Cool Photo Gifts

December 13, 2009

Giving the perfect gift is such a satisfying feeling. Can you imagine the feeling you will receive when they are opening up the cool photo gifts? Now that most people have gone digital, giving a photo gift is easier than ever. There are so many cool items that you can have a photo placed on. It does not matter who you are shopping for you can find something for everyone.

Gifts for Her
By giving her a purse or tote with brag pockets, she can switch the photos she is displaying as often as she wants. Photos can be turned in 3D sculptures; can be life size or small enough to stick on the fridge. Looking for something in the sparkling line up, give her jewelry with her favorite people incorporated in the design. You can find different styles of earrings, watches, bracelets and necklaces.

Gifts for Him
Dress up his desk by giving him a pen set or business card holder with a photo of a loved one. Do you have a basketball fan in your live? Have the backboard of a mini basketball set decorated with his favorite picture. A dart board customized with a photo is a excellent way to relieve stress. You can place his photo on the cover of a magazine and have the cover tailored to him.

Gifts for the Kids
Every kid likes to hear about themselves, they can be a star in their own book. You can have their picture or pictures of individual family members included in the book. Paper dolls are on a whole new level when the child’s picture helps create the doll. Jigsaw puzzles are a lot of fun for all ages and now you can take a favorite picture turned into a jigsaw puzzle. Another toy item the Rubik’s cube, you can accommodate six pictures on the cube.

For the Home
Need a space heater but would love something that can go with your decor a little better? You can have a photo turned into a heater. The photo is framed with an electric heating unit behind it. A little light shows that the heater is turned on. Have a favorite photo turned into bedding, pillows or even a dog bed. Need a hostess gift? Customize a bottle of wine that you select and then have photo placed on the label you can design. You can customize a wine cooler or other pieces of furniture with a photo of your choice. Do you ever feel that people walk all over you? Now your friends can literally walk all over you when you put your photo on a door mat.

Photo gifts are extremely personalized and very hard to forget who gave you the present. Take the time to have fun with photo and the gift you choose. Your gift will be enjoyed for years to come.

Last Minute Gifts for the Keen Photographer – Photo Storage Supplies

December 10, 2009

So we’re running out of time to do the Christmas shopping and there are still gifts to buy for important people in our lives. If we haven’t already ordered them it’s getting a bit late to create a personalized gift with special photos, but there are still gifts that we can get and make a little bit special for the keen photographer in our life.

One thing a photographer always needs more of is photo storage supplies. However many albums, boxes and memory cards they have, if they take a lot of photos they use up the space in no time. Now it may not sound like a very romantic or personal gift, but if it is something that your partner will really use, they’ll appreciate it far more than a conventionally romantic gift. To make a gift like this more personal there are plenty of things you can do.

Perhaps what your photographer partner most needs is more secure computer storage space for his or her photographic data. An external hard drive would be incredibly useful for that. They can use it as a back up, unplug it and keep it in a safe or other secure place, so that they always have spare copies of their precious photos no matter what happens to the computer. To give a personal touch to a gift like this, one idea would be, to plug the hard drive in secretly before you wrap it and save a special file on it to surprise your partner when they first use it. You could put on a photo that has precious memories for you both, a poem, a letter or just a loving message.

Does your partner only have one memory card for their camera? Why not get them a spare one, so that they never run out of space, even when you’re away on vacation. Small in size, this would make a thoughtful gift to put in a stocking or it can be tucked inside a hand-made Christmas card. Just make sure that you know the exact make and model of their camera before you go shopping, so that you get the right size of memory card.

If the photographer in your life prints out all their photos they are bound to need more photo albums. Take a look at the way they store their prints. Do they spend ages creating scrapbook style photo albums, or do they prefer to slot prints into pocket pages for speed and ease of storage? Buy them an archival quality photo album with plenty of pages and personalize it by tucking a special picture or poem into the first page.

All these gifts can be bought at the last minute at a photographic store, or there may just be time to order them online before Christmas, but check delivery dates before you order.

Purchase Back-Up Batteries for Your Digital Cameras So You Don’t Miss A Shot

December 8, 2009

Picture the scenario: it’s Christmas Day. You have all the family gathered together from far flung states for this one day. You grab your trusty digital camera to take a group photo of everyone to remember this special time. You set up the shot carefully, test the flash and look at your camera. There is a warning light. The batteries need replacing. You search your camera bag, but you know that you forgot to put camera batteries on your Christmas shopping list. There were so many other things to remember. If you’re lucky, someone else has spares for you to use. But otherwise your chance of a special family photo is lost.

To save yourself from this unthinkable fate for a keen photographer it makes sense to always purchase a back-up set of batteries, or even two for your digital cameras. The more advanced the camera, the more it uses up battery power, especially if you are using the camera flash. You can go through a set of batteries in no time, especially on festive occasions when you are trying to record every moment and get portraits of everyone present.

