Photogenic Photography Blog

When buying a new digital camera, most people start out with the best intentions of becoming a truly creative photographer. One look at that thick, complex technical manual, and they switch the camera to auto…and that’s where it stays. As a result, most of us settle for snapshot photography when our cameras are capable of so much more.

Does this sound like you? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Camera manuals reflect the technical power of modern cameras, but they are intimidating to any beginner who just wants to take a decent photo.

Digital cameras are like most computer programs; you may find you can get by with about ten percent of the available functions. So don’t get tied up in knots trying to understand everything. Just learn what you need to know, and learn it well, and you will be well on the way to being a better photographer.

Here are a few tips that may just take the complexity out of photography for you.

Tip #1. Stick with the basics. In the days of film, good photographers used SLR cameras with two main settings; aperture and shutter speed. These were the ingredients of all great photography. Today, cameras come with hundreds of features, but guess which ones you really need to understand? That’s right, aperture and shutter speed.

If you can understand these two settings, you are halfway to becoming a better photographer. Your manual (I never said you could throw it away) will tell you which buttons to press on your camera. However, to really understand what these settings are all about, don’t rely on the manual. There is plenty of information out there; workshops, websites, books and ebooks can help.

Practice has never been easier than it is today. Most cameras have semi-automatic settings, called ‘aperture priority’ and ’shutter priority,’ that allow you to operate one setting while the camera takes care of the other. This is a great way to practice a skill without fear of getting too many failed exposures.

Tip #2. Learn from your mistakes. If you just delete every photo you are not happy with, you are missing a golden opportunity to learn from your own experience. Photos you consider ‘rejects’ actually contain useful information - you really can learn from your mistakes!

Let’s say you are experimenting with aperture. Try photographing a scene three times, with three different aperture settings, for three slightly different results. Instead of keeping your favourite and deleting the others immediately, you could transfer them to your computer and take the time to examine them properly. You can see how each setting changed the look of the picture, and which setting worked best for that subject. Now you can learn from your own results, not from some theory in a book.

Did you know that if you right-click your mouse over a photograph on your computer and select ‘properties’ you will find a lot of information embedded in the file? You don’t have to keep a note of the aperture/shutter speed information; your photo does it for you!

Of course in the long term you don’t want to keep every single photo you take, but you might want to keep a folder of ‘learning photos’ to refer to later, with maybe two versions of each subject you experiment with. To make it even easier, rename the pictures with relevant titles, for example: Wildflowers/Small Aperture, Wildflowers/Wide Aperture; Waterfall/Fast Shutter, Waterfall/Slow Shutter.

Tip #3. Learn The Art As Well As The Technique. Every problem in photography cannot be solved by the camera. Experienced photographers know that good lighting and creative composition is often more important than up-market technology. In fact, most photos fail not because of bad technique, but because they were taken at the wrong time of day, or the photographer did not put enough thought into the composition. Yet daily I meet people who think that all their problems would be solved by a better camera, or some mysterious technique they are yet to learn.

Remember what I said in Tip #1; aperture and shutter speed are the fundamental skills, and with a little practice, they are not hard to learn. Master them and you are halfway there. The key to becoming a really good photographer is a balance of technical knowledge and artistic skill. Practice both, and soon your friends will be coming to you for photography tips!



By: Andrew Goodall

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Are you planning to shift to a digital camera from your old film operated camera but are too afraid to make such a complicated transition? There is no requirement to worry or be afraid of a memory card operated digital camera. Although digital camera sound complicated, they are actually extremely user friendly. Here are a few tips that will make it easier to get accustomed to your digital camera.

Enhance color tones of the picture

Have you ever felt that your photos look cold or have a clammy aura. This is due to the fact that digital cameras have a default white balance setting at auto. This will work for most of your shots but in case you want more yellows or reds in your shot, you can adjust the setting to cloudy mode. This will make the picture look richer and warmer.

Macro Mode

If you wish to sharpen the details in your shots, you can adjust the close up option, usually referred to as the macro mode. Unlike in the traditional camera, doing this is very easy while using a digital camera. In order to use the macro mode, select the macro mode icon or close up icon. Normally, a flower represents this. Keep the camera as close to the object as possible. Remember that as your field depth is rather shallow, you will need to focus on that region of the object that you consider most important.

File storage

It is necessary to get a memory card that can store a large number of picture files. This lets you shoot more pictures. The size of your memory card should be proportional to the resolution of the camera, that is, the higher the resolution, the larger the memory should be. With a large enough memory you have the option of taking more photos. So you will not have the problem of passing off the opportunity of taking a good shot because of a memory card that is full.

