It’s a pretty safe assumption that most of you have a digital camera of some sort. With all the features and options available on a digital camera, sometimes it can get confusing as to how to create a decent picture. And many of us don’t have the equipment or extra hands to replicate the kinds of portraits that come out of a professional studio. So as a regular parent, friend, or budding photographer, how can we make portraits that stand out from the regular snapshots? I’m going to take you step by step on how to make great photos with just the camera in your pocket.

The first aspect of a good portrait is the time of day. Evenings are the best for taking portraits because of the lack of direct sunlight, which can cause harsh shadows and high contrast on your subject. But we can’t always pick the time of day for pictures, so what next? Well, if you find yourself working in broad daylight conditions, the next best thing is to put your subject’s back to the sun. This prevents squinting, and overly-bright light on your subjects features. (more…)

Built with style, the new Apple iPhone is a very functional device. I recently purchased the new phone and I’ve been excited daily to keep playing with it. There are a few quirks with the iPhone, but overall I’m impressed and I can’t wait to see what the next generation iPhone will bring.

One of the features of the new iPhone is that like most other mobile phones today, it has a built-in camera for those of us that can’t live without a camera. The camera is not the best camera found on mobile devices; however, I was surprised to discover that you can create a quality image from the iPhone to have printed as a canvas, so let’s get into the details. (more…)

Photojournalist Angela Valek almost went into government work. In 2002, with just one semester to go towards her degree, she made a fatal mistake of taking a photography class. It turned her world upside down and she was hooked. To be truthful, she did end up in government work.

Her skills in photography landed her an internship at the White House Photo Office. After a successful internship she returned to the University of Texas in Austin, intent on finishing her degree – this time in photojournalism. A full time position in the White House Photo Office opened up and it was an opportunity not to be missed. (more…)