Choosing the Right Camera

Choosing the right camera is very difficult process.  I would compare it be as equally as hard as buying a new car.  You want to know what features it has.  You want to know how long it’s going to last.  And of course, you want to get it for the right price.  Today I will briefly go over what type of cameras I’d recommend for beginners, amateurs, and professionals.

For beginners I would recommend a normal digital camera, even though they don’t have all the cool features of a DSLR camera.  You can still develop an “eye” for taking photographs.  There are a lot of digital cameras out there that you can choose from that are quite reasonable.  Amazon.com would be a great place to start looking for good deals.  As far as camera brands, personally I like Nixon.  Canon is probably my second favorite brand, only because I own a Nixon.  These brands are my favorite.  A lot of local photographers I’ve talked to in the past have recommended those brands to me because they're very reliable.  I’ve also read a lot of different camera reviews in recent years.  I would highly recommend doing your own research though.  Reading reviews of different cameras is extremely beneficial and strongly encouraged.  There are a lot of good review websites out there. Digitalcamerareview.com and Cameralabs.com are two great examples.  Remember don’t base your decision off one site.  The more reviews site your go to, the better you will be on making an educated decision.

For amateurs I would recommend buying a low scaled DSLR camera.  These types of camera will come with most features so you can begin to learn all the different modes and features they have to offer. Buying a used or refurnished DSLR cameras is the best way to go. 

For the professionals I would recommend getting a high scaled DSLR camera.  If you buy a professional camera I’m assuming you want to make money for your services.  Depending on what type of photography you’re doing is going to determine what type of camera you need.  Keeping everything I said in mind, here is a link from videojug.com that goes into more detail about purchasing a good DSLR camera.

We talked about digital cameras for beginners.  It’s important to develop that “eye” for photography.  Buying a low scaled DSLR camera for amateurs would be best.  Old or refurnished cameras will save you a few bucks and you will still reap the benefits of having what you need to continue learning.  And a high scaled DSLR cameras for the professionals.  Purchase what’s best for you and your future business.

New Photoshop CS5 Features

Hey there everyone, welcome back!!!  Today we will be talking about the new features in CS5 Photoshop.  I’m sure everyone has had personal experience with older versions of Photoshop.  Here are two features that are new this year and that will make your life a lot easier while working on your personal photos at home.  The two features that I personally like the best is the new Mini Bridge and the Content-Aware option.

The new mini bridge is super awesome.  Yes, it is basically the same thing as the original Adobe Bridge CS5.  In fact I believe you need to own the original version of Bridge to access Mini Bridge in Photoshop or in Indesign.  Mini Bridge provides an instant access to many features that are useful in Adobe Bridge CS5 without having to actually start the program itself.  From my own personal experience, I’ve always preferred tweaking photos in Bridge before bringing them into Photoshop.  Reason why is because Bridge contains an excellent set up for adjusting photos super-fast.  The feature that I used in Mini Bridge is called camera raw 6.0.  This allows you to do a variety of different changes quick, while being able to preview your images.  Mini Bridge also helps the user navigate and organize files in a more productive way.   The following video talks about Mini Bridge and how to navigate through it: 

Content-Aware option is a feature that I just recently discovered.  It’s a cool feature that can remove objects in photo while digitally filling in the background for you.  It’s a major time saver for making major changes to photos, such as removing unwanted objects, lens spots, or garbage.  I wish I had this feature four years ago; I could’ve saved so much time.  It’s depressing to think about, but I'll cry about it later.  On serious note, an important element to remember while working with the content-aware option or any feature in Photoshop is practice.  We’ve all heard the infamous saying, “practice makes perfect.”  Well, there is some truth to that.  I would highly recommend playing around a bit until you feel comfortable.

Today we’ve talked about using the new Mini Bridge which is basically the baby brother of Adobe Bridge CS5.  We’ve also talked about the Content-Aware option briefly, which allows contain to be removed and replaced automatically.

If you have any questions regarding this blog or any other blogs, feel free to leave a comment or contact me at through my site @ scovillephotography.com or at my facebook page. 

Light Reading Tools

Today there are many different tools used to measure light.  With the advancements in modern technology, photographers have been utilizing different technologies such as light meters, histograms, and gray cards.  Each technology can be equally successful in achieving the correct exposure.

Using a gray card is a rather old method in measuring light exposure.  It’s used to calibrate light meters to the correct 18% gray the camera uses to build a perfect exposure.  These corrections are made under the white balance feature in most cameras.  Having a light meter that isn’t calibrated correctly can lead to under or over exposure shots; which then can lead to extra time in Photoshop correcting the image, and a disgruntled photographer.

Light meters come in handy when you would like to measure the amount of light from a particular object.  This helps when creating highlights, and avoiding a poorly exposed photos.  Even though many photographers use this technology to get the correct amount of exposure, some photographers would argue that a light meter isn’t even necessary because most cameras have a built in histogram in the camera. 

A histogram is a graph that displays the about of blacks and whites in a particular photo.  The blacks in the graph will be displayed on the left hand side, while the white are displayed on the right hand side.  Here is a video I found that explains how to read a histogram correctly.

All three of these methods came from the advancements in technology and the understanding of how a camera works.  In the late 1820’s and the early 1830’s, a lot of photographers learned from trial and error, and eventually learned to master their craft.  It’s safe to say when photography was first introduced; photographers never had any of these tools at their exposal.  When I think about present day, compared to the past; you learn to appreciate the advancements in tools and different technologies we utilize today.

Heliography Photography to Digital

Photography was first born in 1827 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce. He coined the term heliography, a term used to “identify the process by which he obtained the first permanent photographic image (The First Photography).” In the years to pass, many different discoveries were made in science and technology which eventually led to the digital age we see today.

Here is a fun video I found on YouTube that explains the beginning of photography. After I watched this video for the first time, I paused for a second to think about all the different advancements we have made since 1827. There are DSLR cameras, underwater cameras, different types of lenses, cameras built in cell phones, Photoshop, and much more. Today I would like to elaborate a bit on DSLR cameras.

DSLR cameras are popular by most photographers today. In laymen’s terms, it’s basically a small computer that captures light. I have had firsthand experience working with DSLR camera as a photographer. I have also talked to other photographers that are established in their field about their cameras. I would say the majority of them couldn’t explain every feature on the camera. It’s not because they are stupid, it’s because the majority of them learned their craft before the digital age.

Today cameras are filled with so much information; it would seem overwhelming to an older aged photographer that is set in their ways. For example, we have all had an elder that simply couldn’t operate a computer, or a technology advanced object. In some cases they would simply refuse to touch one. I think that is a good example of people being afraid of change, especially when it comes to technology.

The first photography process called Heliography, took 8 hours to develop an image. DSLR cameras today are the kings when it comes to digital photography technology, processing images in mere factions of a second.