Taking Better Pictures Without Spending More Money
Posted on January 17, 2009 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
If you have years of schooling and experience in photography, thousand-dollar lenses, and a half-million dollar studio, that’s great. But most of us have to make do with what we have. Many people make up for this by digitally altering the photographs they’ve taken — not as enhancement, but as repair. Wouldn’t it be nice to take a photograph that doesn’t need anything but a frame?
Here are six tips (and one piece of unsolicited advice) you can put into practice right now no matter what kind of camera you have. You’ll instantly improve your photographs and you might not have to spend as much time in your photo program fixing pictures. Most of these tips can be applied to landscapes and wildlife, but the primary focus (no pun intended) of this article is how to take better pictures of friends and family.
As proof that the photographer matters more than the camera, and in hopes of encouraging those who are short on money and long on desire, all the photos I’ve used as examples were taken with available light (no flash), expired film (because it was cheap when I had little money), and a low-end point-and-shoot camera.
Flash is the Devil
The flash that’s built into disposable cameras and less expensive digital cameras is intense and not adjustable. Red-eye is the result of direct flash. If you simply must use flash, take the picture when your subject is looking away from the camera.
In addition to the red-eye plague, flash often washes out most skin tones, and can distort makeup just enough to make a person look clown-like. It makes darker people look even darker (hiding facial features and emotion) and makes lighter people look sick.
Use the light you have for indoor shots. This includes daylight — direct or by window — candlelight, and lamps. Overhead lighting is not recommended because the shadow it casts on faces is unbecoming.
Unless you’re going for a silhouette effect, make sure the light source is behind you, not your subject. At the same time, don’t expect a person or animal to look directly into the sun. Sometimes a photo comes out fine with nothing more than a car’s dome light (see darker photo above).
Background Noise
Most people don’t think to do a quick scan of the area before taking a picture, because they are focused on their subject rather than the area around their subject. This is why a picture of a cute baby on a park swing also showcases a man scratching his crotch not 30 feet on the other side of the swingset.
The park isn’t the only place you’ll find visual debris. Set your cute baby on the couch and then look through the camera at her. Now check the entire frame for other people, trash, toys, dishes, and laundry – and stains on the couch that you’re so used to you don’t see them anymore unless you’re looking for them. Cover those stains with a baby blanket.
I Can See for Miles and Miles…
Posted on January 12, 2009 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“From the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago, you can really get a feel for quite how flat the American Mid-West is, how straight the roads are and how the city seems to stretch out forever”. Taken by Caroline
Source: planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com
Software Review: Kubota Pro Pak – Part 1 From Kubota Image Tools
Posted on January 12, 2009 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
The Kubota Pro Pak is a bundled package of products that contains six of the most popular tools from Kevin Kubota’s professional image enhancing tools for Adobe Photoshop. This package includes the four Artistic Series of actions, his Production Tools, as well as his Formula Book which contains 42 separate recipes to get just the look you want.
Who is Kevin Kubota and what makes his actions so special? Well first off he was named one of the top ten wedding photographers of 2007 by Popular Photography Magazine for giving his customers more than they expect by capturing fresh, expressive images. He has now taken that philosophy to Photoshop processing by providing the same techniques to you via his image tools.
Today 
I will look at the four actions sets known as the Artistic Tools. In case you are not familiar, a Photoshop action is an automated series of steps that have been recorded to provide an effect or series of effects. Some of these actions are totally automated, while others have stopping points that request you to perform some action, usually to paint in where you want some sharpening to occur. In all cases there is a pop-up window that tells you what you need to do.
Artistic Tools Vol. One: The “Classic Film Effects” Pak
In this pak you will find a variety of Black & White Actions, organic film grain, cross-processing effects, sepia effects, and monochrome toning. This set contains over 40 Actions and it includes Skin Cream, Fuji Snappit, Vignette, as well as Eye and Teeth Enhancer.
The black and white effects include conversions that give nice film grain effects without introducing digital noise. In this way they look much more organic and have a better feel. There is not a loss of sharpness and in fact many times the sharpness appears enhanced. There are actions that smooth skin, add glow to the image, add a Hollywood effect, as well as other creative effects for a vignette, giving a romantic feel, and adding vibrancy to the image.
There are color actions that can add a bright sunny effect, a cross processed look, and a contrasty Fugi Velvia film look. There are also image correction actions that raise the shadow values, lower contrasts and saturations, adding warming gel filters to add mood to an image, as well as a mid-tone brightener. There are even actions that will attempt to fix images shot with the wrong white balance. There are examples of “Classic Film Effects” Pak on the Kubota Image Site.
Frozen Echoes
Posted on January 8, 2009 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“Farmhouse in the snow. Winter, Holland“. Taken by Dick Verton
Source: planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com
Challenges Beta – now available
Posted on January 7, 2009 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Labs beta: As revealed last Thursday (our tenth anniversary) today we are flicking the switch on our latest (and potentially biggest) new site feature. Our Challenges system provides a mechanism by which photographic challenges can be both created and entered by any member of our community. The initial beta has a few limitations (see inside for details). That said we’re excited to make this new feature available today and hope you will enjoy testing it, we would actively encourage feedback using the special link available at the bottom of all challenges pages.
Phil: We’re excited (and naturally a little nervous) but hope you’ll enjoy trying out this new site feature (remember it’s in beta), please remember that this is a taster of what will be available in the final version.
Challenges beta limitations
- Challenges can only be entered, not created (first challenges available have been created by us) *
- Only voting system available is stars (out of five), only one voting phase
- Phase periods are currently fixed at a week (one week for submissions, one week for votes)
A taste of some future Challenges features
- User created challenges
- User challenge profiles (images submitted, challenges won, etc.)
