Do I Need To Be A Professional Photographer?

If you already have a digital camera (or if you are tempted to purchasing one), and if you induce ever dreamed about making additional money, then read on because...

This is could be the most important letter that you will ever read!

And let me tell you why: I am about to expose to you, in no uncertain or vague terms, exactly how you too can be generating hundreds and even thousands of extra dollars simply by taking photographs and submitting them online in your own free time!

Hundreds and even thousands of individual are currently making a good chunk of change from the Internet by submitting photos, why not you?

"Do I Need To Be A Professional Photographer?"

Absolutely Not!

Even if you don't have any photography experience, you are able to still use print and use it to make money online.

The system I am prepared to share with you is proven and tested and has turned the passion for photography into a fun and rewarding career for many people, including those who have no photography experience!

Have any of your family members or friends ever commented on the beautiful photos you've taken? Do you seize every opportunity for great shots in everyday life? Do you prefer to use those photos to make extra money? Of course you do. Who wouldn't?

These photography opportunities are what makes this system legitimate and genuine, and are so simple that they do not require any expensive machinery or costly photography supplies, and you could get going extra chunk of change in a brace of days with only your digital camera and your willingness to learn!

Here's The Least You'll Need to Know:

You don't need any special photography equipment or special photo printers because every photograph you take will be uploaded to the Internet and submitted automatically. Neither nor to know anything about digital cameras or photography in order to make money through this system because what I'm about to share with you is deadly simple and powerful.

I am exiting to explain exactly what I do, and I am moving to show you exactly what you need so that you are able to craft a real income source by living your passion for photography!
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Learn to Take Good Photographs

In my experience, teaching digital photography I hear people ask me how to take digital pictures and most importantly how to get crisp sharp digital pictures. I am also asked if learning digital photography is easy or hard and how long does it take. Well I can safely tell you that there are lots of really advanced things you can learn such as what things to do to the camera to take pictures like a professional, aperture and shutter speed for night and extra special photography lighting techniques.

So let's get started:

Photography Lighting Techniques

Your lighting is everything when you learn digital photography. Once you master lighting techniques, then you'll master almost everything in photography. In my experience as a photographer you have two choices; add light or work with the light you have. There is really nothing complicated about this. You can add light via the flash, or reflectors, or additional lamps for example. The other way is to work with the light you have via window light, sunlight and overhead light you have from inside work.

Using reflectors sounds expensive, but it's not. Reflectors are just collapsible sheets of plastic gold, white or clear plastic sheeting that simply reflects a colour back onto the subject you are photographing. You can even make them yourself. Just get a piece of white cardboard or cardboard with gold gloss over the top to create your own. The only thing about cardboard is that they're not collapsible, but if you are creating your own home studio, then it doesn't matter. Collapsible is really needed when you are on location, shooting outside and have to carry them around. The flash is a necessary item you will need in your travels when learning digital photography. There are some pretty nifty external flash techniques to learn but for now, just keep in mind you can use flash front on, sideways, upside down....any direction you want, provided you can maneuver it independently from the camera. If not, then you may want to use additional lighting such as lamps, a torch or flashlight, or even another camera with a flash. The whole purpose to using an external flash unit is to get more light onto the subject, how you do it doesn't matter, it's the end result you are wanting.

Aperture and Shutter Speed

Before I knew what I was doing, I was so scared to put my camera in manual mode on the settings dial. I never knew how to work with the shutter and aperture individually. It's not that hard to work with. I created a small aperture and shutter speed chart out of cardboard to help me work out what shutter would work with what aperture. It came in very handy and I was able to start getting some pretty nice photos. You can do this to by simply taking the information from your camera and writing down the minimum to the maximum aperture. You may find out some interesting stuff about your camera this way. When I first did this, I had no idea my camera went right up to F32. I thought it had a minimum aperture of F22. It really surprised me and as a result of learning this information I was able to get more flexibility and work my camera a bit harder when I wanted it to. By changing your aperture and shutter speed manually you can even starting doing abstract photography.

How to take great composition in photography

You probably already have a good eye and don't need to be taught the major aspects of composition. Rule of thirds is when an imaginary grid is placed over a photograph. It's divided into three rows and three columns. When working to create great composition in photography, generally, you can place points of interest at each point of where the horizontal and vertical lines meet, called an intersection point. Not the rule of course, it is more like a guideline. With some helpful digital photography techniques, you'll learn how to make the most popular family photos come to life such as how to take professional portraits of children. Once you master lighting, you'll also know some really cool stuff like how to take photos of fireworks and some clever flash photography techniques.
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Turn Your Negatives and Slides into Digital Images

In the last few years, digital technology took photography by storm. Most every lab today processes digital photographs from CDs, DVDs, flash cards, etc. Only a few years back most of us only had one choice of getting prints of our photographs: Negatives, and Slides. Things changed quite a bit today. Most non-professional photographers today shoot digitally, because of many advantages digital photography offers. However, most of us still have a legacy left from the days of film. I am referring to the many thousands of strips or developed negative and slide film. It is time to get them available digitally.

Whenever I talk to people about this subject, the first thing I hear is the question: Why? Well, there are several reasons. I am going to break down this part of the article by individual reasons.

Advancing Technology

Because technology is getting better we should take advantage of it, whenever we can. Photography is a good example of improving technology. Some of the higher-end digital cameras today are producing photographs better in detail, contrast, and sharpness than does film. The whole world is moving in the direction of digital because of several advantages, which it has established over film. Remember those times when you were looking for just one frame of that special photograph which you wanted to duplicate for your relatives and friends, and how difficult it was for you sort through all your not so well organized strips of developed film? We all do. This must have been the most frustrating thing to do. No more, if you are shooting digitally. Now, we can organize our digital images by date, name, description, category, and a myriad other criteria. We no longer have to spend hours looking over dozens of strips of film trying to figure out which one we actually need. If we could only do the same with our film.

