How To Take A Great Headshot

 by: Canon New Zealand

A good headshot for a budding actor or model could be the deciding factor that lands you the audition. Meanwhile, many corporate professionals use headshots to help build their personal profile and establish their expertise in the sector. Remember that a headshot can really affect that critical first impression, so make sure yours reflects the "real you".

Headshot Tips

If you want a great headshot, a professional photographer that specialises in this area will help you capture the image you need. Meanwhile, many aspiring photography enthusiasts with great SLR digital cameras may choose to experiment with headshots. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Find a good location - a plain background, such as a blank wall, will work best for headshots. Meanwhile, some people will feel more comfortable doing their shots in the outdoors - just ensure the background is plain and simple.

2. Prep your subject - instruct the model to wear clothes that fit the impression that they want to make. Clothes should be relatively plain and not draw attention away from the face. This usually means a collared shirt and suit jacket for corporate headshots while a more relaxed and casual look will work for modelling and acting portfolios.

3. Pay attention to lighting - ensure you're shooting in a well-lit location, using diffused lighting when shooting indoors. Consider a hair light above your subject's head for more depth of field.

4. Get the equipment - a sharp focus is critical for a headshot so make sure you've mastered the settings on your camera. Wide and mid-angle lenses tend to distort the subject so stick with a 90mm lens or higher for your SLR digital camera.

5. Focus on the eyes - as the photographer, it'll be your job to get the most natural expression from your subject. Be sure the facial expression reflects the person the headshot represents - a comic actor shouldn't be scowling (unless that's how they're funny).

Tip: For actors looking to land that dream audition, consider including a video sample along with your headshot. High definition cameras make it easy to include a video clip, so you can give a living example of your abilities.

Headshot requirements

There are a number of entertainment industry standards and guidelines that you should be aware of:

" Black and white - the industry standard for most headshots is for a black and white 8 x 10 inch photo while some modelling agencies may ask for a colour shot as well.

" Plain background - unlike portrait photography that captures the subject interacting with the environment, headshots should have a plain and simple background that will not detract from the face which needs to be the only focus of the image.

" Extreme close-up - a headshot is an extreme close-up of the subject's face, with just the tops of the shoulders visible and the background should hardly register at all. The person should be looking straight into the camera or just off to the side.

About The Author

This article is brought to you by Canon New Zealand - Headshot Tips. For more great Canon products your favourite EOS cameras and camera accessories, visit their website.

The author invites you to visit:
http://www.canon.co.nz




Dania
www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com


















 

Quick Camera Tips for Better Pet Pictures

 

By: Christine Peppler

 

Pets, like any member of a family, have unique personalities, individual responses to situations, and ways of expressing themselves. From a dog that loves to play hide and seek, peering from around a corner, to a cat that triumphantly perches in its favorite spot after removing any who dares to trespass on its prized territory, these small events are among the memories of pet owning families. Capturing the nuance of these situations simply requires a camera and the use of a few techniques which make photographing a pet unique.

Choosing the Shot

There are a number of ways to shoot great pictures of a pet with a camera. Portraits can be challenging with a pet, but the end results can be worth the extra effort. Using food, toys, or another person to direct a pet to look in a particular direction or to elicit a certain expression may be necessary. To obtain a more natural scene incorporating interaction with other animals or family members can help to create an image that better captures the true personality of the animal and a more typical atmosphere as attention is drawn away from the camera.

Common settings for pet pictures are where ever the animal is comfortable, such as lying on a favorite chair or gazing out a window. Another ideal setting is where ever they can be engaged in a favorite or natural activity. This helps to reduce some of the difficulty in getting an acceptable pose in front of a camera and better reflects the behavior and personality of a pet.

Setting Up the Shot

As is true when photographing other types of subjects, assuring that the background is free of clutter or distracting objects can help to focus attention in the shot on the pet. A plain background often creates the best backdrop. Wiping the eyes of a pet prior to shooting can also help to eliminate any distracting residue that will take away from the focus on their eyes.

