How Do You Start A Photography Business

The business of photography is something that you really need to approach based on a honest assessment of your abilities, strengths and interests. From there you can then see if there's any kind of market for your planned products or services, and do some proof of concept research to ensure those markets will indeed pay you for your offerings.

Then you'll be ready to start planning your business!

Unfortunately most photographers come at it from the opposite direction. They have a desire to make money selling their photos but no real understanding or interest in the business processes involved in converting photography to income. They mistakenly believe great photography is all it takes to build a successful business.

1. Start with an honest assessment of your current situation.

Photography is extremely competitive simply because it seems like such a dream-job to so many people. Modern digital technology means anyone with basic camera skills can create a good image, so everything thinks they're a great photographer with real prospects, you need to work out what makes you different?

• What specialised skills do you have that will set you apart from the crowd?


• What interests and knowledge do you have that you can use to in your work?


• What subjects & fields do you do your best work with?


• Do you have a distinct personal style of work that sets you apart?


• Is you equipment suitable for creating high-res, high quality images?


• Do you have the skills and software to take an image from your camera and create a commercial quality print-ready file?


• What business experience do you have?


• What sales & marketing experience do you have?

The idea here is to first of all identify the kinds of products and services you're able to offer, and then assess whether those skills are at a level where people will pay you for them?

2. Is there a market for those products and/or services?

It's one thing to know you can produce some amazing work, but it's another to know there are people out there who want to use it. So you really need to put in some time to determine whether or not there is a market for what you do?

It doesn't matter how good your work is if you can't find anyone to buy it, and yet many photographers go into business with little more 'market research' than the encouragement of friends and family. "Wow, those photos are good, you should sell them!"

So somehow you have to answer the following questions...

• Are there people who need the kinds of images you like to shoot?


• Are there people who buy photos of the subjects you shoot?


• Are there people who will pay you to create specific images for them?


• Are there people who will pay for your expertise or knowledge?

The best approach here is to find other photographers offering similar products and services, and then see how your offerings stack up? (Google is great for this!)

• Are your subjects similar?


• Is your technique as strong?


• Do you present as professionally?


• If the buyer was to view your portfolio and that of your 'competitor', who would they choose to do the job? Why?

If you're serious about making a business of your photography, you need to be totally honest with yourself when you answer these questions. The truth is, you don't necessarily have to be a great photographer to build a success photography business, but your work does need to be at least as good as your competitors.

You also need to be clear on what you're offering, who your offering it to, and why they are going to buy.

Unfortunately, many photographers -- and many other would-be business owners -- start with little more than a product idea, and rarely take the time to objectively test their idea to see if there's likely to be genuine demand.

They build a business based on little more than wishful thinking and wonder why it fails?

Fortunately these days it's quite simple to test any idea and assess the likely demand using the search engines and keyword research tools.

3. Proof of concept testing

This is where you prove to yourself that there is a real demand for your offerings. In days gone by this would have involved surveys and focus groups, and taken considerable time and money, but these days is super quick and easy.

The best place to start is to simply search in Google for other people offering something similar? The volume of search results will give you an indication of the competition, which is a good start. Too many competing results and possibly your idea needs to be more unique. None at all and there mightn't be enough demand for it to be viable.

The real test of course is whether people are making money offering those services, and that's easy enough to gauge.

For that you look at the AdWords ads, to the right of the search results. In simple terms, lots of ads mean that those photographers are making money offering those services. No ads means there's no money to be made in that market.

That probably seems a bit over simplified, but it really is quite simple...

People only spend money on ads that make them money, so if no one is paying to advertise a specific service, chances are good it has been tried but didn't work.

To be sure though, you should also test your idea in a proper keyword research tool. Google offers a very useful free keyword research tool... you may need to login to a Google Account to access it but it's well worth setting up!

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

The process is quite simple. Once logged in, type a keyword phrase into the tool that represents the product or service you're considering building your business around. It might be the style of photography, the field of work or the subjects you want to focus on.

Regardless, once you submit you'll get real-time data back showing you the number of people searching for that phrase -- and similar related phrases -- every month. So the first thing you're looking for is search traffic... proof that people are in fact looking for the services you plan to offer.

The next thing to look for is the CPC value. This is the average/approximate price paid by AdWords advertisers to have their ad shown besides the search results. This is a cost-per-click, meaning the advertiser pays this amount for every single visitor they get.

So while most general photography terms might be in the $1-2 range, when you start seeing prices higher than that... sometime $5 or more per visitor... you know you're looking at a highly commercial term. And if that is closely related to your business idea, then you also know your concept has merit!

Of course this kind of research is all relative and quite subjective, so spend plenty of time on it, test some broad phrases to give yourself a benchmark, and the zoom in on phrases related to your planned business, and see how it stacks up.

If you find genuine search volume you know there's interest and if you also people paying to advertise with those phrases, you'll know there's a viable market... and that's a good starting point for building your photography business!

4. Developing Your Business Plan.

It's only after you've done all this that you'll be ready to start planning your business, and that's where the real work begins.

You need to spend even more time now planning how you're going to market your offerings, transact your sales and deliver your products or services. As a photographer your options are virtually unlimited so it's important that you take your time to get clear on your business model so you can focus on the best options for that and avoid the distraction of trying to do too many things at once.

The good news is, by now you know you have the skills, the product or service, you know there's a market for it and you're confident that people will pay you for it, so it should be easier to focus on the specific processes -- sales & marketing, fulfilment and operations -- that will turn your idea into a sustainable business.

One final point to keep in mind is, you don't have to be a great photographer to build a successful photography business.

In fact, there are many mediocre photographers who do extremely well on the strength of their business skills. There's obviously minimal standards required to ensure customer satisfaction, but you should never assume great photography skills will guarantee you a successful photography business.

The truth is, you'll be hard pressed to find a successful photography business run by a great photographer with poor business skills.

So when you consider how many talented photographers share the dream of making a business out of their photography, it should be clear that the best way to succeed is to focus on your business skills as much as you do your photography.

Digital Photography - Developing Your Shooting Skills Into Your Very Own Photography Service

Being able to work in digital photography is a joyful endeavor. There are so many aspects to cultivate in delivering an excellent photo. You can also promote your photography services by adding a photo blog. Tips such as how to hold a digital camera properly can really be important when developing your photo shooting skills.

The ISO settings for a camera are key in learning to shoot perfect shots. Shutter speed is also a feature that you need to be master. A good photographer will know his equipment which will include his digital camera and all the equipment that comes with it. Canon is known for making great brands of digital cameras.

Be sure to consider a Canon camera if you are looking to purchase one. You can go online and research which cameras you might like. Deals are always around for digital cameras. Stores offer bargains for buyers to get their hands on a digital device.

Photography is a wonderful experience for those who are involved with it. Adobe Photoshop is a program that is widely used when capturing images. Especially for editing purposes, you need an efficient program to allow you to make necessary desired changes. If you really want to become an expert, consider going to photography school.

Experience is necessary to develop your digital skills. Try to practice taking shots with your digital camera and download them to your computer. In terms of a career in digital photography, it can be a rewarding career. You might figure out your passion is in photos or pictures. The Internet makes digital photography an even more interesting career, as there are various directions in which you can go in. Projects in this area are endless as photography continues to develop over time. Technology has gotten very efficient and is still needed in many places.

Use a Pros and Cons Analysis to Choose the Right Business Idea

Most entrepreneurial types have a million business ideas, and under pressure they could come up with a million and one. The trick to a successful startup is picking the right one for the time, resources, and market available when you are ready to launch. Very few businesses fail because the idea is not viable, but a great many opportunities are missed because the entrepreneur doesn't take the time to evaluate the best idea to pursue given the circumstances.

Every startup requires time, money and hard work to succeed, but the road is much smoother if there is a sufficient, reachable market for your product. Every business idea should go through a cursory analysis before any significant resources are spent. A rudimentary pros and cons list can go a long way in eliminating bad business ideas and can give you a head start in developing the good ones.

The pros and cons of any new business idea should include, at a minimum, the following areas:

Difficulty

How much do you know about the actual operations of your business idea? How much effort is required to produce a single unit of your product? Do you have the skills to produce it yourself or will you partner up, hire experienced employees, or outsource the skills that you lack?

Market

Is there a sufficient market to support your business idea? That is, are there enough people or businesses that will benefit from your product that marketing can be fairly broad? Or will you have to seek and find a very limited number of opportunities to sell? Is your idea a positive innovation on something people already use or will you have to introduce an entirely new concept to your market? Does your idea provide a greater benefit to your customers than the competition's products? Will that increased benefit be enough to draw your own market share? How will your product be distributed initially? Down the road?

Industry

How crowded is the industry you are entering? Are there a lot of big guns you will be competing with? How will you fit into the marketplace? Will you compete on quality, benefits, price or some other factor? And, will the market respond to those differences? Remember that competing on price is the most difficult, unless you have concocted an innovative way to produce for far less than anyone else. Where is the industry headed? Will your idea expand to meet the needs of an ever-changing marketplace?

Resource Needs

What do you estimate your startup will cost? Do you have access to enough cash to launch it on your own? Assume, worst-case, that finding outside funding will be impossible...is there a way to modify your idea to make it affordable? Do you have the time to devote to your startup? Can you afford to work a few months without significant income? How much of your personal resources are you willing to risk?

