Digital Camera: June 2009

Monday, June 15, 2009

Photos on Canvas - Are They Better Than Paper?

That's a reasonably subjective question. However, when you are considering making large size photo prints that are intended for public display or to be gifts Canvas Digital Photo Prints have a prestige quality to them like nothing else. The nap, or texture, of the canvas provide the photo print with a quality that is reminiscent of oil on canvas and the small bumps and indentations that are part 'n parcel with the canvas's surface catch the light at lots of different angels. And when you frame a Canvas Digital Photo, it elevates almost any image to the level of a Fine Art print.

A drawback with printing to canvas as opposed to printing on paper is that there are various types of printing paper (i.e. high contrast) which add visual characteristics to a final print, and canvas photo prints don't reproduce extremely vivid colors to the same extent as they would appear on specific photo papers.

The overall look is still quite good, but don't expect miracles with very vivid colors. In addition, the smoother surface of photo paper does carry detail better, but this matters less with larger canvas prints as viewers tend to appreciate the photographer from a greater distance and they view the entire print as a whole.

Something else to consider is that Fine Art photo paper has a practical size limit. When you're framing a paper print, you'll use a window matte and this limits you to the largest size matte boards available, which are 40x60 inches in the USA (you could always do customer framing, but that can be at a considerable and perhaps unnecessary cost). Some rare window matte go up to 48x96, but in any case this limits your Fine Art print to roughly 32x40 inches, matting out to a frame size of about 40x48 inches.

If you want larger paper prints - and many a fine art photographer does - you have to venture into unconventional methods (i.e. mounting on to aluminum sheets, face mounting on the plexiglass or other custom orders that perhaps detract from the fine art quality that you are looking for).

This is not the case with canvas prints, as you can stretch the canvas onto stretcher bars just like an oil painting - at practically any size imaginable, then you can frame it like an oil painting, either in a frame with or without glass, or in a "floater" frame (a modern look).

The sealer is critical, as it must totally encapsulate the archival printer inks in order to avoid unwanted exposure from UV rays and ozone. The sealer must also be water resistant, it no water proof. A professional, museum grade sealer can allow someone to run your canvas under water and there will be no damage!

Lastly, if you plan on displaying you photo paper print without glass, you'll need to coat the print in a protective lacquer. This is especially true with inkjet prints made using pigment inks, because the pigment sits on the surface of the print. Pigment ink does not sink into the print; this means the print's surface is delicate thus requiring some sort of protection. The right amount of preparation and research can make a canvas digital print far more impressive than a paper print.
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Your Wedding Pictures Might Only Be 84% Safe

I've heard some married couples say that if their house was on fire, one of the only things they'd try and save is their pictures. Pictures of the kids, family vacations, and of course, their wedding. Makes sense to me!

Onecould only hope that your wedding photographer feels the same. But do they? You see, there's this window of time between your wedding day and the moment you actually receive your pictures. And the only one looking out for your investment and protecting your memories during this time is the wedding photographer. So how are they doing? I don't know. I don't have the stats. But one thing I do have is concern.

New wedding photographers are popping out of the seams. They get a digital SLR for Christmas and by New Years they're ready to become a wedding photographer, probably to pay off the debt from the new toy. Soon thereafter, they create a web page and place ads on Craig's List with a price that's tough to beat. With the first contract, it's official. They are now professional wedding photographers!

As they are downloading the pictures from their first wedding to their computers, I wonder if it crosses their mind that one in seventeen new computers have their hard drives fail within the first year? And the stats only go down after the second. Let me translate. I wonder if they know that there's a 6% chance that they're going to lose your wedding pictures to hard drive failure.

Sure, a well written contract would stipulate that you'd get your money back. But wouldn't you rather have the pictures? If you're currently looking for a wedding photographer, I encourage you to ask them how they plan on protecting your investment. While there are many acceptable data management work flows in the industry, here is one example from a professional team of wedding photographers.

1. The wedding day is shot on approximately eight media cards. In the event of card or camera failure, the entire wedding would not be lost.

2. The entire wedding day is shot with two professional photographers to add another layer of redundancy.

3. Following the wedding, all images are downloaded to two hard drives. The first is a partitioned server which essentially maintains its own back up. The second is an external hard drive which is not left plugged in. This helps protect against electrical surges or lightning strikes.

4. Upon confirming the successful upload of the images on two hard drives, the actual cards from the wedding are placed in a safety deposit box at a local bank. The images remain on the original media cards until the rest of the work flow is completed. Wedding photographers should have at least one step in place to protect against fire. This single step adds two layers of fire protection by having originals stored in a fireproof and water proof container in a separate location. In the event of fire at the office, the originals remain safe.

