Photography Project #1: Recreate Family Photos

A fun photography project you can do with your family or friends is to recreate special photographs. Here's how to do it:

Gather old photographs. Take a look through your photo albums to gather the old photo(s) you'll use. Try to go back as far as you can. If you're a teen recreating a moment from your childhood just a few years before, you'll have a large enough contrast. If you're an adult you'll want to go back further to a time when you looked somewhat different than you do now. Pick out a photo that is really memorable to you and others. The photo could have been embarrassing when it was taken, but you laugh about it now. Narrow down your top choices and consider which ones you can realistically recreate.

Grab your family and friends in the original photograph. After you've selected a photograph make sure your photo subjects are on board with recreating the special moment. If someone didn't like their hair in a certain photo now is the time for them to change it a bit. If the photo is a goofy or silly moment you'll want to maintain that same humorous nature.

Dress the part. You don't have to try to recreate the hair and clothing styles of the 90's, 80's, 70's, 60's, but you can wear the same type of clothing. If you're wearing suit in the original photograph, put on another suit. You may also want to similar colors if possible. If a fashion has come back in style similar what you're wearing in the original photograph, that could make for a stylish comparison.

Find the location. Try to go to the same location as the original photograph so both background and setting will be consistent. In some cases there may be a location you can't access. You may not be able to get into your old high school cafeteria. Or maybe you've moved to a different house. Try to find a similar location. If the photo was taken in your old kitchen, take a similar one in your new kitchen.

Study the poses. If you and a couple of friends have distinct poses in the old photo do exactly the same thing. If the photo is more of a close up then focus more on having the same facial expressions.

Place the photos side-by-side. Now that you've taken your recreated photograph take a look at the old and new images. What similarities do you see? What differences? Enjoy your new photo as you've just created new memories.

DIY Wedding Photography on a Budget

So, your wedding is fast approaching and you want memories that will last a lifetime. However, you are on a budget and don't have a lot of money to spend for a professional wedding photographer. You can still get professional-looking, creative, memorable pictures with DIY wedding photography.

The first thing to do is to find someone who takes great pictures. This doesn't have to do be a professional photographer. Many people have a "great eye" and instinctively know how to take great pictures. Think of friends or family members who you've complimented on their photography from vacations, for example. Another way to find a cheap wedding photographer is to look on local college bulletin boards, or post on them yourself in the art department or photography department. Many students have amazing talent, but since they are still a bit inexperienced, will be your wedding photographer for a fraction of the price of a professional wedding photographer. Some may even photograph your wedding for free, for no more than a free meal and use of your wedding pictures for their portfolio. You can also consider putting an ad on Craigslist for a hobbyist who is not a professional wedding photographer, but has an artistic eye and loves to take pictures. Get samples of work and negotiate a price you are both pleased with.

Whether you use a talented stranger or an artistically-inclined friend or family member as your wedding photographer, make sure they have a good camera. You may even consider purchasing a good quality, digital camera that you can give them as their "payment". If you need to purchase a camera for your DIY wedding photography, make sure you give it to the wedding photographer in plenty of time for them to learn the ins and outs of the camera, so they can adjust the settings. Digital cameras also allow for easy editing, so you or your DIY wedding photographer can edit your wedding pictures. Also, digital cameras have a large capacity to store many pictures, with a memory card they can hold hundreds of pictures, so you will have plenty of wedding photos to choose from to preserve your special day.

Another idea is to meet with your DIY wedding photographer to develop a plan of what you want photographed. Remember, since you will be saving a lot of money by not hiring a professional wedding photographer, you will have to do some of the work yourself. This includes providing the DIY wedding photographer with a list of what you want photographed. This may include photographs of the wedding rings, the wedding invitations, the bridal party, the groomsmen, the family of the bride, the family of the groom, the bride and groom's first kiss, the wedding service, etc. This will help you and your DIY wedding photographer be on the same page and know each other's expectations beforehand, so you get exactly what you want on your special day.

