The BBC’s latest natural history series, Earthflight, has been the cause of considerable excitement, not least because it comes quickly on the heels of the stunning and controversial Frozen Planet.

via Earthflight, BBC One, review – Telegraph.

Astonishing images from the Beeb again – if I took pics like these, I’d put every one in picture frames.

Alan Majchrowicz (muh-CROW-vitch) is a professional photographer specializing in nature landscape and travel photography whose travels have taken him throughout North America, Scandanavia and Europe.

via A Penny’s Worth / An Interview With Nature Landscape and Travel Photographer, Alan Majchrowicz / Thoughts and insights from the minds and experiences of fascinating people..

And every one worth framing, I’ll bet!

David Noton scrambled on top of his Land Rover to capture this image of a misty morning in Devon. He explains how he took the shot and why some of the best images can be found on your doorstep

David Noton’s book Full Frame, priced £25 and published by David & Charles, is now available. It follows David’s journey to ten different locations around the world and gives invaluable insight into his approach and working methods. To see more images by David visit

via David Noton – Photo Insight – Misty Morning features

If my hotel were burning down and I could grab just one thing, it would be my digital camera with its memory card filled with photos.

Every year I ask myself whether it’s worth the worry and expense of mixing photography with my travels. Then, after I see my images and relive my trip through them, the answer is always, “Yes!” Here are nine tips and lessons I’ve learned from the photographic school of hard knocks.

via How to take great vacation photos.

And don’t forget, once you have taken your memorable photos, you an always frame a few to remind you what a great time you had.

Snapseed for iOS is among the indispensable image editing apps for avid photographers on the go. With a vast selection of professional-grade filters and cool effects, its attractive user interface and editing tools such as Grunge, Vintage and Drama, no wonder Apple named Snapseed the iPad App of the Year 2011 in its annual iTunes Rewind 2011 selection.

via iPad App of the Year Snapseed lands on the Mac App Store | 9to5Mac | Apple Intelligence.

Employing long exposure photography techniques is a great way to create an image that makes others go “Wow!”.  If you’re unfamiliar with long exposure photography the major ingredient needed is low light conditions, which will require your camera to expose for longer periods of time.

via 5 Tips To Transform Your Photography With Long Exposures.

Because cameras are designed for the greatest comfort when held in a horizontal orientation, the vast majority of photos are horizontal. That’s fine for landscapes, groups of people, or a line of small buildings along a village street.

But many subjects lend themselves to vertical framing. For example, when taking a photo of a tall statue, one or two people or a grasshopper on a tall weed, it’s worth flipping the camera onto its side.

via Photo Tip of the Week: Composition 101 – Shoot More Verticals - and don’t forget to frame them.

Congratulations. You have finally decided to make that big trip on your bucket list. It is natural to get excited in planning the details of the trip from booking the tickets to arranging for tours, excursions, special sites you want to see, hotels, transportation… the list can be exhausting. The one important thing that you, as a photographer, need to consider is how you are going to ensure that you get all of your precious photographs safely home.

via 6 Strategies to Make Sure You Get Those Travel Photos Home.

Trey Ratcliff is an extremely successful photographer, who specializes in HDR photography. His blog Stuck in Customs is the top travel photography blog on the internet, with over a million views each week.

Naively, then, you might expect him to be a typical artistic fat-cat who regards every act of piracy of his photos as a personal insult that in a just world would be avenged by amputation of limbs and life incarceration at the minimum. Actually, he uses Creative Commons licensing for all his work, and has just written a wonderful post with the self-explanatory title “Five Reasons Why I Don’t Care if My Stuff is Pirated – A New Way of Thinking”

via Top Photographer On Why He Doesn’t Care If His Stuff Is Pirated | Techdirt.

Four apps exemplify the great imaging tools at your disposal

via App Gems: Top photography apps | Macworld.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, insightful tips, or contest information, here is a list of travel photography resources you will find useful.

via 16 Unmissable Travel Photography Resources for Photographers

And when you’ve returned from your travels with loads of great photos, don’t forget to frame a few at eFRAME

Christmas shopping without the crowds…

Cambridge Shopping (HDR) | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

A retrospective of Diane Arbus’s photographs invites us to rethink myths by letting the images speak for themselves

Joel Meyerowitz, a great and influential photographer, used to accompany Diane Arbus sometimes when she was working. He said of her: “She could hypnotise people, I swear. She would start talking to them and they would be as fascinated with her as she was with them.”

via Ordinary magic – FT.com.