Long-term Storage

Lucky for us, film is amazing in terms of storage. Images captured on film will last a lifetime, or longer. However, optical technology is giving way to digital, and who knows, twenty years down the road getting our film printed may be much more difficult, and perhaps more expensive than it is today. Technology changes with people, and with the demand which we as consumers generate. We are certainly adopting digital photography very quickly, and as such film is becoming more restricted to semi-professional and professional photographers. This trend will no doubt affect the many labs, both professional and consumer-driven, such as the thousands of convenience and 1-hour labs at supermakets, and specialized photography stores. A great example of this is relative difficulty of getting medium format film, or slides developed. Only about 20 or so years ago this format was as common as 35mm is today.

What to Do With All That Film

Ok, it is clear that we are entering the digital age, and it is time to make the move with our old film. What now? This article is meant for a typical consumer, and as such it assumes that a typical consumer will not have access to a quality, high-end film scanner at home. Not everybody has a scanner at home. Some have digital cameras, and no computer at all. Most typical consumer scanners today do not produce a quality enough scan of 35mm film to be worth it. Most consumers will find that it is most economical, and easiest to obtain services of a dedicated lab, which will gladly scan all your film for you, and will store it on a CD, DVD, or other media. Today, more and more such services are becoming available to address the obviously increasing need. I would recommend staying away from mail order service, which will be much more difficult to deal with, in the case you are not satisfied with the quality of results. Look for services which scan in bulk, and offer discounts on large amounts of film to be scanned. Inquire ahead of time about the final size of the digital image. Make sure that each scan is large enough to produce a quality 13x19 print. This is another reason for using a local versus mail order services. Take your time, and ask all the important questions. If the answers you are receiving are uncertain, and the tech is not willing to take his time with you, consider a different service. Most urban areas today have several options for you to consider. Always shop around. You may find that a cheaper service offers more options, like index prints of scanned film, than does a more expensive service. Consider sorting your film, and ask to have it scanned in the sorted order, which will allow for more logical organization on digital media. Once you have your film digitized, you will be able to transfer and share images with others, as well as get them printed simply by using one of the more popular online services, such as SnapFish, Kodak Gallery, Mpix, etc. Make a copy of the media which you receive from the scanning service, and store it away safely.
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4 Tips for Making a Portfolio Photography Website

A portfolio is the best way to showcase your work, skills and testimonials to employers, prospective clients and others. Technology has become an integrated part of the creative industry where writers, artists, photographers, graphics designers and film technicians use specialized software to bring out the best in their creations. Building an online portfolio is equally important to showcase your work and achieve better response and greater interest. An online portfolio is ideal for professional photographers as well as hobbyists, who can save a lot of time and effort involved in making physical copies or CDs.

It is not so difficult to create a photography website on your own. The best way to get started is to get your own website and starting building your online portfolio around it. A photography website design involves a combination of your photography skills plus exposure to web designing. However, for those who are not familiar with technical aspects of web design, there are simple free website building tools to help you get an outline of your website ready in minutes. For photographers there are specialized photography website design templates for photo gallery, albums and portfolios.

Creating an online portfolio is easy, but creating a successful portfolio requires meticulous planning, designing and execution to achieve your goals. To build a good portfolio it is important to follow the following four key principles as discussed below:

1. Identify Portfolio Goals:

It is important to articulate your goals in any business, and this is true for your portfolio too. You can have a vision or mission statement followed by a set of goals. If you find different portfolios serve different purposes you can create different sets of objectives for each portfolio, which for instance can be Sales Generation Portfolio, Freelancing Portfolio, Networking Portfolio, Personal/Hobby Oriented Portfolio, etc.

2. Design for Target Audience:

It is important to design keeping your target visitors and audience in mind. For corporate clients and customers from traditional industry backgrounds provide professional, formal and clean layouts without any fancy or edgy designs. Focus more on what your prospects want and cater to their needs, for instance a photographer specializing in corporate events will have a different audience compared to those of a fashion photographer. So the right choice of design for your website and portfolio is critical here.

3. Navigation:

This is high priority for your visitors and prospects because if they have difficulty in viewing your portfolio or browsing through your web pages, then it is a definite put off. Even if you manage to get thousands of visitors, poor navigation or design will pose huge obstacles in achieving your goals.

4. Planning & reviewing your Portfolio:

Your portfolio should be professionally managed and reviewed like any other client project. Since this is a showcase of your work, spend more time on planning, updating and reviewing your online web pages and components of your portfolio on a regular basis.

Following these tips for your online portfolio design would help you win more projects, build a strong client base and achieve your professional goals.
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7 Best Online Institutions For Photography That Can Change Your Career

Online institutions for photography are great options for professional and amateur photographers who want to improve their photography skills. Compared to the conventional photography institutions, online schools have various benefits from lower fee structure to efficient time utilization. Our busy schedule today, does not allow everyone to regularly attend a regular classroom program but it is easy for anyone to regularly attend an online photography course. Since the materials can be downloaded and learnt at your own convenience, you can learn during your spare time and weekends.

7 best online institutions that you should consider are:

1. AS in Digital Photography, International Academy of Design and Technology- For photography beginners, this is probably the best online course because it covers a large range of topics from composition to lighting techniques at a beginner level.

2. Photojournalism Program, Boston University- Boston University is a renowned university in United States. When the university officials realized the potential of internet as a great resource for educating students, they came up with a number of fascinating online courses and their department of photography is one among them. The faculty includes professional photographers who have won several prestigious awards and worked with prestigious institutions.

