PhotographerJess's Momaroo

Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:49:40 GMT

I don't think I know even one mom who doesn't keep photos in some kind of book or album. And often it's quite a challenge to figure out the best way to display and keep all those photos of your darling! Well, with the digital age sweeping the nation the scrapbooking industry was right there ready for the newest and greatest solution to your photo archiving needs: Digital Scrapbooking!! I'm nuts about digital scrapbooking but since I'm still a relative novice I asked my wonderfully talented friend, Tara, to introduce us to the exciting world of Digital Scrapbooking!

By: taracotta7

I don’t know about you but I just love a good photo album! I could look at pictures for hours. My only problem is that I want to know the story behind the pictures. Sometimes the person who owns the album can take the time to share with me and sometimes not. That is what got me started in scrapbooking. It is all about getting your story told and pictures to show it off! I love that. It makes the perfect gift for your family to cherish for many years. I started paper scrapbooking when I was in high school. I always loved it. Then a couple years ago, I met a friend that did DIGITAL scrapbooking! It just sounded so amazing to me. And now, I have to say…..I love it. There are many things attractive about digital scrapbooking like no mess to clean up, cheap supplies and best of all it doesn’t take up any room!

Hopefully I have got you interested…..at least into getting more information about it! To get started, it doesn’t take much. All you need is a program that you can edit photos and create pages with. People have used anything from Microsoft Publisher to dedicated scrapbooking software. I personally use Photoshop Elements 6. I was able to go the Adobe website and download a FREE 30 day trial of their software. Adobe has several different software programs. I wanted to take baby steps into digital scrapbooking so I bought one of the least expensive. But there are many programs to choose from. The most commonly used are Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, PhotoImpact, Paint Shop Pro, CorelDRAW, PrintMaster® Platinum, FotoFusion and Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer Platinum. It ranges in cost from fifty dollars to several hundred (mine was close to $100). I believe that whatever you choose is a cheap investment compared to paper scrapbooking. Also, for those that don’t think of themselves as scrapbookers, digital seems to be the way to go. It is just easier and you don’t have to be as creative. It seems to be something that most everyone can enjoy. Now you may be sitting there wondering what does a digital scrapbook page look like? Well, I am so glad you asked!

There are many galleries that you can find online to get some creative ideas from. If you want to peek at some of those galleries, here is a list of just a few of my favorites. Shabby Miss Jenn, ScrapGirls, Sweet Shoppe, Shabby Princess, and ScrapArtist. These enclosed are few of my favorite layouts I have done to share with you. They look 3-D just like a paper scrapbook page.

Thanks, Tara!! Look for upcoming articles by Tara on the following topics: How to get started using your program and find tutorials, the best places to shop for supplies and printing choices for your pages. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Tara by email or her xanga site.

"How to's": Aperture

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:39:26 GMT

Alright, so lets get into the issues with Aperture. This can do so much for your images so bare with me! I know all this technical stuff is laborious but it'll be worth it in the end.

Aperture has to do with your depth of field. When the subject and the background are pretty much in focus than you have your Aperture set higher creating a deep depth of field. Lower Aperture settings create a more shallow depth of field in which your subject is the only part of the picture that is in focus. You can see this in the pictures of my son below. On the left, the depth of field is deeper than on the right.

Since I do primarily portrait photography, I prefer a more shallow depth of field which makes the background much less distracting and brings the focus more to my subject.

Sometimes when I'm shooting a group of people, with some in the back and some in the front it's important though to make the depth of field deep enough to be sure all the people come into focus.

But Aperture effects more than just the depth of field. And this is where it gets tricky. Because while understanding depth of field is a very important key to getting not only the focus where you want it but also enough light to your lens. If you look closely at the two pictures on the right you can see how the Aperture shutter effects light. When the Aperture setting is low (say, f/4) more light is able to reach the camera's sensor as illustrated by image 1. on the right. As the aperture setting gets larger (say, f/16) the lens opening gets smaller, as you can see in the second image, causing less light to reach the sensor.

Often I start with my Aperture settings when getting ready to shoot in Manual mode. For those of you with an SLR style camera (or a point and shoot with a Manual setting) this will really help you understand what you are doing. Be aware, though: Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed changes on your camera aren't able to be seen or noticed just looking through your view finder. The difference will only be noticed on the picture after it's taken. So think about what you want to take a picture of before you pick up your camera. Is it your child sitting on a chair by the window? Or the Grand Canyon? If it's your toddler by the window then a nice shallow depth of field (say, f/4) will nicely isolate your child and show her off. But if it's the Grand Canyon your lens is craving then you need as deep a depth of field (say, f/15) as you can get in order to capture it's vastness and grandure!!

