Digital Photography On Vacation

Going on holidays or vacation to get away provides one of the best digital photography opportunities that must not be missed. Most people take the usual digital photography "snaps" without really looking an examining their environments first.

The normal holiday digital photographs are taken with hard light over exposing parts of the picture, and the digital image is always the same. One or two people standing near a monument with the usual holiday clothing on...it's the same ting over and over again.

If you want to get interesting digital photography opportunities then firstly the thing to do is not do what everyone else does! So let's looks at ways you can make you digital vacation photos interesting so that you can use them to hang on the wall or give away as postcards when you get back, or greeting cards. Ahh, what the wonderful world of digital photography can do for the soul!

Firstly the get your digital photography really interesting and stimulating when going on holiday is to research as much as you can about the area you are going to, and, the season you are going in, and what the temperature is likely to be. This is called digital photography preparation; not just holiday preparation.

Discover what things you will be likely to visit. Are you going to a fairly established area, such as old churches that have been around for centuries and you are aiming to get your digital photography experience reflecting the beauty and the art work in these old buildings?

Or perhaps you are having an action holiday with hot summer days, beaches, hotels, lying by the pool....in that case then your digital photography will be a completely different experience. Your digital photography needs will be very different and require different things.

If you perhaps want to do a bit of both; churches in Rome then Hawaii on the flight back then you have an even more interesting set of digital photography requirements. Most digital photography professionals may take two cameras, one digital camera for one scene or situation and a traditional camera with film for another situation. But being an enthusiast, you don't have to go to that length; there are some things you can do.

The reason I say to investigate further about what it is you really want to see when you are on your vacation is to see what kind of light you will be working with. If you are going to see some beautiful European churches in winter time then the light will be very different from the light on a beach in summer time in Hawaii. Digital photography is the type of activity that requires you think about what you are doing first. Always think about your digital photography in this way because light can be very different in other places and especially if you are going to a different season.

Creative Ways To Use For Your Engagment Photograpy Sessions

The proposal went off without a hitch and now your planning for your big day. You now have to convince your significant other to have pictures taken for your engagement announcement. Having your picture taken before your wedding doesn't seem like it should be part of your wedding preparation. However, it is as important as choosing your venue or picking out you cake flavor. If you are looking for a unique way of announcing your engagement to your friends and family, then having an engagement shoot is your best bet. Your engagement sessions photos are also great for sending out save the date cards. The process of deciding on where and who you want to take your engagement pictures should be your first steps.

You may or may not want to use your engagement photographer to shoot your actual wedding. However, this is a great way to make that decision. You'll get a chance to see if you have a connection with your photographer. That can be a personality connection or a creative connection. You will also get a chance to see if you like their work and if it fits the style you are looking for. It's one thing to look at their portfolio and make a decision off of that or seeing yourself in their work. There could be a benefit to selecting your photographer to shoot your wedding. Most photographers offer engagement photos as part of their wedding packages. This can often save you money that could be spent on other items for your wedding. It really depends on how certain you are that you want to go with the photographer.

You also may know ahead of time that you won't be using your engagement photographer to shoot your wedding. This would occur if you are having your engagement photos taken in an area that your wedding ceremony won't take place. You may have a place that's special to both of you that you want to have your engagement photos taken. This may be a different state or even country than you plan on getting married in. So, you would be hiring a photographer to just shoot your engagement photos. This is not uncommon and most photographers are willing to shoot you engagement photos for a single session. Ask your photographer to allow a few minutes for warm up shots. This will allow you to get comfortable of having the camera around.

Your location is either going to be a special place the two of you have picked out. This could be the first place you met or some other significant spot that signifies your relationship together. You can always leave your engagement shoot location up to your photographer. They may be more familiar with locations in their area. You can ask for several locations they may recommend and then research each one to see if it fits what you had in mind for your shoot.

You can inquire as to why they picked the specific locations that they have given you. Check to see if your photographer offers you to have multiple locations that you can take your engagement photos at. Check to see how much time you are paying for and what it includes as well. Some photographers may only be charging you for the photo shoot and may not include rights to the photos. You may have to pay separately for rights to the photos or a disk with a release letter to reprint.

