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Photographing food is not much different than photographing anything else. Even though the average person is not too interested in taking close-ups of food, there are times when images of food are necessary. Typically, we see photographs of food as editorial illustrations in cookbooks, magazine recipes, and advertisements.

When food is photographed, the food should be freshly arranged and edible looking. For grilled food, the peak time to take images is from straight off the grill while it’s cooking and at the point it is ready to be pulled off the grill. The smoke adds to atmospheric perspective (which is a design concept) and adds interest and additional information to images.

If part of the barbeque grill shows, this is appropriate. We like to see what the food is resting on. The whole grill does not have to show because we get the idea. When taking pictures of cooked food, be mindful of photographing food from the best angle. Another tip, when photographing hot food, photograph the food while it is hot, it’ll look so much better. Then again, when photographing cold food such as salads, the cool moisture looks fresh and visually inviting.
Just as with people, food photographs better at certain angles. For instance, most wedding cakes have a front side. Caterers twist wedding cakes around to show off the best side.

Photographing food at wedding receptions is somewhat difficult. Most people are not interested in having images of the food necessarily, but they want indications of having it at their receptions. Showy buffet tables photograph okay; but most often, these photographs are not that interesting. Typically though, photographs of bridal couples by buffet tables or sitting at head tables with their plates of food before them (before they start to eat) are ideal shots. When food is implied in photographs, it puts the focus on people and not the food. Actually, this is a sophisticated way of photographically show food in a social setting.

To conclude, think of why you want to have pictures of food. If you are photographing food to illustrate a recipe or showcase a cuisine, take bold images of the food. Make sure the food is properly prepared and is presented aesthetically. If you want to photographically show food at an event, take pictures of the buffet table with people actively serving themselves. If you want to photograph what is on the plate, shoot down at a couple who has uneaten food on their plate and have them smile at the camera. As you can see, photographing food is easy if you think of creative ways to do it. (revised 2/15/2006)

Debbie Jensen, Graphic Designer and Photographer http://www.debjensendesigns.com

Panoramas are photos that are much wider or taller than a normal photograph. Nature and landscapes, cityscapes and architecture, group portraits and events are all ideal panoramic photo opportunities. To do this, you need to have a selection of shots suitable for making a panorama. Read these quick tips for creating breathtaking panoramic photos.

1) Graphics editing software that lets you stitch photos together to create a panoramic photo will save you time and can create great results. You can use Adobe Photoshop Elements Photomerge tool to create a panorama.

2) Mark the point where the sequence of photos begins and ends. This is helpful to do especially if your camera does not have a mode for taking digital photos for panoramic images.
3) Use the wide-angle setting of your lens. Remember to use the same focal setting for each shot, as changing the setting by zooming in can ruin the effect, and try and shoot from the same position.

4) Use the same exposure for each shot. If you use the manual mode on your digital camera you can set the aperture and shutter speed ensuring it will maintain consistency between shots. Some cameras also have a panorama mode, which will lock these settings for you.
5) Focus your digital camera on the edge of the scene that you want to include in your panorama. This is the photo that will be the first photo that is used in your panorama.
6) Taking shots for panoramas becomes much easier if you use a tripod with a spirit level. The tripod keeps the shots straight and allows you to make more precise alignments rather than handholding the camera. Use a spirit level to help keep the camera angle consistent as you rotate it on the tripod.
7) Take between four and eight shots of your subject. Make sure each picture overlaps the next by 20% or more. This will allow the software to produce a soft transition between shots and it makes it easier for you to align the images. This technique will work well with cityscapes or landscapes.
Landscape format shots suffer more from wide-angle distortion and the software can chop off some of the top and bottom of the image. I have found it works best to take portrait format shots as this ensures there will be less distortion.

9) For professional results there is a special panorama head available for tripods. This allows you to take panoramas with greater accuracy.
10) Panoramas are impressive images, even when viewed on your computer screen. But panoramic prints are even more impressive. Consider using a professional online printing service to create stunning panoramic prints.

Peter Horner has years of experience in digital editing and printing technologies, as well as a passion for landscape photography. With this experience he co-created DesignerPrint, a large format printing company creating canvas prints, block mounts and poster prints. Learn more about Canvas Printing from DesignerPrint.

The PMP-140 with it’s large 3.5″ LCD screen, lets you take your audio, video and photographic media files with you, on all your adventures. With a generous 40 GB of storage is not just for digital photos, it plays full color, full motion video too.

