Learning About Photography - The History, Uses And Production of Photography

Learning More About Photography

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Photography is the art and process of creating still life pictures by recording radiation on a sensitive medium. This is photographic film, or electronic imaging sensors that can capture the picture. Light is usually used instead of radiation in most cases of photography. When the light is reflected from the objects that are being captured, the objects form a real image on a light sensitive film or plate inside the camera using a timed exposure. This image can then be developed into a visual image for many purposes. 

History of Photography

Photography was initially invented in the 19th century. It created a whole new way to capture images instead of using paintings and sculptures. The usable process of photography dates back to the 1820's however when chemical photography was thought of. The first photoetching was produced in 1822 by Nicephore Niepce. He and Louis Daguerre invented a new way to take pictures quicker using silver and chalk. The first ever photo taken of a person was taken in 1839 with the new invention. Negative images were created in 1840 by a man named Talbot; his print is the oldest known negative in existence to this day. The blueprint was developed by John Herschel in 1819 by the use of silver halides. His discovery allowed pictures to be permanent, and made the first glass negative in 1839.

The wet plate collodion process of photography was used widely between 1852 and the late 1860's before the dry plate was introduced. It involved a positive image on glass, positive image on metal, and then the negative that was printed on salt paper. Advancements in photography continued to expand throughout the 19th century. The plates were replaced with film which is used today in 1884. Colors were introduced in 1908 by Gabriel Lippmann who won the Nobel Laureate in Physics for this creation.

Uses of Photography

A lot of people gained interest in photography for many reasons since it has been introduced. One of the biggest uses was for scientists to record and study movements in space, animals, and humans. Artists also gained interest in photography because they like to capture reality, and also turn reality into fantasy by distorting the images that they take creating art from these images for display. The military also uses photography for surveillance and date storage. Everyday people use photography to capture special moments in life, and to preserve those times in the pictures as well as a source for entertainment.

Production of Photography

Amateur production of photography is when photography is done in a not for profit way, and as a hobby. A person who is an amateur might have the skills of a professional, but do not want to turn their photographs into a professional type of work. Commercial production of photography is when the photographer is paid for their photography and used for a number of different things. Some of these things include advertising, fashion, crime scene photography, still life, museums, food, editorial, photojournalism, wedding photography and other professional portraits, landscape, paparazzi, and also wildlife photography. They are then produced in different outlets such as magazines and newspapers. The photographers are usually paid for their work.

Photography has since been a long time hobby and fun activity for people all over the world. There is a deep history involved with photography, many purposes for photography, and a general love of photography all over the world. Photography might not be for everyone, but it is a hobby or job for some. Whether the photographer wants to use their images for themselves or for a profit, photography is something that helps the world go around to this day.

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Since the time of Stone Age Man, when images of the animals and men hunting were first used to decorate the walls of cave, we have been fascinated by the captured image. Although it was not until the invention of photography that truly made this fascination into an art form that everyone could enjoy regardless of artistic ability. People all over the world take pictures of themselves, relatives and friends, pets and landscapes whether or not there is a particular circumstance or reason for doing so. But how much do we actually know when it comes to photography? Below are some of the different kinds of photography that will help us learn more about the different ways of taking photographs.

Amateur Photography has grown in recent years with the advent of cheep digital cameras and this digital photography that has become easily accessible to the amateur due to the low cost of both equipment and reproduction of the images, that we will have a brief look at in this article.

Black and White or Monochrome Photography

The first are to consider is black and white or monochrome photography. This is not simply presenting an image in black and white. Black and white photography explores the contour and character, tone and texture, the aesthetic art and beauty of the subject. The two components of black and white photography that give depth and feeling to the image are the shadows and highlights, if we learn to use them then we can create great images.

Colour sometimes obscures the texture and form of subjects, it draws our attention the way flowers attract insects and birds, and ripe fruit catches your eye on a tree. Sometimes that's what we want, but black and white can emphasise the texture of the subject.

The variety of ways that different colours convert to different greys means that you can have quite fine control over just what parts of your picture will be light and dark, in addition to lighting levels. The absence of light can be as important as the highlights. Good deep shadows can give a depth and solidity to an image. It allows us to separate out the effects of colour and luminosity, put another way black and white photography allows us to use colour more effectively.

Action Photography

Action Photography may be where the photographer takes pictures of sporting event, or of children playing, anything intact where there is movement. Either set the shutter speed to freeze the action or try a slower shutter speed to blur the movement. This blur effect can create the sense of drama and movement. If the subject is moving across the frame try to track the subject, this is called panning, the effect once perfected is the subject is sharp but the background has the movement blur giving the impression of speed.

Shooting Action Shots of Athletes, people and animals in motion, and other moving objects create wonderful photo opportunities. However, capturing fast action on a digital camera can be challenging.

Certain settings on many digital cameras allow photographers to photograph action in a point-and-shoot mode specifically designed for moving subjects. Other times it is up to the photographer to manipulate the digital camera to achieve the best possible photos.

Digital cameras with less shutter lag capture better action shots. Regardless of your camera's specifications, you can further minimize shutter lag by pre-focusing before you snap the picture. To do this, hold down the shutter button halfway and then once the camera has focused; press it down all the way to take the shot.

Fast shutter speed allows photographers to capture great shots of moving subjects. If your digital camera supports a slower shutter speed, it is still possible for you to shoot some wonderful action shots. It may take some practice, but try panning the camera, keeping the lens on the subject's action.

Shoot in continuous mode if it is available to you. You might feel like the paparazzi when you first get started, but you will love how this quick mode doesn't let you miss a shot! Digital cameras that support continuous shooting work nicely for action shots because they are able to write all the photos to memory at the same time instead of one by one.

Anticipate the action and position yourself accordingly. If you are shooting sports, camp out by the goal line or find a good location where you can get clear shots of the athletes.

Invest in a good lens. Many action shots will benefit most from a digital camera with a 200mm lens, though you can interchange lenses for different effects. Zoom lenses work wonders for sports action shots.

Aerial Photography

Aerial Photography is best if you want to photograph a landscape or cityscape. Sadly we can't all afford to have our own helicopter, but great effects can be achieved from the top of tall buildings, bridges or mountains. So although true aerial photography may be out of reach, we can still have the illusion of aerial photography.

Travel Photography

Travel Photography is not just about your holiday snaps. It is about capturing something of the feel, the emotion, the essence of a place. It is about telling the story of the people and the landscape; it captures the mood and the setting. But you don't need expensive foreign holidays; travel photography can be your record of the next town or city or even neighbourhood. As a is an exciting local city for me to explore, but with the added advantage that it is not far to travel to.

When photographing people in their local context there are a number of techniques that I try to use but keep in mind the principle of treating people with respect.

