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Photography Troubleshooting: Capturing AutumnFor many Photographers, Autumn is now officially here and is one of the most exciting seasons to capture in terms of colour, change and vistas. Early morning mist, late afternoon sun, orange, red and golden hues - Autumn has a lot to offer in many countries. If you're like me, Autumn often arrives all at once and it can be tricky to know how to make the best of the season before it's over. A couple of days of high winds and rain can ruin the best Autumnal captures by ripping the leaves down before you've even got the chance to snap - so it's great to be prepared for the season.

Leading lines are particularly useful. Yet so many people quote ' Look for leading lines...' or 'You've captured the leading lines here perfectly' and really do we even know properly what they are? The purpose of a leading line is to draw a viewers eye into the photograph and then on a journey - through it. Think of it as a visual narrative. They can be intentional and ind
Photography Troubleshooting: Grouping PeopleWhen working with large groups of people, it's often incredibly difficult to know how to direct them, where to pose them, and indeed what to have them doing. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made when embarking on my first group shot at my first wedding as a photographer - was not speaking up when my assistant was shooting alongside me. The consequence? Half the group were looking at him, and half the group were looking at me. Luckily we straightened it out in the end - but when there are a lot of cameras around, or lots of people - you need to speak up and give direction so they can take direction.

Preparation
Knowing who your client is in advance, and knowing what sort of group you will be working with is very useful in terms of preparing. It would be unprofessional to arrive at a Wedding with expectations of 50 people attending and then finding out that you have 150 to work with. Knowing your group and the expanse you'll need i
Photography Troubleshooting: The Watermark FAQ"How do I protect my photography and art in general?"
~=Eitvys200
"As =Eitvys200 pointed out, at least 1 journal per month makes it to the top of the list and is about stealing art. Sometimes this is something small such as posting a piece to facebook, other times you see hoards of pieces on a  website selling wallpapers or something similar. Regardless of how it happens, or where, it can hurt just as much to see your hard work disregarded and especially someone else profiting or taking credit.
Protecting work is a huge deal for some people, and not for others. It depends entirely on your outlook - how you view your work and indeed whether or not there needs to be some constrictions on it due to the content being a child, or family member. But how do we protect our work properly from art theft and wrongful use? The simple answer is you can't provide for every eventuality. Even if you upload your work to a website where right click -> copy is disabled,
Photography Troubleshooting: Capturing SnowThe best of the Wintery weather conditions often come later on in the season, especially here in the UK. The next week or so will hopefully provide many photographers with the chance to capture those snowy scenes. So what’s the best way to achieve them?
I’m sure many will agree that snowy landscapes are amongst the trickiest things to photograph. Exposure is the common problem; temperature is usually a close second! If your camera has a snow or winter setting then this will help override the auto white balance and lower the exposure, so you are already set to go. But if your camera doesn’t have these functions, then you might find these tips handy:

1.Before you head out, check your equipment. The white skies that often accompany a snowy scene are the most likely out of any shot you’ll take, to show up the dirt on your lens. Give it a good clean beforehand or you’ll be spending a long time with th
Photography Troubleshooting: FiltersThis week we bring you another issue of Photography Troubleshooting to hopefully give you some tips and explanations behind how to make use of some photography accessories. If you have a question, query or any thoughts you wish to see discussed just drop us a comment or note!
"The use of filters, how to pick them and examples of situations where they would be helpful...."
~ =moria330
Hi =moria330, filters are a good way of diversifying your photographic opportunities without spending a great deal of money (though, granted, many of the better quality filters can get to be relatively expensive).
In film photography, filters were used a lot more extensively then they are today thanks to the nature of the medium.
For example colour filters were used for white balance purposes on colour films that were balanced for different light types, so, you could shoot artificial light balanced film under daylight if you had a filter that corrected for it.
:bigthumb
Photography Troubleshooting: Dull Images on dA?After a long pause in which nobody seemed to have very many questions, we've got a very intriguing one which came up during the People & Portraits #projecteducate week and it's something that has always played on my mind, and no doubt on yours too. Once again `sine-out has provided a fantastic answer, so hopefully that will help somewhat in clearing this issue up. Have a question? Drop it on this article and we'll work on an answer!

"It seems like colorful pictures made in adobe look good, then after
they have been uploaded on deviantART... the color is more dead.. not so
alive..is this an issue?" ~ *kayjensen
"Hi *kayjensen, the issue your describing is most likely a colour profile issue. Colour profiles essentially describe how each colour is represented and there are different profiles for different purpose but mostly for getting accurate colour out of a printer or a screen.
By default the internet works with and assumes that every
Photography Troubleshooting:How to Photograph FoodMany of us lament about a lack of subjects to Photograph - and almost just as many of us create something on a daily basis that with a bit of presentation, can look like a masterpiece. Food is one of the most accessible Photographic subjects and if you've no idea where to start, hopefully this article will give you a few pointers. Firstly, you don't need an expensive D-SLR in order to capture some of the food masterpieces you see around.

