“I eat, breathe, write and teach Photography! My camera is my most often worn accessory. I am a mom with a camera who feels compelled to capture my son’s life. I was frustrated by my search to learn how to use my camera and knew I had to pass on the knowledge I gathered to help other moms capture their favorite subjects. I started out with a film SLR years ago,on auto. Moved to a dSLR in 2002 on auto and in 2005 finally decided I needed to know what TV actually stood for!”

Katrina teaches photography classes at Get It Scrapped. Writes photography tutorials for DesignerDigitals and blogs about her life through the lens at About A Boy.

Sharp focus makes photos sing. A steady camera, supported by a tripod can be a great tool for sharp photos, but just isn’t practical in many situations. So how do you get that super sharp focus in your everyday photos?

Here are several options to try for a sharper focus.

ADJUST YOUR FOCUS POINTS

Most cameras have multiple focus points. Letting your camera choose which point to use can lead to focus disasters. Focus can fall on someone’s nose when you intend it to be on his or her eyes. In semi-auto and manual modes, you can choose which point you want to use. (Look up focus in your cameras manual). The sharpest focus will always fall at the center point. Try changing the focus point around to see the results you get as well.

For Canon you’ll find the little cross icon on the back of your camera. Press it and then spin your top wheel to see it change in the viewfinder.

For Nikon you’ll need to go into the menu to change the focal point.  Program mode will also let you adjust your focus points if you aren’t ready for shooting in Manual, Aperture Priority (AV or A), or Shutter Priority (TV or T) modes.

FOCUS AND RECOMPOSE

The simplest way to move your focus point is to set it to the center point and recompose. If you want to focus on something not centered in the frame, you can focus on your subject by pressing your shutter half way down and then moving your camera.
1. Place the center red square or dot on the eyes of my subject (if your subject has eyes) or
whatever part you want to be most in focus.
2. Press the shutter half way down.
3. Holding it in that halfway position, move your viewfinder so your subject is positioned where
you’d like.
4. Now press the rest of the way.

BACK BUTTON FOCUS (AKA FOCUS LOCK)

A little more complicated, but far more accurate is using Back Button focus. Called back button focus because you set your camera to use a button on the back of your camera to focus, using your shutter button only for taking the photo. With focus and shutter release separated it may feel like an extra step, but you get far more control. You will find it listed in your manual as focus lock.

The most difficult part of back button focus is figuring it out where the setting is in your camera! It works
especially well with moving subjects.
To take a picture you will:
1. Press the back button on your camera to focus on your subject.
2. Release the button.
3. Recompose as desired.
4. Press the shutter button to take the photo.

MANUAL FOCUS

Have you ever wondered what was wrong with your lens as it searched for focus?
When shooting something without much contrast or in a very dimly lit situation, your lens may have
difficulty finding your focus point. In these situations manual focus can be helpful. On your lens you’ll find the switch to go to manual focus. Don’t confuse Manual Mode with Manual focus though!

ON ASSIGNMENT: FOCUS DISTANCE AND WIDE APERTURES

We all know that shot. The creamy blurred background leaving only a part of your subject in focus.  If you, like me, are addicted to shooting at your widest apertures, keep in mind that your area of focus is going to be extremely small. If you want to use a wide aperture, but get a little more in focus step back! The more
distance between you and the subject, the more will be in focus even at your widest aperture.  Your lens also has a minimum focus distance, the closest you can be to your subject and obtain
focus. The longer your focal length (the mm number on your lens) the longer your minimum focus distance is.  Here are some basic minimum focus distances to keep in mind:
50mm
1.5 feet
100mm
3.0 feet
200mm
3.9 feet
Have a little fun with this!
1. Set your camera to its widest aperture (the smallest f/ number) you can use manual mode or aperture priority mode.
2. In good light, focus on your subject at your minimum focus distance.
3. Shoot.
4. Back up two steps.
5. Shoot.
6. Back up two more steps.
7. Shoot.
Review your results and see what you find. You should notice a little more in focus in each photo.

Too close, focus falls behind my subject.

Better, but the edges of my subject are not in focus.

Walking a step back and the entire flower is in focus, retaining the blurred background.  With each of the focus methods, remember to watch your shutter speed. Too slow and you’ll capture motion blur!

I hope this helps bring things into better focus for you.

P.S. Donna is our random winner chosen from the comments left in yesterday’s post.  She won $10 in product from Michelle Batton, check your inbox Donna!

