Myrtle Beach Photography

Free Photography App For Android Phone by Myrtle Beach Photography

2012-01-26T09:46:00.001-05:00

Color Effects for your Android Phone

Create art photos fast and easily! Color the picture with your fingers or apply several effects. Color your old black&white photos. Everyone can be an artist!
- 28 effects (sepia, grayscale, black&white, tint, colorize, pixelize, mosaic, posterize, solarize, brightness/contrast, exposure, negative, saturate, sharpen, blur, spread, noise, dilate, erode, smear cross, smear lines, smear circles, smear squares, edge detect, emboss, laplace, sobel, solid color) and more coming soon
- 12 brush types (and more coming soon), configurable opacity, size, repetition
- two fingers zoom or fast one finger zoom
- import your picture from gallery or take a photo with camera
- share with your friends via email, facebook (need facebook client) or other social networks
- support for Android tablets with Honeycomb (Android 3.x)
Tags: photo art, photo editor, color touch, color splash, colour, effects, color effects, fx, photoshop, gimp, facebook, email, gmail, sepia, grayscale, black&white, tint, colorize, colourize, pixelize, mosaic, smear, posterize, solarize, brightness, contrast, exposure, negative, saturate, sharpen, blur, dilate, erode, spread, noise, edge detect, emboss, laplace, sobel, solid color.

Link To Free Android Photography App

Myrtle Beach Photography Tip: Cool App For Android

2012-01-24T19:55:00.000-05:00

Really Cool Photography App for Android Phones:

Color Touch Effects allows to recolor images and apply cool effects to them.
You can select an image, turn it to gray (or sepia, ..) and bring the color back with your fingers.
- Easy to paint, move, zoom with your fingers
- Two finger zoom
- Many effects such as black & white, sepia coloring or blur.
- Import photos easily from your photo gallery, camera or from Facebook
- several cool image effects in the fx gallery
- configure brush and opacity
- add a caption / title to your image
- Post to facebook, share via email, or send via MMS
So much fun to edit your photos and pictures. Download this free picture editor now. Works also great together with the free photoshop app or camera effects (fx).
KW: color splash, color touch, photoshop, effects, photo fx, photo editor, picture editor, edit pictures, colour splash, photobucket, hipstamatic, skitch, picture coloring, image editor

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.appspot.swisscodemonkeys.paintfx&feature=apps_topselling_free

Myrtle Beach Photography - Classified Ad

2012-01-20T14:42:00.000-05:00

Myrtle Beach Photography - Offers

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000-05:00

White Balance Basics

I seem to notice white balance problems mostly at weddings. There is different lighting throughout the event and auto white balance does not always do the trick. Especially when your subject is in a full length white dress. It is simple to fix in post graphics but why not understand and shoot it correctly to begin with. Our goal at the studio is to do as little graphics as possible. Below I will outline what white balance is, how to adjust, presetting the camera and manual white balance. Manual is always best.

White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account the "color temperature" of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great difficulty with auto white balance (AWB) — and can create unsightly blue, orange, or even green color casts. Understanding digital white balance can help you avoid these color casts, thereby improving your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions.

Adjusting White Balance

Different digital cameras have different ways of adjusting white balance so ultimately you’ll need to get out your camera’s manual out to work out the specifics of how to make changes. Having said this – many digital cameras have automatic and semi-automatic modes to help you make the adjustments.

Preset White Balance Settings

Here are some of the basic White Balance settings you’ll find on cameras:

    Auto – this is where the camera makes a best guess on a shot by shot basis. You’ll find it works in many situations but it’s worth venturing out of it for trickier lighting.

Tungsten – this mode is usually symbolized with a little bulb and is for shooting indoors, especially under tungsten (incandescent) lighting (such as bulb lighting). It generally cools down the colors in photos.

Fluorescent – this compensates for the ‘cool’ light of fluorescent light and will warm up your shots.

   Daylight/Sunny – not all cameras have this setting because it sets things as fairly ‘normal’ white balance settings.

Cloudy – this setting generally warms things up a touch more than ‘daylight’ mode.

   Flash – the flash of a camera can be quite a cool light so in Flash WB mode you’ll find it warms up your shots a touch.

Shade – the light in shade is generally cooler (bluer) than shooting in direct sunlight so this mode will warm things up a little.

Manual White Balance Adjustments

In most cases you can get a pretty accurate result using the above preset white balance modes – but some digital cameras (most DSLRs and higher end point and shoots) allow for manual white balance adjustments also.

The way this is used varies a little between models but in essence what you do is to tell your camera what white looks like in a shot so that it has something as a reference point for deciding how other colors should look. You can do this by buying yourself a white (or grey) card which is specifically designed for this task – or you can find some other appropriately colored object around you to do the job.

Photography Tips to Reduce Red Eye

2012-01-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Photography Tips by Myrtle Beach Photography
Reducing Red Eye?

What Is Red Eye?
When you take photos in a dim or dark setting, the light from your camera flash is bright enough to reflect off of the blood vessels within your subject’s retinas. The result is red-eye.

How To Prevent Red-Eye:
The best way to prevent red-eye is to avoid using your flash whenever possible. However, if you have to use a flash, try these tips for preventing red-eye:

Add lighting: Whether you wait to shoot on a sunny day, or move your subject closer to a lamp or window, a brighter setting will cause your subject’s pupils to contract, allowing less light to reflect back to the camera.

Adjust your subject: Ask your subject to look toward the camera, but not directly at the lens. Also, try moving farther away from your subject.

May cameras have a setting for red eye reduction so consult your cameras paperwork.

Myrtle Beach Photography Tips: Fill Flash

2012-01-12T11:37:00.003-05:00

Beginner Photography Tips by Myrtle Beach Photography

Fill Flash

The biggest misconception in outdoor photography is the use of fill flash. Fill flash confused me more than anything when I first started trying to understand photography. It is like accounting. When you think you should debit, you credit. To us (unprofessional/photographers) the idea of when to use the flash was a bit baffling. For example, you are standing in the bright sun and common sense tells you that there is already too much light so why would you need to provide additional light. Most people know that if they are indoors, they use a flash. Most point and shoot camera flashes default to auto flash, meaning, if the camera detects there is not enough light for a good picture, the auto flash will kick-in, in low light. What most people don't know is when you are outside and your camera is set to auto flash, it will automatically shut down your flash. This is perhaps when you need your flash the most. For example, you are out of the beach and it is 5pm, shadows are heavy and your subjects faces are shaded. This is where your fill flash is essential.

Go to your settings, override the auto flash(make sure that the flash icon does not have a line through the lightning bolt or flash symbol) and force your camera to flash. This will fill in the shadows (often cast by hats, glasses, noses etc) and light up the faces of your subjects. On the other hand, if your subjects look overexposed and washed out, you can't decrease the flash strength try moving back a little from your subject and using your zoom to get a tighter framing as this will decrease the impact of the flash. Also remember, with most cameras, about 6 or 7 feet is a normal flash range. Experimenting is the key. Sample images above show the difference between an image outdoors with the flash on and the flash off.

Get out there and flash away. Find out which settings work for you. We will talk about creating mood with lighting later which we will play with not using flash to create different moods. But for now, when you are out in that bright light and you see shadows being cast, remember that the flash in bright conditions is your friend.

Upload your images so we can see what you have learned.

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS BY MYRTLE BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY Basic Elements of Photography

2012-01-12T11:28:00.006-05:00

Photography Tips by Myrtle Beach Photography

The Three Basic Elements of Photography

Each of the three aspects of the triangle relate to light and how it enters and interacts with the camera.

The three elements are:

ISO– the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
Aperture– the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
Shutter Speed– the amount of time that the shutter is open

These three elements are what determines how your image will turn out. I will have to say that as a student of photography, these elements were the most difficult for me to understand. Remember, I have had no professional training and have had to pick up this knowledge from the professional photographers who work at my Studio's in Myrtle Beach. I also have ADHD so these concepts were difficult for me to grasp. It was only after sitting in my daughters gym and playing around with all three, that I began to understand how they all affect the image. I would understand one and then the others would change and I had to finally realize that each affects the other. Most importantly – a change in one of the elements will impact the others. This means that you can never really isolate just one of the elements alone but always need to have the others in the back of your mind.

3 Metaphors for understanding the digital photography exposure triangle:

Many people describe the relationship between ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed using different metaphors to help us get our heads around how the three work together. One of my photographers, Joe, explained the concept like an human eye. Another used the window analogy. Here goes my "photography for dummies" attempt at a more simple understanding of these basic photography elements.

The Human Eye

Imagine your camera is like your eye that opens and closes or blinks (the shutter). If you stand in front of a mirror and hold your eye open and shine a flash light into your eyeball, the pupil will enlarge and become smaller based on the amount of light. Your eyelid opens and closes which when open, the pupil becomes smaller because there is more light and larger when the lid closes because of less light. Your eyelid is the shutter and your pupil is the aperture. Now imagine that you’re wearing sunglasses. Your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in (it’s like a low ISO).

Let's talk about the shutter speed first using the eye analogy. The speed of your blink (shutter) determines how much light gets to your pupil (aperture) to determine how large or small the pupil/aperture needs to be depending on the light you need to see. The slower you blink, the more time light has to reach your pupil and the smaller your pupil becomes.

Now for aperture. If you walk outside into bright sunlight, your pupil will suddenly shut down or become smaller just like the aperture on your camera because it needs less light. In reverse, if you walk into a dark room, your pupil will enlarge to be able to take in as much light as possible under the dark conditions.

These two functions of the eye work together, like with your camera, to determine the best light for you to be able to see in a dark or bright situation. Example: You walk into a very dark room. Your blinking (shutter speed) slows down so that more light can reach you pupil (aperture) so that it can become larger and more light can get in so that you can see more in a dark place.

Lastly, let's talk about ISO. The ISO is like sunglasses. The eye is effected by wearing the sunglasses or taking them off. Now imagine that you’re inside the room and are wearing sunglasses (hopefully this isn’t too much of a stretch). Your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in (it’s like a low ISO).

There are a number of ways of increasing or decreasing the amount of light in the room. You could increase the time that the shutter is open (decrease shutter speed by slowing down your blink), you could increase the size of aperture (increase pupil size) or you could take off your sunglasses (make the ISO larger).

Just remember, if you are in very bright light, your camera does not need as much light to create a good image so you will need to lower or close down your aperture and/or you can speed up your shutter.

