Close to 9000 readers responded and the results are in.

Note: follow dPS editor – Darren Rowse – on Instagram at his darrenrowse account.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Guess How Many dPS Readers are On Instagram?: POLL RESULTS

For the skeptics, don’t worry, you can keep being skeptical. The camera on this phone is not a super wonder and it has its limits. You can still dig on the fact that it stinks at night photos. But, in all fairness, there are a couple of areas the phone’s camera (camera’s phone?) works with great results, by my standard. I have owned my phone for about three months now and used it extensively on a 33 day trip to India, Oman and the UAE.

(Click on any photo to see a full size version. Some images were taken with different apps and the final size is not the full image.)

Wide Shots

The iPhone can handle wide shots in good light like a champ. Even in mediocre light, the camera performs well, I think. Building shots, gardens, the sea. While more apps that use the camera can zoom in, it is at this widest angle (the default setting) that the camera works best. It’s only a 8MP sensor, so don’t expect mind-blowing detail (have you seen the size of the lens?), but also don’t expect it to be a toy camera.

Amber Fort, Jaipur, India

Ghats at sunrise, Varanasi, India

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Wadi Dayqah Dam, Oman's largest

Close Shots

Another area I feel the camera works well is with close shots. Not zoomed in so much as physically close to the subject. I found these images to be sharp and acceptable. The camera/phone is also easy to manipulate up close to a subject, unlike a full sized DSLR, giving it a slight advantage.

Crab, Oman

Documenting Events

Should I bring up the “The best camera is the one you have with you,” line? I guess I just did. And it’s true, made even better by the camera’s increased ability to take decent photos. Whether it is finally breaking down and making a stop at McDonalds in India, getting some assistance from friendly Omanis when our car battery was dead or the joy from finding an actual toy surprise in a box of cereal while camping in Oman (and a Yoda lightsaber spoon at that!).

Don't Judge....it was just ok. Varanasi, India

Image shot with iPhone 4, not 4s. Getting a boost at the beach, Oman

A good start to the day, Jebal Shams, Oman

Passing over the North Pole, Earth

There are times when the camera, well, there are times when it stinks. Badly.

High Contrast

I don’t have stats on the actual dynamic range, in a matter of EV, of the sensor in the camera, but it is not that high. My non-scientific guess would be around 5-6 stops, as compared to my normal DSLR at 8 stops. Yes, there are HDR apps and yes, the sensor will improve. All good news. But out of the box….ouch.

Sunrise on the Ganges, Varanasi, India

Under the dock, Clinton, Washington, USA

Low Light

Marginal light situations lead to less than marginal results with this camera. Just after sunset? Nope (depending on which way you face). Night shots? Below marginal.

The moon and the Burj Kalifa, Dubai, UAE

Long Exposure

I’ve used an app called Slow Shutter and while it lets the shutter stay ‘open’ longer, I’m not too impressed with straight up long exposure shots. I think it gets back to the general contrast problem.

Downtown Dubai after take off, UAE

Water show, Duabi, UAE

Zoom, Kinda

I give the zoom a thumbs down because it is just digital zoom and cropping.

Seagull, Washington, USA

Tiger and film crew, Ranthambhore National Park, India

This post was not meant to be in the vein of “iPhones are as good as any camera”. This post was meant to help readers understand the iPhone 4s camera has strengths and weaknesses, just like any camera. It won’t be replacing my DSLR any time soon, but it is a useful camera in the right conditions.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

iPhone 4s Cameras Are Good For Some Subjects

QR Readers

?Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=la.droid.qr&hl=en?IOS: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8

Try it yourself

So I have created this QR code that will take you to the Digital Photography School forum. If you have downloaded the QR reader for your smartphone give it ago!

When this could be useful

?So we now know what a QR code is but how could it help me, a photographer???

Event

?So you have followed all of the tips and tutorials on Digital Photography School and you have decided to share your beautiful photographs in an exhibition! Great news! Why not send people invites and include a QR code that will allow people to add the event into their diary using vcalendar.??

