PhotographyBB 50

8/10/2019 PhotographyBB 50

1/42DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES, PROCESSING TUTORIALS, AND MORE!

Y O U R G U I D E T O T H E W O R L D O F D I G I TA L P H O T O G R A P H Y

PhotographyBBonline

Vol #50 - Ma

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPSAND TECHNIQUES

SPOTLIGHT ONPHOTOGRAPHER

IMPROVING YOURDIGITAL WORKFLOW

IMAGE EDITINGTIPS & TUTORIALS

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG?Is photo blogging right for you? We look at the

important factors to consider before starting up.

TAX TIPS FOR TOGSWorking photographers, nd out if yoclaiming all of your eligible tax deduc

will the new iPadphotograpRESOLUTIONIZE


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7 SOCIAL NETWORKING500px - Quality over Quantity

16 IMPRESSIONIST PHOTOGRAPHYDevelop Your Personal Style

19 PHOTOGRAPHIC TIPS & TECHNIQUEGetting Started with Portraits

23 BEYOND PHOTOGRAPHYClaim ALL of Your Deductions

32 PHOTOGRAPHIC FOOD FOR THOUGThe Magic of Point and Shoot

37 POST PROCESSING IN PHOTOSHOPDigital Paint Artistry in Photoshop CS5

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PhotographyBBonlinehotographybb.com

CREDITSEditorial:Dave Seeram , Editor in Chief [email protected]

Web Team:Dave Seeram , Web Design & Publishing, AdminChris Styles , Forum Super-ModeratorGreg McComsey , Forum Super-Moderator

Publishing:Dave Seeram , Publisher & AuthorPatricia Seeram , Copy Editor

Art & Design:Priscilla Ko , Creative DesignDave Seeram , Publishing & Layout

On the Cover:Dave Seeram , Cover Layout and DesignCover Image: Courtesy of Dave Seeram

Marketing:All marketing inquiries may be sent to:Dave Seeram, Editor in Chief [email protected]

CONTACTf you would like to contact PhotographyBB Online,mail: [email protected]

or write:PhotographyBB#331 - 6540 Hastings St.Burnaby, B.C. V5B 4Z5CANADA

ARTICLE SUBMISSION:To request an article submission, please [email protected] with your name,mail address, and a brief description of your articlend ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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hotographyBB Online Magazine www.PhotographyBB

Welcome to the 50th edition of the PhotographyBB Magazine. So, is it justme, or does it feel like were continuously celebrating milestones here?Last month we celebrated our 4-Year Anniversary Edition, and this monthwe reach our 50th!

Also last month, I promised that wed be ushering in a new era ofPhotographyBB Magazines by touching on a wider range of photo-relatedtopics. Yes, its nice to have photography tutorials (were not getting ridof those, theyre still here!), but there are so many other facets within thedigital photography sphere. Heres what we look at this month:

I picked up a new iPad recently. To give our readers some context, Ive gone through allgenerations of the iPad since they rst came out - yes, Im that nerdy. The point is, I wasnt exactlysure how different this new iPad would be, and whether or not it feels like it might have theability to impact the way I view, edit, or operate when it comes to photography. After a few weeksof experimenting with it (thanks in part to some really sweet new image-editing apps), I do feelthere is a strong potential for this technological marvel to actually have a signicant effect on my

photographic workow. Ive written a brief summary of my thoughts on the matter in this edition.Also in this edition, we have some fantastic contributions from guest authors who answered ourcall for article submissions. Rodney Payne gives the working photographers a primer on claimingexpenses at tax time. Also, Edith Itzcovici-Levy answers the question of whether or not a photographyblog might be right for you, and how to go about starting one should you decide upon it.

We have our contest winner announcements for the recent 4-Year Anniversary celebration prizedraws. Be sure to check inside to see if you are the lucky winner of either a Drobo, a 1 Year UnlimitedCrashPlan service, or a complete set of Craft & Vision eBooks!

Thank you to all of our readers for continuing to support us by downloading our magazine, sendingdonations, and spreading the word. It takes an amazing team to publish each edition, and were luckyto have some of the best. Now grab your beverage of choice (Im thinking Japanese sake might be anice change-up), and enjoy our 50th edition!

Dave SeeramEditor and Publisher

PHOTOGRAPHYBB ONLINE MAGAZINE ISSUE FIFTYFrom The Editors Desk Setting Milestones... again!


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Guest Contributors in this Edition:Edith Itzcovici-Levy - Considerations before Starting a Photo BlogRodney Payne - Claim ALL of Your Eligible Tax Deductions

DAVE SEERAMis the Editor of the Photog-raphyBB Online Website, PhotographyBBForums, and Editor/Publisher of the Pho-tographyBB Online Magazine. Dave is alsoa digital photography and Photoshop en-thusiast.PhotographyBB | Twitter | Facebook

EVA POLAKis one of New Zealands leadingfine art photographers. With her specialtyin impressionist photography, Eva isthe author of two books and providesworkshops on teaching creativity in fineart photography.Website | Books

JON AYRES is a digital photographer from theUnited States, now living in Moscow. Heenjoys photography, writing, and history.

Jon has been involved in writing, digital artand photography for over 30 years and is apublished photographer and author.Blog | Flickr | RedBubble

HEATHER BASHOW is a tech junkie fromKingston, Ontario, and is obsessedwith DSLR photography and software

technique. Never without her camera byher side, she embraces all genres but norules.Website | Books

MIKE FRYE is a talented photographer aswell as avid blogger, flickrite, and socialnetworking guru. Mike loves sharingknowledge, and showcasing talentedphotographers through his photographyblog.Blog | Twitter | Flickr

JAY LIVENS is a computer guy a heart wholoves digital photography, working withLinux, and running his own personalblog. Jay is our go-to guy for all thingstechnical relating to digital photographyand computers.Blog | Gallery | Blipfoto

BILL McCARROLL is a passionate Nikon pho-tographer, web developer, and a technol-ogy and camera gear addict pursuing hislove for photography while supportingcommunity activities as a volunteer.Blog | Twitter | Flickr

JASON ANDERSON is an active photogra-pher, shooting primarily with Canongear. His philosophy about photogra-phy is learning through the sharing ofknowledge, and enjoys both the artof photography as well as his writtenpursuits.Blog | Twitter | Podcast

CHRIS STYLES (aka Nobby) is our forummoderator. Two years off retirement &proud grandfather to 2 boys, 4 girls, hisinterest in photography stretches backover 40 years, and really took off with arenewed passion since buying one of thefirst Hewlett Packards digital cameras.Chris now shoots with a Nikon D700.