Just as with small children anyone hoping to capture the best images of their pet will need to approach the situation with patience. Waiting for the right shot to happen is often a prime ingredient. Once the right setting or situation is selected and any needed props or helpers are assembled then the task of getting the best photo will frequently require multiple shots with the camera.

Taking the Shot

Getting photos that show the detail of a pet's features requires getting the camera up close and on their level. The pet should fill the frame and the photographer's viewpoint should be near the eye level of the pet. When getting close with the camera isn't an option, zooming can help to achieve similar results and when all else fails cropping during the editing phase can also improve results. Although the eyes of the pet should be the focus of the shot in most instances, it is important to shoot with the camera at angle if flash is used to eliminate the eerie glow that can occur when flash bounces off of the eye.

Whenever possible it is best to avoid using the camera flash with a pet. The risk of getting the unwanted reflection in the eyes is significant and some pets will even learn to avoid the flash by closing their eyes at an inopportune moment. For this reason, shooting pets outdoors is often easier, particularly early or late in the day or in the shade when harsh sunlight doesn't take away from their features. When photographing indoors and available light is insufficient, better photographs are easier with a camera that allows the in-camera flash to be disabled or removed. The photographer can then bounce the light off of a wall or ceiling to avoid any harsh glare.

Selecting the appropriate setting on the camera can help to assure optimal focusing. Many consumer model cameras have settings such as portrait and action which function nicely. Using the burst mode or sequence-shot setting when trying to capture images of a pet while playing can allow rapid shots that best capture the activity.

For millions of individuals and families who have pets as part of their lives, preserving memories of their time with us can be important. A good camera and knowledge of just a few photographic techniques can help to capture the kind of images that will be treasured for years to come.



www.mydigitalzoo.blogspot.com

How To Select The Right Digital Camera

 

By: Roberto Sedycias

Capturing moments was never so easy before digital cameras came into the photography world. Ever since, there has been a big international market dealing with digital cameras. Japan, South Korea and China have been the main players in manufacturing new digital cameras since its inception. Today, no media house can run without digital cameras. Forget media agencies, in our day-to-day life, we have started considering digital camera as a handbag's must-keep item. It has truly given a new definition to the world of photography.

Many kinds of digital cameras with different features are hovering around the market today. And you need to decide on your choices and pick up the right one that fits your clicking needs. You must have already heard a lot about the top brands such as Kodak, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Sony, Panasonic, Polaroid, Olympus, Fujifilm, HP, Samsung, etc. This article discusses features of famous brands and models of digital cameras to help you select the right one for yourself.

To start your selection process, you must consider whether you are looking for small and compact pocket camera, an advanced camera, a high zoom capability camera, or an SLR camera. These can range from USD 100 to USD 2,000. You will need to take your pick based on your budget and requirements.

What are the features that you should compare between brands while selecting a digital camera? The most important feature is its resolution in mega pixel. In simple language, this figure tells you how much you can expand your picture without parting with its quality. The higher the resolution, the better. But this doesn't mean that you have to go for the highest available model in the market. Usually people print photos that are sized 4x6 or 5x7 inhes. So for these photo sizes, any camera above 4 mega pixels will deliver great results.

Other feature that you should evaluate is zoom-in capability. Optical zoom and digital zoom are different terms. Optical zoom means actual zoom done by the lenses, while digital zoom simply increases the size of the picture display without increasing any details. In simple terms 3x optical zoom means you can get three times closer picture of the image you see with your eyes. For this reason, optical zoom is better.

The third important feature is compatibility with other devices. Find out if the camera you are going to buy is compatible with your computer, printer, memory card, USB drive, etc. Cameras have inbuilt flash memory but the space is limited, so you would have to buy external memory cards, popularly known as Secure Digital Card (SDC) and Multi Media Card (MMC).

The next important feature is the size of the screen that provides digital display of the image instantly. These screens were the major reason that digital cameras replaced conventional cameras so fast. The screen gives you the ability to review the image and delete the ones you do not like. The LCD digital camera screens are up to 3 inches in width.