By *PaSt1978
The above was taken with a Sony Cybershot which is a good quality point and shoot camera. As you can see, the focus is crisp, the quality is good and the lighting is adequate. It works well - and it's easy enough to achieve whether you have a D-SLR or something smaller.
:bulletblack: Before you start cooking - get prepared. It's the simplest easiest thing to say and you'll likely roll your eyes at such a mundane instruction but there have been many times when I've found mysel
Photography Troubleshooting: BackgroundsThis series of articles aims to answer the questions of Photographers on deviantART who have burning issues with their cameras. Have an issue? Leave a comment at the end of the article and we'll do our best to help you figure out the answer. Additionally if you have information that could help someone out - let us know!
"From when I used to do photography what I struggled with most was the backgrounds, I wanted to focus in on the objects and then I'd take it to my tutors and they'd go "it's nice but the background is your desk, or your bookshelf" Unless I'm shooting on an infinity curve I struggle to 'see' appropriate backgrounds for my set up..." ^FionaCreates



"Hi ^FionaCreates, backgrounds can either be a part of the photograph or apart from it (I'm quite pleased with what I did there :B).
Many still life images, particularly in a 'studio' o
Photography Troubleshooting: Winter WildlifeFor many parts of the world, Winter provides a beautiful backdrop for some of the best landscape and water scape Photography out there. Snowy hills, Frosty trees and more help to convert a world of vibrant Summer or Autumn into subdued yet awe-inspiring Winter. But what about the wildlife? Extreme weather conditions can make it more challenging to get out and about with the camera, but can also give you more opportunity to capture those elusive animals.

When I first started investigating Winter Wildlife Photography I thought that I would have to aim for things like Foxes, Deer and other wild and sometimes elusive animals. But actually, wildlife Photography and in particular in the Winter - can start right in the back garden.
Birds in particular get hungrier and needier during Winter months in England. I'm sure this is true for many parts of the world too. Depending on the kinds that frequent your garden, you could encourage them to linger pretty quickly or it might
Photography Troubleshooting: LandscapesI first started out with landscape Photography and it's something that I particularly enjoy now whether that's rolling hills, rolling clouds, or a bit of both on a stormy day. Photographing landscapes can not only highlight the natural terrain of the earth, but also what's going on in the sky and the weather effects of the day. *DreamlikeDesign asked for some Landscape pointers - so here are some handy tips on how to achieve great landscape shots:
1) Use a Tripod
There are times when you just won't have the time. But equally if you've got a fantastic scene in front of you and you have a moment or two to set things up, then please do. You'll honestly be more pleased with your results. Where you may have a landscape that involves a bit of water, you might need a longer shutter speed. The tripod will help stabilise you. Consider also using a shutter release to help you as well. For a bit more information on tripods and when and where to use them
Photography Troubleshooting: Snap to ProThis week we bring you another issue of Troubleshooting for Photographers, to hopefully give you some tips and explanations behind how to make your Photography look that little bit more professional. ^Aeirmid noted that while there are a lot of folks in the photomanipulation community who enjoy taking photographs, there is also a great desire for people to learn a bit more about how to make them look more professional.
Firstly combining the elements of many of the articles that have already been written in this series (see the bottom of this article for links) will assist anybody in gearing their photographs up to look more professional. However `IsacGoulart summed it up quite neatly with this rather epic quote...
“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph."
Getting your work up to some sort of standard is always tricky. Especially if you are setting the standar
Photography Weekly: Edition Twenty SevenPhotography Weekly Header created by ~TouchedD

