One of a photographer’s least favorite types of pictures to take at a wedding is the table shot, the pictures of the guests at each table at a wedding reception. This is because it is hard to get everyone from a table organized, and it does not have the artistry of other photos at a wedding. But this does not mean they aren’t important or you don’t have to put much effort into them. On the contrary, these table shots are popular with wedding couples because they are a testament of who attended their special day. Moreover, for many guests who are on the fringe, that is who are not family or close friends of the wedding couple; this may be the only shot of them from the entire wedding.
Photo captured by Tatiana Garanina (Click Image to See More From Tatiana Garanina)
As I said above, chances are these are not going to be your most artistic shots of the night. The important thing in these pictures is that everyone is present, visible, in focus, and looks all right. In this article I am going to give you a few tips on how to make these shots turn out as nice as possible. One of the most important things to taking table shots is having a strategy. Normally you will not be able to just go around the reception hall and get every table in order and at the same time. People will be walking around, or there will be servers coming by, so you will need to find a time to shoot each table.
"bride" captured by Yıldırım Danışman (Click Image to See More From Yıldırım Danışman)
I was shooting an ‘out of area’ wedding last week (to me that is a wedding more than 20 miles from my home), went to pick up my camera bag and nearly had a hernia. It weighed so much that it reminded me of being back in the Army with your life on your back. And that is just what my camera bag is – everything I need to shoot a wedding, or portrait or just people when I am away. A portable studio in fact ready for every eventuality.
As a wedding photographer, make sure you have the equipment required in your bag, or in the car, to cope for any shot you may want!
Typical Wedding Photographer’s Kit (Canon User):
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 24-70mm L f2.8 (with UV filter)
Canon EOS 5D Mark II with 70-200mm L f2.8 IS (with UV filter)
Two Canon 580EXII speedlights, with Stofen diffusers and mounts
Two spare 5D Mark II batteries
Four sets of rechargeable batteries for the speedlights
One set of graduated filters for those (less and less used) creative moments
4 large waterproof plastic see though bags – just in case it rains
Gary Fong light sphere attached to the outside of the bag
Strobies flash diffuser in a case attached to the outside of the bag
Manfrotto monopod strapped to the outside of the bag
One small bag containing ‘hair scrunch’ with sparkly bits and champagne cork for adding to the ring shots. (Makes them a bit more interesting!)
Manuals for both camera and flash units – well you never know!
Leatherman tool in a case on the shoulder strap
Several climbing karabiners on the bag – come in handy when you need to secure stuff to tables / chairs
One blower
Two cleaning cloths
Bottle of cleaning fluid 3 sensor swabs
100Gb of memory cards
320Gb external HD
100-business cards
25 marketing brochures (for those guerrilla marketing moments!)
5 x 1Gb USB memory sticks
2 x 5Gb DVD-RW
DVD marker pen
Hi-Vis vest
Roll of gaffer tape on the outside
Lightweight tripod strapped to outside of the bag
Manfrotto tripod and joystick ball head on the outside of the bag
Samsung has sure rattled the cages of companies like Apple in its chase for market share in the smart phone market. The winner? Who knows.
But one thing is certain: if there had not been an iPhone to bump against in the first place, Samsung would still be happily making other assorted bits of technology. It’s called market opportunity.
And, sure as eggs, IMHO if there had not been a brigade of interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras out there for Samsung to harass, they would most likely have not moved into that territory either.
I looked at this camera’s predecessor, the NX11, about six months ago and recall coming away highly impressed. After all, it’s no mean feat to introduce a new camera, complete with an entirely new lens system.
I went to visit an old friend yesterday who was my main inspiration to get into photography. It seems that he has been taking beautiful photos forever forever and went on to show me his newest gift – a brand new Canon lens – Ultra-Wide 16-35mm f/2.8.
"Nikkor Lens 50mm f/1.8D AF" captured by Romeo E. Catapang Jr. (Click Image to See More From Romeo E. Catapang Jr.)
