Practical Photography

As you probably know summer is one of the most popular times of the year to get married.

Before you walk like a princess down your fairytale aisle, just  stop - and think about the serious side of things for a minute and make sure that every penny you spend is worth it’s while!  So, before you sign on the dotted line when deciding who your  photogrpaher is going to be, make sure you are aware of these few things…

• Makes sure you are obsolutely clear how much the total cost will be and how much of the deposit you WON’T get back if, god forbid, the wedding is cancelled or the date has to be moved.

• Make sure the deposit you pay is actually taken off the total invoice cost and it’s not taken as an extra

• And finally, see if you can  talk with other brides and grooms who have used the same photographer - before you sign the contract.

Wedding day photos – the pretty shots taken outside the church/registry office, everyone immaculate and smiling, or pictures by the car, or at the reception… All standard, can’t go wrong shots.

Boooooooooooring!

Now, I may sound a bit judgemental, however – it’s your big day, why be like everyone else? Yes, you do not want to upset Auntie Susan by having the photos somewhere she can’t toddle to, but why would you want pictures that look so fake? A wedding day is a one-off celebration – but there’s nothing stopping you bringing it into your everyday life!

Confused? Let me explain…

A friend of mine has just married a farmer – lovely service, great pictures in the woods next to the hotel, as well as the standard ones on the steps and by a tree for the family to put on the mantelpiece. But she’s also gone out on a limb and tried something new – wellies, dogs, cows, and the bride and groom in full wedding attire!

Laura’s beautiful white dress, and Andrew’s smart suit are wonderfully contrasted with their muddy green wellies, and all the sites of the farm in the background. I think it’s a great way to get another days use out of a beautiful dress, have some good harmless fun, get some great pictures, and some nice memories of a happy event.

Making sure you have a photographer to suit you and your new Husaband on your wedding day is quite an important part of the day I think!   You want the end result to be just perfect as the day goes so quickly (so quickly you wouldn’t believe) you want it all captured on film.  But if you don’t feel comfortable with the person who is actually taking the photos - they won’t display a very good image of your wedding day.

So, you want good quality shots - which you’ll see from prevoius work they have already done. Unique and differnet shots so don’t feel afraid to put your ideas forward too - it is your day after all! But one key thing that I think can be missed is making sure you have a good rapure with the photographer. You want the photos to look like your relaxed and having fun when you look back on them in years to come!

If you’ve just started out on the photography path for a hobby - here are some tips to help you along your way:-

• Get down to the same level of the object you are trying to capture
• If possible, try to use a plain background so your object stands out more
• Move closer to the object as well as using the zoom facility
• Change the view around so use the landscape and portrait views
• Lock the focus
• Move the main object from the centre - more in the foreground or background can often make the main focus stand out more
• Know your flashes range as taken too far away will results in a dark photo
• Be awrae of your surrounding light an adjust you camers settings accordingly
• become a photo director - re-arrange people, add props etc

Looking for subjects for your photographic portfolio can sometimes be challenging. But it doesn’t have to be, often the subjects much closer to home can be more exciting that you think. Take for instance your mantle piece clock, flowers, kitchen implements, your stereo speakers and garden ornaments.  Creating abstract photographs from these everyday simple objects can be really interesting. More than often water can be a great focus for an abstract piece. If you are lucky enough to have a water garden these can be great spots for a shoot. In the comfort of your own back garden you can experiment with perspective, vantage points, macro, shutter speed, lighting effects both natural and unnatural and filters.
When photographing water, experimenting with shutter speed can result in really interesting photography. If you have running water in your water garden, for example, a fountain or statue/water feature, then the effect of using a slow shutter speed to photograph moving water can be very exciting. Or photographing a pond when it is raining, again experimenting with slow shutter speeds, and can result in photos like this one below.

You can also try different combinations of perspectives and vantage points, each new vantage point can create a completely different photo. You can experiment with placing focus on the objects in the foreground or vise versa, using the natural plants and flowers as the focus points.
In terms of lighting, experiment with natural shadows, these can really add depth to a photograph by emphasising patterns and textures.
Abstract art is virtually limitless so remember your shot is only limited by your imagination! Use objects that are naturally inspiring and see what can be done with it!

Creating your own photo portfolio can lead to many benefits as a photographer whether you are an amateur or professional this is the best way to get your work seen by the general public. You tend to find that many amateur photographer create on-line portfolios which are much more accessible to the general public and can lead to says because lets face it many photographers out their take their photos to be sold and enjoyed by others.

