Calendar Photographs for 2011 "Happy New Year"

Everyone makes New Year's resolutions. Create your own personalized 2011 calendar with your own photographs that will inspire you or remind you of your resolutions. Create the calendar for your computer, laptop, hand-held palm device or have one printed and hang it on your wall or refrigerator.

There are many on-line resources that you can use and they will mail your finished product to the address of your choice. One resource in the USA is Walgreen's. 

For this calendar I used a photograph of a blue sky for January 1, 2011. The second page is a photograph of a snow filled park (Montrose Park) in Chicago, Illinois.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-67718413/stock-photo--happy-new-year-january-calendar-illustration-isolated-on-white-background.html

Have a Successful Day!

Renee Brown, freelance photographer & graphic designer and Mentor/Teacher

Email:             rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com

website:         www.rSnapshotPhotos.com

website:        http://rsnapshotphotos.smugmug.com

stock images for sale:         http://www.shutterstock.com/?rid=306976  

Cityscape Photography "Capturing the Skies Rich Color"

The easiest way for you to capture the rich blue color of the sky behind a cityscape scene is to photograph when the sun is behind you and when the sky is blue. When your shadow is on the ground in front of you the sun is in the best place for you to capture the skies rich blue color.  If you want to avoid harsh shadows photograph in the morning before twelve o'clock noon or between one o'clock and four o'clock in the afternoon.

This photo of Manhattan's financial district was taken in the morning while standing on the Brooklyn Bridge.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-65287606/stock-photo-manhattan-new-york-skyline-from-brooklyn-bridge.html

Have a Successful Day!

Renee Brown, freelance photographer & graphic designer and Mentor/Teacher

Email:             rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com

website:         www.rSnapshotPhotos.com

website:        http://rsnapshotphotos.smugmug.com

stock images for sale:         http://www.shutterstock.com/?rid=306976  

Tips to Avoid Blurry Photos

Sometimes you may want some aspect of your photo blurry. You want only the person or object in focus and the background blurry. When your entire photo is blurry or your point of interest is blurry it is possibly because; (1) you and/or the camera was moving (2) your subjects were moving (3) your camera was not in focus when you released the shutter because you were too far or too close to your subjects or your camera was still in the process of focusing when you snapped the picture.

The biggest culprit behind blurry photos is movement. Remember these tips when you are photographing:

1.      Always take at least two or three photos of the same scenario. Chances are you will capture what you want as long as your camera is properly focused.

2.      Inform your subjects you will take three photos and you need them all to be quiet and still (no chewing gum, turning heads, laughing, perfectly still). Tell them you will count to three and then begin shooting. You will say “got it” when you are finished.

3.      Make sure you wait for your camera to focus and don’t move your camera while the shutter is releasing. Often people hear click and move the camera. Give your camera a few seconds to close the shutter completely.

4.      Make sure you and the camera are perfectly still when you release the shutter.

a.       Just before you release the shutter take in a deep breath, then hold your breath while shooting. This mean you too should not talk while photographing.

b.      Place the camera on or buttress it up next to something solid and steady like a pole, table, ledge or tripod.

In the photo below, the boy to the left popped into the photo at the last minute creating a blurry effect. The point of focus, the boy in the center of the picture is crystal clear. This photo can be cropped to remove the blurry boy in the background or you can leave it because you like it. I decided to leave the boy in the photo because I like the contrast. It’s an accident that turned out perfect. It’s a perfect representation of sibling rivalry.

Have a Successful Day!

Renee Brown, Freelance photographer & Graphic designer and Mentor/Teacher

Email:             rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com

website:         www.rSnapshotPhotos.com

website:        http://rsnapshotphotos.smugmug.com

stock images for sale:         http://www.shutterstock.com/?rid=306976  

Photographing People with Varying Degrees of Melanin

When photographing people it is important to remember the more melanin a person has the more light they will absorb and the less melanin a person has the more light will bounce off of them. Have you ever noticed in some photos where there are people of varying degrees of melanin some of the people in the photo are either to dark or to light. This is a lighting issue. There was either insufficient light or too much direct flash light.

A quick neat little trick that will minimize this effect when you have insufficient light is to rearrange your subjects so that there is a mixture of people who absorb light next to people that reflect light.  Avoid placing people with a lot of melanin on the edges where there is the least amount of light.

Notice in this photo the person with the most amount of melanin is in the middle. This is because the person in the middle absorbs more light than the two children who have less melanin. Placing her in the middle means the children's reflected light will bounce onto her avoiding dark shadows and allowing her natural color to be captured. This set up is a win/win situation for all in this photograph. The children's complexions are not washed out from too much light and the woman's complexion is not darkened.


                                 

Have a Successful Day!

Renee Brown, freelance photographer & graphic designer and Mentor/Teacher

Email:             rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com

website:         www.rSnapshotPhotos.com

website:        http://rsnapshotphotos.smugmug.com

stock images for sale:         http://www.shutterstock.com/?rid=306976  

Canine "Dog" Photography "What You Need To Know to Get The Best Shots"

To successfully photograph dogs you need to gather information about the dog. You need patience with the dog and the owner and you need to know if the person requesting photos is the owner. Only the owner can sign the model release form. You need to have a clear understanding what the owner expects and if the photos are for business or for personal enjoyment. Lastly you need to gather information about the dog’s temperament, interests and attributes.

Ask if the owner has ever had its dog's portrait taken by a professional photographer. If yes ask how was the experience? Were they pleased with the photographs? Ask to see a copy of their favorite photo of their dog. This gives you an idea of what they expect and how you can improve or do something different.