I've already talked about making shots contextual but one great way to do this is to think about what's in the background behind the people you're photographing. Ideally you want something that's not too distracting but that adds to the context of the place you're shooting in. Another technique for shooting shots of people that ignores the 'contextual' rule is to find a brightly lit position with a dark background. This can really help the face you're shooting to pop out and capture the viewer's attention.

Some of the best shots I've taken of people while traveling have been where I've tightly frames people's faces. This means either getting in close to the person or having and using a good zoom lens.

Go for natural (un-posed shots) - While sometimes the posed shots can work quite well they can also lack a certain authenticity. Photograph your subject doing something from their normal daily life, at work, the marketplace, home, or just crossing the street etc.

Most of the shots I've taken of people over the years while traveling have been of single subjects alone in the shot. This is partly just my style but is something I've become quite aware of in the last few months. Adding a second person into an image takes a photo into a different place. No longer is the shot just about a person and their environment but it somehow becomes relational. The viewer of the photo begins to wonder about the relationship and a new layer is added to your image.

Quite often it's the shots of people dressed in national costume that tend to attract photographers when traveling. While these shots can be very effective I wonder if they are always really representative of a culture. Quite often these people have dressed up especially for a show or tourist attraction and the majority of people in that country look quite different. Mix up the types, gender and ages of the people you take photos of and you can end up with a very effective collage of faces of a country.

It goes against the nature of most travel photography which is usually very fast and spontaneous, but if you can spend time with people, if you have the opportunity to sit with a person for a longer period of time and photograph them in a more extended manner this enables you to tell the story of the individual and can lead to some wonderful sequences of shots using different photographic techniques, lenses and situations, while the person becomes more relaxed around the camera.

Keep your camera to the eye for taking those spontaneous shots between the more posed ones. It's amazing what images that you can find when the person isn't 'ready' for you to shoot. These shots often include people interacting with others or expressing true emotion. I find setting my camera to continuous shooting mode often leads to some wonderful candid shots. If conditions permit don't replace your lens cap until you pack your camera away.

When it comes to choosing lens, I find that a focal length between 24mm and 135mm is a good range to work with. Going for wide angle lenses can also produce interesting shots but you will often find that they do distort your subject's face a little. Choosing a longer focal length can be useful for putting your subjects a little more at ease.

Underwater Photography

Underwater Photography has become more accessible with the advent of cheep underwater cameras. Whether you intend to take photograph in a pool, lake, river, or the sea underwater photography can be one of the most exciting and rewarding things to do.

The difficulties you encounter when in shooting underwater can be summed up in one word, "limitation." Communication and travel below the surface are limited. Natural light and visibility are limited. How you tackle these limitations depends on your skill underwater and your photographic equipment.

However the most important advice you can receive has little to do with photography, and everything to do with your safety. A watery environment can be a dangerous one, even if it is a swimming pool. No photograph is worth your life. Depending on the type of underwater photography you wish to practise, you must first acquire the appropriate specialised knowledge and training, and obtain certification from a qualified instructor. This applies to every aspect of underwater activity, from basic swimming skills to advanced sub aqua diving techniques.

This list is by no means exhaustive; they are just some of the various types of photography you can discover. There are so many other forms of photography from infrared to medical, street, landscape, portrait, macro and Panoramic photography. Photographic work can be divided into dozens of categories, many with lots of sub-categories. But for now, just go and have fun with your camera and discover the joy of photographing you chosen subject!

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Photography - Did You Know?

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Photography is painting with light! It's been said that photography is the one art where you don't need to go to school, nothing separates the pro from the amateur other skill a keen eye or the right moment. Give a camera to a child and they've cracked it, give the same child a keyboard and they'll get back to you in due time. 

Most photographs are created using a camera , which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of what the human eye would see. The process of creating photographs is called photography .

The great thing about photography is its outward focus (puns and semi-puns are so hard to avoid) on the world around us, not the art itself. Moving from hobby photography to professional photography is a big jump. It's a jump not just because your ability to pay your mortgage and feed your family will now depend entirely on your talent with a camera and your skills at marketing those talents.

For me photography is about "collecting" experiences and allowing myself to be more than a fly on the wall in my subjects' lives. I don't think photography is dead, I think photography is an extremely young art form. I also look at the history of photography and see that many of its milestones have been based on the technology of the time.

Photography is going through an exciting transition period as many film photographers are beginning to explore the new capabilities made possible with digital cameras. Traditional aspects such as the fundamental techniques and lens equipment have remained the same, however others are markedly different. Photography is acquired when weather conditions, sun angle, and, when applicable, water levels are optimal to ensure that photographs will be suitable for a variety of purposes using standard photogrammetric techniques.

Natural light in photography is crucial if you want to take great portraits. Many assume this means the time of day in which she can shoot her portraits is limited. Photography is used to preserve memories of favorite times, to capture special moments, to tell stories, to send messages, and as a source of entertainment. Photography is an art of particularity, but this doesn't mean that photography must be from "outside in. If photography has too much natural accident, it will hardly carry visual dynamic. But if it has too much photographer intervention and manipulation of the subject, it will paralyze the expression of the subject's essence.

Once you've gotten your head around this and started shooting a few pictures, you might find that photography is quite fun and interesting. At first glance it would seem that unless you are a full-time adventure athlete, adventure photography is something that you will have little opportunity to apply yourself to? However, nothing could be further from the truth. When learning how to shoot action photos, there are many ways you can begin practicing and honing your skills when you are far from the mountains or wild rivers.

Some are able to select a wonderful location to shoot along with having the "artistic eye" to use the natural backdrop to obtain the best photographs possible. Pinhole photography is great fun and it can be the most serious kind of photography. There is the freedom from vying for the latest and the greatest the industry has to offer, and the freedom from the delusion that technically ever more perfect equipment is required for great photography.

Remote photography is used to learn more about things like bears' use of naturally-occurring bear rubs and how they respond to baited hair traps. Information from this work will be used to improve sampling methods and understand bear behavior. Photography is all about selection, first through the viewfinder and second when you look at the results. As long as there's selection involved, there's room for art - if the artist can pull it off. Good photography is all about seeing.

Input relating 'classical' portraiture to photography is not so easy to find. Though we may not want to take this kind of photograph, it still seems that we could learn a lot from the kind of discussion given here. Photography is also increasingly asserting itself on the auction block as an important investment. And its prices in the galleries and at the major fairs reflect its serious status. Photography is finally escaping any dependence on what is in front of a lens, but it comes at the price of its special claim on a viewer's attention as "evidence" rooted in reality. As gallery material, photographs are now essentially no different from paintings concocted entirely from an artist's imagination, except that they lack painting's manual touch and surface variation.

Underwater photography is becoming an exciting field of unexplored areas. Other photographers specialize in areas such as portrait, commercial and industrial, scientific, news, or fine arts photography. Photography is a customer service business. Whether you need family portraits, pet portraits, events coverage or complete wedding packages.

