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Can An Online Digital Photography Course Really Help Me Be A Better Photographer?

Many people want to become a better photographer but don't know where to start. What you need most are some lessons, plenty of practice and someone to critique your work so you can improve.

If you want to be a photographer but need some training, it is good to know that there are now plenty of good online digital photography courses to choose from. Completing one of the courses could make the difference between taking good photos and sensational ones that you could even sell. In terms of a new career, photography could be your main work or it can provide a really useful second income.

However it is an art form which requires combined use of technology and artistic sense. Online digital photography courses can be really useful for brand new photographers, old hands who want to shift to digital photography, and getting updates on new photography techniques.

There are many types of online photography courses and there are a variety of subjects as well. Online photography courses utilize a variety of methods to teach, including written lectures and videos.

As technology continues to boom, it becomes easier and easier to learn technical skills online, which is a blessing for budding photographers who can now learn about the technical aspects of photography easily.

On-line digital photography courses should teach you the skills needed to make a career out of your passion in photography, right from the comfort of your own home.

These include various techniques, art appreciation theory and technical proficiency. You can find some good course just by searching through Google.

Keep in mind that on-line digital courses are usually cheaper and of course, accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

Some good online digital photography courses are: NOTE: Websites with many years of history are more valuable than brand new sites.

  • BetterPhoto.com is the worldwide leader in online photography education, offering a comprehensive resource for photographers who want to improve their skills, share their photos, and learn more about the art and technique of photography. Headquartered in Redmond, WA, BetterPhoto.com is a fun, approachable community, offering online photography courses led by highly respected and published professional photographers, who act as mentors. In addition to help with choosing cameras, BetterPhoto.com offers online photography courses, fun photo contests, digital camera comparisons, photo tips, Web sites for photographers, extensive photo galleries, a useful Q & A, email newsletters, and expert help in all arenas of photography.
  • Proud Photography is an online digital photography course that is designed by real professional photographers, based on their past experience, who are willing to share with you their secret techniques and skills.This course is designed for both beginners and experienced photographers. As for newbies, they can learn from basic to advanced photograph taking skill while the experienced users can learn the innovative techniques, tips and tricks from award-winning photographers.
  • The Photography Institute The "Professional Photography Course" at the PhotographyInstitute.com is another provided online, via the Internet. You study at home, in your own time, at your own pace. It offers an online diploma course in photography. The new cutting-edge photography course has 24-hour student support. Course duration is 24 weeks, or at your own pace in 12 months or less. Other great online course providers are:

  • schoolofphotography.com
  • photographycourse.net
  • shuttermom.com
  • microstockphotography.com

Fashion Photography and Modeling in Toronto

Toronto is an ideal city for its wide variety of fashion, modeling and photography provisions. Many people have succeeded in this sector because of booming market that exists in the city and in Canada as a whole. Many tourists have toured the city to shop for wedding gowns designed by professional fashion designers. The city has numerous fashion photography and modeling agencies and these are constantly searching for different personalities to add to their portfolio of models. Professional models search for ideal photography agencies scattered throughout the city. Due to the ever-present competition in this field, fashion, photography and modeling agencies have developed websites where they market their services to possible clientele. Additionally, competition has favored consumers since they get inexpensive but top quality productions from these agencies. Due to availability of web services, one need not travel widely to purchase these services; all a person needs to do is book an appointment online thus saving one from transport hassles.

An ideal fashion photographer should have the necessary equipment, staff and an ideal location to ensure that the photography sessions canary on unhindered. Any fashion model looking to be represented by a certain photographer will have these qualities in mind to make certain that their careers are well on course. Cloth line owners', house ware owners as well as salon designers in also hire fashion photographers. Competent fashion photographers are keen to satisfy one's fashion needs. These needs include taking exceptional photos during a fashion event. A model uses these photographs to build their career photo portfolio.

Apart from participating in fashion, modeling and photography, these professionals offer services during wedding events. Toronto is one of the biggest honeymoon destinations due to its many beautiful sites and scenery. Wedding photography services in Toronto are up to standard and are available at affordable costs. An example of photography agency offering wedding photography services includes K.productions. The agency has thrived due to its professional services. Customers enjoy artistic and classical photography. Fashion, modeling and photography have created numerous job opportunities to thousands of young people in Canada. Among these, include wedding gown designers. They design gowns according to one's taste and preference. Such individuals have skills of designing dresses to create a happy mood during the event. K. productions provide wedding photography as well as video services that focus to the very last detail.

Other special occasions where fashion, modeling and photography services are required include magazine fashion events. In such occasions, fashion designers design outfits for models to strut down elegantly designed runways. A fashion designer should choose the colors wisely depending on the nature of event taking place. In the same events, skilled fashion photography is required to produce quality photos, which are often used by the company while preparing the magazine. A photographer should produce photos rich in the fashion diversity depicted. In such occasions, both fashion designers as well as photographers should help models depict the outfits in their stylish manner. Growth in this industry has exceptional development in Toronto and other Canadian cities due to aggressive marketing.

Photography - Did You Know?

Photography is painting with light! It's been said that photography is the one art where you don't need to go to school, nothing separates the pro from the amateur other skill a keen eye or the right moment. Give a camera to a child and they've cracked it, give the same child a keyboard and they'll get back to you in due time.

Most photographs are created using a camera , which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of what the human eye would see. The process of creating photographs is called photography .

The great thing about photography is its outward focus (puns and semi-puns are so hard to avoid) on the world around us, not the art itself. Moving from hobby photography to professional photography is a big jump. It's a jump not just because your ability to pay your mortgage and feed your family will now depend entirely on your talent with a camera and your skills at marketing those talents.

For me photography is about "collecting" experiences and allowing myself to be more than a fly on the wall in my subjects' lives. I don't think photography is dead, I think photography is an extremely young art form. I also look at the history of photography and see that many of its milestones have been based on the technology of the time.

Photography is going through an exciting transition period as many film photographers are beginning to explore the new capabilities made possible with digital cameras. Traditional aspects such as the fundamental techniques and lens equipment have remained the same, however others are markedly different. Photography is acquired when weather conditions, sun angle, and, when applicable, water levels are optimal to ensure that photographs will be suitable for a variety of purposes using standard photogrammetric techniques.

Natural light in photography is crucial if you want to take great portraits. Many assume this means the time of day in which she can shoot her portraits is limited. Photography is used to preserve memories of favorite times, to capture special moments, to tell stories, to send messages, and as a source of entertainment. Photography is an art of particularity, but this doesn't mean that photography must be from "outside in. If photography has too much natural accident, it will hardly carry visual dynamic. But if it has too much photographer intervention and manipulation of the subject, it will paralyze the expression of the subject's essence.

Once you've gotten your head around this and started shooting a few pictures, you might find that photography is quite fun and interesting. At first glance it would seem that unless you are a full-time adventure athlete, adventure photography is something that you will have little opportunity to apply yourself to? However, nothing could be further from the truth. When learning how to shoot action photos, there are many ways you can begin practicing and honing your skills when you are far from the mountains or wild rivers.

Some are able to select a wonderful location to shoot along with having the "artistic eye" to use the natural backdrop to obtain the best photographs possible. Pinhole photography is great fun and it can be the most serious kind of photography. There is the freedom from vying for the latest and the greatest the industry has to offer, and the freedom from the delusion that technically ever more perfect equipment is required for great photography.

Remote photography is used to learn more about things like bears' use of naturally-occurring bear rubs and how they respond to baited hair traps. Information from this work will be used to improve sampling methods and understand bear behavior. Photography is all about selection, first through the viewfinder and second when you look at the results. As long as there's selection involved, there's room for art - if the artist can pull it off. Good photography is all about seeing.

Input relating 'classical' portraiture to photography is not so easy to find. Though we may not want to take this kind of photograph, it still seems that we could learn a lot from the kind of discussion given here. Photography is also increasingly asserting itself on the auction block as an important investment. And its prices in the galleries and at the major fairs reflect its serious status. Photography is finally escaping any dependence on what is in front of a lens, but it comes at the price of its special claim on a viewer's attention as "evidence" rooted in reality. As gallery material, photographs are now essentially no different from paintings concocted entirely from an artist's imagination, except that they lack painting's manual touch and surface variation.

Underwater photography is becoming an exciting field of unexplored areas. Other photographers specialize in areas such as portrait, commercial and industrial, scientific, news, or fine arts photography. Photography is a customer service business. Whether you need family portraits, pet portraits, events coverage or complete wedding packages.

The most compelling part of digital photography is the idea of showing pictures to people wherever they are, as long as they are in front of a computer connected to the Web.

The overwhelming majority of older photographs are catalogued under the term "albumen prints" - the most common type of 19 th-century photographic print. Additional headings are assigned describing the typical cardboard mounts to which these images are attached - stereographs, cabinet card photographs, and cartes-de-viste.

