Best Nikon Camera For Beginners: Don't Buy That New SLR Camera - Not Until You Have Read This!

So you have embraced the world of digital photography and now searching for the best Nikon camera for beginners. This could be one of the best moves you have ever made especially if you want to get serious in creating stunning shots, after all using a digital SLR camera has lots of perks; they are designed for versatility, speed and excellent quality images even in poor lighting conditions.

Well, I would say that choosing Nikon among other camera brands out there is not surprising at all; this giant has a track record of amazing digital photography innovations for decades.

But then, this fact could be both a pro and a con when buying your first SLR digital camera...the pros are pretty obvious of course....the cons - if you get to choose between lots of high quality cameras with great features and specs, it could be really confusing, not to mention, intimidating particularly for first time users.

So how would you choose among the Nikon digital SLR camera models that are available in the market nowadays? How could you keep yourself from wasting huge amount of cash (these cameras doesn't come cheap!), just to realize in the end that you have made a bad choice?!

Important Facts That You Should Know Before Getting A New Nikon Camera

While any Nikon digital SLR is reasonably priced, they don't come cheap. So it is best to look into DSLRs that's according to your experience level. Since you're a beginner in digital photography and I assume in using a SLR camera, then it will be wise to look into entry level cameras that Nikon has to offer.

Entry level cameras allow you to enjoy digital photography without any hint of intimidation....very minimal if there's any. Just like your point and shoot camera, DSLRs are intuitive. You can still find lots of auto modes; they are user friendly and lightweight.

Nikon D3100 and D5100 are both great choices for beginners like you...but if you compare their prices and features, you'll see that with just a few more bucks, you'll have a better deal with the Nikon D5100, that's why it has recently become one of the top choices.

It also comes with a vari-angle swivel LCD, which is not just great for capturing hard to shoot subjects, but is also great for effortless video shooting. You'll never miss your point and shoot camera since D5100 includes cool image effects that you've come to love on your compact camera.

So what's the best Nikon camera for beginners?

The best thing about Nikon digital SLR camera models is that you are given great choices...just like the two models that I have mentioned above....but in the end it all goes down to your photography needs, the price you're willing to pay for a high quality SLR camera and how serious you intend to be in digital photography.

Deciding on which best Nikon camera for beginners to get can be a bit overwhelming especially if you don't have much idea about SLR digital cameras. Go to Click here if you want to have a closer look at Nikon D5100 and great tips on digital photography.

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Inside Product Photography Advice: Photographing Camera Equipment

An overlooked area within the field of product photography is the camera itself. Camera equipment and photography equipment poses a unique challenge to the product photographer, which is yet another reason why it's safer not to attempt your catalogue photography in house, relying on the services of a professional photography studio instead.

So what is it that makes cameras and camera equipment so challenging when it comes to photography? There are three main issues which need to be considered. The first issue is that the people who are likely to be looking at your photographs of cameras are likely to be camera enthusiasts, and therefore enthusiastic about quality photography. If the images you're using are of poor quality then this doesn't look inspiring, and is unlikely to appeal to image conscious consumers.

Having high quality photographic images is always important no matter what you're selling and no matter to whom you're marketing it. But cameras and studio equipment from lights to lens needs that edge in order to appeal to people who are likely to be that bit more critical when it comes to image quality.

The second issue that needs to be considered when thinking about camera product photography is that most items of equipment tend to be both dark and detailed. If you look at most medium to high end digital and SLR cameras they tend to be black almost all over. Not only this but there tends to be quite a few buttons, and many of these are black too. This poses a problem, because it can be very difficult to take a photograph of a dark, detailed object and manage to both capture the detail, and make the product look three dimensional. Too many amateur photographs of cameras and similar products either lose the detail, or make the camera seem flat, cheap and uninteresting.

The third area of concern relates to reflections, because there are one or two areas of the camera which are likely to reflect light or to reflect what's in the room or studio. The two most obvious examples here include the lens, and any digital preview screen on the reverse of the camera. The lens doesn't tend to pose a problem as far as reflecting the studio is concerned, because what will generally be seen are simply light circles. But these are important, and by using coloured lights, appropriately angled lighting and the right exposure it's possible to really make the lens stand out. This is important because often the lens is the only real element of colour, and by having a glowing lens with light circles it helps to add a great deal of depth to the image as well as providing a focal point.

The screen at the back poses a different problem though. By switching this off you lose a potential area of colour and interest, and you also pose the risk of having the photographer and studio reflected in the screen, which doesn't look very professional. Switching the camera on though and having an image on the screen doesn't always work, as the quality will appear greatly reduced. It's generally best to use post production editing to superimpose an image onto the area where the screen is on the camera, although this has to be done very carefully indeed in order to make it look natural. Again, any keen camera enthusiast will certainly spot a doctored image, and this will beg many questions as far as the authenticity and honesty of the rest of the image is concerned.

So when it comes to product photography for cameras and photographic equipment it really is far better to make use of a professional photographer and studio, otherwise you could find your business very underexposed.

For low cost, professional product photography solutions visit The Packshot People Ltd.

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How to Select a Digital SLR Camera

A digital SLR camera is not a cheap purchase so you need to put some thought into buying one, but what information do you need to make an informed decision? Here are some tips on how to select a digital SLR camera.

First of all, check out some of the major brands and make a list of all their features. If you don't understand the terminology, you can look it up on the internet but here are a few common terms:

SLR - single lens reflex. This means that the camera has a mirror behind the lens which directs the light in such a way that the lens has different focal lengths.

Megapixels - the number of light pixels within a given space. A higher number of megapixels equals sharper focused images.

Sensor - the bigger the better in terms of quality images as the sensor uses light to create a digital image format.

Decide which of these features you actually need; this may depend on the type of photography you're going to do. Some cameras will be better suited to landscape photography and others to portraits or close-ups. Consider whether you use flash a lot or other artificial light sources. If you take action shots you'll need a camera with a fast continuous drive. This means that the photo will be taken the minute you put your finger on the shutter and continue until you remove your finger.

Compare prices but ultimately, you may want to sacrifice price for features. That will depend on your budget and reasons for wanting to know how to select a digital SLR camera. If you've set your heart on a specific camera, shop around - there are deals to be found.

Visit Amazon, the online store. They carry a wide range of digital cameras and they publish customer reviews. These are really useful because anyone who can be bothered to write a review obviously has strong feelings on the subject. Very often the reviews go into great detail about the camera and will tell you more than just reading the publicity.

I checked out the first camera that came up when I put digital SLR cameras into the search box. There were 240 customer reviews and while I only read the first couple, they discussed individual highlights of the camera and pinpointed disadvantages as well as expressing an opinion as to value for money.

If you want to know how to select a digital SLR camera, then look no further than Amazon for great information and feedback.

Jim Barton is an experienced photographer who wants to share what he knows about digital photography. For more on how to select a digital SLR camera, visit Jim's Digital Photography website.