The best way to solve the problem of fading batteries is to invest in several sets of rechargeable batteries and a good quality battery charger. They don’t cost too much and it really is a worthwhile investment as it will save you a lot of money over time. Look for battery chargers that charge rapidly, as well as ones that can select two or four battery charging settings. They should also take various battery sizes for versatility. You can even get chargers that plug into the car cigarette lighter for when you are traveling.

On days when you will be taking a lot of photos you can have one set of batteries waiting fully charged in your camera bag, another set in your camera and a third set charging, so that you will never run out of power and miss an important shot. Make a habit of checking your batteries before you set out for a day of photography and double checking that you have a spare set with you.

Another useful gadget is a multimeter or voltmeter, so that you can check that the batteries are fully charged. Rechargeable batteries don’t last forever and if just one loses its charge it can stop the whole set functioning properly. By checking the batteries regularly you can save yourself a lot of lost photo opportunities on special occasions.

Organizing Your Pictures

December 5, 2009

Photo storage and display essentials from Betty Muscott

Last weekend in my blog we discussed organizing hard copy or printed pictures; this weekend we will discuss organizing & storing your digital pictures in an archival format.

Burn Your Pictures To A CD

After you download your pictures to your computer, I recommend that before you start any work on them, that you burn them to a CD or DVD & preferably in the RAW. This will give you the maximum flexibility to both have a back up to your hard drive on your computer & to be able to work on them should your hard drive crash on you. Some of you have who more than one drive on your computer can make a copy to that drive, but drives are mechanical and can fail. Anything that can fail, someday will fail.

The Best CDs and DVDs For Storing Photos

I have consulted a computer technical expert about the kinds of CD’s & DVD’s are the best to use for storing pictures. I was advised that I should the CD- or DVD- because they will work on most machines, even the older ones. Try to avoid the CD+ or DVD+ or the RW’s.

CDs Don’t Last Forever

Did you know that CD’s & DVD’s corrode & rust? I didn’t until recently. Normally, they last from only 2-20 years depending upon how they are stored. The best recommendation is to store your digital material where you live, not in the basement or the attic of your home.

My Recommendations

So what do I recommend to do about the corrosion problem? I recommend two things: First, put your CD’s & DVD’s into special corrosion intercept digital pages & sleeves. They offer ultimate protection, acting as a barrier to static electricity and a harmful element that corrodes and tarnish CD’s—extending their life to 40-120 years. Second, purchase archival gold CDs, DVDs and PEN. Put any treasured pictures on archival gold CDs & DVD’s. Trust your memories to Archival Gold recordable media. It’s the most reliable solution found for safe-guarding your images against deterioration. Archival Gold CDs and DVDs incorporate non-corrosive 24 karat gold and patented Phthalocyanine dye to preserve and protect digital images hundreds of years longer than ordinary recordable media. They are now available with Scratch Armor to prevent against scratches, dirt, and fingerprints. Label them with the black Archival Digital Marker that’s non-toxic and solvent-free. Then put the CD’s that are in the corrosion intercept pages into a specially designed digital photo album.

Make Extra Copies

While you are making copies onto CD’s or DVD’s, be sure to make an extra copy (at least of your favorite pictures), and put these CD’s into an archival CD Storage Box to give to someone else in your family or a trusted friend who lives in another home for back-up safe keeping. You will have a lot invested in your pictures. It’s certainly worth while to have a plan to organize and store your precious pictures, and to follow that plan!

Make Great Photo Stories Even With A Beginner Small Digital Camera

December 3, 2009

Most of my photography these days is based around my children and the events in our family life. The days when I could spend half the day setting up a studio shot of a flower with lighting and a medium format camera are long gone. Instead I’m in demand to photograph a school concert or record the details of the class camp. For the concert a digital SLR camera is essential, but my son’s class camp next week, (it’s summer and the end of the school year here in South Africa) to a windy camp site on a sandy beach is another matter. The SLR will stay at home and, like a beginner photographer, I’ll be taking a small digital camera along – my Canon Powershot of three years, old technology now, but still working as well as ever.

I’ve started creating photo diaries of the class camps, two days away with only the vague function of helper leaves a lot of time for creative photography. It’s refreshing to take time away from my computer and kitchen and see life through a lens again.

To record an event in photographs without words, and capture the feel of the place, you need to tell a story in pictures. This means having your camera with you at all times, snapping the details as well as the big picture.

One of my favorite pictures from last year was this close up of a pebble tower the children had made with, distant and out of focus behind, their figures frolicking in the waves.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you are taking photographs to record a special day or vacation as a photo story.