In reverse, if you are in a low light situation, you will need to open up that aperture and slow down that shutter speed. If you still need more light once you open up that aperture and slow down that shutter speed there is something else you can try. Increase you ISO to allow more light.

I hope I have not confused you with this analogy. It really helped me understand the concept and hopefully that it helps you as well. Go out and play around in different light with these techniques to see how these elements effect you image.

To practice, I sat on my sofa and turned off all the lights except for a few small lamp. I was using a Canon Mark III and an 70-200mm f2.8 lens. I put the camera on my knees to steady the lens and was taking pictures of my bookshelf across the room. I started at with a high number f-stop and a shutter speed at 800 and a low ISO. The image was black. I then lowered the f-stop to f2.8 (which my very good lens allowed me to do) and lowered the shutter speed to 100. The image was ok but not great. The next image I left the F-stop at 2.8, kept the shutter speed low and cranked up the ISO higher and finally got an image that was good. Good luck with this and I can't wait to see if any of you have a "light bulb" moment and finally understand this very complex elements of photography.

I included a graphic at the top of this post to show examples of the eyeball and the lens to help with this explanation.

Please Visit Our Facebook Page

2012-01-09T20:40:00.001-05:00

Would really appreciate if you would link over and like our Facebook Page.

Myrtle Beach Photography Tips: Rule of Space

2012-01-09T15:02:00.003-05:00

Myrtle Beach Photography Tips

RULE OF SPACE

This rule states that if the subject is not looking directly to the camera, or looks out of the frame, there should be enough space for the subject to look into. This technique creates interest in the minds of the person viewing your image. An interesting fact is, the person viewing you image will look where the subject is looking.

If you are taking action images or landscapes with animals, the rule of space also applies. For example, you are taking a image of a horse running, remember to leave an active space for the motion to continue. (don't always center the horse in the frame but rather leave space for motion in front of the horse. This simple rule will show in the still image that the horse/object is actually moving and has a destination. This also enables viewers to instinctively look to where the object is heading, thus, building excitement within the image and sets its mood.

Not only does it add dramatic accents in your photos, but it also creates a flow to naturally drag the attention of viewers to the direction of the subject.

While following this technique can help you achieve your desired photo, it can also be very interesting if you break this rule.

Breaking this rule, especially in moving objects where the space behind is what breaks or makes the image. Doing this kind of tactic will give the viewer an idea how fast the object had been and where did it come from.

Changing the framing and the look-space direction will also give a different meaning. A subject who runs and has too much dead space behind, means that he is leaving swiftly. But if you put active space in front of it, then it would suggest that the subject is leaving with a goal or target in front.

Play around with your photography to create a story within your image. Let Myrtle Beach Photography know how this works for you in your own photography. See examples of Rule of space below. Would love to hear your comments. Also, if there are things you would like to know, please post and we will try and get to them.

To Flash or not to Flash

2010-06-20T10:14:00.011-04:00

Fill Flash

The biggest misconception in outdoor photography is the use a flash. Most people know that if they are indoors, they use a flash. Most point and shoot camera flashes default to auto flash, meaning, if the camera detects there is not enough light for a good picture, the auto flash will kick-in, in low light. What most people don't know is when you are outside and your camera is set to auto flash, it will automatically shut down your flash. This is perhaps when you need your flash the most. For example, you are out of the beach and it is 5pm, shadows are heavy and your subjects faces are shaded. This is where your fill flash can help. Go to your settings, override the auto flash(make sure that the flash icon does not have a line through the lightning bolt or flash symbol) and force your camera to flash. This will fill in the shadows (often cast by hats, glasses, noses etc) and light up the faces of your subjects. On the other hand, if your subjects look overexposed and washed out, you can't decrease the flash strength try moving back a little from your subject and using your zoom to get a tighter framing as this will decrease the impact of the flash. Also remember, with most cameras, about 6 or 7 feet is a normal flash range. Experimenting is the key. Sample images above show the difference between an image outdoors with the flash on and the flash off.

Vacation Picture Basics

2010-06-20T00:08:00.003-04:00

Portraits

- A family is on vacation and wants to get a nice portrait shot with the wondrous background scene. The problem is when the family gets home and looks at the portrait and realizes that they tried to get too much background into the shot and they can barely tell who is in the picture. This scene can be anywhere: on vacation, at the beach, even in the backyard. The most important thing to remember with portraits is that the subject is the person or people in the photograph. I recommend head and shoulder shots for the most part. It is okay to pan out a bit to let some background in, but too much background may cause a subject conflict and the viewer's eye may not be able to tell what to focus on.

If you pan out to get a better picture of an action portrait then the background is too distracting. To fix this you can decrease the aperture setting on your camera to narrow the depth of field and this will cause the background to be out of focus while keeping the subject in focus. This technique takes a bit of practice but the effect is worth it. Depth of field means your subject is in perfect focus while the background becomes out of focus causing a blurred effect. Notice in the sample photo, the subjects are clearly in focus while the ocean background is a bit fuzzy. This is a nice effect. Most people tend to shoot what they see with there eye. This becomes too distracting with much more background than necessary

While a point and shoot camera usually does not allow the user to change aperture setting, this same depth of field effect can be obtained by simply moving closer to the subject. The closer the subject is to camera, the narrower the depth of field it will appear in. Notice in the sample image, the subjects appear perfectly in focus and the background a bit blurred. This is an example of depth of field. It is a beautiful effect.

What To Wear To A Photo Shoot

2010-06-20T00:05:00.003-04:00

Tips On Clothing Style And Accessories

Very simple garments always photograph best.
Turtle necks or V-necks are flattering provided that neither is exaggerated in style. Avoid very wide or particularly deep V-neck garments as well as bulky cowl neck sweaters that completely hide the neck.
Long sleeves are essential for teens and adults, as bare arms call attention to themselves and will overpower the face.
Women being photographed in full length should wear long skirts, pants, in order to keep the eye from being directed toward the legs and away from the face.
Men should have their hair cut about one week before the portrait session. Women should be photographed whenever they are happiest with their hair in relation to the time it is styled.
Light colors are always best, especially on the beach. Try to be coordinated without looking too uniform. What I mean is instead of everyone wearing white shirts and khaki shorts, women wear white dresses, men where khaki long slacks and white button down and kids wear khaki shorts and polo (for boys) and white sun dress (girls). This makes for a much more natural photo.

Please Vote

2009-11-20T09:45:00.001-05:00

WMBF "Best of the Beach contest. PLEASE Vote for Myrtle Beach Photography
http://wmbf.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-grand-strand/4754/weddings/photographer

Do It Yourself Photography Accessories

2009-07-28T10:17:00.008-04:00

When our studio was just getting started and money was tight, we had to get really creative. Talent aside, one of the reasons that photography studios charge what they do for sessions is the very expensive equipment they must have to make your session a success. Back in the day, my photographers would come to me and say, I need this filter for a shoot or we need a new backdrop set up because the only one we have is out on another shoot. I am going to share with you some of the crazy and creative things we did when money was tight.

BACKDROPS

Lets start with backdrops. A good portable backdrop set up can run into the hundreds even thousands of dollars depending on your tastes. PVC pipe can be your friend in these situations. Go to your local hardware store and look in the plumbing department. Everything you need is there. Draw out on a piece of paper the dimensions of your backdrop. Lets say you want a 10 foot wide backdrop. All you need is a 10 foot piece of PVC for the top bar, two 8 to 10 foot pieces for the sides, and two bases. For the bases, we used a base from an patio umbrella table. You will also need utility clips, also found at the hardware store to clip your backdrop cloth and you are ready to go. The back drop cloth is a breeze. The fabric will need to be a long bolt so go to a store that has fabric for sofas that are much longer bolts than regular fabric. Muslin or sheer fabrics work well. Always have utility tape on hand as a backup. All you really need to do is draw out what you want and the nice men at the hardware store can set you up. Amazing how creative they are.

LENS FILTERS

On to homemade filters can be made from a variety of objects that can be found around the house and an inexpensive UV filter that can be bought at most photography shops for around $10.

To add fog to an image, you can smear a little bit of petroleum jelly on a UV filter. The layer should be very thin for the best effect. For different looks, the petroleum jelly can be spread on only the bottom of the filter, on the top, or anywhere that the photographer wants a little fog.

To add an artistic blur to an image, a little more petroleum jelly can be added to the filter. Smearing it on thick for works for very blurry images and a little thinner works for softer images.

Colored filters can be fun to play with to add a certain emotion to a photo. To add a little extra color to photographs, you can simply cover the camera lens with colored cellophane and secure it with a rubber band. For a less intense color, a piece of plastic wrap can be colored with permanent markers and attached to the lens.

Want that diffused look, a filter that will give aged skin a more airbrushed appearance. To create this filter, the you can cut a square of fabric from an old pair of pantyhose and stretch it across lens, securing it with a rubber band. The photographer may want to experiment with different hose colors for different looks.

Lastly, polarizing filters can be as simple as taking your sunglasses and putting them in front of your lens. This will do the same thing for your photograph as it does for your eyes.

Being from Myrtle Beach, aka The Redneck Riviera, rigging homemade photography equipment and accessories seems like second nature. I hope some of our tricks will help you beginners take some great new images.

The Basics of Composition - Rule of Thirds

2009-07-17T15:37:00.001-04:00

What makes famous artwork and photographs great? There are many basic rules that a professional uses as a guide when creating, and usually the first rule is called the Rule of Thirds. This very simple rule of design can be applied to your photographs making them more interesting than the everyday snapshot.

(photo is correct use of the rule of thirds)

THE RULE OF THIRDS - by definition

"The rule states that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines. The four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features in the photograph. Proponents of this technique claim that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would." - "Rule of thirds." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Simply put, an image, where the main subject of a photograph (be it a person, an object or the horizon line) is put at either/both the vertical third or horizontal third of the frame, has more impact than simply placing the subject in the middle. In a photograph where a person is the subject, the rule of thirds says to move the camera and place the person on the right or left side of the middle. Or, in the case of a portrait, the eyes should be 1/3 from the top of the frame in most cases.

(this photo is an example of no use of thirds rule)

Another application of the rule of thirds is in landscape photography. Though it may sometimes work, the horizon line should rarely ever be at the absolute center of a photograph. Another note, the horizon should not go directly through a persons head. It simply looks odd and distracts from the subject.

