It's 2012, and what has been in my photography journey

Image via Wikipedia03-Jan-2012

For so long a time that I haven't posted, here's a quick update, as much as I can remember:

Dec-2012, I attended a basic photography workshop, provided for free by NTUC, which I am a member of, and as it turned out, it isn't so basic after all. And many of the attendants aren't starters as well. Just to see what is offered, and to see what can be offered afterwards.

Of course, there are those participants who really are beginners, and since the topic, the discussions, as far as I can tell, is somewhere between beginner-intermediate to intermediate-advance, many are lost!

But it still is a good offering, and while it was drizzling when the class ended, which signalled the start of hands-on, snapping pictures here and there and applying what has been taught, we waited a while, some of us, not all, and the rest, well, they just went on their way, perhaps to practice on their own.

One of the not-so-beginner attendees has been doing photography for the last 8 years or so, and he was showing his 'works', using his iPhone, which are all stored online through Flickr. That got me into creating my own profile in Flickr, which I have known for some time already, but never bothered to see what's in there... but now I do.

You see, as much as I can tell, I like doing nature photography, so I should be getting a macro lens. I like leaves and flowers, and I am getting better learning to use the tripod for a clear and sharp photographs of small objects, using my 55-200mm lens zoomed out all the way, so they appear bigger and closer to the naked eye, especially when viewed on the computer.

Then, I did the photoshoot of our department's Christmas party 2 weeks after the photography workshop, and I can tell that I have to improve on my skills for snapping moving objects, moving people, candid shots, 'live' pictures.

And I go about asking people on how they take this kind of photograph, what setting, etc., and not just reading books. I now freely take my camera out, and snap pictures here and there, and I don't limit myself to using the dSLR anymore, but I snap pictures using my handphone as well. There's a wealth of resources out in the open for photographers to utilize nowadays, not just the 'official' camera units we call dSLRs, be they entry-level, mid-level or pro-level. But there's always the good and bad to it.

Anyway, what got me even more snapping pictures is when the second batch of photos i uploaded to Flickr got the attention of one professional photographer. Sure, it's not actually a price-winning photograph, but it one that is candid, and one that tells me there's the right frame at the right time, at the right setting, and it doesn't have to be a professional or seasoned photographer, just a willing individual who takes the camera out and snaps pictures - and not stopping afterwards to rest on his 'laurels' - but continues on - to his journey in photography.

Till then!

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Stock Photography Journey - The Beginning

Image by Carlos Lorenzo via Flickr

January 2011.

I'm getting into Stock Photography

I've been always on the lookout for ways to augment my income, and I have tried Google AdSense in my blogs - quite numerous than my 10 fingers, but unfortunately, these are not giving me the expected amount of support, or maybe not yet.

And with my interest in photography, I thought, 'why not sell my photographs?'

Thus, my experimentation in stock photography began.

As an amateur photographer, it seems that I am doomed to fail. A beginner photographer trying hand in stock photography - isn't that a recipe for failure?

But I'm not about to give up, no, not easily.

And I think this is one event in my life that I want to chronicle, if I can call it that.

First things first.

Gear

I have actually signed up to 2 agencies, and while one will review the photographs once submitted, the other agency requires submitting photographs prior to being accepted as an agent.

So my journey begins.

I made it through quickly with one of the agencies, so I expected to be accepted just as quickly with the other. Wrong. 3 photos were needed, so I quickly picked some of the ‘best’ photos that I keep in my work PC (since I run through the online application while at work… on some slack time, of course).

And I was immediately rejected!

I was given 3 days to upload fresh pictures, with the reminder clause ‘impress us’, which means be your best, give your best, don’t just snap pictures, but compose and shoot a great photo – hey, this is stock photography, you know!

I went back to my camera, and got some of the ‘better’ photos that I can upload. I thought I did pick the ‘better’ photos, but again, I was rejected!

My hopes are still high.

And so while the ‘cool-off’ period is on, I made a round at the local store where I bought my DSLR last year, and thought of canvassing prices for macro lenses. It’s not within my (financial) reach at the moment, but I better know what I am dealing with, I mean, how much I am dealing with, and how much I am dealing with, how much to fork out when I really needed to buy my first macro lens. It is always with high hopes that it won’t burn a hole in my shallow pocket.

