What the heck is that?

Take one photo a day for a consecutive three hundred and sixty five days of the year. If you’re not into taking photos every day, no fear-there are other options; you could design something every day.

Why would I want to do that?

Many reasons. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or even have an expensive camera to partake in 365. Don’t get me wrong, the pictures turn out better if you know what you’re doing! But it can still be fun, I have a Canon T1i-but I am choosing to shoot my project 365 with my iphone because it’s easier for me to commit, since my phone is always with me. And…if you’re worried that you missed out since it’s already January 5th-don’t! It doesn’t need to start on Jan 1, it’s any consecutive 365 days throughout the year, so what are you waiting for?

If you need even more tips on why or even how, here is a great take on seeing your life in a whole new way.

But…who is doing it?

Well-good thing you asked. Lot’s of people-even companies are getting into it like Threadless. They’ve launched ‘Threadless 365′, where you can get daily behind the scenes stuff from their world.

What do I need to start?

Whether your an experienced photographer, an amatuer or just a hobbyist/photo lover, it’s easy to gather up some tools and get started. These are just some options, you don’t need ALL of them.

• iphone or other mobile device - photo taking
• a film camera or DSLR - photo taking
• scanner – if your using film
• flickr - uploading your photos
• tumblr - upload & blog about your photos, also has an iphone app.
• posterous – upload & blog about your photos
• wordpress - upload & blog about your photos
• twitter - let everyone know about your project
• notebook/moleskine – record when & where the photo was taken, perhaps even the settings or your mood.

Twitter searches & hashtags:

• #365
• #project365
• ‘Project 365′ Search

Flickr groups to join

• Project_365 -general
• Project 365 – general
• 365 Days – focuses on a self portrait for each day
• 52 Weeks – general

Beautiful samples to get you motivated

Wynona R (january fifth)

Alexandra Diaz (2/365)

Lou Bert (Day One Zero Six: Snow)

Brandon Lyon (5/365 Nothing fancy, just some coffee please)

Kenneth Edwards (2/365)

Are you taking the challenge? Let us know. While you’re at it, join the Fuel Your Photography Flickr group and add some of those photos, you never know where you might be showcased! You can also follow us on Twitter.

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If you are an amateur photographer or professional photographer, Flickr is the largest community of photos online.  Sure, there is Picassa and Smugmug, but they do not have the ability to connect with others like Flickr.  In this article, I am going to cover how to get the most out of your photos in the Flickr community.

Getting started

Uploading photos is a little tricky, that’s why I am covering it. If you know this, scroll down to Getting Exposed.

To upload photos in Flickr, go to You -> Upload photos.  Since you can now batch upload photos, pick a whole bunch and then press on upload.  Let Flickr do its magic.  It will then ask you, “Next:  add a description, perhaps?.”  Click on the link and you arrive at all the newly uploaded photos.

Now is it the time to organize it.  I admit, it’s tedious and even I avoid this task (only later to regret it).

Add Tags -  This allows you add tags that will be all the photos in the set.  If you took a bunch of photos of San Francisco, you should add “San Francisco,” SF, Bay Area.

Add to a a Set – All the photos can be added to a preexisting set or you can create a new set.

Title, Description, Tags – Add personal titles, descriptions, and tags to each photo.  If you know anything about search engine optimization, this is like adding meta data.  If you want anyone to click on your photo in a search engine search, add this data. And add lots of tags, don’t be afraid. Of course, be on topic but if the photo is of a rabbit (like the sample above) use general tags like “rabbit, bunny, fuzzy, furry”, etc to ensure that people would stumble upon a photo when searching.

Once done with this… save!

Getting Exposed

Groups
The awesome part of Flickr comes in with Flickr groups.  There are thousands of groups on Flickr from locations (Stockholm) to camera reviews and equipment (Nikon Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR) to random goodness (Purple Flowers).

You want to add your best photos to groups. The more groups you join, the greater the amount of photos you can add to groups. Okay, some groups do put limits so no one person spams the group.

Make sure to visit Flickr on regular basis to submit photos to groups so that your photos don’t get entirely buried in the deluge.

Interact with others
Like any social community, chatting/interacting with other people is the way it survives. In Flickr, photos gain popularity and exposure through commenting and favoriting them.