3. BFA in Visual Communication, American Intercontinental University- BFA program from AIU is dealing with the artistic side of photography. However, this program also provides very good insight to various photography equipment, photography techniques and the scientific aspects of photography.

4. BFA in Photography, Pratt Institute- The photography program from Pratt Institute covers various aspects of photography including the history, color and studio lighting. The program has eight semesters.

5. BFA in Photography, Savannah College of Arts and Design- If you are photographer with a strong passion for art, this program works best for you. The introductory classes include drawing and painting sessions to provide you a better insight to colors. MFA in Photography, Savannah College of Arts and Design is one of the best courses for professional photographers and students who want to learn the commercial aspects of photography. The MFA program covers marketing and sales as well as digital photography.

6. BFA in Photography, Academy of Art- The San Francisco based institute is well known for their cutting edge art courses and this course is no exception. You will learn about working with clients, organizing portfolios, studio tools and lighting. They also offer an MFA program.

7. Visual Journalism, Brooks Institute- The Visual Journalism program from Brooks is the best option for those who are looking for a specialized photography degree. Be it fashion, advertising or industrial photography, the institute has tailor made courses that suits you the best. This course can be the best choice for amateur photographers who want to learn about a particular niche and for professionals who are planning to expand their career to one more niche.
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The Evolution of Picture Sharing

Photography has come a long way since its' founding during the mid 1800s. Of course, as photography evolved, so did the way in which people share their photos. From old black and white photographs to a battery operated picture light and battery picture lights, how people are able to show their photographs to others has really changed dramatically in a pretty small amount of time. When photography first came about, there was usually only one photograph that could be developed, so people kept their photos for long periods of time because photos were not able to be replaced like they are today.

The camera itself evolved to a point where it was able to hold film that could be developed. Individuals were then able to share developed photos with friends and family. People were then also able to create copies of photographs, so it was not a huge problem if something happened to the original copy of a photograph. The process worked in such a way that people would take their photos to either a drug store or a special photography store to have the film developed. Individuals would then either mail or hand-deliver copies of relevant photographs to relatives or friends. This process took a fair amount of time and effort to share photographs with another individual.

With the advent of computers and the introduction of the Internet to the consumer market, photography sharing became much easier. With the advent of the Internet, people were able to slowly, but surely put their photographs onto their computer then email them to whomever they wanted. This made it quicker and easier to share photographs. The computer also almost single-handedly took away all photography business from drug stores and specialty photography studios. In order to keep up, many drug stores introduced machines for people to use to develop their digital photos at the store if they wanted hard copies of their photos.

With the evolution of cell phones, photography sharing also changed. With the first camera-ready cell phones, people could take photos and then load them into their computer and share them with others. Eventually, cell phones evolved to a point where people could actually take photographs with their phones, then immediately send that photograph in a text-message to whomever they choose. Cell phones make photo sharing pretty much instant with the advent of instant messaging and texting. A relative who is halfway across the world can share a photo of a famous landmark to a relative in another country in a matter of minutes with current technology.

It will be interesting to see how the photography sharing world will change again as new technology continues to be developed. Cell phones and computers are constantly evolving to allow people to become closer with another faster and with less effort than ever before. It is now easier than ever to share photographs with almost anyone, anywhere in the world. Photography sharing has certainly come a long way since photography became a part of American culture.
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Photography Tour in Indochina

It is difficult to imagine an area of the world so bursting with photography opportunities than Indochina. No matter what type of photography you want, Indochina has the light, the colours and the exotic views. Beautiful land and seascapes, floating markets, rich paddy fields, saffron robed monks, ancient temples, French influenced architecture, historical monuments, traditional minority costumes...

In the northern mountains of Vietnam, live some of Vietnam's 56 minority groups. You can visit their villages and share their traditional lifestyle for a while, all the time recording what you see. In Yunnan, in South-west China, the Dai, Bai and Naxi peoples are proud to display their colourful traditional costumes as they go about their daily lives in their villages and towns with traditional architecture. But be careful. Some ethnic minorities have cultural prohibitions against photography. Just ask first. Buddhist monks in Laos and Thailand stroll the streets and are sometimes happy to pose for you. Always obey signs forbidding photography - failure to do so can cause great offence in religious settings. If in doubt, ask.

Especially in Vietnam, one can see the blending of French and Vietnamese architecture, with a little Chinese influence thrown in too. In Hanoi, the French mansions line boulevards that could have been imported directly from France. In Cambodia, the Khmer architecture reaches its peak in the 12th century temple of Angkor Wat. This is one scenic area that demands photography! Similarly, in the Thai capital, Bankok, the Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is a photographer's dream as are the hundreds of smaller temples across all of Indochina.

The cities, too offer occasions to capture great images. The bustling markets in every city; perhaps an elephant walking through the crowded streets of Bangkok; the stalls selling weird and wonderful food which appear on the streets every night; the fascinating mix of styles and influences.

For natural wonders, the karst islands of Halong Bay in northern Vietnam are hard to beat. Thousands of islands rise from the seabed creating a mystical panorama. The island beaches of Thailand are stunning and no one should miss the vivid turquoise seas which surround Indochina. The rivers that irrigate the whole area also offer many photography possibilities - whether from the natural wonder or for the communities who live beside and on the rivers. The floating markets of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam are a prime example of the photogenic. Phu Quoc in the far south is Vietnam's largest, and most beautiful, island and it is known as an ideal place to catch the sunset.

The local holidays and festivals also offer special photography opportunities. The important water festival known as Pimai in Laos and Songkran in Thailand is a colourful event celebrated across Indochina. Be careful to keep your camera dry! But perhaps the most beautiful festival is Thailand's Loy Krathong when thousands of tiny boats made from banana leaves are set afloat on the river, bearing candles.