An audio input so you can load audio from other devices, without a computer. The iRiver PMP-140 doubles as a voice recorder, with its built in mic. Transfer media files to the PMP-140, Via USB 2.0. You can store up to 160 hours of video or up to 1,200 hours of music. The iRiver PMP-140 supports formats MP3 and WMA to WMV and DivX AVI video and BMP/JPEG image files. Weight: 2.6lbs, Dimensions: 8.1″x7.5″x3.9″

iRiver PMP-140 40GB Portable Media Player Specifications:

Capacity: 40GB : PMP-140

Display: 3.5 inch TFT LCD(QVGA) 320X240 pixels, Transflective, 260K Colors

Video Recording: 4 hours 640×480 @24fps

Audio:128kbps, 44.1kHz

Video: 5 hours 320×240 @24fps

Audio:128kbps 44.1kHz

Continuous Playback Time Audio: 10 hours

Connection Type: USB 2.0

Download Speed Max. 480Mbps

Equalizer: 5 Preset Normal, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Ultra Bass and 1 programable

Dimensions: 8.1″x7.5″x3.9″

Weight: 2.6lbs (PMP-140, Including Battery)

Direct Encoding: MP3

Voice Recording: Yes

Line In: Yes

Line Out: Yes

Audio frequency Range: 20Hz~20kHz

Headphone Output Power: 20mW(R) + 20mW(L) (16 ) at Max. Volume

S/N Ratio 90dB, A weighted

Frequency Characteristics: 3dB

No. Channels: Stereo Left and Right

FM tuner frequency range: 87.5MHz ~ 108MHz

S/N Ratio: 60dB, A weighted

Antenna: Headphone/Earphone-Cord Antenna

File support: MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer3, WMA, WAV, ASF

Bit Rate MP3: 8kbps ~ 320Kbps

Tag: ID3 V1 Tag, ID3 V2 2.0, ID3 V2 3.0

Motion Picture File Type: AVI, ASF, MPG

Video Type: Compatible XviD, MPEG-4 Video Compliant SP, MPEG1

Audio Type: MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer 3

Video Bit Rate: Max. 1.5 Mbps

Audio Bit Rate: 8 kbps ~ 192 kbps

Resolution : Max. 640 x 480

Frame Rate: Max. 30fps

Image File Type: Baseline (Non-progressive) JPG, BMP Mono, 4, 8, 24 bit
Resolution: JPG 3100 x 2100, BMP 800 x 600

TV Out: NTSC / PAL

Power Supply: AC Adaptor, DC 5.0V, 2A

Battery: Detachable Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery

Operating system requirements: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP, MAC OS 9.2.2 or higher, Mac OS 10.2 or higher

Visit KISSERreviews.info to compare prices, read actual customer reviews or find accessories. You will also find KISSER reviews for the Apple iPod photo, Archos AV700, Archos AV500, Epson P-2000 and P-4000, Samsung Yepp YH-999, SmartDisk FlashTrax, Creative Zen, Nikon MSV-01 CoolWalker and the JOBO Giga Vu. Also Nikon and Canon Cameras.

For helpful information about, How to Become a Freelance Photographer and Freelance Photographer Jobs, visit our unique Digital Photography Website at: DigitalPhotographyWebsite.com for great ideas. There’s are a lot of free photography tips, tutorials and travel information there.

I have been a professional photographer at several western ski resorts including Vail and Breckenridge. I started out at Grand Targhee Wyoming. Where I landed my first professional photography job taking action photos of skiers on the slopes at Grand Targhee. I am currently a freelance photographer based out of Lake Tahoe, California

Each photograph has a story, which is different, but the ending is usually the same. People are sometimes desperate to save a bit of their history, and often it is crumbling before their eyes. These photographic treasures often need magic to take a faded, torn, wrinkled, or water-stained snapshot and restore it to its original beauty.

Why would you want to read an article about the care of old photographs? Because one day they may be important to you, and if you think there is reason to protect them now rather than wait a year or so, consider that one day you might have to go through the expensive and generally aggravating experience of re-creating something that would be so easy to protect now.

Sometimes it is just good to spend a little time with old photos just to reflect - it’s good for the soul and the rewards always exceed the cost. Proper care for what has been handed down to you at no cost to you, and with only an imaginary value, should not be taken lightly. Idealistically, care of family artifacts should, from one generation to another, be properly carried out. There are countless mishaps to family photographs that might have been prevented if only someone had taken some simple precautions.

So what are these simple precautions? For the most part they will be easy to explain, but first you must locate the family photographs and carefully assess their current condition. Hopefully, they will still be in the shoebox in the attic and the roof hasn’t leaked. Handling of individual photographs can make all the difference in the world, chances are if you have photographs that were produced before 1950, they were made from silver salts, which also include the ones that look brown or are colored with oils. Over the years the paper hardens and so does the emulsion, which contains the image you wish to preserve. They become brittle and very easily and permanently damaged should they get bent. Plastic in newer prints also gets brittle over time and first shows signs or deterioration when very small splits begin to appear on the surface.

Bending the photograph accelerates splitting of the emulsion until a “crack” becomes clearly visible. Generally, this is irreversible damage. Nobody could be that negligent you might think, but most damage is accidental. One very common mistake is to try to remove a photograph that has been glued into an album. Most often, it will rip apart. Damage usually occurs accidentally and often while the entrusted material is in your custody. It also happens while on loan to others, in the mail system, or by a concerned someone who didn’t understand proper handling techniques. Since most photographs are one of a kind, it is best to understand the risks involved before you begin to gather your materials.