- Support for series of challenges
- Forums integration with forum specific challenges
- Commenting
- Multiple voting types (including various points systems, short listing)
- "Pass the baton" style Challenge creation (winner creates the next Challenge)
- Additional display modes for challenge page
- Challenges widget on front page of the site
* Volunteers to become Series / Challenge hosts please contact us via this link, please note we will only consider you for this position if you can demonstrate some experience of challenge creation / series management
(to get going to just click on a Challenge that interests you and then the button)
Happy Holidays, dpreview turns ten
Posted on January 1, 2009 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
The entire team at dpreview would like to wish all our readers a very Happy Holidays (whichever you’re observing). As always Christmas Day marks another anniversary for the site, this time it’s a big one, ten years. To celebrate we have opened our new labs section as well as revealing our first public beta feature; Challenges. As a bit of a retrospective on the last ten years we’ve also produced two short blog entries looking back and taking stock. Whatever you’re doing today, enjoy yourselves and thank you for being a part of dpreview.com!
Over There
Posted on December 30, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
Source: planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com
Software Review: Adobe Photoshop Plug-In DxO FilmPack 2 from DxO Labs
Posted on December 29, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
With the latest release of DxO FilmPack version 2 from DxO Labs you now can not only add the style and beauty of classic films to your images, but you can now add additional traditional film effects giving you more capabilities to replicate the look and feel to real film. DxO FilmPack is a plug-in that gives digital images both the look and the grain of conventional films.
OK, I know what you're asking! I gave up film (or never used it) because of all the graininess and the color differences, why would I want to start making my images look as though they were taken on film? Well, one reason is for artistic license. You may want to give an image that fresh-from-the-fixer look. Another reason is that you may want to integrate film images and digital images and you need some method to get a more consistent look for all.
DxO FilmPack recreates the color and grain of over 50 classic film types. These include Kodachrome, Tri-X, Velvia, and Illford. These films were analyzed and reproduced so that they could be applied with just one stroke of the keyboard. The package also offers access to several toning filters to transform any digital image into a toned print. These include Sepia, Terra Sepia, Ferric Sulfate, Gold Sepia, Gold, and Selenium.
DxO labs has a complete list of the available film looks, and they break down into nine categories. color positive films, generic positive films (without grain profile), instant color positive, black and white films, color negative films, instant black and white films, color filters, black and white filters, and tonings.
DxO FilmPack can be used as a standalone product or from the filter menu within Adobe Photoshop. The user interface is self-explanatory. You have drop-down lists and sliders. You choose an emulsion and the filter applies the color and the grain of the film to your image. You are presented with a preview on the screen so you can see what it looks like.
Faithful
Posted on December 25, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“This photo was taken in Zayed Reserve during the celebration of International Volunteer Day on the 5th Dec 2008″. Kuwait. Taken by Hamad Al Sarraf
Source: planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com
Pentax announces K2000 in white
Posted on December 19, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Pentax has announced a limited edition of the K2000 (K-m in Europe) in white, bundled as a double zoom kit with the camera body and two kit lenses. Both Pentax DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL and Pentax DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 AL lenses and the K2000 body sport a white finish with black trim. The kit will be made available on a limited basis in February 2009. UK MSRP is £50 above the recommended selling price of the standard K-m.
In addition, Pentax has also released an online game for prospective K2000/K-m users to learn more about the camera and have a little fun.
UK MSRP: £449 with 18-55mm kit lens, £549 with both 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses.
Press Release:
Pentax announces limited edition white K2000
Double Zoom Digital SLR System
Golden, CO, December 16, 2008 – Pentax Imaging Company has announced a limited edition, white PENTAX K2000 DSLR system with a double zoom kit. This new model replicates the original K2000 design that launched in September 2008 for consumers who are ready to make the transition from a point-and-shoot digital camera to digital SLR photography. The new camera body and both lenses* feature a brilliant white color with black trim.
The white Pentax K2000 is an entry-level system consisting of the new Pentax K2000 body, a white smc Pentax DA L 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL lens, and a white smc Pentax DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 AL lens.
Bundled as a complete kit for the convenience of the customer, the Pentax K2000 system offers uncomplicated operation for new digital SLR users and family photographers seeking high-quality digital SLR photography for the first time.
Combining Pentax-developed, easy-to-use Auto Picture modes as well as powerful learning functions all housed in one of the smallest, lightest camera bodies in its class, the Pentax K2000 system is ideal for digital SLR beginners.
Additional features on the newest digital K2000 SLR body include a 10.2 megapixel CCD, a 2.7 inch, 230,000 dot high resolution, wide-view LCD panel, and an ultra compact design that facilitates one handed operation. The body also features the same Pentax-developed Shake Reduction technology found on more advanced K series digital SLRs. Pentax Shake Reduction is compatible with more than 25 million Pentax lenses to deliver sharp images even when handheld at slower shutter speeds.
The K2000 also features the powerful Pentax-developed Auto Picture Mode, which selects from Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, and Night Portrait modes to tailor the camera settings for any photographic situation.
The camera also has a comprehensive Dust Removal system to help keep images spotless. A dedicated programmable help button clearly explains current camera settings to guide and teach the user about digital SLR photography.
The lenses included with this Pentax K2000 system are the white versions of a newer series introduced with the DA L designation. This DA L series offers the same optical performance and compatibility as the current smc Pentax DA 18-55mm II and smc Pentax DA 50-200mm lenses.
This stylish, limited edition white Pentax K2000 kit will be available on a very limited basis in February 2009 at a price to be announced.
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