Did you make it to the beach this holiday weekend? For many, the Memorial Day jaunt to soak up the sun, sand and surf was just a sneak peak of the summer fun that will unfold in the weeks to come. Hopefully, you were able to snap some super photos of your family frolicking on the beach. After all, there is nothing more disappointing than returning home with pictures of squinting kids, blurry backgrounds and washed out waves. If these are the types of images you documented on your digital camera during your weekend trip to the beach, then you … Continue reading →

Have you ever attended a family reunion, taken a million photos, and then returned home to find that you are not in a single frame? Such is life as the family photographer. You are the one with the upgraded camera, the skills, and in many cases, the willingness, so by default you are bestowed the title. However, in the process of pointing and shooting at everyone else you often find that you are left out of the action, and most definitely the shot. Summer is primetime for family reunions. If you are planning to document the annual event for your … Continue reading →

Each year, tens of thousands of professional and amateur photographers take aim at the country’s most incredible natural gems. From the Grand Canyon to Grand Teton National Park, shutterbugs of all skill levels travel from around the world to capture inspirational shots of spectacular landmarks. If you are planning to spend part of the summer at a National Park, then now is the time to hone your landscape photography skills. Grand Teton National Park alone covers more than 300,000 acres and includes its namesake, Grand Teton, which rises more than 13,700 feet in the air. It is the second highest … Continue reading →

National Parks are gearing up for what could be a record breaking summer in terms of visitors. With the price of gas hovering near record highs, a new AP poll shows that an increasing number of families are planning to vacation close to home in the coming months. If you are looking to spend at least part of your summer vacation touring some of the country’s most spectacular natural gems, then don’t forget to pack your camera. After all, being able to snap keepers of America’s best parks isn’t something most hobby photographers get to do everyday. So, how can … Continue reading →

Snapping a high quality shot of your child on graduation day can go a long way to insure that the milestone lives on for generations to come. Commencement photos can be framed; turned into thank you cards or invitations; used in scrapbook layouts or featured on t-shirts, totes and key chains. The possibilities are practically limitless when it comes to creating incredible keepsakes from a single graduation picture. However, before you can transform your images into photo gifts, you need to snap some decent shots. To do so, start at the beginning. The graduation ceremony provides a number of excellent … Continue reading →

Spring is finally here (well, not in Wisconsin, but just about everywhere else) which means you have no excuse not to get outside and document the first signs of the season. If you are an avid photographer, now is the time to fine tune your outdoor shooting skills. For most of us, these skills have laid dormant for the past few months, especially if you don’t enjoy taking winter photos in the great outdoors. Take your camera outside and document spring flowers, bugs and green landscapes. Just remember these simple tips before you point and shoot: Timing is Key: High … Continue reading →

I once tried to capture a tree bud with a moderately-priced Canon point-and-shoot camera. What I saw in the viewfinder looked great, but after I hit the shutter button, the bud turned into a big blur and I was done trying to take close-up shots of flowers with anything less than a DSLR camera. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you couldn’t snap a gorgeous photo of a spring daffodil or a budding rose; however, you will have to adjust some things to make up for a lack of camera power. For starters, avoid using your flash as much as … Continue reading →

In some situations, traditional matrix metering will give you great results. Matrix metering tends to be the default mode for most cameras. As long as your scene is evenly lit, it will work great. The camera’s light meter will look at the whole picture and determine what the correct exposure should be. The exposure will be incorrect, however, when there are areas of intense white or black in the photo. For example, if you take a picture in front of a window or other bright light source, your picture will end up underexposed. If you take a picture in front … Continue reading →

We are less than a month away from the start of baseball season. The pros throw out the first pitch on March 31st while many high school and intramural teams batter up in just a couple of weeks. My nephews are diehard baseball fans and even bigger little league players. They live, eat, and breathe baseball throughout the year, but spring, summer and fall are the only times I can capture them with my camera on the field. Last year I failed miserably trying to get a few frame worthy shots of them in action. This year, however, I have … Continue reading →

I strongly maintain that it is nearly impossible for digital camera owners to print out lousy images. Post production or photo editing programs make it nearly impossible to create bad pictures. In addition to being able to correct lighting issues, crop, and adjust the clarity of photos, these tech tools allow you to rotate, zoom and fix otherwise cruddy shots. Lately, I have been forced to fix a ton of pictures that I have snapped at my daughter’s indoor sporting events. The lighting in her school gym is about as bad as it gets. However, thanks to photo editing tools … Continue reading →