I went on to try it and realize how good the lens was. But WHY was the lens so good? After all – what makes a good lens good? People spend thousands of dollars on a good lens. Here are a few reasons why it’s so important.
1) Distortion
All lenses have some kind of distortion. This tends to be manifested most in ultra wide angle lenses, particularly at very wides angles. A good example of this is one picture that I took in Venice. I had walked back as far as possible to fit the entire frame into the photograph and had to use the widest lens angle possible (14mm). You can see the tower on the left hand side appears to be leaning. Clearly, it is not like this (and you’re going to have to believe me that it’s straight), but illustrates the lens distortion that exists. Better quality lenses have less distortion through the use of a greater number of lens elements. Nikon has just released an excellent 14-24mm ultra wide angle lens with very little distortion. The lens has 11 lens elements and weighs a full 1kg. Clearly not a lens to take lightly. While photo manipulation software exists today that can correct lens distortion, it is always better to capture the image as it is.
I’m not a professional photographer. But I do take a lot of photographs and if I’ve learned anything in my time behind a camera it helps to learn from the pros.
Two months ago, I had 6,500+ photographs in my hard drive. I had no idea which ones I liked best, when they were taken or whether they were worth keeping. More worryingly, I had no back up copies of any of them in case of a disaster. In short, my photo organization was a mess (for those of you reading this by email you can see the video here).
My photography workflow:
Download images to ‘Raw files’ folder on desktop
Create new Lightroom catalogue (or use existing)
Import photos with generic keywords (rendering 1:1 previews)
Photo captured by Will Rountree (Click Image to See More From Will Rountree)
Hummingbirds are amazing little birds. They are the only birds that can fly backwards. They can also fly upside down and side ways. They have beautiful iridescent colors and are almost irresistible to photographers. However, they can be a challenge to photograph. This is article is meant as a guide for beginners when taking pictures of these speedy little birds.
• First of all, you need to know where to find the hummingbirds. If you don’t already have a hummingbird feeder, I would recommend that you buy one. Hummingbirds are very highly attracted to tubular type flowers but may do a “fly by” on different varieties. However, because there is not as much “food” in each flower, they will be darting quickly from flower to flower. If you have a hummingbird feeder, they will stay in one location much longer. They will get used to that feeder having food all the time and will be coming and going all day.
"Splash!" captured by andre art (click image to see more from andre art)
In photography there are as many mediums as there are people with interests. When most are getting started with photography, they often times start with still life and with time progress towards landscape shots, candid shots or portraits. You learn a lot of the basics when if comes to still life photography, such as the use of shadows and light. This helps the photographer find the subjects emotion. Below, you’ll read about various aspects of still life photography. Still life is one medium that allows the photographer to express themselves as a photographer while using objects like flowers, trees and fruit. When getting started with still life, the most important step is the lighting. You’re looking for light coming from a single direction for the purpose of casting light and shadows. If there is too much light, you can use reflectors to tone the light down. Use side lighting for still life photography. Doing this will help you attain more contrast between the objects of interest. The good thing about still life photography is you have color control. As the photographer, you select the color of the object. When choosing colors with say, flowers you want to ensure you have a contrast but still keep the natural look. You want to attain harmony as it relates to controlling colors. You want to capture the attention of the on lookers eye. If you look at the colors and are not very pleased with it, there is a good chance the on looker will not be pleased with the colors neither.
Forget Mugshots: 10 Steps to Better Portraits by David duChemin was released today and aims to help you take your portrait photography to the professional level. The author tried to pick the ten most significant factors that, combined, contribute to making powerful portraits. With valuable insights and many exercises to retain the information, it is a great training resource. It can be found here: Forget Mugshots – 10 Steps to Better Portraits A snapshot is a photograph of something, but a portrait is a photograph about something, or someone. It says more than, this is what so and so looks like; it dares to say, this is what they are like. It's descriptive, and limited, for sure. No portrait presumes to say, this is the whole person. But it should show us something of that person. How we accomplish that revelation depends on how well we know the subject and how well we know our craft. It can happen in a glance when the subject forgets, or gets bored with, the photographer, or it can happen as a result of the interaction between photographer and subject.
