Mixing Time and Lights

Nikon D300 Image quality

2007-09-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Initial impression from these images - a particular photographers ability to compose, light a subject and post process an image rather than the technical competence of the camera. It looks like the photograph is supposed to relay a sense of soft dreaminess. These D300 samples are excellent for judging shadow noise, looks like no noise at all in the shadows, very clean. According to Bjorn D300 has an increase of 1.5 , 2 stops over the D200. Nikon is telling us that D300’s iso 200 is better than D200 at iso 100 with greater dynamic range of 1 stop without compromising on noise from higher pixels. more

portrait with Fuji

2007-08-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is indoor shot in portrait mode, excellent color.

Landscape with Fuji

2007-08-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

This is taken with fuji s6000fd in landscape mode, wide angle with deep color.

Flower Potrait

2007-08-07T20:46:00.001-07:00

EXIF Data
FujiFlim FinePix S6000fd
Color Represntation sRGB
Shutter Spped 1/45 Sec.
Lens Aperture F/2.8
Focal Length 6 mm
ISO Speed ISO-400
Metering Mode Pattern
Exposure Program Potrait Mode

Back to Digital Photography

2007-08-05T19:31:00.001-07:00

I am back to digital photography after a long break. This time I am using FujiFlim FinePix S6000fd.

EXIF Data
FujiFlim FinePix S6000fd
Color Represntation sRGB
Shutter Spped 1/45 Sec.
Lens Aperture F/2.8
Focal Length 6 mm
ISO Speed ISO-400
Metering Mode Pattern
Exposure Program Potrait Mode

Tigers come of age

2007-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Seasoned observers whopped with incredulity while a large Easter-holiday crowd (including vast swathes of schoolchildren bussed in en mass) celebrated the triumph of David over Goliath.

Perhaps though, when we look back in years to come, this result will be considered the day the Tigers reached maturity in the international arena. more

tags: sports, worldcup cricket

Spirited Bangladesh upset India

2007-03-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh sealed a famous five-wicket victory against India with a
thrilling performance in Port-of-Spain. Three of their teenagers
passed fifty, 17-year- old Tamim Iqbal with calypso strokes in a
stunning 51 off 53 balls. more

tags: sports, worldcup cricket

somewhere

2006-11-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." - Ansel Adams

Photography by Roman Johnston

Fall Colors

2006-11-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love fall colors, specially when we see capture like this. Photography by Devendra

Lights, water and camera

2006-07-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

Photography by kirintea
Las Vegas Christmas, all taken with S3 and Nikon 17-55mm F2.8
It is extreamly difficult to take pictures in low light situtation specially without flash.

Door way to Digital Photography

2006-01-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Phtotography by Chris Fraser, Gate - Coloane Island, Macau, 2005
We are more and more depending on digital photography now a days.
Digital photography is different, but creativity is same.

tags: photography

City reflection

2005-12-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

Photography by Reto Savoca

Water under the bridge

2005-11-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Photography by Wilson Tsoi

Blue Water

2005-11-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Photography by Ian Sharp

Apertures, Pixel Sizes, and Diffraction Limits:

Contrary to popular belief, smaller lens apertures (with their
greater depth of field) don't necessarily result in sharper pictures.
When the negative effects of aperture diffraction begin to outweigh
the positive effects of increased depth of field, sharpness falls off
and fuzziness sets in. Smaller apertures also cause slower shutter speeds,
often requiring higher ISO settings to make a shot. Understanding how
aperture diffraction works and relating how diffraction applies to your
camera will help you to take sharper pictures.

Cambridge in Colour has an outstanding tutorial & essay about diffraction
limited photography. Once I took the time to read & understand it, experiment
with the interactive diffraction table, and work with the diffraction
calculator, I saw how critically important diffraction limits were.

Article from LoneStarDigital, more

Fall road

2005-10-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jerry Ting

Atlast Nikon D200 is here:
10.2 megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor: A newly developed 10.2 effective
megapixel DX Format CCD image sensor that captures images with edge-to-edge
sharpness and incredible color at 3,872 x 2,592 pixels, yielding extraordinarily
high-resolution images perfect for enlargements or creative cropping.Industry-
leading image processing for exceptional color performance: Incorporates Nikon's
industry-leading advanced imaging processing engine of the D2x, which allows
color -independent pre-conditioning prior to A/D conversion to work in symphony
with advanced digital image processing algorithms to achieve fine color
gradations with exceptionally smooth, consistent transitions. Large viewfinder
with 0.94x magnification: The new eye-level optical viewfinder developed for the
D200 features large magnification (0.94x) that helps ensure a clear view for
precise composition, and built-in diopter adjustment that allows fine-tuning to
your eyesight. Preview from Dpreview, more

Hero

2005-10-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Photography from Wikipedia

On a dark street in a wealthy district of Damascus, a light shines from an arched, brass doorway. The door is slightly ajar. Inside, except for a small computer in the corner, the room seems like a medieval study. Ottoman-engraved silver plates, carved wood couches, and stained glass windows line the sides of this narrow office. Here, University of Damascus professor Suhair Zakkar is translating old manuscripts for a 90-volume series on the Crusades--an accumulation of his life's work. Article by Rhonda Roumani, more

Missing Spring

2005-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Photography by Pnina Evental

Bokeh (from the Japanese boke, "blur") is a term used in photography to describe the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens. For example, in some images the background may be deliberately caused to be out-of-focus to reduce distractions and to emphasize the primary subject.

Some lenses are thought to produce more pleasing out-of-focus areas that enhance the overall quality of the image. Bokeh is a quite subjective quality that is difficult to quantify and is sometimes debated. Article from
wikipedia, more

Alien Anywhere

2005-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Photography by Mark Sherman

Extraterrestrial life is life that may exist and originate outside
our planet Earth. Its existence is currently hypothetical: there is
as yet no evidence of extraterrestrial life that has been widely
accepted by scientists. Speculative forms of extraterrestrial life
range from humanoid and monstrous beings seen in works of science
fiction to life at the much smaller scale of bacteria and viruses.
Most scientists hold that if extraterrestial life exists, its evolution
would have occurred independently in different places in the universe.
An alternative hypothesis, held by a minority, is panspermia, which
suggests that life in the universe could have stemmed from a single
initial distribution of spores that provide the basis for living beings
to develop. If true, this theory would suggest that life in various forms
might exist throughout the universe. Article from Wikopedia, more

Sunflower

2005-10-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Photography by Reto Savoca

A Photoshop CS action that imitates Fuji Velvia film:
This is Photoshop plugin. Load a photo that you think might benefit
from a more Velvia-like appearance, and execute the action. It will
pause twice during execution - the first time, you can set the opacity
of the layer that produces the effect - more opaque intensifies colors
more, less opaque is more subtle the second pause is in a curve setting
window; I find that a slight S-curve improves the effect; you can fiddle
with the curve or reset it as you wish. Article by RossA. Alford, more

How to use Photoshop action file :
Place the *.atn files into Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop
X\Presets\Photoshop Actions where X is the version number for
your version of Photoshop.To load an action set, go to the
Actions palette, then click the small arrow in the top right
corner and navigate to the location where you saved the action.
Select the file you'd like to load and it will be added to the
actions palette. Learn more about creating and using actions
from my links to Photoshop Action Tips.

