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.