Great photos are born in the camera.

You’re here because you love taking pictures. Read on and you’ll find helpful hints and tips for turning your snapshots into gallery quality photographs as we show you how to get it right in the camera. All of these tips are short and right-to-the-point. Click on tips in the sidebar FIND ARTICLE BY CONTENTS.

You’ll also find other eZine articles based on our long experience in the field of photography. We happily share our know-how with you so in hopes that you’ll discover new ways to enjoy your picturetaking even more.

Note: You can click on any of the photos to enlarge.

NOTE: This article was originally written for the maiden flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in December 2009. I’ve republished it here since the Dreamliner has been in the news quite a bit recently and is now flying commercially as part of the All Nippon Airways fleet. Boeing is now ramping up production to deliver more than 850 of these new aircraft to some 58 global airlines. Here’s a short tale of a harried and hurried reporter.

A few short years ago, the Airbus A380 was the object of an extraordinary amount of excitement. During its years of development the A380 was the talk of the industry.  I recall my first sighting of the whale-like A380. It appeared to float in the sky as it made its first landing at Chicago O’Hare. A few short months afterwards, I watched as the A380 landed in Sydney, Australia after completing the first commercial flight from Singapore. In both cases, I was a lucky camper to be able to capture these moments on digital film.

Fast forward a few years and the object of excitement is changed. On Monday December 14th (2009) I arrive at the office in Grand Rapids about 7AM and open an email message telling me that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is about to make its first flight the next day from Paine Field near Seattle, Washington. During preceding months I had been planning to witness this event, but its date was postponed several times. To put it mildly, I am totally unprepared for Tuesday’s event and start to panic.

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The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show

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My first Consumer Electronics Show was in 1982 when the numbers were a lot smaller than the record breaking 150,000+ that made their way to this year’s event. This crowd was at CES to see more than 3,000 exhibitors displaying their new products.
You’d think I might be weary of CES after 30 years, but I still find excitement in talking to these exhibitors who are making cool stuff that will be on retailers’ shelves in coming months.

What’s in store for 2012?

The Consumer Electronics Show kicks off again in less than a week.

 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the CES, it’s a huge technology trade show at which the electronic and associated manufacturers showcase their new products. In recent years, CES has attracted more than 120,000 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding venues.

 
There are literally miles of aisles lined with home theaters, thundering auto audio systems, pulsating illuminated LED signs, massive large-screen televisions, deafening stereo systems and wacky computer game displays. It’s a crowded, noisy affair.

Despite the negatives, CES has been a “must” show for me. In fact, I find it an exciting place to be. So much so that I’ve been to attending this annual event (for a while it was held twice a year) for more than 30 years to learn and write about the new products that are applicable to our businesses. For the first time, the Photographic Marketing Association trade show is being folded into this year’s CES. I suppose this tells us that photographic equipment is now considered part of the consumer electronics realm. Merging of these trade shows into one makes it even more convenient for me to learn about new photo equipment as well.

On the photography side, I expect these will be the trend this year:

• There will be more offerings of high end interchangeable lens cameras (ILC). This relatively new breed are imirrorless and use real-time electronic viewfinders and are significantly smaller than DSLRs. The Nikon V1 and Sony NEX5 are current examples that have compelling and innovative features
• It looks like we’ll see big improvements in the video capability of both DLSRs and ILCs. The norm will be 1080p HD video, full-time autofocus amd complete manual control of exposure. These devices are reinventing the way in which video is recorded.
• Watch for even better images from cellphones. Some models already have large 8MP sensors with builtin flash. There is a striking difference in quality from last year’s models.
• Slowing sales of compact cameras hasn’t deterred manufacturers from improving image quality. In particular, the trend is towards better low-light performance by using more responsive image sensors and wider aperture lenses. This will most likely continue but at a higher price.
• Again with compacts the major brands are also competing aggressively on a feature basis. For example the Samsung SH100 has builtin wireless transfer and several company’s have cameras with builtin GPS. I expect that features such as these will become very popular.
• Last fall in China, I met with several manufacturers who were pushing easy to use, all-weather still and video cameras. This may become a popular category as the younger generation continues the YouTube tradition of recording and producing movies of their varied outdoor activities.