Finally, If you plan on working with older photos, establish handling procedures and adhere to them whenever photographs are being used. View photographs in a clean, uncluttered area, and handle them with clean hands. Most 1860s-90s paper photographs are albumen. Even non-collectors associate horse-and-buggy and Old West images with the soft, sentimental tones that were produced by the albumen process. If only photographs are stored in a given area, 30-40% RH is best. If photographs are stored with paper, parchment, or leather materials, it may be necessary to maintain 40-50% RH to avoid placing unwanted stress on non-photographic materials.

Photography Course - Study in International Institutes

These days the need for photographers and digital photography has been increasing. There are many institutes which are providing different photography courses and digital photography courses for international students. With the growing need of educational institutes, countries like Australia, New Zealand are attracted to international students. These institutes provide different courses and accommodation facilities for students. The quality of institutes can be determined by the qualified staff and the courses they are offering. For joining the international colleges and studies you can apply online from the websites. The digital photography course is getting very famous, many of the institutes providing online free registration to international students. The use of latest new technology to teach the students digital photography and the use latest equipment by these institutes are major attraction. The use of computer technology can customize and enhance the results of the images. Photography is an exciting industry that is why it is getting famous worldwide and many colleges and universities offering different photography courses. The digital age of photography has established a need for new institutes which offer quality photography course to international students. For learning the photographic skills you do not need to have expensive cameras, most standard SLR cameras are good enough for this purpose.

While studying abroad in accredited universities and colleges which offer photography course is a good way to explore new opportunities in the field of photography. The exposure of traveling to different attractive areas and taking photographs of natural environment makes this career more exciting. The famous Australian desert is very attractive to photographers, the natural scenery and different species are best for enhancing there photographic skills. These institutes offer accredited courses for photography which enhance your skills and teach how to become professional in the field of photography. The photography course is the attractive field for many of the people, with more and more learning opportunities. The qualified and professional teaching staff at these institutes offer all the knowledge required to learn the photography and photo imaging course. Many students from all over the world prefer to study in Australia for affordable and quality education, and the complete professional environment. Students from all over the world prefer Australian education over other countries. There are hundreds and probably more than hundred photography courses are available online, but the professional university education in Australia is preferred by many students and photographer which have keen interest in photography. These institutes also allow you to submit your photographs and images to professional teachers for review.

Most of the professional institutes have the highly qualified teachers which will provide you constructive criticism of your work. The fee for joining the photography course with accommodation is nominal in the Australian institutes. The classrooms are well equipped with latest technology and computers. Before joining the courses, you need to read all the requirements and rules by the institutes.

Digital Schools For Photography - How To Choose The Right One?

Digital schools for photography are emerging each day with various fee structure and courses. Earlier, photography was not a profession for everyone due to the huge expenses allied with films and its processing. There was not a huge market to sell someone's photographs but today, clicking and sharing your photographs with the world just requires a good digital camera and a personal computer. Photography has stretched out into several streams and the equipments used in the photography industry are constantly changing.

Choosing the right school is the most important decision before you venture out in this field. For beginners and professional photographers; there are several courses available that can improve their knowledge and skills. Some tips for choosing a good photography school are:

General Photography Courses vs Specialized Courses- General photography courses usually target students who want to get an overall idea about photography. These courses usually cover topics such as exposure, composition and lighting techniques. These courses give you an outlook of the types of photography and how to advance in photography career. General Photography Courses are ideal for those who want to learn photography from scratch. However, if you are a photographer with basic knowledge in various photography techniques, a specialized course can be the best choice for you.

Photo Editing Software- Even though Adobe Photoshop is the most famous photo editing software, there are plenty of specialized softwares that can make your digital photography experience even better. When you approach photography as a career, a significant level of knowledge is required in photo editing softwares as well. Make sure to choose a course that offer basic photo editing classes as well.

Certification- Many institutes claim that their certificate is recognized by various organizations. However, check the value of these certificates before enrolling for a course. If you are a successful photographer, certificates may not be much of a help but for beginners, a good photography certificate can be an added advantage.

Fee- It is not necessary that you learn more if you pay more. There are many colleges that charge you a hefty sum but the course may not be actually worth it. Ask for the course curriculum and compare it with other institute's curriculum so that it will be easier for you to find out a better idea about these courses. If you find that a particular institute's fee is not worth it, move on and enroll for a better course.

Curriculum- Photography is an art as well as a science. A good photographer should know the artistic and scientific sides of photography for achieving a successful career. Make sure that your course covers the necessary scientific aspects of digital photography and editing.

It is not necessary that you should choose photography schools that offer you a university diploma or degree. There are online schools that offer digital trainings. These courses also work pretty well if you are willing to learn and practice what you learn in the course.

Conceptual Photography

One of the things you may come across in photography school is Conceptual Photography. Conceptual photography differs slightly from regular photography, in that it's about the concept or idea of the photo, rather than the subject itself. In some schools of thought, conceptual photography is actually considered to be a more artistic application than other forms of photography, because it tends to incorporate aspects of abstraction as well. Though some photography schools specialize solely in the subject of conceptual photography, most photography schools at least offer some courses in it.

Most conceptual photographers aim to communicate some type of message to their viewers. The most common types of these are political and social commentaries, as well as advertisements. When making a conceptual photograph, the artist will take the various elements that make up the subject of the photograph/concept, and place those elements in the picture in a way to communicate their ideas. Though some photographers may come upon their concept through experimentation, it's usually the concept/idea that precedes the photograph.

In the past, much conceptual photography was done by hand. Nowadays it's just as common to use computer programs like Photoshop to generate the effects found in conceptual photography, though many artists still do utilize organic conceptual photography techniques.

You may have studied the work of Eugène Atget in photography school. Atget was one of the first conceptual photographers. His work, "Avenue des Gobelins," often taught in photography school classes, depicts three mannequins in a shop window. One of these mannequins is actually a live person, which the audience discovers upon closer examination. From a distance, the real man appears to be the same as the mannequins, because he's wearing similar clothing and his posture is set in a similar way. Often, Atget's photograph is interpreted as an allegory of modern civilization, communicating the uniformity that fashion and clothing generates on society.

Other famous conceptual photographers you may have studied in photography school include Man Ray, whose conceptual use of the photographic technique of solarization brought him much acclaim; Herb Ritts, who use his black and white fashion photography in a classical Greek sculpture style; Andreas Gursky, whose best known for his large format architecture and landscape photographs (an interesting fact here, Gursky's "Rhein II" became the most expensive photograph ever sold on November 8, 2011 at Christie's in New York City, when it sold for 4.3 million dollars); Cindy Sherman, one of my personal favorites, whose known for her conceptual self-portraits-Sherman's work often raises questions about the role of women in society.

Photos like Man Ray's "Le Violon d'Ingres", which shows a nude woman with the f-holes of a violin on her back, and his famous solarization work, "Julie et Margaret", which turns the women in the photograph into contours (exemplifying the depersonalization of society), are both great examples of conceptual photography. Sherman's "Untitled Film Stills" is another excellent example. In these self-portraits, which are intended to look like film stills, Sherman acts out different roles of women and depicts the fantasy of popular culture.

Wildlife Photography - Improving Your Animal Instincts!

We cover useful and practical easy to apply tips on improving your existing knowledge of outdoor, natural and wildlife photography skills in this special feature on click and shoot creatures for you - so stick around and enhance your sharp shooter skills right here, right now! After all, who knows when the travel bug may bite you next - and you find yourself in the middle of an adventure holiday destination with all the scope of putting together wildlife calendars, post-card materials and even the odd t-shirt print but for the want of matching photography techniques to capture the beauty of these wild beasts!

So, to avoid the disappointment of such a frustrating experience and to increase your scope for game-viewing and photography of a wild, untamed and thrilling outdoorsy moment made more memorable for the exciting natural backdrop it can be captured in, take a look at these exclusive wildlife photography tips - and you can bet your next camping trip won't be the same again, what with so many types of photographs to click!!

There is no dearth of the type of outdoor photography you can aspire to choosing to do when out in the wilds: the range of natural, wildlife photography covers the varied purposes of professional photographers and even hobby photographers keen to commit to film and memory their tryst with the wild side of nature e.g. animals in their natural habitat. Some of the types of wildlife photography you can explore when out in the wilds, includes portraits (or head-shots) of animals, close-ups or zoom, focus of profiles, landscape and series photography (sort of like slow motion shots, very interesting, especially when you can capture one of the Big 5 moving in for the kill).