1st photo is correct placement of horizon and second is not.

So, next time you are out shooting nature or photographing your family, keep in mind the rule of thirds. You just may find that your images spark more positive compliments.

Follow-Up To 4th of July

2009-07-06T11:25:00.003-04:00

As you know if you read my blog, I am not a professional photographer but I play one on TV. Just kidding. Being the owner of a photography studio and not a professional photographer, I know alot about photography but don't have much time to apply my knowledge. I decided to take my camera out and get some shots of the fireworks on the 4th. I am going to upload my results. Please feel free to comment, good or bad on my results.

These were shot with a Canon 1D MarkIII and a Canon 70-200 f2.8 lens. The settings were manual with the shutter speed at 4 and the f-stop of 6.4 and an ISO of 500. The editing was done in Photoshop CS2. I did a level to get the smoke out of the photo. I then went into hue and saturation and make adjustments until the image was the way I wanted it. Remember, when your shutter speed is set that slow, you definitely need a tripod. I hope you enjoy my 1st attempt at fireworks as much as I did.

Photographing Fireworks on the Fourth of July Night

2009-06-29T14:06:00.003-04:00

This year, everyone grab your cameras and lets take some great photographs of those fireworks we all think are going to look spectacular until you get them home and look at them. With the following tips, you're sure to capture some impressive images:

1) First, check the wind direction and get up wind of the show so not to get covered up with smoke. Nothing worse than a bunch of pictures of smoke.

2) Bring along a tripod if you have one. If not, use your knee to steady your camera. Shooting on a tripod allows you capture longer exposures without moving the camera.

3) Read those directions that came with your camera. Check out how to set the self timer. You want the movement of the light from the fireworks, but not the camera. Even your hand depressing the shutter release on the camera can cause a picture to blur.

4) Get your camera set up properly. First, turn off the flash. Many beginners do not realize this can be done. Usually, in the menu, you can find a icon with a lightning bolt that represents the flash. Look then for that symbol with a line through it. That should turn off your flash. Then, if your camera has a setting that allows you to set your shutter speed, try experimenting with long exposures. Try a 3, 5, and 10 second exposure to see what you get. Typically, you will be better off using a long exposure for the individual fireworks and a shorter exposure for the grand finale (since there is so much light in the sky with all the bursts). Remember that the longer the exposure, the more of a "trail" you will see for each burst and the more likely you are to catch multiple bursts in one image.

Lastly, shoot a lot. Memory cards can store lots of photos, which gives you lots of room to experiment. Like most good photographers, you need to shoot a lot to get one or two great pictures. Let us know how your shots turn out. Have a great but safe 4th of July.

Simple Photography Printing Tip

2009-06-17T10:37:00.003-04:00

Today I am going to talk about how large or small you need to take your image for different printing purposes. Depending upon what you want to do with a photograph, you can set your camera to shoot the image at different sizes. For professional photographers, this comes naturally but for beginners, it can be a bit confusing. To simplify things, we are going to lay out how large an image needs to be to get a good print. If you are going to use your image for:

Website or email: Image should be 640 x 480
Business card: Image should be 1024 x 768
4 x 6 print: Image should be 1800 x 1200 (2 mega pixels)
5 x 7 print: Image should be 2100 x 1500 (3 mega pixels)
8 x 10 print: Image should be 2400 x 3000 (7 mega pixels)
11 x 14 plus print: Image should be 3300 x 4200 (largest possible setting)

These are some basic guidelines that you should follow to get a beautiful quality print. When you go to the menu options on your camera you should easily find the settings for image resolution.

There is another option to consider when setting your camera for the appropriate output size. There are several options for the file format but for this tip, we will discuss two file types, tiff and jpeg.

TIFF: This file format is uncompressed. Choosing TIFF means that you're always assured of getting all the image quality captured and processed by the camera. But TIFF files can be quite large, which means that only a few will fit onto a memory card. They can also take a while to be written to the card, which, with some cameras, means it might be a few seconds before you can take another picture.

JPEG: This file format is compressed, which means that the picture information is squeezed to a smaller size before it's stored on the memory card. Though this compression does not alter the photo's resolution, it does come at the expense of a slight loss of detail and clarity in the photo. Typically, a camera will offer several JPEG settings, each offering progressively more compression (which translates into being able to store more photos on the memory card), with a commensurate drop in image quality.

If you are wanting more detail and a better quality photograph, purchase extra memory cards and shoot on the tiff setting. If all you are wanting to do is put your images on the internet or print small prints, jpeg will be just fine.

So next time you go out to take pictures, consider the ultimate output of the image. Take a few minutes and make sure that your camera settings are appropriate for the type of shoot you are doing. Remember also, you can always shrink your images once you get them home. You cannot however enlarge the image once it has been shot on a lower resolution. So, if you are unsure of what you will be doing with your photographs, always shoot larger resolution and tiff format, that way you can't make a mistake.

Different Ways to Display Your Photography

2009-06-15T11:13:00.011-04:00

I am going to let you guys in on one of my favorite ways to show off my photographs. Being that we have a photography studio and Fuji 370 professional printers, it is a little easier for us to play around with the images that come into the studio. My favorite thing to to with photographs is print them in different sizes other than the traditional 11x14, 8x10, 5x7, 4x6 and wallets. I have customers come in all the time and ask for different ideas on how to show off their new beach portraits. Well here it is. My favorite thing to do with images is print them in a square format. Take an 11x14 and make it a 12x12 or an 8x10 and make it a 10x10 or an 8x8, 5x7 looks interesting as a 5x5. Now, how do we do this? When you take your images to the local drug store or discount warehouse stores, you stick your card in and you are given the traditional options. Next time, before you just stick that card in and say print, do a little post production work. Any basic photo editing software will do. Be sure when you take your pictures, if you are planning on cropping to these unusual sizes, you leave plenty of border around your subject. Next bring the image into your software and crop it to the desired size. Next open up a new document and size it to the closest traditional size such as an 8x10 if you are wanting and 8x8 result.. Now you have two documents open, the original image(cropped to 8x8) and the new document(sized to 8x10). Take the original image and either drag and drop it or copy and paste it into the new document. Now you have an 8x8 image on an 8x10 document. Remember to make sure the dpi or resolution of both documents are the same. For example if you original photo is 72dpi then your new document needs to be the same resolution. I suggest 300 dpi for printing. Now that you have saved all of the images you want into the new documents and named them appropriately, save them on a disk, memory stick or cd and take them for printing. It would be a good idea to purchase a professional photo trimmer, prices range from around $20 up to hundreds of dollars. You can also purchase frames in these sizes or have them made at your local craft store. Now you have it, the big secret to odd sized prints.

Tips On Photographing A Family Members Wedding

2009-06-11T13:10:00.005-04:00

In today's economy, more and more family members are being asked to bring along their camera's to document the event. Being a professional photography studio, I do not suggest this but understand the need when budgets are being squeezed. I am going to outline some basic tips that can be helpful when photographing a wedding.
1. Go to the wedding site ahead of time at the same time of day as the wedding is to proceed so you can check for any lighting problems or ideas!
2. Have the bride complete a "group shot list" prior to the wedding. On the wedding day, you can use this as a check list to make the group photos orderly, and to make sure you don't miss an important photo.
3. Spend sometime before the wedding to advise the wedding couple to pause and look at the camera for all the significant moments in the wedding, such as the first dance, cake cutting, and etc. remind the couple again on the wedding day.
4. Incorporate personal items, things that mean something special to the bride or the groom, into your photo sessions!
5. When photographing a large group of people, have everyone close their eyes, count to three, then tell everyone to open their eyes! This way you are more likely to get everyone with their eyes open and if there are any children in the shot, they will be laughing by this point...which should all make for a great group shot!!
6. Try not to shoot everything at the front of the altar. Try windows, middle of the church between the aisles, or even the back of church. Mix it up a little for different perspectives.
7. Walk around the church or reception site and look for any architectural details, such as arched windows, stone steps or balconies that would add a special element to your photographs.
8. Encourage your bride to tear pictures out of bridal magazines to show you what she likes. This will tell you what shots are important to the bride.
9. When shooting weddings, be patient, and something beautiful will happen.
10. Don't be afraid to shoot into the light. Spectacular halos and brilliant saturation are waiting for you if you just turn around.
11. When shooting in various environments, try to find background colors that match the eyes of the subject to enhance the focal point of a photo.
12. 99.9% of wedding photography is anticipation. Keep your camera up, and your eyes sharp and the magic shots will come.
13. The lower a bride holds her flowers the thinner she will look.
14. Pay close attention to the facial expressions of the subjects. Do not seek only the smiles, but also the frowns and genuine emotions of the moment.
15. Almost any photograph can be improved by getting closer to the subject (or zooming in) to eliminate needless background details.

I hope that you find these tips helpful. I do want to mention one last time that having a non-professional photographer is a very risky proposition. If you want to guarantee that your memories with be captured properly, always try and hire a professional photographer. It is worth the investment and there are many studios that have very affordable wedding packages.

Tips For Better Quality Photographs

2009-06-10T13:31:00.004-04:00

* Take high-resolution photos. Getting more images on your memory card in the past was an issue because they were expensive. Today, you can get very large memory cards at a fraction of the cost. If you are only interested in putting your photo's on the Web or e-mailing to family and friends, by all means, set you camera to a lower resolution. If you plan to print your photo's, set your camera to the highest resolution to ensure you capture enough detail to provide good print quality.

* Edit your photos before printing. The digital imaging age is wonderful, giving you the opportunity to take as many photos as you want and not worry about quality or wasting film. When you print your photos, though, quality matters. If the color levels in your photo are off, touch them up in editing. If your photo is off-center, crop it. More advanced photo-editing software gives you the opportunity to apply filters and special effects to your photos for a truly unique memory. Take advantage of the ability to edit digital photos to create the best possible photo to print.

* Make a test print. You can do this with your printer set on a lower quality print function to save on ink. Make a test print on regular paper. Decide whether you need to make any adjustments. After you have a proof done, then set your printer to the highest quality for your final print.

* Consider your ink. Some photo-quality printers use inexpensive ink for everyday printing and special photo ink for photo-quality reproduction. If you’ve got a photo printer that uses special photo ink, invest in the high-quality ink for your photo prints.

