How to Create the Ultimate Wedding Photography Welcome Packet How to Create the Ultimate Wedding Photography Welcome Packet As a family Tanya Surjan

It’s always a good idea to copyright your work and a good way of doing so, is to embed your copyright information into your image metadata. To do so, Press Ctrl Alt Shift I (Mac: Command Option

I first ran across the work of Bev Doolittle way back when I was teaching middle school during the eighties. I was struggling to find ways to hook kids into Kansas History and Native Americans. Med…

ISO is all about measuring light. The brighter it is where you’re taking your photos, the lower your ISO number needs to be. Therefore if it’s dark and/ or there’s not a lot of …

Welcome to Boost Your Photography's "Tips and Tricks" page! Here you will find an index of previous posts that are geared towards advice and other photography tips and tricks. If you want to learn the secrets behind a specific shot, check out our Inspired Ideas section. More posts are always being added, so check back often or follow by email, RSS, or social media. Categories under Tips and Tricks: Photography Advice Upgrades and Equipment Composition Macro Photography Books and Book Clubs Tips and Tricks: Photography Advice This series of posts offers suggestions and advice for photography issues and questions. Click on any image or description below to read that post in full. Keep Your Camera and Sensor Clean Know How Long Your Camera Batteries Last Top Tips for Camera Memory and Storage 5 Inspiring Ways to Display Photographs Photography Gift Ideas Where to Order Photography Gifts Improve Your Photography Be Accountable Photography Is ... Thoughts about Photography Why and How to Tag Your Photographs Better Before / After Photographs 5 Must Read Articles on Food Photography Better Back to School Photos How to Shoot Your Children (with a Camera) Find Time for Photo Books How Do You Do Black and White? Must Have Apps to Assist Your Photography Blue Hour Photography An Introduction to Night Photography Tips and Tricks: Equipment and Easy Upgrades Everyone loves to talk about equipment in photography. This series of posts covers everything from potentially large purchases (like lenses and light tents) to some very small purchases that can have a big impact on your photography. Improve Your Photography For Under $20 Yes, You Need a 50mm Lens Improve Your Photography Use a Polarizer Maximize Your Tripod GorillaPod Tripod Review Get a Remote Shutter Release DIY Photography Light Tent Square Perfect Photography Light Tent Easy Upgrade: Tri-fold Board An Introduction to Filters Tips and Tricks: Composition Great composition is at the heart of great photographs. Composition is much more than a simple list of rules that restrict your photography. Check out these articles below to gain a better understanding of how to use the principles of composition to your advantage. Know Your Aspect Ratio (How to Crop) Remember the Background: Move Your Feet Zooming vs. Cropping: Perspective in Photography Top Tips for Portraits and Posing Creative Ideas Using Shutter Speed Photographing Architecture: Watch Your Lines Composition: Rule of Thirds Composition: Leading Lines Composition: Fill the Frame Composition: Orientation Composition: Framing The Line: elements of visual design, part 1 Shape: elements of visual design, part 2 Form / Volume: elements of visual design, part 3 Texture: elements of visual design, part 4 Tips and Tricks: Macro Photography Macro and close-up photography is an interesting and exciting branch of photography. These posts will help you get the most from your macro and close-up shots as well as offer some inexpensive alternatives to purchasing an expensive macro lens. Tips to Improve Your Macro Photography Macro Fakery: Background Creation Focus Stacking for Macro Photography Cheap and Easy Macro: recommendations Product Review: Close-Up Lens Set Getting Started with Macro Photography Tips and Tricks: Books and Book Clubs This series of posts covers favorite photography books and our month-long Photography Book Club series of posts. Even if you missed the book club, you can always follow along on your own time by clicking on the posts below. Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR Favorite Photography Books and Authors: Part 1 Favorite Photography Books and Authors: Part 2 Introducing the Black and White Photography Book Club BW Book Club week 1: fine art, abstract BW Book Club week 2: normality, street photography BW Book Club week 3: elements of design BW Book Club week 4: low key and high key BW Book Club week 5: putting it all together August Photography Book Club August Book Club: week 1 Reflections on Week 1 August Book Club: week 2 August Book Club: week 3 August Book Club: week 4

We hit 500 fans on Facebook! I can't thank you guys enough for spreading the word about my blog. I know some of you have told your friends and others have been so kind and put my button on your blog! I would not be where I am today

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If you are brand new with your DSLR, and feeling frustrated, Here are 8 things that I wish I had known when I started out with a DSLR:

Boost Your Photography is a resource for photographers at all levels. We provide instructive content and projects that will inspire and inform.