Interest

Objectively consider whether the business idea will hold your attention and interest over time. If you are motivated purely by profit, but have no interest in the product itself, it will be difficult to stay motivated through the dark days of your startup...and there will be dark days. You don't necessarily have to love your business idea to succeed, but you need to find satisfaction in the day-to-day work. Somebody made millions from producing twist ties...it is doubtful that they adored the idea of twist ties before launching the business. More likely, they enjoyed the manufacturing and production industry in general, and saw a need for that particular item.

Path Forward

Write down every relevant factor you can think of related to your business idea and list out the pros and cons of each. Be as objective as possible about each aspect Talk to people about your idea and accept their input. Never be offended by negative responses, but try to dig for information that might improve on your original idea. Most of the time solid planning results in a far different venture than initially considered -- this is a good sign. The more you learn, the more you can refine your idea into one that is bound for success.

If you have multiple business ideas, list the pros and cons for each of them, then compare the outcomes. Begin your entrepreneurial career with the easiest option; you can always launch the other ideas later. In fact, a little experience in starting any size and type of business will probably reduce the cons of your other ideas by the time you get around to launching them.

Taking Online Photography Courses to Improve Your Photography Skills

If you are interested in photography and you don't have enough time to study in photography school or institute, online photography courses are presumably one of the best ways to improve your photography skills. There are hundreds of photography courses online that will offer you all types of results. You can learn many kinds of photography skills such as how to master underwater photography, wedding photography, fashion photography, and so forth.

Following an online photography course can be affordable and helpful. With this comes the benefit of being able to learn not only so many things about photography but also anything related to it such as the photography equipment. You will be introduced to all kinds of cameras, lenses and other stuffs. Online photography course will encourage your passion confidence to feel like a true professional and receive the admiration and respect of all your friends and family. You can also create an income from it.

However, before you start looking at online photography courses, here I give you two of the basic rules of photography from the experts which probably help you before signing a certain online photography courses. The first thing you should know is composition. This is the single most important factor in the creation of any stunning image. Getting the composition right will be the make or break as it was of that perfect shot. The second one is the rule of thirds. This simple method is the same method that has been used by many of the great masters of painting throughout the centuries and is talked about in detail by Leonardo Da Vinci. The idea is to create your image so that you have key elements on or near to any number of these intersection points as possible. Covering three of the four points will make an 'L' shape. This is a very popular and widely used composition form. Well, you can also find another basic rule that will help you to get acquainted with your new hobby in photography.

I assume that it is well worth considering a photography course online can quickly improve your skills. By following easy to follow guidelines, I believe it can fast track you to make professional looking photographs that will impress your family and friends.

Check out my other articles about photography here! http://digital-photography-software.org/

The Range Of Forensic Nursing Salary

Forensic nurses are mostly responsible to determine the possible causes of a crime case, through the evaluations made by examining the victims. The cases of morbidity or mortality may include ordeal and assault, unplanned deaths, and victims of sexual abuse of kid, elder or spousal. They are not only imperative in collecting important sources of evidence from perpetrators or survivors of the crimes; they will also be the witness at court as an expert to provide information into the investigation and trial of the case. The example of evidence could be forensic photography.

A simple observation is enough to manifest why forensic nurses are becoming more indispensable, growing in relevance to the drastic rise in offense or crime rates. In fact, it is now an individual field of study, claimed to be a rewarding career pathway. The nursing degree is now available in wide range of colleges. Thus, in order to venture into this industry you just have to necessitate guidance, education and a legal authorization for nursing. Watch out for the immense demand for these nurses in the current market then consider intensely if you are suitable to take up the course.

If nothing could lure you into studying forensic nursing, perhaps the forensic salary could. The return from the forensic nursing jobs is satisfactorily high and in the recent years, it has become one of the most fruitful careers. You see, a nurse with basic forensic skills is employed at a rate of US$26 per hour and it could soar up to US$100 per hour, depending on the location, practice, training and accountability. If you have more experience and skills, you can possibly earn more than US$150 an hour.

It has become an ultimate most often questioned issue of the nursing salary. In as much as one may guarantee you of rewarding payment of the job, you have to ensure that you have the determination, qualification and interest to work in the field. And of course, the salary has to depend on your regional work place, personal attributes, academic results and the creditability of the institution you study in.

The Essence of Cinematography

Film creation is a great business. You invest much into the creation of a film and if you find yourself lucky you might have the double investment at the box office since the movie you produced was such a smash hit that the target audience watched it to their heart's content. No wonder online film schools offering film making courses continue to grow in number.

However, if ever anyone forgets about it, film creation is art at its most imaginative format and among the many aspects involved in film making it is cinematography that screenwriters, directors, and producers find to be more exciting, interesting and challenging at that. So you might want to find out more about this specific aspect of filmmaking which is also the hardest to learn among the film making courses that are offered by film academies. Well, continue reading this article.

What is found in cinematography?

Cinematography is also known as the art of moving photography. It is that aspect of the film when its cinematographer choose what camera gauge to use and lighting effects to employ when filming photographic scenes needed in the movie. This is that part in the movie-making process that will test the creativity and imagination of the people behind the scenes - from the director to the cameramen. In the film school, cinematography is known to be the most difficult to learn among the many film making courses.

What are the various aspects involved in cinematography?

The following things are what consist the film-making process known as cinematography:

Film Stock - The basic step in the process of film-making is that part wherein the cinematographer chooses the film gauge, film speed and the color sensitivity to be used in recording images.

Filters - Whether the cinematographer is in use of diffusion filters or color effects filters, the objective is still that these tools may be used to make a more dramatic effect for a specific scene in a movie.

Lens - This is an instrument that the cinematographer attaches to the camera to achieve for the film a certain look, feel, or effect. The ability to select the lens to be used in shooting a certain scene or scenes in the film can either make or break the film totally.

Aspect Radio and Framing - The image's aspect is made up of the ratio of an image's width to its height. This aspect in cinematography is important because different ratios have varying aesthetic effects.

Lighting - This is significant in cinematography because it is this aspect that is involved when it comes to exposing images on the film. It's this aspect too that when properly done evokes the right emotions that the director would love to achieve from its viewers.

Camera Movement - It's that aspect of cinematography that enables the film's audience to have the required viewpoint in understanding the film totally. Now you know what cinematography really is. Are you interested in learning more from film making courses? The Internet has everything.

Clay Animation

Clay animation is also known as Claymation and is in fact a registered trademark created by Will Vinton Studios to describe their clay animated movies. The term is now commonly used to refer to all stop motion animation, which is 3-D, as opposed to traditional animation, that is not.

Clay animation is growing in popularity around the world. Schools around the world are using clay animation movies to make teaching easier. Students are actively encouraged to use their artistic and creative talents, while using this technology to tell a story. Clay animation is appealing to a broad variety of learners. For instance, language skills are being taught using clay animation. Logical and mathematical skills are being taught using clay animation, involving digital photography and video editing technology.

Clay animation helps to make learning more fun. It encourages students to collaborate during a project. Not only youngsters, one would agree that anybody would have fun making characters move on a screen. Clay animation also works on the basic principle of persistence of vision. Persistence of vision creates an illusion of movement, whereby you feel that the objects are moving. You can easily create a simple clay animation with as little as two images using this principle. All you need is a PC with the requisite software to get started.

You can find vast amounts of information on clay animation from online resources. In fact, you can create your own clay animation by following the steps mentioned in most of these online resources. There are no limits to what your imagination can do with a little bit of knowledge on clay animation. Alternately you can also enroll yourself with institutions who can teach you clay animation professionally.

Computer Program Staging Areas

Many a time we software engineers want to peek into a window at what the status of a product is within computer code. For example if the article in question is a blouse, on the computer end, an engineer might want to test his software to make sure he is allowed status updates. After all, he wrote the program to process the ordering of, sending to and receiving of each garment for a particular department store that employed his programming services.

Let's say our software engineer is a typical guy named Mike. His supervisor, a guy named Cesar wants to know where at different points in the journey that that blouse in question embarks on starting from the store inventory and ending in the customer's house, what the status of it is. Mike has a particular programming style where he will stage that status entry/value in a particular memory space.

In other words through the Internet, the customer will be able to access the program to order the garment she wants and at the same time, a behind-the-scenes manager can access that same program to complete a status report for any particular garment in the system.

When people talk about front-end code in relation to the main body of code, they mean the software that is accessing the main software program to attain products. The back-end code ties into that same body of main code (the exact same one) for inventory tracking and analysis purposes.

For example, let's make memory spot 0x20f60 our staging memory location. We would simply start out with a list of status option labels. They would include: Color of the Garment; Size of the Garment; Quantity of the Garment in question; Name of the Purchaser; Address of the Purchaser; Price of the Garment. Given these six starter parameters, Cesar, Mike's boss would choose one to learn the status of one of them.

He would have a pull-down menu titled Status Parameters. Then each of those six parameters would pop-up in that drop-down menu and upon choosing one of them, Cesar would get the status in regards to that particular parameter. For example, if he chose Color of the Garment, the status return might read PURPLE. For the Size of the Garment, the status return might be X-LARGE. The magic of this programming is that each status word will be staged in memory spot 0x20f60, making it convenient to add more parameters at any point.

