Many people purchase a digital camera and then hope that by some miracle of technology they will start taking wonderful photographs. Chance and serendipity do not create great images, you do. In order for you to shoot really great photos you need to give it some serious thought and make a move on your way to great photos. Here’s how to do it.

1. Maximise your thought process

The greatest photographers are thinking photographers. They take time out to think about what they want to do and how they will achieve those great images. If you are not thinking as you learn then you won’t maximise opportunities that stare you in the face. A thought process must start somewhere in order to reach its climax. So, take time out to sit, think and ponder what you want out of it.

2. Maximise your photographic identity

Find out who you are first and what you enjoy in life. Don’t cop what others enjoy. It’s not going to last for you if you follow a dream that isn’t yours. Sit down with a pen a paper and write down whayt you enjoy in life, your hobbies and interests. What pushes your buttons? A shiny vintage car or an antique pen set or perhaps a yacht in full sail. Define yourself as a photographer first. If close-up photos ring your bells then write it down. If wide open landscapes excite you then write it down. By defining what you like early on you will start heading in the right direction. I realised early in my journey that close-ups were my passion. Thirty years later it is still the same.

3. Maximise your goal setting

Once you know what you like then set your goals out on paper. You must right them down so that you can measure whether you are reaching them. Plan what you are going to do on your journey and what you need to learn to achieve it. This means that you can plan to do a course, buy a book, research on the internet and buy or budget for the equipment necessary to achieve your goals. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Knowledge is power over yourself and your dreams.

4. Maximise your practise

Similar to goal setting is taking the time to practise your art or hobby. Allocate the time in your schedule no mater how busy you might be. Regular and focused practise will go a long way to helping you become a quality photo taker. Gary Player the famous golfer and winner of every major tournament over 5 decades says that the harder he practises the luckier he gets. You create your own luck through dedicated effort and practise.

5. Maximise your review and evaluation

You cannot progress along your photographic journey unless you take the time out for review and reflection. Firstly on the quality of your images and secondly on where you are at with the goals you have set for yourself. Set specific review dates in advance of your planning then sit down and measure your self against these plans. If you aren’t aiming at the bull’s eye you may not even reach the target. Make the time to evaluate where you are at and then based on where you are, create a new set of goals for yourself.

By following these steps I can guarantee that you will go a long way as you learn digital photography. The person who is focused and looks for results in their learning experience will maximise that experience. Simple steps to follow but maximum results will be achieved. Happy shooting!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3975499

So what is there to shoot?

Focus on what is unique about the season. Is it the dry branches of the trees or the buds and flowers of spring and summer. Maybe it’s the leaves as autumn ends and winter begins. There is just so much to photograph as the seasons change. Here are a few tips to help you shoot the seasons.

1. Summer

Focus on the vibrant colours and luscious greens. Get in close to the flowers and look for detail. Or, get back and shoot the rolling fields of colourful flowers and trees. Shoot landscapes of green with skies of azure blue. The world is at your mercy so shoot till you cannot any more.

2. Autumn

Autumn is a favourite season for many with the colourful leaves of  trees and vines. There are so many shades of brown and red in the carpets of leaves strewn across woods and forest. Look closely for pine cones and acorns and their patterns across woodland floor.

3. Winter

Winter is a time of texture and patterns as trees stand starkly contrasted against pale grey skies. If you’re fortunate to have snow there is opportunity to shoot beautiful snow clothed subjects. The colours are cool and neutral across landscapes of crisp whites.

4. Spring

Spring is the time time to go wild. There is just so much to shoot as the world rises from the dead of winter and new life blossoms across the countryside. Colours are vibrant and the wildlife is active and ready to face the abundance that creation provides. So get in close and see what new life offers your creative genius.

Now is the time to learn photography and develop the photo techniques that will help you create those magnificent images.

If you haven’t already purchased my ebook then now is the time.

Till midnight on 24 December I will slashing the price by 50%. Together with the free Audio book 21 Steps to Perfect Photos, the bonus ebook 30 Keys to Photography Success and a free assignment field guide this deal is not to be missed.

Just click on the link below and take a look at the sample chapter before you purchase.

http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm

Take you photography to the next level this Christmas or buy this ebook and give it to someone for Christmas.

Make More Money

This is a question that all of those who love photography ask at some time or other. Even those of us who are professional photographers sometimes need to sit down and evaluate where we are with our photography businesses. So how can you make more money from your photo business or hobby?

