You may be surprised at how many people try their hand at modeling. I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but you have to wonder what some of them are thinking. When I was interested in that field of employment, I literally saw all sorts of people. It was actually rather confusing, considering there are general physical qualities you should possess if you want to be a fashion model. One that comes directly to mind is height. It didn't take long for me to learn that male models should generally be at least 5'11. Can they be 6'4"? Sure, but probably not 5'7". Get the picture. Regardless, I saw countless short men trying their hand at fashion modeling. It was bizarre. Anyway, when it comes to the modeling industry, you'll hear time and time again that a model portfolio is necessary. However, there is some elaborating that needs to be done on this notion.
When you think of a model portfolio, a vast array of photographs probably come to mind. A model or potential model striking all sorts of poses in different attire. Some of the photos are more on the sexy side and some are more full of life. The model attempts to express all aspects and diversity of their look via the picture spread. It can be more difficult than it sounds. Now, having said that, there is something every potential model should know about the model portfolio. When you're not with an agency yet, and you've not worked in the industry at all, you probably won't have a model portfolio of any sort. This is totally okay! No one expects you to. So should you run out and pay a few professional photographers to do shoots with you? Heck NO! So many aspiring models do this, and you don't need to. All you need is a few decent snap shots taken by a friend or acquaintance. Pull your hair up and leave the make-up OFF. Modeling agencies want to see the real you. Then take your snap shots with you to go-sees at different agencies when they offer them. If they are truly interested in you, they'll let you know by setting up a test shoot. That's how it works.
You should never be charged anything! If an agency is asking you for money for anything, it's bogus. Remember they hire you and pay you for your work, just like any other job. Would Burger King ask you for money at a job interview? NO!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Black And White Picture
When I was growing up, I always thought that there was no points to a black and white picture. You see, I was a child of the Internet age. Newer, for me, was always better. Sure, in the past there was a time when a black and white print was the best that you could do. Black white photos were the cutting edge back then, so it made sense for them to be used. But nowadays, why would anyone bother. Color photography existed after all, so why use an outdated technology?
Looking back, my earlier reactions seem so naïve. I really knew nothing about art. I liked special effects in movies, I liked computer animation, but I didn't understand art. I didn't understand what a black-and-white picture offers that a color one never can. As a kid, I just didn't have the patience to look carefully. I was intoxicated by color. I was intoxicated by bright sounds and flashing images. I had to grow up a little bit to see the beauty of the black and white picture.
Nowadays, I developed my own photographs. I have at least one black and white poster on every wall. You see, in some ways color gives you a lot of information. It gives you a whole new dimension to explore. In other ways, however, color photography is a drawback. When using color, you can miss out on the richness and depth of light and shadow. In a black and white picture, you can see light and shadow clearly. It seems like a strange paradox, but there is actually a lot more depth to black and white pictures than to color ones. You can look at a flat photograph and still feel space. It really is incredible.
So many people never spend time in art galleries and never get to explore the beauty of images. They will have a few of their favorite images decorating the walls, but they will never open their eyes to all the beauty that is around them. For me, looking at a black and white picture is a way to do this. I'm always amazed at how it works. If you look at a scene through your eyes, you might only see ordinary everyday things. When it is captured in the right black and white picture, however, it becomes luminous. You see all of the beauty that you missed otherwise. I don't know how I failed to see it for so long!
Looking back, my earlier reactions seem so naïve. I really knew nothing about art. I liked special effects in movies, I liked computer animation, but I didn't understand art. I didn't understand what a black-and-white picture offers that a color one never can. As a kid, I just didn't have the patience to look carefully. I was intoxicated by color. I was intoxicated by bright sounds and flashing images. I had to grow up a little bit to see the beauty of the black and white picture.
Nowadays, I developed my own photographs. I have at least one black and white poster on every wall. You see, in some ways color gives you a lot of information. It gives you a whole new dimension to explore. In other ways, however, color photography is a drawback. When using color, you can miss out on the richness and depth of light and shadow. In a black and white picture, you can see light and shadow clearly. It seems like a strange paradox, but there is actually a lot more depth to black and white pictures than to color ones. You can look at a flat photograph and still feel space. It really is incredible.