The greatest virtue that one needs to develop for perfecting the skills of outdoor, especially wildlife photography is patience; close on the heels of this is the need to work on using various kinds of photography equipment (e.g. light support, tripods, lens change etc.) while atop a tree/vantage point and also keep a cool head.

A very challenging and exciting vocation to choose, wildlife photography is fraught with dangers of being in the naked outdoors with little more than a camera to shoot great moments and also risk being exposed to tropical diseases or unfriendly weather conditions if traveling beyond known territories of one's homeland.

You will need to learn how to use a telephoto lens as many a time, an animal will not walk near you and in the beginner stages, a wildlife photographer needs to learn to be comfortable in natural surroundings and not simply be fool-hardy in approaching an animal straight off as this gesture may be misinterpreted as a threat and the animal may attack you.

A good way to start on wildlife photography career is to begin with the more accessible animals like bears, fox, elk, wild rabbits etc. while keeping a safe distance as you don't want to scare them away and yet capture them in their natural habitat.

Try using a high speed digital camera so you can assess and store the best shots including the agility of an animal in the wild as well as not miss out on any actions since digicams come equipped with various easy-use features like auto-focus, red-eye elimination and extra zoom etc. and their quick shutter speed helps one to take multiple shots as the animal in focus moves.

Learn techniques like panning (following the territory of the animal's range of movement) outdoor lighting and placement of photography equipment so you can get close and take personal shots of the animals without drawing attention to yourself and always respect jungle laws to stay safe in the wilds.

All The Secrets Of Black And White Photography

Ever since the onset of color in photographs, black and white photography has become less and less popular, however in recent months there has been an increase in the number of photographers turning to black and white photography. Why is this happening now? Well many people believe that photographers are going back to more conventional techniques to perhaps bring out a new look and feel instead of churning out all the too often normal colored photos.

It's important to note that black and white photography was the beginning of photography and holds a special place in many photographers' hearts. This is one of the reasons why it has become a bit of a trendy thing to do nowadays. Basically beginner photographers are starting to take up black and white photography more often than normal photography. Why? Mainly because they are still able to use the most advanced, up to date cameras while creating amazing black and white photos.

What's So Great About Black and white photography?

Perhaps this is a question that can't be answered, however it's more important to realize the unique differences between black and white compared to color. First of all black and white photos are able to portray a lot of different feelings. These feeling are aimed more at the dark side of human nature including, pain, depression a sense of loss and hopelessness and also an ability to create an aged photo.

Color photography however portrays a much more different set of feelings aimed at the more passionate, enthusiastic side of human nature. Bright colors are able to create a sense of joy and enthusiasm. Another important thing to note is that certain colors portray different feelings. Red for example creates a scene of passion and enthusiasm. Yellow makes the watcher feel a sense of joy and happiness.

One thing that many photographers try to do is incorporate both black and white and color together to create a paradoxical scene if you will. By that I mean the photographer will attempt to create a scene of joy using black and whit photography which is normally used for negative emotions. This is something that is very appealing to the more advanced photographer.

Color photography may be more desirable in some respects for sporting events and for landscape photography, though works of black and white photography by such renowned photographers such as Ansel Adams and Edward Watson are matchless works of art. People photography is another sphere where it reigns supreme and can be particularly appreciated in the old glamour photographs of the late '30s and '40s. The longevity of black and white photographs is seen in these old and lasting prints that age has not been able to damage. Good photography should have two features -beauty and ability to stop time - both of which are abundantly present in black and white photography.

Healing Your Mind and Body Through Nature Photography

Introduction

The Hobby of Nature photography as an alternative to synthetic medicine can help those who suffer from anxiety and depression, experience the peaceful beauty of creation. Specifically, nature photography can help separate mankind from common modern day thoughts, helping to focus and meditate on the peaceful harmony that exists in flowers, wildlife, waterfalls, mountains, trees and the sky. Although it is nice to just visit a park or other recreational area, nature photography forces an individual to narrow his or her thoughts on a specific subject while blocking all else out.

Documented Evidence

Studies suggest that "contact with nature seems to be good for health" (American Journal of Public Health [AJPH], 2003) and that "there is evidence that nature views speed recovery among postoperative patients." According to Frumkin (2003), some of the benefits which have been documented state that children with ADD improve their attention, troubled city girls self-discipline improves, there is a lower death rate in elderly, and children in general have stronger emotional stability from mid-childhood to teenage years. These studies prove what God's word has revealed to man for thousands of years "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (King James Bible [KJV], 1611), King Solomon wrote several scriptures regarding the affect a merry heart can have on health.

Nature Photography subjects and methods

Flowers

Various subjects exist in nature photography and some may bring more stress relief than others. Flowers for example, have a natural aesthetically pleasing look and can bring to memory wonderfully peaceful scriptures from the Bible.

Jesus taught at the Sermon on the Mount (30 A.D.) Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matthew 6:28-30)

Thoughts of provision for our needs, even when we are incapable of helping ourselves seem impossible, where there is little or no faith. However, through considering the flowers, their beauty, and their care from the Heavenly Father it is possible to understand and realize that mankind is made in his image and that he will take better care of man than even the most beautiful rose, through faith.

Waterfalls

When listening to the sounds of rushing water, and watching the magnificent display of power and unyielding strength as it cascades over a precipice; many will experience a peaceful and tranquil feeling. Waterfalls are very beautiful and help to drown out the noise of talking, telephones, music and television. Long exposure waterfall photography (5-30 seconds) adds a surreal effect to the scenic beauty of a waterfall. The results from this type of nature photography are rewarding, very artistic and are highly prized among nature photographers. This advanced nature photography technique requires practice with various settings, and will generate a sense of fun and playing that brings back childhood feelings of happiness and joy.

Birds and Wildlife

If still subjects and static photography seem uninteresting, then focus can be shifted to wildlife nature photography. Birding for instance, is a very popular area of nature photography that can utilize a new technique called Digiscoping. This technique typically uses an inexpensive point and shoot camera, combined with a tripod mounted spotting or telescope. Amazing results have been produced with this popular area of wildlife nature photography. Whenever pleasing results are produced after experimenting and testing techniques, confidence and encouragement tend to dispel anxiety and fear.

Viewfinders opposed to LCD preview screens, reduce external distractions by limiting the area of view that can be seen. Many details cannot be clearly viewed or perceived through an LCD screen although they do work well in situations when it is not possible to use the viewfinder. Whether paying attention to the macro details of a flower petal; or adjusting focus and aperture to capture the clarity of the surround landscape in a waterfall scene, nature photography requires one to clear all other thoughts from their mind.

Reasonable excuses, why not?

Yes, there are a lot of reasons that one may not want to consider nature photography; however, there are just as many answers as to why not? It does not hurt to try a remedy to worries, anxiety and depression, but the effects from not trying will certainly not be any better.

  • I do not live near nature - Even in the most populated metropolitan areas, there are parks and recreation areas where one can begin to experience nature. The possibility to interact with nature is all around, even as close as in the backyards and neighborhoods or the busiest towns and cities.

  • I am allergic to flowers - Most floral photography is accomplished with a telephoto lens or a lens that is zoomed to a telephoto range in order to allow macro photography settings. This would keep a distance from high exposures of pollen. In addition, it is easy to find a particle mask to cover your mouth and nose when in areas you may be exposed.

  • It is too expensive - Many point and shoot cameras can easily reach resolutions of 8 to 12 mega pixels and can cost as less as $75. It is certainly feasible for anyone to become involved in nature photography.

Conclusion

Natural remedies to health problems have existed for thousands of years, just as long as time itself. Often our society tries to find the answer in deeply founded research and technology, when the answers are already plain and obvious. This natural form of meditation helps to bring a peace within and a rewarded feeling of capturing these moments; allowing reflection at a later time to spark fond memories when times of trouble and worry rise again. Very few hobbies exist that are so rewarding, and actually bring man and woman back into the perspective that was originally intended in The Garden of Eden.

Online Photography Degree Education

There are various online schools and educational programs available that offer students the opportunity to receive an education in the field of photography. Photography professionals are trained to work with a variety of individuals in a number of settings based on the industry and specialty they choose. Students who enroll in an online photography program will learn various techniques for capturing still images using special equipment. With the proper education students will have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a professional in the field of photography. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate's, bachelors, or master's degree online from the comfort of their own home.

Obtaining an associates degree in the field of photography typically takes around nine months for students to finish training with an online educational program. Students will have the chance to study various coursework such as:

  • photography equipment
  • design and composition
  • lighting
and other related techniques. Online training from an accredited school or college allows students to obtain the skills needed to find employment as:
  • forensic photographers
  • portrait photographers
  • fashion photographers
and other photography professionals. With an associates degree in photography students will be able to further their education and pursue a bachelor's degree in the field if they desire.

