Putting Your Pictures On To Canvas Ensures That Your Memories Will Last A Lifetime.
October 19, 2009
I am no stranger to putting pictures on to canvas, but when I saw the word Tyvek on the website I had to check it out. Long before my pictures were gracing my walls or anyone else’s I would awaken at four thirty in the morning to eat breakfast before I left for work. My whole family is in construction so most days I would drive at least an hour to work almost always in a house wrapped in Tyvek.
If ever I had any questions regarding the durability of my photo canvas creations they went out the window when I discovered that one of the main companies that manufactures the canvas on which my photos are printed also makes the material that is so durable that they wrap houses in it before they add the siding. In fact they also offer the Tyvek up for inkjet printing to make ultra durable outdoor signs and banners.
I find photography more satisfying than the drywall finishing that I did for nearly a decade, although I do take pride in the fact that I can fix most minor home hiccups myself. While my skills in drywall make my surroundings strong and beautiful, my skills in photography lend strength and beauty to my memories as well as my surroundings.
Having a precious moment in your life on display where it can brighten your day bolsters that memory until its strength is unshakable. In a world where Alzheimer’s is striking before retirement, archiving a photo in a box isn’t enough. Displays like canvases and photo collages are the foundation of archiving those memories in your mind. I would happily lose my keys everyday if I never forget the day my son was born.
Plus, if it is out for all to see, it is easy to share the memories with friends and family. Pass on photos and stories like traditions and they will never be lost. What do you want your legacy to look like? My great-grandmother made the most amazing gravy, a recipe that endures unchanged to this day, but there is not one surviving photograph of her. In this day and age where there is even a camera in your phone, make sure your legacy is one of happy and enduring memories.
Every construction company that I’ve ever worked with has trusted Tyvek to keep out the wind and rain and ensure the safety of the house in progress. If it is sturdy enough to build your house with, it is durable enough to entrust your memories to. Start with one photo, a moment that you want to endure all the tests of time and go from there. Soon you will be surrounded with beautiful memories that grow stronger every day.
Christy Higby
Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital slr Camera Body
October 18, 2009
The Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital slr camera body encompasses all the latest features of a Canon Rebel entry level camera. The Canon T1i looks the same as the XSi, but if you look closely you will see the differences.
The Front
Let’s start with the center of the camera face. The Rebel T1i is compatible with the over 60 Canon lens currently available. This allows for plenty of flexibility and development as a photographer. Behind the lens, Canon placed a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor. This 15.1 megapixel sensor can be cleaned with the built in EOS Integrated Cleaning System as found in previous models. This Integrated Cleaning System uses vibrations to remove the dust from the sensor. To the right- side of the lens, is where the lens release button is located. Above the lens, is the built in pop up flash that the camera uses for auto focusing and as a light source. When the flash is closed, you can place an addition lens in the hot shoe that is on top of the flash. Moving to the side of the lens, above the EOS label you will find a microphone. The Canon T1i shoots full HD video with sound or you can capture video in SD or HD quality. On the opposite side of the lens above the grip, is where the red eye reduction lamp, self-timer and the receiver for the optional wireless remote are located. The shutter release is also found on this side above the grip.
The Back
The large 3 inch LCD screen displays the menu, picture playback and live view mode. The viewfinder is above the LCD. Between the viewfinder and the LCD, is the sensor that turns the LCD off when the camera is placed up to the face. The viewfinder displays the photo shooting information on the bottom of the view. If you need to adjust the focus on the viewfinder use, the diopter correction knob that is found on the upper right-side of the viewfinder. The left of the viewfinder are the buttons that activate the menu and change the information that is displayed on the LCD. Moving to the right side of the viewfinder is where you will find a majority of the function buttons. In the far right corner is the AF/AE button and the focus point selection. Both buttons are used to zoom in or out. Below the two buttons is the speaker, so you can hear your video when played back on the camera. As you work down the right side of the LCD screen, the first button is the AV/Exposure compensation button. The next button is the print button; this button is used during the shooting of video and live view. The navigation pad is used to look through menus and some functions. Below the navigation pad you will find the playback button and to the right of the playback button is the delete button.
The Canon T1i is packed with plenty of functions but is well designed not to overwhelm the photographer.
Canon Rebel 12.2 mp Digital Camera Review
October 17, 2009
This review of the XSi, the Canon Rebel 12.2 mp Digital camera, will discuss why this camera is ideal for travel and on the spot pictures. Two main reasons, I think, that this is so versatile is the enhanced ability to take pictures in low light and the Highlight Tone Priority feature.
