Photography » Photography Tips

Five simple tips for great summer photos

Jennifer — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:06:24 +0000

(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

Tricks for Snapping Prize-winning Dog Portraits

Jennifer — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:30:53 +0000

Tricks for Snapping Prize-winning Dog Portraits

“He’s so photogenic!” gushes one mother. “She’s so lovely, I’m thinking of getting her into modeling,” asserts another. Are these would-be “stage moms” comparing the beauty of their babies? Not quite. For millions of dog-loving Americans, their pet pooch is among their favorite photo subjects.

From YouTube and pet-oriented Web sites to photography competitions like the Make a Milk-Bone Moment contest that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the popular dog snack and those special moments between pet and pet parent, there are ample opportunities for pet-owners to show off their dog’s charms—and their own photography skills. So how do you get the shot of a lifetime, the winning snap that communicates to all who see it just how special your dog really is?

Celebrity Photographer Christopher Ameruoso, who has photographed hundreds of celebrities with their pets, offers some advice on how to get a howling good shot that captures that special bond between you and your pet:

* Use the Great Outdoors for Great Shots

“Most animals look better outdoors,” Ameruoso says. Plus, natural sunlight will make for a better picture. Take your pup outside and look for a background that enhances the subject – but doesn’t distract from it – with complementary colors, textures and visual interest. Natural light is warmest at sunrise and sunset. Position your pet with the sun behind him. For darker animals, direct sunlight can be ideal. Get down to the animal’s level, so that your head and hers are at the same level when you’re taking the photo.

“Some of the best photos I have ever taken are not just of the dog alone but of a dog and his parent,” Ameruoso says. Consider adding man’s best friend to the shot to capture the special bond and interaction between pet and pet parent.

* Be Patient

“Working with animals requires a lot of patience,” Ameruoso says. If your pet seems to be getting distracted, antsy or over stimulated, let him run around for a while, burn off some energy and then come back for the shoot. Keep the mood casual, and remember that once you start snapping you’ll probably have just 20 minutes to get the shot.

* Squeak and Shoot

Who doesn’t love the sight of a dog with his head cocked to the side and ears raised inquisitively? To get a dog’s attention, Ameruoso hides a small squeak toy in his hand and squeezes it just before he’s about to take a shot. Don’t overuse the trick, however; most dogs will catch on to what you’re doing after five to 10 shots, he says. Also, unless your pet is already trained for treats don’t bring them to your shoot. They’ll only distract the animal.

* Safety in Numbers

Ameruoso often takes hundreds of pictures to arrive at one he really likes. Digital cameras make it easy to take the numerous shots you’ll need to get one outstanding picture. Digital photos also allow you to touch up your picture. Use editing software to adjust color, contrast, brightness and saturation.

Once you’ve got that irreplaceable moment you share with your pet, why not enter it in the Make a Milk-Bone Moment contest? The contest commemorates the 100th anniversary of the famous dog snack first invented in a small bakery on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The top 100 entries that display the special times between pets and pet parents will be posted on www.milk-bone.com where the public can vote for their favorite photo and select the grand prize winner, who will receive a $100,000 contract to serve as the first ever Milk-Bone 100th Anniversary SpokesDog. All entries must be received by Sept. 18 and must be accompanied by a brief essay that explains why the pictured Milk-Bone Moment is special. Visit www.milk-bone.com to learn more or to enter the contest.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Don’t Be Scared Of Family Photography

Author — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:48:34 +0000

Families themselves are far more terrifying than family photography. Getting everyone together for a portrait is usually one way of guaranteeing that you’ll get some peace and quiet for a minute or two. You can go to a professional photographer to get a family portrait, but most families opt to try and do it themselves. Here is how family photography is usually done.

Find A Good Holiday

If you want to get a portrait of only your immediate family, then you don’t need to make any special schedules in order to force them to the shoot. But if you want to get as many family members as possible into the pictures, then you are best setting such family photography up around the holidays, not only when most people can get together, but are usually nicely dressed. The only other times your family gets together is for weddings and funerals.

Get A Tripod

Depending on how large your family is, you will need wither a tripod. Most cameras sold have a timer feature. If you can’t drag some poor date of one of your family members to do the family photography, then you will have to use the timer. But the camera’s lens needs to be level with (at least) the faces of the adult members of the family. For this, you need a tripod. It’s also a good idea to know how your camera’s timer works BEFORE everyone lines up for the picture taking.

Get A Ladder

If your family could fill an average movie theatre, then you don’t have a snowball’s chance of getting them all in the same shot with a regular camera on a tripod. You need an aerial shot. If you have well over one hundred family members, just shell out for a professional photographer, because trying to do the family photography yourself will be laughable at best, pathetic at worst.

However, if there is only thirty or forty of you, then perhaps getting some schmuck up on a ladder to look down on the small crowd of family members will get everyone into the shot. You do have to be sure that your camera has a Panoramic lens or feature that can not only fit everyone in, but bring up details. After going through the trouble of setting up these shots, it’s only fair that you should be able to recognize who is standing there like a store mannequin in them.