Simple Baby Photography Tips For Infants and Newborns

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Scot Voelker

Most of the time photographing a newborn can be challenging and somewhat unpredictable. In this article I've listed some useful Baby Photography Tips For Infants And Newborns that can make your sessions go as smoothly as possible.

Tips #1 Learning The Location

If this is a location shoot, you will probably want to visit the home first, so you can check out the windows and be sure that you will have adequate light. If this is not possible, ask the parents what the lighting is like for the particular time of day that your sitting is scheduled.

Tips #2 Discuss The Wardrobe

Discuss with the parents prior to the sitting how they feel about the baby's wardrobe. You should consider photographing their wrinkly, soft-skinned bodies, so try to encourage the parents to forego the clothing.

They are only an infant for such a short period of time and we want to capture every little part of them! Make sure to remind parents to remove clothes or anything that may leave marks on the baby's delicate skin approximately 1 hour prior to the sitting. This really helps in post-editing so you won't be spending all of your time getting rid of sock marks, etc.

Tips #3 Room Temperature

Before the sitting, make sure that the room or location is very warm. Newborns can be very uncooperative when they are cold. I sometimes use a heating pad underneath the backdrop or material that the baby is laying on for extra warmth.

Tips #4 Be Prepared

Be sure to have any props, baby posers, backdrops, etc. ready prior to the sitting. Keep hand sanitizer, clean blankets, paper towels, disinfectant cleaner, baby wipes and tissues handy. Trust me, you will need these things!

Tips #5 Natural Posing

Pose infants in their natural position. It looks awkward and unnatural to see them sitting upright. A beanbag poser is an easy way to pose a baby because it naturally molds around the baby's body. Not to mention that it is very safe and comfortable for the infant.

Tips #6 Choose The Right Height And Angles

Get down to their level. When you shoot down low at the baby's level, you are bringing the viewer into the baby's world vs. standing over the baby and looking down on it. Very often, I lay on the floor on my stomach for some great captures.

Although, most of my time is spent at the baby's level, it is a good idea to consider other angles. You can also try shooting from a bird's eye view or from down below the baby's level to show other interesting perspectives.

Photographing newborns and infants requires a lot of patience. I always allow extra time for these sessions because they can be so unpredictable. Use these tips in your photography sessions and you will be on your way to creating beautiful baby portraits.

Scott Voelker is the creator of NewPortraitBiz. He has taught 1,000's of students how to start a photography business. To receive his Free video lessons visit http://newportraitbiz.com. Visit Scott's Blog at http://newportraitbiz.com/blog for even more up to date Free lessons.

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5 Digital Photography Tips – Creating Great Family Portraits

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Scot Voelker

Just about every family wants a good portrait of themselves over the years. Taking good family portraits presents a wonderful opportunity to capture the intimate relationships between all family members.

Most of the time the portrait consists of the immediate family between two and six people. Here are a few Digital Photography Tips to use when you shoot your next family photography session.

Tip #1 Make them Comfortable

It is difficult to get great expressions on faces when people are straining to maintain a certain pose. It's important to make every effort to pose the family in a way that will give you the best opportunity to capture their best 'side.'

Tip # 2 Watch your Composition

Part of the challenge of family portraits is to compose your shot in a way that will draw the viewer into and around the photograph in a pleasing way. Pose family members in triangles. The natural flow of the portrait will then allow the viewer to see each family member in an easy and progressive manner.

Tip # 3 Using Props

Using a big wing-backed chair with mom or dad sitting in the chair and the rest of the family members posed around it always makes a great shot. Using park benches, trees, rocks, fireplaces, stools and even the ground or floor are all good ideas to help you capture that unique shot. Don't be afraid to use your imagination and creativity!

Tip # 4 Dressing Similar

This should be discussed before the family shoot is to take place. It will save you a lot of headache if all the family members are dressed in complimenting styles and colors. Strips, polka dots, clashing colors and printed clothing can give you a disconcerting and uneasy feel to a photo. We want to produce a photo that will convey the harmony and love between family members and draw the viewer to the faces; not be distracted by clothing that is outlandish or clashing.