Important things to know if you are visitng Colmar France, from the symbol of the region to how to get there, what to eat and sites to see.

Here's an inspiring video in which renowned adventure photographer Cory Richards discusses why he believes vulnerability is the key to making great art.

Sleep may not be that indispensable when it comes to remembering new information, suggests a new study. Simply resting quietly might do the trick.

Having a newborn session can be really stressful for the newborn client, especially if this is their first baby. Here’s 8 Tips you can give them to better prepare for their session. Want to download the graphic and give it to them directly? Get it below! Either feed baby before you leave or plan…

Portraits are a popular photography subject and one that most hobbyist photographers want to improve at. If you can solve the problem of finding a willing subject, then this post has all the rest of the basic tips you will need! Join in! Portraiture is this week's challenge for the Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge. Tip 1: Focus on the Eyes It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and no where is that more true than in portrait photography. You cave "save" a poor photograph in many ways on your computer, but you cannot save a portrait if the focus is wrong. If you are shooting a portrait, regardless of whether that portrait is of a person, pet, or quick moving toddler, you need to have the eyes in focus. Set your camera options to manually choose an autofocus point. This means that the camera is using a set single focus point to determine where to focus. (In automatic autofocus point selection mode, your camera determines which of all of the available focus points to use when determining focus.) A single focus point gives you control over what your camera is using to set the focus. You should also pay attention to which autofocus mode your camera is using. In One Shot (Canon) or AF-S (autofocus single for Nikon), your camera will re-focus for each individual shot. If you have a constantly moving subject, you can use AI Servo (Canon) or AF-C (continuous-servo AF; Nikon), and your camera will track your moving subject and adjust the autofocus. Or, if you are expecting a mix of moving and still subjects, you can use AI Focus (Canon) or AF-A (auto-servo AF; Nikon), where your camera will adjust focus according to whether it detects a still or moving subject. The focus point for this self-portrait ended up well behind my eyes, leading to the out-of-focus blur. Now that your focus point mode is set, you can use the eyes themselves to set the focus. You can either use the center focus point and "focus and recompose" for shooting, or you can choose whichever focus point location works best for your portrait. (You can read more about how to focus and recompose in the post Focus on Focus.) Regardless of which method you choose, using the eyes guarantees that you have the most important part of the portrait in focus. Tip 2: Follow the Light Flattering light makes for flattering portraits. But what makes for flattering light? Consider the time of day, if you are shooting outdoors. Many photographers prefer the Golden Hour, that approximately an hour-long period just after sunrise or just before sunset, when the light from the sun has beautiful golden tones. Shooting during the Golden Hour will add a feeling of warmth and glow to both your subject and your background. Portraits work best with smooth, even lighting. Dappled or uneven lighting can make for harsh and unflattering portraits. Many portrait photographers prefer to shoot in full shade, so that an even light is falling on the subject. You can shoot portraits in full sun as well, but you need to be aware of how harsher lighting conditions and shadows affect your final look. Try to avoid shooting in any kind of mixed or dappled lighting situations - shooting under a sparsely leafy tree, for example, can create odd patterns of light and dark on your subject's face. You can also use a tool like a reflector for helping to balance out the lighting in your portrait. A reflector can be as simple as a thick piece of white foamcore board, used to bounce additional light on the shadowy side of a portrait. Or, you can invest in an inexpensive 5-in-1 reflector that provides five different reflective surface options. (Mine has white, black, gold, silver, and a diffuser.) Reflectors are useful tools and fold down into much smaller sizes for carrying and storage. A larger