So that I did. I roughly now have an idea of how much it will cost. And I’m not buying yet.

Knowledge

I may not know what I am getting into, and I am having doubts as to what really it is that I know about stock photography. So again, on some slack times during my work, I searched the web for some tips on basic home studio, having white seamless background at home, lighting, etc., etc. I found some, but favor 2 of them:

1.      Studio Lighting - Really cheap homemade diy studio - no lighting needed

2.      Diffusers & Reflectors

I was actually laughing a bit, in that, what I thought of using, an A4 paper, was what the author suggested as a starter. One reader commented that you have to do some tweaking, which is to make sure that your camera’s white balance is able to compensate for the whiteness, or better yet, non-whiteness of the A4 paper you use for your seamless white background. Check out these 2 sites and learn from the author and the readers’ invaluable views.

Then there is one other aspect of stock photography, the commercial part, which will be the more important area to deal with.

What is stock photography?

I came through one site that talks about Stock Photography, and I believe I have gleaned at least one grain of good knowledge that I can make use of, planted in my questioning mind, and given the proper watering and sun and nurture, will be a good start to a good growth and yield in stock photography. Again, this is one site, and there are many others that are equally good, but this is what I found first, and it makes sense to me, since the author is a stock photography expert – so far as what he says is concerned. If what he talks about makes me a stock photography expert as well, then it must be true!

I still stand corrected, so here is the website. See if you can check out and balance the equation. I am open to suggestions and comments here. I’m all ears on this part.

Are Your Stock Photos Selling? -- The Problem with Most Stock Photos

I have learned that stock photography is speaking a bit of a different language, and while it is still about photography, the word ‘stock’ before it draws a big cut between ordinary photography and stock photography.

I will summarize what I have learned, primarily from that website:

Stock photography is about QUALITY, not quantity.

When you think of stock photography, think of HOW you photograph, and less of WHAT you photograph. And think of the competition. Browse the agency’s list of submitted photos, available for download, and see how they are done. While doing that, you will see whether or not these many, many photos already available. While learning from others, you should also be asking yourself, ‘Do I want to compete in this area?’ And if yes, then go ahead and produce, quality, competitive photographs!

Stock Photography is about SIMPLICITY, stripped of complexities, and unambiguous message.

Don’t clutter up your photographs. Think of how your photo will be used by the designer. Put yourself in the designer’s shoes, and that will greatly impact your style of photography, and how you select and compose your subjects. As in most cases, this is easier said than done, but with practice, only time will tell when every shot is a money shot. When taking photos for stock photography, think, what is my photo telling me? What message can it convey? Again, it may not be necessarily a breathtaking picture. It just has to be a usable picture that conveys a message univocally, without distraction.

Stock photography is still about photographing for others.

It used to be ‘by assignment’ – you are told to photograph a certain subject and object, or an event, and whatever the editor or designer or whoever hired you likes, that is what they pay for.

Things have changed – tremendously.

Higher demands. Saving money. These are what basically conceived the idea for stock photography. Then internet. It became a global contribution and a global competition. But that should not deter you from being a stock photography agent. Be one. An expert.

I’ve picked up what the Stock Photo Expert said from his website about some aspects of your photographs that customers may look for:

·         clean, crisp images

·         a very clear message

·         visually appealing images

·         proper diffused lighting

·         uncluttered backgrounds

Stock photography is about your creativity.

Following everything in the stock agency’s rules and guidelines will make you succeed in creating a ‘generic’ stock photography item. That will get your photos accepted for sale. If you take the other half, YOUR creativity, and put them together, you get an exceptional stock photography material that isn’t simply accepted by the agency and put it up for sale, but it will be a material that is highly accepted and sought after. That is what will bring in the money!

I didn’t realize it, but coming to the bottom of the page, I saw that the author was selling something that promises to teach you to becoming a stock photography expert. I should say that I am not ready for that, and even when I am, the public library is just nearby, and I am very sure that with their vast collection of references an reading materials, I will surely find something on stock photography. And even when I don’t the web is still a wide, wide place to fish for stock photography tips and tricks.