Tip # 5 Watch the Lighting

If you are shooting in a studio, make sure you have your lights set up to enable every person's face to be clearly seen. Although shadows can add intensity and interest, make sure it is balanced properly. Taking family photos outside can present a whole new set of challenges.

Shooting at the golden hour of the day (one hour before the sun goes down) is an option that will give you wonderful lighting conditions. Once again, it is of prime importance that all family member's faces can be clearly seen.

Taking family portraits can present some very interesting challenges. You, as the photographer, have the opportunity to capture the very character and intimacy of the family unit. It takes work and practice to create a stunning portrait that will become a family memory for years to come.

Scott Voelker is the creator of NewPortraitBiz. He has taught 1,000's of students how to start a photography business. To receive his Free video lessons visit http://newportraitbiz.com

Visit Scott's Blog at http://newportraitbiz.com/blog for even more up to date Free lessons.

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5 Simple Pet Photography Tips For Better Portraits

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Guest Writer

Scot Voelker

Whether you want to add Pet Photography to your business or just capture a treasured photo of your own family pet, there are a few things you need to know before you just show up with your camera expecting award winning portraits. Here are a five tips that will help you get the photos you're looking for.

Tip #1 - Patience

First and foremost we must realize that stunning photos of pets involve a lot of patience. Waiting for that right pose or expression that represents the character of the pet may take a little time. Sometimes we get lucky and it happens very quickly, then there are the other times when it feels like we will never get THE shot! It can be frustrating but extremely rewarding.

Tip # 2 - Shoot Often

Shooting continuously can accomplish a couple of things. First it gets the pet used to the sound of the camera, second it allows you to capture candid shots in between formal poses. You might be surprised at some of the images you captured when you review them.

Tip #3 - Use Different Angles

The eyes are the most important part of the photograph. The character and soul of the pet can be more dramatically captured by getting down to their eye level. Shooting down from above by standing on a chair or something solid can also product effective and unique photos. Be adventurous! Experimenting with different angles may also generate exceptional portraits. Remember, the eyes must be in perfect focus.

Tip # 4 - Toys & Treats

There tends to be some controversy on the use of pet toys and treats to stimulate the pet in order to make a more appealing shot. On the one hand, the toys and treats can help you get more intense and striking images but on the other hand, some animals will become over-stimulated and become difficult to work with. Talking with the owner and observing the animal under both circumstances before the shoot can help you decide whether or not to use the props.

Tip # 5 - Composition

We can get so busy trying to get that perfect expression or interesting shot that we forget what is around us and in the background. Make a visual check through the viewfinder to see if you are using the rules of good composition. Are you using your thirds? Is the background uncluttered? Does the background complement the subject?

For example; it may not be wise to shoot a black dog with a dark background. If you find your location is not working, move around to the other side or change locations completely. It can make the difference between an ordinary shot and a stunning portrait.

There are a lot of things to remember in a very short space of time when you are working with animals. Taking pet portraits is challenging to say the least, but is extremely rewarding. Capturing for the owner the essence and character of their much loved family pet turns that stunning portrait into a priceless memory for them.

Scott Voelker is the creator of NewPortraitBiz. He has taught 1,000's of students how to start a photography business. To receive his Free video lessons visit http://newportraitbiz.com
Visit Scott's Blog at http://newportraitbiz.com/blog for even more up to date Free lessons.

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Digital Photography Tips – Lighting Basics For Beginners

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Guest Writer

Scot Voelker

When you're first starting out learning photography you have wonderful dreams of owning all the 'best' equipment but your budget dictates just how much money you can put towards it. You may already know that if you don't have good light, you won't receive good pictures. Having the proper exposure will allow you to capture images that look professional.

In this series of articles we'll be delving into identifying what your light sources are and how to use them effectively. Natural light has been around from the beginning of time and will always be an available free resource as long as it exists. Here are some basics on natural light that you might want to consider.