A professional photographer is someone who earns their living from photography, but, it doesn’t mean that a pro is better than an amateur. Of course, doing it full-time ensures that you spend more time doing what you love and becoming really good at it. So here I sit evaluating my business and asking the above question. Let’s take a look at what I found that will help me make more money from my photography.

1. Do more marketing

All of us fail here at some stage. Many pro photographers are not pro marketers and numerous businesses in general fail because of their marketing strategies, or, lack of strategy. I have sat down and looked at where I am at and what I am doing to market more effectively. I took a white board and began to mind map by writing down what I WAS doing, what I SHOULD be doing and what I COULD be doing with my marketing. If you can answer these three questions effectively and so something about each one, I can guarantee that you will make more money than you are at the moment. By taking your core business elements and letting people know about them will make you more money. So, bite the bullet and examine your marketing efforts and do something about it. If you need help, find it and implement it. A simple strategy can not only make you more money but save your business during difficult times.

2. Evaluate your style and quality

Complacency in any business is a killer to the entrepreneur. It creeps up on you and before you know it you are no longer growing but in the process of stagnating or even terminal. You stick to the same old portrait or wedding styles while the industry moves on. Your quality starts to be affected and before you know it what once was great is now average. I am not saying copy the market trends but keep up with them and adapt. If your clients want the happy family actions shots with a white background then give it to them, but, put your own unique style stamp on the final product. By keeping up with what people want you will make more money. You are in it for the money if it is a business so don’t be idealistic and refuse to watch the market trends.

3. Write a book

You’re a great photographer and have come through the ranks and now have a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and practical experience. So, share it by writing an e-book. Don’t share your trade secrets or unique techniques but show others how to do what you do well as a photo entrepreneur. Those of us who have followed this route have made thousands of dollars supplementing our businesses. There are so many people who want to become better photographers and will never make use of the services of a photo business and in this way you can reach their wallets. The process is simple with a little research on the internet. I am on my third e-book and reached the point where it is a great passive income every month. Wisdom cannot be owned so benefit financially by sharing it.

4. Run a course

All photo businesses have down time so run a course or offer personal photo coaching. When the studio has no bookings or the photo shoots have slowed, offer your services to people who want to learn the basics of the business. Show them how to do the things they think only pros can do. You aren’t going to show them everything and create competitors to your own business but rather help someone get better at what they can do.

5. Make a gift

Giving your time to people, organisations or charities who cannot afford a photographer will always help the growth of your business. As the old adage goes, ‘your gift will make room for you’. A photographer who gives often wins the trust of those she serves and others who observe her generosity. Trust is a huge factor in any business and someone who serves others will get noticed by those who can afford the services. So get involved in a local charity and showcase your business.

The proactive photographer who works at their business or hobby will make more money as they carefully apply these five points. Don’t work harder but rather smarter and you will make more money. Happy shooting!

What I discovered many years ago was that great images and those dramatically inspired photographs don’t just happen. If you were to speak to a National Geographic award winning photographer, you’d find out that there is a process that leads up to the outstanding image. Now I am not going to give you the keys to that type of image because I wasn’t part of the photographer’s process. I am going to give you some basic steps to get you moving towards your personal goal of that perfect image. Before we go on I need to make it clear that the perfect image for you is one that is in your mind and nobody else’s. So here are some tips to head you in the right direction.

1. Define yourself as a photographer

This is really simple and not as difficult as the step sounds. Defining yourself as a photographer means discovering what you like to shoot and what genres you want focus on. This might be landscape, portrait or close-up and macro. If you don’t do this you’ll be a generalist and never focus on what really motivates you to take photos. As I said, the perfect image starts with a process and this is the first step.

2. Learn to think

Once you know what you want to shoot and have an idea of what you really like it’s time to take a step back from the actually shooting and learn to think. Take time out to think about what the final result will be. Begin with the end in mind. If you love close-ups, is it that green tree frog with bright red eyes? Or, perhaps the bee on a bright red flower? Start to visualise what the final images should look like and what you need to do to get to that point. Where you need to go, at what time of day and what equipment you need to take with or plan to buy now or in the future. The perfect image comes from a lot of thought and planning.

3. Take your time

Perfect images can never be rushed. As the golfer who takes a lucky swing and gets a hole in one so are the chances of you getting the lucky shot. By taking your time to find the right location, set up equipment properly and thinking about the image you will increase your chances of that perfect shot. Passion and enthusiasm are sometimes hindrances to great photography because they induce haste and speed which are big negatives to the process.

