tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53494757426377566442024-03-13T10:17:29.915-07:00Share Your Photo Tips"You don’t take a photograph, you make it."; - Ansel AdamsAlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-43743624971043922782013-03-26T14:22:00.000-07:002013-03-26T14:22:17.178-07:00Comfort ZoneWe all have that comfort zone that we live in 95% of the time. We are happy there and some people have even told me that it's "OK cause everyone there knows them". We all know change can be hard and in fact human nature is to resist change. That holds true in most everything we do including our photography.<br />
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If you like to take landscape photos you might not want to do portraits or still life. Maybe you like to take pictures of family and friends but would never do any urban street photography. Whatever your niche, when given the chance, that is what you most likely will find yourself doing.<br />
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I, of course, am the same way. There are certain subjects that I just don't photograph. This year I decided that I would make an effort to try to expand my photography, if just for a fleeting moment. It just so happens that one of the forums I am on has a monthly challenge. No prizes, just bragging rights for the month. So far this year they have been looking for subjects that I just don't or haven't done. I have attempted every one of them so far and am happy to say that I was among the chosen on the last one.<br />
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The challenge was food, something I have not tried since High School and the use of film. Needless to say that most of what I had learned back then was filed where my mind could not seem to retrieve it. After playing around with different things this is what I came up with.<br />
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It may not be the greatest shot and I do not think that it will end up on the pages of any cookbook, but I likes what I was able to produce and so did some other folks.<br />
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The moral of this one is simple. Make a promise to yourself to challenge your photographic "Comfort Zone" this year. Whatever it is I promise that you will be glad you did.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-22071710875897551502013-03-21T16:49:00.003-07:002013-03-21T16:52:00.186-07:00Emotion<br />
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was reminded today by a friend that our photographs can, and do, evoke emotions
in our viewers. Her comments struck a chord with me and brought me back to a
blog post I read recently. The blog discussed the fact that we, as
photographers, are often too concerned about having our work accepted by other
photographers. We are all looking for the critique from our peers and for the
win in the local photo club contest that validates what we are doing. We follow
all the rules of composition we have learned and concern ourselves with the
perfect exposure and proper depth of field. But when we take that picture do we
really think about the effect it will have on all the viewers we are really
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Now
that I posed the question I guess that the readers of this are looking for me
to provide the answer. If it were only that easy. You see, if I took the
picture than it must have been an emotion within me that caused that to happen.
Did it make me feel sad, happy, joyful, angry? And is it something that my
viewer would also see? Or was it gee, my photography friends should like
this one. And if I don’t feel that instant emotion should I even bother taking
the shot? Maybe I don’t feel great about it until I get home and see the
picture on the computer screen. Then I hear that little inner voice say WOW,
that’s a good one. That makes me feel something. So what does all this really
mean?<br />
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Let’s go back to my original statement. From
time to time I send out pictures to different friends just wishing them a good
day. That is what I did this morning with this picture. I might even get back
the old “nice picture” comment or even “I wish I could do that”.</div>
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Today
one of those responses was a little different “… <i>you should know that at
this very moment, for no apparent reason I needed a gift. I am pretty sure it’s
my thyroid not functioning properly. Most times it really does do what it needs
to..but every now and again, I get sad. Picture that… me? Sad?.. and yet, it’s
true. So I say a prayer to God to send me a sign, to move forward. When I
opened my eyes,..your email was there… Angels. The people God places in our
lives at times when we need them the most. Thank you for being my angel today.....</i>”</div>
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Was
that a response I was looking for or even had thought about? I think not. But
it was a reminder that a photograph can indeed garner an emotional response
from the viewer. Not always because it is technically correct but because it
was the right picture for the right person at the right time.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-27202897281908983482013-02-07T19:42:00.001-08:002013-02-07T19:42:43.908-08:00Shutter Speed and YouIn my last post I discuss the need to get away from using the Auto setting on your camera. Today I would like to take a quick look at shutter speed and some of the reasons you want to use it to control what your camera is doing for you. I do over 50% of my shooting in this mode.<br />
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As you know shutter speed controls the length of time that light can reach the sensor. The more time you allow light to enter the camera the greater your chance of blurring the photo. Granted, sometimes this is a good thing, but for this discussion we are going to look at eliminating that blur. The photo below is a good example of stop action photography.<br />
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This picture was shot at 1/500 of a second allowing the camera to capture the birds in flight. Had the camera been set on auto and allowed to fend for it's self it most likely would have picked a slower speed and all that would have been captured was a bunch of blurred wings.<br />
