If you have ever photographed your weekend outing, family reunion, or a
special vacation getaway with your friends or family, you know that
outdoor photography can present some very special challenges. This is
true even for the most seasoned photographer. Direct sunlight can be
harsh. Unwanted objects can interfere with your composition. Proper
color rendering can be problematic. And many times, good old Mother
Nature is just not feeling cooperative. Perhaps, there's not much that
can be done about Mother Nature, but with some practice and patience you
can overcome many of the other challenges you face as an outdoor
portrait photographer. Along my journey as a photographer I've learned
some outdoor techniques that may benefit those who choose to follow:
1.
Keep it simple. The subtle pattern and color of an adobe wall, the
simple repeating pattern and muted tones of planks on a fishing pier, or
the uniform color of a patch of blue bonnets, snapdragons, or yellow
primrose can serve as wonderful backdrops for your outdoor portraits.
When you are composing your portrait, you want your subject to be the
focal point that all eyes are drawn to. Busy patterns, large areas of
excessively vibrant colors (especially a mixture of different colors),
or over imposing forms in your foreground or background that are not
treated properly, can really distract from her if you are not careful.
2.
Control the depth of field (the range of distances from your camera
that are in focus). The edge of a forest, or mountains in the distance
may render beautifully as a backdrop for your subject with proper
control over the depth of field. If you have an SLR camera, you can
adjust your depth of field to bring the background more or less out of
focus relative to your subject. This serves as eye control for the
observer of your portrait. The eye is naturally drawn to what is
brightest and most sharply focused. If your subject is sharply focused
relative to the background, she will be accentuated as the focal point
of your portrait. Controlling the depth of field is accomplished by
adjusting your aperture setting (the size of your lens opening,
expressed in f-stops). The smaller the f-stop the larger the opening of
your lens, and the smaller the depth of field will be. For instance,
when you see a photograph in a nature magazine of a beautiful butterfly
in a patch of flowers, and the butterfly is in razor sharp focus but the
flowers are gently blurred; this was accomplished by the photographer
using a narrow depth of field (small f-stop setting). For bright light
situations this may be difficult to achieve. For any given intensity of
light, as you open up the aperture (lower the f-stop) you must increase
the shutter speed (thereby decreasing exposure time) to avoid over
exposure. Increasing the shutter speed generally reduces resolution in
the image. Experiment to find the combination of aperture setting and
shutter speed that gives the result you desire.
3. Be mindful of
distracting objects behind your subject. What is plainly a bush, a
mailbox, or a birdhouse to your eye, can appear like an extra appendage
growing out of the top of your subject's head in your two dimensional
portrait. You may get some interesting effects this way, but generally
they will not make a good impression on your subject. Take the time to
find an interesting angle that eliminates distracting objects from the
background.
4. Control the light. "Down light" (e.g. harsh midday light) is
generally undesirable. Due to the shadow patterns it creates, it can
bring out the worst in your subject … can anyone say, "Raccoon eyes"?
"Lateral light" (e.g. early morning and late afternoon light) is much
more desirable. Lateral light can be controlled and directed to create
beautiful shadow patterns across the face of your subject. There is a
saying with many photographers who shoot outdoors, "the first tree in
the forest is best" for a background. The reason is, the canopy of the
first tree controls the harsh down light, but being on the edge of the
forest, you still have lateral light to work with. The same idea holds
true for porches or the edge of any other type of overhang. Professional
photographers sometimes use shade cloth and reflectors to block down
light while directing available lateral light to enhance their subject
and achieve their desired effect.
5. Correct the color. Before
the digital age, corrective filters or special films were mostly used
for color correction in outdoor portraits. With digital cameras, the
color can be corrected using your white balance setting (expressed as
color temperature in degrees Kelvin). Most digital cameras today do a
pretty good job of automatically adjusting the white balance for outdoor
exposures. If you would like to experiment with your manual white
balance setting use the table below as a guide. For a more detailed
understanding of the meaning of color temperature correction, see the
article at: http://www.sizes.com/units/color_temperature.htm
Temperature Typical Sources
1000K....... Candles; oil lamps
2400K....... Early morning sunrise
3200K....... Tungsten light bulbs
4000K....... Fluorescent
5200K....... Typical daylight; electronic flash
6000K....... Cloudy Day
7000K....... Shade
Keeping
your composition simple, controlling the depth of field, and
eliminating objects that may distract from your subject, all help to
accentuate your subject as the focal point of your portrait. Controlling
the available natural light and correcting the white balance of your
photographs can reveal and enhance the true beauty of your subject.