Low Light
When reading many reviews you may come across the term ISO. ISO indicates how sensitive the image sensor is to the amount of light present. To take pictures in low light, when a flash is not an option, you need a higher ISO. The Canon XSi has a dedicated button to change the ISO manually or in Auto Mode this will be done for you. If you have ever seen pictures that appear dotty, this is a result of what is referred to as noise. The higher the ISO then more noise you will receive in the picture. Canon has improved upon this situation with the XSi, which has extremely little noise at high ISO. This means better-quality pictures even if your pictures are enlarged. Top this improvement off with an Image Stabilization lens that is offered in a XSi kit or can be purchased separately. Canon does not include image stabilization in the camera itself. When shooting in low light your shutter speeds slows if the camera is moved even slightly the picture can blur. The Image Stabilization feature helps control the camera shakes.
High Tone Priority
The High Tone Priority allows for better detail of the highlights in a bright picture where there is contrasting light. Digital cameras have had a problem in this area. When taking a picture in a sunlit space you have shadows and highlights. The shadows and highlights lose their details. The shadows details can be enhanced when using photo editing software. The highlights details are lost and cannot be brought back. Canon has up the limits that can capture the highlights. For example, if you take a picture of a view with bright sunlight. The sky can appear white when taken with some cameras. The Canon XSi captures the blue of the sky. This feature is great when you have only one chance to take the picture, such as when traveling. Outdoor portraits will benefit from this feature. The picture still will have contrasts and can be edited with photo software. The camera’s shooting speed is not effected when this is enabled. The High Tone Priority is off by default when it comes from Canon.
These are the few notable features that will keep the Canon XSi high on your consideration list.
Printing Black And White Pictures On Canvas For Family Portraits With Style
October 15, 2009
Black and white photos have a certain timeless style that can turn a picture from a nice snapshot into a work of art. Without the distraction of color, the shapes become more important, the way the light falls on a cheek and the sparkle in an eye stand out more. A series of black and white canvas prints of your children hanging on the wall of your home will bring a certain classic stylishness to your décor as well as being a perfect way to display your family photos, so consider black and white when you’re next printing pictures on canvas.
When you are thinking of having pictures of your children and family printed on canvas to hang on the wall, check out how they look in black and white before ordering them. Not all pictures work well in black and white and some photos that aren’t successful in color work brilliantly in black and white. It helps if you have photo viewing or imaging software that allows you to see your pictures in black and white at a click of a mouse. Look through the photos you want to print and get a feel of which ones look great in black and white. Usually portrait shots do look good, especially ones that have nice soft light. Your canvas printing service can always work on your photo to improve the contrast and give it more depth.
Think about the cropping on your photos too. Some pictures work well cropped as a square, especially if you want to have a set of portraits of the whole family printed to hang together in a group. Order them to be printed with the gallery wrap option so that they don’t need frames, for a very modern but classic feel and hang them in a tight group on the wall to create a stunning effect.
Black and white canvas prints work well whether your décor is old world tradition or modern minimalist. They are versatile too and have the advantage that they will never clash with your color schemes if you redecorate, which is just as well, as good quality canvas prints are likely to outlast you and become family heirlooms. If you get canvas prints made you may even be creating a new set of family portraits to smile down from the walls at your grandchildren many years from now.
Mum and Photographer
Start a Family Holiday Tradition With Unique Personalized Photo Ornaments As Gifts
October 13, 2009
Having a new baby transforms Christmas forever. Suddenly you are no longer just a couple, joining up with your parents for the Christmas celebration, but you are a new family unit of your own. Now is the time to start up your own Christmas traditions that your child will grow up with and love. You can start your own collection of special Christmas tree ornaments that you build on every year and that will become precious to your children as they bring them out year after year to hang on the tree. A beautiful tree ornament personalized with a photo of your baby makes a great gift for your partner to start off this family Christmas tradition. Give one each year and your tree will one day become a shimmering treasury of family memories.
Photoworks has a great selection of elegant Christmas tree ornaments that are perfect to build up your own unique collection of photo tree ornaments. A tiny portrait of your baby could hang within a shining silver heart, or his face could smile out from the centre of a traditional porcelain ball ornament. There is even a dangling beaded ornament that takes two photos, which is great if you have two children.
When it comes to taking a photo of your kids for one of these tree ornaments, keep it simple. A portrait shot is best as the photos will be quite small, so aim for a head and shoulders close up shot with a plain background, so there is no distraction from your child’s smiling face.
If you want to photograph two kids in one photo, get them to huddle close together so there is no space between their heads. Remember that the photo will usually be cropped as a circle for these ornaments, so you can’t have a long line of faces. For three or more kids get them in a close group with the older ones looking over the shoulders of their younger siblings.
Think of the colors they are wearing too. If for example you have a strict red and silver decoration scheme for your tree then dress your kids in clothes that tone in with the theme color, so that there are no clashing or jarring notes.
