zdjęcie wykonane w czasie częsciowego zaćmienia słonca 31.05.2003
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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Tuesday, December 5, 2006
How to Make a Calendar
Making a calendar does not have to be a difficult process, it can be done rather easily at any good quality online photo service. These services make the process very simply and guide you step-by-step. The digital images, it’s quick and easy and the end result is a perfect, unique gift. Grandparents especially enjoy receiving these photo calendars of grandchildren, a gift they can enjoy all year long.
The first step is to select the pictures you would like to use. Close ups, scenic, and action shots make the best photos to use. Be sure the quality of the photo is good, although most online photo services will advise you if the picture you try to use is not of a high enough resolution. They take the guesswork out of the equation if you are not familiar with photo resolution, pixels and the like. You will also want to consider the months and decide which pictures you want on which months. Perhaps a good action shot of children sledding for January.
Next find the photo site you would like to use. My personal preference is Shutterfly because I have used it many time, but you can use any one you are comfortable with. All online photo sites have easy upload tools with guide you through the process of uploading your pictures to their website into your own account.
Once your account is set up and your pictures are uploaded, simply go to the sites storefront, choose “create a calendar” and you are almost done. The creation tool will guide you through selecting the pictures to use, how to place them in the appropriate month, and make any adjustments needed. Shutterfly has an online editing tool that allows you to edit the pictures, add borders, change the color, add frames, etc…you can get creative. Name your calendar and choose a cover picture. A collage of all the pictures from every month would make a nice cover. You are done and ready to order as many copies as you need.
In very little time you have created an inexpensive but very personal and unique gift. It’s must better than going to the mall and battling the crowds. Better still, because it is thoughtful and takes some time to make, it’s a gift that will be cherished all year long!
The first step is to select the pictures you would like to use. Close ups, scenic, and action shots make the best photos to use. Be sure the quality of the photo is good, although most online photo services will advise you if the picture you try to use is not of a high enough resolution. They take the guesswork out of the equation if you are not familiar with photo resolution, pixels and the like. You will also want to consider the months and decide which pictures you want on which months. Perhaps a good action shot of children sledding for January.
Next find the photo site you would like to use. My personal preference is Shutterfly because I have used it many time, but you can use any one you are comfortable with. All online photo sites have easy upload tools with guide you through the process of uploading your pictures to their website into your own account.
Once your account is set up and your pictures are uploaded, simply go to the sites storefront, choose “create a calendar” and you are almost done. The creation tool will guide you through selecting the pictures to use, how to place them in the appropriate month, and make any adjustments needed. Shutterfly has an online editing tool that allows you to edit the pictures, add borders, change the color, add frames, etc…you can get creative. Name your calendar and choose a cover picture. A collage of all the pictures from every month would make a nice cover. You are done and ready to order as many copies as you need.
In very little time you have created an inexpensive but very personal and unique gift. It’s must better than going to the mall and battling the crowds. Better still, because it is thoughtful and takes some time to make, it’s a gift that will be cherished all year long!
How To Use Digital Photo Editing Software
One of the great benefits of digital photography is that you can edit the shots you have taken and vastly improve the images before you print them out. This puts the ultimate responsibility for the final photo output in the hands of the photographer instead of a processing lab, and lots of people like it that way. So here are a few ideas on how to use your photo editing software.
Actually many digital cameras will let you make some basic image adjustment within the camera itself, including rotation, removing red eye from flash shots, and some basic cropping. But beyond that you will need a digital photo editing software program to take editing to the next level.
You may have gotten a photo editing program bundled with your digital camera when you bought it, so be sure to check through the package and know what the manufacturer provided as some of these bundled software programs can work very well for you. If you didn't get a photo editing program with your digital camera there are still plenty of other options, as there are several good free photo editing software programs available on the internet for download that will let you do more advanced editing including cropping and file resizing, color adjustments and much more.
For the average or above average photographer, there are two programs that you can also buy for around $100 that will bring almost all the features you will need to any photo editing task and they are Adobe Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro 9. Either of these programs offer more advanced features including incremental control over brightness, contrast, sharpness, color saturation and much more. They are also fairly easy to learn and use.
And then for the most demanding of photographers or professionals who work with digital images, the ultimate photo editing program is Adobe PhotoShop itself. There is almost nothing that you can't do with this program. It is extremely powerful, but also has a fairly steep learning curve, so if you don't fit into this small circle of high end users there is no real need to pony up the hundreds of dollars that will be necessary to get such an advanced program. The choices mentioned above would be a better bet for the vast majority of folks instead.
So as you can see there are several choices to be made when it comes to how you plan on editing your digital photos, and there are also plenty of digital photo editing software programs that can help you accomplish almost any editing task that you could want simply, quickly and easily. Just choose the program that best fits your individual needs as outlined in this article.
Actually many digital cameras will let you make some basic image adjustment within the camera itself, including rotation, removing red eye from flash shots, and some basic cropping. But beyond that you will need a digital photo editing software program to take editing to the next level.
You may have gotten a photo editing program bundled with your digital camera when you bought it, so be sure to check through the package and know what the manufacturer provided as some of these bundled software programs can work very well for you. If you didn't get a photo editing program with your digital camera there are still plenty of other options, as there are several good free photo editing software programs available on the internet for download that will let you do more advanced editing including cropping and file resizing, color adjustments and much more.
For the average or above average photographer, there are two programs that you can also buy for around $100 that will bring almost all the features you will need to any photo editing task and they are Adobe Photoshop Elements and Corel Paint Shop Pro 9. Either of these programs offer more advanced features including incremental control over brightness, contrast, sharpness, color saturation and much more. They are also fairly easy to learn and use.
And then for the most demanding of photographers or professionals who work with digital images, the ultimate photo editing program is Adobe PhotoShop itself. There is almost nothing that you can't do with this program. It is extremely powerful, but also has a fairly steep learning curve, so if you don't fit into this small circle of high end users there is no real need to pony up the hundreds of dollars that will be necessary to get such an advanced program. The choices mentioned above would be a better bet for the vast majority of folks instead.