* Use good paper. When possible, use the manufacturer’s paper. Manufacturers know what paper works best with their printers and can offer specific paper stocks for the best-quality prints your printer can produce. If you want to use a third-party brand of photo paper, buy a small pack first and test it with your printer to ensure good-quality prints.

what is the best, safest and most efficient way to store digital files?

2009-06-07T10:56:00.004-04:00

The benefits of a digital archiving are unmistakable.
Moreover, the electronic archive can be retrieved via the internet, making the files available day and night, from anywhere in the world. Sharing pictures was never as easy as it is today.

At the same time, digital medium has important drawbacks, which undermine all the advantages. The first problem is the physical durability of digital data carriers or storage media, which is much shorter than that printed media. If treated well, paper can be kept for at least one hundred years, while good quality paper can be maintained up to 500 years. CD’s and DVD’s have a life expectancy of only 50 to 100 years. With increased convenience, so it seems, comes a decreased life expectancy.

Worse, however, is the life expectancy of (re)writable optical media, like CD's and DVD. These are the storage media that most people use to save their family pictures, writings and movies.

Manufacturers of (re)writable optical discs claim a life expectancy comparable to that of compact discs, but experts say these claims are way too optimistic. Archivists count on a maximum life expectancy of around ten years, comparable to the life expectancy of magnetic tapes like music and video cassettes.

Rewritable media might resemble pre-recorded digital media, but they are a very different technology. They are decaying much faster and they are extremely vulnerable to environmental conditions like humidity, temperature and even light. If not saved with care, these media can become unusable in just a few years, or even months.

Hard disks and portable media like mp3-players, USB-sticks and external hard drives also have a disappointing life expectancies of less than ten years. Therefore, if you want to keep digital information for a lifetime, you have to copy the data to new discs every couple of years. Archivists and professional photographers are doing that already. They also make two copies: one to use and one to store in optimal conditions.

Unfortunately, the limited physical life expectancy of digital media is not the only challenge for long-term storage of digital information. Even worse is the danger of technological obsolescence. An analogue letter or picture is easy to keep and store.

To view a 100 year-old book or photo album, you only have to open it. Not so in the case of a digital file. You do not only have to save the photos, but also the machine which is needed to view it.

To view a digital photo-album, you need a particular imaging program, which in its turn is dependent of a particular operating system of the computer used to save the image. This operating system only runs on a certain computer platform. If the photo-album is stored on an external storage medium, like a DVD-ROM, you also need a specific reading device. If just one of these components is not present, then the data are not accessible.

The ever changing developments in hardware and software threaten to make the life expectancy of the now massively produced digital information extremely short. For example: diskettes, the accepted storage technology during the first half of the nineties, are impossible to read on most laptops today. Digital storage media of 20 years ago (large floppy discs) are unreadable by most computer on the market today.

Chances are in twenty years we will consider CD’s and DVD’s we use now with floppy discs or the beta tapes of yesteryear. The storage medium does not even have to change format to become unreadable. Not all DVD-players are capable of reading CD-R’s or CD-RW’s, because their laser beam uses a different wave length. And if it’s not the data carrier that changes, then it’s a standard, a software program or a cable.

So back to the original question, what is the best, safest and most efficient way to store digital files? In my business, I have a disclaimer posted in the studio which says that the business can't be responsible for damaged, lost or unusable photographs taken of clients for the very reasons mentioned above. Our company has several steps we go through to minimize the risks of storing digital media. Firstly, we save the files onto the computers internal hard drive, then onto an external hard drive, and lastly, we back up the photo shoot onto a dvd. Each year, we choose to remove the computers internal hard drive for safe storage. We also safely store the external hard drive along with a DVD and a printed version of the files. As you can see, the process of storing digital media is very time consuming and expensive. We recommend using several different methods to back up your important and most cherished memories.

What Camera Should I Buy?

2009-06-04T10:36:00.003-04:00

Is Digital Right for You?

Let's start by looking at the non-positives.

1. Usually end up with no physical photo album
2. Nearly always involves time on the computer (archiving, sorting, etc.)
3. Digital files can become lost or currupt due to computer crashes and damaged storage.
4. Must have adequate computer system requirement
5. Reliance on battery life of camera and potentially traveling laptop / storage
6. Cost of camera

By far the most difficult of these issues is the amount of involvement on the computer end (the archiving, sorting) and often the lack of a physical album.

Digital SLR vs Point and Shoot

One of the most important decisions you will have to make is one the style of camera. The most important differences between cameras is whether or not it has a detachable lens (also known as a SLR or Single Lens Reflex). The cameras fall into either the SLR category or are labeled a "Point and Shoot" (now on referred to as "P&S"). SLRs will always be more expensive than a comparably-featured P&S. These categorization applies to both film and digital.

The easiest way to identify a SLR versus a P&S is generally the size and the appearance of the lens. An SLR will have a focus ring that allows the photographer to adjust the focus on the barrel of the lens. A P&S lens will generally be much smaller and will not have such a ring. SLRs are also usually much bulkier than the P&S, as the P&S style aims for a form factor designed with your pocket in mind.

A couple of years ago, digital SLRs were priced out of reach for all but the most affluent photographers.

Deciding between digital SLR vs Point and Shoot types comes down to your expected uses and how far you want to pursue photography.

The range of point and shoot models has broadened considerably. While the early digital point and shoot cameras were fairly simple and of relatively poor quality(versus their film-based equivalents), a new point and shoot digital cameras has surfaced: the pro-sumer point and shoot. The term pro-sumer is a blend of consumer and professional, indicating that it is designed with the advanced amateur in mind.

* Digital Consumer Point and Shoot

Entry-level digital camera. Can be ultra-compact form factor. Lacks manual exposure, manual focus, optical zoom less than 4x. Very slow autofocus and significant shutter-lag. ISO sensitivity up to ~ 400.

* Digital Pro-sumer Point and Shoot
Mid to high-end for a point and shoot. Might offer manual metering modes, electronic manual focus. Some offer super-zooms up to 10x optical with surprisingly good optical characteristics. Some models have extremely little shutter lag, approaching those of SLRs. ISO sensitivity up to 800 - 1600, although noise from the small sensor elements causes higher ISOs to be less useful.

* Digital SLR
Pro-sumer to professional with interchangeable lenses. Always offers manual exposure, real manual focus. Lenses must be purchased separately, but have the ability to cover a much wider visual range and quality than the "super-zooms" built-in to the pro-sumer point and shoot cameras. Useable ISO sensitivity up to 800 - 3200.

So What To Buy?

Digital Consumer Point & Shoot
Cheap
Compact, light
Expansion poor
Lens quality poor
Manual focus difficult/slow
Larger sensor (Less noise)
Total Shutter lag minimal
Compatibility of lens/accessories poor

Digital SLR
Expensive
Bulky, heavy, multiple lenses take up space
Lens quality unlimited
Manual focus easy/fast
Shutter lag poor
Small sensor (More noise)
Compatibility of lens/accessories great

Tips for photographing people

2009-06-02T13:28:00.002-04:00

*Get in there to get the shot. If you see something interesting, don't be satisfied with just a wide shot. Get closer and closer until you can capture the essence of the shot.
* Look for objects that make sense in the picture in your foreground. Be careful not to let the object overpower your subject.
* Every time you start to take a picture, look for foreground elements, frames or anything that can enhance the subject image. Strive to make photographs three dimensional.
* If you forget or don't have a tripod, use stationary objects such as rock, camera bag or anything to steady your camera to be able to drop your shutter speed.
* Go at your subject from many different angels. Change your height levels as well to give your photograph more dramatic effects.
* Create a catch-light in the subject's eyes with a small reflector, such as a dulled mirror or the silver side of a CD, to add a bit of glimmer.
* When using a flash indoors, move your subject away from walls to prevent harsh shadows.
* A piece of very light orange gel over the face of your electronic flash can warm up the light and give it a more pleasing cast.
* Be patient when you are shooting. Wait for the good shot. Once you have that shot in view, then begin multiple shots.
* While looking through your lens for different textures and patterns.
* When you first arrive at a new location, make note of any features that strike you and try an use that in the composition of your shot.
* Anticipate kids' behavior. set up, compose your image, and wait for them to come running.
* Most important, when photographing people, find out their interests and try and capture that in your image.

Crop, Crop and Crop

2009-05-31T17:34:00.013-04:00

I see alot of raw photographs as I sift through literally hundreds and hundreds of family beach pictures every day. A big misconception is that because you are being photographed by a professional photographer, that the photos come out of the camera and are ready to hand to the customer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. What the photographer strives for is to get excellent exposure, natural posing and to bring the best background possible out of a shoot. Then comes the task of editing. The best pictures are the ones that don't have to be dramatically edited. That is just a fact. Many of our clients come in and want the sky color changed, the face of their kid taken off of one photo and put on their chosen photo, all the wrinkles removed from faces, all the windblown hair put perfectly back into place. All of this, while it makes the studio tons of money, it harms the natural look of the photo. No matter how good a graphic artist is, it still plays with the integrity of the original shot. So, what I tell my photographers is to bring in photos that only need a slight levels(we will discuss levels in a follow up article)tweaking and some basic cropping. Most all digital photos need this done. It is truly amazing how a single photo can be transformed with simple cropping. Cropping can most of the time eliminate unwanted and unavoidable background clutter as well as zooming in on a subject so to be able to catch that very personal expression or action. So, in closing, even your most basic photo editing software comes with a crop tool. Don't be afraid to use it. Get in there and play with different crops and see how your photo will transform. One thing to remember, the larger the digital file, the better quality the final cropped image will be. Remember to set your camera to take the largest file possible.

http://www.myrtlebeachphotography.com

Isn't Digital Photography Cheaper Than Film? Why Doesn't the Photographer Charge Me Less?

2009-05-27T08:03:00.005-04:00

ANSWER: NO! The idea that digital photography on the professional level is cheaper than conventional film and paper is a total myth. According to all of the stats published, doing a professional shoot digitally costs as much as one-third more than traditional methods. But, digital photography does have it's advantages over film. The photographer is able to catch mistakes on the spot and make corrections early in the shoot by simply checking the camera screen,which makes adjustments and retouching post shoot easier. Also, the ability to create color and black and white images from the same shot cuts down on having to take multiple shots with color and b/w film.

Reasons for Increased Cost:

(1) FASTER TURNAROUND EXPECTATIONS:
Because clients know how quickly digital turnarounds can happen, they often expect the photographer to process and deliver much faster than with film. The marketplace has upped the ante on deadlines as well. So these added pressures also push up the costs.

