Black and White photography is coming back into great popularity slowly but surely.  People are realizing the beauty that black and white photos can have and offer to their portfolios.  Here are a few tips you might want to use when shooting black and white photography.

Most photographers will tell you the best time to shoot black and white photography is in low contrast situations. Overcast days are the best time for black and white photography if you are going to shoot outdoors.

When shooting black and white photography shoot with lowest ISO setting your camera has. This is very important when it comes to black and white photography because noise can become even more obvious.

Black and white photographs are all about light and shadow which must be used as effectively as possible. If you take pictures of a certain scene during different times of the day you will notice how light and shadow will affect a black and white photo.

Train yourself to look at shapes, tones, and textures as points of interest. We are talking about black and white photography which means the photos are dependent on lines and shapes to create interest. Try to photograph a variety of lines and shapes as this will create dramatic effects.

Another important tip to consider in black and white photography is perspective. Perspective can add depth and mystery in everyday objects and tell a story of what you are shooting. You can also add texture to your photos as this will interest and definition.

Finally we come to colors which are just as important in black and white photography. The more contrast the colors have in their grayscale values the more interest they will create in black and white photos.

We hope these few tips on black and white photography are a great help.

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The arrival of the digital era has advanced photography rapidly but that’s even more of a reason to become a professional photographer. For those of you that want to take this journey I will provide you a few tips to that will help get you started in the right direction.

• Reading photography books, visiting photography websites, and even attending photography classes is a great way to learn and will help you get started in the path that is most appealing to you.

• Practice, practice, and practice more. It can get boring to do something over and over again but without constant practice you will probably not get the results you want or that other people are looking for.

• Decide your genre or focus of photography.  There are many types, wedding, sports, and models to name a few, so take the time to do some research and see what is right for you.

• Familiarize yourself with your equipment and buy equipment. You need to know your way around a camera and other equipment likes lenses, tripod, lens hoods, etc.  For beginners start out with a point and shoot and then move your way up o the expensive DSLR.

• Put your name out there. Once you have done some work it’s time to how people you are a professional photographer. Build a website, show off your work, and create a portfolio online and offline. If you people like what they see you will have a few clients in no time.

In the end just don't ever give up as this goes with all things in life and not just photography.

If you are just beginning photography or are considering picking up photography as a hobby then this article is for you. To start with you will want to consider what type of camera you will want to start with and also some basic fundamentals to follow to shoot the best photos possible.

As a beginner photographer I would suggest starting with a simple point and shoot camera. These camera are less expensive that a DSLR and allow you to learn about your basic camera settings.  When you purchase a digital camera consider something with plenty of memory and simple. You want to read over your manual before setting out with your camera. Understand your settings on the camera and how they may affect your photos. Take advantage on articles like this one and others online to understand ISO, aperture, low lighting, filters, lenses, etc.

Few other things you might want to read up on.

How to hold your camera – knowing this will help keep your camera steady and not have your hand or fingers in the photo you are shooting.

How to capture the subject you are shooting – what should your focus be, where should the subject be in the photo.

Lighting – It’s always best to shoot in the morning and evening, too much sun can be a bad thing.

Other things to consider as you learn more and maybe move up to a more expensive camera like a DSLR.

Shutter Speeds

Depth of Field

Tripods

ISO

Filters

Lenses

I would suggest reading up on most of these. Start out slow or as I say baby steps. No uses in blowing a lot of money on a fancy camera until you get the hang of things.

With new technology also comes an easy to create panoramic images. Gone are the days of purchasing expensive cameras and hours of throwing images together in a darkroom. Due to great advances in software and hardware its very simple to create these beautiful panoramic images. Digital based panoramic cameras are now capable of producing 360 degree images. We are going to go over a few tips to help you with panoramic photography.

As with every other article I have written on photography you will need the following: Camera, tripod, fresh batteries, and be sure and clean out your memory card.