The more comments a photo receives, the more popular it becomes and higher it will rank on searches. Give feedback and constructive comments because you are demonstrating the ability to be a good contributor. Plus, by commenting on another person’s photo, chances are, they will visit your page. Just think of this like blog commenting.

Same goes for making a photo a favorite by clicking on the pink star. The cool bit is that you can look through any user’s favorites’ photos and see what inspires them. The photos you favorite will then appear in your favorites folder so that you can see them at any time.

You can also chat with others through threads and question groups. Some groups are entirely off topic from photography while others are ‘meet and shoot’ clubs where people decide where to meet and go off to take photos together. Yet, another great way to become more well known in the community.

Figuring out Your Activity

Your home page on Flickr is the second most important page (you’ll find out about the second in a bit).

The left side shows recent activities within your network. The Photostream shows any comments made on your photos, favorites, and any replies on comments you made on other photos. The Contacts section shows latest uploaded photos by your contacts. And, you can guess, the Groups sections shows the latest uploaded photos in some of your groups.

On the right side, is the latest from the Flickr blog. And below is an advertisement for many of Flickr’s third party applications (Moo, etc).

Now it is time to go to the most important page: Stats. See the graph to the right of “Your Photostream?” Pro account users can see statistics on all their photos. You can see number of photo views, favorites, and comments. You can also track the domain referrers. Because you can see the domain referrer, it’s easy to learn how your photo was used. If possible, comment on the post or article where the author used your photo, you can get more exposure again.

What does this all lead to? If you tag your photos well, write good descriptions, participate in community by favoriting and commenting, join groups, then you stand a chance of getting good exposure. Many photographers, especially amateurs are approached to license their photos or even do real shooting. I licensed my photos through people who emailed me via Flickr.

Don’t stand in the dark(room) anymore. Even if you have a professional site, put up your best stuff on Flickr. Chances are people are looking both via the search engines AND in the Flickr community for their next photographer or photo to buy.

About the Author:
Preeti loves taking photos even though she can be lazy at tagging them. She enjoys writing, traveling, and of course taking photos. Her blog, Lost in Stockholm, is about living in Sweden. You can see her favorites photos from Grand Canyon to Narvik, Norway on her blog.

Got questions or comments about using Flickr? Send her a tweet.

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Number of Followers

I’ve been using Twitter since 2007 and have seen it evolve over the past few years. During this time people always seemed to want to get their Followers number up. The logic is: The more people that follow me, the more people that will see my tweet, the more people that will click on my link, the more people that will then purchase my product or service, etc… This type of thinking is false. For example, yesterday I posted a tweet that had the words “Key West” in it. Two minutes later, a realtor from Key West started to follow me. This increased my Followers count by one, but I highly doubt that the realtor will start to engage me in meaningful conversations. More likely, this was done automatically, and the realtor has no idea who I am, or what I do. So instead of worrying about your Followers count, start engaging people and you will start to have more meaningful conversations.

Twitter Lists

Twitter recently introduced a new feature called Twitter Lists. This new feature allows you to organize people you Follow (and people you don’t Follow) into lists. These lists can either be Public (Everyone on Twitter can view), or Private (Only you are able to view). At first, I wasn’t a fan of Twitter Lists and didn’t see how I could put them to use. However, I recently restructured how I am following people on Twitter, and it is all based on Twitter Lists. For example, if you are overwhelmed by your Twitter Stream and feel like you are following too many people to actively engage them in conversation – Create various Twitter Lists to help you organize your Twitter Stream. Personally, I created 5 private Twitter Lists – Photography, Design, Business, Entertainment, and Fun. I then started moving people into the appropriate Twitter Lists. For example: @ErinVey in the Photography List, @RibbonsofRed in the Design List, @RichardBranson in the Business List, @OGOchoCinco in the Entertainment List, and @ShitMyDadSays in the Fun List. To simplify my Twitter Stream even more, I unfollowed the majority of the people I put in these Lists. Does this mean that I’m not going to have a conversation with them because I unfollowed them? Absolutely not – In fact, the opposite is true: I will have more conversations with them because of how they are now organized. I highly recommend you take a look at using Twitter Lists to organize your Twitter Stream and start having more meaningful conversations.

Meaningful Conversations

Did you notice how the past three paragraphs ended with the words “meaningful conversations”? At the end of the day, this is all that matters when it comes to Twitter. So don’t worry about the numbers – Have fun, meet new people, and enjoy the meaningful conversations.