Natures color

2005-10-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Photography by Andrew R

Scanned images are notorious for having odd colors. Using Adobe Photoshop
Elements makes color corrections a breeze. You may need to fix other basic
problems in a scanned image, such as misalignment or ragged edges, or you
may want to resize a scanned image for a project. To remove any color tints
that may have been introduced by scanning your image, choose Enhance >
Color > Color Cast. The eyedropper tool is automatically selected for you.
Click an area in the image that should be gray, white, or black. If you aren't
happy with the results, click the Reset button and try again. When you are
satisfied with the result, click OK. To Adjust colors Choose Enhance >
Variations to use preset color adjustments to fine-tune the colors in your image.
Choose Shadows, Midtones, or Highlights to change the colors in an area of your
image. Click a variation to preview the adjustment in the Current Pick thumbnail.
Click OK when the colors look good. Article from Adobe, more

Digital Darkroom Reference

Band of colors

2005-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Photography by Mellik Tamas

Everyday, people take photos by pointing their camera at something
interesting and clicking the shutter. Often, these photos do not
turn out as interesting as the scene that was before them. What
makes a photo interesting is showing someone something they do not
normally see. This can be achieved through subject matter, through
treatment or, ideally, through both. If you come across a scene of
an unusual event or if you set up a shoot of something out of the
ordinary then the subject matter itself will provide a view of
something not normally seen. Article by Christian Cook, more

One night at Eiffel

2005-10-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Photography by lilli lau

Why does someone have to travel half way around the globe to capture
images of the Eiffel tower, surely there are many good Parisian
photographers that could do the same job by simply poking their noses
out their front door and surely there are millions of images of the same
subject out there already? You would be correct in thinking like this,
but there are always new angles, new fashionable photographic trends and,
who really cares where the image came from in the first place, as long as
it is good and the client is happy! Ah, now this is where you, the budding
travel photographer comes into it. The Eiffel tower is but a large, albeit
intriguing and history stooped man made metal structure, but it attracts
visitors from all over the world, and it happens to lie in the centre of
one of the worlds most romantic cities. So how would you go about
photographing the Eiffel Tower? Article by Mark Ossendryver, more

Morning mist

2005-10-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

Photography by Patrick Di Fruscia

One of photography's overstated beliefs is that it is best to shoot either
very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon. The light at those
times, when the sun is low, has been called magical. Colors are warm, shadows
are long, subjects glow with piercing clarity. But the use of this light has
become so pervasive, and its images are so typical, that from the hours just
after dawn and just before dusk, much of the magic has gone. If photography
is writing with light, why use a dictionary with so few words? Photographers
on the move are hard-pressed enough to make the most of existing conditions,
whatever they are—we cannot always wait for the ideal light.

Misconceptions in Lighting :
1) Failing to properly set the Key Light
2) Viewing three-point lighting as a rule, instead of a starting point.
3) “ If you want it to look dark, you have to photograph it in the dark”
4) Using Soft light, but not cleaning up the spill
5) Being Afraid of “Hard Light”
6) Too Much Light on Night Exteriors

Article by Wendell Scot Greene, more

When Longhorns come to town

2005-10-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

It had been six years since No. 2 Texas beat rival Oklahoma. But that all comes to an end as the Longhorns pound the Sooners 45-12. Heisman candidate Vince Young throws for 242 yards and three scores. Full story

Night light

2005-10-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Photography by Aldo Costantini

Dark Wall

2005-10-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Photography by Richard Hans

Abstract collection

2005-10-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Photography by Claudia Fernandes

Saving Flood-Damaged Photographs:
After the devastation caused in the Gulf Region by hurricanes Katrina
and Rita many people at all levels of the photographic industry have
been besieged by questions on how to save flood-damaged negatives,
slides, and prints, how to restore damaged images, and how to protect
them in the future.
• What is the first thing someone should do after retrieving the
following items that have been damaged by flood water: a) negatives,
b) slides, c) loose prints, d) framed prints under glass, e) movie
film?
• What is the best way to clean negatives, slides, prints, or movie
film that has been damaged by flood water?
Article by Jason Schneider, more

Cold Night

2005-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Photography by Trent Whaley

Photographing winter action requires a special understanding of the strains
put on you, as well as your equipment. Preparation is the key. Pack sparingly
while making sure you're well-prepared, and try to choose the lightest and
best equipment you can afford. The longer the trip, the more those extra
ounces and cut corners will start to add up. Extremes of weather and terrain
in combination can be dangerous, but with a little preparation, your winter
sports photography trip can be just as safe and enjoyable as it is productive.

1 Dress For The Weather.
2 Cold Affects Your Camera, Too.
3 Snow Makes For Tricky Exposures.
4 Use Fill-Flash To Fight Contrasty Light.
5 Warm Up The Scene.
6 To Blur Or Not To Blur, That Is The Question.
7 Protect Your Power.
8 Interpolate With The Sunny f/16.
9 Avoid The Moisture Monster.
10 Necessary Maintenance.

Article by William Sawalich, more

Moon Illusion

2005-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Photography by Dave Zawalski

Double Exposures with a Digicamera:
Too bad that digital cameras don't make multiple exposures. You can do
it easily with a film camera. Just fire the shutter two or more times
without advancing the film. Of course the whole idea of making two or
more exposures on top of each other on a single frame of film inside
the camera was invented because there was no other way to achieve
certain effects. Now we have another way. When you add two images
together with a double exposure, all the light from the first image
is overlaid by all the light from the second. Bright areas that fall
on top of each other add together and become brighter. Dark areas that
fall on top of each other add together as well and lift in brightness.
The process is fairly uncontrolled in a camera and the results are not
very predictable. A photographer shooting a white bird to add it to an
earlier exposure of a rustic barn would often see things in the final
image that weren't anticipated. "Too bad about that wispy cloud covering
the silhouette of the roof…". Photoshop has a special double exposure
mode that lets you combine two images (or more) with exactly the same
effect you would have gotten in the camera. Article by Peter iNova, more

Red and Blue

2005-10-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jimmie Jackson

Photoshop tips:

It is very difficult and time consuming to separate complex image from its
background.But you can use Channels to help mask out a complex object
with clean edges. This technique will save you allot of time. Steps used in
this process:
>Make a duplicate layer of the image. This way the original is preserved on
the background and we are working on a duplicated layer. Hide the
background by clicking off its visibility icon.
>With the selection active, switch to the Channels palette. Click the Create
New Alpha Channel button, it’s the second one to the right on the bottom
of the channels palette.
>In the levels Dialog box, click the black point slider on the left and drag it to the
right until the gray areas have become a solid black, Slide the White point slider
to the left until the whites are nice and clean and the grainy effect has gone.
Click ok to apply.

Article by Colin Smith, more

Shapes and Colors

2005-10-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Photography by Reto Savoca

The important concepts for image editing are additive and subtractive color and
their respective primaries. The human eye is sensitive to electromagnetic
radiation with wavelengths between about 380 and 700 nanometers. This
radiation is known as light. The eye has three classes of color-sensitive light
receptors called cones, which respond roughly to red, blue and green light.
You can obtain a wide range of colors, but not all the colors the eye can see,
by combining RGB light. Article by Norman Koren, more

Blue in Spain

2005-10-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Photography by Martin W
Spain is a beautiful and diverse country in Mediterranean Europe, sharing
the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal at the western end of the Mediterranean
Sea. Once the centre of a global empire with colonies in Central and South
America, and the Philippines, contemporary Spain has overcome civil war and
fascism in the 20th century to stand proud and centered in itself. With great
beaches, fun nightlife, many cultural regions and historic cities, Spain makes
a great destination for any kind of trip. A country of large geographical and
cultural diversity, Spain is sometimes a surprise to people who know its
reputation for great beach holidays. There is everything from lush meadows in
the Northern provinces, snowy mountains to almost desert in the South.