Select the lowest ISO setting available to you, normally ISO100 or ISO200. Set aperture to around F/11 and choose daylight for white balance.

If you camera has a panoramic mode then make use of it. This setting can serve you well. It will use the display on the camera to show the last picture taken and then a view of the next picture. This will help to not overlap the pictures. At the same time the camera will not change exposure settings in between shots as it normally would. This allows for even light through all the photos.

Another thing to consider is overlapping. One mistake with not enough overlap can ruin a wide angle shot. When you overlap try overlapping by 15% to 30% each time.

Watch your scene for movement. Too much move can cause blurry spots that will ruin the shot.

There is plenty of software out there for creating great panoramic shots if your camera doesn't have panoramic mode. Take a look at omnistitcher and panorama factory.

These are just a few tips to get you started. We hope this helps you out.

Pinhole photography is a technique used to mimick the way cameras were first used. The technique is taking photos without a lense. In place of the lens is a tiny hole. When light passes through the hole, an inverted image is formed on the screen. It creates abstract photographs, usually done in black and white. The camera itself can be a challenge to create and is usually made with cans or boxes. A pinhole camera produces more blurred and softer images then by a camera with lenses and the images are more enlarged.

Building The Camera

Of course you will need a camera, usually a camera where the lens is removable. There are many ways you can create a pinhole setup for your camera but I am going to cover one of the easiest ways to accomplish this task. You will need the following materials:

1. Black Paper
2. A small sewing needle
3. Scissors
4. Tape
5. A pencil or pen

Take your lens or lens cap and place it on the black paper. Trace around it and make a circle and cut out the circle. Take your sewing needle and make the smallest hole you can in the center of the paper circle you just cut out. The hole determines how focused the photo will be. The smaller the hole then the sharper the focus will be. Now take off the lens off your camera and tape the black paper circle over the opening where the lens was originally.

When shooting you will need to shoot in manual exposure or shutter priority or set to shoot without a lens. You may need to go through this process a few times until you get the outcome you are searching for. For the more serious photographer you can use a can or a box or you can purchase a pinhole lens.

The creating of a pinhole cameras and the images that it produces can be a lot of fun.

We are going to over a few tips to help in low light photography. When we say low light we are not necessarily talking night time but rather you lack natural light and you don’t want to use a flash.

Increase ISO – Try increasing your ISO to somewhere between 400 and 800. Increasing the ISO will allow more light to reach the camera’s sensor then if you have it at a lower setting. Keep in mind that higher ISO does make for more noise in the shots as a lower ISO allows for sharper images so adjust as needed.

Reduce Camera Shake – One way of doing this is by using a tripod. If you don’t have a tripod then you will need to hold your camera better. The best way to do this is by using left hand to support the camera by putting it with your palm facing up in between the camera lens and the camera body. Keeps your elbows close to your body and if you can. You can also kneel or lean against something like a wall for less movement.

Adjust Aperture – Decrease your lens aperture to the lowest number on the camera. A wide aperture, or small f-stop number, can help shoot better images in low light situations. By doing this you are allowing more light will pass through the lens into the camera body which means faster shutter speeds.

Faster Lens – A faster lens is a must for low light photography.  A faster lens has a small f-stop number usually f/1.4, f/1.8, or f/2.8, which is helpful because it allows a camera to take in more light. Slower lenses usually have a maximum aperture of f/3.5 or f/4.5.

Shoot in RAW – Shooting in RAW creates higher quality and sharper images and will allow you more option to edit and tweak the photo later. Keep in mind though that shooting in RAW does take up more memory space.

We could go into greater detail for shooting ion low light but we wanted to hit on a few of the tips we thought were most important. Hope this helps you out if you are shooting in low light. Good luck!

Weather can affect your camera's performance and in some weather conditions your camera may break down completely. Cameras are not sturdy enough to adapt to changing weather conditions and the cost for repair or replacement can be costly. We are going to provide a few tips on how to care for your camera during the changing weather conditions.