The most compelling part of digital photography is the idea of showing pictures to people wherever they are, as long as they are in front of a computer connected to the Web.

The overwhelming majority of older photographs are catalogued under the term "albumen prints" - the most common type of 19 th-century photographic print. Additional headings are assigned describing the typical cardboard mounts to which these images are attached - stereographs, cabinet card photographs, and cartes-de-viste.

Finally, If you plan on working with older photos, establish handling procedures and adhere to them whenever photographs are being used. View photographs in a clean, uncluttered area, and handle them with clean hands. Most 1860s-90s paper photographs are albumen. Even non-collectors associate horse-and-buggy and Old West images with the soft, sentimental tones that were produced by the albumen process. If only photographs are stored in a given area, 30-40% RH is best. If photographs are stored with paper, parchment, or leather materials, it may be necessary to maintain 40-50% RH to avoid placing unwanted stress on non-photographic materials.

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10 Tips To Tell You How To Start A Photography Business By Finding Your Photography Niche

Sooner or later, most photography enthusiast give some thought to "how to start a photography business." Unfortunately, there are a 'few' challenges that "doom" us to failure. One of the biggest challenges that we bring is our failure to make the distinctions between our love of photography (re: our enjoyment and passion for photography) and the business of photography (understanding buying and spending habits of people that are photography customers). 

For example, many of us think that because our photography work is "so good," that we shouldn't have that much trouble selling it. We, sometimes, mistakenly, think that great art and photography "sells itself." Big mistake! Great photography does not sell itself. In the business world, nothing sells itself - nothing! Knowing this is critical to start a photography business.

Our failure to make the distinction between our passion for photography and our desire to be in the photo business is also evident in how we try to tell people about what we do. For example, photography customers don't care what type of equipment we use. They don't care how many mega-pixels we have, nor how much our equipment cost us, nor what brand of camera we use. Photography customers (current and potential) want to know that we can, and will, produce the highest quality photography work for them.

Think about it, the mechanics that repair our cars don't tell us what tools that they use. The chefs in the restaurants that we patronize don't tell us what type of pots, pans or stoves that they use. In those businesses, it is already established what customers want and how best to give it to them. In other words, other businesses do a better job of understanding their 'niche.' In order to start a photography business that is consistently successful and growing, we must be clear on what niche we are offering and how to sell the benefits of our niche to the customers.

Another mistake that we budding photography business owners repeat is failing to "specialize" (know our photography niche) in what we do. As photography enthusiasts, we enjoy shooting any and everything. As photographers, that's just fine. However, when we start a photography business, we, mistakenly, try to be 'all things to all people' - we take every photography job offered us.

One of the obvious problems with this approach is our failure to recognize how it drastically cheapens the value of what we do as skilled photographers, in the eyes of the customers. Mistakenly, we want our customers (current and potential) to know that we can photograph anything - after all, we're very versatile photographers! What the customers actually see is that we're not "versatile photographers," we're just someone with a camera that's available to take pictures when they call us. Serious photography customers (re: those that can afford to spend regularly) want to do business with specialists - photographers that know their photography niche.

Successful wedding photographers are clear on this, as an example of my point. Their 'primary' customer (usually the bride) has dreamed about her wedding day for most of her life. She isn't looking for a vesatile photographer. She wants a "wedding photographer" that can make her 'look' as good, happy and beautiful as she has been in all of her lifelong dreams of 'her day' - her wedding day. There's a special skill to this type of photography service. In fact, this niche has more to do with well developed 'people skills,' in my opinion. Successful wedding photographers that are clear on these nuances are more successful in business.

Do your research.

• Inventory Your Photo Collection - Take a look at your photo collections. Determine what it is that you 1.) shoot the most; 2.) shoot consistently well; and 3.) enjoy shooting. Identify your and categorize the photos into various niches, i.e. portraits, sports, glamor, pets, children, landscape, etc.
• Research The Photography Markets - Do internet searches using the words "photography niche." Also, use the type of niche that you think your photos fit. For example, "event photography niche," "wedding photography niche," etc. Also, a good source to help identify some of the photo markets is "The Photographer's Market." This is a book that is published annually and claims to provide photo buying contacts and information. Online searches are the most useful, in my opinion. Books by author and photographer, Dan Heller are good places to get a better understanding of the vast world of photography, without all the 'artsy-hype,' in my opinion. He also has a very informative website - DanHeller.com
• Identify 'Real' Markets - Find out what type of photography (of your specialties) your customers currently are purchasing. What type of photography is selling? At some point, you'll have to 'balance' the realities of the different niches. There can be some factors that aren't consistent across all photography niches. For example, some niches require longer "workflow" (workflow is the post production process of taking photos) periods and tasks than others. Higher quality portraits normally require photo editing - which is time-consuming. Event photography requires the processing, packaging and delivering (presenting) of photos. True story: I went through my large photo collections and found that I had a very large number of outstandingly beautiful flowers. I can't begin to tell you my disappointment when I found out that there is 'virtually' no market of photos of flowers - it seems that everybody has them already, everybody! Lesson learned - identify 'real' markets.

Ten Tips To Assist You To Identify Your Niche

1. Identify specialties that fit your style:
2. Determine if you have the necessary equipment for the niche
3. Do you have identifiable and specific skills in this niche area - can you articulate them?
4. Who is your target audience
5. What type of photography do they purchase the most
6. Where are they taking their photography business currently - your competition
7. What will be different about your services
8. Does where you live support your preferable niche
9. Is your niche 'stock photography' or 'assignment photography' - do you know the difference
10. What is the future potential and tendencies of your niche

Fortunately, the internet makes this information just a few clicks away. The information isn't difficult to find and learn. Knowing your niche increases your confidence tremendously. Truly know your niche - and your photography business will follow!

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Starting a Photography Business Will Be Easier With These 30 Free Tips

When you're a keen photographer and you have the desire to spend your working life doing something you enjoy such as photography, it would be a shame if you didn't pursue it further wouldn't it? You really don't have to join an institution or pay thousands of dollars to get started either. You simply need the passion to learn and persist. Most great photographers who rely on their trade to survive don't even know they have these traits because they love what they do and they simply can't stop.

It's true that there is wealth to be made in photography and I'm not going to down play that or make a pitch to the opposite because in every case, it's been up to the individual. Meaning - it depends on what mode of photography they choose, how much time they put into the business, do they have a commercial bent, are they more artistic than usual etc. All these points come into play when success in a photography business or studio is questioned.

I don't want to create any false hopes by that last paragraph because success will require some hard work, tolerance and patience. These next thirty tips should help you along the way. There is more detail available on this subject matter at the link at the bottom of this page.