About the Author:

For the past five years, darkroomRYAN has worked with Fortune 500 clients. As the owner of Darkroom Branding, he now provides marketing and branding strategies for photographers. Feel free to follow him on Twitter at: @darkroomRYAN

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Have you ever gone on set after prepping for a photo shoot, only to get there and draw a big blank? You have forgotten your vision of what you imagined these pictures would turn out to be. You look at your client and have no idea what to do with them. This is a common occurrence among beginner photographers. Usually once you start and get your creative juices flowing, you’ll get to a point where you are in the moment and tailoring the shoot to the style and feel of the environment. However, sometimes it is good to have a starting point so as not to get stuck in a rut. Below I have listed 5 different elements that can help you add variety to your photo shoots.

1. Lighting (sun)

front lit, back lit, side lit

2. Background

sky, grass, landscape, architecture

3. Perspective/angles

above, below, straight on, behind, side

4. Poses/emotion

laughing, smiling, turning to side, serious

5. Props/Wardrobe

personalize to each individual (football, umbrella, flowers, scarf, cowboy etc.)

Now mix and match these elements. If you do this, you will find that you have endless opportunities to get a variety of shots that will showcase your client in a new and exciting way. Jot down this list and keep it in your camera bag so when you have that moment of What Do I Do Now???, you will be prepared. If you have other go-to ideas that you always use, please feel free to share them.

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There was a time when people weren’t so interested in transparency, when the web was principally used to send email and the idea of keeping interior monologues interior was key. That was before blogs.

Blogs have become useful in lots of ways, especially to photographers.

Blogs are useful because they can help prospective clients see what your interior monologue looks (or even sounds) like. You can use your blog as a place to put your photographic experiments. Sometimes projects have happy accidents and those are useful fodder. Sometimes, things go terribly awry. You have to be a good judge of what’s “overshare” and what’s interesting. Putting these things on your blog gives you a comfortable place to “talk it out” about the things that you experienced. An added bonus of creating a blog is having a place to come back to see what you were thinking previously.

Photographers have lately needed to become experts in all sorts of fields rather than just making images. Many have had to learn how to bid for projects, how to understand search engine optimization, and finally create and update websites. Having a blog is a way to cut down on website content changes and keep your work fresh. Putting up work from recently completed jobs gives prospective clients a chance to see your range. It allows you to showcase whatever newest image (or set of images) you’ve made that strikes your fancy.

Value-added extras, like behind-the-scenes videos and photos, can also fit well on your blog. Often, people like to see what went into making a particular image as much as they like seeing the actual image itself. More than that, some ADs are interested in knowing more about who you are, so keeping your personal projects on your blog can humanize you. Telling stories about your images aids in this. It helps clients gauge how you might integrate with the creative teams they’ve assembled.

What’s important is to keep a regular posting schedule because in the digital world, attention spans are fickle. A blog that’s a hit today can be a dud tomorrow because of a lack of posts. It might be good to keep the following things in mind as you enter the world of blogging:

(1) As a photographer, it’s always good to put a photograph in each of your posts.
(2) Post on a regular schedule so that your readers can know when to expect new content.
(3) Enjoy yourself! Your blog should be about your work, but it’s about you, too.

Here are some helpful blogs to look at:

Jay Reilly Photography
Lemon Lime Photography
Jasmine Star Photography
Emily Shur Photography
The 10 cent Designer
Lydia Hudgens Photography

About the Author:

Thomas Scott is a photographer in Richmond, Virginia. He specializes in location portraiture. He likes bright colors, the laughter of children, a good beer and pretty pictures.  Drop him a line; he also loves to talk.  More information can be found about him at his website: www.punchphoto.com.

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There are many amazing iPhone apps to enhance your photos – i.e. CameraBag, Best Camera, PS Mobile, etc…  However, there are also some great iPhone apps that can enhance your photography business.  In this post I will be highlighting five free iPhone apps that you might find beneficial.

1. Evernote

Consider this your brainstorm and inspiration collection.  Evernote allows you to create multiple notebooks, photos, and voice messages that you can use to organize your inspiration.  For example, one notebook could be “Poses”.  This notebook could contain thoughts and ideas on various poses that you have seen and wanted to save for future reference.  Another great feature of Evernote is the ability to tag items.  This is helpful when you have many items in Evernote and want to search for a specific item or topic – i.e. Wedding Photo Ideas.