size, like those around 40" inches, is most useful for individual or small group portraits, as you can bounce a larger quantity of light than with a smaller version. You can read more details about how to use a reflector in the pinned article, Tip for Using a Reflector for Portraits. Tip 3: Use Aperture to Your Advantage You may think that you need to be shooting in full manual to capture a truly great portrait, but the truth is that many portrait photographers do not shoot in manual mode. They shoot in Aperture Priority. Aperture priority mode (Av for Canon, A for Nikon) allows you to set the ISO and aperture for your photograph, while the camera chooses the shutter speed. Many portraits are taken with a wider aperture, which will keep your main subject in focus (or at least their eyes) but render the background a pleasing blur. (Read more about Aperture here or specifically about wider aperture in the post What an Aperture of F/1.8 Can Do for You.) If you are shooting an individual portrait, you can experiment with the very wide aperture values, like f/1.8 or so. Depending on your composition and focal length, you may find that you cannot keep the whole of your subject's face in focus, but as long as you nail the eyes, it can still look great. If you are shooting groups of people, you may need to narrow your aperture somewhat, perhaps to f/4 or f/5.6 depending on the numbers and whether they are arranging in a similar focal plane (like side-by-side rather than one behind the other). You may need to take some test shots and see if the depth of field (area of the photograph in focus) is appropriate for your given situation. Tip 3b: Keep an Eye on Your Shutter Speed The downside to shooting with a more narrow aperture, of course, is that you will need to use a slower shutter speed. Make sure that you keep your shutter speed quick enough to avoid camera shake. (The general rule of thumb is a shutter speed faster than one over the length of the lens, so 1/50th of a second for a 50 mm lens or 1/200th of a second for a 200 mm zoom lens.) But, if you are dealing with people who are fidgeting or younger children who are on the move, you should keep your shutter speed at least as fast as 1/250 to avoid blur from your moving subject. (Read more details about Shutter Speed Guidelines here.) If you realize that you shutter speed is becoming too slow, then you have a few options. You can raise your ISO value to capture more light (read the downsides in ISO Basics); you can use a wider aperture to capture more light; or you can add more light to your scene (reflectors or flash units) or move to a brighter location. You do not want a slow shutter speed and motion blur or subject blur to ruin your shot. Tip 4: Watch the Background Finally, one of the most important (and hardest to learn) lessons for portraiture is to watch the background. If you are shooting at a wide aperture, much of your background will become blur. But to achieve this look, you want your background as far as possible from your subject. Aim for simplicity in your background. Even as blur, you want to avoid creating distractions or odd patches of light or color that might distract the eye from your intended subject. Try moving your subject or move yourself in relation to your subject to find a less cluttered background. (Read more in the post Remember the Background and Move Your Feet.) Also aim for even lighting in your background and between your background and your subject. If you are shooting your subject in shade to achieve even lighting, then you will want a similarly shady look to the background. If the background is in full sun instead, it will appear far too bright and overpowering in the final photograph or require a lot of post-processing effort. Likewise, a full sun subject against a shady background might appear overly bright or blown out. Portrait Photography Basics These four basic tips can help you make the most of your portrait photography opportunities. The next step is up to you. Find a willing subject (or enlist yourself - see Shoot a Successful Self-Portrait) and starting putting these ideas into practice. Ready for the next step? Check out these Top Tips for Photography Portraits and Posing and get ready to take your photographs to the next level! Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing. This post is also linked up at Social Media Sunday, hosted by the IBA. Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is now available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

