Tips Of Photography

Nature Photography That Sells: Five Essential Tips

Nature photography is more popular than ever now that digital cameras have made it so easy for anyone to enjoy. With so many photographers out there, it can be tough to produce images that are truly distinctive.

If you want to make some money from nature photography, or even make it your living, your photography must offer something special. It is not enough for your photos to be ‘good.’ There is more than enough ‘good’ photography out there already. Your photos need to be unique and distinctive, or they simply won’t be noticed.

Here are five tips to help you rise to the challenge.

Nature Photography Tip #1. Concentrate On Nature, Not Just Technology. In the digital age there is an increasing emphasis on the latest technology; so much so that some people tend to rely on the camera (and the computer) to do the work for them. While it is understandable that people are drawn to photography by their love of technology, good nature photography really requires a more old-fashioned approach.

Understanding the light is paramount. You really need to learn how to capture your photo in the best possible light, which means picking the ideal weather conditions, and the right time of day for each subject. Spending time observing the light and how it works in a photo will make you a much better photographer than someone who thinks technology is the key to good photography.

Nature Photography Tip #2. Look For Unique Moments. Never forget that every idea you have has already been had by someone else, and every subject you photograph has been photographed by a thousand people before you. The truth is, it is easy to take a decent photo; that’s why there are so many of them on the market. The trick is to take something exceptional.

This is all about timing. With landscapes, you need to look for an unusual angle or a spectacular sky. Your photo must be well lit (see tip #1) but it must also capture a feature or a moment that will make viewers think “Wow, I have never seen it photographed like that before!”

Nature Photography Tip #3. Get To Know Your Local Environment. When you are travelling, capturing a unique moment takes a bit of luck. In terms of unusual weather, you really have to take your chances along with the rest of the tourists. Closer to home, however, you have an unfair advantage over everyone else. You may be in a unique position to be on-site at special moments other photographers can only dream of.

Get to know your local landmarks. Find the best lookouts and the quickest shortcuts to get there. Identify which time of day is best for each location. Then listen to weather reports and keep an eye on the sky. When you see something special start to build (a dark storm cloud, maybe the chance of a rainbow etc), grab your camera, get into position, and wait for your moment to arrive. In time, you could build a collection of photos of your local landscapes that is second to none.

Nature Photography Tip #4. Be Patient And Persevere. As I said earlier, it is easy to take a good photo; it is not so easy to take something truly special. A lot of things have to fall into place to get a perfect shot, so don’t be disappointed when your first attempts yield little result. You may need to visit the same place over and over again, until you find the stroke of luck that creates your great photo opportunity. Professional nature photographers are prepared to put in this extra effort for a shot. Once you get that once-in-a-lifetime image it will all seem worth it.

When the moment comes, take a lot of photos. You really need to make the most of a great opportunity, and every scene can produce a myriad of possible images. Remember that in the digital world, it costs nothing to keep snapping, so you can afford to really do justice to the moment.

Nature Photography Tip #5. Perfect Your Technique. You can wait days or weeks for a great photo opportunity, but when the moment arrives it can come and go in a matter of minutes. You don’t want to waste time trying to work out your apertures and shutter speeds. Practice your skills at every opportunity, and really get to know your camera.

You don’t need to know every tiny feature of the menu. The essentials of good photography are the same as always; aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus etc. The more practice you put in, the easier and more instinctive it will become. Then when your special moment arrives, you can put your energy into creativity instead of fumbling with camera settings.

Online Stock Photography – a World Where Pigs Fly

I remember back in the early 90s when my brother John called me up on the phone one day and explained that he had found a niche in digitally manipulated photography.  He said he was poised to make a good deal of money with it, but he couldn’t find any good help.  He knew that I had been into computers and thought maybe he could get me to work for him helping him digitally manipulate his photography.

John was a professional photographer doing mainly stock photography, and had discovered some new software called Adobe Photoshop.  John found that he could use Photoshop to fix problems with photos taken at an expensive photo shoot that would have had to been re-shot.  He also found that he could use the software to create photographs that just could not be shot in real life.  This was a great thing for his stock photography business.

At the time I had just had a business fail, and I was supporting my family as an injection molding press operator, earning near minimum wage working the graveyard shift.  John lived in San Francisco at the time and his studio was located where AT&T stadium is now. I was living in Stockton California, a good hour and a half commute each way.

Well John offered me $50.00 an hour to come work for him in his studio in S.F., and I asked him what time he wanted me to report for work in the morning!