Now that you have your photographer and your location it's on to the shoot itself. Now you can decide how creative you really want to be. Don't be too serious or it will show in your photos. You should focus and try to show your love during your shoot. If you stare at the camera you are not going to get great shots. Pretend the camera isn't there and just focus on each other. You may want to research other photographers and look at the engagement shoots for ideas of your own. Using a pose or prop that another couple used won't take away or show a lack of creativity on your part.

You could decide you want to have several shots with specific clothes and then have another set of clothes for other shots. You may need to let your photographer know that you want a wardrobe change though. You may want a romantic beach shot in bathing suits and then a serious formal shot in a field of flowers. Obviously, a wardrobe change would have to occur. You may want to incorporate props like the date of your wedding for your save the date cards.

You might even decide to get out of your comfort zone by having wigs or hats that show your goofy or funny side. It really is up to you how creative you are going to be in your shot. If you let you photographer help you with your posing and props. There's a chance you could be disappointed after you see your shots. It's your engagement session that should incorporate you and not what you r photographer thinks you are.

Picking the timing of when you shoot your engagement photos is very important as well. You shouldn't pick the time of day when the sun is full. You are not going to get great photos if you do because of the harsh lighting and shadows. You want to go out about an hour or so before sunset to take your engagement photos. It's also best to have your engagement photos take months in advance of your wedding. This will give your photographer time to edit the pictures and get them back to you for changes that you may want. You will also have time to pick out which shot or shots you want to add to your save the date cards.

Engagement photos are a way for you to capture a moment of your life together before you are actually married. Hopefully, you will make the most of it and look back on the pictures and relive a moment in time before you were married. Remember to have fun and enjoy your engagement shoot. There will be plenty of time to stress and worry in the coming months getting ready for your wedding day.

The Importance of Photograpy in Belly Dance

What kinds of photographs draw you into a website or photo gallery?

As a website owner I have come to realize that change and updating are essential to good traffic. So photographs are a major investment for me because there are so many things I can do with them. But how many dancers understand this investment and address the issue of spending money on photographs as necessary? As a professional dancer it is so important to upgrade your portfolio with yearly photographs. Photographs are a review of the different stages in the career of a dancer.

With all the great photographers out there why wouldn't dancers use photographs to show the dance world what they are up to? If a dancer or troupe is advertising a show or workshop and I can't go, I usually look forward to photographs of the event. There is a statement that is made to each and every person looking at your website. Photographs bring this statement right into a dancer's home. So this means it is so important to invest in a photographer for shows and events. As the years pass on you'll have a wonderful archive of photographs and even videos of all your hard earned creative efforts.

Find a photographer that understands dance and can photograph motion or poses well. Also a photographer needs to be honest with you. If you choose a bad color for your costume or pose than he or she needs to tell you. There are certain colors that photograph better out in direct sunlight versus colors in a lighted room. There are certain times in a day that are better to be photographed in if you choose to shoot outdoors. Make sure you are aware of the right kind of make up for outdoors. The bottom line is a good photographer will talk with you before the photo shoot and help you decide what is best for you.

Let's talk about themes. A few years ago my husband made a suggestion that I impersonate a famous person that I admire for my next photo shoot. Well of course you know who came to mind, Cleopatra. There's a little bit of her in all of us. The photographs were done by a photography business called Ten/100. I had decided I wanted to be a modern day Cleopatra. The end result was timeless. I could have been from Ancient Egypt or a sexy vixen of today. Fortunately the photographer understood what I was trying to recreate and he also understood my personality. It is so important when you work with a photographer that you feel very comfortable with them.

