Smart phones have made it so easy for us to communicate and share what we see every moment of every day. The advancement in the technology in just the iPhone’s camera alone is amazing. This little camera is about to replace the need to carry around a point and shoot camera. The optics and capabilities of this little gem is only going to get better over time. This has spawned a movement called “iPhoneography“. Basically people showing off photos from their everyday life with their iPhone…but doing it in artistic ways with the help of camera apps like Instagram and Hipstamatic (just to name a few). There are even art galleries opening their doors to artists who use the iPhone as their tool of choice. With the iPhoneography craze building there have been several pieces of “equipment” that you can purchase to make the most of that camera on your iPhone. This equipment can range from kitschy to pretty cool. But who am I to be the judge. I am a photographer and I can get a little geeked out over pretty much any photo toy.

The biggest takeaway I would like you to get from this is that you should know that the photos you take with your iPhone or other smart phone are good enough to print on canvas or large photo prints.  It’s pretty amazing how large of a canvas print we can make from a regular iPhone photo…no matter what little gadget you purchase. So if you want to do a little artistic experimentation…or just have some fun…check some of these tools out, go out and take some photos and maybe create a few canvas photo prints with what you captured. We would love to hear the process you used.

Here are a few different iPhone camera accessories to check out.

First off from Photojojo is a trio of lenses and a special case to hold them.  The lenses are a Macro/Wide lens $20, a Telephoto $20, and a Fisheye $25.  Buy all three for $50 as a package deal

These next two are from iPro lens system.  You can get the case, the wide angle, and the fisheye lens for $199

This one is from cOnice zoom lens for the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy S, and Sony Xperia X10.  You will make a statement with this lens.  Retails for just under $50

These next two shots are showing off Photojojo‘s iPhone lens dial.  Take those three lenses that I showed you at the top and insert them in this handy case and you can film movies and take photos without the trouble of changing those pesky lenses out.  Just rotate them.  Seems a little bit clunky but oddly desirable.  The case with the 3 lenses sells for $249

And the grand daddy of all the iPhone lens mounts…People thought this was a hoax when it first came out, but it isn’t.  You can now mount your SLR lenses onto your iPhone.  Thank you Photojojo (again).  This unique gadget will let you mount any of your regular SLR (or DSLR) lenses to your iPhone to get a little more creative and control over your image.  The SLR mount runs $249 (the big lens is not included).  Pretty crazy.

So there you go.  If you are looking for a way to expand your iPhone photography skills and have a little fun doing it these are just a few of the gadgets and tools out there you can use.  We can’t wait to see what you come up with…using your iPhone, your point and shoot, or your SLR…we love seeing the amazing artwork that people order each and every day.  As always, if you want to print a photo on canvas you know where to come…that’s right CanvasPress.com

You didn’t think we were done with the Don’t Say Cheese! series…did you.  Absolutely not.  You know how it goes…you get busy with Christmas…then New Year’s.  Well, with the holidays now over we can get back down to business and hopefully learn something new about taking photos of your kids.  In part 7 of this series, I want to tell you about the fantastic benefits of Window Light.  Window light can be an amazing tool in your photo arsenal if you learn how to use it properly.  The best natural light you can photograph in are the sunrise and sunset magic hours.  After the magic hour in the morning is past (usually happens right after the sun pops up…early in the am) and before the magic hour in the evening you can be left with some really unflattering light from direct overhead sun.  But if you go inside and use window light to use as your main light source you will get beautiful soft directional light that will make you look like a pro.

Now not all window light is equal.  This is according to most artists who paint.  Have you ever heard of an artist who insisted on having a north facing room to paint in?  Most artists will tell you that north facing windows give you the most consistent prettiest light.  Not sure what they have against south facing light, but anywho.  All YOU need to worry about is finding the a window in your house and as long as there isn’t direct sunlight streaming though it, the window will give you that soft directional light that portrait photographers crave.  In fact photographers use a lighting tool to mimic window light.  It is called a soft box and they come in all different sizes from 1 foot square to over 6 feet tall.  These soft boxes give photographers that same directional soft light as window light does.

Here is what a softbox looks like.

You might be asking, “Ok, so how do I use this window light to take photos of my kids when they are going 100 miles per hour?”  Great question…I’m not sure.  Hey, I didn’t say this was fool proof ;-D.  Taking photos with the window light might require a little cooperation from the kids or maybe during a time when they are quietly playing or resting.  One good little trick that I have used is to tell them to look at the kangaroo outside (insert whatever you want…just get them to look outside).  Then they usually look pretty intently out the window.  This is a great photo op for a natural expression of them.  Then they will look at you because you are taking a picture of them.  If you time it right and use your sense of humor you can get them to laugh and bingo!  There is your chance to get that candid, beautifully lit, perfectly timed portrait.  Just be fast.