GREG MCCOMSEY is our forum moderator.Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he nowresides in Ohio after serving 20 years inthe US Air Force. Greg enjoys photogra-phy as a hobby and the continuing learn-ing process that goes along with it.Gallery | Flickr

CONNECT WITH THE WRITERS OF PHOTOGRAPHYBBThe Contributing Authors
http://www.photographybb.com/http://www.twitter.com/photographybbhttp://www.facebook.com/PhotographyBBhttp://www.evapolak.com/http://www.evapolak.com/books.htmlhttp://jondayres.blogspot.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonayreshttp://www.redbubble.com/people/bossmanhttp://www.deerhaven-photography.com/http://www.blurb.com/user/store/ballybayhttp://www.photocapm.com/http://twitter.com/fryemehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/photocap/http://www.livens.org/http://tmgphotos.com/http://www.blipfoto.com/tmghttp://billmccarroll.com/http://twitter.com/BillMcCarrollhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/billmccarroll/http://www.canonblogger.com/http://twitter.com/cbjasonhttp://www.canonblogger.com/the-podcast/http://gregmcc.smugmug.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/35696215@N04/http://www.flickr.com/photos/35696215@N04/http://gregmcc.smugmug.com/http://www.canonblogger.com/the-podcast/http://twitter.com/cbjasonhttp://www.canonblogger.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/billmccarroll/http://twitter.com/BillMcCarrollhttp://billmccarroll.com/http://www.blipfoto.com/tmghttp://tmgphotos.com/http://www.livens.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/photocap/http://twitter.com/fryemehttp://www.photocapm.com/http://www.blurb.com/user/store/ballybayhttp://www.deerhaven-photography.com/http://www.redbubble.com/people/bossmanhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jonayreshttp://jondayres.blogspot.com/http://www.evapolak.com/books.htmlhttp://www.evapolak.com/http://www.facebook.com/PhotographyBBhttp://www.twitter.com/photographybbhttp://www.photographybb.com/


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NEWS

PRIZE WINNERS!In celebration of our 4-Year Anniversary Edition last month, we had some pretty cool folks whowanted to party with us by giving away some prizes to our readers. Every subscriber to thePhotographyBB Magazine was entered to win - and here are the winners:

Complete Collection of Craft & Vision eBooks Liz Russell

1 Year Unlimited Service from CrashPlanGareth Glynn Ash, Chris Gaglardi,Teresa Watson, and David Perfors

DroboAndre Spatz

*Special thanks to our contest sponsors: Drobo , CrashPlan, and Craft & Vision

FREE WEBINAROn April 1st, 6pm (PST), Corwin Hiebert and Dave Seeram(of clamorate! ), with special guest Dr. Ben Kadel, will beholding a free webinar for creative professionals.

Do you need a kickstart? Do you have a creative project orbusiness endeavour that needs a serious jolt! Join us, as wetalk about whats holding us back and what we need to move forward. Tasks that are half-done,phone calls and emails left to die, or research and planning abandoned. Weve all been there.But now its time to make it happen. Its just what the doctor ordered (ha! - get it?).

This live meeting will be approx. 60-min (45-min presentation, 15-min discussion).Space is limited to only 100 participants, so register NOW to reserve your spot.
http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2234400-10906194http://www.crashplan.com/http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvisionhttp://www.clamorate.com/http://www.clamorate.com/2011/finding-your-sweetspot/https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/359578422https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/359578422http://www.clamorate.com/2011/finding-your-sweetspot/http://www.clamorate.com/http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvisionhttp://www.crashplan.com/http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2234400-10906194


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eREADS

FORGET MUGSHOTS10 STEPS TO BETTER PORTRAITS

The one thread we all share asphotographers is that at somepoint or another, we all needto shoot good portraits of ourloved ones. If you want to learnhow to improve your portraitshooting, literally overnight,then this latest release fromthe master of portraits - DavidduChemin is for you.

FORGET MUGSHOTS isnt thetypical portraiture techniquebook. Theres no talk ofcamera settings or fancystrobist equipment in here.Instead, David duChemin

dives into the real core of what it takes to make great portraits.Its about learning relational skills, connecting with your subject,understanding facial features, points of view, and learning howto recognize the right moment to shoot.

Youll Learn:- Understanding eyes, smiles, and expressions- Creative Exercises & Portrait Proles to learn from- How to use (and play with) ambient light- Controlling the background- Finding just the right position and perspective

Craft & Vision provides exceptional photographic education atunbelievable prices (only $5 each). Bring your photography tothe next level - today!

Get it Now! (PDF Format)
http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvision/mugshots/http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvision/mugshots/http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvision/mugshots/http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvision/mugshots/


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Ibelieve we all have a need to share ourphotography. A passionate photographeralways wants to improve the quality oftheir portfolio, and one of the best ways isto share their work with others. However,it can be frustrating. Where do we get thecontinual inspiration to improve, and howcan we find truly sincere and worthwhileopinions on our work?

Social media is an excellent way to shareour photos. For casual sharing, Facebookand Google+ provide great opportunitiesto put our work out on the web and be

seen on social networks. Mostly, we sharephotographs for fun, but what if we reallywant to expand and continually improve ourportfolio online. Wheres the best place to go?

For years, Flickr has been the hub of thephoto universe and it still reigns supremewith the quantity of photographs uploadeddaily. Typically, there are over a millionphotographs uploaded to Flickr every day. Thats a staggering number of images. Thequestion is how to differentiate yourself insuch a large universe of photography. Thecommon way is to network with a close cadre

by Bill McCarroll

Q U A L I T Y

500px: PHOTOGRAPHYS HOTTEST SPOT TO ADMIRE AND INSPIRE

overQUANTITY


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of photographers and grow your presence

over time by sharing quality work with like-minded enthusiasts. The sheer size of Flickrmakes it a challenge and the comments canbe both vacant and transparent at times.

Recently however, a new benchmark inonline gallery media has made itself knownto the photographic community. Basedin Toronto, 500px arrived on the scene in2003. Like most startups, it started smallon an Internet that was still nding its legsfor digital media. The name 500px wasintended to reect the best size for displayon CRT monitors. During the past fewyears, 500px reached a tipping point andwas discovered by the community of keenphotographers. Since then it has grownsignicantly in popularity and membership.As the word spread about 500px over thepast year or so it became the place to go forquality photography. What does it offer thatdifferentiates it from Flickr? In a word, quality.500px is where the work of some of the bestphotographers can be easily seen.

Where Flickr caters to quantity, 500px isall about quality. To check it out, you canstart out with a free account on 500px with a

limit on daily uploads. For just under $50 per

year you gain unlimited uploads and accessto premium features like a custom domain,portfolio designs and templates. On 500px,there is an expectation that contributorswill post their best work. For everydayposting, Flickr still works best. The qualityof photography is amazing on 500px. Forthe most part, its not about the quantity ofpictures, although the numbers are growing.It really is all about the quality of the workposted on the site. The typical photographsare truly portfolio quality, featuring amazingexamples of the best in photography. The site just oozes excellence.