If you’re looking for a good introduction to studio lighting the following video may be a good place to start.

It is a 2 hour video (so grab a drink and make yourself comfortable) featuring Joey Quintero from B&H Photo and Video.

via Introduction to Studio Photography Lighting Lecture [VIDEO].

Decades before Photoshop was available, American artist Sandy Skoglund started creating surrealist images by building incredibly elaborate sets, a process which took months to complete. Her works are characterized by an overwhelming amount of one object and either bright, contrasting colors or a monochromatic color scheme.

via Incredibly Elaborate Non-Photoshopped Scenes – My Modern Metropolis.

Although not to everyone’s taste, this work is somewhat impressive

We like this…

10 Digital Photography Tips for Christmas 2011

…and don’t forget to frame them afterwards

16 Digital Photography Tips for Christmas.

You will most likely want a special memory to last a long time in the form of a photo; therefore, you should consider having it framed to ensure that your photograph is fully protected.

Because photos can easily be damaged daily, the only way of achieving full protection against things like dirt and moisture, is by having them framed professionally.

Mounts also help preserve your photos and can also look great when coupled with a frame.

There is such a wide variety of different styles of frames and mounts on offer to you, this means that you will have to take care when selecting the right frame and mount for you because the wrong choice can have a negative effect on the look of your photos.

A good idea after purchasing a frame and mount is to bring them to a professional picture framer to ensure that you will be 100% satisfied with the end result. Trying to frame your photos yourself can be a bad idea if you are not totally sure what you’re doing.

Digital technology has made capturing photographs on camera a lot simple and easy. In addition to this, having these photographs printed has also become easier and pain-free – you can even choose the specific ones you would like printed and which ones to forget about. In contrast, finding the perfect frame can be a bit tricky.

Professional framers are the first step when it comes to framing your photographs. Because there is such a wide variety of frames available – varying in style, colour and material, professionals are there to guide you through the whole process.

Furthermore, they can offer help and guidance when it comes to choosing whether or not a mount is needed for your photo. However, if you opt for a mount as well as a frame, you can be guaranteed your photograph will be protected from things that may damage it like moisture, dirt and dust.

Winter is here and you could use that as a great reason to change around the artwork displayed in your house. If you are bored of the same artwork to look at everyday, you should consider investing in different pieces to make your home look great.

Particular pieces of artwork require different frames and mounts to encase them. This doesn’t matter whether it is a piece of artwork your child has made in school or it is a painting by a famous artist. It is for this reason that you should seek the advice and guidance of a professional picture framer.

Because there is such a wide variety of different mounts and frames available to you, it can be quite difficult to find the best one for your artwork. You must consider whether or not you would like a contemporary or traditional frame, what colour you think would be best as well as the style. Professionals can give you valuable help when it comes to this therefore do not hesitate to contact one.

Displaying your photographs in picture frames is very important. This especially holds true for photos of special events. There is a wide variety of different frames for you to buy and they come in many different shapes, sizes and more.

There are several things you will need to consider when thinking about buying a picture frame.

You will need to know the exact measurements of the picture or photo you want to frame – this can be done using a standard tape measure. This ensures that you choose the correct size frame for it.

The style of the frame is very important. Because picture frames have many different variants, including shapes, colours and designs, certain frames compliment certain pictures better than others. It is equally important that the frame compliments its surroundings not just the picture itself.

One of the most popular choices is wood. This is because it gives a very classy and traditional look to your pictures.

