Tag Archives: photo tips

Photography Week in Review for January 28, 2007-February 3, 2008

How much time do you spend sifting through the pictures on your digital camera wondering which ones to save and which ones to delete? And of the ones you save how many are so stunning that you actually consider making money off of them? If you were able to answer either question then this installment of the Photography Week in Review might come in very handy. Take a look at the reasons why: January 28th—–Should I Delete This Picture? It’s a question I struggle with all the time and I know I am not alone. If you have a digital … Continue reading →

Making Money From Your Photos

Yesterday I wrote about Micro Stock Photography websites. These Internet based companies basically “sell” photos at deep discounts and give hobby photographers a chance to make money off their prize shots. So exactly how does one go about selling his or her pictures to one of these micro stock photo agencies? As I mentioned in my previous blog the concept of micro stock photography is rather complex, but getting initiated into the process is fairly simple. The first thing you want to do is research popular micro stock photography agencies online. There are quite a few of them, and you … Continue reading →

Getting Rid of Red-Eye and Saying Bye-Bye to Blurry Shots

If you thought having a green-eyed monster in your family was bad try having a digital camera filled with dozens of red-eyed ones. Those dreaded red-eye shots–dastardly enough to mar pictures of even the cutest child or pet. They are annoying… yet avoidable if you follow these tips: My brother calls them devil eyes (my other brother refers to it as the “Curse of the Cat Eye”), but the red color (and appearance that your subject’s eyes are glowing) has nothing to do with Satan at all. Rather, the red color comes from light reflecting off of your subject’s retinas. … Continue reading →

Tips for Improving Your Shots

If you are spending more time deleting your photos on your digital camera than you are printing them out perhaps it’s time for a photography refresher course. Look over your most recent shots and figure out what is keeping you… from keeping them. Is it bad composition? Poor lighting? Or is your photo subject possessed with the dreaded red-eye? In most cases a bad shot can turn into a keeper by following a few simple pointers: COMPOSITION Remember the “Rule of Thirds.” It’s one of the most important lessons in photography, which requires you to imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over … Continue reading →

Shooting the Perfect Portrait

Whereas I make use of countless “freebies” to get professional portraits of my daughter taken, my friend (an amateur photographer) bypasses the “pros” at the mall and takes her own portraits of her children. And frankly, some of her shots are nicer than the ones other parents pay hundreds of dollars for. My friend will be the first to tell you that she is not a professional photographer, but she knows her kids better than anyone and has a knack for taking shots that perfectly capture the character of her young subjects. Granted not all parents will be able to … Continue reading →

Photography Week in Review for January 21, 2007-January 27, 2008

How many times have you thumbed through a camera manual and wondered what the letters RAW, NEF, TIFF and JPEG stood for? And how many times have you returned from vacation with more shots that needed to be deleted from your digital camera than ones that you considered framing? Finally, when was the last time you seriously evaluated your work in an effort to improve your shots? These are just a few of the topics I discussed in the Photography Blog this past week. Each post includes tips and answers to some of the most commonly asked questions involving the … Continue reading →

Photography Terms You Should Know

This blog is a long time coming. If I was ultra-organized I would have posted it months ago when I first started contributing to the Photography Blog. Better late than never, I suppose. The following list contains the most commonly used digital photography terms. While it doesn’t include every single word or term used in the field, it does provide enough information to help you navigate your way through a camera manual and it will allow you to meet with a camera salesperson without wondering if he or she is speaking English. Aperture—-The opening behind the camera’s lens that permits … Continue reading →

Tips for Taking Memorable Vacation Photos

If you think I am a snap happy parent at home you should see me on vacation. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to capture frameworthy shots of your family in memorable locations. All you need to do is remember some basic rules. The following are tips are ones I try to employ when I’m trying capture Kodak moments on the road: TELL A STORY I’ve written about this technique in previous blogs, but I find it is even more critical when shooting vacation photos. Before pointing and shooting think about how your photos will look when you … Continue reading →

What to Shoot While on Vacation

It may seem like a no-brainer… when you are on vacation you take pictures of your family and friends in front of various local attractions, right? Yes and no. Yes, if you are traveling with your family, but for those who are taking a solo trip there are other ways you can capture the mood and culture of an exotic location without including familiar faces in every shot. I would start by taking pictures of local signs, buildings and famous landmarks. Just be mindful of the sun’s position before you press the shutter button. You’ll typically get better results if … Continue reading →

More Lessons from My Photo Evaluation

In my previous blog I detailed some of the notes I took while sizing up some of my recent shots. My photo evaluation (which basically consisted of me looking through and studying pictures I had taken during a 6-month span) was an eye opening experience that could have been even more beneficial if I had a professional photographer examining the same shots. But, alas this was a simple self-evaluation, which yielded some helpful points. For example: I need to take more action shots. This is quite different from including motion in your photos. You don’t want motion in your shots … Continue reading →