Digital Photography For Beginners - Dare To Be Different

Poor, lifeless, or simply lacklustre photos are often triggered through idleness. Regrettably, a lot of photography enthusiasts, amateurs and even professionals, will approach a photograph assignment having a pre-created preconception of attack - mostly from either their own set style (and attempting to be cautious) or not wanting to go against the grain of acceptance. Rarely will the digital photographer take one step back, lower their camera for a few seconds, and size-up the job in hand before proceeding. Instead, a lot of us will execute the photo in the position we initially perceived the topic, never thinking to review the possibilities and the environment first.

Consider this. A well-known and respected world class digital photographer once stated "Look at it like this - the subject you wish to photograph is the nucleus of an atom. You, the photographer, are the electron spinning around the subject until you find just the right angle and distance. Not until then will you have successfully evaluated every aspect of that subject and its possibilities." Furthermore, he added, "Just the slightest move to the right or left, up or down has the potential to make or break the photo. Don't be in such a hurry to finish and leave."

This is why I say to you "Dare To Be Different". Some time ago I attended an Advanced Photography Workshop which was held over a beautiful summer's weekend. A large number of photography enthusiasts accompanied me. On Day One we spent the whole morning in a popular wedding venue with the models for a photo session where everybody was directed and challenged to consider photographs they'd not usually do. After the session, everybody was told to review and select their 10 favourite images ready for appraisal during the session the next morning.

What I believe everybody found so interesting was that although we had all worked with the very same models, with the potential for carrying out exactly the same poses, actually everybody had chosen to see things from different angles, and therefore generate highly creative poses. This was purely down to the fact that they had been instructed before the shoot to challenge their normal limitations, and "think outside the box". Instead of just charging in, which is easy and habitual to do, the photographers were taking that proverbial 'one step back' before taking each shot. Subsequently, each attendee genuinely presented a totally different group of images to one another and, most importantly, really set themselves apart.

So next time you are out with your camera, remember this most simple, but effective, digital photography trick. Take a step back and think carefully about the various ways that you might take the photograph. You may be pleasantly surprised just what the finished result is.

Famous Slovaks - A Look at 5 Slovak Inventors and Their Most Important Inventions

For such a small country, Slovakia boasts a number of great inventors who played an important role in making our world a better place to live in. Here is a look at five Slovak inventors and some of the inventions that made them famous.

Jozef Murgas - inventor of the radio

Of course, history records Marconi as the inventor of the radio. However, the truth is that while Marconi was able to finance the necessary patents, the actual person behind the invention was a priest, born in Tajov, in Slovakia, called Jozef Murgas.

Murgas emigrated from Slovakia to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, where he soon devised a system that greatly improved Morse code. His "Rotary-spark-system" allowed for faster communication, through the use of musical tones.

The new invention was patented as the "Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus". He also patented 16 more inventions in this field, which would go on to lay the foundations for the invention of the radio.

Unfortunately, a lack of money as well as a number of financial setbacks, eventually led Murgas to give the younger, more prosperous Marconi, the rights to all of his patents.

Stefan Banic - inventor of the parachute

Born in Nestic, in Slovakia, Banic emigrated to America when he was 37 and found work as a coal miner in Pennsylvania. There he witnessed a tragic accident in 1912, which led Banic to build a prototype of a parachute and register it with the U.S. Patent Office.

On the 3rd June 1914, Banic demonstrated how his parachute worked, by jumping from a building in Washington. He then kindly gave away his patent rights to the U.S. Army and although his invention proved extremely important during WWI, he received little fame or fortune.

Wolfgang von Kempelen - inventor of the typewriter for the blind

Born in Bratislava, Kempelen worked in the service of Maria Theresia, the then ruler of the Habsburg Empire. A recognised genius, Kemplen's many achievements include the invention of a speaking machine, in 1791, and a special typewriter for the blind.

However, the most famous invention he is credited with, an automated chess player known as The Turk, later proved to be a hoax.