Using Free Light

Many people start out by using what available light there is and one absolutely free source of great lighting in nature is the sun. Even on a rainy or cloudy day, this light is wonderful to shoot with because the clouds become a great diffuser creating more even lighting with less shadows.

Avoid Direct Sun

At times the bright sun can become your enemy and produce harsh shadows, squinted eyes and blown out details. I suggest you find yourself a shady spot and use the more diffused light from the shade to light your subject more evenly. Shooting at the right time of the day, the golden hours (either one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset), produces incredibly stunning images.

Using Window Light

Window light is another great source to take advantage of. As long as the bright sun is not coming through the window, you have another diffused lighting situation. Using window light can produce some amazingly powerful effects that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Create A Softer Light

You can also add a white light weight sheet over the window to create a large soft light. This works just like a studio "soft box" that most studios own and use on a daily basis. We will talk more about them in a future post.

Always make sure to check out what readily available artificial light sources you have on hand that you can use to take your photography business up a notch. It can help you decide where you need to invest your hard earned dollars. For now you can use these techniques above and receive better results that look like a professional photographer took them.

Scott Voelker is the creator of NewPortraitBiz. He has taught 1,000's of students how to start a photography business. To receive his Free video lessons visit http://newportraitbiz.com. Visit Scott's Blog at http://newportraitbiz.com/blog for even more up to date Free lessons.

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No-Flash Photography Using Available Light or Low Light Can Exact Rewarding Images Even Photo Art

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Guest Writer

Carl Chesal

Low-Light, Slow Shutter Speed, No Flash Photography! 

This lighting challenge no longer needs to put fear into a photographer's heart. It's possible to get perfect photos with a digital SLR and a few simple techniques. 

Sometimes a flash brings you sunlight and then there are times when using a flash just takes away the mood of the moment. At times light voids the image of emotion. Like an artist poised in front of a blank canvass, the photographer chooses light, color, texture and shape to portray their Photo Art to share with the world. 

I love to capture candid, journalistic style images of people during highly emotive events such as weddings and milestone birthdays. Take my lead and sit or crouch in a corner, almost invisible to the subjects and capture a loving look, a comforting touch or a smile that lights up the room. To capture these candid images and maintain your anonymity, you have to be non-intrusive. Using a camera flash defeats that purpose. In fact, a flash can be quite annoying to the subjects as well as any others present. 

Using a flash captures the moment and then stops the subject cold (to collect themselves) before going on. The flash is not conducive to spontaneity and a natural flow of action. Capturing the energy of a live band performance is always an exciting project. There is the uncertainty of lighting, obstruction by instruments, equipment and people, and not knowing how each song will bring out the emotions of the artists. Imagine the bad reception you would get if you, as the band photographer, started poppin' flashes during the performance! Oooouch! Now that would be a mood wrecker, wouldn't it? 

In 'use the available light' situations you should be brave! Be bold! Shoot no-flash with confidence. Shoot without a tripod or unipod to stabilize the camera. Wow! Is this really possible? Yes my friend it is! 

    It is a real treat to shoot no-flash images with a digital SLR. I've taken thousands of images using the available light with my Canon D60 (an oldie but goodie in the digital camera world) with a number of different lenses :

  1. Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6
  2. Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 (a heavy lens but fast for low light and action shots)
  3. Sigma 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 (my all around on-camera lens).

 

I have achieved great results with all these lenses in low-light, no-flash situations. You can achieve this with film, but with digital you get to instantly view the shot and can make adjustments to create some funky photo art. Plus with a digital SLR you can use the rapid fire feature and guarantee that one of the images will be perfect. And the no developing, no negatives means no cost for snapping a lot of digital images. Play the odds!

