18 Nov 08 Fantastic Family Holiday Photos

When it comes to family photo opportunities, few events can top the holiday season. These special moments were meant to be cherished and to grace fireplace mantels and scrapbook pages for years to come. Here are a few tips to help you capture the essence of your subjects and the authenticity of the moment.

Stake Your Claim: If you’ve ever watched a wedding photographer at work, you’ll realize there is often a very specific plan in place, and this includes knowing which photos will happen in which locations. Even if your entire family will remain in one place for the day, decide which setting(s) will be most appropriate for photography.

For example, you may decide to take photos in front of the family fireplace or near the Christmas tree. Are there items that need to be removed that would prove distracting in the background? Will you need to set up chairs, and if so, who will sit where? Feel free to grab a pen and jot down a few ideas. This forethought will greatly assist you in getting those fantastic photos because your subjects realize that you have a plan and will get the job done efficiently. Little ones will more likely cooperate as well because the process will flow quickly. You don’t need to be a drill sergeant, but being deliberate and having a vision will help tremendously.

Elevate Your Status: When it comes to shooting large groups, it helps to be creative. One inside trick used by professional photographers involves a chair. Grab one and stand on it! You’ll be able to accommodate larger groups and create a portrait that’s more visually interesting using this technique. The novelty of this approach may also keep your subjects captivated long enough to ensure everyone is smiling when the shutter snaps!

Take a Tripod… Here’s a chance to pick up a present for yourself! A tripod is one of the most valuable and affordable accessories you can have in your photo toolkit. A tripod will instantly improve your photographs by stabilizing your camera and eliminating ‘camera shake.’ In addition, having your camera attached to a tripod allows you to better focus on getting smiles from your subjects as your attentions won’t be so divided between balancing the camera and posing your subjects.
You can learn more about the quality tripods we offer here: http://tinyurl.com/68l85t

…And a Remote Trigger: Make the most of your tripod by adding a remote trigger, which will free your hands and allow you to interact with your subjects while shooting. Imagine how much easier it will be to recognize those perfect moments with a remote trigger in hand; your focus can remain on your subjects, and you’ll be in perfect position to record that one image when all eyes are open and on you! Here are some we recommend: http://tinyurl.com/55kxa5

Perfect Timing: Make sure you understand how to use the timer on your digital camera. Toss your camera’s manual in your bag and review it before setting up your photo shoot. If you can’t find your manual, don’t worry. Just do an online search for your camera model and add the words ‘delay timer’ to the search. You should be able to retrieve instructions to use immediately.
Take a couple of test shots to make sure you’re comfortable with the process. Delayed timers are actually quite simple to use in most cameras.

So much effort and love have gone into getting your family together during this very special holiday. By taking a few minutes to prepare, you’ll ensure that your photographs reflect that very sentiment and serve as a continued reminder long after you ring in the New Year.

Tags: amp, Ave, bag, cam, camera, cameras, city, day, Di, digital, digital camera, end, event, example, Free, group, job, Love, minute, online, photo, photograph, photographer, photographers, photographs, photography, photos, pl, place, Plan, professional photo, professional photographers, Quality, shutter, status, subject, take, tech, test, time, Tip, tips, top, tripod, use, word, your

Filed in Products, Retail Store with 0 Comments

28 Oct 08 Getting Great Halloween Shots

Photographing excited (and constantly moving) costume-clad children at night can pose a few challenges, but taking great Halloween pictures can be a snap if you use a few simple techniques.

Use that Jack-o-lantern! Jack-o-lanterns can serve as great props as well as a creative light source for super-spooky shots. You can pose your children close to the jack-o-lantern—either with the pumpkin below their faces or in a silhouette pose, and the light coming from inside will cast a soft and scary light on their faces.

Go for the Action: Go beyond the traditional ‘say cheese’ shot and snap pictures of your trick-or-treaters on the go! Consider photographing them from behind as the run down the sidewalk, fully costumed with treat bags in tow, or walking up the steps to a neighbor’s house. Have them act the part of their costumes and keep snapping!

At Dusk– To Flash or Not to Flash: Most trick-or-treaters try to hit the trail before dark, and using natural light as the sun goes down can yield some wonderfully warm Halloween images. Turn off your flash and use natural light to capture the rich colors of the costumes and painted faces. If possible, snap some of your shots before dark; your Halloween photos will contain a nice range of moods between the dusk and nighttime hours.

Nighttime Shots: The right flash can make all the difference when it comes to creating that perfect image. Most cameras have a flash that is effective somewhere between five and ten feet from the subject; just don’t stand too close or else you may find your picture looks too bright or overexposed.

If you shoot using a DSLR, a high-quality add-on flash unit can greatly improve your images and allow you to capture fantastic nighttime pictures. PROMASTER has the most complete flash line in the industry with a product to suit everyone’s needs and budget. http://www.promaster.com/electronicflash

Tags: action, Ave, bag, bags, cam, camera, cameras, Di, DSLR, exp, flash, images, moods, napp, night, part, photo, photograph, photos, Pin, pl, ppi, Quality, SLR, subject, sun, tech, time, use, walk, your

Filed in Photo Tips with 0 Comments

13 Oct 08 Today on Twitter: 2008-10-13

Olympus Stylus 1040 Crystal http://tinyurl.com/4ywfzv #
Adobe releases Camera Raw v4.6 http://tinyurl.com/46ltbu #
Nikon wants to help you “Look Good in Pictures” http://www.lookgoodinpictures.com/ Hey Twitter, follow @nikonlookgood #
New Diamond Dealer - Mikes Quality Cameras in Visalia, California http://tinyurl.com/3sw42x #
See all current Diamond Service Contract dealers! http://flickr.com/photos/mackcamera/sets/72157604972925249/ #
Did you sign up for our FREE photography class? http://tinyurl.com/45cr7e #

Tags: cam, camera, cameras, class, contract, day, Di, Diamond, diamond service, flickr, Free, mack, mackcam, nikon, olympus, photo, photograph, photography, photography class, photos, Quality, service, service contract, Sign, status, Today, tweet, twitter, use

Filed in Tweets with 0 Comments

10 Sep 08 Buying a camera abroad

On all Grey Market cameras Mack Camera service contracts will start from the date of purchase!

—-
Warranty and other expenses

Will you need to buy power adapters for this item once you get it home? What if it breaks? Will your warranty still be valid once you have returned home or will you be stuck with a broken camera? Some items will come with an international warranty card, but the manufacturer will claim that it was a “grey market” purchase and therefore will not honour the international warranty. More sinisterly, quite a few camera manufacturers (Canon especially) only offers local warranty, so if your camera breaks when you’ve come back home, you’re out of luck. Of course, if you ensure that you buy high quality brands (Canon, Nikon, etc), you’re less likely to need your warranty, but that’s a different point altogether.
—-

grabbed from http://photocritic.org