The day comes when you realize that your little photography hobby is quickly growing bigger. You end up spending a lot more money, time and effort in your hobby and find yourself faced with that serious decision: Should I commit to my hobby by starting a photography business?
When you decide to go with photography as a business, you are now opening yourself up to a lot more responsibility. Whereas before, as a hobbyist photographer, you would only focus on your craft and the technical intricacies of photography, now you are faced with running a business as well. It is a rare instance when you will strike a good balance between being a photographer and a business-man from the get-go. Being one will not necessarily make you good at being the other. You will have to consider a lot more aspects of the business as a whole in order to turn it into a successful one. Some of these aspects are legal, finance, marketing and management related. Paying attention to all of these and taking great photographs is a sure recipe for success.
‘Excuse me sir, do you have a license for that camera?’
Most people wonder whether a license is required to become a professional photographer. The simple answer is no. You do not need a license to operate a photography business. As long as there is someone willing to pay for your photographs, no-one will stop you doing what you do. One thing you do need to keep in mind is the fact that when you are running your business and start incurring expenses, you may prefer to declare such expenses as a tax deduction on your income.
It will be at this point that the IRS will want to know whether your photography endeavor is a hobby or a full fledged business which generates income. In situations like this, there is no hard and fast rule for them to ascertain if you’re running a professional service or if you’re simply engaging in a hobby. They will, however, go through your records to determine if there are any specific patterns in your finances which give an indication of your work. Consider an example where you have entered a deduction for travel to Thailand. If you have specified this as an expense incurred as part of your business, then the IRS will want to know if any money you have coming in is a result of your trip to Thailand and the photographs you sell. If it doesn’t check out, then you will have some explaining to do.
Photography Inc. - How Do I Form A Company?
These days, there are a number of different ways you can start up a company. Incorporation has evolved to a point where you will most likely find that there is a type of company for your specific business. You could even incorporate under a Sole Proprietorship and do business like that. One other, more simple, option would be to incorporate as an S Company. This sort of company greatly simplifies the work required to file your tax returns and all the paperwork that goes with it. In this type of company, you do not need to have extra or separate paperwork for filing your tax returns. All you would need to do is to include any profits or losses of your business in your individual, personal tax return. For instance: Assume that your income is about $150k and your photography business has generated you a profit of $15k. You will have to combine your income, in this case, and specify a total income of $165k. Then you will be taxed on this consolidated income. If, however, instead of making a profit, you had incurred a loss of $15k, then you would deduct the loss from your income and be only taxed on $135k. This would be one of the most ideal ways to incorporate when you are just starting out.
What if I want to start my photography business at home?
One of the primary requirements of starting your business at home would be space. You will end up saving a lot on renting another place, but at the same time, you need to ensure that you have the requisite space to conduct your business at home. If you consider photography, you will need to have space for storing equipment and chemicals. If you are working with both digital and traditional photography, then you need to have a dark room. You will need to have an office space to work in and perhaps an area where your customers can wait. One point to remember is that if you use your house to double as your work area, you may not be able to consider it as a tax deduction. This is because the law stipulates that your place of work must be used solely for business purposes.
Getting the word out - How to market your Photography Business
When you start out your business, an important aspect you will want to focus on is the marketing. You need to tell as many people about your business as possible. You need to be able to tell people what you do and what services you offer. In a photography business, one of the first things you will need to do is build up a portfolio of the type of pictures you take. As an example, if you are only in the business of wedding photography, your portfolio will need to reflect that. Then what you can do is identify the market to which you want to sell. In wedding photography, you can partner up with people offering more services for weddings: stores which have gift registries, caterers, jewelers. You can approach them and ask if you could leave your brochure and portfolio with them so that they may recommend you to couples planning their wedding. Your brochure needs to be well worded, proofread and be very presentable. It is vital that you strive to make an impact with your brochure as this will be the entire basis for which you will sell your photographs. All marketing material should be proofread and checked by someone other than you for spelling or grammar mistakes.
The preceding are just a few tips for you to consider when starting up your photography business. Obviously you should expect some initial teething problems, but these tips will generally provide you with a road map to start off with. Once you get your first few jobs, provided you do great work in a professional manner, your reputation will spread quickly and you can expect to get a regular stream of customers.
If you are keen to start a successful and profitable photography business then you need to do it right the first time. Most people don’t and most often their business collapses. That’s a shame because most people want to be successful but won’t invest in knowledge and experience. They try to ‘go it alone’ to save a few coins. The differences between success & failure are based on 3 things; knowledge, experience and action. If you are sure you’ll take action then you just require the other two elements. Learn to start a profitable photography business.
Showing posts with label digital photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital photography. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
How Do i Start A Photography Business?
When you consider photography, or any hobby, as a potential business, the first thing you need is a business plan. In this plan, you will be able to define your business, what you want to accomplish and how you will achieve your goals. The plan can help you organize your thoughts and can also act as a motivator in making your dreams a reality. There are qualified individuals who can act as mentors to you and also develop customized plans to address your specific needs. Think of the business plan as your own personal encyclopedia; one that you can use to document all your planning, strategies and financial matters down to the price which you will charge per photograph.