Lego photos by Katie

When you “shoot one thing” or focus your photography efforts mainly on one type of photography or subject, something wonderful will happen… you will improve and grow as a photographer! The fun thing about photography is that there is always something to learn. Sometimes that is overwhelming as well. When you consider all the different types of cameras, subjects, techniques, themes, and challenges out there, it is easy to feel like you have to be good at everything. Any expert will tell you that it is far more satisfying to find your own niche and explore it fully.

If you love food photography, it makes sense to really concentrate on how to best capture the beauty of food with a camera.

Photo by Janet Phillips. If you want some great inspiration for taking pictures of food, be sure to read her tips for food photography.

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If flowers are your passion, embrace that love and learn more about how to photograph beautiful blossoms.

Photo by Janet Phillips. She has some great information on angles to use when shooting flowers.

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I adore taking pictures of toys. It might sound silly, but it is a lot of fun for me. They also make very patient models while I try to figure out the best camera settings or lens to use.

Photo by Katie from the post on great photo backgrounds without backdrops.

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Does architecture inspire you? Buildings and architectural elements offer great photographic opportunities.

Photo by Katie. Be sure to read An Introduction to Architecture Photography at Digital Photography School for some great tips and ideas.

.

How about black and white photography? There is something so dramatic and striking about a well done black and white image.

Photo by Katie. Read Top 5 Black and White Photography Tips from Epic Edits for some helpful hints in capturing beautiful B&W photos.

.

I (Katie) truly love almost every type of photography I have learned about. Of course I also am the main photographer for my entire family and our scrapbooked memories. This means I need (and want) to take pictures of many different things. It also means that I probably won’t be a specialized expert in just one area of photography unless I put a little extra effort in that direction. It’s difficult to know where to start, so I’m just trying out some different fields in photography and working on learning more about each of them. I know I will NOT be an expert in all of them.

As scrapbookers, we probably put more pressure on ourselves than many other photographers do because we feel like we HAVE to capture everything! We are documenting life after all. Shouldn’t we have the perfect photos of our kids, snap that amazing sunset on vacation, photograph our everyday surroundings, and more? Is this a realistic expectation? After all, do you know of any artist who has mastered every art form?

Don’t worry about being good at everything! Think about what you love about taking pictures and invest some time and effort in developing the skills that will help you enjoy your passion even more.

Here are a few great resources to help you find your “one thing” to shoot and learn more about:

• Defining your visual style from Digital Photography School
• Curing Photographer’s Block from Beyond Megapixels
• Photography Resources
• OREO – a clever way to understand the technicalities of exposure

Photography should be a fun and enjoyable part of documenting your memories. If you aren’t finding that joy, it might just be time to just “shoot one thing” for a while and explore something new and exciting.

P.S. Becky M is the random winner from the comments in yesterday’s post.  She won $10 in product from Kristin’s store!  Check your inbox Becky!

Most of us don’t have a photography studio set up in our homes or regular access to perfect scenery and/or indoor settings to use as backdrops in our everyday pictures. I (Katie) love finding new ways to improve the backgrounds in my photos, and I especially love sharing those ideas with our fabulous readers here at The Daily Digi!

I’m not a professional photographer. I’m simply a scrapbooker who appreciates the meaning and power of a great picture. I capture everyday life and document it. When I take pictures of my family enjoying a fun moment together, I want the setting to be a natural one, and I usually only have a few minutes to get the shot.  Anyone who has tried to photograph a small child (or a less-than-willing adult) knows that they aren’t going to stop and pose in front of the perfect backdrop just for you to snap their picture!

Today, I want to focus on a few tips that will help you get the best backgrounds possible for any photo you take. One of the best tricks I have learned is to PRACTICE! Because people (especially children) have a limited amount of patience to sit still, I like to do my “homework” with an inanimate object first. I try different setups, camera settings, and ideas with my test subject and then apply the learning to real life people and situations. I highly recommend you try the same approach! Don’t forget to take notes so you can learn from your successes and mistakes. Keep a notebook in your camera bag, or use a small tape recorder (or voice recorder on a smart phone) to keep track of the variations you try.

Here’s my model. These same techniques will work with people shots as well, you just have to think on a larger scale.

