Five Steps to Photographing your first Concert.
1: find a media outlet to shoot for, even if it is a small local paper, a weekly, a website, etc...
Offer your services pro-bono if you have to.
2: contact the PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT of the label; tell them that you want to shoot the show for the aforementioned media and that you need a ticket and a photo pass. Ask them what the photo restrictions are. This alone will make you sound like a pro. Do not sell yourself. They don't care who you are as long as you have a media affiliation; unless of course you are a notorious concert shooter know to them.
3: At the venue, you will deal with the PROMOTER who doesn't always like photographers, especially if you're dealing with Clear Channel. Don't take anything personally. Just in case there's a problem at will call, where you would retrieve your pass and ticket, make sure to bring a print out of your e-mail exchange with the publicist. You will need to show this to the TOUR MANAGER. The promoter will have no idea who the publicist is.
4: Most bands in larger venues have a first 3 songs only, no flash rule. If you have a photo pass but no ticket, you will probably get escorted out after. If you have a ticket, you will be asked to secure your gear back in your car or in the security office of the venue. Don't [whine], don't negotiate. That's how it is.
5: make sure to follow up with the PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT after the show once the coverage is out. A thank you note never hurts. They are middle men (and women), and like to feel appreciated. In addition, if you distinguish yourself without kissing too much [tail], they will make it very smooth for you the next time around.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Image Stabilizer Technology
It seems every decade something new and exciting happens in photo hardware. In the seventies we saw the arrival of accurate auto-exposure. This proved a great boon as we could stop having to constantly fiddle with light readings and camera settings and concentrate on the important aspects of picture taking. Viable auto-focus materialized in the late eighties and opened up a whole new range of possibilities in bird action photography. This decade has mostly seen refinements in earlier concepts and there is no doubt that, for example, both auto-exposure and auto-focus has greatly improved just lately.
However we had to wait until almost the end of the nineties for another really useful innovation. This time it crept in on the scene with rather less fanfare than usual, but there is no doubt in my mind image stabilizing technology is the great breakthrough of the decade. At last it is possible to produce sharp images without being encumbered with a heavy tripod. Image stabilizers have been around for a while in the home video recorder market, but have only recently has this technology become available to the stills photographer. As with a number of the previous breakthroughs this innovation was introduced by Canon.
I like to think I keep my equipment very current by buying all the latest stuff, but this time my wife Wendy jumped in ahead of me and placed an order for a Canon 300mm f4 Image Stabilizer lens. Since we always photograph together, we long ago gave up any attempt to share or pool our photo equipment. Almost every photo opportunity requires a specific lens and if there is only one of these among two photographers we found that whoever does not get to use the required piece of equipment will invariably dissolve into tantrums of grumpiness. We soon learnt that separate camera bags full of our own individual gear are essential. Any attempt at sharing simply introduced unnecessary turbulence into an otherwise fairly placid and stable marriage. When the Image Stabilizer arrived, Wendy jealously guarded the new piece of equipment, and it became clear that I would need a very good reason to try out the new lens for myself. It was only on the pretext that I simply had to review the Image Stabilizer for the benefit of Photography in Progress readers that I managed to lay my hands on the coveted piece of equipment.
Whenever I need to test new equipment or techniques I invariably head for my nearest Bird Park. Although zoo images seldom have the power of truly wild photography, the sheer number of opportunities make this an ideal testing ground. Firstly I was struck by the speed that I could frame and take pictures. Usually it requires several seconds to set up a tripod to the correct height and get the camera mounted on the quick release plate, frequently resulting in missed opportunities. With the Image Stabilizer lens I could get onto a subject in an instant. The stabilizing function is activated by pressing the shutter button half-way which also activates auto-focus at the same time. It takes a split second for the stabilizer to kick in after which the image almost appears to float in the viewfinder. The system detects the tiny movements resulting from hand holding the camera and continuously adjusts for these.
After shooting three or four rolls at the Bird Park I rushed off to the processing lab to get a quick review of the results. Generally when hand holding a lens it is necessary to use a shutter speed of the same value as the focal length. In other words a conventional 300mm lens will require a shutter speed of one three hundredth of a second or less to ensure most pictures are sharp. On my test rolls the images taken at one hundred and twenty fifth of a second with the 300mm Image Stabilizer were all sharp. This was indeed encouraging, but it was the test frames taken at a mere one thirtieth of a second that produced the most significant results with at least 70% pin sharp. Hand holding a conventional 300mm lens at such a slow speed would normally mean that you could consider yourself lucky to average even 10% sharp. At even lower speeds the success rate did drop off noticeably with one eighth of a second being the slowest speed that the system could cope with. I also tried shooting some frames with a 1.4 times converter added to the lens effectively making the 300mm f4 into a 420mm f5.6. This reduced the success rate marginally but the results were still vastly superior to that possible when hand holding a conventional outfit.
Although the percentage of sharp pictures when hand holding the Image Stabilizer at slow speeds will never be as high as when using a tripod and cable release, the sheer mobility and lightness of the system makes this a valuable tool in a number of situations. On a serious birding trip, where photography is of secondary importance, the ability to take sharp 'grab shot' pictures without having to lug a tripod around all day will be a wonderful advantage. Also at popular camp and picnic sites in our game reserves, the bird-life is often sufficiently habituated to allow for tight portraits with a 300mm lens. Here the ability to move quietly without a tripod, and frame subjects quickly will bring a wealth of photo opportunities. This winter I shall be working intensively in the Kruger National Park. As well as the ever present hornbills and glossy starlings, in the Kruger campsites, barbets and various woodpeckers are also very tame so I am hoping to get good pictures of these with the Image Stabilizer.
Of course this lens will have many advantages in the broader sphere of general wildlife photography. On walking trails it will be great for game photography. I recently tried using the Image Stabilizer from my vehicle with the engine still running – a situation that usually guarantees blurred pictures. The resulting shots of a cheetah were pin sharp even at one thirtieth of a second in very low light. I have also been photographing for a book on meerkats lately and once again the mobility of this outfit has been a huge advantage. Meerkats can move pretty quickly when foraging but with the Image Stabilizer I found I missed far less shots than in the past when I had been fumbling around with a tripod.
In fact the only bad thing about this lens is that at the moment we have only one, and Wendy and I are still fighting about who gets to use it. I must admit that I do sometimes forget that it is actually her lens and grab it without even asking, as a result that she now keeps her camera bag firmly zipped up and out of my reach! The only solution is going to be the purchase of a second 300mm Image Stabilizer to stop the squabbles in the Dennis family!
Getaway Guide to Wildlife Photography
Based on 20 years of travelling through southern Africa’s finest game reserves the author imparts much of his hard earned wisdom in a straightforward way that simplifies the technical complexities of wild life photography. With both digital and film media the art of making a picture come alive lies in its composition and lighting. Nigel shows the reader how to recognize ‘golden light’ as well as valuable advice on how to greatly improve the appearance of a photograph in other less than ideal lighting situations. Even the more complex aspects of photography such as selecting the appropriate aperture and shutter speed, making exposure compensations, and fill flash techniques are explained in clear simple terms. Apart from the invaluable photographic advice offered the author shares South Africa’s best-kept wildlife secrets: where to go to photograph wildlife, the best time of year to visit, and the game species you are most likely to find as subjects in each reserve. Reviews include '...the most useful book on wildlife photography I have ever read'.
However we had to wait until almost the end of the nineties for another really useful innovation. This time it crept in on the scene with rather less fanfare than usual, but there is no doubt in my mind image stabilizing technology is the great breakthrough of the decade. At last it is possible to produce sharp images without being encumbered with a heavy tripod. Image stabilizers have been around for a while in the home video recorder market, but have only recently has this technology become available to the stills photographer. As with a number of the previous breakthroughs this innovation was introduced by Canon.
I like to think I keep my equipment very current by buying all the latest stuff, but this time my wife Wendy jumped in ahead of me and placed an order for a Canon 300mm f4 Image Stabilizer lens. Since we always photograph together, we long ago gave up any attempt to share or pool our photo equipment. Almost every photo opportunity requires a specific lens and if there is only one of these among two photographers we found that whoever does not get to use the required piece of equipment will invariably dissolve into tantrums of grumpiness. We soon learnt that separate camera bags full of our own individual gear are essential. Any attempt at sharing simply introduced unnecessary turbulence into an otherwise fairly placid and stable marriage. When the Image Stabilizer arrived, Wendy jealously guarded the new piece of equipment, and it became clear that I would need a very good reason to try out the new lens for myself. It was only on the pretext that I simply had to review the Image Stabilizer for the benefit of Photography in Progress readers that I managed to lay my hands on the coveted piece of equipment.
Whenever I need to test new equipment or techniques I invariably head for my nearest Bird Park. Although zoo images seldom have the power of truly wild photography, the sheer number of opportunities make this an ideal testing ground. Firstly I was struck by the speed that I could frame and take pictures. Usually it requires several seconds to set up a tripod to the correct height and get the camera mounted on the quick release plate, frequently resulting in missed opportunities. With the Image Stabilizer lens I could get onto a subject in an instant. The stabilizing function is activated by pressing the shutter button half-way which also activates auto-focus at the same time. It takes a split second for the stabilizer to kick in after which the image almost appears to float in the viewfinder. The system detects the tiny movements resulting from hand holding the camera and continuously adjusts for these.
After shooting three or four rolls at the Bird Park I rushed off to the processing lab to get a quick review of the results. Generally when hand holding a lens it is necessary to use a shutter speed of the same value as the focal length. In other words a conventional 300mm lens will require a shutter speed of one three hundredth of a second or less to ensure most pictures are sharp. On my test rolls the images taken at one hundred and twenty fifth of a second with the 300mm Image Stabilizer were all sharp. This was indeed encouraging, but it was the test frames taken at a mere one thirtieth of a second that produced the most significant results with at least 70% pin sharp. Hand holding a conventional 300mm lens at such a slow speed would normally mean that you could consider yourself lucky to average even 10% sharp. At even lower speeds the success rate did drop off noticeably with one eighth of a second being the slowest speed that the system could cope with. I also tried shooting some frames with a 1.4 times converter added to the lens effectively making the 300mm f4 into a 420mm f5.6. This reduced the success rate marginally but the results were still vastly superior to that possible when hand holding a conventional outfit.
Although the percentage of sharp pictures when hand holding the Image Stabilizer at slow speeds will never be as high as when using a tripod and cable release, the sheer mobility and lightness of the system makes this a valuable tool in a number of situations. On a serious birding trip, where photography is of secondary importance, the ability to take sharp 'grab shot' pictures without having to lug a tripod around all day will be a wonderful advantage. Also at popular camp and picnic sites in our game reserves, the bird-life is often sufficiently habituated to allow for tight portraits with a 300mm lens. Here the ability to move quietly without a tripod, and frame subjects quickly will bring a wealth of photo opportunities. This winter I shall be working intensively in the Kruger National Park. As well as the ever present hornbills and glossy starlings, in the Kruger campsites, barbets and various woodpeckers are also very tame so I am hoping to get good pictures of these with the Image Stabilizer.
Of course this lens will have many advantages in the broader sphere of general wildlife photography. On walking trails it will be great for game photography. I recently tried using the Image Stabilizer from my vehicle with the engine still running – a situation that usually guarantees blurred pictures. The resulting shots of a cheetah were pin sharp even at one thirtieth of a second in very low light. I have also been photographing for a book on meerkats lately and once again the mobility of this outfit has been a huge advantage. Meerkats can move pretty quickly when foraging but with the Image Stabilizer I found I missed far less shots than in the past when I had been fumbling around with a tripod.
In fact the only bad thing about this lens is that at the moment we have only one, and Wendy and I are still fighting about who gets to use it. I must admit that I do sometimes forget that it is actually her lens and grab it without even asking, as a result that she now keeps her camera bag firmly zipped up and out of my reach! The only solution is going to be the purchase of a second 300mm Image Stabilizer to stop the squabbles in the Dennis family!
Getaway Guide to Wildlife Photography
Based on 20 years of travelling through southern Africa’s finest game reserves the author imparts much of his hard earned wisdom in a straightforward way that simplifies the technical complexities of wild life photography. With both digital and film media the art of making a picture come alive lies in its composition and lighting. Nigel shows the reader how to recognize ‘golden light’ as well as valuable advice on how to greatly improve the appearance of a photograph in other less than ideal lighting situations. Even the more complex aspects of photography such as selecting the appropriate aperture and shutter speed, making exposure compensations, and fill flash techniques are explained in clear simple terms. Apart from the invaluable photographic advice offered the author shares South Africa’s best-kept wildlife secrets: where to go to photograph wildlife, the best time of year to visit, and the game species you are most likely to find as subjects in each reserve. Reviews include '...the most useful book on wildlife photography I have ever read'.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Selecting Good Stock Photography in the Age of Digital
The business of stock photography has drastically changed over the last few years. Ten years ago, selecting photographs for your brochure or newsletter meant spending hours pouring over stock photography catalogs and ordering photo research to find the exact image. When the order came in a giant overnight package, designers would spread transparencies out on the light table, squinting through a magnifying loop to check every detail.
Enter the digital age.
High speed Internet connections. CD’s. Searchable Archives. Royalty-free stock. These elements have changed the face of communication design forever. The quality, quantity, affordability and accessibility of stock imagery have made it the resource of choice for many organizations.
The advantages of instantaneous access to searchable archives of good images are numerous.
* Speed :: We can never have enough of it. Search. Download. Import. It’s remarkable.
* Choice :: Searching "stock photography" on Google delivers 1,470,000 results. You can find pretty much anything out there.
* Price :: While there are free resources, unless you are doing a school report, you may need something slightly more exclusive. Also, many of the free images are only good enough for online display and the selection is very limited. Royalty-free images are reasonably priced, you pay for only the size you’ll use and images can be used as needed with no extra charges.
* Flexibility :: Image selections can be grouped, saved and emailed to others in the review cycle. People in different locations can simultaneously review ideas.
* Archiving :: Some companies even keep a record of your buys that you can re-download whenever you need them. To use this resource effectively, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
* Plan ahead :: Will you ever need the picture to be printed? The low cost of "low resolution" images can lure you into costly mistakes. Images need to be 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the size they will be printed.
* Low-cost tradeoff :: Pictures are now so affordable, everyone’s buying them. That means your image could show up in your competitor’s brochure. Some projects call for more exclusive imagery.
* Image-enhancement :: When you need something totally unique, such as your product in the shot, it may be more economical to hire a photographer than to have your designer spend countless hours in Photoshop trying to get it just right.
* Availability :: Good images still cost money. While many firms have images on file, don’t expect your designer to have a database full of images right for your project.
When searching on the web, search for "stock photography" rather than doing an image search in Google or another search engine. Google returns all images from the web -- including those that are the property of others and not legally usable.
Enter the digital age.
High speed Internet connections. CD’s. Searchable Archives. Royalty-free stock. These elements have changed the face of communication design forever. The quality, quantity, affordability and accessibility of stock imagery have made it the resource of choice for many organizations.
The advantages of instantaneous access to searchable archives of good images are numerous.
* Speed :: We can never have enough of it. Search. Download. Import. It’s remarkable.
* Choice :: Searching "stock photography" on Google delivers 1,470,000 results. You can find pretty much anything out there.
* Price :: While there are free resources, unless you are doing a school report, you may need something slightly more exclusive. Also, many of the free images are only good enough for online display and the selection is very limited. Royalty-free images are reasonably priced, you pay for only the size you’ll use and images can be used as needed with no extra charges.
* Flexibility :: Image selections can be grouped, saved and emailed to others in the review cycle. People in different locations can simultaneously review ideas.
* Archiving :: Some companies even keep a record of your buys that you can re-download whenever you need them. To use this resource effectively, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
* Plan ahead :: Will you ever need the picture to be printed? The low cost of "low resolution" images can lure you into costly mistakes. Images need to be 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the size they will be printed.
* Low-cost tradeoff :: Pictures are now so affordable, everyone’s buying them. That means your image could show up in your competitor’s brochure. Some projects call for more exclusive imagery.
* Image-enhancement :: When you need something totally unique, such as your product in the shot, it may be more economical to hire a photographer than to have your designer spend countless hours in Photoshop trying to get it just right.
* Availability :: Good images still cost money. While many firms have images on file, don’t expect your designer to have a database full of images right for your project.
When searching on the web, search for "stock photography" rather than doing an image search in Google or another search engine. Google returns all images from the web -- including those that are the property of others and not legally usable.