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Finding the Right Camera Bag

Cameras are expensive and need to be protected. Camera bags make protection easy for the user. There are many varieties of camera bags today. The latest models have specialized interior compartments, to make finding your supplies a breeze. A person does not have to spend time digging through a messy carry case any longer. The newer ones are lightweight, and are user friendly. These accessories are designed to be easily carried. Many come in backpack styles, to make carrying photography supplies simple. The best ones are weather resistant, and are easy to clean. Moisture can damage equipment, so this feature is especially important.

An ideal bag should be able to go anywhere the photographer goes. The product should be easy to pick up and go. Photographers need to be ready, for when that perfect picture shows up. With an organized camera bag, getting the shot will be easier. All of the photography equipment is within grasp. Many of them are insulated to help protect expensive equipment and supplies from the elements. Even slight weather changes may damage these sensitive items. A good photographer is a prepared one. Camera bags are nice for any type of travel, as well.

Serious photographers can accumulate a lot of gear. It is important to be able to access them, while keeping them safe. Carry or backpack styles are great, because it keeps the equipment out of danger's way. It is always within reach of the photographer. These camera bags look professional also. This is critical when doing an important assignment. The photography equipment should be able to travel to just about any location. Now it can, while providing room for other incidentals. Extra supplies can be ready to go and within easy reach. Do not leave home without one of these camera bags.

Finding the right camera bag has never been easier. There are several models to choose from. With one of these camera bags, a photographer will not have to worry about packing equipment. Everything will have a place. They are are generally padded with thick protective foam and sometimes have inserts with Velcro strips on the ends that literally make it possible for you to customize the inside of your bag, creating protective slots for your lenses, flash, other accessories and of course, your camera body. These bags are also incredibly easy to sling around, whether you have a backpack, messenger bag, sling carrier, hip pack, briefcase or roller. Supplies will be easier to maintain as they can be seen easily. Cumbersome cases are from a bygone era. Newer versions are easy on the back. There are different colors to choose. The straps are adjustable to make carrying supplies comfortable. These camera bags can be custom fit for your body. Keep yourself, and your photography supplies organized.

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The Digital Camera for Everyone - Nikon D3100

The definitive picture quality of the new D3100 from Nikon has been creating quite a buzz and is even said to amaze all of its users. The reason the picture comes out so great is because of the integrated format that allows gradients and colors to be processed at a higher and more efficient speed. With the ISO speed capable of hitting 12800 you don't have to worry about having a shaky hand ever again.

This is an excellent model for beginning and amateur photographers too because there is a guide mode feature that will walk you through basically everything so you know how to work it and work it well. The D3100 guide will even show you how to take the picture so that you can capture the best shot. You can even scroll through some sample images they have for each of the shooting settings so you can see just how to image will come out on that mode. Even though this is a great model for enhanced pictures you can even take some great video on the camera in full HD too. Since the model comes equipped with a multi lens insert you can also choose which angles you want to shoot your movies in so you can make them exactly how you need or want to. There is a 3 inch monitor built in as well so you know exactly what you are taking a picture of and view it right afterwards.

Whether you use an SD memory card or the USB port getting your images and video transferred off the camera is pretty easy too. The easier the transfer process is the better because many photographers need to have free space on the go to capture all of the photo opportunities. When it comes down to the customer ratings about the D3100 from Nikon the majority of them are actually really good. However, you have to remember that technology, even though advanced, is not perfect so there may be a con or two in some of the reviews that people feel could have been put together better.

Any model Nikon in the SLR series is going to be a great choice if you are looking to expand your photographic skills and they are pretty affordably priced too which is never a bad thing. When you are in the market for a new and enhanced digital camera to upgrade to then this may be just the model for you. What you should do is check it out online and read up on the features and specs it has so you can determine if it the right camera model for you or not.

Compare different prices and retailers so that you can find the best deal on the best camera for you. Even if the D3100 from Nikon isn't the one for you there are plenty of other options that you can browse through in order to find the best camera for you.

Read through our full Nikon D3100 review or take a look at the brand new Nikon D7000.

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Nikon D7000: The Perfect "Prosumer" Camera

Prosumer is the term coined from the two words, professional and consumer. Unlike a professional, a Prosumer will be looking at high end at cheaper levels, and unlike a consumer, a Prosumer looks for high end products over price. Prosumer was termed especially for people buying Cameras due to the fact that there are several cameras that could meet professional requirements with the price for consumers wanting to use it for personal reasons.

The Nikon D7000 is a prosumer model. It has a professional edge with a reasonable price tag. There are several reasons for why the D7000 would be ideal for the prosumer. The camera boasts several features. The most basic feature of the camera is its 16 mega pixel resolution. For any amateur this would be the feature that decides the purchase of the D7000. The more megapixels, the better the quality of the still photograph one would get. Both the brand name and the fact that this camera is a new release would make this Camera a definite buy.

But for those who know much more than the just about the resolution of the camera, will know the other pros about this camera. The camera has improvements and enhancements in almost every aspect. Photos clicked with this camera can be fine tuned with different settings and modes such as the White light, location, and flash. The camera even has newly added modes for different locations and for different types of photographs, for example it has separate settings for areas with lots of shade or there are special settings of clicking shots of silhouettes. For professional photographers, there is not just a few specializations. There are photographers with even the most unusual specializations. From popular and the well known types of photography like Fashion and Wildlife to the unheard types like Equine (photos of horses) and Food Photography, photographers need to take shots in the most unpredictable settings. Thus Nikon D7000's wide variety of features satisfy the needs of the professionals to some extent (obviously ultimately it's the craftsmanship of the Photographer himself to adjust the camera settings manually to satisfy his vision). And the price at which this camera comes, it is worth the buy for them.

...Reasons why D7000 may not be the perfect prosumer camera

For those buyers who see the camera according to the megapixels the camera has, they are not wrong in believing that more mega pixels means better quality photographs. However that is only half the story. The D7000's 16 mega pixel camera sounds impressive, but there is more to it. In order to produce a high quality picture with a camera with 16 mega pixels, the glass of the lens has to be of high quality also. Ignorantly, people buy Cameras like the Nikon D7000 without thinking about the lens that they have to buy along with it. They may not buy the lens from Nikon, and may resort to a more affordable brand but that will not bring out the camera's prowess of capturing still photographs or making movies with the highest quality. Many professionals may notice this drawback and hence may prefer to buy the 12 megapixel predecessors of the D7000. Hence, despite the price and tons of features and capabilities of the D7000, it's small drawbacks may not make it the best DSLR camera to buy.

Check out the Nikon D7000 blog and our full Nikon D7000 review.

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What Is Missing From Your SLR Camera?

When you buy your first SLR camera you can almost be guaranteed that one item will be missing. The box your SLR camera usually will have the camera body, a single lens, if you are lucky it includes a rechargeable battery for your camera, and most likely it includes either a wrist strap or a neck strap for your camera. So what is missing? Security, comfort, and the confidence found in using a SRL camera harness is the missing element.

Why Would A Camera Harness Be So Important?

