4x5 Press Camera

The view camera was one of the earliest camera designs and among serious photographers and hobbyists is still very much alive and well today.  Particularly the 4×5 view camera has a prominent place in the modern film camera market.  There are a lot of reasons for this including freedom for creativity and quality of the photographs.

So what exactly is a 4×5 view camera?  Even though most people used to dealing with digital cameras would find a view camera extremely complex, the truth is the complete opposite.  At it’s basis it’s the simplest a camera with a lens can get.  Very basically it consists of a front standard, a rear standard, a set of bellows in between and a lens.  The front standard is where the lens is mounted and where the shutter (typically inside of all modern lenses) is located.  The flexible bellows provide a light tight expandable and contractable space between the front and rear standards.  And the rear standard at the back of the camera is where the film is held for exposure.  Of course most cameras have a few more parts, particular modern cameras, but this is the typical layout.

The 4×5 part of 4×5 view camera is simply the size film it uses and the size negative which is produced.  4×5 is the most popular due to it’s ease of use and price but view cameras come in many sizes such as 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 12×20 and many more, not to mention custom sizes.  But 4×5 film can, unlike most of these others, be fairly readily found at most specialty stores and processed for less than a fortune.

Now to complicate somewhat that simplistic view I laid out above, there are a couple of different basic types of 4×5 view camera.

The first type is known as a monorail camera.  This is the type of view camera that’s typically used in a studio.  In this design the front and rear standards are both attached to a single central rail which allow them to slide back and forth for focusing.  Monorail 4×5 cameras typically have a far greater range of moment and are more appropriate for doing many types of technical shots, including macrophotography, than their counterparts.  The downside is that they are usually quite heavy and cumbersome as well as not being very compact for carrying.  Sinar is one company that produces mainly monorail cameras

The other type of 4×5 camera is known as a field camera.  It basically reverses the advantages and disadvantages of the monorail type camera.  While a 4×5 field camera lacks somewhat in movements it is usually far lighter and easier to handle than a monorail.  In addition, the field camera can typically be folded up to quite small dimensions for comfortably toting around.  This is the camera of choice for landscape photographers.  Camera makers such as Toyo have a good line of field cameras.

Tags: 4x5 camera, 4x5 cameras, field camera, field cameras, monorail 4x5 cameras, monorail camera, Toyo

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50 mm Lens

There’s a good chance that today’s high school students do not even remember film cameras-loading the roll of film, taking the pictures through a viewfinder, getting it developed, and receiving both the pictures and negatives in return. However, all of them probably have cameras on their cell phones and another digital camera of their own, which they can work with such skill and precision that allows them to show the world the pictorial version of their lives via Facebook. With all of the fancy options available within the tiny box that we call digital cameras, do they really meet the quality of their original film counterparts?

Film camera users may look at the “pros” of digital cameras with distaste, and digital camera users may not be able to see any benefit at all to using old-school film. Whether you are a snooty purist who loves having negatives and point-and-click cameras or a control freak that enjoys the instant gratification of digital cameras, you must take a look at the pros and cons of both camera types before you denigrate the opposite camera.

Digital photography is a wonderfully convenient development. You have the ability to see a copy of the just-taken picture on the digital screen of the camera, determine whether you like it or not, and delete or  keep it. Some digital cameras allow you to switch back and forth from color to black-and-white to sepia and back. Other digitals give you even more effects, such as having everything in black-and-white except for a color you choose to enhance, such as blue if you are taking a picture of a person with blue eyes.

Film photography captures the true, beautiful essence of whatever you decide to photograph. The quality of photos taken with older film cameras is decidedly higher than the printed-off digital counterparts. Also, film cameras are still cheaper than digital ones. Of course, digital cameras are constantly decreasing in price, but when compared feature-to-feature, film cameras offer more bang for your buck. Additionally, it is now possible to get your prints taken with a film camera put on a disc.

Either way, with the variety of both digital and film cameras available, you should be able to find exactly what you need based on your desire for quality or the ease of instantly uploading your pictures to your computer. A camera is an excellent way to capture your memories or create wonderful works of art. You even have the option of turning your photos into canvas pictures.