Reference:
Wikitravel
Castles in Spain

Color of life

2005-10-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jerry Ting
Photography book : I got National Geographic Photography Field
Guide from a local store. This is a well written, easily accessible
guide that is a great beginners guide and reference for experienced
photographers. The first half of the book covers the basics of
photography including cameras, film, lenses and light. Each of the
chapters is concise and contains handy tables and charts. For example,
the chapter on filters has handy charts to help you determine when to
use certain filter types. The second half of the book contains chapters
devoted to various subjects. Some examples are landscapes, weather and
people. In between some of the chapters are small sections on National
Geographic photographers that give a short bio and their options on
photographing the subject being discussed. While these sections don't
provide much in the way of additional information, they make for
interesting reading and add character to the book. Beyond the written
content, the book itself is a work of art. It is filled with beautiful
pictures that are great examples of the topic being discussed. Also,
it is printed on glossy paper that adds that extra touch of
professionalism. All in all, a highly recommended guide.

Photographing with photoshop

2005-10-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Photography by Brad Kim

Learning how to manipulate an image will certainly make you a better
Photoshop user. Learning how much your images can be manipulated in
Photoshop will make you a better shooter. Most people say they use
Photoshop to correct their images. Photoshop certainly can handle
such image problems as sensor dust, lens flares, and bad white balance,
but the idea that any color adjustment is a correction betrays a lack
of understanding of the role Photoshop should play in your shooting
habits. Master photographers of old, such as Ansel Adams, were masters
not just because of their exceptional compositional skills, but also
because of their almost inhuman grasp of the chemistries of their
papers and chemicals. These photographers didn't use their darkrooms
to correct images, they used their darkrooms to finish images. They
understood that shooting the photo was only the first stage of making
a good image. Photoshop lets you make astounding alterations to your
images. It would take years to master the wet-darkroom equivalents
of Photoshop's varied special effects. Article by Ben Long, more

Digital Enigma

2005-09-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jerry Ting

The digital sensor in the majority of digital cameras is what is
known as a BAYER PATTERN sensor. This relates to the arrangement
of red, green and blue sensitive areas. Each pixel in the sensor
responds to either red, green or blue light and there are 2 green
sensitive pixels for each red and blue pixel. There are more green
pixels because the eye is more sensitive to green, so the green
channel is the most important. A conventional digital image has
pixels which can be red, green, blue of any one of millions of
other colors, so to generate such an image from the data output
by the sensor, a significant amount of signal processing is required.
This processing is called Bayer interpolation because it must
interpolate (i.e. calculate) what the color of each pixel should be.
RAW data (which Nikon call NEF data) is the output from each of the
original red, green and blue sensitive pixels of the image sensor,
after being read out of the array by the array electronics and
passing through an analog to digital converter. The readout electronics
collect and amplify the sensor data and it's at this point that "ISO"
(relative sensor speed) is set. If you save the RAW data, you can then
convert it to a viewable JPEG or TIFF file at a later time on a PC.
Suppose you shot indoors under tungsten light but you had the camera
set to daylight white balance. If you write a JPEG you'll be throwing
away a lot of the color information information and you'll end up with
a red/yellow looking image. You can't get that lost info back. However
in the RAW file, all the color data for all the channels is there and
you can recover the image. Article by Bob Atkins, more

Windmill

2005-09-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Photography by Michael Chang

In Europe, windmills have been used since the Middle Ages; regions
famous for their windmills include the Netherlands and La Mancha,
Spain. The windmills of La Mancha were made particularly famous by
a scene in Cervantes' Don Quixote de La Mancha where the title
character mistakes them for giants sent by an evil enchanter, giving
rise to the phrase "tilting at windmills". Windmills were developed
from the 12th century, apparently from technology gained by crusaders
who came into contact with windmills in the Middle East. Persian sources
indicate windmill use as early as the 7th century BC 1 2. Common
applications of windmills are grain milling, water pumping, threshing,
and saw mills. Over the ages, windmills have evolved into more sophisticated
and efficient wind-powered water pumps and electric power generators.
History from Wikipedia, more

Fall Color

2005-09-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Photography by Leping Zha

One of the greatest shows in the natural world occurs yearly in the forests
and fields of the eastern United States as prolific flowers, turning leaves
and colorful creatures paint the Autumn landscape. There is no better time
of year to take landscape photos than autumn. Those wonderful blue sky days
of October naturally lead anyone with a camera to want to record the glorious
fall color on film. First and foremost, is to know the subject of your
photography. In the case of all landscapes you would want to look for subjects
that capture the theme of autumn. So, before you snap your picture, think about
what in the scene in front of you typifies fall. Is it the color of the trees?
Is it the leaves on the ground? Emphasizing the elements that say "fall" in your
photos, and removing the elements that distract from your subject, is the first
step towards taking great autumn images. Be careful that in your joy in viewing
a riot of bright color you don't overlook telephone wires, bare branches or other
elements that will detract from the photo. Article by Chuck DeLaney, more

Italy, a photographic delight

2005-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Photography by Ilona Wellmann

Italia is a delight. For those with an interest in art, history, architecture,
delicious food, and breathtaking scenery, there is perhaps no other place on
earth with a finer offering of all these, and more. Her modern culture reflects
the complexity of her history, and, for the most part, her people are fascinating
and friendly. Some favorite places that we return to time and again include il
Lago di Como, and it's beautiful small towns along the lake shore; the Valle
d'Aosta and Monte Bianco; San Gmignano, with its medieval towers; the wondrous
art of Firenze, the Abbey of Monte Cassino, and the incomparable Costiera
Amalfitano.

One great experience in life must be arriving at the Venice train station.
After rolling through the countryside of the Veneto, one pulls into yet
another Italian train station. You grab your bags, walk through the lobby
of the station, walk out the back door and WHAM! You are at the vaporetto
stop on the canal which is the only way to get around in the city. You can't
avoid getting immersed in this city right from the start. This place grabs
you and seduces you and just won't let go. Article by Philip Greenspun, more

Can you feel the heat

2005-09-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Photography by Thomas Wiemer

Close-Up Techniques :
There are three ways to get close-up shots. Of course, you can
always simply zoom in with your telephoto lens and isolate the
subject. But if you need to get really close, you'll need to use
something more, for example, add extension between your camera
and lens, add another lens to the lens on your camera, or use
a combination of both. I use method 3 in its simplest form. But
first, lets take a quick look at each of the first two methods.
Any lens you own will focus closer if you can add space between
it and your camera. You can do this several ways. Macro lenses
have built-in extension that will let you take close-ups up to
lifesize (1:1 or 1x) without any extra accessories. These lenses
are more expensive that normal lenses, though, and unless you
plan to do a lot of close-up photography, you can do just as
well with other means. Article by Ed Morris, more

Stop War

2005-09-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Photography by Mark Sherman