5. After the images have been edited, copies are burned to DVD which is stored offsite. In addition, full size files are uploaded to an online service which keeps copies in multiple locations. This protects against server failures as well as natural events including acts of God.

In the event of a fire, you would do everything you could to protect your pictures. There are wedding photographers who do the same. But there are too many who do not. How can you know if your wedding pictures are safe? Ask. Then choose wisely. I suggest that it's worth the extra investment.
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How to Pose Glamour Photography Models

No director of glamour photography models need be given a list of reasons why a head is invaluable in a picture. Some directors contend they never direct their subject. 'To place a head or a mouth in a pre-determined position,' they say, 'would destroy all of the spontaneity and naturalness of the picture.'

Others, just as vehemently, contend that 'In a business that calls for consistent results, lucky mood and coincidence are not enough. We feel that when both director and model have a working knowledge of technique, each individual job will determine whether the pose requires controlled, candid or controlled-candid treatment.

Experienced directors practice many ways of getting a glamour photography model to act and react realistically before the camera. Each has developed ways of controlling a model without having literally to push her into position. Adroit use of words, exemplary action, strategic suggestion and psychological motivation all bring forth expression that is dependable as well as spontaneous. At the same time most directors have found in actual practice, that with intelligent direction from behind the camera, any capable model can accept correction and rearrange parts naturally without showing strain and losing spontaneity!

In photography we lean heavily upon the model's capabilities, yes, and in many instances even upon her ability to inspire us by doing something her way from which we can select or perfect a pose.So, part of a director's success lies in his ability to keep a model suggesting ideas within the scope of the camera's ability to record them.

Many models feel they have exhausted the possibilities for different head positions when they have turned their head slowly from the left of the camera to the right of the camera! You might ask her to repeat the horizontal turn - this time with her chin up a little higher. Then ask her to lower her chin and repeat the horizontal turn - six more positions! By repeating each of these eighteen positions with her head tilted right and then with her head tilted left, you've added another thirty-six possibilities without yet putting her in any exact position.If your model has trouble with the tilt, which is the most difficult direction to understand, you might try this.

Hold a pencil vertically in front of your model's face. Let the tip of her nose touch the pencil and divide it equally lengthwise. With encouragement, let her try a few combined movements such as, 'Turn your head slightly to the right... that's good ... now tilt the top of your head right (or tilt your chin left).' Work with your glamour photography model to give her confidence, and you will surely get some great pictures.
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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Canon PowerShot SD780IS Review

The Canon PowerShot SD780IS was introduced to the US market early March 2009 and has many great features. It is the slimmest digital ELPH Canon has produced so far but its small body packs a real punch. The term 'ELPH', before you ask, is a combination of the word 'elf' (for a camera that is small and magical) and the word 'photograph.
Besides being memorable marketing, the use of a non-standard spelling of 'elf' makes it a defensible trademark.The camera comes in four colors, black, silver, gold and deep red. It is a 12.1 MP digital camera with a 2.5 inch LCD and a 3x optical image stabilized zoom. As already stated it is the slimmest ELPH Canon has produced with a width of 0.7 inches. Combined with a width and height of just 3.4 and 2.1 inches and weighing in at 4.2 ounces, it really is small.

Looking briefly at some of the highlights of this camera we can see that it has: HD movie shooting capability and HDMI output.This lets you record video in beautiful high definition (1280 x 720 pixels). You can then enjoy your movie, and still pics as well, on your HDTV by using the mini-HDMI connector with no degradation of the image.

By setting the Canon Powershot SD780 IS to smart auto the camera automatically selects an appropriate setting from 18 specially defined settings. You just have to concentrate on shooting the picture, Canon technology will take care of the rest.A Face Detection Self-Timer automatically detects an increase in the number of faces and makes the appropriate adjustments. So if you are taking a group photo and want to include the yourself, just put the camera on a tripod and select Face Detection Self Timer. The camera will now wait for the your face to move into the frame before it takes the perfectly focused shot.This is possible because of the advanced DIGIC 4 image processor on board the camera.

This delivers evolved Face Detection Technology that keeps every face in every photo looking its very best. The technology finds and tracks the faces of moving subjects until you're ready to shoot, then delivers perfect focus.

Ref eye correction is not new but the Canon Powershot SD780IS provides three options for removing red eye from your flash photographs. Firstly red eye is detected and corrected during shooting, secondly the camera can be set to automatically detect and correct red-eye during image playback. Finally you can manually locate any red eyes in a scene during image playback on the LCD screen, and command the camera to remove them.Another piece of technology on board the PowerShot SD780IS is iSAPS.