So as you can see there are several choices to be made when it comes to how you plan on editing your digital photos, and there are also plenty of digital photo editing software programs that can help you accomplish almost any editing task that you could want simply, quickly and easily. Just choose the program that best fits your individual needs as outlined in this article.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Nude photography
Nude photography is the genre of art photography, whose subject is the representation of the naked (full nude) or partially naked (half nude) human body.
The aesthetic value of nude photography and its boundary to erotic photography can only be determined with difficulty and inter-subjectively and is also affected by its numerous overlaps with pornography. In consequence, nude photography and erotic photography always find themselves branded in multiple ways, and labelled as works of artistic freedom, aesthetics, kitsch, junk or provocation. The boundaries of nude photography, erotic photography and pornography are so undefined and continuously changing that they are always determined and defined by the subjective moral view of the individual and the generally accepted cultural confines of “customs and tradition”.
Whether the picture itself is art or junk always lies in the eye of the beholder. One (subjective) definition of the worth of a nude photograph is: “A nude photo is then good, when the Model shows it around at the coffee table at her grandmother’s birthday party and receives positive feedback.” (Günter Rinnhofer) Other definitions have been by far more controversial. For Horst Werner this art form has always been about provocation and evoking of emotions. He prefers disgust, shock and aversion (as evoked for example by his photographs of nudes at a cemetery or of disabled people) to indifference, which in his opinion, is often the only reaction generated by other, more conventional art styles. Additionally, it is nowadays no longer such a taboo to depict the primary sex features of a human being. However, in contrast to pornography, nude photography does not actively pursue to excite the audience, although this does not exclude that it is consumed with this intention and effect.
Tasteful nude photography is often regarded as high skilled photography as besides technical knowledge and the ability to manipulate light the nude photographer also needs strong communication skills and the ability to build a positive relationship with his model. A modelling contract between photographer and model often includes additional remuneration to the model besides payment and publication rights.
Subgenres and Subjets
“Feminine nudity must be given to men by the teaspoonful, not with a scoop.” (Coco Chanel)
Nude photography divides into three basic forms: the "classic" full nude with a simple background, full nude model where model is completely naked; the detailed nude depicting certain details of the body, abstracting and making them anonymous, and emphasising the forms and structures of the nude; and finally the half nude, where the model is partially clothed or partially wrapped with accessories.
History and development
The nude is a classic subject in art. Already the early high cultures (Egypt, Crete, India among others) knew nude representations. Its development into other representation forms can be pursued from Greek clay to the art of the middle ages and on to the European art of the modern age. Since the renaissance, the study of the nude human body is an intrinsic part of art education at art academies.
Since around 1847 the nude has also become the object of photography, the first nude photographers including Philippe Debussy, E. Delacroix, Eugene Durieu and B. Braquehais. Models were both professionals and prostitutes and photographs were both artistic and “spicy”, which often invited the aversion of moral and law enforcement officers.
The aesthetic value of nude photography and its boundary to erotic photography can only be determined with difficulty and inter-subjectively and is also affected by its numerous overlaps with pornography. In consequence, nude photography and erotic photography always find themselves branded in multiple ways, and labelled as works of artistic freedom, aesthetics, kitsch, junk or provocation. The boundaries of nude photography, erotic photography and pornography are so undefined and continuously changing that they are always determined and defined by the subjective moral view of the individual and the generally accepted cultural confines of “customs and tradition”.
Whether the picture itself is art or junk always lies in the eye of the beholder. One (subjective) definition of the worth of a nude photograph is: “A nude photo is then good, when the Model shows it around at the coffee table at her grandmother’s birthday party and receives positive feedback.” (Günter Rinnhofer) Other definitions have been by far more controversial. For Horst Werner this art form has always been about provocation and evoking of emotions. He prefers disgust, shock and aversion (as evoked for example by his photographs of nudes at a cemetery or of disabled people) to indifference, which in his opinion, is often the only reaction generated by other, more conventional art styles. Additionally, it is nowadays no longer such a taboo to depict the primary sex features of a human being. However, in contrast to pornography, nude photography does not actively pursue to excite the audience, although this does not exclude that it is consumed with this intention and effect.
Tasteful nude photography is often regarded as high skilled photography as besides technical knowledge and the ability to manipulate light the nude photographer also needs strong communication skills and the ability to build a positive relationship with his model. A modelling contract between photographer and model often includes additional remuneration to the model besides payment and publication rights.
Subgenres and Subjets
“Feminine nudity must be given to men by the teaspoonful, not with a scoop.” (Coco Chanel)
Nude photography divides into three basic forms: the "classic" full nude with a simple background, full nude model where model is completely naked; the detailed nude depicting certain details of the body, abstracting and making them anonymous, and emphasising the forms and structures of the nude; and finally the half nude, where the model is partially clothed or partially wrapped with accessories.
History and development
The nude is a classic subject in art. Already the early high cultures (Egypt, Crete, India among others) knew nude representations. Its development into other representation forms can be pursued from Greek clay to the art of the middle ages and on to the European art of the modern age. Since the renaissance, the study of the nude human body is an intrinsic part of art education at art academies.
Since around 1847 the nude has also become the object of photography, the first nude photographers including Philippe Debussy, E. Delacroix, Eugene Durieu and B. Braquehais. Models were both professionals and prostitutes and photographs were both artistic and “spicy”, which often invited the aversion of moral and law enforcement officers.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Programy do panoram.
Jakich używacie programów do łączenia zdjęć w panoramy, jakie są Waszym zdaniem dobre a jakich nalezy unikać?Ja używam oczywiście dołączonego do canona PhotoStitch, ale bardzo fajny jest także programik firmy Ulead "Cool 360 D " z przeglądarką obrotową panoram.Program jest w miarę prosty i oferuje dużo funkcji , poniżej link dla osób które go jeszcze nie widziały:http://www.ulead.com/cool360/runme.htmTechnorati Profile
Jak zmontować 3 fotki w całość....
Jak zmontować 3 fotki w całość.