I’ll end here, and I will come back to my post from time to time and gauge my progress in stock photography.

Till then!

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What has been in my photography journey

Image via WikipediaAlmost a year past, and I ask myself, where am I now in my photography journey?

I've read a ton of books. After finishing about 5, I find that most of the books are discussing simply the same idea 99%. The 1% difference is the individuality of the authors - and this is but the cream of the written word. And for most authors, they are sharing their skills and experience in the hope that you can also become like one of them. Of course I mean to say that you become like one of them in their level of photography. For some other authors, they just go through the yaadah-yaadah part of their photographs, their techniques, etc., etc., but none of their skills that can be acquired by the reader - in time. And photography being such an individualistic art, or should I say, a very subjective display of talent, I would tend to question those who would not want to share their talent to others - for they can never be copied or replaced - they are their own photographer, and you are your own. for even though the techniques are the same, it is your individuality and uniqueness that shows in your photographs. That is all the essence then, and is now, and will be.

I've not been into a park or mountain or cliff, or any grand photograph site for that matter. However, I have not limited my photography to the use of my DSLR. I also use my cell phone whenever opportunity is presented. Like the recent haze here in Singapore, where the sun was in orange. What can I say, as advocated by more than 1 author, a photographer has to come out of being a simple phot-taker, snapping the ordinary, photographing the obvious. To set your own mark, you would have to have an eye on the extra-ordinary, or the un-obvious, or the unfamiliar view. And this is done whether or not you are caryying your camera with you.

Keeping my photos, though they are nice or not. One book suggests immeidately deleting your bad photos. The reason presented is to be able to save some space in your SD card or harddisk. Secondly is to not "confuse" your good photos with the bad photos. Thirdly is that when you "showcase" your photos, the list is already edited and the bad ones removed. For some time I followed this advise. Then I thought to myself, why should I? You see, I am one who would like to 'keep' my 'unfortunate' snaps - of course, as a leaning tool. Seeing the shoots that didn't make the mark helps me to focus on my learning - not repeating the same mistake the next time I push the button. Of course, this doesn't happen overnight, but what better way for you to find out how far you've been progressing if you don't have a 'show of it'?

I have subscribed to a digest or a forum. Basically, I signed up to Digital Photography School by Darren Rowse, and I like being in the list. Quite a lot to be learned from fellow photographers, to mention the least. there there are tips and tricks from experienced, or should I say, professional, photographers? Get in the list yourself.

Another group that I signed up to is Digital SLR Guide Newsletter by Chris Roberts. It isn't quite verbose compared to Digital Photography School, but there's a grain of wisdom that can be gleaned from it just the same.

And finally, whatever level of photography you are in, there is always the chance to be yourself in your photographs - something that shouldn't be daunted by the other photographs that you see. keep on snapping and learning, and learning and snapping. Your time will come. And your photos will be on the great wall for others to admire.

Now isn't that something to make you keep on with your photography journey?

 

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Book review: MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE for Commercial Photographers

I managed to read the book before I returned it to the library, and true enough, as it was mentioned in the preface section, there were a lot of easy-to-understand figures and diagrams on lighting.

What is actually good about this book is that the diagram is presented, and the resulting photograph is also included. gives you both an insight on how to position your light, what direction, what height, how strong (or soft), etc., etc., and it also comes with the picture that will be taken using that particular lighting structure.

Also tells of the different lighting types, and its accessories.

Not much I will say, so that I will leave the rest for the book to tell about itself.


MASTER LIGHTING GUIDE for Commercial Photographers
by Robert Morrissey

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Master Composition Guide for Digital Photographers

Image by Jim's Theme 1969 via Flickr

I have finished reading one more book on photography, and I want to give a short review. Furthermore, I want to give the points as highlighted in the book itself. This is one good book, and while the content is already very similar to many other books written about photography, I do find some points that would set apart this one book: Master Composition Guide for Digital Photographers by Ernst Wildi.