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Next time you go out with your camera set it on shutter priority. Yes you will need to think about what you are doing and maybe even have some pictures that don't come out like you were thinking. Don't worry because as they say practice makes perfect. Once you get comfortable with that you will be ready to move on to other priority settings.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-82134355055927276742013-01-28T13:03:00.003-08:002013-01-28T13:03:54.090-08:00Get Off Your A****<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At work the other day I noticed that a coworker had a Nikon P90. So of course I started a conversation about it and photography in general. During this exchange I discovered that for the most part she never moves the camera from the Auto setting, which leads me to this discussion. If you are like her and always shooting on Auto it's time to get out of your comfort zone and start taking control of your photos.<br />
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So the first question you ask is "Why would I want to do that"? Auto was put there by the manufacturer for a reason wasn't it? Well let's look at that. When you are on auto the camera decides for you both the shutter speed and the aperture. Since the camera does not know what you are taking a photo of, it only knows what amount of light is getting to the sensor. But doesn't the camera know best?<br />
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Well if you are photographing a fast moving subject the camera may not set the shutter fast enough to stop the action. Or if the aperture is not set right you may not have enough depth of field to have all the area of the picture you want in focus. then there's different types of lighting to consider, many of which can be adjusted in other settings.<br />
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That's a lot to consider, but if you are reading this you must want to improve your photography. So my first suggestion is get your manual back out and take a second look at it. Start to understand what the different settings are for. Take some practice photos and see what they do. And watch this blog for more posts about the effect shutter speed, aperture and ISO have on your shots.<br />
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-13416141697706217062013-01-10T09:53:00.001-08:002013-01-10T09:53:40.531-08:00A Placed RevisitedI am sure we all have a few of those places that you like to go from time to time just to see if there is anything new that might get you attention. Maybe it is a local park, a trail by the river or an outside restaurant near the hustle of downtown. And if you are like me you most likely have some sort of photographic device with you.<br />
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You don't have such a place? Well I'll bet if you think about it there is someplace that you already have or could revisit from time to time. As you can see here I photographed this tree both in the fall and during a recent winter snowfall. This spot is only about 5 minutes from the my office.<br />
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There are always changes happening around us. Take the time to go back and revisit a spot you have been and see what catches your eye.<o:p></o:p></div>
Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-66703427133557136932012-12-28T12:40:00.001-08:002012-12-28T12:40:53.161-08:00Moon Shot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In a previous post I discuss techniques for "Shooting The Moon". Since then I have established a rather large collection of Moon Shots showing it in various phases. So you may ask why take all these pictures. One answer is the old "Because I can". The better answer is because I might have a use for them some day.<br />
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Enter the picture above. This was a nice shot of a boat leaving the harbor at nightfall and would stand on it's own. But just for the fun of it (isn't that what this is all about anyway?) I added a moon to the picture. I did this in Photoshop Elements and how I did it is for another post.<br />
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So some people say this is not really a picture. That can be a full discussion as well. I will say I used this trick in my darkroom back in the 60's. Then I had many moon pictures that I could burn in to anything I wanted as well. Besides some may say we are creating art and if this was a painting we could add anything we wanted. Anyway you look at it, it's still a nice picture.<br />
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So have you done anything like this?<br />
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-16408850491682515302012-12-27T09:15:00.000-08:002012-12-28T11:52:13.314-08:00Elements 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZioi4CbEs8/UNx5zkr8drI/AAAAAAAAAxY/eE8O7iFnLns/s1600/Bowling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CZioi4CbEs8/UNx5zkr8drI/AAAAAAAAAxY/eE8O7iFnLns/s320/Bowling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Christmas rush is over so it is time to get back to posting. What better way to get started again then by looking back at the fun we had on Christmas Day.<br />
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First things first, I received Photoshop Elements 11 as a Christmas gift from my daughter. Naturally I needed to try it out as soon as I could. Of course I feel that there is no better way to learn than by trial and error so why spend time reading the book when I can jump right in. To do that I first needed to pick a photo that I could work with and enhance in some way. A photo I had taken of my grandson bowling in the hallway on Christmas Day seemed to fit the bill perfectly. But what could I do with it?<br />
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After looking through some of the examples in Photoshop, I decided that the "Out of Bounds" effect looked like something that would be fun to work with and hopefully produce a nice result. Now my next question was how does this work? Remember I didn't read any of the book that my daughter also gave me. Luckily for me Adobe has some good tutorials online and this effect was among them. So after my third attempt I achieved the results you see here.<br />
