Special Effects for Digital Photography

Special effects for digital photography range from removing red-eye to adding and removing images in the picture file. While some digital effects can be produced with a digital cameras, most special effects for digital photography are added with software editing tools.
Special Effects: Black and White and Sepia Toning
Most digital cameras include settings for black and white and sepia tones. However, these settings are not always of the best quality. You can often create better images when you take the shot in color and then use a digital software editor to alter the image’s colors.
Removing the Unwanted

Digital special effects allow you to remove unwanted objects from images. If an unsightly fence or dead tree interferes with the composition of a photo, software editing programs can remove it from the image. Removing an item against a mono-colored background is one of the easiest digital special effects you can perform: After sampling the background color, you can simply spray paint over the offending object.
Removing images becomes trickier if they obscure objects behind them. At this point, digital special effects take on an artistry all their own. You have two different options available to remove images that have objects behind them: You can superimpose a picture of the obscured object over the unwanted object or, for small areas, you can alter the image pixel by pixel. The second option takes a deft hand and significantly more time.
Red Eye and Closed Eyes
For many amateur photographers, red eye removal is the most important of all digital special effects. Even though most digital cameras have red-eye reduction features, red eye remains the bane of many photos.
Red-eye reduction special effects are standard tools for almost all software editing programs. Essentially, red-eye reduction allows you to insert more natural colors in place of glowing red eyes.
Closed eyes are also a common problem in photos. You can fix them by cropping a person’s eyes from one picture and superimposing them over the closed eyes.
Changing Backgrounds with Special Effects
You can use digital special effects to remove a picture’s background and replace it with another. To do this, the subject in the foreground should have strong, clear lines. You can then clean up the cropped subject’s lines (often pixel by pixel) and then superimpose it on the replacement background.
As with many digital effects, the basics of replacing a background are easy to develop but difficult to master. A well-executed digital special effect is difficult to distinguish from an unmanipulated photo.
Restoring Photos with Digital Special Effects
Digitally restoring aged or damaged photos requires specialized knowledge of special effects. A skilled restorer can digitally fill in holes and tears and can compensate for fading in the original photo while retaining the integrity of the original piece.
Achieving Filtered Digital Special Effects
Traditional cameras achieved filtered special effects by using special lenses, such as fisheye lenses. Today, high-end digital cameras may include settings that duplicate these special effects. However, it’s far more likely for photographers to add these digital special effects during image editing.You can learn more here ok.

Getting The Photography Right:Wedding Day

 
 The wedding couple are the two most important people on a wedding day. An excellent idea would be to isolate the couple from the ongoing celebrations so that the photographer can capture the beautiful intimate moments between them and create some everlasting portraits This helps the couple to get away from the delight of their wedding as well.
The portrait session will give the photographer enough time to spend with the wedding couple to capture the pictures. On the wedding day it doesn’t always happen because it is rare to have time on the actual day of the wedding. The time taken for pictures can well vary from an hour to no time at all. It can take up to an hour for the photographer to take the pictures.
The photographer will require some time with the bride and groom, but when is a good time?
Most photographers tend to believe that the window before the reception is very suitable for portrait photography, since the couple would still look fresh at that time.
Award winning photographer Bradley Hanson says that sometimes the bride and the groom would want to start the portrait session even before the ceremony. He generally starts by photographing the bride getting ready in such events.
Other photo journalists believe that the right time for a portrait session is just after the couple has exchanged their vows, and are still are evidently feeling the emotions of being newly-wed.
For the perfect actual day session to begin, the newly-weds should set aside some time to spend with the photographer. They should find ways to politely lose the relatives and guests to acquire the beautiful moments, so that they can be cherished for a lifetime.
Too many people trying to take pictures of the newly-weds and crying for attention may very well ruin a good portrait session on the wedding day. So the couple isn’t distracted by anyone the photographer will choose to have the couple alone.
According to award winning photographer Shawna Herring, most newly-weds start feeling uncomfortable before the camera when the portrait session is about to start. Professional photographers try to talk to the camera-shy couple about things other than the portrait session so that they forget the camera is even there.
Sometimes people will choose to go to a different location the day before the wedding to have the photo shoot done. To have a good relationship with the photographer this really seems to help loosen them up. Shortly after, couples sometimes forget the camera is even there.
It is at times impossible to achieve the perfect alone time with the photographer due to a variety of reasons. Working together with the bride and groom will help to achieve the creative portrait session.For more information you can learn here.

Landscape Photography

For today's photo tip, lets talk a bit about landscape photography tips and techniques. This will be a review of things we've discussed before, but many of us haven't actually tried using them. Set it as a goal for this weekend to get out there and use these landscape photography tips and techniques to create something you can be proud of!

