Photography Magazine

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS SPOTLIGHT ON IMPROVING YOUR IMAGE EDITING
AND TECHNIQUES PHOTOGRAPHER DIGITAL WORKFLOW TIPS & TUTORIALS
PhotographyBB
ISSUE #5 - June 2008
online
YO U R G U I D E T O T H E W O R L D O F D I G I TA L P H O T O G R A P H Y
HDR PHOTOGRAPHY
An Introduction to High Dynamic Range Photography - Fred McWilson
Understanding Curves:
Our series on curves continues
Photography 101correction
with a look at color
Kenneth Fagan shows how to:
MASTER YOUR CAMERA’S ISO!
Are Your Photos Worth Selling?

Jon Ayres shares Tips on Photography
“BUSINESS SMARTS”
Photoshop Elements and

Dreamweaver Tutorials!
By Victoria Sargsyan
Plus: Loads of Killer Photoshop® Tutorials and Techniques this Month!

PhotographyBB Online Magazine
From The Editor’s Desk

Dave Seeram is the Editor in Chief for PhotographyBB Online Magazine. As
the administrator of the PhotographyBB Website and Forums, Dave is also
an experienced author of several Photoshop® Actions and Tutorials which
can be found on http://www.PhotographyBB.com
PhotographyBB Online Magazine Fifth Edition - New Columns and More!
W
elcome to our fifth issue of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine! It was only a few
weeks since our last release, however, I wanted to put things back on track with
the scheduled release dates, so here we are once again! By now, I trust you have all
managed to finish reading through Issue #4, yes? This issue is one of our finest, as we were able
to cover a wide range of topics thanks to the evolution of our readership.
It always amazes me to meet with the volume of experienced and kind folks who wish to
help out and share their knowledge with those who are just getting started. For me, that’s what
makes PhotographyBB more than just another photography site; it makes us a Photography
Community. I’m proud of the growth of this magazine (through the hard work of all the
volunteer contributors), along with the evolution of our readership. We’ve gained thousands
of new readers, loads of new forum members (please come by and chat with us!), and I’m
greatful to have received countless emails from you, our readers, in thanks for this magazine.
The experts are sharing, the beginners are learning, and what more could we really ask for!
So what do we have in store for you this month? For starters, Ken Fagan has got some killer
articles this month, with tips on how to choose a suitable camera bag for all of your gear, along
with camera techniques in mastering ISO settings. Jon Ayres is back with an excellent article
on “Why Some Photographers Cannot Sell Their Photos,” giving us a no-holds barred look at
what it really takes to break into the professional photography business.
Additionally, Victoria Sargsyan gives us a great tutorial for Photoshop Elements, and a
continuation of the Dreamweaver for Photographers tutorial series. Also, Fred McWilson (our
resident OOB specialist!) is kicking off a brand new multi-issue series on HDR Photography. For
those of you who are new to HDR, I’m sure you’ll be drawn into this relatively new technique
(as I have been recently myself ).
I would also like to give a warm welcome to a new contributor to this month’s issue (with
more to come!). Jason Anderson joins us from the NAPP members site, and I am pleased to
welcome him to our group here. This month he gives us a profound and insightful view into
the topic of “Why?” we take photographs. Jason was also able to help us out in the 11th hour,
by graciously aggreeing to be this month’s Spotlight Member.
As for myself, this month I thought I would bring you a little something different from the
norm with the Photography Around the World series (one of my personal favourites). I’ve put
together a collection of some of my personal favourite images which I have taken throughout
my various travels around the globe. I hope you all enjoy them!
Thank you to everyone who brought this issue together, you’ve all done a fabulous job (as
usual) and it is appreciated not only by our readers, but also sincerly by me.
Dave Seeram
Editor and Publisher
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PhotographyBB
online
YO U R G U I D E T O T H E W O R L D O F D I G I TA L P H O T O G R A P H Y
Contributing Authors CREDITS

EDITORIAL:
DAVE SEERAM is the creator of the PhotographyBB Online Dave Seeram, Editor in Chief
Website, and the Administrator of the PhotographyBB Forums. Kenneth Fagan, Creative Concepts & Content
Dave is a digital photography enthusiast, and loves shooting
Victoria Sargsyan, Creative Concepts and Design
landscapes and architecture in his spare time. Additionally, he
has several years of formal training in both Adobe Photoshop® Priscilla Ko, Creative Concepts and Design
and Quark Xpress®.
WEB TEAM:
Dave Seeram, Web Design & Publishing, Admin
KENNETH FAGAN is a photographer extraordinaire based in Victoria Sargsyan, Site Moderator
Meath, in the Republic of Ireland. Ken graduated with a profes-
Kenneth Fagan, Site Moderator
sional Diploma in Photography from the Focal Point School for
Visual Arts in Vancouver. His specialities are product and food
photography, but he is also skilled in fashion, sports and land- PUBLISHING:
scapes. Ken works with many camera formats including, 35mm Dave Seeram, Publisher & Author
pro digital and film SLRS, medium format, and 4x5 large format. Jon Ayres, Contributing Writer
Kenneth Fagan, Contributing Writer
JON AYRES is a digital photographer from the United States, Victoria Sargsyan, Contributing Writer
now living in Moscow since August 2003. He enjoys photogra- Fred McWilson, Contributing Writer
phy, writing, history, and taking beautiful scenes of Moscow on Jason Anderson, Contributing Writer
his walking photo-tours. Jon has been involved in writing, digi-
tal art and photography for over thirty years and is a published
ON THE COVER:
author having several articles and photos published.
Dave Seeram, Cover Layout and Design
Priscilla Ko, Cover Design & Consultation
VICTORIA SARGSYAN is a professional graphic designer Cover Image, Courtesy of Fred McWilson
from Armenia, now living in the United States. She brings over
15 years of professional experience in graphic design, and her
favorite software tool is Adobe Photoshop. Additionally, she
is experienced in Illustrator, CorelDraw, Freehand, Lightroom,
Adobe ImageReady, Flash,HTML, Dreamweaver, Motion Artist,
Anime Studio, Poser. HOW TO CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHYBB ONLINE:
If you would like to contact PhotographyBB Online,

FRED MCWILSON is a photographer and Photoshop-wizard please email: [email protected] or write:
from southeast Missouri. We’re pleased to have Fred with us
as a Photoshop tutorial and HDR column author. Some of his
hobbies other than Photoshop and photography are caving PhotographyBB
and paintball. #331 - 6540 Hastings St.
Burnaby, B.C. V5B 4Z5
JASON ANDERSON has been active in photography for CANADA
about three years and shoots primarily with Canon gear. His
endeavors have included starting a local photography club, ARTICLE SUBMISSION:
in Summerville SC, where he currently resides, administer-
To submit an article, or to request an article submission,
ing the online presence and their community forums. His
philosophy about photography is learning through the please email [email protected] with your
sharing of knowledge, and he thoroughly enjoys both the name, email address, and a brief description of your
art of photography as well as his written pursuits. article and ideas. We look forward to hearing from you.
Page 3
Before There Was Digital...

Have you ever stopped to think about the other camera formats out there?
In our last month’s issue, I gave you a brief look at how 35mm changed the
world of photography. This month I’ll be writing about one of the world’s
best known “toy” cameras - The Holga
THE HOLGA: LOW TECH IN A HIGH TECH WORLD - By Kenneth Fagan

It is a known fact that each time a new camera comes on the market; there is almost always some kind of new
technology to “help” it (basically to sell and produce possibly better images). What if I was to tell you that there
is a range of cameras out there that have become a mega hit, but comes stripped right down to pretty much a
shell of plastic and a few moving parts - Light leaks and all.
produced can create quite varied images. The holga

is a film camera which takes 120 (medium format) roll
film or some can take 35mm also, with a few home-
made modifications.
So what is it that makes the Holga so popular? If

you were to buy any other camera and realised that
there were light leaks when you got the film developed,
the lens was off centre or out of focus, or the images
were circular and the back (holding in the film) fell off
on occasion… What is the first thing you would do?
Box it up and send it back to the store where you got
it of course. But with the Holga these are the things
that make the Holga what it is. It is rare to find a Holga
F
or this month’s issue, it is time to push aside those
megapixel cameras and super sharp lenses, and
let the world of the toy camera have a look in.
The toy camera has become a big hit over the past
few years. Made almost entirely out of plastic; even the
lens is plastic. Constructed with the most basic design
in mind, each camera made is unique in its own right.
There are many different makers of toy cameras such
as Holga and Lomo. For this article I will mainly focus
on the Holga craze.
Popularity has grown with these cameras for many

reasons; one main reason is the unique nature of the
images the photographer can get out of the camera. As
the Holga is made to such low specifications, each one
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all I was almost hoping that there would be some form

of major malfunction going on in it. It is a Holga after
all! I still have fun with it of course. I don’t happen to
take it out too often, but each time I do, I often regret
not using it more simply because it is fun and a break
from all the hi-tech gadgetry in the ‘usual’ cameras - A
break from the norm so to speak.
Holga 120 cameras are quite cheap too. Retailing

between $40 and $60 it is a bargain and well worth
the money if it is something you feel that you would
get into and start using as an art form, instead of
something to replace your old compact. Of course, I
don’t recommend you throw any cameras away once
you get your hands on a new toy camera. Toys are for
fun, and as so, shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
You can choose from basic models which have the

most basic of functions such as a shutter, or a more
‘upmarket’ version which has a flash, bulb mode, a
tripod mount and a hot shoe. Some mid-range models
without any of these, let’s call them manufacturing have everything mentioned except for a hot shoe for
imperfections. So there lies the answer to the question. a flash accessory. In the images of the camera below
The Holga craze has taken off because of the light leaks, you will see the construction and how basic it truly is.
the circular images and the sometimes out of focus The shutter is activated by pressing down a lever at the
lenses. One of these, or a combination of these, gives front of the camera, and for bulb mode it must be held
each photographer the ability to create their own style. down for the duration of the exposure.
If you don’t like the light leaks (honestly, who does) it
is just a matter of taping up the back cover with some The lens has a few different scene modes such as
black insulating tape, or often some elastic bands do landscapes, individual and group photos, with two
quite nicely. There really isn’t any avoiding of the out of shooting modes for bright light and over cast light,
focus lens or the circular frame, although I must admit with or without flash. Each camera is also made with
the Holga I possess happens to be made and sealed a handy tripod mount. You can have the option of
up very well, with no light leaks, a relatively sharp lens shooting 6x6 or 6x4.5 cm through the use of adaptors
and only a shade of vignette around the edges of the which are placed inside the camera before the film
frame. I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry, after is inserted. The film is wound forward manually after
Page 5
each exposure so multi-exposure is made possible.

