Tips & Techniques

Cold Climate Shooting

The winter temperatures are dropping into downright uncomfortable territory in some parts of the country. Photographers wishing to capture the season's landscapes and snowfall will need to take a few things into consideration and take a some precautions as well. Here are our top tips for cold climate shooting:

Snow Shots: All snow shots are not created equal. For example, the amount of snowfall you're experiencing during your session can make a big impact on both your images and your equipment. If it's just a matter of snow flurries, shield your camera from the elements by keeping it under your jacket close to your body (to keep it warm) until you're ready to shoot. Consider our new Ansel Photographer's Shooting Vest to keep all your accessories close at hand and protected while you're shooting in difficult weather conditions. Shop Online

If you're in the midst of a heavy snow storm, make sure you have a quality waterproof plastic housing bag because water getting into certain areas of your camera body and lens can create substantial damage to the internal circuitry. Don't risk it-- reconsider pulling out your DSLR in these conditions if you don't have the right gear to protect it.

You'll also want to keep a microfiber cleaning cloth handy to wipe away any drops that might land on your lens and interfere with your view. Pick up a travel-sized version here: Shop Online

Shooting in snowy conditions means taking extra precautions and making sure that you've got the right gear for the particular environment.

Condensation Concerns: Condensation can be an issue anytime you bring your DSLR from a cold environment outdoors back into a warmer environment such as a car or back to your home. Condensation is the moisture that is created when cold and warm climates come together at the same time, and moisture invading any aspect of your digital camera can result in substantial damage.

Using a plastic bag to protect your camera is another way of battling condensation. By placing your digital camera inside the bag--and to this while still outside and not after entering the warmer indoors--the condensation will collect on the inside surface of the plastic bag rather than on the camera.

Try to ease into the temperature change if at all possible. Some experts recommend placing the camera on a windowsill or in an unheated area where the equipment will gradually warm up rather than being subject to a harsh temperature shift.

Battery Backup: Did you know that your camera batteries don't run as effectively when used in cold weather? It's true! Keep your batteries warm by keeping your camera inside your jacket or close to your body when you aren't shooting. You'll also want to bring an extra fully charged battery or two just to make sure you don't run out of power partway through a shoot. Store them in a warm place like inside your gloves or an extra hat or even inside your shirt pocket if possible. Pick up some extra batteries here: Shop Online

Winter weather offers some spectacular shooting opportunities. Taking a few cold-weather precautions can position you to capture some incredible snowy landscapes.

New Year's Resolution: Organizing Your Digital Photos

The New Year celebrates fresh beginnings and an opportunity to begin anew in almost any area of your life. When it comes to digital photography, January 2012 is the ideal time to get ready for all the memories you're sure to capture in the coming year. Here are a few tips to help you organize and protect your precious pics:

Centralize Your Digital Library: If you haven't done so already, you'll need to designate one particular computer as your primary hub where all your photos will reside. Digital photos continue to demand a great deal of hard drive space so if you find yourself bursting at the seams for storage, it's time to upgrade with enough room for future growth.

Make sure your computer is protected with a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to guard against power surges and outages. You'll also want to ensure your virus protection is up to date and that you have a reliable backup system in place to protect against hard drive crashes.

Collect All Picture-Taking Devices: The average family will have a few digital cameras and multiple mobile phones, all filled with photographs, so survey the people in your home and ask for their tech goodies. Copy all the images to the main computer; don't worry about the sorting process yet as that will come soon enough. Your teens and tweens may not worry too much about backing up cell phone images on the master computer, and that's just fine with us! Feel free to skip those cell phones. The goal is to get all the photos that really matter--our cell phones contain important memories and 'disposable digital shots' and you can make that decision in the sorting process. Just get everything in one location and you will then be in prime position to decide what to do with them.