This programming style of having an exclusive memory spot to stage status values is not only convenient for our software engineer Mike, but it's also useful for designing behind-the-scenes-back-end-code for our supervisor Cesar.

Art Gallery

Art Galleries are generally known for art that highlights the natural beauty all around the world. Everyday there are people creating entirely new works of art, and placing them in art galleries all over the world.

The type of art included in a gallery can vary. Art can encompass a wide variety of medium, such as, drawings, paintings, photography, and sculpture, to name a few. The purpose of the art gallery is to show off the work of local and national artists in a way that people will want to purchase them. Many of the artist's works can also be bought as prints. This allows the artist to sell more, while making the price more affordable to people.

Local Art Galleries

Art Galleries are generally known for art that highlights the natural beauty all around the world. Everyday there are people creating entirely new works of art, and placing them in art galleries all over the world.

The type of art included in a gallery can vary. Art can encompass a wide variety of medium, such as, drawings, paintings, photography, and sculpture, to name a few. The purpose of the art gallery is to show off the work of local and national artists in a way that people will want to purchase them. Many of the artist's works can also be bought as prints. This allows the artist to sell more, while making the price more affordable to people.

Local Art Galleries

Most major cities have wonderful art galleries. If you have never visited an art gallery, you should make a point to do so. You may think that an art gallery is not where you would want to spend the afternoon, but you may be surprised at how interesting an art gallery can be. Check your local phone book for an art gallery near you.

Virtual Art Galleries

If you have Internet access, then you can find an online art gallery, my choice as well. If you can view and possibly order from the comfort of your own home why not. Virtual tours of art galleries are a lot of fun.

As with walk in art galleries, virtual art galleries are also worldwide. Listed below are a few galleries that you can visit online.

o Art Vitam, Miami, Florida

o Art of this Century, Paris, France

o Art Space/Virginia Miller Galleries, Coral Gables, Florida

o Artco Galleria de Arte, Lima, Peru

o Casa d'Arte San Lorenzo, Pisa, Italy

o Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, Miami, Florida

o Espace D'Art Yvonamor Palix, Paris, France

o Galleria El Museo, Bogotá, Colombia

o Galleria Habana, Mexico D.F., Mexico

o Galleria de Arte Isabel Aninat, Santiago, Chile

Take the time to experience wonderful works of art at your local art gallery or on the internet. Even if you are not an art enthusiast, the works of fine artists all over the world will impress you.

Getting Started in Photography - 10 Steps to Jump-Start Your Photography Business

Here are ten key steps to start and grow a profitable, debt-free photography business.

1. Practice!  Keep a camera with you all of the time.  Study other photographers and try to emulate images that you love.  Spend time learning basic and advanced image editing.  Learn your camera in and out, and practice with settings and modes that you don't normally use.  Take advantage of free and low cost photography blogs and web sites.  Consider joining PPA, WPPI, SEP or a local photography group or club.  Make a list of 50 things you want to do with your photography and try to cross of one item each week.

2. Define Your Business. Create a business name and get some cards printed up.  You can get several hundred cards for under $20.  Do your web research to make sure you aren't choosing a name that is already used.

3. Define Your Finances. Get a separate business checking account.  You will want to completely separate your business financial activities from your personal finances.  Get online banking so you can check your balances.  Keep a spreadsheet at home or use a program like Quicken to track and record your expenses.

4. Get online.  Hosting a website is not expensive.  You can purchase great photography web templates for under $100.  Create and feed a blog.  Get on Facebook and create a business page.  Search for and join web-based business locators like Merchant Circle and Google Local Listings.  Create coupons and special offers to draw in customers.

5. Define your target market, both geographically and demographically.  What kind of work do you want to be known for?  Seniors?  Weddings? Landscape?  What other work would you take?  Draw three columns on a sheet of paper.  In the first, note the kind of work you would love to do; in the second, what you would be OK doing, and in the third, what you would rather not do.  It will help you formulate your mission and marketing messages.

6. Set Your Prices. Define your value proposition to your customers.  You can't give work away, or undercut everyone, or you'll go out of business.  If you factor in your time and the cost of everything to keep your business running once you get established, you will understand why prints cost what they do from other professionals.  Benchmark your competition and understand their pricing and offerings.  It's better to be in their range but not highest or lowest as you are getting started.  If you price cheap, people will undervalue your contributions and as you grow it will be harder to command the prices you need to be profitable.  It's OK and expected to change pricing.

7. Spread the word.  Read "Guerilla Marketing" books by Jay Levinson, and "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin.  Blog like crazy.  Study "Search Engine Optimization" to make your web's page rank higher.  Look for ways to generate publicity.  Approach family, friends, co-workers and people in church for special "starter" sessions.  Offer your customers rewards for referrals.

8. Develop Partnerships.  Create cooperative relationships with local businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches and other organizations.  Become their "go-to" person for event photography and promotional photography.  Donate sessions, products and gift certificates to fund-raising auctions and galas.  Get to know the leaders in your community and find ways to make them successful and visible through your work.

9. Grow your business debt-free.  Create a list of the hardware, software and purchased services that you would like to have.  Price them out and rank them in order of your need.  Only buy them when your business bank account allows it.  Make sure you have reserves in the account to cover samples, upcoming fees and taxes and insurance.  If you devote a high percentage of your first few years profits into growing your business assets, you will be able to stay debt-free and keep the business growing, while still taking some profit each year.

10. Pay your Bills.  Make sure you collect and pay sales and use tax.  Retain and pay quarterly federal and state taxes if appropriate.  Have the right amount of liability insurance.  Keep good records of mileage, supplies, prints, office expenses, education, advertising and any other expense category that would count as business expenses.

What about equipment?  Of course you will need a camera and other equipment, but don't assume you need to run out and get the latest and greatest SLR and lighting systems.  Start small, with your current camera or an older model picked up off of Craigslist or other used gear source.  Add some inexpensive reflectors and/or home-grown lights to start with.  As you earn money, you can work your way through your list, and you'll appreciate every new piece of gear even more.  The same goes for software.  Free, open source image-editing software such as The GIMP is a great way to get started.  Corel's Paint Shop Pro is also excellent and very reasonably priced.  And you don't need a printer, other than to print normal business correspondence.  Hook up with a good local or national professional lab and you can get great prints and great support.  One idea I have found useful is to put your wish list on Amazon, and drop some hints around the holidays and other occasions.  Your family will appreciate knowing that what they buy you will be put to good use!

There you go!  By following these ten steps, you can take your vision of being a pro photographer and make it a reality!  What are you waiting for?

Learn the Secrets From Photography Schools

With the advent of digital cameras, the Internet is now bombarded of countless digital photographs and amateur photographers. Perhaps, you have your own photo blog and you have joined a couple of photo sharing sites. But does this make you a photographer? Can you truly say, "I'm a great photographer," if you have received a couple of comments saying, "Nice photo!"

Learning fro Photography Schools

However, your passion for photography is certainly a key ingredient to becoming a good or great photographer. If you have the passion for capturing that perfect moment then you might just have a chance of becoming an artist and perhaps earn money from your skill. To learn faster and to learn the basics of photography, you should definitely consider taking classes. Fortunately, there are many photography schools online. Of course, you can always go to your local photography school. But if you want to save money on gas, why not go online and make use of that Internet bandwidth.

By going to a photography school, you'd soon turn your hobby into a profession. Perhaps, you can make a living out of your acquired-photography skills. Along the way, you'd learn more about your passion. You'd learn what kinds of photography interest you. Before you reach this point though, you need to learn from the expert and the service of experts is what photography schools offer.

Looking for Photography Schools

Perhaps, you can now open your favorite search engine and key in the words, "photography schools," you'd be amazed by how many schools there are online. You definitely would not have a tough time looking for a photography school. It doesn't matter if you're 18 or you're 80, you can enroll and learn photography. Just make sure, however, that you can trust the school you pick. It is a great idea to check on the expertise of the instructors. Check their portfolios. Are these anyway impressive to you? You should also check feedbacks on the school and its instructors. What do their students say about them? Make sure that you're confident with the abilities of the instructor before you enroll.

What You Will Learn

There are a lot of things that you can learn from photography schools. Here are some of the things that you'd learn from photography schools:

o You'd be taught to use your camera properly. You'd soon learn to distinguish between a regular camera and an SLR camera.

o You'd learn what lenses to use in particular shots so you'd be able to capture the image and give the subject justice.

o You'd also learn the various photography techniques.

o You'd understand what composition is.

o You'd know how to apply creative photography techniques.

o You'd learn various color use concepts. You'd learn how to use and play with various colors. You'd learn when to use black and white or when to apply color negative.

o You'd also learn how to control your camera and how to pre-visualize the outcome before you actually take the picture.

Of course, these are just some of the things you'd learn. So, if you love photography, why not enroll in a photography school now?

