Fashion Of The 1940s And Industry

The fashion industry is a cut-throat industry. Often aspiring designers can't just climb their way to the top, they have to claw their way there, and most never make it. However don't be discouraged, a handful of them do make it. I think that it would be the more career savvy decision for you to move to the United States, preferably New York City. However, the choice is yours. Montreal and Toronto are both modern, great cities that I'm sure would have plenty of opportunities. However, if you really want this, my advice would be to move to NYC. I don't really know if successful European and American designers travel to Canada to help students, but I'm sure if you enroll in a fine design school in Canada you would have some designer guests, as most schools do.

The International Academy of Design and Technology (located in both Toronto and Montreal), the Ontario College of Art and Design, the Seneca College of Applied Arts & Technology, and the Superior Fashion School of Montreal are all great schools that you might want to look into, if you haven't already. I have no idea as to what your odds are when it comes to working with designers like Dior and Dolce and Gabbing, nobody can really determine that.

It's all really a matter of how badly you want it, and how hard you are willing to work. I don't really think the five best fashion jobs in Canada differ from the five best fashion jobs in any other country. Also, I don't think anyone can determine what the five best fashion jobs are in any major country/city, as it is all just a matter of taste. Merchandising, marketing, photography, journalism....the list is endless. Fashion in Canada is nowhere near as in demand fashion is in Europe and the USA. If you want the REAL fashion industry, head to New York, Paris, or Milan.

The 1940's was a very glamorous era in the history of fashion. The stars of the day that you would probably be interested in researching would be: Katharine Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Spencer Tracy, Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Lauren Bacall, and Humphrey Bogart. Each of these stars had a style all their own. Kate Hepburn, especially helped usher in a new style, in that she always wore slacks, she was hardly ever seen in gowns or skirts, this was extremely rare for that day, she was definitely ahead of her time. Women of the 1940's emulated what they saw on the screen. For instance, women had their eyebrows either tweezed or painted on very thin and very defined.

They also wore their lipstick in what was called a "cupid's bow" which was where the upper lip was accentuated rather than the fuller, bottom lip.

The hair was worn in a loose "finger wave." If you really want to see a true lady of the 1940's, I suggest you rent the movie "Chinatown," Faye Dunaway's character Evelyn really captures a woman of the 1940's.

Back to clothing, silk stockings were a wardrobe staple for any 1940's woman. However, the United States was rationing silk, being in the midst of World War II. So the only silk stockings woman could get their hands on had a very noticeable line down the back of them. In order to hide this, women would take a permanent marker and draw down the back of their legs in order to hide the large run in their stockings.

The basic silhouette for women from the 40's was broad shoulders, a small corseted waist and full hips. Fabrics were very light as many new synthetics were being introduced. Also, while Hollywood glamour was very 'in', the US was at war at the time, rationing was in effect and many women were not able to afford things like pantyhose and stockings. One thing women did at the time was draw a line of the back of the leg to make it look like they were wearing stockings, even if they weren't. (silk stockings had seams). Shoes had a heel and a slight platform. Round toes, peep toes and ankle straps were common. If you're looking for famous 40's women to model your look after I'd look for images of Veronica Lake, Rita Hayworth or Ingrid Bergman. All had the classic '40's' look.

One of the most effective ways of communicating 40's fashion is through hair and make-up. Hair was worn long, smooth with intricate finger waves. Make-up was striking and simple. A dramatically arched brow, liquid black liner (ONLY on the upper lid) and bright classic red lipstick. But very matte, no gloss ever. You mentioned the New Look, but that style didn't debut until the late 40's and didn't become more popular until the 50's. With the new look shoulder silhouettes became more 'soft', the waist was worn more tightly corseted and hips became even fuller.

How To Market A Pet Photography Business

So you would love to make money by combining your love of photography and pets by becoming a professional pet photographer. You have a camera, know how to use it and can snap a pretty decent photo but you haven't a clue as to how you are going to go about finding business.

Well you are about to discover one of the most easy, simple and low cost ways known to get flooded with business and clients fast!

You simply create "Free Portrait Certificates" that you print off on your computer.

Think about it. Who wouldn't like a free professional portrait of their lovable precious pet? And what pet owner could possibly resist purchasing some of the adorable extra poses you will be taking and showing them?

