Digital Photography School | Current

In today’s economic climate many photographers are finding it tough. Today Annie Tao from www.annietaophotography.com shares some tips on getting through the economic downturn.

Image by kwerfeldein

You can ask 10 photographers what they think is their key to success in a bad economy – okay, flat out terrible economy – and you may get 10 different responses. Recently, a fellow photographer who had been following my blog commented that he wished he was busier, “but not Annie-busy!” He was stating this because I post client photoshoot sneak peeks on my blog every few days. Being a successful photographer is more than having a lot of business, it’s also about being profitable and, more importantly, being happy. That last point may sound hokey, but if having one photoshoot every few weeks makes you happy or making just enough to send your family on vacation is what you strive for, then that’s success.

Hearing this new term, Annie-busy, made me think about how I’d explain to other photographers what I’ve done in this economic recession that has kept my business flourishing. Though there are certainly other things that can be added to this list, here is what has been working for me.

There are three main points:

1. Have The Right Attitude

Even if you are a leader in your field, you need to keep learning new things – whether they are new gadgets and equipment or new techniques. You can take classes, attend seminars, and read industry publications. You can connect with other photographers to brainstorm ideas and learn tips.

Once you feel complacent and have an attitude that you don’t need to learn anything further, you will fall behind the pack.

2. Don’t Wait For Business

Whether you are busy with multiple photoshoots every week and a positive cash flow or your camera is collecting dust, there are many things you can do that can help your business.

Take action.

Here are some ideas to get you started: Can you update your portfolio? Are there vendors you wanted to try? Is there anything you can improve on your website? Are there things your competition is doing that you are interested in doing/having (ie, cool paper products, a blog)? Is there a way to expedite your workflow? Did you want to try out a new technique?

3. Think Outside The Box

I come from a Marketing background, so in my opinion, the three biggest reasons for one product’s success over another is Marketing, Marketing, Marketing. In this case, your “product” is you.

With that said, think about what else you can do to market your business.

You first have to have good online presence. So make sure you are happy with your website, and happy with how you and your business are presented to the public.

In addition to the traditional marketing methods, like advertising where your target audience will see the ad, there are also marketing avenues that are more effective… and often free! A good example is Relationship Marketing. It starts with creating a relationship with your clients. If your client refers you to someone else, that is 100 times more effective than having 100 people see your ad. Also, you can talk to business owners who share the same clients. You may be able to find common interests and run a co-promotion or find a way to help each other out. In this kind of economy, many businesses have to cut their advertising and marketing budget, so you may want to consider a product/services trade.

In the last few years, social networking has been growing in popularity, but it has also proven to be the new way to advertise. And it’s free! Networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are places millions of people frequent every day. I have gotten clients within minutes of an existing client posting their photos on their Facebook page. It is like getting an instant referral because that person knows my client, and referrals go a long way in this industry!

Another consideration is expanding your business in the form of your product line or even type of photography. I started out as a lifestyle photographer specializing in children, maternity and families, then tried out commercial photography and event photography this year – and really liked it! The commercial and event photography balances out the fast-paced, running-and-jumping-with-the-kids-til-I’m-sweating kind of photography! Expanding what you do to other types of photography will also expand your client base.

If you do this, don’t forget to stay true to yourself. Know what makes you happy and don’t change what you love only to grow your business. Clients will be able to detect your passion, or lack thereof, for the business. Plus, your artwork will reflect how you feel, so stick to doing what you love.

So test the waters, think outside the box, don’t wait for business to come to you, and have the right attitude regardless of the state of the economy.

Annie Tao is a lifestyle, commercial and event photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

You can view her site at www.annietaophotography.com or read what she’s been up to on her blog at www.annietaoblog.com.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

How To Survive a Down Economy As A Photographer

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This guest post on Pet Photography was submitted by Antoine Khater at All Day I Dream About Photography.