The holga will work with or without batteries, but
are necessary if using one that possesses a flash. The
batteries can only be changed when there is no film in
the camera.
One of the most peculiar parts of the camera is

its back. The back is held down by two sliding clips,
securing one small plastic tab on each side of the fully
removable back. It is so easy to open the clips that it
is highly recommended you hold the back down with
tape even if your holga is light leak free so you wont
ruin your film. (See images below)
The toy camera also comes in many forms,

particularly with the Lomo cameras, ranging from a
single lens to a nine lens camera if you want something
that extra bit quirky and unusual. Lomo’s come in
35mm and Medium Format and are available to buy at
around the same price range as the Holga.
Artists and photographers alike have grown to

love the toy camera, mainly for the unique style of each
image the camera creates with its all plastic build. For
some, the toy camera isn’t just a hobby camera, it has
become their art form. Many top galleries around the
world have started displaying some of the work and
are becoming increasingly popular as each year goes
by.
Just about everyone who gets there hands on

a Lomo or a Holga fall in love with the cheap plastic
simplicity and the blurry artistic images. Over the past
few years a lot of the ‘fun’ aspect has been taken out of
photography with the digital age of today. We no longer
need to wait a week for our film to come back from
the lab or develop our own film in a darkroom. Perhaps
all is not lost, there is a glimmer of hope for those of
you who find that the instant feedback of your digital
just isn’t very exciting, which often is the case. There
is no waiting around, no nail biting and the care free
attitude of many digital users have almost completely
lost the true meaning of photography for themselves.
Randomly shooting like there is no tomorrow only to
see when they upload all their images to realise there
is nothing to look at.
The toy camera is a great option if you are a digital

buff and maybe a little scared of trying film in case you
mess up; there is no ‘delete’ button on a film camera!
Page 6
Go out there and try it, you can’t go wrong. There aren’t roll of film back from the lab, don’t expect miracles. If
really any scary settings on a toy camera (perhaps just you want crystal clear sharp images, stick to your other
the precarious clips to hold in the film back). All you camera, if you want something a little different check
have to do is move the lens to the portrait or scene out a Holga or a Lomo. It will be worth your while!
mode and push the button, then wind on to your next
frame. It could not be easier than that. Here are some links that might interest you:
The best thing about the toy camera is that you http://shop.photographybb.com/Film-Cameras/
can pretty much shoot anything you wish (with a little Other-Film-Cameras
thought first!) and there is a good chance that it will
turn out pretty fun. Besides if you just use an affordable http://www.holga.net
roll of colour negative, it has such a wide exposure
range, you won’t have to worry too much about over http://www.lomography.com
or under exposure. So you can shoot away to your
hearts content. Just remember, when you get your first http://www.toycamera.com
Page 7
This article and photographs contained are Copyright © and courtesy of Kenneth Fagan. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Why Most Photographers

Cannot Sell Their Work
A Brief Look at What it Takes to be a Successful Professional By Jon D. Ayres
N
ow what digital camera owner and experience outweighs the necessity for any
photographer have not thought of formal business training. This may sound
selling a few photographs? We all have! harsh, but pro photography is a real business
I’m pretty happy to say that I can be included and a high level of business and marketing
into the rank of photographers who have knowledge would be required (for any
sold photos and have had articles and photos self-employed trade) in order to truly be a
published. But very few photographers successful professional.
ever do manage to sell a single photo, even
when they decide to make photography their Here is what I consider the top reasons
business and profession, compared to the why the ego tripper photographers never sell
numbers who try. All you have to do is read their photos.
a few of the pro photography and business
forums and camera forums; you’ll see the Consider the business side of photography.
requests for advice everywhere. Questions For some, selling their work is only on an
ranging from: What type of camera do I ego trip, and when that bubble bursts them
need? How do I price my work? How do I back to reality, many will end up selling that
market myself? All the way to questions like: fancy DSLR camera, lenses, tripod, and other
How do I take this photo all the way? Why is things they bought in order to convince
nobody buying my photos? It’s pretty obvious themselves and others they are professional
whoever is really posting these questions to photographers. I say ego trip because most
these pro business photography forums; Not have been complimented on a few of their
all, but a great many of them are “ego trippers” photos, which gives them a high, so they
trying to be pros. The unfortunate fact is that decide they “want” to sell photos or become a
there are many amateur photographers with pro photographer. The fact is, true professional
great talent that take interesting photos, who photographers take the time to consider
will fail simply because they never took time everything, including the business side of
to learn the business side of photography. It photography. True professionals consider
takes more than photography skills and good things like business licenses, business taxes,
photos to be a successful photographer, and the competition, going rate for photography
sadly, too many talented photographers find jobs, what photos are in demand and by
this out too late. Being a pro photographer who, marketing, advertising, generally the
is hard work, long hours, sometimes dealing important every day to day business decisions
with difficult clients (let alone difficult to find that must be made by the successful business
clients at all), and sometimes you’re limited in person that are always overlooked by those
creativity because you have to give what the on the “ego trips.”
client wants. There are many who consider
themselves pros because they may know a lot Knowing your audience.
about photography, but until they learn the There are many amateur and professional
complete picture, they will only be dreamers photographers who take picture perfect
with big egos whom I will regard to as “ego photos, correct in every way. I read once that
tripper photographers” (a hint at my age). a good photo is a photo that has sold; the
Now, I’m not talking about the photographers trouble is not every good photo will be sold
who are willing to learn these aspects of or bought. Why? The most likely scenario is
their trade. I am talking about the ones who because there was no demand for that type of
feel that their photography knowledge and photo at the time. Successful photographers
Page 8
know what types of photos are in demand (currently) short and sweet since editors are extremely busy
and by whom, and they produce these types of people. The postcard gets their attention because it is
photos. Successful professionals shoot and provide unique and many do contact me.
photos according to the demand; a simple business
principle that is again overlooked by the ego tripper Be honest with yourself.
photographers. You’ll be surprised at how often You have to be honest with yourself, or you might
people submit the wrong types of photos to various let your ego make mistakes you’ll later regret making.
magazines; cat photos to dog magazines, flower photos It’s perfectly natural for every digital photographer to
to architecture magazines, or car photos to boating believe that every photo they take is great and will
magazines. Knowing your audience is an integral part make them famous; even I have that dream every now
of being a successful professional photographer. and then. But you have to be realistic about your work.
Photography is constantly changing and you have to
Marketing. be willing to change with it or fail. The demands for
Successful photographers know how to market certain photos and types of photos change, and unless
themselves. The ego tripper photographers believe you keep up with these changes, how can you expect to
their photos are so good that everybody will be beating sell anything? You have to be honest with yourself; Are
a path to their door to buy their masterpieces. I read your photos good enough that people will buy them?
once on a photography business forum, this young girl Are your skills and knowledge good (both photography
set up a web page to sell her photos. She had this web and business skills)? Do you learn from your mistakes?
page up for a year and sold nothing, not one single To truly learn how good your photos are, join a forum
photo, why you may ask? Simple, she did nothing to where both amateurs and professionals post and ask
get the word out about her site, not one thing to market for constructive criticisms. You will always find plenty
herself except tell her friends and family who did not of people who are always truly willing to help. Also,
buy anything either. Selling your photos by internet is enter your photos into contests. Some contests are
an excellent way to sell your work. I have photos with held by National Geographic, the BBC, or a magazine
several stock agencies and I work hard to market my like JPG Magazine who publishes only the winning
work. I submit my web sites to search engines, and photos in its magazine. There is no prize except you
when I write an article for a magazine, I give links to my find out just how good your photos really are. If you
sites in my profile. If I am providing work for free, I make can win a major contest against good competition
sure my name and web links are included. Since I only from all over the world, then you can say your photos
do freelance work and work selling my digital art part- are pretty good and most likely sellable. Of course the
time, I do not need paid advertising. However, if I were ultimate test is when somebody buys your photos, then
a full time professional, you can believe that I would the final question has been answered. Once you can
also be advertizing in newspapers, magazines, web sell a photo, then you know for sure your photos are at
pages and other ways. Successful photographers look a professional standard and people will buy them. The
carefully at the issues of the magazine and newspapers next reason is related closely to this one.
they hope to sell to in order to find out just what types
of photos the publication needs and uses. Too many Know your strengths and weaknesses.
of the ego tripper photographers are simply just too Over-stating your qualifications, skills and
lazy. With all of the talented competition out there, knowledge and then under-delivering good quality
you can not expect people to buy your work if they do photos as promised. This is probably the thing
not know about it. If you don’t have a plan to market that irritates me the most about the ego tripping
yourself, just how do you expect them to find you, let photographers; they think they can do it all!
alone buy your work? Sometimes you should even be Photography is a specialized field just like medical,
willing to do work for free; it not only gets your work legal, music and many other fields. Just like lawyers
seen, but also gets your name known. I’m often willing and doctors, professional photographers tend to
to do photography and writing for small neighborhood specialize in certain types of photography, like
organizations and clubs who print local neighborhood wedding, portrait, landscape, nature and so on.
newspapers and club newsletters. Doing free work like Photographers just like doctors and lawyers tend to
this gets both your work and name seen by many people. stick to their specialty except some photographers like
You’re taking a vacation or business trip to some exotic to have another specialty as a sideline when their main
far away local; why not make a pitch or two to a local specialty is running low. The main difference between
newspaper, maybe a few travel magazines. Thinking the ego tripper photographers and the professionals
ahead is one of the secrets to successful businessmen/ is that true professionals know when to gracefully turn
women. Think of unique ways to market yourself; I like down jobs and are humble enough to say, “I feel you
to have post cards made from my best photos and I would be better off finding another photographer
will send a postcard to an editor, keeping my message since what you’re asking me to photograph is not one
Page 9
of my strengths. I’m really not qualified for this type research the things like keywords and search trends.
of work.” But the ego is a powerful and strong drug Then they provide both quality and commercial type
that has caused not only many photographers to fail photographs. Still, others do everything themselves;
and cause disappointment for their clients, but also take the photo, print it, frame it and sell it online, in
lawsuits in some cases. shops, some even travel around to different art fairs
to sell their work. Successful photographers match
Show no fear! their types of photos to certain markets, and then they
Too many photographers are afraid to place their match how this market buys its photos and artwork
photos on the internet. Business (and I do mean any and only sell their work where the strongest market
business) is risky, especially a business as competitive is. It takes times to discover the best way to sell your
as professional photography. From time to time I photos, if one way does not work, then use another
see a few of the ego tripping photographers say that way. Offering a photo is easy; getting it sold is the hard
they refuse to post any of their photos on the internet part.
because they are so afraid that somebody will steal
them. Businesses are full of risks and you can pretty Stop Procrastinating!
well define business as taking risks. The internet is a Maybe because the ego tripper photographer
big part of business today, and just like in a brick and believes that their photos will sell themselves, they
mortar store, you can be robbed, swindled, and stolen put off doing anything to get the word out about
from. So yes, your photos can be stolen, it does happen their photos. If you’re unwilling to get off your tail and
from time to time, but not as much as some think it do some work, you’re not going to sell squat. Ansel
does. To refuse to place your photos on the internet Adams, one of America’s top photographers in the
pretty much guarantees that you’re on your way to 20th century used to sell his photos from the trunk of
failure. I think what really frightens some people is that his car in grocery store parking lots in the 1950’s; you
if somebody were to steal their photos, they would can believe he worked his tail off to become famous.
have no idea of what they would do or how to do it. There are many ways to show the public your work,
The internet is a big part of business marketing, a lot at the local library, restaurants, hotels, doctor’s office
of it is for free and if you do not use it, you’re putting waiting rooms, there are endless ways to show off
yourself at a disadvantage. Business is risk, if you’re your work. One simple way is to print up some of
not prepared to take risks, then you can not expect your photos, mount them nicely with you name and
to make money. There are ways to protect your work contact info and offer them for display. Too often
professionally and legally, and there are also some very photographers put off doing things that causes them
simple solutions. Only upload low resolution photos, to miss selling their work, things like having the proper
which are next to useless for photo thieves, and greatly settings so they miss once in the lifetime shots, post
limits what can be done with the photos. Also if you processing their work so they are ready to make a sell,
are paranoid about somebody stealing your work, then missing opportunities to make sells because they have
register your copyright. It’s not that hard or expensive, nothing to offer, they never look for buyers. Successful
and if your photo is stolen then you can collect a lot professional photographers are always ready to make
more than you can if your copyright is not registered. a sell; they never put off doing what needs to be done.
Plus, image thieves try to avoid stealing registered True professionals make sells because of their hard
copyrighted work because they know they are in big work and skill; they do what needs to be done.
trouble if caught.
Think like an entrepreneur.
Choose the right way to sell your photos. If you want to sell your photos, then you should
Too many photographers who take good photos think like an entrepreneur. Look at your photos
choose the wrong way to sell their photos and end up honestly, if you saw one of your photos in a gallery,
selling nothing as a result. There are many avenues for would you buy it? If you would not, then why would
selling your work; with a stock agency, to magazines you expect anybody else to buy it? I have rarely seen
and newspapers, to local ad agencies, to clients who this mentioned, maybe it is one of the successful
book you or photos, to the public, or even privately photographer’s closely guarded secrets. After all,
yourself with your own web page gallery. It really if you have a photography business, are you not
depends on the type of photography you do, as to how an entrepreneur? Successful photographers know
you should sell your work. Portraiture and wedding how to generate business, they get out and make
photographers generally sell to clients directly who opportunities for themselves. So if no gallery wants
have pre-booked. Some choose to sell by using stock to display their work, they find a spare room in their
agencies. The successful photographers selling by home of garage, maybe in an extra building in back
stock agencies pay close attention to what the market of their house and create a gallery for themselves and
demand is, what is selling and what is not, and they also show it to everybody. If you have bought material to
Page 10
frame your photos, matting, frames and other things to base and you always have to learn new skills, that’s why
show your work, most likely you bought at a framing I have an extensive library on photography and post
shop. If you’re like most people, you tend to have a processing, it takes time and patience period!
favorite shop to buy different things and to buy your
frames and materials and you know the owner pretty Starting a successful photography business is not
well. It should be obvious that most framing shops easy, it takes time, planning and knowledge of business.
are always in need of pictures to show off their frames. That being said, it’s not impossible, and that is why
Why not try and work out a deal with the owner, to set most of the ego photographers fail. If you’re good at
up a small gallery, you set the price for your photo (in what you do, know how to satisfy your customers so
reason I hope so it will be attractive) and the framing that they return and recommend you to others, then
shop owner adds what he will charge for the frame and you will have no reason to worry. True professionals
you have your gallery. Maybe small yes, but still you who know what they are doing, never have to worry
have a gallery, that’s displaying your work for sell. It’s about such things, they provide an excellent product
a win/win situation for both you and the frame shop and know how to satisfy, keep and expand their
owner and if your work is truly good, it will not be long cliental base. So it’s very easy to tell the ego tripper
until a real art gallery approaches you. professionals from the true photo pros.
Post processing. If you’re interested in reading some excellent

