The Nikon Coolpix AW100: My New Outdoor Companion

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 really complements my active outdoor lifestyle and my love of photography. I live on an island in the tropics and have so much opportunity to pursue active outdoor pursuits all year round but I need a camera that can withstand the knocks and abuse of my activities to accompany me and record my adventures.

The Nikon AW100 can be described as a rugged digital camera, a waterproof digital camera or even an all weather (AW) camera. However it is described, one thing is for sure, it is a go anywhere tough camera that can cope with being underwater, being dropped and being covered in mud and sand. These are the conditions that my camera copes with each and every week when it accompanies me on my snorkeling, sailing and biking pursuits.

I've had a rugged, waterproof Canon camera for a couple of years now and it has proven to be reliable and everything that I wanted for the price that I paid for it. Several new rugged digital cameras have hit the market this year and after reviewing them I decided the time was right for a new camera. I've had the Nikon AW100 for a month now and it has proven to be a great replacement for my trusty Canon Powershot D10.

The camera is waterproof to 33 feet, which is good for shallow scuba diving but gives me confidence in its water tightness for my snorkeling down to a few feet. It can withstand drops onto a hard surface from five feet which is an indication that it can withstand being handled by young children who always manage to drop things. It is also dust proof, ideal for the beach and can operate in temperatures down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, ideal for any skiers or mountain climbers but not necessary for me in the tropics.

The camera comes with a 5x glass Nikor zoom lens for pulling in more distant objects and at the same time had focus on insects and plants from as close as one centimeter in macro mood in case you are into nature photography. It also has a very secure lock on the battery, card and connections compartment which pushes in and screws in for extra security to avoid opening at any time, especially the wrong time when you are in the water.

A 16 megapixel CMOS sensor is fitted, this sounds good but not entirely necessary in this standard of camera. Nikons VR (vibration reduction) technology is fitted to ensure sharp images especially if you are holding the camera with cold shaking hands on a ski slope or in a boat in choppy water.

The camera records full HD (1080p) movies with stereo sound so you can record and relive those down hill snowboarding runs and snorkeling adventures. This is one of the reasons that I am upgrading as my old camera only records video at H264 and I find that I am now recording video more than before.

There are several autofocus modes including face priority and subject tracking and nineteen scene modes including underwater. The scene modes preset your camera with the optimum settings whether your are underwater, taking sunsets or at an indoors party. As with most point and shoot cameras this camera does not allow you to adjust the settings manually for different conditions, that is why it has a good range of scene modes.

The AW100 also features an Action control which allows one hand control over assigned functions, even when wearing gloves. Another feature, and new to me, is a built-in GPS and an ecompass. Your position at the time of each photo is recorded as are your movements even when the camera is turned off. By uploading your pics and data to a computer with ViewNX2 software you will be able to retrace your route.

In the short time that I have owned this camera I have put it through its paces, not directly but as a consequence of being with me when I am out having fun. The camera has been underwater, dropped in the sand, covered in mud and banged around on downhill mountain bike rides but still looks and works as brand new. The Nikon Coolpix AW100 is my new and trusted outdoors companion and should serve me well for the adventures ahead.

Phil Walken is a Nikon Coolpix AW100 user and outdoor adventurer. Visit WaterproofCamerahq for more information and reviews of waterproof and rugged cameras.

Original article

Best Sites to Sell Photos - Where Can I Sell Photos Online?

You have probably heard of people earning extra money by selling photos online, or even making a living from this. Whether you tried doing this yourself or not, you might be wondering what the best sites to sell photos are, so you can maximize your profit.

But first, let's spend some time discussing why anyone would pay for photos taken by regular people with their digital camera.

Considering the constant expansion of the Internet, just like the Universe itself, it can be clear to anyone that new content is always in demand. And "new content" does not only refer to written content, like most people would assume, but photos, too. Thousands of new websites appear each day and a good part of them need original content. This is why website designers, bloggers, business owners and even online magazines need fresh photos. And you would be surprised to find out how many of them are actually willing to pay good dollars for suitable photos, instead of taking them themselves.

Now back to the main point: what are the best sites to sell photos?

In order to give an answer to this question, we must make it clear that there are different types of websites that can earn you money this way. There are blogs, forums and specialized stock photos sites.