How much did you invest in your new SLR camera? You most likely spent in excess of $500 for your SLR camera and the price can leap into the thousands of dollars for top of the line cameras. When you start adding high-end lenses into the equation it is very common to have an investment over $1000. A wrist strap would be ridiculous for this level of equipment. A neck strap is only minimally better aside from the fact that it will make you feel comfortable while you are doing your stint and moving from one place to the other.

Consider how a neck strap works. It allows your camera to swing in all directions freely as you move. It leaves a high potential for the camera to be damaged in an accident. It makes you feel comfortable that your camera is safe and there are no chances that you will drop them.

The SLR camera harness fits your body very differently. It goes over your shoulders, wraps around your back, and fastens the camera centered on your body. The camera does not move around freely. The camera is secure without using your hands. You can jog, bend, and even climb a ladder and the camera remains safe.
The Confusing Omission

Camera manufacturers are well aware of these facts. Many of them even manufacture their own variety of camera body harness. When you realize high-end after market camera harnesses with a lifetime warranty can be purchased for around $20 it becomes really confusing why they are not included in the bundle.

Before you start going out on hikes and other big photography events buy a SLR camera harness to use with your new camera. There is no reason to risk your camera with the cheap neck strap included in the bundle. Get the protection which should have been in the package in the first place.

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Wedding Photography - What If the Bride and Groom Are Camera Shy?

How do you deal with a stiff bride and groom when it comes to the portrait time?

Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but they all boil down to the same thing: familiarize yourself with the people you're photographing and do whatever you can to get them to relax, to know that this isn't serious time, this is a time to let loose and be themselves. Here are a few things you can do...

1. Most weddings go on in the summer, so if you see that your bride is perspiring a bit, tell the groom to kiss her forehead. He'll make a face, and they'll usually get a laugh out of this. Be prepared to snap a picture of them laughing!

2. Have the groom nuzzle the bride's neck from behind. This will tickle, causing her to laugh. The groom will usually laugh along with her. Once again, what you are looking to snap is not the pose, but the reactions of the couple to the pose.

3. Have the couple standing facing each other, get them to close their eyes, and ask them to kiss each other. They can't see, so they'll probably miss. Maybe they'll drop a kiss on the nose, maybe they'll kiss an eyelid. Invariably, they'll start laughing. Be sure not to miss the moment.

4. If all these fail, switch to "romance" mode instead of "laughter", and have them get into more intimate positions, such as the bride putting her arms around the groom's neck and the groom's arms around her waist. Another bonus pose you can move into from here is to ask the groom to kiss her on the cheek and ask the bride to not let him do it. This is pretty much a guaranteed way to get them to laugh.

5. Moving back into the romance mode, 9 times out of 10, the bride is the more photogenic of the two. Put your focus on her eyes, have him kiss her on her cheek or her neck or shoulder while she looks into the camera. Move around them so that you're behind the groom, and have them embrace and take a picture of the bride's expression.

6. A great set up that you should always do is "the walk". Have the bride and groom stroll away from you. At this point you can snap away freely as they will probably be holding hands and just relaxing with each other. When they're far enough, tell them to stop and walk back towards you. Snap away again.

The rule of thumb is to get your clients to be as relaxed as they can be, and part of how you do this is to behave in a warm, friendly manner. Remember to praise them, even if the shots don't look good. You want to make them feel good, like the camera loves them. Don't make faces when you look at the pictures on the view finder, don't ever let them know that a pose isn't working. Tell them, "That's great! Now let's try a new pose..."

Try out these tips and tricks and see if you can't come up with a few of your own!

http://www.jqweddings.com/
Jesselynn Quinn Photography
For more photography technique, please visit my website. All comments are welcome!

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Choosing a New Camera Lens

Most camera's come with a kit lens of something like an 18-55mm lens. This is perfect for everyday shots, and is probably why it is bundled in as standard. This has a 3x Zoom (55/18) so can get some good close ups. Despite this, you are probably craving for an upgrade, however, upgrading your kit lens is probably not a good idea to do first. You can make upgrades to 18-105mm lens' or similar, as these are good multi-purpose lens' but if are looking for a whole new lens, with whole new possibilities, then follow the steps below.

Zoom. I know you want it. My first additional lens for my camera was a zoom lens, as I thought I could do with some mega zoom. I purchased a 70-300mm lens, which is fantastic, and gets some fantastic close ups. If you want to be able to zoom in far into the distance, then purchase a zoom lens like mine. Nikon and Canon would charge around ?400-?600 for a lens of this type, but I got a Sigma lens for ?199, which produces fantastic shots. Sigma may be a budget make, but still produces excellent kit.

Fixed focal length lenses are great for many reasons, and you can get a huge variety of them. If you are looking for wide maximum apertures, and want to use great depth of field effects (check out the Depth of Field Tutorial and Aperture Tutorial) then something like an 35mm fixed focal length lens will do great. These usually have a maximum aperture of around f/1.8, and you can get a good priced one for around ?200-?300. Budget makes retail them for around ?100-?200.

You can also purchase Fixed Focal Length lenses of 400mm or even 800mm but unless you are willing to spend in excess of ?10000, then I wouldn't bat an eyelid, they are for the real pro's only.

For superb effects, you may be interested in wide angle lenses. These can be zoom or fixed focal length. Be warned however, that many of these are expensive, but they are really worth it. Wide angle and/or Fish Eye lenses are pretty much what they should like. They take in huge, wide shots, gaining as much detail as possible. Pricing of these vary, but ?400-?500 is a reasonable bracket.

Take in the information above and you are sure to find the perfect second, third or fourth lens for your Digital SLR. Be prepared to spend considerable amounts of money however.

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Points to Look at Before Purchasing a Camera

Your first big question you need to ask yourself, what am I going to use the camera for?

Will it be for work or personal? If it is for work then you need to think, am I on building sites where there is a lot of dust and could it get to a point where you can maybe drop it.

Or do you work in a clean environment that's relatively safe. Maybe it is for personal use. It's for the family and you have teenagers that's at a photo crazy stage. You get cameras that a durable that you can take with you to site and it can drop and all will be fine. But then the next question is, what type of quality you would need. Just to keep a record of or more to make prints and presentations of. In both cases I think you would need to invest in something with relatively high quality 12 -14 mega pixels and a hard body. The Nikon and Canon has great range of cameras. Nikon P7000 has a hard body with a Nikon lens that gives that extra quality and a few extra functions that could help with low/bright light. Canon has the G12 similar to the Nikon P7000 but in my experience the body is a lot sturdier. I came across one's that dropped her Canon G12 from a cliff about 5-6 meters down. The steel "cover" around the lens was bending badly but nothing happened to the lens or the body. Then you can also look at an underwater camera because those are normally waterproof, dustproof, freeze proof. The lens stays inside so if you dropped it nothing can happen to the lens, that's the biggest problem with camera' in these day. The optical zoom lenses "moving towards subject" also gets bumped or dropped on and then it costs more to fix/replace than to buy a new camera. Canon has a very sturdy underwater camera but a bit bulky. The bulkiness can be a good thing especially out on site. If you need it for a clean and safe environment then I'll recommend the Nikon or Canon as stated above. But Canon has a good range pocket camera with high megapixel and great zoom. Nikon has a range of pocket camera's that has zoom from 5 to 7 x. These are your Coolpix S and P ranges. The quality of Nikon is very good with original Nikon lenses. But so is you're Canon. Canon gives a more of a cooler color. That works very well for building or landscape photography where as Nikon gives more of a yellow to orange color and that works well for portrait photography. But either one is a very good camera for high and good quality. When you looking at a camera that will be used by teenagers then you need to keep in mind that it needs to be durable. Preferably waterproof and freeze proof.