It really depends on if you’re selling stock photos material about having a photography business
or photos that can be downloaded as to the degree of your own, from real honest to goodness pro
of post processing you should do. Some major photographers, take a look at this web page:
magazines and newspapers prefer to do their own post http://blogs.photopreneur.com - There’s some great
processing and have big graphic arts departments to information about starting and running your own
handle post processing, but your photos should be photography business and selling your photos in many
clean, noise free, sharp and clear. No halos, fringe, ways, stock, magazines, newspapers, and to clients - It’s
noise and obvious imperfections. If you’re unwilling to truly a great resource tool.
do at least minor post processing, you will always only
be considered only an amateur. Professionals always
clean up their photos and correct the imperfections
that almost every digital photo has.
A Word From the Author:
Patience. My name is Jon D. Ayres and I’m originally from

Most ego tripper photographers have no patience, Albany, GA in the US. I first came to Moscow,
and they expect everybody to be beating down their Russia in August 2003 and fell in love with the
door to buy their wonderful masterpieces. When I was city and I have been here ever since. In Moscow,
in college, (I have a degree in business management I have taught English, business, history, literature
by the way) I learned that it generally takes one year among other things.
before a business starts showing a profit. It took six
months before I sold my first photo on a stock site, so I have been involved in writing, digital art and
unless you have patience, you really have no business in photography for over thirty years and I am a
business. True professional photographers know that published author of several articles and photos.
it takes time for everything to come together, because You can find examples of my digital art and
they know all about the business side of photography. photography at the following sites:
They understand and know what the business of
photography is all about. They generally break into http://www.redbubble.com/people/bossman
the photography business slowly by working as an
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until they build a reputation and name for themselves, Images6269.aspx
then move to fulltime work. They know that sometimes
sideline jobs are need to make ends meet, like writing http://www.eyeoftheart.com/JonAyres
and teaching. Why do you think all these big name pros
are teaching photography classes, giving lectures and http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c226/
making videos? Success takes time, you have to have wummis/
developed a business plan, know exactly what you
want to accomplish, how you will market yourself, and http://www.fotothing.com/JohnnyReb/
a backup plan when things do not workout exactly as
you plan. It takes time and skill to build up your client
Page 11
This article and all photographs contained are Copyright © and courtesy of Jon Ayres. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Photography 101
Each issue of PhotographyBB Online Magazine will bring you helpful tips and
tutorials on how to get the most of your digital camera and equipment. We’ll
cover camera techniques, principals of photography, digital photography
issues, and how to get the most from the dreaded manual-mode!
THE SPEED OF LIGHT: GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ISO’S - By Kenneth Fagan
One of the most challenging aspects of photography is light. It is the deciding factor of time, and that perfect
exposure. There are plenty of situations in photography where light is compromised, such as very dull overcast
skies, night-time and on the other end very bright days where the sky is clear and the sun is high. In cases like
these, shutter speeds and apertures may end up being undesirable, either too fast or too slow, disabling the
photographer from shooting to his or her full potential. Utilizing the ISO settings in your SLR are beneficial to
every photographer, from the complete beginner to the seasoned professional.
replaced the film in your SLR but the principle of the

ISO hasn’t changed. The sensor in your SLR increases
or decreases in light sensitivity as you increase or
decrease the ISO speed.
Adjusting your ISO for the light conditions (or