Google Ma

p?The venue is quite hard to find, good job you included a QR code that links to a Google map. You wouldn’t want people getting lost would you.

Ecommerce

?So people have all found the venue and a couple of people even want to buy some images. You have thought ahead and have included a QR code which is next to each photograph which takes them straight to Paypal and using a Buy Now button they can purchase the image.

VCard

?Everyone that came to your event got a business card which included a QR code for them to download your VCard. A VCard contains your telephone number, address, business name, email, website address etc. Good if they want to get in contact in the future! There are loads more uses for the QR code and can be included on your business cards, flyers and I have even seen people stamp it on the back of their photographs. Other uses include linking to your Facebookpage, Linkedin, Twitter and even to send an SMS message. So if you are thinking of getting some business stationary designed why not include a QR code to give you that little bit more exposure.

Create your own

?There are loads of different websites and software that will allow you to create a QR code for free. The site I normally use is http://www.qrstuff.com/.

This article was written by Chris Davidson who runs photography courses and Photoshop classes at locations around the UK.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

QR Codes for Photographers

Ideally, you’ll take the perfect photo and not need any post-production work, but for those of you that didn’t quite get that shot, here are some tips.

- Clear up any dust particles or marks you may have on your sensor or lens.  I use the clone stamp or healing brush to quickly get rid of those spots.

- Up the saturation of the cyan just a touch.  Do this only if there’s some ocean in the shot.  If you have a polarizer, you won’t need to do this.  Be careful not to make the ocean look radioactive.  The color of the water seen in the following images accurately shows the true color of our ocean in Maui, which the crap camera missed out on.

- Crop and straighten the horizon.  If you need to crop outside of the photo in order to do this, do it anyway.  With the content-aware fill, you can usually add the missing slivers at the edge back into the newly cropped image.

- Get rid of the crowd!  This image really isn’t that crowded, but we’re looking for the most desirable scenario.  I use the lasso tool (with 0 feather) along with the content-aware fill to get rid of people.  Sometimes it doesn’t work perfectly, and I’ll have to go back in to clean things up with the clone stamp.

- Clean up the very last bits and pieces.  Here I’ve smoothed some of the sand out, gotten rid of some of the whitewater chop out further in the ocean, and of course branded it with our URL for web use.

If you’re smart, you’ll do all of your work with masks and effect layers in order to make changes later.  You can see more examples of finished Maui photos at Maui Maps.

Chris Norberg is project manager at Hawaii Web Group working to promote the island of Maui, Hawaii via intriguing websites and interacting heavily with visitors on social networks.  He can be found on Twitter at @Maui.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Photoshop Tips for Great Tropical Photos

Yesterday we published a post here on dPS highlighting 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns which got a lot of positive feedback. So today I thought it might be good to challenge readers to choose one and to go away and practice it. Theory is good – but unless you USE that theory it won’t have any lasting impact upon your photography.

So choose either split lighting, loop lighting, rembrandt lighting, butterfly lighting, short lighting or broad lighting and have a go for yourself (explanations of each are here).

Keep in mind that you don’t need artificial light for these lighting patterns if you don’t have it (in fact all of the shots in the images above were shot with natural light).

If you’d like more teaching on any of the lighting patterns also check out:

• 5 Classic Lighting Positions for Portrait Photography
• Using Popular Television to Boost your Knowledge of Classic Lighting

Once you’ve selected the ‘Lighting Pattern’ image that you’d like to share – upload it to your favourite photo sharing site or blog and either share a link to it or – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSCLASSICLIGHTING to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks challenge – Mothers challenge where there were some great shots submitted.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Classic Lighting: Weekly Photography Challenge

My name is Bellamy Hunt and I run the Japancamerahunter website, and I am an avid film shooter. Now, before we get started, this is not an argument about digital vs. film. Both have their merits and both have their flaws, and I shoot with both. This is primarily a piece for people who are considering shooting film for the first time, or perhaps getting back into film after a long absence.

