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Ideas, resources and tips on digital photography: equipment, techniques, reviews, courses, etc.

Archive for: June 2009



June 18, 2009

Ideas For Using Your Canon Wide Angle Lens

Filed under: News and Views - 18 Jun 2009

Here are some ideas to help you get  fantastic photographs  using your canon wide angle lens. These lenses are great to capture a wider field of view in your photographs. The subject may be the image’s focus; however, by using this wide angle lens, you can make good use of the background in the picture to add interest. This way the picture will capture a larger story instead of just a photo; for example, in a picture of two children playing on the beach, you may have captured a small fishing boat going past in the background.

With regards to the larger lens, the wide angle lens gives you a stronger depth of field. This is great in that it will not only give you a background and foreground, you also have a better chance of keeping everything focused. On the other hand, if you were using a bigger lens, you would have to have the aperture more closed. This would cause a reduced shutter speed, and the need to use a tripod,which would make the process more time consuming. With all that extra work, the depth of field may not have the strength it would have with the use of a wide angle lens.

The best thing about using Canon wide angle lenses is that if you are taking photo shoots of such things as railroad tracks, a jetty, or anything that may stretch into the distance; the use of a  wide angle lens will really give you realistic photos. They will make a photograph where it feels like you can actually walk along the railroad track. The wide angle lens will give strong lines to the picture.

The wide angle lens also gives  another dimension to a picture giving the illusion that things at different distances are further apart than they actually are. The objects at the forefront look smaller, while the background objects may seem quite a bit more distant.

It is really fun and not as hard as it looks to learn how to use a standard or a digital Canon wide angle lens. If you are looking for the best selection and best prices I would recommend Amazon.com


June 15, 2009

The Power of Black and White Photography

Filed under: News and Views - 15 Jun 2009

It’s amazing how often times older technology or art forms are seen as better value when they are made obsolete by the new and modern.  This is certainly true of black and white photography.  When color photography came on the scene, it seemed the days of black and white in both video and photography were over forever. 

But that was certainly not the case.  In the last 20 years we have watched black and white change in both genres.  In fact, it is not at all unusual any more to see a very modern movie filmed entirely in black and white.  It is also common to visit a fine art museum and find a photographic art display that uses black and white extensively.  Black and white has some artistic and emotional qualities that are just not possible to achieve in color photography.

Probably the strongest quality that grabs the viewer a black and white photo is its emotional power.  Even if the photo is just of an old barn or an antique car, there is an emotional appeal that is difficult to analyze in words but universal to all of us as we look at a black and white shot.  That is why black and white photos almost instantly take on an artistic look.  So if you are evolving your artistic photography style and portfolio, including some experimentation with black and white will do a lot to improve your work.

Black and white photography tends to focus the creative eye on the emotional center of the piece.  Probably the best subject for black and white photography is the human face.  In even a tranquil expression, the viewer can see such a vast range of expression in the eyes, the tilt of the head, the subtle wrinkles or peculiarities of the face and the focus of the gaze. 

Black and white almost always invites the viewer to want to know about the story behind the picture.  If it’s a landscape, “What happened here?” is the question that often springs to the mind of the viewer and the longer they gaze at the photo, the more their imagination fills in the details.  If you’re looking at the wrinkles of an elderly woman, it is almost impossible not to wonder what she is dreaming about or what of life’s issues is weighing on her mind.

Along with the emotional power and the way black and white compels the viewer to search for meaning, black and white carries with it a tremendous romantic power that touches the heart in a powerful way.  That romance can easily translate over to the sensual or even the erotic without having to become pornographic to achieve that effect.  Shots that are trying to evoke the power of sensuality and romance do well when they involve moisture or a water scene such as the beach.  Despite the lack of color, these colors appeal to the five senses in ways that color can never hope to achieve.

You can play around with black and white photography and gather the opinions of friends and family members to learn how to utilize the subtle but powerful artistic nuances that seem to come with black and white photography almost unconsciously.  The digital portrait camera has invited in an enire new age of black and white photography.  You see the form used even in otherwise non artistic settings like wedding portfolios or anniversary pictures.  That is because of that emotional and romantic power that black and white conveys. 

If you have not gotten around to taking black and white pictures, it’s worth the time to learn how to capture the powerful images this type of photography can make possible.  Along with the creative use of light and framing, black and white gives itself well to editing that you can do with Photoshop to bring out the emotional center of each shot.  Before long, you may actually find your self seeing black and white shots in a color world.  Your awareness of what will make a great moment in this format will become acute and you will be ready to capture those moments spontaneously, which is always the best kind of photography.