SCOUT IT OUT

Professional photographers will scout out a location before they shoot there. They might go check it out days (or weeks) before the scheduled session and also arrive early on the day of the shoot. They look for the best lighting, backgrounds, and find any distracting areas to avoid. The “capture the moment” photographer does not usually have the luxury of pre-planning and composing the shots. There is no reason why you can’t do a little scout work though. Walk through your house and yard with a camera in your hand and take pictures from several different angles. Experiment with where you can best capture a pleasing background that isn’t too distracting. Feel free to do this same exercise with other locations where you take a lot of photos (Grandma’s house, the park, work, etc.)

Once I looked around the house, I realized that my daughter’s room had a nice little corner with some beautiful natural light. I moved the chair around to take advantage of the light. If you inspect the surroundings you will notice that the room wasn’t perfectly clean – I just chose to point my camera to the part that looked good.

LEARN A FEW CAMERA SETTINGS

Your camera can blur the background of a photograph so the emphasis stays on the subject. I want to emphasize that it’s not about the camera here, but rather understanding how to work the camera that you use. A point-and-shoot camera can shoot beautiful photos and this article from photojojo will teach you a great trick to blur backgrounds in photographs. If you own a DSLR camera there are many settings that will help you achieve some wonderful background blur. You will want to experiment with your own camera settings and lenses. Be sure to read your manual and you might enjoy checking out these great photography learning resources.

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS

If your son built an amazing Lego contraption in his incredibly messy room, he will be thrilled if you take a picture of it. Sometimes you might want to include the background mess as part of the story, but for most of the shots you will probably want to focus on the creation and the proud creator. You can blur the background or change your camera angle, but maybe you just want to move the pile of laundry out of the shot. No one will ever know! If you want to take pictures of your daughter baking cookies, there is nothing wrong with removing some of the distracting extras from the countertop to keep the focus on the chef and her delicious treats.

Once I removed the patterned pillows and zoomed in a bit, the focus went completely on the subject.

Besides tidying up, there are a few other ways to ensure your background doesn’t distract from the story you want your photo to tell.

• Crop in tight to get rid of unwanted items in the background
• Solid color walls work well. Avoid pieces of artwork or clocks if possible.
• Brick or stone walls, opaque fences, siding on a house or building all provide free and fun and subtle backgrounds for many photographs.
• Don’t place your subject right up against the wall or you might get strange shadows around them.
• Make the most of natural light from nearby windows. Lighting can make a big difference on how your background looks and a flash will wash out portions of the photo and will cause shiny spots or shadows on a person’s face. Harsh sunlight will create deep shadows that don’t work well for a subject or background.
• Large areas of grass, sky, or open fields make wonderful backdrops for outdoor photos.
• If you are photographing young children, set up a play area for them where you hope to photograph them, or bring along a few items of interest to capture their attention so you can take their picture in front of a great background area.

Once you get familiar with the tips and techniques to find and use good natural backgrounds, have fun capturing the moments around you!

P.S. apphotog was our randome winner from the comments left in Julie’s post from yesterday!  She won $10 in product from Julie!  Here’s what she said: “Julies designs are amazing. I absolutely LOVE Prarie Fields,it’s GORGEOUS. Can’t wait to pick up the newest kit, Rambunctious. In it Together is also fabulous…the colors are so yummy together, some of my favorites.”  Watch your inbox!

I (Katie) have had my eye on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for about a year, but I wasn’t sure if I “needed” another program or if I wanted to spend that kind of money.  The program retails for $299 US dollars on the official Adobe website, so I’m sure you will understand my hesitation. I was planning to download a trial version (I love that Adobe lets you try before you buy), but then I found out about something even more exciting!

A contact of mine at the Adobe company emailed me this press release:

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 beta software for Macintosh and Windows, a public preview of new and improved functionality to be delivered in the next major release. Available as a free download on Adobe Labs, Lightroom 3 beta delivers a preview of new tools that will be in Lightroom 3, including more intuitive importing, unparalleled noise reduction and sharpening tools, enhanced slideshow capabilities and direct publishing to online photo sharing sites like Flickr. Adobe encourages photographers to test this early selection of new features and provide the product team with their feedback.

The beta is available as a free download to anyone on both Macintosh and Windows platforms. Visit http://labs.adobe.com/downloads to learn more and download the beta. Feedback can be submitted on the Lightroom forums: http://forums.adobe.com/community/lightroom. Users also can connect with Adobe at www.facebook.com/lightroom or http://twitter.com/Lightroom, and can add the tag #AdobeLR3beta to tweets about the beta.