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The moral to this story is very simple. Don't let something you have never done before stop you from trying. Just dive in and see what happens. Hopefully you agree that I did obtain a decent result.Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-33608084594887444622012-11-20T11:34:00.001-08:002012-11-20T11:34:21.207-08:00Crafting Photography<br />
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<a href="http://craftingplay.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Organizing Shoes & Toddler Matching Game</a> </h3>
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by Kristin Savko</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUJGordO8Ss/UKu9h-OgLKI/AAAAAAAAIUc/m079-7Xhoo8/s1600/crafting-play-closet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6699cc; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUJGordO8Ss/UKu9h-OgLKI/AAAAAAAAIUc/m079-7Xhoo8/s400/crafting-play-closet.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;">I recently decided to tackle the shoe disaster that was happening on my closet floor. At our old place, the space I had necessitated that the shoes be low and flat on the floor. In this closet, the available space is more vertical. SO I bought some clear shoe boxes and was thrilled....EXCEPT finding the right shoes was a disaster. Even though the boxes were clear, it was so hard to see what was in them. I got out my camera and took photos of all the shoes and got them printed when <a href="http://snapfish.com/" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">Snapfish</a> was running a 99 prints for 99 cents deal. Really, it was a lot less effort than it sounds!</span><br /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's where the toddler part comes in. I placed all the photos out on the ground. One at a time I would open a shoe box and have Ethan find the corresponding photo. Once he did, he was responsible for placing the photo in the box, putting on the lid, and stacking the box in the closet. He LOVED it. Seriously, it was great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I bet it would be fun to do a scavenger hunt using the same method. Take photos of simple items and match the photo to the corresponding item. Maybe the next time prints go on sale....?</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;">Kristin is the author of the blog </span></span><a href="http://craftingplay.blogspot.com/" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;" target="_blank">Crafting Play</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;"> She is also a Graphic </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Designer</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;"> and Photographer.</span></span></i></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-8607389033198990462012-11-19T16:48:00.002-08:002012-11-19T16:48:23.249-08:00Contests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever entered a photo contest? Or have you just said to yourself I never seem to be able to take the kind of photos that win. Maybe it's time for you to go for it and start entering any contest that you can. I have never seen anyone publicly humiliated because they did not win. I am pretty sure, however, that no one ever won if they did not enter. </div>
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Alright I have to admit that I fell into the "Nothing I have taken" group. Although people have told me many time I should do something with photos they see that I have taken, I always just ignored it and moved on. However recently I have decided to take my own advise. So I started to look for contests where I could enter some of my favorite shots. Of course, some entries did nothing. OK, so take some more of my own advise and keep trying. That's exactly what I did. </div>
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Well it has finally paid off, a little bit anyway. Recently one of my photos received the most likes for the month on a Nikon Facebook page. The only prize is bragging rights but that's fine with me. It means other photographers likes what I did. And today I found out the picture above was chosen as a finalist in a contest run by the Blog Beyond MegaPixel. So now I just have to wait for the readers to vote. But win or lose one of my photos was chosen by other photographers as good enough to make the cut. </div>
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So go ahead and find a contest to enter a few of your own shots. What have you got to lose?</div>
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BTW if you want to vote for my photo shown above <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/6702749/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> before Dec 6th. And thanks for your support.</div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-48972497482566847132012-11-17T13:55:00.000-08:002012-11-17T13:55:00.300-08:00A Look Back<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.850000381469727px;">I found this posting the other day and felt that it needed to be shared. This is a review from PC World in July 1998. At $799 it must have been a budget buster for many people. </span></span><div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZVp1_W_XNo/UKgHBWsi0aI/AAAAAAAAAwE/atT2eC-De9w/s1600/sonymavica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eZVp1_W_XNo/UKgHBWsi0aI/AAAAAAAAAwE/atT2eC-De9w/s320/sonymavica.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><headline style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sony Mavica Camera Slims Down, Speeds Up</headline><dek style="box-sizing: border-box;"><credit style="box-sizing: border-box;"><author style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bryan Hastings</author></credit><l1section style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 0.7em;">
In PC World's last digital camera roundup ("<link .internal=".internal" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></link>Snap Judgments ," February) Sony's Mavica MVC-FD7 earned the Best Buy award for its good image quality, easy-to-use controls, and especially its ability to save photos directly to a floppy disk. The latest Mavica, the $799 MVC-FD71, is a slimmer and faster improvement over its predecessor. After testing a shipping version of the new model, I was impressed with the changes.</div>
