Tag Archives: photos

Father’s Day Photo Gift Ideas

Years ago when I was working at a local TV station one of the meteorologists showed up the day after Father’s Day proudly sporting the gift he received from his two young daughters—a silk screen tie featuring a picture of them sitting in a tree. Yes, he wore it on the air, and yes, I’m sure it delighted his daughters tremendously. At the time I couldn’t help but think of the millions of other dads, who while grateful for the thought put into the gift, would never have done the same thing. To each his own I guess. The important … Continue reading →

Affordable Digital Cameras

They might not have big names like Sony, Nikon, Canon or Kodak, but they also don’t come with the big price tags either. These days the digital camera market has grown to accommodate lower-priced brands whose products can compete with the big boys of photography. One digital camera maker in particular, Concord, is creating quite a buzz with its new 6 megapixel model, which features a retail price of just $229.99. The Concord 6340z digital camera features a 3x optical zoom plus a 4x digital zoom, a macro feature allowing you to take pictures as close as 2 inches, and … Continue reading →

Megapixels and Picture Quality

Ultra-thin, point and shoot digital cameras are all the rage among young photographers (not so much with me). I always figured the people who opted for these slim-Jim cameras were more concerned with style and size than with picture quality. However, these days ultra-thin models are packing more megapixel capacity than ever before. So how much do you really know about megapixels? Or perhaps the better question is, how much do you really need to know? If you are in the process of purchasing your first digital camera one of the first steps to understanding what kind of camera is … Continue reading →

Photography Week in Review for May 11-18, 2008

Have your photos been a bit uninspired recently? Perhaps it is time to consider taking a photo retreat. Whether you jet off to a whimsical destination or retreat to a tropical location, photo workshops serve as a wonderful inspiration for many amateur photographers. This week I dedicated two blogs to photo retreats in a place I am intimately familiar with–Hawaii. We also covered photo scanners, prepping for major photo ops, and we discussed the freedom that comes with digital photography. If you missed any of it now is your chance to get caught up. May 12th—–Photo Workshops in Paradise. This … Continue reading →

Getting Ready for Graduation

Whereas my daughter is far from graduating from school, she is quite familiar with “Pomp and Circumstance” (she uses the tune and inserts her own words: “Peanut butter and jelly… always sticks to my belly…”). She’s counting down the days to her friend’s kindergarten graduation. In addition, we have also been invited to my friend’s daughter’s 8th grade commencement. Even though it’s not my child marching toward her diploma I will still be bringing my camera along to the ceremonies. Millions of snap happy parents around the world will be aiming their cameras at their proud grads in the weeks … Continue reading →

Tips to Consider Before Purchasing a Digital Camera

In my pervious blog I did my best to convince all you traditional photographers to go digital in time for the busy summer shooting season. Now that you know what you are getting yourself into in regards to style, price, and features I wanted to move on to a few other very important issues to consider before purchasing a digital camera: BATTERIES My digital camera takes standard double AA batteries, but they don’t last long in there. Battery life is a major issue for many digital photographers, especially when you are taking your camera on vacation and you’re trying to … Continue reading →

Photographing Terminally Ill Children—The Gift of Pictures

They are the subjects most of us pray we never have to document. Yet, for the parents of terminally ill children pictures are often the only tangible items they have left when their precious gifts are taken away. In my previous blog I revealed that I would never had the foresight or wherewithal to bring a camera to my child’s hospital room to snap shots of her battle to survive. Yet the last photographs taken of a terminally ill child are often what most parents cling to the most. Which brings me to the story of professional photographer Lynette Johnson. … Continue reading →

Picture This

April is almost over and now it’s time to prepare for camera-mania. If you thought December and January were the busiest times of the year for shutterbugs, think again. According to my friend who owns a photo lab, the months of May and June are primetime for picture taking. I know. I was stunned too. But apparently Mother’s and Father’s Day along with school graduations and the start of baseball season inspire millions of family photographers to snap like there’s no tomorrow. In other words, it’s camera season and as the weather warms up you can expect to see a … Continue reading →

Photo Gifts for All Occasions

At some point in your life I am sure you have either given or received a photo as a gift. Whether it was part of an album, placed in a nice frame, or tucked inside of a greeting card, there’s no question that pictures make wonderful gifts. However, there is no reason you should limit your photo gift giving to traditional occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries or Mother’s Day. The following photo ideas illustrate that any occasion is a great time to give the gift of a prize-winning shot. HOUSEWARMING If you are looking for the perfect housewarming gift to … Continue reading →

Are You an Astrophotographer?

Are you a backyard astronomer looking to document a starlit sky with your own camera? Recently fellow blogger Courtney Mroch asked me for tips on how to shoot constellations and I thought I would write a simple post on camera set up, focusing, and lighting. Then I realized there is much more to astrophotography than one blog could accommodate. Therefore, I have decided to devote an entire series of blogs to astrophotography beginning with this one on the types of cameras used to capture stellar shots of constellations. The introduction and subsequent swift evolution of digital cameras has made astrophotography … Continue reading →