You can read the full press release here if you would like to know more about the beta version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.

What’s the catch?

This is a “beta” program which means it is still in development. Adobe is looking for meaningful customer feedback to help them make this version of Lightroom the best one yet. It’s not required for you to send your input, they just appreciate it. I was thrilled with the opportunity to try out this program that I’ve heard so much about – and to be able to do it for free!

A few things to know:

• You will need an Adobe account to be able to download the beta version. It is free to create an account, and it’s a good idea to have one anyway if you own any of the Adobe products. You will be prompted to create an account if you don’t have one when you select which product you want to download at this link.
• Setup is very easy, and as someone who has never used a Lightroom product, I was pleased with how easy it was to get started. You will need to import your photos into Lightroom and it did take quite awhile to import my photos the first time, but I have a lot of photos!
• You can use Lightroom in several different ways: to organize photos in collections, add keywords, and to edit photos.
• When you are done playing with your photos in Lightroom, you will need to export them to be able to use them in other programs. This is a simple as saving a file.

I decided to spend a few minutes playing around with the program presets (see drop down menu in image) and I used this silly photo of a Play-Doh creation hamburger and fries.

With just a few quick clicks I was able to change the photo in several ways:

It went from this:

to this…

And you can change the look of each preset by customizing color, white balance, exposure, and other settings.

For TONS of great resources and tutorials for using Lightroom, be sure to bookmark the Adobe Lightroom learning centers page. Of course many digital scrapbooking shops and designers have some neat Lightroom presets for sale, so you might enjoy trying some of them out once you have tried out the Lightroom features.

Matt Kloskowski has a lot of great presets available for free on the Lightroom Killer Tips blog. He also includes instructions on how to install them (very easy!) Here are a few of my favorites:

• Warm and Fuzzy
• Fairy Tale Glow
• The Cutting Edge
• Wedding Fantasy
• Vintage New York
• Graduated Filters
• Polo Ralph Lauren Style
• Better Black and Whites

Have fun playing in Lightroom – I know I will!

Back when The Daily Digi opened it’s virtual doors in January of 2008, Janet posted about doing a photo-a-day project (also known as project 365). If you have made a daily photo resolution for this year, you will enjoy reviewing that same post for some ideas and I (Katie) have a few more to share as well.

What if you don’t want to take a photo every day, or can’t possibly think of what you would shoot on a daily basis? Well, I have plenty of other alternatives to inspire you also, so read on!

I completed a full year of taking daily pictures in 2008 and I’m very proud of myself for finishing a Project 365 (it was actually 366 that year because of leap year). I learned so much about myself as a photographer, and as a person by grabbing my camera each and every day to document the little details. I now have a very comprehensive photo essay of what our lives were like in the year 2008. Here’s a collection of the pictures I took in March of 2008:

Project 365 Quick.ish page by Something Blue Studios. Fonts are Fontologie Textura Traced and Calibri

The best thing I did while working on my photo-a-day project was to write a little bit about each picture when I uploaded them to my flickr account. I also used these photos on my blog throughout the year and included many details there. Now I have plenty of documentation to go with the pictures which makes for a complete story. I strongly suggest that you keep a blog or find an online place to share at least some of your Project 365 photos. It will keep you accountable and motivated throughout the year!

Why do Project 365?

• It’s a great way to get in the habit of taking pictures on a daily basis.
• You will improve as a photographer because you will be practicing every day.
• The year will be documented in photos from beginning to end.

Tips and Ideas for Project 365 in 2010:

• 365project.org is a very cool site that even has a facebook app to help you share your photos with your friends and family
• Photojojo has a great article about doing the 365 project
• Liz of Paislee Press has a flickr group 365′ers who want to share with other group members. Also a great place to find inspiration!
• Sweet Shoppe Designs has a forum for photo 365 ideas and sharing, as well as a flickr group.
• Scrap Orchard has a forum for photo 365 participants
• The Lily Pad has a forum just for Project 365
• Little Dreamer Designs is hosting Project 365 challenges on their blog
• Shutter Sisters posted a thoughtful musings blog entry on doing the 365 project and they also have a flickr group for photo 365 participants

You are probably wondering if I continued doing the photo-a-day thing in 2009? I decided not to continue and I don’t plan to do it this year either. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a FANTASTIC challenge, but I just don’t think I could do it every year. It was a struggle many days and I felt like sometimes I just took pictures of boring things so I would have my photo of the day. The trick is definitely to stay fresh and find new perspectives and ideas, so be sure to the list of links above for some help.