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The original Mavica camera weighed almost 1.3 pounds and was a bulky 3 inches thick. The FD71 weighs 1.2 pounds and is 2.5 inches thick, making it a bit easier to hold and tote around. And whereas the original model took about 8 seconds to save a photo to a disk, this version averaged a more tolerable 4 seconds.</div>
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In addition, Sony has added some nifty new features. These include the ability to make copies of floppies using just the camera--very handy if you want to hand out extra disks on the spot. A new quarter-resolution (320 by 240) option also makes it faster to e-mail photographs. (The camera's full resolution is 640 by 480.) A built-in menu on the MVC-FD71's LCD screen permits you to easily take advantage of useful new options such as these.</div>
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My main complaint? The high price tag. List-priced at $799, the Mavica costs more than many high-quality 35mm cameras. And as with most digital cameras, this model fails to deliver image quality that is comparable to the quality produced by a 35mm. Still, if you've decided to go digital and want a good camera that will let you effortlessly copy files to your PC, the MVC-FD71 is hard to beat.</div>
<wtb style="box-sizing: border-box;" testcenter="yes"><wtb .product=".product" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sony Digital Mavica MVC-FD71</wtb><valueblock style="box-sizing: border-box;"><value style="box-sizing: border-box;" type="pro">Stores pictures right to a floppy disk; faster than original.</value><value style="box-sizing: border-box;" type="con">Smaller than original, but still not svelte; high cost.</value><value style="box-sizing: border-box;" type="value">Best attribute is convenient transfer of photos to a PC.</value></valueblock><wtb .price=".price" style="box-sizing: border-box;">$799</wtb></wtb></l1section></dek></i></div>
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<dek style="box-sizing: border-box;"><l1section style="box-sizing: border-box;"><wtb style="box-sizing: border-box;" testcenter="yes"><wtb .price=".price" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Of course it would be a fun camera to have around now just to play with.</wtb></wtb></l1section></dek></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-70888530388090593612012-11-10T17:32:00.000-08:002012-11-10T17:32:22.997-08:00Love The One You're With<div style="text-align: justify;">
OK maybe it sounds like I am having a 70's flashback, but I am really thinking about my cameras. As a wise man once said, it's not the camera that creates a great picture it's the photographer. So if you are out without your preferred camera and see the possibility of a great shot don't just let it go.<br />
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As I discuss in a previous post your smartphone camera has a lot of versatility. With apps like Instagram, and Hipstamatic there are a lot of editing possibilities right within the phone. If you want you can always send them to your PC where you can do some additional editing. And the best part is it is probably always in your pocket. Just as mine was the day I drove past this sunset earlier this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken with Droid X2</td></tr>
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If you are a DSLR owner another option is keeping a good point and shoot camera with you. With all the choices available you should be able to find one that will work within your needs and budget. Although you do not get all the control you have with a DSLR, most mid-level and high end point and shoots allow you to set ISO, white balance, etc. I have a Sony Cyber-Shot that I use for work so it is with me about 80% of the time. It's as small as my cell phone and just slips easily into my pocket (or briefcase).<br />
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The moral is with all the technology we have today we should be able to "Love the camera we're with".<br />
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-80182602216760175452012-11-07T16:17:00.000-08:002012-11-07T16:17:57.762-08:00Know Your Camera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you even notice that when you are driving your car and need to change the AC or radio you don't need to look. You just reach over and take care of it. Well, a great way to improve your photography is to be able to do the same thing with your camera. It doesn't matter if it is a DSLR, a point and shoot or your cell phone camera. And it does not just apply to the basic settings. It applies to all the controls you have, including white balance, exposure compensation, focus controls, flash controls and well..... you get the idea.</div>
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So how do you do this? Here are a couple of ideas that may help you get to that goal. The first one doesn't even require you to leave the house. Just go into a dark room where it is difficult to see the controls and practice changing things up. Or go outside and start taking photos of things around the neighborhood. Don't worry about the picture itself, just practice changing the way you shoot it. Either way, spend a couple of hours doing this and you will find you might not miss that next shot because you couldn't find the right setting.</div>