The fundamental aspect that you need to look at when you start your business is how much you are actually planning to charge per photograph. This should be a prominent entry in your business plan along with calculations on how you arrived at this figure. When trying to determine what price to charge per photograph, you will need to consider several factors: broadly, they can be grouped into your startup costs and the price per photograph that your competition charges. A good starting point is to evaluate the competition. What are other photographers charging per photograph? It will make sense for you to research the prices of photographers who have very similar profiles to you. They should also be fairly new to the business and offer similar services as you. As you progress and your business grows, you can continue this habit and ensure you remain competitive by either matching their price or bettering it. If you make a name for yourself and your photography becomes more sought after, you will be at an advantage to charge a premium for the services you provide. In reality, however, you will probably want to lower your rates so that you can beat the competition by offering a better service for a lower fee. If you position yourself to cater to a niche market with a higher demand and you find less photographers in your niche, you will then have an opportunity to raise your price per photo.
One other important aspect to consider when you embark on a photography business is your finances. You will need to consider all costs involved from setting up to delivering a finished product to a customer. Document all fees incurred; daily running costs, both fixed and variable, and also be on the lookout for any hidden costs that can creep up. When starting out, try to begin on a realistic budget which you feel you can manage. Bear in mind, however, that to launch and maintain a successful business you will need to have sufficient funding to ensure your business grows. This means having a marketing budget. You may want to focus more on the marketing as your sales pick up. Be vigilant that your marketing budget is utilized in a very efficient manner so as to maximize your exposure to your target markets. You will constantly need to market both yourself and the unique nature of your photography in whatever theme you choose.
Include details such as a business description, name of business, experience in the field and any qualifications you hold in your marketing strategy. Provide an insight into your technique and what you are capable of in some sample photographs. Include pricing details for your services and where or how you can be contacted. Your contact information is very important. Without this, people will not know how to reach you. Here are some things to consider:
1. Does your marketing material project your name and services in a compelling manner? Look at all your material and make sure the correct message is being delivered to your customers. Does your material answer some of your own questions if you were a customer that is considering the services of a photography business?
2. One mechanism of marketing your business and yourself is your website. How user-friendly is this website? Does it take several clicks for a user to navigate through to a particular page? One of the things you can include is a professionally presented profile of yourself. Information like this needs to be available to the customer at the click of a button. In this day and age, time is a very precious commodity and customers will rarely have time to waste navigating through a bad website. Make sure all important information is at the customers’ fingertips; otherwise they will go elsewhere.
3. Do you present all your services to the customer in a conveniently accessible manner? Are your contact details prominently displayed in your website and any advertisements that you put out? If you have outsourced your advertisement creation, then take a look at the advertisements before you publish them. Having the opinion of your friends and family is another economical way to ensure the advertisements are presentable and appealing.
4. If you are contemplating on using an agency to promote your business, then take the time to research the agency beforehand. Have a trial period during which they try to sell your photographs; evaluate them at each step they take. To ascertain if you are achieving the results that you require, go back to your business plan. See if your targets are being met. Additionally, you may get reviews of the agency you are trying out from fellow photographers.
5. Keep a watchful eye on the prices you charge for your photographs. Do not let unforeseen losses in revenue prompt you to charge very high prices. Your business plan should take into consideration potential challenges and times with lower sales. A good safety net is to have another source of income to ensure your photography business has all the support it needs during its infancy.
6. Your business plan should never be just a static document. It should be a dynamic, living document which you review and update throughout the milestones of your business. It can be a great way of documenting your experiences so that any errors you have made will not be repeated in the future. It is ideal to keep your focus on your goal.You can gain more knowledge at Profitable Photography Business. It’s dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources(some free) from Photography Equipment & Resources
type="text/css" />
The fundamental aspect that you need to look at when you start your business is how much you are actually planning to charge per photograph. This should be a prominent entry in your business plan along with calculations on how you arrived at this figure. When trying to determine what price to charge per photograph, you will need to consider several factors: broadly, they can be grouped into your startup costs and the price per photograph that your competition charges. A good starting point is to evaluate the competition. What are other photographers charging per photograph? It will make sense for you to research the prices of photographers who have very similar profiles to you. They should also be fairly new to the business and offer similar services as you. As you progress and your business grows, you can continue this habit and ensure you remain competitive by either matching their price or bettering it. If you make a name for yourself and your photography becomes more sought after, you will be at an advantage to charge a premium for the services you provide. In reality, however, you will probably want to lower your rates so that you can beat the competition by offering a better service for a lower fee. If you position yourself to cater to a niche market with a higher demand and you find less photographers in your niche, you will then have an opportunity to raise your price per photo.
One other important aspect to consider when you embark on a photography business is your finances. You will need to consider all costs involved from setting up to delivering a finished product to a customer. Document all fees incurred; daily running costs, both fixed and variable, and also be on the lookout for any hidden costs that can creep up. When starting out, try to begin on a realistic budget which you feel you can manage. Bear in mind, however, that to launch and maintain a successful business you will need to have sufficient funding to ensure your business grows. This means having a marketing budget. You may want to focus more on the marketing as your sales pick up. Be vigilant that your marketing budget is utilized in a very efficient manner so as to maximize your exposure to your target markets. You will constantly need to market both yourself and the unique nature of your photography in whatever theme you choose.
Include details such as a business description, name of business, experience in the field and any qualifications you hold in your marketing strategy. Provide an insight into your technique and what you are capable of in some sample photographs. Include pricing details for your services and where or how you can be contacted. Your contact information is very important. Without this, people will not know how to reach you. Here are some things to consider:
1. Does your marketing material project your name and services in a compelling manner? Look at all your material and make sure the correct message is being delivered to your customers. Does your material answer some of your own questions if you were a customer that is considering the services of a photography business?