Use high resolution

There will be a lot of resolution settings in your camera. Try your best to always take shots using the setting with highest resolution. Although using higher resolution results in more memory use, if you purchase a large sized memory card it will not pose a problem. Who knows, perhaps the best shot you could capture take in your entire life is in front of you, it is better if it is a good resolution.

The above tips will help you get accustomed to your new camera. Do not hesitate to take as many shots as possible. Remember, you have all the memory you need.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

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Now days digital cameras are used everywhere, for special occasion and more. One thing amazing about digital photography is the ability to modify or fix the pictures taken. But to do that you need to transfer those pictures to your computer and use digital photography software. There is a wide variety of it available on the market.

Very often you will be provided with a copy of you own digital photography software with the digital camera you buy. This digital photography software usually comes with various features. This software is usually very useful to manipulate the pictures taken with your camera.

If you are looking for a digital photography software don’t worry there are plenty that can be found. You can choose from a wide variety of digital photography softwares here are some very good ones:

- ZoomBrowser EX 5.1

- ArcSoft PhotoStudio

- ImageBrowser5.1

Those are only a few of the digital photography software you can use. You will need to make sure that every features of the software you use areworking properly before downloading any of your stored images.

You will also need to take into consideration the different kind of digital photography software you can use for windows and for Mac computers. There a few differences that can be found in the browsers programs. For example the ImageBrowser 5.1 is to be with Mac computers. You will have the ability to view, archive and manage your digital photographs. The same holds true for ZoomBrowser 5.1 for windows.

A very important factor you will need to look into is the drivers you need to install for your digital photography software to work correctly on your computer. Normally these drivers should be provided to you with the software you are going to buy. A good thing would be to look on the company website to see if there are updates for your drivers. This will ensure you have the latest drivers for your digital photography software.

Another thing you need to have beside your digital photography software is a picture transfer protocol or a PTP on your computer. This will make sure you are able to transfer your images on your camera to your computer.

By looking at the different features that those digital photography software’s offers, you will be able to see which one you want to get based on what you need it for. There is a huge amount of software available on the market and they should not be that expensive.

One important point to remember is you will need to make sure that these various programs are compatible with your computer and your digital camera. From those software features you will be able to fix your pictures and even make masterpieces out of them.



By: Frederic Madore

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Digital cameras have given the photographer enthusiast new horizons and ways to experiment in photography. The old fashioned cameras had several restrictions and were often difficult to adjust to the perfect picture. However now with the advent of this modern technology photography has become fun and enjoyable for professionals and hobbyists alike.

The best part about using a digital camera is the fact that you can easily upload photos to photo galleries like Yahoo photo albums. This eliminates the need for sending large image files because you can just send a link to the photo gallery to friends or family.

Part of the fun of experimenting with photography is with different lightings. The ease of the digital camera to adjust to various lightings makes this more fun. You can make some spectacular looking photos by just taking them in different settings. Lighting is everything in photography and you can experiment with many different shades and exposures.

Use different angles to add to the effects. They are light and easy to handle with not too many accessories to worry about. This will make it easy to take different shots for different poses and angles.

Zooming in and out is another way to get interesting photos with digital cameras. Because of the ease that you can do this you can experiment with different focuses. This is especially fun when you take portrait photos. You can also make some interesting pictures with objects. Have fun experimenting with different focuses making part or the complete background out of focus for different effects.

Perhaps the most useful and intriguing way that digital cameras can be used is the ability you have to adjust and fine-tune your pictures even after you have taken them. This will take a little expertise in graphic programs like Photoshop but will be well worth it.

You can create many effects and adjust photos with these graphic programs. This means you can achieve a picture perfect photo before you print it, even if your original one may have been less than perfect. You can even change the file format to get a sharper, clearer image.

There are many exciting things you can do with your digital camera. It has opened the doors to a new and exciting world for photographers. Whether you are doing photography for a hobby or professionally you will enjoy this new and exciting way of taking photos.



By: Joseph Then

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Digital Photography is all the rage when it comes to taking pictures. Unlike convential cameras, the 35mm variety, you are able to view pictures immediately after you take them, decide whether or not you want to keep them and so much more. Also unlike 35mm cameras, digital cameras give you the ability to store your photos on a memory card, giving you the potential of taking literally hundreds of photos without running out of film.