So many people never spend time in art galleries and never get to explore the beauty of images. They will have a few of their favorite images decorating the walls, but they will never open their eyes to all the beauty that is around them. For me, looking at a black and white picture is a way to do this. I'm always amazed at how it works. If you look at a scene through your eyes, you might only see ordinary everyday things. When it is captured in the right black and white picture, however, it becomes luminous. You see all of the beauty that you missed otherwise. I don't know how I failed to see it for so long!
Friday, March 28, 2008
35mm Camera
35mm Camera
Though I use my digital camera for most of the pictures that I take, I still keep my 35mm camera around for some things. Digital seems to be taking over, but there is still something to be said for using film in some cases. My daughter likes to take pictures just like I do, but I don’t trust her with my expensive camera. When she wants to take some photos I had her my 35mm camera and she can snap away to her hearts content.
The 35mm camera that I have was not an overly expensive one, but it was a great camera for a very long time. It still takes great pictures even though I’ve had it for over ten years. Someone I used to know worked in a photo shop, and someone had brought in his or her 35mm to be fixed. The person decided they didn’t want it any longer and bought something else. They told my friend to just throw away the 35mm camera, but instead he gave it to me. It was fully automated and a great little camera. All it needed was a new belt somewhere and it has worked great ever since.
This 35mm camera has been on a lot of adventures with me, and has even survived being dropped to the floor. Luckily one of my friends had her toe in the way when it dropped, sparing my poor 35mm camera for sustaining any damage. There have been other times when it was dropped, shook up, and jarred around, but the thing just keeps on working. Perhaps there is a little Energizer bunny inside. It still winds, snaps, and opens and closes perfectly.
If you have a 35mm and are going to get a digital, make sure you hang on to the film camera. You never know when you may need it, and you may want to have a back up camera incase your digital battery goes dead at a very bad time. I have had to use my 35mm camera in a few moments when I really wanted to take a picture but my digital decided it was time to shut off. It is always great for kids who want to take pictures but haven’t learned how to handle an expensive digital. Film is still a good deal, and sometimes you might prefer the look of film verses a digital print anyway.
Though I use my digital camera for most of the pictures that I take, I still keep my 35mm camera around for some things. Digital seems to be taking over, but there is still something to be said for using film in some cases. My daughter likes to take pictures just like I do, but I don’t trust her with my expensive camera. When she wants to take some photos I had her my 35mm camera and she can snap away to her hearts content.
The 35mm camera that I have was not an overly expensive one, but it was a great camera for a very long time. It still takes great pictures even though I’ve had it for over ten years. Someone I used to know worked in a photo shop, and someone had brought in his or her 35mm to be fixed. The person decided they didn’t want it any longer and bought something else. They told my friend to just throw away the 35mm camera, but instead he gave it to me. It was fully automated and a great little camera. All it needed was a new belt somewhere and it has worked great ever since.
This 35mm camera has been on a lot of adventures with me, and has even survived being dropped to the floor. Luckily one of my friends had her toe in the way when it dropped, sparing my poor 35mm camera for sustaining any damage. There have been other times when it was dropped, shook up, and jarred around, but the thing just keeps on working. Perhaps there is a little Energizer bunny inside. It still winds, snaps, and opens and closes perfectly.
If you have a 35mm and are going to get a digital, make sure you hang on to the film camera. You never know when you may need it, and you may want to have a back up camera incase your digital battery goes dead at a very bad time. I have had to use my 35mm camera in a few moments when I really wanted to take a picture but my digital decided it was time to shut off. It is always great for kids who want to take pictures but haven’t learned how to handle an expensive digital. Film is still a good deal, and sometimes you might prefer the look of film verses a digital print anyway.
Family Photos
Family Photos
The used to be that if you wanted to share family photos you had to make extra prints to give out. Today, you can share your photos the old-fashioned way, or you can share digital prints in many different ways. If you have a computer and a digital camera, you can share your family photos with anyone else you know that also has a computer. You can even share your photos via your cell phone if it works with photos. Though not all phones can do this, many of the newer models coming out handle the only photos or video as well.