There are a number of accredited online schools and colleges that provide students with the opportunity to earn a bachelors degree in photography. Students can gain an education at this level with one to two years of study depending on their career goals. Career opportunities for those who choose to train for a bachelor's degree in photography can include:

  • commercial photographer
  • photojournalist
  • entrepreneur
and more. With an online degree program students will be able to study a variety of courses like:
  • flash
  • digital imaging
  • Photoshop
  • exposure
and much more. An accredited online bachelor's degree allows students to be prepared for entering the workforce or a master's degree program.

Students who are looking to acquire a master's degree in photography can complete the program in around two years or less. Students can study various online coursework in areas like:

  • fine art photography
  • field techniques
  • studio photography
  • stock photography
and more depending on their desired career. Students who earn a masters degree will have the knowledge to pursue a number of career options in areas like:
  • documentary photography
  • microphotography
  • action photography
  • underwater photography
and much more. Online master's degree training can be completed online at the students' leisure. With a masters degree students will have acquired all the necessary training to enter the workforce prepared.

Students who wish to study in order to become professional photographers need to be determined, and committed to the program they enter. Accredited online educational options are plentiful, allowing those who desire a career in this field to obtain the education needed. Accreditation is provided by agencies like National Association of Schools of Art and Design (nasad.arts-accredit.org) to programs that can offer a quality education. Students can pursue careers in a variety of areas whether they hold an associates, bachelors, or masters degree in the field. By contacting schools and colleges students can prepare for the exciting new career as a professional photographer.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

What is Pack Shot Photography?

Retail and commerce companies in Yorkshire use pack shot photography extensively to promote their products and services, both online and in printed literature. The term has become synonymous with commercial photography for advertisers.

A pack shot, or packshot, is a still or animated photographed image, usually including labeling and packaging, which is used to advertise a product. Pack shot photography is a lucrative way to increase revenue for both the merchandiser and the commercial photographer. Done with flair, it will promote a product's reputation, stimulate sales and trigger recognition of the item both on and off the shelf. It also gives the customer important details about the product, especially if 360 degree pack shot photography is used.

Pack shot photography requires a high degree of trust between the photographer and their client. In the past, forged and leaked packshots have led to damaged reputations and court cases. Of all the forms of commercial photography there are, packshots probably require the highest level of security and confidentiality.

Types of packshot photography

A packshot can be as simple as a photograph of the product on a white background, or as elaborate as a short, stop-motion animated movie. Commercial photography is almost entirely digital these days, which has opened up realms of possibilities, with a wealth of professional software available to photographers.

For example, let's look at the centre of Leeds. Packshot photography can be seen wherever you look, advertising foodstuffs, cleaning products, mobile phones, jewellery, toys, motor vehicles and more.

Packshot photography isn't limited to brochures, posters and magazines. As well as company websites, packshot images can be seen on t-shirts, ties, and sides of buses. Once the packshot has been digitally rendered, it can be used on anything that will take a printed or projected image.

Packshot photography for websites

Website packshots are always taken on a white background. They are purchased as "packs" of 20 or more images, in 2 or more sizes. Once complete, the pack is delivered to the customer in either file format or via their content management system. Some commercial photography companies offer a full media service, while others just supply the shots, leaving the customer to do the post-production work themselves.

360° packshots are a form of online commercial photography allowing the customer to view the item from all angles - as they would in a store. Used on objects of all sizes, it can incorporate zooming techniques and other innovations. Another option is stop motion animation photography, which is widely used on products with moving parts, such as kitchen gadgets and motor cars.

High resolution pack shot photography

Commercial photography is still most often associated with printed media. Professional photographers today can offer digitally enhanced, high resolution packshots for catalogues, brochures and promotional leaflets, as well as for newspapers and magazines.

Packshot photography for print publications usually involves a clipping path. Produced using professional digital software, the photographer will shoot onto a plain white or coloured backdrop and then "snip" round the image, allowing it to be used on an infinite number of backgrounds. The same image can therefore be used on both the company's print literature and its website.

Review of the 5 Best Stock Photography Sites to Sell Your Photos

The stock photo business has been around in one form or another since 1920. In fact that very first stock photography company, called RobertStock, is still in business. In the days before the internet, stock photos were primarily the outtakes or "seconds" from studio shoots. It wasn't until the 1960s that stock photography became its own photography specialty and in the 1980s there was a surge of interest by individual and freelance photographers.

In the days since the internet and digital photography, the number of companies in the stock photo business has blossomed and the number of pictures has soared into the tens of millions.

Digital photography and the explosion of reasonably priced high end cameras have democratized stock photography but also changed the entire pricing structure. The days when photographers could make a living strictly from stock photography are pretty much over, except for a select few at the top agencies. There are a few people who manage to earn as much as $300 per day, but it takes a huge amount of effort. For the majority of photographers it's a part-time income that covers some of the bills for their photography habit.

It should be noted that stock photography can be a pretty decent part-time income. Those who have been at it regularly for a number of years are reporting incomes of $20,000 to $30,000 a year. That kind of income doesn't come easy, but it's a way to pay for your camera gear.

When comparing stock photo agencies there are a number of factors to consider before deciding which ones to submit your images. There are two basic types of stock photography sites: Stock photography and microstock photography sites.

Stock photography sites are the old school type sites where photos are licensed for fees ranging from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. They are primarily the domain of truly professional photographers and the screening process for photographer acceptance can be both tedious and time consuming.

Microstock photography sites are the newer type sites on the block where both amateur and professionals mix and photo rights are sold for anywhere from $1 to $5. The idea is that lower license fees lead to more sales and more revenue for photographers.

Each type of site has different requirements for image submission and not all images are accepted. All sites screen images, but not all apply the same standards. Every site has different types of image licensing and determines price differently. They also have different requirements for photo releases.

Licensing

Stock image galleries have three basic types of licenses: Rights Managed Exclusive, Rights Managed Non-Exclusive and Royalty Free, which includes several sub-classes of Royalty Free licenses, depending on the intended use.

Rights Managed Exclusive - A customer buys rights to use an image for a limited amount of time and no other company can use that image.

Rights Managed Non-Exclusive - A company buys time-limited rights to an image, but other companies are also free to license the same image. It's a generally a bad idea for companies to use non-exclusive rights for advertising photos because competitors can license the same pictures.

Royalty Free - Royalty free licenses have become the default license type for most stock images. It allows the customer to purchase the image once and use it multiple times in different applications.

Editorial Use License - Images which feature logos, brands or recognizable products, events, and even some celebrities are licensed as editorial use photos, which means they can only be used as part of a news story and not in commercial advertising or applications.

Extended Licensing - Extended licensing and buyout licensing are for companies that want to purchase the rights to use images on products, logos or copyright use marks and use them, essentially, forever.

Releases

All stock photography sites insist on having commercial photo releases for every identifiable person in the image. Minors must have a release signed by a parent or guardian and witnessed. Some sites will accept any commercial photo release; most have their own specific release.

Selecting the best stock photography sites for the individual photographer will require a screening process to determine the best match between the photographer's images, interests and skills. Also the split between the licensing agency and the photographer can make a big difference in earnings.

It might be enlightening to review specific sites, how they're alike and different and how much average photographers make off each site, when that information is available. What follows are reviews of five different stock image sites.

1. Getty Images

Getty is one of the largest stock photography sites, located in Seattle, Washington. Getty has over 80 million images and illustrations and 50,000 hours of stock video footage and also owns microstock agency iStockPhoto. Getty is most famous for celebrity and media, sports, and photojournalist images.

The easiest way to get your photos into Getty is posting them on Yahoo's Flickr, but they also have contracts with photographers of exceptional talent. Getty will accept a portfolio for review, but don't expect the review to happen fast.

For Rights Managed pictures Getty charges between $500 and $600 for limited-time use. The photographer gets between 30 percent and 40 percent of those fees. For Non-Exclusive image rights, Getty charges an average of $250, of which photographers get about 20 percent.

The fees for Royalty Free images are based on the image size.

Like most stock image companies, Getty requires a commercial release for every identifiable person.

Lately Getty has fallen out of favor with many creative companies and photographers because of what they consider overly-aggressive pursuit of even incidental use of their images. Many creative agencies have cut back on using Getty images and switched to microstock agencies.

2. Shutterstock

Shutterstock offers their subscribers access to more than 10 million royalty-free images from 210,000 photographers, illustrators, and videographers around the world. Shutterstock is generally recognized as the king of the microstock market and consistently one of the better earners for photographers, although they do not offer exclusive arrangements with photographers.

Shutterstock works on a subscription model. For $249 a month customers can download up to 750 royalty free images per month. Their license supports use in web sites, magazines, newspapers and brochures, though not in trademarked items or logos.