    A few tips that will make the odds work in your favor:

  1. set your ISO speed to 400 or Higher - I shoot at ISO 400
  2. set Drive Mode to continuous shooting - you'll be using rapid fire often
  3. use Tv (shutter priority) or M (Manual Exposure) - experiment using both shutter modes
  4. use both Auto Focus and Manual Focus on your lens - remember Auto Focus sometimes is too slow to work properly in low-light environments
  5. you will be free-shooting at aperture speeds of 1/20 to 1/8 or lower. Use one of these camera stabilizing techniques: 1) elbows/arms on stable surface even if it is your knee or thigh; 2) arms tight to body and, my favorite; 3) don't breathe when snapping images

Now the fun begins. You will be constantly adjusting aperture speeds and focus every time you point your lens or your subject moves or the light changes. But don't stop shooting! 

I have found that if I bring the aperture speed down to where the camera indicates you don't need a flash (1/15), I will shoot multiple photos at that speed and then also shoot some at 1/20 and 1/10. Remember to meter on the subject not the light. You will be surprised at the different colors and emotions you capture by manually bracketing the shots this way. Again, experiment. Have fun! Keep moving around. Get a lot of close-up shots. Use the light source that comes from where ever or what ever (e.g. stage lights, candlelight, window light, flash light, fire light). Take lots of pictures. Move around your subject(s). Take more pictures. This is just too much fun! 

At these slow aperture speeds you will get some blur. This effectively captures motion and adds an very artistic touch to your photos. 

Couple your ability to frame a shot with the post production capabilities of Picasa by Google, and you will create some incredible Foto Art. 

Low light? - No problem! 

Carl Chesal is a business and channel development consultant, trainer, photographer, and avid snowmobiler. He operates BizFare Enterprise Inc, Foursight Marketing and Consulting, and Foursight Photography, which provide business, marketing, and internet marketing consulting services. Carl with wife, Janet, also operate a number of e-commerce web-sites. 

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Getting the Brightness Right in Digital Photography

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Guest Writer

Thomas Mann

Part of learning photography is to get as many things right in terms of exposure, framing and composition whilst you are taking the picture. Even though you can fix many mistakes in your processing software, you should aim to gt it right in the day. Discovering an image needs adjustment in brightness levels - it may be under or over exposed fractionally - is easy to fix. Fine tweaking of the 'grey tones' is an adjustment of how quickly grey levels in the scene move toward white or move toward black.

Black and white

Examining the black and white levels in the scene can tell you a lot about the correct exposure for the shot. What type of image are you trying to create? A high contrast picture involves very black and very white elements in a scene whereas low contrast would exhibit a greater range of grey elements within the shot.

What is over exposure?

Bright images will look bright and shiny all over. Check the shadow areas - the blackest parts of the scene - and for any details you can see. Black areas should be black with very little detail in. If you spot any hint of 'digital noise' - a sort of grainy effect - in the shadows, you have likely over exposed the shot.

What is under exposure?

Images that are too dark are under exposed. Most of the shot will be black and the brighter areas and highlights are likely to be muddy and gloomy.

Black is an important element of any picture. Not getting the shadow areas correct and looking dark can make the rest of the photo appear washed out and lacking vitality.

Thomas Mann is a camera and astronomy freak. Check out his blogs on the radio earpiece and buying spotting telescopes.

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5 Easy Tips For Improving Your Framing When Taking Pictures

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Guest Writer

Thomas Mann

The art of framing a good picture develops over time and through practice. Didn't we all start off cutting peoples heads off and missing out people at the side of the frame? This is a common mistake and you can think of it as a rite of passage toward better skill.

Framing great pictures is about capturing the essence of something. That is very subjective and different for everyone. If we are trying to tell a story with pictures you want those pictures to be relevant. Framing is about directing the viewers attention to this point or that point and minimising distractions.

Keep moving until the find the right picture.

Keep on your toes! Don't get rooted to one spot if it isn't good enough. When time isn't an issue then take your time. You will be more satisfied with the result and so will your viewers.

Fill the frame

Why leave big empty spaces that don't do anything? Unless it is there for a reason (known as negative space which is used to contrast with another feature) this is just dead space that doesn't add anything to the story of the image.

