Understanding lenses is key to using your digital SLR camera.  Most lenses from recent film cameras still work with digital SLR camera bodies and a whole new line-up of lenses have been created by camera manufactures and third party companies specifically for digital.  When Olympus launched their line of DSLRs they launched a completely new line of lenses to work with them, so previous Olympus film shooters were left in the dark. Continue Reading

The term soccer Mom is often used in a derogatory manner, as if it was a bad thing.  The fact is, millions of Moms and Dads attend soccer, football, baseball and countless other sports and activities on a regular basis, and take photos to remember the moments.  Here are some tips on what hardware will best suit your needs.

Digital SLR Body

Any digital SLR body will work, however you’ll get better results with one that shoots a faster frames per second, or FPS.  Anything that offers 5 FPS or more will give you a better chance of capturing the fast moving action.  Additionally, cameras with cropped sensors often work best because they extend the focal distance of your lens.

For example, many Canon cameras offer a 1.6x crop, including the Rebel series and the 50d.  That means a 100mm lens has an effective focal distance of 160mm, essentially giving you a free 60mm.  This is really helpful when you’re shooting to the far side of the field.  Lastly, newer camera bodies feature the best performing sensors in low light.  Since many practice sessions and games happen on weeknights with the later portion of the match going towards dusk, high ISO performance becomes important. Continue Reading

Portraits can be some of the most fun and enjoyable subjects to shoot in photography, but it is best accomplished with some specific lenses.  The lens you’ll need will, in some ways, be determined by the DSLR body you’re shooting.

In traditional, old school ways of photography, portrait lenses on 35mm film cameras were typically 85mm to about 135mm.  Furthermore, these lenses were also primarily prime lenses, or having a fixed focal length.  At these lengths, the subject is far enough away from you to allow working room, and / or studio lights to be placed without feeling like you’re on top of the subject or so far away you need to scream directions.

Most modern Digital SLR camera bodies have a cropped sensor which effectively multiplies the focal length, 1.5 – 2 times that of the lens, depending on manufacture.  This means if you own a 100mm lens and shoot a Canon with a cropped sensor, your lens is effectively 160mm long.  This is great for sports shooters but not always great for portrait artists.

A few cameras do have full-frame sensors in them, meaning they provide the same focal length as their film counterparts.  100mm lens is a 100mm lens.

Whichever body you shoot, having the final focal length that falls roughly in the 85-130mm range will suite you wonderfully.

In portrait photography, the lens really matters.  Most prefer to shoot fast lenses, that is a lens with a very small aperture number, like f/2.8, f/2.0 or on some lenses, f/1.2.  Shooting these lenses, especially wide open, will create a very small depth of field and bokeh, which helps separate the foreground from the background.  In portraiture, this is key.  The lenses are sharp too, razor sharp!

So, what is all the talk about?  Take a look at this shot on a Nikon D300 (1.5x crop) wit a 50mm f/1.8 lens (75mm effective focal length).

While it’s not a traditional portrait, it shows you how it creates a nice separation for the subject and the city in the background.

Going one step further, the following shot is taken on a 5d mkII (full frame sensor, no crop) with a 100-400 f/4-5.6 lens, at 400mm.

In this portrait of the boy, you’ll see the background is not recognizable, at all.  This is accomplished by the huge shallow depth of field the lens and focal distance provides.

So what lens is perfect?  That really depends on your current camera body and how and where you shoot.  Indoor portraits will be restricted by the size of the room you’re in and shooting at 400mm will be nearly impossible.

While I only have first hand experience with the Canon system, my guidelines and suggestions can be applied across the board.

The Canon 85mm f/1.2 is perhaps one of the more expensive prime lenses made and is absolutely amazing on a full frame body or cropped sensor but if you want to save some money, the 85mm f/1.8 is a great value.  Canon also offers a 100mm f/2 which is very affordable and 135mm f/2, but I’ve found that on cropped sensor bodies they tend to be a little bit long.  For the money, I’ve been extremely happy with a 70-200 f/4L IS lens and even though it’s not a prime, it’s versatile enough to provide me with wonderful images and great bokeh at 200mm, and will work well on either body.