the effect you require in your exposure) can greatly
increase the flexibility you have when obtaining the
type of exposure you want. While considering the
benefits of ISO’s in connection with apertures and
shutter speeds. The quality of an image deteriorates as
the ISO speed increases. This depends on the camera
and the length of the exposure. When you hear about
grain, it is usually referencing the use of film; the lower
the ISO the finer the grain. For example, at ISO 50 an
image will have a much finer grain with a high level
I
n previous issues of the PBB magazine I touched on of clarity and sharpness but it also requires a slower
the importance of ISOs in relation to f-stops and shutter speed (depending on the aperture). As the ISO
shutter speeds, in this issue I will give you a more increases, the level of grain increases, so an ISO of 6400
in-depth look into the benefits of ISO’s and when and will have a very high level of grain but allows for a much
where to use them. faster shutter speed. The DSLR doesn’t officially have
grain; instead it is replaced with noise. The higher end
What is an ISO? An ISO in photography is a DSLR’s attempt to mimic the effect of grain with higher
measurement which describes how sensitive film is to ISO’s but depending on the level of DSLR you have, the
light. Originally ISO’s were (and still are) used to grade quality of grain will vary. The lower end models will just
film and how sensitive each film type is to light. This is have an increased amount of noise at high ISO where
known as film speed. ISO’s range from 6 to 6400, and the higher end models will have an improved level of
as the number increases, the faster the film speed. The noise and will have a more grainy appearance.
higher the ISO the more light sensitive it becomes.
With the introduction of the DSLR the benefits of the Increasing or decreasing the ISO on your camera is
ISO metering in the film generation was as necessary not necessarily only for adjusting for light conditions
with the digital sensor. In simple terms, the sensor has such as very dull weather, or bright conditions such
Page 12
as snow with a blue sky. Adjusting your ISO can also This may sound a bit overwhelming, so let’s look
improve the photographers range for more creative at an example: Shutter speed is 1/60th at f8, at 100
shots. Depending on what you are after in a photograph, ISO. Increasing ISO from 100 to 400 will give you a new
the ISO can help you either lengthen or shorten an shutter speed of 1/250th sec (much faster!). If you then
exposure time. Sometimes low light conditions can changed your aperture from f8 to f11 your shutter
be a problem, especially if handholding, slow shutter speed will have decreased to 1/125th sec. Depth of
speeds are unavoidable on a slow ISO like 50 or 100. field might be an important consideration in your
Opening up your lens (aperture) may not be an option photo, so you will want to remember that all these
if you have a desired depth of field you want to use. For settings work together, and affect each other. Basically,
example, if you are working in low light and you require if you want to decrease the aperture and use a higher
a DOF of f11, but the proper exposure at f11 is 1/30th shutter speed, then you will also need to increase your
sec., handholding at this slow of a speed could pose ISO to compensate for the smaller aperture, allowing
a problem with camera shake resulting in a shaky or you to achieve the desired shutter speed.
blurry image. By simply changing the ISO to 200 it will
double that exposure time to 1/60th giving you a small At the other end of the scale you may need to
bit of relief from camera shake. It is a good idea to run decrease your ISO due to an extra bright daylight
a few tests to see on average what the slowest shutter environment such as a clear sky with snow on the
speed you can shoot at without shaking your camera. It ground. In conditions like this with all the ambient
all depends of course on the environment, the weather light, the shutter speed may end up too fast if you want
and how much pressure you are under while shooting to create a motion blur or if you have a lens that cannot
these things all contribute to camera shake along with decrease its aperture enough to prevent over exposure
a slow shutter speed. A comfortable shutter speed for even at a high shutter speeds. This is a prime example
most people is between 1/90th and 1/125th sec, where where the use of a polarizer and / or a neutral density
at that shutter speed you shouldn’t have to worry about filter would aid the photographer to decrease the
camera shake too much. If avoiding camera shake shutter speed. Most, if not all, DSLR’s lowest ISO speed
means bumping your ISO up to 200 or 400 or anything is 50. This should decrease the shutter speed by half if
in between, do it, otherwise your blurry images won’t you were already shooting at an ISO of 100. Realistically
be of any use to you. At the same time try not to get speaking you should not have to shoot any higher than
too carried away with adjusting your ISO’s, just try your ISO 100 or 200 in daylight snowy conditions.
best to keep the shutter speed within your comfort
zone and beyond if need be. When working on longer exposures such as traffic
trails or cityscapes at night. It is not necessary to
Typical ISO readings on your camera are as follows; increase your ISO, it is best if you leave it at a slow to
50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400. There are medium ISO such as 50 to 200. The likelihood is that
various speeds in between but for easier understanding you will not be hand holding. A good cityscape at night
of the ISO I have omitted them from this article. Once can work out quite well at ISO 100 at f32 for around
you get to understand the fundamentals of the ISO you 60 seconds. The results will be much better than a 15
will be able to judge what ISO suits your needs best. second exposure at ISO 400 due to the starburst effect
associated with longer exposures, and there will be
Certain photographic scenarios (of course it much less noise in an ISO 100 image compared to an
depends on the light too), almost always requires the ISO 400 image. Also, the colour reproduction will be
photographer to increase the ISO. There is no better more natural and the image will be much sharper.
example than shooting fast paced sporting events
or anything that has an increased amount of motion. The ISO is an important tool in your camera for you
Even on the brightest of days achieving a high shutter to make use of. Try shooting at different ISOs and study
speed can be tricky. Choosing the correct shutter the differences in contrast, sharpness and exposure, it
speed in sports photography is vital and something is the best way to learn and you will find that it can
which you as a budding photographer should be wary be quite useful for shooting indoors or in places or at
of at all times. You may want to “freeze” motion so by times where you are unable or not allowed to use flash
increasing your ISO by one or two increments you can photography. It is important tough that you don’t get
increase your shutter speed and may also allow you to too carried away with increasing or decreasing your
have more leeway on your DOF (depth of field) settings. ISO as you could end up with undesired results such
Remember that if you increase your ISO your shutter as unsharp or blurry images with too much or too
speed increases, but if you decrease your aperture (say little contrast. From personal experience I begin all my
from f8 to f11) at the same time you will have a greater photographic projects at ISO 100, as it is a good place
DOF, but your shutter speed will not have increased by to start and it makes it easier to judge how much the
as much. ISO needs to be increased or (less likely) decreased
Page 13
from that reference point.
Start experimenting a little more with the settings on your camera. So far in this magazine you have read about
the basics on apertures, DOF, manual photography and more as well as ISO. Try using all these functions in your
camera to their biggest potential and get the most out of what you have in front of you. After all your camera is only
as good as what you can get out of it. Stand out from the crowd and start experimenting.
Shown below are some examples of images and how varying the ISO (to change the shutter speed and/or aperture - thereby varying the depth of field
too), can influence the amount of noise which is present in the images. You may wish to zoom in to 150% to view these examples.
ISO 100 ISO 200
ISO 400 ISO 800
ISO 1600 ISO 3200

Page 14
Photography Around the World

Each month, theOnline
PhotographyBB PhotographyBB
Magazine isOnline
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to launchtakes
our first
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aroundwiththea
fabulous
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lands
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glory
course,
of faramazing
away places.
photos!
A GLIMPSE AT THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES (AND LENS) - By Dave Seeram

Hello folks! It’s your Editor and Publisher, Dave Seeram joining you in this month’s Photography Around the
World column. This month, I’m going to do something slightly different. I want you to take a brief break from
reading, as I showcase some of my personal favourite photographs which I have taken throughout my travels
across the globe. Sit back, relax your mind, and enjoy the world as seen through my eyes...
Shown above is a photo I took when I was in Hong Kong. Some of you have seen this before, however, I wanted
to publish it again as it truly is one of my favourites. This photo is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photograph of
“Central” Hong Kong at dusk. I tend to like the illustrative quality that HDR gives an image, hence the surreal look in
this photograph. This photo was taken at “the Peak” lookout, which resides up the mountainside looking down over
some of the world’s tallest buildings.
Page 15
Left (top to bottom): The Giant Buddha on Lantau

Island in Hong Kong, is the world’s largest seated
bronze buddha. Next, we have a stone statue of a lion
at the peak, overlooking central Hong Kong. At the
bottom we have the Ruins of Saint Paul’s cathedral in
Macau, China.
Below: Shown below are the casino lights in Macau’s

gambling district. Even though there are far fewer
casinos, they say more money passes through Macau
than in Las Vegas each year. Also shown below is
another view of the Ruins of Saint Paul’s catherdral at
nighttime.
Page 16
The photographs here are not from Paris as you would think... These were some of my favourites from Las Vegas!
Page 17
Sometimes shooting in your own backyard can be just as fun as travelling. Here are some HDR illustrations of the Vancouver Harbour.
Page 18
Top: HDR Illustration of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Bottom: One of my favourite photos of a pier in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Page 19
Top: Strolling along our resort’s private beach in Tofino, I came across this
log, and instantly saw black & white. My beautiful wife, Priscilla (quite the
photographer herself!), managed to capture the waves just before they
washed away this shell.
Thank you for allowing me to

give you a look at the world seen
through my eyes throughout
some of the various travels I
have taken. This is just a small
sampling of the endless library
of photos I have, but I wanted to
share with our readers, some of
my favourite images.
I hope you have enjoyed this

little “visual vacation” away from
the usual “Photography Around
the World” series.
Stay tuned for next month’s issue

as we journey to a far away land,
and enjoy the photographic
wonderment in the beautiful
country of Australia.
A photograph taken by Priscilla, of me, getting a nice low-angle shot of the incomming waves.
Page 20
This article and all image contained are Copyright © are courtesy of Dave Seeram. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Choosing the Right Accessories

With all of the photography gear on the market today, it’s difficult to
determine which accessories are right for you, and what to look for once you
decide on an accessory. In this ongoing segment, we’ll examine the things
you should look for when choosing photography accessories, and help you
to make an informed decision based on your photographic needs.
CAMERA BAGS: WHAT YOU NEED TO STORE YOUR STUFF - By Kenneth Fagan
So you have bought your Camera, a couple of lenses and maybe a flash unit. Now it’s time for you to think about
how you are going to keep your gear clean and safe from the elements. You will be happy to know that there’s
something out there to suit every pocket. Depending on how much gear you have, it is important to buy the bag
to suit your equipment.
What type of bag suits my needs?

There are many different designs of bags that are
specially constructed for form, function and comfort. I
will cover some different varieties further in this article.
Depending on whether you will be carrying your
cameras on a long hike up a mountain, up the street, or
from your car to the house, certain designs will prove
more useful and comfortable than others.
How much should I spend?

Camera bags can be quite expensive, but there are
cheaper options out there. You should however, shop
around to get the best deal. A more expensive camera
bag can be weather proof, and made from a more
durable material with a higher quality construction.
It should outlast the much cheaper options in the
long run. All too often the most expensive option, if
purchased at the beginning, can turn out to be the
T
he first piece of advice I can give is to buy a bag cheapest. If looked after properly, a good camera bag
that will hold all of your gear, plus a little more. I could last many years, maybe even a lifetime.
say “plus a little more” because, should you ever
decide on buying a new accessory you will need space Why do I need a camera bag?
for it too. That said, if you only have one camera, one A camera bag is an essential addition to protect your
lens, and one or two other bits and pieces then there is gear from the elements, keeping them clean and safe
no need to go crazy and buy a bag that is over priced from knocks and bangs. Additionally, a bag protects
with enough space left over that you could live in it. your gear from the prying eyes of the public.
On the market today, there are hundreds of bags How big of a bag should I buy?
in various shapes, forms and sizes. There are a few The answer to this question depends on the amount of
questions you want to ask yourself before you purchase gear you have or intend on having. Find out before you
a new camera bag. make a purchase how much can be fitted in, and most
importantly will your SLR fit into it. It also depends if
How much gear do I have and/or need to fit in? you plan to bring all or a portion of your gear when
Will you carry everything with you or just the camera you go out shooting. It is worth careful consideration
and the lenses that you know you’ll use. before buying.
Page 21
Choosing a bag:
There are three main bag designs on the market today;
The Toploading Bag
most common is the shoulder bag, the backpack and
the sling bag. Each one is designed to suit the individual
photographer’s needs. Let’s have a look at the three
main designs along with their pros and cons.
The Shoulder Bag
PROS:
• Smaller and Lightweight.
• Perfect for going out on a day outing, where you
know you’ll only require one shooting lens.
• Easy on easy off.
• Quick access to camera.
CONS:
• Can only carry your camera body with one lens.
PROS: • Limited space for accessories.
• Fast packing / unpacking of gear.
• Easy on easy off.
• Vast range of styles from single to multi camera
and lens storage.
CONS:
• When carrying for long distances, especially with
larger bags or if you are carrying a lot of
equipment, can become extremely uncomfortable.
• Big shoulder bags can prove to be quite awkward
in crowded areas.
• Can sometimes get in the way when shooting if
you are unable to put it down.
The Backpack Page 22