Best brand with a bit of a variety will be Olympus and Fuji. Olympus has a great range of waterproof camera that is pocket-size and durable. Fuji has a small range one type actually just an improved model. It's quality is not as good as Olympus but the price is a bit less if that is an option you are looking at. It also comes in nice funky colors. Something teenagers always look at. Then a camera for personal use that would last a long time and good quality. Canon has the best pocket-size range camera's with excellent quality and easy to use functions. It's durable in a variety of colors and models. The power shot range. You get other makes as well.

Sony is not bad but they don't have a wide variety. The price is a bit steep and the memory card Pro Duo is not easy obtainable and a bit expensive. Kodak is a slow camera, what I mean with that is. From one photo to the next - takes a while. The quality is a bit grainy "like a news paper" and the range is small. Pentax is a durable camera with low prices but I can't guarantee it won't let you down in time of need. Pentax has improved from when they started with pocket cameras but they are not there yet. Then Panasonic I believe should stick with TV's.

Leica is a brand that I don't have a lot of experience in, but what I do know. Is there is no better brand than Leica in small camera's. Great quality lenses. Very expensive. Not something that you pass to somebody ell's and not to be used on dirty site areas.

All of the above comes from my experience as a Photographer. I also have hands on experience with what people are looking for and what each brand provides.

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Understanding Your Camera: Exposure and Depth of Field

If you've recenly moved up from your point and click camera to one that bases itself more on an SLR type camera, or is indeed an SLR, you will have no doubt noticed that there are a many more options for your to play with to get the perfect picture, but what does each one do?

Exposure

This refers to the amount of light collected by a camera's sensor to create a photograph. It is important to gauge how much light is needed for the photo; too much light and the picture will be blown out (too bright), not enough light, and the picture will be too dark. There are three main factors that contribute to and affect exposure and depth-of-field; aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. An understanding of each and how they relate to each other is necessary to get the right amount of exposure for your subject and lighting conditions. Most modern cameras have a light meter to show how much light the sensor is collecting, and indicate the best exposure for your shot. Many cameras also have an "Auto" mode that will set aperture, shutter speed and ISO for you. To move beyond the AUTO Mode and get good photos, you need to understand exposure, framing and focus, and have the ability to manually adjust your camera's settings to achieve the desired effect.

Aperture

This is the size of the lens opening that allows light to hit the sensor. When looking at the settings on a camera, aperture is called F-stop, and shown like this F8.0, or this f/2.8. The size of the F-Stop number is inversely related to the size of the lens opening, so lower numbers mean a larger aperture, which will let in more light to the sensor. Sometimes, the phrase "aperture value" is used instead of F-stop value. Aperture dictates what is actually in focus (depth-of-field). A low F-stop can be used to focus on a single object, blurring the background, and higher F-stop values can be used to focus on a lot of stuff at once.

Shutter Speed

This regulates how long the shutter stays open to admit light to the sensor. The slower your shutter speed, the more light will be gathered by the sensor, thus exposing the photo more. Shutter speed is measured in very small increments of time; seconds and fractions of seconds. With fractions of seconds, larger denominators indicate faster shutter speed. For most hand-held photos, shutter speeds of 1/60 of a second or faster will be optimal. Because it is very difficult to hold a camera perfectly steady for any length of time, lower speeds (longer exposure time) often result in blurry photos. Some cameras come with image stabilization, which helps with camera shake. Also, using a tripod is a good idea if you need a longer exposure for your shot.

ISO

This expresses the light sensitivity of a digital camera's sensor. Film ISO is not adjusted on the camera, but film can be bought in several ISO values. Higher ISO number means the digital camera's sensor is "getting more out of" the light it receives. Higher ISO settings are good for low-light situations, when you need the camera to make as much use of available light as possible. Lower ISO settings are preferable when there is plenty of available light. The higher the ISO, the more noise (grain, in film) you will get in your photo. Generally, it is best to use the lowest ISO setting that will also allow for proper exposure.

Since F-stop and shutter speed affect the amount of light received by the sensor, and ISO dictates the sensor's sensitivity to that light, they can be manipulated together for just the right exposure.

As with any skill, good photography takes a lot of practice, all the best sports photography and wedding photography shots have been taken after learning and of course practicing for years, but the satisfaction of taking beautiful, artistic photos is well worth the trial and error.

Graeme is writing on behalf of Steven Brooks Wedding Photographer London, for oneagency an SEO Agency

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Five Useful Tips for Buying Your First Digital SLR Camera

"I'm just an inexperienced photographer shopping for a DSLR camera, which one is the best?"

This is the most frequent topic asked by many people wanting to move up from their pocket digital cameras to a digital SLR camera.

1. Specify Your Standards

Naturally, you won't discover the exact field of photography you'll ultimately dwell into at this point, but you still have to find out the important criteria your camera should have such as:

Bulk - If you're the sort who wouldn't mind lugging a bag much of the time, then the DSLR's greater proportions should not be a big issue. On the contrary, if you believe that smallish cameras are not ergonomically appropriate for your sizeable hands, then you should not get a smaller camera.

Regularity of Use - How regularly will you bring the camera? If you think it's troublesome to carry a large camera, then don't acquire a DSLR. If you're intend to take the camera to your trips quite frequently, then a more compact camera would make a lot more sense.

Usual Theme - Even though you perhaps had not defined a style to emphasize on, you perhaps have established a purpose in why you require to upgrade to a DSLR camera, correct?

Are you thinking about to utilizing that new camera to shoot your young ones? Photographing for your web-based shopping website? Your dearest dog or cat, maybe?

Virtually all DSLRs have the ability of capturing these subjects with ease. Nonetheless, determining your most typical area of interest will allow you narrow-down your choices.

2. Identify Your Price Range

Be truthful with the amount you can afford to pay. For just about everyone, a standard DSLR camera set marketed by the leading brands will be more than satisfactory. Today's cameras paired with many of the factory extras plus a handy zoom lens is in fact, more than acceptable for most picture taking situations.

Identifying your price range limitations and you can take away off all other variants you can't afford.

To illustrate, if you only have less than US$900 to spend, and you really want a Canon DSLR camera, your resources will confine you to a EOS Rebel T3i (aka 600D) or cheaper units only. You can more or less dismiss the higher end products and deal with it. Why make an effort to contemplate a Canon EOS 5D Mark II if it's outside your price range, correct?