(2) CONSTANTLY CHANGING HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE:
Today, digital equipment--cameras, computers, hardware, and software-- is often obsolete in a few months, and rarely makes it to two or three years. Professional photographers and studios are constantly upgrading equipment and software programs which is an ongoing cost to stay competitive.

(3) THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S TIME:
When a photographer shoots digitally, the post-production work required after the shoot--including downloading, naming files, color corrections, various batch actions, backing up on external hard drives, burning CDs or DVDs, etc.-- is infinitely more time consuming for the photographer, and sometimes most often takes longer than the shoot itself. Before all these resources were available, simple lab drop and pickup that was billed to the client. Today, it is the photographer or studio who is working at the computer perfecting and presenting your images, which is reflected in your bill.

In closing, the digital revolution is a wonderful thing and can be a real benefit to the professional and client. It is very important to realize that things are not always as they seem and that your professional photographer is doing lots of work behind the scene to make your portraits beautiful for you.

Enhance Your Family Photos Without The Expense Of Photoshop

2009-05-26T09:47:00.003-04:00

My studio has been using Adobe Photoshop for years. I am about to date myself but I remember learning Photoshop on my first Mac computer. It was a Macintosh Performa and it didn't even have a CD drive,only a floppy drive. As if you can save a Photoshop file onto a floppy disk. Well photo editing has come along way since then. If you can afford Photoshop, I highly recommend the software. It does amazing things. As many of you have realized, even the best digital photos files need some adjustments. If you don't want to mortgage your home to purchase a professional photo editing program, give Gimp a try. I came across this photo editor while searching the internet trying to find a fix for some photos that I was assigned to correct. The Gimp program seems to have most of the tools that any beginner would need to simply edit photo files. It has layers, cropping, levels, color balance, mode and almost all the features that Photoshop has and the best part, it is free. Just go to http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
and download. Just so you know, I have no affiliation with this company and I am not receiving any compensation for mentioning the product. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Shooting in Artificial Light-Do your family pictures come out yellow when shooting indoors?

2009-05-22T08:58:00.002-04:00

Artificial lighting is not always as fun and easy as sunlight, but you can use it to create some wonderful photographs once you know how.

Indoor lighting is often fluorescent and tungsten bulbs. Tungsten bulbs are used by professional photographers, as “hot lights” because of the high temperature they produce. In photography it is important to understand the temperature scale in relation to the colors they will produce. A hot light will produce more red and reduce the blue. Firelight and candle light though not artificial can be used in doors to create shadows and depth.

When using indoor lights, specifically artificial light you will need to understand exposure. When you have less light it will take longer to expose the film to capture a photograph. First in a darker room where you have direct light on the object you will not want to use the flash. The flash will bounce the light back at the picture. The next step is to get as close to the subject or object as possible. The third consideration is the angle. Taking the picture head on of the object will bounce the light and shadows about. You will need to angle the camera to the side or up from the ground to attain the photograph. Shooting any subject head on is likely to create shadows and take away from the print. The best angle for shooting portraits is often up into the face.

When shooting faces or other objects you usually want a three dimensional contrast. You will need to search for the planes and contours of the subject, especially in portrait photography. The planes and contours will help you determine the angle you will shoot the subject from. The shadows will often provide the three dimensional contrast if you find the correct planes and angle to shoot from. This helps with pictures that you want to stand-alone.

Artificial lighting needs to be movable. Just turning on your home lights will not give you the desired affect. Instead it can wash out the subject, place the light at the wrong angle, or create too much shadow in one area. You need to have lights set up on tripods to change the angle to suit your needs. Rooms are small which is one reason over head lights can either be too powerful or not direct enough. Following lighting tips will increase your photography skills. Most amateur photographers find taking a class on lighting and having a few books on the subject will help them learn proper lighting techniques.

As for that yellow or pink cast that you sometimes get when shooting indoors, white balance, white balance, white balance. There is a setting on your camera that probably says WB. That is the white balance setting. Most people never touch this setting unless you are a professional photographer. The white balance set on auto can produce a yellow cast to your pictures. This is easily remedied by taking a custom white balance before you start shooting. All you really need is a white peice of paper. Read your manual and this can solve most of those indoor problems.

Artificial lighting has advantages over outdoor or natural lighting, but sometimes the picture turns out better with natural light. It might be a matter of preference or the desire of a subject for that matter. You never have artificial lighting outside for the most part; you usually rely on your camera flash to help with the picture quality. When you choose your lighting, look for the best lighting situation to enhance your subject and make your picture as natural as possible.

#1 Complaint " Why can't I have a high-resolution CD of my pictures if I paid you to take them?

2009-05-19T09:27:00.002-04:00

As a photography studio owner, our number on concern is why can't I own my pictures if I paid you to take them:

What most people don't understand is that producing a quality photograph is not as simple as putting batteries in a camera, pointing the camera and clicking. Most photographers have camera equipment that runs in the thousands of dollars. Education, experience and other factors that took years to acquire went into that final photograph. That aside, let me take you through what goes into your photo-shoot.

Once a session has been booked, your photographer meets you at a designated location. In about 30-40 minutes, that photographer takes over 100 images. Your images are then brought back to the studio where someone painstakingly goes through each image to decide which photos can be presented to the client. This could take up to an hour. From there, the chosen images are then adjusted for printing. This process is long and arduous. If you are having a session on the beach, many times, there are people walking behind you, there is wind so hair is out of place, there is trash or trash cans in the shot. All of these things have to be fixed in order to create the family portrait that you finally choose. This takes many hours on the production end of things that the photographer has to do himself or the studio has to pay an expert to do. Now lets take those 100 photographs that we previously mentioned. Imagine having to correct every photograph so that the print will come out the way the client expects.

There are only two options here, one is to sell the images as is which would give the client for the most part, unusable images or correct every image which could take as much as 20 or more hours. Corrections are going to range from cropping every image, color correction, removing unwanted background clutter, fixing hair, eyeglass glare etc. Lastly, every printer and every monitor is calibrated to the individual photographers and their camera. Even the corrected photos will not print the same as they print on the photographers equipment. This opens up a whole new can of worms. The photographs the studio printed for you look completely different than the ones you had printed at the pharmacy or Walmart. It is impossible for a photographer to give you a quality CD that is worthy of their work.

Now, ask yourself, how much would you expect to pay for a finished product CD knowing all of the work that went into it. So as you can imagine, taking the professional equipment, the photographers professional experience, the post shoot work that goes into each photograph and the problems that can arise in printing, you can hopefully understand that so much more goes into your professional portrait than just copying the images out of the camera and burning them onto a CD. We love photographing your families and we love giving you the family portrait that you have always wanted. Just keep in mind, nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

Posing Tips for Larger Groups

2009-05-18T10:39:00.003-04:00

Some Posing Challenges:

* one or more subjects always seem to be looking away or in different directions
* subjects blinking
* someone being missing from the photo
* different moods in the group (some smiling, some serious, some playing up to the camera etc)
* the group being too far away or not all fitting into the shot

Some Tip You Can Try:

1. Prepare
* scope out the location of your shot before hand
* think ahead about how you will pose people and frame your shot
* one of the group’s head hiding behind another person
* make your your camera is on and has charged batteries

2. Location
Give the photo context - A football team photo will be more pleasing on a football field rather than in someones front yard.

Choose a position where your group will fit, where there is enough light for the shot and where there is no distractions in the background. Also avoid setting up a group shot directly in front of a window where the light from your flash might reflect back in a way that destroys your shot.

3. Take Multiple Shots
One of the best ways to avoid the problems of not everyone looking just right in a shot is to take multiple photos quickly. Try shooting some frames off before everyone is ready

Also mix up the framing of your shots a little if you have a zoom lens by taking some shots that are at a wide focal length and some that are more tightly framed.

4. Get in Close
Try to get as close as you can to the group you’re photographing The closer you can get the more detail you’ll have in their faces - something that really improves a shot.

If your group is a smaller one get right in close to them and take some head and shoulder shots. One effective technique for this is to get your small group to all lean their heads in close to enable you to get in even closer. Another way to get in closer is to move people out of a one line formation and stagger them but putting some people in front and behind.

5. Pose the group
In most cases your group will pose itself pretty naturally. Tall people will go to the back, short people to the front. But there are other things you can do to add to the photo’s composition:

* If the event is centered around one or two people (like a wedding or a birthday) make them the central focal point by putting them right in the middle of the group (you can add variation to your shots by taking some of everyone looking at the camera and then everyone looking at the person/couple).
* For formal group photos put taller members in the group not only towards the back of the group but centered with shorter people on the edges of the group.
* Try not to make the group too ‘deep’ (ie keep the distance between the front line of people and the back line as small as you can). This will help to keep everyone in focus. If the group is ‘deep’ use a narrower aperture.
* Tell everyone to raise their chins a little - This will help to minimize double chins.

6. Timing Your Shoot
Pick the moment for your shot carefully. Try to choose a time that works with what is happening at the gathering.

Also towards the start of events can be a good time as everyone is all together,

7. Think about Light
In order to get enough detail in your subjects you need to have sufficient light. The way you get this varies from situation to situation but consider using a flash if the group is small enough and you are close enough for it to take effect - especially if the main source of light is coming from behind the group.

If it’s a bright sunny day and the sun is low in the sky try not to position it directly behind you or you’ll end up with a collection of squinting faces in your shot.

8. Take Control
Communicate with the group of subjects. It is important to keep talking to the group, let them know what you want them to do, motivate them to smile, tell them that they look great and communicate how much longer you’ll need them.

Also important is to give your subjects a reason to pose for the photograph. For example at a sporting event "lets take a group photo to celebrate our win". When you give people a reason to pose for you you’ll find they are much more willing to take a few minutes to pose for you.

Another very useful line to use with group is - ‘If you can see the camera it can see you’. This one is key if you want to be able to see each person’s face in the shot.

If there are more photographers than just you then wait until others have finished their shots and then get the attention of the full group otherwise you’ll have everyone looking in different directions.

9. For large groups

Large groups of people can be very difficult to photograph.

One solution to this is to find a way to elevate yourself as the photographer. Try bringing a ladder or standing on something to take a shot looking down on the group. In doing this you can fit a lot more people in and still remain quite close to the group (you end up with a shot of lots of faces in focus and less bodies). It also gives an interesting perspective to your shots - especially if you have a nice wide focal length.