For a subscription service, Shutterstock maintains very high standards of image quality. Each image goes through an "inspection queue" where it undergoes rigorous testing for quality. Lately photographers have been complaining about the acceptance rate at Shutterstock.

For every photo that's downloaded, photographers get $0.25 to $0.30 cents. The compensation goes higher when they reach a certain level of downloads. The payout threshold for photographers is $100.

3. Jupiter Images

Jupiter has a commanding reputation for customer service and quality, offering rights managed and royalty free images. Jupiter offers multimedia subscriptions for $599 per month or a high-resolution subscription for $2,499 a month.

Jupiter Images offers a catalog collection that is colorful, bright and provocative. Their catalog also includes illustrations, clip art, and object photos as vector images.

License fees vary by the type of license and intended use, as do the payments for photographers. Jupiter, like Getty, does offer exclusive deals to certain select photographers.

Getting into Jupiter Images as a photographer can best be described as "don't call us; we'll call you" kind of arrangement. Jupiter or Getty are not the place to start for photographers trying to break into the stock photography business.

4. Fotolia

Fotolia is a relatively young but growing microstock agency that started out with a focus on the European market and worked its way into broader markets around the globe. They have struggled with web site performance in the past and have few exclusive contributors.

Fotolia currently boasts an inventory of over 2 million images and licenses their products through standard Royalty Free and Extended licenses.

Where Fotolia shines is through their pricing, which runs from $1 to $5 for their standard license and is unique in letting contributors set their own prices within certain parameters.

Fotolia is also generous with its split, giving photographers a minimum of 33 percent and half of any deals for exclusive images. Their payout threshold is also $50, about half of most other stock image sites.

If you're just starting out in the stock photography business, Fotolia is definitely worth a look.

5. Dreamstime

Dreamstime is one of the top microstock agencies and work hard to maintain their position in the industry. It is particularly attractive to photographers as their commission is 50 percent, one of the highest in the market and certainly in the top tier of microstock agencies.

While Dreamstime started as a royalty free CD store in 2000, it became community enabled in 2004. Despite slower sales early on, it has preserved the loyalty of their contributors with high commission rates.

Dreamstime is currently boasting an inventory of 1.5 million images and specializes in Royalty Free image sales, but also offers Extended licenses and buyout licensing. Prices range from $0.75 to $6.00.

Commissions for photographers run in the range of 50 percent to 80 percent with a $100 payout threshold.

Conclusion

Anyone interested in starting in stock photography, will have better luck and more income starting with microstock agencies. After building up a catalog of 1,000 to 2,000 images, the income for popular shots can start to add up over time.

Once you've established yourself in the business and build a name for yourself, then look at sending a portfolio to an agency like Getty.

Female Photography - What Makes a Good Nude Female Photograph

People generally agree that the nude female form is more beautiful than the male. The arguments generally cited for this include that women have more curves and less obvious musculature, or that male bodies are more 'functional'. Whatever the reason, couple it with the fact that (particularly historically) most artists are male, and you have a large preference in photography for nude photographs of women rather than of men.

But what makes a good nude female photograph? There are three main principles.

#1: It should be interesting to look at

Nude photography is synonymous with that branch of photography known as 'fine art'. Fine art photography can be defined as 'photography created for no other purpose than because it's interesting to look at'. As such, nude female photography is about presenting the female form in a way that is interesting.

In order to make an interesting image, nude female photography tends to favor black-and-white images that are full of light, shadow, shape, and contrast. There are usually carefully composed and lit in order to achieve this.

#2: It should be anonymous

Nude photography is not 'about' the person that is in the photo - in fact, the face of the model is often not even included in the frame. Contrast this with portrait photography, where the idea is to reveal or display something about the subject's life or (more often) their personality. Nude photography is really the opposite of this, because it's about the female form in general, not this person in particular. In nude photography, the person in the photo really serves only as an example of a category, with the category being 'women's bodies'.

#3: It should be non-sexual

While any heterosexual man would enjoy looking at nude photographs of women for reasons that not entirely dispassionate, there is still a difference between nude photography and erotic photography. While the difference might be a slight one, it's all about intent. Nude photography fits that fine art definition of intending only to produce 'something interesting'. Erotic photography, on the other hand, is intended to titillate or arouse the viewer, and might not be all that interesting.

Given that what is 'non-sexual' to one person might be sexual to another, it is of course impossible for a photographer to know whether their intent to produce a nude photograph rather than an erotic one will be recognized by the audience. For this reason, at least in Western countries, certain conventions (such as leaving the genital region in dark shadow) are followed to provide an indication of the intent behind the photograph.

Ideas to Start a Successful Online Digital Photography Business

If you have the knack of originality and a proficient hand at handling digital equipments, starting your own photography business would not be a mean feat for you. However, possessing excellent technical and photography skills do not qualify you as a business person capable of sustaining your own photography business. To commence your own new business successfully, you need to have prior knowledge on the legal, financial and management aspects of it. Here are a few tips on starting your new photography business.

Learn the kind of photography you would like to specialize in: Understanding your skills and knack is the first important step towards initializing a new business as the field of photography is wide and replete with competitive players. In the field you would meet myriad freelancers working for dailies, weekly supplements earning a handful of 5,000 $ per day. So, realize what kind of activity you want to indulge into. Assignment photography is quite a popular pick by fresher as this type is commissioned by a client. The job includes taking pictures for advertising their products, covering weddings, functions and events etc. Stock photography, on the other hand is opted by several photographers contemplating to make a living out of selling their clicked pictures. These stock photography web sites offer platforms to photographers to market their art work to a wide range of potential online consumers. Photographers get paid some fixed commission amount at every download.

Scribble your photography business plan: This is the second step to establishing a successful business. This plan will serve as a road map essential for directing your start-up and business evolving needs. In the plan, try to analyze your financial requirements for starting your business; learn the parameters of your resources, marketing strategies that would lead you to learn the financial standing of your business. As you go further in your photography business, this plan would be your check mark to remind you of the progress of the path you had planned before getting started with the business.

Open an account for your new business: Another step is to visit your bank and ask them to open a new checking account pertaining to your business. This is done to avoid intermixing of your personal account with your business account. Deposit the amount / capital you have saved into that account and once the account is established, use the amount to invest in your business. It is advisable to accrue a separate credit card for your business and do not make your personal purchasing from it.

Get your photography business set-up insured: This is the most imperative step towards starting a new business. You must sort ways to secure your establishment, regardless of its size right at the stage of commencing it. Most of the photographers derive benefits from the clauses mentioned in liability insurance, especially those who have clients paying visits to their studios. This insurance will offer you protection in case, your studio gets affected or you incur an injury.

If you would like to learn more about how to start a photography business and need a digital photography business plan, then make sure that you read this online photography business free report written by Dan Feildman, that will literally show you step by step just how anybody really can start a successful home photography business.

Make Your Freelance Photography Dream a Reality

For many people, photography is a beloved hobby. There's something beguiling about being able to capture memories, occasions, spectacular sights and nature's beauty on camera. With today's digital technology and the affordable cost of cameras, it's easier than ever to develop a love of photography and get access to equipment. Everyone can be a photographer, and with social media networks such as Facebook and Flickr, there are free avenues through which budding photographers can show off their shots. If, however, your photography has become more than a hobby, there are a number of ways to turn your love of the art into a career.

Photography courses are widely available, and cater to all levels of expertise and goals - whether you are taking the course out of personal interest, or if you are career minded. One of the most popular photography courses around is the freelance photography course. There's something appealing about the life of a freelancer - working your own hours, choosing your own jobs and being your own boss. Freelance photography courses focus on not only the essential skills of location shooting, current technologies and different styles of photography, but also the business element of freelancing, such as negotiating contracts, understanding your markets and knowing how to sell your services.

Freelance photography comes with a lot of perks:

  • Don't have to give up your day job: If you're not prepared for the financial uncertainty of a career change from a 9-5 salaried job to a fluctuating work schedule, freelance photography can be a smart alternative. Freelance photography is a career easily pursued on weekends. Indeed, many of the events and occasions that photographers are hired to capture occur on the weekend, and by limiting your business operations to this time you can gauge the work flow, time commitment and profitability of work before you give up your day job.
  • Freedom: As stated before, there is a certain freedom that comes with the job of a freelancer, particularly because you are not working for anyone but yourself and on your own time. While success in the industry will depend on your self discipline and motivation, it is liberating to control your own operations and be solely responsible for your work flow and the quality of work you produce.
  • Be part of special occasions and events: As a freelance photographer you'll be privy to and included in a variety of special events and moments, whether they are someone else's personal memories and experiences (such as a wedding or christening), or an exciting event or occasion (such as sporting matches). The variety of people, experiences and environments you will get to work in makes freelance photography a rewarding and exciting career that is constantly changing.