So start off by picking your Aperture setting for the type of picture you'll be taking. Take a test shot. If it's too dark then slow your shutter speed down. Too light, speed it up. If your images are now light enough but a bit blurry, then go ahead and pump your ISO and bring your shutter speed back up until you get that balance right. It will take some fiddling but in time you'll learn to do this on the fly. You'll see a scene and know pretty much right where to start. And after only a moments adjustments be ready to shoot, shoot, shoot until you get that money shot! I'd love to know how it goes! Are you seeing more exciting images emerging from you lens? "Cause that's what we're shooting for!

"How to's": Understanding ISO

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Getting enough light to your sensor is an ever evolving skill. I still mess and mess with my settings to get it right sometimes. When its right though, usually the results are amazing!

This cute couple stopped by my home the night before their wedding to finalize some last minute details. I loved how happy and relaxed they were! On a whim I grabbed my camera and we slipped out into the misty streets for some fun and intimate shots. (You can see more from this shoot HERE.) But this kind of shooting posed some pretty big lighting challenges! I choose this picture to illustrate this post on ISO because, while this shot was one of my favorites, you can still see some of the noise that results when you really pump the ISO as I did for this picture.

ISO:
When we use film cameras we buy film that have different sensitivities to light. An ISO 100 speed film has low sensitivity to light and is recommended for shooting outdoors in bright sunlight or with the use of flash. An ISO 800 speed film has more light sensitivity. But as anyone whose used ISO 800 speed film knows, you loose some quality. This quality reduction is called "grain" in film terms or when talking about digital images it's called "noise". You can see this in the picture above.

With film they refer to the ISO in terms of "speed" since the camera is able to shoot at a faster speed because the film is more sensitive to light. The same is true with digital cameras. However it's the data sensor and not the film that's sensitivity changes in the digital format so we don't talk about ISO anymore in terms of speed.

SLR cameras, as well as most point and shoot models, have a way to adjust the ISO. This simply tells the sensor to collect more light, or have a higher sensitivity to light. When you adjust the ISO sensitivity you get more light but have to be alert to the same quality issues as with film. If you are seeing a lot of noise and still don't have enough light you probably need to somehow get light from other sources.

Basically, the lower the ISO number the less sensitive the camera is to light. So then the reverse is also true: the higher the ISO number is, the more sensitive the camera is to light. This is illustrated below:

We've talked about shutter speed and ISO but without an understanding of how Aperture works you still won't be able to maximize your camera's light collecting capabilities. So next time we'll focus on Aperture because together with ISO and Shutter Speed it helps work to produce well lit photos that truly showcase the subject you are shooting!

Try finding the ISO settings on your camera and adjusting to it's highest setting. Can you see a difference in your indoor photos?

How to's: "The Great Shutter Speed Mystery"

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:48:11 GMT

As a photographer I get asked a lot of "how to" questions. Cameras can be confusing and the results can be major head scratchers! What's wrong? When I looked through the lens all was well. Why does the picture look so bad?? Everyone goes through this so don't panic! I want to examine some basic settings that promise big returns when used properly.

I remember when I first started reading about camera settings and how to take pictures I thought the whole "shutter speed" thing was pretty self-explanatory. It has to do with how fast the shutter is going, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, in that from a very basic action sense it is just how fast or slow the shutter is going. The hard part comes in the why. What makes the shutter go open and shut fast or slow and why even worry about it. This, for me, was the "Great Shutter Speed Mystery"!

As you probably now know, for the most part, I HATE flash! You should too, if you know what's good for your pictures. Flash creates shadows and flat textures so whenever you can, try to avoid it's use. However, you will most likely find yourself with another problem if you turn off the flash: Blur. Blur can be avoided but you need to understand shutter speed in order to do this.

Cameras have a little door on the inside of the lens that stays closed most of the time to keep the sensor from collecting data until you are ready to press the "shutter release" button to take a picture. In that split second the door (or shutter) opens up, imprints the image data from the scene you are shooting on it's memory bank, and then shuts again. The longer it is open, the more light it can collect. Therefore, the faster it opens and shuts the less light enters the camera. If it's a bright, sunny day outside there is lots of light so the camera can take bright, clear pictures super fast; capturing fast action in perfect, crisp motion.

Ever noticed how much easier it is to capture your kid running down the Soccer field than it is to capture him dribbling down the Basketball court? The Basketball court is indoors under less light than the soccer field in the bright sunlight making it harder to capture the fast action of the indoor game because your shutter is staying open longer to gather enough light to make your picture show up on it's sensor.

Different cameras handle shutter speed in different ways. Most point and shoots automatically adjust the shutter speed based on the light that hits their sensor when you focus. If the flash is on it chooses one shutter speed and if it's off it slows it down to gather more light since the camera won't be supplying any.