Getting Organized: You now have a plethora of digital photographs and this is where the real fun begins. Many people think of organizing pictures as a tedious process, but when the process is underway, they realize it's a wonderful opportunity to revisit some fantastic memories. You will want to block a bit of time for this process or break it up into a couple of mini sessions. Either way, it will be done quicker than you might expect.

The first round involves simply deleting all the images that are duplicates, blurry or pictures of random events that have no long-term value. Each image can take several megabytes of hard drive space, so don't be shy about deleting images that you don't love. This doesn't mean that you delete anything that you deem less than perfect--some of the most telling images may be ones that are slightly underexposed, off center or quirky. If they resonate with you, they're keepers. However, if you took ten family photos at an event, you really only need one or two at the most. Pick the best and lose the rest.

Round two involves marking your favorites. Many programs allow you to 'star' or select your favorites, so spend a few minutes doing this now. The next time you need a photo for a particular project, you'll be glad this task is complete! Plus, if you plan on creating photo books or other memory projects as gifts in the coming year, you're well on your way to having much of the work completed!

The final step involves creating a folder file structure if you haven't already done so. Some programs like Picasa (available free online from Google) will automatically organize your images based on the metadata from the images. So, images will be grouped according to the dates they were taken.

To prepare for the coming year's pictures, make sure to set up folders so that they have a 'landing place' the next time you decide to offload your digital camera card. We suggest creating a 2012 master folder with folders for each month or each season. You can also create folders for specific events (reunions, etc) within the master 2012 folder structure but make sure you actually do this when the time comes to transfer the photos. Resist the urge to just transfer them into a main folder.

Your hard drive will be rid of extraneous photos and your current images won't be hidden by miscellaneous shots that take up time and space. You'll go into the New Year organized and ready to capture the best the year has to offer!

Capturing Easter Magic

Children and adults alike look forward to Easter's festivities with the opportunity for family gatherings, Easter egg hunts, and a day spent with loved ones. Bright colors coupled with springtime Easter themed items make this one of the year's best photo opportunities. All you need is a little creativity and preparation to create some of your most moving mementoes.

Prepare the Props: Consider what type of images you'd like to create and make sure you have all the necessary props on hand. For example, you might need decorative Easter baskets, colorful plastic (or metallic-painted) eggs, flowers, Easter grass and stuffed animals (bunnies or chicks). Do you want your children wearing fun accessories such as scarves or hats? Make sure you have those items coordinated in advance. One more thing to consider about clothing is comfort; if the young ones feel constricted and uncomfortable, you may find yourself with a struggle when it comes time to pose. Consider loose-fitting clothing and leave the cute three-piece suit in the closet for now.

If you're going to use live animals in photographs, they can be a distraction for the younger children, so make sure you have another person to assist with the posing and set up. You'll need your 'assistant' to keep the kids' attention so they're looking at the camera.

Consider Your Timing: If you're photographing young children, consider shooting earlier in the day if possible. Trying to get kids to cooperate after a busy day may end up in frustration on both sides. There's also no rule that says you have to shoot the photos on Easter day. You can take them on Saturday when there's less pressure and more time to experiment.

Go Low: We often shoot from our own perspective but Easter is one of those times when crouching down to photograph the happenings from the child's viewpoint makes perfect sense. If possible, keep your distance and zoom in on the action; try to keep from inserting yourself into the activity so as not to disrupt the flow of events and the unfolding of expression.

Follow the Sun: You may find the sun harsher in the morning hours, so search for the shady respite of a nearby tree or other fixture if at all possible. Just be aware of any spotty shadows coming from leaves as the sun cuts through the branches. You may also wish to use your flash as a 'fill flash' to ward off dark shadows under the eyes of your subjects. Late afternoon sun is often considered ideal, and if your crew is cooperative, by all means shoot away!

Feel free to experiment and don't fret if every image isn't perfect. In fact, some of the most compelling images are the ones that sneak up and surprise you. Be open to the possibilities and keep snapping away; use the opportunity as a learning experience and a time to enjoy what is unfolding before you.

Happy Easter!