PROS: When going on a shoot it is entirely up to you as

• Useful for shooting where a lot of walking is involved to what you bring along with you, below is a list of
• Even distribution of weight on your back & shoulders essentials which could prove to be very useful to have
• Some backpacks can also facilitate a laptop. in your bag, excluding your camera and lenses:
CONS: • Lens pen or lens cleaner, and sensor cleaner

• Changing Gear can be a bit of an inconvenience with • Spare batteries for flash, light meter, and camera
all the clips and comfort straps. making sure they are charged before you leave!
• Slow removal of gear. • Spare memory cards
• Plastic bag (for camera protection in the rain)
• Filters
Full camera bags can be quite heavy, even with

one SLR and a couple of lenses, it can become rather
uncomfortable and quite straining on the back and
shoulders. The first thing in the fight against discomfort
is to evenly distribute the cameras and lenses in your
bag, spreading the weight. Adjust the strap according
to your build for maximum comfort, although long
periods of bag carrying can cause a few short term
aches and pains no matter how soft the carry strap is.
If I was to recommend a style of bag which had

comfort, durability and plenty of support, I would
have to say the backpack would be my first choice.
Backpacks usually have a medium to high storage
Every camera bag comes with its own supply capacity so it may be too big if you just have a camera
of dividers to make secure compartments for your and a few lenses.
camera and your lenses. They can be easily moved
around to give the best fit for your equipment. It is Similar to the Backpack, is the sling bag, it is slung
important that each piece of equipment can be easily over one shoulder with one strap to be used as a
removed and replaced with ease, but there shouldn’t shoulder bag or for extra support it can be strapped
be any (or very little) side to side movement. This gives around your chest for that extra support. The sling
extra protection should your bag get a knock, keeping bags have a small to medium storage capacity, usually
everything safe and in place. with just enough space to carry your SLR with one lens
attached, and a small compartment for memory cards
One important thing to remember, particularly if or tiny accessories.
you only want a bag to fit your SLR with a lens attached,
is that they vary in size greatly. Unless you measure the Shoulder bags come in all shapes and sizes, a
dimensions of your kit or bring it to the store with you, shoulder bag in my own experience can be quite
there is a good chance that you will get a bag that your uncomfortable over time, but if you just have one SLR
camera is either to big or to long (with the lens) to fit with a single lens attached along with an accessory or
into. So, the measure twice cut once theory applies two (such as a flash or light meter), a shoulder bag is
here too, although in almost all cases the bag will definitely the most convenient and fastest bag to use
have a tag with the storage specifications and internal with your camera.
dimensions to guide you.
I hope that this has given you some insight into
As I mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to buy a purchasing a camera bag. A quality bag will long outlast
bag that holds all the gear you need on a shoot, plus a any other camera bag once looked after correctly, they
little more. This allows you to have space for a new lens are almost always designed with comfort in mind.
in the future. For example, if you have one SLR, two Choose wisely and you cannot go wrong. Check out
lenses, and a flash unit, a bag suitable for one SLR with the following links to give you an idea as to what is out
a lens attached, two other lenses and a flash would be there:
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pieces. Bags-Cases-and-Straps
Page 23
Photographic Food for Thought

This month brings a brand new column to the PhotographyBB Online
Magazine. The “Photographic Food for Thought” articles will explore issues
“behind the photo” that photographers tend to think about (or should)
when creating their visual masterpieces.
CONSIDERING THE “WHY?” - By Jason Anderson

Whether you are a newcomer to photography, an enthusiast, serious hobbyist, or professional, the question of
“Why?” at some point will ultimately present itself to you for analysis. In considering the “why” of photography,
there are two general schools of thought, with varying degrees of perspective that run the gamut between the
two. Since perspectives are subjective in nature, there really can be no definitive answer to the question of
“Why”. Nevertheless, framing the question of “Why” and giving both the pros and cons of each perspective can
help when the question does present itself for consideration.
T
he first perspective or “theory” of why we encounter and that generate subjective effects within
take pictures, which I will call Communication us”. Without meaning to put words in someone’s
Theory suggests that photography is a form of mouth, the logical conclusion to this would be that the
communication. In this perspective, the printed or photograph, or object cannot force an effect, rather the
viewed image is the medium, the photographer is the effect is initiated by the recipient. What is interesting
artist (or person wishing to communicate through the to note here (from strictly a personal perspective), is
print), and the viewer, who is looking at the image, that from a cursory review of the thoughts and ideas
and divining their own interpretation of the message on various online outlets and repositories, there is not
communicated by the photographer. really an alternative answer to the question of “Why?”
rather this is a refutation of the Communication
Theory as presumptuous and inaccurate in assigning
the semantics of communicating on inanimate
objects, which ultimately sounds like an accusation of
anthropomorphism.
This is all pretty deep stuff, and to the newcomer or

beginning enthusiast, this discussion surrounding the
The polar opposite to this philosophy, which I

will call Object Theory, is that a photograph cannot
communicate, because it is an inanimate thing. Sure,
inanimate objects can elicit an emotive response,
but that is a function of the recipient or viewer of
the object. As one poster commented on a forum,
photographs occur “in the dynamic flux of life that we
Page 24
question of “Why?” really doesn’t carry the same weight

as the technical questions that are more pressing in
their minds. Newcomers are often wrapped up in the
technical questions like “What aperture value should
I use?” and “What ISO rating is good for this shot?” as
opposed to “Why am I shooting this subject?” To this
audience, the answer to this deeper question at their
juncture is simply “Because I want to!”, or what I would
call the Theory of Self. This is a legitimate point because
photographers at this level simply have not worked in
the craft long enough to master the technical and free
themselves from those obviations.
There are, of course, exceptions to the rule (I

would consider myself an exception as I clearly am an
enthusiast as I certainly have not mastered usage of
any technical awareness, but nevertheless I’ve delved
into the “Why?” thought processes), however, these
only serve to illustrate that the answer to the question process reveals itself to them. As “fringe” as this may
of “Why?” evolves and changes just as the experience sound, it nevertheless has definite merit inasmuch
and awareness of the photographer grows and evolves as the practice of regularly sitting down and actively
and changes. In theory, as we all aspire to better our trying to answer create questions of goals and
skills (and by extension, our imagery) and become objectives can benefit anyone regardless of their state
more astute in both execution and comprehension, of photographic skill or development. Whether one
our answer to the question of “Why?” can change and agrees or disagrees with the “fringe” ideas associated
evolve as we explore new thoughts and ideas along with the process, the process itself will always have merit
the entire spectrum of the philosophical range, from and should not be discarded out of hand. Any analysis
Communication Theory, to the Theory of Self, and the can be beneficial, whether these analyses are directed
Object Theory. inward or outward can help inspire those who aspire to
better understanding of photography, both from the
For those that have advanced their understanding perspective of the viewer and the photographer.
of photography beyond the technical and are really
focusing more energy on the creative and artistic Part of the journaling process that I’ve read about
questions, agreement can still be found on some very repeatedly is that of developing a mission or personal
basic concepts though, regardless of which end of the statement. Rather than making some generic statement
spectrum you find yourself. The most fundamental such as “I want to create better images”, or “I want to
concept is that as we evolve in our understanding, become famous”, it is often helpful to ask questions
eventually we will begin to ask ourselves “Why am I introspectively that develop ones personal or mission
shooting?” as well as the corollary “What purpose do statement. Asking questions in such a manner (and
I want to achieve?” ultimately answering them, of course) can allude or be
important catalysts in answering the “Why?”
Rather than become ensnared in the sometimes
fractious and polarizing discussions, here it seems Here we are getting to the crux of the discussion
more germane to simply acknowledge that if someone here, and before continuing though, it should be
wants to take their skills (and images) “to the next level” noted and acknowledged that any creative analysis is
(however that level is defined), asking the “Why?” of fraught with troubles because by its very nature, the
yourself is critical in defining your creative endeavors creative process is subjective and thus will differ from
and objectives. Regardless of the answers you find, or one person to the next. To minimize subjectivity, any
what direction the answers take you, the mere exercise analysis whether directed toward creative or technical
of considering the question of “Why?” is critical in thought processes, can include some fundamental
becoming better at your craft. questions that can act as catalysts in the entire process.
The ironic thing here is that in pursuing the ultimate
To that end, I’ve read about several successful goal of answering the question of “Why?”, we find
photographers who have described journaling as a ourselves asking other questions to refine our thought
regular habit that they use both for scouting locations, processes as we consider the answers.
as well as for scribbling notes, and formalizing their
own thought processes as ideas, and the creative While this may seem like a discussion that would
Page 25
Often times, the technical and mundane questions, if

asked routinely of oneself, will stimulate you to explore
the questions more deeply each and every time. For
instance, consider the following evolutionary though
process:
1. What (or who) is my subject?