I invite you to start noticing how the light that is coming through your windows shapes the objects in your house.  Now insert a small child in and see what you can create.

Here are a few examples to illustrate how beautiful window light can be!

Thanks to Travis Atwood Design - http://travisatwooddesign.com

Thanks to Stacey Woods Photography - http://www.staceywoodsphoto.com/

Thanks to Artem Loshak for the beautiful photo

Christmas lights are beautiful, but it can be very hard to get nice photos of a lit tree or decorations.  On Tuesday night I went down to partake in an Austin tradition…the Zilker Christmas tree.  Which isn’t so much a tree but lights strung from a large radio tower to make a tree of lights.  If you are not from Austin you are probably thinking…”hmmm, that’s odd”.  Hence the city’s slogan, “Keep Austin Weird”.  Actually, it is a lot of fun, people go every year to spin under the lights, get dizzy, eat some kettle corn and drink hot chocolate.  So, I was just playing around with my camera and was thinking of some interesting ways to capture the Zilker Tree and the experience of being there…plus make some cool art that later I might put on our walls.  One thing that is fairly easy to do with your DSLR camera (or any camera you can manually focus the lens with) is to take photos of the lights out of focus.  By taking them out of focus the little lights become large balls of light.  Kind of a cool abstract color study.  Another trick is camera movement.  Especially in a dark setting when your shutter speed is going to be really slow you can do a form of “light writing” or making designs with the available light.  In this case the available light is the Christmas lights and by moving the camera (spinning, zooming, panning) you can create very interesting patterns with your photo.  Here are some examples of what I came up with.  Try some of these tricks with your own Christmas tree and presto you have some new art to hang next Christmas.  Remember you can always count on us to put those art photos on canvas for you!

Here is the Zilker Tree to give you an idea of what I was talking about.

The is what a normal photo might look like of Christmas lights. Kind of dull. We need to spice it up a bit.

This is spinning and taking a photo at the same time...It's a high degree of difficulty...for me.

More spinning, this is a form of Light Writing.

 

The more out of focus the lights are, the bigger they get (depending on what lens you are using)

I like that you can still see the star at the top of the tree.

Love how the lights blend into the dots.

The lights still take on the form of a tree but it isn't so literal

Inspiration can come from almost anywhere.  Rather than choosing one particular photographer’s work to inspire you this week I want to show you hundreds of photographers’ work.  You all have heard of Flickr.  It is the dominating photo sharing site on the net.  But lately I have been drawn to 500px.com.  I have been continually amazed by the images I am seeing on there.  I keep hitting the next page just to see more.  Fair warning, there are nude photos on there, so probably not a site you want to look at with the kids (although most of them are tastefully and artistically done).  I have been a photographer for over a decade and I have always said that I would rarely hang other people’s art photography on the wall…but I have been having serious second thoughts about that after seeing some of the amazing work I have seen on 500px.  I wouldn’t mind having several of the photos on canvas.

It’s a cool website too.  The images really pop off the background and you can rate photos as well with a like or dislike.  And I think one of the most beneficial things on there…especially to photographers eager to learn…is the photographer who took the photo will often list the camera settings used to capture the image.  There is something for everyone on this site: landscapes, portraits, wildlife, abstracts you name it.  Many of the photographers who post photos to 500px are pros, but many of them aren’t…they just have a good eye and aren’t afraid of snapping a few photos.  Now that is great inspiration.

Here is what the homepage looks like.  Immediately you are struck with some beautiful images.

Here are a few sample images that caught my eye.

Again, I want to reiterate that this site is probably rated ‘M’ for Mature audiences.

I have to give a big thank you to my sister Jen for coming up with this topic.  What the heck do all these things mean on my camera dial?  They could also be somewhere on your point and shoot…Let me give you an idea of what I am talking about.  If you have a DSLR…or something that looks like this

Then you may have a dial on top of the camera that looks like either of these.  The top one is a Nikon dial and the bottom one is a Canon dial.

Even if you have a point and shoot my bet is that some of these same figures and letters are somewhere on your camera.  Now the trick is figuring out what they mean and how to use them…or should I use them.  The goal here is taking better pictures of your kids…right.  And a big part of that is understanding your camera and how it works and what it’s limitations are.  Just like GI Joe always said “Knowing is half the battle”…important words to live by.  Ok, I may be overstating, but it is kind of true.