Warm Weather

Warm or tropical weather are good as long as you keep plastic bags for you camera. Its important you keep your camera dry and you can do this by slipping it in a Ziploc bag or using a plastic shower cap. You might also consider investing in a good rain sleeve for those more tropical places and also using silica desiccant packs to keep your camera dry while in storage.

Cold Weather

Cold weather can effect your camera in different ways from draining your batteries and causing moisture to build up on the lens. Low temperatures shorten the lifespan of your batteries and moisture can damage your lens and the electronics in your camera. A good way to protect your camera is to purchase a hermetically sealed metal case. There are cases made for cold weather but usually if you can keep the temperature around your camera constant you should have no problems.

Dry Weather

When carrying your camera in dryer or hotter climates it's important to keep your camera away from direct sunlight. Use a box that reflects sunlight when keeping your camera in storage and never keep your camera out during transport. If you are in a beach or desert climate you will want to watch out for grains of sand possibly getting in your camera. Be sure and keep your camera in a bag and secure for the sand.

Its also a good idea to carry a dry towel and any type of camera cleaning accessories on you at all times. Be sure and wipe down your camera ofter and clean it after long uses. We hope these few tips provided some great and useful information.

Canon has unveiled the latest generation of their powerful G-series line of PowerShot cameras, with the introduction of the Canon PowerShot G12. While remaining true to many of its predecessor's features, the G12 comes busting out of the gate with what's fast becoming a standard on digital cameras. Most of the G12's key features remain the same from the G11, however Canon has added some nice improvements to make the G12 stand out. These include their newer Hybrid IS system, which compensates for both shift and angular camera movement, in-camera HDR mode, 720p HD recording, and several other new scene modes to name a few. Long loved for its unobtrusive nature, the PowerShot series of cameras are excellent for the pro or amateur alike - it's no behemoth Pro DSLR, but it still manages to pack in many of the exciting and appreciated features of one.

Canon Powershot G12 Key Features:

•      Large, 1/1.7-inch 10-megapixel CCD imager for up to 3648x2736 pixel images

•      Canon's DIGIC 4 image processor and HS (High Sensitivity) System

•      5x optical zoom covers 28-140mm f/2.8-4.5 zoom

•      Hybrid type optical image stabilization system (angular and shift compensation)

•      2.8-inch vari-anlge (rotates 270 degrees) color LCD with 461k pixels and 100% frame coverage

•      Advanced TTL AiAF 9-point autofocus system

•      RAW image capture (RAW+JPEG also available)

•      Low-light focus assist illuminator

•      Intelligent Auto, Program AE, Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, Manual, and Custom exposure modes

•      21 Pre-programmed creative scene modes for specific shooting situations

•      New in-camera HDR mode

•      Movie mode w/stereo sound at resolutions of 1280x720 (720p) or 640x480 (VGA) at 30fps, length limited to memory capacity (4GB clip size max.)

•      2.0fps Continuous burst capture of Large/Fine images (up to 4.2fps in Low Light mode)

•      Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB and Face Detect Self-timer mode

•      Evaluative, Center-weighted or Spot metering options (fixed to the center or linked to the AF frame)

•      Stitch Assist mode for perfect panoramas

•      Exposure compensation: +/-2EV in 1/3-step increments

•      White Balance: Auto, 7 presets and two Custom settings

•      Orientation sensor that automatically detects vertical or horizontal shooting

•      Light-guide zoom flash, angle changes with focal length

•      Hot shoe accommodates Canon Speedlites

•      Flash output compensation: +/-2EV in 1/3-step increments

•      Shutter speeds of 15 seconds to 1/4000 second

•      Selectable ISO settings from 80 to 3200 in 1/3 or 1/2 EV increments

•      Low Light mode boasts ISO speeds from ISO 3200 - 12,800 (all photos captured in this mode are only 2.5-megapixels)

•      Built-in stereo microphones and speaker

•      Uses Canon's powerful NB-7L 7.4v 1050 mAh Li-ion battery pack (up to 370 shots per charge)

•      Direct print and PictBridge Compatible

•      USB 2.0 high-speed connectivity for PC and Mac

•      SDHC/SD/MMC/MMC Plus compatibility

•      HDMI ouput to HDTV sets

•      Optional Lens Adapter LA-DC58K and Tele Converter TC-DC58D

•      Optional Canon EX-series Speedlites

•      Optional Waterproof Housing WP-DC34

Canon has added some nice improvements to make the G12 stand out and make this a worth while camera for purchase.