Photography Tips - Lighting your Subject
Lighting your subject is, obviously, very important for the successful capture of the 'perfect' image. The type and intensity of the light can dramatically change the mood of the photograph. Sometimes the effect is not obvious until the picture is developed. Even with the digital camera, although you can see an image immediately, the size of the view screen makes it difficult to notice some of the differences.
The best way to learn how light affects the final image is to experiment - ah the joy of the digital camera - you don't have to wait to get the film developed to see the results! Try taking pictures with and without the flash. Try using alternate sources of light. Try using settings other than the camera default settings.
1. Taking pictures with/without a flash Many cameras have an automatic flash setting that I find most people used 99% of the time. This may not always get you the result you want. For example, on a very bright day your flash will not fire as your camera senses enough light. However, you may find that the shadows cast are very strong and detract from the photo. Most digital cameras today have a setting called 'fill flash'. You can use this setting to 'fill' in the shadows created by the strong sunlight.
The opposite of this is to not use the flash when the camera wants to use it. Each year at Halloween I love to carve pumpkins. I try to create a new design every year and take photos of them. I take them out to the front step (in the dark), light the candles and position my self so that the flame is hidden behind the design but the light comes shining through. If I were to use a flash, all I would see would be an orange pumpkin with stuff carved out - not what I want. If I turn off the flash, I can then take a great photo that shows the design as glowing against the dark pumpkin.
2. Alternate source of additional light (other than your flash)
Instead of using the flash to illuminate your subject, try reflected light. Aluminum foil is a great reflector of light and is cheap, lightweight and easy to carry. During a walk in the woods, I found a small group of delicate pink flowers growing on a moss-covered stump. There was no direct light on the flowers and a flash would have completely washed out the colour. I used my trusty piece of aluminum foil to reflect the light falling to the ground a few feet away towards the flowers. You can adjust the amount of light by moving or crumpling the foil.
3. Different settings
The default settings are not always the best. If you are taking a photo of people with dark skin (not a portrait but a photo including most if not all the body) and you use the automatic settings, you may find that there is little detail in their faces. Opening the shutter by one f-stop (maybe more if they are really dark) should give you the light you need to show their faces. On the other hand, let's say you have a scene where you have some brightly colored leaves against a dark background. If there is a fair amount of the dark background showing, using the automatic settings will most likely overexpose the leaves, losing the vibrancy of the colour. In this instance, closing the shutter by one f-stop (or so) will bring capture the bright colours. Remember that your light meter sets your camera to give you a 'mid-gray' exposure. If your subject and background are quite different in value, then the default settings are probably not going to give you the best results.
For your experiments to have lasting value, record them. I carry a small coil notebook that I can use to note anything different I do. Some of the things I note include:
Identify your photos - In addition to numbering them, for the first photo of a group of experiments, I describe it so I will know which one it is when I get around to looking at them. For me, this is the most reliable way to know to which photos my notes belong as the camera date is usually set off and I may take photos for days before downloading.
Note the ambient light conditions - indicate the type of light (direct sunlight, full shade, light overcast, 60 watt bulb etc) and the direction of the light in relation to your subject (from right to left, front to back, etc). If you have an SLR camera, note any variations in f-stop or shutter speed you make from those derived from using your light meter.
When you have developed your photos (or downloaded them) look at the results and draw your conclusions about what worked and did not, what effects you liked and what you did not. Think about what you were trying to capture in the photo and whether the lighting you used enhanced or detracted from it.
Use your imagination and try these techniques - you have nothing to loose and you may just have more fun with your camera!
The best way to learn how light affects the final image is to experiment - ah the joy of the digital camera - you don't have to wait to get the film developed to see the results! Try taking pictures with and without the flash. Try using alternate sources of light. Try using settings other than the camera default settings.
1. Taking pictures with/without a flash Many cameras have an automatic flash setting that I find most people used 99% of the time. This may not always get you the result you want. For example, on a very bright day your flash will not fire as your camera senses enough light. However, you may find that the shadows cast are very strong and detract from the photo. Most digital cameras today have a setting called 'fill flash'. You can use this setting to 'fill' in the shadows created by the strong sunlight.
The opposite of this is to not use the flash when the camera wants to use it. Each year at Halloween I love to carve pumpkins. I try to create a new design every year and take photos of them. I take them out to the front step (in the dark), light the candles and position my self so that the flame is hidden behind the design but the light comes shining through. If I were to use a flash, all I would see would be an orange pumpkin with stuff carved out - not what I want. If I turn off the flash, I can then take a great photo that shows the design as glowing against the dark pumpkin.
2. Alternate source of additional light (other than your flash)
Instead of using the flash to illuminate your subject, try reflected light. Aluminum foil is a great reflector of light and is cheap, lightweight and easy to carry. During a walk in the woods, I found a small group of delicate pink flowers growing on a moss-covered stump. There was no direct light on the flowers and a flash would have completely washed out the colour. I used my trusty piece of aluminum foil to reflect the light falling to the ground a few feet away towards the flowers. You can adjust the amount of light by moving or crumpling the foil.
3. Different settings
The default settings are not always the best. If you are taking a photo of people with dark skin (not a portrait but a photo including most if not all the body) and you use the automatic settings, you may find that there is little detail in their faces. Opening the shutter by one f-stop (maybe more if they are really dark) should give you the light you need to show their faces. On the other hand, let's say you have a scene where you have some brightly colored leaves against a dark background. If there is a fair amount of the dark background showing, using the automatic settings will most likely overexpose the leaves, losing the vibrancy of the colour. In this instance, closing the shutter by one f-stop (or so) will bring capture the bright colours. Remember that your light meter sets your camera to give you a 'mid-gray' exposure. If your subject and background are quite different in value, then the default settings are probably not going to give you the best results.
For your experiments to have lasting value, record them. I carry a small coil notebook that I can use to note anything different I do. Some of the things I note include:
Identify your photos - In addition to numbering them, for the first photo of a group of experiments, I describe it so I will know which one it is when I get around to looking at them. For me, this is the most reliable way to know to which photos my notes belong as the camera date is usually set off and I may take photos for days before downloading.
Note the ambient light conditions - indicate the type of light (direct sunlight, full shade, light overcast, 60 watt bulb etc) and the direction of the light in relation to your subject (from right to left, front to back, etc). If you have an SLR camera, note any variations in f-stop or shutter speed you make from those derived from using your light meter.
When you have developed your photos (or downloaded them) look at the results and draw your conclusions about what worked and did not, what effects you liked and what you did not. Think about what you were trying to capture in the photo and whether the lighting you used enhanced or detracted from it.
Use your imagination and try these techniques - you have nothing to loose and you may just have more fun with your camera!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Marketing for Local Artists; Poetry, Art, Sculpture, Photography or Paintings
As a freelance marketing consultant in my retirement often small business people will approach me and ask my advice to help them market their art business. One thing I find interesting is most are very Internet Literate and have some marketing savvy as well. This sure helps when we sit down to discuss things they might do to market better and sell more of their art, sculptures, paintings, photography or artistic creations whatever they might be.
Do you own a small business, which produces art? I would say that you should put your efforts in any business where it will do the most good. So in the case of a local artist; Loaning art with price tags and business cards on the frames to Hotels, Time Shares, Restaurants, travel centers, airport lobbies, visitor bureaus, real estate offices, chambers of commerce; makes sense.
Plus writing articles for print in Tourist information material, newspapers, magazines, also post them online. Collections of poetry or articles in eBooks compilations, in various categories; Seasonal "Holiday Poetry," "Local Poetry," "Best Poetry of 2007" mix and match compilations to give away and perhaps Illustrated eBooks with poetry for each picture. Consider also a weekly or monthly Ezine with the latest sculptures, progress, art, etc.
Grass roots; Flyers on Pizza Boxes, Art Exhibits, flyers at Chamber, visitors centers, inserts in visitor information, A-Frame Signage, Roadside signs with web-address “this highway adopted by YourWebSite.com, etc.
What is so great is there are many sources on the Internet to find other ideas such as Judy Cullins website on marketing online and her advice is great and she is right. Everyone should invest in reading her articles or reading her books in my opinion. It sure beats the hard way. And well I ought to know having built my business from scratch. I hope this article will propel thought into 2007.
Do you own a small business, which produces art? I would say that you should put your efforts in any business where it will do the most good. So in the case of a local artist; Loaning art with price tags and business cards on the frames to Hotels, Time Shares, Restaurants, travel centers, airport lobbies, visitor bureaus, real estate offices, chambers of commerce; makes sense.
Plus writing articles for print in Tourist information material, newspapers, magazines, also post them online. Collections of poetry or articles in eBooks compilations, in various categories; Seasonal "Holiday Poetry," "Local Poetry," "Best Poetry of 2007" mix and match compilations to give away and perhaps Illustrated eBooks with poetry for each picture. Consider also a weekly or monthly Ezine with the latest sculptures, progress, art, etc.
Grass roots; Flyers on Pizza Boxes, Art Exhibits, flyers at Chamber, visitors centers, inserts in visitor information, A-Frame Signage, Roadside signs with web-address “this highway adopted by YourWebSite.com, etc.
What is so great is there are many sources on the Internet to find other ideas such as Judy Cullins website on marketing online and her advice is great and she is right. Everyone should invest in reading her articles or reading her books in my opinion. It sure beats the hard way. And well I ought to know having built my business from scratch. I hope this article will propel thought into 2007.
Nature Photography - Experimenting with Nature
Nature photography is one of the best ways to create an appreciation of nature, whether that nature photography is flowers, landscapes or animals.
Nature photography can be one of the most rewarding - and one of the most frustrating - types of photography. Wind can cause blur, not only with too much motion in the flora, but also making it difficult to depress the shutter smoothly. (If background is unimportant in your nature photography, consider a light tent to reduce wind and to block out background.) Sunlight also can cause problems in nature photography with too much exposure. Experiment to find what works best with what you want to accomplish through nature photography.
One thing that you'll want to be able to do with nature photography is to take close-ups of flora. Make sure to have a zoom or macro lens. A tripod is helpful to stabilize the camera in nature photography. Tripods that have a rotating central shaft allow you to get in closer.
Experiment with angles in nature photography. The most common angle in nature photography is looking down from the top. This has the advantage of being able to photograph flowers that are very close to the ground. Try eye level or photographing upwards for an interesting and unique shot.
Try differing backgrounds in your nature photography. If you have nothing in the background, context is hard to determine. Too much in the background, though, will detract from the main focus of your nature photography. However, by zooming in closer, the background will become softer. Your main focus, then, will stand out in sharp relief.
Another way to experiment with nature photography is with camera position. Most photographs are horizontal. See what kind of self-expression you come up with by simply rotating the camera 90 degrees.
With practice nature photography can become second nature.
Nature photography can be one of the most rewarding - and one of the most frustrating - types of photography. Wind can cause blur, not only with too much motion in the flora, but also making it difficult to depress the shutter smoothly. (If background is unimportant in your nature photography, consider a light tent to reduce wind and to block out background.) Sunlight also can cause problems in nature photography with too much exposure. Experiment to find what works best with what you want to accomplish through nature photography.
One thing that you'll want to be able to do with nature photography is to take close-ups of flora. Make sure to have a zoom or macro lens. A tripod is helpful to stabilize the camera in nature photography. Tripods that have a rotating central shaft allow you to get in closer.
Experiment with angles in nature photography. The most common angle in nature photography is looking down from the top. This has the advantage of being able to photograph flowers that are very close to the ground. Try eye level or photographing upwards for an interesting and unique shot.
Try differing backgrounds in your nature photography. If you have nothing in the background, context is hard to determine. Too much in the background, though, will detract from the main focus of your nature photography. However, by zooming in closer, the background will become softer. Your main focus, then, will stand out in sharp relief.
Another way to experiment with nature photography is with camera position. Most photographs are horizontal. See what kind of self-expression you come up with by simply rotating the camera 90 degrees.
With practice nature photography can become second nature.
Digital Photography Thru An Amateurs Lens
If you haven't taken your first digital photograph, or even heard of digital photography, then I really must congratulate you. You are truly a contradiction. Since your reading this article, you must be browsing the web, yet you still haven't heard of digital cameras. Apart from the computer itself, and perhaps the cell phone, photography has been more revitalized than practically any other industry in the digital universe. During it's early introduction, it was reviled by professional photographers, as being a sub par and mediocre technology. In other words, the picture quality was pathetic. However, Like any high tech toy these days, it has matured at an alarming rate, and the cries of mediocrity have been gagged and silenced. Everyone, even a multitude of pros engage in the sinful passion that is digital photography.
Digital Delights vs Digital Dystopia
Not to say that aren't a cornucopia of complications to overcome in this new digital wonderland. And hardly the least of these is the managing of the overflow of new pictures you now own copyrights to. It seems that being cheap little buggers, is a genetic trait of most human beings. Way back in the old days, when taking pictures actually meant buying real film with real cash, we were very judicious in what pictures we took. Now that digital photography allows us to endlessly reuse those overworked little bits on our memory sticks, we click, snap and shoot every cute, furry, adorable thing that comes into range. Once are hard drives are crammed with a gazillion of these images ranging from dubious to heirloom quality we really start to worry. What happens if our hard drive makes that klunk-grind-klunk-kratch sound that next time we boot up our pc? Or . . . however will we find that one really priceless picture we're looking for, in that wasteland of hopefully-forgotten digital visions? Gotta have backups folks. And really you must get more organized. It's that simple. And hey, while your at it, dump that crappy and boring old screen saver of flying toasters, and crappy windows logos, for your own maniacal barge sized load of digital pictures on your hard drive. Why not at least view your images on your own pc periodically before your hard drive commits digital Hari-Kari.
Revenge is the Ultimate Panacea
Of course there are many more creatively satisfying tactics for dealing with all this digital photography abundance. All those free picture sharing sites that allow us to inflict our photographic genius on other unsuspecting travelers of the net. You upload your pictures in varying sizes, and mediums of presentation. Yes, the already tortured world really needs to see a slideshow of my 4 year olds magnificently produced, directed and choreographed version of the Teddy Bear Picnic. As harmless as this strategy may seem, it's effectiveness is not ruthlessly devoid of passion. Of course why just settle for a inner feeling of joy, when you can turn all those pictures into hard cash. Start a picture blog, and surround your beautiful works of sublime art with greed driven capitalistic advertisements. Nothing like that oh so moving picture of junior playing with his very first barf, and a caption of "Ads by Gaaaaaaagle" eloquently underneath. I'm sure once you put a little thought into it, you can come up with your own wonderful form of digital dysentery. Best of luck, I'll be watching for you.
Digital Delights vs Digital Dystopia
Not to say that aren't a cornucopia of complications to overcome in this new digital wonderland. And hardly the least of these is the managing of the overflow of new pictures you now own copyrights to. It seems that being cheap little buggers, is a genetic trait of most human beings. Way back in the old days, when taking pictures actually meant buying real film with real cash, we were very judicious in what pictures we took. Now that digital photography allows us to endlessly reuse those overworked little bits on our memory sticks, we click, snap and shoot every cute, furry, adorable thing that comes into range. Once are hard drives are crammed with a gazillion of these images ranging from dubious to heirloom quality we really start to worry. What happens if our hard drive makes that klunk-grind-klunk-kratch sound that next time we boot up our pc? Or . . . however will we find that one really priceless picture we're looking for, in that wasteland of hopefully-forgotten digital visions? Gotta have backups folks. And really you must get more organized. It's that simple. And hey, while your at it, dump that crappy and boring old screen saver of flying toasters, and crappy windows logos, for your own maniacal barge sized load of digital pictures on your hard drive. Why not at least view your images on your own pc periodically before your hard drive commits digital Hari-Kari.
Revenge is the Ultimate Panacea
Of course there are many more creatively satisfying tactics for dealing with all this digital photography abundance. All those free picture sharing sites that allow us to inflict our photographic genius on other unsuspecting travelers of the net. You upload your pictures in varying sizes, and mediums of presentation. Yes, the already tortured world really needs to see a slideshow of my 4 year olds magnificently produced, directed and choreographed version of the Teddy Bear Picnic. As harmless as this strategy may seem, it's effectiveness is not ruthlessly devoid of passion. Of course why just settle for a inner feeling of joy, when you can turn all those pictures into hard cash. Start a picture blog, and surround your beautiful works of sublime art with greed driven capitalistic advertisements. Nothing like that oh so moving picture of junior playing with his very first barf, and a caption of "Ads by Gaaaaaaagle" eloquently underneath. I'm sure once you put a little thought into it, you can come up with your own wonderful form of digital dysentery. Best of luck, I'll be watching for you.