You can compensate for this by opening window shades, turning on lights, or moving outside. Expensive lighting equipment isn't a must to get cool indoor shots. When I was working on a budget I went to my local hardware store and picked up a couple of clamp lights, some Reveal bulbs in a soft, low wattage, and clamped them to the backs of a couple of chairs. I had my own studio lighting in minutes. Stiff, white poster boards can be converted to reflective boards and white sheets can become backdrops. One friend of mine picks up remnant fur and leather from her local fabric store and uses them for totally rad backdrops!

If your camera is more the SLR type then you can usually change your shutter speed manually. But you are going to have problems getting what you want if you only change the shutter speed and don't also adjust the ISO. Next time we'll talk about ISO and how it effects the amount of light that reaches your camera's sensor.

Have you noticed that shutter speed effects your pictures? Do you usually mess with shutter speed settings or let your camera pick a speed automatically?

107 - Going For The Look - Part 3

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:03:47 GMT

Posing Your Subject

So what about when you aren't looking for something spontaneous? Sometimes we don't always want to struggle for the spontaneous; just taking wild shots in the dark hoping for something amazing. How can we script our shots to get what we are looking for? Several people pointed out from my last post that the Afghan Girl was more posed than spontaneous. Good eye. You are right. While the look in her eyes spoke volumes and couldn't have been there for long still this girl was just sitting there waiting for the photographer to take her picture. He may have taken 20 or 30 shots of her before he got this famous image.

Just as placing your subject in a place with good lighting is always a first when posing your subjects so is getting them comfortable. They need somewhere to sit or lean that makes them appear comfortable. And of course an obvious rule of thumb is usually a subject looks comfortable when they are, so ask them to find a spot they like. While you look through the camera and compose your shot you can inform your subject that you are just making adjustments and to not worry about smiling or doing anything special. Encourage them to look around them, talk or engage other people near by, and adjust their position until they are feeling at ease and natural. During this time take several test shots. Check your image on the back of your camera to see how things look and adjust your settings if necessary. When everything looks good shoot several shots when the person still thinks you are doing adjustments. Look for changing expressions to shoot. Talk to them and crack jokes or comment on the surroundings. After getting all you can that way start giving the subject more direction. Ask them to look up at the sky or down at the ground. Have them look off to the left or right. If you do this remember to move the subject in the view finder so that say if they are looking to their LEFT, you have the subject more toward your LEFT side of the viewfinder. See my example here of my daughter looking "off the edge" of the picture:

The photo is more pleasing in this next one:

This gives the appearance of something for her to look at. Keep the Rule of Thirds in mind. Try to start breaking your picture into thirds and put major subject matter in one of those thirds. As you begin to avoid always centering everything you'll notice your photography get less generic and start to take on a more professional feel.

106 - Going for The Look - Part 2

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:52:00 GMT

So what is it that you want out of your pictures? Sometimes we look at others photos and think, "That's so incredible!" But why? Why do we think it's incredible? Is it the spontaneity? The expression? The location? The angle? What makes you stop and go, "Ahhh. I love that."? Let's examine several famous photos and break down each one, looking at how all these things play their part.

Spontaneity

Nothing inspires ahhh like a real moment frozen in time. Everyone remembers this hugely famous image from the ending of WWII:

The sailor kissing a woman in Time Square

Talk about being at the right place at the right time! This image catured for everyone the feeling of the day. The raw emotion that was being played out in hearts all over the country. You didn't need to know this couple to know what they were feeling and for it to strike a cord with you. That is just the incredible beauty of this image. We, as the viewer, get it; completely and even without a caption.

When you are taking pictures to capture spontenaeity, you not only need to be in the right place at the right time but you need to know what moment will be a defining moment of that day. You need to see it coming before it happens. I highly doubt the couple in the photo above was lip locked for very long! But other couples were kissing and had been kissing and this photographer put himself in the best place to hopefully capture some kissing!

John and Jacqueline Kennedy at their wedding:

The Young Afghan Girl:

These are spontaneous moments that are not posed or scripted. The photographer just perfectly captured a moment in time that we never want to forget once we've seen it.

Allison's Header is done!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:24:03 GMT

And here is the finished product...

Allison is quite a good photographer in her own right and so it was a joy to work with such great photos and one of my favorite subjects, "The BEACH!!" I also created a theme for her to go with the header. So run over and check it out! And don't forget to watch for our next HeaderFun!! contest and enter to win yours!

TTFN!

105 - Going for The Look - Part 1

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:37:50 GMT

I think we can all sympathize with the struggle to catch the look we are after. Your baby is giggling and laughing away so you run for the camera and come back only to find her staring befuddled at mommy with a camera stuck to her face. I don't think this struggle ever goes away but there is a few tricks us photog's use to get what we are after. As an MWAC you have the advantage of being able to pick the moment when your child is in "the mood" or is feeling particularly frisky. These are great times to grab your camera and maybe implement some of these tricks.