The problem I have with sharing family photos is that some of my family is not online. Though my mother used to have a computer, she no longer does. The computer they had died a long time ago, and they have yet to replace it. I can however, share my family photos with my dad, my sisters, my brothers, and the rest of my family via the Internet. This makes sharing photos so much easier, it also saves me a lot of money. Though my digital camera was expensive, in the end I save money by not having to make so many prints.
When sharing family photos online, there are a few things you should remember. When you post pictures of your children the Internet, you cannot control who sees them. If you e-mail them to your family they are likely to remain private. However, if you put them in a public website anyone with access to a computer may view your family photos. Though not everyone is concerned with privacy, many people are. Consider the subject matter and content of your family photos before you post them where anyone can see them.
There is an even better way to share family photos with those who may not have access to a computer. You don’t have to make prints, but you may have to spend a little money. Just recently, I saw a new product in the store that I thought was pretty amazing. It was one of those things that made me think I wish I had thought of it first. What I found was a digital photo album that not only stores family photos, but can store videos as well. All you have to do is put the photos into the frame, and you can give it to anyone you wish.
The used to be that if you wanted to share family photos you had to make extra prints to give out. Today, you can share your photos the old-fashioned way, or you can share digital prints in many different ways. If you have a computer and a digital camera, you can share your family photos with anyone else you know that also has a computer. You can even share your photos via your cell phone if it works with photos. Though not all phones can do this, many of the newer models coming out handle the only photos or video as well.
The problem I have with sharing family photos is that some of my family is not online. Though my mother used to have a computer, she no longer does. The computer they had died a long time ago, and they have yet to replace it. I can however, share my family photos with my dad, my sisters, my brothers, and the rest of my family via the Internet. This makes sharing photos so much easier, it also saves me a lot of money. Though my digital camera was expensive, in the end I save money by not having to make so many prints.
When sharing family photos online, there are a few things you should remember. When you post pictures of your children the Internet, you cannot control who sees them. If you e-mail them to your family they are likely to remain private. However, if you put them in a public website anyone with access to a computer may view your family photos. Though not everyone is concerned with privacy, many people are. Consider the subject matter and content of your family photos before you post them where anyone can see them.
There is an even better way to share family photos with those who may not have access to a computer. You don’t have to make prints, but you may have to spend a little money. Just recently, I saw a new product in the store that I thought was pretty amazing. It was one of those things that made me think I wish I had thought of it first. What I found was a digital photo album that not only stores family photos, but can store videos as well. All you have to do is put the photos into the frame, and you can give it to anyone you wish.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Advanced Digital Photos Programming And Editing
Many people have trouble knowing how or whether or not in the first place to edit their digital photos. Most photographs just don't turn out the way you imagined; they might be too dark, or too red, or too big. Depending on what you need in a digital photo-editing program, you may want to get a more simple or a slightly more advanced software. For example, if all you're planning on doing is correcting a few minor details in a picture, you want to go as simple as possible. If you're planning on adding things to pictures or taking them out, or changing the color of objects, you will want a more advanced program.
There are many pictures that you've probably taken that would've looked great... except for the red-eye. Just about every graphics program has a red-eye removal, so that no matter what level your program is you'll be able to remove the red-eye. However, in order to prevent it in the first place, it helps to know what causes it. Red-eye is caused by the flash reflecting to the back of the eyes all the way to the retina, and the red comes from the blood vessels in the eye. Therefore, if you flash a light in the eyes of your subject, this will cause the pupil to contract, and then there won't be any red-eye.
Cropping is a good tool to use when you have a picture that has too much going on, or perhaps too little. In the former, you would want to cut the image down to just the subject of your picture, essentially eliminating all the distracting surrounding objects. In the latter, you would do the same thing, in order for your subject not to look too solitary. Once you begin cropping, you'll find there are many different creative ways to crop your pictures; every picture is different, and you'll find different ways to improve your pictures with cropping.