Image by José Luna

Pets fill very quickly their place in our hearts and families and we enjoy having their pictures framed on our desk or wall! However taking pictures of your best friend is not always easy. Pets, unlike humans, do not understand what we are trying to do and won’t just pose for the camera! Here are 9 tips that will help you help you get the most of your photo session

1. Use Natural Light

If possible always use natural light when taking your pet in picture. Avoid flash, as flash burst can, not only cause red-eye, but also frighten the animal. Instead try to go outside or, if it is not possible, in a room well lit by a large window.

2. Keep the Eyes Sharp

Having sharp eyes is important in any kind of portraits photography. As they say, “Eyes are the Window to the Soul” and pets eye can be very expressive. So make sure to focus on your pet’s eyes and keep the tack sharp

Image by Buntekuh

3. Go to Them

It is very important that you pet feels comfortable and at ease, so instead of forcing him to come to you go to him. Most important is to get down to his level; We all know how a dog looks when viewed from above, this is the way we always see them. Show us the way they see world! Sit on the floor or lie on your belly and remember to shoot from HIS eye level or below.

4. Give Value to their Character

You know your pet better than anyone else, and a successful picture is one that conveys the character of its subject. If you have a lazy cat show him yawning, if your animal is of a playful type show him in action performing his favorite trick.

Gui, o gato

5. Go Macro

Put on that long lens and fill the frame with your pet’s face and fur, close up shots often make beautiful animal portrait.

6. Surprise Them

One of the most difficult things is to let your pet hold still. An easy trick is to let him play quietly and, once you have everything ready, let someone call for him or whistle. This will surprise him and caught his attention and you will have a few seconds to capture him in a nice and alert posture

Image by renedepaula

7. Schedule your Session

If you are longing for a formal pet portrait shot, try to schedule the photo session when you’re animal is somewhat sleepy or has just woke up it will be much easier to keep him still then. If you want a more dynamic shot then pick up a time when your pet is energetic. If he is sick it is better to just postpone it for another day.

8. Be Patient

Pet photography requires a lot of patience. No matter how excited your furry friend is, if you are patient enough, he will end up by relaxing and you will have the opportunity to get a decent shot.

Image by It’sGreg

9. Experiment

Take your time and enjoy the session, try different approaches, angles and compositions. Shoot a lot you will have time to worry about the results later.

You have a tip that I forgot to mention here ? Make sure to share it with us

Image by _Xti_

Read more unique photography and retouching tips written by Antoine Khater at All Day I Dream About Photography or subscribe to his RSS feed

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

9 Pet Photography Tips

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Weekly Assignment

This week we completed our B&W Portraits assignment. This was one of those weeks where there were so many high quality shots that we had a hard time picking. But this week’s winner’s shot has such a story behind it, we couldn’t help but be moved. ggannell’s photograph of his Dad had a touching story (read it here), and the soft light and soft background of the photo help show the love of a son for his father, but it also helps tell the story. Our first runner up, kansasA’s shot of wet hair being flicked does a fantastic job of freezing the action. One thing we noticed about this shot was although it seemed like the subject was facing out of the frame, the composition of the hair led your eye back into the frame, showing that sometimes your subject doesn’t need to have room in front of it. And last, but not least was 3afsa’s headshot. Although it was a standard headshot, it was technically well done, and the furrowed brow gives it more interest.

This week’s assignment is A Mistake, well, the assignment isn’t a mistake, but we want you to show us shots that you originally thought were a mistake, but that turned out to be better than your intended shot. This week’s assignment rules are just a little bit different than normal, so please keep on reading. First, your shot still needs to have the words “Assignment: A Mistake” in the post, but here’s where it’s different. This week, your shot can be from any time up until the assignment closes on 15 July 2009. Next, we also need you to tell us why it was a mistake. Finally, the EXIF should be intact, and it’s useful if you can also include the main points (lens, shutter speed, ISO, aperture, etc). Next week’s assignment will be humour. Something we can all use a little of.