2. INRIX Traffic!

What time is it?!?!?!?  We’ll never get there in time!!!  Sound familiar?  This app comes into handy when you have a photo shoot at a location that’s across town.  You can simply check this app and see which route is the best one to take depending on the traffic.

3. To Do’s

When you have your own photography business, you are not just a Photographer.  You are also in charge of sales, marketing, public relations, accounting, finances, and on top of all of this you need to remember to pick-up your child from kindergarten.  Sometimes it can feel overwhelming wearing all of these different hats.  To Do’s is an app that allows you to create items that you can prioritize to make a simple To Do list.  You could also get creative with this list and write down all the different shots you want to take at an event, and then check them off after each one has been shot.

4. Find A Photographer

I’ve mentioned in the past that one of the best ways to grow your business is to network and get to know other photographers.  This iPhone app allows you to search for photographers based on location, specialty, and last name.  After finding a photographer, you can view the photographer’s portfolio directly within the app.  The photographer’s Address, Phone number, Email, and Website are also provided.  Note: The app only provides results for photographers belonging to the American Society of Media Photographers.

5. Pixelpipe

I personally love this app!  If you are into social media, this is the app for you.  It allows you to update multiple social networks and blogs (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Wordpress, 12 Seconds, and many more) at once.  You can also update multiple Twitter accounts at the same time – i.e. If you have a Personal account and a Professional account.  With Pixelpipe, you no longer need to jump back and forth from app to app or from site to site to post new content.

I hope you have enjoyed this post on free iPhone apps to help your Photography business.  My goal was to share with you some free iPhone apps that you may not have tried out yet.  However, these apps are just the “tip of the iceberg”.  Depending on the response to this post, I might share with you some of my favorite paid iPhone apps that can help your business.

Feel free to leave a comment and share some of your favorite free iPhone apps for your photography business!

About the Author:

For the past five years, darkroomRYAN has worked with Fortune 500 clients. As the owner of Darkroom Branding, he now provides marketing and branding strategies for photographers. Feel free to follow him on Twitter at: @darkroomRYAN

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I remember the first time I heard the word “blog”. I thought it just might be the funniest word I had ever heard. It took me a while to get used to  it, and to even know what it meant. But now, 8 years later, the word “blog” is used in every day conversation. The blogging world is taking over, and you better be ready for it.

There is one powerful tool that can separate your blog (whether just a personal journal, or a photography blog) from all the others. It’s something that will keep your readers scrolling, or send them on to the next site. That tool is the proper use of pictures. Here, I offer a few ways to make your pictures more appealing and fitting to your online journal:

1. Invest

If you are serious about your blogging, then it’s time to get serious about your camera. I’m sure by now you have noticed the difference between a pictures shot with a measly point and shoot compared to one with a dSLR. Need help deciding on which one to get? Refer back to this article. If you want to make it more interesting, try using different types of cameras like Holgas, Polaroids, etc. for a different style.

2. Simplify

Is your blog for a business? Or just personal? Either way, your pictures should be free of unnecessary distractions. In order to get your story told, or your product sold, you need to learn how to find nice lighting, a simple background, and voila. A nice, simple picture that will get your readers hooked.  Oh, and one more thing. Instead of posting 5 pictures of the same thing, but maybe each one has a slightly different angle, just choose your favorite one and post it. Pictures lose their impact if they are repeated too often.

3. Lighten Up

You’ll find that one of the most common problems in photographs is that they are underexposed and flat.  Once you have your pictures, find a program that allows for easy editing (Picasa and Lightroom are both simple).  Add some light and some contrast, and you will be amazed at how big of a difference it will make on your pictures. A good tip to remember is that the whites should be white, and the blacks should be black.

4. Focus

Please don’t post pictures that are out of focus. It hurts my eyes.

5. Bigger is Better

Save the readers from having to click on each picture to get an idea of what the picture is all about. Post a picture big enough where they don’t have to click on it, but not so big that they feel they’ve lost their personal space. Your pictures and design are the look of your blog, so make the look worthy of your writing. Having problems with your writing? Check out Fuel Your Writing and Fuel Your Blogging for tips!