Where can I obtain information on building a photography business?
1. Always do some extensive research before starting out a career with your own photography business so that you understand the pros and cons involved. Some ideas include subscribing to a good magazine related to the photographic industry such as Professional Photographer, Camera Arts and Photo District News. Besides that, the internet is the biggest source of information and can provide you with a plethora of career opportunities or even more information on starting a photography business.

At which level do you want to start your photography business?
2. This is the trickiest question that a person interested in starting a business encounters. It is very important to decide what kind of photography business you want so that the relevant requirements and (sometimes) finance can be muscled up.

When is the best time to start a fully-fledged photography business?
3. After deciding on what you need and any extra necessary equipment that is needed to set up the basic infrastructure, you will need to consider carefully your main tool - the camera, be it digital or film. You must also consider carefully a reliable, high-quality PC and good relevant software to manipulate your photographs with special effects. If the business is being undertaken on a massive scale then maybe a developing lab needs to be planned and established.

o What kind of venues will yield real income to your business?
4. A newly established business in photography requires an assured location or a beat (working locally), as in journalism. For instance, wedding photography, sports related photography or developmental photography. Once established, business can also be diversified into many more fields.

o Building a photography portfolio
5. It is always important to compile a good portfolio as far as photography is concerned. A portfolio must contain a collection of pertinent photographic work that you believe to be impressive. Make sure that photographs are unusual in character and are from diverse fields. Your portfolio must be able to impress the client in the very first meeting.

6. Don't keep all the photographs that you have in your possession. Only keep your best work in the folder so that you don't embarrass yourself or find yourself having to explain photographs that aren't relevant.

7. Showcase spontaneous photos that you believe are of good quality. You'd be surprised how many people respond favorably to peoples expressions when they are good shots.

Basic apparatus required
8. A canvas background of at minimum 7-9 foot and the background colors should be either navy or white as minimum requirements to start with; a well-branded studio lights system such as that of Norman & Speedtron; certified picture manipulation software such as Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop, etc.

Is there a need for establishing a makeup studio as part of your photo studio?
9. Makeup and photography often go hand in hand. Wherever makeup is involved it is often referred to as trick photography because makeup is capable of completely transforming an individual's personality, and sometimes relevance to a product in the case of advertising photography.

What kind of photo-editing software available in the market?
10. Photo-editing software through which special effects and complete changes to a photo are possible and can also often save the need for a re shoot.

11. Some of the photo-editing software that are popular includes Photoshop CS; Photoshop Light room, iPhoto, i View Multimedia, MediaPro, ACDSee, Corel and Picasa.

Is storage and treatment of photographs crucial in building photography business?
12. Never adopt laxity while handling or archiving photographs. You will regret it later. Storage and access efficiency will either improve or frustrate your working environment. Often older photos become more valuable with time.

How can be photographs be preserved easily apart from the conventional method?
13. Today's cameras are highly versatile and will allow downloads and transfers from highly surprising devices including your mobile but pictures can also be stored on a CD's, USB's and DVD's too.

o Choosing a Camera
14. Stick to w ell known brand. The level of mega pixel offered and quality of the zooming facility must be looked into carefully. I have my favorites but there are many equally as good as mine.

15. Most of the cameras are compatible with computers and printers and moreover, because we now use memory sticks, we are truly free to operate unencumbered.

o What kind of a website does a person need to have?
16. Your collection of photographs must be properly classified under different categories. Visual appearance of your website will do wonders for your business so take consider setting up one with semi automation where the maintenance and hard work is done for you like photostockplus.

17. Remember to constantly upgrade and maintain your website so that each time people come across your website, they will find fine something new and interesting.

o Copyright of your photographs
18. Copyright is the right protects the person who owns or who took the photographs. A wise exercise if you are looking to use some stock houses for commercial purposes.

o Why is a business card helpful?
19. In every business, visiting cards are helpful. It is extremely useful in for people to contact you after your first meeting. It must contain all your contact details. If you're a photographer, a clever impressive graphic or a picture of yourself with your equipment is best. Your contact number or email must be easy to read. I have seen cards that have large names and pictures and the phone numbers are so small they are difficult to read. Ridiculous! Make your phone number the largest thing on the card - that's what most people will use it for.

o Which things must be kept in mind while you plan to build a wedding photography business?
20. Wedding Photography is almost another art unto itself. There are many things to remember for a truly successful wedding shoot. I have prepared another article to deal with this in more detail and it's all about --Wedding Photography. --

o Advantage of assignment photography

21. Assignment photography is that branch of photography where a person is engaged or consigned to capture shots of something impressive and extraordinary, such as in the case of advertising or portrait photography; this can provide you a stable income after you've learned the ropes.

o Advantage of stock photography

22. Stock photography is that branch of photography where there is an accumulated stock of photographs which can be sold to interested buyers, designers, adverting agencies etc. This can be a slow haul but if your pictures are well thought out, it can be the source of an ongoing income. --My favorite is istockphotos--.

o Other places where you can sell your photographic collection?

23. Art shows are the perfect platform from where your creativity and work will be really appreciated because at such places you will find some niche customers that have a sharp eye for real talent. Such places have been known to bring instant fame.

24. Winter Park Art Show at Orlando, Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts, Old Town Art Show; Chicago, Boston Mills Art Show; Peninsula, Ohio, Similar art shows are held in different parts of the world and they are easy to find on the net. Simply do a Google search for "photography art show" and the name of the country you are in after adding the plus sign like this; "photography art show"+ Sweden

o Prices to be charged from the clients

25. In the initial stages of your business, don't try to charge exorbitant amounts otherwise it will give the wrong impression and you will perhaps lose a valuable long term customer. Tread slowly. Ring other photographers and research. Five phone calls should do it.

Marketing your photography business

26. You must try to market your work at relevant places. Photographs can also be published over the internet. Publication over the internet will increase customer enquiry. Don't forget to search for suitable local markets and get the snaps printed in a local journal or newspaper and always display your contact number prominently - always!

27. Establishing and popularizing a business is a tough call but if you adopt a proper marketing strategy. Today, Advertising is one of the most popular mediums of promoting. Ads can be placed on websites, online telephone directories, newspapers and magazines, etc. Research the right mediums before you rush in. Sometimes good deals get in the way of recognizing the right advertising vehicle.

28. You can develop a website of your own to effectively promote your photography business but one thing that must be kept in mind is never forget to include a testimonial section and gauge the response of the people visiting the website. Let them make comments.

o Career prospects in photo journalism

29. Individuals interested in setting up a photography business can begin their career by becoming a photo journalist. Appealing and unusual photographs can be supplied to newspapers, magazines, websites and the photography business is booming to such an extent that even international media organizations will offer you good money in return for rare and high-quality photographs.