Tags: canvas pictures, Digital vs. Film Photography

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Misty weather in the Pyrenees by iammi-z

Nature photography relies on your sensitivity to the natural light above all else. You have surely heard that for good landscape photography, you generally want sunny conditions, early or late in the day when the light is low and soft. However, this does not apply to every situation, and busy lifestyles do not always allow us to choose the conditions in which we take our photos.

Have you ever planned and set aside a day to get out and practice your nature photography, only to wake up to grey, cloudy skies? You are not alone, this happens to us all; professional and beginner alike. And of course when you are traveling, you often only have one chance to take your photos before moving on, so you have to make the best of the situation as you find it.

Photographers, don’t despair. There are many situations that suit cloudy skies just fine; in fact, there are some situations when cloudy skies are the best option for a good nature photo. Here are just a few situations that you could explore when cloudy weather threatens to derail your photography outing.

#1. Rainforest Photography. When the sun shines brightly through the rainforest canopy, it creates patches of light and shade that make perfect exposure next to impossible. You simply can’t manage the contrast in these conditions. Cloudy weather is actually the best way to take good rainforest photos. Some would say the cloudier the better, because if your rainforest is high enough to be in the clouds, you can capture some very atmospheric misty effects in the forest.

I live in South East Queensland, so I am close to both the beach and some fabulous rainforest. My rule is: If it’s sunny, go to the beach. If the weather is grey and cloudy, grab your camera and head for the rainforest.

#2. Wildlife Photography (Pets and People Too). Bright sunlight can be a problem when shooting wildlife. In the middle part of the day, the sun can create heavy shadows which make exposure difficult, and rob your photo of essential colour and detail that gives the subject its character. Worst of all, sunlight can create shadows on the face of your subject. As you know, the critical part of any good wildlife photo is the eyes. If the eyes in your photo are lost in shadow, the personal connection with the subject is lost.

Animals do not like looking into the sun any more than you do, so even early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the light is softer, photography can be difficult. More often than not, you will probably find your subject turning away from the light.

If you take your photo on a cloudy day, you can capture your wildlife subject in soft, even light that allows perfect exposure without ugly shadows. There will also be less glare reflecting off shiny surfaces (a snake’s skin, a bird’s feathers etc.) so your picture can actually appear more colourful.

#3. Sunset Photography. Clouds create a much more interesting sunset photo than clear skies. All you need is for the sun to break through the clouds as they cross the horizon. A good nature photographer learns to read the sky and try to predict what is coming. Often on a grey, cloudy day you will notice that the only patch of clear sky is far away near the horizon. If that is the case, you can go looking for a good location and set up for your sunset photo.

With a bit of luck, there will be several breaks in the clouds before the sun goes down. If so, you could be on the spot to photograph spectacular sunbeams, a truly wonderful effect that every nature photography hopes to capture.

Like all things in nature photography, all the planning in the world means nothing without a bit of luck. You may get your photo all set up, only to see the gap in the clouds close and your chance of a good photo disappear. Persistence wins in the end, so keep trying and from time to time you will end up with some breathtaking sunset photos.

I hope that next time you wake up to cloudy skies, you will not let that stop you from getting out there to take some great nature photos. As your experience grows, you will find it easier to read the light and know what sort of photography suits the conditions. Until then, practice, practice, practice!

Tags: cloud photography, cloudy, cloudy day, photography clouds

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(ARA) – Do you ever wonder how professional photographers capture such amazing images? It doesn’t take a fancy camera or expensive photo-editing software to get incredible photos you’ll be proud to share with friends and family.

Tracey Clark, a professional photographer and founder of the popular online photography community ShutterSisters.com, offers five simple tips to help you get great photos.

* Shoot unexpected portraits to capture authentic beauty and personality.
Part of the art of capturing great photos of your friends and family is learning to watch and wait for moments to reveal themselves. In addition to traditional posed portraits, take photos when your subject is not performing for the camera. Ideal photo opportunities present themselves when your subject is engaged in an activity like reading, singing, dancing, or interacting with other people.