10. Use a Tripod
It gives you as the photographer more freedom to be involved in the creation of the posing of your subjects. Set your camera up on your tripod so that’s ready to take the shot in terms of framing, settings and focus and then it will be ready at an instant when you get the group looking just right to capture the moment.

11. Use an Assistant
If you have a very large group and assistant can be very handy to get the group organized well.

An assistant is also incredibly handy if you are taking multiple group shots (like at a wedding when you’re photographing different configurations of a family). In these cases I often ask the couple to provide me with a family or friend member who has a running sheet of the different groups of people to be photographed. I then get this person to ensure we have everyone we need in each shot. Having a family member do this helps to make sure you don’t miss anyone out but also is good because the group is familiar with them and will generally respond well when they order them around.

Shooting Gymnastics Meets in Challenging Conditions

2009-05-17T10:20:00.002-04:00

To keep it simple, here's my summary recommendation for equipment and settings (note, you MUST NOT use flash (according to USA Gymnastics rules, for the safety of the gymnasts), so be sure you know how to keep your camera's flash from firing!). Also, unless you are USA Gymnastics safety certified, you are NOT allowed on the gymnastic floor while gymnasts are performing...don't argue with the officials...those are the rules!)

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Camera: Canon 1D Mark III (or equivalent crop-sensor camera)...
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Lens: Canon 70 - 200mm f2.8 lens or similar wide-aperture moderate telephoto prime lens.
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ISO (light sensitivity): 3200 (stopping the action is probably more important to getting clear images than low noise). In a brightly lit gym, you might be able to get away with ISO 800 or 1600 if the light is bright enough (see shutter speed, below)
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Aperture: f/2.0, Aperture priority setting on camera (Av) (or the "brightest" aperture you can use)
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Shutter Speed: let the aperture priority setting pick the fastest speed available. You will want a shutter speed of 1/500 to 1/1000 or faster if at all possible with the light available to you. If you can only shoot at 1/250...it's tough, but you will still get some good photos if you take them when the gymnast is motionless (reversing direction in a gymnastics move)
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NOTE: Dimly lit gymnastics events are difficult to photograph with anything less than ISO3200 and f2.8 (or the equivalent combination...e.g. ISO1600 f2.0, ISO800 f1.4, etc.). I recommend "prime" (non-zoom) moderate telephotos because you can get a wide-aperture lens that isn't huge. Note that the typical f/4 - f/5.6 telephoto zooms ... typical "consumer" zooms, just don't let in enough light to take good gymnastics photos in most gyms. If you have tried to take photos of your son or daughter using an f/4 to f5.6 zoom...getting poor quality images is likely the fault of your equipment, not you! In most gyms, you MUST use a wide-aperture lens and an SLR camera... the typical point and shoot digital camera simply isn't fast enough to capture a gymnast at the right moment, and the small sensors used are often "high-noise" at higher ISO settings...and they rarely enable an ISO above 800 or so.
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You may find using a monopod helpful, however, it is usually the gymnast's motion that must be frozen. Neither a monopod nor an "image stabilized" (IS) lens will stop the motion of the gymnast. IS may help if you are shooting a long and hard-t0-hold telephoto.
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For floor exercise, shut off your auto focus, and stand perpendicular to the direction of travel for the gymnast, so they stay the same distance from you. Prefocus your lens and leave it (unless you are using a camera like the Canon 1D MKIII that has 45 auto focus points). Otherwise, you run a high risk of focusing on the back wall rather than the gymnast when they move out of the center of your image! Floor is tough to photograph!

Need a headshot for your web site?

2009-05-16T14:49:00.002-04:00

Need a head shot for your web site? A good photo of the little one for your holiday cards? Taking good pictures of people can be hard, but don't despair. An average digital camera can take great portraits if you keep a few simple guidelines in mind. No special equipment is required and the features discussed are widely available on most point-and-shoot cameras. Who knows, if you follow along carefully you may never have to pay for those expensive school pictures of your kids again.

Choose The Right Camera Settings
Portrait_mode.jpg Most digital cameras have a "portrait mode" built in. Activate it by turning the mode dial to the portrait icon (usually a person's head). This setting draws attention to your subject by blurring the background.

Blur More? If your camera has a zoom lens, go to maximum telephoto and zoom in all the way. You may need to take a few steps to get subject in frame; step back and zoom all the way in. This makes the background blur even more, throwing your subject into even sharper relief. (No "digital zoom." Optical zoom—or "real zoom"—is what you want.)

Flash Mode
Make the flash go off. Set your camera so that even in brightly lit places that your flash off in every situation. Do not just let the camera flash if it needs to, because it won't; you'll be shooting in plenty of light. You want to literally force the flash to fire. Doing this will soften the shadows on your subject's face and add a gleam to his/her eye.

Forcing the flash is usually very easy to do and involves pushing the flash mode selector button until the flash mode indicator displays the "will flash no matter what" icon (usually a lightning bolt) as opposed to the "will flash if necessary" icon (a lightning bolt with an "A" next to it). On many cameras there will also be an option to force the flash in red-eye reduction mode (a lightning bolt plus an eye but no "A"). Do this if available.

More About Light

To take a great picture you need more than just the light from your camera's flash. To get it, go outside in the daytime. Sunny or cloud. Indoor light is often insufficient for good photography, so do yourself a huge favor and step outdoors.

Once you're outside, place your subject with the sun to the side usually works well. I find that the sunlight from the side, combined with the light from the flash in front, make for a pleasantly lit subject.

Bonus tip: If possible take your picture in the early morning or the late afternoon. The light at these times makes for the best photography.
Composing And Shooting

Frame your shot so you get just the subject's head and maybe their shoulders. Really, the tighter you frame it the nicer it'll look.

Remember to zoom all the way in and then compose your shot. You may need to take a step closer to your subject or maybe take a step back. Do not frame the shot by adjusting the zoom; leave it at maximum telephoto.

If you can, try to shoot where the background is as far away as possible. This also helps blur it and draw attention to your subject.

Now that your camera is set, you have good light and you've framed your shot it's time to shoot. Hold your camera steady and push the shutter release button only halfway down. Pushing the button halfway down tells the camera to figure out the auto-focus and auto-exposure. Once the camera is done taking its readings, (a green light, a beep or both will notify you)then you can simply push the button. You could pause here and tell your subject a joke to make him/her laugh and then push it the rest of the way down, capturing that perfect expression.

Understanding Aperture?

2009-05-15T08:14:00.002-04:00

Aperture is ‘the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken.’

When you hit the shutter release button of your camera a hole opens up that allows your cameras image sensor to catch a glimpse of the scene you’re wanting to capture. The aperture that you set impacts the size of that hole. The larger the hole the more light that gets in - the smaller the hole the less light.

Aperture is measured in ‘f-stops’. You’ll often see them referred to here at Digital Photography School as f/number - for example f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6,f/8,f/22 etc. Moving from one f-stop to the next doubles or halves the size of the amount of opening in your lens (and the amount of light getting through). Keep in mind that a change in shutter speed from one stop to the next doubles or halves the amount of light that gets in also - this means if you increase one and decrease the other you let the same amount of light in - very handy to keep in mind).

One thing that causes a lot of new photographers confusion is that large apertures (where lots of light gets through) are given f/stop smaller numbers and smaller apertures (where less light gets through) have larger f-stop numbers. So f/2.8 is in fact a much larger aperture than f/22. It seems the wrong way around when you first hear it but you’ll get the hang of it.

Depth of Field and Aperture

There are a number of results of changing the aperture of your shots that you’ll want to keep in mind as you consider your setting but the most noticeable one will be the depth of field that your shot will have.

Depth of Field (DOF) is that amount of your shot that will be in focus. Large depth of field means that most of your image will be in focus whether it’s close to your camera or far away (like the picture to the left where both the foreground and background are largely in focus - taken with an aperture of f/22).

Small (or shallow) depth of field means that only part of the image will be in focus and the rest will be fuzzy (like in the flower at the top of this post (click to enlarge). You’ll see in it that the tip of the yellow stems are in focus but even though they are only 1cm or so behind them that the petals are out of focus. This is a very shallow depth of field and was taken with an aperture of f/4.5).

Aperture has a big impact upon depth of field. Large aperture (remember it’s a smaller number) will decrease depth of field while small aperture (larger numbers) will give you larger depth of field.

It can be a little confusing at first but the way I remember it is that small numbers mean small DOF and large numbers mean large DOF.

Let me illustrate this with two pictures I took earlier this week in my garden of two flowers.

The best way to get your head around aperture is to get your camera out and do some experimenting. Go outside and find a spot where you’ve got items close to you as well as far away and take a series of shots with different aperture settings from the smallest setting to the largest. You’ll quickly see the impact that it can have and the usefulness of being able to control aperture.
Some styles of photography require large depths of field (and small Apertures)

For example in most landscape photography you’ll see small aperture settings (large numbers) selected by photographers. This ensures that from the foreground to the horizon is relatively in focus.

On the other hand in portrait photography it can be very handy to have your subject perfectly in focus but to have a nice blurry background in order to ensure that your subject is the main focal point and that other elements in the shot are not distracting. In this case you’d choose a large aperture (small number) to ensure a shallow depth of field.

Photographing Your Kids Sporting Event

2009-05-13T10:58:00.002-04:00

Here are some things to consider when photographing sports indoors:

1. Watch for action and movement. Sports like Basketball and Volleyball are consistently fast paced. Your job is not simply to capture the event, but also the connection between players. This takes some skill and anticipation.
2. Set your camera to a high ISO setting. Most recent SLR cameras will now allow you to shoot on 1000 ISO or even 1250 ISO. These options will reduce your concern for noticeable film grain (from ISO 1600). At the same time, your camera’s sensor will be more sensitive to what little available light you have.
3. Shoot with a fast shutter speed – at least TV/200 if you can. Once again, because you need to capture movement, a fast shutter speed will freeze the motion of the athletes, giving you a clear photo. [And if it comes down to it, settle for an underexposed image in camera. You can always adjust a sharp photo later].
4. Use a lens with the lowest aperture possible, say f4.0 to f2.8. Because you don’t have much available light, and you are working with a faster shutter speed, a wide aperture is your best friend in this setting. A wider aperture will increase the intensity of the light hitting your sensor, maximizing the available light.
5. Look for expression. Anger. Aggression. Rivalry. Teamwork. Excitement. Victory. You cannot successfully shoot any sport without watching, waiting, and capturing the emotions and relationships of the game. You will win at the end of the day if you have an emotional picture that isn’t completely sharp.
6. Shoot in RAW. The likelihood that you will achieve perfect coloring in camera is slim. Gym lighting is as notorious for green tinted lighting as it is for low lighting in general. Shooting in RAW will enable you to fix the colors in your post processing.