A detailed guide to how to photograph the northern lights, including tips on camera settings, camera equipment, how to find the northern lights and more!

why wedding photographers shoot in kelvin white balance instead of on auto. A review on why kelvin white balance allows for faster processing time.

A blog devoted to personal development and progress at home--with a pinch of reality.

The best things to do when backpacking Athens plus where to stay, how to get to Athens and insider tips.

The content in books is excellent and you can take it anywhere, and all the information and photos in the books below has been written/taken by professionals who provide insight into their work, where the internet just can't compete.

Individuals tend to dismiss any evidence that challenges their beliefs and instead, they reinforce their support for their initial position.

Can you believe it's been nearly TEN years since Pinterest first appeared? Since then, content creators and users alike have added well over 200 billion images - all competing for the attention of 322 million

We all know how satisfying it can sometimes be when we take photos outside. Especially, during the golden hour. It just feels like you can’t really get a bad shot

This month's Boost Your Photography: 52 Weeks Challenge - Shooting Modes - has been leading up to this point: full manual mode. Manual mode is far less intimidating than it may appear at first. This post will walk you through the basics of how to use manual mode to your advantage. (Missed out on the earlier shooting mode posts? Catch up by reading about program mode, shutter priority mode, and aperture priority mode.) Manual Mode Manual mode puts you, the photographer, in charge of all of the settings involved in your final image. While this might sound like a lot of responsibility, it is actually only a small step up from shooting in aperture or shutter priority modes. In those modes, you choose two of the three major settings, while the camera chooses the third. (There are, of course, many other settings within your camera, but you can read more about those settings elsewhere in Missed the Shot? Remember Camera Zero.) In manual mode, you choose all three settings: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. But you are not simply pulling numbers out of thin air. You have two different strategies that you can use when shooting in manual mode: using your light meter or using the 'rule' of Sunny f/16. Each of these options is explained in detail below. Using Your Light Meter in Manual Mode The first option for choosing your settings in manual mode is to rely on your camera's internal light meter. When shooting in any mode other than manual, your camera relies on its light meter to determine the correct exposure for the given composition. When shooting in manual, the light meter still provides an estimation of the correct exposure. (Read more here about correct exposure.) The light meter line graph is visible through your viewfinder when you are shooting. Different camera brands and models will have slightly different displays, but the main idea behind the light meter graph is the same. If the flashing arrow under the line is pointing to zero, it means that the camera's light meter has determined that your composition is correctly exposed. A negative value means that the composition is too dark (according to the light meter) and a positive value means that the image is too bright. This is where you, as the photographer, come into play. You now get to decide how you want to change either the ISO, aperture, and/or shutter speed to get the exposure that you want. You do not have to "agree" with your camera and choose values that will give an exact zero, according to the light meter, but it is a useful guide if you are unsure about which settings to use. Quick Aside about the Exposure Triangle You can find a lot of information and long digressions about the exposure triangle, but the key point is that you can change the exposure value (as recorded by the light meter) for a given picture in one of three ways: you can change the ISO, the aperture, or the shutter speed. (Sound familiar?) Many people picture this as a triangle-shaped graph with all three variables on it, but I have never found that visualization particularly useful. I prefer to think about it situationally. Lets say that your meter says your photograph is too dark by one stop. (Your light meter is pointing to -1.) You can ... Double your ISO (say, from 100 to 200 or 400 to 800), which would increase your exposure by one stop. The trade-off is the possibility of increased noise with a higher ISO value. Open up your aperture (make it wider), say from f/8 to f/5.6 or from f/4 to f/2.8, which would increase your exposure by one stop. The trade-off is a decreased depth of field (amount of the image in focus). Double the time for your shutter speed (say, from 1/250th of a second to 1/125th of a second or from 1" to 2" long), which would increase your exposure by one stop. The trade-off is that a longer shutter speed might not work with a moving subject or a shaky photographer. Some combination of all three. What if you are unsure of where to even start with your settings? That brings us to the other topic I have already mentioned, the "rule" of sunny f/16. Sunny F/16 and Manual Mode Sunny F/16 is such a popular concept in photography, that if you Google it, you can find a plethora of t-shirts and other memorabilia with its diagram. Back in the days of film photographers, you would have to carry around a light meter as an additional piece of equipment, rather than having it handily inside your camera. So this was where the "rule" of sunny f/16 originated. So, here's the rule (or guideline, as it were): if you are shooting on a sunny day, you can set your aperture for f/16 and then set your shutter speed as the reciprocal of your ISO. For an ISO of 100, shutter speed of 1/100th. ISO of 800, shutter speed of 1/800th. Easy. Want to take it beyond sunny days? You can probably guess the rest of the "rules" by the t-shirt above. Somewhat overcast? F/11. Totally overcast? F/8. Bordering-on-dim overcast? F/5.6. Sunset? F/4. And a bonus: super bright snow or sand? F/22. Each of these sets of settings will give you a starting place for your manual photography. But what if you want to shoot outside on a sunny day with a wide open aperture for effect? Rather than do all the math of counting f-stops and converting your aperture changes with how to correspondingly change your shutter speed, may I suggest my favorite method? Guess and check. Switch back into aperture priority mode, dial in your ISO 100 and f/1.8. Hold your shutter down halfway and take note of the suggested shutter speed. Then switch back into manual and dial in those same settings. Now you can tweak your shutter speed as needed, referring to your light meter or histogram as your guide. (Read more about Demystifying the Histogram for help.) Shoot in Manual Mode This week your challenge is to try shooting in manual mode. Take it step-by-step and see how it goes. Find some situations to try out the "rule" of sunny f/16 or one of its counterparts. Try relying on your light meter to get your exposure close and then tweak it to get what you want. You may be surprised at how easy it is to make the jump! Share a link or a photograph in the comments below, or consider joining the BYP 52 Weeks Google+ Community to share your weekly photograph and see what others are capturing. Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Kalam Valley Kalam Valley is located across the Swat River in Swat Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (Kpk Province in Pakistan. Kalam Valley is famou...

Low light photography can be challenging but with some tips and this cheat sheet, you'll be on your way to getting started or improving your skills.

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VALLE D'AOSTA - Cervinia Valtournenche (lago Blu) View On Black