Jozef Maximilian Petzval - inventor of the opera glass

Petzval is considered by many people to be the founder of modern photography. An excellent mathematician, he was given the chair of Mathematics at the University of Vienna, in 1837.

He is mostly renowned for his work on optical lenses in the 1840's, which proved instrumental in the construction of the modern camera. Petzval is also remembered for greatly improving the telescope, as well as inventing the opera glass.

Jan Bahyl - inventor of the petrol motor-driven helicopter

Born in Zvolenska Slatina in 1845, Bahyl is perhaps the greatest of all Slovak inventors. During a career in the army, Bahyl was able to work on a number of inventions, many of which involved hydraulics. Bahyl's first notable invention, which he financed with his own money, was the Steam Tank. The Russian army bought the invention, which enabled Bahyl to dedicate his life to inventing.

Among his many inventions were the tank pump, an air balloon combined with an air turbine, the first petrol engine car in Slovakia and a lift up to Bratislava castle. However, he is probably best remembered for the construction of a petrol motor-driven helicopter, which he flew himself, in 1905.

Photography Marketing Tip - 8 Steps to Getting Free Exhibits of Your Photography

How's your photography business doing? Is the telephone ringing as much as you want it to?

Most Photographers Don't Understand That The Backbone To The Photography Business, The "Engine" If You Will, That Drives The Photo Business, Is Getting Lots And Lots Of Qualified People To Know You Exist, And To Call You Now.

And the single, most effective way to market your photography business is through EXHIBITS of your photography throughout the community where your target market lives, shops, eats, has her hair done, etc.

You see, the "job" of your photo marketing is not to get the phone to ring a lot. It's to get the phone to ring with QUALIFIED, EDUCATED prospects who like your work and honestly feel they just might want to work with you. It makes your sales work on the telephone much easier! And it saves you a lot of time on the telephone, talking with people who end up not being qualified at all.

Here's 8 steps to getting FREE exhibits of your photography all over town:

Step #1. Order the least expensive 16x20's of your best work. I recommend you order two or three of each image, as the duplicates are less costly. Many times I use the same portrait in several of my exhibits around town. No problem. (Start with 16x20's. You can go up in size later as cash flow allows.)

Step #2. Travel around town and make a list of at least 20-25 places where you would LIKE to have an exhibit. I recommend you not waste your time, at least not to start, with franchises. Look for locally owned and operated businesses.

Here's the most effective places I have found work the best:

Malls, Movie Theaters, Restaurants, Hair Salons, Office Buildings with high traffic, Children's clothing stores, Bridal Stores, Banks, Performance Halls, Book stores,

Step #3. Next, begin by picking the top 5 places on your list where you really want an exhibit, and put on your calendar what day you are going out to talk with them within the next week. It must be in your schedule, or you won't do it.

Step #4. Suggestion: Don't call ahead. Just walk in, unannounced, carrying two 16x20 framed portraits under your arms. One of a child, and one of a bride. I never call ahead of time. Just walk in and ask for the owner.

Step #5. Talk in terms of how they can benefit. You are NOT asking for a favor. Not at all. What you are doing is presenting a "Joint Venture" marketing plan for both of you. And be ENTHUSIASTIC about this! (More on exactly how to do this in an upcoming article!)

Step #6. When they say yes, let them know you will be back in a few days to put the exhibit up. You are going to custom make it for them, to go with their decor, etc.

Step #7. Put the exhibit up either on the walls, or on easels. If you use easels, use different heights, some high, and some low, and be sure to use several rather large baskets of silk flowers mixed in with the easels, to add to the beautify of it, and to help hide some of the legs of the taller easels.

Step #8. On the day you put the exhibit up, be sure to take some high quality ambient light photos of the exhibit, so you can add them to your portfolio of displays, and show them to everyone else you talk to about getting exhibits. (More on this in my next article, too.)

Your key to success lies within the actions you take. You need to do the right things - those things that are PROVEN to work - but you DO HAVE TO TAKE ACTION!