Also, encourage others to take pictures of your wedding. Some of the best wedding photography are those wonderfully candid moments caught by some of the guests. Some wedding couples choose to put disposable cameras on tables for guests to take photographs of, then ask that they leave the cameras when they leave the wedding reception. Some give the cameras out as wedding favors and ask that any great wedding photographs be sent to the married couple.

Lastly, consider the best of both worlds. You can hire a professional wedding photographer for a short period of time to take a few very specific pictures, then rely on your DIY photographer and wedding guests to take the rest of the photographs. This will eliminate a lot of cost for a professional wedding photographer. You can also opt to don your wedding attire a few days after the event and go to a studio to have a few professional pictures taken.

Remember, it doesn't take a professional photographer to take some amazing, creative, professional-looking wedding photography. Have a great day!

Photography Tips and Tricks

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Photography isn't just about making memories, it's about art. Be artistic. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make those photos, picture perfect.

To make those dull photos turn into works of art, consider these questions:
Decide if you want the full subject, half, or even a close up. How much background do you want, or even foreground? Exactly how close do you want that close up? What details do you want to focus on? Do you want a vertical, horizontal, or tilted photograph? What angle do you want? What's the best lighting? What background do you want to use?

1. Placing the subject of interest. Choose how much of the subject you want photographed. (Example: you want full body, half body, or face shot.) If your subject fills the frame then it's okay to center it. If you are trying to get more of the background, try placing your subject to the right or left in the viewfinder. With a horizontal (laying down), try to place them at the top for more foreground, or at the bottom for more background. And you could even tilt the camera for a more funky picture. It all depends on what part of the scenery you want visible in the picture. Maybe you want that tree to your left and your subject to the right. Or the patch of flowers in front and the mountains in back. (I find it best to take my time and take shots of each possible way and several different poses. This way I know I'll find the best photograph with the most potential.)

2. Don't center. The circle, plus sign, or brackets in the middle of your viewfinder is for focusing and isn't necessarily for centering the subject. Placing your subject in t he circle could leave you with a lot of empty and useless space on your photograph. Too much background and not enough subject. If your subject fills the frame then it is okay to center them. (Sometimes you just have to ignore the focus points and concentrate on your subjects placement in the frame instead.)

3. Camera angles. Walk around the subject, shoot from all angles and sides. This will help you to get the best lighting, background, and different aspects of the subject. You will want to find the best angle for all three. Pick a background that will not distract your viewers from the subject of interest. (I choose my backgrounds to where there's not much clutter. Sometimes I will use a plain sheet or blanket and place it behind the subject, but making sure it does not clash or blend.)

4. Reflectors. In some situations you just can't get enough light or you perhaps you just want more. To use a light reflector, place it in a position where it reflects light onto the subject without it getting in the frame. Use this if your shot is coming out too dark or there are too many shadows. On night shots that you need more than your flash can put out, place a lamp (or several) near your subject, but out of sight, and use the light reflectors to bounce from the lamps to where needed. (Some homemade light reflectors can be real cheap to make. You could use white cardboard, or if you can't find this, then simply take any piece and paint it white. For more light, place tin foil over your piece of cardboard, smooth it out, and reflect where needed.)

5. Shading. Using the same piece of cardboard as mentioned above, you can use this to block the light as well. You could make this easier by painting one side white and the other black. Or just place the piece in front of the lamp or sun to dismiss light from your subject. On most cameras you can use a sunshade for the lens, some cameras come with this, some you buy separate. This won't keep light from your subject, but it will block the light from causing a flare effect on the outcome of your photograph. The sunshade just clicks into place around your lens, and keeps the lens safe from any glaring.

6. Outside daylight. Direct sunlight is when you place the sun behind the camera, but in front of the subject. Using direct sunlight can cause shadows on the subjects face and possibly their eyes squinting. Back light is when the sun is behind the subject and in front of the camera. This will lighten the photo and cause much softer features on the subject.