BAGHDAD - U.S.-led forces, insurgents and criminal gangs have killed nearly 25,000
civilians, police, and army recruits since the war began in March 2003, according
to a survey by Iraq Body Count, a U.S.-British non-government group. Nearly half
the deaths in the two years surveyed to March 2005 were in Baghdad, where a
fifth of Iraq's 25 million people live, according to media reports monitored by
the group. Of the total, nearly 37 percent were killed by U.S.-led forces, it said.
The U.S. military disputed the findings and said it did not target civilians.
Article from MSNBC, more

Moon Light

2005-09-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Photography by Aleksei Korsakov
Story behind this picture:
It was very bright night, I came into one of the rooms without turning
the lights on. This room is under repair now, so you can hurt yourself
easily by stumbling over something on the flooe, but I didn't turn the
lights on, and I did it right. I saw the moon shining right into my
window and the shadow of lone standing chair is very interesting
disttorted on the floor and the wall. I thought that it might me an
interesting photo. In a minute I was installing the tripod and my Canon
EOS 300. As I already said, it was very dark for the human eye (you can
visualize this if just some of the street lights are lighting the room a
little bit), so I had to turn the lamp that was nearby on, because I could
see nothing through the dark viewfinder, excep silouets, plus I have a poor
vision. It was quite funny. I had to turn on the lamp, that was quite far
from the tripod, hold the release wire at the same time and then try to point
the camera at the chair to let came autofocus, check all the settings through
the viewfinder, and then turn the camera a little bit, so I would have a neat
composition. Yes, and I had to turn the lamp off afterwards because it was
killing the moonlight. Because I failed on some of the step of this algorithm,
I have made the ton of attepmts. Finally, everything is done and the shutter
is opened. I don't remember the exposure, but I'm sure it was no less than
30 seconds. Yeah, and I forgot to mention the cat trying to run across the
frame and the need t move the chair a little between my attempts, because the
moon was going away. As I already said, I was shocked when I saw this picture
in the preview, and then for the whole screen. I expected something very dark
and almost b/w. I was also shocked by the quality of the picture and low level
of noise. "Northern lights" are the product of street lighting and double window-
frame. You can see how low the quality f soviet glass is (it's so wavy and bumpy).
Bright lightspot beneath is the moonlight. General warm tone is a product of
parquet color I suppose, because the walls are white. There was no color
correction, just a little Unsharp mask.

Abstract Art

2005-09-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Photography by Mellik Tamas

Abstract simply means, not an object. You have "objective" image which is any
image that has the intention of respresenting an identifiable object. A cat, a
person, a building. Two common terms used to describe Abstract art are:
Nonobjective and Nonrespresentational. However in the realm of photography,
unlike painting, the photograph is almost always some identifiable object, but
sometimes the photographer is not interested in the Ojbect itself, but the way a
shadow makes an interesting bizarre shape or the way a texture recedes in
space or dizzy spinning lights in a long exposure at night.These kinds of
photographs called Abstract, because they are not concerned with telling any
kind of story or documenting a recognizable object they are simply; line, value,
shape, color and movement.

Abstraction is a verb, it is an action an artist does, which simply means altering
the identity of an object to make it unrecognizable, or to appear like another
object. A Painter may use Abstraction to transform a specific landscape into a
fantastical world, or to make flowers appear erotic. A photographer may shoot
a building at an odd angle to make it appear like an alien space craft, or a green
pepper so that it resembles human flesh. This is Abstraction, the object is still
there, but through an act of cunning on the part of the artist, you are being led
to beleive that it is something else entirely. The act of Abstraction may distort
the object to the point of being totally nonrepresentaional thus rendering it an
Abstract Image. Not all Abstractions become an Abstract Image. Discussion
from photo.net, more

China - a visual experience

2005-09-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

Photography by Hans Hendriksen

China is one of the most fascinating destinations. The stark contrasts between the heritage of an ancient culture and a rapidly expanding modern economy are mind-boggling. This, of course, provides many excellent photo opportunities, especially if one concentrates on all the small details. If all you want is snap shots or urban city and pictures of your girlfriend, by all means go anywhere. But if you want photo ops that says "China", then you have to go China. The landscape, culture, history is so vast and diverse that you have to divide it and see which area you are interested in. From Western Sichuan's Ganzi Autonomous Region which rivals the US's Rocky Mountains/ Grand Canyon imagery to the Northwestern Muslim areas and the Silk Road, to the poverty of Rural Guangxi Province and the Minorities of Yunnan Province, from the virgin forests of Hei Long Jiang province and the Karst Formations of the Guilin City area, from urban madness with its contrasts to quiet rural living. China is a visual experience, waiting to be recorded.

Reference
Trip to China by Ofer Yuval, more
Guide to China by Philip Greenspun, more

Black-and-white sentiment

2005-09-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jean-Philippe

Black and white photography has always given a different, usually
more "sentimental", feeling or emotion than standard colour photography.
B/W emphasizes on the basic elements or principles of tone, value, and
also compositional simplicity that forces the viewer into a certain state
of visual curiosity. In fact, the conversion from color to tones and
values seems to create a sort of profound intricacy in almost all black
and white photographs, and for some reason black and white photographs
always tend to evoke something "more" when compared to the majority of
color photographs. Discussion from photo.net, more

Black-and-white is back?
Black-and-white is back because it's still a great way to learn about how
film "sees" light. That's why good photo educators have never abandoned
teaching beginners how to work with black-and-white film and images. Pros
and long-time serious photographers, black-and-white never left. The fine-art
market in vintage photography has mushroomed in part because black-and-white
silver halide images are long-lasting and resistant to fading. There are lots
of smaller newspapers that still ask photographers to shoot black-and-white
when they know the photos will run in black-and-white. Street photographers
who still admire the seminal work of Henri Cartier-Bresson expose countless
rolls of b/w film in search of the "decisive moment." For this type of imagery,
color can be downright distracting. Article by Michael Haser, more

Somewhere in time

2005-09-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

Photography by Bill Foster

Photography Techniques the Pros Use:
The use of filters at anytime will alter the color temperature and atmosphere
of a particular photograph. Filters can be used to immediately change the
visual impact and message of the picture being taken. They can be used for
light balance (daylight filters used in tungsten or artificial light illumination
to change the color temperature and color recording qualities of the film)
or deliberately used to alter the overall color of the subject being photographed.
A deep blue filter can be used with daylight film which is balanced for daylight
color temperatures to turn the normal rendition into a pseudo night scene.
A deliberate underexposure can make the filterâ€™s effect even more striking
and deeper in a monotone hue or color cast. Photography journey to Instanbul
by Joe Marvullo, more

Magic of Velvia

2005-09-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

FujiChrome Velvia always fasinated me. Specially work of art like this
by Andrew. Velvia is a name of an ISO 50 (though many rate it at 40),
daylight-balanced color reversal film produced by the Japanese film
company Fuji. It also has a abbreviation: RVP. Its remarkably vivid,
lifelike colors under daylight, high contrast and incredible sharpness
and clarity make it the film of choice for outdoor photographers; and
it is considered by many who use it as the peak of perfection in color
film. Reference from Wikipedia, more
tags: photography,velvia