All the best

Wide Angle Wedding Photography

At weddings, there are a few things you're definitely going to want to shoot with a wide-angle lens.

1. The throwing of rice (of course, they don't actually throw rice anymore). You'll want to shoot this with a wide-angle lens so you get the bride, groom, and just as important the crowd throwing the rice (or rice byproduct) behind and around them.

2. You'll need this type of lens when shooting the interior of the church. The bride is going to expect a photo that takes it all in and your wide-angle lens will be your Get Out of Jail Free card when it comes to covering this all-important shot.

3. Group shots of the bridal party. This should be obvious but not always. I can't tell you the amount of times I watched family and friends standing far away from the group with a long portrait lens. Using a wide lens with group shots will allow you to get the entire wedding group into the shot.

4. Lastly, you'll want your wide-angle lens for shooting the bouquet toss and garter toss, so you can get both the tosser and the anxious crowd waiting to capture the prize (so to speak). Go wide, shoot from in front of the bride, and you'll get it all in one shot (but don't just take one shot this is where a burst of shots will pay off).

Tip - Whatever you do, under no circumstances, never use a wide-angle lens for a close-up portrait. If you do use a wide-angle for those single bride or groom shots you could easily distort the face, enlarging noses, etc. and that's a big no-no if you're looking for referrals. It's a big-nose no-no!

Go online now to search a free online Photography Community. Look for an online photography blog or forum site to post your questions about all your photography interests. Finding a Photography Community is the best way to learn more about photography with little or no expense.

Best of luck in all your photo shoots!

The Best Scuba Diving Along the West Coast of Sabah, Borneo

When Divers visit Kota Kinabalu the diving trip that all Dive Operators will promote to you is going diving in the local Marine Park - Tunku Abdul Rahman (TARP). The Marine Park is located 15 - 30 minutes by boat transfer from Kota Kinabalu and includes five islands - Pulau Sapi, Gaya, Sulug, Mamutik and Manukan. There are around 20 different dive sites in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park plus a few more dive sites at nearby Edgell Patches (which is home to deeper, healthier coral reefs). Scuba diving around TARP is ideal for divers looking for chilled out diving along pretty coral reefs. It is also suitable for rebreather training through to experienced leisure divers. The dives range in depths from 5m to 35m and tend to have little or no current and good visibility. During your dives you will find good quality coral coverage and a surprisingly wide variety of marine life - a real divers find considering you are only 15 minutes by boat from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Further south of Kota Kinabalu, approximately 30 nautical miles South West, is Pulau Tiga. Pulau Tiga is located in a Marine Park meaning the reefs are protected for conservation purposes by Sabah Parks. At Pulau Tiga there are around 8 dive sites (mainly South and West of the Island). Here you can enjoy scuba diving some unexplored, pristine coral reefs and generally be the only divers in the water. The dive depths range between 6m - 20m, the visibility is generally 5m - 20m with occasional strong currents on certain dive sites. This makes dive trips to Pulau Tiga suitable for experienced leisure divers, some drift diving and lots of underwater photography! During a scuba diving trip to Pulau Tiga you will dive by large coral covered pinnacles, coral bombies and busy cleaning stations. The hard and soft corals are breath taking, including large colourful barrel sponges adorned with Feather Stars, Whip Coral, Table Coral, Gorgonian fans and more. Look out for an amazing variety of marine life including large beds of Anemones and Clown fish, large shoals of Damsel Fish and Antheas, darting Fusliers, Nudibranches, schooling Barracuda, Blue Spotted Rays, Cuttle Fish, Lobsters and more.