No matter which interests you have photography tours can be arranged to your special requirements to ensure you miss nothing. Whatever you do, bring spare batteries and lots of memory capacity - you are sure to go home with many more pictures than you thought possible.
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Start a Photography Business From Your Home?

Numerous photography lovers have recently noticed that their passion could truly make them money. Of course they need to invest some money in a light meter, Fresnel lamps or other lighting equipment but this is actually the case that applies to hobbies for example painting, and as drawing since folks have turned them into their careers and produced an income from it. Most professional photographers actually started off by following their hobby in photography and therefore love undertaking it. According to many people, businesses which make most income are run by people who enjoy their jobs simply because they take pleasure in doing it. Nevertheless, photography lovers must be aware that when they transform it into their job, they must treat it as such in order for it to succeed and achieve the targets that they want to accomplish. Therefore, factors for instance promoting, budgeting and marketing techniques among several others ought to be put into account.

The first and most crucial element is actually creating a company plan prior to beginning the company itself. The business plan will deal with challenges for instance the genre of the company to venture in, the target clients, the market and also how a company is required to perform even throughout tough times. With all these elements considered, a business person will know if photography company is for them and so they will therefore make a far better decision about whether to start the business or not. Another photography business tip is calculating how much money the business may make. Understanding this helps it be simpler for the business owner to estimate how much they are prepared to spend on the company and if they'll eventually make enough income. If the money needed to start up the business isn't available, the company owner might have to produce proposals and source for investors who will be willing to invest within their company and ensure that it begins in a good way.

Another essential digital photography business suggestion is making certain that the aims set aren't too high and therefore are actually achievable. This means that one must not have expectations which are too high when it comes to exactly how much to charge their customers and how much the business will generate. By doing this, the actual company owner is prepared to handle the running expenses of the business even if it does not bring in any income initially. One can make a clear estimate of charges and costing through studying other digital photography companies within the region as well as their competitors on the internet. When comparing charges, the company owner can also find out what area inside the industry is not getting taken care of and specialize in it. This can boost their chances of having a client base that's totally different from other photography companies within the region.

Another way to start a home based photography business is to invest in specialized photography equipment and rent out your own studio and equipment to other photographers.
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The Supplies You Need For Your Photography Business

The photography business is not possible without the utilization of specialized equipments and apparatus, because, like other occupations, it is dependent on several supplies and tools. It is with cameras, lenses, shutters, filters and the like that a photographer develops his or her abilities and uses inborn talent. There are plenty of product categories that you need to take a look at, and each of these matches up with a particular task. The cameras, digital video recorders, props, editing software, backdrops, tripods, lenses, waterproof materials, shutters, filters,etc. make only a small part of the multitude of supplies.

Photography supplies frequently need thorough research and comparison before any purchase is done. It's not advisable to purchase a product without testing it. Some supplies, like effects and filters, add a touch of uniqueness to the results, though critics consider them as ineffective. If you're an enthusiast of photography, you will definitely enjoy these supplies. For this, it is recommended to have an online guide or catalog.

What about remote camera, wireless helmet cameras and so many items that rely on photography supplies? Are we able to depend on such supplies? The reality is that diversity is frustrating, confusing and overpowering. This is why you really should know very well what you are after before starting an online query. The number of equipments has a tendency to increase with that of the applications.

If you go to a specialized photography store, you'll be amazed about the number of equipments available for you. There are cases when you want to buy those used supplies. The new models of professional cameras are quite costly, and they may be out of your reach. There are people and retailers too that sell these supplies, and their offer would allow you to select easily. Take a look online and see what you can buy with your money.

As you start your own photography business, it might be tough to decide as to what's the best deal that you can make for some supplies. Shop based on your budget or technical features, depending on what you are after. Don't invest in those costly hardware, unless you're actually relying on it. Otherwise, there'll be no return on your investment. Also, remember that by comparing technical features, warranty conditions and costs, you can really make an good purchase!
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An Agreement With a Wedding Photographer That Spells Success

It becomes a familiar result in most wedding photography service provided. The key in determining the best Utah wedding photographers is not based on who has the biggest camera or the one with the "best eye" in photography. You can get the topnotch and almost perfect delivery of results from the one who can be defined as the best-practiced business photographer.

As with most wedding photographers, the conduct of the overall photography services which is composed by Salt Lake City modeling photography and portraiture, wedding photography, special events photography and many other specialized photography services is done with utmost professionalism and good business sense.

Successful and smart photographers are extremely talented people with good business sense. Just like other businessmen, they know how to create a brand or product image. They also have a perfect idea how to sell and promote their product. For typical photographers, the battle of great wedding photographers in product branding and imaging is not even winning half the war.

Another aspect of the photography business involves a stream of legalities that should help all parties, including you as the client, gain the most out of the business. For the photographers, it is a best business practice that they follow so that the conduct of affairs is smooth and problem free. For you as the client, it is a concrete assurance for the commitment to deliver the product exactly as agreed and expected.

It is imperative for photographers to give serious consideration to a wedding photography agreement. This legal instrument set the terms of relationship between the photographer and the party who are contracting their services. This contract should give protection for both the photographer and his client. Its length, content and coverage are largely based on the type of service provided.

Here are some of the essential inclusions and terms of an ideal Wedding Photography Agreement.