On the technology side I will be looking at these items:

• I just read that Microsoft will be showing their upcoming Microsoft Flight at the show This is of special interest to me as one of our other businesses sell software for their older Flight Simulator.
• There are likely to be a slew of new and improved tablet from a variety of manufacturers. Since the launch of the iPad, these devices have made a dramatic shift in mobile computing behavior. With the recent addition of reading devices such as Amazon’s Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet, the market is heating up quickly.
• Cellphones have made the most impact on consumer behavior in the last few years and I’ll be interested in seeing the new features that are upcoming.
• For several years, robotic devices have been randomly appearing at CES. For the most part, this promising technology has been confined to a few areas such as floor cleaning devices and children’s toys. I’m hoping to see new and innovative consumer-level robots at the show.

I’ll report back to you about the show soon.

Yes, I’m looking forward to another CES. By the way, I’m also looking forward to a few days away from the cold and snowy weather here in Michigan.

 

 
Written by Arnie Lee

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a compact camera comes in handy

Photography isn’t always about planning and capturing images during a photo shoot.

Life “happens” whether you plan for it or not.

If you don’t want to miss the chance to record life as it happens, keep a camera handy. Whether you use a small compact camera or your cellphone camera, it’s fun when you can capture memorable events on “film”.

Life is sometimes about the important and emotional moments. And at other times, it’s about the humorous, the “cute” or the interesting. You may discover that the spontaneous moments are among the most memorable.

Below are a few of the memorable moments that I was able to record by having a camera near at hand.

Food that I adore Sometimes food overtakes my senses. When this happens, I may snap a photo to remember just how good or different a dish looks and tastes. Later, I can just look at the picture and recall exactly how it tasted. Maybe I’m a little obsessed with my taste buds.
Interesting Faces Several years ago, my son and I were on a cross-country flight that we shared with Mohammed Ali. When he noticed a camera in my hand, he graciously stood up so that we could take this photo. By having a camera handy, I’ve been able to take dozens more interesting personalities and faces.
Humor While driving, I spotted these juxtaposed signs that made me smile. I stopped the car and walked to the corner with my compact camera to take this photo. No matter how serious you are about photography, not all of your subjects have to be serious.
Scenics For the most part, traveling from one side of the ocean to the other is visually boring. Every once in a while the flight path includes subjects like this one. This is Greenland as seen from about 40,000 feet. Since I had a small camera with me at the time, I snapped. Now this beautiful scenery serves as a reminder of a place that I’d like to visit sometime.
Children Here is where cute comes in. Keep a camera ready when the kids are close by and you’ll have ample opportunity to catch them in a variety of poses. Most of the time we are waiting for them to smile. But sometimes other looks such as a pouting face are worth remembering too.

There’s no need to make a New Year resolution to record your kids, family, friends and memorable events. By having a small compact or cellphone camera close by, you’ll be prepared when the moment is right.

 

 
Written by: Arnie Lee

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Looking for a new camera? Here’s a few.

Besides being avid an photographer, I’m also a techie. This makes it difficult for me to page past the ads for new camera gear.

In addition to the higher end cameras, I also collect, experiment, use and review compact cameras.

This holiday season is an opportune time to shop for a new or replacement camera.

Why, you ask?

Well, the prices for high quality compact cameras are extremely attractive. Competition among the major manufacturers is very high and that drives prices down. In one week, I saw the price of several medium-end point-and-shoot models drop 20% as the manufacturers scurried to garner additional holiday sales.

This isn’t meant to be a review but let me point out a few of the bargains that I saw.

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS – 14X optical zoom, 12mp, 1080 HD video, builtin GPS, $200 was $300
Nikon Coolpix S6200 – 7x optical zoom, 16mp, 720 HD video, $130 was $200
Nikon Coolpix S6200 – 10x optical zoom, 16mp, 720 HD video, $150 was $230
Nikon Coolpix S9100 – 18x optical zoom 12mp, 1080 HD video, $250 was $330
Samsung SH100 – 5X optical zoom, 14mp, 720 HD video, builtin wifi upload, $130 was $180
Sony CyberShot WX9 – 5X optional zoom, 16mp, 1080 HD video, $140 was $200

You’ll notice that I have listed three Nikon models. Over the past several months, Nikon has been very aggressive with both the number of models that they’ve made and the pricing of them.

I’ve used three of the cameras listed and have found that the image quality from all to be very good. I am also impressed with the ability to take pictures in low-light with the Nikon models.

I also enjoy the longer zoom range on many of the models which let me “reach” subjects are farther away than my feet can take me.

If you’re looking for a new or replacement camera that doesn’t break the bank, you have a large choice available. Best of luck with your shopping.

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Folllowup: After writing this article, I saw a “deal” that I didn’t want to turn down. I ordered a compact camera to be my pocket companion. I’m buying the Canon Powershot SX230HS for $189.