Richard’s Photography - San Antonio Photographers


Adobe Photoshop CS4

Filed under: News and Views - 15 Jun 2009

In the history of digital photography, there has never been a time that we can achieve such phenomenal results in editing as has happened in the digital age.Of all the programs and tools available on the web to change and enhance digital images, there is none that compare to the popularity and power of Adobe Photoshop.  This digital photography editing softwarehas become so synonymous with editing and creating effects that the term, “to Photoshop” has become a verb that means to enhance or alter an image.

We can “Photoshop in” new outfits, accessories or even people to a shot where it was just not possible before.  So if you want a picture of you shaking hands with the president, you don’t have to go to Washington to get it, just “Photoshop” your image into the image of the president and it will look as real as if you had been there.

If there is something in a picture you don’t want to see anymore, you can “Photoshop” it out.If your picture has a glitch you can easily remove that physical flaw.You can get rid of that distracting person in the background with ease.You can make alterations to images and not even be able to tell it because this digital photography software is so sophisticated.

Photoshop has become such a de facto standard for photo processing that if you are setting up a photography studio or business, a copy of the software is as necessary as Microsoft word or PowerPoint.  The good thing about this software is that it is readily accessible and a lot of people know how to use it.  So if you feel insecure about learning yet another computer application, you can probably find a college student, someone at the high school or maybe the junior high that knows Photoshop in and out and can help you jump start your use of the software as well.

The dominate software has not always been Photoshop.In 1989, two brothers named John and Thomas Knoll created this program.the market became aware of the potential of this software shortly after the brothers created it for their person use.Being rather smart guys John and Thomas founded Adobe in 1990 and began operations.

Adobe has been a shining example of how to achieve success in the age of the Internet.  Today few of us who use the Internet are not aware of Adobe.I don’t think there is a computer working today that does not have a free copy of Adobe reader on it.  The PDF format is yet another example of how this little company has created and then taken over a particular market of online business.

You need to find a copy to play with first to really become good at Adobe Photoshop.You usually can find Photoshop, like most computer applications, on someones computer that will allow you to play with the software a bit.  Then if your friend is a wizard at Photoshop, let him or her show you some of the real “wiz-bang” things they can do with Photoshop using the same menus you were just tinkering with.Be careful, a little Saturday afternoon picture taking spree might make you a Photoshop addict forever.

After that, you would do well to download a copy for yourself.There are evaluation versions that give you most of the features available.Only if you are not sure you want to buy a copy, will you really need this.  Since Photoshop dominates this market, you almost certainly will buy a copy so you might save some frustration and purchase a licensed copy right away.It is OK to just play around with the software and I know you will be doing that for hours at a time because it is just so much fun.There is value in taking some organized classes in Photoshop that you need not overlook.  These classes can show you the shortcuts and how to get the most out of the software.

From there on out, your imagination is the only limit to how you will use this tool to make your photographs better for your customers.  And you will be able to respond enthusiastically when someone says, “that’s OK, you can just Photoshop that and fix it right up.”


June 13, 2009

How to Find That Perfect Wedding Photographer

Filed under: News and Views - 13 Jun 2009

No doubt a wedding will be one of the most important moments that will happen in a person’s life. Many hours goes into a lot of the planning for the wedding. Most of the tasks that take place in wedding planning are time consuming, stressful, and can be frustrating. That’s why it is crucial that your homework is done when trying to find good people for all the jobs.  One of the most important jobs is that of the photographer. From my experience as a San Diego wedding photographer I’ll show you it can be a few simple steps away.

Trying to find a wedding photographer is huge responsibility and job. There are several things to take into account when trying to make this important decision. The photos that you take away from your wedding are going to be the most memorable keepsakes that you have. The photos will be on your walls for the rest of yourlife. One of the important factors when trying to find a photographer is price. Most photographers do charge a price for a specific amount of time for the wedding. It is important to know up front what all is included with that
price. When it comes to finding a wedding photographer, the biggest upside to pricing is there is a lot of competition. Keep in mind that many photographers are willing to negotiate their price a little to fit what you need.

Another thing to take into account when deciding is how much experience does this person have. Is this their firs big wedding job, or have they done a few dozen or more? Their price might be an indication of how many years they have been in business as well. Just because someone is experienced, doesn’t always translate into being a better photographer. A lot times people that are just starting out and are trying to build a reputation for themselves will turn out to be great. The advantage of a person like that and going with them is you know they are going to give it their best. When looking for a wedding photographer, you will find people with varying levels of experience. When you do an interview of prospective photographers, it will give you a sense of what it will be like when you work with them.

A final thing for you to take into account when trying to decide is the personality the photographer has. Are they likely going to try call all the shots and decide on all your poses? Or are they going to let the bride and groom make some decisions? Another thing to think about is whether or not you want to be the one to make the important decisions on the photos. The bride and groom will have enough to think about the day of the wedding as it is. Take all of these things into account when considering which photographer to choose. If you do, no doubt you will have some beautiful photos to cherish for the rest of your lives.  Take it from me, your experienced San Diego photographer.


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