7. Preventing red eye. Red eye is caused when the flash is too close to the lens. Ways to prevent this are: Attach a larger flash to your camera, t his way the flash is further from the lens. Or if buying a camera, look for one with the flash located far from the lens. Try getting closer to your subject when needing the flash. (Before I bought my camera with built in red eye correction, I had to use a photo editing program to correct these problems. I was even scanning my pictures and still having to edit when I was using my film camera that was hopeless against red eye.)

Make Your Own Baby Food With a Grinder

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Baby food is a necessity for infants and small children but you can save money on purchasing jars and jars of baby food by making the foods yourself. Of course, in order to make all-natural baby food you'll have to start with all-natural foods. You can check the local grocery store aisles for foods that have no added sugar or salt.

Baby food is easy to prepare while fixing your own meals or to store for the baby's daily meals. Using a blender is a lot of trouble for small portions of food. Another idea is a baby food grinder. They are available in styles where you use a hand crank or electric ones. They work like a blender but hold small portions and are easy to clean.

Babies can eat many of the foods we eat if they've been pureed. Try cooked carrots, peas, green beans and other vegetables in the grinder. Mix them together or make them separate. Simply put them in the food container and attach the grinding mechanism. Hand-grinders are simple because you give the machine a couple of cranks and the mashed food appears before you, ready to eat. If the food, after going through the grinder, appears too thick simply add a few drops of formula or milk, or even broth, depending upon the age of the child.

Vegetables are the easiest foods to prepare in the baby food grinder. Fruits like apples or pineapples are difficult to grind completely. The grinder will often leave "threads" of the pineapple that could cause baby to choke. Other fruits like pears and peaches do fine after the peeling is removed.

Use the grinder to mix foods together, such as oatmeal and peaches. Try mixing milk and mashed potatoes in the grinder when the baby is old enough for starches, to make the mashed potatoes a more appropriate consistency for the baby. The grinder can also make some cereals perfect for the baby. Cereal that is made like flakes can be put in the grinder with some fruit and milk and prepared for baby.

Some meats, like hot dogs or ground hamburger, can be placed in the baby food grinder but most meats are not suitable for baby grinders. Hamburger that has been made in spaghetti or other pastas will usually do okay in the grinder, though. Canned pasta meals are perfect for the baby food grinders. After grinding the food store the large portion in the fridge for later usage and serve a small portion now. Or, grind just a little for baby and serve the rest to older kids.

When you make your normal family dinner try to add side dishes, like macaroni and cheese, that can easily be put into the grinder, as you sit at the table. Most of the grinders have a "dish" that holds the food after it is ground, making it easy to feed baby at the table. Go online to find the grinders or check your local department store.

Tips for Breaking into Sports Photography

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, student photographer Chris Osborne hopes his experience in sports photography will take him to the next level - his goal for every shot is "Sports Illustrated Cover".

Osborne explains how a sixth sense is valuable in sports photography, but without the basics of photography, you will still miss the shot.

What first attracted you to photography? How did you get started yourself?

Photography was something I could do since I have always been able to see how I wanted things to look. I have started and restarted a few times. My first camera was a 110 mm back in 3rd grade. I moved onto other interests until college, where I got a Coolpix L3. It is good for general use, but trying to shoot basketball did not work at all. So, I purchased a Rebel XT and have not looked back.

What photographers - well known or unknown - inspire you?

Beyond the sports photography culture, two unknowns got me where I am today. The first is my sister. She says that I stole her interest in photography and will not hold back any criticism of my work. The second is Paul, a fellow photographer at the school paper. After seeing one of his pictures in the paper and not liking it at all, I decided that I could do a better job and filled the other sports photographer position. Only later did I learn that an editor and not Paul made the cropping decisions.

What equipment do you use? Is there a certain piece of gear you could not live without?