This is an original scene recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.This camera has other great features apart from those touched on here. All in all Canon are doing their best with this camera to make it as easy as possible for you to take great photos and videos each and every time. It fits easily into a purse or shirt pocket ready to shoot video and capture images at a seconds notice.
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Superiority of Digital Photography

A number of enthusiasts are now moving to digital photography over the film counterpart. If you are a doing photography for business, moving to digital photography will be of great of advantage for your business. Because in this digital age, everything is done faster. Here we will name some advantage in using digital photography over film.

Instant Preview (live view) - Taking an image with a digital camera is now more convenient and easy. In a digital camera, you can instantly see a preview of your end image result by looking at the LCD. The preview will give you the ability to judge your image if it is worth keeping or throwing it away. With instant preview, you can shot the same image, immediately see if the end result is as per your preference, then decide right then and there to keep the image or take another shot just to be able to give you options.

Printing - although many people will debate on this, I think its still easier to print a digital photograph compared to a film. The fastest time you can develop a film might be at least an hour. But it can not beat the printing of your digital image in minutes or seconds. It will be even faster if you have your own photo printer. Just plug and play.

Editing - With film, the only editing you can do with it is the typical dodging and burning, exposure, and color. In digital photograph, it is countless. Because its digital and its basically can be stored in your PC and be edited by a number of editing software, it has never been easier. It might also be wonderful to use software that make your images be printed into shirts, mugs, personalized calendars, stationers and a lot more.

Sharing - with the technological advancement, it is easier for you to share those images to your friends and relatives. Of course you can scan a developed film photograph, but that will take some time before you actually send those images. Its not as efficient as your digital image.

Compared to the film photography, there are a lot of people taking photography because of these advantages that they can get from digital cameras. Beginners of the hobby can be an instant pro, mainly because of the ease in using digital camera.
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Thursday, June 11, 2009

Have Fun With Photos and Puzzles

Everyone loves photos and most people enjoy doing puzzles, but until now there was no way to combine these two interests into one meaningful, unique and memorable item.It is now possible to send your favorite photos to a web based service that can organize them and design them on to a puzzle board that contains real puzzle pieces. Called a photo montage or photo collage puzzle, these jigsaws are extremely fun to put together more so than any other type of puzzle, because you are actually putting the pieces of your life together!You can choose any type of photos or theme for your puzzles, including:
* family photos
* children's photos
* photos of pets
* work related photos
* a photo history of someone growing up from childhood to adulthood
* fun and cheeky photos

Some ideas of when and who would enjoy a photo puzzle as a gift includes:
* The retiree* Your parents for their wedding anniversary
* Someone's 21st, 50th or other iconic birthday
* A wedding
* Christmas gift

The collage can be put together to represent the life of the gift recipient and you can also add a personal message or a poem to the collage. The first time the puzzle is put together it will reveal the kind words and the images and will absolutely astound the person who received the gift!

You can really have fun with photos and puzzles thanks to photo collage jigsaw puzzles. Just tracking down your very favorite photos and including them in the collage can result in a fantastic gift for someone, or just something to keep for yourself.
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Photography Equipment Evolution

A great deal has changed since this timeless invention by the French inventor Joseph Nicephore Niepce. Even the name photography for instance would come to this invention after it's initial naming of heliographs or sun prints. These photos were the prototype for the modern images known as photographs by allowing light to draw the picture.

It's amazing how the proliferation of photos and photography equipment as well have advanced themselves through the years in such a relatively short amount of time. In the 1800's photographer's had but a single flash bulb that would expire with just one photo.

Today's photography equipment has kept pace with camera advancements in the digital age. To put that into perspective, a flash light bulb would yield but one photo per bulb over a century ago. Today's photographers are able to capture high quality shots routinely that would have been much more difficult to achieve not long ago relying solely on innate ability without the assistance of modern digital cameras and digital photography equipment.

This difference in high quality photos can be seen clearly in magazines, books, and other forms of modern media compared to the quality of a comparable photo from just a decade ago.

Unique ability aside, the quality of the equipment you are using will have a great impact on your photo or video production as well.Whether using sunlight in a natural setting or photography studio equipment for your lighting source at home or in your business. The importance of light, both in our world and capturing the images within it.