Baby Photos: From Forgotten to Fabulous
The fate of many a baby photo is to be relegated to an empty shoebox. For super-organized families, photos may find their way into a photo album, to collect dust upon a shelf. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to forget precious baby photos when they're hidden out of sight.
With the coming-of-age of digital photography, many more possibilities now exist for those precious baby photos. So before you tuck them away where they'll sit, unorganized and unseen, consider a few great ways to make your beloved photos a part of your daily life.
Many photo shops offer services beyond just transforming your annual family portrait into a personalized Christmas card. Now options include calendars created from a selection of photographs, or transforming your photos into mousepads and mugs. For those families who have gone digital, or who have a scanner available to scan photos onto your computer, many of these items (and much more) can be ordered online at sites such as Snapfish or Cafepress. It's simple, too. Upload a photo -- or photos -- of your choice, and choose the items you wish to buy. The choices range from wooden boxes to Christmas ornaments, from sweatshirts to tote bags.
For the more adventurous among us, there are many creative, do-it-yourself prospects for those charming baby pics as well. Craft stores and even office supply stores have large selections of special photo papers these days
You can buy canvas that can actually be run through a home printer, for example. With simple, commercial photo editing software on a home computer, special effects can transform your photograph into a striking watercolor. With a few clicks, you can print it out on canvas and hang it right in your home. And what a great holiday gift for grandparents!
Another idea is using transfer paper, also usable on a home printer. With only a hot iron and a towel, you can transfer your pictures to tote bags or tee-shirts, or to any other item made of a cotton-based fabric. It's a fun and easy way to bring your favorite baby photos to life.
For those technophiles among us, why not upload a selection of baby pictures to a photo-sharing website. A quick search on your favorite search engine should turn up a whole bunch. It's a great, inexpensive way to share photos with friends and family all over the world?
Some photo editing software packages also have a slideshow option that allows photos to be viewed as a slideshow on your monitor. Slideshows can often be emailed as well, allowing others the benefit of your photos. And by all means, set them up as a screensaver. The screensaver can be updated and changed as you take new photos.
These days, the options for enjoying photos of your child are as boundless as your imagination. So keep those photos out of that old shoebox. Instead, transform them into something wonderful, something to be enjoyed on a regular basis.
With the coming-of-age of digital photography, many more possibilities now exist for those precious baby photos. So before you tuck them away where they'll sit, unorganized and unseen, consider a few great ways to make your beloved photos a part of your daily life.
Many photo shops offer services beyond just transforming your annual family portrait into a personalized Christmas card. Now options include calendars created from a selection of photographs, or transforming your photos into mousepads and mugs. For those families who have gone digital, or who have a scanner available to scan photos onto your computer, many of these items (and much more) can be ordered online at sites such as Snapfish or Cafepress. It's simple, too. Upload a photo -- or photos -- of your choice, and choose the items you wish to buy. The choices range from wooden boxes to Christmas ornaments, from sweatshirts to tote bags.
For the more adventurous among us, there are many creative, do-it-yourself prospects for those charming baby pics as well. Craft stores and even office supply stores have large selections of special photo papers these days
You can buy canvas that can actually be run through a home printer, for example. With simple, commercial photo editing software on a home computer, special effects can transform your photograph into a striking watercolor. With a few clicks, you can print it out on canvas and hang it right in your home. And what a great holiday gift for grandparents!
Another idea is using transfer paper, also usable on a home printer. With only a hot iron and a towel, you can transfer your pictures to tote bags or tee-shirts, or to any other item made of a cotton-based fabric. It's a fun and easy way to bring your favorite baby photos to life.
For those technophiles among us, why not upload a selection of baby pictures to a photo-sharing website. A quick search on your favorite search engine should turn up a whole bunch. It's a great, inexpensive way to share photos with friends and family all over the world?
Some photo editing software packages also have a slideshow option that allows photos to be viewed as a slideshow on your monitor. Slideshows can often be emailed as well, allowing others the benefit of your photos. And by all means, set them up as a screensaver. The screensaver can be updated and changed as you take new photos.
These days, the options for enjoying photos of your child are as boundless as your imagination. So keep those photos out of that old shoebox. Instead, transform them into something wonderful, something to be enjoyed on a regular basis.
How To Turn Your Photos Into Cash
While some start selling their digital photos to help pay the mortgage and buy gas others have figured out how to turn the process into some serious cash.
I was at a wedding recently and one of the guests and I were chatting about digital cameras when the subject of selling photos online came up. He indicated he had a friend who started out selling a few pictures here and there and quickly discovered that if he went about it the right way he could make some big money.
Note: In this article I make several references to various websites. You'll need to jump over to the Digital Camera University original article listed at the bottom of this page to see the links. :)
My own experience in selling photos was limited to off line, and more specifically, wedding photography. Well when this guy started to lay out the details of his friend venture into the online world selling digital photos, I was all ears.
Shooting weddings and selling photos to the bride, groom and their families was REALLY hard work, AND very stressful. When I listened to this fellow explain his friends online photos selling business I became more and more intrigued. You see, the whole process seemed to violate my sense of order, my photographic business experience order.
In a nut shell, his friend would do some research, find out what was in high demand or was going to be in high demand and then took photos to match that demand. I was aware that you could sell photos to places like Shutterstock and iStockphoto but quite frankly it never occurred to me that you could make money, let alone enough money to make the mortgage payment.
Until… this fellow indicated that his buddy was consistently pulling $2,500 to $5,000 EXTRA dollars a month. Talk about capturing someones attention! That did it.
Of course I was prepared to hear the bad news so I went ahead and asked the question. How much time does he spend taking pictures? Well, he answered, “I’m not quite sure because my friend only does it as a hobby.”
A hobby!
A hobby that he enjoyed doing and pulled some really decent money to boot.
So, I went online and began to research the process of selling photos. Now we all know that when you research on the Internet you should probably have your BS Meter up and running so you can tell when someone is fibbing.
I found a lot of references in forums and on blogs that seemed to be red zoning my BS Meter but low and behold after some diligent searching I found some articles that if your curious about making some extra cash online selling photos you’re probably going to want to read.
Disregarding the usual Internet fluff here are my two favorites.
Popular Photography has a terrific article entitled,
“25 Cent Fortune“
How “ordinary” photographers are making Big Money shooting for small stock agencies.
Digital Photography Journal
“Selling Photos Online”
Then I traveled to my local bookstore and found a REALLY great article in the July 2006 issue of ‘Practical Photography.’
Article Title - How To Turn Your Pictures Into Cash
Now you won’t find this issue at their website but if you’re interested in making money selling your photos online you simply MUST get your hands on this article! It is FULL of case studies, tips and ideas (good ideas) on making money online with digital photos. If there is ANYTHING that will convince you to pick up your digital camera and start shooting it’s the section of the article that’s titled, “Interpreting a Theme,” all I can say is, WOW!
I was at a wedding recently and one of the guests and I were chatting about digital cameras when the subject of selling photos online came up. He indicated he had a friend who started out selling a few pictures here and there and quickly discovered that if he went about it the right way he could make some big money.
Note: In this article I make several references to various websites. You'll need to jump over to the Digital Camera University original article listed at the bottom of this page to see the links. :)
My own experience in selling photos was limited to off line, and more specifically, wedding photography. Well when this guy started to lay out the details of his friend venture into the online world selling digital photos, I was all ears.
Shooting weddings and selling photos to the bride, groom and their families was REALLY hard work, AND very stressful. When I listened to this fellow explain his friends online photos selling business I became more and more intrigued. You see, the whole process seemed to violate my sense of order, my photographic business experience order.
In a nut shell, his friend would do some research, find out what was in high demand or was going to be in high demand and then took photos to match that demand. I was aware that you could sell photos to places like Shutterstock and iStockphoto but quite frankly it never occurred to me that you could make money, let alone enough money to make the mortgage payment.
Until… this fellow indicated that his buddy was consistently pulling $2,500 to $5,000 EXTRA dollars a month. Talk about capturing someones attention! That did it.
Of course I was prepared to hear the bad news so I went ahead and asked the question. How much time does he spend taking pictures? Well, he answered, “I’m not quite sure because my friend only does it as a hobby.”
A hobby!
A hobby that he enjoyed doing and pulled some really decent money to boot.
So, I went online and began to research the process of selling photos. Now we all know that when you research on the Internet you should probably have your BS Meter up and running so you can tell when someone is fibbing.
I found a lot of references in forums and on blogs that seemed to be red zoning my BS Meter but low and behold after some diligent searching I found some articles that if your curious about making some extra cash online selling photos you’re probably going to want to read.
Disregarding the usual Internet fluff here are my two favorites.
Popular Photography has a terrific article entitled,
“25 Cent Fortune“
How “ordinary” photographers are making Big Money shooting for small stock agencies.
Digital Photography Journal
“Selling Photos Online”
Then I traveled to my local bookstore and found a REALLY great article in the July 2006 issue of ‘Practical Photography.’
Article Title - How To Turn Your Pictures Into Cash
Now you won’t find this issue at their website but if you’re interested in making money selling your photos online you simply MUST get your hands on this article! It is FULL of case studies, tips and ideas (good ideas) on making money online with digital photos. If there is ANYTHING that will convince you to pick up your digital camera and start shooting it’s the section of the article that’s titled, “Interpreting a Theme,” all I can say is, WOW!
Improving and Printing Your Digital Photos
As prices for digital cameras plummet, more and more people are switching from film to digital. Besides the cost of the camera itself, one of the most obvious benefits of digital photography is the low cost of taking pictures. With film-based cameras one will spend an average of ten dollars for 24 pictures (film and processing), while you can take hundreds of pictures using a digital camera for no per-picture cost.
The low cost of digital picture taking has spurred an increase in picture taking, but more isn't automatically better. One of the less known benefits of digital photography is the ability to easily and inexpensively improve your pictures with digital editing techniques. In the film world, retouching photographs was an expensive proposition reserved only for professional and commercial photographers.
Most new digital cameras come with some photo editing software, and there are other good choices that will help you make the best pictures possible. Software allows you to crop, enhance color, lighten and darken, remove blemishes and red eye, creating photos that rival those produced by professionals. In addition to the software that comes with your camera, you can also get both commercial and free software that allows you to improve your pictures. Photoshop Elements is an example of popular commercial software, and Google's new Picasa is a free program that has also become quite popular.
Once you've improved your images, it time to make prints. You can take a memory card to your local photo shop or drug store and order a wide variety of print sizes. Some companies allow you to submit your photos online and order prints without ever having to go to their store. If you are going to have prints made on a regular basis, you can also consider getting a photo quality printer and making your own prints.
Printer manufacturers are developing home printers that are designed to print vibrant, professional prints without the need to visit your local photo lab or drug store. While the cost of ink and paper may not save you a lot of money compared to having your prints made by a photo service, the ability to make prints immediately at home can be very useful.
What printer should you buy? Epson has been known as a manufacturer of great photo quality printers with inks that won't run, and Canon has introduced printers that allow you to crop, lighten faces, and remove red eye when printing directly from your camera - no computer needed! Small portable printers have also been introduced, allowing you to produce 4x6 or 5x7 prints almost anywhere. A trip to a store offering multiple brands can help you decide.
The low cost of digital picture taking has spurred an increase in picture taking, but more isn't automatically better. One of the less known benefits of digital photography is the ability to easily and inexpensively improve your pictures with digital editing techniques. In the film world, retouching photographs was an expensive proposition reserved only for professional and commercial photographers.
Most new digital cameras come with some photo editing software, and there are other good choices that will help you make the best pictures possible. Software allows you to crop, enhance color, lighten and darken, remove blemishes and red eye, creating photos that rival those produced by professionals. In addition to the software that comes with your camera, you can also get both commercial and free software that allows you to improve your pictures. Photoshop Elements is an example of popular commercial software, and Google's new Picasa is a free program that has also become quite popular.
Once you've improved your images, it time to make prints. You can take a memory card to your local photo shop or drug store and order a wide variety of print sizes. Some companies allow you to submit your photos online and order prints without ever having to go to their store. If you are going to have prints made on a regular basis, you can also consider getting a photo quality printer and making your own prints.
Printer manufacturers are developing home printers that are designed to print vibrant, professional prints without the need to visit your local photo lab or drug store. While the cost of ink and paper may not save you a lot of money compared to having your prints made by a photo service, the ability to make prints immediately at home can be very useful.
What printer should you buy? Epson has been known as a manufacturer of great photo quality printers with inks that won't run, and Canon has introduced printers that allow you to crop, lighten faces, and remove red eye when printing directly from your camera - no computer needed! Small portable printers have also been introduced, allowing you to produce 4x6 or 5x7 prints almost anywhere. A trip to a store offering multiple brands can help you decide.
Photography and Bad Weather Conditions
When dark clouds roll into the sky most photographers run for shelter, but the ones who stay out and brave the weather can sometimes capture the most amazing photos. Bad weather can give photographers a chance to capture rain photos, snow photos, or even lightning photos. In the world of photography the rarer and harder to capture photos tend to sell for a higher price; so there is a potentially large market for bad weather conditions if you are a photographer.
Rain Photography
When it rains outside the moisture tends to create a shiny surface on most materials. In the cities the rain causes the streets to shine and the buildings to look gloomy. In the countryside the grass can shine with the right amount of light and droplets of water hanging from branches and leaves often sparkle. The clouds that accompany the rain also diffuse the available sunlight spreading it equally and removing shadows. I have found that rain can create amazing landscape, wildlife, and even portrait photos. Animals tend to curl up or tuck their heads into their fur in order to keep dry and warm offering some amazing nature photo opportunities. Portrait photos in the rain can also be very compelling because the light reflected off of people’s faces can often dominate the frame because the rain dampens the light reflected off of surroundings.
When it rains you will probably have to use either a longer shutter speed or a wider aperture because the clouds tend to also block out direct sunlight. In order to be prepared for rain you should have a waterproof bag for your camera as well as an umbrella or something else that you can use to shield the top of the lens so water doesn’t reach the front of the lens and leave water droplets. I also always carry a tripod in the rain so I can make sure that I can do a long enough exposure without having the results blurry from cold shaky hands.
Lightning
Many photographers spend hours trying to capture a bolt of lightning lighting up the scene in their photos. Lightning is definitely one of the hardest things to capture in a photograph. It definitely requires a tripod and often requires a very long shutter speed. Most photographers try to capture lightning by using the “bulb” option of shutter speed where the photographer simply just manually holds the shutter open as long as necessary until a bolt of lightning streaks through the sky and then the photographer closes the shutter right after the lightning passes so it is as bright as possible in the frame.
Snow Photography
Snow can change a landscape photo into a winter wonderland photo. The whiteness of the snow tends to add a nice contrast to the normal colors of a scene which makes for very effective photos. Snow photos can also make for unique nature photos and can often sell for a higher price because they are so appealing. Unfortunately some snowy locations where the very rare animals live such as penguins and polar bears are very hard to reach and require a great deal of risk and effort.
Bright and white snow can be trickier to capture effectively then most photographers think. The light readers on cameras tend to see snow as very bright so it sets the exposure for the brightness of the snow leaving the background and other objects almost as dark as a silhouette. Most experienced photographers overexpose the snow photos they take leaving the snow as bright as it is in real life and the rest of the frame well-exposed as it should be. Snow can also disrupt the camera’s automatic white balance sensor so you should also make sure that you either adjust the white balance to suit the snow or switch the auto white balance mode to the snow white balance mode.
Storm Chasing
There are many serious and adventurous photographers that have devoted their careers to getting the best photos of hurricanes and tornadoes that Mother Nature has to offer. This type of photography is very dangerous but can also provide some high priced photos that are demanded by magazines and news conglomerates all over the country. Extreme storm photos are one of the only types of photos that can bring fear to the viewers who have the privilege of seeing them. They can also inspire wonder in viewers at the destructive power and forces of nature.
Storm photography requires some durable equipment and different techniques then other more normal types of photography. Some photographers stay relatively far away from the storm and just have to deal with rain and high winds. These photographers usually have covers and lens cleaners that they can use to clear the lens of water droplets quickly before they are ready to take a photo. Other photographers commonly leave cameras set up on tripods in the paths of a storm that they can operate by remote control from a safe location. These cameras are put in protective cases and have special tripods that can be drilled into the ground.