Za namową @wtsz, @kwietczara, @nikx i @wifey....@miderskiejSpróbuję opowiedzieć w kilku słowach jak zrobiłem "Road to Hell" "Gifts" i "Szarotkę"....Ale po kolei...Z góry przepraszam za kiepską jakość tłumaczenia....nie jestem w tym dobry... Poza tym nie jestem ekspertem od PS-a...:)1 Należy przygotować zdjęcia ( ja użyłem 3). OPczywiście wskazane byłoby aby miały identyczne rozmiary. Fotki otworzyłem w PS-e....a następnie ...2 Utwożyłem NOWY obrazek...o białym tle o rozmiarach:3 razy szerokość jednego zdjęcia i wysokości jednego zdjęcia...PLUS ewentualnie kilkadziesiąt pikseli na tzw MARGINES...:)3 Skopiowałem moje fotki do schowka a następnie wkleiłem je do nowego dokumentu jako NOWE WARSTWY....4 Każdej z warstw można nadać "charakterek"...np...obrysować jakimś kolorkiem...dodać cień tak aby wyglądało z wodotryskiem...5 Oczywiście trzeba to ładnie wypozycjonować...poukładać ...etc6 Następnie takie warstwy należy połączyć...np: WYRSTWA/ POŁĄCZ WIDOCZNE....albo SPŁASZCZ OBRAZEK...7 tak spłaszczony obrazek można dalej edytować tak jak zwykłe fotki...np. skadrować utworzyć ramki etc....8 KONIEC
Za namową @wtsz, @kwietczara, @nikx i @wifey....@miderskiejSpróbuję opowiedzieć w kilku słowach jak zrobiłem "Road to Hell" "Gifts" i "Szarotkę"....Ale po kolei...Z góry przepraszam za kiepską jakość tłumaczenia....nie jestem w tym dobry... Poza tym nie jestem ekspertem od PS-a...:)1 Należy przygotować zdjęcia ( ja użyłem 3). OPczywiście wskazane byłoby aby miały identyczne rozmiary. Fotki otworzyłem w PS-e....a następnie ...2 Utwożyłem NOWY obrazek...o białym tle o rozmiarach:3 razy szerokość jednego zdjęcia i wysokości jednego zdjęcia...PLUS ewentualnie kilkadziesiąt pikseli na tzw MARGINES...:)3 Skopiowałem moje fotki do schowka a następnie wkleiłem je do nowego dokumentu jako NOWE WARSTWY....4 Każdej z warstw można nadać "charakterek"...np...obrysować jakimś kolorkiem...dodać cień tak aby wyglądało z wodotryskiem...5 Oczywiście trzeba to ładnie wypozycjonować...poukładać ...etc6 Następnie takie warstwy należy połączyć...np: WYRSTWA/ POŁĄCZ WIDOCZNE....albo SPŁASZCZ OBRAZEK...7 tak spłaszczony obrazek można dalej edytować tak jak zwykłe fotki...np. skadrować utworzyć ramki etc....8 KONIEC
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Aperture, Shutter Speed and Focus - The Only Features You Need
Cameras certainly got complicated in recent years. With all the features, functions and menus, the simplicity of taking a photograph has disappeared. Perhaps it’s time to revisit the basics: aperture, shutter speed and focus – the three ‘features’ you actually need.
I’m always intrigued when I ask someone to take a photo with one of my cameras. They see the aperture ring, a shutter speed dial a manual focus lens and freak out. Oddly, they seem more at ease sifting through countless menus and screens than using what is, in all reality, a very simple machine.
Whether you have a modern SLR (film or digital), a point and shoot, a 50 year old rangefinder, an 8x10 view camera, a 30 year old manual workhorse or anything in between, there are three essential functions all are relying on: aperture, shutter speed and focus.
APERTURE As the name suggests, the lens aperture is an opening. This opening is controllable by the photographer who determines whether a lot of light (large aperture) or a little light (small aperture) is to make its way through to the film plane or CCD.
By using the aperture ring, the photographer selects a ‘f-stop’ (f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22 etc), a pre-set opening. Each time you move one stop you either double or halve the amount of light coming through, depending on whether you are ‘opening up’ or ‘stopping down’. The smaller numbers (f2, f2.8 etc) are actually bigger openings and the bigger numbers (f16, f22 etc) are smaller openings. That’s about as complicated as it gets too. This halving or doubling relationship is very important and makes life very easy when dealing with shutter speeds.
SHUTTER SPEEDS Between the aperture and the film or CCD is the shutter. The shutter speed determines how long the light being let in by the aperture gets exposed to the film or CCD.
Where it all fits together beautifully, is that a change from one shutter speed to the next either halves or doubles the time of the exposure. Sound familiar?
WHAT TO USE Apertures and shutter speeds give certain looks. Using a large aperture (f2.8, f4 etc) gives what’s known as a shallow depth of field, where only what you focus on is in sharp focus and what is in front of or behind your subject is out of focus. Shallow depth of field is generally used for portraiture.
A small aperture (f11, f16 etc) allows more of the scene in front of and behind your subject to be in focus. A long depth of field is generally used for landscapes.
Shutter speeds can ‘freeze’ the action (think sports) or ‘blur’ part of the scene to indicate speed or movement.
When photographing, try visualising what you want the picture to look like and set your exposure accordingly. What’s in the shot, what are you trying to convey, should you use a long depth of field or a shallow one, do you need to freeze the action, give a sense of movement or simply have a workable shutter speed because you’re hand-holding the camera?
EXPOSURE Once your basic exposure has been determined (using an on-camera or hand-held meter) you can then adjust either your shutter speed or aperture to better suit your requirements.
Say for example, your camera is telling you that the exposure you need is f8 at 1/125 second. You are taking a portrait shot, however, and only want your subject in focus. An aperture of f8, you decide, will bring too much of the background into focus and you’d prefer to use f4.
By ‘opening up’ the two stops to f4 (f8 to f5.6 to f4) you’ve increased your exposure by two stops. To compensate, you have to decrease your shutter speed by two stops (one stop down is 1/250, another stop is 1/500). In other words, f4 at 1/500 second is the same as f8 at 1/125 sec.