The Sigma 50-500mm is something of a specialty lens. I say this because, while a 10x zoom seems like a good investment, you really need to have a reason to pick up this hefty, useful tool. The price is moderate for quality glass but the size is something else. Here, take a look:
That's the lens with hood attached. It's a two piece hood which helps with packing, some. I'll get to that.
Who is this lens for? Someone who:
Has decent strength (it weighs about 6lbs/2.7kg)
Has room in their bag (it's big, see stats)
Wants an awesome range of zoom
Is thinking of going on safari in Africa
Has a tripod or monopod
Shoots sports in ample light
Specifications
From Sigma's site
Lens Construction – 22 Elements in 6 Groups
APO Tele Converter -1.4X MF 2X MF
Angle of View – 46.8-5.0
Number of Diaphragm Blades -9
Minimum Aperture -f22
Minimum Focusing Distance – 50-180 cm / 19.7-70.9 in
Filter Size (mm) – 95
Maximum Magnifications – 1:3.1
Dimensions -(Diameter x Length) 104.4×219 mm/4.1×8.6 in
Review Camera body: Sony A Nex 5k – Digital Camera
Got a chance to take a test drive with the new Tamron 18-200mm zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC – model B011 Lens.
I like to think in terms of 35mm equivalent when shooting with these format cameras, so this, all in one, zoom lens plays out at from wide angle 27mm to telephoto 300mm. With that in mind I was surprised as to how compact and light this lens felt. Weighed about the same as an orange (1 lb). The zoom action was smooth with a nice tight feel, no extra movement, very precise. You've got a pretty fast telephoto lens at f/3.5 in the wide mode, and with the VC (Vibration Compensation) built in, I decided to do all my testing hand held. I shot everything in high res jpeg. All images are straight out of the camera with no Photoshop adjustments.
Absolutely anyone can take pictures underwater, either with a cheap disposable or with a standard digital camera inside a waterproof plastic housing. It’s not easy to get really amazing shots with a disposable camera (as with all things, you get what you pay for) but good quality housings are available for many of the popular digital compact families so there’s usually no need to buy a whole new setup for underwater work.
However, there is a world of difference between being able to take decent photos and getting really outstanding shots. Here are a few tips to help you make the best of your underwater photography:
1) Macro shots are by far the easiest to get right
Taking closeups makes lighting easier and reduces the effects of water that isn’t 100% clear. Shooting through a lot of water will tend to wash out colors even if it looks pretty clear to the naked eye, so the less water there is between the camera lens and the subject, the more vivid the images will be.
It’s such an exciting time getting ready to photograph your newborn so with some good baby photography tips you can get some great shots. Firstly create a list of shots you want to take before you reach for your camera. When taking photos of your newborn your a very limited to time as there are many confounding variables that come into play. Be sure to get a good grip of your safe shots first and once you are confident with theses, start greeting creative with new angles and ideas.
Photo captured by sangeeth sivan (click image to see more from sangeeth sivan)
The best lens to use for this kind of photograph would be a fast 50/85mm prime lens. shooting at wide apertures and F-stop numbers between 5.6 and 4 will allow you to work in darker environments and capture the focal point on your subject with a blurred backdrop to remove distractions. When taking the photographs set your camera to Aperture priority and opt for the wide f4 – f5.6 F-stop. Focus on your newborns face and allow a bit of the backdrop in the frame. Interesting or colorful backdrops are really good to use in these situations as they make the scene and image more dramatic. Another perspective you could consider would be to aim your focal point at your child’s feet throwing the rest of his or her frame into a creative blur, best position for this is to stand at the end of your child, in a fairly low position. Attaching a zoom to your camera to vary the composition of your shots is a great idea to consider. You can get really cute pictures of feet, hands, ears, and nose. Try to span the image out wide to reveal the entire length of your child’s body. When taking any kind of portraiture photography you need to consider an even light distribution. Don’t ever consider using your flash, it disrupts the calm atmosphere your creating, and it will rob your image of tone and texture. Position your child, cot or basket, in a room with big windows and white walls, or near a window using a white sheet or curtain to diffuse if it is a very bright, sunny day out.