4. Plan

This is a key component to realising a great image. It includes finding the best location for a perfect photo, preparing your equipment, working out the technical aspects of the image and understanding what the best lighting and other weather conditions will be. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. A good plan will increase your chances a hundredfold of shooting the photo of your dreams.

5. Experiment

Although you have a plan and a series of steps you need to take to get the image in your mind’s eye, don’t be afraid to experiment. Make sure that you implement you plan carefully, this is number one. But be prepared to try out other ideas, angles and settings. You never know what will happen and a variation of your plan may just result in something dramatic and an image that is beyond your wildest dreams.

6. Practise makes perfect

If at first you don’t succeed try and try again. Practise makes perfect is what the old adage says. If the plan doesn’t work out then try it again and again and again and vary it as I said when experimenting. You may get 70% of the plan right or even only 50%. Don’t give up but keep on trying because next time it will be 75% or even 90% percent right. As you go a long you’ll find yourself perfecting your techniques and repeating the successes more often. All this adds to the process and you will find yourself getting nearer and nearer to that perfect image.

Once again, the perfect image is one that is in your mind and not someone else’s. Nobody can prescribe to you what that image should be. It may look like one in a travel magazine or on the cover of Nature magazine or National Geographic but it is still your image. Take the time, plan, experiment and practise until you reach that perfect goal in your photographic journey. As you learn digital photography you will learn something new every day so build on it and soon you will become an accomplished photographer. Happy shooting!

Every business needs to promote itself visually and there are vast numbers of small businesses in need of services to take quality images. Companies are realising that it is not as easy as it looks to shoot quality digital images on a plain background and skills are needed to do this. This is where someone who can take this type of shot can make good money.

By taking a little time and marketing skill you can find many businesses who don’t have large marketing budgets and are in need of the services of a good photographer. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Research

Do a search on local businesses from directories and the yellow pages in your area. Do a search for particular kinds of local businesses on the internet and look at the quality of their images. Most times they have been taken by the owner or staff and don’t reflect the quality of the product. Create a list of potential businesses to work from and get to know the products of each of them so that when you arrive at the store you will know what you are talking about.

2. Create a portfolio

By creating a simple portfolio of your work you will be able to demonstrate to the owner what you can deliver. We are visual people and the first impression created by a good portfolio will often open the door to some profitable business. If you have the time, shoot a few similar products in your studio to show what a particular item will look like so that the potential client has a better idea of how good it could look. You only have one chance to create a good first impression. This works especially well with estate agents and property realtors. Often you can tell the standard of their photo taking by looking in their window. If you deliver outstanding images that really showcase homes you’ll standing a good chance of getting some business.

3. Equipment

Good product photographers need a simple inexpensive setup to create good images. An essential item is a good light table coupled with a light tent and two good lights. Besides this a macro lens or extension tubes to get close up for smaller items is a valuable asset to your gear. An overhead light box or a ring flash will make it just that bit more simple to get your lighting right. On that topic, good lighting is essential to great product shots.

4. Creativity

Try to be more creative and come from a unique angle. Make sure your background complements the object and helps to showcase it. Bottom line is that your images should help the business owner to sell more of his product. If that happens you can be assured of more work and referrals. Don’t try to be too smart but rather focus on a simplistic, less is more approach that makes the product stand out clearly. Use props to complement the product without competing for attention.

You will always find work as a product photographer if you are prepared to look for it. Even if it is not a huge amount of work it can supplement your other areas of photography and bring in a tidy income.

You need to be able to get along with people and take direction. The client is the one who will give you the brief and expect you to create an image that is only in their mind. The ability to keep cool is essential and the ability to bite your tongue a great asset. Here’s how to shoot great food images.

1. Know the trends and styles

This is where you need to do your research and keep up to date using the latest books and magazines. Many mags have a food section and this will give you a good idea of what the trends are. Get to know the lighting set ups so that you can duplicate this.

2. Detail is king

When photographing food you are trying to get a good representation of how the food looks and in the case of restaurants, what will be delivered to the person’s table. Because you are shooting so close to the subject and often using close-up lenses you will see all the imperfections such as dust, hairs and fingerprints. So you need to make sure that everything is clean and free of any imperfections. With digital it is essential to review your images in high resolution while on set to check all the details.

3. Create a portfolio

Every food photographer has a portfolio of their work but what do you do if you don’t? Create one. It’s as simple as that. By studying magazines and books you will know the trends so setup dishes in you own kitchen of if you have a friend crazy about cooking do it in theirs. Copying the lighting, back grounds and techniques of top food photographers will give you practise and help create a portfolio of what you can deliver.

