The term, “macro photography”, applies to any photograph captured at 1x magnification (or “life-size”) and above. A macro photograph captures images at the exact same size as they appear in real life. We define any magnification less than this “life-size” magnification as simply “close-up” photography. If you are a beginner in the field of macro photography and looking for some techniques and tips, start by applying the three most basic principles:
• Simplicity – Avoid overloading your portrait with multiple subjects. Keep it simple.
• Sharp focus – Manually focus on the part of your subject that you want to establish as your main point of interest, making it as focused as possible to capture the details.
• Fill the portrait with your subject – Make it as easy as possible for your viewer to recognize your subject. A non-cluttered or simple background that does not compete with the subject visually will help draw the eye of your viewer to your main point of interest.
In most cases, the narrow depth of field associated with macro photography (often around one millimeter for precise macro photos) will throw the background of your portrait completely out of focus. Use natural backgrounds for the best close-up results and avoid capturing anything distracting behind your subject that will take away from the focus of your subject. Branches, leaves or cigarette butts captured in the background will take away from details of your main point of interest. Remember, the purpose of macro photography is to capture the details of your close-range subject and not to accentuate what is going on in the background.
Capture your subject from different angles and experiment with different forms of artificial light, such as a reflector, and even try diffusing your flash with tissue paper or cellotape. Also, check with your owner’s manual to see if your digital camera allows you to pull back the level that your flash fires at. This can help you achieve your desired amount of light.
Two important details found in a powerful macro photograph are color and texture. If you are looking to capture deep saturation of the colors in your subject, be sure to use front lighting and use side lighting if you want to capture the texture.
If your digital camera has a macro mode, which usually shows up as a flower symbol on your camera, select this mode so that your camera knows that you want it to focus on a subject that is closer to your lens than a typical shot. Some digital cameras fail to take macro shots clearly because of their minimum distance allowance, one of the many reasons why a macro lens is usually necessary to capture quality “life-size” images. Be sure to refer to your instruction manual and check for the minimum distance allowance of your camera before shooting.
Aperture is a major factor in macro photography where a large aperture yields the best results. A large aperture (small number) tells your camera that you want it to focus only on the main subject, and not the background. Keep in mind that some digital cameras will not allow for changes in aperture while in macro mode, but if your camera allows it, definitely take advantage of this feature.
Use a tripod and shutter cable release to eliminate camera shake and to experiment with different settings without losing your composition. If your camera does not have a cable release try using the self-timer on its shortest time setting.
Additional macro lens attachments and accessories provide for better macro shots by allowing you to enlarge your main point of interest and decrease a low minimum focal length.
With all of this in mind, the single most important aspect in macro photography is the lens. Most macro lenses dramatically improve the quality of a life-size portrait and it would be a difficult task to find a bad one. Although it is difficult to find a “bad” macro lens, some are clearly better than others are.
A wonderful multi-purpose lens for macro photography is the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens, compatible with select Canon EOS digital SLRs (the EOS 20D, EOS Digital Rebel and EOS Digital Rebel XT cameras). The angle of view for this lens is equivalent to a 96mm lens on a 35mm camera, equipped with a floating optical system that can focus down to a full “life-size” (1:1) magnification. A silent and powerful ring-type USM drives inner focusing, meaning the lens’ overall length never changes during focus.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Military loans
Active and former US military personnel are just like everyone else, they have families to care for and of course bills to pay. Luckily there are special financial agencies such as Omni Financial that are around exclusively to military personnel. Since Omni Financial understands what military personal may be going through there are a lot less restrictions and requirements to get one of their loans making the process quicker and easier then ever for military personnel. A military loan from Omni Financial takes up to 24 hours for approval for any amount whether it be $500 or $10,000, whether it be used for a new tv, debt consolidation, or a car. With a 15 day satisfaction guarantee policy, if your not happy with in 15 days you can cancel your loan with no charge to you. For more information regarding Onmi Financial's Loans visit Omni Financial at http://www.militaryloans.com
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Climate Controlled Storage
Self storage facilities are all over allowing people who are spaciously challenged to purchase additional space to store what ever they desire. A break through in self storage that has everyone talking about Climate Controlled Storage. Climate controlled storage allows its user to purchase as much storage space they want and choose a temperature to store their goods in. Climate controlled goods are protected from moisture and humidity ensuring your goods will not deteriorate over time. Climate controlled storage is perfect for office files and documents, personal records,photographs, albums, books, videotapes, fine linens, clothing, holiday gifts,decorations, cars, computers, paintings the list goes on. So if you going to do something be like everyone else and do it right, use a climate controlled self storage storage facility to protect you belongings.