How to Read a Digital Histogram

Your digital camera has a simple but powerful tool that can help you evaluate the exposure of your images. It's called a histogram, and it's essentially a representation of the contrast and dynamic range in each image. A histogram shows the content of each exposure typically using a range from 0 (true black) to 255 (true white). You'll find the 'true white' illustrated at the far right of the graph and the 'true black' on the far left. A well-exposed image will show points close to both ends. If a histogram is abruptly cropped on one end, this usually indicates that your image is under or over-exposed. Each histogram image tells a story about the exposure of the image and can help guide you in making adjustments so that future images are properly exposed. .

Holiday Lights

The first rule for pictures of holiday lights is to turn off your camera’s flash, which can rob the scene of color. If you’re taking pictures of holiday decorations at a neighbor’s house or a colorful store display, your camera may select a slow shutter speed, so use a tripod or find a way to steady your camera on a solid object. Use ISO 400 or even ISO 800. Automatic white balance can also drain color from the scene. Read your instruction book and experiment with other color balance presets. Shoot, check your LCD panel, and make adjustments.

Whether your subject is holiday decorations and lights, or a portrait of a family member, the most common mistake is to shoot from too far away. Don’t zoom in on your subject, because that will affect shutter speed. Instead, move closer.

Gentle snow won’t hurt your camera, and if it’s cold outside just keep it in your pocket until you’re ready to take pictures. Remember that framed photographs make great holiday gifts, and there’s probably someone on your list who would love a new camera as a present.

Creating Haunting Halloween Photographs

Halloween is one of those times when kids can beg for candy without being scolded and adults can dress up in full costume with the excuse that “it’s for the kids, you know.” While you’re searching for the perfect costume, scary props and fun holiday treats, remember to plan a bit of time to create fantastic Halloween photos. This year, mix things up, have some fun and experiment.

Stage Your Shots: Ask kids to create their own scary poses or have them jump out from behind a wall and shoot once they scream “Boo!” Let them orchestrate a scene and photograph each step (your burst mode might come in handy here) and create a series of action photos that tell their unique and spooky story.

Photographing Your Jack-o-lantern: Make sure the carvings allow enough light to come through the holes (consider carving a wider smile or eyes if needed). Consider adding one or two additional candles per pumpkin, ortry inserting a small flashlight instead. You can also up the spook factor by placing your jack-o-lanterns on a reflective surface such as a wood table. Keep the lights dim and move any objects that would clutter or compromise the background.

Make Your Own Lighting Prop: Instead of using a flash, try taking a flashlight and covering the front with wax paper and a rubber band. Have your child point the flashlight toward his face (keep it at waist level and out of the shot) to create a soft and spooky lighting effect.

Give the Kids Presence: Position yourself close to the ground and photograph your subjects while shooting upward. By playing with your position and their poses, you can create an ominous image and make the kids look taller and more foreboding. They’ll get a kick out of seeming larger than life and the resulting photographs will be more compelling than a standard shot.

Enhance the Details: Today’s costumes have some of the most remarkable and intricate detail, so if something catches your eye, use it as a focal point for an image. Maybe it’s a skull bracelet or a prop that grabs you; it’s the small details that often make the most unique photographs.

No Reckless Photo Posting: Remember to never post photos of anyone else’s children on Facebook or other sites without first getting permission from their parents. It can be very disconcerting for someone to come across a photo of her own child without knowing about it in advance. Happy Halloween!

Let Your Summer Memories Follow You Into Fall

It's back to school time and many of us are mourning the end of summer's carefree ways. While we want to look ahead to fall's own unique beauties, we can still take summer with us. Here are just a few ways to keep summer alive as the seasons change:

Create a Summer Scrapbook-the Easy Way: Take a few minutes to search through your summer shots and tag your favorites (many popular image editing programs have a function that allows you to do this). Copy the images to CD or onto a flash drive and bring them into our store. We can show you how to create a great scrapbook in no time flat. Consider making an extra copy or two to share with your kids or loved ones; there's something special about holding a book of your favorite images in your hand. We love seeing them on the screen but nothing compares to the printed version.