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A lot of new photographers look at the work of professionals and lament, “I’ll never be able to do anything like that!”  Their reasoning is simple: Without the funding to trek to the four corners of the earth and hire talent from the sets of Hollywood, what are beginners to do to get practice and build a body of work? The answer is equally as simple.  Give yourself an assignment.  There are many ways to make this work.

1.

If you want to shoot editorial portraits, find models that are willing to sit for you, and create a reason for your images.  If finding people is difficult, use a website like Model Mayhem to find people near you who are interested in having their photographs taken.

2.

Another possibility is to find or start a collective blog.  The photographers at This is a Photo Blog aren’t all professional photographers, but they do get the opportunity to share their images with at least each other and whomever reads their collective blog.  The photographers at Smash All Your Idols run a similar program.

3.

If you like to be given a challenge, Digital Photography School has weekly assignments with a forum for all the contributors to post their pictures as well as give feedback to others’. It’s a great way to get practice in all areas of photography, and expand your creativity in finding things to shoot.

4.

Making images that are interesting and stretch your creativity isn’t hard, but it does take some practice.  Another possibility is to organize a group of photographers near you and start a weekly photography walk to explore parts of your area that you might not while alone. When you’re with a group, things that may seem mundane on your own can take on new lives and be interesting in new ways.  Moreover, the camaraderie that comes from collaborative exercises may provide other avenues for your creativity.

So even if you’re not Chase Jarvis or Anton Corbijn or even Annie Lebovitz, there are still chances for you to begin to excel at your work.

About the Author:

Thomas Scott is a photographer in Richmond, Virginia. He specializes in location portraiture. He likes bright colors, the laughter of children, a good beer and pretty pictures.  Drop him a line; he also loves to talk.  More information can be found about him at his website: www.punchphoto.com.

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If you are a beginner and are interested in being an assistant to a photographer – OR – if you are a professional who is looking for a photo assistant, this article is for you. There are a lot of important characteristics of an assistant that you need to take into consideration. There are technical, social, intellectual, and fashionable traits to look for.

Technical:

Need to have a basic knowledge about: cameras, reflectors,  lighting, tripods, backdrops, etc. etc. etc. You should know how to angle reflectors to fill in shadows, and where the lights need to be placed. You should know enough about the technical aspect to be able to take direction and understand any of the technical vocabulary.

Social:

You need to be comfortable in front of clients. If you are painfully shy, this probably isn’t the job for you. You need to be able to communicate effectively. You need to know your boundaries – don’t interrupt the photographer. If you have a good idea, know how to express that idea effectively and properly. You should be able to help the clients feel comfortable and relaxed. Unless asked, you should not be doing funny faces and bunny ears behind the camera to get someone to laugh. In other words – don’t be annoying.

Intellectual:

You may be asked to help with paperwork/ filing/ billing/ etc. You should be good with numbers and have a good memory. You should be organized and always be aware of the time. You should know photography terms and be familiar with the photographer’s work.

Fashionable:

Maybe fashionable isn’t the right word, but if you are going to be interacting with the clients, you should know what poses look good, and SHOW them how to look fabulous. You should know when to fix their hair, or help them with any wardrobe malfunctions. You should know how to create space and lines. You should know enough to make any client – short, tall, fat, or skinny, look flattering in front of the camera. It’s good to take a few tips from Tyra on how to extend your neck, drop your chin, and smile with your eyes (the one good thing I’ve ever learned from her). Small changes like that make a huge difference in the shot.

Most important of all, you should support the photographer. You should only say kind things about him/her, even when you are off set. Be professional and be open minded. You will learn the most by being on set at photo shoots, so be grateful for opportunities to learn in these situations. These are prime chances to grow as an artist and as a business person. The more you assist with, the more the photographer can focus on getting the perfect exposures/focus/framing. Work as a team. The better you get at assisting, the better prepared you will be to get behind the camera and get out on your own. While browsing, I found this assistant’s online resume that I thought was a good idea. Best of luck!

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Twitter Directories
One of the benefits of Twitter is its ability to connect people that share a common interest.  In this case, connecting you with other creative photographers.  Thanks to Twitter, I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with some of the top photographers in the industry – and you can too!

Here are three Twitter Directories that you can use to search for other photographers on Twitter:

We Follow: http://wefollow.com/twitter/photographer
Twellow: http://www.twellow.com/category_users/cat_id/342
Just Tweet It: http://justtweetit.com/photographers

Often times the photographers I follow on Twitter will send a tweet asking for a second shooter for a wedding, or other possible job opportunities.  So start following, and become active!

