Digital Camera: January 2009

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Different Digital Camera Types Explained

If you're looking to purchase a digital camera, you probably have problems deciding on one. If you don't know what to look for in a camera, it can be hard choosing one. Here we will talk about five types of cameras, each used for a different purpose.

The five camera types that you can choose from are subcompact digital camera, SLR cameras, compacts, super-zoom cameras and advanced compacts.

If you want something to use each day, you should go with a compact digital camera. These cameras can be used with success during vacations or parties. They don't have too many options to choose from, so they're easy to use. Point and shoot cameras like these have a price tag between $150 and $300 usually.

A subcompact is easily carried around, and that's its main advantage. You can put the subcompact digital camera in a tote bag or in a normal purse. It's light enough that you don't feel it when you carry it around. The options that come with these cameras are not great, so you shouldn't buy one if you need something complex. You get better quality than a compact can offer you, but it also costs a bit more, usually between $250 and $450.

Above the compacts and the subcompacts, sits the advanced compact camera, which is a bit heavy and large, so not exactly something you want to carry with you on your trips. This type of model should be used when you know you're going somewhere where you can photograph great views. If you want to photograph a sunset or something that's in a room without much light, an advanced compact camera will do well. The price varies between $300 and $600.

If you want take travel, nature or spots photographs, you should probably choose a super zoom digital camera. The good telephoto setting and the long zoom recommends this camera for such photos. The disadvantage is that these cameras are heavier, bulkier and larger than a normal compact model. The price varies between $250 and $450.

Finally, the best cameras if you're serious about photography are the SLR digital cameras. SLR comes from "standard lens reflex". They are great tools for photographs, allowing you to start them quick, change lenses, they have big image sensors, small shutter lag, can keep RAW images, shoot photos fast, and their battery lasts longer than normal cameras. They're quite bit, but well worth the price you're paying for them, which is between $900 and $1500.
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Can Anyone Become a Freelance Photographer???

Anyone can become a freelance photographer. But you will need to have a good digital camera, the skills to take very good photographs, and a strong determination to work hard in order to build up a successful freelance photography business.

If you decide to work as a freelance digital photographer you will get to be your own boss and will spend your time taking and selling digital photos - both online and offline. Sometimes you might work on assignment for large organizations or even for popular magazines. You might even get some all expenses paid trips. Freelance photography is certainly never a boring career choice.

If you don't already have good photography skills then you can still acquire the knowledge and skills required to be a good photographer.

You will probably need to read some good photography books, or study further at web sites that cover professional photography techniques. And you should consider taking a photography class in your local area. Many community colleges offer digital photography courses at very reasonable rates.

Don't forget that nothing is better for improving your photography than actually getting out there, taking some photos, experimenting with different camera and composition techniques, and gaining valuable experience shooting behind the camera lens.

These days, thanks to the World Wide Web, there are so many freelance digital photography opportunities that are predominantly digital and online. You can take your pictures with a digital camera and then upload your photos directly to the Internet where you can sell them!

To find out more about how to sell your photos visit CameraCareer. We have a great Freelance Photography FAQ and you can learn exactly how to get started as a freelance photographer. http://www.CameraCareer.com
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Selling Photographs

Selling photographs is like selling any visual art. It is nice when people like your work, but it won't buy any groceries. Others may like and want your work and you might negotiate enough for an occasional tank of gas from them. The people who need your work are the ones that pay the mortgage.

You can see this in the galleries. A couple stand in front of a picture and the man tells his wife that he really likes it and they move on. Another couple stops and looks at the same picture.

"You know that print next to the fireplace, don't you think this would look great there instead?"

"I always thought the yellow clashed with the chair. We need to move either the print or the chair. I like the chair where it is."

"Alright, I better get our deposit down before someone else takes it."

I learned about selling what the customer needs the hard way. About eight or ten cruise ships heading to Alaska will stop at Astoria, Oregon for six or eight hours. Every time there would be an Arts and Craft Show on the pier. I had a booth one spring selling 16" x 20" matted photographs of the Astoria area. Many people looked, said they were very nice, and moved on. How many people need a sixteen by twenty matted print on a ten day cruise to Alaska? On my best day I just covered my booth rental.