I do believe that every photographer who wants to improve their skills should try doing the 365 at least once if they are up to it. I also think there are some other wonderful ways to grow and enjoy participating in regular challenges, especially using weekly and monthly themes to explore new frontiers.

This year my focus is going to be more on capturing the pictures I want to represent each month of the year. I also want to explore themes and techniques in new ways. I have found a lot of online resources that keep me excited and interested in photography (which keeps me excited and interested in scrapbooking also). These links will also come in handy for 365′ers since you will need a lot of ideas to take you through an entire year.

Weekly and Monthly Photo Projects

• Photochallenge.org will have a new theme every 4 weeks. The goal is to take one picture per week
• i HEART faces has a new theme posted each week on their blog
• Beyond Megapixels is posting one theme challenge and one technique challenger per month
• Simple Scrapper will be posting a monthly top ten project with a free template
• Get It Scrapped will be posting a pdf idea sheet and sketch each month on their blog throughout 2010. Great for photo and/or scrapbooking ideas
• Photo Friday posts a new photo prompt every Friday.
• Digital Photography School posts weekly assignments in their community forums
• Two Peas has a different photography challenge posted each week
• Sony Backstage posts a different challenge each month.
• The Lily Pad posts a new photography challenge every month
• Little Dreamer Designs is hosting Project 52 challenges on their blog
• O Scraps posts a different photography challenge each month in their forum.
• Shabby Pickle posts a different challenge each month along with some photography tips.
• 12/12 – via Cathy Zielske’s blog in 2008. Simply take 12 pictures on the 12th day of each month. Based on this now defunct blog, but the idea is still a great one!
• Ali Edwards has a great series she calls “A Week in the Life” that you could do once a year, or even once a month.

Many of these sites allow you to submit your photos for feedback and/or community involvement, but of course you don’t have to do that. Simply follow along for inspiring ideas if that is more your style.

Be sure to grab your camera (it doesn’t have to be a fancy one) and get ready to shoot some amazing photos this year!

P.S. Congratulations to Heather H who was randomly drawn from the comments left on yesterday’s post.  She won a $10 GC to Paislee Press!

Documenting Christmas — one  of the most amazing times of the year — is important.  Christmas is a time of family, food, and fun.  It is filled with decorations, traditions, and a sense of awe and wonder (and perhaps stress!)  Feeling the wonder is one thing…capturing it on {digital} film is another!  I want to share with you a few tips for photographing your Christmas.

MY FOUR MAIN TIPS:

1. Details, Details! Christmas is filled with so many little details that make the season SO BIG.  Don’t forget to include them in your photos.

2. Don’t expect perfection: I know most of us are hoping for that “perfect” Christmas photo.  But the reality is, perfection is overrated.  Reality is priceless.

3. Enjoy the day! The worst thing we can do as a mom-with-a-camera is to be so busy taking pictures that we miss ENJOYING the season with our family.  Last year, I bought a remote timer and set it up in our living room.  It took one picture every minute and it allowed me to be part of the special day.  Read more about the remote HERE.

4. Don’t feel like you have to scrap it all! Just because you take 600 pictures of Christmas, it does NOT mean that you have to scrap them all!  Find your favorites, capture the feel of the season, and then let it go. Read more about scrapping big events HERE.  As I was looking for photos for this post, I was tempted to go back and scrap some old pictures. And then I saw my layout for last years Christmas and I thought, “Nope.  That layout about captures it all.”

And here are some holiday things that you should remember to photograph

DECORATIONS

THE TREE

For this photo I used these settings (with the camera on a tripod!)

ISO 100          F22          SS: 20 seconds

ORNAMENTS

New and old favorites

CRAFTS

Any crafting you (or the kids!) have done

FOOD

Food is such a big part of the holiday season!  Make sure you get pictures!

THE PARTIES

THE CONCERTS/PLAYS

THE SPECIAL CHURCH PROGRAMS

THE GIFTS

(and the wrapping of them!)

THE FUN TREATS

THE TRADITIONS

And THE PARTS THAT MATTER MOST TO YOU

Enjoy photographing your Christmas!