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Do you have any other ideas on how to "Learn Your Camera"? </div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-8146314302889380662012-11-06T07:13:00.000-08:002012-11-06T07:45:16.833-08:00Storyteller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I think of myself as a storyteller. Both in my professional life and as my hobby I love to tell stories. Since photography comes to me easier than just the words I have made a habit out of covering each photo </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">assignment as if I am 'writing' a story. Like the written story that has a beginning, ending, etc. a photo story needs to have basic elements as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">First off find a main subject to your story. You can include other people in your photographs but staying focused </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">on one person's story helps the reader follow the flow. That first subject might be the person with the best expressions. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Here are my five points to a good photo story. For our example I am using photographs taken during a croquet </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i> First I start off with a general photograph showing them at play.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Next I'm looking for a close-up. Maybe of the mallet about to connect with the ball. If the subject plays the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">piano try getting close-up photos of the hands on a keyboard.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Now come in close to the face. People like to connect with other people. Seeing their expressions is great!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: start;"><i>Take an angle from the back. This gives you a chance to show a different look to the general shot.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lastly, go outside the box. Look into your creativity. This photo by itself might not tell any of the story but if it's </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">used along with the other images might become that one piece that people remember the most.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Use your camera as your communication tool and share your stories with everyone. ~ Randy Flaum</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Randy is the assistant managing editor for visuals at the York Dispatch.</i></span></div>
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-5030742965929554342012-11-05T16:47:00.001-08:002012-11-05T16:47:53.906-08:00SD Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Are you using the right SD Card? Do you understand the difference? No, I am not talking about brand, that argument can be almost as bad as should I buy a Ford or a Chevy. I am talking about the little number in the circle you will find somewhere on the label. This is know as the class of the card and comes in 2,4,6,8,and 10. As you might guess, class is the <u>minimum</u> MB's per second that can be written to the card. This is where the difference comes into play.<br />
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Speed matters when you are shooting at a burst or are doing a video at 1080p HD. A lot of information needs to be written to the card and a slow card can degrade the performance of your camera. This is where the price difference comes in to play as well. The faster the card the higher the price. So it might be best to buy the fastest you can afford.<br />
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Before I finish lets look at a couple other tips that I have learned over the years. First many experts agree that it is better to reformat your card rather than just delete the pictures. This removes any errors that might be there and sets the card back to the proper format for the camera. Next, depending on how you use your camera, it might be better to have four 8 GB cards instead of one 32 GB. The reason for this is simple. When you are on vacation you can use a different card every two days. If one of the cards goes bad (and it can happen) you have only lost 1/4 of your shots. That is much better then losing all the vacation pictures.<br />
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So there you have it, my little SD cards tips. Do you have any other tips that might be useful?Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-1724582660968551212012-11-03T07:14:00.001-07:002012-11-05T16:53:19.708-08:00Thirds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.savko.net/moreinfo.html">Kristin Savko Photography</a></td></tr>
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Most of us have heard about the "Rule of Thirds" but it always helps to revisit these things from time to time. The basic idea here is to divide your viewfinder into "Thirds" as demonstrated in this photo. You then place your subject on one of the intersecting points or along one of the lines. This helps to create a photo that seems more natural to the way we view the world around us. Had this boy been centered in the photo it may have expressed the fact the the subject found his pumpkins, however using the rule of thirds you understand the gravity of his selections. This rule works well for many subjects such as placing the horizon of a landscape shot along one of the horizontal lines.<br />
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Many digital cameras have a setting that allows you to place these grid lines right on your LCD helping you visualize this while you are composing your shot. You also have the option of doing some creative cropping in your editing software if you would like. You might want to take some pictures you already have and see if you can change their effect by cropping them.<br />
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So next time you are out with your camera remember the "Rule of Thirds" and see if it helps improve the story you want to tell. Of course once you learn this rule, don't let it rule your life. Rules are made to be broken.<br />
<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-38576037899810341302012-10-20T06:38:00.000-07:002012-10-20T06:38:08.753-07:00Need Inspiration? Have you ever thought that you would like to do something new with your photography but just did not have the inspiration you were looking for ? Maybe a photo series would be a good fit for you. Picking a topic to photograph can help get the "juices flowing". If it sounds good but you still need some help getting inspiration here are a couple of ideas.<br />
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You can put together a montage of the same subject like these water birds photos.<br />
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Or here is a post from another bloggers site that might help....<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aMoiUXghjy0/UDJmm6pljiI/AAAAAAAAIHg/mZ2yGssgVL8/s1600/happinessis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #6699cc; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aMoiUXghjy0/UDJmm6pljiI/AAAAAAAAIHg/mZ2yGssgVL8/s400/happinessis.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12px;">Taken on Android with Camera360, Edited in Instagram</td></tr>