By working up and down the scale, you can work out the other aperture/shutter speed combinations. All will have the same exposure but a different look. And that’s the beauty of photography: in any given situation, you can choose whichever combination suits your needs best.
FOCUS This is obvious and doesn’t need too much explanation. It is nice to be in control of it and not fight against an auto focus that’s doing its own thing.
The whole point of this exercise is to get a more tactile experience when photographing; to not be guessing at what’s going on but rather knowing.
The best way to achieve this is to switch off all the automated features that do the thinking for you and turn your camera to manual.
Interestingly, all those little icons on your camera dial like a face or a mountain scene or a person running are just telling the camera to prioritise a big aperture, a small aperture and a fast shutter speed respectively. It’s just as easy to do it yourself and be in control of your photography.
Although it may seem daunting at first, in practice using aperture, shutter speeds and manual focus is very simple and infinitely easier to understand than the manuals that come with cameras nowadays. The features are there to sell cameras, not make you a better photographer. Take the unnecessary features away and cameras don’t really need manuals at all.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Smeal
I’m always intrigued when I ask someone to take a photo with one of my cameras. They see the aperture ring, a shutter speed dial a manual focus lens and freak out. Oddly, they seem more at ease sifting through countless menus and screens than using what is, in all reality, a very simple machine.
Whether you have a modern SLR (film or digital), a point and shoot, a 50 year old rangefinder, an 8x10 view camera, a 30 year old manual workhorse or anything in between, there are three essential functions all are relying on: aperture, shutter speed and focus.
APERTURE As the name suggests, the lens aperture is an opening. This opening is controllable by the photographer who determines whether a lot of light (large aperture) or a little light (small aperture) is to make its way through to the film plane or CCD.
By using the aperture ring, the photographer selects a ‘f-stop’ (f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22 etc), a pre-set opening. Each time you move one stop you either double or halve the amount of light coming through, depending on whether you are ‘opening up’ or ‘stopping down’. The smaller numbers (f2, f2.8 etc) are actually bigger openings and the bigger numbers (f16, f22 etc) are smaller openings. That’s about as complicated as it gets too. This halving or doubling relationship is very important and makes life very easy when dealing with shutter speeds.
SHUTTER SPEEDS Between the aperture and the film or CCD is the shutter. The shutter speed determines how long the light being let in by the aperture gets exposed to the film or CCD.
Where it all fits together beautifully, is that a change from one shutter speed to the next either halves or doubles the time of the exposure. Sound familiar?
WHAT TO USE Apertures and shutter speeds give certain looks. Using a large aperture (f2.8, f4 etc) gives what’s known as a shallow depth of field, where only what you focus on is in sharp focus and what is in front of or behind your subject is out of focus. Shallow depth of field is generally used for portraiture.
A small aperture (f11, f16 etc) allows more of the scene in front of and behind your subject to be in focus. A long depth of field is generally used for landscapes.
Shutter speeds can ‘freeze’ the action (think sports) or ‘blur’ part of the scene to indicate speed or movement.
When photographing, try visualising what you want the picture to look like and set your exposure accordingly. What’s in the shot, what are you trying to convey, should you use a long depth of field or a shallow one, do you need to freeze the action, give a sense of movement or simply have a workable shutter speed because you’re hand-holding the camera?
EXPOSURE Once your basic exposure has been determined (using an on-camera or hand-held meter) you can then adjust either your shutter speed or aperture to better suit your requirements.
Say for example, your camera is telling you that the exposure you need is f8 at 1/125 second. You are taking a portrait shot, however, and only want your subject in focus. An aperture of f8, you decide, will bring too much of the background into focus and you’d prefer to use f4.
By ‘opening up’ the two stops to f4 (f8 to f5.6 to f4) you’ve increased your exposure by two stops. To compensate, you have to decrease your shutter speed by two stops (one stop down is 1/250, another stop is 1/500). In other words, f4 at 1/500 second is the same as f8 at 1/125 sec.
By working up and down the scale, you can work out the other aperture/shutter speed combinations. All will have the same exposure but a different look. And that’s the beauty of photography: in any given situation, you can choose whichever combination suits your needs best.
FOCUS This is obvious and doesn’t need too much explanation. It is nice to be in control of it and not fight against an auto focus that’s doing its own thing.
The whole point of this exercise is to get a more tactile experience when photographing; to not be guessing at what’s going on but rather knowing.
The best way to achieve this is to switch off all the automated features that do the thinking for you and turn your camera to manual.
Interestingly, all those little icons on your camera dial like a face or a mountain scene or a person running are just telling the camera to prioritise a big aperture, a small aperture and a fast shutter speed respectively. It’s just as easy to do it yourself and be in control of your photography.
Although it may seem daunting at first, in practice using aperture, shutter speeds and manual focus is very simple and infinitely easier to understand than the manuals that come with cameras nowadays. The features are there to sell cameras, not make you a better photographer. Take the unnecessary features away and cameras don’t really need manuals at all.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Smeal
Creating Personalized Photo Calendars
About Personalized Photo Calendars:
Photo Calendars are 12-month, wall-hanging calendars that you can create using your own digital photos and captions. As you customize your own photo calendar, you can start the calendar on whatever month and year you wish. Most photo calendars are printed on white heavy-weight glossy card stock that you can write on, and they are spiral-bound in the middle.
Creating Personalized Photo Calendars:
Most online digital photo printing services, such as Shutterfly (my favorite), Snapfish and Kodak EasyShare Gallery, offer custom photo calendars. The process of creating personalized photo calendars usually involves:
1. Picking a starting month and year for your calendar
2. Selecting a page design from a variety of templates
3. Choosing your photos from those you have uploaded to the photo service's website and selecting which photo you want for a specific month
4. Writing brief photo captions to accompany each page of your photo calendar (usually optional)
5. Adding a cover photo for your personalized photo calendar
6. Placing your photo calendar order with the web site
Templates for Personalized Photo Calendars:
Most photo printing services like Shutterfly and Snapfish offer a selection of photo calendar templates to choose from. There are also several software programs that include free photo calendar templates. FotoFinish offers several photo calendar templates with its FotoFinish Suite software version, and you can download a variety of additional free photo calendar templates from its website. Adobe Photoshop Album and Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe also feature photo calendar templates.
