Tips to Enhance Architectural Photography

There are many ways and techniques to click interior and exterior home photography. So let us see few basic tips which would help us to improve and enhance architectural photography.
Light
Light can increase the shadow, texture, contrast and reflections. The more level of contrast can also lead to the exposure of photo in an incorrect scene, but photographers can easily surmount it by just applying the compensation of exposure. Another method that we can do is that bracket the shots at different exposure and then merges them in a program.
Lens
A wide angle lens or the fish eye is perfect for this kind of photography as it allows the photographers to get the complete building into the frame. Yet sometimes the glass might not be able to include the complete scene, than you require the panoramic format.
Exterior and interior
Architecture photography is not restricted with the front of the building. It could be difficult to correct the white balance. Interior shots are difficult to take in the older buildings as there are small doors and windows, which actually lack natural light. So, try to use a tripod and you can also use the Nd filter to prevent the highlights while shooting in the day. You can also use supplementary lighting like diffused flashing.
Silhouette
If you want to shoot as the silhouette at sunset, than place the architecture between sun and yourself. Also ensure that the flash is deactivated. Night shots could be atmospheric and dramatic, but just remember to click them when there is just some color and light left in the sky as this would help to add tone in the backdrop and illuminate the detail. Make the use of long exposure and wide aperture.
Click in all weathers
Like the other kinds of photography, good images can be clicked in all kinds of weathers. Revisiting and shooting the building in the various weather conditions, can actually help a photographer to create a good portfolio of shots.
Reflection
It helps to add the extra dimensions to the architectural images. Use it in your photos as this would allow a photographer to create the canvas, where the building can be easily indistinct. Lots of reflexive surfaces are there, you do not actually need to practice. For example, water features windows, wet streets, modern art, rivers and puddles. Also they should not be graphic and aesthetic so one should play with the lines, shadows and lights.

A Short History of Sports Photography

The history of sports photography is tightly related to the trends of sport gaining popularity throughout human history. The technology of photography from the early 1800s onward leaped forward in bounds and aided an emerging media, sporting journalism.

The inspiration of athletics and sport in art can certainly be seen in the work of the ancient Greek masters of sculpture, however this type of expression was not as prevalent in modern sporting venues until the invention of wet-collodion and dry-plate photographic processes. These processes allowed for posed studio images on glass plates and tin-types, but were just not 'fast' enough for the 'stop-action' images we are used to seeing today.

As the 19th Century was coming to a close, in the 1880s scientific motion studies of athletes in action were produced in the United States and Germany, the technology was still not considered on the sporting field. This all changed with the advancement of photography and sports journals in the last part of the century. As the first sports journals began to appear around 1900, the public became more and more interested in the sports image, which often would include images of players on the tennis green, golfling or on the hunt for wild game.

In the history of sports photography the earliest of contributors were more concerned with the activities of the country elite, but by the end of World War I, readers of sporting journals were becoming interested in the professional athletes of American baseball and tennis. The majority of these early images were of prominent players in posed situations, giving te sense of action. Baseball players were posed with bat in hand at the plate, teams were lined up for group shots and so forth, however the 'action' shot was still not widely seen.

With the 1930s more and more images of athletes in action were appearing in magazines, assisted in their growth through camera systems allowing photographers shutter speeds up to 1/1000th of a second. This gave way to styles highlighting blurred subjects suggesting movement and 'stop-action' images of the athlete in activity. Photographers began adopting signature styles and the popularity of the genre began to grow rapidly as the public began to expect the excitement of seeing their favored athletes in 'action.'

In 1954, Sports Illustrated - the vaunted digest of sports and athletics - premiered and suddenly the position of being a sports photographer became even more engrained in the public eye. The magazine highlighted the exploits and professional and amateur athletes the world over, increasing the need for the art form and those who practiced it. By this point, technology had more or less caught up with demand, with the advent of small, compact single lens reflex (SLR) cameras and the fast shutter speeds offered in the models. The history of sports photography is strongly tied to lens technology, as well, had advanced to offer the photographer a wide choice of methods to compress perspective and using depth of field for dramatic effect.

