Secrets In Choosing The Right Style Of Wedding Photography On Your Wedding Day

What is Wedding Photography?

For most couples, this may sound an odd question to ask, most would answer that wedding photography is the kind of photography done during weddings. That is partly correct. But that over simplifies the meaning of wedding photography. The art of wedding photography has change tremendously in the past twenty years. Today it may even have a different meaning for each couple.

In the past, wedding photographers are technicians behind a black box almost mystical that very few would even try to operate it. Back then, wedding couples are hiring wedding photographers to produce wedding pictures of their big day. It is to simply record the event. And the one they chose might be doing six weddings a day.

In 2010, almost all wedding guests have their own digital camera that could produce well-exposed pictures at very minimal cost. What it means is that the professional wedding photographers must have something more to offer to their wedding couples. At the same time, the digital revolution also allowed wedding photographers the new technologies to offer something different. This is one of the reasons why wedding photography has improved compared to what it was years ago. It also attracted people who would never venture into wedding photography if not for the new technology of digital photography. Wedding photographers who at their prime offer beautiful and stunning photos that record the wedding in an artistic and narrative, sometimes evocative and most of the time in a flattering manner.

But it also means that being a wedding photographer today; one has to be able to offer something not seen before. True to the complexities of wedding photography today, it would not be true anymore that all wedding photographers are the same and that all wedding couples desire the same kind of photography.

Here is a Guide to Photographic Methods

The good thing about the Internet is it makes it easy to research the work of a big number of wedding photographers. Check some photographers' website and you will be amazed by the different photographic styles.

Reportage photography is also known as documentary or photojournalism photography; it is best described to have an approach which simply covers and document the event without directing the wedding couple or its guests. Instead it tries to capture the event as it happens in the most natural and creative way possible.

Traditional wedding photography is use to describe the old fashioned way of lining up the wedding couple, their guests and family for traditional photos.

Contemporary wedding photography can be described as glossy which can be trendier than traditional wedding photography.

My humble advice is to look beyond the labels of wedding photography. It can be more confusing than being helpful in deciding which kind of wedding photography suites you as a wedding couple. Another reason is that the style often times is a combination of several photography styles anyway. Third, it implies that wedding photographers offer just one style of photography during their wedding coverage.

In reality, weddings offer a chance for wedding photographers to show different photography styles. Wedding photographers sometimes just can't ask the couple to move to a spot where there is a better light during the wedding ceremony. Also, it is quite often that couples expect to have formal photographs which show them at their best. Even the most modern weddings will require having traditional and formal family shots.

Many photographers excel in one style of wedding photography and emphasize their skill and it may even be part of their marketing strategy. Some would describe their kind of wedding photography as a mix of classical and modern. It may be a mix of reportage and contemporary. It is quite necessary to have a time with the wedding couple wherein they will be directed to be at their best. It will give them the kind of photographs that can be described as fine art. The limited time of weddings make it important for wedding photographer to be a good director.

Choosing Your Photographer

For couples, the best way would be to decide which wedding photographer is right for you is to decide together what kind of wedding pictures you expect You may want something traditional which means you like a professional account of the wedding day without having too much interruptions.

You may be a photography enthusiast as well, and desire to have a creative set of wedding pictures. You may be looking at high end and contemporary photography style.

Once you both as a couple decide on what type of wedding photographs you desire, you can start examining different galleries of photography for quality. Be warned that galleries represent the best work of photographers, so it is quite important to see a sample of a whole wedding to be sure of consistency.

Awards of excellence can help you decide which photographer could be best suited for your wedding. A membership to well know professional body is also something to consider.

It is of utmost importance that you as a wedding couple can communicate with the photographer and have the rapport to be able to share your wedding photography goals. As much as photography style is an important factor, you and your wedding guests would expect to have a high level of professionalism, organization and experience on your wedding day. Finally you need to consider the wedding packages being offered by the photographer.

Budgeting For Photography

There is no such thing as an appropriate budget for weddings. What can be more helpful is the percentage in terms of value to the total wedding cost.

Professional wedding photography will be what will define the memories of your wedding day. You are going to entrust a photographer to use his skills to document your wedding as if it was taken through your eyes. Discuss with your wedding planner what you think is the best budget for your wedding photography. A good wedding planner would be able to help you with the right budget and if you need to allocate more to get the kind of photography you desire.

The price of a good wedding photographer sometimes comes as a surprise to wedding couples. But quality wedding photography comes at a price. The better skilled a photographer is the higher the fees he can command. One should note that it is not a one day event for wedding photographers but it takes days to plan, shoot the wedding, and spend time on post processing the images and designing the wedding album Ultimately you as a couple must have to make the final decision on how important having a high quality of wedding photographer and if it the price is worth paying for.

Photography School - 5 Tips To Pick The Right School

There are a lot of people who seriously consider photography as a career. There are many who feel that engaging their life in taking pictures is a fulfilling experience. But this venture requires a sound education in photography.

Just like any school, it is essential to select a photography school that will meet all the needs and requirements of the students for a good quality education. Here are some tips that will help you select a photography school that suits your needs:

- Look beyond
While choosing your school, you should be able to see the bigger picture. You need to consider your general goals pertaining to your career before selecting a photography school. There are a number of tracks that chosen in the photography field. If you want to involve yourself artistically through photography, there are a number of subjects you could choose that will facilitate this. In case you are more commercially inclined, there are a number of schools you could choose from that offer business courses along with the photography lessons.

- There is more to photography
If you are taking photography because you want to run away from the tough subjects such as math, then bad luck, because photography involves all these subjects in order to equip you to survive in the race. As most photographers go ahead to start up their own studio, it is best that students take up courses in accounting, business management, marketing and other related subjects.

- Find out your class strength
If there are too many students in your class, you might not be able to get the best of your course. The instructor may not be able to pay individual attention to you and will be prohibited form giving you hands on supervision that can hinder your learning process.

- Look for Computer Courses
Any reputed photography school will have courses that are related to computers. Photography is a very competitive field, and it will give you the edge if you have enough knowledge in computers. With digital photography, using computers and having computer expertise has become a compulsory option.

- Scholarships
Look for a photography school that offers some sort of financial aid to their students. Photography is not a cheap business and buying equipment can prove to be very costly.

These are just a few tips on how to go about looking for a good photography school. Selecting the right school for you is very important. This can help you decide where you want to go and determine how to get there.

Knowing the Top Photography Schools in the US

The photography industry is one of the most lucrative industries. Many people have decided to enroll in a photography school in order to get hired as soon as they graduated. Enrolling in a top photography school increases the possibility that you will be paid with a higher salary. There are several top photography schools in the United States including American Intercontinental University, Boston University, Harrington College of Design, Brooks Institute of Photography and New York Institute of Photography.

The American Intercontinental University has one of the top photography schools in the United States. It has several campuses across different states. It offers both traditional and online courses. The lecturers are successful photographers who hold a day time job. The photographers will educate the students on different photography topics such as fashion, advertising, and etc,

Boston University offers photography courses at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts. The certificate programs will teach students basic skills about taking photograph. Students will also learn about the business management skills.

Harrington College of Design offers an associate degree for applied science in digital photography. Students who enroll in this course will be prepared for the future workplace. Student will learn about photojournalism and how to conduct a photography business. Under the guidance of the lecturers, they will be able to develop unique artistic styles in photography.

Brooks Institute of Photography offers four types of undergraduate programs. Some of the undergraduate programs offered by Brooks Institute of Photograph include Visual Communication, and Professional Photography.

The New York Institute of Photography is a famous photography school in the New York City. It was established since many decades ago. It has a large campus and is rank as one of the world's largest photography school. Over twenty thousand students from different countries in the world are enrolled in this famous institution.

The International Academy of Design & Technology offers accredited photography degree. The photography degree course will teach the students how to use the industry standard cameras. Students will learn how to operate the software and lighting. In addition, the students will learn several career skills including wedding photography and portrait.

The Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology offer courses that allow the students to develop necessary skills for their career in photography. It offers several types of degree courses including professional and commercial courses.

Beside the schools stated above, there are other top universities that have photography programs. Many top universities offer online courses. People who are working can enroll in the online course. By enrolling in the online course, you don't have to attend the classes at the college. You can get brochures from the colleges to compare the tuition fee. The online course may be cheaper because you don't have to pay for the petrol fee and dormitory fee. When enrolling in a degree, you will be asked to provide the official script for the high school. The top photography schools are very selective in the students. Students that are enrolled in the program must show good performance at school.