Pursuing your interest in an advanced freelance photography course doesn't have to mean going back to university or engaging in full time study. A range of distance education courses are available, meaning that you can study on your own time and when it suits you. If a career in freelance photography appeals to you, make the move today to turn your dream into reality.

Six Clues On What To Look For When Starting A Photography Business

What you should be looking for when starting a photography business is a rough business plan that suits your personality, your goals for your business, one that enables you to be organised and motivates you to convert your dreams and theories into action. A business plan can be drawn up for you and tailored to your specific needs by a qualified business coach or you can do it yourself. A business plan gets your business off to a perfect start and includes planning everything from what you will charge for your photographs, to your finances, and marketing strategies.

Important elements of what to look for when starting a photography business that is to be included into your business plan are the prices you should charge for your photographs.

Knowing what price you should charge your customers for your photographs will be based on your costs you have had to outlay in starting your business as well as your research on what other photographers are charging. To give you a good idea of how to price your photographs, look at the prices that other photographers who are new to the scene charge, and also look at what photographers who do similar work and services to you charge. When your business gets up and running and grows to be more successful you will be able to look out for the prices your competitors are offering, match it or better it. If your name becomes well known and your photography becomes the "latest thing", then you will be able to charge your customers more for their privileged access to your services, however in a more realistic situation when your business grows, you will most likely lower your prices in order to compete with other photographers. If you find that your particular style or avenue of photography is in great demand, or there are few photographers who have a similar style of work to what you do, you will be able to charge more for your photos. There are also scenarioes where you can raise your prices for special services but there is much more on that in my eBook.

An essential factor in starting a photography business is the amount of finances you will need to run it successfully, including the hidden and ongoing costs involved with all businesses. In relation to finances, start with what you are comfortable with, but your business (in order to be successful) must be backed with a realistic and reasonable amount of funds, including the costs for marketing that is essential to build your business, and you should always allow for an increase in the marketing budget as sales pick up.

Ensure your marketing strategy is making the most of your money, getting your name and services out there. No one will know about you unless you sell yourself and display how beautiful/clever/funny your photos are. Your marketing strategies need to include a clear description of your business name, your experience and/or qualifications as a photographer, display your flair through example photos, the services you offer, the type of photographs you take, your prices, and most importantly where and how customers can find you/contact you.

What to look for when starting a photography business: Some important points and questions to consider;

Does your advertisement/website present your business name and your services in a clear and attractive manner? Ask yourself, "Would I be interested in the services that this photography business offers?"

If you have a website is it easy for your customers to navigate through, or is it like a maze? Your website can display your personality, however it must be presented in a professional manner, where customers can find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. We live in a fast paced society, often if people can't find what they are looking for within one minute on your website, they will most likely move onto another one.

How easy is it for customers to access your services? Make sure that your contact numbers/addresses are easy to find and clearly visible (to people of all ages) both in your advertisements and on your websites. Have a look at the advertisements yourself, and get your family and friends opinion too, doing this may save you money. Tip - make your phone number in larger type on our business card. After all, that's really the only reason you should keep them, so that people can quickly and easily contact you. Not marvel at the motto or pretty typeface.

If you want your photography business to work through an agency, research and trial the company/agency offers to sell your photos first. Ask yourself "Am I satisfied with the results?" In order to answer this question, you may want to review the initial goals you had for your business, and also research/compare other photographer's experiences with that same or a different agency.

You should not charge unrealisticly high prices for your photographs to make up for the loss of finances and ongoing costs in starting your photography business that you did not account for. You must start your photography business with a realistic amount of finances to support your business through the initial challenges and slow times. This may include having other sources of income to support your photography business in its infant stage.

It is essential to follow and to adapt your business plan, continually review and focus on your goals, learn from your mistakes, and to research and seek help when in doubt.

Portrait Photography - 8 Indoor Portrait Photography Tips

Here are some indoor portrait photography tips that does not require you to have access to expensive studio lightings, but will still be able to produce professional indoor portraits.

What say you if there are ways you can conduct indoor portrait photography at the comfort of your own home? Although with only one light source, you can still take photographs that look stunning. All you'll need is an angle-poise lamp.

8 Tips For Indoor Portrait Photography

Photography Tips #1 - Background

To begin, position your subject to be sited in front of a light absorbing black velvet. The velvet creates a black background for your photo shoot. As to support the velvet, you can use about anything to hold it up. A bookcase for instance, is good enough.

Photography Tips #2 - Lighting Tips

After your model is comfortably sited, adjust the lamp so that it is positioned just slightly above his/ her head. Also, have the lamp positioned towards the right side of your model. This light setting will create a classic and stunning portrait photography result.

There are many other lighting effects you can try out. So go wild with creativity and don't limit yourself.

Photography Tips #3 - Fast Shutter Speed

Set your shutter speed to be relatively fast. I normally set my camera to 1/160 sec at f/2.8, ISO500. Also, it is advisable that you use a tripod to complement your photography.

Photography Tips #4 - Use A Tripod

The tripod will get rid of camera shake, hence refrains from ruined indoor portrait photographs. The indoor portrait photos produced will be sharp when you use a tripod.

Photography Tips #5 - Longer Focal Length

I normally use the 80-200mm f/2.8 lens and set it to 145mm. This is because longer focal lengths will result in a much more stunning indoor portrait photograph.

Photography Tips #6 - Take a Few Shots

Another thing you can do is to take a few shots just to test the exposure and general set-up. If you're satisfied with the settings for the photo shoot, you can start your indoor photography session. It will be great if you can discuss with your model beforehand about the various poses and expressions he/she can do.

Photography Tips #7 - Experiment The Various Lighting Conditions

Different lighting angles will result in a different indoor portrait photography effect. All you have to here is to try the different lighting positions and see which one works well for you. Such lighting angles include the right side, above, the left side, below and from behind your subject.

Photography Tips #8 - Use A Reflector

Whenever the light is too harsh, it creates unwanted shadow that ruins your indoor portrait photography attempts. What you can do here is to use a reflector on the opposite side of the light source. The reflector bounces the light onto your subject, thus creating a much softer light illumination.

The Art Of Child Photography

Child Photography is one of the most exciting opportunities to capture expressions, attitudes and individual uniqueness. The secret of child photography is to understand children and what children do, how they act and behave. Children are fun and exciting to work. They give us the most amazing looks and expressions naturally. All the photographer has to do is to allow the child to be, understand and capture the moments at the appropriate time and in the most appropriate light an settings. An experienced photographer will understand child photography. Children are very popular to photograph, they can often be challenging subjects. It's important that the photographer allows children to be children and have fun, remain uninhibited, playful and natural - after all, it's all about capturing your children's nature and uniqueness. Their successful approach is to let children be, so that their true essence can be captured with minimal direction and posing. Child Photography should be spontaneous and relaxed allowing for natural composition to evolve. To create the best results the child photographer should take many images so that the best moments are captured.

It's very important that your photographer provides a relaxed environment where your children are encouraged to relax and be themselves. This way, the photographer can capture the very best of them. Shooting candidly and spontaneously is part of the experience that you and your children will enjoy. This promotes confidence and individual expression.

Another thing to keep an eye out for when it comes to choosing a child photographer is to see what kind of equipment are they using. Is it the latest technology? You want to make sure the photographer is using high quality digital equipment, which ensures high definition images. Also make sure the photographer is fully trained to ensure a high quality of excellence in imagery. A good photography studio will provide an environment that is fresh, clean and welcoming. Also ambience and refreshments are always a nice touch.

Making your children feel comfortable and relaxed is the most important element and is important in creating timeless imagery. Ideally, your photographer should focus all their attention on your experience so that they can create the right mood and atmosphere that promotes outstanding photography.

Child Photography requires special props and clothing. Many photographers encourage individual family members to be dressed in the most appropriate clothing that represents their individuality and uniqueness. Their clothes tell us a lot about them. So it is important to dress them in a way that is matched and meaningful. Remember these images will be with you and your children for a long time so it is important to dress accordingly as some clothes can date.

Sometimes the minimalist approach offers the greatest opportunity for uniqueness. Props are kept to a minimum.

An expert in Child Photography will endeavour to capture any unique features of your children. From smiles, attitudes, expressions, emotions, laughter and togetherness and anything that is characteristic of your children is included.

Posing, placing and positioning for Child Photography is very important as is image design and style. Some photographers are well trained to allow this type of posing to occur naturally and capture these important attributes in a spontaneous and uninhibited way. It's important to take many images when it comes to Child Photography so that they can create and design some wonderful pieces of timeless art for your pleasure and enjoyment.