In order to sell your photos to blogs, you will usually have to contact the owner of the blog yourself. I like to find blogs that are updated frequently and post a lot of pictures. Most of these have a contact form or an email address, so all you have to do is send a polite email to the owner asking about any potential needs they may have regarding photos. I like to include a link to a website of mine, where most of the photos are available.

Some bloggers will not respond at all, some will politely refuse and some will be interested. If 3 out of 10 emails bring you costumers, you are already earning some good money!

Another way to go is to advertise your work in forums. There are not a lot of buying/selling photos online forums out there (and the existing ones will usually bring you little to no money at all, since everyone there is looking for a bargain), buy you can go another way. Who might be in desperate need of photos? People who need to design a website and are working on a schedule, with a deadline approaching, right? And where can you find these people? On forums about web designing, of course!

A quick Google search will find dozens of such forums, all filled with people willing to pay for a nice looking photo. Be polite, do not spam, and buyers will come.

The last type of websites you can use to sell your photos is stock photos websites. These are actually responsible for the biggest part of my monthly income and are a delight to work with. Shutterstock.com, istockphoto.com and fotolia.com are just a few of the websites I use to sell my photography.

Every photo earns me, on average, $2.5. Knowing that you could make this king of money, how many photos would you be willing to take during a month? One hundred? Five hundred? Do the math yourself and figure out how much money could that bring you! And you don't need to be a professional photographer or anything! I make a good living selling photos online and I didn't take any photography lessons ever and I was a complete beginner when I started.

When it comes to complete beginners trying to make money selling photos online, I can mention my friend Jessica and her quest to making $3000 per month. She started a few months ago and already managed to make a little more than $2000 a month, so her journey is coming to an end. At How to How to Sell Your Photos, you can find a report of her progress and learn a lot from her experience. Make sure you check it out!

Gilbert Robinson is a professional photographer making a living out of his passion.

Original article

Tips for Perfect Wedding Photographs

Cooperation on a location.

If you are getting married and want to get really good wedding photographs, you should cooperate with your wedding photographer.

You have to reserve enough time for a location of your choice. How much time do you need to reserve depend on how many good photos for printing you would like to get.

If you single out 2 hours for a location between a ceremony and a reception, for example.

2 hours is enough for good wedding photos, but you can meet one or a few of the following problems.

Situation 1

The bride finishes her dressing up and last preparations much later (often from 1 hour to 2 hours later).

Situation 2

The groom comes to a bride's house (place of last preparations) very late.

Situation 3

You spent significantly more time near the church after a ceremony just talking to bridal party or relatives.

Finally you and your wedding photographer have only 20-30 minutes for a location, which is not enough even for standard group portraits.

Situation 4

You are worried about the day and checking up all details, deciding last small problems/ questions, giving a call to anyone all the time.

Situation 5

You get phone calls all the time or your guests congratulate you.

Situation 6

You are emotionally exhausted, tired and very worried about being late on a reception, because of guests who wait you to join them.

Formally a photographer have enough time, but can't do his or her job completely. In this case a photographer can make only reportage photos, but people talking on the phone make a lot of different grimaces, facial expressions, gestures, often not very attractive, and absolutely don't pay attention to the wedding photographer.

In conclusion

It doesn't matter how many hours you reserve for locations, please add 2 hours. Please start this important for you day 2 hours earlier. By the end of the day you will understand why.

If you suddenly have a 30 minutes break - it's break for check the bride's makeup, catch a deep breath and just enjoy the day and think how happy you are.

Cooperation on the reception.

There is a paragraph about a cooperation in the photography contract, please read it and say to the bridal party and all relatives and guests who is going to be with you on the big day.

Guests don't read and sign a photography contract, so they don't understand that their behaviour can make any influence to photographer's work and your photographs. It's not a photographer's job to explain guests that they disturb plans and interfere in photography process. It's your responsibility to make your big day perfect.

What you should say to all your guests. Tips for guests.

Guests should give necessary access for a wedding photographer to the couple all the time.

Guests must not pass any plates, cameras, glasses or shaking hands just in front of the photographer's camera, especially in the most important moments, like cutting the bridal cake and the bridal dance, because we can't replay these moments.

If there is a special booster light for the couple, guests must not overlay this light, because it's very important for wedding photographs.

Guest should not ask the photographer to take a portrait of them, especially when he or she is busy with a couple. The photographer will do it in due time, if it's coordinated with the couple.

Original article