Shooting film is not some deep dark mystery and it is not an outdated form either. It is still a perfectly valid form, which is actually not dying, contrary to popular belief. In fact film shooting is actually going through a renaissance at the moment with the resurgence of Polaroid through the impossible project and groups like Lomo.

This has bought film to the attention of people who may not be familiar with the medium and I hear about more and more people who would like to give it a try. But why? Why would you give film a try? Isn’t it terribly expensive?

Well, it doesn’t have to be.

Make it cheap

There are a few ways to make it a cheap experience. You can buy generic non-branded films from bigger stores. The secret is that these films are actually reloaded film, minus the brand name. They are Kodak or Fuji in a different box. And they are often a lot cheaper. If you are feeling adventurous you can re-load film yourself. Kodak and Ilford still make bulk rolls of film, which you can put into a film loader and re-load your old cartridges. Doing this brings the price down massively, it is also a very relaxing way to spend an evening.

Developing also doesn’t have to be a killer. Doing it yourself is obviously the cheapest way, working out to be pennies per roll. It is also a lovely learning experience that can yield some really exciting results. But if you don’t have the space or time then you can still get the big supermarkets and drugstores to develop on the cheap.

Shooting film is not as expensive as you might think, and the rewards make the outlay worth it.

Take your time

Shooting film makes you take your time, unless you are the reincarnation of Garry Winogrand. You have 36 shots to a roll and you want to make them count so you become much more aware of what is going on around you.

In my opinion it makes you a better photographer too. You will not be able to fire off a burst of 10 shots, just to get one image. You will have to be careful about your settings, your composition and content, it is a disciplined approach to photography.

It will also give you patience. Unless you are developing when you get home you are going to have to wait for a couple of days for your shots, and that gives you time to think about what you shot and how you might be able to do it better.

There is also the magic of getting those negatives back and seeing your pictures sealed on film, there is nothing like that feeling, especially when you see a picture that you are really proud of.

But film cameras are so hard to use!

No they are not. There are many many different types of film camera out there, so I guarantee there is something for everyone. You want a rangefinder? No problem. An automatic compact? Got it. A 360 spinning camera? Yup.

On my site I have written extensively about different types of cameras and the cameras that are available for all different budgets. You don’t have to spend the earth to get into shooting film. Budget rangefinders and compact cameras can be bought for as little as $50. Compare that to your new Nikanontax D3600X4 and you are looking at a camera that can give you a lot of fun for the price of a nice meal.

Obviously you can spend a lot more, but that is up to you. Remember though, many of your modern DSLR and rangefinder cameras use the same lenses as your film camera, so you will be able to crossover with the minimum of fuss.

The magic

I mentioned before about the magic feeling of looking at your negatives. Well, this is real. There is something different about film and you can tell the difference between a film image and a digital image immediately. Film has a glow and tone that still cannot be obtained by digital. Digital images are almost too clean, too real. You never know quite what you are going to get with film. Each roll is different, each emulsion is different and that is the fun of it. Changes in temperature or the age of the film can have an effect on the way things turn out.

There are so many different types that you can endlessly experiment. I shoot digital for work and it is stable and fast. But it is the same, the same for each and every sensor. Which is why I shoot film for my personal work.

One last thing

Film cameras are gorgeous. Really. I have a passion for film cameras and I love they way they look. Nowadays all of the cameras that come out are generic machines, they don’t have any flair or quirks, they are designed to be good at what they do, which is fine. But film cameras are quirky and different. Some of them are brilliant at what they do, some of them have little eccentricities that make them all the more interesting. But all of them come from a time when they really cared about making cameras not just a practical object, but a thing of beauty too.

So, why not give film a go, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Do you need some more help? Need to find a camera? Then let me help you.

Many thanks
Bellamy

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Giving Film a Go

Want to see it made? Zeke makes a call for people to let them know if you want to see it made and then tested by photographers – it would certainly be pretty cool.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Spectral Instruments 112 Megapixel Digital Camera

A Guest Post by Darlene Hildebrandt.