All right, let’s get down to it.  What exactly do those thingies on your dial mean, what do they do, and should I use them or not.  First off let’s figure out what they mean.  Here is a quick guide to let you know at least what the buttons stand for.

The first thing I want you to do is ignore and don’t use any of the little picture icon settings like: portrait, landscape, close-up/macro, sport…etc.  Those aren’t magical settings that are going to make that particular photo look fantastic and brilliant.  They are presets that the camera companies have pre-programmed to try to help you out in those situations.  In my opinion you don’t need them, and they can often mess you up more than they help you out.

Onto the letters and a little more about their meaning.  I will go in order of importance (in my opinion)

• M – Manual Mode – That means that the shutter speed and the aperture are completely in your control.  The upside: You have the most creative control in manual.  The downside: Probably the hardest to master.  *Note: I would say the majority of professional photographers learn and shoot in Manual Mode.
• A or Av – Aperture Priority Mode – In aperture priority mode you select which aperture you want to shoot at and your camera auto selects the best shutter speed for a “correct” exposure.  This mode can be very helpful if you are in a situation where your light is constantly changing.  In manual mode your fingers would be busy changing settings, in aperture priority mode, you set the aperture and the camera does the shutter speed.  Did you notice the ” ” around the word, correct?  Without getting into too much technical stuff, just know that you may still need to do some tweaking to the image to get an exposure to your liking.  Overall this is a good setting to use in a pinch.
• S or Tv – Shutter Priority Mode – You guessed it…you select which shutter speed you want to shoot at and the camera will select the aperture for a balanced exposure.  You know what…honestly…I wouldn’t worry about using Shutter Priority.  Aperture Priority is much better to master (in my opinion).  So for right now, don’t use it.  Oh, and why Canon decided on Tv for Shutter priority?  It stands for “Time Value”.  They are trying to keep it Old School.
• P – Program Mode – This is a little bit better than fully auto.  The camera is still picking your shutter and aperture for you, but you can still adjust a few things you couldn’t in Auto mode.  You can control the flash, the ISO (film speed) and white balance of the camera.  The upside: Your flash won’t automatically pop up for almost every single photo.  You are in control of when the flash fires or not and a few other things that control the quality of the photo.  The downside: You are losing a lot of creative control with the camera choosing your shutter speed and aperture.
• Auto or green rectangle – Auto Mode – the camera is in complete control of…well…pretty much everything.  You are just pointing and shooting (probably not why you bought a DSLR).  It is controlling your shutter speed, your aperture, when the flash goes off, the white balance of the photo, and the ISO the photo is taken at.  The upside: This is a good way to learn if you are just starting.  Begin to notice how shutter speeds and aperture work together.  The downside: Zero creative control.  Your DSLR is a effectively a large, expensive point and shoot (which is totally ok when you are starting out.)

My challenge to you would be to learn how to use your camera in the M for Manual mode.  But we can take baby steps.  At least now you know exactly what those buttons are.  You can start to explore by using them…skipping over a bunch of them and take note of what does what on your camera.

Once you start to master these different modes you will notice how much more control you have over your photos and how good they will start to look…of course you know Canvas Press is here to make any of those amazing photos you take into canvas prints for you ;-D…Just in case you forgot.

Smith was a photographer for Life magazine and perfected the photo essay while working for them.  He could tell a complete story without any words whatsoever.  He is well known for being a bit on the bristly side and was a well known perfectionist.  When you look at his photographs and photo essays the stories he was telling through his camera still rings true today.  Do a google search for him and you will be amazed by how he is able to capture the human emotion, in war time and in peace.  Smith actually was on the Pacific front lines during WWII and was wounded by enemy fire.  His war images are some the most honest and thought provoking of that genre.

In this image think of the story he is telling.  What does the photo say to you.  Where is this man going?  Where is he coming from?  And notice the foreboding clouds in the background…lots of symbolism there.

I’m telling you, the guy was a genius at telling a complete story with one photo.  Think about Eugene Smith when you are taking photos.  What story are you trying to tell with your pictures?

We are all about giving you the tips on how to take better photos of your family, pet, vacation photos…whatever floats your boat.  But you may be doing things to mess up your photos that you didn’t even know you are doing.  Here are 5 common mistakes that we all have made that inevitably mess up that family photo.