Pet Photography For Fun and Profit

The business of pet photography

Pet photography is a lot of fun and many people are attracted to doing it, either just for fun or as a business. Pet photography is not necessarily a lucrative business, however. Although it sounds easy, it's not. To be successful you need to create photos that are much better than people can create on their own. You do have one thing going for you, however. Even though many people have nice cameras, very few have good lights, and even fewer know how to use their equipment effectively under many conditions. So, if you do what they won't or can't do, you'll get a name for yourself.

Many professional portrait photographers avoid photographing pets, because pets present a big challenge, about the same as an infant or toddler. To get good at pet photography you need lots of practice because pet behavior varies widely by individual and type of animal. Try practicing on your friends' pets by offering them a free sitting. Once you do the portrait sessions you can often get extra orders for prints if you have a nice printer.

To get good pictures you will need some quality equipment, techniques, animal behavior knowledge, and loads of patience. It's a good idea to have a trained assistant, too, especially for large dogs and horses. Get quality equipment, too, and make sure it's durable.

Typical customers for pet photography are affluent people who love their dogs, people who breed or show dogs, etc. The best markets are big cities like New York, and the suburbs of those cities. When it comes to customers, it's better to have a few customers that pay well than a bunch of penny-pinchers who want a lot for nothing, then complain when they don't get it. If you can do a large shoot and produce a lot of good quality pictures, you can earn a bunch of money from one event. Plus, customers tell their friends and you can get a lot of referrals. After the event, you'll have lots of work to do sorting out photos and printing orders, so don't try to do too many per month. It's best to keep your customers happy. Pet photo shoots make great school, club, or church events.

Want to sell your photos and not have to do any printing? Use a service like Shutterfly.com . You can set your prices to whatever you want. Shutterfly takes a commission, but they do all the work, and they have the best equipment. Besides, they have a lot of other products, too, like calendars and notecards, even mugs. ameras

To get good photos of pets, you need to work fast because most pets are restless in a studio and likely to move suddenly, no matter how well they are trained. This means you need a fast camera. Many digital cameras have a slow response to pressing the shutter. If you want to use a digital camera, get one that is an SLR ( single lens reflex ), such as the Canon Rebel digital, or Nikon D70. You also need a fast memory chip, because some chips take a few seconds to save the image. In pet photography, a few seconds is a long time. You can use an ordinary SLR film camera, but the film costs can be high, especially while you practice. I use the Canon XT digital, a small and very effective digital SLR camera.

Learn to use your camera.    An expensive camera does you no good if you haven't learned how to use its many features. Some lighting and exposure techniques are beyond the scope of this report, so read your instruction manual and some books on basic photography.

What to look for in a camera.   You need something fast, and by fast I mean not just the shutter response, but the autofocus should also be fast. Autofocus responses on many cameras are not fast enough to do some pets, so I frequently put the setting on manual and keep within the focus range while I'm shooting. You should get a digital camera, too. In the long run, digital will save a load of money on film. It will also let you show customers the results right away, plus check your work. Get a good lens, the best you can afford, and put a hood on it. If you don't, you stand a good chance of getting light flares in your pictures. If you can afford it, buy a new camera with a warranty.

Digital image quality.    Digital image quality is based on the number of tiny picture elements in the picture, and that depends on the quality of the sensor in the camera. The camera sensor is measured in "megapixels" While a 12 megapixel camera will deliver fine quality, publishable photos, 3 megapixles can produce a decent 8 by 10 if you don't have to crop it much. Ideally you should have a 5 megapixel or better for enlargements. Many times you need to crop part of the photo out and use a smaller portion, so the higher resolution is much better. Very few customers order anything larger than an 8 by 10, and even in magazines most of the pictures are quite small. It's always safe to shoot at the highest quality in your camera. Just don't overdo it. The larger the image, the less photos fit on the chip, and it takes more time to process, etc.

Digital storage Get a camera with a robust storage chip, and buy the largest chips you can afford. They're very reasonable on eBay, and they last a long time if you take care of them. Buy SEVERAL, too. It's the old thing about having all your eggs in one basket. If you lose a chip with a whole shoot's worth of photos, you're sunk. I have at least 5 chips available to me on a shoot. MAKE COPIES of your photos. If you lose a precious photo of Rover wearing a straw hat for 2 seconds, you'll likely never get another one. Store photos on CD's or DVD's for safe keeping because sooner or later, all hard drives crash.

Where to get a camera If you can't afford a new camera, you can easily buy stuff one on eBay, but you should thoroughly research the various cameras before you buy. Find out what the new price is and bid accordingly. Remember to check shipping fees. You can get the older digital Canon Rebel, with a lens, for a good price new. You might even find a superb deal, such as someone who used it very little and also has extra lens, memory chips, case, stuff like that. Watch the seller's feedback though. Remember that although last years top seller might be this year's closeout, it's still a good camera.

You can also find deals at yard sales and thrift shops, but be careful. If you don't what to buy, don't buy it. You don't need a top model camera. In fact, it's better to one that is light weigh, and since pet photography is very active work, cameras can be bumped or even dropped. It's more important to have a great lens than an expensive camera. And one other thing, if you plan to do it professionally, get a backup body and lens, plus a backup battery.

Lights

Photography is all about lighting; good lighting makes good photos. So, if you want to photograph a pet indoors, you will at the very least need a flash that "bounces" off the ceiling. This avoids the "cat's eye" situation, where the animal's eyes glow like monster eyes. This happens because the light from a standard on-camera flash bounces directly off the retina of the pet's eyes, back to the lens. Professional photographers use lights that shine on the subject from an angle, usually above and off to the side of the subject. That way the "bounce" goes down, not directly into the lens and final image.

If you don't have the means to get a professional set of lights, at least use an on-camera flash unit such as a "speedlight" by Nikon. Aim the flash up to the ceiling so the flash bounces back to the subject at an angle. Better yet, use a specially designed, coiled, flash cable and hold the flash unit away from the camera, above, off to the side, or both so the light bounces off the pet's eyes at an angle.

The best setup is as follows; mount two flash units on stands about 6 feet high, several feet off to each side of the camera. Set up at least one light aimed at the background. The background light should be low and out of view, or it can be put up high if you have a studio. Then, trigger those auxiliary flash units in one of several ways. Use either a cable from camera to flash, a wireless trigger, or use the on camera flash unit to "trigger" the other flashes by a light sensitive switch, also known as a "slave" flash sensor. Most modern flash units have one built in.

Photographers often use what's called a "slave" flash. It's a light that can screw into a normal bulb socket that has a sensor in it for other flashes. When the camera flash goes off, it fires the slave flash. You should have 2, one on each side of your camera, a few feet to the side and about 6 feet high. If you can't buy 2, get one and put it behind the camera, about 6 or 7 feet high. Slave flashes are not terribly expensive and they last a long time. When they fire they will tend to make a shadow behind the subject. That's why you put them up high, so the shadow is short and below the viewing angle. It also helps to have a darker background.

Photographic strobe lights are measured in "watt seconds". The higher the number, the brighter the light. You also need to consider the time it takes for the light to charge back up for another shot. That's called the "recycle" time. If you want to shoot fast, you need to have a fast recycle time. Most lights recycle within a few seconds, so that's not much of an issue. The Watt-second rating is important, however. The brightest flash units usually have several settings so you can tone them down. If you shoot at 100 film speed ( best ) you need some bright lights. I recommend at least 200 watt seconds on each of the 2 main lights, preferably more. Since the background lights sometimes have colored "gels" on them that dims the output, those should be strong, too, at least 300 watt seconds if you plan to shoot through gels onto a dark background. For a white background with no gels, you can get by with a 100 watt second slave flash.

Where to get good lights These days it's almost a sure bet that you'll get the best deal online, but you should do your research. You can try eBay, but lights are bulky and sometimes heavy and can cost a lot to ship. Buy new if you can afford it. If you can't, get at least one matching pair of lights and stands for placing in front of the subject. Then, buy a small "slave" flash for the background light.

When you get the money, buy a second matched set with short stands for the background lighting. Finally, if you have a studio, buy a "softbox" for above the subject.

It's common and highly recommended that your main lights have "umbrellas" on them. There are two kinds. One is a "shoot through" transparent white umbrella that softens the light and distributes it more evenly. The other is a reflector, with black outside and shiny silver inside. You "bounce" the strobe light into it, and it can make a very bright flash.

Technique

Ultimately, only what's actually IN the photo matters, so with careful framing you can create the image you want. Although you can crop a photo later, it's best to "crop" while shooting. This means taking an extra few seconds to check the image before firing the shutter. Leave out everything that's not necessary, and use geometry to good effect. Move with the pet, if necessary, and take lots of shots. When using a digital camera, there's no excuse for not taking those extra shots. Sometimes a shot you "grab" will be a real winner. You can always edit the photo later if you must.

Try a number of angles and poses. It's nice for the customer to have some variety and gives you more chance to sell if that is your objective.

You know what's interesting about a good pet picture? The expression. People love to look into the eyes of their beloved pets, so get good expressions, and get in close. It makes the viewer feel close to the animal. Make sure you get some good close-ups and some "head shots". Then, get some of the pet's funny side. Try to capture its unique personality.

