Portraits by San Antonio Photographers

One of the most rewarding aspects of a photographer s career can be capturing moments and memories from the weddings of loving and happy couples. In fact, making sure that each and every shot, whether candid or posed, is just right can be both amazingly difficult and uniquely rewarding at the same time. As a wedding photographer you carry an awesome responsibility. The events that you are recording on film will occur for these two particular people only once and the way that they remember their wedding will be directly affected by the job that you do. Because of this, the wedding photographer s task, while not as glamorous as that of a fashion, sports or news photographer, may be the most important in the craft of photography itself. Photographs like those of the flag raising at Iwo Jima, the unnamed sailor kissing his unnamed girlfriend after the end of World War II, and the New York firemen raising the US flag on 9/11 may have dramatic impact on the entire world, but the wedding photographer has the ability to impact the lives of individuals in a unique and profound way.

Wedding photographers must learn to be able to catch the smallest details of the wedding occasion in a way that will create lasting memories. The focus, of course, is always the bride and groom, but the wedding photographer is also charged with recording those moments that the busy couple may not even have been aware of. While the couple is sure to cherish the photographs of themselves at the altar, reciting their vows or stuffing that traditional first piece of wedding cake into each other s mouths, it is the photos of a happily drunken Uncle Jack trying to do The Chicken Dance or of a small child s reaction to the sheer enormity of the event that will be looked upon and remembered fondly by the couple and their family for years to come.

The key to being a successful wedding photographer lies in two concepts: ability and invisibility. The skilled wedding photographer will use her ability to set up poses that result in beautiful and memorable images, to use correct lighting and filter effects on the final product that create breathtaking images, and to make everyone she photographs look better than they do in life. She will use invisibility to be able to catch all those candid moments and get incredible shots of the ceremony in process while remaining unobtrusive and almost completely unnoticed by the wedding party and guests. Mastery of these skills takes time, training, and a certain amount of instinct, but the best wedding photographers have it down to an art.

If photography is your field of choice, you could certainly do worse than opting to work as a wedding photographer. You ll get to see people at their happiest moments; looking as beautiful and radiant as they can, the memories you help to create and maintain will last for their entire lifetimes, and they will always remember the incredible work of the photographer at their wedding.

About the Author
This article courtesy of http://www.wedding-album-guide.com

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

Thinking of joining the ranks of the greatest photographers of all time? Well, it might be a good idea to check out a few of them and the works they’ve done so you know just what it is you’re up against.

Probably one of the most famous photographers of all time was Ansel Adams. Adams was born In San Francisco California in 1902. He lived in Carmel until he died in 1984. His most popular photo was titled “Moonrise Over Hernandez, 1944″. This is a breathtaking photo showing a beautiful night view and the small town below it. Other famous photos by Adams were “Clearing Winter Storm” and “Winter Sunrise”. Adams did a lot of outdoor photography with some breathtaking views. His most popular photo has about 1000 copies in print. The price range of these photos, depending on condition goes from $5,000 to $175,000 if you can find one.

Moving from outdoor photography of landscapes to nude women on beaches we have the works of Jock Sturges. Sturges was born in the big city of New York in the year 1947. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington. His most popular images, all of beach nudes, are “Misty Dawn 1991″ and “Northern California, 1991″. His prints range in price from $1,000 to $3,000. His most expensive print sold for $4,000.

Herman Leonard was known for taking great photographs of jazz legends. He was born in Allentown, PA in 1923. He currently lives and works in New Orleans. His most popular images are photos of great jazz legends Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. Herman Leonard was one of the more active photographers even when not working at his craft. He often traveled with great entertainers like Marlon Brando, who he hung out with in 1954. His photos range in price from $950 to $5,500.

Another great photographer was Irving Penn who was born in Plainfield, NJ in 1917. Penn was actually known for a number of different styles of photography including fashion photography and provocative life style portraits. His most famous work was “Cuzco Children” which sold for as much as $175,000 at the turn of the century. Penn worked for some of the most popular magazines of our time including Harper’s Bazaar, Saks Fifth Avenue and Vogue Magazine.

Another great photographer, who most people have actually heard of, was the one and only Helmut Newton, who just recently passed away in 2004. He was most known for photos involving fashion and nudes illustrating themes of mass media, glamour, sex and theater. Newton’s work was often categorized as bizarre. He was once quoted as saying “My job as a portrait photographer is to seduce, amuse and entertain”. He most certainly did that better than just about anyone else. His most popular image is “Sie Kommen I, II”. His photographs are in such demand that some go for as much as $400,000 each.

The list of famous photographers goes on, literally forever. So if you are thinking of joining the ranks of these greats and many others, then you’re going to have to work hard at your craft.

Very, very hard.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Photography

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

Underwater Photography: The Wonders Under the Sea
by Colin Hartness
http://www.asaphotography.com

The world of photography is an amazing one. It s been with us for quite a while now but it is constantly changing. Cameras are changing and improving. Methods of developing are changing and improving as well. We have digital cameras that allow people to take a view of their pictures immediately without traditional developing. Another change in the world of photography is underwater photography.

What do you think brings us those great shots of saltwater fish and movies that film in the ocean and under the sea? What about shots taken in swimming pools? You see those in the movies a lot but may not have thought about how they take those pictures and videos.

You probably never thought about it because for a long time underwater photography was not really an option for everyday people. But now it is not just an option, it s really easy to achieve.

What is Underwater Photography?

Underwater photography is as the name implies photos that are taken under water. This is pretty interesting since early cameras could not function if wet. But as people started discovering the wonders under the sea, they wanted to be able to share that with others or even just to prove what they actually saw. So we began creating cameras that could work under water.

It is no surprise that underwater photography is a favorite pastime for scuba divers. The idea could have come from those few people that were able to experience the joys and beauty of underwater life and a desire to share that beauty with others.

There are many different occasions where people use underwater photography. As we mentioned earlier, underwater photography is used in Hollywood for movies. You have probably also seen it used on documentaries and national geographic type programs about underwater life.

But it is still most commonly used by divers. There are many websites dedicated to all the ins and outs of underwater photography; which cameras and lenses are best, which film to use, and much more can be found on these sites.

How to Take Underwater Photography

Equipment is an important factor in taking great underwater photography. Of course you will need an underwater camera but there is more than just that.

You can take some amazing pictures using underwater photography. There are now even disposable use underwater cameras and you can take them on vacation with you and get that great underwater look. Even an amateur can do it. Disposable underwater cameras can typically be developed at your local Wal-Mart or other film developing center. You can also purchase underwater cameras for more of a price but they last whenever you need one. Some people find this more economical than disposables, especially if they want to take these pictures often.

Just like other venues of photography, you will probably start off with a cheaper and less advanced camera and work your way up if you continue underwater photography for a long time. There are two basics kinds of cameras; the underwater or waterproof camera and the encased camera which is inside a housing that protects it.

When taking pictures, you are going to need to be familiar with:

Your camera
Your lens
Your film
Your flash
There are different things in your environment that will affect the quality of your underwater photography. Such as:

- Depth of water and transparency of water
- Light
- The angle of the sunlight on the top of the water
- The backscatter
- Water has a magnifying effect

These are some things to help you get started in the world of underwater photography. If you are lucky enough to be swimming in the sea, you should get some proof to share with others.

About the Author
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]