It's good also to find photographers who are experts at framing and composing images. You want their choices of settings and backgrounds to benefit and highlight your children's personality and uniqueness. Many have a range of studio backgrounds, but some often prefer working with simple backgrounds such as basic white or black. When photographing outdoors it is important not to make the backgrounds distract from the main focus, your children, but use the background to enhance your characteristics and individuality. Sometimes they use scenic character buildings, parks or seascapes to add to the composition.

Lighting is essential when it comes to child photography. The correct lighting can emphasis features and brings out the best in your children. Studio lighting is totally controllable so as to highlight or neutralize areas as required to ensure superb creative imagery.

Spontaneity, mood and feelings is what child photography is all about. Your photographer should create the mood and bring out the feelings that will become timeless memories forever. They should also encourage spontaneity at all times and make the photos unique, by capturing that special moment. This is the essence of Child Photography.

It is also essential that the photographer's professionalism is guaranteed. A professional will understand how important it is to maintain their client's confidentiality and privacy. They should also know how much your images mean and value them, you and all their clients very highly. Security and privacy is should be guaranteed.

Ideally, while the images are being created the portrait photographer is visualizing the effect of the photography in colour, monotone or sepia tone. The images taken can also undergo digital enhancements and retouching to make sure that every detail is as perfect as you would like it. Blemishes or slight imperfections can be removed so as to enhance the end result.

Many photographers offer an extensive range of album presentations and framing to enhance your Child photography. The end result will then be tailor made and presented in beautiful albums and frames. The packaging and presentation of your images is designed to enhance the expression of the timeless moments created, guaranteeing value and longevity.

It is important to remember your children and their personal journey in a way that can be treasured forever. Sibling relationships are also captured and become powerful and very valuable as we age. Images are timeless, powerful and beautiful.

Best Photography Colleges

Art is beautiful, and most of the time, is beauty itself. May the medium be painting, sculpting or writing, the artist knows how to capture the essence of the moment, and has the innate capability to make it stand still as time moves on. In photography, a single moment can be captured for a lifetime. So it is not surprising that these days, more and more people are thinking about taking formal training of the said craft.

Many aspiring artists seek for the best photography colleges around. And you ask, what is it exactly should you be looking for in a school? What are the types of courses they give out for a shutterbug like you? More importantly, are these schools capable of honing your passion? They are not called the best photography colleges for nothing.

Programs on best colleges offer history of photography, art history, color theory, composition, technical aspects and all related topics are covered to easily educate and give out the best application process in which the art of photography is involved.

Today, there are a lot of schools which are accredited in offering courses in photography, but the question you should ask is which one can hone your skills the most. The difference about the best photography colleges is that they give you in-depth information about your course since it has a lot of fields, and makes you realize your skill. True, anybody can shoot a picture, but not just anyone can shoot a good one.

The best photography colleges make you understand the technical aspects of the art, and most of them now use digital photography. Aside from that, they also teach how to turn your photograph into a professional quality picture using the computer.

Most notable photography colleges are art schools, such as the Academy of Art University's School of Photography. As one of the best photography colleges around, they teach the technical and aesthetic qualities a photographer needs, and promise their students of being capable enough to compete in this kind of business. It doesn't matter to them if you prefer traditional or digital photography; they have staffs that are there to teach you to have an artistic sense wherever you go. It is not surprising that they are one of the best photography colleges today, they know what their students need.

Promising careers in photography are very diverse, some of them are mostly on Portrait, Magazine, Architecture, Landscape, Advertising and Fashion Photography. These can easily be profitable for students that graduated and learned the needed skills for photography.

Also, other aspects of the best photography colleges are not just teaching photography, but how to handle it as a business as well. It is not a surprise to know that this can be a lucrative field, especially when it comes to advertising. They are also capable of helping you find your niche, like knowing if you are more inclined to news photography than travel applications. This beautiful field can be made into your lifetime passion if you know how to pick out the best photography colleges.

Maternity Photography - Keep it Fresh and Vibrant From Start Till End

Yes, maternity photography is different from other types of photography. The reasons are many. photography is focused more upon capturing the emotions, facial expressions and the temporary body development during pregnancy period. But this does not mean that we should not focus upon backgrounds or dresses of expectant women. photography is more important that other photography because it is more related to sentiments. Seeing the photographs after some years specially, when the child becomes matured enough to understand the various aspects personal life, strengthens parent children relationship. Children feel more close to their parents. Maternity are treasure for life long so we can not compromise on any front during photography sessions.

Many expectant parents are not sure when to start the photography or what the best period for maternity photography would be. If you have decided for maternity photography then you must cover the whole pregnancy period. Some parents think that womb photography at the early stage of pregnancy may not be in favor of fetus development. Scientific researches have proved it just a myth. So, you have complete freedom to capture the experiences and feelings by maternity photography.

Maternity photography has many limitations like that of free movement, dresses, exotic location and possess. Does it mean that maternity photography does not possess freshness? No, it is not so, we can make photography fresh and vibrant from start to last session. For it, mothers do not need to compromise with comfort but what they need is to give a little deep thought in the process.

The early stage photography sessions should be planned for outdoor locations. Parks and river side picnic, sunbathing at beach, health centers, consulting with doctors and shopping for the expectant child etc are few of those activities which you would certainly like to capture for forever. As you proceed for the advance stages of pregnancy, you start feeling uncomfortable with the movement. So this is the period, when you should start taking photography session indoor. Sitting or lying on the bed, working in the kitchen, resting on lawn chair, walking in the lawn, moving around the house etc are the activities, which expose the natural stresses you feel. photography during this period captures these stresses which appear on your face automatically and for this you do not need to be a photography model.

At further advance stage, you may start feeling in moving also. So, is this end of photography? No, at this stage every activity exhibits the mix of pains and pleasure. For example one or two shots of maternity photography when you approach for maternity home for delivery have unique worth. It entirely depends upon you what the privacy parameters you fix for photography

Photography Books - Learn Fine Skills Of Photography

Books have always been a great companion for all. Whether you are a student or an adult, there are books for everyone. No matter what subject you are interested in, you would find your favourite book very easily. These informational books can fill up your mind with ideas and sometimes transform your life. Be it adventure, romance, action, photography or art, you name it and there is a book on that topic. So one can further enhance his knowledge in his field of interest by reading his choicest books.

Photography is a passion for many. Some of the titles of the famous photography books include "How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera" by Bryan Peterson, "The Digital Photography Handbook," and "An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide" by Doug Harman etc.

The best photography book would be the one which answers to all your questions regarding digital photography. The book should take you step by step about how to get the best shots with different angles. The field of digital photography is getting popular day by day. This is the reason that there are some of the best photography books being published recently.

These books also give the users some essential information which will help you to make a buying decision. By reading these books, you can decide easily which camera would suit to your tastes and what factors you should be aware of while buying your camera. One can also find some specialized topics like digital night photography, digital portrait photography, digital infra-red photography, digital black and white photography, etc.

If you are a novice in photography, the best books to read is Ben Long's revised and highly acclaimed 'Complete Digital Photography'. So if you want to buy a camera or upgrade it to a better model, you can take some useful tips from this book. One can also find books that give knowledge about the technical aspects of digital photography. Learn how to do actual shooting, when and how to use a flash and lots more. These books would surely help you bring the best knowledge about photography.

You can find various portals offering photography books with special deals and offers. All the popular books in this genre can be found online. Avail various benefits on purchasing them and get them delivered free of cost to your doorsteps.

Photography - One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Commercial Photography - what is it? It is probably best defined as any photography to which money exchanges hands. In this light money could be paid for the subject of the photograph or the photograph itself. Wholesale, retail, and professional uses of photography would fall under this definition. Commercial Photography can be split into different categories:

Advertising Photography: Photographs are taken for the purpose to illustrate and/or sell a service or product. If you are an advertising agency, design firm or in-house corporate design team you do best if you have a good selection of professional photographers to choose from.

Fashion and Glamour Photography: This type of photography usually incorporates models. Fashion photography emphasizes the clothes or product, glamour emphasizes the model. Glamour photography is popular in advertising and in men's magazines. Models in glamour photography may be nude, but this is not always the case.

Food Photography: Used for editorial, packaging or advertising. Food photography is similar to still life photography, but requires special skills as high quality cameras and lenses, different filters, certain computer software and so on.

Photojournalism: Photographs made in this context are accepted as a documentation of a news story. We see them every day in the magazines and newspapers. Have you ever asked yourself what it needs to take apicture like you see them in a glossy fashion magazine?

Portrait and Wedding Photography: It is a major commercial endeavor that supports the bulk of the efforts for many photography studios or independent photographers. You definitely don't want that these photographs are not looking good! It's on of your most important day! Portraits are also a popular item and it takes a pretty good photographer to catch this certain smile, the glance, the typical look on the face. It's not the photographer in a mall who takes the best shots. Professional photographers take up to 150 different pictures in color, black and white or sepia and out of this amount they take the 20 best which will be presented to you.

