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How to protect and care for you camera.

Posted: 2011-01-27 16:05:41 UTC-07:00
Most digital cameras are a bit pricey.  Because most of us can’t just go out and buy a new camera every week,  there are a few things that you need to look out for when protecting it.They are:
1. Dirt
2. Shock
3. Water

Dirt is pretty much everywhere!  It floats in the air, we walk on it, and it can easily get into our cameras. Dirt can cause problems with moving parts, damage mirrors, and get stuck on the sensor. The best way to of dealing with dirt is to avoid it.  If you are going to be around dirt, use a rain hood for your camera.  If you don’t want to buy one you can make one out of a plastic bag. Simply cut a hole in the bag to put your lens through. Then use a rubber band to hold it into place.  When you are at the beach, desert, swamp, motocross race, or horse riding you need to be very careful.

The easiest way to get dirt into your camera is when you are changing the lens.  To help avoid dirt on the sensor, point the camera toward the ground.Then take off the lens and attach the new lens.

Shock-  Nothing scares a photographer like seeing a camera being dropped. Even from a few feet. A few years back I dropped a $4000 camera off the top of  my tripod.It wasn’t fully attached and this experience will never happen to me again. It made me sick! Make sure your camera bag is not open when you
pick it up,and make sure your camera is always on a stable surface before you let go of it(make sure it is locked in when you put it on a tripod). Just pay attention. Watch out when you walk through doors so you don’t smack it against the doorway. Also, you want to make sure your tripod is on stable ground before
you let go of it. Just be careful.

Water is the third thing you need to watch out for. Everyone knows that dropping a camera in the water is definitely going to cause problems in most cases If you around water it a lot it might be a good idea to get an underwater housing for your camera. Be careful though, as they can still leak.If you do drop your camera in water, turn it off immediately and set it in a dry place for a week or so.  I had a friend who dropped his nikon DSLR in a creek last year. He said he put it in the oven at the lowest temperature for 3 days and it worked.  It worked for him, but I wouldn’t try this unless it was a last resort! Rain can be an issue too. If you are out in the rain, try to cover your camera the best you can.  Use a rain hood. Probably the biggest issue with water is condensation. This happens when you take your camera outside in the cold and then bring it into a warm place like a house. Condensation can get into your camera, putting water marks on your sensor, or also into your lens. It can destroy a camera.  A good way to solve this problem is to carry a plastic bag around with you and before you bring your camera inside, put it in the plastic bag.  Make sure you squeeze the extra air out.  This helps the camera warm up without getting condensation on it.

If any of you have ideas that I haven’t presented here, please post a comment and let me and others know. Thanks!!!!
Brian

  • A Few Tips on How to Win a Photo Contest

    Posted: 2010-12-31 16:15:46 UTC-07:00
    Here are a few tips on how to win a photo contest. Winning a photo contest can be a big ego boost and can be really exciting. Today there are a lot of photo contests out there.  To find one all you have to do is go online and search.  You might even find a local photo contest if you look hard enough.
    Also, don’t forget about county and state fairs.1.  Choose an interesting subject. Always remember that less is more and experiment with keeping your photo looking plain except for the subject.

    2.  Look for patterns or repetition to make your photo more interesting

    3.  When you are photographing, look for a reaction instead of just photographing an event.

    4.  To help your photos have more impact, photography special expressions or find a beautiful location to photograph in.

    5.  plan the photograph.  If you can’t plan it atleast anticipate it.

    6.  look at other photographs. look at what has won in the past.  After looking at others photographs, use the idea to create your own photograph using
    different technique.

    7.  Create a photo from anothers perspective. Photograph from a dogs perspective or a young childs perspective.

    8.  Be creative.  Try new angles, different times of the day, or filters and have fun when you are shooting.

    Written by Brian Johnson
    “How to Win a Photo Contest”

  • What lens to use when photographing people

    Posted: 2010-12-21 14:24:42 UTC-07:00

    What lens to use when taking people pictures

    My friends often ask for my advice on which lens to buy.  There are lots of good lenses out there. One thing I always ask my friends is what types of photos they are going to take with it.  The reason is because there are certain lenses that you use for certain things. For example, if you are going to shoot landscapes you need a wide angle lens that is sharp. If you are going to shoot people I suggest a fast midrange(50mm-200mm) lens. You might be wondering what “fast” means. The word “fast ” in photo lingo means that the lens has a wide f-stop. A lens with the maximum aperture of/2 is considered faster than a lens with a maximum aperture of f/5.6.  You might be wondering why I suggest a midrange lens for portraits.  Well, her is why