Over the next few posts I want to talk about "getting the look". And today I want to focus on helping your child relax and interact with the camera. My professional photographer friend, Daniel, from alittledarkershadesofbrown stopped by my site the other day and shared with me some great thoughts on this topic:

Tips and tricks - Part 1

"I suppose that children are no different then adults in that you have to connect with them on some level in order to capture an image that reveals a piece of them.

Most children have the attention span of... well, kids! They are moving around like crazy; jumping, skipping, singing, giggling. Just being kids. Typically an exposure of anything slower then 1/250th of a second will cause your pictures to be blurry if craziness is about to begin (and it is) so I would keep that shutter working fast. You are going to need to be a bit of a kid yourself so get yourself down low to the ground. I usually hand the camera to the child and have them take a few goofy pictures of me so that they become more comfortable with the idea of what I am about to do.

Always, always show them the pictures you are taking as you go. It gets them involved in what you are doing and sets them up for more pictures.

As with any portrait of a person you need to build connection between the two of you. Sometimes this takes 5 minutes and sometimes it takes 30.

The following is the first picture I took after the young girl handed me back my camera after taking a picture of me:

It's one of my favorites from the last couple of weeks.

Have fun! and click that shutter!"

Thanks Daniel, for sharing your favorite tips with us!

104 - Photo Editing: Choosing Software

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:33:29 GMT

As I'm sure most of you know there is a huge world of software out there to choose from. Just Google "software" on virtually any topic and websites start rolling in offering free programs, trials, and betas but how do you know who to trust and where it's safe to get it?? Well, to be honest, I haven't spent hours finding all the cool free stuff and little known "wonder programs" that are just as good or better than the ones everyone is talking about. I'm the mother of 5 kids under 10 so I'm a busy girl! But I can offer you my two cents worth and let you research other options that might work better for you.

Editing always held a draw for me! I loved turning my photos black and white and then coloring cheeks or flowers in the editor I had. In the beginning I was fine only editing with the little software program that came with my computer but it wasn't long before I longed for more! When I finally realized that photo editing software was a must the first phone call I made was to my brother who is a graphic designer extraordinaire! He said right off the bat: You NEED Photoshop! Don't waste your money on anything else! I was not really surprised since I'd been hearing photographers rave about it for years. But that nearly $700 price tag had me more than a little intimidated! What could something that cost that much possibly offer little-ol'-self-taught-photographer me?? I wasn't that complicated a girl! I just wanted to make my photos cool! Not turn them into magazine worthy masterpieces!! I hung up feeling very small...

So a few weeks later my hubby and I were strolling through Best Buy and I dragged him down the software isle so I could drool at the Photoshop versions. I didn't know what I was looking for exactly but I stumbled across the new Adobe Photoshop Elements and stopped dead in my tracks. Under a 100 bucks? Now that was a vast improvement! My sweet man grabbed it off the shelf and said, "Lets get it." I was thrilled!!

Let me make a disclaimer here: I don't work for Adobe. I don't get some kind of kickback for recommending this program. I just am a consumer who was looking for a solution to a problem and this product met the need. If you follow this link to Adobe's website, you can download a Full Version trial of Elements 6. Now with that said, here's a few things you should know and keep in mind:

First, Photoshop Elements is powerful! It's a big program and it's complex. This is a wonderful thing and a bit of a frustrating thing at the same time. On the one hand, you are getting quite a bang for your buck! If you were thinking of springing for the full, expensive Photoshop CS3 let me just say: you could get all the stuff you will ever need in the Elements version. The extras in CS3 are not something I, even as a professional now, have really needed (and I have worked with it quite a bit). All the add-ons and applications designed to enhance Photoshop will work perfectly with the Elements versions. So I can't say enough about the advantages of going the Elements route. Only that on the other hand, it has quite a learning curve so don't expect to master it before the trial runs out.

And then just a warning: be careful of "deals" out there on the internet advertising getting you into some "older" version of Photoshop for super cheap. Some of these are on Ebay and can really shoot you in the foot instead of helping you. These older versions are pretty much obsolete and take a class to use (practically... I've messed with several and was totally lost!). I have one friend who did this and after buying the program she thought was a fabulous deal ended up completely befuddled by it and then bought several expensive tutorials, books, and even DVD's trying to learn how to use her program! And then in the end she just finally gave up and purchased Elements after seeing what I was doing with it. She hasn't looked back at that "cheap" program since. So that's just my experience. You can do with it what you will.

So as we go through these lessons you'll notice me refer to editing techniques I use in Photoshop terms since this is what I use. Hope that helps those of you curious about what I recommend.

Have a great Independence Day!! Happy Editing!!

Announcing the Winner of June's Header Fun!! Contest...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Allison of allilaney on Xanga (reader of my TrulyTaken blog)! Congratulations, Allison!