Beginners cannot pickup a camera and take truly professional photographs, even with the right equipment. Photography is something that requires practice. Here is some advice when it comes to practicing:

• Select a few of your favourite photographers and analyse the reasons why you like their work. This will be a good indicator of what style of photography you should follow.
• The equipment you use highly affects the quality of your images. Ensure you invest a decent amount of money into the hobby to ensure that you choose a camera with many great features that will last. Also experimenting with various lenses to see what difference they can make.
• Becoming used to your new digital camera is crucial if you are going to take professional looking photographs. Make sure you read the instructions and also that you try out all the different settings available.
• Lighting is another very important factor in taking high quality and pro-looking pictures. Indoor photography is substantially different to indoor photography as you have not as much control over the lighting. Flash has the affect of filling in an object and improving its look. A tripod is also something worth thinking about, a steady picture will always be much better than a picture taken while holding the camera.
• Of course, safeguarding your beautiful photographs is equally as important as taking them so make sure you place them in a picture frame. This can also make the overall look much better.

Are you a keen photographer, but limited in your abilities to be able to pursue it further? The following is some great advice for bettering your photography skills.

• Getting to grips with settings – many people seem to stay on automatic mode for most of their photos; however, this is not always the best option. To enhance your images as much as possible, you will need to take time to learn the various settings to see which setting is suited for what purpose.
• Tripods are a photographer’s best friend and taking photos without one is a very hard task. Tripods will hold your camera steady and this is especially useful when taking pictures in low light levels.
• Changing the focal length of the lens will allow you to really create depth to your picture and has the effect of making it look a lot more professional by blurring the background creating it more dramatic. Experimenting with settings for the same shot will allow you to do direct comparisons.
• Preserving your pictures is equally as important as taking them. After you have selected your favourite snaps, make sure you buy a great picture frame to compliment the photograph.

If you have completed a photo project and you are looking to try and sell some of your work, then it is worth taking your portfolio around to local coffee shops and bars to see if they will display your pieces for free.

Partnership

Often bars and cafes are keen to help local artists by giving them a platform to display their work and the favour works both ways. They get collections of work to decorate their walls without having to pay for them, and the artists get free wall space with guaranteed visibility and footfall. If you choose both the place and the project wisely then you should be able to target precisely the audience you want to.

Frames

Give a good deal of thought to the frames you want to use. Often the proprietor of the bar or cafe will want a say, or they may just give you simple criteria like a colour (usually black picture frames are acceptable) or a size.

If they leave the entire thing up to you then remember that the chance of someone buying your work rests on the effect of the photo and frame as a whole. Choose something that works with and enhances your work. Window mounts are great at lifting pieces, and try to keep things simple by opting for straight, aluminium or wooden frames.

Photography is an art which requires skill. The expertise of a photographer can only be gauged by the quality of the pictures they produce. You can develop your photography skills by following some simple tips.

Decide on your field of interest

Photography is based on various themes ranging from the artistic approach to the documentary. Select a theme and style that interests you purely by analysing the work of those you admire.

State-of-the-art digital camera

Purchase a state-of-the-art digital camera to capture high quality pictures. Technology moves very quickly so select a camera that is rich in features. It is worth investing in different lenses to experiment in different styles.

Get acquainted with the features of the digital camera

Go through the instructions manual provided along with the camera. Get familiar with the controls. Focus on the subject and compose the shot accordingly. Experiment with different angles and modes. This will enable you to understand the functioning of the device.

Lighting and tripod

Consider the use of a tripod for better stability. A steady camera leads to clearer pictures when compared to handheld shots. Lighting plays a vital role in photography. Photos taken outdoors will be different compared to photos taken indoors. You can also use artificial lighting to improve the focus on the subject. Flash, even in daylight, can ‘fill in’ and even out a subject.

Ensure that you preserve your images via the use of wooden picture frames. Follow these tips to develop your photography skills.

Are you fond of photography, but looking for tips to enhance your photography skills? The following photography tips will help you to develop your digital photography skills.
Understand your camera settings

The automatic mode is not always the best for your photographs. You will need to learn the different modes to improve the quality of the images. Take the time to browse through your camera’s catalogue to learn in detail about different shooting modes.

Use a tripod

It is very difficult to get great shots when taking a picture with the camera held in your hand. This is especially true in poor light. You can solve this problem with a tripod. The tripod will keep your camera in a fixed position.

Vary the focal length, angles and formats

You can manipulate your aperture and shutter speed values in order to change the effect of depth of field and movement blurs. Be experimental. Try using different settings for the same photograph and analyse which you prefer. You will soon build up an idea of what is best for what situation.