A major upgrade last month made the siteeven better. Photographs are presented in anew and stunning online layout with relativelylarge renditions of each photograph. 500pxrecommends uploading images of 50mb orless. They will resize your work to t theirdisplay up to 880px wide or 900px tall. Withthe recent addition of a market feature tooffer your work for sale, they recommenduploading full resolution images. Layouts onyour homepage are large square thumbnails(four wide by ve rows), or a new format calledow displays your recent shots as well as


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select choices from your friends on 500px.Clicking on any individual thumbnail takesthe viewer to a large rendering on a nicelylaid out page where one can like, dislike oradd a photograph as a favorite to collect inyour personalized favorites gallery whereyou can easily return to visit the collection ofphotographs that inspire you most.

One of the newest features on 500px

is the option to allow your photographsto be sold directly from the site via the500px Market. Prints made available byphotographers who opt in to the serviceare uniformly sold for $199 each, and digitaldownloads are $2.99. Both grant non-exclusive perpetual personal use licenses tothe buyer for the work they are purchasing. They cannot be sold, or re-licensed to third

parties. Title, ownership and all rights to soldimages remain with the photographer.

500px also promotes the social aspectsof sharing photographs. Viewers can postcomments on photographs and build a socialnetwork of like-minded photographers. Votingfor photographs contributes to the popularscore of a particular image in interesting ways.Early votes weigh more heavily on a score.

The rst vote for a photograph will give it ascore of 27.0. Additional votes will add to thecumulative score but as votes accumulate andas the score approaches 100 they will add lessto the overall total making it more difficultto get to the higher scores that separate thegood photographs from the exemplary works.

As the Like votes accumulate, photographs


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may be featured in the categories of Favorites,Upcoming or Popular, where they arehighlighted and presented on the 500pxwebsite for even wider exposure to viewers.So, on this site, good work and quality ofphotography is both valued and rewarded. The psychological effect and reward to thephotographer is inherent to this scoring andpresentation on the site. The really amazingphotographs make their way to the topand eventually, if good enough, become anEditors Choice where they live in perpetuityin the top gallery of 500px photographs.Browse through the Editors Choicephotographs and see if you dont agree thatthey are an amazing collection of work.

The editors at 500px do a great job ofpromoting the best on 500px throughregular posts of links to great photographs

on social networks like Twitter, Facebookand Livejournal accounts. So even if aphotograph hasnt made it to one of thetop categories on 500px yet, the editorswill give good photographs a boost byrecommending them in other ways.


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You can also choose to create and maintaina blog on 500px. You can write a story to gowith your shots that posts to a blog formaton the 500px site. However, blogs are usedinconsistently by photographers on thesite, and arent one of the most popularfeatures of 500px. Perhaps its because mostphotographers already post and maintain ablog on their own photography sites. Thosephotographers who do post to their 500pxblogs offer details into their portfolios andshare other work along with their portfolioshots. Even though the use of the storyfeatures on 500px is inconsistent, there aresome interesting blogs that are well worthchecking out while youre visiting.

Along with a homepage, you can alsodesign a custom portfolio site on 500px

using one of their templates. They have justadded some very nice choices with theirlatest update. The portfolio page offers theopportunity to organize your photographsinto collections in a themed layout of yourchoice. You can customize your portfoliopage with your own domain name, andoffer some personal information includingan optional contact form for others to get intouch with you through your About page.

500px also offers some valuable featuresto make it easy to add work to yourcollection. My favorite is the Lightroomplugin, which allows you to easily uploadfrom Lightroom. In Lightroom 4, Adobeadded a native 500px uploader in a betaversion that syncs with your images andportfolio categories.


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What isnt there to like about 500px?Not much. Almost everything about it is just awesome. However, one improvementthey could make is to upgrade navigationoptions within their pages. Its not always

easy to scroll to the next photograph incollections youre looking through. Youhave to go back to the thumbnails or gobackwards in the browser. Just a cautionarynote, especially if youre viewing 500px atwork, there is nude photography on the site.500px defaults to screening it out. You canchange that in the site settings.

I strongly recommend that you check out500px. Its a great place to share your bestwork and connect with the other amazinglytalented photographers who contributeto the site. The creative talents of a large

and growing community of photographerswill continually inspire you. In turn, youllbe rewarded with valuable opinions andrecognition when you post your very bestwork for others to enjoy.

Feel free to link up with me on 500px athttp://500px.com/Bill_McCarroll. Join in!

500px as viewed on their stunning iP

This article and images contained are Copyright and courtesy of Bill McCarroll. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
http://500px.com/Bill_McCarrollhttp://500px.com/Bill_McCarrollhttp://500px.com/Bill_McCarroll


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As photographers of the digital era,were naturally drawn to the latestand greatest technological gadgetry.

Were also extremely creative and artistic, andone could easily argue that nobody fusestechnology with art better than Apple.

With the release of the new iPad, manyphotographers have been left wondering ifthey should take the plunge and buy one,or upgrade from a previous model. Applehas already redened the modus operandi

of several creative industries, but does thenew iPad have the potential to make a solidimpact in the realm of photography? Thistechnological wonder appears to be elicitingthe curiosity of photographers around theworld - and they want to know: What tangiblebenets does the new iPad offer for themodern digital photographer?

The most distinguishing and instantlynoticable feature of the new iPad is thestunning Retina display. Apple touts this device

by Dave Seeram

Digital Photographys

Game Changer?


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as resolutionary, and boy do they deliver.Packing an astounding 3.1 million pixels into a2048 x 1536 display, allows even the nest ofdetails of an image to be drawn out. Couplethat with the increased colour gamut, andphotographs come to life. Quoting specs doesnot adequately describe it - you simply have toexperience it for yourself.

The new iPad runs quickly with its newA5X processor too. That means faster graphics,quicker load times, and smooth running apps.Speaking of apps, this is one area of excellencethat most hobbyist to semi-pro photographerswill appreciate.

Along with the release of the new iPad,Apple unveiled iPhoto for iOS5. At only$4.99, iPhoto offers extremely powerful,multi-touch image editing capabilities tothe iPad and iPhone. Its not just for small-res or cameraphone/iPad-camera imageseither. Supporting up to 19MP images,photographers can import photos from theirdigital SLR using the iPad camera connectionkit, and edit to their hearts content.

Also joining the party is industry-giant Adobe, who released their feature-rich Photoshop Touch app, completewith walkthrough tutorials and editing

An Experiment in iPhotoA couple months ago, we went through a

Photoshop tutorial for drawing the eye moretowards the subject in a photo. I thought itwould be an interesting experiment to try thisame effect in iPhoto on the iPad to see how

easy (or not) it would be to accomplish.Clicking the magical make everything

look better button had an impressive effecton boosting the contrast appropriately, andit seemed to deal with colour casts nicely.Applying a vignette is just as easy, and resizi(and repositioning) it can be done with apinch-and-slide of the ngers. These must bethose cool multi-touch image editing featuresI keep hearing about!