The archival part of real black & white, sepia, or oil-tinted photographs is the silver process itself. Silver is a metal and cannot degrade any further. When it combines with other compounds such as sulfur sulfite in a toning process, the resulting processes yield different chemical formulas and with different chemical formulas you get different visual effects, but most have silver as their base principal component. Other metals such as gold or platinum may also be incorporated in photographic imaging. When silver, gold or platinum salts aggravate a paper surface after being exposed to light, the result is the image you see. When the paper dries after processing, the image hardens as a very thin emulsion and should never be bent. Photographs printed on tin or glass have rigid substrates, but can be easily damaged by scratching or high humidity.

The daguerreotype is generally considered the oldest of the old and even though some may be more than 160 years in age, one in good condition is a sight to behold. Unlike the process of contemporary color as most of us know it, the silver process used in black and white photography is far more stable and “thicker” than the multitude of dyes used in the manufacture of color photo paper today. Early photographs generally contain high contents of silver, which account for their exceptional ability to with stand time and capture the past. Often you will see a photograph shine when the silver has been exposed to high humidity, but rarely will the image disappear entirely.

“Natural color” photos, as we know them, need to be protected from ultraviolet rays of the sun. Because they are made from chemical dyes, their ability to maintain the color intensity level we see when we first get them depends in large part on the protection they get from exposure to the high energy of UV light. Over time, a “red” or “green” image is left which is not easily restored to its original condition. Products on today’s market, such as those generated from computers, often boast permanent inks, but they remain untested. So far, the only color pigments I have found in the thousands of photos I have worked on that are archival are the oil based pigments and pastels. Generally, a skilled artist applies them to a photograph. To resist scratching and moisture, the photograph was sometimes finished with a sealing lacquer.

It is also important to have an understanding of what “archival quality” is as it pertains to photographic materials and a general knowledge of the way they are constructed. Simply put, a black and white photograph is an arrangement of silver molecules imbedded in a clear gelatin resting on a paper surface. On the other hand, a color photograph is an arrangement of chemical compounds sandwiched on the surface of the paper and deteriorates and looses the image. Restoration of a faded color photograph often cannot be recovered without in-depth digital technology combined with an artist’s skill to add color back to the photo. Once you have identified the photos you wish to put into your album, you should assess their condition and determine what is necessary to preserve what you have, then keep them dry, flat, and out of direct sunlight.

A simple way to save large quantities of images or transfer them to others is to scan them into a computer and onto a CD. It is cheap and easy. Though the visuals lack the personality reflected in the character of the originals, they are still fun for you to enjoy.

Simple precautions often prevent permanent damage. When asking to borrow photographs from others, bear in mind they probably are one of a kind and you are entrusted with an important responsibility. Someone who has not had their photos returned to them in the past is unlikely to loan them out in the future. In summary, never bend them and keep them away from liquid moisture, high humidity, and direct sunlight.

When photos are well preserved, they will be easier to see and appreciate. Always, they lead to stories, some good, some sad, and others just plain remarkable.

William Heroy - Owner of Old Photo Specialists - Founded in 1973

If you would like more information:

Visit Our Website
http://www.oldphotospecialists.com OR email us at oldphotospecialists@triad.rr.com

Old Photo Specialists is a highly specialized restoration studio. We provide a variety of services including original restoration, digital restoration, archival black and white and sepia tone printing, hand oil tinting, oils on canvas and a large variety of photography services. We educate our clients on how to take care of, preserve, and archive their precious family photos.

Write to Our Studio
Old Photo Specialist
909 N. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 271-6960

Sadly, not many of us will catch a glimpse of Santa Claus at Christmas. Of course, there will be plenty of people disguised to look like him visiting shopping precincts and local schools. But capturing the real Santa is pretty tricky.

It’s not much use waiting at the bottom of the chimney. Most people don’t have an open fire these days. And, if he did come in that way, there would be soot everywhere and, quite frankly, it makes an awful mess.

So, the front entrance is your best bet. And don’t think he will be early - he will have to wait until all the kids are tucked up in bed and fast asleep. This means that you’ll have to set up your gear and be prepared at about 4am.

Flash is best as Santa moves pretty darn quickly - he has to, there are hundreds of visits to make. Red material looks great lit by flash - beware of the highlights from the sweat on Santa’s face.

Santa is fat, let’s not pretend otherwise. You would think differently wouldn’t you, considering all the rushing about he does each year. I guess, he sits around and eats at most other times. And “fat” means wideangle lenses are best - get out your 28mm just to be sure.

Don’t expect any pleasantries. Santa is a busy man and works hard and fast, at least, certainly on Christmas Eve. Requesting actions such as “face slightly to the left” and “could you tidy the beard a bit” will offend. Just snap away.

If you are lucky, you might get a quick picture of a reindeer or two. Although be careful as they sometimes bite and the climb up to the roof can be treacherous for the uninitiated photographer. It’s mighty cold too - especially at 4am.

Have fun and …. be at the ready

Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer. He owns and runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums http://www.theshutter.co.uk/forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com Anyone interested in getting involved contact him at shutter@theshutter.co.uk