The Cleopatra theme worked and was the beginning of my amazing journey in photography. Since each year can be any theme that you want, make sure that you create a unique experience for each photo shoot. So for my next adventure I decided to become King Tutankhamen's wife, Ankhesenamun. The movie "The Mummy" inspired this idea and an amazing photographer, Pat Berrett made my dream come alive. I was body painted by Pam Trent exactly like Ankhesenamun was in the movie. Pam did an amazing job and by the time she was done I felt like a Queen. We went out to a desert oasis thirty minutes out of town and Pat photographed me in that amazing late afternoon light just before dusk. I stood upon these amazing sand dunes with this bronze body paint all over me and the details of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Those are my most favorite photographs to date. Pat believes that each photo shoot is just like a performance. Everything should be talked through days before including your costume, make up, poses and the elements if it is outdoors. If this is done than your photo shoot will make you feel like you just received a standing ovation!

So let's talk about posing versus non posing. I think the one reason why more dancers don't update their photographs isn't just the money but they don't know how to pose or what to do once they are in front of a camera. It's easy to freeze and even harder to figure out what to do with your arms and legs. So one thing that Pat Berrett does, is he usually will suggest music so that the dancer feels more in her element.

If you want photographs that depict the theater or stage atmosphere, than arrange to be photographed during a performance. This will be a good chance for the photographer to use the lighting that is already there.

These are my favorite photographs because I don't have to worry about posing. And these kinds of photographs usually will depict the spirit of the moment. Besides that, you can't beat being on stage!

Dancers can pose all they want in front of a mirror but I think what will create a wonderful pose is the interaction between the photographer and dancer. The photograph you create will represent you to the dance world and your audience. So make sure it is as unique as possible, which means bring out the actress in you and work with your photographer to make your photographs timeless.

All of this brings one question to my mind. Why do dancers use photographs from 10 to 20 years ago? Your photographs need to tell the truth about who you are. I feel sexier and better than ever. So I don't want to look younger than what I am. And as you can imagine if I get work out of State or abroad, than I better look like my photograph. As performers it is our job to stay in shape and look our best. There are many ways to photograph yourself to hide whatever you don't want to show. Find a photographer that understands your concerns and problem areas. The one thing I love about Pat Berrett is that he makes me feel like I'm the best thing since sliced bread. He understands that I am selling myself as a professional belly dancer. And that isn't always easy. So one important issue that a photographer must understand is that you are trying to define your own unique style. I am a very different dancer now than I was 20 years ago. My photographs from back then show my inexperience. I have a relaxed and secure look to me now. When people look at my photographs I want them to see a professional dancer with years of experience under her belt. Decide with your photographer what image you want people to see when they view your photographs.

Your photographs are a story board that represents your career. They are also a way of making money. They are intellectual property and you can use your own image to make you money. I will have 4X6 photographs made and give them away to customers and fans at the restaurant that I dance at. Usually people will come up and ask me to autograph them. When I autograph my photos, people usually want my business card. Not only do they have my card but a memory of me signing my own photograph. So when they are thinking of hiring a dancer down the line, they will remember me. You have to figure a way to build up your image. What better way than with photographs.

So let's talk about costume colors and sizes for photographs.

Years ago I had a favorite costume that had a bra that could fit ten of my breasts in each bra cup. At the time I was a very small B. So as you can imagine people would do a double take when I was on stage dancing with my stuffed bra and when I was walking out greeting everyone in my cocktail dress. Ok, it was dumb on my part but I really liked the costume. The photographer who took my photos in that costume said nothing to me. When you are deciding on a costume for your photos, make sure it fits you and is the right color for either indoors or outdoors. My costume was bright pink and looked terrible in outside light. But get me on stage and it looked dynamite. So the few photos that I still have of that costume are of me on stage but with my bra cut down to fit my size. I realized shocking people wasn't part of the image I wanted to portray. But I realized this only after seeing the awful photographs of me outside.

I learned a lot with that photographer. The most important lesson was choosing the right costume for outdoors and secondly making sure my costume fit appropriately. And just to let you know, with the amount of make up I had on... Frankenstein's bride had nothing on me!

The unfortunate thing here is that the photographer didn't communicate with me at all and I didn't know enough at the time to talk with him in advance. Talk with your photographer and show him or her your costumes and props ahead of time. Decide together on how you will wear your make up for your themed idea. It's a lot of fun and the result can be pretty amazing.