1. THANKS MOM, NOW I’M SEEING SUN SPOTS – Everyone in the photo is squinting and you can’t see Dad’s face because he has a baseball hat on.  What happened?  Well, you took the photo during the brightest part of the day and everyone is facing the sun or the sun is directly overhead.  This causes everyone to squint and casts really dark shadow’s on everyone’s faces.  Now I know you were at Disney World and you really wanted to get the shot with the flying Dumbos in the background and that is fine.  So you have to take the good with the bad, but look around for some different options.  One option is to find a shady spot for everyone to stand under to get that photo.  Another option would be to find an angle where everyone isn’t facing into the sun and you can still see Dumbo flapping those ears in the background.  The last option would be to wait until a cloud comes over to give you that perfect even light you need…of course on a cloudless day you may be waiting a loooong time.
2. YOU CHOPPED MY FEET OFF! – You have seen this one.  You see everyone’s entire body…except for their feet in the photo.  The photo “rules” for composing a group or individual portrait is to crop either A. Just above the knees B. Mid-Thigh or C. At the hips.  Anything below the knee can look a little strange.
3. THE PHOTO IS VERTI-ZONTAL – It’s not quite vertical and it’s not quite horizontal.  Somewhere in the middle makes it a crooked photo.  Now some wedding photographers try to pull this off, but it rarely works out as a good photo.  Try your best to keep your camera level while taking the photo.  Find a horizon line somewhere in the background as a guide to help find that perfect level photo.
4. I ONLY SEE THE TOP OF GRANDPA’S HEAD! – Taking a large group photo can be kind of stressful.  Take your time, even though most of the family wants to get back to eating, drinking, or whatever it was they were doing.  Something that can easily ruin a great family shot is people hiding behind other people in the back.  And all you end up seeing of them is the top of their head or half of their face.  It’s not enough to tell everyone, “If you can’t see the camera then you won’t be in the picture.” Because you will have the smart aleck uncle who is barely peeking his eyes over someone’s shoulder.  Look through your camera and check to see that you can see everyone’s face through the camera…again, take your time, it’s worth moving people around a little to make sure everyone is in the photo.  Sitting some people in the front in chairs helps with the tiered effect when you don’t have steps to stagger people on.
5. PUT THE DRINKS AND FOOD…DOWN – During the Christmas season you are likely to be at several parties or family gatherings and these are all fantastic photo-ops because you are visiting with people you haven’t seen in a while and enjoying good food and maybe a little eggnog.  But nothing will ruin a photo faster than someone holding a plastic plate of half eaten food.  Take a quick second to have everyone put their plates and drinks down before taking their photo.

We hope you take these tips to heart and try to remember the mistakes that so many of us have made in the past.  This is a festive and happy season and we would hate for a ruined family photo to bring down anyone’s spirits.  As always, you can count on Canvas Press to give it to you straight.

Galen Rowell’s images of landscapes are different.  They are different in the fact that before Galen, wilderness photos were much more of the observer with a camera.  Galen transcended wilderness photography by becoming an active participant in the image and landscape he was photographing.  Rowell often hiked, climbed mountains, and camped for days on end before getting the photo he wanted.  In 1972 he became a full time photographer and one of his first major assignments was a cover story for National Geographic.

When I think about the dedication, the persistence, and the patience it took Rowell to capture some of the images he did it is absolutely inspiring.  It reminds me it is ok to go off the beaten path…even if it’s just a few yards off the path…to grab a shot of a beautiful sunset or a field of wildflowers.  After seeing these images I there may be a spike in travel to Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Are you thinking about taking the plunge and making photography a hobby?  Congratulations, and on behalf of photo nerds everywhere…We would love to have you!  You are in the Christmas Day phase of the hobby…buying all your gear.  It is exciting and a little nerve racking at the same time because there are so many options out there.  From what camera brand to go with to which lens or lenses should I buy…it can be a little overwhelming.  One thing you should not neglect is what you are going to be lugging that camera gear around in.  Your Camera Bag.

Your camera bag is a very important piece of gear itself because not only will it house and protect your equipment, but it can also make a statement about your personality.  Again, there are a ton of different options and brands of camera bags out there.  But there are really only a handful of different styles and that is what you want to focus on.

1.  The good ‘ole shoulder bag – The tried and true bag used by camera enthusiasts and photojournalists for decades.  This is a Domke bag.

2.  The messenger / satchel bag – A relative newcomer.  The functionality of the shoulder back but a little more slim-lined.  This is a Crumpler brand messenger camera bag.

3.  The backpack – If you are into hiking, traveling, or more active type photographers.  This is a Lowepro camera backpack.

4.  The rolling case – Slightly more professional.  Great for traveling or for wedding and event photographers.  This is a Lowepro rolling case.

5.  The waist bag – Yes, the waist bag is a distant cousin to the fanny pack.  But, it will save your back and shoulders from seeing a chiropractor if you need to carry your equipment for long periods of time.  This is a Tamrac waist bag.