30. Mainstream photographers are engaged in TV, parcels and copy services, newspapers, magazines and sketch photography. There are many more jobs also related to photography than there ever was previously and because of the diversity and flexibility of digital photography, more respect has been attached to this profession. Some of the avenues in photography apart from business are Journalism, Graphic arts, Advertising, DTP jobs, Publications and Motion Picture creation.

Go and make yourself a hot beverage and a have a long think about where you're going to start, that is, if you haven't already started.


This article has been supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy has supplied further detail on the above subject matter at starting a photography business and is dedicated to coaching you on how to start your own photography business. You can also gain photography insights, help (mostly free) or even a Digital Photography Tip or two. For brief reviews on services or equipment see http://www.profitable-photography.com/resources.php

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Lytro: The Biggest Thing to Happen to Photography Since Digital

The Lytro camera may be the most diminutive object to start a revolution. With its simple, rectangular form factor, the Lytro looks more ready to bestow the user with a half-dozen Oreo cookies than a totally new kind of photography. But that's exactly what it promises (and without any trans fat).

The Lytro is the world's first consumer light-field camera. Unlike conventional models, a light-field camera captures all the light information from all the rays in its field of view — not just color and intensity, but direction as well. The method has a number of novel applications, the most publicized being photos that the viewer can focus after the fact. Here's an example of one of Lytro's so-called "living pictures:"

The idea of using a camera to "shoot now, focus later" is what captured the world's attention when creator Ren Ng revealed his new company and its ambitions to the world earlier this year. Lytro said it hoped to have a camera for sale by the end of 2011, and although it's missed that deadline, the company unveiled the camera in October and customers can preorder it now. (One big caveat: it's only Mac-compatible.) It'll be in consumers' hands before spring 2012, according to the company.
How It Works

The Lytro requires a completely different approach to photography, but the device still needs to be fundamentally a camera — small and portable, not to mention easy to use. Lytro's engineers needed to achieve in a compact gadget what had previously been done with a room full of cameras and a supercomputer.

"We're capturing a different kind of image," says Charles Chi, executive chairman of Lytro. "Basic cameras capture a 2D slice of a scene. For us, we're capturing rays of light. It's important to capture the ray, but also the direction."

They started with the lens, which is an 8x optical-zoom lens with an constant f/2 aperture — and extremely large spec even by the standards of high-end DSLR cameras. A big aperture is necessary to capture as much light information as possible, and it gives the camera very good performance in low light, Chi says. The lens array is specially packaged with the sensor, and doing that properly with a mass-market product was a challenge.

"The lens array needs to be packaged with the sensor at a very precise distance," says Chi. "No one had ever done this before. Internally we had done it, but we had to refine it to ensure high quality and high yield. Perfection of the product took several months."

Once all the light-ray information is gathered and captured by the sensor, it's up to some sophisticated technology to process it. Enter the light-field engine. Proprietary software can take that data and, with a click of the mouse, repurpose the photo to change the focus or even create a 3D image.

The sheer amount of data and different way it's stored meant the designers needed to create an entirely new file format, called .lfp (light-field picture). Although that means light-field pics aren't compatible with services like Snapfish of Flickr, anyone who buys the camera will get unlimited storage on the Lytro site, and those pictures can be embedded on other sites with their full refocusing powers intact.
The Camera That's Not a Camera

All that novel technology needs a novel design, and Lytro didn't disappoint. The camera looks nothing like today's point-and-shoots and DSLRs, with an austere anodized aluminum exterior, a rubberized grip and just two buttons: a shutter button and on/off. A simple finger swipe along the casing controls the zoom.

Although Chi admits they company was definitely trying to stand out with a signature form factor, there were many practical considerations in the design. "It's very much about form following function," he says. "We put a lot of effort into minimizing the size of the electronics and creating a great user experience."

Chi explains that the shutter button is right on the camera's center of gravity. The designers made sure to ensure the two lined up so hand movement would be minimized, cutting down on any motion blur.

"We did a lot of ergonomic testing. When we were going through industrial design choices, we were looking at early adopters," he says. "We wanted to appeal to that kind of buyer, give them something they'd be proud to own."
The Future

The forthcoming camera only takes stills, but could we soon see a Lytro for video? Chi says that the company's looking into it.

"Video is possible with light fields. The issue isn't multiple exposures — video is typically 60 exposures per second. We can absolutely do that. The difference is the amount of data coming off of the image sensor. We capture images in full raw. If we have to do that 60 fps, that's a lot of data to process."

Besides video, light field photography could also lead to an inexpensive way to shoot in 3D, or further down the road, even holograms. In the here and now, though, Lytro is concentrating on bringing its first camera to market. The first Lytro camera should be here by April, and it'll be available in three colors and two capacities: The 8GB version comes in electric blue and graphite for $399, and the 16GB version only comes in "red hot" for $499.

Will you buy a Lytro? What's your favorite part of its design? Let us know in the comments.

Lytro Launch

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Photography Business Marketing

Marketing in any business is tough, and when it comes to a photography business it can also be tough. This is sometimes because of the non-commercial interest that comes in to picture when we talk of photographs adorning walls. However, despair not. You can still make your photography business a highly marketable product or indeed, service. Follow some simple rules and get off on the right track!

Decide what your photography business is going to be like

There are two kinds of photography businesses that you can set up. It can be either Assignment photography or Stock photography. In both cases, the name explains it all. Assignment photography is the kind of business where you are assigned or hired to take photographs of something. It can be any event or just someone. The event can be someone's wedding. And that someone of course could be anyone.

Stock photography, on the other hand, is a business where you already have photographs in stock and you are selling them to interested parties. The stock photographs can be anything from flowers to nude women.

Therefore, you have two options to decide on. Basically, people start with the assignment photography thinking that it would give them a meagre but steady income. That is true to some extent but it will give you a very small audience.

Whereas stock photography business will help you reach a wider target market audience. Stock photography is recommended because that is where the potential of the photographer has better chances to be recognized.

Target your audience

When you are dealing with stock photography, you have a great chance of spending lot of resources without any returns. This is especially the case when you don't know who your audience is. When you are out to click those beautiful moments, make sure you know who you are going to show them to. This streamlines your clients and would also help you take photos that are relevant to your market. Try sending postcards or samples of your photos to your targeted clients and see their response. This way you can make a mark among the circles you want to feel your presence.

Give them what they want

When you do present your customer's photographs, make sure you're giving them what they asked for. So many photographers don't! This is important. They have chosen you because they believed that you were going to supply them with what they wanted. If you make a volte face and give them photos they don't need, you are sure to lose them. Therefore, be very attentive to the details and give your customers what they ask for. Take notes when they tell you what they want. People rarely remember more than 7% of what they've been told in a conversation 24 hours later - so take notes. A happy customer means more business!

