the world through a photographer’s eyes…
More Creative Ways To Get Your Photos Seen
I need to spend more time on the Photopreneur blog - they’ve got some great articles and tips. Here’s a few creative ways to get your photos seen.
- Stick them in your email
- Print them on products and give them away
- Put up wallpaper
- Talk to galleries
- Have a cup of coffee a.k.a. talk to coffee shops
- Chat on Flickr
- Attend art fairs
- Do the SEO
- Create a design team
- Join a wedding team
- Hold charity exhibitions
- Submit your band photos to a fan site
Check out the rest of the More Creative Ways To Get Your Photos Seen post over at Photopreneur.com.
Tags: photopreneur, Tips
47 Things People Will Pay You to Shoot
Found a cool article over at the Photopreneur.com blog. Some of the things I hadn’t though of, might be worth investigating! A few they list:
1. Corporate Meetings
8. Inventory Items for Insurance Companies
25. Facebook Portraits
26. Money - yes money!
36. Book Signings
Be sure to check out the rest of the 47 Things People Will Pay You to Shoot article.
Tags: income, pay, photopreneur, sell, Tips
Sensor Cleaning!
“Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.”
Quote complements of the Dalai Lama, so here you go - sharing my knowledge!
Was going through some photos and noticed a few spots in them, all in the same location. So I tried some test shots using this Monitor Test Shot and adjusting the levels in Photoshop with different lenses and had the same result - sensor dust.
Next I did some searches and viewed some contacts streams who had cleaned their sensors before and came to one conclusion. Copper Hill Images. I read through the tutorial and checked out a few other links, and came to the same conclusion that some of my other contacts had come to as well - there is nothing wrong with cleaning your own sensor as long as you are careful - just like anything else. Working with computers for the past 10 years or so, I’m comfortable with electronics so maybe that’s a plus.
On page 1 of the tutorial, I was pleased to read this:
There is a bit of hysteria about how dangerous canned air is but it actually isn’t if you follow these guidelines:
- The only time to use canned air is when a bulb blower cannot dislodge a big particle.
- Don’t shake the can beforehand; there’s nothing to “mix.
- When spraying with it, keep it perfectly upright and move the object you’re blowing NOT the can.
- Always let a little air out before spraying an optic. Propellant has a tendency to build up towards the valve and will come right out if the can has been sitting for a while
- Don’t let the jet-straw get any closer to the sensor than 1″ or 1½” or just inside the lens mount.
- Use very short bursts, no more than a one second shot; “freezing” will only occur when you use a prolonged stream of air.
Using these guidelines, we have never had any problems with canned air. If by some chance the canned air cannot remove the dastardly stuck-on specks, try ignoring them for a day or two, in many cases, they will pop off on their own. If you can determine that the speck is a dust mote and NOT a big particle of debris or grit which canned air should be able to remove, then it should be safe to proceed with a wet cleaning. If it definitely is an unmovable piece of grit or you’re not sure what to do, then, by all means, send it to the manufacturer for cleaning.
Following those directions to the letter, I proceeded with an initial cleaning and you can see the results above after the first cleaning. I had removed three of the offending particles with success! Another quick blast directed at the spot of the last remaining large particle, and another test shot confirmed it was gone as well. The sensor still shows some dust spots but it’s nothing of consequence in my opinion, it was more the large three that I was after…
So, be careful, use a clean environment and follow those tips and you shouldn’t have a problem with cleaning your sensor. The Copper Hill Images tutorial is very detailed, and takes you through a four step process, fortunately I’m satisfied my sensor is clean enough without having to go so far as using sensor wipes and fluid.
Tags: copper hill images, dalai lama, DIY, quote, sensor cleaning, tip, tutorial
60 Photography Links You Can’t Live Without
Great list of photography links - help sites, blogs, etc. I recognize a few, nice to see Digital Photography School and Thomas Hawk getting props, going to have to check out a few others, already snagged the flickrRSS Wordpress plugin for the site.
Be sure to check out all 60 Photography Links You Can’t Live Without over at CameraPorn!
Tags: cameraporn, digital photography school, DPS, flickrrss, links, plugin, thomas hawk, wordpress
12 Ways To Never Miss A Photo Opportunity
Great article over at the Digital Photography School blog (as always) by San Francisco based photographer Jim M. Goldstein. Some good tips!