Beyond this, make it your aim each day to unleash your creativity that
you may see the world around you in fresh and unique ways. Never be
content with seeing the ordinary as ordinary. Just stop and think for a
moment, everything there is, is ordinary to someone. Art is created by
those with the ability to see beyond the ordinary, to interpret their
world in an exceptional way, and to reflect their interpretation for
others to see. So, experiment and don't be afraid to try something new.
The world is abundant in forms, textures, colors, and patterns of light
... all the handy-work of God. Grand landscapes and magnificent manmade
structures are not required for great photos in the great outdoors. May
Mother Nature always cooperate with you. Good day and happy clicking!
All Article are You need on Our Blog
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Buying a Second Hand Guitar
If you are on a budget, but still want to buy a decent guitar, you should look
into purchasing a used guitar. For little money you can buy a quality guitar
that will be able to suit all of your needs.
Used Fender basses or used Fender Stratocaster guitars can be had for relatively cheap compared with buying a new one. This is the route that a lot of people go when they are looking for their first guitar. The best place to find a used guitar is at a music store that is specialized in selling second hand equipment. If you can't find a store like this in your area, you may also want to search the internet. There are hundreds of online stores that sell used instruments.
Used, cheap electric guitars are also a top seller. Brands like Ibanez, Squier or Epiphone can be found for very little money. Used Gibson guitars or a second hand Fender Stratocaster will cost you probably more, but will still save you a lot of money. In return you will get a top quality guitar which will last you a very, very long time!
You may also be able to find used guitars at a flea market or garage sale. The best way to go about doing this is find a large flea market in your area, and frequent it as often as possible. You will eventually come across what you are looking for
Many people have also turned to eBay in order to find a second hand guitar. EBay offers hundreds of guitars that you can bid on. The best thing about using this service is that you can keep an eye on each listing, and only purchase what you can afford.
A used guitar can be a great buy for anybody that is just learning, or anybody who simply wants a new guitar. In most cases you can buy a second hand guitar for half the price it would cost you when buying it brand new. Ok it probably will have some scratches on it, but the quality and the sound of the instrument will still remain the same and that's what counts!
If you know where to look, and stay persistent you should not have any problems at all finding a guitar that suits your needs. Remember, stay patient until you find the guitar that suits your needs and fits your budget.
Used Fender basses or used Fender Stratocaster guitars can be had for relatively cheap compared with buying a new one. This is the route that a lot of people go when they are looking for their first guitar. The best place to find a used guitar is at a music store that is specialized in selling second hand equipment. If you can't find a store like this in your area, you may also want to search the internet. There are hundreds of online stores that sell used instruments.
Used, cheap electric guitars are also a top seller. Brands like Ibanez, Squier or Epiphone can be found for very little money. Used Gibson guitars or a second hand Fender Stratocaster will cost you probably more, but will still save you a lot of money. In return you will get a top quality guitar which will last you a very, very long time!
You may also be able to find used guitars at a flea market or garage sale. The best way to go about doing this is find a large flea market in your area, and frequent it as often as possible. You will eventually come across what you are looking for
Many people have also turned to eBay in order to find a second hand guitar. EBay offers hundreds of guitars that you can bid on. The best thing about using this service is that you can keep an eye on each listing, and only purchase what you can afford.
A used guitar can be a great buy for anybody that is just learning, or anybody who simply wants a new guitar. In most cases you can buy a second hand guitar for half the price it would cost you when buying it brand new. Ok it probably will have some scratches on it, but the quality and the sound of the instrument will still remain the same and that's what counts!
If you know where to look, and stay persistent you should not have any problems at all finding a guitar that suits your needs. Remember, stay patient until you find the guitar that suits your needs and fits your budget.
5 Steps to Securing Your Windows XP Home Computer
Most people are aware that there are continuous security issues with Microsoft's Windows operating system and other programs. However, what most people do not realize is how easy it is to significantly improve your computer's security and reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim to ever increasingly sophisticated threats that lurk on the internet. These steps should take less than a couple of hours to complete and should not clean out your wallet.
1) Windows Update – the first crucial step you need to take to make sure that all your Microsoft applications have all the latest product updates installed. These updates or "patches" address security vulnerabilities and other issues. Microsoft usually issues these updates on a monthly cycle. Visit the Microsoft website or switch on automatic updates from the Windows Control panel. Even if your "new" computer is second hand this is still a critical first step. If you buy a used computer with Windows XP make sure Service Pack 2 or SP2 is installed.