Conclusion
Bad weather should be looked at as an opportunity by photographers instead of as a nuisance that is avoided. Some of the best photos that I have taken have been in situations where there was rain, snow, or wind. I recommend that all serious photographers should carry a tripod and some kind of covering that can be used shield the camera from wind and moisture if they are going on a long trip with unpredictable weather. The successful photographers are the ones that are ready and willing to deal with difficult circumstances that other photographers would normally avoid.
Rain Photography
When it rains outside the moisture tends to create a shiny surface on most materials. In the cities the rain causes the streets to shine and the buildings to look gloomy. In the countryside the grass can shine with the right amount of light and droplets of water hanging from branches and leaves often sparkle. The clouds that accompany the rain also diffuse the available sunlight spreading it equally and removing shadows. I have found that rain can create amazing landscape, wildlife, and even portrait photos. Animals tend to curl up or tuck their heads into their fur in order to keep dry and warm offering some amazing nature photo opportunities. Portrait photos in the rain can also be very compelling because the light reflected off of people’s faces can often dominate the frame because the rain dampens the light reflected off of surroundings.
When it rains you will probably have to use either a longer shutter speed or a wider aperture because the clouds tend to also block out direct sunlight. In order to be prepared for rain you should have a waterproof bag for your camera as well as an umbrella or something else that you can use to shield the top of the lens so water doesn’t reach the front of the lens and leave water droplets. I also always carry a tripod in the rain so I can make sure that I can do a long enough exposure without having the results blurry from cold shaky hands.
Lightning
Many photographers spend hours trying to capture a bolt of lightning lighting up the scene in their photos. Lightning is definitely one of the hardest things to capture in a photograph. It definitely requires a tripod and often requires a very long shutter speed. Most photographers try to capture lightning by using the “bulb” option of shutter speed where the photographer simply just manually holds the shutter open as long as necessary until a bolt of lightning streaks through the sky and then the photographer closes the shutter right after the lightning passes so it is as bright as possible in the frame.
Snow Photography
Snow can change a landscape photo into a winter wonderland photo. The whiteness of the snow tends to add a nice contrast to the normal colors of a scene which makes for very effective photos. Snow photos can also make for unique nature photos and can often sell for a higher price because they are so appealing. Unfortunately some snowy locations where the very rare animals live such as penguins and polar bears are very hard to reach and require a great deal of risk and effort.
Bright and white snow can be trickier to capture effectively then most photographers think. The light readers on cameras tend to see snow as very bright so it sets the exposure for the brightness of the snow leaving the background and other objects almost as dark as a silhouette. Most experienced photographers overexpose the snow photos they take leaving the snow as bright as it is in real life and the rest of the frame well-exposed as it should be. Snow can also disrupt the camera’s automatic white balance sensor so you should also make sure that you either adjust the white balance to suit the snow or switch the auto white balance mode to the snow white balance mode.
Storm Chasing
There are many serious and adventurous photographers that have devoted their careers to getting the best photos of hurricanes and tornadoes that Mother Nature has to offer. This type of photography is very dangerous but can also provide some high priced photos that are demanded by magazines and news conglomerates all over the country. Extreme storm photos are one of the only types of photos that can bring fear to the viewers who have the privilege of seeing them. They can also inspire wonder in viewers at the destructive power and forces of nature.
Storm photography requires some durable equipment and different techniques then other more normal types of photography. Some photographers stay relatively far away from the storm and just have to deal with rain and high winds. These photographers usually have covers and lens cleaners that they can use to clear the lens of water droplets quickly before they are ready to take a photo. Other photographers commonly leave cameras set up on tripods in the paths of a storm that they can operate by remote control from a safe location. These cameras are put in protective cases and have special tripods that can be drilled into the ground.
Conclusion
Bad weather should be looked at as an opportunity by photographers instead of as a nuisance that is avoided. Some of the best photos that I have taken have been in situations where there was rain, snow, or wind. I recommend that all serious photographers should carry a tripod and some kind of covering that can be used shield the camera from wind and moisture if they are going on a long trip with unpredictable weather. The successful photographers are the ones that are ready and willing to deal with difficult circumstances that other photographers would normally avoid.
Current Trends in Wedding Photography
Wedding photography is an evolving field that requires artistic talent, vision, and highly technical expertise.
In the past wedding photography was almost always limited to stiff posses without much regard for the underlying story, emotion, romance, and behind the scene events of the wedding day.
Although there is still a big segment of the wedding industry that practices traditional photography with its preplanned poses, and recreation of the wedding peak events such as the kiss, the ring exchange, etc., the modern wedding couple demands a more contemporary approach to their wedding day.
Wedding photojournalism has been in vogue for the past decade. The central idea behind it has been the capture of the wedding events without any interference or direction from the wedding photographer. The photographer is there to capture the true essence of the wedding day. As a result of this realistic approach the photographs are a true representation of the wedding day. Hard core wedding journalistic will be totally opposed to posing any wedding related event. If it doesn’t not happen during the wedding it won’t be recorded. This includes family group photos.
Several photographers offer a hybrid approach to wedding photography, usually a combination of traditional and journalistic wedding photography. In this approach the photographer focuses on documenting the wedding day but the coverage also includes a session with the couple for formal posed or semi-posed photographs and also family group photos.
The latest trend in wedding photography is toward a more fashionable approach. Inspired on high-end fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, GQ, American Photo, etc., and wedding magazines the photographer seeks to make the couple’s fantasies real. In the fashion wedding photography approach the goal is to make the wedding couple look their best. Their romantic interplay is glamorized to its maximum expression. The everyday couple becomes like wedding celebrities. Attention to detail is required to achieve the perfect look. This approach requires a great deal of artistic talent behind the camera and also great computer image editing skill to produce a unique photo. Half the photo is made on the camera with the second half achieved though digital image editing and manipulation.
Which style is best, is for you to decide. In our experience a big segment of the wedding couples want to capture the reality, details and romance of the wedding day but at the same time they have fantasies about their wedding and the way they should look.
When making a decision for a wedding photographer look closely to the photographer’s portfolio and see how it agrees with your philosophy on how your wedding day should be photographed. Regardless of your philosophy please make sure that you select a master of the craft, you and the next generation deserve masterpiece memories of your wedding day.
In the past wedding photography was almost always limited to stiff posses without much regard for the underlying story, emotion, romance, and behind the scene events of the wedding day.
Although there is still a big segment of the wedding industry that practices traditional photography with its preplanned poses, and recreation of the wedding peak events such as the kiss, the ring exchange, etc., the modern wedding couple demands a more contemporary approach to their wedding day.
Wedding photojournalism has been in vogue for the past decade. The central idea behind it has been the capture of the wedding events without any interference or direction from the wedding photographer. The photographer is there to capture the true essence of the wedding day. As a result of this realistic approach the photographs are a true representation of the wedding day. Hard core wedding journalistic will be totally opposed to posing any wedding related event. If it doesn’t not happen during the wedding it won’t be recorded. This includes family group photos.
Several photographers offer a hybrid approach to wedding photography, usually a combination of traditional and journalistic wedding photography. In this approach the photographer focuses on documenting the wedding day but the coverage also includes a session with the couple for formal posed or semi-posed photographs and also family group photos.
The latest trend in wedding photography is toward a more fashionable approach. Inspired on high-end fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, GQ, American Photo, etc., and wedding magazines the photographer seeks to make the couple’s fantasies real. In the fashion wedding photography approach the goal is to make the wedding couple look their best. Their romantic interplay is glamorized to its maximum expression. The everyday couple becomes like wedding celebrities. Attention to detail is required to achieve the perfect look. This approach requires a great deal of artistic talent behind the camera and also great computer image editing skill to produce a unique photo. Half the photo is made on the camera with the second half achieved though digital image editing and manipulation.
Which style is best, is for you to decide. In our experience a big segment of the wedding couples want to capture the reality, details and romance of the wedding day but at the same time they have fantasies about their wedding and the way they should look.
When making a decision for a wedding photographer look closely to the photographer’s portfolio and see how it agrees with your philosophy on how your wedding day should be photographed. Regardless of your philosophy please make sure that you select a master of the craft, you and the next generation deserve masterpiece memories of your wedding day.
How To Buy A Digital Camera-How Not To Buy The Wrong Camera
Are you planning to buy a digital camera? Not sure what to look for? Have you bought a digital camera before that you weren't satisfied with? It's amazing how many people I've met who are unhappy with their digital camera. Many of these people took lots of pictures, and had 35mm film cameras that they were very happy with. While it is far easier to buy a digital camera now that you will be happy with, it is still also easy to choose a digital camera that will disappoint you. It is also very easy to spend far more for a digital camera then you need to. It is also important to get a digital camera that is capable of doing what you want, otherwise, all you will have bought is an expensive paperweight.
You will find here how to buy a digital camera. You will be able to choose what models have features that you need, the right resolution for you, and know what to avoid. My goal is to help you make an informed choice based on the features that will really make a difference. I won't tell you what model to buy, because models will change within months. You will, by following these guidelines, be able to choose a digital camera that won't make you feel like it's outdated next year.
Let's start with resolution. I strongly recommend that you start looking at cameras in the six megapixel range. A 6 megapixel digital camera will take pictures that are just as good if not better than a 35mm camera. One reason many people have been disappointed with their digital cameras is because they bought a camera with a lower resolution. Take a digital camera industry is little but responsible for this. Digital cameras have long been touted to have film quality. This claim was made long time before it was really true. One and two megapixel cameras were not film quality. When he came to three and four megapixel cameras, you might be able to say it was film quality, albeit 110 or APS but not 35mm. It was not until the five and six megapixel cameras came out that digital cameras were truly equal to 35mm.. If you buy a digital camera with at least six megapixel solution, you will have a camera that will produce the quality of photographs, most people are used to seeing.
Should you buy a digital camera with a higher resolution? If you have the money, a seven or eight megapixel digital camera will give you a little bit extra detail for cropping or enlargements. Keep in mind, with a higher resolution comes a larger file size. You will need larger memory cards, and a more powerful computer if you choose to work on your pictures. What about the 10 megapixel and higher resolution cameras? Unless you regularly make enlargements larger than 20 x 24, you probably will not see any advantage in a digital camera with a resolution this high. Even a six megapixel camera will provide great images up to an exceeding 20 x 24. Most people do not make enlargements larger than 8 x 10 and so much of this resolution is wasted on almost all the photography. While these high resolutions may sound cool, for many people it may be just wasted money. Most people will be more than happy with a digital camera in the Six to eight megapixel range.
The next thing to consider is the type of digital camera. The compact point and shoot digital camera is not going to be good for shooting pictures of your children in sports. If you want to take pictures of a moving subject you'll need a digital camera that has an optical viewfinder. On the other hand, a large digital single lens reflex is not convenient to take to a theme park. Think about how you plan to use the camera and purchase a camera that is good for that purpose. If you're looking for convenience, choose a small compact point and shoot. You are taking lots of family pictures at important events, look at the advanced prosumer models, you'll find their added speed and cache eliminate waiting for the camera to be ready. If you're serious hobbyist, you definitely may want to consider a digital single lens reflex.
What features should you look for when buying a digital camera? Useful features you may want to consider include image stabilization and zoom range. Image stabilization will help you get sharper pictures under difficult situations. The optical zoom range of the camera is also another feature to use when comparing different models. Do not be misled by a digital zoom feature. Using the digital zoom means less detail. You may also want to consider the inclusion of software. Some cameras include a copy of Photoshop Elements, an excellent image editing program. You should not let features like video recording or large internal memory way your decision, when buying a digital camera. In general, still cameras make poor video cameras and video cameras make poor still cameras. Internal memory, not to be confused with cache, isn't very useful with today's low prices in memory cards. It may also complicate things if you try to print at a local printer.
Finally, you should stick with a well-known camera manufacturer. Canon and Nikon are probably the most well-known and reliable camera manufacturers. Both are well known for long-lasting cameras, and high quality. While many consumer electronics companies make very high-quality cameras, they also tend to make products that seem to have a shorter life expectancy. Definitely stay away from a brand you never heard of before.
In conclusion, start by buying a digital camera with at least six megapixels resolution. Choose a model that is appropriate for what you plan to use it for. A digital single lens reflex won't fit in your pocket or purse, but you almost need it if you want both your child and a soccer ball in the same picture at a soccer game. And finally, buy a camera made by a well-known film camera manufacturer. You should now know how to buy a digital camera that you will enjoy for many years to come.
Preparing Artwork For Print
From the moment you wake up in the morning, you read the newspaper, curse the amount of junk mail on your doorstep, pass billboards on your way to work, hand out your business card, get given a flyer on the high street, pick up a swanky looking brochure at your local shop.
For all these rainforest-depleting elements there was someone who has had to get the job printed.
Whatever you want to print, whether it’s books, brochures, complicated packaging, mailers, ads, posters, flyers, business stationery, signage, free standing display units, point-of-sale, billboards, or even clothing … whether rotogravure, flexographic, offset lithographic, inkjet, lazer or digital printing … from Macs or PCs … it is incredible how just a few basic principles hold true across the broad range of output.
Between the designer’s idea and the finished product there are a host of problems, issues and glitches waiting to be experienced and in ten years I have probably come across most.
There are two basic digital ways for printers to receive artwork. As a PDF (my preference) or everything collected together (usually a QuarkXpress, Adobe InDesign or Illustrator document with images and fonts).
But before this can happen there are many things to check in the document, which could be in Quark, InDesign, or Illustrator.
1. General
Run your eye over the whole job.
Ask questions about the output of it. What is the size/shape? How many pages? Is it a mono job, process job, a spot colour job or process with spot colours? Should any of the colours overprint? Are there any repeated items, like a subheading style that needs to be the same throughout the whole document? Is there a picture style, like a border or an effect, that should be implemented throughout?
Does it look right? Are there any glaring typos? Any glaring widows? Do all the elements look present and correct? Any obvious omissions? A page number, a caption, a background.
2. Size
What size is it? Look in Layout > Layout Properties in Quark in File > Document Setup in Illustrator or InDesign. That’s if it is a square or a rectangular shape. If not, you’ll need a cutter guide, if so, see below.
Make sure you know the length of the width and the depth. Most people when giving the size of a rectangle will specify the width first followed by the height. The advertising industry, however, give sizes of their ads with the depth first and the width second. I have absolutely no idea why this is.
If it is a ad, then ask if it is a trim or type area ad. What the difference? A type area ad is like a classified ad: it only has one size a floats on the page in the position where the magazine or newspaper wants it.
How ever larger ads will need three different sizes. These are full page ads, across a double page spread ads or even half or, sometimes, quarter page ads will need trim, bleed and type area. The trim is the most important as it’s the size of the visible area of the ad. The bleed area will be the trim plus an amount (usually 3mm) extending the sides of the ad which run off the page. And the type area (I must confess I love to ignore this) is the space where all information of the ad must be contained. In other words, it gives you margins that you have to use.
3. Type/copy
Although they really are a necessary evil in the modern world, I'm not a huge fan of spell checkers. Remember, if 'not' has been spelt "nit", it won't pick it up. The Quark spell checker continually flags words that are correct. Remember to have the correct dictionary selected, but even then don’t rely on them.
You can't beat a good read through by an experienced proof-reader. If you're not sure about a word or phrase it can usually be sorted out by a simple Google. If you are not sure if the word is American or UK English, arguments can be sorted out at http://dictionary.reference.com. Which, by the way, if you need inspiration for headings or stand-firsts, use the thesaurus http://thesaurus.reference.com. Also, Mac users have a good dictionary and thesaurus in the widgets with UK and US spellings.
Check if your quotes are curling the correct way. Text pasted or imported from a text editor can strip type of it's curly quotes and en and em dashes. If your document is full of foot and inch marks you can use the Find/Replace function. Find a ' and replace with a ', or a " with a ", and Replace All. They look exactly the same in the Find/Replace panel. But, it works in the document. Use the Find/Replace function to replace your hyphens with en dashes, although skip through checking each one individually, as you don't want to hyphenate a word with an en dash.
Hyphenation in general should be checked as well. A last minute paste into a new document can re-set the hyphenation settings.
Good old Find/Replace should also be used to eliminated double spaces. Again, skip through one by one, as some un-professionals could have used multiple spaces to indent text in headlines. Of course, check first as some people like double spaces after full stops.
4. Logos
There can be a myriad of rules about the use of a logo. Guidelines can run to dozens of pages. The most important thing to consider, apart from whether it's the right logo, of course, is the safe area - the area around it that needs to be clear or the distance from the margin or other elements.