A few will probably guide you to allot for special lenses, flashes, and more desirable gear. Even though these are sound, well-meant recommendations, you ought to place stick to your original price range and pick up the camera and lens first, as they're the primary parts to get your photographic path going.

Plus, invest in equipment that you are going to benefit from and desire AT THIS TIME. Numerous recommendations in sites telling buyers never to acquire 'For Digital' lenses like the Canon EF-S lenses, since they aren't going to function the moment you shift to "full-frame" cameras down the road.

The reality is, the number of people shifting to a highly-priced, full-frame camera is REALLY LOW. Finally, your lenses do not depreciate as rapidly as other gears, you won't suffer a large amount of money when selling used lenses in good shape.

3. Examine Variety of Lenses and Products

One of the important features of a DSLR is the flexibility to swap lenses and add more gear as your talents and desires increase. Presently there are many of lenses, flash guns, extras to consider but in most cases, these products are very manufacturer-specific. Just like, a lens designed for a Nikon isn't going to fit a Sony DSLR, similar with flash products also.

Despite the fact that all brands have their unique lenses and add-ons, the two major companies - Canon and Nikon, feature much more in-house items combined with significantly greater third-party products as opposed to the other companies.

This doesn't necessarily suggest that companies such as Pentax, Sony, and Olympus are substandard, they are definitely not. Still, trying to uncover retail outlets that offer good deals for these types of brands are trickier than the ones of Canon and Nikon.

Once again, there is absolutely nothing bad with buying a non-Canon/Nikon brand, just be ready to fork out more or spend extra efforts searching as opposed to Canon/Nikon items.

4. Know What Your Buddies and Relatives Own

The bonus of discovering what your buddies and relatives use is the possibility to be lent the products that you're intending to invest in. You'll save a lot of money and understand what these new items can do for you before investing your hard-earned money.

5. Get and forget

After you've invested in your 1st DSLR camera, STOP COMPARING!

AVOID COMPARING your camera with more sophisticated products.

AVOID COMPARING your camera with other folks' cameras.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF the camera you invested in, study how to capture, make best use of the camera's capabilities.

Adopt these very simple, common-sense buying tips and you will soon have your new digital SLR camera in your hands capturing all the interesting things around you.

If you want to know more about practical and simple photography tips, as well as flash photography tips, visit David Tong's main photography blog - David's Simple Photography.

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Tips on Buying a Camera System

Buying the right photographic equipment cannot be rushed. To avoid regrets and wastefulness your purchasing decision must be based on a solid foundation - not on what the adverts tell us. A number of questions will guide us in reaching a decision.

First of all you must think how is it going to be used?What do you want to photograph?How often will you use your equipment?Are you going to travel with it to remote locations?How serious are you about photography?Do you think your photographic interest will grow?

You can produce great photographs with any brand of DSLR camera. After the entire camera itself doesn't take the picture. You, the person behind the camera does this job. The camera body is not the main factor in creating a good image. For example, the old photographic masters created great images with camera bodies that compared to what's available today can only be described as very basic boxes that held the film in place and little more. This is not to say that all cameras are created equal. Far from it, some are better suited to a specific purpose while others offer all kinds of facilities and sophistication.

It's the quality of the lens mounted in front of the camera and the way in which the lens is used by you, the photographer - the way in which you proceed in your picture taking, that's most responsible for the quality of the resulting photograph.

Digital photography revolutionised manufactures of photo equipment. Some gave up, others merged, still others diversified and a few entered the digital field as makers of equipment.

However, two manufactures captured and maintain a large portion of the market. Nikon and Canon. These two are the dominant professional brands. They offer broad choices both in camera bodies and lenses. The quality is excellent but their lenses are very expensive.

An informed decision must be made when first purchasing a camera system. Equipment for one brand is not interchangeable with the other brand name. A serious photographer over a period of time will spend thousands of pound in camera bodies, lenses and the rest. Once you decide to buy one brand your loyalty to that manufacture will most likely remain for the rest of your photographic life unless money isn't a problem for you. I must add that gear for these two brand names maintain their second hand value very well, perhaps making it possible to start again with a different new camera system without incurring a major financial loss.

Buy the best equipment you can then practice a lot to learn to use that equipment in the best possible manner. The very best equipment, the most expensive camera and lenses available can only be as good as the photographer using them.

Lenses - What to Buy?

This is the most expensive and critical purchase. Again the decision of what to buy is dependent on the answers to the above questions. For example, a portrait photographer will use different lenses to a wildlife photographer. So, what do you specialise in?

Is the photographer photographing scenes? Birds? Wildlife larger than birds? Scenes and Wildlife?

To photograph birds you'll need a 600mm lens if you want to fill the frame with action. These lenses are very expensive and heavy. I found a compromise - I purchased a 300mm, f/2.8 and a 2x converter. This raised the 300mm lens to 600mm with a f/5.6 to work with.

I found this system to be the second best option. The system is still expensive but not so much. It's also very heavy so your tripod must be able to offer a firm support. For example, my Sigma 120-300, f/2.8 lens without the converter and camera weighs about 2kg.

In contrast, a landscape photographer doesn't need a 600mm lens. To compress the elements in a scene a 300mm lens will do. The aperture is also not a critical factor. However, a landscape photographer will certainly need a wide-angle lens to create drama.

If you're thinking in buying a camera system sit down first and analyse some of these questions plus a few others you come up with. Then shop around for the system that fits your needs.

Carlos Pereira received a qualification from the British Institute of Professional Photographers. He developed a successful business in the UK as a wedding and Portrait photographer. He received further training in the USA from Monte Zucker, a master photographer.

His Wildlife and Portrait photographs have been published in the UK and European photographic magazines.

He concentrates his photography as a travelling photographer and a teacher, offering his expertise as a nature photographer through digital books.

His vision has been moulded by the classic portraiture that was his business for a number of years.

website: http://www.mountain-light.co.uk/

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Camera Buying Guide: What Camera Is the Best for You?

Choosing the right digital camera to best suit your needs is an important decision. As you consider which digital camera to purchase there are several important factors to consider. This article shows how to choose and buy the right one for you.

All the major camera makers, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, etc make high quality equipment. The brand's not that important. Or the camera either for that matter. After all, the camera just does what its told - the photographer actually makes the picture.

The first step in choosing the right camera is to determine what features are most important to you.

Choose a digital camera body that feels good in your hands. This is a personal matter depending partly on the size of your hands but also on factors that no one can quantify. Expert reviews recommend comparing cameras in person before buying. Note that a camera that feels too small for your hands may feel more comfortable if you add a battery grip, which holds an extra battery, boosting the number of shots you can take between charges.

Megapixels: Instead of film, a digital camera has an imaging sensor consisting of millions of pixels. To record an image, each pixel builds up a tiny charge of electricity in response to the light it "sees." A megapixel is the term used for a million pixels - and the more megapixels an imaging sensor has, the higher the camera's potential resolution.