Special Effects Using Camera Filters

A glance through almost any magazine will display a flood of picture ads. For the most part, the special effects you see in these ads are created either through photo editing software or cameras fitted with special types of filters.
Many types of filters are available, each having a unique and specific function. For example, there are different filters for black and white, others for color photos, and some that are used for both. Additionally, there are also filters that enhance contrast while others improve the picture sharpness.
Below are brief descriptions of various filters and the effects they produce on pictures.
Cross and Star Effect Filters
Star effect flares are available in different points like star-eight and star-six. These flares are used for increasing image brightness and enhancing more difficult photos of theme parks, sun reflecting from glass surfaces, and street lights.
Like star filters, a cross filter is best for situations in which the person in the picture is wearing jewelry. It generates more dramatic effects to anything bright worn by the person.
Spectral cross filters are normally used in portraits and outdoor shots. They produce cross effects and soft-focus effects. These filters consist of two transparent optical glasses which are arranged in a rotating frame. A gauze-like black fiber is positioned between the two transparent glasses.
Made up of two glasses, Vario cross filters generate a special effect of four light rays emerging from a single point source of light. You can easily rotate each glass individually to change the angle of emerging rays of light.
Close-up Filters
This filter is better than a zoom lens. It is used for close-up photography and available in different diopters ranging from +1 to +10. The higher the number the, closer the capture.
Macro close-up filters with a +10 diopters rating with a two-element, two-group construction lens are used for capturing tiny objects such as flowers and insects.
With it, you can easily take a close up of only half the subject, retaining the other half in its normal size. This is helpful when you want to focus on both near and distant objects simultaneously.
Multivision Filters
Multivision filters find their niche when a single subject needs to be displayed in an individual photo repeatedly. These filters are available in ranges of 3F, 3PF, 6F, 6PF, and 5F. Each number represents the number of times an object will be duplicated in the picture. Moreover, different colors can be added to an image using color multivision filters.
Misty Spot Filters
Misty spot filters are used for emphasizing the primary focal point of the picture. For this purpose the background of the image is set to a blur with the image in its normal state to accentuate the subject in the foreground.
There are four different types of misty spot filters: breezing filters, gradual filters, windmill filters, and halo filters.
Diffusion Filters
Due to uneven or irregular surface, diffusion filters produce a soft focus effect. These are normally used for portrait shots.
Center Spot Filters
The center spot filter gives the center a sharp and clear image. The background, on the other hand, ends up with a romantic, foggy effect.
These filters enhance specific details of photos without the use of computer photo editing software

Commercial Printing Machines

Commercial printing is printing undertaken on a large scale. For large scale printing you need commercial printing machines. Commercial printing is one of the largest branches of the printing industry. Commercial printing machines find its application mainly in the publication of books, magazines, newspapers and outdoor advertising. Commercial printing machines are very useful in situations where bulk printing is to be finished in a specified time. Most commercial printing machines give better quality print than the residential printing machines. Commercial printing is also important when the user wants the copies to be folded, stapled, embossed or stamped. Commercial printing usually costs more than ordinary printing, but they produce better copies than the others.

Commercial printing machines require certain additional facilities for functions such as lithography, photo printing and full color printing. Commercial lithographic printing is the process of printing artwork on a smooth surface. The lithography process usually requires an entire print block to come in contact with the sheet of paper. This paper gets the desired image with the help of a chemical process. Since the print used in the lithographic process is flat, it is also known as the planographic print process. There are many industries having lithographic printing of letterheads, labels and other high demand stationary items. Commercial lithographic printing process is the ideal method for printing text and illustrations. It can be used in general commercial printing, quick printing and printing of business forms and legal documents.

Commercial photo printing machines are used to produce bright and high quality photos. Printing machines that are manufactured for home use are not suitable for producing quality pictures. Even residential printing machines with color printing facilities do not match with the finish and elegance of a commercial printing machine. The cost of commercial photo printing machine ranges from $1,500 to $2,500. The size of commercial printing machine is bigger than the home printers.

Sydney, Australia - The Perfect Destination For Your Wedding

Getting married in the vibrant city of Sydney, Australia is a popular choice by many couples wishing to organize the ultimate destination wedding. As a city itself Sydney offers a wide range of atmospheres, as such one is able to tailor the feel and atmosphere they are after simply by altering the area of Sydney they wish to hold their wedding. An example of this would be to hold a wedding on the northern beaches of Sydney versus a wedding held in The Rocks near Sydney's central business district.

In comparison the wedding held on the northern beaches would offer a beautiful relaxed outdoor feel, with picturesque views, free from the hustle and bustle of the city. Such a location may appeal to a relaxed, nature loving couple looking for a wedding venue that incorporates Sydney's picturesque landscape and offers a great place for the family and kids to play, relax and spend time together on what is a truly special day.