Get Framed: Have you often thought about enlarging and framing some of your favorite images but just never seemed to get around to it? Let us do the heavy lifting for you! Just bring your images into the store and we'll show you all the amazing ways that we can bring your summer shots to life. Imagine that incredible memory hanging on your wall in a place where you can enjoy it each day. And think of all the great conversations that image can encourage...

Make Note of It: Email is wonderful for casual communications but the art of handwriting a card to someone remains highly valued-especially by the person who receives it! Bring in one of your favorite summer photos and let us turn it into a personalized note card set. Now, the next time you feel like dropping a line, you can share a summer memory, too!

Lunch Kit Surprises: Order a 4x6 set of your favorite summer photographs and tuck them into your kids' lunchboxes now and then. Kids love surprises and photographs are an easy way to give your kids comfort and support as they transition back into a busy school year.

Did you know that you could create one or all of these fantastic keepsakes just by bringing your images into the store? Come on in and get started! Or try Art's convenient online ordering

Organizing Photo Tip - Focus On Quality

Digital cameras allow us to shoot hundreds of images in short order, and while there are many advantages to having this ability, there are also times when having too many images detract from your overall experience when reviewing those memories. Take a few minutes to go through your summer photographs and delete all the mediocre or duplicate images. It's far better to have a few fantastic images that really capture the essence of a trip than it is to have hundreds of images that simply depict a particular place or event. Scaling back by deleting some photographs can help you discover the jewels that will take your breath away every time you look at them. Your hard drive will thank you, too!

Tips For Traveling Light With Photogear

Whether it's a weekend getaway or a two-week trek across the pond, packing right-and light-is critical to making your trek a success. After all, who wants to lug a bunch of superfluous gear around? Here are a few tips to ensure your gear bag is light, well-equipped and ready to travel:

Think it Through: Imagine your trip for a moment. Think about where you'll be traveling. Do you need to take your DSLR with you or will your compact camera suffice? Do you really need that extra lens or can you do without it? Making a mental checklist of your itinerary can help you decide which items you need and which can be left at home.

Remember the Essentials: Make sure to pack a lens cleaning kit, extra batteries, your charger and extra storage media. These items alone will help you combat the majority of issues that might occur while you're on holiday.

Choose the Right Bag: Traveling light means choosing the right bag for the situation. Would a backpack style help you get through the airports more easily, or is something with wheels that can also accommodate your other items be more appropriate? We've got designs that fit every need and budget here: Shop Online

Offloading for Longer Trips: If you're traveling with your laptop, consider offloading your digital pictures on a regular basis. This technique can serve as protection in case your media card is somehow damaged or fails during your trip. Here's another great solution-take your card to the local photo retailer and print a set or two before your return trip home. You'll have one less item on your to-do list and your family will enjoy looking at the photos and reminiscing on the return trip. You can even use the pictures as a mini-scrapbooking project to keep the kids entertained while you travel.

Keep Everything Charged: Dead batteries mean an instant end to picture-taking fun and a battery that dies while you're shooting might even corrupt your digital camera card. Fortunately, we've got a great solution! The PROMASTER GO! Charger is a compact multi-function charger that can charge your DSLR batteries and also serve as a charger or power source for your cell phone or music player. Shop Online

Is your passport up to date? Passports are now required for travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Carribbean. Let the pros at Art's take your passport photo. The Art's staff knows the regulations and does it right the first time. U.S. passports are only $9.99 and completed quickly, while you wait.

Fantastic Fireworks Photos

There is something a bit magical in a Fourth of July fireworks display. Designed to be a spectacular event celebrating the independence of our great Nation, it's a true slice of Americana that is meant to be photographed and celebrated. If you attended our fireworks workshop and practice shoot at the Big Bang, then you're in good shape for the Fourth of July! If you didn't, then here are a few simple tips to help you capture some spectacular shots:

The Early Bird Gets the Best Location: Try to get to the site a bit early if possible. It will give you time to survey the area and evaluate the best locations for your photography. Professional photographers will often counsel that a little bit of advance planning can make all the difference between a mediocre shot and a magnificent one.