Another way of narrowing down your selective audience would be by looking at business telemarketing lists to narrow down who you think you can sell them too. So for example if your profession is taking photos of animals you might want to target places such as vets, zoos, animal parks and so on and these list can provide you the information you need.

My Opinion on creating portfolios and getting your work noticed would be to create one on line so many can see with the photos you have taken in your chosen field and then also try entering your photos in to exhibitions and shows whether an amateur or professional this is a great way to show and share your work with people of the same interests.

Photography is an expansive art form and includes many different aspects than just your normal portraiture, landscape or glamour photography many associate it with.

Professional and Amateur photographers commonly find them self’s favoring specific types of photography over others. While a professional photographer may work in photojournalism, an amateur may be particularly interested in Wild life Photography. I have but together a few of the common types of photography.

Photojournalism although enjoyed by the armatures this requires the photographer to shoot only the facts. Photojournalism pictures are often powerful images that engage the viewer with the news story. Which could include new and strange topics such as getting the first shots of a celebrities designer radiators before any one else.

Action Photography
This is a wide subject but the common type in this field is sports photography being one of the fastest and most exciting types of photography. The main aim of this is to capture the moment and movement this could be latest mobility equipment to the celebrations of a team wining a cup.

Glamour photography
Sometimes misrepresented when people think of this type of photography the aim of this is to capture the subject in suggestive poses that emphasize curves and shadows.

With so many Digital Cameras out their choosing the right one can be difficult so i thought i would list a few point to consider before you go out and buy, the first being;

Determine what you need

Consider thing such as:

• What do you need the camera for?
• What type of photography will you be doing? (portraits, landscapes, macro, sports)
• What level of experience do you have with cameras?
• What type of features are you looking for?
• What is your budget?

Megapixels are they important?

As many of you may see this feature is used mostly to sell the digital camera to you many people see companies offering high megapixels at low prices.

Most new cameras come now days with at least 5 megapixels which is efficient as the larger this goes the images become so large that they take up enormous amounts of space on memory cards and computers.

Accessible Extras

One thing to keep mind that I often find is that yes sure you may be able to find a nice cheap camera with decent features however what they don’t tell you about is the cost of the extras which can sometimes be near impossible to locate or buy and quiet often the case is something that you require including:

• Camera Case
• Memory Cards
• Battery Supply
• Lenses
• Filters
• Tripods/Monopods
• External Flashes
• Reflectors

A journey in a hot air balloon is the perfect way to get stunning photographs of places you love.

With its panoramic view and with being several thousand feet up in the air, you will have the chance to capture images of the ‘minature’ world below. You will be able to gaze at the beautiful countryside and villages as you carelessly float through the air.

Hot air balloon flights are not only a fantastic experience but the images that you can create from them can be turned into great postcards or even canvas prints that can be hung on your walls at home.

If you are more interested in capturing pictures of the balloons in action, then make sure that you attend hot air balloon festivals. Not only are they fun to watch but with them being so big, bright and beautiful they are also great to shoot too.

A lot of photographers like to capture the hot air balloon taking off. If this is you, make sure that you get to the event early so you can get in the best spot to capture the colours and shapes. For some of the best pictures, make sure that you capture balloons with funny designs and slogans. Try and capture the heating up process too which creates a mini firework display during its inflation.

Facebook is used by a lot of people these days to create social groups and invite friends and family to these special occasions. The day after, or even the same day, pictures from the event are sure to appear on Facebook, with people who were there ‘tagged’ for quick reference.

Facebook is not just popular with teenagers and young people in their twenties. Facebook has become extremely popular with mothers who can wax lyrical about their child to other mothers and comment on the joys (and otherwise) of parenting. These mothers take their digital cameras everywhere with them and every aspect of a child’s life can now be recorded and instantly uploaded, thanks to the wonders of modern technology. These parents can arrange these events online; from an invitation to a Baby Shower or Christening to a children’s Birthday party. Then later, comments are posted on each others’ ‘walls’ and this provides a great way for adults to interact with one another.

In fact, the number of adults using these social media websites is rapidly on the increase. For computer users, it’s certainly hard to avoid Facebook, which has about 175 million users who have returned to the site in the past month. Members keep in touch with friends and co-workers, get back in touch with old friends and colleagues, post photographs, link to things that interest them, and access a variety of networking tools.