So what exactly are gels?  Lighting gels or just gels are thin sheets of colored, translucent plastic, usually polycarbonate, that add color for theatrical, photographic, video graphic, or other lighting situations. Gels are fantastic to add some punch or visual sizzle to what might otherwise be a fairly mundane environment.  Typically gels are placed in front of lights in a gel holder. A gel can be used on any kind of light source.  Many people use Do It Yourself (DIY) methods to attach gels to speedlights which is a very cost effective way to add gels to your photography.  I personally use monolights with special adapters to hold the gels. Adding a little bit of color either to your subject and/or background can really make a glamour picture pop.  This is true whether you are using a studio set or location set. The trick is to use complimentary colors to your environment, subject, wardrobe, and lighting.  A color wheel really helps to decide what colors are complimentary and which are not.  I recommend having one available as a reference to make sure your choices make sense. I use gels primarily for adding color to the environment and seldom actually use them directly on my subject. This accomplishes a few things for me.  First it allows subject isolation.  Having a distinct color as a background effectively draws your eye to the subject.  This is obvious in all the examples.  When using this technique placement of the gelled light can either give  [ Read More ]

By Michael L Leigh   A lens cap keeper can save you a lot of hassle and ensure the protection of your camera lens. Learn what its design is and how it works. You will certainly be amazed how functional this creative solution is. You need the cap to keep the lens protected from scratching and from different kinds of  [ Read More ]

By Ajay Kumar N I. INTRODUCTION IN ADDITION to using Curves and Levels to correct the tonality of your photographs, you can also play with the Shadows/Highlights feature to help recover details in the shadow and highlight areas of a backlit image. This feature works a little bit like the Recovery and Fill Light sliders in Adobe Camera Raw, plus  [ Read More ]

This is part two of the three part series on Lighting 101.  Part one can be reviewed here Lighting 101 – Part 1 When you look at Rembrandt’s work imagine traveling back in time to see what they had as a light source.  To do that it’s really quite simple.  Step outside and look up; it’s the sun.  The sun was probably the primary light source for all conceptual lighting in history.  Even when other light sources were used indoors, the concept was still based upon how the sunlight would hit the subject.  This concept should be how you look at lighting even today! The Chiaroscuro and the subsequent Chiaroscuro Triangle were created by a single source of light.  Now depending on where that single light source hits the subject will determine the Chiaroscuro.  Directly at the face will eliminate shadows and flatten the face.  Angling to get the Chiaroscuro Triangle creates shadows and the resultant depth and dimension. Ah but travel back from Rembrandt’s day to now.  Do we have single light sources?  Of course we do just like Rembrandt.  I love using the sun as the key or primary light.  We often times use additional lights to “fill” in some of the darkest shadows but essentially we are still looking for Chiaroscuro when we use the sun as the key light. But let’s think a minute.  What if we don’t want any shadows or Chiaroscuro?  We know that if we simply light the subject and fill in shadows  [ Read More ]

Postcards are probably one of the best souvenir items ever made. Not only do they serve as souvenirs from places one has visited, but they are also a means for people around the world to be able to send their love to their relatives and friends. Do you want to know the different secret weapons to create postcard pictures? Here  [ Read More ]

By Mark Q Soto If you are a photographer – or if you are an aspiring photographer – one of the most important things you will be able to do is determine a way to gain more exposure for your work; after all, the more people who know about your work, the more work you will be able to get  [ Read More ]

By Lucy Penn If you’re looking to run a large advertising campaign then you’ll no doubt be thinking about the type of ad, poster, or scrapbook you will be printing. Firstly, in order to be able to carry out any form of large printing you’ll need access to a large format printer. Once you have access to a printer that’s  [ Read More ]

There is a surprising trend happening in the world of photography that involves women taking sexy portraits. These two don’t go together at all with traditional wedding photography or family photography. So, what could possibly allow a woman to express her self confidence and share intimate and personal photos with their special someone. This would have to be boudoir photography  [ Read More ]

First you need to remember to take your camera, not that this is hard now days as for a lot of people it is their mobile phone. Secondly you need to sit down and write a list of your families traditions. What makes Christmas special for you? This can be going to mass on Christmas eve, having a full hot  [ Read More ]

By: Sean McCarthy Do you want better holiday photos? Are your snaps a bit of a let down? Follow my 10 top tips to get photos that will live up to the memories. You’ll be amazed how good they’ll look and your friends and family will too. 1. To get clear photos avoid camera shake or moving the camera as  [ Read More ]

By Raymond Winters Many digital photography beginners I know stick rigidly to daytime shots, apprehensive about their rate of success at night. If you’ve delayed taking that next step, or find you just don’t seem to take many night time photographs, here are a few common sense tips that will quickly help you on your way. * Ideally you will  [ Read More ]

By James Causian One of the key features that advanced amateurs and budget conscious professionals buyers look for in today’s digital SLR is high-definition of HD video capture. Making it more interesting is the fact that they can combine the usage of lenses for both still and video shooting with the same body. Unfortunately, most cameras have control and format  [ Read More ]

