Monthly Archives: June 2010

Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos

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Get the most out of your camera with Photo Nuts and Bolts, by Neil Creek. Written with the user in mind, Photo Nuts and Bolts breaks down digital photography in easy to follow steps. This book is produced by the folks at DigitalPhotographySchool.com, who put out several quality titles each year.

73% of digital camera owners wish they had more control over their camera

Nuts Bolts Cover Promo P Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos picturesThese results from a recent poll of readers highlight a challenge that many camera owners face – they’re unable to use their camera to its fullest potential because they don’t understand the basics of how to use it.

If you wish you had a better understanding of your camera and how to get it working to its potential – we’ve developed a resource for you.

Discover How Your Camera Works and Take Better Photos Today

Photo Nuts and Bolts is a brand new downloadable PDF E-Book designed to help you know your camera and take better photos.

This resource has been written by regular contributor to DPS – Neil Creek and works through a series of 10 lessons centered around the basics of photography.

Add to cart Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos pictures

10 Lessons to Give You Control Over Your Camera

Buying this book – you’ll be walked through the following topics:

Lesson 1 – Light and the Pinhole Camera
Lesson 2 – Lenses and Focus
Lesson 3 – Lenses, Light and Magnification
Lesson 4 – Exposure and Stops
Lesson 5 – Aperture
Lesson 6 – Shutter
Lesson 7 – ISO
Lesson 8 – The Light Meter
Lesson 9 – White Balance
Lesson 10 – Metering Modes and Exposure Compensation

sample pages Photo Nuts and Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos pictures

Great Fireworks Photo Tips for Fourth of July

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fireworks photography tips Great Fireworks Photo Tips for Fourth of July pictures

Looking to capture great fireworks photos this Fourth of July? With a little planning and technical know-how, you’ll be able to photograph fireworks in all their stunning beauty and vibrant colors.
nighttime photography tips1 Great Fireworks Photo Tips for Fourth of July pictures

Quick Tips for great fireworks photography…

  • Scout locations in advance. The big difference between good fireworks photos and great ones is planning. The most important factor in great fireworks photos is selecting a suitable location. Once you have a general idea of where the fireworks display will be held, scout for locations (during the day) which provide an adequate backdrop for your images. Shoot test images during the day at your designated location to ensure proper lens choice, framing, foreground and background elements.
  • Use a tripod. Enough said.
  • Manual focus. Expecting consistent results from your camera’s autofocus system in trying to record bursting fireworks against the night sky is really pushing your luck. If in doubt, manual focus on infinity.
  • Manual exposure. Depending on the camera make and model, you may want to experiment between auto and manual exposure. The safe money is using manual exposure…f/8 for 1-5 seconds.

Listed below are several excellent articles on the topic of fireworks photography I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

San Francisco based Wedding Photographer | Erica Berger

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times square wedding photo San Francisco based Wedding Photographer | Erica Berger pictures

San Francisco based Wedding Photographer | Erica Berger

“Hello!  My name is Erica Berger and I am based out of San Francisco. I bring a high level of energy to every shoot. I am a young, fresh wedding photographer – I like to have fun and create images that highlight your love in the most beautiful way.


As you can see my style is modern – I like bright colors and intense black and whites. I love to pose people, and I love to capture the day as it unravels. I have been editing and taking images for over five years. I have training in graphic design and a love for New Media and photography. I shoot with top of the line equipment and take pride in delivering you images that will WOW you!”
awesome wedding album San Francisco based Wedding Photographer | Erica Berger pictures

Engagement Sessions: “These are so much fun. I shoot three hours before sunset. I have a bunch of places that I like to go to. I like to get out of the city a lot and travel up to the North Bay. There I go to Marin Headlines and towns near that area. I also like city shoots for a more urban feel. CLOTHES! Wear something adorable and have him compliment you. Bring extra clothes, hats, gloves, cute things! Make sure you can walk in your shoes because I like to go on adventures.”

Trash The Dress: “I admit it – I LOVE these shoots….”>>>read more from the erica berger photography blog

colorful engagement photo San Francisco based Wedding Photographer | Erica Berger pictures

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 Review

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 has quickly become the most popular point and shoot camera for 2010. The main features driving buyers to this particular model include, the Panasonic reputation for fine craftsmanship, durable metal camera body, Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens, and 1280×720 HD video in motion JPEG or proprietary AVCHD Lite formats.

Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS7 photo1 Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS7 Review pictures

buy now9 Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS7 Review pictures

Details. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, powered by the Venus Engine HD II processor, face detection technology and the ability to record specific shooting location data on both still images and video via a built-in GPS receiver.

Does sound matter? The ZS7 features above average stereo sound quality, easy to view 3.0-inch LCD monitor and a variety of automatic and special scene shooting modes as well as full manual controls. While the 12x optical zoom, which spans the 25 to 300mm focal range (35mm film equivalent) is middle of the road based on competitive models, you have to factor in the Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens.

Summary. While the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7′s price tag hovers right around the entry level DSLR range ($300-$400US), consumers have voted with their pocketbooks that great design and outstanding picture quality do matter. You can find cheaper point and shoot models with more bells and whistles, but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 is a solid performer for all benchmarks in video capture, image quality and overall usability.

Click here to see other best selling cameras!

One Night in Boston: Street Photography Workshop

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boston street photography One Night in Boston: Street Photography Workshop pictures

Flickr Photo by Douglas Levy


Attention photographers…If you happen to be in Boston on July 17, this street photography workshop looks like a lot of fun! Note – Registration is required.

Join Mike Diskin, Creative Director of STUFF Magazine for “One Night in Boston,” an intensive three hour street photography workshop at the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE). Students will be guided through various techniques including: taking a great photograph in a transient setting, framing the shot and capturing people candidly. There will also be a guided photo walk through downtown Boston. One lucky student from the class will be published in the “One Night in Boston” STUFF Magazine issue and invited to the VIP issue launch party!

Students are required to bring a camera that allows for manual exposure control (all digital SLRs and some point-and-shoot cameras should have this ability) and a tripod or camera mounted flash are also recommended. This one session photography workshop will be held on Saturday, July 17, 2010 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. The workshop is $55.00 for non-members and $47.00 for members.

Registration is necessary. Please visit www.bcae.org or call the Boston Center for Adult Education at 617-267-4430 to sign up.

Photographers SEO Book

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Over the past few years of running ILovePhotoBlogs, the most common mistake I see photographers make with their site is underestimating the importance of good SEO (search engine optimization). What is SEO? It’s the practice of maximizing the volume or quality of traffic to a web site (such as a blog) from search engines via “natural” or un-paid search results as opposed to other forms of search engine marketing (“SEM”) which may deal with paid inclusion (source – wikipedia). In a nutshell, it’s the process of getting your site to rank higher on search engines for free through targeted keyword selection.

The majority of photo bloggers I run across simply upload their images to a hosted service, i.e., Blogger or WordPress.com, with little concern about keywords or even to include any text at all on their sites. It’s no wonder so many struggle to get any significant traffic. With just a bit of guidance, you can easily have your photography site rank very high for keywords related to your specific photography niche.

SEO Expert Zach Prez has published a great instructional manual, Photographers SEO Book, that provides a wealth of information on SEO and is written specifically for photography sites. This manual contains detailed step-by-step tutorials on improving your site’s ranking, including how to select the right keywords for your site and easy to follow link building techniques.

photographers seo Photographers SEO Book pictures

blog launch Photographers SEO Book pictures

Getting higher traffic and better rankings is not rocket science, it’s all about the processes…SEO processes. So before you write another post, I would encourage you to pick up a copy of this great resource.