Experimenting with colors can be a great way to create a whole new picture from something plain. There are so many ways to edit colors, and playing around with them can help you discover different techniques. You can make a photograph look aged with sepia, or you can change a color photograph to black and white. Just about all photo-editing programs have color-balance options. All you have to do is experiment with them to find results you like.
When you upload your pictures from your digital camera to your computer, most of them will probably be a little blurry. Probably it won't be enough to make you want to change it, but if it's not, there's always the UnSharp Mask that you can use to sharpen the image. Most cameras don't apply any kind of sharpening filter to pictures they take, and so they won't always look as crisp as you might want. Most likely if you have a basic editing program you will be able to sharpen your pictures successfully, and you can sharpen them as much or as little as you want.
When you email pictures to friends, you will notice it usually takes a very long time to attach the files. This is because the size of the picture is probably too large to process well. In order to reduce the size of the file, you must reduce the size of the picture. Your editing program will most likely have an option that allows you to change the dimensions of the images, which will change the size. Usually you would use this option to make images smaller, not larger, as the quality would be greatly reduced.
Saving your pictures in the appropriate format is very important to ensure the best quality. If you are planning to continue to work with a certain picture, save it as a TIFF image, as it will retain all the detail of the picture. However, if you want a compressed image and you are done working with it, you can save it as a JPEG. Although a JPEG is a lossy file format, it does not lose enough data to be noticeably visible, and it is a good compressing format. This means it will make the size of the file smaller. As long as you don't keep opening, editing, and saving a JPEG image, you won't get too much degradation of the photo.
There are many pictures that you've probably taken that would've looked great... except for the red-eye. Just about every graphics program has a red-eye removal, so that no matter what level your program is you'll be able to remove the red-eye. However, in order to prevent it in the first place, it helps to know what causes it. Red-eye is caused by the flash reflecting to the back of the eyes all the way to the retina, and the red comes from the blood vessels in the eye. Therefore, if you flash a light in the eyes of your subject, this will cause the pupil to contract, and then there won't be any red-eye.
Cropping is a good tool to use when you have a picture that has too much going on, or perhaps too little. In the former, you would want to cut the image down to just the subject of your picture, essentially eliminating all the distracting surrounding objects. In the latter, you would do the same thing, in order for your subject not to look too solitary. Once you begin cropping, you'll find there are many different creative ways to crop your pictures; every picture is different, and you'll find different ways to improve your pictures with cropping.
Experimenting with colors can be a great way to create a whole new picture from something plain. There are so many ways to edit colors, and playing around with them can help you discover different techniques. You can make a photograph look aged with sepia, or you can change a color photograph to black and white. Just about all photo-editing programs have color-balance options. All you have to do is experiment with them to find results you like.
When you upload your pictures from your digital camera to your computer, most of them will probably be a little blurry. Probably it won't be enough to make you want to change it, but if it's not, there's always the UnSharp Mask that you can use to sharpen the image. Most cameras don't apply any kind of sharpening filter to pictures they take, and so they won't always look as crisp as you might want. Most likely if you have a basic editing program you will be able to sharpen your pictures successfully, and you can sharpen them as much or as little as you want.
When you email pictures to friends, you will notice it usually takes a very long time to attach the files. This is because the size of the picture is probably too large to process well. In order to reduce the size of the file, you must reduce the size of the picture. Your editing program will most likely have an option that allows you to change the dimensions of the images, which will change the size. Usually you would use this option to make images smaller, not larger, as the quality would be greatly reduced.
Saving your pictures in the appropriate format is very important to ensure the best quality. If you are planning to continue to work with a certain picture, save it as a TIFF image, as it will retain all the detail of the picture. However, if you want a compressed image and you are done working with it, you can save it as a JPEG. Although a JPEG is a lossy file format, it does not lose enough data to be noticeably visible, and it is a good compressing format. This means it will make the size of the file smaller. As long as you don't keep opening, editing, and saving a JPEG image, you won't get too much degradation of the photo.