And ladies, you will be very happy to know that there are several lines of camera bags that are made especially to fit your lifestyle.  Purses and satchels with a more designer look to them have gotten pretty popular these past 2-3 years.  You may pay a premium price for them, but hey it can be a purse and a camera bag.  So you really are getting 2 for 1 when you think about it.  There are a few great brands out there.

Epiphanie – I have met the owner (Maile) and she is super cool and I think offers a fantastic product.

Kelly Moore Bags

Jill-E Designs

*Emera Bags

Now that you know the different styles of bags out there let me give you a few tips on what to look for in a good camera bag.

1.  Excellent interior padding.  (note: exposed foam will deteriorate over time and will leave nasty black residue on your gear)

2.  Buy a little bigger than you think you need.  You never know…you may need that extra room when you start expanding on your lens collection.  This is also a good idea because there is nothing worse than trying to pry your camera out of a stuffed little camera bag and you end up missing a photo-op.

3.  The ability section your bag based on your gear (ie moveable separators).

4.  Made of durable material.  Make note if the exterior is padded too.  You may not need that option, but in case your lifestyle is a little more rough and tumble it is good for the bag to be able to absorb those shocks.

5.  Accessibility – how quickly can you get into your bag and your camera and lenses without missing the shot.  This is where the shoulder and satchel bags have an edge.  You can quickly unbuckle and grab your camera as where a backpack you have to take off and unzip.

6.  Comfort – This is where backpacks take the cake because you are dispersing the weight across two shoulders rather than one.

7.  Style (the cool factor) – If style is important to you than don’t overlook this important option.  If you want to go really out of the norm than check out Etsy and look for some homemade camera bags.  Then you will really stand out.

There you go.  Now you are in the know when it comes to buying the bag that your camera gear will live in.  It can be a daunting choice so hopefully it was made a little easier or at least more bearable.

If you are thinking about buying a DSLR camera or maybe you just bought one to take better photos of your family, kids, or you just got bitten by the photography bug then this is a great post for you to read.  For those who don’t know what DSLR means that stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex.  They look like this…you know the ones that have all the dials, buttons, and you can switch the lenses.

They can range in price anywhere from $600 to over $5000 for the camera bodies.  If you are just starting out I would go closer to the $600 end of the range.  But this post isn’t about what kind of camera to buy.  I am going to tell you the one and only lens you will ever need in your bag in case you DO buy a camera.  When you buy a camera, the salesman will usually try to “package deal” you.  They will include a kit lens that in my opinion are the cheapest lenses the camera maker puts out.  When you go in to buy the camera body you will want to ask for a…are you ready…a 50mm lens.  That’s it.  That is the only lens you will need…for a while.  I bet you are wondering, “What is his reasoning behind this claim?”  Let me lay it down for you.

1. They are super inexpensive so you aren’t going to break the bank with some super expensive pro caliber lens.  They run about $120…the cheapest BEST lens you can buy.

2.  Most pros have this very lens in their bag.  So that should tell you something.

3. It is a super fast lens.  A fast lens means that you have the ability to shoot in low light situations.  It does not mean that it will make you run faster.  With a maximum aperture of 1.8 – this means it can let a lot of light in to have higher shutter speeds in darker situations, and higher shutter speeds equals less blurry photos.

4. The 50mm f1.8 lens has fantastic bokeh.  This may be a new vocab word for you.  Bokeh is the portion of the photo that goes out of focus while leaving your subject sharp and in focus.  I have also heard it been referred to as “that fuzzy part of the photo.”  Whatever you want to call it, this lens will make your portraits look more interesting and professional.

5. It is small and light so you aren’t clunking around with some big lens on your shoulder (saves in chiropractor bills).

6. This lens is the absolute best lens to train your eye with (in my humble opinion).  If you are just starting out then grab this lens and use it…use it all the time and you learn composition and lighting faster.

I know what you are thinking.  But I want a zoom lens so I can take wide photos and close-ups with one lens.  That is exactly what the 50mm is…you just have use your manual zoom feature (your feet) to zoom in and out.  You are just going to have to trust me.  I have been a professional photographer for 11 years and it is by far my favorite lens of all time.  Here is what they look like so you know what to look for.  I included both the Nikon (my brand) and the Canon as not to play favorites.  I hope that you found this helpful.  We love to talk photography and anything creative for that matter here at Canvas Press.  Give us a shout if you ever have questions about photography.  Especially if you want to turn one of your stellar photos you just took with your 50mm into a canvas print.