Photo captured by Manish Kumar (Click Image to See More From Manish Kumar)
If there is one thing I have learned over the years of photographing people it’s that the response to candid photos vs posed is distinctively noticeable in my clients. That aww or ohhh I seek to produce and long to hear when presenting my work to a client intrinsically happens with those “moment” shots, so they are a must capture for me in almost every situation.
When a photographer catches a subject in its element it translates a level of emotion simply not found in posed shots. A person could be the most beautiful masterpiece of humanity and not be photogenic naturally; the camera has a funny way of changing things. However, I believe it true that there is not a single person who does not look good captured as who they are while in their element.
Corel has just released Corel VideoStudio Pro X5, the newest version of its video editing software, featuring screen recording and HTML5 authoring capabilities, multi-core acceleration, and advanced video compositing. Read more and comment »
Professional photo printing lab theprintspace has announced that it will host the awards ceremony & exhibition of the Professional Photographer of the Year (PPOTY) 2011 Awards.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. That means that your photographs should be a great way for you to communicate. The question is, do your photographs communicate the right thousand words to tell your story?
"Franklin Ave" captured by Seth Herald (Click Image to See More From Seth Herald)
Have you ever had the experience of photographing in a wonderful place, feeling eager to rush home and look at your pictures, only to be disappointed in the results? It’s quite a challenge to convert a three-dimensional, full sensory experience into a two-dimensional photograph.
I would like to share a few tips on composition that I think can boost your success rate in capturing your experience while photographing. Instead of just raising your camera for a quick snapshot, take the time to make a careful composition that will guide your viewer to understand what you think is important in the scene, and even how you feel about it.
We all love the rush of an amazing concert, whether we’re dancing along to the beat or moshing in the pit. But many of us like to capture the moment, quite literally, and record our experience. However, it’s hard to get decent photographs with compact digital cameras. Dark lighting, flashing lights, and constantly moving musicians make it difficult to photograph. If you’re willing to lug around a DSLR cameras and the right interchangeable lenses, you can take some pretty awesome shots.
"Warsaw New Year Eve Party" captured by Pat Moore (Click Image to See More From Pat Moore)
First you’ll need the right equipment. The standard lens to use is a 70-200mm f/2.8. This will be fast enough to take shots and has a great telephoto range. If you’re a beginner, you can get away with a 50mm or an 85mm, but you’ll have to make up for distance by moving around a lot to get closer. A wide angle lens really isn’t necessary, unless you’re looking for a picture of the entire band and the crowd.
Nik Software has announced that all of the company’s image editing plug-ins have been updated to ensure full compatibility with the newly released Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.
One thing to note about digital photos before we on… the picture format which you use. If you’ve set you digital camera to capture in JPEG format, it is likely you’ve encounter some loss of quality in the picture due to image compression. In this case, it does make sense to apply sharpening on the photo. If, however, you’ve selected to shoot in RAW mode, then you’ll unlikely face any image degradation – sharpening a RAW image isn’t necessary as often.
The Honestech nScreen Deluxe device enables users to stream videos and images stored on their PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets to a TV, monitor or projector using a wireless network.
Absolutely anyone can take pictures underwater, either with a cheap disposable or with a standard digital camera inside a waterproof plastic housing. It’s not easy to get really amazing shots with a disposable camera (as with all things, you get what you pay for) but good quality housings are available for many of the popular digital compact families so there’s usually no need to buy a whole new setup for underwater work. 