http://www.storagedeluxe.com/
Monday, August 17, 2009
9 Tips for Capturing Powerful Black and White Portraits
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but if you are a black and white photographer looking to make a big statement, you need to know every trick in the book. Below are nine of the most tried and true tips and techniques any photographer can use to capture powerful black and white portraits.
1. Train Your Brain to Recognize Contrast and Tone – When you remove color from a portrait, the two main elements that remain are contrast and tone. An experienced black and white photographer can see these elements instinctually before snapping a shot, and with enough practice, you too can train your brain to spot the perfect black and white scene. Try dedicating an entire month to the art of black and white photography and see how quickly you develop this “monochrome vision.”
2. Shoot in Low Contrast – While many color photographers prefer to shoot in bright, well-lit areas, low contrast situations present excellent opportunities for black and white portraits. Never be afraid to shoot on dark, gloomy and overcast days if your goal is capturing contrast and tone. Once you realize the benefits of these conditions, you will probably even prefer them to clear blue skies.
3. Focus on Areas of Contrast –The human eye picks up two main elements, color and light intensity, which helps our brain distinguish one thing from another. In the absence of color, our eyes become more sensitive to light intensity, giving us the ability to recognize areas of contrast. Since your viewer will naturally pick up areas of contrast in your portraits, it is your main objective to make your points of interest with shades of gray. Use contrast to help your viewer decide what is important in your shot and choose areas of naturally high contrast to accent your point of interest. Use adjustment techniques when post-processing your portraits such as levels, curves, layer blends, burning and dodging to improve contrast distribution even further.
4. Look for Areas of Interesting Texture – Texture is a form of contrast that becomes a dominant point of interest in a black and white photo. Color essentially adds a layer of complexity to a portrait, often taking away from the beauty of natural texture. For a powerful black and white photo, look for interesting and embedded textures while focusing on specific surfaces of patterned contrast. Irregular patterns of shadows and highlights tend to yield the most visible texture in a shot free from color. Accentuate these embedded textures further during black and white conversion in post-processing.
5. Shoot in RAW – Many amateur black and white photographers avoid shooting in RAW, either because their camera will not allow it or simply because they do not like to do it. However, shooting in RAW provides for the most control in postproduction, especially when converting color images to black and white. Give RAW a shot and you may be surprised at what develops in the postproduction phase.
6. Enhance Your Shots with Color Filters – The use of color filters is a common technique among professional black and white photographers in order to change the original captured tones of a portrait. A scene depicting substantially dark and overly white areas is usually not a product of a natural shot. Use color filtering during postproduction to manipulate tones and achieve your desired result.
7. Shoot with a Low ISO – Noise created by ISO can become particularly obvious in a black and white portrait. Always shoot with the lowest possible ISO to reduce noise, even if this noise is what you are after. You can always add noise (or “grain”) to your portrait in postproduction but it is much more difficult to remove it.
8. Focus on Composition – If you are an amateur photographer at best, you probably understand the importance of framing a good shot to lead the viewer’s eyes into and around your point of interest. When color is not an option for a point of interest, such as in a black and white portrait, train yourself to look at composition elements like tones, textures and shapes instead to grab the attention of your viewer.
9. Shoot in Color – Never shoot in black and white if your camera can shoot in color. When you shoot in black and white, your camera is actually converting a color scene to black and white. Photo editing software does a much better job of removing color from an image, so it is always best to capture your shots in color.