2. One mechanism of marketing your business and yourself is your website. How user-friendly is this website? Does it take several clicks for a user to navigate through to a particular page? One of the things you can include is a professionally presented profile of yourself. Information like this needs to be available to the customer at the click of a button. In this day and age, time is a very precious commodity and customers will rarely have time to waste navigating through a bad website. Make sure all important information is at the customers’ fingertips; otherwise they will go elsewhere.
3. Do you present all your services to the customer in a conveniently accessible manner? Are your contact details prominently displayed in your website and any advertisements that you put out? If you have outsourced your advertisement creation, then take a look at the advertisements before you publish them. Having the opinion of your friends and family is another economical way to ensure the advertisements are presentable and appealing.
4. If you are contemplating on using an agency to promote your business, then take the time to research the agency beforehand. Have a trial period during which they try to sell your photographs; evaluate them at each step they take. To ascertain if you are achieving the results that you require, go back to your business plan. See if your targets are being met. Additionally, you may get reviews of the agency you are trying out from fellow photographers.
5. Keep a watchful eye on the prices you charge for your photographs. Do not let unforeseen losses in revenue prompt you to charge very high prices. Your business plan should take into consideration potential challenges and times with lower sales. A good safety net is to have another source of income to ensure your photography business has all the support it needs during its infancy.
6. Your business plan should never be just a static document. It should be a dynamic, living document which you review and update throughout the milestones of your business. It can be a great way of documenting your experiences so that any errors you have made will not be repeated in the future. It is ideal to keep your focus on your goal.You can gain more knowledge at Profitable Photography Business. It’s dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources(some free) from Photography Equipment & Resources
type="text/css" />
Friday, April 4, 2008
Start a Photography Business if You're keen on Photography
Staring your own photography can be an exciting adventure. Before you set up shop, browse the current, local competition to compare and contrast your business field or capabilities to theirs. Photographers truly shine in skill when they embark on a business journey related to a field of particular interest. Hone in on your desires for business purposes and to become a great photographer.
Photographers have a hard time standing apart people in the same field. Unless, they push to put together a portfolio containing photographs with regards to a particular area of the photographer’s interest. Dedicate your business to creating a niche in the market and stand out over the less original artists.
Well known artists succumb to greatness by finding a way to share what they see as beautiful, or a huge impact in their own lives, with the general public. Artists focus on bridging a mental gap between them selves and the audience. Artists relate to their viewers through different mediums of composition, and by focusing on various details not previously given attention to by the general population. Monet, Picasso and other famous painters possessed a talent for creating paintings with a unique vision of the world.
The general public holds a common interest of wanting to view life in modes outside of their immediate perception. Photographers grab a hold of their audience by capturing moments the general public often overlooks. Photographers express great talent through creating a personal experience with a single photograph of particular landscape settings, formidable architecture or other event settings. Some photographers happen upon their success by sharing a photograph originally intended for personal reference. A business filled with enjoyment of hobby innately falls into the lap of the photographer. A photographer, as an artist, presents normal and abnormal perspectives on daily subjects to create a unique statement through a photograph.
Artists are not merely born into great fame. Famous artist’s dedication, focus, passions, inspirations, and deterministic capabilities combine together to create unique and exquisite work. Photographers start their success from a feeling within. They must truly believe in their ability to create great art in order to produce it. An artist cannot be discouraged by not being very popular right off the hinge. Famous artist develop by producing work over time and their talent eventually comes to light of the public.
A variety of Internet-based sites provide tips to up and coming photographers on how to start their own business. Some websites describe methods of personal business marketing with regards to photography allowing business capabilities to expand worldwide. Amateur business photographers learn a great deal by researching other well-known artists online. Research allows the prospective business photographer to seek out answers to beginner questions and learn ways to avoid pitfalls experienced by established businessmen. The Internet allows your work to be seen by several people across the world, rather than the few who might discover you at conventional venues. Connecting with people of common interest through photography presents the most sure shot way to making it in the photography business. Present your attitude and work ethic through exercising passion in business-oriented relationships. Make sure to prepare long-term goals to help keep you within the guidelines of a good business proprietor. Seek out the assistance of business professionals in your field. Setting your goals ahead of you early allows you to focus on the artwork through passion and interest. Otherwise, you will be too busy concentrating on the challenges of having your own business and your artistic ability may decline under the stress.
type="text/css" />
Photographers have a hard time standing apart people in the same field. Unless, they push to put together a portfolio containing photographs with regards to a particular area of the photographer’s interest. Dedicate your business to creating a niche in the market and stand out over the less original artists.
Well known artists succumb to greatness by finding a way to share what they see as beautiful, or a huge impact in their own lives, with the general public. Artists focus on bridging a mental gap between them selves and the audience. Artists relate to their viewers through different mediums of composition, and by focusing on various details not previously given attention to by the general population. Monet, Picasso and other famous painters possessed a talent for creating paintings with a unique vision of the world.
The general public holds a common interest of wanting to view life in modes outside of their immediate perception. Photographers grab a hold of their audience by capturing moments the general public often overlooks. Photographers express great talent through creating a personal experience with a single photograph of particular landscape settings, formidable architecture or other event settings. Some photographers happen upon their success by sharing a photograph originally intended for personal reference. A business filled with enjoyment of hobby innately falls into the lap of the photographer. A photographer, as an artist, presents normal and abnormal perspectives on daily subjects to create a unique statement through a photograph.
Artists are not merely born into great fame. Famous artist’s dedication, focus, passions, inspirations, and deterministic capabilities combine together to create unique and exquisite work. Photographers start their success from a feeling within. They must truly believe in their ability to create great art in order to produce it. An artist cannot be discouraged by not being very popular right off the hinge. Famous artist develop by producing work over time and their talent eventually comes to light of the public.