Professional Equipments To Make Digital Photos
Selling digital photos online does not require you to be a professional or have professional equipment. All you basically need is a good quality digital camera and internet access. Having the two of these will let you make a lot of money if you work hard enough. Your primary customers will be thousands of people that want pictures they can use over and over again and for specific projects. These can be graphic artists, web designers, companies, and editorial magazines.
Submitting to the websites
The first thing you will want to do is submit your stock photos to stock photo websites. These websites are free for you to submit the photos to but cost money for the customers to buy photos. You will be supplying the photos to the customers and thus earning money for every photo a customer downloads that is yours.
Many of these micro stock photo websites will give you the choice to set the price of your photo to whatever you want. Do not set it high and start off with the default price when you first start. When your photos are getting downloaded multiple times a day then you can start raising the price. The high demand will give you that power.
It is not hard to get started in the micro stock photo industry. Many new photographers start off in the business and try to earn money through stock photos. It's the ones that continue to work at it and develop their own style that live through and are successful.
When you take photos be sure to not have any trademarks or brands in your photos. If you happen to forget to remove clothing items with a brand try to get rid of it in an editing program. Do not upload your photo with trademarks because they won't be accepted.
There are many subjects that you can photograph for stock photos. You can take pictures of dogs, birds, cats, flowers, people, basically anything! Here's a major tip that will help you out. Do not try to cover everything. Stick with one category and specialize in it for a while. Build a stock photo collection of these photos. For example, take pictures of flowers only. Specialize and build a collection of many different flowers. Be sure to have plenty of coverage for each flower and different angles, lighting, and distances from the flower. Doing this will make you get better at taking flower pictures and also make you fill in many gaps that can be in flower stock photos.
Selling digital photos online is very easy and can be very rewarding. When you start out you probably won't make much money but as you continue adding more and more pictures that are getting better each time you can start making a serious amount of money.
Submitting to the websites
The first thing you will want to do is submit your stock photos to stock photo websites. These websites are free for you to submit the photos to but cost money for the customers to buy photos. You will be supplying the photos to the customers and thus earning money for every photo a customer downloads that is yours.
Many of these micro stock photo websites will give you the choice to set the price of your photo to whatever you want. Do not set it high and start off with the default price when you first start. When your photos are getting downloaded multiple times a day then you can start raising the price. The high demand will give you that power.
It is not hard to get started in the micro stock photo industry. Many new photographers start off in the business and try to earn money through stock photos. It's the ones that continue to work at it and develop their own style that live through and are successful.
When you take photos be sure to not have any trademarks or brands in your photos. If you happen to forget to remove clothing items with a brand try to get rid of it in an editing program. Do not upload your photo with trademarks because they won't be accepted.
There are many subjects that you can photograph for stock photos. You can take pictures of dogs, birds, cats, flowers, people, basically anything! Here's a major tip that will help you out. Do not try to cover everything. Stick with one category and specialize in it for a while. Build a stock photo collection of these photos. For example, take pictures of flowers only. Specialize and build a collection of many different flowers. Be sure to have plenty of coverage for each flower and different angles, lighting, and distances from the flower. Doing this will make you get better at taking flower pictures and also make you fill in many gaps that can be in flower stock photos.
Selling digital photos online is very easy and can be very rewarding. When you start out you probably won't make much money but as you continue adding more and more pictures that are getting better each time you can start making a serious amount of money.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Used Digital Cameras With Best Price And Quality Performance
Digital photography is very popular, but buying a quality digital can be a very expensive endeavor. My first digital was very cheap, and it didn’t work well at all. It was good for taking snapshots outside in the bright sunlight, but that was about it. I took it to a concert once and never bothered to take it again. The pictures were horrible. I know have a better camera, but it did cost me a lot of money. If you want something that works well, but you don’t have a lot of cash to spare, you might consider getting a used digital camera.
You can find a good used digital camera if you look on eBay. There are tons of them there, and you are likely to find the model that you are looking for. You may have to sit through a few auctions before you get the used digital camera that you want at the price you want. You may be outbid, but you will eventually find one that stays below a price that you can live with. Patience is the key, and there are so many to be had, that the right one at the right price will come along.