In classical portraiture there are several things you need to control and think about to make a flattering portrait of your subjects, including: lighting ratio, lighting pattern, facial view, and angle of view. I suggest you get to know these basics inside out, and as with most things, then you can break the rules. But if you can nail this one thing you’ll be well on your way to great people photos. In this article we’re going to look at lighting pattern: what is it, why it’s important, and how to use it. Perhaps in another future article, if you enjoy this one, I’ll talk about the other aspects of good portraiture.

Lighting pattern I’d define as, how light and shadow play across the face to create different shapes. What shape is the shadow on the face, in simple terms. There are four common portrait lighting patterns, they are:

• Split lighting
• Loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• Butterfly lighting

There are also Broad and Short lighting which are more of a style, and can be used with most of the patterns above. Let’s look at each of them individually.

1. Split Lighting

Split lighting is exactly as the name implies – it splits the face exactly into equal halves with one side being in the light, and the other in shadow. It is often used to create dramatic images for things such as a portrait of a musician or an artist. Split lighting tends to be a more masculine pattern and as such is usually more appropriate or applicable on men than it is for women. Keep in mind however, there are no hard and fast rules, so I suggest you use the information I provide here as a starting point or guideline. Until you learn this and can do it in your sleep, default to the guideline whenever you’re not sure.

To achieve split lighting simply put the light source 90 degrees to the left or right of the subject, and possibly even slightly behind their head. Where you place the light in relation to the subject will depend on the person’s face. Watch how the light falls on them and adjust accordingly. In true split lighting, the eye on the shadow side of the face does pick up light in the eye only. If by rotating their face a bit more light falls on their cheek, it’s possible their face just isn’t ideal for split lighting.

NOTE: any lighting pattern can be created on any facial view (frontal view showing both ears, or ¾ face, or even profile). Just keep in mind that your light source must follow the face to maintain the lighting pattern. If they turn their head the pattern will change. So you can use that to your advantage to easily adjust the patten just by them rotating their head a little.

What the heck is a “catchlight”?

Notice in this photo above that the baby’s eyes have a reflection of the actual light source in them. It shows up as a little white spot, but if we look closer we can actually see the shape of the light I used in this portrait.

See how the bright spot is actually hexagon with a dark centre? That’s the light I used which was a small hexagon shaped soft box on my Canon speedlight.

This is what is known as the “catchlight”. Without the eye of the subject catching this light, the eyes will appear dark, dead and lifeless. You need to ensure that at least one eye has a catchlight to give the subject life. Notice it also lightens the iris and brightens the eye overall. This also adds to the feeling of life and gives them a sparkle.

2. Loop Lighting

Loop lighting is made by creating a small shadow of the subjects noses on their cheeks. To create loop lighting, the light source must be slightly higher than eye level and about 30-45 degrees from the camera (depends on the person, you have to learn how to read people’s faces).

Look at this image to see where the shadows fall, and on their left sides you can see a small shadow of their noses. In loop lighting the shadow of the nose and that of the cheek do NOT touch. Keep the shadow small and slightly downward pointing, but be aware of having your light source too high which will create odd shadows and cause loss of the catchlights. Loop light is probably the most common or popular lighting pattern as it is easy to create and flatters most people.

In this diagram the black backdrop represents the bank of trees behind them. The sun is coming over the trees but they are completely in the shade. A white reflector is used at camera left to bounce light back into the subjects’ faces. The reflector may or may not be in the sun but you can still pick up light even if it’s not. Just play with the angles, by changing the placement of the reflector you can change the lighting pattern. For Loop lighting it will need to be somewhere around 30-45 degrees from the camera. It also needs to be slightly above their eye level so the shadow or loop of their nose angles down towards the corner of the mouth. That is one mistake I often see beginners make with reflectors is to place them down low and angle it up. That lights up the bottom of your subject’s nose and does not create a flattering pattern.

3. Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt lighting is so named because the Rembrandt the painter often used this pattern of light in his paintings, as you can see in his self portrait here. Rembrandt lighting is identified by the triangle of light on the cheek. Unlike loop lighting where the shadow of the nose and cheek do not touch, in Rembrandt lighting they do meet which, creates that trapped little triangle of light in the middle. To create proper Rembrandt lighting make sure the eye on the shadow side of the face has light in it and has a catch light, otherwise the eye will be “dead” and not have a nice sparkle. Rembrandt lighting is more dramatic, so like split lighting it creates more mood and a darker feel to your image. Use it appropriately.

To create Rembrandt lighting the subject must turn slightly away from the light. The light must be above the top of their head so that the shadow from their nose falls down towards the cheek. Not every person’s face is ideal for creating Rembrandt lighting. If they have high or prominent cheek bones it will probably work. If they have a small nose or flat bridge of the nose, it may be difficult to achieve. Again, keep in mind you don’t have to make exactly this pattern or another, just so long as the person is flattered, and the mood you want is created – then the lighting is working. If you are using window light and the window goes down to the floor, you may have to block off the bottom portion with a gobo or card, to achieve this type of lighting.

4. Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly lighting is aptly named for the butterfly shaped shadow that is created under the nose by placing the main light source above and directly behind the camera. The photographer is basically shooting underneath the light source for this pattern. It is most often used for glamour style shots and to create shadows under the cheeks and chin. It is also flattering for older subjects as it emphasizes wrinkles less than side lighting.

Butterfly lighting is created by having the light source directly behind the camera and slightly above eye or head level of the subject (depends on the person). It is sometimes supplemented by placing a reflector directly under their chin, with the subject themselves even holding it! This pattern flatters subjects with defined or prominent cheek bones and a slim face. Someone with a round, wide face would look better with loop or even split to slim their face. This pattern is tougher to create using windowlight or a reflector alone. Often a harder light source like the sun or a flash is needed to produce the more defined shadow under the nose.

5. Broad Lighting

Broad lighting is not so much a particular pattern, but a style of lighting. Any of the following patterns of light can be either broad or short: loop, Rembrandt, split.

Broad lighting is when the subject’s face is slightly turned away from centre, and the side of the face which is toward the camera (is broader) is in the light. This produces a larger area of light on the face, and a shadow side which appears smaller. Broad lighting is sometimes used for “high key” portraits. This type of lighting makes a person’s face look broader or wider (hence the name) and can be used on someone with a very slim face to widen it. Most people however want to look slimmer, not wider so this type of lighting would not be appropriate for someone who is heavier or round faced.

To create broad lighting the face is turned away from the light source. Notice how the side of the face that is towards the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the far side of the face, furthest from the camera. Simply put broad lighting illuminates the largest part of the face showing.

6. Short Lighting

Short lighting is the opposite of broad lighting. As you can see by the example here, short lighting puts the side turned towards the camera (that which appears larger) in more shadow. It is often used for low key, or darker portraits. It puts more of the face in shadow, is more sculpting, add 3D qualities, and is slimming and flattering for most people.

In short lighting, the face is turned towards the light source this time. Notice how the part of the face that is turned away from the camera has the most light on it and the shadows are falling on the near side of the face, closet to the camera. Simply put short lighting has shadows on the largest part of the face showing.

Putting it all together

Once you learn how to recognize and create each of the different lighting patterns you can then start to learn how and when to apply them. By studying your subject’s face you will learn which lighting pattern will be best for them, and for the type of portrait and mood desired. Someone with a very round face that wants to appear slimmer in a grad portrait, will be lit very differently than someone that wants a promo shot for their band that makes them appear mean or angry. Once you know all the patterns, how to recognize and master quality of light, direction of light and ratio (we’ll discuss that in a future article) then you will be well equipped to handle the challenge.

Of course it is much easier to change the lighting pattern if you can move the light source. However if the main light source is the sun, or a window – it’s a bit tougher to do that. So what you will need to do instead of moving the light, is to have the subject rotate in respect to the light to change the direction it falls on them. Or change your camera position. Or change their position. So basically move the things you can move in relation to the light, if you cannot move the light source itself.