This is the third Canon SX200 series camera that I’ve owned. I’ve taken well over 11,000 photos and videos with my older SX210. Being small, it is easy to carry with me on my travels. Yes, I’ve made this camera work hard these past two years.

The new SX230 takes better photos in low light situations, retains the extended 14x telephoto zoom lens and includes built-in GPS that records the location of my photos. This will make it easy for me to remember where I snapped all of the new pictures.

With the end of the holidays, retailers are anxious to sell any excess inventory. This makes now a great time to be shopping for a new camera- there are many bargains to be found.

 

 
Written by Arnie Lee

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Are you still thinking about those last moment stocking stuffers as the final days of the frantic holiday season quickly approach? It’s not always easy to think of a gift for a photographer especially one who already has lenses, bags, tripods and countless other accessories. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of different ideas for you to consider – whether it’s you or someone else – this holiday season.

You can help Santa with these unusual stocking stuffer ideas for that photographer on your list.”

Lens Bracelet

The Lens Bracelet™ from Photojojo (www.photojojo.com) is, as Photojojo says: the way to wear your camera love on your sleeve. This soft silicone bracelet looks like an actual focusing ring; it even shows the embossed “50mm” and AF/MF switch to the lens grip ridges. You probably won’t need to worry about sizes because one size fits all. The two types Photojojo has available are 50mm prime or 24-70mm zoom.

The Lens Bracelet from Photojojo (www.photojojo.com) is about $10.00

Mode Dial Cuff Links

Here is something different to wear for a more formal New year’s eve party. As you can see these Camera Mode Dial Cufflinks links resemble the mode dial found on most cameras. Mode Dial Cuff Links from www.cufflinks.com for about $49.95. These are available from www.cufflinks.com for about $49.95 as well as amazon.com and other online stores.

Mode Dial Cuff Links from www.cufflinks.com.

F-stop Watch

The way you tell time may not quite be the same anymore thanks to the F-Stop Watch. It displays time with F-Stop or the relative aperture of a camera lens. It measures the hours by aperture so, for example, it’s almost time for that meeting at F11, so you better get your papers together.

“The F-stop Watch from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild (www.philosophersguild.com) is about $34 online at Amazon.com and other locations.

Lens Thermo Coffee Cups
What better way to keep your coffee or other drink hot on an outdoor shoot this winter than to use The Travel Coffee Mug/lens Cup/thermos from Perfect Fit. It’s a typical thermos cup except it’s shaped as a camera lens. Therefore, don’t try to attach it to your camera or don’t pour your hot coffee on your real lens. You’ll find it at several online stores; price is around $15 but depends on the type and style you want.

The Lens Thermo Coffee Cup from Perfect Fit.

Vintage Camera Bookends
Electronic books obviously won’t need bookends but you may still have plenty of printed books and magazines scattered throughout your house or office. A vintage camera bookend might just be the practical solution. You’ll find these (not to mention the original old fashion vintage cameras) on eBay and other online store locations for about $45.

“The Vintage Camera Bookends from Home Decorators (www.homedecorators.com)

Photographer’s Camera Vitamin Box for Pills
This might not be a bad idea for those photographers needing to use a pillbox. You can even have Kyle Design custom make this film vitamin box for you for about $19.95.
Kyle Designs (http://www.kyledesigns.com) also has several other unusual photography related ideas you can check out.

The Photographer’s Camera Vitamin Pillbox from Kyle Designs

Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp

The small and lightweight Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp is for the nature photographer on your list. It uses four LED bulbs that will shine up to 150 hours. It even includes a pull-down red filter to help preserve night vision. The Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp also has a flashing mode in case the photographic adventures takes you farther that you planned. The TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp is about $45 and available at several online stores.

Petzl TacTikka Plus 4-LED Headlamp from Petzl (www.petzl.com).

drop it MODERN Snap iPhone Case

One more item in the retro category is this retro camera case designed to protect an iPhone 4. It’s designed to fit on your device yet gives you complete access to all ports, controls and sensors. You can select from three designs (Black, white and woody). Important note: These cases fit iPhone 4 & iPhone 4S phones purchased through Apple or AT&T carriers only.
The Modern Snap iPhone Case is about $32.95 and available at several online stores.

The drop it MODERN Snap iPhone Case (www.dropitmodern.com).

I hope this has given you different gift ideas that you can add to your list or the list from another photographer friend or family member.

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Written by: Scott Slaughter

packing in the sites when time is limited

 

Mom plans her getaway to her winter home in Arizona around the time the leaves start to fall in Michigan. When it’s time to leave the cold behind, she hops on an airplane for the 1500 mile flight and I volunteer to drive her car to Phoenix.