]]> http://thedailydigi.com/photographing-christmas/feed/ 15 http://thedailydigi.com/you-must-have-a-great-camera-2/ http://thedailydigi.com/you-must-have-a-great-camera-2/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:27 +0000 Katie http://thedailydigi.com/?p=7719

Once upon a time a photographer was invited to have dinner at the home of a nice couple. During dinner the wife comments to the photographer “Your pictures are beautiful. You must have a great camera.” The photographer nods politely.

After finishing dinner the photographer comments to the wife “That was a fine meal. You must have some great pots!

The more I (Katie) learn about photography, the more I realize that there is a lot that goes into taking a picture. It is probably more accurate to say a good photographer “makes” a picture instead of “takes” a picture. Composition, lighting, focus, subject matter, are only a few of the subjects a photographer needs to consider. Being willing to put effort into getting the best shot is what really separates the pros from the amateurs.

I’m an amateur who is spending time and energy to improve my skills. I’ve taken classes and read many books about photography. I’ve slowly invested in new equipment such as a DSLR camera, a tripod, and even a new lens. It seems that the harder I work though, the more people compliment my camera. That is why I loved the little story about the pots!

Now I will readily admit that it is easier to cook a gourmet meal in a well equipped kitchen. With a nicer camera you can also make more adjustments that might result in a better picture. In both cooking and photography, you need to understand the recipe and have a willingness to work and be creative in order to yield the best results.

Here’s a fun little exercise – I have 3 cameras that I use:

iphone

Nikon D40

Sony Cybershot 10.1 mega-pixels

(how did I take this picture you ask? With a very old digital camera that I no longer use. It is only 4 mega-pixels)

I decided to do an experiment. I thought it would be fun to compare the same shot from each of my three cameras. I set up a still life shot on my dining room table. I took a picture of the exact same subject, using the same lighting, while I was standing in the same position. I took each shot only seconds apart so there would be no difference other than the camera I used.

See if you can figure out which picture came from which camera. I’ll call this one experiment #1

I processed all 3 pictures the same way. I can see now that my angle was just a bit different on shot #2. Essentially, all 3 pictures are about the same but all of them were taken with different cameras. Care to venture any guesses? (I will reveal all at the end of the post.)

How about another set? Experiment #2

Which one is the iphone camera? The point and shoot Cybershot? The Nikon DSLR?

Ok, let’s do one last test: which one of these is the best shot? What camera did I use to get it? Experiment #3

Are you ready for the results? I want you to think about your answers before you scroll down to see what I reveal!

Answers:

Experiment #1

1. the top photo was from my Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera
2. the middle photo was from my iphone camera
3. the 3rd photo was from my Nikon DSLR

Experiment #2

1. the top photo was from my iphone camera
2. the middle photo was from my Nikon DSLR
3. the 3rd photo was from my Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera

Are you surprised so far? I have to admit I was! The lighting looks a lot warmer in the iphone pictures. I think a lot of the reason is because you have to hold an iphone differently than a camera to get a shot and I think that gave it a better angle for lighting. I also think there just might be a bit of a difference with that camera when it comes to color. However, the iphone pictures are the least sharp when you inspect them closer. They still look pretty good though for a camera phone! The results from the point and shoot and the DSLR are quite similar. When you really look at them up close, you can see that the DSLR pictures are a little clearer. Generally speaking, I would say that all 3 photos in each group are all good though. They could have all been bad pictures just as easily though. I put some thought into how to set them up.

Experiment #3 – This was a bit of a trick because all 3 pictures were taken with my Nikon DSLR. I did this to illustrate that it isn’t just the camera that takes a good picture. The first picture is carelessly composed. There are chairs and the bottom of a painting in the frame and the subject really should have been shot with a tighter crop. The second photo isn’t all that spectacular either. Nothing is really done to show off the subject. The 3rd photo does a lot more to show off the fun colors and sizes of the bowls. All 3 were taken at the same time, same circumstances, by the same photographer (me) and with the same camera.

While owning a fancy camera is nice, it isn’t a necessity if you want to take good pictures. Taking some time to learn about and practice your photography skills will give you a lot more control when it comes to “making” a picture. There are some great resources to help you along the way:

• Candice Stringham Photography Courses. These are a bit pricey, but they are so worth it! She really gives you a lot for the money.
• Creative Techs Photography Class. I’ve heard good things about this one.
• Get it Scrapped! has some great photography classes taught by Katrina Kennedy. I just finished the class about kids and it was great!
• Digital Photography School has oodles of articles and tips on their site. One of my favorite sites!
• Rules of Good Portraiture is a helpful series of posts.
• Photofocus.com is another great resource to check out.
• Pioneer Woman’s photography blog is another must visit for me!

Be sure to check out the photography class posts here at The Daily Digi and remember to just have fun and try new things!

P.S. The Daily Digi is now on Facebook! We’d love to see who our fans are so come and join us! Also, be sure to check out this fun project that Steph teamed up with Cindy from Skip to My Lou on - a last minute printable advent calendar. So fun! ]]> http://thedailydigi.com/you-must-have-a-great-camera-2/feed/ 15 http://thedailydigi.com/food-photography/ http://thedailydigi.com/food-photography/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:00:04 +0000 admin http://thedailydigi.com/?p=6982

I love taking pictures of food.  With as much time as I sometimes put into cooking/baking and the fact that the end result only lasts a few minutes, I like to preserve my work in photos.  I love looking at pictures of our favorite foods, new attempts at recipes, and fun perspectives of a huge part of our life!  Since a lot has already been written on the topic of food photography, I will just offer a few tips and then point you in the direction of some great sites to visit.

My Top Five TIps

1. Turn off the flash! I can’t tell you the number of food photos I have seen that people have posted with bright light spots on them and dark shadows behind.  Food photos are best taken during the day with natural light coming in. Food and flash don’t mix!

2. Angle is everything: Food is most interesting/tempting to look at from specific perspectives.  Look at the food you are trying to photograph and figure out what you want to capture. Take photos from different angles to see what looks best.

3. Use a macro setting or a low aperture.  By focusing on something specific in the photo, it makes the image more appealing.  Find a spot you want to focus on, lock focus, and then reposition your camera using the rule of thirds.

4. Take pictures of your favorite foods.  Food plays a very significant role in our lives.  So much of our time is spent shopping, cooking, and eating.  We also spend time and money going out to eat.  Why not take pictures of it to share that oh-so-important part of your story?

5. Use pretty backgrounds.  No one is going to want to look at your beautiful food if they are distracted by something behind the food. A messy kitchen, toys, a glaring TV, and messy-faced kids can take the oomph out of your photo.  Find a plain background with colors that will look good with your food (ie if you are photographing spaghetti, don’t use an orange background!)

Here are some other great sites you can look at:

Ten Tastiest Food Photography Tips (photojojo)

Food Photography — An Introduction (Digital Photography School)

Michael Ray Photography

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Bakerella

And here are few of my recent food photos

If you want one little tip that will immediately improve your photography (and thus, your scrapbook pages), this is it; straighten up your photos. This may seem like the most basic advice ever, but my guess is you will be surprised at how many crooked pictures you will find in your collection of photos once you have your eyes trained to look for straight lines. This is something that I (Katie) still struggle with so I have put in a lot of research time on this subject. Today I’m going to share with you 3 important ways you can avoid and/or fix crooked pictures.

Before I go any further, I want to show you a few examples and go over a few basic principles.

When a picture is crooked, it is uncomfortable for your eye to view it. Without even realizing it, you try to compensate for the tilt in the photo.

You might have to do a double-take to realize how this photo has changed from the first one in the series. The horizon line is straight now.

The horizon line is where the ground meets the sky.  Even if there are mountains, uneven ground, or buildings in the way, this line still exists and your eye will search for it. When there is no natural horizon line, obvious horizontal lines will call attention to whether or not your photo is straight.

Nature often provides the lines for you – the centers of flowers, people’s eyes, the ground line, etc.

Your mind can easily fill in the line that should be there.

Now that you know what to look for to determine if your photo is straight or not, let’s talk about how to straighten things out.

STRAIGHT FROM THE START:

Ideally, you should aim to shoot straight pictures as you press the shutter-release button. How do the pros do this? They gear up for success! There are tools that will make this task a little easier.

• shoot with a tripod or with your camera resting on a level surface
• use a camera level
• use the viewfinder grid display on your camera and line up one of the grid lines with a line in your photograph.

• practice, practice, practice!

AFTER THE FACT:

Of course you aren’t always going to get a straight shot. There isn’t always time to set up tripods and use levels. And what can you do about all those old photos when you didn’t even think about shooting straight? And if you are trying to capture a moving toddler then forget about all of the above and just snap away! Never fear, that’s why we love our photo editing programs so much!

Let me show you how straightening things out in photo editing can dramatically improve a picture:

Please forgive the old pictures – this is me in 1989!

Much better!

What about even a tiny tweak? This is what separates a good photographer from a mediocre one. (Or in this case, a good editor from a mediocre one.)

Nice photo of a seagull on a beach in Oregon. But if you look closely, the horizon line is just a little tilted.

Easy to see this when you have a straight line to compare the horizon to.

After the adjustment everything that should be straight is all fixed.

Subtle, but powerful change.

Ok, so now you are asking HOW do you do this? It depends on what photo editing program you use. Most digital scrapbookers seem to use Adobe Photoshop Elements or one of the Photoshop programs, but there are also other programs that work just as well. The nice thing is that all photo editing programs have pretty straightforward instructions for straightening out photos since that is one of the most common photo edits. Click on the help menu in your program or go to the online website to find tutorials for straightening photos. Here are a few links to get you started:

Straightening Crooked Photos in Lightroom 2 by Scott Kelby

Straighten an image in Photoshop Elements 8

Straighten photos in Photoshop CS4

KEEP YOUR FRAMES STRAIGHT:

Just a little tidbit for you to apply to your physical photos on display. If you go to all the work to take or make a straight picture, be sure to keep your frames straight on your wall! I have 92 photo frames hanging along the walls of my stairway and in the landing area. This is a high traffic area where the frames could easily be bumped, but I have a secret weapon to keep them all straight. I put a little bit of this stuff on the back of each photo and press it onto the wall to hold it securely in place. Scotch Brand Adhesive Removable Putty (white). It doesn’t leave a mark on your walls after you remove it. I’ve used this trick for more than 15 years in 3 different houses and I’ve never had a problem with marking up the walls. My pictures are never crooked, even when I dust them.

My other secret weapon? I use a level when I hang all my photos to be sure I hang them straight in the first place!

First things first.  Yesterday I made the awful mistake of leaving out one of our FABULOUS sponsors for the month of September.  The amazing AMY WOLFF.  I don’t know how I did that (oh wait, maybe it was the four kids climbing on me and the one crazy puppy and the VERY pregnant and unhappy kitty all trying to get my attention at once   In any case, Amy Wolff is part of this month’s lineup for THE DIGI FILES and I didn’t want her to feel left out.  Sorry Amy!

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This week I had the pleasure of doing a guest class at our international school for the high school photography class.  The teachers asked me to come in and do some beginning photo editing tutorials.  These were designed for kids who had little to no Photoshop experience.  I decided to teach them my four most used beginner tricks:

1. Working With Levels
2. Brightness and Contrast
3. Screen Layer
4. Converting to Black and White

Over the course of the last eight months here at THE DAILY DIGI we have looked at a few of these things (screen layer and black and whites). I have skipped the others (levels and brightness and contrast) because they seemed so simple, so beginner-ish.  And then I remembered that many of our readers are beginners.  I was also reminded that there are so many ways to do things in Photoshop and sometimes even seasoned Photoshop gals can learn something new.  And so, I want to share with you the beginner tutorial I wrote for the class on working with levels.

The following tutorial was written for Photoshop CS2 (because that is what the class is using) but will work, with minor varations of menu options and keystrokes, in Photoshop Elements and CS3&4.

The tutorial was not written in a way that explains the technical side of things, but rather, it takes an easy “this is how you do it” approach.  I think that when learning Photoshop, knowing all the “whys” can be overwhelming at first.  I would rather learn WHAT to do and then later, if I am interested, I can learn WHY it works.

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The Levels tool in Photoshop adjusts the brightness of an image at three points: black, white, and midtones. It is great for brightening up dull images.

This example image is dark and lifeless.  We will use the levels tool to brighten it up.

1. Make sure your layers palette is in view.  Go to Window > Layers (or press F7).

2. Open your image.  You layers palette should should one layer (your photo).

3. Click on the adjustment layer icon (the black and white circle) and choose LEVELS.

4.  A Levels dialogue box will appear that looks like this

5. Don’t be intimidated by the box…the levels represent the color points in your image.  The goal of a photo is to have the “curve” of colors extend all the to the blacks (the left) and all the way to the whites (right) with a peak in the center (midtones).  That would create a photo with the full color range.  However, if your photo doesn’t do that you can “help” it.

Our example photo is missing colors in the white (light) areas.

6. In order to fix that, we are going to drag the white slider to the point that it meets the “black mountain.”

7. In one quick and easy step your photo will improve dramatically.