Black and White Photos With Your Digital Camera

Most digital cameras allow you to take your photos in black and white if you wish. Some digital cameras have such a feature built in that will allow you to convert photos to black and white within the camera. Also, most cameras now come with some sort of editing software. If you take the photo in color you can adjust it to black and white with that software. Doing it this way, you have the option to use the photo either way.

There is a huge difference in the quality of black and white that you can create depending on the quality of the software that you use. If you are serious about your photography but don't want to spring for Adobe Photo Shop then Adobe's Lightroom is an excellent choice. I find it very intuitive. Much less costly particularly if you are a student.

If you have come into photography in the digital age then you may never have worked with or used black and white images. A couple of clicks can transform a photo from a simple recording of a place or an event into a work of art. (If you have a friend that has an old film enlarger or the availability of one at a school or some such, try your hand. It is a lot more work but real magic.)

If you have been just taking color pictures it is time to take things up a notch:

Pick ten photos that you have taken in the last 2-3 months. Open your software editing program. You will likely have gotten one with your camera purchase. If you don't have it available or don't like it then there are several free programs online. One such is PhotoScape. Quite simple to use and has a few interesting filters. There are only three different 'black and white' settings that are available but it gets one started.

With whatever software that you are using take your first photo and convert it to black and white. Save it as a separate file. Now you can make it a little more interesting by using the Brightness/Contrast settings. Make a couple of adjustments and then save that one to a different file name again. Open both photos and the color one and compare.

Don't be afraid to experiment. As long as you save the photo to a different file name than the original then you will be OK. Try some with people/portraits so that you can see what happens with skin tones and then some with landscapes or even a beach or sunset shot. You will be amazed - hopefully, in a good way. This exercise will also help you to pay attention to certain things next time you are shooting that particular type of subject. For example, if you want more detail in a portrait shot, you will likely try to change the light or settings next time.

While you are experimenting play with the brightness and contrast buttons. Try some extremes to see the what effects that you can create. There are many sophisticated photo editing programs but something like PhotoScape will give you some experience to see what you like and don't like. From there you can research to see the best software for your purposes.

If you are going to take photos that you are intending to convert to black and white note that colors will come out various shades of grey. Ideally one wants the full range from white to black in most finished photos. If you are shooting in very bright sunlight, when you convert you may end up with just white and black. If that is your intention it can be accentuated by using the Brightness/Contrast buttons again.

The most useful thing to do as with anything is to try it out as you are learning. Keep that balance. Don't try to study it all first but take one thing at a time and try it.

M Glyn authors the website http://www.photo-photo.com/ A photo website with tips and tricks on photography.

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How to Photograph Art

There are some principles that go into taking the perfect shots of art. Below are some good photography techniques that many beginner photographers wondering how to photograph art may find useful.

When it comes to lighting in photography, direct sunlight is your best bet for artworks that involve shape, color, texture and dimension. Direct sunlight is not only the best source of light, but it is also cheap and easy to work with than other natural or unnatural light sources.

Try as much as possible to use the mid-day sunlight that approximately lasts between 10am and 4pm in order to get precisely rendered colors. Avoid as much as possible shooting in the early morning, late afternoon or evening when sunlight is redder as this may not produce accurately photographed artworks. Colors are easier in images shot under the direct midday sunlight.

Always try to fill the frame as much as possible with the piece of art when taking your shot. The last thing you want to do is have to crop your image as this makes you lose resolution. Get as close as possible to the artwork such that it almost fills your viewfinder. This will enable you to make the most of your camera's resolution.

It is very important to get your image in focus before taking your shot. Be sure to check and even double check the apparent sharpness. If your digital camera allows for the magnification of images on the LCD at least 5 times, do this. This should give you a sharp enough image, even when working with an amateur camera that does not zoom far.

When shooting glossy or reflective art, you should take care to avoid glare. Remember that the artwork, if flat, will behave like a mirror. As such, you will need to angle the glare away from the lens and camera. For instance, if photographing in a gallery, shoot the piece of art straight on with all its reflections showing so as to let you know its exact proportions.

When photographing art behind glass, keep in mind that glass is not clear, but it reflects like a mirror. In fact, the best way to photograph art that is behind glass is by taking off the glass. If it's not possible to take off the glass, light the art obliquely from the side and through the glass. You may then photograph straight into the image while hiding the camera, with the exception of the lens, behind something black, soft and non-reflective.

For more information on photography, please visit: http://www.photography-tips-and-resources.com/.

Joan One is a freelance journalist and creative writer who immensely enjoys writing and researching into any topic under the Sun. She specializes in writing "green" eco-friendly topics aimed at enabling environmentally conscious readers to find simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help save our planet.

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Photography in a Rainforest

The amazing thing about walking in a rainforest is how your eyes deceive you into thinking that the light levels in there are fairly comparable with a regular kind of daylight exterior location. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

As soon as you pull the camera out of its bag and check the exposure levels, you will be amazed at how little light there really is. Long exposures are the only way to work and a tripod is a must.

We are all so used to seeing rainforest shots that appear to be well lit with the light streaming through the canopy that we sub-consciously imagine this to be the reality.

My experience of this environment shows that in order to achieve a low ISO setting it is necessary to work with shutter speeds of several seconds duration. If noise or grain levels are not a problem for you, then you may be able to get away with something in the order of 1/8th of a second, but clearly a tripod is still a good idea for such long exposures.

