Photo Art Design

Portrait photography, if you have the knack for it, is a very satisfying type of photography. I say you have to have a knack for portrait photography simply because it’s true. If you can’t put your subject at ease and get them comfortable sitting in front of a camera then as a portrait photographer you have a problem on your hands.

Your subject will turn out stiff and unwilling and it will come through in the photograph as well, and it won’t matter how good a photographer you are, or how much wizardry you can do with editing software.

If the original photograph you take is flawed then there’s not much you can do about it except go back to the drawing board. And by the drawing board here I don’t mean your portrait photography skills but the need for you to brush up on your people skills. And don’t worry if the first ever portrait photograph you take is of the person looking stiff and unnatural, you just need to keep trying until you get it right. Besides, most first attempts at anything invariably come out looking wrong so don’t get discouraged.

It’s only when things are still looking decidedly dicey after about two years of almost dedicated portrait photography that you might want to think about brushing off those people skills you knew you had but which you haven’t been able to find.

For my very first portrait photography session, I hijacked my sister into being my willing victim – oops, I meant to say guinea pig – and I can tell you that the end results were disastrous to say the least.

After that I just forgot all about it and left my desire for portrait photography behind me. Again at this point it was the whole film and processing thing, I didn’t feel like wasting my time and money on something that I clearly wasn’t good at. I also knew that no matter how much I tried to brush up my people skills that that was really as good as it got. So there I was, and there was portrait photography, a seemingly unobtainable goal in my photographic life, until that is of course, I bought my digital camera.

And I have to say that after that, whole new worlds opened up to me and I even went so far as to dream about doing some portrait photography as well. Luckily for me as the years had passed my people skills had also loosened up a little bit and I wasn’t so stiff-necked when I went it to this time. My photographs were still stiff necked, in the beginning at least, but they did improve with time and I can now take a decent portrait photograph without too much of a problem.

The moral of the story then? The digital camera is good for experimenting with photography. And portrait photography is good if you can easily interact with your fellow human being. But overall, don’t give up on portrait photography just because your very first shots were far from perfect. Give it a few more tries and don’t lose hope that you’ll eventually get something more than halfway decent.

Before I forget, I’d also like to point out that portrait photography need not only be about the traditional portraiture. You have many options open to you and which one you take depends to a large amount on your subject, basically which type of portrait would display them best, and your own inclinations. This was just to give you an idea of what type of portrait photography you can look forward to.

 

You are able to create digital pictures in three different types of file formats: JPEG, TIFF, and RAW. Each file format has its good qualities and bad qualities. It is the photographer’s choice to see which file formats to use that works best. If you want to send an image through e-mail, the best format would be JPEG. If you like creating large prints and like optimizing the color that best suits you, shoot in RAW, or you may prefer TIFF if you are working with an advanced desktop publishing software. What are these formats and what do they stand for?

JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group; this is the gathering of photographers who met to discuss formats. JPEG is used a lot in e-mails because it is a compressed image file format and has a smaller size in megabytes unlike the other formats. A disadvantage is if the image is compressed too much the photo quality may seem noticeably damaged.

TIFF stands for Tagged Image File Format. This is a file format that was created in the 1980’s as the standard format used across multiple platforms. Once the TIFF was introduced many people have improved upon it and now there are around fifty variations. Also the TIFF format can handle color depths between 1-bit to 24-bit.

RAW files are unprocessed images that are generally referred to digital negatives. RAW mode doesn’t compress the images and another disadvantage of RAW is that it uses a lot of memory on your card. An advantage is that since this format is unprocessed you can have more control over color corrections and processing on the computer. If you plan on making large prints this is the format to use. More expensive D-SLR cameras have this feature and come with editing software allowing you to open RAW files. Then you are able to edit them and save them to JPEG or TIFF file formats.

Now having a better understanding of file formats you are able to be more creative in your digital photography.

Viewing scenic splendor is a joy forever. Recording those scenes and freezing them for present and future enjoyment – this is what exactly landscape photography does. When it comes to landscape photography, it is not the camera that matters. Rather, it is what one sees that counts and requires plenty of practice. Landscape means “land (scenery) as seen in a broad view.  A landscape photograph is a picture representing a scene by land or sea, actual or fancied. The central subject here is the general aspect of nature such as hills, fields, forests, water. etc. Though there are quite a few self-taught landscape and freelance photographer in Norwich capturing those gorgeous locales, only experienced professionals can create the masterpiece.