Hot Threads

• This is why you should shoot in RAW and not delete “bad” photos: People often like to talk about the benefits of shooting RAW, but there aren’t always examples of “why”. Well, this is one of those examples. When you look at the “before” shot, you’ll be shocked with the “after”.
• How can you tell when a sunset will be good?: There are ways to find out when the sun will set, and ways to find out where the sun will set, but it’s much more difficult to figure out whether or not a sunset will be a good one. Do you have any tricks on how to tell if a sunset will be good? Or do you just pick a spot and hope for the best? Come share in the thread.
• Movie Title Challenge: One of the great things about the forums is the chance to participate in some fun photo games. This game is pretty self explanatory, but the goal is to post a photo along with the name of the movie it would be associated with. Head over to the thread in the forum and post your own.
• Your Flickr Top 3: When there are so many good photographers on the forum it becomes hard to find shots sometimes. Well, Ginger Pixie started a thread for people to share their top 3 “most interesting shots” (according to Flickr that is). Come show the world what Flickr thinks is interesting in your photos.
• What Would You Do: As always, there’s another week of our weekly post-processing thread where you get to edit the photo of another forum member. Whether you’re new to editing or are a pro at it, come show us what you would do if you were editing the photo.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (5-11 Jul ‘09)

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It’s getting tough out there in the naming business: Adobe’s got Lightroom — good name; Apple has Aperture — OK too; then it gets down to such words as ‘iris’ — and would you believe there’s a whole forest of irises splashed across the computer village. There’s an iris for accountants, astronomers, the people in flight simulation and there’s even an I.R.I.S. that deals with OCR tasks.

And then there’s an Iris that deals with images. Figures huh!

Introducing Nolobe’s Iris Software.

This unassuming yet clever piece of software has been developed by a Perth, Western Australian company — Nolobe.

It’s a Mac application and runs at full speed on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs using OS X 10.5 Leopard. There’s much to like about Iris, not least of which is the US$79 price. There’s also a bit not to like … there’s no online Help for example. Oh well!

However Iris is ideal for computers with space limitations. The app weighs in at only 8.4 MB installed. Kicking it off you get the feeling you’ve seen it all before as it has a distinctively Photoshop-like GUI. Even the toolbar has similarities.

In my usual operating style the first thing I do when opening a camera image for the first time is to set Levels. With Iris, many will appreciate the presence of an Auto Levels function, a feature now missing from the current Photoshop.

You can also start by selecting the White Point and place the picture’s colouration either in a neutral full white zone or somewhere amongst an RGB/CMYK rainbow; this will suit beginners people but annoy the more advanced.

Iris has a one-window interface with no clutter from multiple palettes and there’s much to enjoy: as I said, you can ‘Auto Levels’ as well as ‘Auto Contrast’ an image, then move on to select its Gamma, colourise it, alter the saturation, exposure, invert colours, posterise and more. Image size is handled very simply as are changes to the size of the canvas itself. All the nice things that Photoshop does — but much simpler to deal with.

There’s Layers! You can paint and dabble with the image. Clone, erase and select sections of an image. Use an eye dropper. Add coloured text. With each of these a small palette pops up on the right upper corner of the window; the options are clearly defined and simple to use.

When you get to the Filters department, not much is missing and, if you’re of the cautious type, there’s quite a bit you can leave alone. Most of the Blurs are there … Gaussian, Motion, Noise Reduction etc; there’s a group of half tone screen options that will be useful for those who insert images into school newsletters and the like; there are only two sharpen options — but I figure they will be enough for most people.

Taking an overview of Iris’ attractions, I presume the software is sharply aimed at newbies — and it’s all the better for it. Iris does it all very well.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

Nolobe Iris Software for Mac [REVIEW]

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You can abuse it, denigrate it, ignore it and generally shove it to the furthest recesses of your mind … but monochrome imagery just won’t lie down!

So, here’s yet another book on how to create digital monochrome pictures – Creative Digital Monochrome Effects. And, have to admit, I’m a sucker for the whole topic.

Basically, making mono images is a tough ask in this 21st world of colour. Colour is just so damned easy while mono is a tough challenge and what makes Farace’s book a little different is that he re-explores some ‘lost’ techniques that will encourage you to dabble in the methodology. Wouldn’t you like to make some Cyanotypes, Bromoils, Platinotypes? I sure would!

The author also explores the in-camera methods of capturing a mono image, then moves on to the use of camera filters to reduce the colour range of a subject.