Printing Photo Calendars:
If you design your custom photo calendar using an online photo service, to print it simply add your photo calendar to your online shopping account and check out. You'll have your printed photo calendar in a few days. The average cost is about $20 per calendar. If you are using your own software to create your photo calendar, you can print your calendar pages using your own color printer and have your pages spiral bound into a calendar at a local copy store.
Customized Photo Calendars Make Great Gifts:
Custom photo calendars make terrific gifts, whether for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. Got an avid golfer in the family? What about custom golf photo calendars featuring photos of your golfer teeing off? Sometimes it is hard to come up with a good gift idea for elderly parents or grandparents. A photo calendar with pictures of your children makes a great gift that grandma and grandpa will enjoy anew each time they turn over a new month. Don't have kids? What about 12 months of your favorite pet photos? The ideas are endless.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Goettsch
Photo Calendars are 12-month, wall-hanging calendars that you can create using your own digital photos and captions. As you customize your own photo calendar, you can start the calendar on whatever month and year you wish. Most photo calendars are printed on white heavy-weight glossy card stock that you can write on, and they are spiral-bound in the middle.
Creating Personalized Photo Calendars:
Most online digital photo printing services, such as Shutterfly (my favorite), Snapfish and Kodak EasyShare Gallery, offer custom photo calendars. The process of creating personalized photo calendars usually involves:
1. Picking a starting month and year for your calendar
2. Selecting a page design from a variety of templates
3. Choosing your photos from those you have uploaded to the photo service's website and selecting which photo you want for a specific month
4. Writing brief photo captions to accompany each page of your photo calendar (usually optional)
5. Adding a cover photo for your personalized photo calendar
6. Placing your photo calendar order with the web site
Templates for Personalized Photo Calendars:
Most photo printing services like Shutterfly and Snapfish offer a selection of photo calendar templates to choose from. There are also several software programs that include free photo calendar templates. FotoFinish offers several photo calendar templates with its FotoFinish Suite software version, and you can download a variety of additional free photo calendar templates from its website. Adobe Photoshop Album and Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe also feature photo calendar templates.
Printing Photo Calendars:
If you design your custom photo calendar using an online photo service, to print it simply add your photo calendar to your online shopping account and check out. You'll have your printed photo calendar in a few days. The average cost is about $20 per calendar. If you are using your own software to create your photo calendar, you can print your calendar pages using your own color printer and have your pages spiral bound into a calendar at a local copy store.
Customized Photo Calendars Make Great Gifts:
Custom photo calendars make terrific gifts, whether for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. Got an avid golfer in the family? What about custom golf photo calendars featuring photos of your golfer teeing off? Sometimes it is hard to come up with a good gift idea for elderly parents or grandparents. A photo calendar with pictures of your children makes a great gift that grandma and grandpa will enjoy anew each time they turn over a new month. Don't have kids? What about 12 months of your favorite pet photos? The ideas are endless.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Goettsch
5 Materials and Technologies That Just Might Eliminate Digital Camera Shutter Delay
Bob pushed the shutter release button and…NOTHING HAPPENED. The football passed into his son's hands and the actual photo he took was one of a cheerleader's pom-pom. Bob missed the touchdown too. He resisted an insane urge to slam the camera to the ground and jump on it.
This was his first digital camera, and Bob had just experienced an unpleasant surprise. He had used film cameras all his life, but when his Yashica went into the shop a friend loaned him a digital camera. He naively decided to take some action shots and discovered the most maddening "feature" of digital cameras – the shutter delay.
MADDENING AND FRUSTRATING
Articles on this subject have attributed shutter delay to:
1. The camera's focus system
2. The time it takes the camera to digitally process the image
3. Reaction time of the photographer
Numbers one and three are lag times that most people using digital cameras are accustomed to. Most have used a film camera and know it needs a few milliseconds to focus.
The no-brainer solution is to reduce the aperture of the lens to increase depth of field, or aim the camera at the object you wish to be in focus and depress the shutter button half way in order to "tell" the camera what to focus on, then move the camera to center the image and depress it the rest of the way.
As far as human reaction time, well, it hasn't really changed much for users of film cameras, and people experienced in taking action shots usually get what they want.
So let's look at number 2, the time it takes to process the picture.
TIME TO DO THE PROCESSING
Processing the picture (so the camera can be ready for the next one) comes in several steps to move it from the image sensor to flash card storage:
1. Color corrections. The camera has to examine each and every Charge Couple Device (CCD) element on the photo sensor. It adds green, blue, and red to achieve the right color balance. For a 3 mega pixel camera, the processor has to make 9 million calculations.
2. Sharpening. This boosts the contrast by detecting and sharpening edges.
3. Compression. This process converts the 12 to 14 bits of each CCD sensor to 16 bits by "padding" the information and compressing it to 8 bits. This compresses the file size to 9 megabytes.
These steps require a tremendous amount of computational time. No wonder Bob missed his shot!
CATCHING THE ACTION
There are two ways of capturing action:
1. The "consecutive mode". If the camera has this mode, you can take a series of rapid shots moving through the event. This requires a camera with a large ‘buffer" to hold photos for processing.
2. Anticipating shots by depressing and holding down the shutter release prior to the event. This requires an ability to predict the future, something most of us don't possess.
THE FUTURE OF FASTER SHOOTING
Obviously this would all be simplified if micro processing were faster. Even with large buffers, the speed in which data is transmitted to the processor is prohibited by the rate at which data is conveyed from the CCD. Micro processing speed is the next bottleneck.