Digital Revolution with Ansel

2005-09-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Photography by Philip Greenspun
Premise: Snap your fingers. Bring Ansel Adams back alive just
20 years later. In his lifetime he was a proponent of innovation,
but, by today's technical advancements in photography, he would
be way behind the curve. What would he think about digital cameras?
Ink jet printers? The extreme manipulation of images and the trend
toward graphic design? All the software available? So, how would a
middle-aged Ansel function today? Would he be the guru in digital
that he is for the traditional? Discussion from photo.net, more

Ansel Adams, famous for his black & white landscape photographs
of the national parks (Yosemite National Park among others), and
as an author of numerous books about photography, including his
trilogy of technical instruction manuals (The Camera, The Negative
and The Print). He co-founded the photographic association Group
f/64 along with other masters like Edward Weston, Willard Van
Dyke, Imogen Cunningham and others. Reference from Wikipedia,
more

tags: photography,digital

Art of Photography

2005-09-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Photography by Patrick Di Fruscia (photo.net). Great composition and exposure - Beautiful Photograph, But Do You Know WHY It's Beautiful?
Pictures can be beautiful. They can decorate a home or and office; be published in books, magazines and calendars; they can even win ribbons or prizes in contests. A breathtaking landscape can transport the viewer to another time and place, if only for a moment. A beautiful still life can capture a mood of serenity, warmth, even magic. A great portrait of a person can look into their soul, and let you share their smiles or tears. A great picture "communicates". Article from morgueFile, first lesson on Art of Photography, more
tags: photography,art

Soft Light

2005-09-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Photography by ken williams (photo.net)
Soft light is basically light that has been diffused. Any light that does not directly strike on the subject's surface from the source is considered as diffused lighting. You can create a diffused light by bouncing the light source off the ceiling, the wall, or other materials. Unless you use an external flash unit, the amount of illumination on the subject can be greatly reduced through the bounce, rendering your continuous light source a little ineffective. Another method of diffusing the light is to pass the light through a translucent material. Article from Camera Hacker, more
tags: photography,light

Sounds of the sea

2005-09-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Photography by F. Monteiro
How to take great Photographs of boats, from boats, and on boats:
Before we carry our camera aboard, there's one key point to
consider: Water. Water, water, everywhere. The main thing to
remember is to always protect as much of your gear as possible.
You may shoot a picture of a boat while you're standing on the
shore or you may be aboard another boat. Either way, start by
observing the Three Guidelines. What makes this picture of the
racing boat so appealing is its unadulterated simplicity. There''s
the boat and its spinnaker sail, big and bold. There's the sea and
there''s the sky. That's all! The boat pretty much fills the frame
- and there''s nothing else to distract us. There's another aspect
to shooting from a rocking boat. For example, imagine trying to
stand to take pictures on this dragon boat. You bet there's lots
of rolling and tossing in Hong Kong Harbor. In addition to bracing
yourself, use a fast shutter speed. To use a fast shutter speed,
you''ll need a fast film. ISO 400 or faster should be your standard
at-sea film speed. Article from NYIP, more
tags: photography,sea

Symmetry

2005-09-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Photography by Vasilis Artikos
As you look around the room you are presently in, most, if not all, the
shapes that are designed and manmade are symmetrical. The books, windows,
tables, doors, and chairs, to list only a few, are all designed with an
identical shape and size on either side. Granted there may be objects,
like a mirror, that are not symmetrical. The mirror, however, serves as
a decorative element that is in contrast to the functional and predictable
symmetrical design of the other objects. As a result, there is a natural
inclination for the eye to see a symmetrical element in a photograph as
figure. Symmetrical elements and areas that are perceived as more symmetrical
than other elements will be grouped as figures within the frame. However,
elements can be similar without being symmetrical. If they are seen as both
similar and symmetrical, a repetitive grouping creates a visual rhythm and
balance. Symmetry is usually found in design, graphics, and line sketches
rather than in photography. The use of similar line or similar edge defines
the form. In a photograph, a symmetrical image can be altered in its perception
as figure when the characteristics of color, tone, and shape are added. For
an element, to be grouped and seen as figure, a number of concepts reinforcing
the same grouping filust be present. Symmetry enhances the possibility of
grouping, but in a photograph no one concept should dominate. Article from
Photo Box, more
tags: photography,shape

Art of Reflection

2005-09-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Photography by Robert Cirillo

The best reflection shots happen with well illuminated subjects against a
clear blue sky. That means the sun should not be in front but in back of
your position. Use a circular polarizer and remove it if you don't like it.
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, so often--but not
always--that means getting at a near grazing angle. Expect to hunker down a
lot. Often, but not always, the best shots are with still water. And the best
candidates for still water are very shallow ponds, and especially puddles.
Its often more interesting to have something in the water itself be visible,
either by sticking or growing out of it. Use a tripod. Smooth out the water
a bit with long (1-4 second) exposures. Stop down. Use f/16 or smaller for
great depth of field. Expose for the reflection and then drop down on shutter
speed. Use a ND filter if you have it, but don't use it as a crutch. Tips by
Nathan Cohen, more
tags: photography,reflection

Workflow

2005-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Photography by murat

The following is the basic workflow can be used to prepare images.

1. Levels Adjustment to correct exposure and color cast
2. Hue/Saturation adjustment to correct overall saturation and saturation of
specific colors
3. Removing dust and scratches
4. Sizing the image for output
5. Sharpening the image

The graph called a histogram is a visual representation of the tonal range of the
image. The black triangle on the far left represents pure black, no visible details.
This triangle is referred to as the shadow levels slider. The hollow triangle to the
far right represents pure white, no visible details. This triangle is called the
highlight levels slider. The gray triangle in the middle adjusts the contrast and
is called the midtones level slider. The two sliders at the bottom represent the
Output Levels and will not be used at this time.

As a rule of thumb try to remove the offending color cast rather than try to
cover it up by adding other colors. If you are new to color correcting experiment
with the Color Channels and midtone levels slider while watching the results of
your adjustments on your image. You can reset all the settings and start over by
simply holding down the Alt key on the keyboard and clicking on the resulting
reset button.

Article from Twisted Tree Photo, more
tags: photography,workflow

Portraits

2005-09-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Photography by Shama Ko

The most important thing about portrait photography is an interest
in your subject. If you are so busy working that you can't care
about strangers then don't take their photos! Or at rate, don't
expect those photos to be good. flattering light for most
portraits is soft and off-camera. A large north-facing window works,
as does the electronic equivalent, the softbox. I can break down
portrait into couple of the situation.
1. Standard portrait
2. Telephoto portrait:candid, natural unposed, long enough to be
subjects aren't aware of them being photographed
3. Environmental portrait:The subject and surroundings are equally
important
4. Detailed Body part:Macro works on portrait
5. Exaggerated body portion portrait:So called wide angle close up
portrait, for thsoe fun special effect, Using a distortion a minimizing
hadicaped body portion for example making short leg looks longer.
6. Group portrait:Family photo, wedding photo something like that kind
of gathering. Then think each case what kind of the lens will be useful.

For the case 1), Something like 85mm/1.8 or 100mm/2 will be useful.
For 2), 300mm focal length is minimum.
For 3), lens like 24mm 28mm 35mm will be ideal
For 4), Dedicated macro lens, or medium telephoto lens with extension tube
For 5), 24mm or at least 28mm will be ideal. this one should be single focal prime
For 6),35mm or 50mm will be ideal.