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MASTER THE TECHNIQUES YOU NEED TO COMPOSE EYE-CATCHING DIGITAL IMAGES

Good composition - or the effective arrangement of all of the visual elements that fall withing the frame of the final image - is critical to the success of any photograph. When the image elements are carefully placed, the viewer is engaged in the image; without an effective composition, the eye wanders through the frame and the intended subject may be diminished by distracting colors, shapes, or other pictorial elements. In this book, master photographer Ernst Wildi shows you how to fine-tune your photographs and ensure the most dynamic, powerful image possible. Easy-to-read text is paired with ample before-and-after photos, making it wasy to see how each technique will affect your final images.

FEATURES:

• Composition techniques for photographing landscapes, architecture, still life, people, and more
• Understanding the impact of technical consideration, like exposure, contrast, and depth of field, on composition
• Tips for selecting the right lens and focal length
• Using lines as compositional elements, with tips for placing lines effective and avoiding distracing lines
• Determining how to place your subject effectively in the frame of the image - including tips for composing images with multiple subjects
• Understanding the importance of color when designing effective photographic compositions
• Tips for evaluating each scene for attracting and distracting elements
• Composing effective panoramic images
• Using filters to improve your compositions
• Evaluating the background of your image, and tips for working with problematic background elements
• How posing affects the composition of a portrait
• Tips for post-capture image manipulation that let you fine-tune your compositions
  
  
  
  

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What I learned from this book

Aside from the usual, these are new ideas that I got from this book:

1. When shooting waterfalls, make sure that there is one, not two, waterfalls, in the frame. Two usually distracts the attention of the viewer, and the composition fails to arrest the viewer's attention.
2. When shooting waterfalls, include the top and bottom. Viewers want to know when the water is coming from, and where the water is going.
3. Change focal length to make the composition better. When a statue or a sculpture includes a background, such as a tree or anything of that sort, and it detracts from the overall 'correctness' of the composition, change lens. Compose the picture in such a way that the background will augment, at the least, not clutter, the resulting photograph.
4. There should be balance in the colors. When composing a shot, especially on landscape photographs, make sure that the light and dark areas are properly positioned. All dark at the top or all dark at the bottom makes a photograph one-sided, and will tip off and topple.
5. Use the correct focal length to signify 'size'. Change from wide angle lens to telephoto lens to signify the size of a truck against a looming mountain. Do that for all other shots that need to have the size or size relationship of the subjects in the photo emphasized.

And more!

What's your say?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

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Photography during Birthdays

Image via Wikipedia

Here is a very practical tip when you are assigned or tasked to taking pictures during a birthday party. An Ezine article original, this is one sure way to be able to take pictures that will be considered as good, better, or best photographs.
We call ourselves amateur photographers, and so we are at our level. But if we are able to take those killer shots that will impress everyone, that is good! All it takes is an open mind, a watchful eye, and a willingness to go for it.
Read on...

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Photography Tips For Perfect Birthday Party Pictures

Making great photographs calls for more than a great and expensive camera. It calls for an imaginative mind that can capture all the moments in life that reflect the beauty of the world. Taking photographs during events calls for more creativity. This has led to the specialization aspect by a number of photographers. This ensures that you perfect the art in every event that you go to.

As an amateur photographer, you can perfect taking pictures at events through following up a number of tips. Birthday parties offer a great opportunity for you to explore and use the tips. When taking photos at a birthday party, the very first consideration that you should make should be in regard to clarity. A lot of things happen at the birthday parties. These include but are not limited to dress ups, cake cutting, gift giving, feasting and also games. Capture the various moments clearly and conscious by being keen and observing the various reactions that are brought forth. The second point that you should take note of is the event in totality. Despite the diversity in events, ensure that you have a progressive story show casing bits and bits of the happenings of the whole event. For instance at a birthday party, always ensure that you have a picture of at least everyone in attendance. They do not have to be individual pictures, take group pictures that are fun and focused.

For great pictures, ensure to choose the background well. It should reflect the event that is on going. Have close ups on solid colors or picture boards to reflect the fun and glamour that is associated with the birthday. The need to think of your self as a professional photographer can never be over emphasized. Last but not the least, put up the pictures on a booklet in order of story for fun and great memories.

Providing you the best digital photography tips and tricks on the internet by leveraging the expertise of the worlds top photographers. HowiTooKit also features information on photography lighting style and digital slr photography.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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