    This was taken with a 28mm lens(wide angle)

    This was taken with a 100mm(midrange)

    Do you see the difference. The top photo is distorted. To avoid distortion while shooting people use a longer lens. When I am photographing a person I almost always use a 100mm lens.  This also gives you a little more space between your subject and you.

    Next time you are shooting your family or friends try this out and see what you like the best. Hope you enjoyed!

    Merry Christmas!

  • JPEG vs. RAW- What is the difference?

    Posted: 2010-11-18 09:41:34 UTC-07:00

    Have you ever wondered what the differences between jpeg and RAW are?  Do you know when to use RAW or why there are different types of files?  Well, I am going to do my best to explain this to you. Here goes…..

    Jpeg is the most common type of file format for photographs and paintings today due to the good quality to compression ratio. RAW is not necessarily a file format. It’s simply the output of direct information from the sensor written into a file without processing or compression.

    Jpeg stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group”. This group got together and standardized a way to compress a file in order to reduce the file size of a photo while maintaining very minimal loss of quality.  A RAW image of 8 megabites would also be an 8mb file while a jpeg of the same image would be about 10 to 40 percent of the size of the RAW file.

    One of the big advantages that Jpegs have is that it is recognizable by most programs for viewing photos.  Since Jpegs are considered as a finished product, they can be be printed or edited easily.  RAW, on the otherhand can only be read by a few programs and are not considered “finished” files. They have to be edited.  Also, RAW images often look like poorly taken images with low contrast.  Because of these reasons most people shoot Jpegs files.

    The RAW format is commonly used by professional photographer despite the large size if the file. The reason is that most professionals don’t print a photo until it has been “touched up” or “manipulated” in photoshop. This is where RAW files shine.  A photographer has a lot more latitude when working with a RAW file. Since a RAW file stores all of the information, this makes it easier to get high quality photos pro photographers need. Editing a Jpeg file means that more data will be lost and the image quality will be inferior to what is generally accepted for print media.

    To sum it up here are a few points:

    1.  Jpeg is a comressed file that is a fraction of the size of a RAW file.
    2.  RAw is only readable by a few programs where as Jpeg is readable by most programs.
    3.  Jpegs have higher contrast than RAW files most of the time.
    4.  Jpegs are suitable for immidiate printing while RAW file have to be edited first.
    5.  Most people shoot Jpegs while pro photographers usually shoot RAW.

    Please let me know if this post was helpful:)
    Thanks:)

  • How to Avoid Camera Shake

    Posted: 2010-11-12 10:35:29 UTC-07:00

    Camera shake is guaranteed to ruin what could be a perfect photograph. It can be a big problem when shooting with a slow shutter speed and othersituations and the smallest movement can play a huge role in making your shots blurry.

    The following tips can help you reduce camera shake, giving you a much better final results

    1. Use a Tripod

    The biggest reason for camera shake is your own movement. If you have a tripod get your camera on that sucker. When you are shooting with a long exposure a sturdy tripod is a must for getting rid of camera shake.

    2. Use a Shutter Release Cable

    Even if your camera is on a tripod you can still get a bit of blurriness in your photos. Go out and buy a shutter release cable. You can buy electronic shutter releases for most cameras.

    3. Use the Timer

    Another way to avoid shake when you press the shutter is to use your in camera timer. Simply set your timer on your camera and step back!

    4. Make Yourself Stable

    If you don’t have a tripod, atleast try to make yourself stable.  Lean against a tree, or wall.  Hold your breath when you press the shutter button.  Stop any movement you are making. This is not as good as having a tripod but it will help.

    5. Make the Camera Stable

    Set your camera on a rock, or against a wall. Carry a beanbag and place your camera on it. Use a fencepost if you are in a field.  You can even rest your camera on a table.  Use anything that is solid to steady your camera.

    These are a few ways to avoid camera shake, if you can think of any others please let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks!