Monday, December 17, 2012

Reportage Photography For Weddings

By Charlie Michaels


The power to choose a photography approach that affects how a wedding day will be recalled for a long time is in the hands of the bridal couple. There are still requests for traditional wedding photography, but the demands for them has considerably reduced these days. An increasing number of betrothed couples in Singapore select a bolder approach in their wedding photography. Instead of posing and smiling for the camera, they favour photos that show the real happening in their wedding. They or may not be aware that the photographer has been taking their photo, but that's exactly how they want their photos taken.

Many wedding photographers in Singapore now offer reportage photography or photojournalism, which is a photography style that captures the real ambience of the event. The couples don't have to stop and pose for the camera at all times. They can just act natural and the photographer will shoot pictures whenever they think that a worthy shot should be captured. As a result, they are able to take pictures that look natural.

Because the couple and their guests don't need to pose and give their practiced smile in front of the camera, the photographer can capture sincere emotions. There may be times, however fleeting, when the father of the bride hides a tear when he gives his daughter away to her new husband, when the groom shows an appreciative glance at his wife, or when the sleepy flower girl tries hard to keep awake during the ceremony. These are the moments that make the wedding heartfelt, and must be captured on camera.

Conventional photography is still practiced these days. It's even almost necessary when it comes to taking wedding photographs. The photographer may ask the bride and the groom to pose together before and after the wedding. Or the photographer may likewise ask the entire family to pose with the newlywed couple right after the ceremony. These shots and some more are typically the must-take photos in the photographer's list, but the rest of the images are mostly unscripted.

A singapore wedding photographer usually offers both traditional and photojournalism photography for weddings. However, many couples these days prefer a combination of two types. They have a list of shots that they like taken and they also wish for a reportage photography style on their wedding.




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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Getting The Family All Together For A Picture

By Don Wong


Things done with the help of our family seem easier. It's more fun to spend the holidays with them, and it's more comforting if they're around during difficult times. But not all things are easier to do with the entire family. Shooting a family portrait is one of those things. Although it is fun if everyone gets together, family members usually make up the most boisterous crowd, which makes it difficult for a photographer to take their picture. It's important, though, that a family has a portrait every generation because it's considered a priceless heirloom.

In taking a family portrait, the key is to plan very well, particularly if you have a big family. Some aunts or uncles might be unable to attend on a short time so you would need to inform them in advance. If the head of the family, usually the grandparents, is having a birthday or anniversary celebration, it's best to hold the pictorial session on the same day and place so there's a good chance that everybody will be there. Everyone would have made time for the party, and it's also possibly that they are in a jolly mood.

For a Classic family portrait, ask all members to dress in their best dress or suit. You can also ask them for suggestions for a themed portrait photography. Maybe you can all don national costumes or dress in a particular colour. Though there are no rules on what the family should wear during their portrait photo shoot, many families choose to dress in coordinated clothes to show that they are united as a family. Moreover, dressing up in costume can be fun for the whole family.

You can have the pictorial session in a photographer's studio or just about anywhere else. Keep in mind, though, that seniors and the young ones would be present so the setting should be comfortable for everyone. Prior to doing any other activity, hold the photo session first so everybody still looks fresh in the portrait.

Family members have different characters. And although everyone is dressed in the same way or is told to smile for the camera at the same time, their personality will still come out in the photos. So don't fret if some members didn't smile as impeccably as the others, or some even forgot to do so. After all, a family picture should show the personality of the members because that's what makes it perfect.




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Tips To Improve Your Wedding Photography

By Marley Smith


Shooting a wedding has its own challenges, and these make it distinctly challenging from the remainder of the photography genres. While landscape photographers wait for the right light, and macro photographers delve into a world virtually hidden from the naked eye, wedding photographers take pains to mix all these rudiments in one day. The biggest challenge of them all? There are no take twos in weddings.

How then can you come up with wedding photographs that are as valuable to you as the artist as it is to the groom and bride? Follow these shooting ideas to make your wedding photography more meaningful.

Shoot from the outside looking in, from the hip, and through curtains and leaves. Everyone is aware of the beauty of straightforward shooting, so perhaps you can veer away a little and slouch, so that you are eye-level with that charming ring bearer who's gaping at the bride and groom during the ceremony. Look through curtains, lights, or even leaves, and incorporate them into your photo composition. Photos taken from this angle make the viewer feel like they are looking at a faraway scene, lending your photos an air of mystery. While the bridesmaids flank the bride, fixing this hem and buttoning up another, applying a second coating of lipstick, or else just putting a stray hair strand back to place, go outside the room and shoot the inside from there.

Use your ISO imaginatively. Many photographers avoid the idea of shooting with high ISO, preferring the flash for low light settings. But a seasoned photographer would also tell you that the grainy feel of high ISO photos is actually a creative tool in themselves. This certain setting is best used when there are people and movement involved..

Aim to take images of movement, especially in the middle of the reception when lots of activities and crowds await your camera to catch them. Dances and performances make a great subject for motion images, so do not abandon the slow shutter speed just yet. Not all blurred photos are bad.

Aim for candid shots with simple compositions. The simpler a photo, the more striking it is. Use a wide-aperture lens to capture these scenes, which will most likely turn to some of your best shots yet. An 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 are ideal lenses for wedding photography. Less costly alternatives include the 35mm f/1.8 as well as the 50mm f/1.8 or f/1.4.




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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Basic Lighting Techniques That Photographers Can Use

By Fra Arellano


These days, you can typically see a lot of people taking photographs using their digital cameras. Advancements in digital photography have allowed many hobbyists and professional photographers to explore other ways to capture quality photographic images. But more than using a modern camera, you have to develop your skill to manipulate light when taking photos. Light, after all, is a very significant element in photography.

In doing photo shoots, the best times of the day are usually during the morning and in the afternoon, just before sunset. However, if light is not available, you can utilise an artificial light and create various effects especially for photo shoots indoors, underwater, or even at night-time. You can employ different types of lighting to achieve a particular effect.

Video Light For Better Photos

There are many occasions where photography is essential and one of these is weddings. To create captivating images of the bride and the groom, a video light can be of great help. Compared with flash which produces a strong and unflattering effect, video lighting is great for studio portraits. Whether you'll conduct your photo shoot in a dark location or a large studio, a video light is ideal to use since it provides a wide range of lighting.

Artificial lighting is needed in taking pictures underwater, too, especially if you are a few metres beneath the ocean surface. In order to capture the real colours of marine life including fishes, corals and crustaceans, you need a good lighting equipment to illuminate the surroundings.

Other Photography Techniques Using Video Light

Video lights are innately strong, but the good thing with this equipment is that the effect can be adjusted. You can put a gel in front of an LED video light to create a warm or tungsten effect. LED video lights also have a diffuser that will help give a soft effect on your photographs. For some photography techniques, photographers sometimes use a video light together with other lighting equipment such as speed lights and flashguns.

To explore other effects video lights can give, you can try placing the equipment in different locations during the photo shoot. For example, if you want flare in the photo you can place it beneath the subject and move to a position where the edge of the light slightly appears in your camera.




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How To Prepare For Your Passport Photo Shoot

By Roseanne Picasso


Looking attractive on camera is a conscious decision. Yes, the appeal of the images presented by the photo artist doesn't happen by accident but by mindful effort. People who look good on pictures therefore understand what keeps them looking spectacular during the shoot. Want to know how they do it? Learn more by reading these tips on how to look great, especially on your passport photo:

Get some sleep. Lack of sleep can make you look a lot older than your actual age. Truth is, lack of sleep gives you that dark shadows under your eyes. Blood circulation occurs when you sleep, therefore giving you that natural facial colour. When you're devoid of sleep, expect to look really old. You don't want to look like a vampire during your photo shoot, do you?

Avoid sodium-rich foods. These foods can make you feel and look bloated. If you want to get rid of that dreadful look, make sure you chow only on healthy food sources before the photo shoot. Also, hydrate yourself with lots and lots of water intake.

Feel your best. When you feel great, you will look great! Stay positive and think of happy thoughts so you break into a lovely smile. The problem with smiling before the camera is that it looks really forced. There's always the mouth twitch, but the eyes do not really speak of joy. Speak an aura of happiness by thinking of funny thoughts.

A passport photo should exude a formal style. To do so, you must plan how you look on your passport photograph. Wear appropriate clothes, in particular, formal attire. Take a bath and sport a clean look before the camera.

To get the best passport photos, hire professional photography service from reputable photo studios in Singapore. Create an awesome-looking passport photo singapore with the help of these passport photo experts!




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Friday, December 14, 2012

Gain Income With Photography In Digital World

By Jeff Yuan


Are you fond of taking pictures and would you also like to make money with them? Get going with digital photography. This is a excellent way to start making money. If you are creative and have a digital camera, you really just need a computer and Internet access to have a chance for going into this business.

To begin with, there are many photo magazines where any amateur would enjoy to have their works displayed. And there are many other ways to sell your wares. These days making money with photos on the Internet is really a simple affair. Yet there are many people out there who don't seem to know this.

So think big and find places online where your opportunities are excellent for selling your images while you sit back and wait for the money to come your way. Find your niche in the virtual world, and this and so much more can be yours.

You need to take great pictures with good composition. You need not be a pro as long as your pictures are good enough. Even pictures of family and pets can earn you money. And don't forget that some editing software could aid you to improve your pictures, too.

If you have a passion for taking pictures, it won't be difficult to succeed in this venture. But beware of just wanting to make money; there is more to this game than that. To make the money you want to make, you need to cultivate your talents and devote some time to learning the trade. If you don't put your passion into your work, your work will show this, and your sales will also reflect it. Do a good self-evaluation to make sure that you are right for this venture.

There isn't a field out there that doesn't exact some learning curve to get good at it. It is, therefore, important in this enterprise as well to gain the necessary knowledge for success. If you start with a legitimate interest in photography, acquiring the needed expertise is not going to be difficult. As you become better and better, start paying attention to what your clients really need.

You need to tend to your talents. So you are off to a good start right off the bat, but if you really want to take your venture to the next level, do apply yourself to it indefaticably.

Start by doing some volunteer shoots with family and friends and before long you will have samples to show potential customers and the dollars will keep coming your way in no time at all.

Look over all the pictures you have taken before. You can never tell which of those could fetch you good money. Your hobby can be the starting point of a new career for you. Part- or fulltime.




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Discover The Beautiful History Of The Famous Feral Assateague Horses

By Celia Hall


The Assateague Island National Seashore is the home of the famous Assateague horses. These ponies have been residents of the barrier island areas of Virginia and Maryland since America was first settled. There are several legends about how these wild animals came to live on the difficult seashore. Some say that a Spanish galleon sunk off the coast and the hardy equines escaped to the shore. Others point out that pirates may have left them. Still more point to historical evidence that mainland farmers may have hidden their livestock there to avoid high tax collections. Now, these legendary horses are part of area traditions, with thousands coming to see them annually.

There are actually two distinct herds of ponies. One herd is called the Maryland herd and the other, the Virginia herd. It is the Maryland herd that is called Assateague, while the Virginia herd is known as the Chincoteague herd. They are named based on the area of land they occupy. They also are divided by the state line that divides the two states. The Maryland ponies are wild and freely range throughout their area.

These ponies are recognized by equine experts as one of the last truly wild horses left in the United States. Frequent studies are conducted on this group of animals because they exhibit distinct behavior patterns not found in other herds. They are seen to socialize as families. At one time, their in breeding was producing genetic problems with offspring, so Arabian horses were introduced to the herd. The Arabians did not always fare as well as the hardy island breed, but their longer legs and lines seemed to contribute to the overall growth and stature of the island herds.

Each year, the herds are part of maintenance programs which keep the numbers manageable. Each group is kept to approximately 150 members so that they do not overgrow their ability to eat, live and make use of the spaces they occupy. The Maryland herd receives veterinarian administered vaccinations and contraceptives. The Virginia herd is culled through annual auctions to the public.

Chincoteague ponies are added to the wilder Assateague herd if it loses too many heads. The National Park Service is primarily responsible for the Maryland herd, while the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire company tends its own. Much attention is paid to management programs that preserve the safety and integrity of these animals.

This island area is scientifically a barrier. As such, its configurations have changed significantly over time. Tide and wind have created irregular seashore contours which make the area continuously suited as a natural habitat for these wild ponies. They prefer to roam unfettered, and the coastal environment suits their nature. But, visitors must be educated to avoid contact of any kind. These feisty animals kick, bite, charge and regularly attack humans who come too close. They also adore the snacks that are offered, even though these are not best for their diets.

Keeping the herds in small numbers is not only accomplished through contraception. Every year, the ponies swim across the island waterway for Pony Penning. The collects them together for assessment, treatment and auctioning. Once they are checked, the chosen are auctioned to the public on the spot. Most people enjoy watching the swim and then stay long after to enjoy the annual carnival.

There is a big movement to keep the feral Assateague horses completely wild. Through education and best management practices, those who care for these handsome horses work to develop public awareness about the history of these famous animals. With continued educational efforts, and by allowing camping and human activities to share their space, these animals continue to enjoy their interesting seaside lifestyle.




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