Protect the photos

When you have taken some great photos, the fun doesn’t stop there. Display them. Use wooden photo frames to protect your photos and to preserve the images for years to come.

Capturing photos is not a difficult task, but if you are a photographer and you want to improve the quality of your shots then there are a few tips that can help you achieve this. State-of-the-art cameras are only a small part of photography. The quality of the images ultimately rests on the expertise of the photographer.

Composition

Photographs can suffer if there is too much negative space in them. Negative space denotes areas in the image wherein there is no detail or texture. Compose your picture with the use of space in mind. Take several shots of the same scene with slightly different compositions to find the best one.

Focus on your subject

Altering the depth of field of your shots can have great effect. A shallow depth of field will focus on the foreground, blurring what is in the background and so making the nearer focal point stand out better. It also gives the background a soft, subtle effect. A greater depth of field spreads the focus so that foreground and background are shown in great detail. This is great if the background detail is important to you.

White balance

Don’t ignore the white balance option on your camera. If necessary search through your manual to find how to operate it. Every situation you are in has a different quality of light and the white balance can help to adjust your camera’s settings to be in tune with the light wherever you are.

Flash

There are occasions when it seems as though the light in an area is sufficient for taking a photo without using the flash. However, and this is particularly important in portraiture, using the flash anyway can help to ‘fill in’ the light on the subject themselves, evening out skin tones and softening details.

Weddings are incomplete without photos. It is definitely the best way to treasure those priceless memories. This has resulted in an increase in the demand for professional photographers. Every bride and groom hires skilled photographers to capture their moment.

Many use innovative digital cameras and are using them to the maximum to enhance the quality of the images. You can get a print of such images or can store them on your hard disk. Such pictures can also be uploaded to the internet or can be e-mailed to distant relatives and friends. You can also enclose the photos in striking picture frames.

Digital photography has several advantages over the traditional forms of photography. Some digital photography tips will help you to obtain the desired results.

Choose an appropriate background

Choose a background that can complement the subject in focus. It will certainly improve the quality of the photos. Use some decorations to increase the visual splendour of the background.

Avoid glass reflections

Glass tends to affect images. Glass substances such as spectacles, wine glasses and windows in the background can spoil the picture. You can prevent this by moving the camera in such a way that the light will not be such an issue.

An understanding of some practical methods will help you to enhance your photography skills. An SLR camera is used to capture high quality photos however you need to learn the controls of the camera before using it. Some basic factors will help you to obtain the superior results.

Select a white balance

Use the auto WB setting to select a white balance for your subject. Use this selection as a base and take a few pictures. This should help you to capture truer colours. Experiment with the pictures and assess the quality on a regular basis.

Memory card

If the storage capacity of the memory card is minimal then ensure that you clear it regularly to avoid running out of space on a shoot. Make sure that you save the pictures on your hard disk prior to deleting.

Examine the battery

Check the battery of your camera well in advance, making sure it is fully charged. Charge the battery after any use. It is also advisable to store a spare battery in your camera bag.

The file type

Select a JPEG setting to store your pictures to ensure that they compatible with most pieces of computer software. RAW images are more detailed, but you need to make sure your computer will open files of this type before using it to take pictures. You can also select the resolution of your photos with an SLR camera. High resolutions give superior detail whereas low resolutions save space on your memory card.

These tips should help you get started with your SLR. Don’t forget to enhance the effect of the pictures you’ve taken by displaying them in attractive photo frames.

Recreational photography is a hobby that countless enthusiasts take part in. Landscape photography is one of the most popular forms of photography, as people aim to capture some of the scenes they stumble across. Landscape photos can captivate if they are taken well. The quality of the photo is determined by the skill of the photographer, not just the camera.

Focus and depth of field

The depth of the field, which is the distance between the subject and photographer, is a narrow band within standard photography. You can adjust the depth of field to bring closer features into focus and blur the background, or alternatively bring everything into focus all at once, depending on whether the foreground needs particular prominence.

Composition

Try to avoid negative space unless it is appropriate in the photograph. Check the borders of the photo and make sure not to cut off any interesting features. Try and make the most of the scene.

Ensure that you store your photos in a photo frame to enhance the beauty of the landscape photo.