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<br />Introducing my new photo series: "Happiness is..."<br /><br />Let me give you a little background...<br /><br />The project is also a good way for me to challenge myself creatively both for my personal mental status and for my professional life. I have been looking for a good creative spark and I'm hoping this project is a fit for me. I don't plan to make an entry every day. In fact, maybe I won't even hit once a week, but I just want it to be on-going and thoughtful. And if it falls flat, so be it...I'll still have the photographs! :)<br /><br />I was inspired by Jennifer Borget's <a href="http://www.parenting.com/blogs/365-moments?cid=searchresult" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">365 Moments</a> Project (in conjunction with Hallmark and Parenting). Absolutely love it.<br /><br />I haven't thought about taking a photo series since college- a shame, because I really do enjoy them.<br /><br />Have you ever taken a photo series?</div>
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Hopefully this inspires you to get out there and start shooting. What topic have you chosen?Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-29971889206592200572012-10-19T20:10:00.001-07:002012-10-19T20:10:13.157-07:00Hyperfocal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LpyZkLPHsbE/UIHf8ELXIAI/AAAAAAAAAr4/vZZ9c58R6mw/s1600/DSCN0872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LpyZkLPHsbE/UIHf8ELXIAI/AAAAAAAAAr4/vZZ9c58R6mw/s400/DSCN0872.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Most of us understand Depth of Field and use it to our advantage to do things like blur the background in portrait and close-up photos. But you can also use it, as </span><span style="text-align: justify;">demonstrated above, to keep the entire </span><span style="text-align: justify;">scene in focus. The basic concept behind this is called Hyperfocal Distance and is fairly easy to understand. If the lens is focused at it's hyperfocal distance everything from a point half that distance to infinity will be in focus. This is the way most digital cameras work when set to the landscape setting. </span><span style="text-align: justify;">If you are using a superfocus or DSLR with manual focus, knowing how this works can help you get the shot you want. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HK9BR1k39Eo/UIIR2ckspxI/AAAAAAAAAsM/oDUBarObJH0/s1600/Canon_DOF_480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HK9BR1k39Eo/UIIR2ckspxI/AAAAAAAAAsM/oDUBarObJH0/s320/Canon_DOF_480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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To demonstrate this look at the scale on this lens. This lens is focused at 5 feet which gives it a DoF of 2.5 feet (1/2 the Hyperfocal ) to infinity. If you don't have a lens with these markings but have a smart phone there are DoF apps for both Android and iPhone which will do the calculations for you.</div>
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Are you ready to go out and give this a try?</div>
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-57910197286767096882012-10-17T11:44:00.000-07:002012-10-17T11:44:41.433-07:00Panorama Gone Vertical <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IqL1Ui7_rPg/UH74GVRJTqI/AAAAAAAAAro/_rKfckCc82M/s1600/DSCN0717a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IqL1Ui7_rPg/UH74GVRJTqI/AAAAAAAAAro/_rKfckCc82M/s640/DSCN0717a.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikon P510 panorama</td></tr>
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Most digital cameras manufactured over the last few years have some type of panorama shooting mode available. Some cameras will even do a top to bottom pan. But how many of us have stayed within the box and only used it to take the standard left to right shots? It's time to "Think out of the box". Just turn the camera vertical and shoot away.<br />
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So grab your camera and start shooting. And if you would like to share feel free to e-mail your resulting photo to us for all to see.<br />
<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-73313412764888451512012-10-11T07:19:00.001-07:002012-10-11T07:19:28.573-07:00A Little Magic<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVKcKCa0_bA/UHbLWblc-OI/AAAAAAAAApU/uOfcl97m_Q0/s1600/564002_3675152041707_46932070_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gVKcKCa0_bA/UHbLWblc-OI/AAAAAAAAApU/uOfcl97m_Q0/s400/564002_3675152041707_46932070_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Android Cell Phone Camera and AfterFocus app.</td></tr>
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Like many folks these days I always have my cell phone in my pocket. So when an opportunity presents itself I am ready to capture the moment. The challenge, for me anyway, then becomes how can I create something special out of what might otherwise be just a snapshot.<br />
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This was the situation with the picture above. Although it was a good shot the background was in focus and therefore distracting from subject. Enter a little app called AfterFocus. This app allows you to choose what areas will be out of focus and also gives you a couple of blur options. There is also a color mask available which, as you see, changes the out of focus area to B&W adding even a more dramatic effect to the finale product.<br />
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Learning how to use AfterFocus is very easy and you should feel like a pro after your first couple of attempts. And don't worry about not liking the results because it saves the change as a new file so you can always start over with the original.<br />
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If budget is a concern for you, fear not, there is a very robust free version. You can also purchase a Pro version which adds a few more goodies including a feature that automatically recognizes the background.<br />