1. Photograph the preparation as well as the actual event – for me this was getting shots of the kids trying to put up the tents, loading their bags into the van, gathering wood for the fire. For a family event this could mean going into the kitchen and taking photos of the cooks at work, snapping friends putting up decorations and so on. All these things are part of the day.
2. Photograph the small details as well as the big picture – get close ups of a decoration or a special dish. At camp I took close ups with my macro facility of pretty pebble on the beach, shells in the water, a piece of driftwood, children’s hands holding a sea snail. All these details add hugely to a finished album or slideshow, giving a real feel of the place and event.
3. Take at least a few photos of every single thing that happens, even if you are cooking or having to do other things as well. It takes no time to whip out your compact camera from your pocket and shoot off a few candid pics of the kitchen in chaos. In my case at camp I was photographing while grilling sausages on the fire at dusk, getting pictures of the sausages, the barbeque tongs, the girls crowding round wanting to help.
4. Don’t worry about your pictures being technically perfect – better a blurry shot in low light than no picture at all. Blurry shots can have plenty of atmosphere – professional photographers use blur creatively, so why don’t you!
5. Try and take a portrait shot of each person present at some stage of the day. Use your zoom and snap them while they’re busy with something if you like but do catch everybody at least once. It’s great to have those pictures years later and see the faces of everyone again.
6. Take a group shot at some stage. Make it fun and informal. This year I’m planning to photograph all the children crowded into one tent with their faces looking out of the entrance or perhaps something else will occur to me once we’re there.
7. Most of all, use your eyes and be spontaneous, snap everything that catches your eye but don’t forget to enjoy yourself too and get someone else to take at least one photograph of you –so you’re not just an invisible presence behind the camera in the record of the day.
   

Tips for Taking Creative Photos of your Kids

December 2, 2009

Are you tired of the same style of pictures of your kids? Taking creative photos of your kids can reenergize the photographer in you. Whether you are taking pictures of a special occasion or just everyday life, a little planning can go a long way.

Props
Think about what story you are trying to get across with your photos. Themed birthday parties make it easier to work props into the pictures. Your theme could use the season or your kid’s favorite TV character. Everyone wants to the birthday party picture with the cake and streamers but take it one step further. If you can take your party outside and use nature as prop, you can get the one of a kind photo you are seeking. Use the fresh flowers of spring, leaves for fall or a snowman for winter to give your photos another dimension. The Christmas tree picture is a common photo found in Christian households. Everyone is lined up stand in front of the Christmas tree. Why not take the opportunity while decorating the tree to get those family photos? Getting your subject or subject engaged in an activity can help create a natural picture. When taking pictures of groups do not have them line up all in a row. Varying the heights of your subjects with a staircase, for example, is more pleasing to the eye. Your kids do not need to be the only one to use props. Have you ever tried to take pictures from different heights? When taking pictures of kids, getting down to their height helps draw you into the picture. Sometimes it is fun to take pictures from above, like when you stand on a chair, or when you lie down on the ground and shoot up at them.

Camera Functions
Kids are always on the move, so keep you camera up and continue to shoot where you think the action is going to happen. If your camera has a burst or continuous mode, you can use this setting to take multiple pictures with one click of the shutter button. This will capture a sequence of movements from your subject. The action mode “freezes” your subject in motion to get a clear picture by increasing your shutter speed. Portrait is another notable manual mode that creates an out of focus background while the subject is clearly focused. The portrait mode is best used outdoors during the day. You can still get outstanding pictures by keeping the camera on automatic and have the camera decide what the best way is to take the picture.

The best part of taking pictures with a digital camera is that you can shoot away now and delete later. Make sure everyone is relaxed and having a good time to make it easier to get those memories.

Put the Best Compact Pocket Camera On Your Christmas Wish List

December 1, 2009

The Christmas shopping rush is on now, but have you made out your own wish list and let important people in your life know what you really want for Christmas? It may be more romantic to let them surprise you, but what about if their idea of a great gift, isn’t yours… you could let them know exactly what you want and save them too much trouble by sending them a link to where they can buy it online! If, like me, your compact digital camera is more than three years old, you may be looking wistfully at all the latest digital compact cameras being released with new features and better lenses, so this could be the perfect gift for you.

Even if you have a digital SLR camera for your creative photography, it’s still a good idea to keep an up to date compact camera on your equipment list. Think of all the times you rush out of the door without your camera bag, because it is too heavy, or you don’t want to risk taking it with you at a crowded public event. A small pocket camera is perfect in these circumstances. You can always carry it with you, as it is really light, and tucked into a pocket or handbag you’ll hardly even notice the difference.

The newest compact cameras are lighter than ever before and still manage to have good sized clear screens, like the Canon Powershot SD1100 IS Digital Camera. It also has a great zoom and image stabilization, so is perfect for catching candid pictures of your kids when you’re out and about. You can snap a photo of your son’s football team, catch a funny moment with your toddler at the playground and take it hiking or to the beach, where you might not want to risk your SLR. You’ll still use your SLR for all your creative photography and portrait work, but a compact does give you the benefits of spontaneity, which is important when you are documenting the life of your children and don’t want to miss a moment.

If you do get lucky and find that your partner has taken your hint and put this great little camera under the tree for you, think about passing your old compact digital down to your children if they are old enough. My nine-year old has inherited an old Canon digital compact from my mother and is loving having her own camera to start recording her own version of our family history.

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