2. What kind of lighting is present?
3. Do I need a flash?
4. Where is the sun?
5. What is the background like?
6. Where am I?
7. Does my composition fit what I am trying to
achieve?
8. What am I trying to achieve?
9. Could I achieve this under “better” conditions
(return later)?
10. Am I pleased with the current conditions?
11. What kind of mood do I want to create?
12. How will my mood affect the mood of the
photograph?
13. What kind of mood am I in right now?
14. Are these two thoughts synchronous?
15. What do I want the end product to look like?
This is just a quick example of how one might

pose questions and either direct them inwardly or
outwardly as needed or appropriate. You can see that
by asking the “Who, What, Where, When, and How”,
ultimately end in a chicken versus egg scenario, it does
can lead us to the “Why?” indirectly. As long as we are
help to note that there is another fundamental question
critical and follow through with this routine regularly,
to be asked in conjunction with “Why?”, and that is
the “Why?” can be revealed to us. Keep in mind that
“What?” More specifically: What do I need to consider
the answer to the question of “Why?” may and likely
to most completely answer the question of “Why?”?
will change as you start this practice, and as the
Searching for these answers will not only reveal the
practice becomes more second nature, patterns can
key components of any personal or mission statement,
evolve, thereby revealing your own personal answer
but the practice of actively considering such questions
to “Why?” Just remember, we must actively pursue it
will also stimulate the individual to think creatively.
and keep our minds open to the answers that might
It’s kind of like a snowball on a hill….give the brain a
reveal themselves. The creative journaling process,
push, and it eventually will start snow-balling, gaining
as mentioned above, is simply an extension of such
momentum, until in a flurry, you have a sudden rush of
thought processes into written form. It’s just that the
intuition where it all makes sense – to you. At that point,
medium has changed. Ironically, this could be seen as
may I humbly suggest to quickly press the shutter lest
analogous to a concept we should all be aware of: the
you lose the image you’ve been composing internally!
process of taking light and converting it to the printed
(In other words – write it down!)
form…otherwise known as photography.
Jason has been active in photography for about three years and shoots primarily with Canon gear.
His endeavors have included starting a local photography club, The South Carolina Photography
Guild, in Summerville SC, where he currently resides, administering the online presence and
their community forums. He’s also a regular blogger, and has his own photography website. His
philosophy about photography is learning through the sharing of knowledge, and he thoroughly
enjoys both the art of photography as well as his written pursuits. You can see his work online at:
http://www.canonblogger.com and http://www.jasons-photography.com

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This article and photographs contained are Copyright© courtesy of Jason Anderson. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
High Dynamic Range (HDR)

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a relatively new photography
technique made possible by the advent of digital camera technology, and
new breakthroughs in image manipulation software. This monthly series
will take you through the basics of HDR photography, and how you can
create your own stunning HDR images.
AN INTRODUCTION TO HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE: WHAT IS HDR? - By Fred McWilson

Welcome to the wonderful world of High Dynamic Range photography, otherwise known as “HDR.” Let me begin
with an outline on my desires for this monthly HDR series in the coming issues of the PhotographyBB Online
Magazine. Over the next few months, here’s what we’ll be covering:
1. What is HDR? (…and what good is it?)
2. Fundamentals on Equipment and Techniques for HDR.
3. Software and HDR Basics.
4. Post Processing Tone Mapped Images.
H
DR or “High Dynamic Range” is the term used
to describe a visual attribute associated with
how we (humans) see things. Our eyes have a
dynamic range with regard to light and most of today’s
consumer grade cameras cannot attain the same
dynamic range as that of the eye within one image.
Not only that but our monitors and printed media as
well are unable to reproduce the full dynamic range
potential of a scene that we enjoy with normal vision.
Think about this, when was the last time a photograph
or monitor showing a bright sunny scene ever made
you squint? As far as I know I have never had to squint
from a photo or monitor or for that matter had to wear
my sunglasses when viewing them! Hence the issue of
the dynamic range limitations of these media.
The dynamic range or levels of luminance (think of

brightness) is the heart of the issue and with respect
to photography this is a very important issue. As an
example, let’s say you are indoors with a bright sunlit
window and you expose for the interior, more than
likely your sunny window will become a white hot,
blown out clipped highlights region. On the other
side of the coin in this example if you exposed for
the exterior (out the window) light, then your interior
scene becomes the “Night of the Living Darkness” or
the shadows become blocked up. Please review the
sample images of our window scene (as shown on the
following page). Notice that in the first image or the
Fred McWilson and son, preparing to photograph sand dunes in HDR. -2ev exposure the bright areas are captured with good
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detail, but the interior is all but shadows. Next comes In the film darkrooms developers used several
the 0ev or normal exposure where a little more of the techniques to battle high contrast scenes. Dodging,
shadowed areas are captured but at the sacrifice of the burning and image blending are some.
brighter detailed areas. Lastly is the +2ev exposure,
here we get much more of the shadowed area details, At the camera level one of the most basic tools to
even the lamp light is clearly visible, but notice the sky help tame high contrast scenes are graduated neutral
and the clouds, no detail whatsoever…or blown out! density filters. These filters reduce the amount of light
No one image can convey what the scene actually entering the camera and being graduated means that
looked like when I took these photos. If you were with the light reduction is varied across the filter. These type
me during this shoot your ability to see this scene filters are great for sunsets in that the bright sky light
would not look like any of the three separate exposures. area can be reduced by some amount of stops while
Another aspect to our eyes is that they are adaptive, the ground area is not darkened giving better control
meaning the eye can adjust on the fly for differing of blown highlights and blocked up shadows.
contrasts giving the eye even a greater total dynamic
range overall. Thus, this image is a good illustration of Lastly another method used with digital or scanned
the limitations of our current camera technology with images is the technique of exposure blending. This
regard to the dynamic range of a scene and our much is where two or more images of the same scene are
greater visual capabilities. digitally merged through any number of tools and
methods manually to increase the dynamic range
As photographers we all encounter these type appearance.
dilemmas of too much dynamic range, or as it might be
better understood as, a high contrast scene. Cameras Now with the advent of the digital darkroom and
today, film or digital, simply cannot record scenes numerous editing programs available, HDR efforts
with contrasts levels greater than their film/sensor can have never been easier or better. The latest tool in the
handle in one exposure, and these levels are far less photographer’s tool belt to deal with high contrast
than that of a normal human eye. As you might suspect, scenes are any number of HDR programs. For reference
trying to overcome our camera’s limitations, whether I will name a few: Photomatix, Artizen, FDRTools and
film or digital for high contrast scenes is nothing new even Photoshop CS2 & CS3 can generate HDR’s. I
and there are several ways that I know of that currently am currently even beta testing a new HDR imaging
or have been used to bring imagery closer to our visual software called “Essential HDR.” Now to use these
perception abilities. I will just briefly mention some programs is simple; basically you photograph a scene
of these tools/techniques that have been used for with varying amounts of exposure. By varying the
many years before delving into the latest offerings and exposure levels for each image you potentially capture
techniques. either highlights or shadowed areas with greater
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detail than could be in just a single exposure. These

programs process your two or more differently exposed
images and automatically combine/merge them into a
single image that contains a greater amount of visual
information than could be attained by any single
exposure in a scene that has more dynamic range than
you sensor can capture. So, for instance, if your scene
has a high contrast area, you could capture a normal
exposure of the scene and capture another exposure
by exposing for the highlighted or shadowed area to
garner more detail when combined. If you notice in
the window sample image you can see that the three
differently exposed images once rendered using the
HDR program produce a more natural scene that can
better represent the way we see things in the real the tank’s details. In a single exposure you would
world. really only be able to capture the cloud details while
silhouetting the tank or you could expose for the tank
Generating the HDR image is the first step once thus blowing out the sky. By exposing across more of
you decide to try out this technique. As I mentioned the dynamic range with my three images and running
above, today’s monitors and print cannot display the them through an HDR/tone mapping program I am
higher dynamic ranges that are possible, so along able more accurately able to render for our visual range
with creating the HDR image another tool must be and express it via today’s low dynamic range media.
employed to allow you to render or make it possible to
display your image. This tool is another part of the HDR Let me conclude this short introduction to HDR
software world and it is called “Tone Mapping”, and is with a few more samples of images that I have created
built into all of the major HDR software programs. Tone using some of the current software available. Be
mapping takes your generated HDR data and converts prepared for next month’s issue where we will dive
it to a viewable image for print or display monitors. into some of the fundamentals and techniques that
When you run the tone mapping routine on your HDR are required to achieve high dynamic range imagery. I
image it basically compresses the dynamic range into hope this little introduction has helped any who might
a more central range that is within the range of the want to explore the HDR imaging world.
current consumer display media’s.
Be sure to join in the forum here at PhotographyBB
Here is another example of a scene where I wanted (http://www.photographybb.com/forum) to see other
to capture the sunset clouds and bring in some of examples and post your questions and or samples.
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HDR Photography Samples - By Fred McWilson
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This article and photographs contained are Copyright © and courtesy of Fred McWilson. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Photoshop Actions in Action!

You’ve probably heard all about Photoshop® Actions by now, and maybe
even downloaded a few. In this series, I’ll show you how you can create your
own useful actions to automate those repetitive tasks. Save valuable time
and energy with Photoshop Actions in Action!
PREPARING YOUR IMAGES FOR PRINT - By Dave Seeram

If you are like me, sometimes you just want to take the photos from your memory card and print them, without
the hassle of retouching each and every image. Not that spending time retouching photos is a bad thing, however,
there are some photographic situations that don’t require all the processing before you take your photos to print.
Recently, I’ve been developing my photos through HP Snapfish or even at the local Costco, and I’ve developed a
simple one-click Action to prepare my images for developing.
Before we begin, it should be mentioned that this

technique won’t be suitable for every single image that
you have, but it will get a lot accomplished in a very
short time, allowing you to get your prints faster!
For casual photographs, I run this Action on a folder

containing copies (not originals) of my images, and
take them to print with no further work on my part,
and the prints look fantastic! Let’s take a look at the
Action steps:
This Action consists of 3 processes in preparation of menu: Image>Image Size... and enter a resolution of
your images for print: 1) Resize for print. 2) Removal of 300 pixels per inch. Before you click OK, make sure to
extreme color casts, and 3) Sharpening. uncheck the “Resample Image” checkbox, otherwise
your image will be resized again to different dimensions
Step 1: Open an image. Open your Actions Palette than what we previously set. Now click OK.
and create a new Action Set (as we have learned from
previous the issues) and call this set something like Step 3: Now that our image has been resized and the
“Prepare for Print”. Create a new Action, and name this resolution set, we want to remove any strong color
Action “4x6 Prints”. Click record (in your Actions palette) casts which may or may not be present in your photo.
and we’re off! The following is a little trick which is very useful for
removing a color cast in your image.
Step 2: We need to resize those ultra large images down
to a good size for printing 4x6 photos. Traditionally, 4x6 Create a duplicate layer of your photo by pressing
photos at a resolution of 300dpi will print perfectly. Control-J (PC) or Command-J (Mac). Next, we want to
get the average color of your image (which will show if
To resize your image, go to the menu: there is a color cast present). To do this, go to the filter
File>Automate>Fit Image... and enter width and height menu: Filter>Blur>Average. At this point, you’ll see
values of 1800 pixels each. This will resize both portrait your image turn into one solid color on the screen.
and landscape orientation images to 6 inches on their
longest side., without cropping the photo. For interest’s sake, the solid color you see will show what
the color cast in your image is. A neutral grey indicates
Now that the image has the correct pixel dimensions, there is no color cast present, where a slightly tinted color
we need to give it the correct resolution. Go to the would indicate the presence of a color cast.
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Sharpening luminance data allows you to push your

sharpening amount higher, without the risk of a resulting
“muddy” image, or the presence of halos in your sharpened
image.
Step 5: This final step is optional, and is to be used

only if you wish to use this Action one photo at a time.
You can now save the file (while the Action is still
recording) using: File>Save As... and saving the photo
to a specified folder on your computer.
I personally omit this step from my Action, as I use the