4. Do a workshop

We have a local photography school that offers a weekend workshop in food photography. This is the perfect way to hone your skills and refine your techniques. Most times they are offered by experienced food photographers from the industry and you will learn helpful tips and ways to get a foothold in the industry.

5. Market yourself

It’s very difficult to market yourself if you don’t have a track record so start small and approach local restaurants and non-chain fast food outlets and offer your services. Often they don’t have big budgets and are looking for people to photograph their products. Offer your services to local cookery or chef schools where students are looking to create their own portfolios.

As I said, this is a demanding industry and you need to stay focused and work hard while looking for opportunities. Perseverance is key and the ability to endure rejection is essential. If you can stick it out and overcome the pitfalls you’ll find your niche and achieve great success. Happy shooting!

What we are going to look at are three controls on your camera, ISO, aperture and shutter speed. You need to understand that each of these impacts on the others. If you change the aperture then you need to change the shutter speed, if you change the ISO then you need to change the aperture or shutter speed.

So here’s how it all works.

1. Aperture

The aperture is the scale of numbers on your lens or camera ranging from f2.8 all the way to f22 and above. The widest aperture denoted by f2.8 and the smallest by f22. Aperture controls the amount of light you allow to reach the sensor or film. This determines the depth of field reflected in your photos. Depth of field or depth of focus controls how much the photo is in focus. In a portrait you’d see that the background is blurred out which is created by using a large aperture i.e. f2.8. The opposite is true for a landscape image where nearly the whole image is in sharp focus. Here a small aperture of f22 is used. So how does this affect shutter speed?

2. Shutter Speed

Shutter speed in shown all the way from seconds to thousandths of a second. It determines how long the sensor is exposed to the light reaching it. The brighter the light the shorter the time the shutter remains open to obtain an optimal exposure on the sensor. What you need to understand is that there is an optimal speed for every aperture in order to get a perfect exposure, and vice versa. Lets say for example, that you want a depth of field that shows a fair amount of the image in focus, which could be f8. The light meter says that a shutter speed of 1/125 of a second will give the correct exposure. If you decide to blur out the background a little more by reducing the aperture to f5.6 you effectively double the size of the aperture. At 1/125 of a second you have double light reaching the sensor so you have to reduce it by half to 1/250 of a second. There is a direct relationship with the aperture. The same goes for the shutter speed. If you want to slow it down to 1/60 of a second from 1/125 then the aperture that was correct at f8 needs to be halved to f11. If you increase the aperture then you need to decrease the speed.

3. ISO

This is the sensitivity of the sensor to light. By increasing it from 100 to 400 the sensor is far more sensitive to the light reaching it. This is great for low light conditions where you cannot open the aperture any wider to let in more light so you make the sensor more sensitive. Or, if you need to use a fast shutter speed but the light is too low then by increasing the ISO it will allow you to use a faster shutter speed.

Being able to control your shutter speed or aperture allows you to be more creative as a photographer. Being in control of your aperture allows you to set how much of the image is in focus, i.e. depth of field. Being in control of shutter speed can equally give you more creativity by allowing you to blur or freeze your image. A fast shutter speed will freeze action while a slow speed will blur the action.

On your camera these creative settings are controlled by setting the camera to either aperture priority or shutter priority. Aperture priority allows you to control your aperture while the camera determines the shutter speed. Shutter priority does the reverse allowing you to set the shutter speed and the camera chooses the correct aperture.

There are times where you want the ability to set both aperture and priority. This is done by setting the camera to manual. By getting to grips with these settings you’ll be able to shoot perfect exposures and take complete control of your creativity.

Take A Photo Walk

If you haven’t yet heard of a photo walk then it’s time you learnt about this wonderful way to learn digital photography. When I first tried it out, it immediately gave inspiration to my creativity. Creativity needs inspiration and ideas. Our brains need hooks to hang the ideas on. Photo walks focus our minds on ideas and force us to explore our creativity.

So how do photo walks work. If you’re a loner then take your camera and take a walk or if you like to do things together with friends then go out in a group. If you like you can do it with a partner or friend. There are no boundaries or rules. Key here is to just do it. So how is it done? The idea is to agree upon an idea and then go out and shoot it. Here’s how I do it.