A location such as the Northern beaches would however be in stark contrast to an area like The Rocks. Nestled close to Sydney's bustling central business district The Rocks offers a vibrant, full of life atmosphere that will appeal to fun and outgoing couples looking to incorporate Sydney's culture into their wedding. The nature of such a location means on any given day there will be numerous weddings taking place, this all works to make your wedding day just a little busier, with more people around and more brides running around the streets with their Sydney wedding photographer of choice. Of course this will appeal to some couples and if a funky urban setting sounds like you then The Rock is one of many locations that will fit such a bill.

These are merely two popular Sydney wedding locations that spring to mind and offer a contrast in the feel and nature of what they provide. Whilst on the topic there are numerous other possible wedding locations that tend to be popular amongst destination brides and grooms, as such I would suggest looking into the following locations to see if they may suit the feel and tone you are after on your special day.

Locations to consider -

Watsons Bay Centennial Park The Blue Mountains Hyde Park/CBD Eastern beaches such as Bronte and Bondi Northern beaches such as Narrabeen and Manly The southern highlands The south coast and surrounding areas

Such destinations tend to be very popular for weddings and are certainly worth researching if considering a destination wedding in Sydney, Australia.

Atop of the beautiful climate and fun vibrant culture Sydney has to offer one other advantage of organizing a Sydney wedding is that there are numerous, highly skilled professional Sydney wedding photographers available to help make the most of your special day and capture all those wonderful memories you will look back upon for years to come. After all, if you go to all the trouble of organizing a wedding in one of the worlds most beautiful cities you should make sure all that effort and all those memories are preserved forever.

I hope this provides you with some food for thought and some basic information to help you on the way to organizing the perfect destination wedding. Congratulations and I wish you the best on your big day!

Advances in Digital Camera Technology

Digital Photography has been around for a good few years now and the days of film cameras must surely be numbered. Of course there will always be those who do not want to embrace the 'new' thing, but for most 'digital photography' is the only way forward. There is a continual advancing of technology in the digital camera field and I have noted a few of the newer concepts below.

Megapixel count

Not too long ago (a few years) my 1.3mp digital camera seemed to do the trick and took some good photographs which I could print out on A4 paper. As time went by the amount of megapixels on cameras started to rise and 5mp was considered really good. The camera I use now has 6mp and does a great job. However, the megapixel count used in dslr cameras continues to grow and the standard amount has now gone past 10mp to 12mp and some have 15mp or even 20mp!! When will it end, or will it??

It is said that you should buy a camera that has at least 6mp and I think that if you can afford one that has 10-12mp you have the capability to take really great photos which can be enlarged quite substantially without any loss of quality.

Camera shake reduction

This is a fairly recent addition to digital cameras and works really well when you find that hand movements start to cause camera shake as you go to take a picture. There are 2 main methods of providing the shake reduction. One is to have the mechanism in the lens being used, and the other to have it in the camera body itself. If using a camera body which has the shake reduction incorporated within then that means that it can be used with any lens whereas if using stabilised lenses each lens used on the camera would need to have it.

Sensor self-cleaning

The heart of the digital camera is the sensor and eventually some dust will find its way onto it. There are many solutions given for this for cameras which have no self cleaning mechanism.

Microscopic dust particles can get on your digital SLR sensor when you remove the camera lens. This dust shows up in every photo that you take. Self-cleaning sensors vibrate to prevent and eliminate digital SLR sensor dust. This self cleaning was added a few years ago and does away with the need to remove lenses and get cleaning materials etc. to remove the dust which can be very awkward for the aspiring photographer.

Live View

This is where you can get a view of the intended photograph on the large LCD window on the back of the camera in contrast to being able to look through the viewfinder.

For many years the function of live view was the feature of all compact digital cameras. There was no popular SLR with this function. That has now changed and a few of the main manufacturers are introducing it to their SLR ranges.

JPEG & RAW capability

JPEG is probably the most popular type of image used on digital cameras now. One of the drawbacks is that it is a lousy image which means that you get degradation of the photo the more cropping and resizing is done on it. RAW on the other hand is the digital equivalent of the old 'negative' and allows far more scope for adjustment on the photograph. RAW files are big and can take up a fair amount of room, so large storage mediums are essential. One good thing that a few of the better digital SLR's have is the ability to take a RAW and JPEG file of each photo you take. This gives you the option of keeping the JPEG as is or doing some work on the RAW image as required.