Fill it with people

Never put people far away in the frame if they are important. When shooting people you want to know about them, who they are, their emotions. This means getting up close and personal. People shots are much nicer if the frame is filled with faces, eyes, smiles and laughter.

Frames within frames

Shooting through a doorway frame to an object or person outside the door is an example of a frame within a frame. This can create emphasis as well as leading the eye on a forward journey.

Off-centre

Try putting your subject anywhere but the centre of the frame. The middle is often a bit dull. Off-centre subjects are more effective and engage the brain in a more focused way.

Photography doesn't have to be rushed or done hastily. You will get much better results if you think about what you are doing fro a moment. Really compose a shot and see the difference.

Thomas Mann is a camera, gadget and astronomy freak. Check out his blogs on the radio earpiece and buying spotting telescopes.

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Tips For Using Flash Photography

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Guest Writer

Thomas Mann

In order to get the most out of your photography you need to have the capability of working in low light conditions. Most cameras still have difficulty when there is little light. That's where the flash unit comes in. A flash unit is synchronised with the camera to chuck out a load of light just before the picture is taken. This ensures the image was adequately 'lit' and a good exposure can be made.

It is hard to know just how powerful our flashes are. For the average snapper it seems to be firstly a matter of pot luck followed by trial and error and many, many mistakes. Eventually we come to an instinctive understanding that we need to get closer to our subject or change our position somehow.

To improve our flashed pictures we can make sure the background is exposed. The brighter the area behind the subject the more balance there will be for the flashed area.

Ideally, the flash should be separate from the camera body. On most modern phones, our default cameras, the flash is built in so this is impossible to begin with. Have you ever seen a photographer with a flash unit stuck high over their camera? This is because they are trying to get it further away from the lens to avoid red-eye.

Red eye occurs when the light from the flash is too close to the camera. As light is travelling in straight lines it goes directly into the subjects eyes and it is the persons retina that you are seeing as the red eye. Anti-red eye measures include strobing the flash unit very quickly before the picture is taken. This forces the subjects pupil to dilate thus minimizing the red eye effect. It may also force them to scowl and frown!

Flash also works nicely when the image is black and white. You do not have the different color balance problems of day and night and tungsten lights and the varying shades or orange that produces.

Getting great results with the flash takes practice but with digital photography this is easy. Just keep snapping.

Thomas Mann is a gadget and camera freak. Check out his blogs on motion sensor cameras and buying walkie talkies.

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A Brief History of Photography

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Guest Writer

 Craig Ellyard

The forerunner to photography was the ability by artists to trace scenes onto canvas with the aid of projected images. They were able to do this from as early as the 16th century using the camera obscura and the camera lucida.

These early cameras were not able to fix an image. That did not happen until 1826 when a Frenchman named Nicéphore Niépce produced an image on a polished pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative. The exposure time as an incredible eight hours and he later went on to improve his photographic technique using a silver and chalk mixture which darkens when exposed to light.

Niépce refined the process further when he formed a partnership with Louis Daguerre. When Niépce died in 1833, Daguerre carried on his work.

Louis Daguerre, a former collaborator with Nicéphore Niépce in early photographic techniques, made a major break through in 1839 developing a process called daguerreotype.

This used silver on a copper plate and is still the basis of the process utilised today in Polaroids. The French government seized on the development and bought up the Daguerreotype patent.

There were also developments across the English Channel where William Fox Talbot was working on a similar process to the daguerreotype, but had kept his findings a secret. By 1840 he had invented the calotype process,which enabled him to produce positive prints.

Constant battles defending his patents saw Fox eventually give up his research in photography.

One of the early innovators in photographic technology was Slovene Janez Puhar who invented the process for putting photos on glass in 1841. This earned Puhar recognition at the French Académie Nationale Agricole, Manufacturière et Commerciale on July 17th 1852.

A year earlier Frederick Scott Archer developed the collodion process, which was used by children's author Lewis Carroll, whose photos are popular to this day.