If you fancy diving somewhere unique along the west coast of Sabah then look no further than a scuba diving trip to the 'white rocks' located near Mayne Rock. The unique underwater landscape creates a special scuba diving experience. When you go scuba diving at Mayne Rock you will find two series of large white boulders (approxmately 100m apart), raising from the sea bed from 7m - 25m, surrounded by large shoals of fish and adorned in hard and soft corals. Alongside this you'll have the chance to dive along a slightly shallower, pristine undulating coral reef. Divers who have bneen diving the coral reefs at Mayne Rock are often impressed by the visibility and the health of the reefs. When diving at Mayne Rock you will get occasional strong currents - this makes it a dive trip suitable for experienced leisure divers. During a dive trip to Mayne Rock you can expect to spot a wide variety of marine life including shoals of Fusiliers, Barracuda, Yellow Snappers, Bat Fish, Juvenile Nurse Sharks, Lion Fish, Trumpet Fish, Nudibranches, large Puffer fish, Lobsters, Anemone Fish and much more. Expect to find marine treasures around every corner as you explore the large boulders and their crevices.

Fancy a scuba diving adventure? Then go wreck diving at one or more of the three, large Usukan Bay World War II Japanese wrecks. Wreck diving on the 'Usukan Wreck', 'Upside-down Wreck' and the 'Rice Bowl Wreck' is an awesome scuba diving experience. All of the wrecks lay in 26m - 45m of water and can have small to medium strong currents present, making them a wreck scuba diving adventure for experienced leisure divers (minimum PADI Advanced Open Water Diver) and technical divers. You can find a brief description of each wreck dive below.

The Rice Bowl Wreck

So-called because a cache of rice bowls was found in the bow when it was first dived, this is a relatively long vessel lying in a North Easterly direction in 40m at its deepest and 26m at its shallowest. The superstructure is punctured in many places, making exploration possible and interesting, and the metalwork is robust. The soft coral garden is memorable.

The Upside-Down Wreck

The name gives away the orientation of this ship, which lies in the same direction and at similar depth to the Rice Bowl wreck. This one has good swim-throughs, though a torch is essential and is good for exploring as well as a training ground for Wreck Diver specialty.

The Usukan Wreck

This is the deepest of the three at 35m - 45m and consequently only available to technical divers. We use rebreathers, but also support twin-tanks/Trimix and decompression diving if required. The wreck is interesting and has a spectacular whip coral coverage that can give it a frosted appearance in a certain light.

All of the wrecks are covered in stunning soft coral gardens and hard corals, teeming with fish life and home to an amazing range of marine life. Find schooling Barracuda, Nurse Sharks, large Groupers and large shoals of Yellow Snappers and Fusiliers. The variety of marine life makes scuba diving the wrecks a fantastic dive for the experienced Scuba Diver.

Finally, Pulau Mantanani (Mantanani Island), located approx. 40nm North West of Kota KInabalu, is the most northern dive destination along the west coast of Sabah. Home to palm lined beaches, clear tropical waters and shallow coral reefs it is a day trip to paradise for divers and non divers. Mantanani Island is a group of three isolated islands North West of Kota Belud, Sabah, Borneo. Until recently, the islands were only known to a few locals. The shallow coral reefs surrounding the islands have plenty to offer, for both novice and experienced scuba divers. The visibility can be as high as 30m - amazing! Juvenile Turtles are frequently spotted around Pulau Mantanani. Many species of rays have been spotted in the waters around Mantanani Island, Sabah, Borneo - Marbled Stingray, Blue Spotted Ray and large schools of Eagle Rays. For macro photographers the "muck diving" is good too - if you are lucky you can find Seahorses, Imperial Shrimps, Pink-Eye Gobies, Jaw fish, Blue-Ringed Octopus, Ribbon Eels and many types of nudibranches.

The best time to go diving the dive sites along the west coast of Sabah is from April to September (with April - June offering typically the best diving conditions). Please note that you might need flexibility on the date you go scuba diving at Pulau Mantanani as the sea state can, by exception during this period, be too rough to cross to the Islands.