* Capture unique perspectives to create artistic images.
Shoot above and beyond traditional eye-level snapshots. Kneel and shoot up, or step on a stool to shoot down. Get up close to your subject. Tilt the horizon line of your image slightly for a unique angle. We’re so used to pointing and shooting, but it is just as simple to create artful images by composing your shots a little differently.

* Frame the shot to give your images visual interest.
Consider your surroundings and how you can use visual elements like doorways, trees or even negative space to frame your image. This simple technique can truly enhance your everyday photos by adding context.

* Edit photos to bring out the natural beauty in your photos.
Often, the image captured by a camera loses the details and colors of what you saw in real-life. Or perhaps you captured a photo of special moment and the lighting was not ideal. Photo editing can rescue your images and take your photos from good to great. One new and very affordable photo editing solution is Aurora. It is intuitive and powerful photo editing software developed by Light Crafts. Aurora has an intelligent visual photo editor that suggests improvements to your images, making it easy for anyone to feel like a photo-editing expert.

* Experiment and play.
Use your intuition and curiosity when capturing and editing photos. Pushing the boundaries of photography and photo-editing techniques can be a lot of fun and a great way to learn.

For more photography tips and editing ideas, visit www.lightcrafts.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: summer photography, summer photography tips, summer photos

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(ARA) – In today’s digital era, it’s easy to design and publish your own photography book at an affordable price. In fact, Americans will produce 17 million photo books in 2009, according to a Futuresource Consulting estimate. Wedding books, family photo books, and artistic collections of photos published in a coffee table book are especially popular for commemorating special memories.

Samira Kordestani, a professional book designer, offers these tips to help you get started on your own masterpiece:

Choose a publishing platform that gives you professional-quality options.
Blurb.com offers free Blurb BookSmart software, which makes it easy to design an incredible book using professionally-designed layouts. Select from many book sizes, small or large, and simply drag and drop your photos into the layouts of your choice. Once you order your book, it takes only one week to publish and deliver it to your doorstep.

Decide on a story or message for your book.
Great photo books tell a story. Whether it’s an event or a themed collection of images, think about your vision for the book before you begin and then select your favorite photos to help tell your story.

Remember that you are creating a visual experience, not just a book.
Play around with design options on your first several pages. Try out different backgrounds, photo borders and page layouts. Once you’ve discovered the look you like best, keep it consistent throughout your book so that each page has a connection with the next.

Typography is just as important as your photos.
If you are adding captions, stories or other text to your book, select a font and text size that works well with your overall book design. The placement of text should visually complement your photos and other design elements.

Select compelling cover photos.
The front cover of your book should tease the subject of your work, and create an emotional hook that inspires you to want to see more. The back cover is your opportunity to share a final message.

If you are interested in having a photography book published but are short on time, you can always contact a professional book designer through BlurbNation, a community of experienced designers available for hire. For more information, visit www.blurb.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: photo books, photography books, wedding books

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Digital camera carrying cases may be cumbersome to some camera users but they can also be very useful for others. There are actually more advantages to using digital camera carrying cases compared to not using one.

Digital cameras have many different functions and their manufacturers would like us to believe that some are tough but the long and short of it is that these are precision instruments that we need to take care of. Sometimes, even if they are in digital camera carrying cases, they can still get damaged if the stress is too much.

Container For Accessories

Digital camera carrying cases double as storage cases for the camera accessories that many owners use. It does not matter if you have the best digital camera or not but it does matter if you have extra batteries or media storage to use when yours run out or get filled up. Many digital camera carrying cases have extra compartments of pockets for you to keep your digital camera accessories such as batteries, chargers, media storage containers and others.

If you have no problems with batteries and media storage devices, the extra space in digital camera carrying cases can be used to store your small wallet or maybe a credit card or driver’s license. Cash is another thing that you can put in the digital camera case especially if you opt not to bring anything but your camera. There are other things that you can put in digital camera carrying cases.

Protection For The Digital Camera

The primary function of digital camera carrying cases is to protect your camera. Protection from the rain, shocks or falls and scratches are just some of the things offered for protection by the cases. Digital camera carrying cases may also offer protection from prying eyes as well as protection from being stolen if the thief cannot see what is in the small carrying case.

This is one function of camera cases that makes them very useful to use. Since many digital cameras have gotten smaller and smaller, this means that the owners’ capacity to hold on properly to one may be jeopardized.