Start taking pictures of your kids now for these special Christmas gifts, so that you have plenty of time to select the perfect photos and order your ornament in time for Christmas. This year could well be the start of a whole new Christmas tradition which your children will treasure, even once they start their own families many years from now.
Mum and Photographer
Take The Work Out Of Holiday Shopping With Personalized Picture Frame Gifts.
October 12, 2009
Last year as a very new mom I barely got my Christmas shopping done, with too much of it occurring when the countdown was measured in hours instead of days, so this year I am getting a slight jump on things. Everyone gets a personalized picture of my son in a frame as one of their gifts, but lately I’ve come across so many photo gift websites that make me want to take that special gift and bump it up to interesting or extraordinary.
I have already gifted many people with what has become the standard in photo gifts, like
mouse pads and picture purses, but the available items just keep getting more elegant and
desirable. For instance Grandma and Grandpa’s stockings used to be stuffed with 2X3 photos to update their wallets, now you can have the pictures printed right on the leather of the wallet, no opening required to display those precious faces.
Everyone’s favorite, jewelry, has also really stepped up a notch. Loading a precious memory onto a unique piece of jewelry results in a beautiful and elegant gift, the look of costume jewelry that used to be the result is a thing of the past. Even better is the selection available for men, like dog tags, cuff links and watches. They can now print anything from color to black and white right onto precious metals like sterling silver, making me not so subtly hint to my husband about the rings.
As I complete my Christmas shopping I find my own wish list getting longer with the new things I’ve been coming across. My absolute favorite is the photos etched on stone. Pictures on stone have been available for a while with a rather high price tag, but now they are both much more reasonable and loaded with impressive detail that is begging to be displayed.
And if you want to stick with your framed photo, but maybe spice it up just a hint, you can get a framed photo light. It is based on a porcelain engraving art form called lithopane, but it is essentially your photo carved into porcelain and backlit to illuminate your memory with stunning detail. When the lights are out and you are fondly admiring your decorated tree, wouldn’t you want to see a beautiful photo lit on your mantel beside it?
Why not give beautiful, meaningful gifts to the people you love? Especially when you don’t even need to leave the house to do it. Parents of toddlers know the true value of shopping from home, take advantage of a naptime and get your holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving. Sleep off your turkey without having to anxiously await fighting the Black Friday crowds for rain checks. The really beautiful stuff takes a few weeks to create and ship, so shop today.
Christy Higby
How to Get Great Quality Digital Pictures For Putting On To Canvas
October 8, 2009
Digital cameras are great. You can snap away on an automatic setting and just concentrate on capturing the special moments in your child’s life, without worrying about all the technical stuff. Overall they deliver good quality even on totally auto mode and the great thing is that you can see the results on the screen immediately, so you know what you are getting. When it comes to enlarging our best photos though, sometimes we might be disappointed in the results. That cute picture of our toddler blowing bubbles may have looked perfectly sharp in a small image, but starts looking blurry and disintegrating when you blow it up large enough to print on to canvas. How can you make sure that your digital pictures will be good enough quality for putting on to canvas, when you finally do capture that perfect picture?
If you want great quality pictures to print large, you should get to know your camera a little beyond the auto settings it comes with. Most digital cameras come with options that you can set for quality and size of image. If you get into the habit of taking all your photographs on the best quality settings, you will always have the option of printing large.
So get out your manual or fiddle with your camera menu until you find these settings or variations of them:
1. Picture Quality You may have a choice of Normal, Fine and Superfine. Always set it at Superfine for a really sharp image.
2. Picture Size This is often shown as the number of pixels e.g. 2048×1538 or might just show as Large, Medium or Small. Set your camera permanently to the largest size available. You can always reduce the size on your computer afterwards, but you can never make the image bigger.
3. ISO This is the equivalent of the old film speeds and helps you take pictures in low light. An ISO of 50 gives you the best quality, while ISO 400 helps shoot in dim lighting conditions, but will not give you such a sharp image. Set it to ISO50 unless you need more light and don’t expect a picture taken at ISO400 to enlarge well.
Different brands of digital cameras may have slightly different versions of these settings (mine are from a Canon Powershot) but these are the main variables to look out for. Once you have set these to the finest quality settings, you will know your photos are the highest quality possible for your camera.
The only drawback to shooting at the finest settings all the time is that you use up space on your memory card more quickly, as each photo takes up more space. Solve this problem by buying yourself a spare memory card, so that you always have back up when you are out and about. Like having a spare film in your camera bag, it makes sure that you never miss a great photo opportunity. Transfer all your images from both memory cards onto your computer regularly, back them up and then delete them from your camera, so that you always have plenty of space available on your camera for new pictures.
Now you have the security of knowing that any time you catch a gorgeous picture of your baby looking too cute for words, you will be able to make a beautiful canvas print of it without worrying about the picture quality.
Mum and Photographer
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