"Eyes like a Shutter, mind like a Lens" - Anon
This week the general thoughts come from =Eitvys200 who brought up the topic of Too many cameras around?! It's one that baffles many from amateur to professional in deciding what we, as artists, want to use as our tools. Hopefully one of our community volunteers will cover that in greater depth next week in an article all about choosing your next or even first camera. But for now the confusion comes when you're lining up to take a shot and somebody next to you with a mobile/cell phone is taking the same one and truth be told - it might even turn out better. I broached the subject a while ago of standing at a wedding and being the 'pro' but not the only one with a £500 camera. How do you make yourself unique in a digital world that's fast developing beyond our means and capabilities? Well, you work with
Photography Troubleshooting: PetsPhotographing pets whether for yourself or as part of a job, is becoming increasingly popular and the demand for tips and tutorials is ever on the increase. Within this weeks article we hope to give you a few pointers and answer a few queries that might have come up. ^Talty asked us this...
"My camera has a pets & kids setting but they still come out blurry.
I've tried every setting, so far I've had better results with the "EASY"
setting, but they still come out only decent."
^Talty is using a high end Canon Powershot which is fantastic for things like still life photography, landscapes and working up close with static options and scenery. But when it comes to photographing animals and in particular as ^Talty is attempting - kittens, it doesn't compensate for the difficulties such a subject poses. For example kittens are incredibly wriggly, and as ^Talty has found, getting them to stay still in any one place is a nightmare! So naturally you need a camera that can al
Photography Troubleshooting: Tripod or not?In a recent issue of Photography Weekly we talked about tripods and whether or not it's worth using one and what alternatives there are. I think it was safely concluded that using a tripod is better than not at all - but there are certain situations when you can do something else or when a tripod isn't necessary. Sometimes it's really hard to pick out the moments when it might be needed. Quite often you could end up out walking for miles carrying a tripod that weighs the same as a small elephant - and you don't even use it. So what are some useful tips?

Firstly, find a tripod that DOESN'T weigh the same as a small elephant. I may be exaggerating slightly, but honestly there are tripods out there that weigh more than they need to. If you need a heavy duty tripod, you probably know exactly what you're supposed to be doing with it and don't need to read this a
Troubleshooting:How to Photograph Christmas Lights
I recently read an article on Reddit that explored the best way to photography Christmas lights and it raised some interesting points. Rather than re-hash what has already been said, I've delved into a few tutorials around the web to give an overview of some hints and tips - and will link them all at the end of this article so that you can investigate for yourself.

When you take a Photograph, the camera will often over-compensate with the colours that it's trying to capture and objects that look fairly white to the naked eye don't appear so in the photo that you've taken. White Balance aims to override that. But just setting your camera to Auto White Balance and hoping for the best is not good enough...

The above shots show the same location taken firstly with auto white balance - and then secondly with the white balance set to shade. Setting Shade me
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May 16, 2012
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Enhancing Still Life Shots with Lieveheersbeestje

Wed May 16, 2012, 5:21 AM



People & Portraits :iconkaz-d:



So you've got a still life shot but it looks nothing like those epic pieces you see hitting the front page here on deviantART - the lighting, hues and general feel of the piece is just not as good as you feel it could be. Well that's okay! Photoshop in particular helps you enhance your shots to bring out the best in them - or the worst if you're not careful.



These are basically the processes that she goes through to edit a shot - saved and uploaded to deviantART for your use (provided you read the rules.) There are many floating around - and they add that little something.

So How Do They Work?


All you need to do is download a file that contains such actions...
:bigthumb299512622:
In this particular one =lieveheersbeestje shares her Photoshop Silver & Bronze Actions. Once you've downloaded the file you just open it as you usually would and it will go straight into photoshop ready for use. If you're struggling check out this tutorial:


Give it a go!







:bigthumb288917802:




=lieveheersbeestje - The Inside Scoop!


=lieveheersbeestje is fast becoming popular
for her still life photography and in particular her Photoshop
Actions. Here she talks about Still Life Photography from her
perspective and in particular, what advice she can offer for those
starting out.

What area of Still Life Photography do you gravitate towards the most and why?


At the moment I really enjoy taking pictures of bottles. I buy these
little bottles at shops or online, and sometimes I make my own. I enjoy
doing this because you can do so many different things with them. You
can fill it with (colored) water or put little items in them, like
paper, jewelry. And I also really like to choose the composition and
location.

What do you find are the challenges of staging your photographs to achieve still life shots?


It is always a bit difficult to find the perfect location for my still
life shots. Because I want it to be something unique and different, but
at the same time I need to have good and enough (sun)light too. So
lighting is definitely one of the most important things you need to
check when you want to make still life shots.


Are there any still life artists on deviantART that you look up to for
still life photography? If so who are they?



There are a lot of still life artists on deviantart I look up too, to name a few of them:
*Healzo First day I joined da I wanted to become such an amazing artist he is!
*aoao2 A lot of variety and he's just great with still life.
*Orwald The bokeh in her still life pictures is wonderful.
*andokadesbois Her bottle pictures are amazing!
*EliseEnchanted She has a lot of color in her (still life) photos and I like the creativity in them.

Do you have any tips for anyone starting with Still Life Photography or wanting to improve?


Just a lot of practice honestly. That is one of the most important
things that really helped me improve. I also browsed a lot on deviantART
to find more inspiration.
But photography books and websites with tutorials are very useful too!


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Mood: Love *aoao2 May 16, 2012  Professional Photographer
:love::love:!!
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