Light - with a portrait, we have total control. We can adjust the light levels, we can place our light where we want, we can put modifiers in front of it - like umbrellas, scrims, diffusion material, gobos and so on... We can do pretty much anything we want to get the image our mind has conjured up!
With landscape and cityscape photography, we are pretty much stuck with what nature provides us. There's not much we can do.
Or is there? With some pre-planning, we can almost guarantee a stunning shot!
In an outdoor, landscape setting, there isn't much we can do to modify or adjust the light, but we can become hyper aware of what light does at various times of day - and in various weather conditions.
First and foremost to be successful as a landscape or cityscape photographer - you have to have a desire to lose sleep.
What am I talking about? Glad you asked! If you want to start capturing those dramatic landscape photos with all the stunning colors, there's really only two times of day to shoot - at dawn and at dusk.
But for a photographer, dawn and dusk are a bit more expanded than you may think. About twenty minutes before the sun first peeks over the horizon in the morning there is a "false" dawn. This time of day will give you those intense cobalt blue colors you see in contest winners, but haven't been able to see in nature!
As the sun gets closer and closer to the horizon, the colors will start to get pinker. The colors you see at dawn are NOT the same as the colors you see at sunset. (They are more red and orange.)
So, drag yourself out of bed a couple hours before dawn so that you will have enough time to grab a cup of coffee (so you are awake enough to focus) and make your way to your predetermined spot, get set up and start shooting during the false dawn.
See what I mean about needing a desire to lose sleep? Here's the good thing, most of your friends and camera club competition will be snoring away while you "get the shot!"
By the way, there is a false sunset about 20 minutes after the sun goes down. You aren't spending that time watching TV are you?
In addition to the terrific colors, you also get great light angles!
Think of the last photo you saw of a body builder... Where was the light? I'd venture to guess that it was to the side. Actually about 90 degrees to the camera - model axis.
This glancing side light causes heavy shadowing around the muscles making them look more defined and actually larger. The light causes some specular highlights too - which makes the difference between highlight and shadow even more striking.
Now think of your landscape or your cityscape as a muscle bound model. The shadows caused by the glancing sunlight will help define and emphasize the shapes.
Next look for an interesting scene! Use foreground elements to draw the eye into the photo. Use the rule of thirds, leading lines, diagonals and other compositional techniques to draw the viewer's eye to the "star" of your photo. (Be sure you have a well defined "star!")
Finally, throw in a few clouds to reflect the sun's colors and add some visual interest to the sky and you will be well on your way to winning photo contests!
Do all of this at dawn - then do a shot of the same scene at noon. Finally, do it again at sunset and compare all your results. I think you will quickly start to realize just how important all the photo tips, techniques and rules we've been discussing actually are!
Make a note of these landscape photography tips and techniques, and make it a goal to USE THEM this weekend! Check back tomorrow for more...

Trick Photography and Special Effects Techniques

By Jim T May

If you're ready to take your photography skills to the next level and have fun, read on to discover the different trick photography and special effects techniques that you can instantly use. We'll cover 3 of the more common trick photography and special effects techniques as they require very little extra effort to get started.
Most of these techniques won't require you to buy any special equipment. You can get started with any decent digital camera (preferably a DLSR) and a tripod for night time photography. As for trick photography software, you need at least a good photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or a free alternative like Gimp. Once you get the hang of it and your skills improve, you can consider investing in higher-end cameras and special effects software. But enough about hardware and software, onwards to the techniques!
Forced perspective photography
If you've seen pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa taken by tourists, you'll definitely have come across forced perspective photos. These usually depict people "pushing" the tower with their bare hands. This is probably the most overused trick photography technique for that landmark.
Forced perspective employs optical illusion through clever positioning of the photographer and the subject matter. So to achieve that effect you position yourself nearer to the camera so you look bigger than the tower from the point of view of the camera, and you hold up your hands while the photographer adjust their position to line up your hands against the wall perfectly to create the illusion of you "pushing" the tower.
There are endless variation you can try to create interesting photos, such as making yourself look taller than a building, holding up a person with your bare hands, interact with an impossibly large object, and more.
Long exposure photography
Long exposure trick photography techniques are usually taken at night or under low-light conditions. Basically you set the shutter speed of your camera to a longer duration so you get sharp details of stationary elements in your images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. You need a tripod when attempting long exposure photography to get clear and crisp images.
The most common examples you might have seen are night-time city street photos with those surreal long streaks of light made by passing car headlamps. Other common examples are pictures of the skies during night time where you can see the trails of stars. Or you can also have fun creating light paintings where you can "paint" a picture with a bright light source against a dark scene to create spectacular and vivid images.
Tilt-shift photography
Tilt-shift photography literally refers to the tilting and shifting of the camera lens to achieve selective focus. This technique is more commonly known for creating miniature versions of real life images. Certain part of the image is in very sharp focus, but other regions are gradually blurred. This creates the illusion that the people or cars inside the image look like miniature toys.
You'll need to get special camera lens with tilt and shift capabilities, but you can also fake this effect using software. In fact, this technique has recently become so popular that you can install software apps on your smartphone to automatically produce the fake miniature images you take using your smartphone's camera directly.
Experiment and have fun!
Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your everyday or travel snapshots, and you'll already be miles ahead of many people who take plain and uninteresting photos. Sometimes we take photos as if we're at a crime scene, to document all the important bits to be submitted as "evidence" that we were there. While there is nothing wrong with this kind of clinical approach, it sure doesn't hurt to have a little fun with trick photography and special effects once in a while with your pictures.