Slow Your Shutter Speed: A long exposure often works best with fireworks since they are moving events and contain bright light. Experiment with keeping the shutter open long but don't overdo it because you can overexpose the image. Each location and event has unique circumstances so keep experimenting as you go along until you find the effect that works for you.

Consider Continuous Shooting: Shooting in burst mode, also called 'continuous mode,' is an excellent way to capture fast moving action or for those events where timing is everything. Shooting in burst mode will increase the odds of getting great images during the fireworks finale.

Forget the Flash: Keep your flash turned off when photographing fireworks. The flash only helps when your subject is a few feet away, and in this case, it may prove to be more of a hindrance than helpful because the flash signals your camera that you need a shorter exposure time, when in fact, you need a little longer.

Try a Tripod: With the combination of low light and fast action (the fireworks), a steady surface can greatly aid in helping you record that perfect image. We offer a number of high quality styles including compact, professional and monopod styles: Shop Online

 Get out your cameras, and get ready for May! It is time to start thinking about upcoming graduations.

Everyone has photos of the graduate standing with a friend showing off their diplomas; but how about making some interesting images to go along with the "must haves" shots?

Be ready for the important shot. All grads throw their hats up in the air, so you need to be ready before it happens. It is best to be on higher ground to capture this image; a car makes a great stepladder in a pinch.

"Before" images make great memories. Take a shot before the activities begin. The student in this photo and her friends helped set up the auditorium before the guests arrived. They posed for some silly, but memorable images that will be fun when looking back.

Capture all the events. Yearbook signings around campus are an important end-of-the-year event. Keep your eyes open and look for images that will spark future memories.

Capture all the events. Yearbook signings around campus are an important end-of-the-year event. Keep your eyes open and look for images that will spark future memories.

Vary your subject matter. Not all pictures have to include people. Instead, take a beautiful still-life photo showing bouquets the girls carry during the high school graduation ceremony.

Use different types of poses. Hands atop a program is a lovely way to express feelings of joy, while showing the school name to give a sense of place.

Prepared by Take Great Pictures. For more information, visit www.takegreatpictures.com.

When camera manufacturers moved from film to digital, they adopted a new standard image size. The dimensions of this new image size are in the ratio of 4:3 and do not fit evenly into many of the conventional size prints … the print areas are either a bit too wide on one side or too long on the other.

This is no different than watching

an old movie on your widescreen TV!

You have the black bars at both ends of the widescreen TV when watching an old movie because the movie was formatted for a standard TV. In the normal version, the entire picture area is visible. If we zoom in to fill the entire screen, we lose some of the picture in the vertical direction.

A similar situation exists in

photography, but we use different terms.

Normal (on TV) is called Crop to Fit in photography. This means that 100 percent of your image is on the print, but there may be white space that is not used because the image is a different shape.

Zoom (on TV) is called Crop to Fill in photography and means that your image has been enlarged to fill the entire print, so some of it may be off the edge of the print and not visible – just like zoom mode on TV.

Tips:

• When snapping a photo, make certain that important subject
  matter is not close to the bottom, top, or sides of your image.
• Look for a print size that conforms exactly to your captured
  image size. Examples: 4” x 5 1/3”, 4.5” x 6”, or 6” x 8”.
• Understand your camera and what print format best fits your camera’s output.
• Check to see if your camera offers the capture of an image in a conventional print size format.
• If seeing 100 percent of your image is crucial, make a larger Crop to Fit print and trim it to suit. Remember that the trimmed print will not fit a standard frame.
• If you are in a retail store, ask to see a chart of the print sizes.
• If you are submitting images for printing on the web, pay close attention to messages on the site. Most websites do an excellent job of alerting and explaining this problem.