Article by Philip Greenspun, more
tags: photography,portrait

Bubbles

2005-09-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Photography by Richard E Wilson
The power of Photoshop's Curves features comes from its ability to directly
remap the tonal values in an image or any channel of an image. Unlike the
Levels command, which has control points only for the highlights, shadows,
and midtones, the Curves tool provides up to 14 control points. The horizontal
axis in the Curves dialog box represents the current values of the pixels
in an image or selected part of an image. The vertical axis represents
the tonal values after the curve is applied. The default curve is a straight
line with an angle of 45 degrees -- for each pixel, the input value is the
same as the output value. As you add points to the curve and drag them to
reshape the curve, all tonal values are affected, especially those closest
to the point. Article by Miles Hecker, more
tags: photography,bubble

Beach

2005-09-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Photography by Todd Laffler
Many photographs will have a white sky because the contrast range of
the film was not great enough to capture the much brighter sky and
show its blue color. This is especially true when shooting color
negative film. Slide film--with its greater tone range--will usually
do a little better job of capturing the blue color in the sky. Still,
it is often necessary to add a little blue into the sky of pictures.
In real life the color of blue in the sky is more saturated (darker
shade of blue) higher up and less saturated (lighter shade of blue)
nearer the horizon. So, when we put the blue back into the sky in a
photograph, we use the Gradient Fill tool in Photoshop and lay in a
color of blue that is more saturated at the top and less saturated
nearer the horizon. Article by Darryl C. Nicholas - Shutterbug, more

Please help victims of Hurricane Katrina
tags: photography,beach

Dots

2005-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Photography by Aldo Costantini
Wide angles are called such because their angle of view
is greater than a 50mm lens. A 50mm lens has an angle of
view of 46 degrees, compared with 75 for a 28mm, and 94
for a 20mm. This basically means that if you take a
photograph from the same position with 28mm and 50mm
lenses, the 28mm lens will show more of the scene infront
of you. Landscapes are perhaps the use of wide angle lenses
that immediately springs to mind. However, you still need a
strong foreground to make them work, otherwise all the
viewer will see is empty space and something small in the
distance. Article from UofE Photosoc, more
tags: photography,dots

Castle

2005-09-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Photography by Hrvoje Glavas

How to create Synthetic Grass in Photoshop

Start with a grayscale image.
Filter Add Noise: Gaussian, 10.
Image>Map>Threshold (cmd-T): 233.
Image>Map>Invert (cmd-I)
Filter>Stylize>Wind : Wind, Left.
Wind three more times (cmd-F) x 3.
Filter>Distort>Ripple: 25, Large.
Edit>Select All (cmd-A), Edit> Copy (cmd-C)
Filter>Other>Offset: Horz. 0, Vert. 40, Wrap Around
Edit>Paste (cmd-V)
In the Layers Palette, set blend mode to Screen
and Deselect Selection (cmd-D)
Image>Rotate>90 CCW.

Article by Russell G. Taber, more
tags: photography,castle

Blue Water

2005-08-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Photography by Todd Laffler
Nice calm blue water. Water is source of our life.
But then again water can be devastating. Katrina
death toll estimated to be at least 120. Water
still rising in New Orleans. Mississippi governor:
More damage than Camille. Please try to help whatever
way you can. Story from CNN, more
tags: photography,water,blue

Nikon D200 Revisited

2005-08-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

Rumors of the Nikon D200 have been circulating around the web since this time
last year but its release seems to be drawing to a close with leaks, mentions
in catalogues (its mentioned in this this PDF catalogue from LowePro) and lots
of speculation in both online and offline media sources. The speculation is that
this camera could be released in the next few days - with most saying its got a
release date of 1 September. Still no full frame. Article from livingroom.org, more

Sunset and water

2005-08-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Photography by Ferrando Flores Rafael
Create a Sunset in less than a minute.
Open the image that you want to work with and also open
any image of a sunset. Choose Image, Adjustments, Match Color.
The Match Color dialog box will open. We will only need to use
2 settings for the task at hand. Under Source, click the drop
down menu and select the image of the sunset. There will be a
thumbnail for you to check that you have selected the correct
image. Turn on the preview option if it isnâ€™t already. The
working image will now take on the color attributes of the
sunset image. Most probably the effect will be a bit too much.
Adjust the Fade slider until you are happy with the result.
Move it to the left for more of the inherited color and to the
right for the original color. Article from Photoshop Cafe, more

Where are we going?

2005-08-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Photography by Tom H
When someone asks me to name my favorite place to photograph abroad, I usually rattle off three or four locations, fully aware that I did not exactly answer the question. I have come to realize that my â€œfavorite placeâ€� is not so much a place, but a type of location. Although I enjoy photographing the usual icons as much as the next photographer, I prefer places that are a little off the beaten path and under-photographed, where I can capture the beauty of nature without previously-taken images popping into my mind. Cabo Pulmo, in Mexicoâ€™s state of Baja California Sur (BCS), is one such place. Article by Efrain M. Padro, more

Storm Brewing

2005-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Photography by Doug Bowles
Photographing merely involves seeing through the lens of a camera. Seeing
has many different dimensions. There is generalized seeing with very little
focus of attention to that being seen. In this case the Near Sky is like
visual Musak, seen but not seen. The clouds have always been there and you
pay little attention to them. At the other end of the attention continuum,
there is seeing not only with the physical eye, but also with the inner eye,
the eye of the artist innate in each individual but untouched and uncultivated
in most. Here, each cloudscape is unique and worth savoring. Some cloudscapes,
or clouds, feature such an array of color and arrangement of form that the
result is beauty beyond description. Each photographer of the Near Sky faces
the challenge of capturing fleeting images for future reference either of a
technical or artistic nature. Article by John A. Day, more

Street Sign

2005-08-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Photography by Jim Goldstein
This is meant to be a photojournalism piece not bait for a flame war.

Bangladesh

2005-08-26T23:16:00.000-07:00

Photography by Patrick Peron
Bangladesh is still an incredible photo taking opportunity. Tourists are few (For the last 20 years the Ministry of Tourism's slogan still is "Come to Bangladesh before the tourists")and people do not mind photographers if you show decent common sense behavior. The country side is fabulous and has a wide range of subjects ad opportunities, more

Birds

2005-08-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Photography by Antonio Toscano Rofa
Modern technology present in most camera systems today has automated
functions such as aperture, shutter speed, focus and light metering. But
automatic modes are seldom best for photographing birds, as we want to
be able to control certain aspects depending on the given situation. So
before beginning to seriously undertake bird photography, it would be
wise to gain an understanding of the fundamentals. Two things affect
exposure: shutter speed, meaning the amount of time the film is exposed,
and aperture, which determines the lens opening size. The camera meter
determines correct exposure. Aperture and shutter speed combine as
the exposure setting. Fast shutter speeds are needed to freeze wing
motion or other movement. An increase in shutter speed requires
opening up the lens a proportionate amount. Several combinations
of shutter speed and aperture can be used to take a single photograph.
You have to decide which is best for each image. Depth of field (DOF)
is the area of the image in focus. Large apertures reduce DOF, and serve
to isolate the subject. Learning how exposure works to affect an image
is imperative. Practicing by taking photos in varied conditions is the best
way to learn. Believe it or not, more images are ruined by camera shake
than any other cause. So a steady hand, brace, or better yet, tripod will
eliminate unwanted blurring. We'll elaborate more on tripods later. Article
from Birds of Oklahoma, more