Using digital camera carrying cases is something that many camera owners should do in order for their digital cameras to last longer and to have good looks as well. Many digital camera experts advise both newbies and professionals to use digital camera carrying cases for their cameras.

Tags: Best Digital Camera, Digital Camera Carrying Cases

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The point of personal photography is that you can always take pictures at your own leisure. That is why so many people are purchasing digital cameras. However it seems that society has fallen into a jack of all trades, whereby consumers will end up buying products from any shop even though it is clear that they have no real understanding of the product.

If you really want to get informed service when you are buying the best digital camera battery it might be to your advantage to seek out a specialist. It is understandable the reason why so many people shy away from these merchandisers as they have been stigmatised with being expensive.

However there are many online specialists which offer you telephonic services so that if you do not understand what the best digital camera battery is all about then they will be willing to inform you. You will find that the more information and questions that you can get and ask the easier it will be for you to get the best digital camera battery.

The specialist of digital camera batteries will be able fill you in on other things that you did not know about in relation to getting the best digital camera batteries and what they are able to do for your camera. This will save you from many headaches in the future.

By offering you the best digital camera battery the specialist understands that you will get more than just customer satisfaction and for them that means a potential of return business. This could mean that next time you would pop in to know more about perhaps a digital video camera, which is always handy to have when capturing life’s precious moments.

What you need to think about is that getting the best digital camera battery is a future investment. If you make the right investment the first time then it will save you from having any problems.

Second Hand Or Not When You Need A Best Digital Camera Battery

It might seem like the easier and cheaper option to get a second hand best digital camera battery. However that can be very detrimental to your whole process of getting the best digital camera battery. The reason for this is that most batteries, even the rechargeable ones, have a life span and there can be flaws in an old battery which could have detrimental effects on the way your camera functions.

Tags: Best Digital Camera Battery, Digital Video Camera

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Taking pictures that look good can be difficult if you don’t have a good camera. Now you can preserve all your memories with professional quality photographs with Panasonic compact digital cameras. Not only will you take fantastic photographs but you don’t have to worry about carting around lots of fancy photographer’s equipment.

Now you can have a slim camera that hardly weighs anything but doesn’t skimp on performance.  You can also start snapping away the minute you get your hands on your new camera. The best thing about Panasonic compact digital cameras is that you won’t have to spend a long time figuring out how to use one of these cameras. It’s been designed so that everyone at home can use your camera easily.

Auto Mode

Easy to use Panasonic compact digital cameras benefit from an auto mode that literally lets you just point and shoot. The Auto Mode allows you to take pictures while the camera does all the work. Among the features that are built in to the camera is red eye correction, a handy feature that lets you enjoy your pictures right away instead of having to edit all that red eye out of your pictures.

Have you ever taken lots of pictures only to find that your hand was shaking when you took most of those pictures? Worry no more with the intelligent Auto Mode that works to minimize blurring in all your pictures. Panasonic compact digital cameras have Optical Image Stabilizer features that will minimize any hand shaking when taking pictures.

You don’t have to worry about what lighting to use, or if you should turn on the flash. The Auto Mode again will take care of all this. You can be sure that every picture will not be under or over exposed. The camera takes into account part by part the entire picture and then chooses the right shutter speed and aperture to make sure that you have the right amount of light in all your pictures.

Ready to Go

The thing that many people complain about with digital cameras is that they use up batteries fast. There’s nothing worse than running out of battery in the middle of a party and not being able to take anymore pictures. With a special digital camera battery, you can be sure that this doesn’t happen too often to you. Just charge it a few hours before your event and you can be sure that you have a camera that’s ready to go throughout with your Panasonic compact digital cameras.

Tags: Digital Camera Battery, Panasonic Compact Digital Cameras

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To judge the best zoom digital camera, the size of the zoom lens is the most important feature of the camera. The zoom length is determined by the focal length of the camera.  Different cameras naturally have different focal lengths and different-sized image sensors.  Focal length is expressed by a standard measurement which is equivalent to a 35 mm film camera.