Great care should be taken when scaling logos as they should always be in proportion. Clients will be ever so unhappy if it is squashed or stretched. Check the x and y percentages in Quark and InDesign if it is linked. One of the great disadvantages of embedding logos into InDesign or Illustrator layout is that you are unable to tell if it has been anamorphically scaled. Check against the original if you are in any doubt.
5. Fonts
One of the most obvious things to check but also one of the most common problems when sending files to print so ... are all the fonts there? Go to Type > Find Font in Illustrator and InDesign and Utilities > Font Usage in Quark. Are there any faux bolded or faux italicised fonts? If there are, replace them with the bold or italic from the font family.
If you have made any changes to a font then check the line breaks and the flow of the copy to make sure it hasn't created any widows or been altered in anyway. No two fonts are the same so substituting one font for another will always cause changes.
By the way, a widow is the last line of a paragraph that appears alone at the top of a column, an orphan is the first line of a paragraph that appears alone at the bottom of a page. Not a lot of people know that. But, don't worry about what they are, just check you haven't got any.
Finally, if you're really worried and you don't have too much type, create outlines!
6. Images
Again, it's an obvious one, check if all the images in the document are present and correct. Go to the Links palette in Illustrator and InDesign and Utilities > Picture Usage in Quark.
After that, check if they are big enough and whether they occupy the correct colour space.
As a general rule the image size in Photoshop should be the same or greater than the size it is to be reproduced with a resolution of 300 dpi. If the picture needs to go larger I would not scale it by more than 130% to avoid pixelation.
If the job is CMYK so should the Photoshop images, go Image > Mode > CMYK, if it is a mono job the Photoshop file should be grayscale or bitmap, spot colour images are very often grayscale or bitmap files coloured up in the output program, Quark or InDesign - otherwise spot colours should be specified in the channels and the image saved as a Photoshop DCS.
I would always use images saved in TIF, EPS or PSD format. You can get away with using JPGs these days, but remember, every time an image is saved as a JPG it loses quality.
7. Colours
90% of the time you will be using process colour. When this is the case go to the colour palette in Quark or the Swatches palette InDesign and Illustrator. Delete all unused colours – this'll make things easier. If there are any spot colours then they should be converted to CMYK. If the spot colour is specific to a client and is their corporate colour then it is important to check the client's own CMYK breakdown. A breakdown of a Pantone spot colour into the 4 process colours is only an approximation and differs between programs, therefore it should have been agreed beforehand and then implemented throughout the artwork.
If you are printing a special colour make sure it is present in the palette only once. PANTONE 032 CV, Pantone Red 032 CV, and PMS 032 CV is the same colour, as is PMS 032 U, but you only want the printers to charge your client once for the spot colour. If you are unsure which one to go for, choose the colour used in your client’s logo.
If you are using spot colours, should they be set to overprint or knockout? Change this by selecting the item and using the Trap Information palette in Quark and the Attributes palette in InDesign. Even if you are not using spot colours you may want black type to overprint on a tinted or knocked back background. If this is the case then check if it is set to overprint using the same palettes.
8. Bleed
If any element is going straight to the edge of the document it needs to be “bleed off”. The classic amount is 3mm. But some printers and publishers insist on 5mm.
Sometimes you will get a picture that should bleed off the edge of your document. If this is the case you need to go into Photoshop and extend the photo. Double click the locked background layer, Command/Control –J to copy it, increase your Canvas Size on the side you want extending, select the bottom layer and extend where necessary using Free Transform, Command/Control –T. A bit of blurring may be necessary.
9. Cutter guides
Some jobs may not be square or rectangular and they will need a cutter guide to show the printer where to trim or die-cut. Make sure the cutter guide has a stroke of 0.3 point at the most and it is set to overprint. Choose a random spot Pantone colour for the cutter guide, re-name it “CUTTER GUIDE – DO NOT PRINT!” and put a note on the side of the artwork repeating this instruction to the printers.
10. Issues
So, if you have followed the above closely (and I thank you for your patience if you have) then you should have a successfully printed job with no problems … well, you didn’t think it was going to be easy did you?
Over the years the most regularly occurring issues have been: Large files. Can you scale down your large Photoshop images? Can you cut your Quark or InDesign file down into sections? Clipping paths, or paths with to many points on them. The worse occurrences of these is when a magic wand selection in Photoshop has been converted to a path and produced an unwieldy long path. Corrupted fonts. What can you do? Fonts get used, copied and generally pushed around until they just give up. You could always buy a new one! Corrupt, infected or just inexplicably dodgy elements. Sometimes you have to strip down a job that’s not working properly and re-build it from scratch if it won’t print. Quark can be a buggy program and sometimes there’s a picture box or an element somewhere that some printers just won’t like. And that’s just bad luck!
And so, that’s it! Or is it? Now you have to physically or digitally deliver your artwork to the printers.
7 Proven Tips and Techniques That Will Have You Taking Great Digital Photos That You Can Be Proud Of
Taking great digital photos is not as hard as you might think!
In fact, if you are wondering how to take great digital photos, these 7 proven practical tips will tell you just that!
By following these quick tips and techniques you will significantly improve your digital photography to the point where you will be taking impressive photos everyday!
1) *** Take More Photos! *** Get out there and take more photos with your digital camera.
It won't cost you anything!
It will give you practice and skill using your camera so handling it will become second nature; you then have more time to think about the photo itself!
This tip will also increase your chances of getting that great photo – particularly with group shots, where you might find later that someone was blinking etc.
Children and pets are great to practice this tip on as they can be difficult to get that perfect shot of, and you will need to keep taking photos to capture it!
*NB* If you don't have a big enough memory card you will need to delete some photos every half hour or so.
A better option is to invest in a larger memory card. That way you can take as many photos as you need (always more than you think), and not worry about deleting those that don't quite make it until later!
2) *** Focus *** Make sure you and your camera are focusing on the same thing!
Check which ‘mode' the camera is set at to see whether your camera is ‘looking for' a single subject (often in Macro, Portrait and Sports Modes). Or is it trying to ‘pull' everything into focus – such as in the Landscape Mode?
Set the camera to the appropriate mode for your subject, or use the auto mode – where the camera will decide for you the best focus and exposure for the subject.
3) *** Move In Closer *** Most people stand too far away from their subject!
Don't be afraid to get in close! Take a few steps closer and see what a difference it makes.
If you cannot get in closer, use your optical zoom (never the digital zoom) to bring the focus closer to you.
You could even kneel or stand on a chair to get in closer and to change the perspective of the photo.
*NB* Optical zoom uses the mechanics of your camera; digital zoom is an electronic function. Results from digital zoom often produce poor quality photographs.
4) *** One Key Subject *** Focus on one key subject to make the photo really stand out!
Stop trying to record everything you see!
Pick a focal point that will be the centre of ‘attention' which you can concentrate on.
Using portrait or macro mode can help this technique as both have shallow depth of field – which effectively ‘blurs' everything in front and behind the focused subject.
Try picking one key subject, such as a single flower, and see what the difference it makes to your digital photos!
*NB* There are factors which affect the depth of field, such as how close you stand to your subject, so you will need to experiment as see what works best for you.
5) *** Simple Backgrounds *** Try to find a ‘simple' background for your subject.
One that is uncluttered and unobtrusive.
This can be particularly important for portrait and group photographs. You don't want to have a distracting background for a lovely soft portrait, or have the classic light pole ‘growing' out of someone's head!
Move the subject/s into a position that will minimize the background.
Remember having the subject further from the background will also lessen its effect.
6) *** Off-Centre the Subject *** That's right! Get the subject out of the middle of the photo!
Use the ‘rule-of-thirds' to position the subject in a pleasing location in the image.
The ‘rule-of-thirds' is like having an imaginary ‘tick-tack-toe' diagram drawn on your focus screen. Where those lines cross is where you place the subject.
This can really make a difference to your photographs.
But don't use it all the time – remember rules are made to be broken!
7) *** Use Flash *** Yes – even in daylight!
This is often called ‘fill-flash'. Using it will lessen any harsh shadows, resulting in better light for your photo.
This tip is great if you take photos in the middle of the day when the light is harshest.
It works particularly well for portrait and group photography.
But remember the flash on your camera is only good for about 10 feet – don't stand too far away from your subject!
The Perfect Photo Opportunity Or Nature Survival Lesson?
This is the story of a photo opportunity that turned into a lesson from nature. My granddaughter, Jessica, came up to me this beautiful sunny afternoon. “Grandma, can I use your camera? There is a bird on the ground, I want to show you.” She is always quick to back up her request like this with a reason. I really love that my grandchildren want to share in my enthusiasm for picture taking.
And even at my busiest moments I find it hard to resist a photo opportunity when it is presented to me. We set off together to see this bird on the ground. It turned out to be a fledgling dove that was knocked from its nest during routine tree trimming.
This baby dove was on the ground, and he was not very happy about it. As we moved around him taking pictures from different angles he would turn to face us. He wasn't making much noise, but you could tell he was scared.
This photo opportunity was about to turn into a real adventure and a lesson from nature for the children. Jessica wanted to care for the poor thing since it could not fly and no longer had a nest to be put back into. So I told her if she could find a box to bring it home, she could take on the job of rescuing the dove. At the time I really thought it would be better off with us than being trampled under foot where it lay.
Jessica gathered leaves to create a bed in the box she carried the dove home in. I was very proud of 10-year-old Jessica as I watched her take on this new project. She and her best friend asked questions of all the right people.
They wanted to do everything to keep this baby bird alive. They learned just what kind of food they should feed the bird. Jessica and her best friend took turns caring for the bird. So his home was a mobile one between our patio and theirs.
One day when I went to check on the bird, I heard the mother dove talking to her young. She was actually guiding her baby from a distance. Each chirp from her beak would bring a reaction from the fledgling in front of me.
I felt like I was listening to a private conversation. I did not understand the language, but I was able to report to the children that our little friend had not been abandoned after all. I secretly wanted them to be prepared for the day this pet would get enough strength to fly off on its own.
The fledgling would fly from his new home out onto the patio several times a day now. And the patient children would put him back. I was feeling very grateful for the wonderful photo opportunity in our own back yard.
Then just a couple weeks later, this picture session came to an end as quickly as it had begun. The fledgling became brave enough and strong enough to fly into a nearby tree. The children tried to get it to come back to them. They just knew that it was not strong enough to survive in the wild on its own.
Then suddenly out of nowhere, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the unsuspecting baby right in front of their eyes. I saw the hawk from inside our home and knew instinctively what would happen. I grabbed my camera and ran outside. Sure enough the hawk was perched on a nearby tree with his prize still hanging from his claws. This was one picture I took with a heavy heart.
The children learned a lesson in survival that day. And we explained the best we could how this is the way the Hawk feeds its young. They did a ritual to honor the baby they had tried to save. This was their way of bringing closure. You never know what lessons you will learn when you are looking for photo opportunities in nature.
The Best Photo Business Opportunity
Where can you find the best photo business opportunity? Would you be surprised if I were to tell you that you don’t have to look far … that all you need to do is search inside yourself?
There are lots of photo opportunities, some of them don’t work and even the opportunities that do work, will only work for some people.
Some people are happy taking wedding photos, or shooting sport. Others like to be out in the great outdoors capturing the magic light of dawn, or taking stock images for picture libraries. Some people are born to sell; others are terrified of trying to sell their work directly to say a gallery, or cold calling prospective clients. What’s right for one person can be totally wrong for someone else.
Here are a few pointers that are worth bearing in mind:
1. Find something you’re comfortable with and passionate about.
2. Match the business to your own strengths.
3. Look for multiple streams of income – have more than one source of income.
4. Carry on learning – the day you stop learning is the day you start to die. Take advice from successful people; you’ll find most of them are happy to help.
One thing you must remember: it’s not finding the best photo opportunity that’s the really important thing; it’s making it work. The successful business person is the one who makes a choice, sets some goals and then gets on with it; working at it until they are successful. You can do the same!
Some keys to making money are:
1. Give your business a professional image. Put yourself on a level footing with the big boys, even if you’re only a one-person company.
2. Put the customer first. Take time and effort to look after your customers. You must be proud of your business and be happy to serve your clients.
3. Be market driven. Find out what the market wants.
4. Be ready for change and be prepared, for nothing is certain in business. Keep your eyes open and watch out for new trends and markets.
5. Learn not to waste money. Negotiate everything and run a tight ship, even when things are going well. At the same time realize that money invested wisely to improve the business, is money well spent.
6. Don’t quit, believe in yourself and give everything your very best effort. Problems, new challenges, frustration, letdowns and mistakes are part of everyday business life. You must bounce back, learn from your mistakes and keep charging forward.
7. Realize that marketing is the key. Good marketing makes or breaks you.
Good luck with your photography business. Get out there … and just do it!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Improving Your Digital Photography
Are you looking to get the best quality from your digital SLR? If the answer is yes you need to forget about the auto modes and set your digital camera to RAW.
Setting your digital camera to raw will open up a whole new world of photography. Correctly processed raw images are sharper and contain more accurate colours. The extra information stored when shooting raw will give your image more detail - leaving you more room to experiment in your digital darkroom.
Raw explained: Raw files are a doorway to top-class image quality, which will also allow you maximum control. A raw image contains all the unprocessed data that reads directly from the camera’s sensor. A raw image file does not contain the finished product and you will have more work to do with the digital file but your final image quality should be first class.
For great results you will need to invest in a RAW converter that will enable you to maximise quality and control. A RAW converter is a piece of software that allows you to make all the changes that your image needs. Once you have made all the changes you can save your image to JPEG or to whichever format you need.
Shooting RAW will open amazing new avenues for an amateur photographer or a professional starting to use digital technology for the first time. Pictures with poor colour can be transformed into reasonable images, but this should not be a licence to get sloppy.
The standards of photography are still the same. Your RAW image needs to be exposed correctly; the RAW converter is not capable of making a blurred image sharp; and it can’t change the depth-of-field.
The only frustration when shooting RAW is the extra time spent on the computer, but once you get used to all the new tools with your software, you will soon realise that the changes were worth it.
The true benefits of shooting RAW are quality, control, image flexibility and easy image correction. But be careful - you should always aim for the best results using your camera first.
Setting your digital camera to raw will open up a whole new world of photography. Correctly processed raw images are sharper and contain more accurate colours. The extra information stored when shooting raw will give your image more detail - leaving you more room to experiment in your digital darkroom.
Raw explained: Raw files are a doorway to top-class image quality, which will also allow you maximum control. A raw image contains all the unprocessed data that reads directly from the camera’s sensor. A raw image file does not contain the finished product and you will have more work to do with the digital file but your final image quality should be first class.
For great results you will need to invest in a RAW converter that will enable you to maximise quality and control. A RAW converter is a piece of software that allows you to make all the changes that your image needs. Once you have made all the changes you can save your image to JPEG or to whichever format you need.
Shooting RAW will open amazing new avenues for an amateur photographer or a professional starting to use digital technology for the first time. Pictures with poor colour can be transformed into reasonable images, but this should not be a licence to get sloppy.
The standards of photography are still the same. Your RAW image needs to be exposed correctly; the RAW converter is not capable of making a blurred image sharp; and it can’t change the depth-of-field.
The only frustration when shooting RAW is the extra time spent on the computer, but once you get used to all the new tools with your software, you will soon realise that the changes were worth it.
The true benefits of shooting RAW are quality, control, image flexibility and easy image correction. But be careful - you should always aim for the best results using your camera first.
Portrait Photography
While its not possible for everyone to have a studio, an understanding of studio lighting will help you get better portraits outdoors or when you are shooting on location.
A basic studio lighting set up should consist of one strobe unit (a strobe unit is a flash unit releasing the same strength of light as daylight), placed at 45 degrees to the subject. A reflector should be placed at the other side of the subject. This will help soften the final image by bouncing light into the harsh shadows created by the strobe unit.
The background that you choose is very important. If the subject has dark hair use a light background and if the subjects’ hair is light use a dark background. If you do not want to go to the expense of getting two different backgrounds use a maroon colour instead.
If you are looking for variety of portrait backgrounds choose a blue colour for portraits of children and a white background for babies.
The last thing you need is a stool to be placed in front of the background. Make sure that the stool is placed at least one meter in front of the background. If it is placed too near you’ll get harsh shadows from the subjects appearing on the background.
Once you place the subject on the stool and have all your lights and reflectors in position, have the subject so that his/her body is facing the main light source. Then get the subject to turn their head towards the camera. Always make sure that the camera is at eye level to the subject.
