Photographing Flowers

One of the easiest ways to end up with a frame worthy photograph is to photograph flowers. Their symmetry and beauty makes every close up photograph a joy to behold.

Flowers and photographers are everywhere and since almost every digital camera has a macro lens setting, this photographic subject is often overdone and seems to present no challenge to the aspiring photographer.

Au contraire, I say. There is no limit to the level of composition and treatment you can give your flower pictures. You can go for a color scheme to match your current décor, you can choose a famous artist and emulate his style. Your creations may contain two, three, five or many blooms (try to stay away from the one big bloom in the middle).

Attractive compositions can contain two flowers, one large, one small forming a diagonal. Three blooms create a triangle with one acting as the main subject and the other two as their counterparts. Racemes offer a built in curve and specie tulips are in a class of their own.

Photoshop and their like offer thousands of ways to improve your flower photographs. Unwanted items in the background can be cloned out, flower heads may look better moved over to a better location and additional blooms can be added to fill in an empty spot.

Don’t neglect the edges, for special treatments like bevels, chalk borders and faded out vignettes can add interest to the piece. With digital photography there are no limits to attaining the image created in your mind.

In the field, special attention must be paid to the overall look of the picture. Try to decide what it is about a particular scene that grabs you fancy. Is it the unusual light descending on your subject, the quality and tone of a different looking background, or is it just the way your subjects relate to each other?

Choose one quality and try to capture the peak of that essence in your digital camera. If you are successful in this respect at the expense of another facet of the picture, it can be fixed later on your computer.

Arboretums and botanical gardens are a bonanza of opportunities for the nature photographer. Even the pollinating insects can get into the act. The subject of flower photography may be the easiest to get started on, but can be the most rewarding for the creative artist.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera every time. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

Top 10 Digital Photography Tips: Video Tutorial By Rick Sammon

Rick Sammon is one of my favorite photographers and the author of numerous books on digital photography and Photoshop techniques. I enjoy Ricks style of breaking down the complexity of photography to it's very basic structure.

Enjoy this YouTube video tutorial that Rick has put together and make sure to follow his top 10 tips to taking great photos that you will want to share.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera everytime. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

The Beauty of Black and White Photography

One of the many features found on modern digital cameras is the ability to allow the owner to try black and white photography.

Through the years, this type of photography has gradually become less popular. Nowadays, people prefer color pictures because they are colorful and more affordable.

The latest camera models have settings for black and white photography and some photo editing software enables photographers to change color photographs into black and white.

Any of these methods can be used to achieve the classic black and white look that can impress any viewer.

Black and white photography has been somewhat forgotten, but a few people have found that it is great for portraits and close-up photos. The black and white look often contains an element of mystery that color photographs cannot capture.

Black and white photos are also perfect for portraits and candid shots of young children. Black and white photography can add an intimate feel to a photo that color photos cannot achieve.

Many wild life photographers have discovered that black and white photography is also effective for nature photos. A black and white picture of a single flower can be breathtaking.

If you want to create a unique picture, you can add color to a part of a black and white photo using your photo editing software. For instance, you can add color to the irises of someone’s eyes on a black and white portrait or add color to the petals of a black and white picture of a flower.

If you want of make your black and white photos to be more striking, you can frame them in groups in your wall. Find moments when your children are at play, take five or six pictures of them a few seconds apart.

Then take these photos and convert them into black and white. Then purchase a set of matching frames and hung them in your wall in a cluster. Believe me; you will be delighted with the results.

Digital cameras have made it easier to make black and white photography a hobby. With the help of a digital camera, this type of photography becomes economical. If you are apprehensive about black and white photography, you can try to experiment.

Find a few colored pictures and turn them into black and white (the photo in this article was originally shot in color) using a photo editing software. Take time to study the photos and see how the products make you feel.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera every time. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

7 Steps to Building A Successful Photography Business: How to Finance Your Habit – Part 1

Looking for new customers? Start With You Already Know

Have you been pondering the idea of making some real money from your photography habit? I call it a habit because it can seem easier to get through the eye of a needle than… Well.. you know how the proverb goes. Anyway let's face it photography is not an easy business to get off the ground, but it sure can be a lot of fun.

Trust me I know, I have worked as freelance photography for three plus years now and I know the pitfalls and potholes that you will surely encounter in trying to get someone to pay you money for what you love to do.

Many of us who truly love the craft of photography we will and often have done so for free. Nothing wrong with that mind you, but wouldn’t it be nice to make a little extra cash from time to time?

Wouldn’t you enjoy earning a few hundred extra bucks on the weekends or a month to buy that new lens you’ve been eyeing?

Allow me to share something very important here. First and foremost you won’t make a plug nickel if no one knows what you have to offer. It’s great that your family, friends and coworkers are all supportive of your photography passion, but unless you can convince them to buy all of your photos or hire you every weekend your chances of making money will be probably slim to none.

Allow me to share something else with you, It doesn't have to be.

Often when we photographers make the decision to go pro, even it’s part time, we must understand that it's still a business.

So where do we to find paying clients when we've exhausted our list of family and friends? Well first off if you immediately think that have to go outside your circle of immediate contacts, Think Again!

So with that said this leads me to the first in 7 steps to building a successful photography business.

Step 1. Start with people who already know you. Now I know what your probably thinking, Rodney didn't you just tell us that family and friends may no longer be interested (or never were) interested in buying from us?

So what do you do?

You ask for referrals. So even if you discover that your siblings, parents, coworkers and friends don’t need you photographically they all know people, don’t they?

Bottom line, photography is a people business and people like to work with others that they know like and trust. So it never hurts to ask.

And if you want to sweeten the pot offer a referral fee. Money can be a tremendous motivator.

So your asssignment this week: Get out there and ask for referrals, make it a point to ask until you get a paying contact. Once you accomplish that, ask them for a referral. Basically rinse and repeat. Good Luck!

This concludes Part 1 of this lesson of 7 Steps to Building a Successful Photography Business, Part 2 will be coming soon. Be sure to sign up for my FREE newsletter to be alerted when I post part 2.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera every time. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

The Most Important Question A Photographer Should Ask

What Story Are You Wanting To Tell?

There are many reasons to take a particular picture. You can be just taking a recording of a moment or you may be trying to capture the emotion of the moment. Is it a picture you want to give to someone else because you know they will want to keep that moment in their mind forever?

Is it a picture that you will add to other shots so you have a complete recording of a particular event?

The reason why this question is so important is because it will effect the picture in ways of how you frame it, the exposure, and many other factors. If you are trying to capture a particular emotion, the focal point will be the face of your subject and you may want to blur out the background slightly to give it that special effect.

If it is an event, like a nice day trip you may want to make sure that you have something commemorating the event like the photos of the superb lunch I had in Cambria, California.

An example would be that if you wanted to take a picture to document a memorable lunch at a quaint restaurant. You will want to make sure you have a nice detail photo (like the shot of the roast beef sandwich paired with the glass of red wine) as well as a portrait of the owner to personalize the experience for the viewer.

Always stop before taking the shot and think about what you are trying to tell so you will always capture that perfect picture.

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera every time. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.

What Do All These Dials Mean?: A Basic Camera Usage Lesson 101

Hosted by TigerTV Host Logan loves digital photography, and he's been good enough to sit down with our camera crew and go over what you need to know to get started.

Whether you already own a digital camera or if you're just a beginner, this video has something for everyone. So Watch, Enjoy, and Rejoice!

Learn how to use and get great photos from your digital camera everytime. Receive FREE tips by subscribing to my ezine Digital Photo Secrets Revealed.