Focal Length

In a digital camera, the sensor replaces the film and the image is recorded when light comes through the lens and falls on the sensor.  Most compact cameras have smaller-sized sensors and they have a wide-angle focal length of 35 to 38 mm, which is equivalent to a 35 mm camera.

The best zoom digital camera is the 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5.  It is sleek and compact and has a 4x optical zoom, and a wide-angle focal length which is 28mm equivalent.  The interesting feature is the handy ‘easy zoom’ button on all the latest Panasonic cameras.  If you press it, the zoom spirals out to its full extension.  And when you press it once again, it zooms back to the wide angle.

There are several other compact digital cameras which have larger zooms, but that does not mean that they have larger lenses.  As the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5 has a non-protruding lens, it is the best zoom digital camera having a large zoom.  The lens of the camera is turned sideways and it does not poke out from the body.

Wide-Angle Lens

The wide angle lens of the camera is the best feature and the more you use it, the more you will be convinced that it is the best zoom digital camera. The wide-angle lens is Leica, and it has a 35 mm- equivalent of 30 mm.  The 2.5 inch LCD screen appears a bit small, but that is because the screen is surrounded by a black bezel.  It has so many flexible options, especially the point-and-shoot one.

The quick menu button makes shooting easy.  There is no aperture or shutter priority, but there are options like white balance, burst mode and ISO speed.  The menus are quite long, but the vertical tabs are an advantage, so that you don’t have to scroll through menus to get to the next tab.

There are some other interesting features in the camera and that is why it is considered the best zoom digital camera. This includes face detection, two burst modes, 22 scene modes and continuous autofocus.  It has one of the best image stabilization systems going and hence the autofocus looks constantly for a subject, instead of waiting for you to focus on one and press the shutter.

The playback mode also makes it the best zoom digital camera, because there are plenty of choices in it.  The camera has the ability to delete single pictures, or all pictures.  It can make its own choice and choose multiple images which can be stored as valuable pictures.

Design

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5 is available in three colors: red, black and silver.  The design is not good, it is a bit difficult to have a finger-grip on it, and the profile is somewhat chunky.  But there are other likeable features too in the best zoom digital camera.  The connections on the camera are covered by a hinged door and not a flap of rubber and there is a locking switch for the memory and battery card slot.  For the zoom there is a round collar rocker switch instead of a snappy flat one, and is hence easier to operate.

Tags: Best Zoom Digital Camera, Compact Digital Camera

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A digital is a precision instrument that can be severely affected if it falls or bangs on something hard. Digital camera cases are not only manufactured to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye but many are made to protect the digital camera. This is actually the primary role of digital camera cases, to protect the camera from damage and harm as it is stored in it.

Protection For Your Digital Camera

Digital cameras have grown smaller and smaller through the years, especially the point and shoot ones. These smaller digital cameras are often stored in digital camera cases that can also be placed inside the bag. Most digital camera cases of the smaller variety are made to withstand a low fall and to protect your camera from scratches. These digital camera carrying cases have the capacity to envelop your digital camera to an extent that some can even protect from water damage. This vital role of digital camera cases is something that one needs to remember when purchasing digital camera cases.

Not all digital camera cases are built alike. Some manufacturers actually produce cases that are aesthetically pleasing but offer no protection whatsoever to the digital camera in them. One must be scrupulous when purchasing a camera case.

Storage

Another role that digital camera cases play is that of a storage case for extra batteries and media containers. These are vital to a successful photo session as sometimes, the user may get carried away with taking pictures that he will need the extra batteries and the extra flash card or memory stick to fill up with more pictures. Although not all digital camera cases can accommodate too many batteries and much media, many offer the user some space to keep them all in one container. Most media storage devices are flat and thin therefore making them easy to place in camera cases. It is the bulky batteries (especially the ones that are shaped like ordinary batteries) that may need more space.

Some digital camera cases have slings to put around the wrist while others are made to be stuffed in a bag. These camera cases are usually opened and closed using a zipper although there are others that have different types of opening and closing devices.

The design of a particular digital camera case can also help you remember how it looks. Some designs are also very helpful with regards to how slim they are to fit in a bag or how conspicuous they are.

Tags: Digital Camera Carrying Cases, Digital Camera cases

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