1. Main Page of the Contract - This is the general contract overview that provides the essential terms of the agreement essential to both parties. You can describe this part of the contract as the "cover page" which may contain relevant information that include the name of the bride and her contact details, name of the Fiancé and his contact information as well, general description of the service to be provided, the date and time, and location of all related events, ceremony, and reception and the signature of concurrence of all parties concerned.
2. Main Agreement - this is the part of the contract where the declaration of both parties of their commitment to fully cooperate within the bounds of the terms of agreement.
3. Payment Terms - This section of the contract establishes the terms of payment including the contract price. Some wedding photographers may include a non-refundable "save the date" type of the deposit.
4. Usage and Rights - This part of the contract answers such issues like whether to give a CD of all the pictures to the clients. Will you give proofs of the coverage and retain the rights of the prints? This is a critical component of the agreement and the terms should be clear for both parties so that future problems are avoided.
5. Model Release Consideration - This part of the agreement stipulate arrangement with regard to the use of wedding images for the portfolio and promotion of the photography business.
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Engagement Photography

It is very common to visit few different photographers' Website to check some of their wedding photography samples and package prices before you select the one that will be your Wedding Photographer. When you are checking their Websites, you might also find pictures and some minor information about Engagement Photography.

The truth is that a lot of brides still don't know what Engagement Photography is and most of them don't know why to have a special Engagement Photography session done is so important.

Here is everything that you need to know about Engagement Photography, and why this session is a must for who is getting married.

What- Engagement Photography is a special photography session dedicated to couples that are soon getting married.

Why- There are few different reasons for having your Engagement Photography done, but two of the best reasons are;

a) Know your photographer better (quality, talent, personality, etc)

b) Have a nice picture of you and your loved one displayed at your Wedding Reception

Where- You can have your Engagement Picture taken at the photographer's studio, a nice park, or at the beach. You should select the location that will translate the personality of the couple best. I personally recommend beautiful open areas with a lot of plants, flowers and etc, or a beautiful beach with clear send, beautiful palm trees and etc.

When- This session have to be done no latter than two or three weeks before your wedding date, so you would have time to select the best picture to be printed and find a nice frame to display the picture at your Wedding Reception. If your intention is to use this session to know better your photographer or just to try a photographer before you sign any contract. I would recommend you to schedule this session at least three to six months before your wedding date.

How- Once you selected the location and the date you and your loved one have to decide about what clothes to wear, makeup, hair, props and etc. Your photographer will be able to help you with some personal suggestions.

There is no reason to you don't have your Engagement Photography done, other than if your Photographer does not offer that on his or her packages. If this is the case, talk to your photographer about your needs or find another photographer that will work the way that you want.
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Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons

Everyone should take digital photography lessons. And I'll give you ten great reasons why.

1. Taking digital photography lessons is not just about learning digital photography, it's also learning about PHOTOGRAPHY and how to take great photos.

2. You'll be able to take gorgeous photos of your family, friends and pets, as well as taking poster quality photos of your vacations and trips. And those beautiful professional images will be cherished and handed down to future generations.

3. Learning photography will save you lots of money. Why hire a professional photographer when you can take beautiful photographs yourself.

4. Own the rights to your family portraits and wedding photos. When you hire a professional photographer guess who owns the negatives and the rights to those images? It isn't you!

5. Many people make a career in photographer and there are so many different fields of photography to choose from. Some specialized photography careers include: wedding, portraiture, pet portraiture, industrial, stock, photojournalism, travel, fashion, sports, and food photography, among others.

6. There are lots of opportunities to earn money part-time with photography; like entering into photography competitions, selling photos to newspapers and magazines, making money online with stock photography websites, teaching photography classes, and more.

7. Digital photography lessons will unleash your creative side (even if you think you don't have one). You'll begin to look at the world through a trained eye. You'll notice and understand shading, lighting, composition, form, and colors in a way you probably had not before.

8. It's much less expensive to be a photographer now. No more spending tons of money on film, negative development, and prints. The digital camera has taken all those high costs away.

9. Everyone has a digital camera now and yet, many people don't know how to use them. Digital photography lessons will make you the expert at gatherings when others are stumped on how to operate a camera.

10. Get into places others can't go, like backstage at concerts, sidelines during sports events, and special events for celebrities.

Taking photography lessons allows you to learn new things, meet new people, and go new places. And the tools and opportunities to be a professional photographer have never been so affordable. Learning photography could become a new passion in your life and even led to a new career.
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Know How to Start a Photography Business in 6 Quick Steps

Do you want to know how to start a photography business? Well, there are several important steps you need to follow to get started.

Determine Your Specialization

Photography is a broad professional field. You need to specialize if you want to have a sustainable business in this industry.

There are several options available for you. What you choose is dependent on your special skills and passion. You can choose to become a wedding photographer which is considered as one of the most lucrative in the industry. You can also explore business portraiture where your clients are executives and professionals who need a photographer for PR purposes.

Register Your Business

Even if you are working independently, you still need to register your business with the proper government agencies. You should also get liability insurance and make sure that your business tax information is on order.

Acquire the Right Equipment

Knowing how to start a photography business is also understanding the types of equipments you need for your professional practice. You should invest in high quality devices so you can create exceptional photos.

Make sure that you have a top-notch DSLR camera and appropriate lenses. You also need a decent digital camera to serve as back-up. You should have portable lighting equipments, a sturdy battery charger, and a couple of back-up batteries.

Build Your Portfolio and Market Your Services

Learning how to start a photography business may be easy. Getting clients for your business is obviously much harder. To overcome this challenge, you need to showcase your expertise and skills by building an online portfolio. Your portfolio is the first thing that clients will ask of you. So it is best to have a website where you can display your best photographic creations.

Apart from having a portfolio, you should also learn how to aggressively market your business. You can publish advertisements on local trade publications. It is equally important to use social media to build a solid following for your photography business.

Strengthen Word of Mouth Advertising

Use your current clients to find more leads for your business. You can ask them to recommend you to their own network of friends and associates. You may also solicit testimonials from your clients. Publish these testimonials on your portfolio website to entice more people to get your services.

