Our Digital Photography Blog
Ideas, resources and tips on digital photography: equipment, techniques, reviews, courses, etc.

Archive for: May 2009



May 31, 2009

5 Tips from a San Diego Wedding Photographer

Filed under: News and Views - 31 May 2009

Being asked to be the photographer for a wedding is a big responsibility.  If you’ve been asked to do it as a favor, or have been asked to do it professionally, here are 5 tips to do to get the job done right.

This tips are coming from first hand experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.  So whether you are seasoned pro, or a rank amateur, if you follow these tips, you will feel comfortable and not have to second guess yourself.You will be ready for whatever may happen.

Our first tip is a simple thing you can do and that is to have the couple and the families go and make a shot list.  When the day is hectic and chaotic, this will help immensely when you are trying to get family and group shots later on in the day.You will love how you can just go through your list and get all the shots you want without leaving anything out.

The second tip on our list is to not delete any shots.  In this day and age of digital cameras, most photographers use them.Even though they are great, it is also tempting since it is so easy, to delete a shot.Don’t even think of looking at the shots.Remember, what you think is a great shot, could be vastly different than what the couple thinks is a great shot.You know what, they might like all those un “professional” shots you take.

For the the third tip, make sure you get candid shots during and after the wedding.  A good wedding photographer will not just try and get the typical shots, like family group shots, wedding party shots, or your standard bride and groom.  But they will also try and capture the emotions of the day through the shots of all the people that were there.It may include the things that go wrong also, like a flower girl making a wrong turn or the ring bearer not wanting to walk down the aisle.  Every shot counts.

The fourth piece of advice is make sure you have back up equipment.Do you even want to think of the horror of not being able to take any more shots of the wedding because of a broken camera.Plan for the worst that could go wrong.By being prepared for the worst and bringing extra cameras and equipment you will avoid the horrible moment fo not having any working cameras to capture the rest of the wedding. day.

Last piece of advice, make sure you know the lighting of the wedding. There can be a huge difference between the lighting inside the wedding and outside, so make sure to practice for all the different possible conditions. Go see the locations and scout it out for the big day, by finding the best places to shoot as well as studying the lighting needs.

Doing these 5 tips will help you immensely.  It will prepare you for whatever might go wrong, it will prepare you for capturing what goes right, and it will prepare you to help contribute to this wonderful day by being the best photographer you can be.  Take it from my years of experience as a San Diego photographer.


May 29, 2009

Photo Lighting

Filed under: News and Views - 29 May 2009

With a good video camera, film or digital camera it is possible to produce professional quality photos of products, family, friends and yourself.Many photographer's can accomplish this with increased lighting which will make the difference in the quality of their photo's.Mulitple lighting methods for photography can be used by any photographer whether they are new or advanced. The primary step in beginning to understand lighting in photography is to understand the measuring of light itself.

 

A primary purpose of a photography lighting system is to illuminate a subject to allow for and achieve a desired affect or to properly capture an image.Achieving the desired level of illumination of the subject being photographed is a crucial step in the production of high qualty photograph's.

 

Photo lighting kits can be utilized to add light to an otherwise dull subject or image and make it come to life in a brilliant photo.Nearly everything that is done as a photographer is about controlling or changing the lighting if at all possible.Many camera owner's wish that they could have some measure of control over the on camera flash because it can be difficult to create quality photo's with it simply because of it's placement and or it's brightness. The flash on a standard camera, makes it difficult to get a great close up photo because it's simply too bright.

 

On camera flashes are also ineffective at lighting up things at a distance. Using a quality light source as most photographer's know, gives you consistency when it comes to the quality of your photo's .  Photographer’s utilize not only flash, but may often use a fluorescent photo lighting kit or one of three types of halogen lighting kits for the desired affect and outcome of their photos.  Both fluorescent and a halogen photo lighting create a continuous light source, where as flash simply follows it’s namesake and is thus not continuous lighting.  Flash bulbs, studio lighting, and other artificial light can either draw attention to a particular feature or can help to minimize the appearance of another feature. Photographer's relying on flash bulbs often notice photo results being less than preferable from harsh bursts of light or red eyes from the on camera flash.