Check up on any used digital camera that you want to bid on. Read every single thing the seller has listed with the camera so you know what you are getting. Though some of them seem to be so cheap it’s a huge bargain, you should know there is probably a reason for that. If you read through the description of the used digital camera, you may find that there is something wrong with it. It might be ok if you know you can get it fixed, but you don’t want to buy something defective if you don’t want the added expense of getting it fixed.
It is in your best interest to pay for any used digital camera you may find on eBay through Paypal or with a credit card. That way you can get your money back if the item is not as described or has more problems than the seller alerted you to before you bid. As long as you do your research, you should be able to find a quality used digital camera that is perfect for you. Just take your time and don’t get too excited or you may spend more than you wanted to.
You can find a good used digital camera if you look on eBay. There are tons of them there, and you are likely to find the model that you are looking for. You may have to sit through a few auctions before you get the used digital camera that you want at the price you want. You may be outbid, but you will eventually find one that stays below a price that you can live with. Patience is the key, and there are so many to be had, that the right one at the right price will come along.
Check up on any used digital camera that you want to bid on. Read every single thing the seller has listed with the camera so you know what you are getting. Though some of them seem to be so cheap it’s a huge bargain, you should know there is probably a reason for that. If you read through the description of the used digital camera, you may find that there is something wrong with it. It might be ok if you know you can get it fixed, but you don’t want to buy something defective if you don’t want the added expense of getting it fixed.
It is in your best interest to pay for any used digital camera you may find on eBay through Paypal or with a credit card. That way you can get your money back if the item is not as described or has more problems than the seller alerted you to before you bid. As long as you do your research, you should be able to find a quality used digital camera that is perfect for you. Just take your time and don’t get too excited or you may spend more than you wanted to.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Kodak Easyshare Z812IS Digital Camera Review
Do you ever wonder, what kind of people buy the truly bad digital cameras? Well, nine times out of ten, it's the person that spends ten minutes in their local camera store, tells the salesperson they have X amount to spend, and walks out the door with the first camera the salesperson recommends. Spending some time learning about the strengths, and more importantly the imperfections of the Kodak Easyshare Z812IS will help you decide if it's the right camera for your needs. With that in mind, let's shine some light on what's wrong with buying a Kodak Easyshare Z812IS digital camera.
Batteries have got to be the biggest deterrent to using any digital camera. Kodak hasn't really help make things any better with the Easyshare Z812IS. Between the mega-zoom lens on this camera, large LCD screen, and image stabilization, the Z812IS eats disposable batteries for breakfast, lunch and supper. It will of course run off disposable AA lithium batteries, or one CRV3 rechargeable batter pack. Unfortunately the CRV3 and the recharger required for it don't come bundled with the camera. So, be sure to include that extra expense in your budget, if rechargeables are important to you.
If you intend to shoot video with the Z812IS, be sure to stock up on HD cards. Being a high definition camera, this Kodak Easyshare will of course consume vast quantities of memory storage for videos. I'd recommend at least a 4Gb card (SD, SDHC or MMC), preferably a 8Gb, if your pocketbook is big enough. Another caveat to keep in mind is if your shooting video with lots of stops and pauses. Each stop or pause causes a separate video file to be written to the memory card. This could result in extra time in the editing room working with Z812IS videos files.
The Easyshares LCD is acceptable, but nothing spectacular. Kodak made the decision to go with a pretty slow refresh rate, which can result in jerky stuttering on the LCD if you move the camera around too much. The Z812IS LCD does try to compensate for the ambient light in your environment, but tends to lean towards too dark a display in the outdoors. You'll have to learn to make manual adjustments.
Those shortcomings on their own shouldn't be enough to stop someone from buying a Easyshare Z812IS, but here are a few more that might:
- no component cable connection for direct to HD TV viewing
- docking station not bundled with camera
- barrel distortion (bowing of image) is worse than it should be
- color fringing is still visible with vibrant color transitions
- image stabilization can't compare to competitors cameras
- JPEG file saves only, no RAW option mode
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