To begin, I just want to say that portrait photography goes beyond photography! It’s all about judging a perfect stranger and coming to terms with what he or she best symbolizes. It could be haughtiness, confidence, innocence, etc. But the real question is: how do you capture those traits in a photograph? Well, keep reading and you might just find out!

Bring Out Their Personality

Simply put, watch your subjects. Watch their mannerisms, their body language, the way they speak and the way they express their emotions. Who knows, maybe it’s their perfect front teeth that could prompt you to take their smiling photo. Perhaps it’s their serious look that adds many more layers of wisdom to their persona. Or, maybe it’s their ability to make faces that take your portrait photography to a whole new level. But, no matter which way you look at it, capturing what makes them tick should be your goal. And here's how you can detect that!

Alone Time

This one works all the time! Give your subjects some alone time. Ask them to continue what they're doing, whether it be issuing orders to their co-workers or gardening at home. Just observe their movements and be ready to capture them at a moment’s notice and without the subject’s knowledge. That can be achieved by telling the subject you're doing some "test shots" to check the lighting, mood and so on. By saying that, you remove the subject’s anxiety toward the photo shoot and they will act more like themselves.

Be Patient

It’s important to get to know your subjects before you embark on capturing their personality on your memory card. That's why it’s best to set aside considerably more time for the shoot than what you had originally intended. The success of portrait photography lies within being patient and investigating the subject a lot more. Once you know what the subject’s traits are, the shoot is as good as done.

So, how do you investigate? It's simply done by asking questions and being straight forward. It also helps if you try to be genuinely interested in who they are. If you take the time to ask about their likes and dislikes, chances are, your subject will open up much more. You'll then be able to get a better feel for who they are as a person. Once you do that, your pictures will speak for themselves!

Know the Details

"God is in the details." That old saying works well with portrait photography as well. It’s important to observe the subject to be able to focus in on things they are good at. Does your subject sneeze female viagra sildenafil often? Do they photograph better on one side as opposed to the other? Do they twitch a lot? Do they have to keep adjusting their glasses? Do they hate sunlight? Are they more at home with nature or with gadgets? Those are just a few examples of the little tendencies you can see in your subject that will help you decide what best suits their persona.

Be Friendly

There's nothing like breaking the ice and getting to know your subject better. Observing them and asking them a few questions might get you answers, but you still may not be able to capture a Kodak moment. For that to happen, you need to gain your subject's respect. You need to guide them through the emotions you want to capture with your conversation by talking to them, making them laugh and essentially, making them be themselves. Once you establish that rapport, you will come away with tons of great pictures. It could be the wry smile, the casual glance, the contemplative profile, the creased forehead, the sparkling eyes, the terse lips, the animated face and so on. But, if the subject doesn’t know you, they will be stiff as a collar and you will end up with photographs that don't represent them at all.

Here's to letting a little personality shine through in your photos!

Sometimes photography is as much about camera skills as it is about tweaking the pictures you’ve taken in Photoshop. However, the long drawn out ways of doing a simple task in Photoshop can be quite tiring. Luckily, there's a way out! All you need to do is follow the relatively simple tips found below to master Photoshop by keeping both your hands busy and minimizing the time spent on your computer. These tips are for Photoshop CS2 and CS3 users with a PC. So, without further ado, here are a few shortcuts that can make your life a lot easier!

As Simple As Can Be

• H (Hand Tool) – This command brings up the Hand Tool, which allows for quick panning when you zoom in to a portion of your photo.

  

• Z (Zoom Tool) – This command allows you to zoom in just by bringing up the Zoom Tool. If you want to temporarily switch to the Zoom Out mode, just hold down the Alt key.

  

• Ctrl + 0 (Fit on Screen) – If you want to get your entire photo in front of your eyes in mere seconds, this tool is the one you're looking for. Note: This command is Ctrl + zero, not the letter O.

  

• B (Brush Tool) – If you're into brushing up your images, this tool is the one you need. It's particularly useful if you're working with masks as well.

  

• Ctrl + Z (Undo) – This one is extremely handy and is used quite often. Why, you ask? Well, it can undo any mistake you may make to your images during the editing process.

  

• Tab (Hide/Show Palettes) – If you want to minimize your need to pan and zoom while editing, this tool comes in rather handy. It hides the palettes and offers you a more unhindered view of the image you're working on.

  

• [ (Decrease Brush Size) – The title of this one says it all. It's extensively used to quickly decrease the brush size so that you can get into the tighter spots of your image.

  

• ] (Increase Brush Size) – This one is a follow up to the previous command tool. It quickly increases the brush size for the larger areas of your picture.

• Shift + [ (Decrease Brush Softness) – This one decreases the softness of the brush by about 25 percent and it works beautifully with this shortcut.

• Shift + ] (Increase Brush Softness) – This one does exactly the opposite of the one above. It increases the brush softness by 25 percent.