A number of years ago I was having dinner with a young couple at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. He was a young professional who had started collecting art on a modest scale. During dinner his wife mentioned that she would like a piece of art that reflected San Francisco in a unique way.

After dinner we were strolling through the wharf area and went by a gallery he dealt with. There in the window was a new Salvador Dali print from his San Francisco Suite. He immediately put his deposit down for the set of five, hand colored. etchings. Why did he buy it? He needed to please his wife. By the way, that suite recently sold at auction in Dallas for $12,000.
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How to Pose People For Your Pictures

If you want to be a great 'people' photographer, you might think you need to know a lot of different poses, or know how to talk to your subjects like a fashion photographer. But really it's more about being yourself. Photographing people can be the most rewarding and yet the most difficult subject to photograph. The photographers in magazines make it seem so easy. Is it really that difficult? I used to think so, I used to be pretty intimidated by it. I struggled with; do I see their whole body, or just their face, what do I do with the hands, what do they wear? Yikes, just a few things to think about, all of this when you're also struggling to think about exposure and lighting.

I guess where I had my break-through was when I realized that they were just as intimidated as I was. I learned that there's nothing scarier than having your photograph taken. As soon as I learned this, I started paying more attention to my photo subject than to my nervousness, giving me more time to figure out how to pose them and how much of them I wanted to see in the picture.

If you want to take successful photographs of people you need to pay attention to the person and you have to have the confidence to photograph them. You need to believe in yourself as a photographer and you need to respect the person you are shooting. And forget about how nervous you are and start making them feel comfortable.

Specific things you say to a photo subject or how you pose them can also help make the picture better. If you want to take great photographs of people you need to make your subject at ease and pose them comfortably.
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Photography Business Cashflow

You may have a number of clients who say they are going to purchase some prints, but they never seem to get around to it. This can ruin your cash flow. Takes steps to fix this issu. I've known clients to wait a year or more to order prints. This can leave a photographer in the bind of doing all of the work - taking the pictures, editing the pictures and posting them on the web and not get any benefit in return. This may leave your website with thousands of proofed pictures that are not being looked at but still eat up server space.

What can be done about this vexing issue? Plenty. But it must be done early on in the client/photographer relationship. A photographer should have a paragraph on their website stating that the proofs will be on the web for only a limited period of time (between 2 weeks and 2 months). You may want to put this information in the same paragraph where you describe your commitment to getting proofs out within a certain time period after the photo shoot. By doing this, the message communicated is: I am a professional, I will be respectful of your time and needs and I expect you to be respectful of mine as well.

Of course you don't want to miss selling any prints in the event that the client does get around to selecting some prints. The email should explain that your servers spaces is not unlimited and therefore you will need to take the pictures down after a period of time and that there will be a fee for putting the pictures back up if they should then want to order. Nobody wants to pay a fee. Most people will make ordering a priority so they do not have to pay the fee. This technique also has the added benefit of emphasizing that the clients are dealing with a professional, not their uncle Bob who just took up photography as a hobby.
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Photography Jobs

Many people love and enjoy photography jobs as a hobby. It can be done part time for some extra cash or you can turn it into a full time job and make a living from it.

Photos are very special as they provide us with keepsakes of pleasant memories, places and events that happened in our lives. They allow us to hold a special moment forever on a picture and it brings back certain memories. There are millions of people who love photos and enjoy taking them. If you are one of them then this will be a great opportunity for you to start your own photography business. It is easy to get legitimate online photography jobs.

There are a large number of advantages with this job. You will be your own boss and can choose your own time and days you want to work. It gives you flexability and freedom. Take pictures anytime and anyplace on vacation and in different locations, in different cities and countries.

The demand for photos is huge. Businesses and private buyers are looking for photographs each and every day. Stock images are in big demand. Lots of companies and magazines need new and relevant photo images for advertisements.

Anyone with a simple digital camera can take nice and clear pictures. You don't need to be an expert and there is no special experience required. It is easy to sell your pictures on the internet. There is an unlimited demand for all kinds of photos. Photography jobs are lots of fun. It gives you a big opportunity to earn a good living. It is a legitimate business and you will enjoy doing it.
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