The discipline of working with a tripod for every shot is a good one. As most of us are used to hand-holding, a tripod causes one to take a breath, slow down and consider the important matter of exactly where to place the camera for achieving the coverage of the particular subject we are after capturing. We will work much slower than we may be used to, but the rewards of taking our time can be enormous.

The Australian rainforests seem to be relatively safe places to be, though I found that one slightly distressing experience was my encounter with several little blood sucking leeches. These little guys hang around under leaves and when a possible host passes by they propel themselves in their general direction with a great deal of determination and precision. I found myself (after stalking some twisted vines in a particularly dark area just off the track) to have fallen victim just below my neck when I put my hand there and felt this soft squidgy little body attached to me. Not knowing what it was at first, I panicked in trying to persuade him to leave the vicinity immediately. Instead of this he fell down into my shirt and straightaway latched on to my tummy area and started another feed there! After successfully knocking him away I became I slightly paranoid about any other of his chums finding me irresistible too. Despite extreme care not to brush against the undergrowth, when I arrived back at my car 2 hours later, I was bleeding in 4 different places - and I hadn't even managed to exploit them in a similar way and get any shots of them. Maybe the answer would have been to take a companion to act as a model with the little blighters.

If you ever find yourself fortunate enough to be in a rainforest......in the rain, beware the blood suckers amongst the wildlife, but enjoy the experience!

Original article

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays

It's easy to shoot fireworks and achieve spectacular results. Below are some useful tips on how to photograph fireworks displays.

The most important tip to taking great shots of fireworks displays is to secure your digital camera to something that will ensure that it doesn't move while taking your shot. This is especially important while shooting fireworks because this involves the use of longer shutter speeds which not only capture the movement of the fireworks but also any movement of your camera. You can still your camera and prevent it from shaking by using a tripod.

To ensure that your camera remains completely still during fireworks shots, invest in a remote release device. Alternatively, you can still take a shot without touching your camera, simply by using the self timer. However, this will require that you anticipate your shots well and be ready for a lot of hits and misses.

When photographing fireworks, one of the most difficult things you will need to learn is where to aim your camera and frame your shot. This is challenging because you need to aim your camera before the fireworks that you will be shooting go off. This calls for anticipating the shot correctly, by first scoping out your location early enough. You will also need to watch the horizons and determine whether a vertical or horizontal shot is best.

When shooting fireworks, another challenge you may face is having your camera trained on the right section of the sky at the right time. This is especially tricky when photographing with a longer focal length and attempting to take shots that are more tightly cropped. When it comes to the right camera aperture settings, you should use apertures in the mid to small range because the light emitted by fireworks is rather bright. You therefore don't need a fast lens and can shoot somewhere in the range of f/8 to f/16.

To take a great shot of fireworks displays, you will need to get your shutter speed just right as well. Remember that a good photo of fireworks requires nice long exposure to be able to capture the movement in the moving display. Shoot fireworks at a low ISO as this is likely to provide you with the cleanest shots possible. The general rule of thumb is to stick to ISO 100. And always remember to switch off your flash before shooting fireworks displays.

For more information on photography, please visit: http://www.photography-tips-and-resources.com/.

Joan One is a freelance journalist and creative writer who immensely enjoys writing and researching into any topic under the Sun. She specializes in writing "green" eco-friendly topics aimed at enabling environmentally conscious readers to find simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help save our planet.

Original article

Practical Digital Stock Photography Tips

Here are some useful digital stock photography tips to enable you to begin or improve your photography.

· Concepts - It is important to take some time to think about your concept. Study images by other photographers in magazines, websites, adverts, newspapers etc to get an idea of what your competition is doing. While doing your research, be sure to jot down your findings. Look for inspiration in other's work, without copying it.

· Lighting - Before you begin to shoot, ensure that your lighting is just right. Even if you will be shooting in natural light, you may want to wait to achieve the right lighting conditions. Try various setups to find what works best for you and keep in mind that even lighting is more useful for those who will buy your stock photography.

· Colors and Look - In digital stock photography, aesthetics are of great importance, and as such colorful and attractive images always sell better. Stock imaging isn't just about showing how things are, but how they would ideally look like. As such, you should aim at images that portray the world in an improved version of reality.

· Composition - In terms of composition photography tips, you will find that photos are generally more interesting when shot from unusual view points.

· Camera Settings - Take your shots using the manual modes on your DSLR. To avoid noise, check your settings and use low ISO. Before you press the shutter button, ensure that the ISO, white balance, speed settings and aperture settings are correct. Before taking an image, determine the proper settings for instance for when freezing an action, showing motion or even isolating the subject from its background.

· Post Processing in RAW - In order to improve your images and make them pop, you may have to make a couple of adjustments. For instance, when you set your camera to Raw format, you are more likely to have a better outcome than having to improve a JPEG image that is already compressed. While in the Raw format, you get to enjoy more control because you can improve tint, contrast, alter the white balance, increase or decrease shadows, increase or reduce saturation and so much more.

· Consistency - Be consistent in order to improve your digital stock photography skills. And always keep in mind that as with any other craft, practice does make perfect in this field of photography. You should therefore set yourself some goals and shoot a couple of images each day.

For more information on photography, please visit: http://www.photography-tips-and-resources.com/.

Joan One is a freelance journalist and creative writer who immensely enjoys writing and researching into any topic under the Sun. She specializes in writing "green" eco-friendly topics aimed at enabling environmentally conscious readers to find simple ways to reduce their carbon footprint and help save our planet.

Original article