Be present at places that matter

- When I say be present, I am not speaking about the physical presence of the photographer. I am talking about exposure of your work. Advertise them wherever possible and that's relevant. Keep the costs in line, advertising can get out of hand. Make sure your advertising in the right places. Publish your work on the net through some of the photography sites or stock houses. This would greatly increase your client base as your photographs are showcased along with the others. The sites may take a percentage of your earnings but it is worth it as you are just building your base while you are being paid. You can always start on your own once you have a considerable presence in the right circles.

- Think about organizing an internet site and drive traffic to it.

- Advertise on AdWords at Google.com and Yahoo.com (you can now target local areas through Google)

Look for local markets too

- Join your local library that may publish your photographs in their weekly or monthly journal, ezine or newsletter. Making sure that your contact details are always available. This way you can get a foothold in your own locality.

- Go to your local florist and leave some business cards with the promise of a tip if work successfully comes your way from their referral.

- Visit your local church, mosque etc. and leave your particulars. You never know when questions are asked in these circles. Reciprocate with some free services from time to time.

- There are many venues you can work with like this, just put your thinking hat on.

Accept help from your peer photographers

Knowing some other photographers can also be immensely helpful. If they are good enough, they can show some of your collections to their clients who have some specific requirements. Even if they don't showcase your photographs, they may help you with some valuable tips to market yourself and networking ideas.

No replacement for quality

No matter how much you market yourself, if the quality of your photographs is not up to the mark, you are definitely poised to face doom. The quality of your photographs should be the best you can possibly present and keep in mind that there's always room for improvement. Quality most often results in recommendation and referral. Once you have a customer, never, ever skimp on quality because it's more costly to find a new customer than it is to keep an existing one.

Photography business marketing is often a case where your photographs have to be in the right place at the right time. Do not think that it is all by chance. The truth is, it is you who will make them available at the right place at the right time just by following a few commonsense marketing rules. All the best and happy marketing!

Courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy often coaches photography business marketing and is dedicated to coaching on how to start your own photography business but places strong emphasis on profitability issues & guidelines. You can also gain photography insights, help (mostly free) or even adigital photography tip or two. For brief reviews on services or equipment see http://www.profitable-photography.com/resources.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Barker

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How to Be a Better Photographer With Tumblr

IMAGE: FLICKR, ANITA RITENOUR

Often, great photography takes a trained eye and some mad skills. While most of us don’t need to be professional-caliber shutterbugs, even the most amateur photographers should be able to snap lovely shots of the important times in their lives.

Learning about photography doesn’t mean expensive classes or complicated equipment. In fact, spending just a little time on Tumblr can teach you about both the technical and the creative sides of the art.

SEE ALSO: The Beginner's Guide to Tumblr

Whether you want to break into the biz or just capture selfies to rival Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar hit, here’s how Tumblr can teach you to be a better photographer.


IMAGE: FLICKR, BRUNO CORDIOLI

1. Follow other photographers.

Observe what other people are doing in the art world. Keeping tabs on other photographers whose work you admire will be a constant source of inspiration and ideas.

Don’t just glance at their images and scroll on. Take some time to analyze the technical reasons why a photo is so beautiful. Look at the composition, the colors and the lighting. What’s the depth of field? Does it look like he added post-processing or filters? Being able to think critically about the photos you see is the first step to creating ones of your own.

Professionals aren’t the only ones whose work can be educational. Amateur photos are just as useful, especially since they show just how expressive you can be without loads of expensive equipment. Any image-heavy blog with pictures that move you is a good place to start.

2. Ask questions.

Tumblr’s "Ask" feature can be a great resource. Check whether your favorite photographers have it enabled and see what they have to say. When you find a really striking photo, ask the artist how she captured it. What kind of camera and lens does she use, how much prep did she put into a shoot? Where does she get her ideas?

Many artists are happy to share insights with fans or aspiring up-and-comers.


IMAGE: FLICKR, RANDY PERTIET

3. Find inspiration everywhere.

Inspiration shouldn’t be limited to the photo field. Round out your Tumblr account by following people who have zero interest in photography. You can see interesting use of color and shapes in a graffiti blog. Fashion and street style blogs can give you ideas on how to pose and create shapes.

Find people who share your interests outside photography and see what they’re thinking about. Drawing on other art forms you enjoy can help you develop a unique personal style.

4. Search wisely.

In theory, Tumblr’s tag system makes it easy to look through a huge volume of material and find exactly the type of post you want. In practice, it's still a chore to wade through every single post labeled "photography." To make the most of your queries, think of more specific or unusual searches. Search for the specific camera model you have or for a photo magazine you enjoy.

If you want an easy place to start, check out the spotlighted Tumblrs. These are usually some of the platform’s most successful and popular blogs, so the quality might be better than a search. The network has separate sections for photographers and photography, so something is likely to catch your eye.


IMAGE: FLICKR, U.S. ARMY

5. Share your photos.

Don’t just lurk on Tumblr. If you aren’t already active on the network, get to posting. Especially if you link your posts to other social networks, you can get your work in front of a sizable audience.

Publicly sharing your work is also a good lesson in feedback. Figure out whose opinions you trust and take in what they say. Pro tip: Even though it makes you feel awesome, good feedback is more than “I love it!” If you really want to improve, you’ll quickly learn how to parse which comments are helpful and which come from trolls. You’ll develop a thicker skin, which is a must if you want to take your photography to a professional level.

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Photography Lenses - What You Need to Know

Photographic Lenses - A perspective from an avid shutterbug

Have you ever wondered why photographs turn out different than what you saw through the viewfinder? Why is my photography blurry or out of focus? How do I capture more of the subject area in the photo? How can I get closer to the subject? Why is the photograph darker than suspected? I have had these questions over the years and have studied photography lenses so that I can select the most appropriate camera and camera lens for my subjects.

Today, with the most wonderful world of photography , and the technology at hand, it is much easier to shoot those prize photos even for the weekend shutterbug. But, if you understand even a few basics your photographs can turn out much better than you anticipated. It has become really easy for anyone to pick up a point and shoot fixed lens digital camera and take a great photo. With the influx of many high end, high megapixel cameras available for under $200.00, anybody can put memories in their pocket.

I started out shooting photography and using several types of photography lenses in the early 1980's. My uncle introduced me to Pentax SLR equipment as he had a wholesale representative contact in Denver. I was able to purchase thousands of dollars worth of equipment for pennies on the dollar. And, so began the journey with my Pentax LX professional line of equipment. My photography lens arsenal was made up of many types such as wide angle, zoom, telephoto, macro, and standard camera lenses . I had a motor drive, high end camera flash, tripods, camera lens filters, lens hoods and more to get me started. As an athlete my first love was shooting sports which involved fast film, fast lenses, and a zoom lens. I soon fell into shooting landscapes, wildlife, and weddings. And, let me say, all for free. I loved taking pictures and giving them away to people who did not understand how to capture those prize memorable moments behind the lens.