A variety of Internet-based sites provide tips to up and coming photographers on how to start their own business. Some websites describe methods of personal business marketing with regards to photography allowing business capabilities to expand worldwide. Amateur business photographers learn a great deal by researching other well-known artists online. Research allows the prospective business photographer to seek out answers to beginner questions and learn ways to avoid pitfalls experienced by established businessmen. The Internet allows your work to be seen by several people across the world, rather than the few who might discover you at conventional venues. Connecting with people of common interest through photography presents the most sure shot way to making it in the photography business. Present your attitude and work ethic through exercising passion in business-oriented relationships. Make sure to prepare long-term goals to help keep you within the guidelines of a good business proprietor. Seek out the assistance of business professionals in your field. Setting your goals ahead of you early allows you to focus on the artwork through passion and interest. Otherwise, you will be too busy concentrating on the challenges of having your own business and your artistic ability may decline under the stress.
type="text/css" />
Digital Photography-What 10 things can i do to improve?
Lets start with the basics; in order to learn how to photograph well, you need to understand the 10 most fundamental aspects of digital photography. By keeping these basic tips in mind when embarking on your journey through digital photography, you are well on your way to improving your technique and the quality of the photographs you take. At the very least, by learning these tips, you will be in a better position to understand the reasons behind certain other techniques of the craft.
Digital photography has revolutionized the way photographs are taken, processed, viewed and distributed. The convenience of it far outweighs any advantages afforded by the traditional 110 camera and film photography. The tips in this article will ensure you are making the best use of the myriad of assets available to you in the world of digital photography.
To start off with, always try to have the subject of your photo centered in your viewfinder. This will ensure that you place adequate emphasis on your subject and the viewer’s eyes will be drawn to it. If you cultivate this habit, you will discipline yourself into always taking the time to position your subject and draw attention to it. As you progress, you will learn that how you position your subject can go a long way into creating the perfect picture.
Do your best to avoid elements which take the attention away from the subject. Taking a picture of your dog with kids running into or out of the frame, or taking a picture of a sculpture with other photographers in the foreground, taking pictures of the same sculpture. These distractions will greatly diminish your ability to draw attention to the subject you have chosen to photograph.
You may already be aware that when choosing a digital camera, most vendors will list the resolution of the camera in terms of megapixels. When taking pictures, always select the highest resolution possible. This will allow for you to have the most amount of data to work with during the processing phase. The lower resolution pictures have less data and the results obtained during the processing phase may be of a much lower quality.
Make sure you get close to your subject. In other words, fill up the frame of your camera. This is another good way to draw the viewer’s attention to the subject. When the subject fills the frame, any distracting elements will most likely be eliminated and leaves the viewer with no doubts as to what your subject is. Either walk closer to your subject or use the zoom feature present in many of today’s digital cameras to maximize the use of the entire frame. The zoom feature is great for taking pictures where you need to be at a distance (either to be safe or because of the location) from the subject, but want your picture to appear as if you were nearby.
When taking pictures of people while using a flash, make sure to select the red eye reduction feature. This feature is again found in most of today’s digital cameras. It diminishes or completely eliminates the appearance of red, monster-like eyes in people when using flash photography. This phenomenon occurs when the light of the flash is reflected by the human eyes. The red eye reduction feature activates the flash in such a way that the human eyes are rendered less reflective. They teach a lot of this type of thing in photography schools which is another way to improve. Here’s an article on online photography schools.
Whenever possible, strive to frame photographs from a unique angle. Have you noticed how eye-catching some photographs are? It is more likely that these photographs will have been taken from a unique angle. It can be a sharp angle looking down at the subject or looking up from a lower position. Consider the mood you are trying to evoke in your viewers. If you want something to appear larger, go for a low positioned, upward facing angle.
Always carry extra batteries. Digital cameras rely solely on having batteries to operate. If the camera itself has a special battery that can only be bought from the manufacturer, then it would be worthwhile in investing in one of these proprietary battery packs. You don’t want to be in the situation where you missed the perfect shot because your battery was flat.
A tripod is a perfect way to lend stability to an otherwise shaky photographer. It is natural that you may not be able to hold the camera absolutely steady. In cases like this, you will be left with blurred or fuzzy pictures due to ‘camera shake’. In order to minimize the fuzzy pictures, invest in a tripod. Once a camera is mounted on a tripod, you can take crisp, clear photographs with minimal camera shake.
If there is one feature that makes digital photography stand out from traditional photography, it is the photo review feature. This feature allows you to examine the picture you took a few seconds ago to determine if it is exactly what you wanted. If it isn’t, then you can simply delete the photograph that you are not happy with and take another.
Make sure that you adjust your flash appropriately for the occasion when you take pictures. For example, indoor or night photographs will more likely require the use of a flash to properly illuminate the subject. It is not uncommon to have professional photographers using the flash even for daytime, outdoor photography. This is known as ‘fill-flash’ and if used properly, can add great dimension to an outdoor photograph.
You can gain more knowledge at Profitable Photography Business. It’s dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from Photography Equipment & Resources
type="text/css" />
Digital photography has revolutionized the way photographs are taken, processed, viewed and distributed. The convenience of it far outweighs any advantages afforded by the traditional 110 camera and film photography. The tips in this article will ensure you are making the best use of the myriad of assets available to you in the world of digital photography.