Practice Exercise

Corral yourself a subject (as in a real live person, not your dog) and practice creating each of the lighting patterns we just discussed including:

• butterfly lighting
• loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• split lighting

Remember to show both broad lighting and short lighting – for each of the different patterns, where applicable. Don’t worry about any other aspect (ratio, fill light, etc) for now, just concentrate getting the patterns down pat first. Use light from a window, a floor lamp with a bare bulb (take the shade off) or the sun – but try and use a light source that you can see what’s happening (I’d suggest that you do not try using flash until you’ve got more experience, it’s harder to learn with because you can’t see it until after the photo is taken) This also works best to start out with the subject facing the camera directly, no turning except to create the broad and short.

Show us your results please and share any challenges or problems you encountered. I’ll try and help you solve them so you and others can learn from it, and get better for next time.

Darlene Hildebrandt is a professional photographer and educator who teaches aspiring amateurs, hobbyists and pros how to improve their photography skills through private tutoring, photo tours and photography classes.  She’s the author of 10 Challenges To Improve Your Photography which you can find as a resource on her website and she can also be found on Twitter at @ProPhotoTutor.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

Step 1: Create A Post On Google+

This is the first step for me. Using a wordpress plugin called Google+Blog created by Daniel Treadwell, I can create a post on Google+ (be sure to follow me there!) and have it automatically export that post over to the pending section of my blog. There is a free version of this plugin but I was more than happy to pay $10 for the paid version. It supports the hard work Daniel put into this plugin and it gives you more features and options.

Google+ is the best for step 1 because you can create titles and headers using bold font and there’s (virtually) no limit to how long your post can be. Google+Blog even imports comments from G+ to your blog so that’s a plus (pun intended) as well!

Setting up the plugin is quite easy. The way I do it is to only have the plugin export posts to my blog if I include the hashtag #photography in the post. That way I can post all kinds of stuff to G+ but only the images I share (along with accompanying stories) will get thrown over to the blog and only when I include that hashtag somewhere in the post.

Step 2: Post To The Blog

Once the post goes live on G+ I go over to my blog. The post only shows up on my website when G+ makes an API call at certain times throughout the day, but you can speed this up by going to the Google+Blog option in wordpress. There’s a checkbox next to the “Update Options” button that says “Import Posts On Options Update.” So I just check that box and update the options, then the post shows up in Pending Status immediately. Now, it should be noted that I had to set it up that way. Under the options I chose to have all posts start out as pending. That way I can do some slight tweaking before it goes live.

Now that my post is imported to my blog (which you can check out at james-brandon.com) and in the pending section, all I have to do now is make some final tweaks to make it ready for my readers. When I create the post on G+ and it exports to my blog, the image that comes over is a bit too small for my blog. But the title, the words and all the links are imported over perfectly. So all I do here is quickly delete the small image and upload the full blog sized image from my desktop. I then make a few final tweaks (like creating the image thumbnail, adding categories, adding post tags and a ‘read more’ section) to make the post look right on my blog and then I hit “Publish.”

Step 3: Post to Facebook and Twitter

As soon as the post goes live on my blog, it’s then automagically sent out to my personal Facebook page, my business Facebook page and Twitter all at once. This is done through a site called Networked Blogs. Networked Blogs takes my RSS feed on my website and syndicates it to Facebook and Twitter so I don’t have to! This couldn’t be easier. You simply sign up for an account, add your blogs RSS feed address, then log into Facebook and Twitter to allow access, click a few boxes and done.

So this isn’t really a step anymore once it’s set up, it just happens in the background without you lifting even a finger. No tweaks to make or anything like that.

Conclusion

So that’s it. Post to Google+, make a few quick tweaks in wordpress, publish and done. You’ve just killed 4 birds with like…1 and 1/4 stones . There are a couple of downsides to this method. If you have the time to post to each individual social media outlet, then by all means do. Having Networked Blogs do it means that the post is really just a link to my blog, instead of posting the image to Facebook and including the story there. But you have to decide what you’re after. I would rather have people jump over to my blog and read something there instead of having them read it and leave comments on Facebook. Twitter is the same way and with there character limit and no images a link is a must anyways.  Once this process was set up, it easily shaved my time by more than half. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Short On Time? Learn To Post To Google+, Your Blog, Facebook, and Twitter Simultaneously

London is an incredible city: vibrant, modern and fizzing with life. But at every turn, London’s past is also very much in evidence, from the glorious historic architecture of its heritage sites to tiny details like a stretch of cobbled road, place names like Pudding Lane or Eel Pie Island and, of course, the ubiquitous blue plaques that commemorate notable people and events all over the city.