Post processing software also gives you areas of flexibility unknown to traditional methods of converting color to black and white, such as relying on your camera make the conversion. Software like Nikon's Capture NX2 and Adobe Light Room provide a full-featured non-destructive editing programs and are a powerful tools for fast and easy photo editing. Shadow and highlight adjustments and D-Lighting features provide for excellent black and white portraits, correcting tones of shadow or dark backlit images with superior quality and processing speed.
1. Train Your Brain to Recognize Contrast and Tone – When you remove color from a portrait, the two main elements that remain are contrast and tone. An experienced black and white photographer can see these elements instinctually before snapping a shot, and with enough practice, you too can train your brain to spot the perfect black and white scene. Try dedicating an entire month to the art of black and white photography and see how quickly you develop this “monochrome vision.”
2. Shoot in Low Contrast – While many color photographers prefer to shoot in bright, well-lit areas, low contrast situations present excellent opportunities for black and white portraits. Never be afraid to shoot on dark, gloomy and overcast days if your goal is capturing contrast and tone. Once you realize the benefits of these conditions, you will probably even prefer them to clear blue skies.
3. Focus on Areas of Contrast –The human eye picks up two main elements, color and light intensity, which helps our brain distinguish one thing from another. In the absence of color, our eyes become more sensitive to light intensity, giving us the ability to recognize areas of contrast. Since your viewer will naturally pick up areas of contrast in your portraits, it is your main objective to make your points of interest with shades of gray. Use contrast to help your viewer decide what is important in your shot and choose areas of naturally high contrast to accent your point of interest. Use adjustment techniques when post-processing your portraits such as levels, curves, layer blends, burning and dodging to improve contrast distribution even further.
4. Look for Areas of Interesting Texture – Texture is a form of contrast that becomes a dominant point of interest in a black and white photo. Color essentially adds a layer of complexity to a portrait, often taking away from the beauty of natural texture. For a powerful black and white photo, look for interesting and embedded textures while focusing on specific surfaces of patterned contrast. Irregular patterns of shadows and highlights tend to yield the most visible texture in a shot free from color. Accentuate these embedded textures further during black and white conversion in post-processing.
5. Shoot in RAW – Many amateur black and white photographers avoid shooting in RAW, either because their camera will not allow it or simply because they do not like to do it. However, shooting in RAW provides for the most control in postproduction, especially when converting color images to black and white. Give RAW a shot and you may be surprised at what develops in the postproduction phase.
6. Enhance Your Shots with Color Filters – The use of color filters is a common technique among professional black and white photographers in order to change the original captured tones of a portrait. A scene depicting substantially dark and overly white areas is usually not a product of a natural shot. Use color filtering during postproduction to manipulate tones and achieve your desired result.
7. Shoot with a Low ISO – Noise created by ISO can become particularly obvious in a black and white portrait. Always shoot with the lowest possible ISO to reduce noise, even if this noise is what you are after. You can always add noise (or “grain”) to your portrait in postproduction but it is much more difficult to remove it.
8. Focus on Composition – If you are an amateur photographer at best, you probably understand the importance of framing a good shot to lead the viewer’s eyes into and around your point of interest. When color is not an option for a point of interest, such as in a black and white portrait, train yourself to look at composition elements like tones, textures and shapes instead to grab the attention of your viewer.
9. Shoot in Color – Never shoot in black and white if your camera can shoot in color. When you shoot in black and white, your camera is actually converting a color scene to black and white. Photo editing software does a much better job of removing color from an image, so it is always best to capture your shots in color.
Post processing software also gives you areas of flexibility unknown to traditional methods of converting color to black and white, such as relying on your camera make the conversion. Software like Nikon's Capture NX2 and Adobe Light Room provide a full-featured non-destructive editing programs and are a powerful tools for fast and easy photo editing. Shadow and highlight adjustments and D-Lighting features provide for excellent black and white portraits, correcting tones of shadow or dark backlit images with superior quality and processing speed.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ten Tips on Taking Breathtaking Landscape Photographs
Most professional landscape photographers learn the secrets along the way, usually from trial and error. However, if you are an intermediate photographer looking for some expert advice, the following ten tips should help you perform like a pro without going through the rugged learning process. Use these techniques to take breathtaking landscape photographs.