To start off with, always try to have the subject of your photo centered in your viewfinder. This will ensure that you place adequate emphasis on your subject and the viewer’s eyes will be drawn to it. If you cultivate this habit, you will discipline yourself into always taking the time to position your subject and draw attention to it. As you progress, you will learn that how you position your subject can go a long way into creating the perfect picture.
Do your best to avoid elements which take the attention away from the subject. Taking a picture of your dog with kids running into or out of the frame, or taking a picture of a sculpture with other photographers in the foreground, taking pictures of the same sculpture. These distractions will greatly diminish your ability to draw attention to the subject you have chosen to photograph.
You may already be aware that when choosing a digital camera, most vendors will list the resolution of the camera in terms of megapixels. When taking pictures, always select the highest resolution possible. This will allow for you to have the most amount of data to work with during the processing phase. The lower resolution pictures have less data and the results obtained during the processing phase may be of a much lower quality.
Make sure you get close to your subject. In other words, fill up the frame of your camera. This is another good way to draw the viewer’s attention to the subject. When the subject fills the frame, any distracting elements will most likely be eliminated and leaves the viewer with no doubts as to what your subject is. Either walk closer to your subject or use the zoom feature present in many of today’s digital cameras to maximize the use of the entire frame. The zoom feature is great for taking pictures where you need to be at a distance (either to be safe or because of the location) from the subject, but want your picture to appear as if you were nearby.
When taking pictures of people while using a flash, make sure to select the red eye reduction feature. This feature is again found in most of today’s digital cameras. It diminishes or completely eliminates the appearance of red, monster-like eyes in people when using flash photography. This phenomenon occurs when the light of the flash is reflected by the human eyes. The red eye reduction feature activates the flash in such a way that the human eyes are rendered less reflective. They teach a lot of this type of thing in photography schools which is another way to improve. Here’s an article on online photography schools.
Whenever possible, strive to frame photographs from a unique angle. Have you noticed how eye-catching some photographs are? It is more likely that these photographs will have been taken from a unique angle. It can be a sharp angle looking down at the subject or looking up from a lower position. Consider the mood you are trying to evoke in your viewers. If you want something to appear larger, go for a low positioned, upward facing angle.
Always carry extra batteries. Digital cameras rely solely on having batteries to operate. If the camera itself has a special battery that can only be bought from the manufacturer, then it would be worthwhile in investing in one of these proprietary battery packs. You don’t want to be in the situation where you missed the perfect shot because your battery was flat.
A tripod is a perfect way to lend stability to an otherwise shaky photographer. It is natural that you may not be able to hold the camera absolutely steady. In cases like this, you will be left with blurred or fuzzy pictures due to ‘camera shake’. In order to minimize the fuzzy pictures, invest in a tripod. Once a camera is mounted on a tripod, you can take crisp, clear photographs with minimal camera shake.
If there is one feature that makes digital photography stand out from traditional photography, it is the photo review feature. This feature allows you to examine the picture you took a few seconds ago to determine if it is exactly what you wanted. If it isn’t, then you can simply delete the photograph that you are not happy with and take another.
Make sure that you adjust your flash appropriately for the occasion when you take pictures. For example, indoor or night photographs will more likely require the use of a flash to properly illuminate the subject. It is not uncommon to have professional photographers using the flash even for daytime, outdoor photography. This is known as ‘fill-flash’ and if used properly, can add great dimension to an outdoor photograph.
You can gain more knowledge at Profitable Photography Business. It’s dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain many photography resources (some free) from Photography Equipment & Resources
type="text/css" />
Monday, March 17, 2008
What Good Are Zom Lenses?
What Good Are Zoom Lenses?
One of the ideas which are crucial to becoming an expert photographer is understanding the difference between a camera and a human eye. Our eyes are fixed to a narrow range of abilities - we have no choice in what magnification our eyes see with or what ranges of light they use. Nature gave us so many abilities and that is that. But cameras are an artificial contrivance we’ve cobbled together, with the aim of capturing images permanently. They aren’t bound by the constraints of nature.
Zoom lenses, unlike our eyes, allow the camera to have a variable focal length. This can allow your image to appear to have been taken closer to the subject than you actually were. Most often, this is handy for photographing natural subjects. Those shots of wildlife such as herons taking off from a pond or tigers lounging on the savanna are taken from a far distance away, with the camera magnifying the image. Likewise, you can get a close-up image of an approaching tornado, without actually getting up close and personal with it!
One can’t expect too much image quality under these circumstances. Particularly with digital cameras with telephoto and zoom lenses, some image quality will be sacrificed. This is because digital telephoto zoom lenses have to be made with that physical material we call glass, and it’s that much harder to engineer a lens that’s small, light, able to pull in the magnification, and still get good detail. Even with non-digital cameras, the camera lens sharpness will be lower with a 60-180 zoom lens than it would be with even a cheap prime lens. If you’ve used camera lenses in macro photography, you’ve noticed the difference when you blew the final image up to scale.
There are plenty of zoom lens tutorials online, so I won’t repeat them here. My purpose is to just give you a good feel for the territory, rather than directly answering questions like “How do camera lenses work?”. Lugging those various lenses through the field will be great exercise, as will handling them with the delicacy of a Faberge egg to make sure they don’t get damaged. There’s nothing quite like traveling on assignment only to open your luggage and discover a case full of broken lenses thanks to bellhops and taxi drivers who treat delicate photography equipment like Hulk Hogan giving somebody a body slam.