Photography Of Trash The Dress

Wedding photography has been around since a very long time now. This is concerned as one of the best options for the various independent and photography studious to gain a niche for themselves. The technique of wedding photography has developed after the discovery of the art form in 1826. In the early days of wedding photography most if the young couples did not hire any special photographer to shoot the whole event. It was later in the 19th century when this tradition gained a lot of popularity and developed into something called thrash dress photography in the modern times. In the beginning of the 20th century when the industry witnessed the arrival of the color photographs, the wedding photography gained a lot more popularity. With the advent of improved lighting facility along with improved film roles the tradition of wedding photography gained even more popularity.

The growing competition among the photographers forced them to adopt it as their profession and start providing this service visiting various locations. Development witnessed more and more sophisticated technology making the load of the photographers less but expectations of the couples were always on a rise. Today there are mostly two types of wedding photography which is recognized. The first one is the traditional one and the second one is the photo journalistic. Traditional photography provides the couple with more classic posed images as the photographer has to supervise the whole event on the eve of wedding. While photo journalistic is that form in which the photographer does very little or no supervision of the event and takes photographs which are unposed.

There is a third form of wedding photography which is coming up and is known as the fashion based approach of wedding photography. This kind of wedding photography can be called as a mixture of the traditional and the photo journalistic form of wedding photography. The main aim of contemporary photography is to capture the whole story and the atmospheres of the happenings of the day. This form provides the couple with many excellent photos which are not predetermined or posed. The advent of the new technology and devices of photography like digital cameras have widened the scope of wedding photography. This form also involves the use of lighting, composition and the timing to capture the photograph which creates a strong visual effect.

For most of the people it has always been a tuff question to answer. What is thrash dress photography? For some it may seem a meaningless word or concept but for others it is simply what it stands for. The main concept of thrash the dress photography is to take amazing as well as funny pictures in the various wedding dresses. The main aim of thrash photography is to provide the couple with the photographs which they would have liked to be taken on their wedding day but, were not able to do so as there was no time or were afraid to get the dress dirty. Thrash photography is something very different than what the name actually suggests. It is not about ruining the dress as one would think according to the name. Thrash photography sessions can be attended by the whole family along with the kids as well as the pets.

Most of the thrash photography sessions conducted by the studios do not ruin the dress and if any problem arises the couple can always avail the dry cleaning services provided instantly. The couples are also provided with adequate guidance to complete the photography session by the experts. Thrash photography is mainly aimed to provide the marriage of the couple a completely different look. After the completion of the blessed event the bride and the groom once again strap their gorgeous dresses for a last photo shoot a weird place like a mossy lake or at the back alley irrespective of some predictable place like a studio. Thrash photography is gaining a lot of popularity amidst the young couples as more and more couple is coming up with ideas of giving their marriage a different look. There are many studios which are engaged in thrash photography and providing excellent service to the couple.

Most of the brides the wedding dress would be of no use after the wedding ceremony get over. It's of not use to suffocate the dress into the plastic cover and keep it safely into the cupboard. Thus, the best thing to be done is to go for a detailed thrash dress session which will not only give the wedding a unique and splendid look but, also convey your love to the groom. This will also provide you with some magnificent and fun filled pictures that will last for lifetime. Most of the thrash dress photography is carried on in session when the couple is taken out in an unexpected place to carry out the shoot. The couple is also provided with choices of the various locations where the shoot will be carried out.

Most of the studies that are providing this service nowadays have employed various expert photographers for shoot. There are some experts out there in the market having a lot of demand and always full of projects. These experts mostly demand a lot of money but the end result is always awesome with some great photographs that will last for centuries and remind of the special occasion. The concept of thrash photographs is something that has been developed very recently and hence is not popular among the people so much. As the days go by and the couples gain knowledge about this type of photography there is a lot of expectation that it will be liked by many. Some of the studies like Hawaii photographers at LotuStar.com have been working in this field for quite a long time now and are the pioneers in thrash the dress photography. Studies like these are known for producing photographs that tell the whole story of the wedding and the style of the couples as well. They will surely fulfill every demand of the couple with the excellent services and facilities provided by them.

Best Photography Schools

The Best Photography Schools are Established Schools

While a school that is relatively new may very well be able to offer you an exceptional education, you would probably be better off finding a school that is established, and has proven itself to be a reputable photography school.

Additionally, you want to look for a school that is accredited. When a school is accredited, that means that it has been evaluated by an organization that has determined that the school meets certain standards and criteria that ensures the school provides a quality level of education. Furthermore, a degree earned from an accredited school will be accepted almost anywhere, whereas a degree earned from a non-accredited school may not. If the school you are considering is not accredited, chances are it is not one of the best photography schools available, and you should look elsewhere to earn your education.

The Best Photography Schools are Comprehensive

Being a professional photographer involves a great deal more than just pointing a camera and clicking a button. In order to receive the best education in photography, you will want to choose an institution that offers classes in a wide variety of areas.

Classes should cover both practical and theoretical studies in photography. There should be instruction on everything from color theory, different styles of photography such as landscapes and portraits, dark room techniques and more. Additionally, a good photography school will also offer business classes to the student, so that they will have the business management knowledge they need, in order to turn their love for photography into a profitable career.

The Best Photography Schools are Up to Date

While a quality photography school should not only teach the student the history of photography, and the art of early photography methods, the best photography schools will also provide their students with up to date information on new technology that is being introduced in the photography field, and where to future technology of photography seems to be heading.

With the digital age moving forth in leaps and bounds, students should learn how to properly use digital technology in the work, including digital cameras, computers and more. When choosing your photography school, you should inquire about the equipment that they use for teaching, as well as the equipment that they teach about. If the equipment that is used for teaching purposes is more than a few years old, consider looking for a school that offers more up to date information. The photography industry is a very competitive one, and you want to make sure that when you graduate, you are armed with all the necessary information you will need to be able to make it in the photography world.

Wedding Photography Lenses That Every Photographer Can't Do Without

There are generally four kinds of photography lenses that every wedding photographer should have in his or her gig bag:

  • Wide-Angle Zoom
  • Wide-to-Telephoto Zoom
  • Image-Stabilized Telephoto Zoom
  • Prime/Portrait Lenses

Wide-Angle Zoom

Wide-angle zoom lenses are one of the most important photography lenses that every wedding photographer should have, typically 17mm to 35mm in length with a fixed aperture of f/2.8. They provide a large depth of field, making it simple to have foreground and background in focus. They are an indispensable wedding photography equipment which allows versatility in confined areas such as a small banquet room or crowded dance floor. While shorter photography lenses allow you to capture more details, wide-angle zoom lenses allow you to capture more reactions and atmosphere to tell a richer story.

To elaborate further, wide-angle zoom photography lenses allow you to shoot a wider perspective of moments happening around the major subject, hence providing a bigger picture of the entire event. For example, wide-angle photos have the capability to tell "stories within a story", allowing you to reveal more of the story behind the shot. This is essential for a good photojournalistic wedding photography. As events surrounding weddings are so time sensitive, good photography lenses will allow you to capture as many actions or emotions in the quickest time as possible.

When used in a venue such as the church or ballroom, wide-angle zoom photography lenses also magnify the grandeur and spaciousness of the area, which encapsulates the creative feel for a photojournalistic wedding photography.

However, you need to be selective of the scenes or actions using wide-angle photography lenses, as a caveat to shooting wide is that it creates some body distortion, particularly when a subject is photographed close-up. Generally, people tend to look heavier and shorter on the edges, while arms can look huge. The last thing you want is to have the bride cursing you for making her look like she has put on 10 pounds! To get around this problem, you should as far as possible avoid putting the bride and groom at the edges of the wide-angle distortion. In addition, wide-angle photography lenses might also introduce distracting or unwanted elements into the frame, which would otherwise ruin a picture perfect moment.

Wide-to-Telephoto Zoom

Wide-to-telephoto lenses are the single most important photography lenses that a wedding photographer cannot do without. They should ideally be lenses that cover somewhere around the 20-70mm focal length range with an aperture of f/2.8. This ideal range lets you get wide enough to take a group photograph and close enough to capture facial emotions in your candid shots or a three-quarter portrait of a couple without the undesirable effects of wide-angle perspective distortion. They also double as good lenses for portraits. Given just this lens, you would be able to capture most of the shots needed for a wedding decently well.