Fine Art Photography: Artistic Photographs which are taken to fulfill a vision, and will be reproduced to be sold directly to the customer. Fine Art Photography can be found at exhibitions, at a museum or in our directory.

Landscape Photography: Photographs of different locations made to be sold as postcards, for calendars, as posters and for touristic purposes.
Wildlife Photography: It is capturing all kinds of interesting animals in action, such as in eating, fighting, or in flight. The techniques of wildlife photography differ greatly from those used in landscape photography. In wildlife photography wide apertures are used to achieve a fast shutter speed, freeze the subject's motion, and blur the backgrounds, while landscape photographers prefer small apertures. Wildlife is also usually shot with long telephoto lenses from a great distance; the use of such telephoto lenses frequently necessitates the use of a tripod (since the longer the lens, the harder it is to handhold). Many wildlife photographers use blinds or camouflage.

This was a small summary of some photography styles which are supposed to be the most important ones. The market for photographic services is very big and not everyone who owns an expensive camera can call himself a professional photographer. If you need photographs for self-fulfillment or for commercial purposes you deserve the best professional photographer. And it is possible.

How To Start A Photography Business - Knowing When You're Really Ready And Knowing Other Differences

Here's a question: How do you know when you're ready to start a photography business? Answer: When you 'know' that you 'know' (the doublespeak is for emphasis) the difference between your artistic photography skills and your understanding of business. Knowing the difference makes the difference between success and failure when you start any type of business, for that matter.

Tip #1

Think about it, the art of taking pictures is getting easier and easier - especially with the advancement of technology. Digital technology has made photography so easy that it appears that everybody and their brothers and their sisters are photographers! Such ease makes photography a very popular attraction and very compelling to start a photo biz.

But, what many budding photographers fail to realize and take seriously is that: Business is Business. Whether selling teddy bears, cell phones or photography, the business principles are the same. And they are basic and simple (not easy - simple). Successful photographers aren't necessarily the most skilled. They understand and practice the basic and simple principles of running a photography business. They also don't confuse the quality of their photography with the need to plan, market and operate their photography business.

Don't be confused! You must consistently produce top-notch quality products and photographic services. Constantly improving your skills is critical. So is the learning and consistent practice of business principles. If you don't consistently practice the necessary business principles, budding photographers that do know the difference and practice the principles will get the customers and the business that should be yours. If you fail to practice the principles you will fail at your photography business attempts. Period. You will be another charter member of the 'starving artist' club! There's a reason why they're 'starving!'

Once you do start a picture-taking business, every day that you're in business there's opportunity to grow and prosper, and the chance to stagnate and fail. Your being clear on the difference between photography practices and business practices determine the success of your photography business more than your photographic skills and talents. Be sure to spend as much time developing your photography skills as you do your business (marketing, self-promotion activities, for example) skills and you will find success.

Compliment vs Reality - Tip #2

Most budding photographers have this experience: a good friend, family member or neighbor sees a photograph and 'raves' how good it looks and how 'valuable' it 'should' be! Somewhere in their raving they proclaim, "you should sell that, you'll probably make a lot of money!" Red flag warning! What is given as a compliment of your photograph is instantly translated to your having a "diamond" that you can sell and that will change your 'status' in life. Here's a test: the next time you receive such a 'compliment,' do this: thank them and then ask them how much are they willing to pay you for the photo? I promise you that the same 'expert' that just raved about your valuable artwork will pass on the 'opportunity' to grab up your 'valuable' artistic photo. In the photography business value is determined by other criteria than a compliment or two. Knowing the difference contributes to your success in business.

Develop your knowledge and skill and your confidence as a photographer will dramatically increase. Likewise with business: develop and practice basic business principles and your confidence as a successful professional photographer will dramatically increase. I promise.

Research Builds Confidence - Tip #3

Do your research. Go online and read the available research on the business of photography. Read before you buy. Online research is just a click away. Take your time. Take advantage of free and easily available information online. If you choose to buy something offered, determine what goals you want to accomplish and ask yourself will what you're buying help you to really meet your goals. Avoid the resources that promise and guarantee you that you can make $200 - $300 a day overnight - for obvious reasons. Also, there are no "secrets that the pros don't want you to know!" There is information that you do not know now. But, isn't information that is unknowable or impossible to find out - they're just unknown to you at this time. Do your research. Besides, if they're for sale, how "secret" can they be? Do your research

In the business of photography, it is more profitable to specialize. Specialization (also referred to as your "photography niche") is how your customers will find you. Another development of technology is how customers - those who can afford and are willing to spend money for photography - find the photography that they buy. They look for something specific (in photographer speak that means "photography niche"). Go online and do a search on "photography niche" and take advantage of the information available. Remember, read before you buy; there are no "secrets that the pros don't want you to know;" and great photography does not sell itself. In the world of business, nothing does.

For business purposes, go online and do a search on different business topics that you want more information about. For example, do a search for "photography marketing" or "marketing for photographers" or "amateur photography tips" or "how to sell photos online" or "how to start a photography business" etc. etc. Read before you buy.

Know And Start Where You Are And Be 'Sincere' - Tip #4

Start where you are with the equipment that you have. If you don't have a photography studio don't take on photography jobs that require a studio. Don't be all things to all people - remember, specialize (research "photography niche" - you'll be head and shoulders above the majority of your competition). If you feel that you have to purchase equipment to take on a job - that's a red flag that you're not ready, yet. In successful photography, the profit is in the "photography niche" and your understanding of that simple difference.

Doing your research will prepare you for one of the biggest challenges most photographers have - pricing. The challenge of knowing exactly what to charge stops most of us in our tracks. It shouldn't! Do your research. Search "photography pricing," for example. The information is available and most of it is free. Remember, read before you buy.

In my opinion, there really is no one criteria needed to start a profitable photo business. However, my experience has convinced me that self-confidence is the most significant asset a photographer in business can possess. You develop that self-confidence by knowing what you know and knowing what you don't know - and being crystal clear on the difference. Confidence is gained by knowing the necessary criteria needed and knowing that you possess the knowledge and skills to consistently accomplish tasks in a satisfactory manner.

Research, develop and practice both your photography knowledge and skills as well as your photography business knowledge and skills.

Finally, when vaudevillian, George Burns, was asked what was the secret to his successful career, he responded - "sincerity, be sincere - even if you have to fake it!"

Weekend Courses - Get The Right Photography Training That You Want

Two-day courses are for those who do not want recognition of a master degree in photography or for those who do not have much time to spend on a regular degree in photography. Most regular courses are designed keeping amateurs and newcomers in mind but for professional photographers, weekend or online courses along with other photography workshops are the best choice. With a weekend photography course, you will learn to combine photography concepts and techniques with a proper understanding of composition.

Basic understanding about the different types of photography is significant when you are looking for a new course because most weekend courses are designed for photographers who are looking for more information on a particular niche. If you are looking for a course that can provide you with the general insight to photography techniques such as editing, lighting, composition, exposure, light and shade, a beginner level course is the best deal.

There are many streams of photography such as:

Commercial- In commercial photography, your basic job is to click pictures that can be used in various marketing tools such as the company's website, brochures and other marketing materials. You are limited to click pictures of the company's employees or products but chances for exploring your creativity are almost limitless. If this type of photography fascinates you, you should look for a course that leaves you with more insights on this niche.

Fashion - In fashion photography, you will be mostly involved with promoting yourself and picture taking is just a part of your job because the competition is quite tough in this industry. For a fashion photographer, good communication skills and marketing skills are must have skills. Good courses usually deal with portfolio creation and management, marketing techniques, business promotion, studio techniques, communicating with model and photography tools. Normal Digital photography tools are not commonly used in fashion photography studios but custom cameras and tools are commonly used.

Medical Photography- Medical photography mostly deals with clicking pictures of human organs as well as various hospital settings.

Forensic Photography- For a crime scene photographer, attention to detail is the most desirable skill. Even the smallest piece of object and mark is important in forensic photography so you should be equipped with necessary tools.

Photojournalism- News photography is the common form of photojournalism but these days, there are individual photographers who work on specific assignments as freelancers.

Wedding- Gone were the days when wedding photography was not taken seriously. Today, this is one of the most desirable streams of photography where a lot of money and fame is involved. If you have noticed, the niche is becoming competitive day by day.

Wildlife- Wildlife photography demands reasonable level of knowledge about animals, insects, plants and ecosystems. You can find plenty of courses offered in this niche.

Underwater- Marine photography is a great profession, especially for those who love scuba diving.

All these photography niches use different types of cameras and other equipments. Go for weekend courses that help you to improve your skills in your favorite photography niche.