For the next 5 years I worked for my brother doing digital manipulation for stock photography, digital retouching, and lots of digital art and photography for advertising agencies.  I remember one of my first projects was to put an egret’s wings onto a pig for a stock photo of flying pigs. 

Another time I brought my pet three-foot-long iguana to the studio and we photographed him. In those days we used film, and after developing the film we would use a drum scanner to digitize the photo, and then use either Photoshop or Live Picture to manipulate the photos.  We turned the iguana into a fire-breathing dragon.

One job we did for Mother Jones magazine involved replacing Madame Chiang Kai-shek’s head with Hillary Clinton’s head in a photo of Madame Chiang Kai-shek chatting with Eleanor Roosevelt in the rose garden at the White House.  We were later told that Hillary had it framed and put on her desk.  We also heard that she was at first confused because she did not recognize the outfit she was wearing in the photo.  Go figure.

We specialized in “conceptual” stock photography, producing images such as money trees, time flies – (a watch with wings),  an image of the earth in space but made of currency, dollar bills flying out the window, and that kind of thing.  We also did photo-shoots for fortune 500 companies and used digital techniques to produce advertising images.  John acquired an incredible reputation for producing the best stock photography of its kind, and all of the ad agencies knew him well. He was a huge success. He created a line of images he called “Animal Antics” using images of animals doing odd things like skateboarding and riding bikes.  The images were the basis for a highly successful line of greeting cards.

I finally grew tired of the commute and of sitting in front of a computer all day with an art-director telling me what to do. I went back to being an inventor, and John capitalized very well on his pioneering venture into digital stock photography, digital manipulation and funny pictures of animals.

Back then John was the first and for some-time the only stock photographer using digital manipulation to produce stock photos. There was no internet, and stock photography was pretty much limited to ad agencies with big budgets.

In those days he sold stock photography through Tony Stone Images, and The Stock Market.  Now Tony Stone is gone as is The Stock Market and Getty Images and number of other large stock agencies have replaced them.  Royalty free photography, widespread use of digital manipulation, and the internet are changing the face of the industry. Times have changed and John recently told me that the future of stock photography was online.

Mom and Pop business’s are going on the internet to find stock photos for their newsletters, advertising both online and hard copy, brochures, trade show booths, etc.  He feels the future of stock photography is online catering to the masses with low cost stock photography. There is a huge market for all types of photos for everything from photos for websites to pictures for brochures, to pictures for printed merchandise like cups and baseball caps.  Most people now searching for stock photos don’t even know what a stock photo is. They search for “pictures of pigs” or “shark pictures”.

To take advantage of this burgeoning new market for stock photos, today’s upcoming photographers (and the old ones too) need to get their work online where it can be found and purchased.

Once again John is on the leading edge of his field.  John has now launched a new website to address the blossoming online small business stock photo market.  Somewhere on his website there are photos of fire-breathing dragons in a world where pigs do indeed fly.

Develop your Skills by Attending Digital Photography Institutes

Photography has become one of the most diverse fields around. From nature photography, to fashion photography, to family portraits, there are so many different aspects to specialize in.

Not only is photography diverse, but it has become extremely competitive as well. With the advent of digital photography, it is now more important than ever that an aspiring photographer is educated in the new software, technology, and techniques. Otherwise, how are they to compete within the field?

How does one gain the knowledge and expertise necessary to make it big? The first step is to find digital photography institutes located near you. While on the job experience is also an important aspect of a career in photography, attending digital photography institutes will allow you to learn the principles of photography, such as composition, theory, and production.

The Top Digital Photography Institutes

It is sometimes difficult to find digital photography institutes in your area because the schools don’t receive very much publicity. If you are having difficulty locating digital photography institutes, then try finding a local art institute. An art institute will usually offer a course or major in digital photography. Three of the top-rated, highly praised digital photography institutes are: Brown College, Harrington College of Design, and The Arts institutes.

Located in Maine, Brown College is a fantastic digital photography institute. With accelerated programs, focused curriculum, and a devoted staff, Brown College is an excellent school to help you attain your goals in the photography field. They offer both a Bachelor and Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Digital Photography, allowing the student to take their education to the next level.

Since they were established seventy years ago, Harrington College of Design has prided themselves on hiring instructors with both teaching and real-world experience in over one hundred design-related fields. This allows them to provide their students with a wide range of curriculum and knowledge. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the school offers both an Associate Degree and an Associate of Fine Science Degree in the Digital photography field.