Image-Stabilized Telephoto Zoom

Image-stabilized telephoto zoom lenses are also essential items in your wedding photography equipment checklist. The 70-200mm focal length is an important range for wedding ceremony photos. It allows you to give your subjects more space in situations where you don't want to get in the way. As you will often be photographing down the aisle from the back of the church, image-stabilized telephoto zoom lenses will come in very handy. 200mm is long enough to be able to take 3/4 length images of the bride and groom exchanging their vows while staying at a reasonable distance away from the action and 70mm is wide enough to take in the bridesmaids or groomsmen as a group without switching photography lenses.

A good point to note is that when using such photography lenses, nice blurred background can be achieved with maximum wide apertures of f/2.8 and long focal lengths of 200mm or 300mm, whether you are using a full-frame or a small sensor body. This allows you to isolate the subject from its background, and to focus attention on the image as the main subject you want to portray. Such photography lenses are especially useful for shots where you are unable to get in close and for intimate and private moments, where you want to be an unobserved stranger at a distance. Some examples include a stolen glance, a mischievous grin, a kiss - the details that are effectively conveyed by the emotions. Image-stabilized telephoto zoom photography lenses hence play an important role in capturing such moments.

These image-stabilized telephoto zoom photography lenses aren't only good for blurry backgrounds or shooting events from a distance. They could also be used to photograph stunning facial close-ups from creative angles above or below the subject that don't exhibit the normal distortions of large chins or shrinking heads that come from wider photography lenses.

Yet another advantage of such photography lenses is that you can use the small-sensor camera's 1.5x crop factor to your favour. The 200/2.8 long end of the standard zoom effectively becomes 300/2.8, a lens that would cost $4000 for a full-frame camera. The effective 300mm length allows for more creative photo angles than shorter photography lenses, such as tightly cropped images of the groom's hands lifting the bride's veil or the bride and groom's hands while they put rings on each others fingers.

The obvious disadvantage of image-stabilized telephoto zooms is that in many cases, long photography lenses tend to disconnect the subject from the main scene and there might be little to no context as to why the subject may have had expressed how they were feeling, the whereabouts of the subject and who else was there.

When using a small-sensor camera as your primary or backup body, the other disadvantage of image-stabilized telephoto zoom lenses is that neither Nikon, Canon or Sony make an f/2.8 lens that gives you an effective 70-200mm focal length. Hence, you would have to pay the high price and carry the weight of photography lenses designed for a full-frame camera.

Canon's Image-Stabilization, Nikon's Vibration-Reduction and Sony's SteadyShot INSIDE systems are indispensable in allowing you to hand-hold these large and heavy long photography lenses, especially in low light situations. Every wedding photographer should ensure that the image-stablization and vibration-reduction features are available on their long lenses. You might also want to consider using a tripod to ensure continuous, accurate subject placement and sharp photos. Such telephoto zoom photography lenses are huge investments and if you have a budget constraint or an amateur just starting out, you might want to consider rental instead.

Prime Lenses

Prime lenses are essentially photography lenses with fixed focal lengths, as opposed to zoom lenses, which have variable focal lengths of say 24-70mm or 17-55mm. Prime lenses generally have a better optical quality than zoom photography lenses, and usually come with wider maximum apertures such as f/2.8 or f/1.8.

Good prime lenses are must-have photography lenses for any wedding photographer, as they are excellent for taking good portraits. Although you will be adequately equipped for a wedding shoot with the three zoom lenses in your lens kit as discussed above, it is worth including two to three fast prime lenses in your bag as well. These photography lenses are compact, light, and fairly inexpensive and would probably be needed in about 10 to 20% of a wedding shoot.

Faster prime photography lenses are ideal in situations where f/2.8 aperture is not enough to get the motion-stopping shutter speed or shallow depth of field desired, whether for artistic or technical reasons. For example, an image that requires a 1/20th of a second shutter speed at f/2.8 will only require 1/60th of a second at f/1.8, forming a distinction between a sharp image and a blurry one. Many professional wedding photographers actually include prime lenses in their gig bags as an economical backup to their zoom lenses. Not many people could afford to purchase an additional 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto lens as a backup and you also want to prevent a frantic situation whereby your photography lens fails on you during a crucial moment.

There are many prime lenses available on the market but most photographers would include a 28/1.8, 50/1.8, and 85/1.8 in their prime photography lenses kit to be used on a full-frame body. The 28mm is wide enough to cover most ceremony locations and confined spaces, the 50mm is good for small groups or a priest blessing a couple, and the 85mm is long enough for ceremony vows and exchange of rings. A wedding can be successfully photographed with just these three photography lenses.

Using Nikon Equipment For Wildlife And Nature Photography

Choosing the Right Digital SLR for Your Nature Photography

It is very true that it doesn't matter what equipment you use -- it's what you do with the camera that matters. However, there is no question that when you're hiking through a thick jungle in the middle of central america you want to pack light. Even though the Nikon D2x has the prestige of being Nikon's premier "PRO" camera, you may not find it's the best fit for your nature work.

One of the first things you need to consider is how you're going to use the pictures. Look up the magazines you want to publish your work. Send in for "submission guidelines" and find out their minimum mega pixel count. The same is true for stock agencies -- browse around and decide which place you'd ultimately like to sell your work. Many organizations have their submission guideliens published on their websites. If you're more interested in learning and doing nature photography for your own pleasure then by all means buy the less expensive models. There's nothing wrong with a camera that takes a 5 or 6 megapixel image. You'll still be able to blow it up to poster size if you want a special print made.

Choosing the Right Digital SLR for Your Nature Photography

It is very true that it doesn't matter what equipment you use -- it's what you do with the camera that matters. However, there is no question that when you're hiking through a thick jungle in the middle of central america you want to pack light. Even though the Nikon D2x has the prestige of being Nikon's premier "PRO" camera, you may not find it's the best fit for your nature work.

One of the first things you need to consider is how you're going to use the pictures. Look up the magazines you want to publish your work. Send in for "submission guidelines" and find out their minimum mega pixel count. The same is true for stock agencies -- browse around and decide which place you'd ultimately like to sell your work. Many organizations have their submission guideliens published on their websites. If you're more interested in learning and doing nature photography for your own pleasure then by all means buy the less expensive models. There's nothing wrong with a camera that takes a 5 or 6 megapixel image. You'll still be able to blow it up to poster size if you want a special print made.


Magnification - Use it to your Advantage

For wildlife photographers in particular, the one advantage of shooting with any Nikon digital camera these days is the magnification factor. Rather than create a sensor the same size as one frame of 35mm film, Nikon and most other digital SLR camera manufacturers decided to create a sensor that is smaller than the 24x36mm standard frame of the older film models. Having a smaller sensor means you aren't going to capture all the information on the left and right and top and bottom of the frame. This may sound really bad... but there is no need to worry about what you haven't captured because the viewfinder has been adjusted so that what you see optically is what is captured in the digital file.

The result is that the camera multiplies the magnification of all the lenses. Nikon's magnification (depending on the camera you use) is around 1.5x. That means a 300mm lens is now magnified to 450mm. This is great news for wildlife photographers. The only drawback is that wider angle lenses (like a 17mm wide angle becomes a 25.5mm not-as-wide-angle lens. However, landscape photographers still have some options. I'll get to those in a bit.

Choosing the Right Lenses

Unfortunately, no one can tell you which lenses to buy or "how to build the perfect SLR system for nature photography." Again, it depends on the kinds of photos you like to take, your personal preference and the market where you want to sell your image.

The great advantage of Nikon cameras is that you can use older lenses on your body. This allows a lot more freedom of choice and means you can get really amazing older lenses at shockingly affordable prices.

I'll give you an example. One of my favorite lenses is a 300mm f4 manual focus prime lens from the 1970s. It cost only $350 CAD (meaning it would be much less expensive in American dollars) and the glass is still ED! Nikon especially developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to provide pricise optical colour correction. This special glass (not available in all Nikon lenses) provides the sharp, clear resolution required for superb photographs. The other advantage (at least for me since I generally hike to find wildlife) is that it weighs less and packs small.