Shadows and Light

2005-08-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Photography by Kevin Hartnell
You can photograph your dreams. Great painters, Monet, or Vermeer for example, can conjure pictures from their inner vision but the rest of us lack the artistic skills to get our ideas out of our mind and onto paper or canvas. Now, however, scenes can be created by anybody with the imagination to conceive of the image and the technical skills to use Photoshop to its full potential. With Photoshop you can build any image that you can imagine by compositing parts from separate photographs, whether those parts are objects, people, backgrounds, sky, anything at all from as many photographs as you like, if you can create a uniform lighting over all of the combined parts. Article by Jay Arraich, more

Macro

2005-08-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

Photography by Don Guindon
Taking close-up pictures of small things is called "macro photography."Perhaps because the small things in macro photography are generally larger than the things you are taking pictures of when doing "micro photography". With a depth of field of around one millimeter for precise macro work, camera positioning and focus become critical. If you have a good tripod and head, you'll find that you have at least 10 controls to adjust. Each of them will move the camera. None of them will move the camera along the axis that you care about. Article by Philip Greenspun, more

Sunlight

2005-08-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Photography by Al Ungar

Photography is all about light, the direction of the light falling on your subject is most important, you need to look at your subject carefully and watch how the shadows fall.

If you are able to choose the time of day to shoot your pictures, try to pick a time when the sun is low in the sky, either shoot in the early morning or late afternoon. Shooting pictures of people with the sun too high in the sky, tends to mean the subject's eyes will be in shadow and/or they will be squinting in the strong light, both of which tend to look horrible. A nice side effect of shooting in the early morning or late afternoon is that the colour of the light is 'warmer', reds and yellows are stronger which generally gives a more pleasing effect. Article by Geoff Lawrence, more

Canon EOS 5D, Full-Frame

2005-08-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

The biggest surprise of the day (not) will be Canon's much-leaked EOS 5D. Yes, the specifications floating around for the last two weeks were accurate, this camera slots in above the EOS 20D but below the EOS-1D series with its full-frame (35 mm negative size) 12.8 megapixel CMOS sensor. Other key specifications; 3.0 fps continuous shooting, Spot metering, Custom settings mode, Picture Style parameters, 2.5" wide viewing angle LCD monitor, marginally larger than the EOS 20D, USB 2.0 High-speed, compatible with WFT-E1 wireless transmitter. The EOS 5D is certainly unique and will no doubt be of great interest to a great variety of photographers. The EOS 5D will be priced at $3299. Article from Dpreview, more

Summer heat and water

2005-08-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Photography by Van Tziampazis (photo.net)
Summer is here, and with warm weather comes a ton of water-related activities. Pools, lakes, oceans, rivers, waterfalls and even backyard sprinklers â€” you name it, summer's got lots of water! A lot of people donâ€™t think they can take photos of these fun-in-the-sun moments for fear of ruining their cameras. But fear not! By taking some minor precautions and remembering a few simple tips and techniques, shooting wonderful water photographs can be a snap. Article from Adobe, more

Human factor

2005-08-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Photography by Peter Daalder (photo.net)

No matter if you are for or against the war, no matter what religion you believe in, please pray for these people, remember them.

It is difficult to avoid seeing pictures showing the ravages of war; indeed to some extent we have become almost immune to it. To many people of the time, however, war would be something that was conducted in far-off lands, and therefore would conjure up pictures of heroism and romanticism. Article by Robert Leggat, more

Color of Summer

2005-08-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Photography by Michele Berti (photo.net)
Summer offers spectacular opportunities for beautiful scenery and backdrops for photographic adventures. Summer heat and bright-light conditions present major challenges for film and equipment as well as photographic techniques. Lets take a look at a couple of challenges to keep in mind when venturing out for a day of photography in the sun: Temperature and Light. Article from Imagedancer, more

Lens

2005-08-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Photography by Bobby Douglas (photo.net). This was done in 7 shots with my 28-80mm at about 50mm and then put together in photoshop. It makes a very sharp 20 x 50 inch print.

A photographic lens (or more correctly, objective) is an integrated system comprising one or more simple optical lens elements, used for a camera or microscope. It may be fixed to the camera body, or interchangeable. There will usually be an aperture selection mechanism for adjusting the amount of light through the lens, and a focusing mechanism. Depending on type of camera, there may also be an integrated shutter.

Once you've settled on the subject and the light, you have to decide on the relative prominence of objects in the scene. By moving the camera position back and forth, you can adjust the relative size of objects in the scene. After you're happy with the position, you pick a lens whose angle of view encompasses all the objects that you want to include in the photo. Article by Philip Greenspun, more

Fluidlens

2005-08-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

Named Fluidlens, this lens is made of liquid and is no bigger than a contact lens, but can achieve an optical zoom of up to 10 times, matching the zoom capabilities of lenses found on mid-range and high-end digital cameras and superior than most cellphone cameras which use digital zoom that relies on software rather than the lens to zoom in on an object. Article from DigitalCamera@101reviews, more

Landscape

2005-08-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Photography by pnina evental (photo.net)
A landscape is a section or portion of scenery as seen from a single viewpoint. Scenery is the subject of a landscape image. Typically, people and animals are not shown in a landscape, unless they are relatively small in the image and have been included in the composition to show scale. Some photographers argue that the sea coast, the city and man-made structures in general should not be included in a landscape, and images that do contain them are more accurately called seascapes or cityscapes. From a purist perspective, they are probably correct, since a landscape is a picture of the land and its aggregate natural features. However, if natural scenery dominates an image, it can probably be accurately termed a landscape, even though there may be a farmhouse in the distance, a city skyline on the horizon or a road or path in the foreground.

The term â€œUrban Landscapeâ€� describes photographs of the city taken in the manner of a landscape, using buildings and other man-made features as graphical elements of composition that are treated in the same way the photographer would treat mountains and trees. Article from PhotographyTips, more

Colorization

2005-08-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

Photography by Wander Aguiar (photo.net)
A tutorial to teach you, step by step, how to color any part of an image, and to isolate color from an image in Photoshop. Article from Good-Tutorials, more

Street Photography

2005-08-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Photography by Volker Hett (photo.net)
The classic technique for street photography consists of fitting a wide (20mm) or moderately wide-angle (35mm) lens to a camera, loading high-speed film (ISO 400), and pre-focusing the lens. Pre-focusing? How do you know how far away your subject will be. It turns out that it doesn't really matter. Wide angle lenses have good depth of field. If your subject is 10 feet away and the lens is set for 12 feet, you'd probably need to enlarge to 20x30" before noticing the error (assuming a typical aperture). This is why the high-speed film is important. Given a fixed shutter speed, the faster the film the smaller the aperture. The smaller the aperture, the less critical it is to focus precisely. Article by Philip Greenspun, more

Paris

2005-08-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Photography by Wilson Tsoi (photo.net)

A Photographer's Guide to Paris:
Paris is one of the birthplaces of photography and a city whose casual beauty makes for rich material to anyone willing to walk around slowly and observe carefully. It could be that your eyes will settle on a bit of sculpture on a building facade. Or the arrangement of goods in a shop. Paris is a big city. People there aren't exactly starved for social contact. But if you're reasonably soft-spoken, good humored, and make an attempt to speak the language, you may be surprised at how friendly the natives turn out to be. Article by Philip Greenspun, more

Wedding

2005-08-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Photography by Anne Ruthmann (photo.net)

Wedding Photography tips :
- Handle all business upfront.
- Make sure your client knows your style and what you can deliver.
- Handle yourself as a professional.
- Have at least 2 of everything, 2 camera bodies, 2 flashes, 2+ lenses.
- Learn to zone focus for the processional.
- Watch out for eye glass wearers, walls, and mirrors that could cause flashback.

