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

Whether you just picked up a camera for the first time yesterday, or you are a photo enthusiast, or even a seasoned pro…there are a few things you can learn about photography from using Facebook.  Here we go…in no particular order.

1. Join a group that talks about photography in your area.  If one doesn’t exist start one and invite your local friends to join the group.  This is a great way to ask questions about gear, camera settings, etc.  You can also share your photos to the group and ask for feedback.  A great example of this is an Austin area group called Austin Photogs.  Which has over 600 members and is active every single day with new posts, questions and comments.  It is a great way to learn from a community.  Be prepared to put yourself out there.  There is not hiding behind a funny user name like there is in a photography forum.  People know who you are…but if that doesn’t scare you then by all means go for it…It’s the only way you get any better.
2. Take an informal poll.  Post a few photos and pose the question to your friends to let you know which one they like best.  You can also use the Facebook polling feature to dress it up a little.  This is good practice for putting your photos in front of other peoples eyes.  This becomes more difficult when you start asking for honest criticism.  At least right now you are just asking people which one they like better (You could always ask them why as well).
3. Create photo assignments for yourself and post them in your profile’s photo album.  The photo album feature is a perfect way to start thinking about how to tell a story with multiple photos.  The albums are easy to view and when you post them it creates a great synopsis of your photo story.  This will start you thinking down the path of developing your style.  Seeing several photos from the same event next to each other will begin to show your photographic style and point of view.
4. Speaking of Style (what a great segue)…Facebook is a great show and tell and playground all wrapped in one to help you develop your photo style.  One thing people love on Facebook is photos…but often times people will just glaze over them because the photos don’t strike them as special (minus close fam and friends…they will always comment on your photos.  As they should).  So if you want more people to take notice of your photos on Facebook then developing a style is very important.  We will talk about how exactly to develop your style in a different post.
5. Ask for constructive criticism.  Facebook is full of people who love to give their opinions so why not ask those people for honest constructive feedback about your photos.  Not everyone will take you up on it but a few might.  The best place to ask for this criticism is in an environment where people know what they are talking about when it comes to taking photos.  So this ties back to #1 on the list and joining a photography group.  Again, you will need to have some courage…be brave and put your photo out there and specifically let people know you want feedback and criticism on your work.  It is possibly the hardest thing you can do.  Let’s face it no one likes to hear that something they have done is bad, but that honesty and criticism will make you a much better photographer than if people didn’t tell you what you need to work on.

There you go.  5 ways Facebook can help you become a better photographer.  Remember that Canvas Press is always here to help you out if you need some direction.

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.

The Rule of Thirds is probably the single most important thing to learn when your start practicing your photography.  It will automatically make your photos more interesting.  I didn’t say it would make your photos great, but it will definitely make them more interesting to look at.  When we talk about The Rule of Thirds we are basically talking about Composition or the placement of key subjects in relation to one another in the photograph.  So whenever I use the word “composition” I am talking about “the rule of thirds” and vice versa.  Have you ever heard of people saying, “Well he/she has a great eye” when it comes to photography.  More than likely that “eye” they are talking about relates to how you compose your photographs.  You can be born with a great “eye” or you can develop and practice your composition and develop your “eye” for composing great photographs.  This is where The Rule of Thirds helps out those people who may be “Composition-ally Challenged” (by the way, I know I am using quotations waaay too much in this post already so I will try to cut back).

So, what exactly is The Rule of Thirds?  The wiki definition states: an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections.

Let’s simplify that shall we.  Have you ever played tic-tac-toe?  If you drew out a tic-tac-toe board across your photo like this you will have the guidelines for the rule of thirds:

So what should you do with those lines.  Well let’s go back to simplifying the Wikipedia definition.  I’ll break it down like this.  Don’t put your subject (in this case…your kids) smack in the middle of the frame.  The rule is you don’t want to split your subject in half (both vertically or horizontally).  Use these lines as guides to place your subject on one of the lines for a more pleasing composition.  This rule is especially helpful to those of you who like to dabble in a little vacation photos or landscapes.  The general rule is that you shouldn’t put the horizon line in the middle of your photo.  Place it closer to the top third or bottom third of the photo.