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What other apps have you found useful?Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-50307926006457310602012-10-10T10:44:00.000-07:002012-10-11T09:49:11.802-07:00It Confused Me<br />
I am the first to admit that I really did not understand these and therefore avoided them by never turning this option on. I still do not claim to be an expert on the subject but maybe this discussion will get a few more of us looking at it. After all it is a nice tool in your exposure arsenal.<br />
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So what is it that I ignored all this time? A little feature called the Histogram. It is on virtually every digital camera be it your pocket point and shoot or a top of the line DSLR. That's nice but what does it do?<br />
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In short it is a graph that shows all the light levels of the photo from the darkest on the left to the brightest on the right. The overall scale across the bottom represents about 5 f/stops. This tends to be the maximum f/range that most digital cameras can record. Any peaks on the extreme left indicate areas that are black and peaks on the extreme right show areas of light that are in effect blown out. Think of the middle as the average exposure. One that you would make if you photographed a gray card using a light meter. This in fact is the average most cameras are trying to obtain.<br />
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As you can see in the histogram below almost all the exposed areas are in the mid-range. Once you start using it and begin to understand the relationship between the Histogram and the photo you have taken you begin to understand ways you might be able to correct any exposure problems you have. I have started keeping this feature turned on all the time. As I said when I started I am in no way an expert but every time I look at it I begin to understand a little more ways it can help me improve my photographs.<br />
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Are you ready to take the plunge and begin looking at your Histograms?<br />
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-7783125247209656712012-10-09T08:17:00.002-07:002012-10-09T08:17:36.936-07:00In My Humble Opinion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0jsMyqKuls/UHQ3a9Zqo_I/AAAAAAAAAo0/QEEFcZhP4W8/s1600/Nikon-Coolpix-P5101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n0jsMyqKuls/UHQ3a9Zqo_I/AAAAAAAAAo0/QEEFcZhP4W8/s320/Nikon-Coolpix-P5101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Having recently purchased a Nikon P510 I have been asked the normal questions about why I bought that particular camera . So although I am in no way a professional reviewer here are some of the reasons for this purchase.<br />
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At 4.3 to 180 the camera has a tremendous zoom lens. The 35 mm equivalent is 24 to 1000. There is also a 2x digital zoom giving you a 2000 mm lens. I am not sure I will use the 2x much because digital zooms just crop and expand the picture. (a topic for another blog entry)<br />
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It is much lighter than a DSLR. The P510 weights in at just under 20 ozs while a D90 body alone weights 22 oz. Then you have to factor in the lens that you would need to carry to be equivalent to the lens on the P510. Not having to carry those lens is another factor I considered.<br />
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It gave me a lot of the features that a standard point and shoot does not have. Besides the standard array of preset scene settings the camera gives you the ability to control your exposure. There is a full manual mode as well as aperture and shutter priority settings. You also have the ability for manual focus which comes in handy when the auto focus has a hard time locking on. I have found this happens mostly under low light situations. It also has a rather quick burst setting for a compact digital. In normal usage it get about 5 frames per second. There are some faster settings but it seems to me that 5 frames per second is about the best.<br />
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You also can control the ISO settings from 100 to 6400. Although above 1000 starts to get grainy I have seen good results in the 800 to 1000 range. There is also a couple of auto settings allowing the camera to pick between an ISO of 100 to 800.<br />
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Although there are, of course, some shortcomings over a DSLR this camera seems to give me what I was looking for in a light weight, easy to carry camera. If you are looking for a super zoom compact camera you might want to add this to your short list. (In My Humble Opinion)<br />
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<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-29402243362162187332012-10-08T09:17:00.000-07:002012-10-08T16:54:02.840-07:00Cell Phone Photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRzNctzBSfg/UHLquoD9IwI/AAAAAAAAAog/i33rdGpmkxg/s1600/2012-03-23+08.10.50-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRzNctzBSfg/UHLquoD9IwI/AAAAAAAAAog/i33rdGpmkxg/s400/2012-03-23+08.10.50-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken with Droid X2 and Camera 360 app</td></tr>
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Great photo opportunities can present themselves when you don't have your camera with you. But fear not, most of us always have our phones with us. It good to remember that cell phone cameras aren't just for snapshots anymore. Most have better optics and larger pixel counts than many of the first digital cameras. Besides the camera you have with you is always better than the one you left at home.<br />
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With the large array of available apps both for Android and iPhone there is no reason that with a little practice you can't turn out exceptional photos. If you don't like the way your stock camera app works try out one of the many options available. And keep trying until you find the one that works best for you. There is no "One App Fits All" out there. The most important part is to get the picture.<br />