Here are twenty important questions you want to ask about the dog before you begin. Don’t be surprised if the owner can’t answer some of your questions. For some people this will be the first time they’ve been asked these questions. Observe the dog while you are talking with its owner. The dog’s reactions, actions and behavior can also give you clues and answers. Remember two important keys to great photos; patience and knowledge.

Twenty Questions:

1.      Is your dog healthy? Has your dog had all its shots?

2.      How do you reward your dog?

3.      Does your dog have any mental or physical challenges (blind, deaf, unable to stand etc)?

4.      Have you had any dog training? Does your dog understand commands?

5.      How much time does your dog spend around people on a daily basis?

6.      Has your dog eaten, drank water today?

7.      Has your dog urinated and defecated today?

8.      Has your dog gone for its daily hour walk?

9.      Where does your dog spend most of its time, in a crate, tied to a leash, loose in your yard or loose in your house?

10.  Does your dog have a favorite toy?

11.  What distracts your dog?

12.  What motivates your dog; food, sounds, objects, other animals or people?

13.  What startles or frightens your dog; sounds, objects, other animals or people?

14.  What does your dog do when frightened or startled (growl, bark, bite)?

15.  What is your dogs temperament; friendly, aggressive anxious, calm or stressed?

16.  Is your dog accustomed to a leash?

17.  Who does your dog listen to the best?

18.  What do you think is your dog’s best attribute?

19.  Do you think your dog has an unattractive attribute? If yes what is it?

20.  Does your dog look for you when you are not in sight?

You can use this information to capture the dog’s attentions for the photos you want. Remember it’s with patience you get the great shots. Make sure you have a towel to clean the dog’s eyes of crust and its mouth of foaming or dangling saliva. Make sure you have sufficient light to avoid using flash. I recommend photographing in an open outdoor space like a park, the beach or backyard.

For more information contact:

Renee Brown

Freelance Photographer, Graphic Designer and Mentor

rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com  USA (773) 634-9424  / Europe (34) 965 65 70 60

Reasons Why Some People Never Like To Be Photographed

For some people the reason they don’t want to be photographed is because they have seen very few or no pictures of them that they like and they don’t want to see another bad picture and or they don’t want to be remembered by an image of themselves that they find unattractive.

Usually people that feel this way put on a mask like making ugly faces, sticking out their tongue, put their hands in front of their face or they put some object or person in front of them. Some just duck and run from the view of the camera, avoiding the photo completely.

Some people are shy, some people don’t like the way they look on a particular day. They don’t like their hair or the clothes they are wearing. Some are uncomfortable with their body. Some don’t think they are photogenic or attractive.

Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. You pose for the camera putting on what you think is your best face and the photo is horrible. If this happens time and time again you begin to think it’s you, that you just aren’t photogenic. The truth of the matter is part of it could be the photographer and part of it could be they don’t know how to relax in front of the camera. It could also be they don’t like the photographer. When someone does not like the person photographing them you can be sure the photo will reflect it.

Whether you are a hobbyist, semi or professional photographer there are three very important things to remember when photographing someone that believes they don’t take good photos: (1) take an interest in learning their reasons, don’t assume you know (2) if they feel strongly about it, respect how they feel, don’t photograph them and lastly (3) remember you have to earn their trust if you really want to photograph them.  

By respecting a person’s wishes to not be included in a photo you begin to help that person trust you as a photographer. Let some time pass. When opportunities present themselves share great pictures with them of others you have taken. As time goes by ask again for an opportunity to photograph them. If, they continue to say no, look for an opportunity to take a complimentary candid shot of them. If the photo is a great photo share it with them.  Let them know you took the shot because you saw the beauty in them. By doing this little by little you build their confidence and they will eventually permit you to photograph them.

When people trust you as a photographer, knowing you only publish complimentary photos you and everyone you want to photograph will have more fun. People will even be willing to have some funny, silly and even uncomplimentary photos of them because they know those are just moments in time. They will laugh about it and even want to share the photo for others to enjoy.

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-45540127/stock-photo-african-american-man-laughing-with-african-american-toddler.html

Renee Brown

Freelance Photographer, Graphic Designer and Mentor

Learn how you can earn money with your photographs. Contact Renee at rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com

(773) 634-9424

Photographs of Families and Children are in High Demand

An easy way to start making money selling photographs is to photograph families and children. Photographing ethnic families is in even higher demand. There is a disproportionately small number of African American, Latin, Asian, Middle Eastern families and children as well as other ethnic groups. Natural candid shots are the best. Although posed photos sell it's the natural candid shots that offer buyers more possibilities for use. The attached link is a photo of a European Latin man with a new born baby in a hospital bassinet.

Click this link to see the photo of man with newborn baby:  http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=65836597

This is a very successful photo for several reasons: (1) it's natural and candid (2) there are not many photos of newborns in acrylic bassinets (3) the man is handsome (4) it's in a hospital setting and (5) it has great light.

This photo is appropriate for variety of industries: (1) Medical/Healthcare (2) Childcare (3) Insurance (4) Retirement or (5) Education are the most obvious. Take note any industry can use this type of photo.

Who purchases photos? Art Directors, Marketing Managers and Business owners for magazine ads, newsletters, roadside advertisement, websites, Powerpoint presentations and much more. Individuals also purchase photos for enjoyment in their home or for person projects like creating invitations. The list of uses is endless.

It is important to note selling photographs of people requires two very important things, (1) It must be a photo you photographed and (2) written permission of the individuals in the photo. Photographs of children requires a parent or guardian's permission. If a person is in a photo facing the camera, their back to the camera, far away from the camera their written permission is required.


If you are interested in learning how to buy or sell photographs please contact Renee Brown at rSnapshotPhotos@gmail.com or call (773) 634-9424.