The best place to try out your new zoom lens is under studio conditions. Here, you can keep the camera perfectly still, the lens free of dust, and your subject set in ideal conditions. You’ll be pretty much limited to macro photography here, unless you’re looking to capture the paint on the studio wall magnified until it looks like the surface of Venus. But here you will have time to go over your camera lens zoom conversion tables and compare them with your results, so you get a good feel for what level of zoom will compensate for what amount of distance. Taking an action shot at a sporting event while your lens’ motorized zoom is adjusting will not be the time to practice.
On a final note, remember that all those variables in photography is what makes it challenging as a hobby or field of endeavor. Luck is a factor. Make luck work for you by taking lots of shots, trying to make each one perfect. When you see your results, you will hopefully have one that’s close to perfect
type="text/css" />
One of the ideas which are crucial to becoming an expert photographer is understanding the difference between a camera and a human eye. Our eyes are fixed to a narrow range of abilities - we have no choice in what magnification our eyes see with or what ranges of light they use. Nature gave us so many abilities and that is that. But cameras are an artificial contrivance we’ve cobbled together, with the aim of capturing images permanently. They aren’t bound by the constraints of nature.
Zoom lenses, unlike our eyes, allow the camera to have a variable focal length. This can allow your image to appear to have been taken closer to the subject than you actually were. Most often, this is handy for photographing natural subjects. Those shots of wildlife such as herons taking off from a pond or tigers lounging on the savanna are taken from a far distance away, with the camera magnifying the image. Likewise, you can get a close-up image of an approaching tornado, without actually getting up close and personal with it!
One can’t expect too much image quality under these circumstances. Particularly with digital cameras with telephoto and zoom lenses, some image quality will be sacrificed. This is because digital telephoto zoom lenses have to be made with that physical material we call glass, and it’s that much harder to engineer a lens that’s small, light, able to pull in the magnification, and still get good detail. Even with non-digital cameras, the camera lens sharpness will be lower with a 60-180 zoom lens than it would be with even a cheap prime lens. If you’ve used camera lenses in macro photography, you’ve noticed the difference when you blew the final image up to scale.
There are plenty of zoom lens tutorials online, so I won’t repeat them here. My purpose is to just give you a good feel for the territory, rather than directly answering questions like “How do camera lenses work?”. Lugging those various lenses through the field will be great exercise, as will handling them with the delicacy of a Faberge egg to make sure they don’t get damaged. There’s nothing quite like traveling on assignment only to open your luggage and discover a case full of broken lenses thanks to bellhops and taxi drivers who treat delicate photography equipment like Hulk Hogan giving somebody a body slam.
The best place to try out your new zoom lens is under studio conditions. Here, you can keep the camera perfectly still, the lens free of dust, and your subject set in ideal conditions. You’ll be pretty much limited to macro photography here, unless you’re looking to capture the paint on the studio wall magnified until it looks like the surface of Venus. But here you will have time to go over your camera lens zoom conversion tables and compare them with your results, so you get a good feel for what level of zoom will compensate for what amount of distance. Taking an action shot at a sporting event while your lens’ motorized zoom is adjusting will not be the time to practice.
On a final note, remember that all those variables in photography is what makes it challenging as a hobby or field of endeavor. Luck is a factor. Make luck work for you by taking lots of shots, trying to make each one perfect. When you see your results, you will hopefully have one that’s close to perfect
type="text/css" />
Monday, February 25, 2008
Digital Photography During Any Kind Of Wealther
If you are a photographer you know that bad weather does not have to stop you from going out and getting that fantastic digital photograph. This is your chance to get that kind of photograph that you can't just go out and take on any kind of day. These photographs can really show some crazy weather shots, like lightning storms, or just a dreary, rainy afternoon, and snow shots are very cool to see.
The harder it is for you to capture these kinds of photographs the more money someone would probably pay you for them. If you're an adventurous kind of photographer these kinds of shots will be just ideal for you. With safety in toe, take a calculated risk in order to create the perfect digital experience.
If you are taking digital photographs outside in the rain you will notice the way the rain tends to make everything around just shine. Whether your in the city or out in the country, looking across a field of grass or flowers, everything just seems to kind of sparkle. This can create a really nice photograph. Actually the rain, along with a few good size clouds can create just the perfect natural light setting, removing any fade outs or shadows that might appear in your digital photograph otherwise. With a little bit of rain you will have the chance to create some really great landscaping photographs or even of the wildlife that surrounds you, if you're in the right spot at the right time. Just make sure you have something to cover up your lens to keep the droplets away. You don't mind the rain but when it gets on your lens that could be a problem.
Taking a photograph of lightning can be complicated, you have to snap it at just the right time and that is very unpredictable. You will have to have a tripod for taking these kinds of photographs and a rather long shutter speed. You can hold down your shutter manually if you'd like so that all you have to do is shut it on your own as the lighting passes through the sky or slams down onto the grounds. You'll want this kind of photograph to be as bright as you can possibly get it, to get that full affect.
Snow photographs are a very appealing photograph to create. The light from the snow creates such a nice contrast along with all of it's surroundings. Capturing a photograph of the snow melting off the tree limbs or using the snow as a nice background for whatever your main object is that you are photographing. Some nice nature shots or friends and family playing in the snow, or you could even get a nice portrait type picture with snow all around.
You can do so many things when using digital photography, even things that may seem a little bit extreme. Making sure you have all the right gear and the drive to get out there and take risks is all you need, no matter what mother nature has in mind for that occasion.
Professional engineer in the IT industry engage in marketing online,home base business. Visit us at: http://www.emarkethall.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Cheongkh
The harder it is for you to capture these kinds of photographs the more money someone would probably pay you for them. If you're an adventurous kind of photographer these kinds of shots will be just ideal for you. With safety in toe, take a calculated risk in order to create the perfect digital experience.