Offer Special Add-on Services

To strengthen your client base, you should think of innovative add-on services to make your business more valuable. Some of the add-on services may include providing an online album which can be accessed by your clients for free.
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Places to Host and Share Your Photographs Online While Learning Photography

For the budding photographer yet to showcase their talents and abilities, it's best to choose hosting sites by comparing them for their features and drawbacks. There are many leading photography hosting sites that are widely popular among its users, and several have already shown great promise with additional plug-ins and applications designed for ease of use. Of course, the "right hosting site" is greatly dependent on your needs and requirements. Learning photography makes one want to explore and utilize one or more of the many options available.

PhotoBlogs

If you're a blogger-photographer who wants to share your stories, WordPress is the right venue for you since it can host many images through a blog interface. Share your thoughts, stories, and your stream of photos in a blog-like fashion. Other photography enthusiasts can comment on your posts as soon as you publish them.

Facebook

As a leading social networking site, Facebook has introduced its new timeline layout where you can upload a cover photo on your heading, and photo albums can be organized with tagging features, so friends and other contacts can view them within minutes after uploading. Sharing your favorite photos has been made easier through drag and drop album organization and enlarged photos on each timeline page. And because the number of users of Facebook is very large, it is also a great place to show off or advertise your photography services, if you offer them.

Photobucket

Snap happy people are known to have regular Photobucket accounts. To engage its photography community, regular competitions and cool prizes are made available by its administrators and from major sponsors. Photobucket is one of the leading image sharing sites which features top categories with unique perspectives for hobbyist and professionals. Group albums is a feature where members can upload images and videos in a safe and secure method. Photos have direct links which is easier for non-members to view your photographs without the need to create an account. Unlike other social networking platforms, photos can't be viewed once a user is logged out or if they do not have an account with the site.

Flicker

Flicker offers unlimited photo hosting, so you may wish to upload as many as you want in your account. However, it does not have many advanced features. It does have options for creating prints and personalizing them. It is a simple site which is made to be very easy to use. Its help and support system is reliable according to many regular users.

Picasa

A special feature for Picasa is that modifications, effects and other treatments can be made on your favorite photos and saved simultaneously as Picasa saves the original file for you. So if there are changes or effects you are unhappy about, the original photo is always there. Choose from posterized effect, charcoal, oil paints and more. Picasa enables you to play around and tickle your creative side.

Zen Folio

Zen Folio is a special photography hosting platform where you can upload and organize your photos in albums within your own site. It is particularly user friendly and fun to use. However, it lacks a special photo book application where you can print or publish your photos directly from your albums. This means you have to design a layout for your photos manually through a separate program.

Slick Pic

Slick Pic is making a name in the photo hosting roster because its editors are online and are ready to provide assistance for photo enhancement. As a plus, it offers unlimited photo and video sharing. You can create professional photo galleries in less than hour. Its privacy options are reputedly unequaled, that's what you get for paid service although you have the option to start for free.

Conclusion

Deciding on which photo sharing site best suites your needs, now that you have an overview on the top image hosting sites, still may not be an easy task. But have fun exploring! Plus in order to get noticed as a photography enthusiast, it's not really the site that matters but the creativity and perspective in your images.
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Careers in Photography

From exotic locales to magazine covers to newspapers, a career in photography will allow you to unleash your creativity and to choose exactly how you want to pursue it.

What Can Photography Schools Do For You?

These schools essentially help you to develop creative and artistic skills, along with the technical abilities that are necessary for you to become a professional photographer. Students can pursue lucrative and satisfying careers by blending photography and art to fit their specific interests. The courses provided are wide-ranging and technical, and provide training in the use and care of cameras, and in handling the intricacies of film development.

The training includes instructions on conventional cameras and other equipment, digital photos, types of lenses, length of exposures and the various techniques used for developing prints. Several universities and colleges award degrees in photography such as Associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). In addition, some schools provide graduate level courses for certificates in photography with advanced techniques. Students can select photography as either a major or a minor subject, or they can choose special photography classes simply to pursue their interests.

These schools encourage and develop originality, creativity, resourcefulness, personal expression and individual style through their training programs. The curriculum consists of digital and film techniques, lighting, camera basics, portraiture, fine arts, digital imaging software, and composition and darkroom printing techniques.

Many schools also offer courses in illustration, documentary film making techniques, designing, commercial advertising, presentation skills, business skills, photojournalism, and how to set up a studio for aspiring photographers. Photography school graduates can specialize in sports, marketing, news, portraiture and several other professions within the vast field of photography. Bachelor and Associate Degrees provide entry-level positions as artists, technicians, and assistants in commercial photography.

Careers in Photography If you acquire a comprehensive basic education from any school or college, then here are a few of the fields you can specialize in:

o Digital Photography

o Fashion Photography

o Editorial Photography

o Advertising Photography

o Wedding Photography

o Documentary Style Photography

o Photo Technician

For gifted people who are naturally talented, photography as a career can be very lucrative and bring fame. Indeed, many professional photographers have reached the top of this field, and are highly sought after for their services. Here are a few careers in photography that students can pursue:

o Newspaper and Magazine Photographer - Although freelance photography is more lucrative, photographers who are just getting started can make a name for themselves through newspapers and magazines.

o Advertising Agencies - In advertising agencies, photographers make ads for various campaigns. You can grow in this field and even become an art director or a supervisor for operations.

o Fashion Shooting - Working in fashion shoots involves hard work, but is a stimulating experience. Photographers conceptualize and direct the shoots. Many fashion houses employ photographers.

o Event Photographer - Events like weddings and concerts or debuts require photographers to document the function.

o Freelance Photographer - Freelance photography is a challenging but satisfying and exciting career. There are a number of international organizations like the UNICEF that hire professional photographers to make various documentaries in remote areas.