Where to "shoot" your pets

Outdoor photos

Outdoor pet photos are very nice, but there are a number of things to keep in mind. Many pets will run away fast, so you might have to keep them on a leash or have the owner hold them. In addition, outdoor lighting can change frequently because of clouds. The best time for outdoor photos is before 11 a.m. and after 2 p.m. It's best to have the angle of the sun lower, around 45 degrees, if possible, and behind the camera. As long as it's behind the camera, it's okay for it to be off to one side.

If you want the pet to be in a shady area, such as under a tree, it's best to use what's called "fill flash". That can be the on-camera flash or another off-camera flash. It's also possible to use a reflector. This is a large piece of reflective material that an assistant can use to aim reflected light into the shaded area.

Indoor studio

In a studio you have time and control working in your favor, and the animal can't run out of range. A studio does not need to be complicated. Your "studio" can be in a garage, basement, or room in your house. You need about 10 feet by 10 feet minimum, but 12 by 12 feet is much better. You need your background supports and crossbar. Keep all your cords out of the way as much as possible for safety. In a studio you can have people come one at a time or host an all day pet photo shoot.

Running a large pet photo shoot can be a lot of fun for all participants but you need to plan it well in advance and be completely ready for it when it starts. You can pick a place such as a side room in a school, church, business, or similar location. Sometimes, to get publicity, you can do one at a flea market. If you do a flea market, it's much different than a studio. At a flea market, it's more difficult. You are better off just having a basic system and doing a few shots for a modest price. Then, hand out cards and show some samples of what you can do in a studio. I have a lot of fun props that I can use but I don't take them all to large photo shoots. I might take a few.

If you do a large photo shoot, keep some things simple, such as the camera and light settings. You will have enough on your hands dealing with the subject.

Backgrounds

A bad background can ruin a picture. Professional photographers go to great lengths to set up backgrounds for their photos, so they usually have a number of backgrounds in their studio. In addition, they may also have a number of colored lights, or "gels", to color the background in a way that suits the subject. If you don't have a background, you can effectively use a common sheet if you mount it in such a way that it shows no wrinkles. One simple way to do this is to pin a sheet to a wall in a home. You can even use a blank white wall if you wish. To make the subject stand out from the background you need to have good contrast. For example, black or dark blue is very nice for light colored or medium colored pets. Black dogs and cats, however, are best put in front of a lighter background.

Backgrounds are easy and cheap. In the beginning I used old sheets, stretched tight with small clamps. Make a little stand about 8 feet high ( use a king size sheet ) It's good to have several. White is always popular and you need light colors for dark colored pets. A grey or black one is also good. I also use blue quite often. When you get more money, get another flash unit to light up the background. You put it way down low and aim it up. Keep it behind your posing table so you can't see it.

Most pros use a background light as well. The background light is set off to the side, below, or above, and aimed at the background. By setting the background light carefully, you can put a spot of light just behind the subject. This helps enhance the contrast ratio and offsets the subject from the background. If you use a neutral background, such as grey, you can put colored "gels", or transparent colored plastic, over the background light. This enables you to put just about any color on the background.

To avoid shadow on the background when using a flash, either have a good background light to offset the main lights, or have the main lights up quite high. That way the shadow is short and out of the picture. Also, keep the subject about 3 feet away from the background.

Props and costumes

Interesting costumes can greatly enhance a portrait and increase its value, since it will be a rare photo of the subject. Be creative. Every outfit is a costume from another's point of view. Sometimes all you need is a hint of a costume, such as a scarf, hat, or something in the hand. If you plan to use props, have everything you need close at hand.

For stock photographers, funny pet photos are great for cards, and nothing looks sillier than a dog wearing clothes and a hat. Now, there aren't a lot of pets that like to wear silly clothes, so don't expect they'll like wearing the funny outfit you have in mind for them. You will likely need an assistant. I once photographed a dog in a Bah Mitzvah outfit. Go figure....!

How to get the pets ready for a photo shoot

Pets can be very temperamental, shy, nervous, or even angry when you try to photograph them. Bright flashes can terrify a pet and their instinct is to run to their owner, or simply away, as fast as they can. Since they can't talk to you, you must pay close attention to their mannerisms and sounds.

The main thing is to get them to relax. To calm them, touch them gently and make soothing sounds. Make your sounds upbeat and kind. Contrary as it may seem, it's not always helpful to have the owner within sight. Pets usually try to get the owner to "save" them from their predicament, and that makes things very difficult for the photographer.

It's a good idea to have the dogs take a little bathroom break before the shoot.

Dogs

Dogs are fun to photograph.

I often get asked, "How do you make the dog stay in one place?" Actually, they usually DON'T stay still. The fast shutter speed just makes it APPEAR that they were sitting still! It can take a lot of shots to get a few good ones, sometimes. To photograph dogs properly, you need to understand dog behavior. Dogs don't really understand human language. If you want to communicate with a dog, it's much more effective to do it on it's own terms. Sounds ( other than words ), and especially TOUCH, works well. Body language, both yours and the dogs, is also very important.

Dogs tend to be curious about the camera and photographer and they move around a lot. Have a friend distract the pooch, or use a toy. Try to work without the dog noticing you. If you have a long telephoto, at least 100mm, you can step back a ways and get good shots. This will also help keep the background out of focus and keep the attention on the dog. Work quickly, and take lots of shots. It you try to bribe the dog with food, it may backfire. Once the dog knows you have treats it will keep "bugging" you. I usually just get all the shots, and then give a treat.

Formal posing

When I do a formal portrait session with a dog, I always try to have an assistant. Few dogs will sit still, and even if they do, they'll rarely have the ideal expression. I get totally involved and focus on the dog's expression. The camera shutter makes it APPEAR that the dog was sitting still. Props can add a lot of interest and fun to the photo. Use a whistle and make sounds to get the dog's ears to perk up. Get in close to your subject ! It makes a big difference.....

One more thing:

Dogs don't really understand people language very well. They do understand Body Language quite well, so you have to keep putting them into the position you want them. Be persistent, and eventually the dog will get the message: SIT STILL!

Cats

Many cats don't cooperate with photographers. I've even met some that were hostile. Other cats are very affectionate and will not sit still. A long lens is very helpful. I usually let them relax in their own environment and shoot from a distance. When doing a formal portrait, it helps to have the owner nearby because cats get nervous. Work quickly, too, or the cat will run away.

Horses

Rule number 1, be careful!  Horses can move very fast and without warning. They are NOT thinking of your safety, either.

Horses are often jittery and suspicious by nature, so you have to respect that and work accordingly. Move slowly and predictably, and stay in eye contact, if possible. If you wish to get close, touch the horse, perhaps on the neck near its shoulder. Be gentle and make comforting sounds. Offer some food. They love that, but watch your fingers! Keep them TOGETHER!

Using a long lens is very effective. Most photos are done outdoors, so light is not usually a problem. Between around 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. the sun is harsh, so use the morning or afternoon. You do not usually need a shutter speed faster than about 1/250. You can get interesting effects by using a tripod and speeds from 1/8 to 1/30. Just remember that the longer the lens or zoom, the faster the shutter speed needs to be to keep it from blurring.

Birds

Larger pet birds usually sit relatively still on their birch, but I've had one or two fly around my studio, especially parakeets. Take a lot of shots so you have a good selection of expressions. Cockatoos look especially nice with their top feathers extended. Some birds like toys, and photos of them playing are fun.

Other pets

Some people have the oddest pets, such as pigs, porcupines, and snakes. For mammals, most of these suggestions apply. Reptiles don't have much of a personality, so a close up is often very effective. It gives a sense on intimacy with a creature that, to tell the truth, just isn't that way. ( for example, snakes and lizards )

Summary

We offer a CD with the full text of this report, plus much more, including sample portraits, diagrams of set-ups, and many more detailed instructions regarding the use of equipment, dealing with customers, pricing, costs, and paperwork. This CD is a great tool for professional photographers, even if you only do a few pets a year.

Productivity and Motivation - The Unemployment Blues

So, how long has it been? Two months? Six months? A Year?! How do you keep your productivity and motivation up while you are trying to find your next great job? It isn't easy, but these tips may help:

1. Stay in a routine If you normally wake up at 6:30am to get ready for work, wake up at that same time and get ready for your day. Since I am most productive in the morning, I set aside time in the morning to search the job boards and send out resumes. I would usually block out 2 hours to apply for jobs. But, once that block of time is up, move on to something else. You will find if you spend much more that 2-3 hours applying for jobs you will inevitably butt up against the law of diminishing returns.

2. Treat it as a blessing in disguise It's not too often that you have the time to radically alter your life and bring about that positive change you've been yearning for. Take a hard look at where you are in life and where you want to be. This is a good time for some serious introspection. If you weren't happy at your last job, think critically about what is going to make you happy.

3. Learn a new skill Nothing makes me more motivated than learning something new, and there's always something new to learn! Don't only look for the monetary payoff. Learn something that will bring purpose and happiness to your life. (e.g., photography, programming, triathlon, etc...)

4. Get out of the house Go outside and be active to get inspired! Volunteer for a cause that has meaning to you. Another great way to get out of the house is to get on http://www.meetup.com and find people with like interests to have coffee with.

Being unemployed is stressful and often filled with negative connotations. But by following some of these tips, you can help turn your time of unemployment into a time of self-discovery and career exploration. Use this time wisely to center yourself before your next big venture.