These are some of the more recent innovations to DSLR cameras. There undoubtedly will be more and it will be interesting to see the next few advances in the technology in the foreseeable future.

How To Sell Photos Through The Internet

After reading this article you will discover some basic information about selling photos through the internet. A lot of people are making their own website this can be for fun or for business however sometimes they need photos to decorate their website. They are not specific looking to buy super professional photos online but it can save them a lot of time if they outsource the job. This is where you will come in, the only thing you need is a digital camera and a connection to the internet.
Some webmasters are spending thousands and thousands of dollars buying photos trough the internet. And at the same time amateur photographers are making high commissions. Perhaps you can't afford a big amount of money yet to spend money on a digital camera but start with a basic model first. Try to buy a second hand camera from a friend or a relative or why don't you buy one on ebay.com. So now I will show you how to sell photos through the internet and make money from it.
By far the best way to make money with your digital camera online is to make an account on different stock photo sites. The rules of each stock photos site can vary but the basic concept is the same you offer your photos for sale, and interesting people can buy it to put it on their own site or whatever they want. A word of caution the photos that you send must be your own original pictures. If you think that you are "smart" and you copy some pictures from other websites the stock photo sites will caught you. And after all it is much more fun to make money if you play it fair. But be careful with submitting pictures with peoples faces on it. If you work with a model you must present a model contract. Again if you are in doubt about something look into the faq's and otherwise ask it to the support team. It is their task to help you out.
Ebay and your own website(s) are other ways how to sell your digital photos online. However if you are fairly new to photographing this is not recommended. But if you have taken some good looking pictures in the past then give it a go? Building your own website is not difficult at all but it is a job on his own to present the website in such a way that people will buy from you.
Of course the people must have an option to pay. My recommendation is use paypal and a possibility to use credit cards but make sure your website has a security script to avoid credit card fraud. Perhaps you may have heard about e-gold but stay away from it most people are associating it with scammers. Perhaps for larger sales you can offer your customers payments trough bank wire that is up to you.
I hope you have an idea now how to sell photos trough the internet however as said in the title this information was basic information but to make big money on it you will have to look for more information.

The difference between film and digital photography

There are many differences between film and digital photography. To most amateur photographers they do not matter much. They prefer the convenience, ease of use and lower cost of digital cameras and are not going to revert to the film age. However understanding the differences can help taking even better photos and can also help when debating with friends about the future of film.

Following is a list of differences that are important to understand. The differences are listed in no particular order.

The sensor: The most obvious difference between film and digital is the sensor used to take the photo. With film cameras a film sensitive to light is placed behind the lens. When a photo is taken the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film. The result is a photo "printed" on the film. To take a new photo the film has to be rolled and a fresh "clean" film is place behind the lens. With digital cameras a fixed electronic sensor (sometimes known as CCD) is situated behind the lens. The sensor is built from tiny light sensitive sensors each representing a pixel. When the shutter opens light hits the sensor and each pixel gets its "value". Put together all the pixels comprise one photo. To take a new photo the photo is saved on a digital media and the CCD is electronically emptied.

What does a different sensor mean? The main difference is in the Depth of Field. Since digital sensors are smaller in size than a 35mm film the depth of field will be much higher and in fact in most compact digital cameras almost infinite. The result is that blur backgrounds can not be created.

The cost of a photo: Photos taken with a digital camera literally cost nothing. The photos are kept in erasable memory and thus can always be discarded at no cost. Also the photos you would like to keep can be copied to digital media such as a computer's hard disk. With storage prices going down the cost of saving a photo on disk is practically zero. Film does cost money. With a film camera you have to pay for the roll of film, for developing the negative and for printing the photo. Every time you press the shutter button you spend money.

The capacity: With ever growing storage capacities digital cameras today can hold hundreds and sometimes thousands of photos on a single media. You can always have a few more in your pocket and changing is very fast. The result is that a digital camera has practically infinite capacity. You can shoot as many photos as you want and at the end of the day just dump them on your computer's disk. Film cameras' capacity is very limited. A roll of 36 photos can only hold 36 photos. After a roll is used changing to a new roll can take time and is not easy to do in scenarios such as darkness or a harsh environment. For that reason many professional journalists carry a few cameras on them and instead of changing rolls they turn and use another camera just so that they do not miss a shooting opportunity.