1. Use a Tripod – As a direct result of lengthening the shutter speed to compensate for a small aperture you will need to ensure your camera is completely still throughout the entire exposure. The easiest way to achieve this is by using a tripod but you can also consider using a cable or a wireless shutter release mechanism to maximize the stillness of your lens.
2. Embrace Changes in Weather – Many beginner landscape photographers make the mistake of waiting for a beautiful, sunny day to take their shots. However, weather conditions such as storms, mist, wind, dramatic clouds, rainbows, rays of sunshine, sunsets and sunrises create images with real mood and ominous overtones. Learn to work with these types of weather variations instead of waiting for a clear blue sky.
3. Choose a Small Aperture Setting for a Greater Depth of Field – As a rule of thumb, when it comes to landscape photography you should always ensure that your shots capture as much of your scene as possible. As you may already know, smaller apertures mean greater depths of field, which is exactly what you are looking for in a landscape shot. Bear in mind that smaller apertures also mean less light hitting your image sensor. Try increasing your ISO or lengthening your shutter speed to compensate for this lack of light.
4. Create a Focal Point – A good focal point in a landscape photo can be just about anything. Use a building or structure, a large tree, a boulder or rock formation and even a silhouette to give the viewer something to focus on. Once you have decided on a focal point for your landscape, it is of equal importance to place it in the right spot. Use your best judgment for the positioning of this point, and embrace the rule of thirds when in doubt.
5. Create Lines for Added Image Depth – One of the best techniques used by professional photographers to lead their viewers into an image is the use of lines. Lines provide your viewer with a “path” he or she can follow towards an image and can easily create an interesting pattern or point of interest in your landscape.
6. Shoot at Dusk and Dawn – Commonly referred to as the “golden hours” to the professionals of landscape photography, dusk and dawn present the optimum lighting that brings photos to life. The angle of the sun’s natural light at these hours truly influences any scene with interesting patterns, dimensions and textures. Shoot at these golden hours every day.
7. Create a Sense of Depth with Foregrounds – Place points of interest in the foreground of your shots to give the viewer a way into the image or to create a sense of depth in your shot. For example, you might want to include a field of daffodils in your foreground leading your viewer towards a larger landscape in the distance, such as a mountain range.
8. Use a Longer Shutter Speed to Capture Movement - Even If you are a novice at best in landscape photography, you probably understand the power of capturing movement. Wind in trees, waves in the ocean, water flowing over a waterfall, clouds moving through the sky and birds soaring overhead are all perfect examples of this concept of movement. Movement adds drama, mood and points of interest to your shots, but be sure to use a longer shutter speed and a small aperture. Shoot at the start or the end of the day to prevent too much light from hitting your sensor due to longer shutter speeds.
9. Shoot from Different Points of View – Once you have found your perfect shot, try capturing the landscape from multiple points of view. Explore different elevations and vantage points so that you will have more options to choose from during postproduction. This could mean the difference between a great shot and something truly breathtaking.
10. Adjust the Horizon to the Sky – A traditional landscape photo has either a dominant foreground or a dominant sky. Always consider the sky so as not to create a boring image. An easy way to capture the essence of a beautiful, drama-filled sky is by placing the horizon lower, where you would place it higher if the sky seems bland or boring.
The Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G DX Zoom Lens is phenomenal for landscape photos, offering an ultra-wide 110 degree picture angle, two ED glass and three hybrid aspherical lens elements. The quality and fast handling of the lens are very impressive, and it features Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating with a Silent Wave Motor.
Canon camera owners can also check out the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens, compatible with Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras with an EF-S mount.
1. Use a Tripod – As a direct result of lengthening the shutter speed to compensate for a small aperture you will need to ensure your camera is completely still throughout the entire exposure. The easiest way to achieve this is by using a tripod but you can also consider using a cable or a wireless shutter release mechanism to maximize the stillness of your lens.