The other features that make your camera more convenient include automatic light adjustment, automatic flash, red-eye reduction, file format (TIFF, RAW or JPEG), audio and video capability, image stabilizer, manual controls for aperture and exposure, camera speed, weight and size, body type, battery type (lithium of normal), battery life, picture modes for morning light, day light, cloudy day, etc.

The varieties and features of digital cameras are so many that it becomes really difficult for a first-timer to select one. This is worsened by everyday technological advancements. But all the features mentioned above impart a whole new dimension to photography and they make it easier for even an amateur to click great quality pictures.



Dania
www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com

Digital Camera Tips - Beginning Concepts of Picture Composition

By: Christine Peppler

There are many great digital cameras on the market that allow users to take control of elements such as focus, exposure, lighting, and so forth.  However, for the majority of consumers, a simple point and shoot camera is the device of choice. Although understanding and using appropriate lighting is critical to produce quality shots even with these cameras, basic picture composition must be the first consideration.  If the composition of the image captured is poor, then great lighting, perfect exposure, and so forth will not remedy the problem.
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There are a number of "rules of composition" that can be studied but understanding and employing just a few basics will allow even less committed amateurs to produce more enviable images.

-Identify your subject.  Every picture should have a single point of interest or subject.  Trying to capture an entire scene of activity often produces less than desirable results.  It is generally better to focus on individual elements so that a viewer's eye will immediately identify the subject of the image.  Therefore, getting up close with the camera and capturing an image of a single tuba player often produces better results than standing back to take a picture of an entire marching band and the audience lining the street.

-Simplify the Scene.  This will accentuate the single point of interest by eliminating distracting elements from the scene. For instance, it is better to pose children sitting on the lawn with a backdrop being the carpet of shaded green grass versus a busy playground with traffic moving by in the distance. Reducing this clutter can be achieved a number of ways.

-In some instances, a simple background can be selected with subjects posed as described in the example above.

-In other instances, the photographer will need to reposition themselves and their camera to eliminate any distracting elements from the viewfinder of their camera.  In a sense, they are cropping the picture as it is being taken. They can step in closer, or zoom in, to cut out the offending background and fill more of the frame with their subject.  The photographer can also move their viewing angle by stepping further to the side, higher, lower, or simply turning the camera vertically to cut out some of the clutter.

-Another technique used by more experienced photographers is to reduce the effect of background elements that take attention away from the subject by purposely taking the background out of focus.  The blurry background greatly softens the effect of the extraneous elements and focuses attention back on the main subject.

-Draw attention to the subject.  There are a number of ways that the human eye can be drawn to a particular subject within a photograph.

-Some extraneous elements are desirable in photographs; particularly when they give it perspective or draw attention to the main point of interest.  For instance, objects in the foreground can frame the subject; a woman framed by a doorway or a child framed by a swing. Other elements can provide perspective: a small kitten surrounded by coffee cups to demonstrate its diminutive size or a fence row to demonstrate the distance and size of a far off towering oak.

-It is often good practice to position the subject off center when it does not fill the entire frame of an image. Less distracting elements are then left to fill in any void remaining on the opposite side of the scene. For instance, a kitten on the right one third of a shot may be the subject but the small butterfly it is focused upon can add meaning to the scene and fills the space on the left half of the frame. One of the rules of composition asks that the photographer imagine a tick-tack-toe kind of grid over the scene in the viewfinder of their camera. The subject of the photograph should then be positioned at the intersection of a vertical and horizontal line rather than in the space created at the center of the grid.

- Lines can guide a viewer's eye. A winding path in the foreground can draw attention to the elderly couple standing at the end, a row of trees can pull the eye toward a fountain flowing on the horizon, and so forth.  These are other instances where there is a single subject but other elements are used to draw attention toward its direction.

- Outside the rules of composition.  There are a few concepts to take to heart that aren't really part of the tried and true rules of composition that are nonetheless important for amateurs.