Winter is here and you may find yourself shooting photos with snow on the ground depending on what part of the country you are in. Great photography in the snow requires practice and observing the light conditions as well as understanding your camera. Combine all of these and you will have some excellent photos to share. Here are a few things you need to be aware of when taking photos in the snow.

First be prepared, dress warm, you can lose heat quickly on snowy conditions. Make sure your camera's batteries are all fully charged and keep your camera in a camera bag while moving around, so that it doesn't get too cold.

Reflections

Snow is just a giant reflector of light. All that light being reflected up will also really trick your camera’s light meter and cause your images to be underexposed. If it's actually snowing while you're shooting, the flash likely will turn snowflakes into distracting balls of overexposed light. You can compensate for this with a digital SLR in two ways. Make sure you are in manual mode and purposely overexpose your image by 1/3 to 1 stop of light. The other way is to set your camera to aperture or shutter priority and then increase the exposure compensation by 1/3 to 1 stop of light.

Correct Exposures

Brilliant white snow confuses your camera, and it can lead to underexposed shots as we stated above. The snow in your photo may look gray or even have a blue tint. Frame your shot and focus. Then zoom in to a bright area of snow in the scene. Then use your exposure compensation button and dial in a value between +2/3 to +1 2/3 EV depending on the brightness of the snow.

Other Suggestions

For brilliant, clean, sunlit snow under a blue sky, add +3 EV to the meter reading. (One EX = 1 f-stop)

For snow in cloudy bright conditions, add +2 EV.

For snow in open shade on a bright day, or gray snow on an overcast day, add +1 EV.

We hope these few tips will help out when shooting on those beautiful snow days.

Winter is around the corner and snow has already started dropping in parts of the United States this year. Those of you who love to get out during that time of year we are going offer a few photography tips for the winter.

Cold Weather

The temperature out side can greatly effect your camera. One of the most troublesome issues when shooting in the cold is condensation caused by temperature changes, especially when you return to warm places like your home. You should always warm the camera slowly. Another issue you run into is battery life. Cold saps power from batteries much faster than warm weather. To ensure you can shoot uninterrupted, keep a spare battery in a jacket pocket, close to your body. As the battery in your camera begins to lose power, swap the cold battery with the warm one from your jacket. As the cold battery re-warms next to your body, the power will return allowing you to continue shooting.

Know Your Camera

Take the time before going out in the cold weather to understand the settings on your camera.In extreme situations, when you’re using heavy gloves, it can be difficult to adjust your camera’s settings. Knowing where all your camera’s controls are located helps you work quickly should you need to take off your gloves to make an adjustment.

ISO When Shooting Action

If you’re shooting snowboarders in cloudy weather, boost your ISO to stop the action. To stop action with winter sports, you’ll need to boost your ISO or use “fast” lenses with a maximum aperture of 2.8 or wider. For partly cloudy days, try an ISO setting of 200. If it’s really overcast, bump it up to 400.

Dress Warm

You know its winter and you know its cold. If you are not comfortable you are going to have a very hard time concentrating on taking pictures. Be sure and dress appropriately. This also means good cold weather boots and gloves since your hands and feet are the most susceptible to frostbite in cold conditions. Try taking a few pairs of gloves with you, a pair for easy movement and a pair to keep you warm when it gets really cold.

We hope these few tips will help when you are shooting during the winter months.