Another example -- the 50mm 1.4 auto focus lens (that's right f1.4!) sells for only $166 CAD (again, much less in American dollars). It's actually an 80mm on your body. That means you have a prime lens at 80mm that can take pictures in the darkest settings. And, because Nikon has been perfecting its 50mm lenses since its inception as a company (Nikon used to include a 50mm on all its bodies until well into the late 1980s), it's one of Nikon's very best lenses. It's cheap because 50mm on a 35mm camera is kind of pooey. But 80mm on a digial camera is marvelous. edit
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Magnification - Use it to your Advantage

For wildlife photographers in particular, the one advantage of shooting with any Nikon digital camera these days is the magnification factor. Rather than create a sensor the same size as one frame of 35mm film, Nikon and most other digital SLR camera manufacturers decided to create a sensor that is smaller than the 24x36mm standard frame of the older film models. Having a smaller sensor means you aren't going to capture all the information on the left and right and top and bottom of the frame. This may sound really bad... but there is no need to worry about what you haven't captured because the viewfinder has been adjusted so that what you see optically is what is captured in the digital file.

The result is that the camera multiplies the magnification of all the lenses. Nikon's magnification (depending on the camera you use) is around 1.5x. That means a 300mm lens is now magnified to 450mm. This is great news for wildlife photographers. The only drawback is that wider angle lenses (like a 17mm wide angle becomes a 25.5mm not-as-wide-angle lens. However, landscape photographers still have some options. I'll get to those in a bit.

Choosing the Right Lenses for your Style of Nature Photography

Unfortunately, no one can tell you which lenses to buy or "how to build the perfect SLR system for nature photography." Again, it depends on the kinds of photos you like to take, your personal preference and the market where you want to sell your image.

The great advantage of Nikon cameras is that you can use older lenses on your body. This allows a lot more freedom of choice and means you can get really amazing older lenses at shockingly affordable prices.

I'll give you an example. One of my favorite lenses is a 300mm f4 manual focus prime lens from the 1970s. It cost only $350 CAD (meaning it would be much less expensive in American dollars) and the glass is still ED! Nikon especially developed ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass to provide pricise optical colour correction. This special glass (not available in all Nikon lenses) provides the sharp, clear resolution required for superb photographs. The other advantage (at least for me since I generally hike to find wildlife) is that it weighs less and packs small.

Another example -- the 50mm 1.4 auto focus lens (that's right f1.4!) sells for only $166 CAD (again, much less in American dollars). It's actually an 80mm on your body. That means you have a prime lens at 80mm that can take pictures in the darkest settings. And, because Nikon has been perfecting its 50mm lenses since its inception as a company (Nikon used to include a 50mm on all its bodies until well into the late 1980s), it's one of Nikon's very best lenses. It's cheap because 50mm on a 35mm camera is kind of pooey. But 80mm on a digial camera is marvelous.

Lenses - Pros and Cons

While I can't tell you the right lenses to buy for your particular needs... I can give you some feedback/impressions about the particular lenses I am using or have used in the past.

Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye: I never thought such a specialized lens could provide me with so much use. For more information, I've written a short article about how to use a fisheye lens in your nature photography athttp://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2472892

Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom - This lens is all right. I bought it as a kit lens a long time ago and it's served well for the wider range. I wish I had saved pennies and purchased a 2.8 that offered a wider range (like a 12mm to 25mm).

Tamron 17-35mm f2.8: This is a great lens but, alas, I purchased it for a film camera and the magnification on my digital body means that it isn't that useful in my photography right now. I'm planning on selling it (along with my other wide angle) and buying a 2.8 that has a wider range so I can do more with landscape photography.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D AF - This is the same lens I discussed earlier. It's small, has a low price tag, allows you to shoot in really dark situations and it's an 80mm on a digital camera. You really can't go wrong.

Nikkor Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED AF Zoom - This is a fantastic lens that stays at 2.8 no matter if you are shooting at 80 or 200mm. Again, magnification means it's actually a 300mm zoom. Zooms are great because you can adjust your focus distance depending on where your subject is located. Not so great with subjects that are always far away (like the macaws seen here), but really awesome for docile wildlife like deer. It also has a macro function that works beautifully.

Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro, or 105 Micro for short - This is probably Nikon's most used macro lens, probably because the lens can serve triple duty. First of all, it is a macro photography lens and it allows you to take photographs at a 1:1 reproduction ratio (on a 35mm body), which means that a 24 by 36 mm subject will fill the entire frame. Second, it makes a very good general purpose short telephoto lens. Third, it is also at least a very reasonable portrait lens (although, with magnification it may be too much of a telephoto on a digital SLR). I really love this lens for macro photography.

Nikkor 300mm f4 manual focus - While a "prime" lens doesn't offer the flexibilty of a zoom... it's still an ideal choice for getting the best results in your work. This is the same lens I discussed earlier and, considering it cost only $350, it's light & the focusing is so smooth, it's one of my favorite lenses. I never leave home without it.

Nikkor 600mm f5.6 manual focus ED Glass - Again, I paid a lot less for this lens (which is actually a hefty 900mm on a digital body and also has the famous Nikon ED glass!!) because it's an older model and it's manual focus. I spent $1,599 USD - but consider that a newer model would go for at least $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the f stop. Some may argue that 5.6 is a bit too narrow of an f stop but I find the compression with telephoto lenses means that I wouldn't want to shoot a 900mm subject with anything wider than 5.6 (2.8 would make the focus far too shallow on such a far away subject). Although... for closer subjects 2.8 is magic!

In the past, I have also used the Sigma 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 and the Tamron 200-400mm 3.5-5.6 and both served well as affordable zooms while I was learning about photography. I have since sold them to pay for the lenses I currently use.

Lenses - Pros and Cons

While I can't tell you the right lenses to buy for your particular needs... I can give you some feedback/impressions about the particular lenses I am using or have used in the past.

  • Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye: I never thought such a specialized lens could provide me with so much use. For more information, I've written a short article about how to use a fisheye lens in your nature photography at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/gallery/2472892
  • Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX Zoom - This lens is all right. I bought it as a kit lens a long time ago and it's served well for the wider range. I wish I had saved pennies and purchased a 2.8 that offered a wider range (like a 12mm to 25mm).
  • Tamron 17-35mm f2.8: This is a great lens but, alas, I purchased it for a film camera and the magnification on my digital body means that it isn't that useful in my photography right now. I'm planning on selling it (along with my other wide angle) and buying a 2.8 that has a wider range so I can do more with landscape photography.
  • Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D AF - This is the same lens I discussed earlier. It's small, has a low price tag, allows you to shoot in really dark situations and it's an 80mm on a digital camera. You really can't go wrong.
  • Nikkor Nikon 80-200mm f2.8D ED AF Zoom - This is a fantastic lens that stays at 2.8 no matter if you are shooting at 80 or 200mm. Again, magnification means it's actually a 300mm zoom. Zooms are great because you can adjust your focus distance depending on where your subject is located. Not so great with subjects that are always far away (like the macaws seen here), but really awesome for docile wildlife like deer. It also has a macro function that works beautifully.
  • Nikkor 105mm f/2.8D AF Micro, or 105 Micro for short - This is probably Nikon's most used macro lens, probably because the lens can serve triple duty. First of all, it is a macro photography lens and it allows you to take photographs at a 1:1 reproduction ratio (on a 35mm body), which means that a 24 by 36 mm subject will fill the entire frame. Second, it makes a very good general purpose short telephoto lens. Third, it is also at least a very reasonable portrait lens (although, with magnification it may be too much of a telephoto on a digital SLR). I really love this lens for macro photography.
  • Nikkor 300mm f4 manual focus - While a "prime" lens doesn't offer the flexibilty of a zoom... it's still an ideal choice for getting the best results in your work. This is the same lens I discussed earlier and, considering it cost only $350, it's light & the focusing is so smooth, it's one of my favorite lenses. I never leave home without it.
  • Nikkor 600mm f5.6 manual focus ED Glass - Again, I paid a lot less for this lens (which is actually a hefty 900mm on a digital body and also has the famous Nikon ED glass!!) because it's an older model and it's manual focus. I spent $1,599 USD - but consider that a newer model would go for at least $5,000 to $25,000, depending on the f stop. Some may argue that 5.6 is a bit too narrow of an f stop but I find the compression with telephoto lenses means that I wouldn't want to shoot a 900mm subject with anything wider than 5.6 (2.8 would make the focus far too shallow on such a far away subject). Although... for closer subjects 2.8 is magic!
  • In the past, I have also used the Sigma 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 and the Tamron 200-400mm 3.5-5.6 and both served well as affordable zooms while I was learning about photography. I have since sold them to pay for the lenses I currently use.