This is one of the most effective and low cost ways you could ever use to start and market your own full time or part time home based pet photography business.

Once you design and print off your free portrait certificates, whom do you give them to? Why pet owners of course. How do you find hundreds of pet owners without advertising for them? Well there are several very good ways to do it. One of my favorites is setting up a "Joint Venture" with your local pet store or pet groomer.

Your potential customers are already someone else's customers who are spending their dollars on pet care products and services. You joint venture with those types of businesses and help your local pet store or groomer to please their customers better and "Reward" all those faithful and appreciated customers with a Free 30 minute professional photography session and a "Free 8X10 Professional Portrait" of their pet.

The pet shop or animal groomer wins by looking good to their customers by giving them one of your free portrait certificates. The customer wins by receiving a free portrait of their pet taken by you and you will win more often than not, when the pet owner orders extra pictures of the poses you shot and he or she refers all of their fellow pet loving friends to you for a Free Professional Pet Photography Session and Free Portrait of their own pet dog, cat, bird or exotic pet!

This is an offer to good for most pet lovers to pass up and that is why it can attract all the business you can handle provided you know what you are doing and set things up right so everyone wins! But as good as this offer is it doesn't even come close to my secret magic marketing system for photographers!

© 2006 Steve Shulenski

Combine Photography And Science To Become A Biological Photographer!

There are several scopes of photography. When we think about the variety of photographers, our minds typically gravitate to high fashion photographers, creative landscape photographers, or modern still-life photographers, but there are still other types of photographers like that of the biological photographer whose photos are very important to the scientific world. Unlike the glamorous photographers of the high fashion world, careers opportunities for biological photographers are available and growing.

Using photographic and digital technology, biological photographers produce photographs, prints, slides, video, etc of medical and biological events and subjects to illustrate books and magazines as well as for use in teaching and diagnosis in the biological, medical, and health science fields.

Biological photographers of old used to take photos of what they saw using a microscope. Today, these professionals use much more advanced techniques and are skilled to use state-of-the art photography equipment including electron microscopes, high-speed cinematography, and slow-motion/stop-motion photography to capture life images.

Duties are not just regulated to producing photomicrographs. Biological photographers also photograph operating room procedures and are involved in television production. They assist doctors in determining cause of death by filming surgical or autopsy procedures. These recorded images are oftentimes instrumental in helping to solve a crime. Other captured images can be used to help diagnose ailments of individual patients.

Shooting medical and biological images require the biological photographer to be skilled in two areas: science and photography. One must have a basic understanding and interest in the biological and medical sciences as well as a thorough knowledge of photography. This profession gives an individual a unique opportunity to professionally contribute to creative world of photography while benefiting the medical and science fields.

Because of the complexities of today's technology, biological photographers must have skills to work with photographic equipment as well as medical and scientific instruments such as microscopes and computers They must also have a general background in the sciences and a healthy understanding of medical practices and surgical procedures. In addition, they must have knowledge of human, animal, and plant anatomy and physiology.

The field of bio photography has grown from a supporting field to an integral part of the medical and science profession. Career opportunities are available in hospitals as well as throughout the academic field, including medical, dental, eye, and veterinary schools. Biological photographers are also needed in the government sector and business industry, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and pharmaceutical companies and publishing houses. The demand for them is high because there are so few in the field. The average annual salary such a job is between $30,000 and $40,000.

Natural Light Photography - 3 Tips For Taking Good Pictures

In a world full of built-in flashes and cameras with automatic everything, it's easy to forget how rewarding natural light photography can be. Although getting great results without studio lighting equipment can be more challenging, using natural light can make you a more skilled photographer and often creates some truly stunning images. Many of photography's greatest minds swore by working with the environment rather than manipulating it. If you are up for the challenge, here are a few things to remember before shooting:

Control Your Light

You may not always be able to control the clarity or level of natural light, but you can always change how it interacts with your subject. For example, when you take pictures in your house, you can open or close the curtains or blinds to change the amount of light coming into the room. This is also a great tactic for creating targeted directional light. If you're in a room with two light sources like windows, you can always cover one side to get the focus and direction of light that you want. Try moving around buildings and structures to see how your movement changes the way your pictures end up.

Watch Out for the Sun

Though it sounds reasonable that the best time to attempt natural light photography is when the sun is brightest, high noon is actually quite the opposite. The bright and sharply directed light found in the middle of the day can lead to hotspots, high contrast, and stark shadows. If you're looking for these qualities in your images then noon may be a good time to shoot, however if you're interested in soft portraits or subtle color scales you'll find much better results in the early morning hours. Morning air and light has a crisp clarity that is hard to describe, but you'll immediately see the difference in your pictures. Additionally, you'll find that overcast days are perfect for the natural lighting of subjects; images will be bright but free of harsh directional shadows.

Control Your Speeds

If you use a film camera instead of digital, you should use a medium range film speed like 400 to make sure you'll be able to shoot in most lighting situations. High and low speed films are incredibly situational and may end in your working around available light rather than with it, which can be time-consuming and cause missed shots. It's a good idea to choose a shutter speed for the day (you'll soon get good at judging this with some practice) and only adjust the F Stop or vice versa. The fewer things you have to worry about during your shoot, the more "in" the moment you will be.

Shooting with natural light can be one of the most fun or most frustrating experiences a photographer can have. As you use work more regularly in natural light photography, you will see more successes and less mistakes. As always, remember to keep it fun and everything should turn out just fine.

Learn Digital Photography - Focus on These Three Things

Starting out with any new venture, or for that fact resurrecting an old venture, there are always the questions where do I start or how do I start? Although the urge is there to try something big, starting at the beginning is essential. Learn to take baby steps first.

If you've watched the old time classic movie the Sound of Music, it's "let's start at the very beginning". A very good place to start. So beginning your photography journey you need to look at three fundamentals in order to get going. 

1. Get to know your camera

Getting to know your camera is essential for your beginning in photography. A workman who is not competent with the tools of the trade is not going to get very far. I am not talking here of every single little feature but rather all the major features, settings or controls. You need to be able to operate without thinking and often times while you aren't looking at the controls. Know where they are by feel so that as you're looking through the viewfinder you can change settings automatically. Do this little exercise and you'll get to know them fast. Go through your manual and go through each setting on your camera. When you are finished go through it again; this time checking off all the settings you know. Then go through the manual again and learn those settings that you are not sure of. By logically working through your manual and getting to know the camera's features will be invaluable as you learn photography.

2. Shoot regularly and on every occasion

One of the major benefits digital photography has given us is the ability to take photos without the cost restrictions of film. The problem is that people use this to the detriment of calculated and thoughtful composition of their photos. But if used correctly, digital gives the ability to keep shooting without any constraints. The reason I see that shooting regularly is key to learning is because practise does make perfect. Through trial and error we learn about most things in life. Sometimes you do get a lucky shot amongst the rapidfire shooting sprees but this is the exception. The famous golfer Gary Player always said, "the harder I practise, the luckier I get." Use every occasion to practise and then compare images you have taken previously. Evaluation helps to examine your photos and find out where you can improve. But don't just stop there. Go out and improve the areas you need to and practise more in the areas where you have deficiencies. 

3. Focus on the fundamentals of photography

Learning the basics properly is key to anything you do. If you give yourself a good foundation and learn the fundamentals you are going to get off on the right foot and not make the basic errors which need correcting. Find a really good book or e-course take each element of photography and apply it. Don't try learning a bunch of keys and attempt put them all into one photo at once. Learn good composition before trying to shoot action photos. Rome wasn't built in a day but our instant society has taught us that we can everything and have it now. It doesn't work like that with photography. It has step be a logical progression as you learn one step then apply it and move on to the next step. Don't forget to keep on revising what you have learnt as you need to build on to the foundation of the previous step and so on.

These three steps are just some basics to get you going. There are many others that you gradually need to incorporate into your photographic learning journey. It's not all going to happen at once so you need to grasp just a few of the basics to start growing. 

Photography - Choosing a Film Or Digital Wedding Portrait Photographer

So you're looking for a wedding photographer but can't decide which one to choose because you don't know whether to hire a film or digital photographer. For a client who does not know about photography, it can be confusing.