 

Learning to See Past the Camera

The hardest part about teaching at a photography school is finding a way to convey the principles that are instinctive and absolutely essential to the art form, but which you've never tried to explain verbally. The most important photography school lessons can only be learned if you can persuade a student to willingly "fail," and to participate in an analysis of what really happened within a supportive atmosphere of trusted peers without worrying about looking foolish.
The most fundamental, essential and difficult lesson in photography is not grappling with the technical complexities of apertures and shutter speeds and the like. It is the problem of creating true empathy and perception in the photographer for their subject. Ultimately, all technical matters of exposure, lighting, composition and focus have to be handled with such facility that the photographer can create the best possible visual form instinctively without ever losing sight of the content: the person standing in front of them, uncomfortable, restless, trying to read from the photographer's body language and unfortunate glimpses at the immediate electronic image (oof - that doesn't look good) how they're "performing."
But the sitter shouldn't have to perform for the camera. The photographer's highest calling is to truly see the person in front of them, to earn their trust, and to reveal something so honest that it startles even the subject themselves. And the only way to do that is to practice the craft until it becomes second nature so that the photographer can attend to their real job: watching and learning something about the person in front of them.

Learn Creative Photography

1. Always carry your camera

This is the number one rule in photography. If you aren't carrying your DSLR then carry a compact or at the very least, your camera phone. As you probably know it's not the quality of the camera but the skill of the photographer. So it might not be of the highest quality but at least you'll get the shot. The more opportunities you have to shoot, the more the chances of improving your skills and picking up those great photos.

2. Make more time for photography

To become a good photographer you have to allocate generous amounts of time to your hobby in order to reach a level of competence. As with any pastime it takes time and effort to perfect a craft and if you make this sacrifice the results will show in your images. I have found that even if I don't take a photo, just sitting at a location and planning what I am going to shoot gets me into the groove. With any pastime you'll find that time nurtures creativity and gets you into the frame of mind for taking a good photo. If you are rushed then the chances of your photos looking rushed will increase.

3. Take your time when composing your photo

Linked to making time for shooting is taking time while you are shooting. All of us need to be reminded of this one every now and then. You can never put too much thought into a composition. Okay, you can but better too much than too little especially when you are learning. A little thought goes a long way and it might just result in that once in a lifetime image. Remember that digital makes it too easy and too cheap which often ends in too many images and not enough quality. Before you press the shutter button, pause, think and then shoot the image.

4. Learn something new

Now, the first three points might actually be three new things you need to learn so think about them. Most of us have knowledge gaps in whatever pastime we enjoy and this is no less a challenge with photography. Whether you do a course online, buy a book or join a photography club, make sure that you make it your goal to fill one of those knowledge gaps and learn a new technique or perhaps a function on your camera. I remember how my photography blossomed when I learned how to use aperture compensation. Tiny learning increments can often result in huge quality outcomes so keep persevering.

5. Do a lot more research when buying something new

Before buying a new piece of photographic equipment ask yourself if it is necessary, do I need to spend that amount of money on it or will something else do the job? I love new gadgets or toys and half of them aren't really necessary. On the other hand by not doing enough research you can buy something that won't actually do the job you want it to do. Go online, speak to a friend or drop in at your local photography store and learn more about it before making the purchase.

6. Enjoy your photography more

This could be taking a day trip with a local photography club, a weekend away near a nature reserve or printing and framing some of your best images and hanging them in your home. These will help you build your passion and keep the enjoyment level high. We all go through dips in our hobbies and need to find ways keep the pot boiling. Forget about being too technical for a day and just shoot for the hang of it. Whatever rings your photography bell let it happen.

We all need to look back using our 20/20 vision and try new things, work at improving technique and just have some fun. If your photography isn't fun then you need to ask yourself whether it's the right hobby for you. Happy shooting as you learn to be more creative in your photography in 2013.