Lastly, I experimented with the darken anlighten brushes, which made drawing the eyeeven more impactful. A quick stroke of thesharpen brush over facial features completedthe editing process in a mere 2 minutes at.Impressive.


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capabilities one would expect from thatwhich bears the Photoshop name.

There are plenty of other notable photo-editing apps worth exploring, including NiksSnapseed, and PhotoForge2 for iPad. Weretalking serious image-editing power too.With an investment under $30 for all of theaforementioned apps, youll have everythingranging from automatic image enhancement,HDR, professional quality lters and effects,layers and masking, and much more.

One capability that amateurs and busyprofessionals will benet from is the ability toblog from anywhere (that a wireless connectionis available). Photographers love to blog! Withaccess to Wordpress and other web-basedblogging platforms, photographers can updatetheir websites while on-the-go.

For those who dont manage theirown website, yet still enjoy sharing theirphotographs with the world, the iPad has you

covered too. The combination of portability,powerful image editing, and social mediasharing integration, allows photographers toshare their images across the popular socialnetworks (such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+,Instagram, and Flickr to name a few). Thismakes it extremely easy for anyone to shoot,edit, and share vacation photos with lovedones - while on vacation (hey, us photo-geeks

gotta have some tech-time at night, right?).Of course, the professional and

commercial photographers wont be ditchingtheir notebooks or Lightroom anytime soon.However, where the new iPad shines intheir world is in portfolio presentation. Asmentioned, the new iPads Retina displaydoes justice to high quality photographs

that no other portable display can currentlymatch. The ability to showcase work to aclient who can hold the iPad in their hands,swipe through images with their ngers, orimmerse themselves in a slideshow completewith music, is one of the most engaging waysfor professionals to display their portfolios.

One often overlooked group who can alsobenet from the new iPad are the photography(and even art) enthusiasts. These folks mayor may not be active photographers, butthey are hungry for knowledge, inspiration,and education. The portability, wirelessconnectivity, and Retina display makes the newiPad the perfect device for enthusiasts to readphotography eBooks , surf photo blogs, watchvideo tutorials , and even use the iPad as aeld guide when shooting (via web resources).And, apps such as the enchanting 500px appprovide inspirational browsing experiences thatcan literally last for hours (seriously!).

Whether the new iPad will revolutionize

photography still remains to be seen. It doesset new standards for how we will think aboutediting, sharing, and presenting our images.But for us, we feel the single most impressiveuse of the new iPad is...Reading the PhotographyBB Magazine!

This article and images contained are Copyright and courtesy of Dave Seeram. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
http://www.photographybb.com/craftandvisionhttp://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevComhttp://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevComhttp://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevComhttp://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalRevComhttp://www.photographybb.com/craftandvision


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by Eva Polak

All great artists, regardless of the mediumthat they have chosen, are known andrecognized by their own particular styleof doing things. It is this personal style thatmakes Ansel Adams recognizable as an AnselAdams and Henri Cartier-Bresson as an HenriCartier-Bresson.

I believe everyones personal styleemerges naturally. When learning howto photograph, we can be shown certaintechniques, but our own natural style ofmaking photographs tends to emerge. Inthe early stages of your development asa photographer, you may naturally feelinsecure about your personal style. You canfeel pressured to create your images in acertain way. It may take many years to learnhow to stop worrying about what someoneelse thinks of your images, and gain a solidlevel of confidence about your own style.

A style is what naturally evolves from doingthe work. So, the best way to develop yourown unique style is to do a lot of photography.Practice and immersion in the things that

fascinate you will help in nding yourselfand also in becoming more comfortableexpressing your inner voice. It is importantto be constantly developing and growingas an artist. There is always more to learn,and you should constantly strive to improveobservational skills, lighting techniques, andgain more knowledge of visual language.

Attend workshops and read both artand photography books, but at the sametime, do not fall into the trap of becomingthe clone of another photographer. Whenyou attempt to copy anothers style you willoften fail to create powerful images because

Develop

Style your ersonal


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you simply cannot duplicate the journeyfrom concept to execution. You can choosethe same subjects, use the same gear, andeven design similar images, but you will fallshort because there was no original idea orcreativity behind the image.

However, it may be helpful to tryemulating the style of other artists workthat you love. It could be the key to ndingyour own voice. Pick up new ideas andtechniques from others and try them out.Some will feel comfortable and easy to adopt,so incorporate them into your own way ofcreating photographs. Other techniques will

feel unnatural to you, and if they dont holdyour interest, let those go. Your personal styleis based on inspiration, understanding of thesubject matter, and personal interpretationsand perceptions. It is like constantly askingyourself, How can I create the photographythat I like? How can I do the work that fulllsmy feelings as an artist?

You can learn a lot about yourself bystudying your own images as well as thework of other artists, and even art in general.Personal style is like a formula that works foryou, that speaks to you, and it comes fromyou. Look at your images and see if certain


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themes occur over and over again. Perhapsit will be a particular motif, a subject matter,or the way you like to capture the light.Whatever it is, explore it. Once you havean understanding of what appeals to you,go out and work on developing it to thepoint that it becomes second nature to you.Remember, it takes time to develop and tocome to the realization about what it is thatdraws you to a particular way of doing things.Relax and enjoy your photography.

Working on personal style really comes

down to developing faith in yourself andyour artistic ability. This is a process thatalways evolves and always develops. It isabout who you are as a unique individualrather than trying to be what otherswant you to be. Follow your heart. Dophotography in any way you like, in any waythat pleases you. Allow your individualityto shine through, and give your images asignature look that is distinctively yours.By going through this process, yourphotography will continue to improve andyour personal style will automatically evolve.

Transcending LightCreative Techniques, Close-ups, and Macro Photographya workshop with Eva Polak (Apr 21/22, 2012)

This fun two-day workshop is intended for those interested in ne art creativetechniques in close-up and macro photography. Emphasis will be placed upondeveloping your own artistic vision and shooting from the heart.Download the Trancending Light PDF for more information.

This article and images contained are Copyright and courtesy of Eva Polak. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
http://www.photographybb.com/Magazine_Sample_Downloads/Transcending_Light_April.pdfhttp://www.photographybb.com/Magazine_Sample_Downloads/Transcending_Light_April.pdfhttp://www.photographybb.com/Magazine_Sample_Downloads/Transcending_Light_April.pdf


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by Jason Anderson

T I P S &

PHOTOGRAPHY

3 TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

As photographers, some of us are drawn to shooting landscapes, others to architecture,and some of us enjoy photographing people. Like moths to a ame, a particular genre just calls out to us. This doesnt mean other genres are beyond our reach. However, for

these other disciplines, it will require more focus (if youll pardon the pun) to get things rightso that you or your clients are pleased with the results.