-Take time picking the shot.  Patience is what often creates great photographers.  Those who meticulously move about, reframe, and change their angle of view with the camera are the ones who get the shots that create applause.

-Look closely at what is in the viewfinder of the camera. This is part and parcel of taking time to pick the right shot.  Be sure to look critically at the background. Be sure there isn't something in the background that will distract viewers from the subject: Bright scenes on a television in the background, tree limbs sprouting from the head, or ten to fifteen children in baseball uniforms can be distracting to the point of being unable to identify an intended subject.

-Take more than one shot.  The ability to take multiple shots without the cost of printing is one of the great advantages of a digital camera. If a photographer wants to capture the field of runners at a track and field event, take the shot.  Then zoom in with the camera and focus on an individual runner as he concentrates on a quick start or raises his arms in victory. The decision as to which shot better captures the aura of the day can be made later.

Although the "rules of composition" are more extensive than this, the ability to use these basic concepts can be a huge first step for the novice amateur in using their digital camera to create shots that are worth saving and sharing with the world.


Author Bio

The author, Christine Peppler, encourages readers to visit her website for assistance when they are ready to  buy a digital camera or other home electronics device.
Article Source: http://www.articlegeek.com/ - Free Website Content

Dania
http://www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com/

Great Things About Photography

By: Francesca Black

Are you thinking about taking up the hobby of photography? Many who have already discovered this exciting and fulfilling hobby can tell you the top ten reasons why photography is so great. Maybe you will be captivated by this compelling and diverse art as well.

1. The Challenge of Getting the Perfect Picture

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Sometimes a hundred shots have to be taken and you have to try for several days to get just the picture you want. An individual must have patience, but at the end of the day a great sense of accomplishment is felt from capturing the best part.

2. Tell A Story

From beginning to end of a snowball fight, with people throwing their first snowball and eventually rolling in the snow and then dusting off, you can see the event and it tells the story of friendship, fun and joy of life. Looking at pictures of an old family farm from its humble beginnings to the growth and increase over a hundred years it tells a story of family, hard work and sacrifice. Everyone has a story, photos can share that story and bring it to life.

3. Express Individuality

A photographer subject matter will reflect their interests, likes and preferences. A photo can also reflect the individuality of a subject. The clothes they choose to wear and the location they want the pictures shot all show who they are and their personality.

4. Joy and Laughter Increase

Anyone who looks at their first grade picture can attest to this fact. What is more fun than looking back at your younger years or seeing the awkwardness of adolescence? In your later years of life, seeing a picture of your family working or playing together warms your heart and lets you remember good times and better health. A photo lets us travel over the decades and brings back moments that make us laugh and carries us through the hard times.

5. See Things Truly As They Are

Somethings are so perfect- the petals of a flower, the height of a Redwood, the still calm of the lake at dawn. They draw you in to the grace of nature and life in purity and simplicity. The sweet smile of a child reflects the goodness of life and all the hope for what we can become and achieve. This is what life is and who we are in it.

6. Solitude of the Dark Room

The magical atmosphere of the dark room leads you to discover the potential of the photograph. Lightness, darkness, shadows all are in the control of the photographer. It is a work done alone with
your ideas and skills combined to bring out the story of the photo before you.

7. Understand the Emotions of Others

As you look over the events of history and witness the faces of those who endured the depression or see victims of the Holocaust you can see in their eyes what they have endured. Their faces portray their hearts and hurts and although you were not there, you understand what they carry with them a little more.

8. A Gift to Others of Their Most Precious Moments

After the couple returns from the honeymoon one of the first priorities is to get the wedding photos. One of the happiest days of their lives is recorded forever. When someone does something for you that you can't do for yourself you feel indebted and forever grateful. It is a special gift to give someone their special memories and most cherished events.