So, faced with the challenge of taking a series of pictures that sum up London, where do you start? Covering 600 square miles and with a population of 7.8 million, there’s an awful lot to choose from. Add to that that 2012 is the year of the Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics…

The Secrets of Successful Cityscapes

Although a city may be characterised by the people who live in it, visually it is the cityscape that is most instantly recognisable – whether that’s because of the presence of a famous landmark or due simply to characteristic architecture, street styling or the presence of, say, a London bus, taxi cab or policeman. But, of course, we’ve all seen a thousand pictures of the Houses of Parliament and just as many of the London Eye, the Beefeaters and red telephone boxes. How is your work going to stand out from the crowd?

Taking a photograph of a cityscape or building might seem straightforward – stand in front of the building, square it up in your viewfinder and click – but in fact, to a achieve an image with real impact and interest is anything but. Unless you’re taking the picture for an estate agent’s details, you’ll need to put a bit more thought into what you’re doing. After all, you’re be converting a three-dimensional space into two dimensions. From a physical point of view, you want to capture a sense of size, space, texture, contrast, light and shadows… But are you looking to say a bit more? Something about the building’s function, context, history; the juxtaposition of old with new. Will your picture encompass a whole skyline or will one small detail of one building – a gargoyle, a doorway, a chimney pot – suffice?

London Landmarks

Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s, Tower Bridge – London has plenty of iconic landmarks that everyone knows. But if you want to take a photograph of a building or site that’s very familiar, try to shoot it from a different angle or pick out an unexpected detail. It may not be easy to achieve, but what about a shot from above? Or from behind? Reflected in a nearby window, at dusk or during a storm? Would your picture be better with or without people – a deserted building, cold and empty, like Battersea Power Station, or a busy skyscraper, like the Gherkin, with people streaming in and out like ants…

But buildings are not the only landmarks that make London special. The River Thames will afford plenty of wonderful, if perhaps a little obvious, photo opportunities. Other waterways are less well known – the surviving dock bowls in east London or Victorian leftovers such as the Regents Canal. London’s open spaces also lend themselves to spectacular photography, from the horticultural brilliance of the Chelsea Physic Garden or Kew to herds of deer roaming wild in Richmond Park.

What about your London?

Whether you’re a Londoner born-and-bred or a first-time visitor to the capital, what will make your pictures most interesting is your interpretation of the city. Steer clear of the obvious tourist shots that grace a million postcards and show people what you really feel about this great metropolis.

If you live in London, think about the area in which you live. How would you sum it up? What can you see here that the tourists or casual visitor might miss? How can you bring out London’s character in your pictures? Do you want to highlight the architectural patterns in a row of Victorian terraces houses or is your style gritty reportage shining a light on poverty and deprivation in one of the world’s wealthiest cities?

If you’re visiting London for the first time, what do you see? Look beyond the clichés and take a picture of something you weren’t expecting to see, something maybe that surprised you, shocked you or made you laugh. Explore a little off the beaten track and be ready with your camera to capture every arresting image that confronts you.

London is so much more than the sum of all her buildings. London is about people, history, commerce, art, politics, fashion, music, food, culture and much more – all of it waiting to be captured on film. Ultimately, you need to think about what London means to you. A scattergun approach will never result in a coherent portrait of the capital, so choose favourite part of London to focus on, pick a theme to explore in depth or a strand that can unify diverse images of the city.

Show people the London that belongs to you.

Headshot London Photography – is one of the leading London photography studios specialising in Portraits, Corporate, Fashion, Family and Advertising Photography. For more information please visit the website.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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Shooting London – Big City Photography