So, what makes up the chemistry of photography lenses? How do they work and when should I use one over the other? Today it is so easy to get that all automatic digital SLR camera and lens and hope that the subject turns out as you thought it should. I think these automatic cameras are great. However, if you understand how to utilize other photography lenses in a manual mode you can still produce beautiful photographs. I actually have a Nikon D70 digital SLR camera today in addition to my Pentax LX and Nikon Coolpix pocket digital.

Photography Lenses Explained

Camera Lens Types:

Wide Angle The wide angle camera lens enables the photographer to shoot a photograph when you wish to encompass more of the subject scene than would be possible with a standard lens such as a 50mm focal length. Wide angle camera lenses are typically a shorter focal length under 50mm and allow the photographer to change the perspective of the scene. A moderate focal length is about 24mm to 35mm that have apertures of F/2 or F/2.8 which allows more light in. There are also extreme wide angle lenses , called fisheyes, that can produce almost a 180 degree photo. These photographic camera lenses can be fun however, make sure you understand that the lens may produce a rounded image and the depth of field can be limited in low lighting conditions.

Standard Standard lenses are typically the 50mm lenses. These are a fixed focal length and are the lens of choice on most SLR cameras . Everyone should have this camera lens . It typically will be used the most for everyday common photography. The 50mm standard lens is about what the human eye can see in the field of vision. It also produces the most relative size of the subjects and objects in the photograph. This camera lens can be one of the fastest lenses in your camera bag. It can be purchased with a low aperture of F/1.4 which will allow for very low lighting photographic opportunities.

Zoom The zoom lens is my favorite lens. This camera lens gives the photographer so many options especially if you are not carrying two camera bodies with you. The zoom camera lens is not limited to one focal length but has movable elements in the lens that allow for multiple ranges. Zoom photographic lenses are available in many sizes but the typical lengths give you anywhere from 35mm - 70mm and 80mm - 200mm. I recommend these two lengths for the weekend hobbyist so that a full range from 35mm - 200mm can be achieved. These lenses can be expensive especially if the aperture is under F/4.0. They are typically not used in low lighting conditions or with motion photography unless you are shooting in daylight with sunny conditions. For most photography hobbyists, the 80mm - 200mm works great for sideline photographs and has enough focal length to capture images such as wildlife from a distance.

Telephoto Telephoto camera lenses have a focal length that is longer than a normal 50mm lens. The longer the length of the telephoto camera lens the more magnification you can get and the closer you can draw near to your subject. These camera lenses differ from the zoom in that they are fixed and cannot provide the photographer a range of lengths. Most telephotos are used where the subject is static and situations where you are restricted to keeping your distance. They usually come with a smaller aperture somewhere around F/4.0. Careful selection and use must be made when using these lenses as they can be heavier and blur photographs with the slightest movement. I would recommend a tripod or monopod for use with lenses longer than 200mm. They are absolutely great for sports and wildlife photography. I have used anywhere from 100mm to a 500mm mirror telephoto. The 500mm mirror lens was really nice when shooting at an air show.

Specialty There a couple of specialty camera lenses that I'll talk about. The first photographic lens that is a must for close- up photography is the macro lens. This lens can come in a few focal lengths that are typically less than 100mm. The macro camera lens enables the photographer the ability to shoot subjects extremely close-up such as flowers, insects, and commercial products. These camera lenses are really fun and can produce beautiful images that fill the frame with wonderful color and detail. I have done a lot of macro photography and recommend that a tripod be used when shooting these subjects so that blurring is limited. These lenses can also have lower apertures so that long exposure under low lighting can be accomplished. The other type of specialty lens is the perspective control lenses that will take close up photographs and keep the subject sharp in focus and prevent the depth of field from distorting the subject. I have not used these types of lenses so I cannot give you a real life example. However, for most non-professional photographers this lens may not be worth the investment. Finally, I will mention the 2x converter. This photography lens cannot stand alone but augment another lens by boosting the focal length by two times it's standard length. You simply add it between the camera and your lens of choice and the optical mirrors magnify the image by two. I use this often outdoors shooting sports on sunny days where I have a bunch of light. This will boost my 300mm zoom to 600mm. And, I can get really close to my subjects from the sidelines.

Photography lenses today provides the shutterbug an array of opportunities for photographic design. Depending on the type of photographer you are, it will determine the types of camera lenses you put into your camera bag. I would suggest that everyone has at least a mid-range zoom. If it is the only lens in the your budget at time of purchase, you can add other camera lenses later. The 35mm - 70mm would be my recommendation. If you are going to shoot athletics you will most likely be on the sidelines or in the bleachers and will need up to a 300mm telephoto or zoom. Depending on your budget I would suggest a lower aperture but nothing more than F/4.0.

Have fun and remember that you can take oodles of pictures today and test your photographs much easier with digital SLR photography . If you don't like your results, delete them. Then, go out and take more pictures!

To your photographic success.

Mark Brozovich is an avid photographer from Denver Colorado. He specializes in sports, landscape, portrait and wedding photography as a hobby. He got started shooting photographs with manual SLR cameras in 1980. His understanding of photography lenses grew as he became a serious photographer and now primarily uses a Nikon D70 Digital SLR camera for most of his photographic needs. Today, Mark helps people understand their cameras and photography lenses in person, in the field, and on his photography lenses web blog. Hopefully this information has helped you with some basic understanding of camera lenses and how they are used. For more information about photography lenses, cameras, and photography education, visit our site at http://photographylensesblog.com

Mark Brozovich

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Brozovich

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7 Simple Photography Hacks to Help You Snap Like a Pro

Shutterflies everywhere have some new ways to turn their ordinary photos into extraordinary works of art.

Online magazine The Cooperative of Photography offered seven simple DIY tricks to upgrade your photographs — no expensive classes or fancy equipment required. From practical hacks like making your own diffused flash to creating more artistic filters on-the-go, shooting photos like a pro never seemed so easy.

SEE ALSO: 10 DIY Photo Filters to Think Outside the App

Even if you're a beginner, you're well on your way to becoming a first-class photophile. Grab your camera and get snapping.

BONUS: 9 Tips for Taking Great Vacation Photos

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Instagram Adds 10 New Features, So Anyone Can Be a Photo Geek

Photo filters are now just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to editing images on Instagram.

The photo-sharing service announced 10 new editing tools on Tuesday for both iOS and Android. In addition to new adjustments like contrast, brightness and saturation, Instagram's filters have also been tweaked; users can now adjust the filter's intensity with a slide bar.

SEE ALSO: Beyond the Filters: A Look at Instagram's Advanced Editing Tools

Instagram first started utilizing the slide bar in March with the app's Lux tool, which serves as a fill light of sorts for dark photos. That slide bar is now available on a number of editing features, giving users more control over how dramatic their edits appear.