This year I chose to drive a circuitous route. Instead of heading directly for the southern route, I travel straight west towards Utah and Nevada. My plan is to do a some sightseeing. As it turns out, I visited five national parks and a few other interesting places.

To avoid a long slideshow, I’ve condensed this long cross country trip into a series of photos – one photo for each major stopover.

Are you ready?

OK, let’s go.

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There is some snow in Colorado and this attractive bird is out looking for food.
We reached Arches National Park in eastern Utah about 10pm. The moon is full, inviting us to a camera challenge. Here’s a two second handheld photo taken at midnight without any other light except the moon.
The next day we travel to southern Utah and find a gorgeous and colorful Bryce Canyon National Park sprinkled with white stuff.
Before dusk we reach Zion National Park. Unlike Bryce where you’re looking down into the canyons, in Zion you’re in the canyon looking up.
That evening we arrive in Las Vegas. This city has always been a favorite of mine for night time photography. Can you see why?
After we leave Las Vegas we stop at the newly constructed bypass to the Hoover Dam. What a view. It’s an engineering and architectural marvel.
That evening, we arrive at the Grand Canyon National Park. Unfortunately, the clouds and rain moves in during the night and the next morning we are greeted with ground fog. The weather is perfect for “mood” shots like this.
Instead of crying about the cloudy Grand Canyon, we move south to Sedona and were able to catch some of the red rocks for which this area is noted.
Finally after five days on the road, we arrive in Phoenix. This seguaro cactus is a familiar and welcome site.

 

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So there you have it.

I’ve squeezed 2700 miles into a few compact photos.

I hope you enjoyed the parks as much as we did.

 

 

Written by Arnie Lee

 

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I’ve thoroughly enjoyed photography since I was a youngster. This in turn is the reason that my picturetaking has spanned more than five decades.

I categorize the photos that I take into one of two “camps” – the snapshots and the memorable photos. This article is the first in a series of articles that I’ve called “About this photo” to draw attention to a few of those memorable photos that may be hiding in a shoebox or on your hard drive.

Unlike some people who have photographic memories, I instead have memories about certain photographs.

Most of these special photographs were taken long, long ago. They are indelible and remain riveted in my mind. And so, in this “About this photo” series, I’d like to key in on one of these unforgettable photographs to bring you back to the time and circumstances under which it was taken.

Taken late summer 1970, this is a photo of my girlfriend along Lake Michigan. We spent many weekends at this beach that summer. Usually the beach was very crowded, but on this cloudy and windy day, we had the run of the sand and shore to ourselves. The red lighthouse was a familiar site to anyone who knows this area and remains a key attraction to the beach today. It’s a lucky coincidence that my girlfriend’s jacket was about the same shade of red as the lighthouse. The reason that this photo is etched in my mind is that I’ve been married to this lovely lady for some 40 years now.

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Now let’s skip forward some 40+ years. This photo was taken this past summer, barely two months ago. Here we have two young girls having fun at the same location on Lake Michigan. You can see the same red lighthouse along the water albeit at a slightly different angle. These are two of our young grandchildren. As we were walking along the beach I was reminded of the 1970 photograph when we approached the red lighthouse. I asked the two girls to pose on the bench in the foreground. This photo captures the familiar feelings of warmth and affection that has somehow remained with me for 40 years.

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Along the way, I’ve taken a huge number of snapshots. However, the number of memorable photos that I’ve taken is far smaller. Yet it’s the memorable ones that have a magical ability to steer emotions, feelings and pleasure into our minds, even years later. Simply amazing.

 

Written by Arnie Lee

Buying A Preowned Camera – Caveat Emptor

Although the prices of new dSLR cameras continue to drop as manufacturers release newer models, there are still many reasons you may want to consider a buying preowned camera.

Price is perhaps the main reason for many people. Are you currently using a point-and-shoot camera but are yearning for higher quality photographs? Then buying a preowned dSLR may not be
such a bad way to go.

Newcomers to photography aren’t the only ones shopping for preowned cameras. Many experienced photographers use preowned cameras as backups or for times in which they don’t want to risk damaging their newer equipment when shooting in difficult locations, bad weather conditions, etc.

Although previewing a preowned dSLR camera won’t take a lot of time and isn’t as big of a purchase as a preowned car, for example, you should still “kick the tires.” Caveat emptor (“let the buyer beware”) should be a reminder especially if you’re shopping online and cannot touch and feel the camera. Photography terms can be intimidating so if you’re fairly new to photography, take a friend with you who knows about photography. Meet the seller during the day if at all possible. The natural sunlight will help you better test the quality of the camera and its features easier (not to mention that it’s safer). In fact, keep safety in mind at all times.