Article by melisa mckolay, more

Gone Fishing

2005-08-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Photography by Hakki Yesillik (photo.net)
Fishing photography primarily consists of either snapshots -- proof you were fishing, caught some fish, or caught the fish of your life -- or a more ambitious attempt to capture a particular moment such as a sunset, a river canyon, a school of fish; occurrences which by their sheer beauty, or rarity, have the potential to reach and delight a larger audience. While the requirements for a simple snapshot camera can be easily defined, the complexity of one's camera needs for more ambitious photographs is virtually unlimited. Article by Peter Patricelli, more

I am thinking ..

2005-08-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

Photography by Richard Wilson

Baby Photography Tips:
-Use available light, preferrably a north facing window (indirect light) I did my shoot on the kitchen floor next to our north facing sliding glass door with a blanket as a backdrop.
-Orient your subject to create a sideways lighting across their face, it adds depth and shows features. A wall bounce flash could be used to simulate this if no window was available, and would probably be more gentle on the baby's eyes.
-Try having the baby lay on their stomach. At three months, they are usually inquisitive enough to push their head up to look around. If they won't work with this, maybe create a little reclining seat with some pillows stuffed under your blanket backdrop.

Tips by Sheldon Nalos (photo.net), more
tags: photography,baby

Rain Photo Contest First Entry

2005-08-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

"After the Storm" Photography by R. Lee (Neo Misc Photo Blog)
Comment - Excellent composition, love the green with patches of water.
Please need more comment. tags: photography,rain,contest

Bokeh

2005-08-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

Photography by Richard Hans (photo.net)
Bokeh is a Japanese word â€” literally meaning "blur" â€” which is used in photography to describe the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of an image projected by a camera lens. For example, in some images the background may be deliberately caused to be out-of-focus to reduce distractions and to emphasize the primary subject. Article from Wikipedia, more

Canon EOS 5D?

2005-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Article from Topmac about Canon 5D: 13MPX, Full Frame. My question - where is Nikon?

Rain Photography Contest

2005-08-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

Photography from 7art-screensavers
Looking for good rain photography. Please email the picture or link to your photography to info@xpherion.com or you can leave a comment about your link here.
tags: photography, rain

Rain

2005-08-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Photography by Patanjali Parimi (photo.net)
What to Photograph in the Rain? Rain creates dramatic skies and soft romantic mists when photographing scenics, but don't forget about the smaller subjects. Puddles left by a recent rain create opportunities to Tulip closeup by Lorelle VanFossencapture reflections with unusual perspectives. Many plants are designed to hold water on their leaves or petals, creating interesting textures. Look around and see the possibilities in the little jewel drops of rain left after a shower. Article by Lorelle VanFossen, more

Moon

2005-08-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Photography by Ian Sharp (photo.net)
Although it is by far the biggest and brightest object in the night sky the moon is not an easy subject to photograph. Using a standard 50mm lens, an image projected onto a slide or negative is only about 1/50 of an inch. Also consider such issues as exposure times, film types, and lenses and you begin to understand what is needed to take photographs of the moon. With the recent introduction of inexpensive digital cameras a whole new area of lunar photography is now available to the amateur. I've included a few things to consider when trying to photograph the moon. Equipment, techniques and even a few formulas are presented. Article by Keith, more

Exposure basics

2005-08-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Photography by Chee Hong Peow (photo.net)
Obtaining good exposure for a photograph is achieved by allowing an appropriate amount of light to enter the camera and expose the film -- too much light and the photograph will be overexposed; too little, underexposed. Article by Robert E. Barrett, more
Calculation : Exposure Calculator

All about lights

2005-08-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Article and Photography by Philip Greenspun (photo.net)
photography is "the recording of light rays." It is therefore difficult to take a decent picture if you have not chosen the lighting carefully.You can get plenty of light out of the sun, that's for sure. However, you might have to wait a bit if you want the light to have the quality that you need for your picture. A high overcast is perfect for a lot of photography. A studio photographer would think of this as "the mother of all softboxes". more

Curves and Levels

2005-08-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Photography by Stephen Persky (photo.net)
Leica R9 with 28-90 Vario Lens, Fuji Velvia 50 film with a polarizer.
Welcome to Curves and Levels! This is definitely one of Photoshop's most useful and powerful tools. If you take a little time and learn what this tool can do, you will amaze yourself. Let's look at what these tools are trying to show you when you use them. Artice by Gary W. Stanley from Vivid Light Photography, more.

M7 Fire

2005-08-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Photography by Leica King (photo.net)
Leica M7, Summicron 35mm f/2.0 and Superia XTRA 800 Film

Leica M7

2005-08-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is my dream camera. Review by Erwin Puts
Also photo.net article by Tony Rowlett

All about Histograms

2005-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Photography by Darrell James Whittle (photo.net)

Understanding histograms will help you make good decisions when adjusting the tonal range of a scan or an existing digital image. Once you have a basic understanding of how histograms are constructed you should be able to look at an image's histogram and figure out which parts of the graph correspond to the different tonal ranges and components in that image. The ability to interpret histograms is key to getting proper exposures with your digital camera. Article by Steve Hoffmann, more

Low Light Photography

2005-08-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Photography by Andrew (photo.net).

Low Light Photography tips :
1. Set up camera and tripod.
2. Set lens aperture to f/8.
3. Set your cameras shutter speed to "B". more

Night Photography Tips

2005-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Photography by lilli N (photo.net). Useful night photography tips :
1. Use Night Program or Scene Mode.
2. Long Exposure Time.
3. Blur is Not Always a Bad Thing. more

Resolution and MTF curves

2005-08-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

The sharpness of a photographic imaging system or of a component of the system (lens, film, scanner, enlarging lens, etc.) is characterized by a parameter called Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), also known as spatial frequency response. This article by Norman Koren present a unique visual explanation of MTF and how it relates to image quality. A photograph's detail is an integral part of its appeal. Many photographers spend a great deal of time, energy and money acquiring equipment to make sharp images. If 35mm doesn't satisfy them, they invest in medium format, 4x5, 8x10, or larger. more

Nikon D200 Fiction?

2005-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is a screen shot from uspto website for Nikon D200.
Google search revealed some more rumors photo.net and nikonlinks, tag: nikon

My Gear

2005-07-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

This is my gear - Nikon F3HP, Nikon N80, Leica R8
Reviews: Nikon F3HP, Nikon N80, Leica R8

B&W Digital Processing

2005-07-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

How to Convert to B&W in Photoshop
1. Convert the image to 16 bits
2. Image - Mode - Lab Color
3. Window - Channels - Delete A & B untill you're left with Alpha 1
4. In Levels, adjust the end points and move the middle slide to
get the desired density.
5. Next do in Curves an S adjustement curve to adjust contrast. Be
carefull not to blow out the highlights.
6. Variant: replace step 2 & 3 with Channel Mixer.

Reference :
photo.net forum
original article design by fire (Rob Carr)
pdf download
bythom