Big Responsibility Of Wedding Photographer

Is it fascinating to have good picture during wedding?A wedding photographer is not just any photographer who comes along to take some photographs; they should be able to connect in a friendly and confident manner, with the bride, groom, parents, grandparents and any children at the wedding and sometimes, the pet dog as well. The photographer should feel all the emotions and become a part of their day, by that I mean that they should understand the emotions of the people attending the wedding, after all, how else can the wedding photographer capture these emotions on camera, if they don't feel and understand them.
The romance, excitement and the final realisation of months, maybe even years, of planning for this one day and it's the wedding photographer's job to capture these emotions in a realistic yet, beautiful way. The bride and groom will be nervous, the parents hoping everything runs as smoothly as they have planned for and the kids, trying not to look too bored with all the fuss around them. I often capture some great photographs of the kids at weddings. The photographs should reflect the events of the day in such a way that, looking back, when you're an old married couple, it will seem like the wedding was only yesterday.
All the details need to be photographed, including the church or venue for the ceremony and of course, the reception. As a wedding photographer, I consider it a vital part of my work, to arrive early, get to know the layout of wedding venue, select the best positions and angles for the shots that I want to capture, during the ceremony and strive to produce incredible photos.
Unfortunately, there are still some people who will not allow the religious ceremony to be photographed which is another reason I like to arrive early, to give myself the opportunity to chat with the minister, priest or official who will be conducting the ceremony and if possible, gain a little compromise, in such cases. A good wedding photographer will be aware of all the areas to consider for every occasion. Your wedding will be unique and your wedding photographs should also be unique.
I chose to specialise in wedding photography, initially because I didn't have a photography studio however, while I run a photography business, I also get so much personal enjoyment from photographing weddings, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
My approach to wedding photography is very relaxed; I prefer the wedding photojournalism approach, as most top wedding photographers do. My wedding portfolio is full of photographs of relaxed couples enjoying their wedding day and spending time with friends and family not, the photographer. These photographs are far more enjoyable to look at and also help to capture the wedding's events as they unfold, naturally.
In short, wedding photography is very much a specialised area and wedding photography should always be left to the professional. Weddings can't be re-photographed in a photography studio. The photographer who chooses to photograph weddings, had better know exactly what he or she is doing and be able to get it right, every time. It's a huge responsibility and requires a responsible wedding photographer.Every wedding photographer actually have big responsibility in organizing the history of the ceremony.Don't you think so?

How Digital Technology Has Changed Photography

     Photography has always been a part of our lives. It has helped people capture precious memories - both the good and the bad. Through the years, photography equipment and techniques have evolved to become its own art form. Technology continues to evolve, constantly changing the landscape in which a professional photographer works his trade. Here is a short background on the topic:
What is Digital Technology?
It is usually defined as any system using parts that make use of binary or digital logic which is 1 or 0. If your tool or equipment has a micro controller or a processor inside of it, or if it uses storage and a software program that can perform even simple decision making, that means the equipment you are using benefits from digital technology.
What is Digital Photography?
In simple terms, it means using photography to capture images using digital technology. In the past, photographic film was the main ingredient for photography. But through progress and development, photography has taken the next level in its evolution by utilizing digital technology. With digital technology, you can print, store, display and do so much more with your pictures than you ever thought possible! You can use your equipment to store the images or, if you have a computer, you have the ability to transfer and store your photos onto your computer's hard drive.
With digital technology stepping in, it certainly has changed traditional photography in so many ways.
• With this technology, you won't need to purchase film anymore. It has the ability for you to review the shot taken and if you don't like how it was taken, you can always capture the image over again. This helps save money because there is no waste of a negative.
• The storage capacity for digital technology is enormous - you can easily store your pictures and keep your lovely memories for as long as you wish. Traditional photography, on the other hand, can not do this and you will have to pay more to have them printed.
• Digital photography allows you to print them as well, if you want. If you don't want to print your digital images, simply delete them or store them in your computer for future use.
• Digital technology allows you to review and edit your images almost instantly after the image is captured. Traditional photography requires many more stages before the image can be reviewed and edited, and each stage costs additional time and money.
• With digital technology, you can perform enhancements and add information on the picture such as added text or even the date. This process can usually be performed within the camera itself.
• ISO speed settings are easier to change. In fact, all film settings are much easier to adjust and set on a digital camera compared with a traditional film camera.
• It saves time and enables a faster turn-around on investment when shooting for a client, since the traditional ways of photography took more time to show the customers the image results.
• The cameras used lately are a bit smaller much easier to carry around. They are handy and not bulky.
• There are digital photo printers and computers that are available almost everywhere. These eliminate the cost of expensive processing equipment - dark rooms are now a thing of the past.
Those are just some of the changes digital technology has made in the photography industry. If you want to learn more, visit your local digital camera shop and ask some questions. Make sure you visit a store that was designed with professional photographers in mind - the salespeople there will be much more knowledgeable than your local clerk at a typical chain store.