File>Automate>Batch... function to run this Action on a
“batch” (or folder) of images. Using the Batch function
is fairly self-explanitory once you open up the dialog
box using the menu mentioned above.
Here’s the finished image, with color cast removed and

sharpened, ready for print!
Above: Image with color cast

Below: On the left you can see the average of this image indicates there
is a slightly reddish-brown color cast (usually due to indoor lighting
conditions. The bottom right image shows the negative of the average
color.
What we want to do now, is invert the solid color, to

it’s negative color. A quick way to do this is by pressing
Control-I (PC) or Command-I (Mac). Now that you have
the negative of the color cast color, change the blend
mode of this layer to “Overlay”.
Overlaying the negative color neutralizes the color

cast in the image. You may find the results to be a bit
extreme, or sometimes photos can look a little bit too
“cold”, so I like to then reduce the opacity of the layer to As I said in the beginning, this probably wouldn’t
60% to keep some “warmth” in the image. be the Action to run on every single image that you
have, but for images where you want to quickly adjust
Step 4: Flatten your image at this point by pressing and print without a lot of fiddling about, this Action
Control-Shift-E (PC) or Command-Shift-E (Mac). is perfefct! Here’s a breif explanation of my workflow
using this Action:
Next, we’ll use the familiar Unsharp Mask filter to
sharpen our photo. 1) After shooting something such as a birthday party
Go to the menu: Filter>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask... and or BBQ with some friends, I copy the photos from my
use values of Amount: 150%, Radius: 1.5 pixels, and memory card onto my computer.
Threshold: 0. Click OK.
2) Next I make a duplicate of this folder (so as not to
Before you do anything further, here’s a neat little work on the originals).
trick to add to your sharpening routine, to avoid “color
sharpening” which can sometimes produce small 3) Run the Action in Batch Mode!
unsightly halos in your image.
4) Copy the resulting images to a USB key or memory
Go to the menu: Edit>Fade Unsharp Mask... and change card, and take them to a local print/developing shop
then Mode to “Luminosity”. What this does, is sharpen such as Costco. 1 Hour later, they’re done!
only the luminance (lights and darks) data in your I hope you have enjoyed this Action and have found it to
image, rather than color data. be useful. Until next month - Happy Photographing!
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This article and all image contained are Copyright © are courtesy of Dave Seeram. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Dreamweaver Basics
In today’s age of digital photography, the modern photographer is finding
that not only do they need to be a good photographer, but they need to
know things like image post-processing techniques, and even basic HTML to
create their digital galleries on the web. In this column, we’ll look at some
basic steps in Dreamweaver for building your photo websites.
A LOOK AT THE FIRST STEPS IN CREATING YOUR WEBSITE - By Victoria Sargsyan

Welcome back! This article is a continuation of the Dreamweaver tutorial in Issue #4. In this series, we are going
to explore the basic options in Dreamweaver, to create your own digital portfolio for your photographs. Navigate
back to the folder we created last month, and let’s get started with this month’s Dreamweaver tutorial!
Step 1: Open Dreamweaver, and open the index page you created in last month’s tutorial.
Step 2: Click on the menu: Modify>Page Properties... Here you can set up things like your text color, font properties,
page background color, links properties and much more…Play around the first time until you find your favourite
style which matches the “vision” you have for your website. Go through the list down the left side of the Page
Properties dialog box, and set your properties to your liking.
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At this point when you click OK, you’ll notice the page properties have been changed (to your settings) at the
bottom of your workspace:
Step 3: Go to the menu: Insert>Layout Object>Ap Div.
This is going to eventually be our banner image for our website (I will show you how to create the banner using
Photoshop in next month’s tutorial!). You can resize this and move to any place within your page. Make sure that the
Properties palette is open (Windows>Check “Properties”). Here you can see / set up the banner properties. If you
want to preview your page into a internet browser fill the AP DEV with color (You can easily remove the color later),
and that will allow you to see the page layout and correct it if needed.
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I resized and moved to the center of the page.
Step 4: Next, we want to save this file. Go to the menu: File>Save As... and name the file “Portfolio”.
Step 5: Just to see what our basic layout looks like, preview it in your browser using: File>Preview in Browser>
Internet Explorer.
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Step 6: Now we need to copy all of the photos (which you want to show on your website portfolio) into your website’s
default images folder (Do you remember the folder we created in our last tutorial?). Copy all of your photos into your
website’s “Images” folder.
Step 7: After you have finished copying your photos to the Images folder, return back to Dreamweaver.
Step 8: Go to the menu: Insert >Layout Object >AP Div. Fill this with white (just for an easy preview of our page’s
layout in your internet browser). This will be where your photo will display in your gallery page. Save here (you need
to save your page every time before previewing the page in your browser), and preview your website again.
Step 9: Repeat Step 8, only this time position and size your AP Div box underneith the photo AP Div box, which will
become the image navigation box, eventually containing the thumbnails of your images.
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Step 10:
Click inside the AP Div that you just created, Now go to
the menu: Insert>Table (here you can set up the number
of row, columns). This will be the table that contains the
thumbnail images of your photos, which your visitors
will be able to click on to see the large version of the
image (which will appear above it in the larger box).
Save your work again here (always remember to save!).
As a shortcut for previewing your page in the browser:
You don’t need to go to File>Preview in Browser
everytime; Just refresh the internet page after you’ve
saved the all changes in Dreamweaver.
Step 11: Click anywhere outside the table, and go to the menu: Insert>Layout Object>AP Div... Fill this with white.
Next, Insert a Table (using the same method as above - Menu: Insert>Table...) This table will contain the navigation
buttons to the different pages within your website. Make enough cells to contain the buttons (which we will create
later) for your site’s navigation, and lastly – File - Save All!
In next month’s tutorial we will create the templates for our web page, and start to insert the images into our Portfolio
page. Stay tuned for lots more fun on the way!
About the Author: Victoria Sargsyan is a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and is a talented
graphic artist and web designer with over 15 years professional experience. To see more from Victoria, visit her website where you
can check out her galleries and additional tutorials at:
http://www.viktoriyaimage.com
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This article and all image contained are Copyright © are courtesy of Victoria Sargsyan. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Photoshop Elements Tutorial

As our Photoshop Elements reader base continues to grow, we’ve come back
again with another tutorial specifically for the Elements users out there!
Check out this month’s Elements tutorial on how to create a web frame not
only to add style to your photos, but to allow you to “name” or “sign” your
images too!
CREATING SIMPLE WEB GALLERY FRAMES WITH ELEMENTS - By Victoria Sargsyan

Thanks to the internet and the wonderful invention of the digital camera, we can now share our images with
anyone and everyone on the web. Sometimes though, a plain image posted to a website, or on a web gallery,
can look a little bit flat or dull when posted “as-is.” This month I’m going to teach you how to create a simple but
highly effective frame using Photoshop Elements, which will really make your images POP!
Step 1: Open Photoshop Elements and create a new blank document. Since this is for the web, I am going to use a
good size of 5x7 inches, at 72 pixels/inch.
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Step 2: Fill this layer with white, by using the

paintbucket tool.
Step 3: Double-click on the background layer and

rename it “Layer 1”.
Step 4: Go to the menu: Edit>Stroke. We are going to

outline this layer. Use the following settings: Width:
3px, Color: Black, Location: Inside (See image to the
right here).
Step 5: Using the Rectangular Marquee Tool, select

a rectangular area inside your “frame” image, where
you would like your photo to appear. Press “Delete” to
remove this area from your image. Next, go to the menu:
Select>Deselect. This basically “knocks out” an area of
your frame, where your photo will show through. Have
a look at the image below for an example.
Step 6: Repeat the procedure we did in Step 4, to stroke the area we just deleted and give it a nice thin black border
to go around our photo. Go to the menu: Edit>Stroke. This time we are going to use the following settings:
Width: 1px, Color: Black, Location: Inside.
Your frame should be starting to look pretty good at this point. But we are not finished yet! Let’s add some text to
this frame.
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Step 7: Using the Horizontal Type Tool, select ”Center Text”. Now type your name, company name, or website portfolio
address which you can use as a template for your gallery of photos. See example below:
Step 8: The final step is to save this image so that we can easily use it over and over again. Since this frame is intended
to be used on the web, we can save it as a GIF file (to preserve the transparency area, which is not an available option
as a JPEG). Be sure to check the “Transparency” checkbox to “on”.
We’re finished! To use this frame, open this image in Elements, and import any of your photos, and position them
under your frame layer. Now you have a simple but effective frame to display your photos on the web!
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This article and all image contained are Copyright © are courtesy of Victoria Sargsyan. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
Member in the Spotlight

“Spotlights” are not only a great way to get to know each other, but they
can also be a creative inspiration to all of us. Each month, we feature a
“Spotlight” on one of our site’s forum members and tell you a little bit about
who they are, how they got started, what their photographic interests are,
and display some of their work.
THIS MONTH’S FEATURE ON MEMBER: Jason Anderson