So if most cameras can deliver the print sizes you need, how do you decide between, say, a camera with 8 megapixels and a camera with 10 megapixels? You may not need to. The difference in resolution between their photos can be difficult to detect, unless you're a pro who looks for the tiniest details, or you plan to make really enormous prints.

With that in mind, you may want to instead consider your photography habits and decide what other camera features are particularly important to you. Do you want extra zoom capability to capture close-ups of your child across the baseball field or wildlife in a distant tree? Are you mainly interested in automatic functions, or do you want to experiment with camera settings on your own? Are you looking for an ultra-slim model that you can easily carry everywhere?

Optical zoom is necessary to view the object in large size. Almost all digital cameras will have this optical zoom facility. Before buying the camera, you must check the optical zoom present in it and you must not afford it if it has the optical zoom less than 2.

Digital zoom is used to increase the size of the picture. Most of the digital cameras offer this digital zoom facility. Check out the clarity levels of the picture clearly when you increase the size of it because some of the pictures will loose their clarity if you apply digital zoom to them.

SLR or POINT AND SHOOT?

SLR's (Single Lens Reflex) are fairly large, more fully featured cameras that permit you to change lenses according to the situation. They also allow use of powerful add-on flash units, offer more controls and more accessories. Also, importantly, you focus, compose and meter exposure using the picture taking lens with an SLR. This allows great accuracy in composing and metering. SLR's are ideal for sports, wildlife and nature photography. They are also a good choice for people photography because they are fast and have good lens choices. I use a digital Olympus SLR system mostly and a film Nikon SLR system occasionally.

Point and shoot cameras are everything SLR's are not: they are small and light, mostly simple to use and inexpensive. Modern digital P&S cameras are rich in features such as exposure compensation, high quality fill flash, white balance settings and metering choices. Lens quality is usually very high. P&S cameras don't allow you to change lenses, have fairly weak on-board flashes and usually do not permit add-on flash. They offer more limited exposure and metering choices than SLR's. You compose through a separate lens resulting in some inaccuracy with close-in subjects; your picture will be slightly to the left/right, or up/down from the way you composed it (with close-in subjects).

Budget: This is a very crucial element that will determine the limit price that you are willing to pay for the camera. A low budget doesn't necessarily mean you will get a bad camera. But, it's very important that you know exactly how much money you are going to allocate in order to narrow down the range of choice.

If you have plenty of time before you need to buy the camera, do some price comparisons. After you've narrowed your list to two or three different options, write down the price and exact model number. Use the Internet to visit various retailers and compare prices on the models. Read through some of the opinions others have posted about the models. Return to the store and see whether it will match any prices you found online.

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Landscape Photography Using Your Digital SLR Camera

There are many factors that go towards great landscape photography. Here are a few points to consider.

Lens
Using an ultra wide angle lens is standard, in order to pack us much of a scene as possible into the picture. However, it's worth experimenting with a telephoto lens too.

Composition
Pay attention to the rule of thirds, i.e. break the image down into a nine square grid, then place any lines in the picture, or focal points, along the lines of the grid.

Focal/interest points
Placing a person, trees, or a building in the foreground can give a focal point and add a sense of scale to an image.

Light
Some landscape photographers never shoot during the day, only at dawn and dusk when the light can strike life into a landscape. It's not just the reds and pinks of sunrises and sunsets that can create drama, but the golden light of a low sun can warm a scene and create surprising textures and patterns thanks to its low angle. Similarly, storms, mist, thunderous clouds and dark skies can be much more exciting to work with than a sunny day or a beautiful sunset.

Depth of field
When using an SLR, or a digital SLR, combine a slow shutter speed with a small aperture to make sure your photograph has sharp focus up to the very edges. For this you will need to ensure your camera is steady as any handshake can create blur. The obvious solution is a tripod or if you don't have one try to find something on which to rest the camera.

Exposure
Because the sky is usually very bright and the ground not so, this presents all cameras with exposure issues. If you can, then using a graduated filter will help to even out the brightness.

Location
Walk around the location to find the best place from which to take a shot. Time spent preparing is never time wasted, especially when you find a more interesting point of view to shoot from. Wander around, get down low or climb a tree to find that interesting vantage point.

Atmosphere
Shooting in black and white can produce some dramatic landscape images. If shooting film and you have two cameras, you could simply switch cameras to the one loaded with black and white film. Alternatively, with a digital SLR camera, it is simple convert it to monochrome in Photoshop afterwards.

Sky
In most landscape shots, either the foreground or the sky will dominate. If the sky isn't particularly dramatic, place it in the upper third. Conversely, if the sky is full of interesting colours and cloud shapes, place the horizon in the bottom third.

Movement
Few landscapes are as truly still as we might imagine. Birds flying through the sky, clouds blowing, water running and waves in the sea are all examples of potential motion in landscape shots. Incorporating motion can add drama and focal points to a photograph, although it will mean that you will probably need to employ a longer shutter speed (up to a few seconds). Because this will mean greater exposure, you will have to use a smaller aperture or an appropriate filter.

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Nikon D3100 DSLR Camera Review

Some aspiring photographers may save up for the best digital single lens reflex camera out there in the market, and they may eventually set their sights on the Nikon D3100. Nowadays, many leading companies of the world are striving to produce the best high-end camera that would make proper use of all the current technology available. For most professionals, getting their hands on this camera would be like a dream come true, but will it just be a daytime delusion after this camera review?

The Nikon D3100 has many new features that were specially added by its manufactures, which will also serve as the points of concern in this review. This new digital single lens reflex camera will run on the company's new EXPEED 2 image processor called CMOS image sensor, offering at least 14.2 megapixels of quality and a maximum resolution of about 4608 by 3072 pixels. The camera has 3 levels of JPEG compression, ISO sensitivities from 100 to 3200 equivalents, and an image burst rate at 3 frames per second. This new model also makes use of an AF-S lens mount, a Multi-CAM 1000 phase-detection auto focus sensor module, Scene Recognition System, 3D tracking, and a 420-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix II metering sensor. Aside from those mentioned, this digital single lens camera also has in-camera editing, a guide mode, a Dust Control System, and an EN-EL14 lithium-ion battery pack capable of a maximum of 550 shots.

In terms of performance, this digital single lens camera delivers exceptionally well with its stunning image and photo capture due to the new CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 2 Image Processor. It has good dynamic range and ISO performance compared to the other cameras on the same line. The camera has a bunch of necessary augments like the contrast detection, electronic rangefinder, expanded retouch modes and controls, automatic chromatic aberration color sharpness and contrast adjustments, and Active D-Lighting. Externally, the camera is extremely comfortable to operate with its ergonomic design, compact body and aptly-placed interface, it has a quiet shutter release that is good to use in solemn receptions, and a drive mode to eliminate the hassle searching for menus.

Unfortunately, the camera has a bunch of minor flaws of its own. It has a lot of lacking features when compared to other models of the same line, like the bracketing capability, on-demand grills, manual exposure mode for video capture, external microphone jack support, IR remote support, and in-body image stabilization. The USB cables and the audio/video cables are also not included in the package, which also proves as a hassle for users. There is also a distinct noise that comes from the internal microphone as it comes into contact with the kit lens. Lastly, the LCD resolution is a little subpar for a digital single lens reflex camera like this, so it could use more improvements.