2. Embrace Changes in Weather – Many beginner landscape photographers make the mistake of waiting for a beautiful, sunny day to take their shots. However, weather conditions such as storms, mist, wind, dramatic clouds, rainbows, rays of sunshine, sunsets and sunrises create images with real mood and ominous overtones. Learn to work with these types of weather variations instead of waiting for a clear blue sky.
3. Choose a Small Aperture Setting for a Greater Depth of Field – As a rule of thumb, when it comes to landscape photography you should always ensure that your shots capture as much of your scene as possible. As you may already know, smaller apertures mean greater depths of field, which is exactly what you are looking for in a landscape shot. Bear in mind that smaller apertures also mean less light hitting your image sensor. Try increasing your ISO or lengthening your shutter speed to compensate for this lack of light.
4. Create a Focal Point – A good focal point in a landscape photo can be just about anything. Use a building or structure, a large tree, a boulder or rock formation and even a silhouette to give the viewer something to focus on. Once you have decided on a focal point for your landscape, it is of equal importance to place it in the right spot. Use your best judgment for the positioning of this point, and embrace the rule of thirds when in doubt.
5. Create Lines for Added Image Depth – One of the best techniques used by professional photographers to lead their viewers into an image is the use of lines. Lines provide your viewer with a “path” he or she can follow towards an image and can easily create an interesting pattern or point of interest in your landscape.
6. Shoot at Dusk and Dawn – Commonly referred to as the “golden hours” to the professionals of landscape photography, dusk and dawn present the optimum lighting that brings photos to life. The angle of the sun’s natural light at these hours truly influences any scene with interesting patterns, dimensions and textures. Shoot at these golden hours every day.
7. Create a Sense of Depth with Foregrounds – Place points of interest in the foreground of your shots to give the viewer a way into the image or to create a sense of depth in your shot. For example, you might want to include a field of daffodils in your foreground leading your viewer towards a larger landscape in the distance, such as a mountain range.
8. Use a Longer Shutter Speed to Capture Movement - Even If you are a novice at best in landscape photography, you probably understand the power of capturing movement. Wind in trees, waves in the ocean, water flowing over a waterfall, clouds moving through the sky and birds soaring overhead are all perfect examples of this concept of movement. Movement adds drama, mood and points of interest to your shots, but be sure to use a longer shutter speed and a small aperture. Shoot at the start or the end of the day to prevent too much light from hitting your sensor due to longer shutter speeds.
9. Shoot from Different Points of View – Once you have found your perfect shot, try capturing the landscape from multiple points of view. Explore different elevations and vantage points so that you will have more options to choose from during postproduction. This could mean the difference between a great shot and something truly breathtaking.
10. Adjust the Horizon to the Sky – A traditional landscape photo has either a dominant foreground or a dominant sky. Always consider the sky so as not to create a boring image. An easy way to capture the essence of a beautiful, drama-filled sky is by placing the horizon lower, where you would place it higher if the sky seems bland or boring.
The Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G DX Zoom Lens is phenomenal for landscape photos, offering an ultra-wide 110 degree picture angle, two ED glass and three hybrid aspherical lens elements. The quality and fast handling of the lens are very impressive, and it features Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating with a Silent Wave Motor.
Canon camera owners can also check out the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens, compatible with Canon EOS Digital SLR Cameras with an EF-S mount.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The First and Only Fire-Prevention Outlet
Bsafe Electrix is a company who is dedicated to reinventing techology in away that promotes safety. Bsafe Electrix has created a new outlet that promotes fire safety like no other. Bsafe Eletrix invented the first and only Fire-Prevention Outlet! Bsafe Electrix took a normal everyday outlet, found away to install a small thermal sensor in the outlet and here we are, an outlet that can sense abnormal temperatures in wiring, that can de-energiz its self before the potential fire can start. Thanks to the Fire-Prevention Outlet there are no fires which means worries. These outlets go for 8.95, yeah, 8.95 is crazy for an outlet but if 8.95 can prevent a fire saving me thousands of dollars its worth it.
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