If you are taking digital photographs outside in the rain you will notice the way the rain tends to make everything around just shine. Whether your in the city or out in the country, looking across a field of grass or flowers, everything just seems to kind of sparkle. This can create a really nice photograph. Actually the rain, along with a few good size clouds can create just the perfect natural light setting, removing any fade outs or shadows that might appear in your digital photograph otherwise. With a little bit of rain you will have the chance to create some really great landscaping photographs or even of the wildlife that surrounds you, if you're in the right spot at the right time. Just make sure you have something to cover up your lens to keep the droplets away. You don't mind the rain but when it gets on your lens that could be a problem.
Taking a photograph of lightning can be complicated, you have to snap it at just the right time and that is very unpredictable. You will have to have a tripod for taking these kinds of photographs and a rather long shutter speed. You can hold down your shutter manually if you'd like so that all you have to do is shut it on your own as the lighting passes through the sky or slams down onto the grounds. You'll want this kind of photograph to be as bright as you can possibly get it, to get that full affect.
Snow photographs are a very appealing photograph to create. The light from the snow creates such a nice contrast along with all of it's surroundings. Capturing a photograph of the snow melting off the tree limbs or using the snow as a nice background for whatever your main object is that you are photographing. Some nice nature shots or friends and family playing in the snow, or you could even get a nice portrait type picture with snow all around.
You can do so many things when using digital photography, even things that may seem a little bit extreme. Making sure you have all the right gear and the drive to get out there and take risks is all you need, no matter what mother nature has in mind for that occasion.
Professional engineer in the IT industry engage in marketing online,home base business. Visit us at: http://www.emarkethall.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Cheongkh
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Photography:Digital Camera Troubleshooting Guide
The following is a set of useful tips for troubleshooting your digital camera and/or an external flash unit you may have attached to it. First, look for the title which best describes the problem, then follow the steps below it...
POOR BUT RECOGNIZABLE PICTURE QUALITY
1. The batteries may need replacement. Some digital cameras continue to function when their battery power is low, but produce grainy photos with incorrect coloration. Make sure you aren't using Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries, which are generally not recommended for cameras.
2. For the best picture quality, make sure the camera is set to its highest resolution. This may have been adjusted by accident. The process for doing this varies greatly among different digital cameras. Keep in mind that fewer photos will fit in the camera's memory and it will probably take longer to transfer them to the computer, at a higher resolution.
3. Digital photography tends to be more prone to blurring (caused by slight movement of the camera while the photo is taken) than 35mm film, especially with very small or lightweight digital cameras. To remedy this, try using a tripod and/or the camera's timer, if it has one. Adjust the camera's shutter speed if possible.
4. If colors are too pale, using an image editing/viewing program (such as PictureWorks MediaCenter) to increase the Saturation level may be helpful. If the camera has produced colors which are entirely wrong (everything is in shades of black and purple, for example), you can turn the saturation all the way down so that it becomes a black & white photo.
5. The lens may need cleaning. Make sure you use a cleaning material which will not scratch the lens. If possible, refer to its manual for specific cleaning instructions.
CAMERA WILL NOT TRANSMIT IMAGES TO THE COMPUTER
1. Make sure the data transfer cable is securely connected to the computer and camera.
2. If the serial cable was connected to the computer while it was on, you may need to shut it down and turn it back on again. This does not apply to USB cables.
3. If you have the choice to use a serial cable or a USB cable, try switching to the cable type you haven't already tried. For example, I have an older digital camera which can use a USB cable in Windows 98, but only works with a serial cable in Windows XP.
4. Make sure the camera's auto power-off feature didn't turn it off before you tried to start downloading the photos. Most digital cameras will not activate this feature if they are connected with a USB cable, but some will when using a serial cable.
5. If possible, try using the digital camera with a different computer and/or a different camera with the same computer, to help determine which piece of equipment is problem's source.
THE CAMERA WILL NOT POWER ON AND/OR DOESN'T RESPOND
1. If it is attached to the computer with a cable, detach it and try turning it on again.
2. Try powering it through a USB cable or an AC adapter, if it has one. If this works, it probably needs new batteries, unless the battery compartment is corroded.
3. Replace the batteries. Try to avoid this if it has photos stored on it and is a camera which loses them when the batteries are removed. If the batteries were recently replaced, make sure they were inserted in the proper direction.
4. If the temperature is very hot or cold, try it in an area with a more normal temperature.
5. Some digital cameras have a feature which automatically turns them off after a second if the batteries are low. This allows them to retain enough power to store the photos and transfer them to the computer when necessary.
PHOTOS ARE SCRAMBLED OR AREN'T STORED ON THE CAMERA
1. On some digital cameras, photos currently stored on the camera may become scrambled or have multi-colored streaks across them if the batteries are replaced before they are downloaded.
2. Check the camera's LCD before taking each photo to make sure it has not run out of memory or activated its auto power-off feature.
3. Turn the camera off, power it on again, and try transferring the photographs again.
THE CAMERA'S EXTERNAL FLASH UNIT DOES NOT FIRE
1. Make sure the flash unit is correctly seated in the flash port (a.k.a. "hot shoe") or its sync cable is securely plugged into both the flash unit and the digital camera. Confirm that none of its settings have been accidentally adjusted (it might not fire if it is in "auto" or "computer" mode and it determines there is already enough lighting) and the batteries are fresh.