With digital cameras more affordable than ever before, everyone seems to have a digital camera. The problem is that it takes more than a camera to take good pictures. We can help with this.
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Digital photography is perhaps one of the most explosive hobbies of recent time.  More and more people are getting involved with it, partly due to the price drops and partly due to the instant gratification by reviewing photos and then sharing them on websites and social networks.  Since everyone needs to start somewhere, I wanted to share a few quick digital photography tips with you to keep the good times rolling.

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Here is a collection of various photography tips that you may find useful. Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us or leave a comment on the blog. We want to help you find the absolute best DSLR camera and to help you take the very best digital photos possible.
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With jobs becoming increasingly hard to find and difficult to keep, many people are looking for easy (and legal!) ways to earn money from home. Digital photography is an excellent way to work for yourself and make extra income – even in a recession. Interested in hearing more?

If you’re interested, download this free report called “Make Money with Digital Photography.”

If you’re still undecided, this might change your mind. Here are 18 reasons why digital photography makes a great home career:

1. Minimum equipment required

To make money with digital photography, all you need are: a digital camera, a computer, and Internet access. In fact, you may already have all three.

2. No need for special training

Anybody who can take decent pictures can make money by selling digital photos. You don’t have to have formal training, or so many years of experience. You can be young or old, male or female.

3. Low start-up costs

Aside from the equipment required, you don’t need to make any other investments. This means you can get started immediately.

4. No need to leave home

If you like, you can do sell digital photographs completely from home. Yes, that includes taking photographs.

5. Money in your hard drive

You may already have pictures in your computer that you can sell right away. In fact, you should begin with those.

6. Make money when traveling

If you like to travel, you can make your trip pay for itself by taking pictures on your trip and selling them online.

7. Location independent business

You can have sell your digital photographs from anywhere, as long as you have your equipment (see number 1). This means you could be a nomad and still make a living.

8. Flexible hours

Work when you want, as much as you want. Do it full time or part time. It’s up to you!

9. No need to build websites

Although you’ll be selling digital photographs online, you absolutely don’t have to build a website – unlike other online marketers.

10. Stock photo sites do the marketing for you

You don’t have to do any marketing, either, because stock photo sites do it all for you. All you have to do is take high-quality photographs. (More on that in “Make Money with Digital Photography.”

11. No fees to sell online

You don’t have to pay any fees to sell in stock photo sites. It’s completely free to become a member and start selling your photos.

12. No need to set up a shopping cart

Again, stock photo sites take care of processing payments for your photographs. You will have to be able to accept payments from stock photo sites. A PayPal account should be enough.

13. Enhanced creativity

This business forces you to become more creative, such as in the way you choose the subjects of your pictures, to how you edit them.

14. Sharper photography skills

You have to improve your photography skills if you want to succeed in this business. The longer you keep at it, the better you’ll become.

15. Build your portfolio and expertise

Selling digital photos online helps build your reputation as a photographer. You can easily build a portfolio based on your best-selling pictures.

16. Profit from passion

You can easily combine this home business with a hobby or special interest you have. Because of the wide range of subjects that are in high demand, you don’t have to take pictures that you don’t care about.

17. Steady demand

As more and more stock photos are sold and bought, the demand for fresh photos increases. Marketers always want unique pictures for their materials, which further increases the demand for more digital photos.

18. It’s profitable

Because of low overhead costs, it’s easy to earn a full-time income from selling digital photography. University students are doing it, stay at home Moms are doing it, and you can do it too.

However, you have to know some insider secrets. Which types of photographs sell easily online? How do you avoid legal problems? How do you work with stock photo sites? How can you sell more photos?

You’ll find the answers in “Make Money with Digital Photography.” It’s completely free, so go and grab it now.

The price drop and technology advancements in digital photography over the last ten years or so is faster than most any other area of technology.  Cameras are better, cheaper and able to do more than ever before and more people are shooting. Continue Reading

One of the factors in buying a new Digital SLR camera is the price.  Since the inception, prices have continued to drop and the quality and features have continued to grow.  Staying within your budget means you should also know and be realistic about what your needs and desires are for photography.  There are three main price groups that cameras fall in and I’ll cover what you can expect from each of them. Continue Reading

Digital photography is about so much more than just shooting photos now.  It’s about what you do with them after you shoot.  Ansel Adams was famous for locking himself in a darkroom making prints for days on end.  In today’s digital world, photographers are often trapped in Lightroom for days on end.  Tweaking, adjusting, fixing and compensating photographs in ways never before available. Continue Reading