Meanwhile,the daguerreotype photographic process,developed by Louis Daguerre in the late 1830s, was enjoying continuing popularity as the demand for photos continued to grow.

But Daguerreotype photos were expensive to produce. This led to a revival in William Fox Talbot's inspired, but secret process.

The popularity of daguerreotype photographs was because they could provide portrait pictures far quicker than the traditional oil painting. Also the growth of the middle class, with artistic pretensions and the cash to spend, led to growth in demand for portraits. But the cost of a photo was very high, exceeding £1,000 at today' prices.

As well as the expense there were other problems with daguerreotype photographs. Copies of these photos were difficult to produce and they were also fragile, meaning that as well as costing a small fortune they could be easily destroyed.

The solution to this problem was to be handed to the chemists who sought to improve the process of producing photographs.

The move to photography as we know it today occurred in the late 19th century. George Eastman developed a process which removed the need for photographic plates and toxic chemicals to be carried around by photographers. The new format involved dry gel on paper or film.

With the launch of the Eastman Kodak camera in the summer of 1888, virtually anyone could take photographs. The slogan was "You press the button, we do the rest" and in 1901 the first mass appeal camera - the Kodak Brownie - was put on the market.

Quality improved with the introduction of 35mm film - the 35mm Leica camera was introduced in 1925.

Subsequent developments in photography have been remarkable, as colour film, automatic focus and digital cameras have achieved popularity.

Insight are Hull commercial photographers specialising in producing Hull corporate photography for businesses in Hull and Yorkshire.

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Photography Course Online – Your Fast Track to Visually Stunning Images Time and Time Again!

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Guest Writer

Paul Summers

Regardless of what kind of digital camera you utilise, photography has never been so accessible. The possibilities for stunning and spectacular pictures are within your grasp. In the past you'd take your film to the developers, wait around a couple of days and then end up being greatly frustrated when you looked at the results. Certainly, a few photos ended up being fine, however for each one you had been happy with, at least 2 or 3 didn't appear how you'd envisioned them! However, by following a suitable photography course online, you'd be able to get the digital photograph you desired each and every time.

Contemporary digital cameras tend to be easy to use. But this itself this could result in an issue. You can use automated digital camera configurations to ensure that just about all you have to do is actually point and shoot. The problem with this would be that the digital camera may try to grab the photograph it believes you would like - however, with even the most complicated and costly DSLR, the digital camera's interpretation isn't always that which you meant. Envision exactly how beneficial and satisfying it would be if you had complete influence over each and every photograph you shot.

With even a little basic instruction it's feasible to obtain good results that appear experienced. Beginning with fundamentals, like the manner with which you hold your digital camera, through to comprehending photo composition and selecting the proper configurations on your digital camera, will have a substantial impact on the ultimate results of your picture.

When you simply look like you understand what you're doing, other people presume you do. When I started out, I lost count how often I had discussions with observers who believed I took photos for a job - just because I wasn't doing things the way "casual" photographers do. Photography can be a real pleasure.

What exactly would you expect to discover through following an effective photography course online? Here are some examples: -

* How to help make your portrait subjects appear comfortable, natural and self-confident.

* Understanding innovative lighting.

* How to get photos at night with superior, razor-sharp fine detail.

* Steps to make your photos creative using correct composition.

* Using your own creativity in order to take "unconventional" photos which absolutely no one else would even consider.

* Making your monochrome photos look simply incredible, and more effective than colour.

* How you can give your photos that traditional ""times - past" look.

* How to know where and when to capture the very best landscapes.

Photography has stopped being the overwhelming subject it had been in the times of conventional film photography. The chance now exists for anybody with a little common sense and creativity to go from total beginner to somebody that captures expert photographs. This can even be achieved within just a matter of a few weeks, by taking a reputable photography course online.

Discover how easy it is to take memorable photographs simply by following a photography course online. Please check out http://www.photographycourseonline.info for further information.

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