Having the right photography equipment on hand is important for being able to produce high quality photos on a consistant basis that will stand the test of time. You can find everything from strobe flash lighting for portraits to tungston halogen and fluorescent continuous lighting for portraits and video production for either your home or studio for less. Chromakey backgrounds, softboxes, photo umbrellas, stand and boom, barndoors, flash lights, light heads and more brand name photography studio equipment at discount pricing.
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Arranging a Boudoir Photo Shoot

Boudoir photography has become a popular trend with brides who want to offer their 'husbands-to-be' a wedding day present which will they never forget. Generally associated with a woman's bedroom, boudoir is a term which has been coined to describe a genre of glamor photography where nudity is implied by showing women in a state of undress or wearing alluring lingerie.Of course, photographing women in a state of partial undress is hardly a new phenomenon, but the boudoir trend has brought an air of respectability to what used to be considered a rather daring and controversial area of glamour portrait photography.

- Boudoir Photographers
No longer the preserve of the specialist, boudoir and glamor pin-up photography is widely available through many wedding photographers who have seen the trend as an opportunity to expand their businesses. When choosing a professional photographer it's a good idea to do as much research as you can beforehand. Some will offer a wide selection of styles while others will be dedicated to a specific sub-genre such as Hollywood style glamor or pin-up photography.

- Photo Shoot Location
No matter where you live there will be a boudoir photographer in your area. Many will have their own studio and there are some boudoir specialists who will arrange a shoot at a boutique hotel. This is particularly useful for those who don't want to travel and also has the advantage that many boutique hotel rooms offer a perfect backdrop which is difficult to create in a traditional photographic studio.

- Photo Shoot Time Limits
Most budget photographers will have a strict time limit on photo-shoots, typically one or two hours, while higher-end photographers will be more flexible. Obviously cost is a major factor and, generally, the more you are willing to pay then the more time you will be allowed. For some women time will not be so much of an issue but those who are a little nervous, or are unsure of the look they want to achieve, should opt for the most time they can afford.

- Costs
Budget photographers will typically offer the best price but results and overall experience could be disappointing? Often you will be better off paying a little more for a better experience overall, although this isn't an automatic guarantee of quality and you should still do your research.

Many photographers will have a collection of outfits you can try, although it's advisable to take a couple of favourite lingerie pieces with you. Take some favorite make-up items with you but many photographers will have some form of hair and make-up service arranged. At the End of the Boudoir Shoot

At the end of the photo shoot there will be a number of alternative shots to look through. Depending upon the format of photography used you may be offered a set of prints there and then or you may be given a password to a private on-line gallery which you can browse at your leisure later. You'll also have the option of keeping the rest of your shots in the secure gallery with the ability to order further prints as when you wish.

- Photo Retouching
Most people are familiar with the terms 'air-brushing' and 're-touching' and have a fair idea of what is involved. Most boudoir photographers will offer some level of basic image editing as standard. However, photo re-touching and air brushing is an art in itself, so, again, you may want to pay extra for a really professional finish?

Posing for a professional boudoir shoot can be a great experience and the results can be truly stunning. Boudoir photography has become a very popular form of glamor portraiture and with a growing number of photographic artists offering boudoir photography and glamour photography to women in the UK, it's never been easier to find your photographer, book your shoot and prepare to create something special.
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The Best Digital Camera Deals For 2009

The way things are these days, it's not surprising that people are careful about the money they spend. Especially on tech gadgets like digital cameras. Well, I think we've established the importance of your money, even when looking for digital cameras. You can, of course apply this thinking to whatever your purchasing, but for this article, looks focus primarily on getting a good digital camera. If there is one thing constant with our world, it is that things are forever changing. Especially in the world of tech gadgets. For the gadget geeks, this is fascinating time to be living in.

The constant change, new features, and cool functionality is like a drug to them. I must admit to get caught up in it sometimes myself. Trying to keep pace for the average consumer, is not always as much fun.The typical digital camera consumer, however, doesn't really have time for all this cool stuff though. They're more interested in the practical side of cameras. What they want to know, is can the camera I'm buying do what I need it to do. All the technical speak can just be ignored. While camera manufacturers are more than thrilled to be introducing new models to their already bloated camera product lines, it's really unnecessary.

While digital technology has brought some nice features to the average photographer, what makes a good camera really hasn't changed much over the years. A good lens, solid construction, and buttons that are easy to use.They've never had so many reasons to release so many new models with so many new bells and whistles. Mind you, some of them are great, but some features are just plain useless. While the bad news, may be that technology is overwhelming for the average consumer, the good news, is that you can use that same advanced technology to make your buying decision easier.

I'm talking about all the wonderful shopping and comparison websites, that can make buying your next camera an easy experience.Not only will they compare prices, but you can query these tools by feature as well. You can ask for example for the top rated Canon SLR cameras with 10 megapixels, a wide angle lens, in the 600-900 dollar range. These kind of tools can significantly shorten your search time, and alert you to some really good bargains in one fell swoop.
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