Now it’s time to explore all the different types of portrait shots.
The first and the most popular is the head and shoulder shot. This pose can be shot in a few different ways. The first pose is to get the subject to face the camera - this may be a boring option and in my opinion it should be left for passport photographs.
Get the subject to face the main source of light, which should be placed at a 45-degree angle to the subject. Then get the subject to rotate his head until his eyes are looking directly into your lens.
The next pose that you should consider is the three quarter length stance. Be very careful with the hands as they can become very distracting in the final print if placed in a poor position. The best way to overcome this is to get the subject to use a prop that is appropriate to the subjects character.
There are many other different types of poses that can be used for successful portraits. Don’t be afraid to experiment on family or friends. Trial and error will help you become a great portrait photographer.
A basic studio lighting set up should consist of one strobe unit (a strobe unit is a flash unit releasing the same strength of light as daylight), placed at 45 degrees to the subject. A reflector should be placed at the other side of the subject. This will help soften the final image by bouncing light into the harsh shadows created by the strobe unit.
The background that you choose is very important. If the subject has dark hair use a light background and if the subjects’ hair is light use a dark background. If you do not want to go to the expense of getting two different backgrounds use a maroon colour instead.
If you are looking for variety of portrait backgrounds choose a blue colour for portraits of children and a white background for babies.
The last thing you need is a stool to be placed in front of the background. Make sure that the stool is placed at least one meter in front of the background. If it is placed too near you’ll get harsh shadows from the subjects appearing on the background.
Once you place the subject on the stool and have all your lights and reflectors in position, have the subject so that his/her body is facing the main light source. Then get the subject to turn their head towards the camera. Always make sure that the camera is at eye level to the subject.
Now it’s time to explore all the different types of portrait shots.
The first and the most popular is the head and shoulder shot. This pose can be shot in a few different ways. The first pose is to get the subject to face the camera - this may be a boring option and in my opinion it should be left for passport photographs.
Get the subject to face the main source of light, which should be placed at a 45-degree angle to the subject. Then get the subject to rotate his head until his eyes are looking directly into your lens.
The next pose that you should consider is the three quarter length stance. Be very careful with the hands as they can become very distracting in the final print if placed in a poor position. The best way to overcome this is to get the subject to use a prop that is appropriate to the subjects character.
There are many other different types of poses that can be used for successful portraits. Don’t be afraid to experiment on family or friends. Trial and error will help you become a great portrait photographer.
How To Take Perfect Pictures Without Using A Tripod
One of the problems with digital photos (and film camera photos) these days is camera shake. Camera shake occurs when the camera is moved during exposure (while the shutter is depressed). This results in a blurred photo and is sometimes not all that apparent until the photo is ‘blown’ up, revealing movement in the photo. The dimmer the scene, the longer the camera shutter is required to be ‘opened’ in order to capture the image.
Whether you use a compact point and shoot or SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera, camera shake can ruin an otherwise perfect photo. There are many ways to minimise camera shake or eliminate it altogether. The most obvious way is to use a tripod, however that is not always readily available or practical at times. Another popular method of stabilizing the camera is to use a camera bean bag. One such camera bean bag is called Cam-Pod. Cam-Pod is different to the traditional camera bean bag because it has bi-folding pockets that can fold to hold the camera and lens snugly. It also contains plastic fillings, making it customs friendly.
Taking hand held shots –
When taking handheld photos. It can sometimes be a challenge to use a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake or blur. This depends on the available light. A general rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed equivalent to the focal length of your lens. For example; if you are using a 50mm lens, the minimum shutter speed for hand held shots would be 1/50th sec or faster. On a 200mm lens, use 1/250th sec or faster. Shoot hand held with a speed slower than this and you are likely to get camera shake. If you are extremely still with your hands, you can probably get a way with speeds a little slower than these suggested speeds.
To take the shot, hold the camera with both hands and with your elbow beside your body. This will provide additional stabilization of the camera. Many cameras may have a shutter lag so after depressing the shutter, do not move the camera immediately or you may experience movement in your shot. When taking the shot, breath in, press the shutter and then exhale.
Using the camera bean bag support –
Find a firm surface to lean your camera on, eg a rock, bin, fence, wall, tree, etc. Make sure surface is solid and does not move easily. Place the camera bean bag on the surface and your camera on top or to the side if it is vertical. Wiggle the camera a little to allow camera to sit firmly on the camera bean bag. With an SLR/DSLR camera, just fold the camera bean bag to provide support for the lens. For point and shoot cameras, just rest the camera on the camera bean bag and hold it with your hand and finger on shutter button. Select the right shutter speed and take the photo. The camera bean bag can be folded, twisted and rolled to get the right angle for your camera. You can also place the camera bean bag against a wall and lean your camera against it for a natural light shot without flash. This will give you a more natural looking photo with even lighting rather than one with harsh shadows caused by the flash. When taking flash shots with dark background, use a slower shutter speed such as 1/8 sec or 1/2 sec. Ensure that when using the camera bean bag that your camera and the camera bean bag is stable and won’t slip off the surface and cause expensive damage to your gear. Eg when resting camera and the camera bean bag on a car side mirror, do not take your hand off the camera.
Selecting the correct shutter speed / aperture to take the photo –
To correctly capture and expose a scene, the camera will automatically choose the right combination of shutter speed and aperture. In most cases, this gives good results, however you may need to override the auto settings and over/under compensate the exposure to get the best results – This is most prevalent when subject is in front of a bright background. For SLR/DSLR cameras, set the shooting mode to S (shutter priority). On some cameras, it is the T setting (Time priority). Choose a shutter speed and aperture appropriate for the scene. For the sharpest pictures, many professional photographers use the mid-range aperture of f8 or f11. Ensure the camera is sitting firmly on the camera bean bag with no movement.
Focus on the subject. Press the shutter release. Ensure that there is no camera movement when pressing shutter. If so, the picture maybe blurred. Re-adjust the camera bean bag and the camera and try taking the photo again. Look at the camera’s LCD to see the focus and exposure of the photo. You may need to zoom into the displayed photo to see the details. If photo looks dark, increase the exposure by selecting a longer shutter speed. Shutter speeds are typically (from slowest to fastest) 8s, 6s, 4s, 3s, 2s,1.5s, 1s, 1/1.5, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/15, 1/20, 1/30, 1/45, 1/60, 1/90, 1/125, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, 1/6000 and 1/8000. Shutter speeds are in seconds or fraction of a second. Eg a shutter of 1/60th means the shutter will open for one sixtieth of a second. If the captured picture looks too dark on the LCD display, use a slower shutter speed such as 1/45 or 1/20. Alternatively and if possible, open the aperture to let in more light. Aperture scales are (from widest opening to smallest) f1, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32. (Note: your lens may not have all these settings). Another way to shoot in low light is to increase the ISO setting. However this also introduces digital noise into your photos.
Using the self timer and remote control
Depending on the shutter speed you are using, you may still end up with camera shake in your final shot. Ie. As you press shutter, the camera may move a little. To minimise this, set your camera to self timer, press shutter and take your hand off camera. The shot will be taken in a few seconds without the camera being touched. For cameras with remote function, set it to remote control function, adjust camera and the camera bean bag and press remote control. Some cameras allow you to use a shutter release cable. Controlling your camera remotely is the best way of minimising camera movement as there is no camera contact during the shot, thus giving you sharp photos every time.
Whether you use a compact point and shoot or SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera, camera shake can ruin an otherwise perfect photo. There are many ways to minimise camera shake or eliminate it altogether. The most obvious way is to use a tripod, however that is not always readily available or practical at times. Another popular method of stabilizing the camera is to use a camera bean bag. One such camera bean bag is called Cam-Pod. Cam-Pod is different to the traditional camera bean bag because it has bi-folding pockets that can fold to hold the camera and lens snugly. It also contains plastic fillings, making it customs friendly.
Taking hand held shots –
When taking handheld photos. It can sometimes be a challenge to use a shutter speed fast enough to prevent camera shake or blur. This depends on the available light. A general rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed equivalent to the focal length of your lens. For example; if you are using a 50mm lens, the minimum shutter speed for hand held shots would be 1/50th sec or faster. On a 200mm lens, use 1/250th sec or faster. Shoot hand held with a speed slower than this and you are likely to get camera shake. If you are extremely still with your hands, you can probably get a way with speeds a little slower than these suggested speeds.
To take the shot, hold the camera with both hands and with your elbow beside your body. This will provide additional stabilization of the camera. Many cameras may have a shutter lag so after depressing the shutter, do not move the camera immediately or you may experience movement in your shot. When taking the shot, breath in, press the shutter and then exhale.
Using the camera bean bag support –
Find a firm surface to lean your camera on, eg a rock, bin, fence, wall, tree, etc. Make sure surface is solid and does not move easily. Place the camera bean bag on the surface and your camera on top or to the side if it is vertical. Wiggle the camera a little to allow camera to sit firmly on the camera bean bag. With an SLR/DSLR camera, just fold the camera bean bag to provide support for the lens. For point and shoot cameras, just rest the camera on the camera bean bag and hold it with your hand and finger on shutter button. Select the right shutter speed and take the photo. The camera bean bag can be folded, twisted and rolled to get the right angle for your camera. You can also place the camera bean bag against a wall and lean your camera against it for a natural light shot without flash. This will give you a more natural looking photo with even lighting rather than one with harsh shadows caused by the flash. When taking flash shots with dark background, use a slower shutter speed such as 1/8 sec or 1/2 sec. Ensure that when using the camera bean bag that your camera and the camera bean bag is stable and won’t slip off the surface and cause expensive damage to your gear. Eg when resting camera and the camera bean bag on a car side mirror, do not take your hand off the camera.
Selecting the correct shutter speed / aperture to take the photo –
To correctly capture and expose a scene, the camera will automatically choose the right combination of shutter speed and aperture. In most cases, this gives good results, however you may need to override the auto settings and over/under compensate the exposure to get the best results – This is most prevalent when subject is in front of a bright background. For SLR/DSLR cameras, set the shooting mode to S (shutter priority). On some cameras, it is the T setting (Time priority). Choose a shutter speed and aperture appropriate for the scene. For the sharpest pictures, many professional photographers use the mid-range aperture of f8 or f11. Ensure the camera is sitting firmly on the camera bean bag with no movement.
Focus on the subject. Press the shutter release. Ensure that there is no camera movement when pressing shutter. If so, the picture maybe blurred. Re-adjust the camera bean bag and the camera and try taking the photo again. Look at the camera’s LCD to see the focus and exposure of the photo. You may need to zoom into the displayed photo to see the details. If photo looks dark, increase the exposure by selecting a longer shutter speed. Shutter speeds are typically (from slowest to fastest) 8s, 6s, 4s, 3s, 2s,1.5s, 1s, 1/1.5, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/15, 1/20, 1/30, 1/45, 1/60, 1/90, 1/125, 1/180, 1/250, 1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000, 1/4000, 1/6000 and 1/8000. Shutter speeds are in seconds or fraction of a second. Eg a shutter of 1/60th means the shutter will open for one sixtieth of a second. If the captured picture looks too dark on the LCD display, use a slower shutter speed such as 1/45 or 1/20. Alternatively and if possible, open the aperture to let in more light. Aperture scales are (from widest opening to smallest) f1, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32. (Note: your lens may not have all these settings). Another way to shoot in low light is to increase the ISO setting. However this also introduces digital noise into your photos.
Using the self timer and remote control
Depending on the shutter speed you are using, you may still end up with camera shake in your final shot. Ie. As you press shutter, the camera may move a little. To minimise this, set your camera to self timer, press shutter and take your hand off camera. The shot will be taken in a few seconds without the camera being touched. For cameras with remote function, set it to remote control function, adjust camera and the camera bean bag and press remote control. Some cameras allow you to use a shutter release cable. Controlling your camera remotely is the best way of minimising camera movement as there is no camera contact during the shot, thus giving you sharp photos every time.
Iggy discovers - What to Do with His Photos
After quite a few years now of Digital Photography I have amassed a huge number of photos which are safely backed-up on my External Hard Drive. I have printed off some of the better ones and kept them in an album for safe-keeping, I've also made a few calendars using a Calendar Kit in conjunction with a range of my favourite photos.
I've also provided a highly entertaining slide show (don't laugh) for the pleasure of my family last Christmas (using the Sandisk Photo Album). But what other options do I have to help me display my other photos, as most of them are currently sitting in binary form on my hard drive, mostly unseen. After searching the web, the first display idea I discovered was the great innovation of Digital Photo Frames! These nifty devices are basically tiny flat screen monitors in a frame.
After hooking up to a computer or inserting a memory card, the picture frame will display and cycle through any photos found on the memory card. There are currently a variety of Digital Photo Frames available at a variety of different prices, the cheapest I found was around the £70 mark for a 5.6 inch frame and around £150 for a 7 inch frame. These prices will drop over the next year or two as the manufacturing cost of colour screen technology falls. I may well pick one of these devices when that happens.
Online photo album services was the next topic I stumbled upon, these seem to have sprung up all over the web, many offering a simple way of posting photos on to the web, so family and friends can browse your photos at their leisure. The possibility of putting my photos on the Internet really tickled my fancy. There are many free online services available making it possible for people with very little computer knowledge to easily select their favourite photos and post them to a private area on the Internet for family and friends to view. This service cuts out a lot of technical know-how that would normally be required to get your photos on the web. However if you have the time and wish to build your own photo web site, there are plenty of tutorials on the web that will take you through the process from buying a domain name through to uploading files to the web, step by step.
During my research, I found many Internet companies offering lab quality prints from your Digital Photos, sent directly to your door. By simply selecting your favourite images from your computer and having them electronically sent via the company's website you can purchase copies of your chosen prints from as little as 1 penny per photo. There are also many other printing options available, for instance you can have your photos printed onto items such as mugs, t-shirts, dinner placemats, teddy bears, cushions and other items you probably have never dreamed of printing onto!
Another service commonly found at these photo websites, is canvas printing. Canvas printing is where your digital photos are printed directly onto a specially coated canvas and then box mounted, ready for hanging. Up until recently, having digital images printed on to canvas has been an expensive process. Thanks to some changes in the way canvas prints are made, it has become much more affordable to get those special photos turned into classy, eye-catching pieces, guaranteed to bring any bland wall to life.
Canvas prints are generally available in sizes starting at 40 x 30cm up to about 160 x 120cm. Please note that some digital images (mainly images below 4 mega-pixels) may not be suitable for this scale of enlargement, it's well worth checking this out with the photo website before parting with any money.
Besides all the online services available, a variety of Automated Photo Kiosks have appeared in our high street stores. These Kiosks allow you to simply insert a memory card from your digital camera and select images you would like to print. After inserting some money your chosen photos are printed and dispensed on the spot. The Kodak kiosks are also equipped with an option to burn your photos onto a CD for safe-keeping. This is a convenient option for people that either do not have a computer or a printer to use, but love the freedom of Digital Photography.
Out of these discoveries, I am keen to try and get my photos up on the internet for the world see. This can be done nice and quickly for free! I think I will also send a couple of my best photos off to have box mounted canvas prints made to hang up at home.
I've also provided a highly entertaining slide show (don't laugh) for the pleasure of my family last Christmas (using the Sandisk Photo Album). But what other options do I have to help me display my other photos, as most of them are currently sitting in binary form on my hard drive, mostly unseen. After searching the web, the first display idea I discovered was the great innovation of Digital Photo Frames! These nifty devices are basically tiny flat screen monitors in a frame.
After hooking up to a computer or inserting a memory card, the picture frame will display and cycle through any photos found on the memory card. There are currently a variety of Digital Photo Frames available at a variety of different prices, the cheapest I found was around the £70 mark for a 5.6 inch frame and around £150 for a 7 inch frame. These prices will drop over the next year or two as the manufacturing cost of colour screen technology falls. I may well pick one of these devices when that happens.
Online photo album services was the next topic I stumbled upon, these seem to have sprung up all over the web, many offering a simple way of posting photos on to the web, so family and friends can browse your photos at their leisure. The possibility of putting my photos on the Internet really tickled my fancy. There are many free online services available making it possible for people with very little computer knowledge to easily select their favourite photos and post them to a private area on the Internet for family and friends to view. This service cuts out a lot of technical know-how that would normally be required to get your photos on the web. However if you have the time and wish to build your own photo web site, there are plenty of tutorials on the web that will take you through the process from buying a domain name through to uploading files to the web, step by step.
