Portraits by San Antonio Photographers

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Even if you feel that you already know what kind of photography you like to do, it s always a good idea to try your talent at different aspects of photography.

Pictorial, this is a general term but it applies to any photographer who s goal is simply to create beautiful photos. This breaks down into smaller subsets but the most popular form is landscape and nature photography. This is what I do and it s tempting to go on and on but I will just say that this form of photography, to me, is a real art. At least that is goal to create art in photographic form. It is the goal of the photographer to use their abilities to capture an image in it s moment of beauty and simplicity.

Portrait, this can be people and even animals. It also includes wedding photography as well. This is an aspect of photography that can be a lot harder than it seems. Not only do you have to know your basic photo composition but you need to understand what makes each person look their best. You must know how to bring out their personality and character in the shot. If you love working with people this may be your field. It s fun and challenging.

Photojournalism, now this isn t just press photography, though that is one aspect of it. It is also documentary photography as well, the latter doesn t always need an event to occur right in front of you. Either way the purpose is to tell a story. Really good photojournalism shouldn t need the text below it to tell you what is going on. It should be compelling and storytelling. Composition still plays a part, you can t tell a story if the story can t be seen. And while these photos can be beautiful in their technical aspects they aren t necessarily beautiful images. The story telling is as important.

Abstract, probably not as common of a form of photography but I m seeing it more and more. This is usually characterized by extreme close ups of detail of something, so much so that you can t identify the original subject. But in this case that doesn t matter since the abstract detail or pattern is the subject of the photo. (Color can also be the subject as well.) Basic composition still plays a part, maybe a bigger part in this form of photography.

This week s assignment: Four rolls of film again. Roll one, pictorial, get outside and try your best using all your abilities to capture moments of beauty and simplicity. Composition is key here. Roll two, portrait, get somebody to volunteer for you. Remember composition but really focus on finding the shots that make that person look their best. Different light, background, camera angles, or even clothes. Roll three, photojournalism, outside or inside anywhere you see stories. This can be as simple as a child playing with their toys. Find the appropriate moment to take a shot that tells the story. Roll four, abstract, details, details, and more details. Get in close, make sure that you can t identify the subject but find beauty in the color or details of the item.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography Forum at: http://kellypaalphotography.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php and post your question there.

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.
kellypaa@kellypaalphotography.com

[techtags: Family Photography, Senior Photographers, Studio Portraits, Portrait Photography]

Need a great image for your latest design project or newest website? Then stock photography is the answer. Stock photography is images that are sold over and over. The images come in many different forms. Traditional stock photography includes images that are sold for a one time or limited time use only. An ad agency needs a photo of a couple for a print ad. They pay the stock photography agency a fee to use that photo one time in their ad. These types of images are very high quality and usually very expensive. They are restricted in their use and have other limitations.

Then there is Royalty Free stock photography. These images may not be the same quality but are much less expensive. They may or may not have restrictions on use. They could have no restrictions to use on a web site but there may be a fee if you wanted to use it in a print ad or package design.

License free means there are no restrictions on where you can use the images. Usually these are low resolution images suitable only for the web.

You can find images at any number of stock photography websites. Some individual photographers have their own websites where they sell only their photos. There are a number of large stock photography websites that handle images from many sources. You will also find collections of stock photography on cd’s, often themed based. There are also a number of free stock photography and clipart websites and specialty sites that deal in different themes such as vintage photos.

The costs for stock photography will vary from site to site. Some sites offer different sizes of the image at different resolutions. The higher the resolution and the larger the image, the higher the cost. These images are usually for print use. At the low end are images suitable for a website. You can pay per image or buy a subscription that will allow you to download many images over time. All sites have a search feature so you can find the perfect image for your project. Some sites specialize in certain types of image, while others have images in many different categories.

Some sites will allow you to download a comp or sample of the image you are interested in so that you can try it out in your layout or design. They will have a watermark of the stock photo agency across the image, so it is only suitable for testing and not the final layout.

Remember, images you find on the internet are not free for the taking. Many images are copywrited so when you find a great image in a Google image search, that doesn’t mean you are free to use it in your project. If you find an image you like, then buy it. It is the right thing to do.

Great images will give your next design project a fresh new look so give stock photography a try.

About the author:

Find free stock photography images at http://www.keystockphoto.com and vintage stock photography at http://www.vintagephotocafe.com

[techtags: Family Photography, Senior Photographers, Studio Portraits, Portrait Photography]

A person s wedding can be one of the most important times in their life. They will have memories that they want to treasure forever and then pass on to their children. Wedding photography helps them do this. Having pictures taken at the wedding and then at the reception can capture those precious memories in freeze-frame and help you keep them forever.

Pictures are important so you want to be sure you get good photos, high quality photos that you can enjoy forever.

Most people will have a wedding book designed out of the collection of the best wedding photos. Usually the photographer will do this for you. You will then have a beautiful scrapbook from your wedding to hold your memories.

Choosing a photographer is a very important step in your wedding pictures. You want someone experienced that will do an excellent job for you. It s possible that you may be on a budget and price may be a factor as well.

How Do You Choose a Wedding Photographer?

There are several things you are going to want to look for with the most important being the quality of the work. It would be great if you could find a photographer that you had seen in action, perhaps at a family member or friend s wedding. The hardest part of choosing a wedding photographer is that you sign a contract and agree to pay before you have ever seen the photos. That s how it works in the world of wedding photography; you must make your decision based of faith in the photographer. So how do you make a decision like this?

Referrals

First, you are going to want to look at referrals. Ask your friends or family members who did their weddings and start compiling a list. You will also need to verify that these people are still photographing. Ask everyone you can about their wedding and their wedding pictures. Most people will even let you see their wedding photos and you can check out the photographer s work.

Experience & Samples

Aside from samples from people you know, you can ask the photographer himself about samples. You can call the photographers on your list and do an interview over the phone or make an appointment to meet in person. This is your chance to ask the photographer any questions you may have such as their experience, what training they have and what different types of photography they have studied. If you are doing an in-person interview, the photographer can show you portfolios of samples of their work. If doing a phone interview, that ends well, you may want to go in person and see a portfolio.

Schedule and Appointment

When you have chose the photographer you think you want to use, you will have to schedule several appointments. The bride and groom, the bride s parents and anyone else who may be taking part in paying for the wedding should be present at these meetings regarding the wedding photography.

At these meetings, you will discuss price, payment schedule and possible deposits. Next you will discuss the plan for taking the photos. Many people also get video and digital photographs now. Do you want these? Will your photographer be able to provide these? Will there be extra fees?

Many people have specific plans as to what they want pictures of (e.g. bride and father coming down the aisle, bride and groom, rings exchanging, the kiss, the bridesmaids, etc.) This is your chance to get all this written down so that the photographer is sure to get all the shots you want. Other people give their photographers a little more freedom to decide what pictures will be good to take.

Be sure to ask any questions you have about this important event. Your wedding photography is important to you so don t hesitate to be clear about what you want.

by Colin Hartness http://www.asaphotography.com

Looking for information about Photography?

Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com

‘ASA Photography’ is published by Colin Hartness –

An excellent resource for Photography!

Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive

[techtags: Family Photography, Senior Photographers, Studio Portraits, Portrait Photography]