The point is made that correct exposure of an image intended to be ‘mono-ised’ is essential, with correct use of the LCD’s histogram to restrict the tonal range a important chore.

Post-capture techniques naturally call for some ‘heavy lifting’ and, at this point the involvement of RAW format is encouraged.

We then get into toning: duotones, tritons, quadtones are treated in some detail and, if you have never dabbled in toning, this chapter alone will set you on fire.

Throughout the book suggestions are made on which software to employ, with descriptions of the role of such apps as BW Styler, nik Color Efex Pro, Pixel Genius PhotoKit and others given.

A novel approach in painting with Layers is described, where Photoshop brushwork can help ignite an otherwise mundane image.
If your photography has become a little tired of late this book will re-invigorate your passion.

• Author: J Farace.
• Publisher: Lark.
• Distributor: Capricorn Link.
• ISBN: 13 978 1 60059 264 5.
• Length: 1767 pages.
• Buy: Creative Digital Monochrome Effects at Amazon.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

Creative Digital Monochrome Effects [BOOK REVIEW]

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One effect many people like to use with their photos is to remove all the color from the image and leave it in only one place in the image. For example, in a wedding shot you might turn the entire image into black and white leaving just the bride’s bouquet in color.

Here’s how to achieve this effect in Lightroom using the Adjustment Brush.

Step 1

Start with the image selected in Lightroom and switch to the Develop module.

Click on the Adjustment Brush and make sure you have it set to Show Effect Sliders so that you can adjust multiple sliders at once. Drag the Saturation to -100.

Step 2

Click the letter O so that you can see as you paint and with a large size hard paintbrush click on the image in an area you want converted to black and white and then paint over the image in all places that it should be turned to black and white.

It will be quicker if you set the feather to a low value, the brush to a large size and disable the Auto Mask option for now.

Step 3

To work close around the edges of the area that you want to leave in color, set the brush size smaller and work slowly around the edges.

If you go too far, press the Alt key (Option on the Mac) and paint out the overlay color. The Eraser uses a different brush so make sure it too is set to have Auto Mask disabled and a low Feather value.

To zoom in click Z and to move the image, press the Spacebar as you drag on it.

Step 4

Once you have the area selected that you want to convert to black and white, disable the overlay color by pressing the O key.

This leaves the selected area in black and white and the unselected area in color.

You can now tidy up the edges if necessary by using the Adjustment Brush tool – just make sure that you click on the marker for the Adjustment before you start painting – it should show a black center – if not, you’re making a new adjustment and not editing the existing one.

Step 5

You can adjust the other sliders, if desired, to improve the black and white portion of the image. For example you can boost the Contrast and Clarity if desired. When you’re done, click the Close option at the foot of the panel to finish.

In this example I added another adjustment using the Adjustment Brush over the top of this one to reduce the exposure and brightness in the sky to add back some of the cloud detail lost in the conversion of the image to black and white.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

Highlight Color Effect in Lightroom – 5 Easy Steps

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By default GIMP comes with one ICC profile preloaded and that is sRGB.  While this color space works well for images you wish to view on a screen, its color gamut (range of colors) is more lacking than, say, Adobe 1998 or Pro Photo.  As a simple means of diagramming this, the image at left, from the Adobe whitepaper A Color Managed Raw Workflow by Jeff Schewe and Bruce Fraser, shows how each gamut can reproduce only a certain segment of the total visible color spectrum.

Using a gamut that allows for a larger color representation allows for more accurate colors when printing.  And while the full range of the Pro Photo RGB gamut can’t be faithfully reproduced on most consumer monitors today, using a larger gamut does aid in more accurate color printing.  It’s not necessary to use the Pro Photo RGB gamut for all your editing, Adobe 1998 RGB does a pretty good job.  But that’s not the focus of this post.  This article is about showing you how to use any ICC profile you’d like in GIMP and then the choice can be yours. (i.e. Please don’t start another “Gamut War!” in the comments section )

The ICC Profile for Adobe 1998 RGB, used in this example, can be found here on Adobe’s site (Windows, Mac and Linux versions).  Download your appropriate file and copy the file named AdobeRGB1998.icc to a handy location on your system.  For this example I created a folder on my desktop called icc to use as an example.  WARNING! GIMP really doesn’t like it if you move this file after the initial load, so be happy with where you put it.  While these instructions are based on use of a PC, the general steps are the same for Mac or Unix based systems.