2) Strong Passwords - people often overlook this but having well thought through passwords is an important element of your computer security. A strong password should include at least 8 characters with a mixture of text, symbols and numbers. As a minimum you need to make sure the services most at risk have a strong log-in password. These services include your bank, credit card, other financial services like PayPal, your email address and any other services like Ebay which hackers can use to generate profit.
3) Anti Virus Protection – while it is fair to say the threat of the computer virus has receded during the last couple of years they can still inflict serious damage on your computer. Part of the reason why the threat has reduced is because PC manufactures are now more frequently bundling anti virus packages with their new computers. For example last year my new Dell shipped with a 90-day trial of McAfee's Internet Security Suite. The best bet here is to purchase a security package which includes firewall and anti virus software as a minimum. Top brands include McAfee and Symantec Norton products. However, Microsoft has recently entered the market with their "OneCare" offering which is very aggressively priced.
4) Firewall - if you are using a broadband connection then a firewall is definite requirement to manage the traffic flowing between your computer and the internet. A firewall monitors the inbound internet traffic passing through the ports of your computer. Better products also monitor outbound traffic from your computer to the internet. As per above the best bet here is buy a firewall application as part of a security package which most vendors offer as standard. If a hardware firewall is included as part of your router package then you do not need anything else. A company called Zone Labs offer a great free firewall product called Zone Alarm which should be used as a minimum. Windows XP does now ship with a free firewall but the product does not monitor outbound communication and therefore I believe does not offer adequate protection.
5) Anti Spyware Tool - this software is the last piece in your basic internet security set up. This tool helps combat spyware and adware. There is a good mixture of free and paid versions on offer. Good free software include Microsoft's Windows Defender, Spybot S&D or Ewido Anti-Malware. Ewido Anti-Malware is frequently recommended in computer help forums. Be careful if you decide to purchase a solution. There are a number of rogue vendors out there which aggressively push products which offer you little value. Stick to trusted names like Webroot's Spy Sweeper or PC Tool's Spyware Doctor. These products always come out well on independent tests.
1) Windows Update – the first crucial step you need to take to make sure that all your Microsoft applications have all the latest product updates installed. These updates or "patches" address security vulnerabilities and other issues. Microsoft usually issues these updates on a monthly cycle. Visit the Microsoft website or switch on automatic updates from the Windows Control panel. Even if your "new" computer is second hand this is still a critical first step. If you buy a used computer with Windows XP make sure Service Pack 2 or SP2 is installed.
2) Strong Passwords - people often overlook this but having well thought through passwords is an important element of your computer security. A strong password should include at least 8 characters with a mixture of text, symbols and numbers. As a minimum you need to make sure the services most at risk have a strong log-in password. These services include your bank, credit card, other financial services like PayPal, your email address and any other services like Ebay which hackers can use to generate profit.
3) Anti Virus Protection – while it is fair to say the threat of the computer virus has receded during the last couple of years they can still inflict serious damage on your computer. Part of the reason why the threat has reduced is because PC manufactures are now more frequently bundling anti virus packages with their new computers. For example last year my new Dell shipped with a 90-day trial of McAfee's Internet Security Suite. The best bet here is to purchase a security package which includes firewall and anti virus software as a minimum. Top brands include McAfee and Symantec Norton products. However, Microsoft has recently entered the market with their "OneCare" offering which is very aggressively priced.
4) Firewall - if you are using a broadband connection then a firewall is definite requirement to manage the traffic flowing between your computer and the internet. A firewall monitors the inbound internet traffic passing through the ports of your computer. Better products also monitor outbound traffic from your computer to the internet. As per above the best bet here is buy a firewall application as part of a security package which most vendors offer as standard. If a hardware firewall is included as part of your router package then you do not need anything else. A company called Zone Labs offer a great free firewall product called Zone Alarm which should be used as a minimum. Windows XP does now ship with a free firewall but the product does not monitor outbound communication and therefore I believe does not offer adequate protection.
5) Anti Spyware Tool - this software is the last piece in your basic internet security set up. This tool helps combat spyware and adware. There is a good mixture of free and paid versions on offer. Good free software include Microsoft's Windows Defender, Spybot S&D or Ewido Anti-Malware. Ewido Anti-Malware is frequently recommended in computer help forums. Be careful if you decide to purchase a solution. There are a number of rogue vendors out there which aggressively push products which offer you little value. Stick to trusted names like Webroot's Spy Sweeper or PC Tool's Spyware Doctor. These products always come out well on independent tests.
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