Portrait photography is one area in particular where a little guidance can go a longway in getting great results. While we can talk about aesthetics, rules of composition,and that sort of stuff until the cows come home, Ive found some of the guidelines hereare better stated as rules. Not only do they result in better aesthetics, they are also drawnfrom the rules of physics.

PORTRAITS

GettingStarted with


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Originally, the plan was to get our modelsinto a studio environment where we couldreally get scientic, but in the end wedecided to deal with real-world scenarios andshoot these images on the y. This workedout great because not only did we have ablast in making the shots, but we were ableto demonstrate the ability to work withchallenging backgrounds (we were behind awarehouse!) when beautiful or staged onesare not always present.

Tip #1: Minimize DistractingBackgrounds

More than anything else, a distractingbackground can detract from an otherwiseexcellent portrait session. To prevent thebackground from becoming a distraction, ithelps to keep some distance between yoursubject and the background. The rule Ivealways gone by is 10 feet (3 meters) or more.

The reason for this is because shadows areminimized, and you can get some separationbetween that and your subject. Take a look atmy friend here (Bill). I had him stand in frontof an intentionally distracting background - awire fence with a bunch of tree branches alsoentering the scene. Not an ideal scenariofor sure if you want great portraits. This canbe dealt with by moving your subject fromfurther from the background. Look at thedifference (below)!

Tip #2: Depth of Field This ties into physics when you start

thinking about depth of eld. In general,portraits will usually be shot at aperturessomewhere between f4 and f5.6 (maybe f8if you are bold). This denes the range ofsharpness for your subject, which generallystarts with their face if you are using autofocus. The smaller the aperture number, the

s series of shots, our model (Bill) was positioned at different distances from the background starting with 2 feet (left), 5 feet (middle), and 10 feet (right). The fur your subject is from the background, the less distracting it becomes in the nished image.


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shorter the depth of eld from the foregroundto the background. The result - a blurred, lessdistracting background! In the gallery for thisseries, I shot each person at f4, then at f6.7 andnally at a higher f-stop (typically f8 or f11).

Our second subject (Chris) is a motorcycledude. We wanted to go for somethingof a bad-ass look, and the harsh lightingconditions of the afternoon really workedwell for that. For the rst set, I put him upagainst a dock railing at the warehouse,with some parked cars in the background.Horrible, right? But look what happens asI both bring him away from the dock (two,ve, and then ten feet), while dropping myaperture as well. Even at two feet from therail, its less of a mug shot and somethingclose to a headshot.

By the time we are ten feet away from thehorrible background (and my aperture is down

to f4), weve actually got a fairly cool lookingportrait. Now in a perfect world, I might wantmy lighting to be a little less harsh, but theobject lesson is well demonstrated here.

Tip #3: Distance to Subject This will vary based on your lens selection,

but I typically use a lens with a focal lengthrange of 100-200mm. The reason here isbecause the physics of the optics will have acompression effect on your subject, otherwiseknown as making the subject a little thinner.

(Hint: Most people like looking thin! ) Now itbecomes a matter of positioning our subjectat an appropriate distance to allow thiscompression to happen. It also will give youa little room around the edges of the frameto crop horizontally or vertically if needed.Generally, this distance is in the range of 6-8feet (2 2.5 meters) between your camera andyour subject.

n this series of shots, our motorcycle dude (Chris) was positioned at different distances from the background starting with 2 feet (left), 5 feet (middle), and 10 feet (rombination of lowering our f-stop down to f4 and our 10 foot distance to the background, we were able to minimize even the most extreme of distracting background


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When working in a limiting environment,a good rule of thumb is to have yoursubject relatively in the middle betweenyour camera and the background. Ifyour subject is closer to the backgroundthan you like, what do you have to do tomaintain that ratio? Move closer!

In this case, that meant zooming my70-200mm lens in closer. This also creates anice separation effect from the backgroundby partially removing it from the field ofview. Take a look at these shots of Kirsten(above). Our same scenario holds as before,at two feet, five feet, and ten feet fromthe other railing and a dumpster! Again, ahorrible background one would think, butlook at the improvement when I positionedher ten feet away, zoomed in nice and tighton the shot, and dropped my aperture to f4 amazing!

Mind Those Backgrounds,When Possible!

Keep in mind; its generally not a goodidea to intentionally select poor backgrounds.We intentionally did so here to demonstratemethods for minimizing potentialbackground distractions that may arise invarious shooting situations. Bad backgroundsand harsh lighting can be tricky situationsto handle, but it doesnt mean that you cantget some good shots. The point though iswell demonstrated that your portraiture willimprove measurably by taking advantageof positioning between you, your subject,and the background, and also by dialingyour aperture settings more open to throwbackgrounds even further out of focus. It justgoes to show that even with photography,you can take lemons and make lemonade!

This article and images contained are Copyright and courtesy of Jason Anderson. Please contact the author directly with any questions.

n this series of shots, Kristen was positioned at different distances from the background starting with 2 feet (left), 5 feet (middle), and 10 feet (right). In the shot owe combined the distance of 10 feet (to the background), low f-stop of f4, and a tight zoom to minimize the distractions from this busy background.


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Is there a worse fate than paying too much tax? Like mostpeople, you do everything you can to (legally) reduce theamount of tax that you pay. You keep every receipt andyou check last years tax return to be sure you dont misssomething that you claimed last year. But, the questionremains Are you claiming ALL of your deductions?

by Rodney P

of your eligible taxDEDUCTIONS

Disclaimer: Please note that this discussion is for general information purposes only, and is notintended to be tax advice for a specic individual. Everyones income tax situation is different.While the information in this article is written from a Canadian perspective, many of the deductionsnoted do apply to the USA and/or other jurisdictions. Always seek the advice of a qualied tax professional from your area to ensure your deductions are claimed accurately.

CLAIM ALL


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If you are earning income from sellingphotography services, you likely fall in thecategory that the Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) calls Retail Trade Industries, and youare allowed to claim that you are a business.You have to declare all your revenue as aphotographer (sales of digital/lm prints,negatives, design consulting, etc.), and youare entitled to claim reasonable expensesagainst this revenue.

For unincorporated businesses, revenueand expenses are reported on Form T2125on your annual income tax return. You canpick up a copy of this form at any Tax ServicesOffice, online at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t2125/ or you can request a printedform by contacting the CRA by telephone(http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.html ). The form is also included with mosttax return software.

Some things to note when you are sortingyour receipts: Firstly, if you are not registered

for GST/HST purposes, then make sure youclaim the full expense listed on your receipt,not just the pre-tax portion. Secondly,you can only claim half of your meals andentertainment expenses; if you spent $1,000,you only get the tax break on $500. Thirdly,your equipment will usually get reported ona different form the T2125 CCA Summary.