During my research, I found many Internet companies offering lab quality prints from your Digital Photos, sent directly to your door. By simply selecting your favourite images from your computer and having them electronically sent via the company's website you can purchase copies of your chosen prints from as little as 1 penny per photo. There are also many other printing options available, for instance you can have your photos printed onto items such as mugs, t-shirts, dinner placemats, teddy bears, cushions and other items you probably have never dreamed of printing onto!
Another service commonly found at these photo websites, is canvas printing. Canvas printing is where your digital photos are printed directly onto a specially coated canvas and then box mounted, ready for hanging. Up until recently, having digital images printed on to canvas has been an expensive process. Thanks to some changes in the way canvas prints are made, it has become much more affordable to get those special photos turned into classy, eye-catching pieces, guaranteed to bring any bland wall to life.
Canvas prints are generally available in sizes starting at 40 x 30cm up to about 160 x 120cm. Please note that some digital images (mainly images below 4 mega-pixels) may not be suitable for this scale of enlargement, it's well worth checking this out with the photo website before parting with any money.
Besides all the online services available, a variety of Automated Photo Kiosks have appeared in our high street stores. These Kiosks allow you to simply insert a memory card from your digital camera and select images you would like to print. After inserting some money your chosen photos are printed and dispensed on the spot. The Kodak kiosks are also equipped with an option to burn your photos onto a CD for safe-keeping. This is a convenient option for people that either do not have a computer or a printer to use, but love the freedom of Digital Photography.
Out of these discoveries, I am keen to try and get my photos up on the internet for the world see. This can be done nice and quickly for free! I think I will also send a couple of my best photos off to have box mounted canvas prints made to hang up at home.
Landscape Photography Guide To Anglesey-North Wales
Having lived in North Wales for several years now I have become very familiar with it’s stunning mountains, valley & lakes, not to mention the endless beaches & coastline, many hidden away and often unfound by the unfamiliar visitor. In particular I have become entranced by the Isle of Anglesey, an incredible place for photography which still remains somewhat of a hidden gem. It’s an Island of endless photographic opportunities with dramatic lighthouses, historic buildings and architecture, stunning beaches, wildlife in abundance and despite the relative small size of the island a range of landscapes and seascapes to challenge any photographer.
The aim of this guide is to provide an insight into some of the best locations on Anglesey for landscape / seascape photography. The locations are all found via the official Isle of Anglesey coastal path (routes and maps available on the official website: http://www.islandofchoice.com) and to get the best from your visit to the island I would recommend you plan to do some coastal walking, many of the best locations are not fully accessible by car. To make the guide easier to follow it is divided into coastal sections, each of which can be related to the official coastal path route maps.
Beaumaris to Penmon point
Beaumaris is one of the most attractive towns on Anglesey, its location and castle doing much for its appeal to photographers. It’s situated directly across the Menai straits from Snowdonia National Park whose impressive mountains provide a stunning backdrop. It’s a particularly good location for those sunrise photographs as the sun rises from behind the Snowdonia mountains, reflecting in the Menai Straits, the Beaumaris pier itself provides a good vantage point. In the Straits themselves yachts and boats are frequently moored and can provide a nice main subject or some added foreground interest. Alongside the pier is a natural harbour, the main area for the numerous yachts and boats that visit Beaumaris, it can provide some good photo opportunities too. Within the town is an impressive 13th century castle, it’s also quite photogenic. A visit inside the castle can provide nice views from its walls across the Menai Straits and towards the Snowdonia mountains, also a few hundred yards along the coastal path behind the town is a small hill which provides the ideal location from which to capture a good shot of the town, the castle and the surrounding landscape.
From Beaumaris to Penmon point the coastal path is flat all the way as it runs directly alongside the Menai Straits - be aware that at high tide much of the path is actually underwater. This stretch of the path provides a constant vista of the Menai Straits, the Snowdonia mountains and a little distance away the imposing Great Orme, countless opportunities for photographs. The beaches themselves however are not quite so photogenic, being mainly covered in rocks and different varieties of seaweed and coastal debris. Personally if I was to choose one particular photography location along this section of the coastal path I would go directly to Penmon point, easily accessible by car from Beaumaris. Here options are Penmon priory, Penmon point lighthouse and the views towards Puffin island and the distant Great Orme, the Snowdonia mountains are also still in view. There are also some interesting rock formations a short distance along the shoreline from the lighthouse, offering the possibility of some imaginative macro shots. Penmon Point to Benllech
Heading away from Penmon point towards Red Wharf bay the coastal path starts to climb above the coastline, providing a slightly different angle of the lighthouse, Puffin Island the Great Orme, it’s worth a couple of shots. Along this stretch of the path though the best location for a good landscape photograph has to be Red Wharf Bay, again accessible by car. It is a large open bay, actually appearing much like an estuary, which during low tide is a mass of golden sand – it’s also useful to know that its character changes quite dramatically with the incoming tide. Personally I think the best time for photographs is at low tide. The small village itself is situated directly alongside the bay and has some charm. In particular the small harbour area, usually containing a yacht or two, provides good photography opportunities. Continuing along the coastal path towards Benllech now involves a walk along the beach, tide permitting. The beach between Red Wharf Bay and Benllech has golden sand and again provides opportunity for a photograph or two. Benllech itself is a large town, mainly located slightly away from the coastline, which although pleasant doesn’t in itself encourage the taking of any photographs.
Benllech to Amlwch
The section of coastline between Benllech and Amlwch is probably the most contrasting section of the coastal path and provides numerous possibilities for the landscape photographer. The coastal path climbs dramatically as it leaves Benllech and the view really opens out. There’s lots of interest, once again the Great Orme can be seen although a good telephoto lens is essential to capture a successful photograph. The first main focus for the photographer however is Moelfre, it is a quaint little place, having some of the appearance of a small Cornish fishing village. It’s a great place, although consequently it does get busy so early hours photography would probably provide the most tranquil shot. The only problem with Moelfre however is finding the best location from which to take the shot as it’s tucked away in a corner of the coastline and not the easiest place to get a good photo of. The best option is to carry on past the village on the coastal path and take a shot looking back into the small harbour.
The coastline onwards from Moelfre becomes flatter and there are some nicely located sandy coves with interesting features and texture. The first notable one amongst these is the beach at Lligwy, it can be reached by car too. For the photographer there’s also some added interest here in the form of Ynys Dulas, a small, rocky island some distance from the beach which has a very photogenic manmade shelter, originally built as somewhere for shipwrecked sailors to find rescue. It is some distance away from the beach though so a good telephoto lens is essential for a good shot. Follow the coastal path further and the island becomes closer in perspective, there are some good features too to make that foreground that bit more appealing.
Another great location for a good landscape photograph soon arrives as the path continues, namely Dulas. It is similar in nature to Red Wharf Bay, resembling a large estuary. It can be crossed on foot at low tide (without socks & shoes) and on the opposite side rests the remains of a large wooden boat – a perfect focus for a strong photograph. Here again the bay changes character when the tide rises, it’s also worth investigated the surrounding woodland too as it provides some good angles from which to capture the bay.
The path from here once again starts to climb above the coastline offering a wider view, it’s worth noting too that the small island of Ynys Dulas is constantly in view along this section. The view from the coastal path becomes even more impressive as it nears Point Lynas and Porth Eillan. Here an imposing lighthouse sits high up on the cliff top, it can be seen from some distance away and photographed from several different angles, the surrounding bracken and heather provide some excellent foreground too – it’s not the most photogenic lighthouse on Anglesey though. Below the lighthouse is Porth Eillan, a small bay enclosed by high cliffs, it’s another excellent location for a few photographs, perhaps a wide landscape shot or a few macros taken on the attractive beach area.
Heading on from Porth Eillan the path again provides excellent views and a few coastal landscape shots are possible, the path remains quite high above the coastline. This section finishes at Amwlch, unfortunately now somewhat tired looking after years of decline. The old port however is still a great place for photography, particularly those photographers interested in maritime history or industrial landscapes and architecture. The old port has a small, very atmospheric harbour, old lime kilns are still evident and if you find the right angle some excellent shots can be take here.
Amwlch to Cameas
Moving on from Amwlch the coastline becomes very rugged and the path rises and falls dramatically, passing through more highly photogenic industrial ruins. The photographer walking this section of the Anglesey coastal path is spoilt for choice.
The first major location after leaving Amwlch is Bull Bay, a nice enough place and a popular destination for tourists, but personally I don’t think it provides too much in the way of photography opportunities although it’s worth a visit just to be sure. From Bull Bay the path starts to climb quite dramatically and it’s from this point on that the coastline has some real inspiration for the photographer. Near the full height of the climb you arrive at the simply stunning Porth Wen, a large bay surrounded by rocky cliffs, seals are often seen here skimming the coastline for food. On one side of this bay is a disused Victorian brickworks, much more visually appealing than it actually sounds. Although abandoned the main structures remain, the kilns, chimneys and it’s own small harbour wall, previously used to load and unload the frequent cargo vessels. Porth Wen is truly a great location for the landscape photographer, particularly anyone interested in industrial landscapes.
From Porth Wen the coastal path continues to climb and the landscape becomes even more rugged and visually stunning. The photographer really is spoilt for choice, the industrial ruins continue with a series of kilns and buildings located where the path falls suddenly back to sea level in a series of valleys. It really is difficult to overemphasis just how photogenic this section of the Anglesey coastal path is. The rugged nature of the path continues all the way to Cameas, passing along the way the ‘not to be missed’ Llandabrig Church. It is perched high on the clifftop overlooking the sea and has it’s own unique character. A good wide-angle lens is essential here to fully capture the church in its impressive setting.
Further down the cliffs from the church is another section of coastline not to be missed. A large, rock strewn beach appears, the appeal of which to the photographer is the large section of cliff that has broken away from the mainland, standing in the centre of the beach as a sort of rugged monument. It really does make a great subject for the landscape photographer. Continuing along the beach the path climbs back to the cliff top but gradually falls as it approaches Camaes. This quaint little harbour village has lots of character and certainly provides the photographer with opportunities. Unfortunately though, just around the bay from Cameas things get distinctly less photogenic in the form of a monstrous nuclear power station, this is actually seen occasionally on the approach from Porth Wen but fortunately not too often too detract from the otherwise stunning coastline. I cannot recommend this section of Anglesey coastline enough, in its relatively short distance it provides the photographer with a wealth of opportunities.
Holyhead to Treaddur
Holyhead itself is an interesting place, although certainly not the most photogenic location on the Isle of Anglesey. It does however have a hidden gem in the form of St Cybis church. Dating back several centuries this ancient church is worth a visit by the photographer, it is really the only interest in Holyhead though, unless shipping is one of your passions.
As the coastal path leaves Holyhead the first location for a photograph arises on reaching Breakwater Country Park, it contains some interesting rocky coastline but perhaps more interesting for the photographer is the actual breakwater itself, a massive manmade wall designed to protect the main port from the ravages of the sea – this could well provide a few photos with a little bit of ingenuity. Leaving the Breakwater Country Park the coastal path rises with the cliffs and the view opens out and the scenery improves. Holyhead mountain appears on the left, worth a shot or two itself if you can find an interesting angle. From the top of the mountain the view looking back across Anglesey is substantial, perhaps though to the landscape photographer too lacking in distinctive features to be worth a shot. However looking seaward the coastline is more dramatic and the radar station at North Stack catches the viewers eye. In fact it’s possible to reach this quite comfortably via a lane and worth a visit as with some imagination a great photograph or two can be achieved, perhaps more effectively when the sea is at it’s most energetic.
Climbing back up the coastline from North Stack the path follows a distinct section of rocky scenery, again worthy of a few shots. However the main benefit of taking this route is that the path arrives above one of the most dramatically located lighthouses you will probably see, South Stack. It is also perhaps one of the most photographed too, it’s worth noting that it provides a fantastic focal point for sunset shots, at least in summer when the sun sets directly behind it. The lighthouse is several hundred feet below the main cliffs on it’s own small island and can be approached via a set of steps and a robust metal bridge (for a small fee of course). Visitors can take a tour inside, I’ve tried it & would recommend it. Stood on the island also provides the photographer with a good viewpoint from which to capture the dramatic cliffs that surround it, the cliffs abound with numerous forms of wildlife too. Climbing the steps up from the lighthouse the coastal path now heads downhill and on its way passes the distinctive RSPB viewing tower situated on the cliff tops, worthy of a shot or two itself. From here the coastal path continues along the clifftops, which remain impressive, towards Treaddur. A frequent look backwards will provide numerous views of the lighthouse at South Stack and the difficulty is in not taking too many. Eventually the lighthouse is out of sight and the rocky coastline continues, more photogenic rock formations appear and are definitely worth photographing however it’s the main approach to Treaddur that provides the better images as the coastal path passes a wonderful series of small rocky bays covered with golden sand, each of them somewhat different and worthy of a photograph. I think the best time for photography in these bays however is at low tide as they become very small any other time and opportunities for foreground interest, sand textures etc are greatly reduced. The town of Treaddur itself is a modern, tourist orientated place and doesn’t really provide much in the way of photographs although it does has a very nice beach situated in a wide sweeping bay which is quite photogenic.
Rhosnegr to Aberffraw
Rhosneigr is a very popular tourist destination, particular with anyone interested in watersports, this makes it a great place for photographers who like capturing windsurfer shots and the like. The village itself doesn’t really have anything distinctive enough to warrant a photograph, but the surrounding coastline and beaches provide more than adequate compensation. The main beach at Rhosneigr has far and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, worthy of more than one shot.
Leaving the village along the Anglesey Coastal path heading towards Aberffraw immediately brings you to a stretch of golden sand, half way along which are some good rock formations – foreground interest is no problem here. On leaving the beach the path continues along the coastline cliffs, passing on its way an ancient burial chamber (another opportunity) and 2 small sandy coves – the larger of these in particular is worthy of a photograph. After this the path passes through a few fields with no real particular views or worthwhile features, it then arrives at Anglesey Racing Circuit. Here’s the ideal opportunity to try out those motor sport shots. The circuit holds events but is frequently open to the public and numerous motorbikes and high-powered cars are easily photographed.
In a complete transformation about half a mile further down the coastal path photographers are provided with a somewhat unique opportunity. On arriving at a small sweeping bay just on the outskirts of Aberffraw an ancient church can be seen isolated in the sea on its own small island. This is the church of St Cwyfan, dating back to the 12th century. It is actually accessible but only at low tide via a small rocky causeway. This is another ‘not to be missed’ photographic opportunity. Personally I think the best photograph of the church is taken when the tide has just started to recede, leaving the route of the causeway uncovered but the church still surrounded by the sea. This location can actually be accessed by a very narrow track from Aberffraw but be warned in busy periods progress along it can be slow, walking the short distance from Aberffraw is probably preferable.
Having exhausted all photographic possibilities at the church the coastal path continues on to Aberffraw, the approach to which is particularly pleasant. The village itself sits at the outlet of a river and this provides a good subject. A little experimentation is required to find the best angle to a rewarding photograph will be the result. On the opposite side of the river approaching Aberffraw is also a nice stretch of golden beach, certainly worth another photograph.
Aberffraw to Llandwyn
The coastal path between Aberffraw and Llandwyn is the most unspoilt and visually attractive area of the Isle of Anglesey, it’s also my own personal favourite photography location in North Wales. After leaving the beach at Aberffraw behind the coastal path passes through a few fields which don’t particularly provide any photographic interest. However on reaching Maltreath the situation improves dramatically. From here all the way to Llandwyn the beaches are just stunning, miles of beautiful, unspoilt sand – a landscape photographers paradise you might say. The greatest opportunities for the photographer though appear on the approach to and arrival at Llandwyn Island.
Although know as an Island, Llandwyn is actually only isolated from the mainland during high tide and for a short time. Although any photographer trapped here for two days certainly wouldn’t run out of ideas. The main features of the island are provided by 2 excellent lighthouses, both provided with stunning backdrops by the mountains across the sea on the mainland of Wales. Of the two lighthouses I personally prefer the newest one, it’s located on the very end of the island and the beach below provides an ideal position from which to get that perfect shot. In summer the sun also sets directly behind the lighthouse presenting further interest. This is not to say the other lighthouse is not photogenic, it certainly is without a doubt.