Now then, here’s how to set GIMP to use the Adobe 1998 RGB color space:

1) Start up GIMP and click Edit, then Preferences.

2) On the Preferences screen, click on the Color Management tab on the left side.

3) Click on the RBG Profile box drop down and click “Select color profile from disk….”

4) A directory tree screen will appear.  Navigate to the location where you saved the file from Adobe’s site.  We’re just interested in the AdobeRGB1998.icc file.

5) Select the file and click “Open”.

6) Back on the Color Management screen, you should now see your choice of “Adobe RGB (1998)” in the RGB Profile box.

And that’s all there is to it!  Your workspace color will be set to Adobe 1998 RGB.  Very simple and quick.

Tags: GIMP, Post Production Tips, post-processing

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

How to Add ICC Profiles In GIMP

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Digital photographers are always looking to improve their skills behind the lens. Anyone can point and click, but what does it take to take a picture with real depth, meaning, and intrigue? What does it take to move from taking a vacation photo to capturing a moment in time? The following open courseware collections aim to help students move from just playing around with a digital camera to creating works of art.

1. Introduction To Photography

Introduction to Photography is an essential beginning class for any digital photographer. You begin learning about the basic philosophies of photography. It focuses on digital photography, capturing black and whites images, lighting, exposure, film development, and printing. This all-around basic course in the fundamentals of photography will help to get any digital photographer started and will give any photographer a firm grasp of the basics.

2. Photography And Truth

Photography and truth is an open courseware collection that teaches how photography is used as a method of communication. The meaning can be communicated through the photograph as an artistic tool or through a research tool. Photos are meant to capture life, meaning, and substance. This class in photographic truth is an excellent addition to any digital photography course of study.

3. Language Of The Image

Language of the Image is the class to choose to work on making your photographs tell the story that you want. Transforming a photo from an image into a storytelling device is the aim of this class. Anyone can take the picture but it takes a skilled photographer to complete a story in one still image.

4. Stories Without Words: Photographing The First Year

Stories Without Words: Photographing the First Year is a class that teaches you to explore a new place through photography. Exploring new environments is often a goal of photographers as they learn to develop their skills, and this collection of learning tools will help any photographer to achieve that end.

5. Picturing The Family

Picturing the Family is a class that discusses historical family photos. This niche includes the cultural history not only of the family but of older photographic techniques as well.

6. Reading Visual Images

Reading Visual Images is an open courseware collection that teaches the scientific and historical implications of photographs. They can be used as sources of sociological data. When you think of time periods of historical significance you probably conjure up images of photographs that capture these time periods. This is their significance.

7. Audiovisual Production Learning Club

Audiovisual Production Learning Club is a class collection that educates students about the production and distribution of visual media. Once you begin producing your digital images, you will want to learn methods for distributing them and this is a great place to begin that education

These 7 excellent open courseware collections for digital photographers offer a well-rounded education regarding photography and digital photography in general. Whether you are an experienced digital photographer or if you are just beginning to explore this visual medium, you can improve your craft with all the information included in each of these collections.

Thomas Rheinecker is a freelance author and writes about education topics, such as how to research online university rankings accreditation, and more.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

7 Excellent Open Courseware Collections for Digital Photographers

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Two weeks ago I announced a competition to give away a Lenovo W700DS mobile work station.

The winner of this great new computer would be one random subscriber to our DPS weekly email newsletter.

I have just randomly pulled out the name of the winner…… and they are…… Jenny Davidson.

I don’t yet know who Jenny is or where she lives but have just sent her an email with the news to get her postage details. So if you’re reading this Jenny – check your inbox!

Thanks so much to Lenovo for donating the Lenovo W700DS – you guys rock!

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

And the Winner of the Lenovo W700ds Is….

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