Note: You may also find it beneficial to add yourself to these directories so that other Photographers can find you.

Advance Twitter Search

There is an Advanced Twitter Search option, and there are numerous ways that you can use this Search option to help you and your business. If you clicked on the link above, you’ll notice that there is an “All of these words” form field in the “Words” box, and “Near this place” and “Within this distance” form fields in the “Places” box. Depending on how you fill these out, you could potentially uncover new client opportunities.

For example, lets say I am a photographer in Las Vegas… I just typed in “photographer” in the “All of these words” form field, and typed “Las Vegas” and “25 miles” in the “Near this Place” and “Within this distance” form fields. I just scanned the first page of the results, and there were two people that tweeted how they needed a photographer… It would then make sense for me to write a tweet to them introducing myself.

The best part of this is that you can save the RSS Feed of the Search. So anytime in the future when someone “within 25 miles of Las Vegas” mentions “photographer” in a tweet, you will automatically be notified.

Here are some other searches that you might want to create and save: “Wedding Photographer”,  “Wedding Photography”, “Just Got Engaged”, “Fiancee”,  “Fiance”, “Photo Shoot”, and “Photography Shoot”.

Wrap-up

The two ideas that I shared above are just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to how Twitter can improve your Photography business. In upcoming posts, I will share other ideas and methods on how to leverage Social Media to gain new clients and exceed your photography business goals.

About the Author:

For the past five years, darkroomRYAN has worked with Fortune 500 clients. As the owner of Darkroom Branding, he now provides marketing and branding strategies for photographers. Feel free to follow him on Twitter at: @darkroomRYAN

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Have you had someone tell you had an eye for photography? What does that even mean? That you know how to take a good picture? I had someone tell me I had the “eye” many years ago when I had just messed around with the camera. Looking back at those pictures, they were crap. Crap, I tell you.

I’ll tell you what that comment did for me though. That little comment gave me a nice boost of confidence that drove me to pursue photography a little more that what I was doing at the time. It made me feel as though I was special and that I was naturally good at something. But was I?

I do not believe that the photographic eye is something you are born with. I believe it is a learned way of seeing the world through a lens. Those who are out there that feel as though they do not have an artistic bone in their body – have hope. It wasn’t until someone gave me a boost of confidence(perhaps false confidence?) that I was ready to take on the challenge of photography. The photographic eye is simple. It is recognizing situations where the elements of art come together in a frame. It is opening your eyes a little wider and really paying attention to the details of the world around you.

If you are wondering “what about those people who can just pick up a camera with no photography background and STILL take a beautiful shot?”. Well, just like anything in life, some people have different backgrounds and different learning curves. If you have any artistic background, whether that be painting, drawing, designing, decorating…anything….then you are already exposed to elements that are appealing and beautiful, and are more likely to pick it up quicker than those with no artistic background.

My sister once asked me how I take such good pictures. She said “All I do is see what I want in the picture, put it in the center, and snap the shot”. Well, there’s the first problem. That’s exactly what you’re NOT supposed to do. If you do a quick study of photography, the rule of thirds will surely be one of the first you read about. Then next time, you ask yourself “Ok, I know it’s not supposed to be in the center, so I’ll move the subject off center”. You do that and you are now more aware of what is in your frame, and you are making your picture more interesting. That’s an easy one.

I think most people relate the “eye” as more of the composition of the photo. I have never heard of anybody who has just been able to pick up a camera and know how to use every setting to get a perfect exposure. A good way to practice composing shots can be done without a camera. When you are going about your day to day activities, look around you. Look for the patterns, the colors, the depth, the symmetry of normal, everyday life. Take mental note when you see something that would make a good picture – train your vision.

I think anybody has the potential to be a great photographer. I don’t think you have to be born with this magical eye that allows you to produce beautiful images. I think if you want to be a photographer, and are willing to study and practice, you can be as good as you want to be. If you are looking for that boost of confidence that I got years ago, send me some of your pictures and I’ll give you the genuine encouragement and critique that you may need.

