages like:Food preparation

• Putting up decorations
• Wrapping gifts
• Kids throwing a tantrum while getting dressed in their Christmas outfits
• Setting the table
• Ornaments-Is better to use a large aperture(low f-stop) so you blur all the background.

You can play with color, lights, and shades in the background to contrast and set up the subject of the Christmas photo.An overlooked technique in Christmas pictures is to use a spherical reflective surface to act as a convex mirror and show everything behind the photographer.
If you look carefully at this ornament, you can see much of the room in front of the ornament.
Play with your macro camera setting to focus very close in on the ornament, thus creating a fish-eye view Christmas picture.
10.Shoot in Continuous Mode the opening of the gifts-You need to shoot on continuous mode if you want to take all the face expressions of your family and friends as they can be very cute,especially if kids are present.Some of them will show joy or occasionally disappointment but you want to have anyone of them.Take as much photos as you can and don't delete anyone of them during the celebration as you will have enough time later to do that.

11.Focus on your subjects and fill the frame-often we find our self with some Christmas photo taken from a big distance and with a lot of space around us,that the viewer can't define our face.So when you shoot be sure to fill your frame by using optic zoom,or if your camera does not allow you you can move in closer.Also to get a good photograph, remember to place the subject off center. Move the camera a little to the side so your subject is placed off center.
12.Portraits and Groups Shots- For portraits and groups shots, pick a location. Feel free to set up a location for your group shots. Props such as a tree or packages will enhance the Christmas theme. Pick a location with an uncluttered background. Take your time arranging your subjects and try to keep to as few rows as possible.

To get yourself in the photograph, use a self-timer.
13.Shoot on every oportunity you have-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.

14.Christmas lights-They must be an important subject of your Christmas photo album and you have to try your best on shooting them as they will reveal to be the best picture you will take.But keep in mind that this is not as simple as it seems,so we are going to talk about this in another article.
15.Injoy and have fun.

Oh I almost forgot...

Marry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Home Page: Digital Photography Tips

KEEP PHOTOS IN LEVEL WITH BUBBLE LEVEL

Some times is difficult to keep your photos in level and this isn't your fault at all.You can try to expand your tripod legs but still you notice that your photos are 1 ore 2 degree of center.
What can you do in these cases?
There are two solution in these case:
1.You can buy a good tripod with a build-in bubble level-you can find different types from different brands.The best one that I could find online is the type shown in the photo.It is called the Slik PRO 700 DX.It is highly ranked for:Photo Enthusiast, Amateurs, SLR Cameras and Backpacking but the problem is that it cost 100$-140$.If you can't afford one or if you already have a tripod and you are pleased with that one even if it does't have a buil-in level,you have the second solution:
2.Cube Hot Shoe 3-Axis Bubble Level-It does not cost to much so I think everyone can buy it.It costs somewhere between 11$.It is useful and fits in any hot shoe of dSLR cameras or in any advanced digital camera like the canon G9 or canon G10, every photographer can shoot photos more accurately and check the angles of their camera seconds before taking that shot whether you are on uneven ground or just drunk.It can be used in horizontal shoot but also it can keep vertical level in the that exact position, making your photos straight and true.Your camera will look a little strange with the bubble level but it is not uncomfortable,as it is very light near 20 gram and its dimensions are: 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm.

PS:The only thing you have to keep in mind when using bubble level , with the tripod or Cube Hot Shoe 3-Axis Bubble Level is to center the bubble between the inside line pair,as it indicates level.When it touches one of the outer lines, it means the level is pitched at a 2-percent grade (about ¼ inch per foot of run), the slope required for waste lines, sidewalks, and rain gutters to drain properly.
Source:Gizmoholic

WHAT IS NOISE AND HOW TO REDUCE IT

Noise are called those grainy spots,those annoying color speckles that appear where they

shouldn't be.For example instead of blue sky you notice some pink ,purple or some other colored pixels,and these can occur when your photo contain many shadows or a brilliant patch of a pristine sky.Noise can be vary problematic for your photos as sometimes it an destroy them or the stock sites don't approve them if you intend to sell.So here we are going to give you some tips on how to avoid all these problems.
1. Choose the best camera you can afford-Your camera can make a difference on your photography noise.One of the major difference between a consumer digital camera and a dSLR ( digital Single Lens Reflex) is that the first one produces images with a lot of noise when using high ISOs and long exposure times,the second one is practically noise free.IN digital cameras this noise can come from a variety of sources.The main source of image noise is the sensor and it can be unavoidable.The individual photocells on a digital camera sensor are incredibly small, especially with high-resolution compact camera sensors. This is the main reason that physically larger sensors are much better than smaller ones. The individual photocells are larger and collect proportionately more photons during the exposure, reducing the effects of these statistical variations and producing an inherently higher signal to noise ratio. Some of it is internal noise generated by imperfections in the electronic components of which the camera is made, or simply as a by-product of their normal operation. For instance, capacitors generate a small amount of signal noise as they charge and discharge.Circuit noise can be minimized by efficient circuit design, superior manufacturing techniques and rigorous quality control. Unfortunately some cheaper camera brands, or even budget camera ranges from better-known brands, may use components that are built down to a price rather than up to a standard, which is why these types of camera generally produce noisier images than more expensive models.
2.Use the lowest ISO possible- ISO which deals with measuring the sensitivity of the image sensor, should almost always be set low for stock photography purposes, as any grain found in the image will likely cause it to be rejected. When we shoot with high ISO sensitivity,we increase the amount by which the signals from photocells are amplified.But the amplification process can't tell the difference between image signal and noise ,so the noise gets amplified too.If the signal to noise ratio was already very low then this just produces more noise without improving the image.That is why high ISO sensitivity images have always more noise than the ones taken at low ISO sensitivity. There are cases where a photographer wants a certain amount of noise in a photo and this is not wrong at all.

3.Avoid longer exposures-Longer exposures tend to lead to noise issues in your images. If you must have the option of using high ISOs (e.g. to capture fast action in low-light situations), then get a dSLR.Also get a good tripod cause you will need one. Sometimes, due to irregularities in the manufacturing process, errors in signal transmission and other factors, the photocells that make up the sensor may not all respond to light to an equal degree, causing single pixels to appear very bright or very dark. The charge build-up over a longer exposure makes this problem more noticeable. This type of noise can usually be remedied by applying a masking filter during image processing. Most modern cameras do this automatically, but it can be a problem on many older models.

4.Get the right exposure when you shoot- Use a light meter to ensure that the image is properly exposed.If you have significantly lighten the image in an image editing program,most probably the midtones and shadows will contain a great amount of noise.

5.Noise reduction software-There are lot of software that can do that,for ex you can use Photoshop, Lightroom ,Bridge or if you want something faster you can use Neat image etc.The better way to reduce noise during post processing for example with Adobe photoshop is to use smoothing filters that can be different types but the most commonly used is the one called Median filter.This works by comparing each pixels to the ones surrounding it, and if is has a brightness value that is radically different from its neighbors, then it is replaced by an artificial pixel with the average value of the neighbor pixels.This method is great in reducing noise but also it causes some negative effect such as reducing detail and contrast so you have to be careful with the value of the filter you want to use.In the end the most effective way to have less noise in your photos is to use larger and more sensitive photocells,so to use SLRs camera and getting good shoots from the beginning ,so you will spent less time in post processing.