9. Once You Capture a Moment You Can Display it

From the famous to the personal, photographs reveal lives of people. Some are placed in history books, some on the walls of a museum and some in the home. When they are displayed they are able to reach into the lives of others and stir emotion and thought. Photos are meant to be shared and seen.

10. The Only Way You Can Freeze Time

A photo is a moment frozen in time for a person to enjoy and remember whenever they want. The look, the expression, the emotion only happen for an instant. Although someone might carry it in their heart, with time the memory fades. If a photo is taken a child is able to see the happiness of their parents on their wedding day, a parent can see how small their child was the day they brought them home for the first time and all the years after as they grew to adulthood. All the birthdays, first days of school, vacations and friends can be captured and with you always. Time and space do not take a loved one from us when we can see them and the moments we share together, always.


Author Bio

Francesca Black enjoys photography as a hobby and manages content at Future Photo http://www.future-photo.com/ and Photo Wizard http://www.photo-wizard.net/
Article Source: http://www.articlegeek.com/ - Free Website Content


Dania
www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com

10 Tips For Using Adobe Photoshop

By: Paul Wilson

Like a brush is to a painter an essential skill in the field of graphic design is Photoshop. The software offers increased productivity as well as flexibility. The features include aspects like file browser, vanishing point tool, smart sharpen filter, noise reduction filter, smart objects, as well as camera workflow enhancements. Photoshop offers professional photo editing features, digital imaging, as well as non destructive editing. 

There are so many hidden features and insights to software, that it is often impossible to know them all.

1. There is a hidden option using which you can simulate bold and italic formatting styles for fonts that do not have these options. Click the button on the type tool option to bring up the character palette. Then select text and click the arrow in the upper right hand corner of the palette menu where faux bold and italics are present. However you will not be able to warp type when formatting has been applied.
 
2. One can quickly flip through blend modes while trying out effects by using the keys "shift+ to change to next mode and shift- to go to the previous mode." When a painting tool is active this shortcut will change the blend mode of the painting tool. However, if anything is highlighted then the shortcut will not work. You will have press esc and then use the shortcut keys again.

3. The photomerge feature can be used to seamlessly combine multiple images to create a panorama. This feature can be accessed from the Automate menu. You can even refine the composition using tools like rotate, zoom, pan, and set vanishing point.

4. When re-sampling images one can use either Bicubic Smoother or Bicubic Sharper. You can use Bicubic smoother for up sampling and Bicubic sharper for down sampling. You can actually specify which interpolation method is to be used by going to general preferences and setting a default.

5.  There are two features for printing. You can use contact sheet II or picture package. Use contact sheet when you want all images in the same size and you want to print the name below the image. Use printer package when you want different image sizes on the same page, or multiple copies of the same image, or a text overlay.

6.  If you want to remove a glare on the eyeglasses of an image you should use a part of the lens that does not have a glare and use it to layer the lens with a glare. Use tools like rotate and skew and soft-tip eraser to soften the edges. Ensure the glare does not show through from below. Or, do some careful work using the clone tool.

7. The online services enable you to connect to online photo printing and sharing sites.

8. The Web Photo gallery can generate hyperlink pages that can be uploaded to a server.

9. The Picture Package option will help you prepare photos in layout with multiple size prints on one page.

10. You will never forget how you achieved a certain result because the History Log will detail every step taken by you as well as time-tracking, and a legal record. There are three choices wherein, you can create a sessions only record where, it will record only when Photoshop is opened or closed; or a concise record which will record each action including the text that appears in the history palette; or the complete editing history including the text that appears in the actions palette.

Adobe Photoshop is a dream tool for every designer and one can over time master every subtlety of the tool and crop, rotate, resize, create shapes, add layers, change text, and play with colors.  It is a hands on software where the more you use it the more you will learn.

Author Bio

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888softwaredownloads.com/, the premier website to find Free Software Downloads including free anti-virus software, free spyware detection software, free toolbars, free chat software and more. He also freelances for Free Online Games site http://www.1888freeonlinegames.com/
Dania
http://www.mydigitalzoom.blogspot.com/