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When it comes to buying a camera, there are two companies – Nikon and Canon – that are dominating the industry. What’s the difference? In my experience with using both of them, I have found that Nikon gives a sharper, more concentrated look, and Canon gives a softer, more delicate look.  Keep that in mind – but also the lens possibilities  before you decide which way you will swing. Once you have decided that, here are our suggestions for cameras:

For the beginners who want to graduate from the point and shoot to dSLR, but don’t want to spend a fortune. The people who will never change the dial off Auto. You just want better pictures w/o the extra work. You’re a casual photographer who never plans on going pro. You want to keep it well under $1,000. Simple. Affordable. Nice pictures. Here’s your camera:

Nikon:

Nikon D40.

Canon:

EOS Rebel XS (a.k.a. 1000D)

Now we take a step up to those who are taking photography to the next level. Not just casual, but a serious hobby and maybe hoping to go pro one day. Still don’t want to spend 3 months rent for your camera, but are willing to make a little more of  a sacrifice to reap the benefits of the outcome of picture quality. Your ranged of budget is somewhere between $1,000-$2,000. Committed. Determined. Passionate. Here’s your camera:

Nikon:

D90

Canon:

EOS 50D

And now for the bigwigs. I probably don’t even have to recommend anything, because if you are serious enough to drop this much money on camera equipment, then you probably already know what you are doing and have done the research yourself. But just for kicks, I’ll add my two cents. We’re talking full frame, complete and total camera package. Budget: $2,000+. Professional. Serious. Moneymaker.

Nikon:

D3

Canon:

EOS 5D Mark II

There you have it folks. Now get shopping.

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Always bring your camera.

Even if it’s just your point and shoot that  you throw in your bag – always be prepared because you never know when you’ll come across a person, place, or thing that you will want to remember.

Don’t forget the people.

Often times when traveling, you focus so much on the landscape and tourist attractions, and not enough on the people who

live there. I think the people make the location – and it is always interesting to get portraits of different personalities.

Please be respectful of people’s emotions and cultures. It’s always best to ask them if you could take their picture before shoving a camera in their face and getting all up in their business.

Utilize your different shooting modes.

Take the time to adjust the camera modes for the specific shot you are taking. Especially if you are used to just keeping it on automatic all the time. When shooting a landscape, change it to landscape. For a portrait, change to portrait mode. You get the picture. It could make a big difference in the outcome of your photos, and all it takes is like 2 seconds.

Bring extra batteries.

It’s happened to all of us one time or another. Something great happens, you whip out your camera, the red battery light flashes, and the moment is gone. If you have a rechargable battery, make sure it is fully charged before you go out for the day…plus bring an extra. And if you use disposable batteries – bring lots and lots and lots with you.

Don’t be afraid to ask someone to take a picture.

Instead of being Mr./Mrs. Independent and wanting to do everything for yourself, kindly ask someone around you to take your picture so you can be in it as well. You don’t want every picture of yourself from your trip being at arms length, with half the arm showing in the picture b/c it’s holding the camera, up the nose shot – do you? Didn’t think so…and besides, it’s always fun talking to other people in new places.

Learn to use your self timer.

If there is nobody around, and you still insist on being Mr./Mrs. Independent, set your camera on a tripod, or even a table, pillar, or anything that is flat and sturdy, and bust out the self timer. Resist the in your face picture for hundredth time!

When the lights go out, turn off your flash.

One good way to ruin a potentially beautiful shot is when you use the flash at night when all the city lights/moon light is setting a perfect mood. You’ll probably have to use a longer shutter speed to do this, so be careful it doesn’t get blurry. But trust me, your results will be so much more satisfactory.

It’s also good to know how to turn your flash off for those times where there is a “No Flash Photography” rule.

Savor the flavor.

I like to take pictures of the the food I eat wherever I go. It seems that I can remember the taste better when I see the picture.

The food is all part of the traveling experience anyways.

Live in the moment and create your memories.

I find myself in a conflicting situation when I travel. Part of me wants to lose the camera and be 100% in the moment, and create a memory that I know is genuine. The other part of me knows that 5 years down the road, my memory will most likely fade from those moments, and it is the photographs that can bring me back to every last detail of those memories. Does anyone else feel this way?

My advice would be to find the balance. Don’t waste your time taking thousands of pictures that don’t – or won’t- mean anything to you. Enjoy yourself, and take pictures of those experiences that you do want to remember forever.