I am currently using a Canon Rebel XT with the kit 18-55mm lens, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 75-300 4-5.6, and a Tamron 28-200mm 4/5.6. My only other add ons are a Canon battery grip and a polarizing filter. Being on a college student budget, I do not buy new equipment unless I will really use it. But if I had to pick one item that I couldn't live without it would be the battery grip. I missed too many shots by flipping the camera the wrong way to shoot vertically or simply missing the shutter button.

Do you have any goals in mind with your photography?

For my sports shot, there is always one basic thought running through my mind - Sports Illustrated cover. I would love to have one someday. For everything else, I think about if I could see the shot hanging on someone's wall. If I cannot, I find something that fits that requirement.

What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses in sports photography?

As much as I hate to say this one, one of my strengths is that I have a camera that can handle the speed and lighting at college sporting events. Beyond that, I am able to have a personal relationship with most of the athletes and am able to predict fairly well what is about to happen. My weaknesses are that I am still too slow at times to get the shot that I want, despite knowing almost exactly what is about to happen and that I have a tendency to tilt my camera. Also, where the Winthrop athletic department lets me go during games limits what I am able to shoot.

What does it take to be a quality sports photographer?

To be a quality sports photographer, you have to be a little bit psychic. By that I mean that you need to be able to know where to point the camera to get the shot. Some sports are easier than others. What sports do you like to shoot? I like to shoot basketball and volleyball most. They are high intensity and usually have something new to get every time. I like baseball the least because most of the shots are just excessively similar.

What post-processing tools/software do you use? How much does that influence your photography?

When I want better control over the photograph, I will use Photoshop 7 or Gimp depending on which operating system I am working under (desktop runs XP while laptop is in the process of switching over to Linux). I use Picasa for basic editing such as cropping and overall brightness/contrast. I sacrifice the overall control for speed when I have to turn things in to the school paper.

What advice would you give new photographers?

A) Don't get discouraged. Photography is an art, which means you will have to work at it.
B) A good photographer can overcome bad equipment, and good equipment will not make you a good photographer.
C) Less time editing your photographs means you'll have more time to take more, so get things right in camera as much as possible.
D) Try to see all of what there is to shoot, not just the stereotypical snapshots that everyone else will find.

Check out Osborne's photography at http://sapidexistence.com

Six Tips to Help You Clean and Organize Your Photography Studio

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1. Photography Studio Organization - Use good old fashion hanging files.

Believe it or not, in this digital age, the classic green hanging folder is still a great organization tool. Using manila folders to organize your photography studio's bills, invoices, and receipts is a good start. It is a lost cause however, if you don't have an organized place to put them. The hanging folder is the perfect place to put them

Don't have a filing cabinet to put the hanging folders in? Not a problem. There are several options available at your local retail store. I prefer the clear Rubbermaid bins. They are about 8 inches wide. This means they are easily stored in closets or on a bookshelf. Since photography studio space is usually valuable real estate, these smaller file boxes might be the way to go.

2. Photography Studio Organization - File your files

A great way to keep your files organized is to keep a file of all your files. What do I mean by this? Keep a piece of paper in your photography studio with all of your file folders on with their names. If the folders have sub-folders, list those too.

This will let you see if you have folders that overlap so that you can condense your folders. For example, there is no point in having studio file and a studio equipment file.

You could have this list written on a piece of paper, but that would just be one more piece of paper to file. Try keeping this record in a word or excel document. That way you have one less piece of paper in your office and you can update it much easier when you add new folders and files.

3. Photography Studio Organization - Throw things away

For some reason most photography studio owners have a fear of throwing client paperwork and photos away. There are certain things that you just don't need to hang on to. If you are a digital photographer there is no reason to hold on to basic prints. Create a varity of back-ups and toss the prints. You can always re-print them. If you aren't a digital photographer and have a traditional photography studio, invest in a scanner. This way, if you must hold on to prints for color purposes, you can scan them and toss the print.

There are some things you need to hold onto though.

Tax items are one thing you should hold onto. You should save your tax returns forever. The rest of your tax reports and receipts should be saved for no longer than six years.