"All of us [at Instagram] are kind of photo geeks, but we're trying to bridge the gap between being a photo geek and the rest of the world," says Peter Deng, director of product at Instagram. "Instagram's always been about taking these tools that were previously inaccessible ... and making them accessible for free for everyone that uses Instagram."


IMAGE: INSTAGRAM

All of Instagram's new editing tools come with a slide bar to set different intensity levels.

The company has been building the new suite of tools for less than six months, Deng toldMashable. For some, like the vignette tool that affects the lighting around the edges of an image, Instagram engineers studied film cameras to determine how light is bent through different lenses, says Deng.

The full list of editing tools include Adjust (lets you crop and straighten photos simultaneously), brightness, contrast, warmth, saturation, highlights, shadows, vignette, sharpen and filter strength (the border tool is now within the filter strength setting, too).

More Instagram editing tools are on the way, although Deng wouldn't specify any; they will be added to the app as they are finished. Instagram expects the new editing tools to be available to iOS and Android users on Tuesday as the app updates are pushed through to the App Store and the Google Play Store.

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How To Start A Photography Business - Knowing When You're Really Ready And Knowing Other Differences

Here's a question: How do you know when you're ready to start a photography business? Answer: When you 'know' that you 'know' (the doublespeak is for emphasis) the difference between your artistic photography skills and your understanding of business. Knowing the difference makes the difference between success and failure when you start any type of business, for that matter.

Tip #1

Think about it, the art of taking pictures is getting easier and easier - especially with the advancement of technology. Digital technology has made photography so easy that it appears that everybody and their brothers and their sisters are photographers! Such ease makes photography a very popular attraction and very compelling to start a photo biz.

But, what many budding photographers fail to realize and take seriously is that: Business is Business. Whether selling teddy bears, cell phones or photography, the business principles are the same. And they are basic and simple (not easy - simple). Successful photographers aren't necessarily the most skilled. They understand and practice the basic and simple principles of running a photography business. They also don't confuse the quality of their photography with the need to plan, market and operate their photography business.

Don't be confused! You must consistently produce top-notch quality products and photographic services. Constantly improving your skills is critical. So is the learning and consistent practice of business principles. If you don't consistently practice the necessary business principles, budding photographers that do know the difference and practice the principles will get the customers and the business that should be yours. If you fail to practice the principles you will fail at your photography business attempts. Period. You will be another charter member of the 'starving artist' club! There's a reason why they're 'starving!'

Once you do start a picture-taking business, every day that you're in business there's opportunity to grow and prosper, and the chance to stagnate and fail. Your being clear on the difference between photography practices and business practices determine the success of your photography business more than your photographic skills and talents. Be sure to spend as much time developing your photography skills as you do your business (marketing, self-promotion activities, for example) skills and you will find success.

Compliment vs Reality - Tip #2

Most budding photographers have this experience: a good friend, family member or neighbor sees a photograph and 'raves' how good it looks and how 'valuable' it 'should' be! Somewhere in their raving they proclaim, "you should sell that, you'll probably make a lot of money!" Red flag warning! What is given as a compliment of your photograph is instantly translated to your having a "diamond" that you can sell and that will change your 'status' in life. Here's a test: the next time you receive such a 'compliment,' do this: thank them and then ask them how much are they willing to pay you for the photo? I promise you that the same 'expert' that just raved about your valuable artwork will pass on the 'opportunity' to grab up your 'valuable' artistic photo. In the photography business value is determined by other criteria than a compliment or two. Knowing the difference contributes to your success in business.

Develop your knowledge and skill and your confidence as a photographer will dramatically increase. Likewise with business: develop and practice basic business principles and your confidence as a successful professional photographer will dramatically increase. I promise.

Research Builds Confidence - Tip #3

Do your research. Go online and read the available research on the business of photography. Read before you buy. Online research is just a click away. Take your time. Take advantage of free and easily available information online. If you choose to buy something offered, determine what goals you want to accomplish and ask yourself will what you're buying help you to really meet your goals. Avoid the resources that promise and guarantee you that you can make $200 - $300 a day overnight - for obvious reasons. Also, there are no "secrets that the pros don't want you to know!" There is information that you do not know now. But, isn't information that is unknowable or impossible to find out - they're just unknown to you at this time. Do your research. Besides, if they're for sale, how "secret" can they be? Do your research

In the business of photography, it is more profitable to specialize. Specialization (also referred to as your "photography niche") is how your customers will find you. Another development of technology is how customers - those who can afford and are willing to spend money for photography - find the photography that they buy. They look for something specific (in photographer speak that means "photography niche"). Go online and do a search on "photography niche" and take advantage of the information available. Remember, read before you buy; there are no"secrets that the pros don't want you to know;" and great photography does not sell itself. In the world of business, nothing does.

For business purposes, go online and do a search on different business topics that you want more information about. For example, do a search for "photography marketing" or "marketing for photographers" or "amateur photography tips" or "how to sell photos online" or "how to start a photography business" etc. etc. Read before you buy.

Know And Start Where You Are And Be 'Sincere' - Tip #4

Start where you are with the equipment that you have. If you don't have a photography studio don't take on photography jobs that require a studio. Don't be all things to all people - remember, specialize (research "photography niche" - you'll be head and shoulders above the majority of your competition). If you feel that you have to purchase equipment to take on a job - that's a red flag that you're not ready, yet. In successful photography, the profit is in the "photography niche" and your understanding of that simple difference.

Doing your research will prepare you for one of the biggest challenges most photographers have - pricing. The challenge of knowing exactly what to charge stops most of us in our tracks. It shouldn't! Do your research. Search "photography pricing," for example. The information is available and most of it is free. Remember, read before you buy.

In my opinion, there really is no one criteria needed to start a profitable photo business. However, my experience has convinced me that self-confidence is the most significant asset a photographer in business can possess. You develop that self-confidence by knowing what you know and knowing what you don't know - and being crystal clear on the difference. Confidence is gained by knowing the necessary criteria needed and knowing that you possess the knowledge and skills to consistently accomplish tasks in a satisfactory manner.

Research, develop and practice both your photography knowledge and skills as well as your photography business knowledge and skills.

Finally, when vaudevillian, George Burns, was asked what was the secret to his successful career, he responded - "sincerity, be sincere - even if you have to fake it!"

Kalem Aquil is a 'semi-burnt-out' photographer that dispenses free, unsolicited (yet, very good and accurate) tips and advice to budding photographers that want to take their photography business to the next level. He dispenses such advice to budding photographers such as "where to start," "what to charge," "how to know if you're really, really ready," etc. etc. etc. He dispenses his free and unsolicited advice here. Subscribe to his free ezine, the "Best Amateur Photography Tips Digest," and receive a Bonus Special Report - "How To Build Your Own Successful Photography Website." Click here to subscribe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kalem_Aquil

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