Today I am able to create themes that I have been dreaming about for years and I can look the part with confidence. I know enough to be able to ask the right questions to make sure I get the best possible shots. But most importantly I work with a great photographer who takes the time to talk with me and we discuss together what we want to do. It's a partnership that when it works is pure magic.

Software, which makes Digital Photograpy Possible

Digital photography means creation of digital photographs by making use of a digital camera or through scanning of a conservative photograph. After that you can print the photographs with the help of a normal printer.

There are many advantages of digital photos. There is no need of a film in it so there are no processing costs. The other advantage is that there is no wastage in such photography. You can delete the unnecessary material. Another merit is that such cameras are light in weight and easily transported wherever necessary. Digital photos are stored for a longer period and you can create limitless copies.

Digital photography is useful when photos are to be exhibited on web. Digital photo software is useful for making, improving, arranging, controlling and printing digital photos in different ways. If you are a new comer and in search of digital photo software, basic editing software is your answer. Such type of software has editing features that permit you to do various tasks like molding, sharpening and many other functions.

Advanced Photo Editing Software supplies more power to your photo editor. Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop CS are the two main types of advances editing software. This software proffers a broad range of tools for creation and manipulation. This type of software is useful for both advanced users as well as for beginners.

Digital Photo Backup, Rescue and Recovery Software help user to make recovery of defective digital photo files as well as descriptions that were accidentally deleted from your store.

Can Commercial Photography Make You Rich?

Photography is a great hobby that provides fun for many. Sites such as flickr and other photo album websites have allowed beginners to become great amateur photographers. But what about commercial photography i.e. can you make money from your photos? It is not so different from amateur photography as you might think.

Turning A Hobby Into A Career

The best thing about having a hobby turn into a career is that, unlike most people, your job is actually having fun, or to put it in other words, you are paid for your hobby. It's a bit like being a radio DJ or a talk show host.

In order to become a commercial photography specialist, there are several key elements that are necessary for success.

Getting Work -- As someone active in the commercial photography business, to sustain work you will need to go out there and get work. For this you will need various marketing skills. After a short while, you will benefit from repeat business and the flow of work will be self sustaining. The good thing about commercial photography is that the internet offers so many outlets for gaining work. In fact, you do not even need to meet your buyer as there are many piecemeal freelance photography projects out there -- indeed, some people work entirely in this manner.

Meeting Supply With Demand -- There is more to working in commercial photography than simply taking on projects. First of all, you need to price yourself at the appropriate level. Due to some initial inexperience, you may have to undercut the competition to a small degree, however the market will more than likely dictate your price. A great way to demand market rates is to create a portfolio of your work and upload it to one of the many image gallery websites. You can have a punk hairdo and crazy clothes but if your portfolio looks professional it need not matter! Additionally, to retain your reputation, you should always ensure that you deliver any commercial photography on time, as agreed beforehand.

As you can see, going from amateur to commercial photograpy requires a little preparation but essentially you are enjoying your hobby and getting paid for it. Furthermore, unlike a regular job, the advantage of commercial photography and its project/piecemail nature is that you can do as little or as much as you want, whenever you choose to do it.

Child Photography: How to Photograph Babies

Every parent has the desire of capturing the innocent smile of their babies in the camera. However, bringing out the best photographs of babies is not something really simple. If you are assigned to photograph babies, you need to know the intricacies of the job in the right way.

Select the Type of Photograph

If you want to capture multiple moments of a baby, you can surely go for documentary photographs. When you want to capture several snaps of a baby with different relatives or in different rooms, you can go for documentary photography. However, if you want your child to pose in different poses, you can go for portrait photography. Portrait style of photography is often considered to be the right choice, when you want to take a snap of your baby's special moment and hang it in your living room.

Take Some Natural Snaps

When you want to capture the best moments of your baby in the camera frame, you should try to snap some natural moments. Keep a careful watch on your babies and try to find when he or she is happy. Try to lock those happy moments of your baby. If you know, what makes your child happy, you can surely do that to make the little one smile, while taking a snap.