Why I LOVE and Highly Recommend Manual Focus

I used to be terrified of focusing manually. On most auto focus lenses, the focus ring is small and more difficult to use... also there's something really easy about just allowing your camera to do the focusing work for you. I was afraid I couldn't react quickly enough to moving subjects and that I wouldn't be as good as my camera's auto focus. Now I see the errors of my ways.

For wildlife (or people), you want to make sure the main subject's eyes are in perfect focus. You won't be able to sell any image if the eyes aren't in focus. If you shoot a subject 10 feet away at 2.8 and use auto focus, the camera will choose the object closer to the camera (usually the nose, cheek, or eye brow... not the eye itself). A 2.8 aperture means that you will have such a soft depth of field that the eyes will appear out of focus. The older (and more affordable) manual focus lenses have the most beautiful focusing rings you've ever seen. I find it much easier to use manual focus on my 300mm f4 lens from the 1970s than my newer autofocus 80-200mm zoom (using the auto focus feature). Unfortuately, I find the focusing ring on the newer models a little bit pooey... but I did want to make the case for why I think manual focus lenses from the 1970s are the greatest things since sliced bread!


Rule of Thumb for Fast Subjects

You may already be aware that your shutter speed should be at least the same as the distance of your lens. For instance, you need to shoot at least 1/300th of a second if you are using a 300mm lens or hand shake will make your picture look really blurry. And anything larger than 300mm should be put on a tripod (preferably one with a ball head for wildlife work). With magnification, you may be able to get away with shooting a 300mm (a 450mm on your digital) hand-held... at 1/450th of a second or higher...)in a pinch... but investing in a good ball head tripod will really improve your results if your lens is higher than 300mm.

Back on the subject of pairing your shutter speed with lens distance... if you are currently shooting P or Auto it's a good idea to change to shutter priority instead. If you're shooting with a 200mm make sure your shutter is set at 1/300 because of the magnification. All modern digital cameras will then set the aperture to pair with the shutter speed. At the same time, practicing photography on manual settings is always a good idea because it will offer you greater control.

I could write for days about shooting nature and wildlife photography with Nikon equipment but I'll stop for now. You're welcome to read more of my nature photography articles online at http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/Wildlife%20Photography%20Articles.

Top Photography Schools to Learn Digital Photography

If you looked forward to start a career in photography schools in America, here are multiple opportunities to get top photography schools in America. The fundamental training in digital photography are all the same either using modern digital cameras or traditional analogue cameras.

Digital photography is all about having eye for compelling images or strong desire to keep old memories in prints. Even if you lack certain skills in photography never worry since we have more than enough top photography schools in America where you can take photography lessons from the best the world can offer.

Many people are enrolling in a photography school in America in order to get hired as soon as they graduated. Some of these schools are found in cosmopolitan areas all around the world such as in London, Paris with best hands to take you through the photography course.

You would be exposed extensively to flash photography, how to use different lenses, studio equipments and photography software. You will also learn handling of camera both technical and creative aspects of it. You will also learn about camera lens filter such as polarizer, UV,GND, and ND, how to use a camera tripod, how to reduce camera lens flare for proper functioning, imaging and image types such as JPEG and TIFF, image sharpness, digital image interpolation and posterization, image noise, white balance etc.

In addition to the aforementioned, you will in depth knowledge camera lenses such as aperture and focal length, camera exposure such as shutter speed and ISO. You would know how to capture and develop stunning images both colored and black and white alike.

Top photography schools tend to give you historical background of photography which will enable you to have a sense of appreciation in the changes that the industry has gone through over the years. By the time you graduate from top schools you would have become an expert in handling different kinds of cameras and different photography equipments that are available to you.

Since the profession is highly lucrative and selling fast in an entertainment world, you are going to move from grass to grace with the knowledge of digital photography and become an international world class photographer.

The following are top photography schools in United State of America where you can explore your passion and desire for digital photography and move from hobbyist to world class photographer.

· Boston University offers courses in digital imaging arts and other business management.

· The New York Institute of Photography, New York City: It is one of the world famous photography schools with students from all over the world.

· The American Intercontinental University: It offers courses in traditional analogue and digital camera courses. You are thought different topics ranging from imaging arts, advertising, professional photography etc.

· Brooks Institute of Photography

· Harrington College of Design: Is a degree awarding college offering courses in digital photography, photojournalism, and photography business.

· The International Academy of Design & Technology is also a degree awarding institute. They will prepare you on digital photography software and lighting.

· The Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology offer courses in wedding portraits and professional photography.

Other top photography schools are found in London and Paris with seasoned lecturers that are capable of exposing your potentials in photography profession. Most of these offer online courses to learn photography regardless of your location. Their brochures and other necessary materials can be accessed online for preparation rather than travelling from your base to attend lectures.

These top photography schools select their students based on merit and usually look for a dedicated and committed student to enrol for their programmes due to the professionalism involved in the course.

Photography School Reviews

"Any good photography is a successful synthesis of technique and art." - Andreas Feininger

This article will attempt to help you come to a clearer understanding of the photography schools and colleges available, what they can offer you in terms of photo and arts education, and guide you towards investigating more about specific schools and where you can find out more information.

Photography SchoolsPhotography is a wonderful choice when it comes to a career. Photography is a versatile path that allows you to specify within the degree, and move from different types of photography within your lifetime. From magazine covers to exotic locations to local newspapers, a career in photography will allow you to pick and choose exactly what you want to photograph. However, a career in photography doesn't happen with well wishes and hopes...you have to work to get there! So where do you begin in your search for photography schools? Right here!

You'll have to learn about the photography business, learn how to deal with copyright issues and information, manage your photo porfolio and how to work with others in the field. There are many courses in the field of photography taught at many of the schools, teaching you in a variety of areas including:

* Photographic equipment

* Photographic processes

* Photograph techniques

* Color theory

* Special skills

* Digital imaging and photo processing

There are many many more fields available when it comes to your career path in photography, the above were simply some examples.

If you're passionate about photography and want to pursue this versatile career, it's important that you take the time to learn from experienced professionals that can guide you in your efforts to pursue professional photography, motion picture and video photography, visual journalism, and thinks like visual communications. What's great about attending photography schools nationwide is that you dont' have to begin an expert, you begin a beginner! Many of you are pursuing this field because you have a natural eye for photography, and that's great - but maybe you're just developing one. That's great too! What you probably didn't know is that photography school will teach you much more than simply how to snap a few brief pictures and dip em in developer. They teach you the scientific processes of film, chemistry, optics, color theory, lighting rations, and digital and computer skills.

You'll also find colleagues and students at your school that share your passion, talents, and skill and want to join in mutual efforts to further your careers. Here are a few photography school frequently asked questions that might help you!

* What is the objective of many photography schools?

* What types of photography might I choose to go into?

* What type of school should I look for?

* What are some of the top schools in the US?

What is the objective of many photography schools?

The objective (or the objective I believe is crucial to selecting a school) of many is to develop photographers that are technically and professionally sound, enabling them to pursue any photographic field and compete in the job marketplace.

What types of photography might I choose to go into?

There are many different types of photography fields, including fasion photography, digital photography, advertising photography, editorial photography, documentary style, wedding photography, portrait photography, or photo technician style work. You'll be prepared to do any of these with a solid education at a photo college or school.

What type of school should I look for?

My recommendation is a school that teaches nothing but photography! Obviously affordability is important, but a photo only institute is a great way to go!

What are some of the top schools in the US?

There are several wonderful photography schools, but some of ones we'll choose to highlight are Brooks Institute of Photography and the Art Institute of Colorado. For a more detailed list of Photography schools and information, please click here or continue browsing this article.

Brooks is a world leader when it comes to visual arts and photographic education. You'll want to find a photography school that helps to meet career oriented needs that you establish before you search. You'll want one with experience in the field for a long period of time, not just a hokey internet college.

You want want that can offer you a chance to broaden your resume through internships and opportunities. The joy of this career is that you get to turn your photographic ambition into something that pays the bills and you love to do every single day! Who wouldn't want that! I hope this article has proved even a little helpful, and that you'll consider going into the wonderful field of photography!