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1. Digital Photography School

This site has it all. Tutorials and articles on everything photography you can imagine. Equipment, post-processing, tips/tricks, forums, assignments, etc. It is because of sites like this that people can buy a camera and make a career out of it with no formal education. If you haven’t seen it, well, you are missing out on a TON of really useful information.

2. Strobist

You may have your camera down pat, but what about your flash? This site has some fantastic tips for on and off camera lighting. Photography IS all about light, right?

3. Photographer’s Edit

If you find yourself pulling your hair out because you have taken on more jobs than you can handle, Photographer’s Edit might be your solution. The concept: you take the pictures, they do the editing. Tempting, isn’t it?

4. Behance

A collection of portfolios from some of the most talented creatives in the industry. A great source of inspiration for all genres. I would say this site is best for those photographers who are already established and need some new ideas. Just be careful, you could find yourself browsing the site for hours!

5. B&H Photo Video

Love this site. Mainly because it is where you will find the most reliable equipment for the best deal. For most products, you have the option of buying new or used equipment. I love it when people take your budget into consideration.

6. Photojojo

You wouldn’t believe some of the ideas these people come up with. Ways to use your photos, or even recycling your camera…this site is a MUST for all you photo fans!

7. I Heart Faces

This site has you smiling the second you see it with it’s clean, appealing design. A great resource for portrait photographers who are looking for both tips/tricks, and get to know other talented photographers. Check out the challenges and the guest judges they bring in.

Do you have other sites you frequently visit? Let us know about it!

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I. Become Familiar With the Couple

If you are shooting a wedding, spend time with the client before the day of the wedding so that the couple can become familiar with you and you can get a feel for what they are like before the day of the shoot.

Things to look for:

- Who is the shy one? Who is ambitious and outgoing?

- What is their personality like within the relationship? Are they comedians, romantics, shy, quiet, energetic, or a combination?

Another way to get familiar with your clients is to do an Engagement Session before the wedding. This gives you a great opportunity to spend quality time with the couple. After an Engagement Session, the couple usually are thrilled – instead of feeling nervous – to see you on the wedding day. They wont have their guards up, and will be much more relaxed.

II. Watch, Don’t Intrude

Look for poetry to naturally develop in front of you. Some of the most magical moments are the ones that are unexpected. Be ready to capture every moment that occurs in front of you.

- Make use of some zoom lens so that you can place yourself in a spot where you can observe the whole room and get an array of photographs in a candid manner

- Don’t forget to capture the audience and their reactions

III. Guide and Encourage

If there is no chemistry there and you find yourself in a situation where you have an awkward hour to spend with them in between the ceremony and reception to do portraits of them, find a way that is comfortable for you to help “encourage” the type of emotion you would like to capture in your photography

Ways to Encourage your couples:

- Baby steps. Start with the basics like giving them a moment to hold each other and enjoy a moment of Peace during their busy day. If you are shooting on the wedding day, be aware that this is most likely the first time they are able to spend alone together after having a hectic day and getting married. During this time, you will find that they are either relieved to not have all eyes on them and have a moment to breath so they are happy to relax within each others arms for a moment, or they are so pumped with adrenaline that they are laughing and poking jokes with each other. Let the “magic” happen during that interaction and candidly capture some honest moments occurring between them.

- Romance. Some couples like to kiss. A lot. If this is their thing and they are comfortable kissing in front of you, help place them in a setting that best suites what you are looking for, then let them enjoy themselves while you quietly capture some images of them. While some couples thoroughly enjoy themselves and can really get into this, be mindful that this approach isn’t for everyone since some couples are more conservative then others, or simply shy.

- Surround them with what makes them feel comfortable. If you see that they are not responding to doing things alone and that they are having fun and enjoying themselves more with their bridal party, involve others in the shoot to help alleviate the pressure that they might be feeling. Others might feel more comfortable if you take them to their favorite joint and let them be themselves in their favorite cafe, or location of choice. Try to be very responsive to their needs and desires. It is typically best if you can get a feeling for what would work best for them beforehand so that you are not trying to second guess what to do on the day of their photography session.

About the Author:

Jana Morgan was born in Thailand and grew up in Bangladesh before moving to America in 1992. With her international travel experiences, her interest in photography began with a documentary style of influence. Jana currently resides in Hawai’i with her husband and two dogs and shoots weddings internationally.

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