Gear Expenses The CRA allows you to claim only a portion

of the expense for your more expensive,durable items. This is sometimes calledCapital Cost Allowance (CCA), and sometimescalled amortization. For example, a camerawould be amortized, but the memory cardswould be expensed. On most photographyequipment, you can claim 20% of all amounts

not previously expensed. However, in the rst

year, you can only claim 10% of the purchaseprice as an expense. In Year 2, you claim20% of the purchase price less the 10% youclaimed in Year 1; in Year 3, you claim 20% ofthe remaining balance, and so on. There aremany different classes of assets, and each hasa specic rate of amortization. Computerequipment, for example, has had 4 differentclasses (and 4 different rates) since 2007.

Home Office ExpensesCRA will also allow you to claim a portion

of your household expenses if you are usingspace in your home for storing, manipulating,developing, or otherwise working on yourphotography business. To determine thepercentage of your expenses to claim, total upthe square footage of workspace and divide

Image courtesy of Pe
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t2125/http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t2125/http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.htmlhttp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.htmlhttp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.htmlhttp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/cntct/phn-eng.htmlhttp://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t2125/http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/t2125/


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by the total square footageof your house (excludebathrooms, kitchens, andporches). The lines forentering these expenses,and the percentage of useare also on the Form T2125.

AutomobileExpenses

Finally, if you use yourown vehicle for businesstravel, CRA allows you toclaim a portion of yourautomobile expenses. Youare required to keep a logof how much driving youdo for business purposes.Show the date of the trip, where you went,and how far you drove.

Keep every receipt for the year, totalthem up and report them on the Form

T2125 Auto. You will also need to know how

many kilometres you drove for business andhow many kilometres you drove in totalfor the year. So, if you drove 3,000 km forbusiness and 18,000 overall, you would getto claim back 3,000/18,000 (or 1/6) of all yourautomobile expenses (which may include gas,

maintenance, insurance, etc.).

Travel ExpensesSo what about travel?

Lets say you took a tripto Hawaii, and spent partof your time relaxing onWaikiki Beach, but youalso invested some of yourtime taking travel photosthat you hope to sell. Inthis case, you should splitthe charges, similar to theideas above determinewhats a fair split betweenwork time and personal /relaxation time. As longas youre reasonable, you


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should be able to defend it if CRA comes

calling. It also might depend on where yougo. While Hawaii has obvious relaxationcomponents, somewhere like Baffin Islandwould be less of a vacation destination.

There is one other aspect to travel if youtake the trip at the request of a client, youwould be almost always be eligible to claim allthe trip expenses, as you wouldnt have gone

but for the paid task at hand.

Be Responsible!For all expenses you claim, keep your

receipts. While you do not have to submitthem when you le your income tax return,you may be asked to supply them as proof ata later date. If you do not have the receipt,

CRA may disallow your claim and you may

have to repay the taxes.

So be sure to hang on to all of yourreceipts and keep an organized record ofyour business-related expenses throughoutthe year. With the assistance of a qualiedincome tax specialist, you may be able toclaim signicant deductions, and that canequal money back in your pocket to invest

into future photography gear.

This article and photos contained are Copyright and courtesy of Rodney Payne. Please contact the author directly with any questions.

Rodney Payne , CGA is a Senior Accountanwith Fitzpatrick and Company, CharteredAccountants in Charlottetown. If you have aspecic question about your business, you cae-mail it to [email protected] or call (902) 628-9000.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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You have a passion for photography. Your family and friends tell you that youre reallytalented. Maybe youre even posting some of your images to your Facebook page. Theresanother method for sharing your photography that perhaps you should consider. Have youthought about starting your own photography blog?

At this point, youre probably asking one of two things: 1) Whats a blog? or 2) Yeah, yeah Iknow what a blog is, but Im not computer savvy and I have no idea how to start a blog!

So lets tackle the first question. If you arent sure what a blog is exactly, thats okay,theres no shame in that. I asked the very same question just a couple of years ago. A blog(or web log) is a personal journal of sorts. Its a platform that the blog author uses to discussany variety of topics. There are cooking blogs, political blogs, technology blogs...you get theidea. In the traditional sense, a blog is comprised of multiple entries (or posts) that expoundthe opinions of the individual writing the blog. A photography blog does the same thingthrough your words and images.

PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG?by Edith Itzcovici-

Have you

hought aboutstarting your own


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A photography blog can take manyforms. Ive seen bloggers create a 365Day day blog, committing or challengingthemselves to post a picture a day for a year. Too big a commitment? How about Project52 - a picture a week for a year? There areno set rules, you can post as frequently orinfrequently as you like, but well talk moreabout that a little later.

The simple answer to the second question

is that you dont have to be a programmingwizard or know CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)to design your own blog. There are weblogpublishers across the internet that will host

your blog for free using a multitude ofthemes or templates. You select the theme;background color, header style and so on. The design is already created for you, and allyou have to do is provide the content. As anexample, lets take Wordpress.com. There arecurrently 170 themes available on Wordpress,and of those, about 130 are free.

Before we dive in any further let me just saythat my blog is hosted by Wordpress and Imquite happy with them and the service theyprovide. I am not affiliated with Wordpress nordo I make any monetary gains by highlightingthem. Now thats out of the way, lets continue!

Screenshot of www.edithlevyphotogra


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Before you even start creating your blogonline you should consider the following:

1. What are your goals and objectives?

Youll need to ask yourself this questionand the answer may be as simple as... Iwant to share my pictures with family andfriends. Alternatively, you may be hopingto attract a larger audience and potentiallyget your photography off the ground as abusiness. If its the latter then there are someconsiderations you will need to think aboutwhen selecting a host / platform for your

blog. Can you add multiple pages to yoursite? When creating your blog you shouldinclude an About page so that you can letyour readers know a little bit about yourself.Its also a good idea to have a contactpage so that your readers can contact youprivately. Down the road you may startthinking about selling your images. Willyour site support a gallery of your imagesor link to another provider? Ensure thatthe host you select has the capability tosupport additional pages so that your sitewill grow with you.

2. How often will you post? Creating apresence on the web and allowing searchengines and potential readers to nd youmeans that you should post regularly.Whether you decide on a 365 Day project(posting once a day) or a 52 Week project(posting once a week), be consistent. Oncereaders nd you and realize what incrediblecontent youre providing, theyll want tocome back. Some readers will subscribe to

your blog while others may bookmark itand visit when they know youll post newcontent. Theres nothing worse than visitinga blog over and over again and not seeingfresh content.

The question of posting frequency comesup all the time, and with that, the questionof quality. Quality always beats out quantity.