Taking Digital Photos - Do's and Don'ts to Improve Your Photography Skill

Almost all people may know how to take pictures but of course, it takes skills to take beautiful and appealing pictures. Of course, it is important that you take pictures that convey the message that you want to reach out to your audience.?

A photograph carries a message or an idea and you have to make sure that your photograph indeed conveys that message. It is also important as well to consider important elements of good photography. High quality pictures are not just pleasant to the eyes, it also captures the attention of your target viewers.?

If you want to learn a few tips in taking digital photos or how you can improve your photography skills, here are a few things that you might want to learn and keep in mind.?

- Do take high resolution pictures. Most digital cameras allow you to choose your output resolution and you have to choose those high resolutions as well. High resolution photos are easier to manage. Whether you want it bigger or smaller, you still have the detail of the subject, unlike low resolution pictures that will not allow you to enlarge the picture. Keep in mind to invest on a high capacity memory card so that you can also take many high resolution pictures as you want. Of course, high resolution pictures eats up a lot of memory in your digital camera as well.?

- Do shoot often to get the best picture or angle you want. One great advantage of taking digital photos is that, you can instantly delete photos that you don't like and take another one. Of course, the more shots you take, the more chances that you take a better angle and a better picture as well.?

- Do take note of the sun when shooting outdoors. One of the nightmares of photography is an underexposed or overexposed photo and this can spring from the bad use of light. Don't take a picture of someone who has his back on the sun as you will most likely get a silhouette in the photograph. Of course, if you do not intend it to be a silhouette, then you have to get rid of this position. On the other hand, your photo can also be overexposed if your subject is facing direct light, so make sure you have enough balance of light, and you have the proper positioning as well.?

- Don't ruin your photos with red eyes. Especially if you take pictures during the night or in places with low light, you may get a red-eyed subject when you use you camera's flash. One tip to help you in taking digital photos without the red-eye effect, use the red-eye reduction function that comes with most of the cameras today. You can also instruct your subject not to look directly into the lens so that their eyes won't reflect on the lens, producing the red eye. Of course, find a place with good lighting if that is possible as well.?

These are just a few things to keep in mind in taking digital photos, and remember as well that there are still other important tips that you have to take note too. When you have mastered these tips, you will surely be starting to take better photos over time.

A Passion For Photography - What Makes the Difference?

At one point or another, all beginning photography students (digital or otherwise) have to ask themselves one question. What makes the difference? Why is his work better than mine, or why is mine better than hers? I have been a Photographer for over 30 years. I have had 5 or 6 photography courses in my life (New York Institute of Photography, US Military Photography Training, etc.) and by far the most useful and enlightening training I ever had in photography, was NOT in photography.

Photography as a physical skill is not that hard to learn. Photography as a creative passion on the other hand, takes more than knowing the mechanics. The greatest influence on my photography career did NOT come from photography training, but instead can from ART training. As a graphic art major in college I learned things like: leading lines, composition, balance, repetition, the rule of thirds, etc. As you apply these types of lessons to your photography, you start to pull away from the pack.

Now a days, anybody can pickup a quality camera at a low price at places like Wal-Mart or Best Buy, but that does not make them a photographer. The photography Masters like Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, or Imogene Cunningham all had something in common, they knew how to visualize. They could all "See" creatively. I believe that comes from actually understanding "art" concepts and applying them to your photography.

I went to high school in a small town. I loved both photography and writing, but when I looked at the local community college they only offered two photography classes, so I mistakenly blew them off, thinking "what could they possibly teach me?" Boy was I wrong. Fortunately, on career day I met another photographer who was also head of the art department. That's when I started to learn to take things to the next level.

When students ask me now what they can do to increase their photography skills, I say learn more about art. Learn to think about what isn't there as much as what is (negative space). Learn why some pictures just don't feel right (formal and informal balance). Learn why some images just magically hold your attention more than others (leading lines, direction, and repetition). If you have a passion for photography, don't just dismiss other creative endeavors as "not your thing." Learn from the painter, potter, or sculptor how to put even more emotion into your work. As you do this, not only will your work improve, but you as a person are also lifted to new levels.

Online Photography Courses - What Are Snoots and Foils?

What is a snoot? What is a foil? How can you use them in your photography? Are they useful? Here these questions will be answered. Snoots and foils can be extremely useful in your studio setups. Once you have used these tools you won't look back.

Snoots are attachments that are connected to a lighting unit head to direct the light and concentrate it into a small area. Snoots come in various diameters and can narrow light to quite a small area. By using snoots photographers can aim light with great precision to hit a certain area of the subject. There is little or no spill over to other areas of the subject. The diameter of the end of the snoot and the distance the light is from the subject determine the size of the light spot.

Commercial snoots are usually black, come in various sizes and generally quite expensive. They are part of a range of light modifiers that are made for flash units (although they can also be used for stationary light) also including barn doors, grids, gel holders and other accessories.

The expense of snoots is where foils come in to play. Some photographers prefer to make their own snoots with a product called Cinefoil. This is something that is usually found in every professional photographer's studio along with Gaffer tape. This material looks like thick, matte black tin foil. Its thickness allows you to mold just about any shape with it for light modifying. So you now have a material to mold your own snoots to whatever size you want. The foil is heat and fire resistant so can be used with hot tungsten lights. The best way to adhere to a hot light source is to use metal clips as tape will melt.

Whatever method you choose, snoot or foil, you will find that this simple device will provide extreme directional and narrow light spots that can create dramatic and unusual lighting.

Tips on Becoming a Magazine Photographer

Whether you want to learn how to earn a full time living with photography or you simply want to make some money on the side, working with magazine photography is the way to go. There are so many things that you will be able to experience and be a part of when taking photos for a magazine. You can either become fully employed with a magazine of your choice or you can freelance and sell photos to all kinds of magazines based upon their current need. As a freelancer, you can easily make $300 to $800 per photo. If you have captured a great shot of a celebrity, the price most certainly goes up.

One of the first things you want to do if you are interested in this field is to become familiar with the type of cameras and film that will be best suited for your photos. Some people simply start out with the digital camera that they already have for their personal use. These cameras can work well for a little bit, but eventually you will want to move up to something a little more high tech.

Taking classes on photography is a good idea. These classes are the perfect way to make sure that you learn everything you need to know about lighting, focusing, placement, and shadows. A simple search through the yellow pages or the Internet should bring you to a few different places that are offering classes. There are also many online courses that you can take which will allow you to learn a great deal of information. Grabbing as many books on the subject is also a good idea.

If you want to freelance for magazines, you will need to study how to approach these magazines, as they are certainly not going to approach you, at least in the beginning. Each magazine will have its own set of guidelines on how they would like photographers to approach them. This means you need to buy magazines and study their content. Start by selecting three or four magazines you would like to submit photos to and learn about their requirements. Start slow as you begin so that you are not making too many mistakes.

One thing that you will have to remember is that not everyone is going to like your work. This does not mean that it bad. It simply means that they have a taste for something else. This is something that you will have to get used to, everyone does. If you cannot get used to it you may have a hard time fitting in within the field of photography.

The more you research and the more you practice, the better you will become. As long as you keep progressing forward, at whatever rate, you will find that everything will work out perfectly.

Children's Tea Sets - A Little Girl's Keepsake

A tea party is such a grown-up affair, but little girls love to join in the fun too. Tea parties for young ladies are unique and exciting events in which to celebrate those special occasions like birthdays and holidays. Any little girl will love hosting her very own tea party for her friends!

There is a wide variety of tea pots, cup and saucer sets and tea party favors that are made especially for the younger tea-loving set. Some items are sold separately, but there are many lovely gift sets that provide all the serving pieces needed for a complete and fabulous tea party. A tea party can even highlight your little lady's favorite toy or book. Sets, as well as individual items, come in well-known themes like the "Alice in Wonderland" Teapot, Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit mug set and Noah's Ark collectible teapot. These are just a few of the favorites. Other themed items include an adorable Leaping Lilly Frog teapot, as well as the Smiley Face cup and saucer set. Children will love hosting her very own birthday party with the ever popular Party Hat Teapot

Tea parties can offer little ladies a chance to dress up in fancy clothes and feel very special pouring and sipping tea with friends, mommies and daddies, or even their favorite stuffed animals or baby dolls. Whether elbow-length white gloves are in order with a favorite "ball gown" passed down from big sister or picked up from a local thrift store along with an over-sized, but elegant "floppy" hat with feathers perhaps, a tea party will provide treasured memories and often new family traditions to be passed down from generation to generation. The ideas are endless for setting the stage for your precious little lady's tea party. She can wear her Sunday best or simply her favorite pajamas. The most important thing about the event is the time spent together.

There are a few bonuses for the grown-ups too! A "formal" tea setting is a perfect occasion for little ones to learn and practice proper table manners, as well as learning the importance of thanking their guests with post-party thank you notes, to show their appreciation to their tea party guests for attending, and perhaps bringing a special gift to the hostess. While the little angels are enjoying their own tea time, it is a great time the swap stories with her guest's parents, while enjoying your own special blend of tea from one of your own heirloom tea sets.

Start building those special memories over an aromatic cup of tea! You will look forward to many more as your little lady grows into a young woman with many tea parties in her childhood memory bank. Her first tea set will be a treasured keepsake as she begins planning for socials of her own.