Throw away papers that you don't have an immediate need for, can get a copy of easy, or that don't have any tax or legal reason to hold on to.

If you feel like you need to hold on to all your photography studios paperwork, than try scanning it all onto a portable hard drive. Then you can throw all the papers away. It will take more time than growing through all the papers away, but at least the hard drive will take up less space in your office.

You can scan model's head shots for reference later. You can scan pose ideas from magazines so you don't have clipping all over your photography studio.

4. Photography Studio Organization - "Assorted" Folders

How many other, assorted, or misc files do you have in your photography studio? You know, the folder that you put everything in that you just don't know where else to put it. That isn't organization. Odds are you can just throw it away altogether. A good rule of thumb is, if you haven't needed it or touched it in a year then toss it.

5. Photography Studio Organization - Get rid of business cards

There are so many ways to organize all your business cards, model head shots, and contact information. There are plenty of ways to get rid of it altogether as well. A simple approach is to take the business card or headshot and tape it or staple it the file folder it is associated with. At least then it is filed away instead of in a pile on your desk or in a drawer.

There are lots of gadgets out there made for scanning in business cards to your computer. If you are a digital photography studio, you probably already have a scanner, put it to good use. If you don't have the money for one of these than just take some time to enter the contact information into your electronic address book. Outlook has a great address book or you could even use your email clients address book. Anything is better than having them just laying around waiting to get lost.

6. Photography Studio Organization - Use the computer

Try using your photography studio's computer as much as possible. Use it to make your to-do lists, create address books, file documents, and more. The more you keep or put into your computer the less you have in your photography studio.

As I mentioned before, there are plenty of gadgets out there that can help you scan your files into the computer. Take advantage of them!

Where to Find Great Black and White Photography Online

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Black and white photography looks great in any décor. You can find just about anything, in any size, to match just about any room. Plus, the neutral tones of black and white photography ensure that it will match just about any color scheme. Here are some of the best places on the web to purchase black and white photography.

AllPoster.com

AllPoster.com is a fantastic site for cheap artwork. Now, cheap doesn't mean poor quality - quite the contrary, in fact. You can find just about anything - traditional paintings, classical art, black and white photography, large posters of bands, musicians, movies and more. They also offer framing.

My Top Pick: "City Street Signs" by Nelson Figueredo - $24.99 (Price doesn't include shipping and handling, or optional framing.)

Why I Chose This Piece: I love New York, more importantly - I love Broadway. Of course, Broadway and West 34th Street is practically the center of the theatre district. It's a great way to bring a little bit of Broadway right into my own home.

The Wall Art Store

This online store has a lot of fantastic, very 'artsy' black and white photos. They offer free shipping and all of the photos come framed, they even offer a few different selections for matting and frames. However, prices can run you from $55 dollars and all the way up to $919. Ouch. However, the quality is very high - so you can be sure you're getting your money's worth.

My Top Pick: "Stonehenge Sunrise" by Matthew De Haven - $50.00 (Price does not include shipping, handling or frame.
Why I Chose This Piece: I love Stonehenge, it's a fascinating place. The fog adds to the mystery of the structure and it's a great piece to add to a global photography collection.

Artful Home

This website offers a lot of wonderful photographs, but the prices run fairly average. The bottom line photographs start at $110 dollars and run up to several thousand dollars - so this isn't the most budget friendly site. However, if you've got the extra cash lying around, it's a great option and chances are you'll spend similar amounts at local art studios, especially if you live in a metropolitan area.

My Top Pick: "Winter Trees I" through Phoenix Galleries - $299.00 (price includes free shipping as well as framing and matting.)

Why I Chose This Piece: This particular photograph would be great for my fiancé's office. He loves the look of trees in the winter, so this is a great piece for him.

AbsoluteArts.com

Absolute Arts caters to the United States, the UK, China and more - and their prices range anywhere from $10 to $1,000,000. With more than 2500 works of art, you'll be sure to find exactly what you're looking for with this website.