Borneo Dream is the only Dive Operator, based in Kota Kinabalu, running diving day trips to all of these diving destinations. Want to find out more, then visit http://www.borneodream.com

Professions in Photography

Photography is an artistic skill adopted by some as a hobby while as a professional job by others. It is not only a specialized skill, but can also be a profitable one as well. Professional photographers capture amazing moments of our lives, and some gain a following of fascinated viewers over their great pictures. They display their work in newspapers, art galleries, and leading magazines.

Professional photographers nowadays have excelled to the point of providing great development to both the world of media and digital photography. Many have "stumbled" into it as a profession only because of its commercial value, such as photographers who are hired to take pictures of weddings, birthdays, graduations and other memorable life events.

Though potentially a profitable profession, photography is not just a skill learned through training, but the really creative ones tend to have a natural talent as well. Despite that, it is still important to learn different techniques to achieve good photography results. Learning different skills also complements and enhances natural talent.

Below are some optional fields for those who might pursue photography as a profession:

1. Advertising is a good area where a photographer is hired to provide photographs of market specific materials such as promotional brochures, catalogs, and annual reports.

2. You navigate through the bio-medical field. In this specialization, a photographer produces illustrations of different images related to medicine.

3. Digital imaging firms provide another source of photography needs.

4. Setting up a photo laboratory and studio is a possibility. You can use it to produce printed digital photos. This also helps you learn to manage equipment. From this experience, you will be able to provide services in other commercial studios, including schools located close to you.

5. You can find a job in the entertainment industry where a photographer takes on-set shots for various projects.

6. You might consider opening an art gallery where you allow other photographers to exhibit their work along side of yours.

7. Specialization in photojournalism. You can post your work on human interests, nature, behavior, etc. in magazines and newspapers.

8. Image editing and archiving are skills that can be learned as a profession. For example, you might catalog photographs in city libraries and even in schools. You can also become a photograph editor for some online web sites related to imaging.

9. Another means of earning an income is through portraiture. In this photographic profession, you typically earn commissions through public engagements and other commissioned works.

For those interested in a photography profession, the earnings potential is high. However, that projection is tempered by the fact that the photographer needs to develop expertise and a significant depth of understanding in the technology of this field.

Many beginners receive good advice from experts or mentors and religiously adhere to it. Others learn primarily through training and practice on their own. The best way to decide which specialized field to pursue is to tap into available professional resources who can provide details and clarity to your inquiries.

Capturing Life Through the Different Types of Photography

Capturing photos has always been a big part of people's lives. We all love to take pictures of ourselves, our relatives and friends whether or not there is a special occasion. But how much do we really know about photography? Here are some topics that will help us learn more about the importance and different types of photography.

Different Types of Photography:

1. Aerial Photography - This type of photography is best if you want to capture a beautiful landscape or if you want to take a top view of a certain place.

2. Amateur Photography - From the name itself, it is a type of photography that is done by someone who is not a professional in the field of photography.

3. Adventure or Action Photography - This is a type of photography which fits those who love adventure. The photographer takes pictures of sports events, daring feats, challenges and other adventurous activities.

4. Kirlian Photography - This is a type of contact print photography wherein an object that is touching a photographic plate is connected to a high voltage power source, therefore creating an aura that creates an image. This type of photography is sometimes called aura photography.

5. Time-Lapse - This is another type of photography wherein the camera is being setup in a special way so that it will be able to get photographs with long exposure and produce something indicates the passing of time while certain things are portrayed to be moving objects. One very good example of this type of photography is a picture showing a certain street with car lights shown as blurred lines.

6. Underwater Photography - As the term implies, this refers to photographs taken underwater. T^he photographer may take images under a pool, lake, river, or the sea to capture what's happening underneath.

7. Black and White Photography - Black and white photography is not just photography showing pictures in black and white. Black and white photography explores the shapes, tones, textures, art and the bare beauty of the subject or model. Two of the most important components of black and white photography are shadows and highlights.

These are just some of the different types of photography that anyone with a passion for the camera can explore. Photography itself has many uses, the most common of which are for artistic expression and for business promotion. But for those who simply love to immortalize moments as they pass by, photography of any type is going to be very useful.