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If you’re like almost everyone new or semi-new to Digital Photography, you’ve probably noticed that your photos are starting to multiply. No, it’s not some new computer virus creating new photos on your system; you keep taking photos and your collection is just starting to take up more space. Maybe, the dreaded photography bug has bitten you?
Believe me, you’re not alone. Millions of people are purchasing Digital Cameras every year and a lot of them are starting to get the photography bug. Now not everyone who picks up a camera wants to be a professional photographer, but just about everyone who has ever taken a shot that makes them proud and gives them pleasure, has dreamed of making money from their photography. Maybe they’ll see a photo somewhere and say to themselves, I can do better than that or they might imagine one of their photos in the local newspaper or on a billboard, or maybe even hanging in a gallery somewhere?
Once upon a time this was limited only to professional photographers and it used to be that the equipment needed to capture quality images like we see daily, was very difficult to operate and far too expensive for the average person to go out and purchase. But luckily, this has all changed in recent years. Anyone who can afford just a few hundred dollars can get a camera capable of capturing these shots, and these days’ the buyers are more concerned about the quality of the image rather than what type of camera was used, how long the photographer that shot it has been shooting or what kind of formal education they have.
The good new is, that with a little effort and some research on the Internet, you too could find a way to sell some of those images that you’ve got sitting around on a hard drive or a disk somewhere. Wouldn’t it be nice to make a little extra cash to buy that new lens you’ve wanted or maybe you’ve thought about how you could turn you’re hobby into a side business? Whatever your reason might be I wanted to let you know about a new book out there that might help you out.
One of the websites I go to quite often is one aptly named: Photoprenuer.com. Maybe you’ve even visited it yourself. The site originated in 2007 and has since become a huge hit because this site is dedicated to helping people fulfill those dreams. It has tons of articles and new ideas on different ways you might market your own collection of photos. They have topics ranging from how you might start a photo business and selling the pictures you love, to articles about scams you might want to watch out for, and they even throw in some new shooting ideas now and then.
Well these fine people over there at Photoprennuer.com have put together a book titled ‘99 Ways to Make Money From Your Photos’. Like the cover says, the editors there have come up with 99 different ideas on how you too might start marketing your photos. They’ll show you some easy ways (and some not so easy ways) to turn your images into cash with proven ideas from experienced photographers who are doing it in today’s market. This book will give you tips on how you might sell your own vacation and travel photos and even give you ideas on how you might organize photo exhibitions yourself.
Maybe you’ve thought about shooting some stock photography? This book will teach you various ways on how you might get started and how to license your photos for selling to stock agencies. This book can be a very useful tool to get your creative juices flowing and spark some new ideas. Maybe this is something that interests you or you have someone on your Christmas list that might enjoy it? Either way you can check it out here at “99 Ways to Make Money From Your Photos”.
Remember, as always, keep shooting and have some fun!
If you are shooting wide open, which is at the camera's largest aperture, your depth of field will be correspondingly shallow. That means your focus is going to be even more critical than otherwise. Pick a point that needs to be sharp and really pay attention to keeping that point sharp. Generally, if you are shooting people, the most important thing to keep sharp is the eyes. When I am shooting people I focus on the eyes, shoot, re-focus and shoot again...and then do it all over again. I can't tell you how much I hate to be editing and find that I have a potentially great shot, but out of focus eyes ruin the picture. I have found that if I am worried about an image not being sharp, I am usually right. Pixels are cheap...shoot enough to make sure you have your shot!
Shooting for stock, know your equipment, know your agency
If you are shooting with a stock agency in mind it is good to know just how high you can push your ISO before you reach the point where the agency is going to reject the image. That means you have to know both your own equipment and the standards of the agency. I was once shooting from the interior of a jeep on a mountain road in China. The scene, road-building equipment clearing a landslide, was lit by the headlights of the cars waiting for the road to be cleared. I shot the scene, hand held, but braced against the head-rest, at an ISO of 1600 with a Canon 1ds. Man did I work on that image in post (processing the digital files)! They accepted it too. With the newer cameras I have no qualms about shooting at 400, I am comfortable shooting at 800 and don't think 1600 would really be such a stretch. But don't take my word for it... do some testing!
Exposure and more
RAW (the file format native to the camera) has been talked to death, but keep in mind that it is more akin to negative film than transparency film and I personally find that I can safely get another stop to a stop-and-a-half in post-shoot processing. Shoot RAW, not jpeg! As far as exposure, keep your histogram as far to the right as possible without clipping (going off the edge). If you loose your highlights (which are on the right hand side of the histogram) you probably can't get them back. I guess in that way a digital file is like transparency film.
I am not a big user of on-camera flash, but it can be a real life-saver. I suggest a good starting point is to set your flash to under expose by two-thirds of a stop. That can help bring out details without overpowering the image...and looking like you used on-camera flash! If you do use on-camera flash it is generally a good idea to bounce it or at least put some sort of diffuser over it.
Use movement to your advantage
Another thing to keep in mind is that a little movement in your image isn't necessarily an image killer. Sometimes you can make it work to your advantage. A year ago I was shooting in the train station in Mumbai, India. The station is indoors and while it wasn't exactly gloomy, it still qualifies as low light. I put the camera over my head as high as I could hold it and fired off a half-dozen frames at an eighth of a second. I only shot six frames because at that point a machine gun carrying police officer politely but firmly informed me that photography in the train station was forbidden. That image, in which everything has movement, even the lamp posts, has already sold a number of times as a stock picture with Getty Images (1377). Sometimes movement can make an image more dynamic and help it convey a mood or message.
Stock Photos of cute puppies, cats, cows, elephants happy people, ethnic people etc.: John Lund Stock Photos Animal stock photos, Fine Art Prints, and printed gift merchandise
Visit John Lund's Blog Creative Stock Photography Concept stock photos, Fine Art Prints, and printed gift merchandiseArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_M_Lund
If you’re like almost everyone new or semi-new to Digital Photography, you’ve probably noticed that your photos are starting to multiply. No, it’s not some new computer virus creating new photos on your system; you keep taking photos and your collection is just starting to take up more space. Maybe, the dreaded photography bug has bitten you?