Photography Courses Online

There are also some excellent online courses available and some of them are free, just type "Photography free online courses" into your search engine. Morguefile is an example they offer sound technical advice on a variety of subjects, as well as aspects of types of photography, it is a good point to start with, showing the resources Jodie Coston, a freelance photographer, has made available online, after a series of classes she gave. The New York Institute of Photography offers an online course over a period of about eight months, with a few hours work a day at your own pace, they offer courses in Photography and digital photography.

Whilst they state they have been teaching photography for a hundred years, they do not quote their prices online, you have to contact them direct. They offer the information that most of their students are mature. Photo seminars offer a free workshop and a free lesson, so that you may you may evaluate the course before you buy. The enrolment cost is 39.00. U.S. dollars. They also offer links and resources. Better Photos, also offer a wide range of courses at different prices, with differing lengths, the subjects are either technical or cover "How to take more dramatic photographs". For these courses you need to transfer the photographic assignment you were given to a web page on their site, so you need access to a computer.

There are times when the free courses cannot teach you any more and you have to pay for further knowledge. There are excellent resources in the forms of e books that give you invaluable practical information.

If you are just starting digital photography, you will find that you need skills that are not covered in analog photography. You will need to learn how to use an editor Adobe Photoshop, which is the industry standard for desktop imaging. Whilst Adobe produce their own official training manual's, they are not the easiest resource for total beginner's (my apologies to the author, but they are hard), there are on line courses available at Beren Patterson is a professional photographer who offers free online courses at his Sister site tribalcog, most of his work is in the travel area, but he has interesting tips about telling a story with your photographs.

There are excellent resources for the committed photographer, as well as the passionate hobbyist offered by the Kansas public Library, they offer galleries, informative articles, history resources, and general photographic resources. It is a very easy place to lose yourself for a couple of days; it is certainly worth more than a cursory glance. As well as on- line courses there are excellent resources available to the photographer.

There are several sites for the professional photographer. The American Society of picture professionals is an association of professional who sell photographs overseas and at home. They have four types of members, and their fees range from 25.00 to 100 U.S. dollars. The American site of Media Photographers, have three aims. To protect and promote the interests of photographers whose work is for publication, to promote professional standards and ethics, as well as the promotion of friendship between photographers. They also have several classes of membership, as well as buying and selling photographs. The National Press Photographers Association has available some interesting free reports, and you do not have to be a member to read them.

There are an assortment of lessons both free, and paid for and also those available only to member's at the Web Photoschool, they offer a tour around their site, so you can familiarise yourself with its feel. The lessons cover all levels of experience from beginner's to professionals.

The Epsom Online Experience offers a unique and innovative course, for the digital photographer. For $29.95 you will receive five new video lessons per week for 12 weeks. It is run by professional photographers, Greg Gorman, Jay Maisel, and Bruce Dale.

They are available to teach you how the techniques, that they utilised to get their award winning shots. There is a library of ·"how to" that you have access to, as well as tutorials on how to use the scanner and printer to the best effects. Previews of the video are available on their site.

For those of you that feel you learn better under tutorial guidance, the School of photography offers courses 24/7 for you to work at your own pace. The courses are from beginner to the professional with a course on "how to freelance". They have a free course available on aspects of night photography, which is in three parts.

Exposure 36 specialise in photographic education, most of their courses are in centres in Canada and the U.S.A. but they offer CD's and also offer training on a one to one basis, or for yourself and a group of friend to set up a photographic workshop. They also have a series of articles aimed at all levels that are available for purchase.

For the nature lover in the U.S.A. there are online newsletters available that cover all aspects of photography in America, they are an invaluable introduction to the photographer who wants to explore new areas. The newsletters have been published for fifteen years, and back issues are available.

Not only are their online courses available, but also for those who need to brush on specific techniques, such as marketing - there are electronic books (e-books) available, most of these are written by professional photographer's already making money in a competitive market. These books cover how to market a small business, photographic techniques, and photographic markets.

Better Photos offer a wide range of courses aimed at all levels; they offer courses on techniques such as lighting, as well as courses on marketing aspects. Each week you are sent a lesson via electronic mail. Contained in this lesson is a practical assignment, which has to be completed within a fortnight.

Digital Photography Jobs

If you are looking for more information about digital photography jobs than you have come to the right place. With an increasing interest in digital photography today, photography careers are becoming a popular choice for career path. If you are interested in learning more about a career in photography than continue reading this article. Throughout the article we will discuss the job of a photographer, training and job qualifications, and provide a summary of a photographers average earnings.

To begin, let's discuss what a photographer actually is. A photographer is an individual who captures images that portray a story or an event. In order to capture these moments in a way that will draw in audiences, photographers are trained to use a variety of lighting, lens, and angle techniques. There are a wide variety of photography types that an individual can become educated in. These include, but are not limited to, wedding photography, wildlife photography, landscape photography, and fashion photography. On top of shooting photographs, photographers also use electronic devices to edit and manipulate their photographs. Although becoming less popular, many photographers also develop their own photographs in a black room.

So what qualifications do you need to become a photographer? Employers of photographers often look for people with large imaginations and with a variety of technical photography skills. Most individuals who are hired for good jobs have obtained a photography degree from a reputable educational program. There are several colleges available for individuals who are interested in photography. These colleges will provide people with training on composition, design, technique, process, and equipment dealing with photography. If you are seriously interested in obtaining a career in photography, it is also a good idea to obtain some experience. Volunteering as an assistant is a good way to gain experience. Also, prepare to have a portfolio ready for any photography interviews.

With technology today, photography is seeing a variety of exciting advancements, making photography work highly appealing. This makes the photography industry extremely competitive. If you are interested in pursuing a photography career, it is suggested that you gain specialized knowledge in one area of photography to increase your chances of obtaining a job in that field.

Annual salaries for photographers range greatly. A typical photographer can make anywhere from $14 000 to $50 000 per year. In 2002, the average earnings for a photographer was $24 000. Of course, earnings differ depending on which area of photography you are interested in. For example, fashion photographers make much higher salaries than most portrait photographers.

Regardless of which type of photography you wish to specialize in, it is important that you obtain a photography degree in order to thrive in your profession. Begin looking for a photography school that suits your needs and become one step closer to your dream photography career!

Under Water Photography Tips and Techniques

The general purpose of under water photography is to bring sea life to the surface. Most people are curious about what lives underwater and what actually goes on beneath the ocean surface. Underwater photographers make it their mission to capture this hidden world on camera and bring to those people who will never get a chance to see it firsthand. The under water world requires a specific skills and techniques that are different from general photography skills.

The underwater world needs to be captured up close unlike wildlife photography for example. Since the water refracts and distorts images, the closer you are to your photography subject, the less distortion you will have. A great deal of patience is required for under water photography. You may be trying to take a photo a fish or dolphin, but than they suddenly swim away before you get a chance to. Also, water contains many particles like plankton that can cause the image to lose contrast and sharpness.

Using an underwater flash, or strobe, will help provide the proper lighting necessary for taking a great picture. Therefore, it is essential to use an underwater camera with a flash. This will help to bring in other colors and contrast them with the colors of the subject. A medium sized strobe is all that is necessary as a large strobe can end up getting in the way.

Composition is extremely important. The same basic rules apply as in regular photography, but you should shoot at an upward angle towards the subject. Because of the camouflage technique of most sea life, they tend to blend into their habitats. Since they do not stand out like this, they do not make good photographs. The key is to always try to get a clear shot whenever the subject blends into the ocean background.

If you are looking to improve your under water photography skills, you will first need to work on your photography on land. When you get to the point where you are taking great photos on land, than you can move into the more advanced world of underwater photography, where taking great pictures takes more patience and skill. Photography under water brings sea life to the surface which gives us more information about the mysterious marine world. If you are just beginning to have an interest in under water photography you should consider taking an underwater photography course to learn proper technique.

Areas of Study in Photography

A course of study in photography is essentially a study in the fine arts. You could prepare for this well paying career by attending one of the available good art schools. Photography has many areas to specialize in. You may be surprised to know that some photographers specialize in only one aspect of photography, and you can do the same. The following areas of study, though not an exhaustive list, will give sufficient insights to help you in choosing your course of study.