Things To Remember When Photographing Your Family Vacation

2009-05-11T10:44:00.003-04:00

Tell the story of your vacation. Think how your prints will look when you show them to your friends and relatives. You'll be narrating a story at the time so take shots to illustrate your story. Take photos of your traveling companions before you leave home, while traveling to the airport, and when you get back. Hopefully you'll see a change in your sun tan! Photograph yourselves in front of "Welcome to..." signs to use as "chapter headings."

Take a Small Camera
Despite having a lot of large 'professional' equipment, the camera I use most often with friends is a small, "compact" camera. I have a really tiny model that I can slip easily into a pocket and carry around with me. That way, whenever something unexpected and fun happens, I'm ready to capture the moment.

Photographing People
The most useful tip for photographing people is to get closer. Try and fill the frame with just the faces. Ask your subjects to stand or sit closer together, so there's less "wasted" space in the photo. Turn the flash on, even when you're outdoors, to highlight the faces.

Understand Your Flash
I often see people trying to photograph a live show or concert. Unfortunately this is almost impossible to do with a normal camera. Most on-camera flash units are only effective for about eight to ten feet - anything further away will just appear black on the photo. Whenever you use a flash indoors, make sure that you're between two and eight feet from your subject.

Don't Forget the Fun!
Many of the fun times occur between sights. Capture these with "ordinary" shots - checking in, waiting in line, at the shops, having dinner with friends, with people you meet.

Don't Forget You!
The problem with being the photographer is that you don't appear in the photos. Stand your camera on a wall or table and use the self-timer feature, or ask someone else to take the photo. Chances are they'll have a camera too and will ask you to return the favor!

Been There Done That Series-Part 2

2009-05-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

1. Warm Up Those Tones

The default white balance setting for digital cameras is auto, which is fine for most snapshots, but tends to be a bit on the "cool" side.

When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.

2: Sunglasses Polarizer

If you really want to add some punch to your images, then get your hands on a polarizing filter. A polarizer is the one filter every photographer should have handy for landscapes and general outdoor shooting. By reducing glare and unwanted reflections, polarized shots have richer, more saturated colors, especially in the sky.

If you don't have or want to purchase a filter, try a pair of quality sunglasses, then simply take them off and use them as your polarizing filter. Place the glasses as close to the camera lens as possible, then check their position in the LCD viewfinder to make sure you don't have the rims in the shot.

3. Using Your Flash Outside

One of the great hidden features on digital cameras is the fill flash or flash on mode. By taking control of the flash so it goes on when you want it to, not when the camera deems it appropriate, you've just taken an important step toward capturing great outdoor portraits.

In flash on mode, the camera exposes for the background first, then adds just enough flash to illuminate your portrait subject. The result is a professional looking picture where everything in the composition looks great.

Been There Done That Series... The Best Photography Tips

2009-05-04T09:42:00.005-04:00

1. “Photoshop is cheating”, Strive to take ‘good’ photos, rather than photos that I can ‘improve’ later on.

2. If your photo is not good, you are probably not close enough!

3. When shooting portaits in bright sunlight use a flash to reduce facial shadows.

4. Have the subject stand with their body at a 45 degree angle to you but have their eyes look directly at you.

5. “Think BEFORE you press the shutter”
Therefore, putting much more effort in the photos.

6. Examine the 4 corners in your viewfinder.

Make sure there is nothing in the corners of the viewfinder that is distracting form the central subject. For most of us it is relatively easily to focus on the main subject and to find an interesting perspective to capture what we find interesting, but we tend to be so focused that we may forget to examine the rest of the scene for objects that don't fit. Bright highlights, disconnected object sticking in. Things that distract from the image.

7. “Don’t take photographs of subjects, take photographs of the light”

8. “Take three steps closer.”

Superficially this seems pretty vague, and you can even think of lots of shots in which this might actually be the wrong advice. But in terms of getting one to focus on the main subject - or even to make sure that there is a main subject.

9. “Shoot often and shoot many.” Especially in the age of digital, don’t shoot one, shoot five pictures, 10 pictures, try different settings. The more experience you have, the more you’ll learn and the better a photographer you’ll become.

10. The difference between great photographers and a not so great photographers is that the great ones don’t show their crappy pictures.

And Lastly for this series, don't forget your camera and take off the lens cap.

2009-05-03T14:43:00.003-04:00

Composition

Learn the ROT, then forget it. The infamous Rule Of Thirds is a great way to nudge yourself away from the standard person-standing-in-the-middle or horizon-in-the-middle vacation snapshots. It’s a good last resort if you don’t know how to make a shot look more interesting. But then, please don’t overdo it.

Get closer. Robert Capa said: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, then you aren’t close enough”. Next time you take a picture, try to walk a few steps towards the subject, or even pick out a detail of a scene rather than the whole thing in one. You’ll be surprised.

Use the “sneaker zoom”. Walking closer to a subject instead of zooming in will give you different results in terms of perspective. Try it out.

One subject only. Pictures often work better if there’s a clear subject. Competing subjects are hard to handle.

Un-clutter your images. If there are too many things going on in your image, the viewer can easily get distracted from your subject. If there is too much going on in your picture, see above (”Get closer”, “One subject only”)

Don’t forget about the background. Often you find yourself paying a lot of attention to the subject (the foreground) and completely ignoring the background. The background is as important as the foreground, it is a part of your image. A simple step to the left or right will help you avoid things like branches of trees growing out of your subject’s head.

Change your point of view. Every day we see the world from our own perspective, usually from our own eye level. Change your perspective by shooting from a frog’s perspective or from within a fridge and create an unusual look that people won’t forget.

Moving subjects need space. Your compositions of a car, a bicycle or someone walking will usually look nicer if you give the subject some space in your image to move into.

Use negative space. Negative space is the part of an image that is not your subject. Don’t be afraid to use lots of it every now and then.

Compose buildings straight. Verticals lines in buildings should be vertical on your pictures, or they won’t look natural.

Avoid falling lines. Tilting the camera up when taking pictures of buildings will produce “falling lines”, e.g. the building will look as if its leaning backwards. Sometimes that cannot be avoided. This can usually be fixed in post processing.

Keep water lines horizontal. If you take an image of a lake or the sea, make sure to keep the horizon level. Even a slight skew of half a degree will make the viewer feel uncomfortable with the picture.

Don’t be afraid to cut off stuff. When I was young, I was always told not to cut heads off in pictures. This was simply wrong. Get closer, only shoot part of a face from a person, or select another detail.

Get familiar with design principles. Learn about line, shape and form, texture and so on.

Frame your subject. You can emphasize your subject by placing it into a frame of some sort. Stuff like an open window, tree branches, a doorway.

Be decisive. Either give your subject space to “breathe” (e.g. don’t close in too far with your composition or crop) or close in on some of the details.

If symmetry plays an important part in your composition, take some time to make sure you really are taking your picture from the best spot – dead center in front of a tower or window, for example. Symmetry that is not quite there will bother the viewer a whole lot more than a deliberately asymmetrical image. It saves loads of time in post-processing if you can get this right beforehand; having to tilt and crop your image later could lose valuable elements of the composition and won’t necessarily solve the problem completely.

Myrtle Beach Residents are Praying for Teens Safe Return

2009-05-02T11:59:00.002-04:00

This undated photo provided by the Myrtle Beach, S.C. Police Department shows Brittanee Drexel. The 17-year-old New York girl remains missing after a weekend trip to Myrtle Beach.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Police officers from Myrtle Beach are in Georgetown County with other agencies searching areas near U.S. 17 and the North and South Santee Rivers for Brittanee Marie Drexel, a 17-year-old from New York who disappeared while on a visit to Myrtle Beach.

Monica Caison from the Community United Effort Center for Missing Persons, based in Wilmington, N.C., was also at the river and dogs from the agency were searching woods near the river. The North Carolina Canine Emergency Response Team, a group of retired police officers, also has joined the search.

Police have been looking for Drexel since she was reported missing Sunday.

On Thursday police learned that a reported sighting of Drexel on Wednesday was incorrect. A young woman who fit her description turned out not to be her, Knipes said Thursday.

Officers found the woman witnesses reported seeing at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday on a bus from Georgetown to Myrtle Beach and confirmed she was not Brittanee Marie Drexel, who was reported missing early Sunday, Knipes said. Witnesses told police the woman got off the bus in the 100 block of North Ocean Boulevard, which is the area Drexel was last seen.

Drexel's mother, Dawn Drexel, and a friend said Brittanee may have been depressed because her mother and stepfather are getting divorced.

Drexel was last seen Saturday after she left her traveling companions to visit people at another hotel. Drexel never returned, police said.

A friend at Camp Lejeune, N.C., reported her missing around 5 a.m. Sunday.

Drexel met a friend from New York and three men Friday at Club Kryptonite, according to a police report. She briefly met them again around midday Saturday on the beach, and again around 8 p.m. that night, police said.

The men said she left them to return to her companions, who had a room at the Bar Harbour Hotel. Police said she never reached the hotel.

Police said Drexel - who is described as 5 feet tall and 103 pounds - suffers from depression. She was last seen wearing black shorts, flip-flops and a multicolored striped shirt. She has shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information should contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at 918-1382 or 918-1952.

Beginner Photography Tips

2009-05-02T11:52:00.002-04:00

1. Don’t go crazy buying the most expensive equipment right away.

It’s possible to get very nice photos with an inexpensive point and shoot. See these examples on Flickr. The more photos you take, the more you’ll know about what kind of camera to get when it’s time to upgrade.
2. Consider a tripod.

On the other hand, an inexpensive tripod is worth getting, especially if you have shaky hands like mine. When I got a tripod, my satisfaction with my shots skyrocketed. For even more stability, use your camera’s timer function with a tripod (read our introduction to tripods).
3. Keep your camera with you all the time.