Landscape Photography by: Agnes celina Very few of us are not inspired by majestic mountains, wide expanses of lush green grasses, fallen autumn leaves, sunsets or dewy glow on the land in the mornings. So, photographers thought that if human mind and heart is so pleased and attracted by these landscapes and scenes, then why not capture them and possess  [ Read More ]

Since cameras capture light and store the image you shoot, nighttime photography is a big challenge to most photographers. This type of photography can be used in many different fields and settings. Many would use it for outdoor photography, wildlife photography, landscape and scenery photography, sports photography, portraits, just to name a few. Nighttime photography is a very interesting type  [ Read More ]

Whether you’re headed to the beach, a family get-together, or just watching the kids’ ball game, there’s a new “must pack” item in the travel bag this summer. A high-tech revolution is sweeping through the photography market as more and more shutterbugs are turning to digital cameras as a convenient and versatile way of capturing prized memories for printing, e-mailing,  [ Read More ]

Professional photographers as well as consumers often need more space on their camera memory cards. Travelers tend to be a bit nervous about carrying around all the vacation photos on easily lost or damaged SD cards. Now there is a solution that makes sense. It’s the Eye-Fi Pro X2, an SD card with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities that means you can  [ Read More ]

Associated with the vast concept of graphic design, graphic images are used as clip-arts or illustrations to make the communications more effective. It is quite obvious that an impressive visual plays a significant role in attracting the readers’ attention. Therefore, whether it is about advertisements in magazines or visual representations on websites, creatively used graphic images persuade the readers. They  [ Read More ]

Photography Tips While Traveling by: Robert Bezman Whether you’re embarking on a family vacation or your family reunion, it’s going to be a special time. When we think of trips we’ve taken, we tend to remember them best with photographs. Here’s some ideas to enhance your vacation as well as your memories of them. Location Preparation Since you know where  [ Read More ]

This holiday season, you’ll have only one chance to capture each magic moment. It’s impossible to re-play the scene if you’re disappointed with your picture. That’s why it pays to be prepared and ready. Here are several tips from expert Rufina James to help you make sure your digital pictures turn out memorable: Get The Lighting And White Balance Right.  [ Read More ]

Are you trying to decide whether or not to go Strobist? There are many different reasons why external flashes are favored over the cameras built-in flash unit. One of the biggest benefits would be the power. An internal camera flash has limited options and adjustability. While you can make use of compensation, it still does not help in how far  [ Read More ]

You could spend your entire lifetime studying how to make great landscape images. There are, however, a few key techniques that will improve your nature shots right away while you learn the subtleties of the craft. Keep these few in the back of your mind while shooting. Work with “magic light.” Landscape pictures shot before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00  [ Read More ]

By Andrew Suryono If you’re looking to improve your macro photography, then you should do these three things to get the best results from your photography. First, you need to keep everything steady. Second, you need to turn off any kind of image stabilization on your lens. And last, but not least, you need to be patient. After reading this  [ Read More ]

By Andrew Suryono Advertisement If you’re looking for ways to protect your expensive lens investment for your DSLR camera, then you’re on the right place. In this article, I will explore some ways that you can protect your lens from dust, mold and scratches. The first way to protect your lens is to use the included lens hood that comes  [ Read More ]

Advertisement It started with vintage fashion, artwork and home wares. Then the craze moved to music, with collectors everywhere seeking out vinyl records for a bit of retro cool. Now the enthusiasm for all things vintage has trickled down into the realm of photography, with both amateur and professional photographers seeking ways to lend their photos an air of authenticity  [ Read More ]

By Brian K Smith Advertisement Create better photographs capturing both the subject and background with clarity. Exposing your subject is what most people think of first, however, by also properly exposing your background you can created a more pleasing or breathtaking photograph. Imagine your subject at sunset, with the proper settings you can enhance the sunset instead of just your  [ Read More ]

Have you always wanted to capture the excitement and emotion of dancing? Do you want some easy steps to enable you to take great dancing photos? If the answer is yes to these questions, then read on. 1. Take your photos from a low angle position. This in its self will produce an exciting photo that will stand out. If  [ Read More ]

By N Pugh This weekend, my wonderful nephew turned the big 14….yes, he’s truly growing up. As usual, I grabbed my camera bag with all the necessary equipment and headed to my sisters for a small, intimate party with family and a few friends. As the evening progressed, we decided to take some outdoor shots, near her planter, which I  [ Read More ]

You are ready to have your first headshots clicked! The first part before taking actor headshots is the hair which is a huge part of the pictures. Hair One should avoid cutting hair on the day of the shoot and they should at least be a week grown on the day of the shoot. If you have not trimmed your  [ Read More ]

By Amanda C Glisson When I first started photography shooting strictly on location, a couple years back, finding a location for photo-sessions seemed to be such an obstacle for me. Where can I shoot that’s really interesting and eye-catching? I asked myself. A few years later and much more knowledgeable, I can definitely say the background is not as important  [ Read More ]

By Wayne Rasku We have all seen stunning portrait photos that have a blurred background while the subject of the photo is perfectly focused. When done correctly, these photos can be very dramatic, however, it might seem hard to accomplish, especially if you are not familiar with the proper techniques. Whether you use a Panasonic, Sony, Nikon, or Canon, portrait  [ Read More ]