Faster clock rates and data transfer speeds would reduce or even eliminate "shutter lag" time. There are several technologies in the wings that offer hope:
1. Nanotube and nanowire technologies. These are both the offspring of "nanotechnology", the ability to make tiny machines at the "nano" level, a billionth of a meter in size rather than a millionth of a meter (micrometer) and offer hope for a 500 GHz clock rate or more.
2. DNA Yes, you heard me right. Computing based on DNA strands in which information is stored and processed.
3. Other materials
• Gallium Arsenide with much a faster speed has been used for years for military purposes.
• Silicon-Germanium chips increase the transfer of light signals to silicon. These traditionally have worked best at ultra cold temperatures, but many computer simulations have shown that they may be made to approach 1000 GHz (1 THz) at room temperature.
• Indium-antimonide. Much faster than silicon
•Optical transistors. A glass material known as chalcogenide becomes a switch as its refracting properties are changed. No need to translate those photons into anything else.
• Coated Viruses. The latest research involves coating viruses with a conducting material. Much higher speeds at the molecular level can be obtained. This will give a new meaning to the term "computer virus".
4. Parallel Processing. As we've noticed lately with the war between Intel and AMD over the number of parallel processors crammed into a CPU, digital camera processing would benefit from parallel processors handling the focussing, sharpening and squeezing.
5. Software. Improvement in instructional efficiency by reducing the lines of code would make the whole process more efficient.
HOLD ON AND WAIT FOR THE FUTURE
The REAL solution to this maddening shutter delay appears to be in the material the processor is constructed of, as well as advancements in the software.
But we've got awhile to wait for it. Although a few alternate materials have been around for awhile, everything else is still in the research and development phase. Even when it finally trickles out of the labs, it will probably make your future digital camera cost around $10000 - $15000.
Quite a price tag for the ability to take pictures as fast as a film camera! Still…
Except for the lag, the digital camera has it all over film cameras, once the photo is captured by the memory card. The new technology will be worth the wait.
Digital camera owners are known for their ability to wait…as they desperately punch the shutter release trying to grab the fleeting smile of their new baby, or the football that lands in his hands eighteen years later, when he scores the winning touchdown.
This was his first digital camera, and Bob had just experienced an unpleasant surprise. He had used film cameras all his life, but when his Yashica went into the shop a friend loaned him a digital camera. He naively decided to take some action shots and discovered the most maddening "feature" of digital cameras – the shutter delay.
MADDENING AND FRUSTRATING
Articles on this subject have attributed shutter delay to:
1. The camera's focus system
2. The time it takes the camera to digitally process the image
3. Reaction time of the photographer
Numbers one and three are lag times that most people using digital cameras are accustomed to. Most have used a film camera and know it needs a few milliseconds to focus.
The no-brainer solution is to reduce the aperture of the lens to increase depth of field, or aim the camera at the object you wish to be in focus and depress the shutter button half way in order to "tell" the camera what to focus on, then move the camera to center the image and depress it the rest of the way.
As far as human reaction time, well, it hasn't really changed much for users of film cameras, and people experienced in taking action shots usually get what they want.
So let's look at number 2, the time it takes to process the picture.
TIME TO DO THE PROCESSING
Processing the picture (so the camera can be ready for the next one) comes in several steps to move it from the image sensor to flash card storage:
1. Color corrections. The camera has to examine each and every Charge Couple Device (CCD) element on the photo sensor. It adds green, blue, and red to achieve the right color balance. For a 3 mega pixel camera, the processor has to make 9 million calculations.
2. Sharpening. This boosts the contrast by detecting and sharpening edges.
3. Compression. This process converts the 12 to 14 bits of each CCD sensor to 16 bits by "padding" the information and compressing it to 8 bits. This compresses the file size to 9 megabytes.
These steps require a tremendous amount of computational time. No wonder Bob missed his shot!
CATCHING THE ACTION
There are two ways of capturing action:
1. The "consecutive mode". If the camera has this mode, you can take a series of rapid shots moving through the event. This requires a camera with a large ‘buffer" to hold photos for processing.
2. Anticipating shots by depressing and holding down the shutter release prior to the event. This requires an ability to predict the future, something most of us don't possess.
THE FUTURE OF FASTER SHOOTING
Obviously this would all be simplified if micro processing were faster. Even with large buffers, the speed in which data is transmitted to the processor is prohibited by the rate at which data is conveyed from the CCD. Micro processing speed is the next bottleneck.
Faster clock rates and data transfer speeds would reduce or even eliminate "shutter lag" time. There are several technologies in the wings that offer hope:
1. Nanotube and nanowire technologies. These are both the offspring of "nanotechnology", the ability to make tiny machines at the "nano" level, a billionth of a meter in size rather than a millionth of a meter (micrometer) and offer hope for a 500 GHz clock rate or more.
2. DNA Yes, you heard me right. Computing based on DNA strands in which information is stored and processed.
3. Other materials
• Gallium Arsenide with much a faster speed has been used for years for military purposes.
• Silicon-Germanium chips increase the transfer of light signals to silicon. These traditionally have worked best at ultra cold temperatures, but many computer simulations have shown that they may be made to approach 1000 GHz (1 THz) at room temperature.
• Indium-antimonide. Much faster than silicon
•Optical transistors. A glass material known as chalcogenide becomes a switch as its refracting properties are changed. No need to translate those photons into anything else.
• Coated Viruses. The latest research involves coating viruses with a conducting material. Much higher speeds at the molecular level can be obtained. This will give a new meaning to the term "computer virus".
4. Parallel Processing. As we've noticed lately with the war between Intel and AMD over the number of parallel processors crammed into a CPU, digital camera processing would benefit from parallel processors handling the focussing, sharpening and squeezing.
5. Software. Improvement in instructional efficiency by reducing the lines of code would make the whole process more efficient.
HOLD ON AND WAIT FOR THE FUTURE
The REAL solution to this maddening shutter delay appears to be in the material the processor is constructed of, as well as advancements in the software.
But we've got awhile to wait for it. Although a few alternate materials have been around for awhile, everything else is still in the research and development phase. Even when it finally trickles out of the labs, it will probably make your future digital camera cost around $10000 - $15000.