- Have a camera bag that enables you to easily and quickly access your camera
- Be sure to have not just (1) one fully charged battery but (2) two
- Be sure to clean the front and rear elements of your lens to minimize spots (optionally cleaning your camera sensor)
- Before heading out make sure you have CF cards in your camera that are empty or have lots of free space
- Pre-set your camera settings for the type of subject you’re aiming to photograph
- If you have a camera with image stabilization or vibration reduction set your lens appropriately for the subject
- Have needed filters on your lens or take filters off your lens as necessary before heading out
- It may sound obvious but take off your lens cap
- Head out with a notion of what you’d like to photograph and how, but always keep your eyes open for new subjects and the unexpected
- Have your camera on and your hand on your camera bag
- Stay focused
- Don’t chimp
Be sure to check out the rest of the article 12 Ways To Never Miss A Photo Opportunity over at the DPS blog for fuller explanations of these quick points.
Tags: digital photography school, DPS, jim m. goldstein, Tips
“What the Heck is an Aperture?” Part One.
Very easy to understand explanation of what aperture is and how it affects your photos over on the Pioneer Woman Photography blog. In a nutshell:
If you want a very shallow depth of field (background blurry), you’d choose a very large aperture opening, which would be a very low number. (f2.8)
If you want a very large depth of field (everything in focus), you’d choose a very small aperture opening, which would be a higher number. (like f22)
Be sure to check out the full “What the Heck is an Aperture?” Part One. post!
Also, the Digital Photography School Forum latest assignment is Wide Open - so submit your pictures taken with a wide open aperture! Below is one of my past favorites that I’ve taken with a shallow depth of field, it was taken at a setting of f/1.2.
Tags: aperture, DPS, pioneer woman photography, Tips
flickr Fave of the Day : Vintage Cinematographic India VII by Miz J.
When I first saw these, I thought Miz J. had put on some sort of fancy border with some Photoshop trickery… turns out she’s feeding 35mm film through an old Holga camera! Love the effect.
Vintage Cinematographic India VII
Originally uploaded by Miz J.
Tags: film, holga, india, miz j., Tips, vintage
Digital Photography School: Why, What, and How to Blog series
Darren Rowe over at Digital Photography School just wrapped up a three part series on blogging. There’s some really good information and tips in the series, written by Natalie Norton.
Part 1: Why You Should Consider Setting Up a Blog.
- It’ll turn up the heat
- Track your progress
- Feedback
- Marketing
- Publicity
- Relationship
- Announcements
- Networking
- Testimonials
- It’s Plain ol’ Fun
Part 2: Building Your Blog: 10 things to consider when building your rockin’ photoblog.
- Keep it fresh
- Share the love
- R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
- K.I.R., Keep it real
- Keep it simple
- LARGER than life
- Piracy is better than obscurity
- For the love of children everywhere, chill
- Know your numbers
And Part 3 wraps it up with How to Find the Blog Service that’s Right for Your Photoblog.
I recently asked 8 successful photographers 4 simple questions. Their broad range of answers will rock you to the moon and back if you’re serious about starting your own photoblog, so this week. . . we’re gonna learn from some friends of mine. I hope you enjoy.
Looks like i have my work cut out for me!
Tags: blog, blogging, digital photography school, DPS, natalie norton
Running 35mm through a 50’s Kodak Brownie Hawkeye
Over on Flickr, lslphoto has managed to feed 35mm film into an old Brownie Hawkeye box camera.
Yes it works! I have Walgreen’s process my film into negatives (no prints) for $2.29 and then I can scan the abnormal width and length of the entire filmed print with my new Epson Perfection V500 photo and negative scanner.
I think I’m going to have to try this out!
Running 35mm through a 50’s Kodak Brownie Hawkeye
Originally uploaded by lslphoto
Tags: 35mm film, box camera, DIY, do it yourself, kodak hawkeye brownie, lslphoto, tutorial
21 Ways to Shoot Better Photographs
Checked out a cool article over at 10e20 called 21 Ways to Shoot Better Photographs. Some cool ideas over there… be sure to check out the full article!
Do you want to sharpen your creative picture taking instincts? Do you want to combine new ideas with your current projects and techniques? These techniques will be better executed with digital cameras and meant as some direction or guidelines to taking ‘better‘ pictures. You are your cameras best viewfinder!
- Perspective
- Unequal space
- Framing
- Horizon line
- Cropping
- Intentional empty space
- Shape
- Lines and curves
- Visual texture
- Depth
- Spin
- Motion shots
- 360 panoramic
- Composites
- Beautiful decay
- Clouds
- Shadows/Reflections
- Light painting
- Light direction
- Night shots
- Intentional under/over exposing
Like I mentioned above, check out the full 21 Ways to Shoot Better Photographs article!
Recent Flickr uploads