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Once that's done it's time for a little editing. Just like camera apps there are hundreds of apps to allow your creative juices to flow. You can add color, change it to black and white, make it look like a painting, blur the background, add scratches and other blemishes and the list goes on and on. Even Photoshop has joined in with a free app available to do some color and light editing. Just go to the app store of your choice and do a search for photo apps.<br />
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The most important thing to do is get into the back yard and practice. That was what I was doing when I took this picture on a foggy morning last spring. Once I had time to review what I had taken that morning I realized that B&W showed the dew drops on the web much better. A couple of taps later and here you have it.<br />
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If you would like even more tips on using your cell phone as a camera check out Your Cell Phone Club<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/327722863952713/members/">http://www.facebook.com/groups/327722863952713/members/</a> Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-3121816186087189612012-10-07T19:19:00.000-07:002012-10-11T09:53:06.004-07:00Is it real?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWr-fD1TiP8/UHIm9xzXUgI/AAAAAAAAAn8/bAssmm6j-24/s1600/Night+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWr-fD1TiP8/UHIm9xzXUgI/AAAAAAAAAn8/bAssmm6j-24/s400/Night+tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it a night shot...or isn't it?</td></tr>
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Has this ever happened to you? You show some friends one of your photos and the first thing they ask "Did you really take that?" In this age of Photoshop, Reality TV that's not so real, news bites taken out of context and sharing of photos on the internet it can be difficult to determine what is real.<br />
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Now the question becomes what is reality? A quick snapshot is usually as real as it gets. But photographers have been manipulating their photos since the beginning. We change camera angles, we add light where it did not exist before, we pose people within the photo where we want them and we use various filters on the end of our lenses to change contrast or color. Long before Photoshop, when I was shooting 35 mm and had a darkroom, I did a lot of manipulation of my work. I burned in light spots and dodged out dark areas. I even had an entire roll of moon shots that I could add to any photo I wished.<br />
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So maybe the question is not "Is it real" but "does it really matter?" We took the original picture and like any artist we worked to improve on our interpretation of the world around us. As Ansel Adams said " You don't take a photograph, you make it". Besides would knowing change the emotional response of the viewer?Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-90203774972112032212012-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:002012-11-03T07:37:59.873-07:00Change Your Angle<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iS3o0gklOgE/UG3XeUnzp2I/AAAAAAAAAns/9hkvgcPCzi0/s1600/308053_10151036299961010_301702677_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iS3o0gklOgE/UG3XeUnzp2I/AAAAAAAAAns/9hkvgcPCzi0/s400/308053_10151036299961010_301702677_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://www.savko.net/moreinfo.html">Kristin Savko Photography</a></td></tr>
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Sometime we just need to stop and look at things from a different vantage point. We have all heard change your perspective and you change the impact, but do we really do it. So many photographers are creatures of habit, taking pictures from the level of the subject. Or worse, from the level of their tripod. It's time we mix it up. Changing the position of your camera by inches can drastically change the final results.<br />
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Imagine that this picture had been taken from the perspective of the child. It may have been a good shot but it would not tell the story that this one does.<br />
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Next time, before you press the shutter, think again about the way you composed the shot. Changing your angle can really make for a dramatic image. As they say, practice makes perfect. Are you ready to practice this?<br />
<br />Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5349475742637756644.post-49920461880446242682012-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:002012-10-02T18:24:41.112-07:00Shooting The Moon<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J_VodKxKmEU/UGuHqhr5a2I/AAAAAAAAAnc/901uY6OMO0g/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J_VodKxKmEU/UGuHqhr5a2I/AAAAAAAAAnc/901uY6OMO0g/s400/DSCN0048.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nikon P510 1000mm 1/500 @ 7.8 ISO 800</span></td></tr>
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Taking pictures of the moon can be difficult,.at best, but a few simple tips and some practice can help you get some amazing shots. One of the first things to remember, the fuller the moon the harder it is to get detail in your picture. Remembering back to science class the sun is shining directly on the moon when it is full. You get very few shadows and the most light is reflecting back to earth. If you shoot it at other phases you will see more of the shadow detail from the moonscape.<br />
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Depending on how large a lens you are using you may need to use a tripod. Some folks can handhold but not everyone is that steady. Use manual exposure settings to get the results you are looking for from you photo. On automatic the camera will try to average the entire scene and thus will end up overexposing the moon. If you have manual focus set it on infinity.<br />
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Most of all Practice...Practice....Practice. Continue to try different exposure settings and adjust your focus until you get it just the way you want it.<br />
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Alanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04532307147678220163noreply@blogger.com0