2. Press the flash unit's test button. Most flash units have one of these on back of them, below the other controls; it is usually a clear or red-colored button, occasionally having the "Ready" light built into it. If the flash fires, it is more likely to be a problem with the camera or the connection between the camera and flash.
3. Try testing the flash unit on a different camera to help determine the source of the problem. Basic 35mm cameras with "hot shoe" flash ports can be purchased rather inexpensively at eBay.com, thrift stores, and some yard sales. Some expensive model- or brand-specific flash units will not fit on these cameras, however.
If none of these steps solve the problem, there are a number of potential problems with the camera and/or computer which could be causing it; some possibilities include that the computer's serial or USB port card may not be properly installed, the camera driver or software might be incorrectly configured, the camera could be damaged, or the computer's operating system may be incompatible with the camera. While the problem could be expensive to fix, on the other hand it might still be as simple as changing a setting on the computer or camera. It is probably best to contact the digital camera manufacturer's technical support; check the camera itself, its instruction manual, the manufacturer's website, or the camera's original package for a telephone number.
POOR BUT RECOGNIZABLE PICTURE QUALITY
1. The batteries may need replacement. Some digital cameras continue to function when their battery power is low, but produce grainy photos with incorrect coloration. Make sure you aren't using Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries, which are generally not recommended for cameras.
2. For the best picture quality, make sure the camera is set to its highest resolution. This may have been adjusted by accident. The process for doing this varies greatly among different digital cameras. Keep in mind that fewer photos will fit in the camera's memory and it will probably take longer to transfer them to the computer, at a higher resolution.
3. Digital photography tends to be more prone to blurring (caused by slight movement of the camera while the photo is taken) than 35mm film, especially with very small or lightweight digital cameras. To remedy this, try using a tripod and/or the camera's timer, if it has one. Adjust the camera's shutter speed if possible.
4. If colors are too pale, using an image editing/viewing program (such as PictureWorks MediaCenter) to increase the Saturation level may be helpful. If the camera has produced colors which are entirely wrong (everything is in shades of black and purple, for example), you can turn the saturation all the way down so that it becomes a black & white photo.
5. The lens may need cleaning. Make sure you use a cleaning material which will not scratch the lens. If possible, refer to its manual for specific cleaning instructions.
CAMERA WILL NOT TRANSMIT IMAGES TO THE COMPUTER
1. Make sure the data transfer cable is securely connected to the computer and camera.
2. If the serial cable was connected to the computer while it was on, you may need to shut it down and turn it back on again. This does not apply to USB cables.
3. If you have the choice to use a serial cable or a USB cable, try switching to the cable type you haven't already tried. For example, I have an older digital camera which can use a USB cable in Windows 98, but only works with a serial cable in Windows XP.
4. Make sure the camera's auto power-off feature didn't turn it off before you tried to start downloading the photos. Most digital cameras will not activate this feature if they are connected with a USB cable, but some will when using a serial cable.
5. If possible, try using the digital camera with a different computer and/or a different camera with the same computer, to help determine which piece of equipment is problem's source.
THE CAMERA WILL NOT POWER ON AND/OR DOESN'T RESPOND
1. If it is attached to the computer with a cable, detach it and try turning it on again.
2. Try powering it through a USB cable or an AC adapter, if it has one. If this works, it probably needs new batteries, unless the battery compartment is corroded.
3. Replace the batteries. Try to avoid this if it has photos stored on it and is a camera which loses them when the batteries are removed. If the batteries were recently replaced, make sure they were inserted in the proper direction.
4. If the temperature is very hot or cold, try it in an area with a more normal temperature.
5. Some digital cameras have a feature which automatically turns them off after a second if the batteries are low. This allows them to retain enough power to store the photos and transfer them to the computer when necessary.
PHOTOS ARE SCRAMBLED OR AREN'T STORED ON THE CAMERA
1. On some digital cameras, photos currently stored on the camera may become scrambled or have multi-colored streaks across them if the batteries are replaced before they are downloaded.
2. Check the camera's LCD before taking each photo to make sure it has not run out of memory or activated its auto power-off feature.
3. Turn the camera off, power it on again, and try transferring the photographs again.
THE CAMERA'S EXTERNAL FLASH UNIT DOES NOT FIRE
1. Make sure the flash unit is correctly seated in the flash port (a.k.a. "hot shoe") or its sync cable is securely plugged into both the flash unit and the digital camera. Confirm that none of its settings have been accidentally adjusted (it might not fire if it is in "auto" or "computer" mode and it determines there is already enough lighting) and the batteries are fresh.
2. Press the flash unit's test button. Most flash units have one of these on back of them, below the other controls; it is usually a clear or red-colored button, occasionally having the "Ready" light built into it. If the flash fires, it is more likely to be a problem with the camera or the connection between the camera and flash.
3. Try testing the flash unit on a different camera to help determine the source of the problem. Basic 35mm cameras with "hot shoe" flash ports can be purchased rather inexpensively at eBay.com, thrift stores, and some yard sales. Some expensive model- or brand-specific flash units will not fit on these cameras, however.
If none of these steps solve the problem, there are a number of potential problems with the camera and/or computer which could be causing it; some possibilities include that the computer's serial or USB port card may not be properly installed, the camera driver or software might be incorrectly configured, the camera could be damaged, or the computer's operating system may be incompatible with the camera. While the problem could be expensive to fix, on the other hand it might still be as simple as changing a setting on the computer or camera. It is probably best to contact the digital camera manufacturer's technical support; check the camera itself, its instruction manual, the manufacturer's website, or the camera's original package for a telephone number.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
