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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.
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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. ^SanguineVamp 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 EightPhotography Weekly Header created by ~TouchedD
“What i like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”

―
Karl Lagerfeld
This week I spied an awesome topic in *Fuzzypiggy's journal and knew instantly that it was what I would talk about for edition twenty eight. "Underground train system bosses are set to ban all photos under new proposals that have angered photographers.." You can read the full article for yourself here but I would love to get some discussion going amongst us all as to whether or not the proposed ban would effect you. I'm personally quite pleased that the latest articles report a U-turn in the proposals so it doesn't look

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: What Digital Camera?Courtesy of `sine-out and his fantastic knowledge, we now bring you the fourth in this series of articles. `sine-out has answered all the questions that have come up so far. Do you have one? Is there something you need help with? Drop us a comment and we'll see what we can do! And as always, if you have information that could help someone out, let us know!
"How do I select a new camera?"
~=Eitvys200

"One of the most often asked questions I've seen regarding photography, above how to do something, is 'what is the best camera?', or 'what camera should I get?'.
Or something along those lines. The critical thing to note is that there is no such thing as the best camera.
Sure there are cameras that are technically better at certain things, for example, some cameras have very high resolutions, other are very good at low light photography, some are very small, and so on, but there's no su

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.

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: Capturing BabiesOkay so one of the biggest subjects within portraiture photography are infants and children! Children and in particular newborn babies bring out the photographer in all of us. So whether or not you're looking to go pro and snap babies professionally or whether you just want to brush up on some tips for your own family or friends, this could be the article for you! I always thought that when I got my first baby shoot booked, it would just be a case of snapping them on the carpet or wrapped up in a blanket. I had no idea how creative I could really get - and how simply it would be to do that.

Until a few weeks ago, I had never photographed a baby in my life, let alone had to pose and arrange one in cute positions with lots of fluffy toys surrounding it. I had also never used a lighting kit before, but that's another story. Anyway, I found it incredibly easy once I knew what i needed, to set up for the shoot and since then I haven't looked back. Whether yo

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: NoiseThis 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!
"I would love to figure out how to reduce the noise on my camera.
I'd love to drop kick it off of a very high cliff, but then I wouldn't
have a camera at all. It may just be because the camera is a POS
though..." ~=CelticStrm-Stock

"Noise is a characteristic that can be mitigated with numerous techniques.
Noise is all about how much light a camera can capture above its inherent noise floor (the natural noise that the sensor and electronics will always make regardless of what you do), the more 'signal' there is above the noise floor, the less visible the noise will be.
Based on the EXIF information on your imag

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

).
Many still life images, particularly in a 'studio' o

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 Weekly: Edition Twenty FourPhotography Weekly Header created by ~TouchedD
"If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera"
- Lewis Hine
This week I happened across a Photographer who shoots the economy - currently in the UK. If you ever wondered what Economy looks like - and what the recession looks like - in the Photographic sense then wonder no more. Simon Robert's has it captured. What really struck me though, aside from the complete normality and sometimes mundane life that made the photographs, was the comments on the Article that I read about Simon. The BBC Wrote about him yesterday and nearly all the comments were from people advocating boredom. The Irony is that Simon Robert's had, in full colour, photographed our lives. And the general consensus was that it was dull and unimaginative. How very English we are.
Copyright Simon Robert's

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

Project Educate: Using a Tripod for APNNature Photography and Tripods
`trevg is the Community Volunteer for Animals, Plants and Nature Photography. He has kindly put together this fantastic article on using a tripod to obtain nature photography - there are some excellent tips included!
Camera Shake...
Camera shake ruins millions of photos every year. Using a tripod is one step we can all take to reverse this problem. When hand-holding your rig for macro or super-telephoto work, the slightest movement will undoubtedly blur your image and/or completely change your composition. Using a tripod to lock your camera in place can help you avoid the heartache brought on by this rapidly growing epidemic. Be part of the solution and buy a tripod today!

Though many of us own a tripod, we don't always use it. There are many reasons to forgo your trusty three-legged friend. Tripods can be heavy and unwieldy

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Project Educate: Getting Started with Still Life

Tue May 15, 2012, 12:04 AM

People & Portraits

Getting Started with Still Life Photography...

Your Homemade Studio

You don't need a studio or amazingly fancy lighting in order to achieve some of the most popular still life photography shots that you see on deviantART. I take most of my still life photography shots on the window sill in my bedroom because the colour is neutral and the lighting best.

You can start pretty much anywhere in the home - using a backdrop of mottled glass will give a different effect to plain glass and so on - the possibilities are pretty much endless! Using paper, books, scarfs or other bits of material can provide excellent backdrops. Raindrops on windows can create a fantastic bokeh...

Your Subject

Fruit and Flowers are overdone. It's true. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try them out and if you have a creative concept in mind go for it. However there is so much more out there that can be the subject of your Still Life Photo shoot. Different types of food, cutlery, cups, books, ornaments, dolls, sweets, jewellery..and so on. Have a wander around the house and through the still life galleries on deviantART and you are bound to find some inspiration.

Lights

If I want to light something I use a little up lighter thing that cost around £3. It's sort of like a torch. Be careful about what light you go for, soft orange is best as it can be cooled afterwards in Photoshop whereas warming up cold lighting can look quite garish. As I mentioned before, use the window too! Natural light is the best kind for still life photography.

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