The feedback: One of the most important features of the digital camera is instant feedback. Almost all digital cameras include a small LCD screen. Once a photo is shot you can go back and watch it on that screen. The ability to see how the photo looks like results in better photos. If the photo is not good you can take another one. Being able to see the photos on the spot results in an educated decision how to fix a photo or how to better compose it. It takes a lot of the guessing away from photography. With film cameras there is no way to know how the photo on the film will look like when printed.

New shooting angles: Just a few days ago I took a great photo with my digital camera that I would have never taken with my film one. I shot a cat that was resting on little rock. I held the camera in my hand and positioned it down where it almost touched the ground and I started shooting. I probably took 50 or more photos. I immediately looked at the camera's LCD to review my photos and make sure they were focused and had the cat in them. The result was one great photo looking at the cat from the ground. I can not imagine myself just lying down on the dirty ground with a film camera looking through the viewfinder and perfecting that one shot.

With digital cameras you can actually take photos without having your eye glued to the viewfinder. Overhead shots where you raise the camera over your head are much easier to do since you can still see what the camera is shooting by just looking up at its LCD screen.

Correcting photos: With digital cameras photos can be corrected using photo editing software. Some correction abilities are built-in to the cameras but many more are available as software packages for your PC. With film cameras what you get is what you get. After the film is developed it is very hard to make any corrections. Usually if corrections are absolutely needed the negative or the printed photo will be scanned (i.e. converted to digital) corrected and then printed again (in a long and costly process).

Changing conditions: Every roll of film is designed for best results in a specific environment. For example there are indoor and outdoor films or films with different light sensitivity. If conditions change rapidly a film camera user will have to either shoot with the wrong film, change the roll (and usually lose photos that were not used in the current roll) or use another camera with a different film in it. The results of shooting with the wrong film can be distorted colors (reddish photos for example), a grainy photo and more.

With digital cameras the characteristics of the sensor can be changed instantly for each photo taken. With a click of a button the camera can be put in an indoor or outdoor mode, low light, night photography etc. Some cameras will automatically sense the scenario and set the sensor mode accordingly.

The myth of quality: While it is true that film photography has its advantages the claim for superior quality is no longer true. As digital camera evolved the quality of high end digital SLR cameras is superb and in many ways even better than film. When considering quality you should also consider the quality in terms of composition and the scenario caught in the photo. With digital cameras' high capacity, zero photo cost and instant adaptability to changing conditions photographers can produce better compositions and experiment more to get the best photo possible.

Longevity: We have also paged through old photo albums of our grandparents. The photo looked a a bit yellow, scratched and just plain "old". Storage of printed film photos or even negatives results in quality deterioration. Digital photos on the other hand never lose their quality. A digital photo will be identical today and 500 years from now. As long as we remember to refresh the digital media every now and then and to back it up our photos can literally list forever and not lose their quality.

Digital Photo Tips - General Rules For Aperture Settings

One of the most confusing settings for beginner photographers to get a grasp on is proper use of the aperture or f-stop settings. The biggest misconception is that aperture controls shutter speed or vice versa. If fact, the two work in concert to achieve the optimum exposure for your image. That should be the main goal of all your photos. How you choose to emphasize the your subject is a topic for other articles.
Essentially, the aperture and shutter speed work to provide the proper ratio of light. If you select a larger aperture, smaller f-stop like 2.8, you are allowing more light through the lens. This in turn allows you to use higher shutter speeds to capture motion without blurring. Keep in mind that that the smaller the f-stop, the shallower your depth of field will be. An object in the background may appear blurry with a large or open f-stop but appear in clear focus with a small or closed stop. So in general, here's where you want to be with your aperture setting for various types of photos.
For portraits, you will probably tend to start more to the open end of the setting, meaning a small f-number. This is useful if you are trying to eliminate background distractions because of the shallow depth of field.
On the other end of the spectrum would landscape and architectural images. Here you will probably start with your aperture closed down as small as possible to get the greatest depth of field. With this genre of photography, smaller apertures are necessary due to the size of the subject and the proximity of the camera. But you will need to use much slower shutter speeds so a tripod and shutter release cable are useful to have for these shots.

If you have a digital camera that's collecting dust on the shelf, don't be afraid to put your creative juices to work. Check out the Internet for digital photography lessons and other photography courses online. You can find excellent courses for very reasonable prices. In these tutorials, you can find lots of otherlandscape photography tips