Advertising Photography
In advertising photography, pictures are taken of what is being marketed. The work can vary, so an advertising photographer may find themselves taking photos of cars one day and snapping pictures of electronics for the next job. Advertising photography is also known as commercial photography because the focus is selling a product.

Fashion Photography
Fashion photography may be what comes to mind when someone talks about professional photography. It involves photographers taking photographs of models and the clothing they are modeling. Fashion photography is in many ways commercial photography, but it is so specialized that is thought of as a separate field by many.

Photojournalism
Photojournalism uses photography to tell a story. Photojournalism is often associated with covering wars, but photojournalists cover many other events such as elections. Becoming a photojournalist requires solid training in photography as well as being a reporter. Often photojournalists encounter dangerous or challenging situations.

Fine Art Photography
Fine art photography shares similarities with other genres of photography. Unlike advertising or commercial photography though, the point of fine art photography is creative expression rather than selling something. Often, fine art photographers are trying to make a statement or capture a feeling or idea with their photographs.

Nature Photography
Nature photography may be considered fine art photography, but some often consider it in its own category. Some photographers capture mainly nature shots for prestigious magazines or other clients. These nature shots often include both wildlife and landscapes.

All of these areas of photography require a solid background in the basics. Once you make your choice regarding the area you want to study in your art school, you will get into specialized classes in one field. For example, fashion photographers learn how to make both their models and the clothes look good in their photographs. Nature photographers on the other hand are more concerned about dealing with outdoor lighting and capturing the perfect shot of wildlife. In addition to these fields of study, you could also consider portrait photography among other types of photography. Genres are also changing with more photographers using digital cameras and manipulating their photographs with software to create the kind of image they imagine.

Nature Landscape Photography For Beginners

It does not matter if you want to start with landscape photography as a hobby or as profession, there are beginners tips for everyone. If you want to learn the skills and the different techniques you need for landscape or nature photography you can read about it online, buy a book about the subject, follow a class in a community center or go to a photographer's course organized by a nature or wildlife organization. In this article we look at a few things to consider before you make a choice about the best option for you.

Types of nature photography

There are a few different types of photography that you can consider to learn:

Fine art Nature Photography
Wildlife nature photography
Nature landscape photography
Documentary nature photography
Close up nature Photography

Equipment needed for nature photography

It does matter what type of nature photography you are going to learn first to know what type of equipment you need but when you are just beginning as a hobby all you really need to get started is a proper camera.

If you want to photograph wildlife you need a lens that will zoom in at least three times to start with so that the wildlife will not be scared off if you approach it.

For close up photography you need a special lens or feature on your camera that can do that. But there are other features of cameras that are used in nature photography that are useful but you only need to buy them if you are sure you want to do more and better nature landscape photographing.

Advanced Equipment for Photographing Nature and Landscapes

As a beginner a zoom of three times is adequate but a better option is to have a telephoto lens so that you can make shots from far away and it still looks like you where standing right in front of the object you photographed. Another useful piece of equipment for nature landscape photography is a tripod because this type of photography often requires long periods of waiting before you have the right light, or the animal or insect comes to the right spot can take a wile. And then its difficult to keep still and hold the camera.

Courses

There are a lot of courses in nature photography you can take that will teach you the basics and take you on a real life practicum. They are a great opportunity for the beginning nature photographer. They will also teach you utilizing natural lighting to provide specific looks and shots in landscape photography.

If you are a bit more experienced you can also follow classes with a nature and wildlife organization. Especially people who are interested in certain birds and animals in nature, can learn all lot on these courses. For example there are many different techniques you can use for taking pictures of birds in their natural habitat and also for shooting pictures of landscapes at certain times of the day to get special effects. As you can see there is a lot you can learn about nature landscape photography.

Best Photography Programs

A brilliant pianist has no need to look at the ivory, his hands know the way. This is also true with a great photographer, and the best photography programs instill this in their students. While allowing their talent to shine through students with excellent photography skills are able to function with their cameras instinctively. They are so familiar with their equipment and the training is so etched in their mind they are able to simply work, allowing their talent to show itself while the training keeps them on the path of correct procedure.

The following is a short list of schools with excellent photography programs: Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara Ca., Brown College Mendota Heights, MN. Harrington College of Design, Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology, and Briarcliffe College. These are all notable schools that give fine photography training. These schools stay abreast of the latest technology in the business. Students are given the necessary training to keep them competitive in a highly competitive market. The best photography programs prepare a student to walk into any photography situation and go to work.

The best photography programs teach a student to be creative without losing control of the elements needed to make a shoot successful. In the best photography programs students are encouraged to find their comfort zone and expand on it while learning the discipline required for success. The Photography business is extremely competitive and a good photography program does not allow its students to go out without having the skills necessary to compete. Many things are taught in the best photography programs: Video Photography, Film Photography, Visual Journalism, Still Life Photography, Advertising, Portrait, and Commercial Photography.

A student learns and becomes proficient with their technical ability they are able to completely concentrate on there talent while taking care of the other aspects of the photography business. The camera is machinery a photography student must become familiar with; in a sense the camera is his lifeline. In the best photography programs the use of the camera becomes second nature the student has been trained so well.

The camera and the hand of the artist has been the recorder of history for generations. The development of these skills has only come to fruition through training. People become so developed with this skill they almost function without thought of the technical, completely concentrating on the art, the way only an artist can do. The best photography programs have a hand on learning situation, allowing the student to make mistakes with the benefit of professional correction. We get unforgettable movie images and pictures of events that stay with us; this is partly due to reflective genius, and training given by the best photography programs. Photographic excellence is everywhere we look, and many places we don't.

Learn Digital Photography - Is Digital Photography Dead?

Yes, digital photography is dead in the water IF 'photography' is taken out of digital photography. As Kodak's brownie box camera and their Instamatic brought photography to the masses in the 20th century, so the digital camera has done the same in the 21st. But, once the 'ability to take photos novelty' wears off, the lack of skills will relegate the digital camera to the hobby drawer.

There is a principle in management science that says in business a person is promoted to the level of their own incompetence and no further. It's called the 'Peter Principle' formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter in his book of the same name. After that they stagnate and can only move sideways. This is true for photography also. Once you reach your level of incompetence or maximum ability, there you sit. It's at this point the interest wanes and your camera outings become more and more infrequent. In other words, another death of digital photography.

There will always be the hardliners in any field who will continue to practise to the level of their incompetence, but, the average Joe who was once excited by digital photography is no more. The enthusiast has lost his enthusiasm.

So what's the answer to the problem? The focus, as in any hobby or pastime, is a continual learning process. In the business world we call it upskilling. Adding competency and qualifications to your existing tool bag will keep you moving up the ladder of promotion. It is the same with photography. Learning is imperative.

Most of us are at some stage dissatisfied with our photos. They don't quite look like those in the glossy magazines and daily newspapers. What is it that they have that rest don't? They've learnt the techniques and disciplines of photography and have applied them on a continual learning journey to great photos.

A hobby, as with any plant or animal, has to be nurtured if it is to show any signs of growth. Buying a digital camera with the sole purpose of just snapping away without the high costs of film, will on most occasions result in the death of digital photography. If your digital photography is going to flourish it will need three key ingredients:

1. Time

As with anything of value in life time is a key ingredient to its success. Unless you take the time to invest in any venture you will probably reap an equivalent reward. Garbage in garbage out. No pain no gain as the old adage goes.  There is no instant photography.

2. Passion

Unless you are enthusiastic about a hobby or pastime it is inevitable that it will gradually diminish with time and eventually fizzle out. I speak from experience. Developing your passion is essential to growth. Passion is the fuel that fires your hobby.

3. Ability

Some are born with natural ability but for most of us we have to work at it. Practise makes perfect. If you don't have ability then acquire it in whatever way you legally can. Acquiring ability is a process and for many of us a journey of discovery. Something we have to work at.

Take any of these three points out of digital photography and its demise is well on the way. But, the key point is photography. Learning photography and acquiring creative photography skills will nurture digital photography and keep it alive.

Photography is not governed by the medium it uses, digital, film, pinhole or Polaroid. Photography stands alone and independent of the tools or media. As with beauty it's in the eye of the beholder. It is not contained in a box, a camera or digital sensor. Its results can be seen on a computer, t-shirt or magazine.

Digital photography is the answer to photography because of its ease of use, methods of distribution and costs. But take photography out of digital and it will result in the death of digital photography.