The biggest advantage of digital is its flexibility. You will no longer need to carry separate cameras to shoot in black and white or color. Most digital cameras come with a knob or digital menu that allow you to choose how you want the picture to be taken. Additionally, digital is the only format that allows duplication with no loss of quality.

Digital photographs can be easily shared through email, jump drives and through the internet with onlin photo galleries where you can send share links to friends that allows them to view the photos or a slide show. I personally use Kodak Gallery.

In this article I want to give you digital photography enthusiasts some tips on making your experience as an amateur (who knows maybe some pros also) digital photographer even better.

If you are into digital photography, acquaint yourself with a product called Adobe Photoshop. You may have already heard of it, but for those who haven`t this is a powerful piece of software that allows you to edit your photos to your wildest imagination. To give you an example, you can make pictures more clear, and add words. These are just a few of the basic items you get with Photoshop. With the release of Photoshop Lightroom you now have a professional photo management system for your digital photographs. According to Rob Schoeben of Apple Computers Inc., “the Photoshop Lightroom is about pulling the beauty out of image. The new program helps users to browse and manage images.”

With any type of camera you will need a good lense. Without going into specific brands here are a couple of tips. Zoom lenses used in most digital cameras are insufficient for nature photography. Prime lenses offer the highest optical quality to digital photographers and Super zoom cameras are perfect to capture a sporting event.

As with all hobbies and other subjects you can find a variety of tutorials and books on digital photographty. Some include, “The Perfect Picture,” by Bryan E. Peterson which offers beginners a strong foundation from exposure to composition on DVD format, “SureShot System” is another DVD course from Big Picture Enterprises. The short course “Fundamentals of Digital Photography: Getting the Most Out of Your Digital SLR” includes audio CDs.

The power of technology has lent itself to make digital photography a wonderful and enjoyable hobby for all. With these tips and further educating yourself on the matter, you can snap (or is it record?) your favorite photo and make it look like a pro took it, in no time.

By: Bruce A. Tucker



By: Michael C. Podlesny

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In early days, photography only belonged to professionals. However, when roll film cameras and digital cameras were invented, photography became widely available for public. In the era of digital photography, the most inexperienced individuals can take pictures easily. The best advantage of digital photography is that you can see the picture immediately after it is taken. If you don’t like it, you can just delete the picture without wasting any film.

Nowadays, digital cameras are everywhere and digital photography becomes very popular, especially when camera phones were introduced. It is unnecessary to bring rolls of films anymore as a tiny memory stick is enough to hold hundreds of pictures. Many other inconveniences are also eliminated by digital photography. You do not need to wait for the processing process of the films because you can just simply put the pictures into the computer and share with others. You can delete pictures that you don’t like and it is unnecessary to go back to the store if there is something wrong with the prints.

One of popular aspects in the world of photography is airbrushing. Airbrushing used to be a painstaking process, but it became much easier when digital photography came. After you master how to use photo editing software, it becomes very easy to edit pictures and improve their quality. It is virtually impossible to differentiate whether a picture is edited or real, which sometimes may create an issue.

Photo storage and sorting are very simple in the world of digital photography. Perhaps you still remember how you need to spend days to glue and tape photos into photo albums. Now, it is easy to sort and categorize photos into separate files in the computer. There is no problem whatsoever if you want to see and print them in the future as long as you have a good filing system.

In addition, with a photo album, normally only two persons can watch the photos at the same time. On the contrary, a digital photography album can be transferred to a compact disk and played in the DVD player so the whole family members can see the photos together. You can add some music and change to a slideshow format to make it more interesting, especially if you want to show it in a big gathering of some sort.

Tips to enjoy your digital camera

Some people are intimidated with technology including using a digital camera. They get used to the old film camera and feel that a digital camera is too confusing. Surely there are differences in using film and digital camera, but if you know how to handle a digital camera properly, you will enjoy it. The following tips are useful to make you have enjoyable experiences with your digital camera.

The first tip and also the most logical one is that you must read the manual book. You will know how to use your digital camera and understand what capabilities that it has. Read the manual before taking photos even if you have used other digital cameras before. There may be some features that you never know before. Without reading the manual, after a long time, you may end up finding that the camera has certain capabilities that you never think before.

The next tip is to make sure that your digital camera works, especially on important occasions. Extra memory cards and extra batteries will do the trick. You don’t want to face with full memory card or even worse, died battery, when you find a special moment that you want to capture quickly.