The Art Institutes are well known for their extensive curriculum, but their main advantage is their many locations throughout the United States. With multiple locations throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, California, North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Indiana, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Minnesota, Illinois, and Massachusetts, it is not difficult to find a campus near you.

Jump Start Your Career

Whether you earn your degree or simply take a few classes, experience at any of these fine digital photography institutes will enhance your resume and make you more appealing to potential hirers.

Good Things About Aerial Photography and More!

Good quality photos greatly depend on the manner of taking them. One popular example of commercial photography is the real estate photography, which many companies with this nature of business utilize in producing promotional materials.

Photo releases are good publicity materials this is why most firms make use of it in introducing their products and services. When it comes to real estates, blimp aerial photography is commonly used. This cost more than the usual photo services but a wise company would not mind taking this as a promotional tool for it promises wonderful returns.

Aerial photography in Utah is a method of photography wherein subjects are taken from great heights. The cameras used for this type of picture-taking cannot be supported by tripods since aerial cameras are used from helicopters, blimps, airplanes, or other aircrafts. The photographer must be skilled at this because framing the picture requires consideration of altitude and picture angle to achieve correct perspective.

Aerial photography has a wide variety of uses. Its outcome can be used for maps or stitched together to produce images of an area’s topography and major elevations. These pictures can also be useful in real estate advertising and brokerage firms to show how neighborhoods are laid out.

High altitude aerial photography is used in land-use planning, commercial advertising, environmental studies, archeology, artistic projects, and many more. Aerial photos of Utah real estate undergo analysis and assessment before they are distributed to the targeted market.

Good thing that real estate firms can make use of advanced radio controlled models to conduct even low-altitude aerial photography. Modern pieces of equipment such as these have been very advantageous especially for advertising purposes. Real estate advertising is conducted for both commercial and residential properties.

Since some potential properties are hard to reach for inspection and assessment, model aircrafts are available to use. Small-scale model aircrafts offer increased photographic access to these previously restricted areas. Miniature vehicles, however, cannot be a substitute for a full-size aircraft since the latter is capable of longer flight times, higher altitudes and greater equipment payload.

Although aerial photography is advisable especially for commercial purposes, it’s not easy to perform. You would need a professional to tackle this job. Every clear real estate shot ensures a step closer to success. With this type of photography, potential clients get more information about the area wherein they plan to purchase a home or put up a business facility.

Professional photographers with exemplary skills, perseverance to achieve quality shots and an eye for details are definitely needed to perform aerial photography.

For additional information, check out this site on real estate photography..

Photography School is your Next Step to Becoming a Pro

Photography school is a great option for someone who wants to try a new and innovative art that is constantly changing. One of the oldest photography schools is located in New York city. The New York Institute of Photography allows anyone to attend their school from anywhere in the world. They offer three correspondence courses that are beneficial to the budding photographer.

The first class that is offered for the new student introduces them to the world of the digital camera and all that it offers the photographer. By using online access, DVDs, and a professional advisor that can be contacted at any time, the student works their way through the course and learns a ton of information. At the end, the student is given an assignment that is submitted for grading purposes by instructors. After completion, a certificate will be issued to the student. This is a wonderful class that can help anyone become acquainted with any type of digital camera.

Another course that this particular photography school offers is the complete digital photography complete. With this course, Adobe PhotoShop will be completely taught. The instruction will include how to “to retouch photos, post pictures on the web and how to take better digital photographs.” Also taught in this course will be how to restore old black and white photography pictures that may have suffered damage with age. This instruction is always helpful to photographers because many people have old photographs that need restoring, and they are not sure who to take them to or what to do to restore them. By having this instruction at this photography school, the future photographer will enhance anyone’s budding photography business.

The last course that this particular school offers is more than likely the most important. The NYI complete course in professional photography is the last correspondence course that this school offers. Here the photography student will learn all of the in’s and outs of the photography business including: wedding photographers. nature photography, art photography, and many more. If someone is serious about becoming a professional photographer, this is the course that is for them. After completing the other two courses, this one is the icing on the cake for the budding photographer.

One of the oldest photography schools around is the New York Institute of Photography. This school offers several classes for would be students to learn everything about photography from the fundamentals to the in’s and outs of the photography business. By taking advantage of this trusted schools instruction, a budding photographer may become a world renowned master of this particular art form. &nbsp