Film and Photography Schools - Training Opportunities

There are different opportunities available for those looking to enter into a career in film and photography. Students can choose from various levels of educational training as well as specialized areas of study. Once the decision is made to pursue a career in this field an educational path can be followed to help the student prepare for the career they dream of. Enrollment in an accredited school, college, or degree program will help to provide the skills and knowledge that will be needed for successful careers.

Film

Pursuing the education needed to enter into a career in film can be done by finding a school or college that offers the accredited training students need. Film professionals are trained to carry out a variety of tasks depending on the level of education and career they obtain. Studies can be completed at the associate, bachelor, and master degree levels, which will take two to six years. Students can prepare to work with radio news, documentaries, television, feature films, and much more. In order to gain the skills necessary for successful employment they will need to study various topics. Coursework may cover subjects like camerawork, budgeting, producing, scriptwriting, and much more. Career options include working as a key grip, gaffer, editor, and many other related professions. Students can start the path to the career they long for by learning more about the opportunities available.

Photography

There are a number of different career opportunities in the field of photography that students can prepare for by obtaining a higher education. Accredited schools and colleges are available to provide students with the career training that is needed to become photojournalists, artists, photographers, and much more. Students can earn an associate, bachelor, or master level degree by completing all required coursework and training. Length of training will vary but can last anywhere from two to six years depending on the level of education. Topics of study may include courses in arts and design, creative expression, film developing, image making, and much more. Once a higher education is received the skills and knowledge that are needed to enter into the workforce will be obtained. Students can prepare themselves for the career of a lifetime by finding the school or college that is right for them.

The field of film and photography allows students to train for a number of exciting careers. Although coursework will differ and career options vary, film and photography professions work in many of the same places. Students can look forward to receiving an accredited education in order to find work in graphic design, journalism, broadcasting, television, and many other related industries. Students who choose to train in media production will receive the career preparation that is needed to pursue a successful career.

Accredited film and photography schools provide various training opportunities to students allowing them to begin their desired career with the appropriate education. Different agencies like the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools ( http://www.acics.org/ ) are approved to fully accredit quality educational programs in order to provide proof of the best possible education. Start by enrolling in a program today.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Best Way to Start a Photography Business

So you have a digital camera and you are thinking of turning your photography hobby into a successful business. But where do you start? From a logo, to a website, blogsite, domain name, email account, business card, camera equipment, lighting equipment, accounting software -- you are feeling a little overwhelmed. The question is, what should you do first?

Identify the one action that will make the biggest impact

When starting any new business, you will have many things to do. The hardest part is knowing what to do first. Although, several things may be important, think to yourself, "what is the one thing that will make the biggest impact in launching my business?" For example, hiring a great accountant is important, but without any clients or income, this step will have very little impact in launching your business.

Biggest impact for photography businesses

Get a website! Getting a website will have the single greatest impact on starting a photography business. Certainly, word-of-mouth and referrals will bring you business as well. But, for example, if someone refers a business to you, what is the first thing you do? You go online and check out their website! Times have changed, getting a professional looking website is not difficult or expensive. There are many beautiful template photography website companies out there. You simply upload your own photos and content. You can even change the look of the website without any graphic design skills. Best of all, many of these companies help you set up your domain name and email accounts. These companies charge anywhere from $6 - $50/month on average. (Once your business is more established you may wish to hire a professional to design your website/blogsite - see branding below).

What content should be on the website?

Make sure to include your business name and location. So often I see photographers have forgotten to give their location! Don't have a studio or a physical address? That's okay. It is just important that you include the city and state/province that you work in. This is important for Google. You want your website to show up when someone searches for photography services in your city! For example, a potential client may type "Windsor Wedding Photographer" into a Google search. You want to make sure that you have mentioned on your website that you are a Wedding Photographer in Windsor!

Also, be sure to give your contact information - email and telephone number. It is ideal to have this on your "contact" page, and at the bottom of every page on your website. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to contact you!

Finally, write a little bit about yourself and what type of photography you do. People can't hire you if they don't know what you do!

What images should I put on my website?

Many new photographers worry that they don't have enough photos for a portfolio page. Don't worry! Less is often more. If you are starting a wedding photography business, put up some wedding related photos. Don't have very many wedding photos? Try this: go to your local florist and buy a beautiful bouquet. Then take some beautiful detail photos of it. Ask a friend if you can take some detail photos of her engagement ring and wedding band. Slowly, as you get more clients your portfolio will grow and you can add more photos. If you are starting a kids portrait photography business and you don't have a lot of photos of children - ask a friend if you can photograph her toddler for the website.

I am by no means suggesting that you lie to clients about your level of experience. These are just some ideas on how to get supporting images for your website. Also, getting out there and taking more photographs is a great exercise in photography!

Unsure of your company's identity? What about branding?

You always hear about people who haven't started their photography businesses yet because everything behind the scenes, (branding, logo, studio, etc), isn't perfect yet. They are afraid to start until everything is perfect. Chances are they will never be perfect - and they will never start. Your style and your company's identity will become clearer to you the more you photograph. For example, you may decide that would like to photograph newborns only to discover, from experience, that you don't have the patience. And you later realize that you really excel in the fast pace world of wedding photography.

Things to think about

There are many simple/plain website templates out there that you can choose from, if you are still discovering your style and brand. You can refine the your website's style later. Look at established companies - they are always updating their website's style! Don't wait until everything is perfect behind the scenes to start your photography company. You might just be waiting forever! Get your website up, because it is the one action you can take that will have the biggest impact on propelling your photography business forward. Good luck!

Is Using a Live Model or a Photo Reference Best When Drawing Portraits?

Before the invention of photography artists always had their subjects model for them in order to draw or paint their portraits. This practice is very deep in the tradition of portraiture. Of course, after photography became available artists' options for creating portraits were expanded. This included using photography as the final medium, as well as a tool to help create drawings or paintings without having the subject model for the artist in the studio. Today, many artists choose to use a combination of both approaches when doing portraits. There are also artists that use only on form or the other for various reasons. Each approach has pros and cons that will be discussed in this article.

Using a Live Model

Many artists will tell you that this is still the best way to create a portrait. It certainly has the most weight as far as tradition is concerned. It has been tried and tested through hundreds of years of practice. And in many ways, I think this is the most rewarding approach. It's very interactive, and the resulting portrait will capture the dynamics of the relationship between the model and the artist. There are some intangible qualities that this approach offers which are not possible using a photograph. From a technical standpoint, the values will be more precise and the artist will be able to see very subtle differences in the shading and highlights that are sometimes lost in a photograph. Of course, I'm not saying that these subtleties cannot be maintained by a good photographer. However, most average photographs lose those qualities to some extent. Similarly, a lot of smaller details can easily be lost in photo references. Small details in jewelry, for example, may be visible in person, but may not be able to be distinguished in a photo. Again, photographers that use larger negatives or more high-definition digital cameras can get good detail. But,chances are, if you are going to those ends to achieve that level of quality you probably should just be using photography as your final medium.

There are drawbacks to drawing from a live model though. First, it takes a lot more skill to draw from a live model. You are creating a two-dimensional image from a three-dimensional image. With practice, both can be done with equal effort, but for a beginner drawing from photographs is an easier way to begin. Also, models have to sit for extended periods of time. No matter how still the model attempts to be he/she will eventually change position. The longer they sit, the more drastic those changes will be. A good artist will be able to incorporate those differences into the portrait, but I have seen many novice artists really struggle with moving models. The other drawback to live modelling is the convenience factor. Long periods of time have to be set aside (usually more than once) to work on the portrait. These times have to be coordinated between the artist and the sitter. When just practicing this is usually not a big deal, but if you are trying to make a living drawing portraits it decreases your flexibility with your business hours and can become extra hard when you and your client live in different places.

Using Photo References

Just as many artists prefer to use only live models, others use photographs only as a basis for their portrait references. The benefits of using photos are directly related to the drawbacks of using a live model. Photos allow the artist to really analyze a person's face (or figure) without making the subject uncomfortable. While professional figure models may be used to classes of art students staring intensely at them for hours straight, many would-be portrait clients may feel a little uneasy with that. However, in order for the artist to get an accurate rendering he/she must look closely. Photographs also allow for the artist to draw the subject without the worry of positioning changes. And, of course, it doesn't require the subject to be present. This may be something that is important to either the subject and/or the artist.

The primary drawbacks to using photo references were listed in the above section. The most critical issue I have noticed about artists who work only from photographs is that the resulting drawings tend to be very flat and lifeless. This isn't always true, and it can be overcome by an artist who has also done a lot of drawings from live models. But it is easy to become too analytical and "stiff" when working from photos. I wouldn't recommend it as your only approach. If you choose to do most of your portraits by photo reference I would at least keep brushed up on figure drawing skills at a local figure drawing class with a live model from time to time.

So What's the Verdict?

My professional opinion is that portrait artists should find a way to use both techniques to some extent. Many artists today will arrange one sitting with the sitter to get some live sketches down. They will use the same sitting to take some reference photos to use to finish the portrait. This seems to work very well with a lot of people. It allows you to get the best of both methods.