Many people tend to use low resolution setting so they can save many photos in the memory stick. This is not a good idea because you reduce the quality of the photos significantly. It is better to select midway setting for general use and the best setting for capturing special moments. Lastly, you should take photos as much as possible to familiarize yourself with a digital camera. After a short period of time, you will enjoy your digital camera and leave the old film camera behind.



By: Cindy Heller

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Is there much difference between I using the digital camera and the manual camera?.getting used to using the digital camera only could turn a professional photographer to a lazy person.yes! very lazy at times.because of the ease in handling the camera.but there are some who are frightened by the use of digital camera because their foundation of training was based on the use of manual photography.

This are some of the skills needed before switching to digital photography

Knowing the various functions of the camera

As mentioned before, working with a digital camera is similar to working with a small computer. In order to maximize the digital camera, you need to master the functions including adjusting the various levels such as the shutter speed, the brightness, the contrast. There are even digital cameras that you can actually use as a manual camera; you just need to learn to adjust the functions 

, you need to master the functions including adjusting the various levels such as the shutter speed, the brightness, the contrast. There are even digital cameras that you can actually use as a manual camera; you just need to learn to adjust the functions

master the functions including adjusting the various levels such as the shutter speed, the brightness, the contrast. There are even digital cameras that you can actually use as a manual camera; you just need to learn to adjust the functions

Computerised skill

Digital photography invoves dealing with computers infact the two are almost the same in terms of operation. their functions are almost similar like when you format,delete etc. You need to know with thire functions in order to be able to use the digital camera. 

In addition, you also need to really understand the computers when storing your picture files and adjusting your photos. With this, you need to be able to perform computer tasks such as cutting, pasting, copying, renaming and opening and closing of files and folders. In fact, operating the digital camera is like operating a small computer 

There are varieties of books to teach a beginner the use of computer in photography

Knowledge in graphic programs

Photoshop helps one to adjust and create a whole lot of effect with the use of its graphic program changing the size of the photo alter the pixel and even change the format into different file type. One good thing with digital cameras is the fact that one can actually alter the pictures taken before printing it.

With the use of these programs, one can erase flaws, sharpen some features of the photo, blur the background and even transfer one photo with another. If one is really good, you can even create one new photo by cutting different elements in various photos and put them all together.

want to know more on how to use your camera?

visit www.Photo Techniques



By: felix

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Photo collections - for traditional photographers the phrase conjures thoughts of bound albums and mounds of shoeboxes, stuffed to capacity with 5 x 7 inch pictures. For today’s ever growing ranks of digital photographers however, it brings to mind thoughts of a stamp-sized memory card, a pocket hard drive, or CDs and DVDs. Welcome to the world of digital photography, which is fundamentally changing the way we capture and preserve images.

Digital photography today is a rapidly growing consumer pastime with many advantages versus traditional film-based cameras, including the ability to immediately review, erase, annotate or categorize images, speed and ease of operation, and quality at the high end of the digital photography scale. Although some film cameras can operate without batteries, minus the flash, most consumers are unconcerned with use in wet or poor weather environments and are drawn to digital cameras by all of the advantages that they offer.

Because of this, the entire photography industry is changing to embrace different consumer preferences, including a reduced desire for printed photos. The market for printed photos from film in the United States peaked in 2000 at over 30 billion, and then fell to under 26 billion by 2004. Initially, there were problems with quick-service photography shops “cropping” digital images in order to force them to print properly on the same paper used by film cameras - as more and more people move to digital however, services and products emerge to make it easier to transfer your memories from electronic to tangible.

Some people feel that a picture just isn’t a picture if you can’t put it into a frame (although wireless, internet-enabled miniature LCD ‘picture frames’ ARE available) or store it in a photo album. But many of today’s young people are much more comfortable with technology than their parents and grandparents. It is not uncommon for a college student to feel more secure with electronic images than paper ones.

No one is certain whether digital photography will eventually reduce our demand for photo prints, but it is guaranteed that the way of the future in photography is digital. Additionally, there are far more snapshots being taken than ever before, due to the ease with which they can be reviewed and removed from digital cameras. So whether you’re partial to electronic or shoebox image storage, be ready for photos to get easier, better and cheaper in coming years - and of course, keep smiling.



By: Caitlin Moore

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Digital photography is fun, convenient, and you can see the rewards of your labors quickly. No film required, no sending film off to be developed, what could be easier? Before you run out and buy the most expensive digital camera with the most megapixels and the highest optical zoom you need to do some research.