Photography careers are as artistically rewarding as they are profitable. For all those with a creative bent of mind and an artistic eye, a career in photography can open a wide vista of opportunities.
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What Is The Best Camera Phone For Point and Shoot Photography?

When it comes to the best point and shoot camera, there are many smartphones that could be called the best when the criteria are high-resolution images. For instance, there is an old saying that one takes a photo first in one's mind while the camera serves as a tool to convert that mind's eye image into reality. In turn, the standard smartphone uses a 10-megapixel camera that is comparable to a standard point and shoot camera.

However, the smartphone camera offers more advantages than a point and shoot camera because the phone can also send and save your images.

Another aspect of smartphone - serving as point and shoot camera - is linked to the phone's built-in fixed aperture that is also standard for most camera cell phones these days. Also, there are smartphones that act like point and shoot cameras with zoom in features that lets you digitally increase the resolution of the image you are taking.

What Is The Best Point and Shoot Camera?

While professional photographers say the best point and shoot camera is a classic Hasselblad 35mm that one simply points and shoots with the camera doing the work, there are many smartphone models that also offer special apertures and adjustable shutter speeds for selecting and evaluating the best setting to make the photograph.

Also, of the many smartphones tested for photography purposes, the photography experts commenting online said the iPhone 5 has great point and shoot features and a special high dynamic range (HDR) feature to help you compose the image you wish to take.

However, there are other cell phones with cameras that are comparable to the iPhone, add photographers who've rated the best phones that can be used for photography.

Getting Great Images With a Cell Phone Camera

The general photography rule for testing a phone camera is to check if the smartphone's user settings are similar to those on a standard 35 mm camera.

In turn, the photographer takes a variety of shots both indoors and outdoors in various lighting scenarios to see if the images are uniform and clear when the photographs are taken with a smartphone camera as compared to a regular camera.

Also, the results are surprisingly the same with phone point and shoot cameras producing similar quality photos, say top photographers commenting online about the difference between phone cameras and standard 35 mm models.

Another area of point and shoot photography is linked to the used of the flash when either indoors or outdoors in dimly lit areas. For instance, a longtime professional photographer commented online about testing his Droid, Nokia and BlackBerry camera phones and finding both people and landscape pictures looking super and even comparable to non-phone point and shoot cameras.

Image Quality With Point and Shoot Cameras

Image quality, as many photographers know, is all-important when taking a photo. However, there are old school shooters who still view smartphones as simply phones and not real cameras. Still, that view is changing almost daily as smartphone technology continues to amaze consumers with such things as portrait quality images taken by a cell phone camera.

In turn, top photographers are now singing the praises of smartphone cameras because these phone cameras - such as the Nokia Windows 8 phone and the BlackBerry Z10 - can do the job in all settings.

For example, a smartphone camera fan said she took action shots, portraits, photos during the evening hours and even pictures shot in a snowstorm and under the bright sun at the beach and all came out perfect.

Smartphone Cameras Have All the Features

A measure of how far point and shoot smartphone cameras have come is evident at a recent photography exhibit in San Francisco that was hosted by cell phone manufactures to demonstrate the power of these wee small cameras contained in smartphones.

In turn, a female teenager won a top prize in this smartphone point and shoot camera competition with her Nokia Windows 8 phone that captured a very cool image of the famed Golden Gate Bridge at dusk.

The teen pointed to the bright orange colors she was able to capture with her point and shoot camera phone at dusk while also bragging about her phone's ability to select the ISO up to 800. She also noted how her phone camera acts just like a standard point and shoot camera with the ability to change the exposure either up or down while also featuring handy presets that makes for almost error free photography.

Phone Cameras With Special Features

While most standard 35 mm cameras and point and shoot camera have lots of settings to help make picture taking more exact, today's smartphones that also offer point and shoot cameras are no slouch when it comes to special settings.

For example, there are many point and shoot phone cameras with both special presets and manual settings for taking photos at any time of the day and in all weather conditions. The smartphone cameras - such as the clever HTC Droid DNA model - allows the photographer or cell phone user to sort out such things as exposure, contrast, image saturation, image sharpness and even the age old photography term "white balance."

In addition, the white balance feature on most top of the line smartphone cameras allows removal of unrealistic color casts that are common with most standard film cameras.

Point and Shoot Is Better

The beauty of today's high-tech smartphones - for point and shoot photos - is proper camera white balance features that helps convert either the coolness or warmth of white light that our human eyes see during photography.

Moreover, the benefits of smartphone point and shoot photography is linked to the elimination of unsightly color casts that tend to appear in photos taken with either a standard film camera or a non-phone point and shoot camera.

At the end of the day, it has been proven that smartphone point and shoot cameras are much more efficient and dependable when it comes to white balance features that remove unrealistic colors such as harsh blues and green casts.

Thus, there are many longtime photographers today who point to their smartphone cameras understanding white balance better than they can when using standard point and shoot cameras. Also, the photographers point to such things as red-eye detection - that is standard with most cell phone cameras -as a real plus when it comes to taking photos during a child's birthday party or other event that requires shooting a lot of people inside.

Special Settings Make Smartphones Smart

Photographers often express frustration when taking photos with a standard point and shoot cameras because most do not have the same cool settings as their smartphone cameras.

For instance, a new iPhone features special photography scene modes that make for more powerful and fantastic images. The camera phone's settings include ones for taking portraits, skin smoothing, fireworks and snow scenes and even smile and eye-blink detection.

In turn, top photographers joke that many of today's high-tech smartphone cameras are not only making their job easier but possibly replacing them one day as photographers.

At the same time, today's point and shoot camera phones are creating a new trend in "street photography" where non-photographers have now taken this hobby up thanks to their smartphones.

