I’m keen on realistic HDR images, and one of the restrictions in Canon firmware (at least in the 5D Mark 2) is that you can only take three exposures automatically, which normally means that I take one normal one, one at -2 stops and one at +2 stops. While this captures most of the information, it is recommended to take 7 images separated at 1 stop intervals for best quality output. I also often miss being able to set up...
Blur, or camera shake, occurs when there is some movement of the camera (or the subject) when the image is being captured. In this post, we will ignore the subject movement and concentrate on avoiding blur in the camera. I have only tested this on my Canon camera/lenses, so I am not 100% sure if it is an issue with other makes. Back in December, I was taking images of our newly decorated Christmas tree with all its lights and...
After almost four years in the business, I have spent the past few months creating a “how to do it” book for aspiring stock photographers. This is now available for purchase using Paypal or credit cards. I’ve also posted User Reviews as I notice them. Here is the introduction and table of contents from the book to give you an idea of the coverage: Introduction Thanks for buying this eBook! You will find all the learning I have gained...
I came across this simple tip in a magazine, and thought I would pass along. It also will help me remember it as well. This tip works in Photoshop to quickly and easily add some POP to your photographs. Use with caution with iStockPhoto as they don’t tend to like over filtered images, but it certainly adds some mid tone contrast and clarity to the right images. The first photo is the original image after the normal adjustments in Lightroom...
I saw an article in Professional Photographer last month about a new site that is aimed at creating a community of artists displaying and selling their works of art. The team behind it is quite new – it launched in January – but it appears to be very professionally created and organized. The initial membership is free and you can upload and share 2GB of files. Each one is restricted to 15MB. The images are “Right-click” protected, and the terms...
I’ve become interested in taking really close images – I recently uploaded this image of a 1964 dime (the last year that dimes were made from 90% pure silver and these early coins are now worth about $2.50 each), and in the woods in Northern Virginia, I took these lovely images of bluebells with just enough depth of focus to make the shot interesting: I’ve been asked recently how I get a macro shot like these. First a definition –...
Late in 2010, I bought the X-Rite Color Checker Passport and did an initial review of this color management aid. I’ve been carrying this small plastic case around in my camera bag, and I do pull it out and take a photo of the color panels when I’m taking an image in tricky lighting conditions. This past weekend was peak blooming season for Virginia Bluebells and so I hiked into the woods to take some good images. My trusty Color...
I get a lot of satisfaction and some of my enthusiasm from reading well written photography guides – I’ve been known to read a 500 page guide to Photoshop from cover to cover which is not always recommended! I was browsing the web for new photography articles and came across an amazingly comprehensive digital photography e-Book from 123DI. They have a full demo on the site which shows you the way the book behaves on your screen, and gives a...
A workable process for managing stock photograph
Introduction We have all spent a lot of money on cameras, lenses, equipment, computers and software and we probably don’t want to add it all up! We get a lot of enjoyment out of our hobby, and so, in 2008, I started thinking that it would be nice to make some money from the fine images I was starting to produce. I got involved with Stock Photography and I can help you do the same! At this stage, you can...