Find the Right Angle

This is one of the most important factors to be noted, when it comes to taking photographs of your babies. Many of you may have selected the right posture and have clicked the right moment, but you could not bring the right effect as you made a mistake with the selection of angle. When you are shooting a baby's photograph, you can get down to the level of your babies and catch the right expression. Taking close up shot can also be a good choice in this regard. When you are shooting a baby with parents or with any other relatives, you should also give due importance to the other people present in the photograph, as they are also the subject of your composition.

Make the Right Use of Macros

While taking the snaps of your babies, you should be careful about the use of macros. Zoom in some expressions or some of the body parts in different photographs to add a special effect to the image. If the photograph demands, you can also isolate different parts of the body and create extraordinary snaps.

Always be ready

Capturing the special moments of a toddler is not very easy. You do not know when your baby will give the right pose. So, you should always keep the camera handy so that you can snap the naturally beautiful poses of your baby.

Edit the Photograph

Last but not the least; you should know how to edit the photograph to bring out the perfect look. Use the airbrush or adjust the color and light effects on the snap of your baby. This will help in bringing the desired results from the photograph.

Kodak EasyShare Making Digital Photograpy Simpler

Kodak is striving to make the move to digital cameras easier for their customers. The kodak easyshare digital cameras are making the digital photography market a little more easy to swallow for consumers. J.D. Power and Associates Satisfaction study displays how the Kodak Easyshare digital cameras are the highest in customer satisfactory rating from the $400-$599 dollar range and the $200-$399 dollar range. This study consisted of 4,260 responses from consumers who pruchased a digital camera between November, 2003 and June, 2004.

These models consisted of the Kodak Easyshare DX6340 [http://www.bargainfindsonebay.com/Kodak/Kodak_DX6340_Review.html] , Kodak Easyshare DX6440 [http://www.bargainfindsonebay.com/Kodak/Kodak_DX6440_Review.html] , Kodak Easyshare DX7590 [http://www.bargainfindsonebay.com/Kodak/Kodak_EasyShareDX7590.html] , and the Kodak Easyshare CX7430 [http://www.bargainfindsonebay.com/Kodak/Kodak_CX7430_Review.html]. These cameras are some of the easiest learning curve digitals on the market touting one touch button operation and easy auto and manual controls, Kodak is eagerly chasing the first time camera buying in a attempt to make things easier for the consumer.

The kodak photo docks allow you to transter photos to your pc, recharge your cameras battery. How easy is the Kodak system? Well when your done taking pictures on your kodak you just place the camera in the easyshare dock and touch the button. Thats it your pictures then transfer to your computer and the cameras battery recharges automatically.

Kodak is no slouch either when it comes to pixel content as we explained earlier in a previous article, you don't need more than a 5.0 mega pixel past that point the naked eye can almost not detect a much better artificial color saturation of raw mega pixels. This of course meaning non interpolated pixels, the CCD has to be 5.0 mega pixels and not interpolated which give the average photographer a great picture both in exposure and color saturation. As kodak strives to make the camera markey easier for its customers to get into its providing a Niche Market for the first time digital buyer.

I guess the question most first time buyers ask themselves is what do you really need as far as pixels, what are you taking pictures of landscapes or portraits and how durable does your camera need to be. All of these are great questions when seeking out that perfect combination of power and durability and easy of use, I think the average person just needs a digital camera suited to him/her and this is your ideal situation.

Style is another factor to take into consideration, not saying that men are oblivious to this but the olympus verve I believe to be a definite atempt at Olympus to target the female market, the 4.0 mega pixel camera is shaped like compact even. Of course without sounding too bias I can't see many men actively going out to buy this " Stylish " camera.

It all comes down to what you want and what you need and hopefully all consumers can meet somewhere in the middle. Hope your search for the ideal camera for yourself comes up good this year and since the market has gained 24 billion this year expect next year to be just as hectic with newer styles coming out soon. Keep your feet on the ice and you will find the perfect one if not this year next year.