For example, there are more and more everyday cell phone photographers who are capturing wonderful images that can be shared with family and friends. These rookie photographers are also breaking the glass ceiling on creating lasting images for posterity, and professional use online and in leading newspapers and magazines.

Also, the rise of the point and shoot cell phone photographer has created a new trend in sharing images online with the worldwide Internet community.

Cell Phone Photography Is All About Convenience

When it comes to the convenience of taking images almost anywhere and everywhere, there is a view that it has really changed the playing field for how most photographs are taken today.

For example, a cell phone user explained online how he started taking street photos after seeing all sorts of wonderful things from the viewfinder of his ever present smartphone. The cell phone fan also noted how he's taking photos all over town simply because he always carries his cell phone camera, and taking images has become a sort of hobby for him and his friends who also share their street images.

At the same time, another fan of point and shoot photograph said he never really took photos that much until he started to habitually carry his camera phone around with him. He said just having the camera phone handy offered him many more opportunities to take photos than with his standard point and shoot camera that he only uses for family event photography or when on a vacation.

Smartphone Cameras Are Very Convenient

First you have to know that for busy people today the smartphone camera is all about simple convenience. In turn, the camera phone serves users by offering both a device to make phone calls and a camera to take those photos that used to get away.

For some people, the camera phone is a way of proving something is true.

In addition, a longtime concert goer said he never took photos during concerts, but now that's all he does. He explained that during a show or concert there is always a dramatic moment with someone does a super guitar solo or something, and he just can't help but snapping that special moment in time with his point and shoot smartphone camera.

Also, the reason many cell phone users are sold on their phone's built-in camera is the process of taking a photo is very user friendly.

For instance, most of the popular point and shoot cameras on the market today are also smartphones. There is the iPhone 5, the BlackBerry Z10 and the Nokia Lumina 920 to name just a few of the many popular point and shoot smartphone camera models on the market today.

While each and every one of these cell phone cameras is marketed as the "best ones," the users of these camera phones are a bit more discerning when it comes to the best of the best.

Cell Phone Photos Have Come A Long Way

The smartphone point and shoot camera phone fans who are busy snapping images each and every day like to say that this unique form of technology has come a heck of a long way since the first iPhone camera phone. Also, it is not lost on professional photographers that yesterday's popular megapixel camera is now contained inside a smartphone.

The result for point and shoot smartphone fans is wonderful, professional quality images that are second to none in overall quality and clarity of image. Thus, it is for good reason that fans of these phone cameras are singing the praises of this unique technology that has taken away the usual washed-out and grainy photo images and replaced it with really professional quality photographs.

At the same time, this change in how many photos are taken today has evolved from the image being in the mind's eye to later when the cell phone is taken out of someone's pocket and put to work snapping great images.
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Specialized Types of Photography

This article is about various types of specialized photography.

Photography and camera is an indispensable part of modern living. The number of people who has never taken a photo or touch a camera before is very low. Camera has also evolved tremendously. It seems only not too long ago that digital SLR cameras are a luxury. During those days, there are only traditional film typed cameras. Nowadays, digital compact and SLR cameras are the norm. Now, traditional SLR and compact cameras are things and products of the past.

Photography is much more than just for shooting scenery when one is on vacation. It has many specialized usages and applications. Below listed are some of the more specialized applications of photography and cameras:

1. Underwater Photography. This is not only a specialized type of photography, it is also a highly demanding one. The photographer needs to be a good scuba diver, swimmer and photographer all at the same time. Such a person is very hard to come by. Special equipments are also required for this type of photography.

2. Dental Photography. This type of photography is used by dentists. Like underwater photography, special equipments is need for this type of photography.

3. Jewelry Photography. This is the photographing of jewelries in the most appealing and stylish manner. It is often a type of advertising photography. The photographs of jewelry are often used in advertising and promotional publications and materials. This is also a form of product photography.
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Forensic Photography - Possessing An Eye For Detail

Have you seen television images on crime scenes where the yellow tape has concealed an area and police officials are walking around busily behind it? It is just there that we see the guy with the camera bag and lighting walking around taking photographs of the scene of the crime. Although police try their best to get every bit of evidence from the scene of the crime, the photographs can play a vital role when the crime scene needs to be discussed or imagined later. They also prove as a great record to go with the files in the state department or sheriff's office. Photographs are of course a vital part of every investigation that takes place today, and they hold as valid evidence in the court of law.

There is no better tool to catalog the data of a scene of crime than the camera. The camera helps preserve the scene of the crime as it really was. Many a time when something is overlooked during investigation, the detective in charge refers to these images to look for clues, as that is all they have at a later date when the crime scene has been disturbed.

An eye for detail is the most important quality that a forensic photographer must have. There is no compromise on sharpness in any form of photography, but it is absolutely vital where forensics is concerned. There could be a small piece of glass in a shadow area for example that the detectives didn't notice. But they will, later when they see the enlarged view of the photographs of the crime scene, over a cup of coffee at the station. Nothing more needs to be said about why sharpness is critical here.

The forensic photographer is allowed to take the photographs at the scene of the crime before any of the other officials get to touch the place. The idea is the preserve the crime scene as close to how it was at the moment the crime occurred. Once he is done taking his pictures, the fingerprints are brushed and the murder weapon if any is removed, the body is removed and the investigation for other clues begins. But nothing is allowed to be touched until the photographer has completed his or her job. But they do continue to take photographs during the investigative procedures as well.

The forensic photographers are instructed to get a long range, mid range and an ultra close up of every angle. Using the wrong lens or the wrong angle can mislead the viewer to judge the wrong distance between the elements of the photograph. The forensic photographer also takes notes of every photo that is taken. A lot of thought goes behind the angle, the lighting and the lens - so as to give an image as close to reality as possible - nothing more and nothing less.
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