Now let’s go one step further.  The intersection of the lines on your tic-tac-toe rule of thirds are called “power points”…no…not the Microsoft software.  These are areas of a photo where your eye naturally falls.  So if you can compose your image to have one of the important elements landing on one of the power points your photo will be that much more compelling and interesting to look at.  Here are where those power points are at:

Allright.  Now it is time to show you some real world examples of some good uses of The Rule of Thirds so you can get an idea of how you can use it the next time you are composing a photo of your kids.  None of these photos are split down the middle.  In some of them the subject is just off to the center, but it makes a big difference.

This last photo is a good example of using the bottom 2/3 of the the image and leaving room at the top of the photo as interesting blank space.  And notice he isn’t split exactly down the middle of the photograph…so even a slight adjustment can make a big difference.

I also recommend you google “Rule of Thirds” and there are a ton of other great examples…these are just ones I happened to have taken over the past year or so.  You can also get some great examples of using the Rule of Thirds when photographing landscapes and other scenic vacation photos.  Now you can start to play around with your composition and keeping your subject out of the middle of the photo.

Keep in mind that this…like most other photography rules…can be broken, but it is better to understand the rule enough to know when you can break it.

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.

For this blog post Caroline tell you a little bit about how Canvas Press can turn some low quality, low-resolution images into some stunning canvas prints.  Take it away Caroline!

Have you ever finally tried to actually PRINT one of your digital photos, only to be told it isn’t high enough quality or to get it back and find out it looks pixilated and distorted? It happens way too often and most people don’t understand why.

Your computer screen (or cell phone) might show a sharp, clear photo but the display is actually a very low resolution since it’s based on a projected light source, as opposed to a print of ink on paper.

Most digital cameras today have very high resolution capabilities (LOTS of MegaPixels) but they can take lo-res images, it just a setting you can choose. Once an image has been saved in low resolution you can’t go back. That’s why we always stress to check your camera settings and make sure you start by taking the highest resolution possible. You can always shrink down copies later for sharing online and via email.

However, life happens. Maybe your camera settings are off, or maybe, you are like me. Yes, I have a degree in photography and all the latest and greatest high quality gadgets, but I make mistakes too. My mistake? Not doing a backup! After formatting images from a family get together I uploaded lo-res copies to Facebook to share with everyone and left the high quality versions on my hard drive. Which promptly crashed.

So now, I was left with only those tiny, poor quality copies on Facebook. You can upload (and download) hi-res images to Facebook and other online sites, but for privacy, security, and my own impatience I sized the images to 600 pixels before uploading, so that’s all I’ve got now.

Of course, one of the best pictures I’ve had with my little sister happened to be from this collection of photos. I was crushed because I knew it would make the PERFECT gift for our Mom’s birthday. It would seem like a lost cause, or something that you print as a 4×6 and slap in a cheap frame.  However, I knew that at Canvas Press we were doing some pretty amazing things with up-sampling images for printing on canvas, and I had hope!

At Canvas Press, we’ve developed a method that goes way beyond filters and plug-ins for enlarging digital files. Images that in the past we would have turned away are suddenly looking pretty good and pretty big sizes! By using our professional eye and experience in photo retouching we can take a low resolution, pixilated image and actually turn it into a beautiful photo on canvas. What is great about the canvas too is that the texture of it blends the ink which hides some grain and imperfections you might see on a photo print. Plus, a slightly soft, smooth photograph printed on canvas  can give the impression of a painting- what a bonus!

So I let our image specialists work their magic on my image and I was stunned by the results.  Here, you can see the original image:

On this site it might not look so bad, but it is only 600×400 pixels. For just an 8×10 canvas we print at least at 1800×1440 pixels.  Here is a close-up to show you what happened when we first blew it up to that size:

…and after our enhanced techniques for restoring a low resolution image, here is a close-up of the results:

Pretty amazing! Sure it is a little soft and lacks in some detail but it was certainly good enough for what I wanted to do. We turned it into a canvas and it was the perfect gift for Mom.

I know many people have been broken hearted to find out their favorite photo isn’t good enough and when it’s all you’ve got, that can be tough to hear. If you’ve had your favorite image turned away by another printer that said it wasn’t large enough, or you had poor quality results, please give Canvas Press a try! We’ll give it our very best and we won’t turn you away until we’ve exhausted all the possible options.