Quite a price tag for the ability to take pictures as fast as a film camera! Still…
Except for the lag, the digital camera has it all over film cameras, once the photo is captured by the memory card. The new technology will be worth the wait.
Digital camera owners are known for their ability to wait…as they desperately punch the shutter release trying to grab the fleeting smile of their new baby, or the football that lands in his hands eighteen years later, when he scores the winning touchdown.
Digital Photography Book You Will Need
Ben got interested in photography back in college. That time, students still had to load the camera with film and develop the pictures in the dark room.
Ten years later, things have changed. Professional and amateur photographers have shifted to digital cameras. Since Ben was slow in terms of welcoming new technology, this individual decided to do some research first to know more about it.
The bookstore will surely have a lot of books on this topic. After searching through the second shelf, there it was, publications on digital photography.
Ben noticed that most of the books were written at the turn of the century. This is because manufacturers only released a complete line of these products after Y2K.
There were publications available talking about digital photography in general but people who want to know more should get specialized ones.
The specialized ones will teach the individual how to shoot at night, how to achieve black and white color prints in the digital age, infrared photography, how to set up a digital studio and proper lighting in taking each shot.
There are pictures as well as texts so that the person can read first then apply the techniques illustrated in the book.
Famous photographers who have worked for major magazines and newspapers wrote. Be it for money or to spread the word about this art, these are really worth knowing for those who have done this as a hobby or are just starting.
Some other books will also teach the person the different kind of digital cameras that are available in the market. This proves there are pros and cons in choosing one brand over another and how the systems used are very different.
There are other sources aside from books to learn about digital photography. There are people who write articles on the Internet or have websites that have an open forum for those who enjoy this as a hobby.
The main reason why the demand for digital photography is high is because of its affordability. The individual can choose from a wide range of brands that costs less than $500 a piece. The price will be higher for the more high tech versions that professionals will need.
It is one thing to read the book and another to put it into practice. People who decided to get a digital photography book should apply everything that is written to be able to be just as good as those who have been doing for many years.
Ten years later, things have changed. Professional and amateur photographers have shifted to digital cameras. Since Ben was slow in terms of welcoming new technology, this individual decided to do some research first to know more about it.
The bookstore will surely have a lot of books on this topic. After searching through the second shelf, there it was, publications on digital photography.
Ben noticed that most of the books were written at the turn of the century. This is because manufacturers only released a complete line of these products after Y2K.
There were publications available talking about digital photography in general but people who want to know more should get specialized ones.
The specialized ones will teach the individual how to shoot at night, how to achieve black and white color prints in the digital age, infrared photography, how to set up a digital studio and proper lighting in taking each shot.
There are pictures as well as texts so that the person can read first then apply the techniques illustrated in the book.
Famous photographers who have worked for major magazines and newspapers wrote. Be it for money or to spread the word about this art, these are really worth knowing for those who have done this as a hobby or are just starting.
Some other books will also teach the person the different kind of digital cameras that are available in the market. This proves there are pros and cons in choosing one brand over another and how the systems used are very different.
There are other sources aside from books to learn about digital photography. There are people who write articles on the Internet or have websites that have an open forum for those who enjoy this as a hobby.
The main reason why the demand for digital photography is high is because of its affordability. The individual can choose from a wide range of brands that costs less than $500 a piece. The price will be higher for the more high tech versions that professionals will need.
It is one thing to read the book and another to put it into practice. People who decided to get a digital photography book should apply everything that is written to be able to be just as good as those who have been doing for many years.
Abstract photography
Abstract photography is unlike most other types of photography - rules, such as composition and accurate focusing hold no values. The abstract photographer uses his creative imagination to create stunning works of art.
Abstract photography is a popular form of art and the rewards for a good abstract photographer are most worthwhile. Art buyers pay large amounts for good abstract work.
What is abstract photography?
Abstract photography is a process of using colours and patterns combined to create an image, with no true meaning or no clear subject involved. Abstract photography is not necessarily going to mean the same thing to everyone. Abstract photography leaves more to the imagination and helps us concentrate on texture and colour rather than the whole subject.
If you are looking to try a new form of photography, abstract photography will certainly be an enjoyable challenge and very rewarding if you master the true art.
Creating an abstract image can be easy - creating a great abstract image is difficult. One of the most simple ways of creating an abstract image is by using water and your cameras’ shutter combined. Shooting fast flowing water, with a slow shutter speed of one second will give you a blur effect. This is quite simple to do, but will it look attractive?
This will depend on light - shooting water with a slow shutter speed when the sun is low in the sky will give your image more attractive colours. Different films will also produce different colours. Adding colour filters will also improve your abstract photography. If you are using a digital camera, filters can be added later with Photoshop.
Using a slow shutter speed to shoot a flag blowing in the wind will also give you an abstract image. The trick to keeping abstract photography attractive when using your cameras’ shutter is to crop tightly. Fill the view finder with the blur image.
Some kinds of macro photography can be considered as abstract. Close-ups of flowers and other plant life will make great abstract subjects. As with shooting water - macro abstracts should be cropped tightly and the image should have a theme of colour. Some street lights can also create abstract photographs.
Every where we go we are surrounded with colour, textures and patterns. Patterns make for great abstract images. New patterns are formed by nature every day and this is the best place to start to create marketable abstract photographs.
There are no guidelines for creating good abstract images, just use your imagination along with the natural world to create your master piece.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney
Abstract photography is a popular form of art and the rewards for a good abstract photographer are most worthwhile. Art buyers pay large amounts for good abstract work.
What is abstract photography?
Abstract photography is a process of using colours and patterns combined to create an image, with no true meaning or no clear subject involved. Abstract photography is not necessarily going to mean the same thing to everyone. Abstract photography leaves more to the imagination and helps us concentrate on texture and colour rather than the whole subject.
If you are looking to try a new form of photography, abstract photography will certainly be an enjoyable challenge and very rewarding if you master the true art.