If you can’t venture to places where wildlife roam, you can still get some great shots at the local
zoo by following these tips from Russ Burden. But never give up on your dream to go on a safari!

By Scott Bourne, www.photofocus.com

File Formats for Digital Photographers

There are several different file formats, and many digital photographers are a little unclear about the merits of each. What’s the preferred file type: RAW, DNG, TIFF, or JPEG? Each of these formats has a useful purpose; if you take lots of pictures, you may want to move beyond the JPEG file the digital camera will use by default. Here’s the rundown.

Formats for Taking Pictures

JPEG: For lots of amateurs and family photographers, JPEG is just fine. Make sure the camera is set to the highest quality resolution setting and to save pictures with the least amount of compression. The camera manual will explain how to do this. A photo retailer can also help. JPEG is fine for snapshots, but you have limited ability to correct overexposed or underexposed areas. A professional wanting greater control will probably shoot in RAW.

RAW: RAW format allows a photographer to capture more detail than when shooting in JPEG format; it also provides more control over color correction and exposure adjustment in the digital darkroom. The ability to change the white balance on a RAW file or dig out some extra detail in highlight and shadow areas can make an immediate impact on the overall look of a photo. Since RAW files do capture lots of detail without applying processing or compression algorithms, they will take up more space on a memory card and hard drive. For example, a 10-megapixel camera with a 4 GB card can hold approximately 135 RAW files in comparison to 420 JPEG/FINE images. If your camera offers the opportunity to shoot RAW, pick up a few extra memory cards.

Formats for Saving Pictures

First of all, whether shooting in JPEG or RAW, remember to back up photos after moving them from the camera to the computer. Burn them to a DVD, or transfer them to a portable hard drive kept in another location – away from the computer. Better yet, seek the advice of a local photo retailer for archiving and storage options.

RAW files create a problem because different camera manufacturers have different “flavors” of RAW. For example, Canon RAW files are known as .CRW, Nikon files are .NEF, Pentax files are .PEF, and Olympus uses .ORF. The DNG format (for “digital negative”) was recently created by Adobe in an effort to unify the slightly different RAW formats created by the various manufacturers. Many photographers fear these differences may potentially become problematic in the long term, as one manufacturer’s RAW files may not be future-proof in new software applications. Programs like Adobe® Lightroom® have an option to back up RAW files as .DNG files. To protect digital negatives (RAW files) for many years to come, converting them to DNG may be well worth the effort. The presumption is all new software will recognize DNG, while some RAW versions particular to a manufacturer may fall by the wayside and possibly be unreadable in the future.

File Formats for Making Prints

For those special images you want to print and display, the preferred file format is TIFF. By saving a completed image that possibly started out as a JPEG as a TIFF, you are using a lossless file capable of producing high-quality enlargements. JPEG is a compressed file, which can degrade image quality slightly. While this is not usually noticeable on the computer screen, it can show up on large prints. By starting with a RAW file and converting to a TIFF, the files are not being compressed or losing data. For making prints, TIFFS should be saved at 300 DPI.

File Formats for Email and Web Posting

Step 1: Open the image in Adobe Photoshop® (either CS or Elements) or any other image-editing program.

Step 2: The menu bar will give an option to select “Image” and then select “Image Size.” A dialog box will appear and prompt you to enter the desired image dimensions.

Step 3: This can be set by pixel size or by actual inches. Inches will be used for this example. Set the image size to 5-by-7 or 4-by-6.

Step 4: Make sure the resolution is set at 72 DPI. This is ideal for web viewing. Select “OK,” “Close,” or whatever else the software prompts.

Step 5: The final step is probably to go to “File” and select “Save for Web” or another save feature. This will vary among different programs, but the main point is to save a small file at 72 DPI and make sure it goes into the JPEG format.

Prepared by New York Institute of Photography. For more tips visit www.nyip.com