Conceptual Stock Photography - Best Selling Concepts

Conceptual stock photography has become increasingly popular. Many digital camera enthusiasts have found they are able to make extra money or even launch a career selling conceptual stock photography.

What is Concept photography?

Conceptual stock photography takes its cue from conceptual art. The goal behind concept photography is to elicit an emotion form the person or persons who view the photograph. The person may feel as though they are actually part of the photograph rather than an impartial observer. Whether they laugh or cry, emotion is evoked from the photograph.

In some cases, concept photography can also invoke memories that have been buried for some time. Concept photography can vary from an object to a person or even a group of persons. Overall; however, the goal behind concept photography is to focus less on the actual object or subject of the photograph and instead focus on the emotions the photograph is meant to arouse.

Why do People Want to Buy Conceptual Photography?

In the last few years conceptual stock photography has become quite lucrative. The reasons why people purchase conceptual stock photography can vary widely. Concept photography is frequently used in marketing in order to advertise products. A single concept photograph can be used in a variety of applications, depending on the marketing message that is placed behind it. Concept photography can also be used in desktop publishing projects as well, including greeting cards, etc.

What are the best Selling Concepts?

Due to the fact that many conceptual stock photographs are used for the purpose of marketing, one of the best selling concepts related to business. Business groups and teams tend to do quite well. In addition, conceptual photos of a large group of people also tend to sell quite well. The idea behind the group can vary from a group of children to a business team or even a scene depicting a party or celebration also tends to sell very well.

One of the reasons this type of concept photography tends to sell well is the fact that it is difficult to gather a large group of people together and get that perfect shot without someone having their eyes closed. If you can manage that, there is a good chance you have a concept photograph that will sell well.

Of course, emotional concept photographs can also sell well. Romance and love are two themes that always tend to do well, especially around Valentine's Day and as wedding season begins to arrive.

Tips for Taking Concept Photography

One of the critical elements to taking concept photography is to make sure that you keep your eyes open for opportunities. You will also need to think out of the box and exercise more imagination that is commonly necessary with any other genre of photography. For example, you need to focus on the aspects that are unusual about the everyday in order to come up with a concept photograph that works.

Another technique is to associate words with the images you see. Do this first mentally before you actually shoot the photo. This will help to clarify the concept behind the photo. If you know going into the photo what you are planning to shoot it becomes much easier to define the concept rather than trying to do it after the fact.

Finally, do not be afraid to experiment with different angles and focal points with concept photography. Some of the best concept photographs are popular because of the different way in which they were taken. For example, close-ups of hands and even inanimate objects can be particularly beneficial when shooting conceptual stock photography.

Photography Educational Institutions

Many schools and colleges offer photography classes to students as an elective subject. However, there is no requirement to gain admission to an educational institution for a degree if you have studied photography for several years on your own or even taken some helpful classes on a non-formal basis.

Certainly you can learn the skills of a photographer even if you have not taken photography classes in school. But excellence in this field does require dedication, and more formal class training can be a great help.

Some institutions offer 'long distance education.' You can enroll in such institutions and - unlike typical college majors - do not need to reside on campus or sit in a classroom environment to learn photography. An example of such institution is New York Institute of Photography.

If you become part of a school like this, you will learn everything from camera lenses to a variety of photographic techniques. You can even study photography during journalism classes. While developing your skills, you also receive magazines and articles related to digital imaging, contests, and a number of other photography-related knowledge and events.

The photography program at the New York Institute is built around 30 lectures on wide array of topics. Initially you are given a brief introduction to the material to allow you to choose your specialized field of interest. A significant advantage of non-campus training is that you can perform your regular job and learn photography simultaneously. And there is no time limit for learning photography; whenever you are free, you can learn and practice.

During the training, you will not only sit under the tutelage of a professor, but will also be provided sample pictures allowing you to study great photography to compare and apply your knowledge on a practical level.

A common belief among those interested in this field is that to become a photographer, you must have your own dark room to develop photos. You will be happy to know that this isn't the case anymore. Some of the most well known photographers in this business don't do their own development anymore, paying others instead to do so for them. This affords more time to focus on learning to take great shots.

Another great benefit of photography training is that there is no age limit. Knowledge is a path open to anyone of any age who possesses sufficient interest and motivation. And the rewards you gain from learning photography are incalculable. You have the opportunity to earn good pay through professional photography or simply engage in this activity as a hobby or "labor of love."

Photography educational institutions not only provide students an environment in which to learn, but also assign specific camera work activities to help their students assess just how much they have gained from the training. And it is all quite fun once you get started!

Photography Basics - What is Photography All About?

If you're new to photography, but you're interested in embracing it as a hobby, congratulations! Photography is an immensely enjoyable pastime that you'll be able to enjoy and share with the people around you until the day you die.

If you're wondering where to start, try reading the rest of this article for a basic introduction to photography, starting with the most basic question of all: what is photography?

- What is photography?

Strictly speaking, photography is 'the process of producing a still picture by recording light radiation'. If we're being generous we could say that photography has been around since the early 1800s, but in terms of it being something open to the average person to get involved in, the agreed-on date is more likely to be 1900 - the year in which Kodak introduced the $1 'Brownie' camera.

Photography is somewhat unusual in that while it is definitely an art form (in that it's capable of producing something that appeals to the senses) there are strong technical elements to it as well. In this way it contrasts with an art form such as drawing or painting, where little or no technical knowledge of the medium is necessary. It's a rare professional photographer who isn't also an expert with the technical aspects of photography, though they do exist.

- What sort of camera will I need?

This question has two very different answers. On the one hand, any kind of camera at all can be used to make interesting images, so one could say that that's the answer: 'any kind of camera at all'. On the other hand, photography is arguably its most enjoyable when done with a camera that is versatile and easy to control manually, and so one could say that the answer can only be: 'an SLR'. Certainly if you don't currently own a camera, you're even remotely interested in taking up photography as a hobby, and you have the money, an entry-level (digital) SLR is the right way to go.

- How do I improve?

Unsurprisingly, getting better at photography involves a lot of trial and error. While digital photography makes trial and error a much better strategy than it used to be by massively reducing the cost of taking a photo, there's still no need to do this blindly. Reading about photography in books, magazines and online is also a useful way to improve, as is looking at a lot of photographs taken by other people. You'll quickly learn that people generally agree on a set of 'rules' that produce pleasing photography, and while eventually you'll break these rules to good effect, there's no question that it's worth learning them first.

Four Main Types of Photography

There are many various kinds of photography in our lives. Generally speaking, four main types have some relationship with our lives. They are portrait photography, family photography, fine art photography, and wildlife photography. Each one has their own characteristics.

1. Portrait photography is the form of recording people's faces in many different situations and capturing various emotions under different condition. This kind of photography doesn't have to be limited to the studio. In fact, many people hope their own portraits to be shot on live or in their homes. So the key point lies in the subject themselves rather than the background. But that definitely not mean that we can totally ignore the innovation of the composition of each shot. The creative portrait photography can catch many of a person's personalities. Of course, must under some important elements. The lighting is a good one case. Which is crucial to the quality of photography, so you never should mean at this problem, should you?

2. Family photography, as the name implies, is photography which pay attention to the family members who lives together with love and care. Many different techniques are used by family photography to present the best picture which is showing a family in single frame. The great part of the family photography is that he can solve many problems, such as tension atmosphere, the shy people to reach the best condition. Family photography can help people to recall their missing relationships due to the far distance, or some personal biases.

3. Wildlife photography is to record the views of the whole nature world including the animal, plant, even the mountains and rivers. Unlike the traditional photography which can be used for many purpose, wildlife photography need some special cameras. Everything has life. The wildlife photographer's job is to discover and record these lives around us. Yes, the plant, the animal and the mountain, the river are our friends in this planet. They also are the masters of the world. So we should know the changes and developments of them. Today, the wildlife photography is becoming more and more popular for many people.

4. Fine art photography originates from Europe. The fine art photographer find that through the different of angles, light, expression, clothes, cosmetics, background and so on techniques, he can fully show the connotation and characteristics. At the same time conceal the shortcomings, to achieve a certain effect of beautification. Everyone has the same heart to pursue the beauty. We can unfold our good side by means of the fine art photography.

Of course, many other kinds are not covered above. Here are just four main types of the photography. If you really like the art of the photography, you can do some research by yourselves.