The absence of numerous features may turn off some aspiring photographers, but the high ISO performance and exceptional image capture quality makes the Nikon D3100 a worthy purchase for its price.

Read our full Nikon D3100 review or check out the brand new Nikon D7000 review.

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How Does Your Camera Work? SLRs

Well in my last article, I talked about the history of the camera and how it developed and evolved over time. Today we are going to look at the Single Lens Reflex camera (or SLRs) specifically and how it works.

Most of the prosumer to professional grade cameras are SLRs these days, digital cameras included. So the basic principles of the original camera still apply to these modern cameras. All cameras are a light proof box with some method of allowing a small amount of light. In today's SLRs, this light enters your camera and either causes a chemical reaction on photographic film or energizes a photo cell in your digital camera.

Let's say you are taking a picture of some handsome little man... your son or nephew perhaps.

When you are taking a picture, light is bouncing off your subject - in this case, like your son or nephew. As the light is bouncing off him, it passes into the camera, through a set of lenses (the lens you have attached to the front of your camera. Once it passes through these lens, it bounces off a hinged mirror towards the back of your camera body that is covering up your film or light-sensitive cells. This mirror bounces the light up and around a pentaprism, which is actually a five sided shape in the upper part of camera just in front of your eyepiece. The light bounces around the pentaprism and carries the light through the eyepiece and into your eye so you can see whatever you happen to be preparing to photograph.

You wait for the perfect moment to take a picture of this little cutie! When you see the opportune moment, you push the button and take a picture. When you press the button - you are causing that hinged mirror to flip up out of the way seconds before your shutter opens, thus exposing your film or light-sensitive cells to the light and creating a picture.

So that's one of the two most important things to taking a great picture... LIGHT! If you can understand how the light is working in your camera it can help you take better pictures. You'll start to see that pretty scenery isn't as important as getting the right kind of lighting, and you'll figure out what creates great light and how to let light in your camera for the best quality image from practicing in different environments.

In my next article, I will explain the different functions on your camera, how they work, and how you can manipulate them to have more control over how your images turn out.

Stephanie lives in Central IL, is married to her best friend, Ryan, and enjoys the company of her rambunctious lab-beagle pup, Kit. She is the owner of Green Tree Media and is passionate about photography.

To learn more about Stephanie Gagnon of Green Tree Media, visit her website at: http://www.greentreemediaonline.com/

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How Does Your Camera Work? A Bit of History

I have often said that to be a great photographer, you need to understand how your camera works. I still hold by this statement. I first learned how a camera worked when I was in 6th grade doing photography projects for 4-H, and we discussed it again in my introductory photography classes in college. Just knowing what your camera is doing when you take a picture can make a huge difference in not only how you take pictures but in the end quality of your images.

Let's start at the beginning. The first camera was known as the "camera obscura" which is Latin for "dark chamber." It's a great name for the device because it's quite a literal translation. The first cameras were actual darkened rooms or tents with a pin point hole cut into the wall. Light would come through this opening and transfer an upside down miniature image onto another surface inside.

Originally artists used this technique to trace the landscape, person, etc. outside their camera obscura. This method was used by both amateur and professional artists in a variety of mediums.

There are some photographers who still use this method to create some very interesting imagery. Abelardo Morrell is one such photographer. He has used rooms across the world (hotel rooms, gallery rooms, abandoned rooms, etc.) to make simple cameras, Camera Obscura. He made the rooms themselves into the camera by covering the windows in the room with light tight material and removing a one inch square in the center of the window in order to create a simple lens. These images were taken by setting his camera up in the room with a long exposure (a very slow shutter speed).

Eventually these camera obscuras were shrunk down to a box size for easier use.

The first camera obscura that was small and portable enough for practical use was built by Johann Zahn in 1685. At that point in time, there was no way to preserve the images produced by these camera. However, in 1724, Johann Heinrich Schultz discovered that a silver and chalk mixture darkens under exposure to light. Early photography built on these discoveries and developments. The early photographic cameras were essentially similar to Zahn's camera obscura, though usually with the addition of sliding boxes for focusing. Before each exposure, a sensitized plate would be inserted in front of the viewing screen to record the image. The first permanent photograph was made in 1826 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce using a sliding wooden box camera made by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in Paris and building on Schultz's discovery about silver and chalk mixtures darkening when exposed to light. Other forms of creating these permanent images eventually developed. Jacques Daguerre's popular daguerreotype process utilized copper plates, while the calotype process invented by William Fox Talbot recorded images on paper.

However there was one problem. All these forms of cameras required a long exposure time to capture the image. That is until 1850 when Frederick Scott Archer created the collodian wet plate process which cut exposure times dramatically. The one downfall to this method was the it required photographers to prepare and develop their glass plates on the spot, usually in some kind of mobile darkroom. Other types of wet plate cameras were created as well, like the ambrotypes and tintypes, but they all required some type of on the spot processing.

Here's a quick rundown of the different types of cameras as they were created:

• Plate Cameras - These are the cameras we were just discussing. This is the type of camera you may have seen in old films where the photographer would drape a dark cloth over his/her head.

• Large Format Cameras - The large format camera is a direct successor of the early plate cameras and remain in use for high quality photography and for technical, architectural and industrial photography. There are three common types, the monorail camera, the field camera and the press camera. All use large format sheets of film, although there are backs for medium format 120-film available for most systems, and have an extensible bellows with the lens and shutter mounted on a lens plate at the front. These cameras have a wide range of movements allowing very close control of focus and perspective.

• Medium Format Cameras - Medium-format cameras have a film size somewhere in between the large format cameras and the smaller 35mm cameras. Typically these systems use 120- or 220-film. The most common sizes being 6x4.5 cm, 6x6 cm and 6x7 cm. The designs of this kind of camera show greater variation than their larger brethren, ranging from monorail systems through the classic Hasselblad model with separate backs, to smaller rangefinder cameras. There are even compact amateur cameras available in this format.

• Folding Cameras - The introduction of films enabled the existing designs for plate cameras to be made much smaller and for the base-plate to be hinged so that it could be folded up compressing the bellows. These designs were very compact and small models were dubbed Vest pocket cameras.

• Box Cameras - Box cameras were introduced as a budget level camera and had few if any controls. The original box Brownie models had a small reflex viewfinder mounted on the top of the camera and had no aperture or focusing controls and just a simple shutter. Later models such as the Brownie 127 had larger direct view optical viewfinders together with a curved film path to reduce the impact of deficiencies in the lens.

• Rangefinder Cameras - As camera and lens technology developed and wide aperture lenses became more common, range-finder cameras were introduced to make focussing more precise. The range finder has two separated viewfinder windows, one of which is linked to the focusing mechanisms and moved right or left as the focusing ring is turned. The two separate images are brought together on a ground glass viewing screen. When vertical lines in the object being photographed meet exactly in the combined image, the object is in focus. A normal composition viewfinder is also provided.

