Digital Holga mod

Filed under: Equipment, How-to’s

As I was browsing through the DPGuru Flickr pool looking for a photo of the day, I came across the image to the right. I put it on my “further consideration” list, scanned down quickly to see whither it had embedded EXIF, said to myself “oh, that’s nice, he’s using a Canon Holga,” and moved on. You can tell I hadn’t had my coffee yet; it took about 45 seconds before I sat straight up in my chair, said “waiddaminute, an EOS what?!?” and clicked back.

It turns out Joachim Guanzon had the bright idea to mount a Holga lens on his 20D. He even put the directions online so the rest of can do the same. The Holga lens gets destroyed in the process, but it’s probably $19.99 well spent. The real stroke of genius, as far as I’m concerned, was using a white film canister for the lens tube so you get that authentic Holga light light bleed.

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How To : Convert to a Model Look

Filed under: How-to’s

Ever
wanted to convert a holiday snap or stunning foreign vista into a picture that looks like a model? No me neither. But
in case you hanker after model railway shots or have an odd hour to fill you too can play with photoshop to create just
that type of image.

Receding Hairline: the
website of a London Wannabe supplied all the instructions and tips on how to go about just such a task. It seems
you need Photoshop CS or newer (I haven’t tried this out myself so can’t comment). Just three steps are required -
gradient mask, lens blur,  and adjust curves. And thats it! Selecting the right photography is important though as
Receding Hairline explains.

[found via Scoble]

 

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Straighten Image - A Photoshop Introduction

Filed under: How-to’s, Tips and Tricks

A quick way to straighten images in photoshop.

Take one wonky image -

 

Right Click
the eye dropper icon and select the measure tool

Draw a line across the image

At the top menu
select Image/Rotate Canvas/Arbitrary

The adjustment should automatically pop up

You will probably have to
resize the image to remove any revealed white space.

[Photo Andrew
Barrow]

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So you have bought your first DSLR? (Digital Photography)

Ok! So you have bought a DSLR (Digital SLR)…now what?

You have joined the ranks of the ‘keen amateur photographer’ by buying a new digital SLR, but what do all those buttons and bits actually do?

The way things are going what with pricing and technology, I can see a boom about to happen with regard to Digital SLR sales.

People who have previously just owned film or point and shoot digital cameras, will now as prices fall, have the opportunity to join the rest of us in the exciting world of the Digital SLR.

I can imagine that for a lot of people the transition will be exciting but also a tad confusing. Even if you have owned a film SLR in the past, I can guarantee that it didn’t have this many buttons all over it with ‘custom functions’ and the like!

These new breed of cameras are quite simply amazing and I despair when I see reviews and forums airing their disappointment that a new camera just released hasn’t addressed the issue of ‘having to go to the menu’ to make an alteration.

When reading reviews about a particular digital SLR camera that you wish to purchase, please take it with a pinch of salt. The reviewers are there to delve into every possible avenue open to discussion and any personal gripes should not put you off.

If cameras were released with everyone’s whims catered for, the camera would have no room for a viewfinder or lens because of the hundreds of buttons everywhere. What you need to do, even if you never use them, is to learn what each button, gadget and gizmo actually does just in case you need it one day.

Taking a photograph with one of these cameras is so much more involved than with any other camera, but it is also so much more fun! The control that a DSLR give you over taking your photographs means that you can let your creativity run wild and try things that just weren’t possible with any other camera.

Things for you to learn or consider are;

1.How to hold the camera.

2.Using both eyes when shooting.

3.How to capture your subject

4.Composition

5.Lighting

6.Lenses

7.Filters

8.ISO or ASA settings

9.Depth of Field

10.Shutter Speeds

11.Black and White photography

12.Using a Tripod

13.Keep your eyes peeled

14.Camera viewpoint

15.Break the rules

For a full run down of each of these subjects see;

Better Digital Photography for beginners at All Things Photography.

For an in-depth explanation of what all the buttons and bits actually do on a DSLR, go to;

The Digital SLR Explained

All the best and welcome to this great thing that is photography.

Nick Stubbs
All Things Photography

by Nick Stubbs

Nick Stubbs is a professional photographer with more than 20 years experience. He started out at just 13 years old and at 16 got his first apprenticeship with a local photographer.
Provided By: Hobbies

[tags]Digital Photography[/tags]

Unbeatable Tips For High Quality Digital Photography (Digital Photography)

Digital photography has come a long way in producing high quality pictures, but contrary to popular belief, this cannot be achieved simply by pointing the camera at an object and clicking. Understanding certain concepts is necessary in order to achieve exceptional picture quality e.g. automatic flash, no flash, forced flash, twilight mode, natural light and red-eye reduction. The following should help in clarifying certain misconceptions.

Automatic Flash

Most digital cameras offer an automatic flash setting, which simply means that the camera will automatically gauge whether the use of flash is necessary. Once this calculation is complete the flash will go off if needed. In many cases this is the best option to choose, but there are exceptions.

Forced Flash

This feature should be used in cases where very bright light exists behind the object being photographed. This background light will cause a shadow to be cast over the subject. If your camera is set to automatic flash, this shadow will cause the flash to go off, creating an inappropriate effect. Use of the forced flash setting would, on the other hand, eliminate the shadow.

No Flash

This option is ideal in situations where the existing light is dim and the subject is too far away for the flash to have an effect, when photographing a bright object with a dark background (use of flash will erase lights in the picture), or in settings where flash photography is prohibited. The one thing to keep in mind when using this option is that the camera must be kept very steady.

Natural Light

In most cases, if used correctly, natural light is really the best option for producing vibrant pictures. If sunlight is available, snapping the picture at just the right angle is necessary to avoid glare. Squinting, although is still a common problem when using bright light. As far as natural lighting goes, cloudy days are best. Not only is shadowing not a problem but the picture itself has an additional softness to it.

Twilight mode

The twilight mode setting is best when your subject is surrounded by darkness. This option will clearly light your subject, maintaining the dark backdrop, as long as the object is within flash range.

Red-Eye Reduction

This seldom desired effect is the result of the flash reflecting off the eyes retina. The red-eye reduction feature instructs the camera to set off multiple flashes in order to eliminate the effect. Once again the subject must be within range of the flash as well as looking directly at the camera.

It is not to say that without the above information you will never achieve a decent picture, but committing these tips to memory will surely improve the quality of your photography as well as bring memories to life more accurately.

by Warren Lynch

This digital photography tip article is brought to you by award-winning professional photographer Warren Lynch. Exciting articles gives both beginners and advance digital camera enthusiast the leg up. With cutting-edge digital photography blogs, forum and review resources.

[tags]Digital Photography[/tags]

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