1. Choose a theme

This is probably one of the most interesting forms of a photo walk. Before you go out, come up with a theme that is simple and interesting. You can choose a colour or an idea. The important thing is that you agree on something and then do it. You can be as strict or as free as you want. The fun is yours and as long as it gets you creative anything goes, you set the rules. I like colour and for the duration of the walk I choose a single colour and then shoot only that.

2. Select a concept

This is a little more difficult than using a theme. You need to think a little more and those creative juices need to be a little bit more stimulated. So this is how it works. Come up with a concept. For example, love, strength, loneliness, passion, direction or peace. It’s up to you. A good idea is to write a bunch of them on slips of paper and then choose one at random. The reason I say this is that when choosing one you like you tend towards ideas that you find easier. It’s the more difficult ones that challenge and stretch your creativity.

3. Alphabet soup

This is a fun one. Similar to concepts it really challenges creativity yet in a slightly different way. All it requires is that you choose a letter of the alphabet and shoot anything beginning with that letter. Before you go out choose which letter or letters you are going to shoot. You can take one letter and shoot only that one on the walk or you can take the whole alphabet and attempt to get 26 unique images. A variation on this is actually photographing the characters from signs, or, you can look for shapes that resemble a particular letter in the alphabet. There are no limits to the fun you can have doing this.

These three ideas will go a long way in helping you learn digital photography. Remember that if it helps stretch your photographic muscles then, as with physical exercise, it’s good for you. Any form of practise is going to strengthen your creative process and generate new ideas resulting in better images. If the whole process can be fun then it’s a win/win situation. You get to hang out with friends who are like minded and learn digital photography while becoming more creative and a better photographer. Happy shooting!

When I discovered digital photography after years as a film photographer I wanted to get the best possible camera and other equipment. But, equipment was really the last thing that should have been on my list besides a camera of reasonable quality. What I really needed was to learn the fundamentals of photography. Good photographers take good pictures not cameras.

The first thing that any budding photographer needs to learn are the fundamentals of photography starting with the basics. Get these under your belt quickly and you have already won half the battle. So, what needs to happen to get you going as a beginner with your first digital camera? Let’s take a look at my top seven.

1. Equipment

It’s not all about equipment. Don’t go rushing out to buy expensive equipment without knowing what you need. A keen sales person will sell you as far as your wallet or credit card will take you. Wait until you know what you need and what you like and match these desires with the right equipment.

2. Decide on the type of shots you’d like to shoot

A good idea is to browse the internet photo galleries, look in magazines or visit your local library to get an idea of what type of photo you really like. Try it out with your camera and see if you are able to, or, want to persevere until you can. Once you’ve made a list plan to go out and shoot on a regular basis. It’s practise that makes perfect. Stick to it until you master your genre. Only then start looking for the equipment to match your area of interest.

3. Decide on a structured learning plan

Find out what you’d like to learn and what you need to learn in order to shoot the type of photos that interest you. For example, macro and nature photography is a more specialised art form and there are a number of techniques and skills to learn, as well as equipment you’ll need to buy. Research it on the internet, read books and if possible take a course on macro or close up photography.

4. Take photos often

If you are not regularly shooting images you are not going to grow in your skills and abilities. Set yourself assignments based on what you are studying. Of course, in a structured course you will be given assignments. A photo a day keeps the creativity flowing and helps you to keep motivated. I did an assignment once taking a 100 photos of the same subject from a host of different angles. It gave my photography an unexpected boost.

5. Learn your camera’s settings

Getting to know your camera is paramount if you want to learn to take great photos and the best way to do this is by reading your manual. Like I should be telling you this. I am the last one who reads a manual. But, if you do it in a structured way you’ll be amazed at how quickly you get to know your camera. The way I did it was to go through the manual highlighting everything I already knew about it. Then I went back through the manual reading up on each section I didn’t know, practising as I went along. Once I got to know it I was amazed at how much more I could do with my camera. The key is to experiment.

6. Keep your camera with you

Take every opportunity to get a great shot. Whenever you see something that would make a great photo, shoot it. I have often wished that I had taken my camera with me and got an amazing shot. If you don’t have it with you, you won’t get the shot

7. Buy a tripod

Besides my camera, my tripod is the most important piece of kit in my equipment bag. There are shots you can only get if your camera is steady. The sharpness of your shots will improve dramatically. If the pros use them then why not the amateurs?

As you begin your photography journey, work at learning in a structured way so that the fundamentals of photography become second nature. Photography should be fun but your learning process needs to be serious. Happy shooting!