Digital cameras can be expensive so the first thing you need to consider is how you will use your new digital camera. If your main use of digital photographs is to post pics of your buddies on FaceBook or MySpace, you will not require the same digital camera that you will need if you are taking pictures and getting paid for it, such as at a wedding. People generally fall into one of three categories of digital camera usage:

Snappers – You need a simple point and click camera that produces reasonable quality digital photographs. Perfect for people who don’t want much fuss and rarely print their pictures.

Hobbyists – You may want to be a little creative occasionally. You may take a few close ups, night shots etc. and are attempting to learn Photoshop. You print some of your pictures and want good quality 8” x 10” prints.

Pro/Semi-pro – You want a camera that delivers top quality photographs, operates fast and is adaptable. You want excellent print quality and sturdy construction.

How Many Megapixels Do You Need?

One way to decide how many megapixels you need is to decide what you may want to do with your pictures after you take them. This chart is a guide to the amount of megapixels you may need to get a good quality print of the various sizes:

Megapixels: (MP) - Quality prints up to this size:

Minimum of 2MP - 4” x 6”

Minimum of 3MP - 5” x 7”

Minimum of 6MP - 8” x 10”

Minimum of 8MP - 10” x 12”

Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom

Most digital cameras have both optical zoom and digital zoom. The optical zoom works just like a zoom lens on a film camera; the lens changes focal length and magnification as it is zoomed. The image quality stays high throughout the zoom range. A digital zoom simply crops the image to a smaller size, and then enlarges the cropped portion to fill the frame again. Digital zoom results in a significant loss of quality. You can do a similar if not better job using an image editing program such as Photoshop. You can find a free Photoshop download at Adobe.com.

How to Get a Good Digital Camera for Less

To save a little money, look for a camera that has been out about a year. Also style can cost you more; if picture quality is important to you, disregard the shiny model for the not so stylish one that takes great pictures. Stick with brands that are established camera manufacturers; digital cameras are made in basically the same way as film cameras, but in digital photography, light falls onto an image sensor and not onto film. The other parts of the camera are basically the same. Unless you really need special features for your digital photography, don’t pay for them.

After you get your new digital camera home, start using it! Luckily, digital camera memory is cheap and can be reused thousands of times. So get out there and shoot some photos and you’ll soon find your skills improving remarkably.

For more Photoshop Tips and Tricks, visit: www.PhotoshopDemos.com.



By: Ryan Dube

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ng great looking digital photographs is not difficult. You may wonder, with complex features the digital camera has, whether you will get good images. You may be worried about messing up your shots. The advantages of digital cameras are many. For example, unlike the traditional film cameras, you can take as many photos as as long as your memory card permits. If some photos which have not come right those could be easily deleted so that you can have more space. In essence, the digital photography is not only cost effective but also has flexibility to experiment without any hindrance.

1.Frequent use of digital camera

The more you use it, the better you’ll get. The more familiar you get with it, the more you become comfortable in using the complex features it offer. Taking many photos will help you to get familiarized with your new digital camera. You should experiment with the digital camera using many features it has, and see the outcome on your photos. Always look for the most appropriate setting suit for the condition, do not blindly follow the default settings, since these may no be the best option. This implies that using digital camera, you have to experiment and also use your creativity. More you play with the camera, more you learn the fine features of the camera.

2. Take Photos under natural light

When taking digital photos always try to use natural light which is these the best for photography. Shooting indoors, take special attention to light coming through windows. Some times direct sunlight streaming through a window may not be the best alternative For example, better photos are possible using indirect or softer light coming from a window. Better to experiment using different windows so that you can decide which window provides you the best natural lighting.

3.Get rid of red-eye

The red-eye reduction can be easily got rid of using the facility available on your digital camera. In most digital cameras this feature is provided. When using an external flash, hold it to the left or the right of your camera. And again, try using natural light if possible. If the red eye condition still appears, do not worry, this can be adjusted using the photo edit software.

4.Tripod for taking close-ups.

Sturdy tripods are available at an affordable price, and will be valuable accessory if you are taking close-ups or zooming in. You need to fix tripod on a firm surface when using the tripod. Always invest on a good quality tripods, as cheap ones are unstable. Minimize the risk of managing your valuable digital camera by going for stable and quality tripod. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

With a digital camera, you can do many things without wasting your time and money. Some times you may face with lack of memory space, then just delete what ever you do not retain and get the required space. So if you have not yet into digital photography, start right now, it will certainly stimulate your creativity and for some it may be an income generator.

By: Alex Don

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