The Art of Band Photography

Band photography also involves knowing what looks good in different image formats, sizes and resolutions, which will differ greatly between print and online publications. Band photography must also keep in mind what the band will be using the photographs in, as the style and requirements will be different for shooting CD cover art versus a series of press packet photos.

The two most important parts of good band photography consist of studying the photograph's composition and focusing on the picture's overall subject. In most cases, the most interesting band photographic pictures are those where the viewer will see some dynamic motion, or feel a sense of action. Posing for a picture often looks inauthentic, especially when it is attempted just to capture some sort of seriousness that band doesn't even have. However, if the band is laid back and willing to have a little fun, then the band photographer might be able to capture some humorous facial expressions or unconventional poses.

The tried and true band photo technique is pose or position band members in the photograph in the same manner as they would appear on stage. For example, the lead singer stands in front of the bassist, with the drummer behind them. Make sure that the subjects know that they do not have to gaze straight ahead into the camera lens. A location outside, like a park, a garage or inside a recording studio can also add variety to a band's photography shoots.

Some of the best band member photographs are taken as the band is jamming or practicing a set. Those times are the perfect opportunity for a Gold Coast event photographer?to snap a few candid moments, as well as capture a more intense side of the band. Inspiration for the art of band photography can be found all around you. Try looking in industry publications, professional musician magazines and local newspapers. If you want to emulate a specific band's photography, you might check out The Strokes' band shots. Their photo sessions are intense, and always feature lots of action. Remember, your band photography will be the best of how you make it, and you'll be well on your way towards greatness.

What Memory Cards Do 3D Camera Use?

The world of technology is a fast moving racing car; you probably remember how not so long ago, a 512Mb MP3 was a bottomless pit for music. Then soon enough it was filled, and more storage was needed. You might recall the 1GB removable storage, which then seemed endless but the storage space doubled to 2GB, then 4GB and kept rising.

Most 3D cameras of the major brands do not come with a memory card in the box; this means you will need to purchase the memory card for your camera by your own. The 3D cameras (most of them at least) have two slots for cards SD and SDHC slots. So you already know you will need one of them to be plugged at the correct slot, and have the same card reader to be able to transfer the files quickly to your computer.

There are two factors you may wish to check before you decide which memory card to buy for the 3D camera you own. The two factors will be storage size and Class (speed of reading and writing to the card).

Although the 3D cameras come with a SD slot, you can forget about them, these cards will function well only if you plan to use your 3D camera as a 2d regular digital camera. If you plan to use your 3D as 3D camera or camcorder, be aware that those cards will be too slow and too small for your needs.

Today if you wish to make the best of your new 3D camera, you will need to buy SDHC memory card with it. The SDHC memory card format means "Secure Digital High Capacity".

The new standard memory cards (SDHC) have larger storage capacities that start where the SD cards capacity ends at 4GB. The SDHC storage space goes from 4GB to 32GB which may sound much but as we know we find that when we have more storage space we tend to use it. The SDHC card that is a best seller at Amazon is the 16GB size card.

The second factor to check is the Class. There are 3 Classes to choose from: Class 4, Class 6 and Class 10.

These 'Class' ratings notify how fast the card is able to have data processed on it. The Class 4 is the slowest rate, while the Class 10 is the highest of this category.

The higher class rates 6 or 10 will you get better card processing speed and performance. If you plan on taking 3D movie clips you better buy the SDHC Class 6 (or higher). It is recommended that you refrain from the Class 4 or you will get slower information capabilities and poor 3D movie clips.

The prices of the SDHC Class 6 aren't that higher than the Class 4, so it is worth the investment in order to get the best results with the new 3D camera. People buy a 16GB SDHC card with a Class 6 or Class 10 for best performance of the 3D cameras.

How to Get Started As a Wedding Photographer

So you've graduated from photography school and are now looking to make a name for yourself, and somehow make a living at doing what you love, i.e. your photography, in the process. All well and good, right? But feasibly, how do you make this happen? Photography schools don't always prepare for what you can do once you graduate, so here's a few tips on how you can make a great living and also have the time to develop your name as a creative photographer in the process, all while working as a wedding photographer.

Though the idea of this may not get you all giddy inside-after all, you wanted a more artistic career-don't balk yet. The truth is wedding photography is not only great way to make a living (it's actually how most photographers make theirs, and it's also somewhat reliable income, as people always get married), but it's also a great way to hone your skills at portraiture-skills that can be further utilized in your artistic photography. Chances are, you may have already dabbled in wedding photography while you were at photography school, as it's often a great way for students to make some extra cash.

Here are some things to note if you're thinking of following this path:

• When You're First Starting Out, Offer Your Services at a Discount

Getting the bigger jobs isn't always easy if you haven't yet established yourself as a wedding photographer, but there are ways around this. Not everyone's budget is the same. Some couples can't afford the big-named photographers, and instead might welcome someone with talent, but isn't yet as renowned.

These are the clients you want to aim for, and though you'll be working at a discount, you'll be able to build your portfolio in the process, and your network as well. One of the things you'll want to ask for in return for the discount is referrals. Remember that people are always happy to recommend you, especially if you did a good job for them.

And as you're fresh out of photography school, you probably already know some friends who are getting married. To get you started initially, pose the idea to them of being their wedding photographer. This will get you well on your way to building your portfolio.

• Have a Professional Website

Nowadays a website is pretty standard for almost every business, but when it comes to photography, potential clients will definitely want to see your work. Directing them to a website is the perfect way to give them a taste of your talents. You may also get some extra work from it, as people in the area often search for local photographers on the Internet.

• Join Forces with Another Photographer

When it comes to weddings, photographers are often looking for photography assistants to work with them on shoots. Call some local photographers in your area and see if they might be in need of your services. This is another great way to gain some experience and build your portfolio, without actually having to do the groundwork on your own.

Local photography schools may also have postings from alumni or local photographers looking for students and recent graduates to work with them. Chances are, one of your photography school teachers may also have done wedding photography at some point in his/her career and may know other photographers they could recommend you to.

Working with a more experienced wedding photographer at first will also help you gain practical experience as you embark on your own career.

• Remember It's a Business

When starting out in wedding photography, be persistent. Remember that you're running a business and treat it as such. You might want to even take a few business courses when you're starting to understand that side of it as well. And keep in mind that any career takes time to build, but this is definitely one that will be worth your while.

As a student fresh out of photography school, I made quite a good deal of money doing wedding photography and had the time and freedom to develop and further my artistic photography. Just be sure you don't lose focus on the artistic side of yourself as well.

Computer Forensics Career Overview

Computer Forensics is a field that continues to grow in record numbers year after year. As computer technology becomes ever more ubiquitous, the effectiveness and relevancy of this specialization becomes more useful in criminal cases. Common crimes that are investigated using computer forensics are: identity theft, online fraud, embezzlement, child pornography, and hacker activity. The amount of identity theft, unethical activity, and embezzlement going on in the white color business world becomes more sophisticated, which makes this particular aspect of computer forensics more relevant in today's world.

So, lets back up a step and give you a basic definition of what computer forensics is all about. Computer Forensics analysts gather digital evidence that can be used in a court of law. They spend their time gathering particular incriminating evidence from computers, and other devices such as PDA's and cell phones. Individuals in this career may have different sub specialties, but the end goal is usually the same and that is to gather evidence to support a case.

Typical Duties For Computer Forensics Analysts

On a typical day, you may spend time searching through files, looking for keywords or dates of interest where activity relating to the alleged crime may have occurred. You may also need to search through Internet history files to find out For example, if you are looking for evidence of the consumption of child pornography, you may need to search through historical data on their Internet usage, including deleted pictures, files, or emails that might include incriminating evidence. If you find that they have been visiting known sites that convey this material, it can be used in your official findings or downloaded to a disk for evidence in a court of law.

Child pornography is just one of many uses of Computer Forensic Analysts. Law enforcement agencies need to have these tech savvy, specially trained individuals on staff in order to find evidence of other cyber crimes as well. You may spend a day investigating a ring of identity theft victims who have fallen victim through phishing scams or other related attempts to gain sensitive bank account information. Some of these operations may have several people involved in identity theft rings. Tracing IP addresses, which provides locations where a computer being used in the scam is a common practice. This information can then be passed to the law enforcement officers in the field to obtain a warrant and confiscate computers at a particular residence or place of business. Computer Forensics is also used widely in violent crimes and homicide cases where emails or files on a computer can be used to incriminate a suspect.

Employment & Career Options

Most individuals work in either a law enforcement office such as a local police department or the FBI. Another option is to find employment with a private computer forensics agency. The FBI has a team named CART, which stands for Computer Analysis and Response Team, which has a primary function of computer forensics tasks related to large national level cases. It is common in these types of cases for a suspect and a victim to reside in other states, due to the nature of the Internet. It is for this reason that FBI agencies work closely with local law enforcement offices in an effort to solve cases and gather evidence.

Others may choose to work in private firms, which are often contracted with to monitor criminal activity that may be going on inside a large corporation. Common examples of crimes investigated in large companies range from embezzlement to sexual harassment cases. Where there is a will to commit crime through the use of computer technology, there is a need for a trained computer forensics analyst to solve the crime.