• Single Lens Reflex (SLRs) - This is the type of camera most commonly used by professional photographers today. There is enough explanation that can go into this one camera that we'll save it for the next post.

Well that's a fun little bit of history for today. Next time I'll post about the development of SLRs and how knowing about SLR cameras can help you further develop your images.

Stephanie lives in Central IL, is married to her best friend, Ryan, and enjoys the company of her rambunctious lab-beagle pup, Kit. She is the owner of Green Tree Media and is passionate about photography. To learn more about Stephanie Gagnon of Green Tree Media, visit her website at: http://www.greentreemediaonline.com/

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Lens Filters: A Beginners Guide For DSLR and Digital Camera Enthusiasts

Despite the advances of post processing thanks to Photoshop, filters are anything but redundant. So, what do they do and which lenses might a digital photographer need in his or her kit?

UV Filters
This is probably the most commonly used and useful digital SLR camera filters to purchase. It will filter out excess ultra violet light, whilst having no effect on exposure. Ultraviolet light can be a real problem for anybody taking landscape photographs as it can manifest as a haze that diminishes contrast from an image and becomes noticeable over a long distance.

However, given that this is much more of a problem with film rather than digital SLR cameras, because image sensors in digital SLR cameras are less sensitive UV light, why do you still need a UV filter? To protect your lens. A UV filter, unlike many other lenses, has no effect on exposure required or on the colours and will protect your expensive lens from knocks and scratches.

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Neutral Density filters

ND filters cut down the amount of colours and light entering the lens in equal measures so allowing you more creative freedom choice of aperture and shutter speed.

Therefore you can select a slower shutter speed (i.e. longer exposure) than might be achievable in bright conditions, for example, if you wanted to achieve a blurred waterfall effect on a sunny day without over exposing the image. Similarly one can be used when photographing action shots with blur to convey speed. Neutral density filters can also be employed in situations where one part of the scene is darker or brighter than others.

Polarizing Filters
Landscape photographers frequently use polarizing filters to diminish light reflected from outdoor surfaces like glass and water, for example if you want to capture images of water which doesn't lose its colour to the reflected sunlight on its surface. They can also saturate and darken colours, which make them useful in black and white as well as colour photography. A polarizing filter can intensify a field of oil seed rape, the green of a meadow or add richness to a blue sky. Similarly, in architectural photography, a polarizing filter helps with shots of modern glass buildings.

Graduated Colour Filters
To a certain extent, use of graduated colour filters can be avoided with use of Photoshop. However, if you want to cut out the post processing, or if you're not au fait with Photoshop, one of these can be very helpful in emphasizing the colour and tone of parts of a photograph. One part of the filter has a certain colour, which either gradually or abruptly changes to clear elsewhere on the filter. Commonly used graduated colour filters include orange to clear, for enhancing the appearance of sunsets, and blue to clear, which can enhance either water or sky depending on which way round it is used.

Contrast Filters
Because it can be difficult balance scenes where the contrast between light and dark is severe, there are two types of contrast filters available. A low contrast filters makes highlighted areas brighten up darker shadows around, while a soft contrast filter darkens the highlights. Both of these things can be difficult to pull off convincingly in Photoshop.

IR (Infrared) Filter
This type of filter blocks visible light and allows only infrared light to pass through to the camera lens. Skies darken and greens can become almost white.

Star filters
These have a thin lines etched onto a clear surface, creating therefore points of light that streak outwards from a central source, creating drama and visual interest.

Watch out for a few things. Light reflected from the inside of your filter can create flare. Stacking filters can create black shadows around the image, known as vignetting. You will lose clarity if filters are scratched or dirty.

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5 Things to Consider Before Buying a New Camera

When considering buying a digital camera there are potentially many reasons you should consider before you go ahead and buy your digital camera. Whether you are buying your first camera or you are a seasoned professional in photography. Purchasing a digital camera should include conducting your own research so you can make the best buying decision before you go ahead and buy that digital camera. here are 5 things you should consider before you buy a digital camera.

1. Digital SLR or Point and Shoot Cameras

There are many reason why you would want a digital SLR camera, and there are also many other reason why you would want to consider on a point and shoot camera. Digital SLR cameras are becoming more affordable than ever before, however Digital SLR cameras are complex, and sometimes very confusing on how to work. In addition to having removable lens these cameras are not necessarily ideal for everyone.

Point and shoot cameras are a bit more compact and are easier to work, because digital SLR cameras are heavier and have more moving parts then point and shoot cameras. However point and shoot will be ideal for traveling, family get together's, or if you need a quick shot.

Of course both do have their ups and downs. Digital SLR cameras will give you the best possible images available and if you are considering a profession in photography then a SLR digital camera will be essential for your success. While at the same time point and shoot cameras can give you high quality images in a compact design. It is all a matter of choice and what your photography needs are.

2. Consider what you want

What do you need a digital camera for?What type of digital photography will you be doing?What environment will you be most likely photographing in?Will you most likely stay in auto mode or will you want to learn the art of photography?What experience level do you have with digital cameras?What type of features are you looking for?How important is size and portability to you?What is your budget that you are looking to spend?

3. Do you have digital camera accessories from another camera that will be compatible with your new one?

To save extra money and even time it is a good idea to use previous accessories from other cameras to use with your new one. For instance you can use extra flashes, tripods, software packages, memory cards, or other accessories that will be used or is compatible with your new camera. This can both save you time and money in the long run.

4. Optical zooms and Digital zooms

There is essentially two types of zooms on cameras, there are optical zooms and there are digital zooms. I highly recommend only considering optical zoom cameras. The reason is digital zooms will typically add more noise to your pictures by enlarging the pixel quality of your images which will cause your images to diminish the higher you zoom in. Whereas optical zooms essentially will use a focus in the lens that allows your images to focus in without losing quality in the images you create.

5. Be wary of extra accessories

Many times when your purchasing a new digital camera you will more than likely need extra accessories, this is almost always the case when you are purchasing a new digital camera for the first time or a new model for the first time. Extra accessories that you may need to take into consideration may include -

Digital Camera CaseDigital Memory Cards/SticksSpare Batteries/Rechargeable BatteriesLenses (if you are getting a DSLR Camera)Filters (and other lens attachments)Tripods/MonopodsExternal FlashesReflectors

When you are considering buying a digital camera make sure you conduct research on the type of camera, the features, and you identify what your needs will be for your new digital camera. Make sure you check out the latest review on the model and brand of camera you are considering purchasing and also take time to read some of the digital photography magazines for more guidelines.

I hope this article has helped you understand the benefits of buying a digital camera so that you will make an informed decision when you decide to buy yourself a new camera.

To find out more about digital photography and other issues related to photography visit my blog for more detailed information about what happens to be one of my most favorite past times, which is digital photography. Take a look and find out more about digital photography http://photography-how-to-guide.blogspot.com/

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