Timing and opportunity play a crucial part in landscape photography. Here are some important tips that help to capture a stunning landscape photograph.

•    Selecting a scenic area is the very first step. For a landscape photograph a rural area, park, beach, or natural attraction is a good choice.

•    A good photo consists of beautiful natural colors. If the landscape lack drama, its better to turn the photo into black and white with any photography program. A landscape photograph looks better with the sky in it. While trying to capture something unique like a river, it is better to have something like the riverbank sitting just on the top of the photo. If the sky is partially cloudy, the best time to take a photo is when the cloud is on the horizon.

•    Landscape images should be captured from different perspective, angling the camera a bit, trying to capture different pieces of landscape. A good landscape photo has three layers: Up close, the distant scenery, and finally the sky. While taking photo of a structures, make sure that you capture the whole building, as this is vital in landscape photography.

•    The best time to capture a photo is either early in the day or near sunset. Clear skies leave the sky pink and adds drama into the image. Never take a photo of the sun directly, as it delivers a white blank photo. Depending upon the time of day take a photo of the area near the sun rise or sun set.

•    Check the weather.  A good clear day is essential for a good quality photo. But do not let the weather stop you from capturing an attractive landscape. Rain adds softness and peacefulness to a scene. On an overcast day, to counteract the overall dull lighting do ensure that your scene has an area of color in it.  While air pollution makes the photo appear foggy mist, fog, or haze often contribute to an artistic angle.

There are thousands of good photographers in Norwich specializing in landscape photography. But online portals like Silvestri studio do something different or even better than the rest in the league and strive to be different.

So hook the best landscape photographer in Norwich and create some amazing images of nature. After all a thing of beauty is a joy for ever.

Digital Photography Secrets reveals all the secrets of professional picture-taking to its essence. There’s no history, no mystery, no trivia, and you won’t find any amusing anecdotes about “the digital photographer and the farmer’s daughter.”

Each page has a suggestion as to how to improve your pictures – from better composition, to better awareness, to improving work flow, gear recommendations, improving exposure, focus, and the list goes on and on. I can honestly say, that I have learned something from each page of digital photography secrets and I found the perfect photo accompanying each page particularly helpful in reinforcing each page’s “secret”.

If you are looking for a magician disclosing his secrets, this book is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for clear, concise, practical and easy to understand steps to take better pictures – this is the book you want!

Digital Photography Secrets

After reading each page, I got anxious to grab my camera and go out and test David’s suggestions.

I highly recommend this book to anyone either new to photography or anyone that is looking to improve their skills.

I’ve attended a few courses on photography including the on-line course. But none of it that gave me a straight and layman explanation until I received read these secrets of photography. Even with the early few secrets, I have tried and got wonderful and meaningful images that I have been trying all these years. Thanks for your brilliant and systematic approach.”

I highly recommend Digital Photography Secrets ! It is conveniently broken into clear sections such as Photographing People, Close-ups, Landscape, etc. so you can jump in at whatever area interests you most. It’s a fast read, but I was learning so much and thinking of so many practical applications, I would definitely need to revisit areas. Each page is devoted to an educational point or idea along with a wonderful picture as an example. Rick Simmon includes a DVD with the book which is done in his dynamic and very entertaining style. Again, topics are covered separately with techniques and finished products. A great book to have in your library! I highly recommend it.

David’s lessons of this book are clear, precise and so easy to understand. The pictures included really helped to understand the points better. In the later chapters I enjoyed your discussions on travel, children’s photography, visualization, etc.

You’ll never stress out again working with pint-sized subjects thanks to strategies like:

10 tips for taking winning shots involving tots

Ideas for making kiddie photo sessions easier for parents, kids

Learn the techniques to keep your equipment in top working order including:

The one common household item you should never use to clean your camera

The most important part of your camera to keep clean

Five items on your camera that you must maintain

Some of what you’ll learn from “digital photography secrets” are “basics” of good photography: composition, lighting, etc. But you’ll find lots of special insights on the special needs of the digital photographer including:

Help with bridging the gap from film cameras to digital

Why your image won’t look the same once printed as it does on the screen

What to tell your photo shop so they print your photos correctly

How to know if your digital photos will be cropped when printing, and how to avoid it.

The best kind of printer to purchase so you can avoid the photo shop

4 things to look for when buying a photo cartridge kit

How to ensure your printed photos stay around for a lifetime (or more)