 

Once you have proper photography lighting, it is important for the camera that you are using to be able to read shade.Centering your frame to point behind the subject at a shady instead of a bright area will insure that your subject doesn't appear as a silhouette.You can lesson and soften shadows from your light source with practicing this.

 

Available natural lighting can produce very interesting patterns of light.Working with daylight as a photographer gives a great opportunity to capture many mood changing lighting conditions for a varied spread and quality of photographs.

 


May 28, 2009

Compare Digital Cameras for the Best Price

Filed under: News and Views - 28 May 2009

Photography is a popular pastime of many an enthusiast all over the world.  It is not only a pastime of several people, but also a career of a lot of people.  From the time creation of the camera, it has been that way. Over time the technology has advanced in leaps and bounds and various types of cameras have been invented and produced. One such camera type is the digital camera.  It is worthwhile to compare digital cameras if you really got to buy one.

Internet is full of websites that advertise sale of digital cameras.  These websites have almost all the information concerning them, i.e. service manuals, specification sheets, price comparisons, list of shops where cameras are available, user reviews, digital camera ratings and what not.  If you’re not a camera buff, the most prudent thing to do, without any doubt, is to consult these websites for a compare digital cameras exercise before physically purchasing one.

There are several points to be weighed in advance of buying a digital camera.  Among the many qualities that make a digital camera always stand out from the crowd are optical quality, zoom and storage media. If you are in doubt about those features in general, why not compare digital cameras at such a website where reviews from different sources are available.  It really helps to be informed of such technicalities.

It’s been observed that websites that have comparison charts embedded on them have fine tuned the evaluation of different kinds of cameras. What you’ve got to do is to press the ‘compare’ tab once you have marked out the conditions.  Within seconds, a comparison chart with all the relevant data will appear on your screen. See how easy it is to compare digital cameras in order to make an intelligent buy.

Once you have carried out an evaluation of digital cameras on a suitable site, you will be surprised at how ingenuous it has become. In one of the sites, I saw a list of up to 50 items in a digital camera being compared. If not for such sophisticated online technical know-how, It is unthinkable to attempt such an evaluation. So, having considered the above-noted information, it is most excellent to look for a first-rate website on which you can compare digital cameras so as to avoid post-purchase compunction of your latest digital camera.


Choosing A HD Digital Camcorder

Filed under: News and Views - 28 May 2009

If you’re in the market for a hd digital camcorder, how will you choose which one to get? How can you tell which is the best, or the right one for you?

It would be hard – almost impossible – for the average consumer to keep up with all the new products available. Short of attending the Consumer Electronics Show, or the Photo Marketing Association Show, how can we keep up with what’s new and innovative? Rely on our representatives, that’s how!

Experts Attend All Electronic Shows

One of the most anticipated aspects of a trade show like the Consumer Electronics Show is that companies use the increased chance for exposure to showcase their new products.

At these shows they unveil their latest products.  Case in point, if  a dvd digital camcorder has new features such as a “robust still feature” or a “high resolution sensor” ‘600 fps recording mode, “strong overall video excellence, “ultra small compac body” or exceptional low light sensitivity, they will want the consumers to understand it.  This is where they have the chance to establish the superiority in the market in comparision to other simular type products available.

Electronic experts will regularly attend  related trade shows across the United States.  This is done to gain knowledge of new products on the maket and it is part of thier job. At these shows they compare and study products such as the newest hd camcorders and accessories. Then they are prepared to write valid reviews on camcorders and inform those that arent fortunate enough to attend these events.

How Valid Is The Review

So you’ve found a site with a review of the digital video camcorder with high definition that you’re thinking of buying. Can you trust it? Is the reviewer reputable? How can you know for sure?

Take a look at the website you’re on. Is it a neutral site, one that is an “equal opportunity critic”? Or do they tend to review certain brands more favorably all the time, or recommend a certain manufacturer’s products and exclude others? These sorts of things will help you determine the validity of the reviewer’s opinion and which digital camera to buy.

Pc magazine, and cnet are websites that are well know site are are known to be reliable.  If you happen to be on a site that is owned by the manufacturer,  understand that the information you get might be biased.


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