Publish a post if you feel it will add value toyour readers. When it comes to photographyblogs, publish only your best work. While artis subjective, your audience will appreciateunique, creative and technically solid images.As you establish yourself in the blogsphereyoull nd that people will want to learn fromyou, and sharing how you created an imagewill have people coming back for more.


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The magic ofPOINT & SHOOT

These compactworkhorses now rivalthe image quality ofconsumer DSLRs.

Should you add one toyour arsenal of gear?

Compact cameras, known better aspoint and shoot, are the most popularcameras sold today. Yet point andshoot cameras are underrated by manyphotographers, even though they are amongthe fast growing segment in the cameraindustry. The reality is, most of the mediabuzz centers around DSLR cameras becausethat is where the money is for cameramanufacturers. DSLR cameras require somuch more in the ways of investment inadd-ons such as lenses, accessories, ashes,remotes, and gear bags. This is where the bigbucks are in the photography market. This iswhy the only time we ever really hear abouta point and shoot camera is when a newmodel is released or reviewed.

With the advancements in sensortechnology, the new advanced point andshoot cameras now compete with theimage quality of consumer-level DSLRs. Yetsome photographers are selling these smallpowerhouses short, and that is really a shame.On the other hand, many DSLR shooters arenow moving to adopt these powerful pointand shoot cameras as part of their gear bag.

You may be surprised to learn that a goodnumber of professional photojournalists carrypoint and shoot cameras because of theirhigh quality. Additionally, the compact sizeallows photographers to go unnoticed andoffers them the ability to move fast. Thesephotographers include Pulitzer Prize-winning

by Jon Ayres


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photographers David Hume Kennerly andBrian Smith, David Hobby, Washington DCphotojournalist David Burnett, Outdoor/ Adventure photographer Corey Rich, andLifestyle/Advertising photographer TomHussey are among the many photojournalists

choosing to use point and shoot cameras(reference:Photoshelter ).

Of course, DSLR cameras are tops when itcomes to professional image quality, but thetrade-off is carrying that heavy camera aroundall day or having to acquire special permissionto use a DSLR camera at certain events. There is more to great photography than justimage quality. The camera is only a tool. It ishow you use this tool that yields compellingphotos. In fact, a popular trend these daysis to use software that downgrades imagequality of digital photos to give them a morerustic, timeless feel to them.

Last summer while hiking in the CrimeanMountains, I learned an important lessonfirst hand. I was carrying my Panasonic

FZ-50 (a bridge camera as large as a DSLR)and its case, including just about all of mycamera gear. I tired out quickly and I couldnot keep up with the group. Many of usare no longer in as good shape as we werein our youth, and carrying heavy gear can

make a significant impact on the quality ofyour photography when it comes time tostart shooting. It was then that I decided tostart seriously looking for a good point andshoot camera.

If you enjoy doing street photography,then you are familiar with how people reactwhen they see a big camera pointing atthem. In street photography, DSLR camerastend to make people feel uneasy. It is mucheasier to capture natural looking shots witha compact camera. Of course the big zoomof a DSLR can help in capturing candidshots, but still the large camera drawsattention, and sometimes it is unwantedattention. This leads us to the number oneadvantage of small, high quality point andshoot cameras - creative photography.

places like the Moscowetro, point and shoot

ameras are perfect becauseey are small and do notaw much attention. I was

ble to grab a quick photo I passed by this statue ofe Defenders of Russia.
http://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/07/15-digital-point-and-shoot-cameras-used-by-pros/http://blog.photoshelter.com/2010/07/15-digital-point-and-shoot-cameras-used-by-pros/


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Point and Shoot Creativity,Where the Magic Begins

There is no doubt that DSLR cameras offerthe best photo quality, however, point andshoots are able to provide photographers with

something else creative liberty, or shouldI say, creative challenges. Sure, there areshortcomings with point and shoot cameras,and often, having these limiting factorsmakes the users of point and shoot camerasmore creative. This really is not a bad idea,to make a photographer think instead of justchoosing a setting or two and pressing theshutter button. Its about nding ways to take

interesting photos while overcoming yourcameras weaknesses. This is what creativephotography is all about no matter what typeof camera you are using.

Some of the more advanced point andshoot cameras come with the manualcapabilities previously only available to DSLRs.Using manual features will open the door tocreative photography that was never beforeoffered in smaller point and shooters. Sonowadays, I consider manual settings to be amust-have feature for any camera I buy.

Most creative photography startswith using manual settings. Photographythroughout the ages has been based on theuse of an aperture and a shutter for bothexposure and creative control, and this appliesto point and shoot cameras as well. Having acamera that allows you to adjust these settingscan mean the difference between taking just asnapshot and a gallery quality artwork.

Another interesting factor to consideris that most point and shoot cameras onlyhave LCD screens instead of viewnders.However, using the LCD screen does allow for

composing some great shots with your pointand shoot. The LCD is far more viewablewhen it comes to extremely low angles, orshots that may require contorting ones selfinto an awkward position. I use a GorillaPod,which works perfect with my small point andshoot camera. Its exible legs hold my smallcamera to almost anything.

Experiment with different angles. Try lyingdown on the oor, getting on your knees,climb to a higher vantage point, or sit on topof a tall building to take a picture from a highangle. I have even climbed trees a few timesto photograph a landscape. Experimentingwith various angles might just surprise you andyield the best photographs you have taken ina long time, like sliding your point and shootcamera under a small wildower and shootingupwards. Composition and angles are thefoundation of creative photography. Of course,you could accomplish this with a DSLR too,but it certainly is easier when you can hold andcompose a shot with the negligible weight of apoint and shoot camera held in one hand.


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Point and shoot cameras also performvery well in macro photography. The macromodes on most point and shoot camerasrival anything taken with a DSLR. Plus it isextremely easy to get shots at different anglesthat DSLR users can only dream about, likeslipping your camera under wildowers thatonly stand three or four inches tall. This is afantastic area to really let your creativity ow.

For those who may be interested, oneof the best books on macro photographythat I recommend is, Creative Close-Ups -Digital Photography Tips & Techniques byHarold Davis. This book covers most of thecreative styles within macro photography likeHDR work with owers, selective focusing,motion, image stacking, impressionist macrophotography, colors and abstraction, owersand even digital painting.

Finding the Perfect Point andShoot for Your Photography

Finding the perfect point and shootcamera that ts your photography style can

be a challenge, considering that there are justso many makes and models out there. Justlike there are specialized DSLR cameras, thereare also specialized point and shoot cameras.First, you have to decide what type ofphotography you enjoy doing the most, thendecide if you want a point and shoot camerathat is good for general photography, or onethat performs better in your area of specialty.Certain models of point and shoot camerasexcel in different areas of photography.