Jason Anderson is a fairly recent member to the PhotographyBB Forums, and found PhotographyBB through
a posting on the NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) Member Forum. Jason has also
contributed his first (hopefully of many!) articles in this issue of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine, and it’s
our pleasure to welcome him to this month’s “Spotlight!”
PBB MAG: Jason! Welcome to PhotographyBB, and thank you for agreeing to do this interview (on such short
notice too). Why don’t we start by giving our readers a little intro to who you are, and what makes you tick!
First off, I’d like to say thank you as it is quite

flattering to be the one in the spotlight as
my membership with the PhotographyBB
community is fairly new. My background
has been in Information Technology, and as
web administration entered into the picture, I
began exploring the graphic side of things. I
was looking for gear with a fast shutter speed,
and at the time point and shoot cameras just
weren’t advanced enough, so I pulled the
proverbial trigger and dove headfirst into the
SLR market. Being the gadget hound from
IT, I was a sponge, and the rest, as they say, is
history.
PBB MAG: Let’s start with the easy

questions... What type of gear do you use?
Do you have a favourite piece of gear? What
gear would you always bring with you on a
shoot?
I am primarily a Canon shooter. Thus far my

gear has been limited as I’ve really tried to
master the gear I own before adding to the
collection, so it’s a pretty basic equipment list.
Because it’s limited, I usually stow everything
in my bag when heading out on a shoot. The
gear list thus far includes my Canon Rebel XT,
the kit 18-55, a Tokina 1.4 extender, a Canon
70-200L (f4), and a Sigma 70mm Macro.
Accessories include the 550EX, my Canon ST E-
2, and of course quite a few CF cards. If I had to
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pick a favorite lens at this point, I would have to say the PBB MAG: Looking at your gallery, it’s obvious to
70-200L produces the best images, but a wide angle see that you are a talented and well experienced
is next on my list and I suspect that will become my photographer. Of all the types of photography, what
new favorite. Oh yeah, I’ve also recently added some is your favourite photographic discipline, and why?
lighting essentials, so add an umbrella, light stand, and
a diffuser to that list! All of it holds a certain appeal for me to some extent,
so it’s hard to pick a favorite genre. At three years of
PBB MAG: Can you recall what first got you enthusiast level experience I am not sure that I am at a
interested in photography? Where does your current juncture where I can intelligently say I excel in one area
inspiration come from? more than another. Each genre is challenging in its own
way and I very much thrive on being challenged. So, at
As a youth I still have memories of my Vivitar 110. this point it’s probably safe to say that I am a “jack-of-
Because I was an early teen, I really didn’t have the all-trades, and master of none.” Having said that, my
resources to stick with it. I later became intrigued recent foray into childrens portraiture has been quite
when my brother returned home from college with
his Pentax K1000. All the dials, buttons and switches
were fascinating to me. Thus, when I returned to
photography on my own terms years later, I kind of had
a feeling I was going to go “all the way”. As I advanced in
my skills and abilities, I’ve found dual inspiration both
in the esoteric and theoretical side of photography,
as well as a passion for sharing what I’ve learned thus
far with others. From the capture perspective, I find
inspiration from a number of sources. My membership
in NAPP and seeing the excellence that exists within
that community drives me more and more to pursue
new ideas and tactics towards both capture and post
processing.
Page 43
exciting as it seems I have a knack for capturing some

priceless expressions (although this shouldn’t surprise
me as much as it does, because I really do love kids!).
PBB MAG: You have a beautiful gallery of images,

which really show off not only your creative
photographic style, but also your post processing
abilities. What software do you like to use, and
without giving away your secrets, can you give
us some insight into your basic post processing
workflow?
Photoshop is where I’ve learned most of my post

processing skills, so that is where I am most fluent. I
still do feel as though I am only part of the way up the
proverbial learning curve though, and the appeal of
taking those skills to the next level is also motivating
for me. I am getting into Lightroom more and more,
as Adobe refines and expands the tools of that GUI. I
would probably switch over to it for most of my work if
they implemented real dual monitor support.
As far as my work flow goes, it is always in a state of

flux as I learn new things about various components of
the flow itself. The mentality behind it though is a top
down approach, starting with import, backup, sorting
and tagging, then finally editing. When I enter the
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editor (either LR or PS), I always work the sliders from PBB MAG: It’s been a real pleasure talking with you,
the top, down, and then across the tabs in ACR (I always and getting to know you Jason. Before we go, do
shoot in RAW), adjusting when needed and leaving it you have any advice for anyone seeking to improve
alone when not. My ideal is to only crop and sharpen, their knowledge and experience in photography?
but since I’m not quite there yet, I do still use color
balance, exposure, and clarity slider adjustments in my Watch, listen, read, learn, and practice (in that order)!
work flow. The only other thing really that contributes Everyone has something to share, and if you don’t
to my work flow is transparency. A recent talk given stop to listen to others or consider what they have to
by Joe McNally at Google only reaffirms to me that we contribute, you could be missing out on some nugget
shouldn’t hide what we know. I share my techniques of useful information. It’s also the beginning of living
openly and without “secrets” as I think that is the best in a world of blinders, when you stop considering
way to learn. How can I improve or correct elements alternative perspectives. Keep an open mind and with
that are wrong if no one knows what I am doing? time you can learn whatever you want to know.
Jason has been active in photography for about three years and shoots primarily with Canon gear. His
endeavors have included starting a local photography club, The South Carolina Photography Guild, in
Summerville SC, where he currently resides, administering the online presence and their community forums.
He also is a regular blogger, and has his own photography website. His philosophy about photography is
learning through the sharing of knowledge, and he thoroughly enjoys both the art of photography as well
as his written pursuits. You can find his work online at:
http://www.canonblogger.com and http://www.jasons-photography.com
Page 45
This article and photographs contained are Copyright© courtesy of Jason Anderson. Please contact the author directly with any questions.
What’s Happening:
The PhotographyBB
Forums
PHOTOGRAPHYBB: A WELCOMING FORUM TO BEGINNERS, AND EXPERT USERS ALIKE!
What are the PhotographyBB Forums?

PhotographyBB Forums are a place for anyone and everyone with a keen interest in digital photography or image
editing, to gather around and chat with each other, ask questions, post comments, and share photos. You’ll find things
like Photoshop Tutorials, photo galleries, digital photography discussions and tips for improving your photography,
along with fun stuff like Photoshop games, photography challenges and more!
Although we are geared towards the beginner, you’ll find a lot of highly experienced users on our site, who are there
simply because they love to share their knowledge and help others out. That’s what we’re all about at PhotographyBB
- A place for the beginner to come and ask questions or post photos without intimidation. Consider us a good place to
meet like minded folks and learn at “the friendly forum!”
The Great Debates:

We’ve just launched a brand new section to the forums, where members can debate and discuss photography related
contraversial topics such as: RAW vs JPEG, Self Printing vs Developing, SLR or Point and Shoot, and more! The great
thing is, there is no right or wrong opinion, and these discussions help all of us to broaden our views and horizons!
Photo Games:
While visiting the forums, stop by the Photo Games room, and check out some of the fun games going on in the
forums. Participate at your leisure in games like “The Photo Below Me...” , “The Alphabet Game”, “Captions”, and more!
If you would like to chat with any of the authors of the PhotographyBB Online Magazine, or the editor himself, drop on
by the PhotographyBB Forums and say hi. Registration is completely free; all you need is a login name and password.
Happy Photographing, and we’ll see you on the forums.
Visit the PhotographyBB Forums and participate today!

http://www.photographybb.com/forum/
Page 46
Step into the Spotlight!

Would you like to be featured in the PhotographyBB Have a Great
Idea for a
Online Spotlight on Member section? If so, please let
us know at: [email protected]
Photography
We’ll feature your photos, a small biography and write-
up about you, as well as links to your web gallery or
photography related business. We all love photography
and image editing, so let’s get to know each other!
Article?
Next Month’s Issue: We are looking for
Issue 6 (July) will continue on with some of our newest
columns and magazine aritcle contributors. Our HDR
talented individuals
series will continue, and we’ll also have additional who would like to
“thought provoking” photography articles as well. expand their portfolios
Next month’s “Photography Around the World” series by volunteering to
takes us in an exciting new direction, as explore
beautiful panoramic photography of this city of
contribute articles to
Melbourne. this e-magazine! If you
This month we had a great series of tutorials, and next
are interested, we’d
month gets even better. Next month we’ll dive deeper love to hear from you.
into Dreamweaver and the creation of your web
gallery, along with additional Photoshop, Elements,
and maybe even a Corel Painter Tutorial for you digital Topics of Interest are:
artists out there!
- Photography Techniques
- Photography on Location
- Photoshop Tutorials
Discounts for Readers: - Hardware / Software Reviews
- Camera Equipment
If you are a regular visitor to the PhotographyBB Online - Member Spotlight
Website, you may have noticed down the sidebar, a - Plus we’re open to new ideas!
section called “Coupons of The Month.” This section
contains various photography related coupons and
deals such as free photo prints, and discounts on books To become either a regular
and software. If you are planning to buy these things contributing author, or even
anyways, visit us and use a coupon! just for a one-time article,
please email us at:
Thank you for reading the PhotographyBB Online
Magazine. We hope you enjoyed it, and we’d love to
see you again next month. If you have any questions or
[email protected]
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free to email us at:
Introduce yourself, share your
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We would love to hear from you!
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What topics are covered in this issue of the magazine?

What topics are covered in this issue of the magazine?

What new features have been added to the forums?

What new features have been added to the forums?

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS SPOTLIGHT ON IMPROVING YOUR IMAGE EDITING

AND TECHNIQUES PHOTOGRAPHER DIGITAL WORKFLOW TIPS & TUTORIALS

Are Your Photos Worth Selling?

Photoshop Elements and

Plus: Loads of Killer Photoshop® Tutorials and Techniques this Month!

From The Editor’s Desk

PhotographyBB Online Magazine Fifth Edition - New Columns and More!

Contributing Authors CREDITS

If you would like to contact PhotographyBB Online,

Before There Was Digital...

THE HOLGA: LOW TECH IN A HIGH TECH WORLD - By Kenneth Fagan

produced can create quite varied images. The holga

So what is it that makes the Holga so popular? If

Popularity has grown with these cameras for many

all I was almost hoping that there would be some form

Holga 120 cameras are quite cheap too. Retailing

You can choose from basic models which have the

each exposure so multi-exposure is made possible.

One of the most peculiar parts of the camera is

The toy camera also comes in many forms,

Artists and photographers alike have grown to

Just about everyone who gets there hands on

The toy camera is a great option if you are a digital

Why Most Photographers

Post processing. If you’re interested in reading some excellent

Patience. My name is Jon D. Ayres and I’m originally from

replaced the film in your SLR but the principle of the

Adjusting your ISO for the light conditions (or

from that reference point.

ISO 100 ISO 200

ISO 400 ISO 800

ISO 1600 ISO 3200

Photography Around the World

A GLIMPSE AT THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES (AND LENS) - By Dave Seeram

Left (top to bottom): The Giant Buddha on Lantau

Below: Shown below are the casino lights in Macau’s

Thank you for allowing me to

I hope you have enjoyed this

Stay tuned for next month’s issue

Choosing the Right Accessories

What type of bag suits my needs?

How much should I spend?

The Shoulder Bag

The Backpack Page 22

PROS: When going on a shoot it is entirely up to you as

CONS: • Lens pen or lens cleaner, and sensor cleaner

Full camera bags can be quite heavy, even with

If I was to recommend a style of bag which had

Photographic Food for Thought

CONSIDERING THE “WHY?” - By Jason Anderson

This is all pretty deep stuff, and to the newcomer or

The polar opposite to this philosophy, which I

question of “Why?” really doesn’t carry the same weight

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule (I

Often times, the technical and mundane questions, if