In the wedding photography industry, most are digital wedding photographers. There are only a few film shooters left in the industry. The film shooters are usually the hardheaded, old fashion photographers who refuse to change their gear and prefers to work with something that they can feel/touch or smell.

In the older days, processing films took a lot of time to just print one photo. One has to have a dark room to do all the processing. Here are some of the steps to process films so that you know:

繚 First step is to remove the film in the film canister, then pour several pre-measured chemicals to process the film.
繚 Once the film is processed, the film then becomes a negative where it can be placed on an enlarger.
繚 The enlarger then shines a light through the negative to make a print from it (of course, there are the test strips to figure out the timing and color).
繚 Once the paper print is exposed with the right amount of light, it then goes through a series of chemicals that is timed precisely.
繚 Finally, the print can then hang or goes through a dryer to dry.

It really is time consuming and a lot of work. Now a days, it is not practical to do so due to its negative impact on the photographer's time, environment, and the overall cost. Today, professional photographer use top-notch professional digital camera bodies. The digital bodies are a godsend since photos that was just take can viewed right away. As a portrait or wedding photographer, this is one big reason to have a digital camera. Photographers wants to know the second they shoot the photo if it was exposed properly. Imagine photographing your wedding or portrait with a film just to learn that when the photographer gets home that it was improperly exposed.

So what is the benefit shooting film: zero. Truthfully, a film-wedding photographer will shoot less due to the cost of processing their films and buying the rolls of films. Also, if you are the type that want the negative copies, having the film in your hand is a little harder to share with your relatives since you have to have it scanned and upload to your favorite website. That's more money out of your pocket.

There are more benefit shooting a digital camera: Immediate feedback, no chemicals or canisters to throw in the environment, easier to manipulate in Photoshop, 1000-2000 or more shots during a wedding or events, the photographer can manipulate the negatives, copy it to a DVD or CD, and upload it to a website to share to your family.

Lastly, photographers like the fact that they can try to be more creative and push the envelope to get what they want and digital photographers are able to do this more so that a film photographers. The best reason to hire a digital photographer is because you can get instantaneously view your photo's online or upload them in your Facebook or Myspace type social networking websites within hours. So, choose your wedding photographer wisely.

How To Become A Photographer Without Background Knowledge

Maybe you have a camera, enjoy taking photos and wish to become a professional photographer. Or else you don't have a camera but you are seriously contemplating buying one as well as wanting to produce some extra income through digital photography.

Learning to be a digital photographer is achievable. Should you not intend to make an income as a journalist digital photographer, you don't need formal certification classes. You can study as you go and gradually grow to be competent at digital photography.

If you wish to take high quality photographs, you'll need a photographic camera with a resolution having a minimum of 5 mega pixels. With this resolution it really is easier to post process your photos so they can be printed out at a good quality size. Additionally a five mega-pixel resolution is what you'll need in order for your photos to get accepted on Microstock photography websites to sell your photos on the internet.

Once you've accumulated a lot more knowledge and have clearer ideas of the sorts of pictures you want to capture, you'll be able to purchase a higher-end of the range digital SLR camera along with a quick zoom lens.

Snap as many pics as you can. At the start, you'll want to snap as many different types of photos as you possibly can, and while in the process you'll figure out how to master "you guessed it" - your camera, by just checking the final results.

Concurrently, you will make selections of your photographs to produce a portfolio which you'll need for your prospective customers. Some of the most common themes include things like landscaping, portraits, wedding celebrations, pet photography to name a few. For instance to build up your stock portfolio for landscape photography you may want to capture photos of surroundings which are typical in your community or city. In case you are invited to a wedding ceremony you can practice taking photos of the marriage and ask for comments from the bridegroom and bride. For portraits, you can begin by snapping photographs of buddies, colleagues, and loved ones.

Specialization. This really is your decision and it also depends upon the marketplace. If you want to capture pictures and then sell them on the internet, you would then possibly not need to specialize. The reason being to become prosperous at marketing photos on the internet you'll need to snap photographs that will sell.

Learning how to be a professional photographer will be painless for those that have a love for this well-liked leisure activity, and you will find photography is a very appealing community to work within when you discover that each image you're taking is unique.