I am sick of winter. And I know I am not the only one who feels that way. Sure, I spent the holidays in Hawaii with my family, but that getaway only made it harder for me to deal with the constant snow and cold that has made Wisconsin its haven for the past four months. Don’t get me wrong; I made the most of the pretty winter landscapes by snapping them with my new digital camera. However, one can only take so many snow shots. These days most of my seasonal shooting is done indoors at my daughter’s sporting … Continue reading →

Perfect exposure, tack-sharp focus and ideal composition make up the “perfect” photo, although there’s more to art than technical perfection. Mastering your technical skills does allow you to take your photos to the next level, however. Depending on what you are photographing, getting sharp focus is part technique and part intuition. While you can adjust your settings and use the proper equipment, when photographing children, sometimes it’s knowing when to press the shutter, since they can pause or run around at any given moment! With that noted, here are some ways you can improve your chances of getting that tack-sharp … Continue reading →

One of the most common mistakes new photographers make when it comes to exposure is either making the photo too dark (underexposed) or clipping highlights (overexposed). The difference between a bright photo and an overexposed photo is that in an overexposed photo, the brightest spots will be printed without detail, simply appearing as white. These are also sometimes called “blown” highlights. They are not a good thing, but neither is a dark photograph. If you are serious about photography and want perfect exposure, you need to be shooting in RAW format so that you can tweak your exposures in post … Continue reading →

If you thought photographing young children was challenging, then try taking a picture of a snake or other slimy creature. If you are looking to make it big in the world of wildlife photography, then taking aim at unpredictable reptiles is something you will need to master very quickly. The subject of shooting snakes came up during a recent trip to my local Sears Portrait Studio. The guy trying to get my 6-year-old to smile for the camera shared a story of his latest freelance gig: taking pictures of a serpent and his owner. The snake was the photo subject’s … Continue reading →

My mom is an insurance agent. As such she is often tasked with taking photos of people’s prized possessions, from homes to cars to expensive jewelry. Whatever her client wants insured has to be documented in a series of shots and added to the file. Unfortunately, my mom is a terrible photographer. She willingly admits that she lacks talent in the field of photography, but that means little to her boss. In fact, my mom recently completed a photo tutorial to help her capture frame worthy (or at least file worthy) shots of houses. Here are a few of the … Continue reading →

When I first started dating my college sweetheart he used to shower me with fresh flowers all the time. SIGH! Nice, right? Did I mention he worked at a flower shop? Regardless, his deliveries were heartfelt and I never got sick of having a colorful centerpiece to show off on my kitchen table. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have photos of every single arrangement he gifted me with. I learned a lot about shooting pictures of flowers during my four-year courtship. If you are planning to document your Valentine’s Day floral arrangement next month, then consider acquainting yourself with … Continue reading →

Finding the perfect light for your photos is not always easy. This is especially true if you are shooting outdoors and are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Still, there are ways to capture frame worthy pictures with just the right light if you know how to work with the elements. The sun is the source of all natural light, so learning to work with sunlight is something photographers need to master. Rather, than fighting the sun’s rays let them work for you. For example, if you are taking shots of your son playing in the sandbox at high noon … Continue reading →

I survived the Blizzard of 2010! I didn’t get a t-shirt; rather, I was gifted with roughly 14 inches of snow and 45 mph winds that created five-foot tall snowdrifts smack in front of our garage. In my opinion, snow in excess of three inches is not pretty to look at unless you are staring at it from inside a warm house… and you have someone else shoveling it from your sidewalk. I laughed when my mom, who called from Hawaii, asked if I had taken pictures of my daughter frolicking in the winter wonderland. HA! Frolic is far from … Continue reading →

The weather outside is frightful, at least in Wisconsin. We have more than a foot of snow on the ground and relentless winds that are whipping around at 35 mph. It’s a true winter wonderland out there and would make for a gorgeous backdrop for a Christmas greeting card photo. However, braving the elements to take winter-themed pictures is not exactly high on my to-do list right now. However, in a few days I may change my tune. Frosty’s home does yield fantastic snow shots. The trick is making sure you and your equipment are protected from the harsh winter … Continue reading →

Red and green are the colors of Christmas, but no pet owner wants to photograph his dog and see the seasonal shades show up in his pooch’s eyes. To avoid turning your pup into a green or red-eyed monster, the first thing you need to do is turn off your camera’s flash. A camera’s built-in flash emits a harsh light, which typically reflects off the animal’s retina and results in a demonic appearance. Instead of shooting your pet’s holiday photo indoors, consider taking aim outdoors where you can use natural light to your advantage. If the winter weather makes shooting … Continue reading →