How to improve your photographs

I was recently asked if I can write an article for point-and-shoot (or more specifically, fixed lens camera) users. I think it’s a great idea to do so. With the prices of entry-level digital SLRs dropping to insane levels, it is easy for a beginner to think that a professional-looking DSLR will create better pictures outright, which is totally untrue.

Before we begin, you’ll see me using the term “point-and-shoot” or “P&S” quite often in this article. Technically speaking, it’s not that accurate as any camera that has a program mode (that includes the highest-end DSLRs in the market with their “Program” modes) can be considered as point-and-shoot. Anytime the camera’s electronics determine the exposure for you, it’s considered a point-and-shoot. For most people, however, the term P&S is tied up to any camera that doesn’t have interchangeable lenses. I don’t want to pursue this trend, and I’ll call those cameras as fixed-lens cameras (FLC’s) instead. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, but if the term is inaccurate, why use it?

This photo was taken by a 2002 Canon PowerShot S40 with 4 megapixels. Lighting came from an opaque fiberglass roof from above. Model is my son.

While I do use a digital SLR most of the time, I’m a big, big fan of using portable FLC point-and-shoots, digital or film. The simpler the camera, the easier it is for me to operate, the more creative you have to be – not to mention you always have the excuse of “hey! I was using a cheap, automated camera!” (partial joke here).

Seriously, though, a DSLR will surely make your photography better, no doubt. From the higher resolution of the sensors, much faster response times, better auto-focus, considerably better lens, and all the accessories you can add on to create higher quality output, there isn’t a doubt that a DSLR is better suited than a fixed-lens digital camera. Continue Reading

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Back to Part 1.

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3) Let’s work on the lips now. I don’t like the lipstick color used by the make-up artist, it doesn’t look nice on photos (but looked swell in real-life), so I’ll change the shade of the lipstick.

Here I used the Color Balance tool to shift the color of her lipstick to a more lustrous shade. Rename the layer to “Lip Color”. Invert the white layer mask to black (CTRL-I) and use a soft, white brush to reveal the lips only.

4) I like the color now, but I want some more gloss on her lips. To increase the gloss on lips, it’s crucial to look at where the catch light is positioned on the original image. In this case, the light is pretty frontal and soft, so we have a lot of highlight areas we can copy from.

Create a new blank layer and name it “Lip Gloss”. Then select the Brush tool to paint in the new gloss patterns. You can also use the Clone tool, if desired.

We need to sample the existing highlight’s color to use as a brush color. Since I’m already using the Brush tool, I can simply hold the ALT key and click on the areas I want to sample to automatically choose that shade of color (in this case, a pinkish-white color). I sampled from different areas around the lip, seen below. Continue Reading

www.shootstyle.com

Jamison Wexler - Shootstyle.com

Shootstyle.com is a New England-based wedding photography company ran by Zofia Waig, Earl Christie, Stacey Doyle, Michelle Turner, Andree Keehn, and Jamison Wexler. Together, they showcase some of New England’s best wedding and portrait photography that is unique to the northeast.

I have a personal soft-spot with New England as I stayed there for four years and I really, really love the whole area. However, Shootstyle.com is featured not because of my nostalgia, but the site’s wealth of information presented in a very easily understandable and casual manner.

From post-processing, corporate and web presence tips, to actual photography insider tips, they’re all there, written by different individuals who share the same vision and mindset, it’s a fresh visit every time as you’re reading insights from different people from the same company.

I probably visit shootstyle.com most often for its on-location lighting tips for weddings as their experiences will surely present itself in your wedding coverages in the future and their easy solutions that yield excellent results are easy to replicate and implement.

Enough babbling from me, go visit http://shootstyle.com/ now. :)

This month, I present to you this incredibly useful and insightful site called Black Star Rising http://rising.blackstar.com/.  Excerpt taken from their About page states:

This is a group blog featuring articles to educate professional photographers, aspiring pros, and photography buyers alike. Our stories offer advice and viewpoints on the art and business of photography, based on the personal experiences of our contributors. We give our bloggers the freedom to write about issues of interest to them. All we ask is that blog contributions address substantive issues, be at least 500 words in length, and be written from a first-person perspective.

I sincerely guarantee that ANY photographer, professional or amateur, will find a wealth of eye-opening information in this wonderful site. Go check it out and learn! http://rising.blackstar.com/

For this second installment of my site recommendation, I bring you “MostlyLisa.com“. It’s a great blog and portfolio site by Lisa Bettany offering you a lot of beautifully executed portraits along with practical tips and insights on how she achieves her output using her quirky, feminine approach.

Go check it out! It’s wonderful. :)

Copyright – Lisa Bettany (http://www.flickr.com/photos/redpilotmedia/4257980165/)

Head to Lisa’s site – http://mostlylisa.com/