So Which One do I Use?After a month of serious investigation, I

determined that the best t with my styleof photography is the Canon SX220 HS. Iparticularly like the feature of their CHKDrmware upgrades. CHDK is a rmwareenhancement that operates on a number ofCanon models, created and maintained by agroup of Canon owners and users. CHDK isonly loaded into your cameras memory uponbooting up (either manually or automatically),from the memory card. It provides additionalfunctions beyond that currently provided by

Available light photography is a part of my photography, so any poand shoot camera I choose will hto do this type of photography wThis photo comes directly fromCanon SX220 HS. The photo is and clean - pretty darn good fosmall pocket camera and an imawith no processing!


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the native camera rmware. CHDK is not apermanent rmware upgrade: you decidehow and when it is loaded, and you canalways easily remove it since it does not alterthe actual rmware of the camera.

The Canon SX220 HS is fairly fast, handleslow light situations well, has a long zoom,and is well stabilized. So, considering all thesefeatures along with my personal photographicstyle, the SX220 made for the best choice forthe type of photography I do.

Final thoughtsPoint and shoot cameras are no longer just

an amateurs camera, but an important toolin the serious photographers arsenal. They

have advanced to include a host of options,manual settings, and are capable of producingquality photos that rival DSLR quality images.Consider taking on a point and shoot camerafor the times when a DSLR is not possible,or as an excellent travel camera that wontweigh you down. Again, all cameras have theirstrengths and weaknesses, but if you take thetime to nd the perfect camera suited to yourstyle and learn how to use it well, I think youwill be proud of the photos you create.

(Above) Architecture is my main photographic discipso any camera I buy has to do this type of photograwell. This is a photo of the Ostankino Palace chconsecrated in 1683, that I took as I passed by onmonorail. The windows were dirty with reections, enjoy the effect it lends to the photo.

This article and images contained are Copyright and courtesy of Jon D. Ayres. Please contact the author directly with any questions.


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Adding textures to a photo has becomea popular method of creating amore painterly effect to the reality of

photography. A number of groups on Flickrare dedicated specically to either basetextures that artists have created, or photosthat have been enhanced by textures.

Making your own texture is both fun andrelatively easy. Photos of old books, letters,bokeh, out of focus patterns, and so much

more can be manipulated in Photoshop foruse as textures. However, you can begin toexperiment right away with a quick texturedownload from Flickr. Most texture creatorswill allow you to download and use theirtextures for free, but ask that you credittheir work. Some also want you to postyour results under their texture. Be sure toread each creators guidelines for use if yougo this route. The textures shown in thisarticle have been created by Pare (her Flickr

I N

POST-PROCESSING

TEXTURESHOW TO APPLY TEXTURES TO A PHOTOGRAPH IN PHOTOSHOPARTISTRY through

by Heather Bashow


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Step 1Open your photo to which you will be addingthe texture.

Step 2Go to the menu: File > Place...

A dialog box will appear, allowing you to

navigate (on your hard drive) to the texture leyou would like to use.

If you havent created your own texture, feelfree to download the sample one here, or anyother available textures on sites like Flickr.Click OK to place the texture on your photo.

Step 3After placing the texture, you may notice that itdoesnt quite cover your image entirely. If that isthe case, drag the corner or side anchor pointson the texture so that it covers your photo.

Press Enter to nish placing the texture.

name is Pareeerica). Here is a link to the Colours of the Rainbow Confetti texture used in thisdemonstration, and from there you can nd all Pares textures.

Although this tutorial is written using Photoshop CS5, other programs that make use of layerswill also work well. Essentially, the process of applying textures is very simple. You layer the textureover the photo, and selectively erase the texture where you want the photo to show through. The

trick is to get the opacities of the eraser and texture to an artistic level. So, lets begin!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/4015781953/in/set-72157623002934691/http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/4015781953/in/set-72157623002934691/


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This article and screenshots contained are Copyright and courtesy of Heather Bashow. Please contact the author directly with any questions.

Get Creative!Of course, there are many ways to apply textures using different tools and editing programs. The principle remains the same though: Apply the texture over the base photo, and selectivelyremove the texture where you want something to show through. The difficulty is developing aneye for which base photos and textures will work artistically together.

Here are some additional examples of texturized photo-art:

A special thanks to Pare Eagleton(Pareeerica ) for providing hertextures to the photographiccommunity.

She encourages those whouse her textures to post whatthey have done in the texturescomment section. Exploring whatshe and others have posted onher Flickr page is a great place tond inspiration. Now, go forthand texture!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/sets/72157603745560932/with/4015781953/http://www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/sets/72157603745560932/with/4015781953/


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PHOTOGRAPHYBB FORUMS PHOTO ASSIGNMENTSPHOTO ASSIGNMENT: SHADOWSFor this assignment, participants were asked to look at light differently, byphotographing the shadow of an object. These were our top selections, but makesure to visit the forums to see more great entries!

(Top Left) Photo by PamelaSoup72. (Bottom Left) Photo by Debrasue . (Right) Photo by Paok. Thanks to all participating members. We look forward to all of your submissions in our upcoming challenges!
http://photographybb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=9988http://photographybb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=9988


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Do You Have aGreat Idea for

a PhotographyArticle?

We are looking for talentedindividuals who would lik

to expand their portfolios byvolunteering to contributearticles to this e-magazineIf you are interested, welove to hear from you.Topics of Interest are:

- Photography Techniques- Photography on Location- Photoshop Tutorials- Hardware / Software Reviews- Camera Equipment- Member Spotlight- Plus were open to new ideas!

To become either a regular contributingauthor, or even just for a one-time article,please email us at:

[email protected]

Introduce yourself, share your idea,and maybe well see you in next

Step into the Spotlight!Would you like to be featured in thePhotographyBB Online Spotlight on Membersection? If so, please let us know at:[email protected]

Well feature your photos, a small biography andwrite-up about you, as well as links to your webgallery or photography related business. We alllove photography and image editing, so lets get toknow each other!

Been Around the World?We are looking for talented writers who would liketo share their experiences in visiting far away places,

or even your home town for that matter. In ourPhotography Around the World column, we take ourreaders on a photographic journey, and we wouldlike you to be our tour guide.

If you would like to share your story andphotography of a city you have visited, pleasecontact us and share your idea with our team. Wedlove to hear from you!

Discounts for Readers:For those of you who are interested in getting intoHDR photography, there simply is no better HDRsoftware then HDRsofts Photomatix Pro, availableas a stand alone software and as a PhotoshopPlugin. Visit:http://www.photographybb.com/hdr/and use the coupon code: photographybb.com for a special discount. Also, check out the Shop

PhotographyBB site for links to some great deals oncameras and accessories. Best deals on the web!

Thank you for reading the PhotographyBB OnlineMagazine. We hope you enjoyed it, and wedl t i t th If h
mailto:[email protected]://www.photographybb.com/hdr/http://www.photographybb.com/hdr/mailto:[email protected]

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