• First check the battery compartment. If you see any sign of corrosion or battery leakage, stop right there and consider moving on to another camera. Otherwise, check the battery doors and battery springs that can become loose over time. Make certain it’s easy to insert the battery back in the compartment.
• Check the camera body carefully. Look for dents, scuffmarks, scratches, etc., that indicate a dropped or otherwise carelessly handled camera.
• Bring a memory card for testing. Don’t necessarily trust the card that nay already be in the camera. You want to make certain that your card works in the camera. Check all the terminals and look for bent pins or any “gunk” that is stuck in the pins.
• Turn the power switch on and off a few times.
• Examine the LCD monitor and adjust the contrast higher and lower.
• If the camera has a live view or video mode, make sure they’re working properly.
• Does the viewfinder look clean? It’s not uncommon to see a bit of dust or some dirt particles, but reconsider the camera if you see defects or any foreign objects in the viewfinder.
• Make certain the diopter control wheel works.
• Ask how many photos the seller has taken (actuations) with the camera. The camera’s shutter has a “life expectancy” so a replacement may be expensive. Most cameras are rated for about 100,000 actuations. So, you can probably consider a camera with less than 10,000 actuations to be in relatively new condition. A camera with 50,000 or more actuations is “well-used” and “very well used” if it has more than 100,000 actuations.

Flash

• Check that pop up flash actually pops up by pressing the flash button (if available on the camera).
• Test the camera in dark conditions to make sure it flashes.
• If the camera has a hotshoe, make sure it too is functioning.
• Check the remote IR flash if it’s available with the camera and you have plans to use it.

Lenses

• With a lens attached, activiate the camera’s autofocus.
• Remove the lens carefully. Check the lens mount for scratches or other damages. It’s important that the lens mount is solid especially if you’ll be using different lenses.
• Peek inside the camera to the mirror box. Make certain no dirt or water marks are on it.

Test shots
OK, now that you’ve looked over the camera and are satisfied, it’s time to snap some photos. This is when it’s a good idea to bring along someone who is familiar with photography and let him/her do the testing for you.

• Does the shutter work and sound OK?
• Do all of the buttons and dials function properly?
• Make certain that all modes on the dial work as they should.
• Taka a few photos with different aperture and shutter speed settings to check whether the exposure has changed.
• Set the diopter control wheel correctly for your eyes, select a focus point and take a manually focused photograph.
• Test the multiple shot (sometimes called burst mode) feature of the camera if it’s available. You should do this for at least two reasons. The first is, of course, to test the mode itself. The second reason is that if the shutter is indeed failing, it’s possible that you can hear the shutter get slower.
• Compose a picture, select a focus point and autofocus on it and capture it. Verify the photos and focus point are in focus. (This is probably best done with a lens you know is good.)
• Shoot a few photographs in spot metering mode. Make certain the meter actually changes based on the scene you’re shooting.
• This is a test for the LCD monitor. Take one fully underexposed (black) and one fully overexposed (white) photo. Then look at each carefully in the LCD monitor. You’re looking for dead pixels on the LCD monitor and on the sensor.

Often overlooked

• Ask about a lens cap, users manual, quick start guide, etc. that originally came with the camera.
• The battery charger is one item that is often forgotten so make certain that it works.
• Although not always a reliable way to see how much action the camera has been through is to look at the camera strap. You may want to consider another camera, and possibly another seller, it the seller maintains that the camera has barely been used, but the strap is worn and faded. A camera strap won’t wear down much with gentle and minimal use. This, of course, doesn’t mean that the seller didn’t replace the strap with a newer one.
• Will the seller would agree to ask about a warranty period (even a week or two)?

That should be about it. In addition to the these suggestions, use some common sense and you should do fine.

Written by Scott Slaughter

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the cooler weather means great colors

 

As I notice the daylight hours growing shorter, I’m a little sad to see the summer slowly fading. Luckily, the arrival of fall is a sure signal that they’ll be color to accompany the change of seasons.

These brilliant colors are ready to serve as spectacular backgrounds for your photos. Don’t let the cooler temperatures keep you stuck indoors.

Here’s a few snapshots that I took today to demonstrate this theme.

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Sometimes the clouds obscure the bright sun thereby muting your subjects. At other times, the sun provides an overpowering brightness that beautifies your subjects. Whether the light is reflected or backlit, the fall offers you a prime time to capture those brilliant, rich colors. Get out there and enjoy the fall colors.

 

 

Written by Arnie Lee

 

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