Photo ops often come when you least expect it. If you can keep your equipment relatively simple - just a small camera bag and a tripod - you might be able to take advantage of some of those unexpected opportunities. Or, if your phone has a camera, use it to take “notes” on scenes you’d like to return to with your regular camera.
4. Make a list of shots you’d like to get.

For those times you can’t carry your camera around, keep a small notebook to jot down places you’d like to come back and photograph. Make sure to note any important details, like the lighting, so you can come back at the same time of day or when the weather’s right. If you don’t want to carry a notebook, send yourself an email using your cell phone with Jott.com.
5. Don’t overlook mundane subjects for photography.

You might not see anything interesting to photograph in your living room or your backyard, but try looking at familiar surroundings with fresh eyes. You might catch an interesting trick of the light or find some unexpected wildflowers in your yard. Often a simple subject makes the best shot.
6. Enjoy the learning process.

The best part of having a hobby like photography is never running out of things to learn. Inspiration is all around you. Look at everything with the eyes of a photographer and you’ll see opportunities you never noticed before.
7. Take advantage of free resources to learn.

Browse through websites like Flikr http://www.flickr.com/photos/myrtlebeachphotograhers/ for inspiration and tips. Also, your local library probably has a wealth of books on all types of photography. If you’re interested in learning about post-processing, give free software like the GIMP a try.
8. Experiment with your camera’s settings.

Your point and shoot may be more flexible and powerful than you know. Read the manual for help deciphering all those little symbols. As you explore, try shooting your subjects with multiple settings to learn what effects you like. When you’re looking at your photos on a computer, you can check the EXIF data (usually in the file’s properties) to recall the settings you used.
9. Learn the basic rules.

The amount of information about photography online can be overwhelming. Start with a few articles on composition. Be open to what more experienced photographers have to say about technique. You have to know the rules before you can break them.
10. Take photos regularly.

Try to photograph something every day. If you can’t do that, make sure you take time to practice regularly, so you don’t forget what you’ve learned. An excellent way to motivate yourself is by doing the weekly assignments in the DPS Forum.
11. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

If you’re using a digital camera, the cost of errors is free. Go crazy - you might end up with something you like. You’ll certainly learn a lot in the process.

Myrtle Beach Spring Bike Rally - Will They Come?

2009-04-30T12:36:00.002-04:00

Local Businesses are waiting and hoping that the City of Myrtle Beach has not run the very successful bikers away. Law were passed that make bike visitors angry.
New Rules & Ordinances

Ordinances for Noise, Motorcycles, Alcohol Consumption, Property Management, Curfew and Accommodations

No loud mufflers. No straight pipes. No revving of engines or excessive noise.

Everyone on a motorcycle must wear a safety helmet and protective eye wear (glasses, goggles, face shield, etc.) at all times while the cycle is moving.

No more than two motorcycles allowed in a public parking space.

Curfew is in effect from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. for juveniles under age 18, with certain exceptions. Violators are detained and parents are called.

No alcohol sales allowed after 2:00 a.m., unless the bar applies for and receives exemption.

No alcohol consumption or open container possession allowed in parking lots and garages of any business.

It is a crime not to pay the restaurant or not to leave your name and address if you dispute the bill, service or food.

No loitering allowed in posted parking lots of any business. No loitering allowed after hours in parking lots once the business is closed. Store parking is for customers, not parties.

No use of parking lots or landscaped areas of any business next to road or street for chairs, coolers, parties, drinking or food service.

Security standards are required for gas stations, convenience stores and stores with drive through service. No gathering or loitering is allowed in parking areas without contemporaneous commercial activity. Parking lots are for customers, not parties.

Parties responsible for permitted or non permitted special events that require an extraordinary public response may be held financially responsible for the cost of that response.

No parking or storage of trailers and oversize vehicles is allowed on the street; parking for these vehicles is allowed only in approved parking or storage lots.

Photo identification required for hotel check-in; minors (under 18) cannot check in without parent or legal guardian present. All guests in a room must be identified. Parking hang tags required for all guest vehicles.

Myrtle Beach Bike Week
May 7 - 16, 2010
May 13 - 22, 2011
May 11 - 20, 2012

Myrtle Beach Fall Rally
September 30 - October 4, 2009
September 29 - October 3, 2010
September 28 - October 2, 2011
October 3 - October 7, 2012

2009-04-29T18:07:00.002-04:00

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures

1. Look your subject in the eye
2. Use a plain background
3. Use flash outdoors
4. Move in close
5. Move it from the middle
6. Lock the focus
7. Know your flash's range
8. Watch the light
9. Take some vertical pictures
10. Be a picture director

Look your subject in the eye

Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.

Use a plain background

A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.

Use flash outdoors

Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results.
On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.

Move in close

If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow.
But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.

Move it from the middle

Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines.
You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.

Lock the focus

If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle.
Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

Know your flash's range

The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away.
What is your camera's flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away. Film users can extend the flash range by using Kodak Max versatility or versatility plus film.

Watch the light

Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles.
Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.

Take some vertical pictures

Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.

Now grab your camera and give these tips a try.

Myrtle Beach Fires (Update)

2009-04-28T22:35:00.001-04:00

The Myrtle Beach Wildfires are essentially out. The only problem currently is visibility. Most roads are closed early in the AM due to hovering smoke and fog. The only main roads that were open this evening were Hwy 17. Photos by Roy Dunn

2009-04-28T17:48:00.002-04:00

Satisfied Customers

Fran K.'s Review of: Myrtle Beach Photography
Review: My experience with Myrtle Beach Photography (rating 5 out of 5)

My family went to Myrtle Beach for our usual vacation. This time
however we decided we wanted professional pictures from our vacation
because our oldest daughter will be starting college this fall. We
asked around (locals) and Myrtle Beach Photography was highly
recommended. So we contacted them and from there it was just like we
had been told by the locals. We had GREAT photos, they were very
personal and professional and their costs were at a very reasonable
price. In the end we got exactly what we wanted; exceptional photos of
our vacation and lasting memories. I would highly recommend them to
others.
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Hi everyone!
I just wanted to send a quick email and tell everyone there THANK YOU!

This THANK YOU is long over due and I have been wanting to email you guys and tell you what a wonderful experience we had with your company. (My daughter had her senior pictures taken by Missy back in June).

Everyone was so nice and informative during the entire process. Missy did a wonderful job taking the pictures and taking her time with my family. She made Olivia feel like a professional model and she loved it! That was an experience Olivia will remember for the rest of her life. Please tell Missy I said THANKS!

The person who did the editing on the pictures did a FANTASTIC job and I was really happy with the final results.

I have shown Olivia's pictures to everyone and they always ask, WHO DID THESE? I have highly recommended you to family and friends and they love your work also.

I hope everyone has a Wonderful day and thank you all again!

Velvet
Virgie, Kentucky
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Hello Myrtle Beach Photography,
My name is Valerie W. and I had Beach Portraits taken by your studio on September 10th. I wanted to write to let you know that we are so happy with our photos! We have received many compliments on them and I am truly proud to show them off!! I especially love the 16X20 Canvas that we ordered. It is beautiful.
I believe that during our photo preview session in the studio I was told that I would receive a link via email in “a few weeks” that directs me to order gifts and such with our photos. I have not yet received that link and I wasn’t sure if that is what I am supposed to use in the event that I want to order holiday cards. Can someone please let me know if I am crazy or please send me the link!!
Thanks again for a terrific experience, Valerie W.
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Hi. I am still deciding which package and pictures I want to purchase. I plan to order in the next few weeks. We love the pictures you guys took!! What great photos!! Thanks.

Jana S.
They looks great! Can you add (1) 5x7 of this to my order.. Thanks
again and yall do such a great job!!!

BELINDA
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I just wanted to drop you a quick e-mail to let you know we received our pictures today! Even though both of our kids were not in full cooperation, we are so happy with the pictures we received. We would also like to extend our appreciation to Bobbi who was extremely patient and continually trying to get the best shot of our 2 yr old. Thank you so much for your service and quick delivery (we were under the impression we would receive the pictures in 3 weeks). We will definitely recommend your company and plan to use you again!
Thanks again,
Tracy and Mike
Hello! Thank you again for your wonderful services for our
wedding! We loved all of our photos! I have a question
on how do we get our $100 in al a carte photos? I see you
can order them directly on line. Let me know!
Thank you
Tara
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I received everything, and they are great!!!

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Thanks.
Thanks for your help Kate (sorry for referring you to as Ashlyn. I was going by the email address).
Have a great holiday! Your group has been great to work with. I will certainly recommend you to others who may need a professional photographer in Myrtle Beach. Thanks for everything.
Kathy
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Basic Photography Lesson 1 ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed

2009-04-28T10:54:00.000-04:00

The three elements of exposure are:

1. ISO - the measure of a digital camera sensor’s sensitivity to light
2. Aperture - the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken
3. Shutter Speed - the amount of time that the shutter is open

Imagine the camera has an eye that is going to let in light.

The aperture decides how much light will come in like a pupil.

The shutter speed is the eyelid and will open at different speeds controlling how long light will come in.

If you have the hole (aperture) wide open you don't want it open for too long or you will OVER expose your image.

If you have the hole closed small you need to open it long enough for enough light to get in or you will UNDER expose your image.

Now the smaller the number of your aperture the bigger the opening.

And your shutter speeds represent fractions of a second: 1/2 1/4 1/8.....1/60 1/80 1/100.

OK now not to confuse you, but film speed also plays a role here.
Just know that the darker your shooting conditions the faster the film you want. 100, 200 are slower 400, 800 are faster.

Even digital cameras have film speed settings.

Ok that said your camera should have a meter. It should tell you if you have the right settings. If you want to shoot moving things in daylight have a fast shutter speed and a small (bigger #) aperture.

If you want to shoot close ups or portraits with a blurry back ground you'll want your aperture wide open and an appropriate (for the light) shutter speed. Fast for bright light slower for low.

Myrtle Beach Fires (Update)

2009-04-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

Myrtle Beach Authorities are reporting most of the roads are now open for travel along the Grand Strand. The fires are almost completely contained. For those of you that are about to visit or are here now, our north lab reported that portions of Hwy. 17 Bypass in North Myrtle are still closed. Try to use Hwy. 31 today. We will update any road closings that are reported.

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Basic Photography Lesson 1 ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed

Myrtle Beach Fires (Update)

WMBF "Best of the Beach contest. PLEASE Vote for Myrtle Beach Photography
http://wmbf.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-grand-strand/4754/weddings/photographer