Other features of Llandwyn island include the ancient ruined abbey and the more moderm, but ancient looking crosses, one Celtic and the other Latin, both of which hold prominent positions and provide even more creative options for the photographer. The all-round view from the island is simply stunning too, particularly when looking towards the mainland of Wales and the numerous mountains which crowd the coastline. As an added bonus, the island (and Llandwyn beach itself) is a perfect place to take both sunrise and sunset photographs. For those interested in wildlife photography it’s also worth noting that the island is inhabited by its very own wild horses, which if you are lucky, will pose nicely whilst you take their photograph.
Leaving Llandwyn island and following the coastal path along the beach doesn’t mean the photographer needs to put that camera away. The beach is full of character, perhaps moreso at low-tide. Large sand dunes line the beach and the nearby forest continues right alongside. When the tide recedes the beach is a mass of sand, much of full of textures and detail certain to capture the landscape photographers eye. Once again the search for good foreground interest is a very short one. The drama of the beach is multiplied by the ever present mountain backdrop provided by the Snowdonia National Park. Towards the end of the vast beach, as it nears the Menai Straits the mountains appear much closer in perspective, a good wide angle lens capturing some great detail and contours. Across the Straits Caernarfon and it’s castle can also be seen, although at a distance requiring the use of a powerful telephoto lens to capture a noteworthy photograph.
The aim of this guide is to provide an insight into some of the best locations on Anglesey for landscape / seascape photography. The locations are all found via the official Isle of Anglesey coastal path (routes and maps available on the official website: http://www.islandofchoice.com) and to get the best from your visit to the island I would recommend you plan to do some coastal walking, many of the best locations are not fully accessible by car. To make the guide easier to follow it is divided into coastal sections, each of which can be related to the official coastal path route maps.
Beaumaris to Penmon point
Beaumaris is one of the most attractive towns on Anglesey, its location and castle doing much for its appeal to photographers. It’s situated directly across the Menai straits from Snowdonia National Park whose impressive mountains provide a stunning backdrop. It’s a particularly good location for those sunrise photographs as the sun rises from behind the Snowdonia mountains, reflecting in the Menai Straits, the Beaumaris pier itself provides a good vantage point. In the Straits themselves yachts and boats are frequently moored and can provide a nice main subject or some added foreground interest. Alongside the pier is a natural harbour, the main area for the numerous yachts and boats that visit Beaumaris, it can provide some good photo opportunities too. Within the town is an impressive 13th century castle, it’s also quite photogenic. A visit inside the castle can provide nice views from its walls across the Menai Straits and towards the Snowdonia mountains, also a few hundred yards along the coastal path behind the town is a small hill which provides the ideal location from which to capture a good shot of the town, the castle and the surrounding landscape.
From Beaumaris to Penmon point the coastal path is flat all the way as it runs directly alongside the Menai Straits - be aware that at high tide much of the path is actually underwater. This stretch of the path provides a constant vista of the Menai Straits, the Snowdonia mountains and a little distance away the imposing Great Orme, countless opportunities for photographs. The beaches themselves however are not quite so photogenic, being mainly covered in rocks and different varieties of seaweed and coastal debris. Personally if I was to choose one particular photography location along this section of the coastal path I would go directly to Penmon point, easily accessible by car from Beaumaris. Here options are Penmon priory, Penmon point lighthouse and the views towards Puffin island and the distant Great Orme, the Snowdonia mountains are also still in view. There are also some interesting rock formations a short distance along the shoreline from the lighthouse, offering the possibility of some imaginative macro shots. Penmon Point to Benllech
Heading away from Penmon point towards Red Wharf bay the coastal path starts to climb above the coastline, providing a slightly different angle of the lighthouse, Puffin Island the Great Orme, it’s worth a couple of shots. Along this stretch of the path though the best location for a good landscape photograph has to be Red Wharf Bay, again accessible by car. It is a large open bay, actually appearing much like an estuary, which during low tide is a mass of golden sand – it’s also useful to know that its character changes quite dramatically with the incoming tide. Personally I think the best time for photographs is at low tide. The small village itself is situated directly alongside the bay and has some charm. In particular the small harbour area, usually containing a yacht or two, provides good photography opportunities. Continuing along the coastal path towards Benllech now involves a walk along the beach, tide permitting. The beach between Red Wharf Bay and Benllech has golden sand and again provides opportunity for a photograph or two. Benllech itself is a large town, mainly located slightly away from the coastline, which although pleasant doesn’t in itself encourage the taking of any photographs.
Benllech to Amlwch
The section of coastline between Benllech and Amlwch is probably the most contrasting section of the coastal path and provides numerous possibilities for the landscape photographer. The coastal path climbs dramatically as it leaves Benllech and the view really opens out. There’s lots of interest, once again the Great Orme can be seen although a good telephoto lens is essential to capture a successful photograph. The first main focus for the photographer however is Moelfre, it is a quaint little place, having some of the appearance of a small Cornish fishing village. It’s a great place, although consequently it does get busy so early hours photography would probably provide the most tranquil shot. The only problem with Moelfre however is finding the best location from which to take the shot as it’s tucked away in a corner of the coastline and not the easiest place to get a good photo of. The best option is to carry on past the village on the coastal path and take a shot looking back into the small harbour.
The coastline onwards from Moelfre becomes flatter and there are some nicely located sandy coves with interesting features and texture. The first notable one amongst these is the beach at Lligwy, it can be reached by car too. For the photographer there’s also some added interest here in the form of Ynys Dulas, a small, rocky island some distance from the beach which has a very photogenic manmade shelter, originally built as somewhere for shipwrecked sailors to find rescue. It is some distance away from the beach though so a good telephoto lens is essential for a good shot. Follow the coastal path further and the island becomes closer in perspective, there are some good features too to make that foreground that bit more appealing.
Another great location for a good landscape photograph soon arrives as the path continues, namely Dulas. It is similar in nature to Red Wharf Bay, resembling a large estuary. It can be crossed on foot at low tide (without socks & shoes) and on the opposite side rests the remains of a large wooden boat – a perfect focus for a strong photograph. Here again the bay changes character when the tide rises, it’s also worth investigated the surrounding woodland too as it provides some good angles from which to capture the bay.
The path from here once again starts to climb above the coastline offering a wider view, it’s worth noting too that the small island of Ynys Dulas is constantly in view along this section. The view from the coastal path becomes even more impressive as it nears Point Lynas and Porth Eillan. Here an imposing lighthouse sits high up on the cliff top, it can be seen from some distance away and photographed from several different angles, the surrounding bracken and heather provide some excellent foreground too – it’s not the most photogenic lighthouse on Anglesey though. Below the lighthouse is Porth Eillan, a small bay enclosed by high cliffs, it’s another excellent location for a few photographs, perhaps a wide landscape shot or a few macros taken on the attractive beach area.
Heading on from Porth Eillan the path again provides excellent views and a few coastal landscape shots are possible, the path remains quite high above the coastline. This section finishes at Amwlch, unfortunately now somewhat tired looking after years of decline. The old port however is still a great place for photography, particularly those photographers interested in maritime history or industrial landscapes and architecture. The old port has a small, very atmospheric harbour, old lime kilns are still evident and if you find the right angle some excellent shots can be take here.
Amwlch to Cameas
Moving on from Amwlch the coastline becomes very rugged and the path rises and falls dramatically, passing through more highly photogenic industrial ruins. The photographer walking this section of the Anglesey coastal path is spoilt for choice.
The first major location after leaving Amwlch is Bull Bay, a nice enough place and a popular destination for tourists, but personally I don’t think it provides too much in the way of photography opportunities although it’s worth a visit just to be sure. From Bull Bay the path starts to climb quite dramatically and it’s from this point on that the coastline has some real inspiration for the photographer. Near the full height of the climb you arrive at the simply stunning Porth Wen, a large bay surrounded by rocky cliffs, seals are often seen here skimming the coastline for food. On one side of this bay is a disused Victorian brickworks, much more visually appealing than it actually sounds. Although abandoned the main structures remain, the kilns, chimneys and it’s own small harbour wall, previously used to load and unload the frequent cargo vessels. Porth Wen is truly a great location for the landscape photographer, particularly anyone interested in industrial landscapes.
From Porth Wen the coastal path continues to climb and the landscape becomes even more rugged and visually stunning. The photographer really is spoilt for choice, the industrial ruins continue with a series of kilns and buildings located where the path falls suddenly back to sea level in a series of valleys. It really is difficult to overemphasis just how photogenic this section of the Anglesey coastal path is. The rugged nature of the path continues all the way to Cameas, passing along the way the ‘not to be missed’ Llandabrig Church. It is perched high on the clifftop overlooking the sea and has it’s own unique character. A good wide-angle lens is essential here to fully capture the church in its impressive setting.
Further down the cliffs from the church is another section of coastline not to be missed. A large, rock strewn beach appears, the appeal of which to the photographer is the large section of cliff that has broken away from the mainland, standing in the centre of the beach as a sort of rugged monument. It really does make a great subject for the landscape photographer. Continuing along the beach the path climbs back to the cliff top but gradually falls as it approaches Camaes. This quaint little harbour village has lots of character and certainly provides the photographer with opportunities. Unfortunately though, just around the bay from Cameas things get distinctly less photogenic in the form of a monstrous nuclear power station, this is actually seen occasionally on the approach from Porth Wen but fortunately not too often too detract from the otherwise stunning coastline. I cannot recommend this section of Anglesey coastline enough, in its relatively short distance it provides the photographer with a wealth of opportunities.
Holyhead to Treaddur
Holyhead itself is an interesting place, although certainly not the most photogenic location on the Isle of Anglesey. It does however have a hidden gem in the form of St Cybis church. Dating back several centuries this ancient church is worth a visit by the photographer, it is really the only interest in Holyhead though, unless shipping is one of your passions.
As the coastal path leaves Holyhead the first location for a photograph arises on reaching Breakwater Country Park, it contains some interesting rocky coastline but perhaps more interesting for the photographer is the actual breakwater itself, a massive manmade wall designed to protect the main port from the ravages of the sea – this could well provide a few photos with a little bit of ingenuity. Leaving the Breakwater Country Park the coastal path rises with the cliffs and the view opens out and the scenery improves. Holyhead mountain appears on the left, worth a shot or two itself if you can find an interesting angle. From the top of the mountain the view looking back across Anglesey is substantial, perhaps though to the landscape photographer too lacking in distinctive features to be worth a shot. However looking seaward the coastline is more dramatic and the radar station at North Stack catches the viewers eye. In fact it’s possible to reach this quite comfortably via a lane and worth a visit as with some imagination a great photograph or two can be achieved, perhaps more effectively when the sea is at it’s most energetic.
Climbing back up the coastline from North Stack the path follows a distinct section of rocky scenery, again worthy of a few shots. However the main benefit of taking this route is that the path arrives above one of the most dramatically located lighthouses you will probably see, South Stack. It is also perhaps one of the most photographed too, it’s worth noting that it provides a fantastic focal point for sunset shots, at least in summer when the sun sets directly behind it. The lighthouse is several hundred feet below the main cliffs on it’s own small island and can be approached via a set of steps and a robust metal bridge (for a small fee of course). Visitors can take a tour inside, I’ve tried it & would recommend it. Stood on the island also provides the photographer with a good viewpoint from which to capture the dramatic cliffs that surround it, the cliffs abound with numerous forms of wildlife too. Climbing the steps up from the lighthouse the coastal path now heads downhill and on its way passes the distinctive RSPB viewing tower situated on the cliff tops, worthy of a shot or two itself. From here the coastal path continues along the clifftops, which remain impressive, towards Treaddur. A frequent look backwards will provide numerous views of the lighthouse at South Stack and the difficulty is in not taking too many. Eventually the lighthouse is out of sight and the rocky coastline continues, more photogenic rock formations appear and are definitely worth photographing however it’s the main approach to Treaddur that provides the better images as the coastal path passes a wonderful series of small rocky bays covered with golden sand, each of them somewhat different and worthy of a photograph. I think the best time for photography in these bays however is at low tide as they become very small any other time and opportunities for foreground interest, sand textures etc are greatly reduced. The town of Treaddur itself is a modern, tourist orientated place and doesn’t really provide much in the way of photographs although it does has a very nice beach situated in a wide sweeping bay which is quite photogenic.
Rhosnegr to Aberffraw
Rhosneigr is a very popular tourist destination, particular with anyone interested in watersports, this makes it a great place for photographers who like capturing windsurfer shots and the like. The village itself doesn’t really have anything distinctive enough to warrant a photograph, but the surrounding coastline and beaches provide more than adequate compensation. The main beach at Rhosneigr has far and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, worthy of more than one shot.
Leaving the village along the Anglesey Coastal path heading towards Aberffraw immediately brings you to a stretch of golden sand, half way along which are some good rock formations – foreground interest is no problem here. On leaving the beach the path continues along the coastline cliffs, passing on its way an ancient burial chamber (another opportunity) and 2 small sandy coves – the larger of these in particular is worthy of a photograph. After this the path passes through a few fields with no real particular views or worthwhile features, it then arrives at Anglesey Racing Circuit. Here’s the ideal opportunity to try out those motor sport shots. The circuit holds events but is frequently open to the public and numerous motorbikes and high-powered cars are easily photographed.
In a complete transformation about half a mile further down the coastal path photographers are provided with a somewhat unique opportunity. On arriving at a small sweeping bay just on the outskirts of Aberffraw an ancient church can be seen isolated in the sea on its own small island. This is the church of St Cwyfan, dating back to the 12th century. It is actually accessible but only at low tide via a small rocky causeway. This is another ‘not to be missed’ photographic opportunity. Personally I think the best photograph of the church is taken when the tide has just started to recede, leaving the route of the causeway uncovered but the church still surrounded by the sea. This location can actually be accessed by a very narrow track from Aberffraw but be warned in busy periods progress along it can be slow, walking the short distance from Aberffraw is probably preferable.
Having exhausted all photographic possibilities at the church the coastal path continues on to Aberffraw, the approach to which is particularly pleasant. The village itself sits at the outlet of a river and this provides a good subject. A little experimentation is required to find the best angle to a rewarding photograph will be the result. On the opposite side of the river approaching Aberffraw is also a nice stretch of golden beach, certainly worth another photograph.
Aberffraw to Llandwyn
The coastal path between Aberffraw and Llandwyn is the most unspoilt and visually attractive area of the Isle of Anglesey, it’s also my own personal favourite photography location in North Wales. After leaving the beach at Aberffraw behind the coastal path passes through a few fields which don’t particularly provide any photographic interest. However on reaching Maltreath the situation improves dramatically. From here all the way to Llandwyn the beaches are just stunning, miles of beautiful, unspoilt sand – a landscape photographers paradise you might say. The greatest opportunities for the photographer though appear on the approach to and arrival at Llandwyn Island.
Although know as an Island, Llandwyn is actually only isolated from the mainland during high tide and for a short time. Although any photographer trapped here for two days certainly wouldn’t run out of ideas. The main features of the island are provided by 2 excellent lighthouses, both provided with stunning backdrops by the mountains across the sea on the mainland of Wales. Of the two lighthouses I personally prefer the newest one, it’s located on the very end of the island and the beach below provides an ideal position from which to get that perfect shot. In summer the sun also sets directly behind the lighthouse presenting further interest. This is not to say the other lighthouse is not photogenic, it certainly is without a doubt.
Other features of Llandwyn island include the ancient ruined abbey and the more moderm, but ancient looking crosses, one Celtic and the other Latin, both of which hold prominent positions and provide even more creative options for the photographer. The all-round view from the island is simply stunning too, particularly when looking towards the mainland of Wales and the numerous mountains which crowd the coastline. As an added bonus, the island (and Llandwyn beach itself) is a perfect place to take both sunrise and sunset photographs. For those interested in wildlife photography it’s also worth noting that the island is inhabited by its very own wild horses, which if you are lucky, will pose nicely whilst you take their photograph.
Leaving Llandwyn island and following the coastal path along the beach doesn’t mean the photographer needs to put that camera away. The beach is full of character, perhaps moreso at low-tide. Large sand dunes line the beach and the nearby forest continues right alongside. When the tide recedes the beach is a mass of sand, much of full of textures and detail certain to capture the landscape photographers eye. Once again the search for good foreground interest is a very short one. The drama of the beach is multiplied by the ever present mountain backdrop provided by the Snowdonia National Park. Towards the end of the vast beach, as it nears the Menai Straits the mountains appear much closer in perspective, a good wide angle lens capturing some great detail and contours. Across the Straits Caernarfon and it’s castle can also be seen, although at a distance requiring the use of a powerful telephoto lens to capture a noteworthy photograph.
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