My Top Pick: "Merced River Ice" by Ron Gallmeier - $330, Small; $665, Medium; and $1000, Large.
Why I Chose This Piece: Again, this is another piece I know my fiancé would really appreciate. Plus, I love the look of the water, the snow and the trees - so it's something we would both really enjoy in any room of our home.

So whether you've got $10 or $10,000 - you'll be sure to find the ideal pieces of black and white photography to fit your home décor and personal tastes.

Tips for Breaking into Sports Photography

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Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC, student photographer Chris Osborne hopes his experience in sports photography will take him to the next level - his goal for every shot is "Sports Illustrated Cover".

Osborne explains how a sixth sense is valuable in sports photography, but without the basics of photography, you will still miss the shot.

What first attracted you to photography? How did you get started yourself?

Photography was something I could do since I have always been able to see how I wanted things to look. I have started and restarted a few times. My first camera was a 110 mm back in 3rd grade. I moved onto other interests until college, where I got a Coolpix L3. It is good for general use, but trying to shoot basketball did not work at all. So, I purchased a Rebel XT and have not looked back.

What photographers - well known or unknown - inspire you?

Beyond the sports photography culture, two unknowns got me where I am today. The first is my sister. She says that I stole her interest in photography and will not hold back any criticism of my work. The second is Paul, a fellow photographer at the school paper. After seeing one of his pictures in the paper and not liking it at all, I decided that I could do a better job and filled the other sports photographer position. Only later did I learn that an editor and not Paul made the cropping decisions.

What equipment do you use? Is there a certain piece of gear you could not live without?

I am currently using a Canon Rebel XT with the kit 18-55mm lens, Canon 50mm 1.8, Canon 75-300 4-5.6, and a Tamron 28-200mm 4/5.6. My only other add ons are a Canon battery grip and a polarizing filter. Being on a college student budget, I do not buy new equipment unless I will really use it. But if I had to pick one item that I couldn't live without it would be the battery grip. I missed too many shots by flipping the camera the wrong way to shoot vertically or simply missing the shutter button.

Do you have any goals in mind with your photography?

For my sports shot, there is always one basic thought running through my mind - Sports Illustrated cover. I would love to have one someday. For everything else, I think about if I could see the shot hanging on someone's wall. If I cannot, I find something that fits that requirement.

What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses in sports photography?

As much as I hate to say this one, one of my strengths is that I have a camera that can handle the speed and lighting at college sporting events. Beyond that, I am able to have a personal relationship with most of the athletes and am able to predict fairly well what is about to happen. My weaknesses are that I am still too slow at times to get the shot that I want, despite knowing almost exactly what is about to happen and that I have a tendency to tilt my camera. Also, where the Winthrop athletic department lets me go during games limits what I am able to shoot.

What does it take to be a quality sports photographer?

To be a quality sports photographer, you have to be a little bit psychic. By that I mean that you need to be able to know where to point the camera to get the shot. Some sports are easier than others. What sports do you like to shoot? I like to shoot basketball and volleyball most. They are high intensity and usually have something new to get every time. I like baseball the least because most of the shots are just excessively similar.

What post-processing tools/software do you use? How much does that influence your photography?

When I want better control over the photograph, I will use Photoshop 7 or Gimp depending on which operating system I am working under (desktop runs XP while laptop is in the process of switching over to Linux). I use Picasa for basic editing such as cropping and overall brightness/contrast. I sacrifice the overall control for speed when I have to turn things in to the school paper.

What advice would you give new photographers?

A) Don't get discouraged. Photography is an art, which means you will have to work at it.
B) A good photographer can overcome bad equipment, and good equipment will not make you a good photographer.
C) Less time editing your photographs means you'll have more time to take more, so get things right in camera as much as possible.
D) Try to see all of what there is to shoot, not just the stereotypical snapshots that everyone else will find.

Check out Osborne's photography at http://sapidexistence.com