Creating an abstract image can be easy - creating a great abstract image is difficult. One of the most simple ways of creating an abstract image is by using water and your cameras’ shutter combined. Shooting fast flowing water, with a slow shutter speed of one second will give you a blur effect. This is quite simple to do, but will it look attractive?
This will depend on light - shooting water with a slow shutter speed when the sun is low in the sky will give your image more attractive colours. Different films will also produce different colours. Adding colour filters will also improve your abstract photography. If you are using a digital camera, filters can be added later with Photoshop.
Using a slow shutter speed to shoot a flag blowing in the wind will also give you an abstract image. The trick to keeping abstract photography attractive when using your cameras’ shutter is to crop tightly. Fill the view finder with the blur image.
Some kinds of macro photography can be considered as abstract. Close-ups of flowers and other plant life will make great abstract subjects. As with shooting water - macro abstracts should be cropped tightly and the image should have a theme of colour. Some street lights can also create abstract photographs.
Every where we go we are surrounded with colour, textures and patterns. Patterns make for great abstract images. New patterns are formed by nature every day and this is the best place to start to create marketable abstract photographs.
There are no guidelines for creating good abstract images, just use your imagination along with the natural world to create your master piece.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TJ_Tierney
Quick ABC's of Photography
Follow these ABC's of photography and you will have beautiful pictures to add to your scrapbooks. Capture adorable and memorable details of the special event in your life by following these easy steps. If you try one or two new ideas each time you break out the camera, you will soon find yourself snapping photos in exciting ways. People will be amazed at the beautiful images and fun moments you capture with your photo skills.
A Angles Take your photos from above or below your subject. Some of the best shots are taken sitting on a chair or kneeling on the ground.
B Backlit For a glowing silhouette effect, have your subject stand in front of a widow or sunny sky. Be sure to use your flash with this one.
C Chronology Take pictures form the beginning to the end of each event, rather than isolating short to "picture taking time"
D Diagonal Lines Arrange people to form a visual triangle to create balance and a sense of movement in your pictures.
E Everyone Make sure you include everyone at the event in pictures. Write names down in a notebook so you don't forget the names.
F Frames Draw attention to your subject by using frames such as windows, fence posts, and railing.
G Groups Take pictures in groups such as siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.
H Hands Get close ups of people using their hands. This would be great for sports, sewing, cooking or body language when talking.
I Individuals Capture what makes each person unique. Just remember every quirk is fair game!
J Juxtaposition Arrange people and objects in surprising or unexpected ways.
K K-9's and Kitten Always remember the family pets; they are a very important part of the family.
L Little Details Don't forget the decorations or the background settings. These will tie all the photos together.
M Mirrors Use mirrors, windows, and reflective surfaces to add a fun and unusual effect to your photos.
N Natural Light The suns natural light is the most flattering light for ant subject.
O Outdoors Use natural backgrounds as your setting.
P Playtime Make sure to capture those football games, dance classes, and other playful moments these are memories no one wants to forget!
Q Quick Be quick with your camera, you don't want to miss a thing.
R Reactions Keep your camera ready, you never know what special reaction you might miss.
S Self timer Use this special feature to include yourself in group photos.
T Toys Kids are so preoccupied with toys; this is a perfect way to catch those candid pictures of your kids.
U U You shouldn't always be the one with the camera, pass it off so that you are included in shots.
V Values Show your family's faith, beliefs and charity.
W Weather Include all the seasons in your photos
X X-treme Close ups Get close enough to see the freckles or the left-over Birthday cake.
Y Youthfulness Catch kids' high jinks and scrapes. If your first impulse is to scold, try snapping instead.
Z Zoom Use your zoom lens when you are far away to catch candid moments.
Remember that there are several different ways to capture all those special moment in your life. Take picture with a formal backgrounds and candid as well. You will find a style that fits you best for all your photos.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcy_Larsen
A Angles Take your photos from above or below your subject. Some of the best shots are taken sitting on a chair or kneeling on the ground.
B Backlit For a glowing silhouette effect, have your subject stand in front of a widow or sunny sky. Be sure to use your flash with this one.
C Chronology Take pictures form the beginning to the end of each event, rather than isolating short to "picture taking time"
D Diagonal Lines Arrange people to form a visual triangle to create balance and a sense of movement in your pictures.
E Everyone Make sure you include everyone at the event in pictures. Write names down in a notebook so you don't forget the names.
F Frames Draw attention to your subject by using frames such as windows, fence posts, and railing.
G Groups Take pictures in groups such as siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.
H Hands Get close ups of people using their hands. This would be great for sports, sewing, cooking or body language when talking.
I Individuals Capture what makes each person unique. Just remember every quirk is fair game!
J Juxtaposition Arrange people and objects in surprising or unexpected ways.
K K-9's and Kitten Always remember the family pets; they are a very important part of the family.
L Little Details Don't forget the decorations or the background settings. These will tie all the photos together.
M Mirrors Use mirrors, windows, and reflective surfaces to add a fun and unusual effect to your photos.
N Natural Light The suns natural light is the most flattering light for ant subject.
O Outdoors Use natural backgrounds as your setting.
P Playtime Make sure to capture those football games, dance classes, and other playful moments these are memories no one wants to forget!
Q Quick Be quick with your camera, you don't want to miss a thing.
R Reactions Keep your camera ready, you never know what special reaction you might miss.
S Self timer Use this special feature to include yourself in group photos.
T Toys Kids are so preoccupied with toys; this is a perfect way to catch those candid pictures of your kids.
U U You shouldn't always be the one with the camera, pass it off so that you are included in shots.
V Values Show your family's faith, beliefs and charity.
W Weather Include all the seasons in your photos
X X-treme Close ups Get close enough to see the freckles or the left-over Birthday cake.
Y Youthfulness Catch kids' high jinks and scrapes. If your first impulse is to scold, try snapping instead.
Z Zoom Use your zoom lens when you are far away to catch candid moments.
Remember that there are several different ways to capture all those special moment in your life. Take picture with a formal backgrounds and candid as well. You will find a style that fits you best for all your photos.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcy_Larsen
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