• 1->0 (Tool Opacity) – Most times, photographers are happy with a brush opacity of five to 10 percent. However, you sometimes need to customize in order to suit the image. And that's where this tool command comes in handy. Simply press one of the numbers from one to 10 and your Tool Opacity can go up from 10 to 100 percent. For even finer control, press a second number quickly after the first. Doing that will get you any percentage you want. For example, pressing the number four will get you 40 percent opacity, while pressing six and then three will give you 63 percent opacity.

  

• Shift + 1->0 (Tool Flow) – This one works exactly like the opacity tool, but you have to hold down the Shift key while you hit the numbers.

  

• Ctrl + Tab (Next Point on Curves Adjustment) – When using the Curves cheapest viagra in uk Adjustment dialogue, you can place multiple points on the curve and adjust them accordingly. Sometimes you need to make very minor shifts in the points by nudging them with the keyboard, but clicking on the point to activate it usually moves it to an undesired location. Therefore, you can use this command to switch focus from point to point without moving them around.

  

For shake-free photography, a tripod is a must! Of course, you can rest your camera on any solid surface and the effect will be just as good, but if you use a tripod, you can tilt your camera any which way you want and still take pictures without a blur. A tripod is especially important if you're taking pictures of yourself or a person, place or thing in low lighting. But, before you embark on a tripod shopping spree, here are a few tips you should keep in mind. Let's check them out!

Weigh the Issue

This one depends on the type of camera you're using. If you're a hobby photographer who carries several camera lenses and flashes, it's important for you to buy a tripod that can handle the additional weight of the lenses and flash. On the other hand, if you use a point-and-shoot compact camera that doesn’t have any additional flashes or lenses, even the most light-weight tripod will do. Another thing to consider is "how much is too much." A tripod is something you have to lug around, so the lighter it is, the better it is for you. But going for a solid tripod that can take on a lot more weight than you really need isn’t a good thing either. Just go for the one that suits your needs the best.

Go for Stability

Some tripods can take the burden, but aren't really good at standing on their feet. By this, I mean they are prone to being knocked down even if someone so much as brushes past them. Some might not be able to take heavy wind either. So, the best way to test the stability of your tripod is to place your camera on it and test it out with all its legs in full position. If it feels awkward and wobbly, abandon it right away and move on to another choice.

Watch the Legs

Locking the legs is as important as stability of a tripod. Since manufacturers differ in their ergonomics, it’s best to check out half a dozen of them before buying the one that suits you best. The ergonomics of the leg angle release mechanism and the quick action leg locks allow for effortless adjustments. Not only will it seem less cumbersome, but it also promises safety of your camera equipment, as the tripod has to be in place with the full weight of your camera on it.

Extensions Do Matter

Most tripods come in two and three extensions. While some are most comfortable with two extensions, some find three to be a lot better. In hindsight, there are advantages to both. If you choose a tripod with only two extensions, you’ll have canada online pharmacy viagra a longer piece to haul around when it’s folded up. On the other hand, there is less messing around with extending and locking the legs. Three extensions will give you a smaller folded up tripod and a more sturdy hold.

It’s All in the Length

Tripods come in all shapes and sizes. Go for one that’s about your height when it's fully extended. That way, you're buying something that’s custom made for you. Also, height matters depending on the kind of photography you do. If it’s tabletop or group photography, a tripod is a must and the higher it is, the better. But, if those are shots you rarely take, you don’t really need an ultra-tall tripod. Therefore, choose judiciously.

Look for a Comfortable Tripod Head

Every tripod comes with headgear that is uniquely different from one another. Some are easy to use, while some are very cumbersome. It’s also very subjective, so you need to judge it yourself by attaching your camera to the tripod and testing it out. Does it take a lot of time to set up your camera? Or, is it quick and secure? You need to look at those things before you zero in on a tripod. Doing that will also determine how much flexibility you have once the camera is attached. Some photographers prefer tripod heads that can be removed very easily so that they can hand-hold their cameras for a few of their shots. Others like tripod heads that offer a lot more flexibility when the camera is attached.

There are two main kinds of tripods. The "ball and socket" tripods are highly flexible and offer a smooth touch and feel. The second kind is the "pan and tilt" tripod, which is inexpensive and it locks its heads into place much more firmly and securely. However, you can’t move out a lot with those heads. If you don’t like the tripod head you're currently using, you can buy one separately if your tripod allows for it.

And Finally…

Though it’s best to ask your friends and relatives which tripod they use, the best advice is to check out at least three to four shops before honing in on one. That's because most of your relatives and friends might be using tripods that are old fashioned and some may not even be on the market today. So, the best thing to do is check out the latest models and opt for the one that suits you the best!

Date: October 26th, 2007

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Author: John Lee

When you prepare graphics for the Web, choosing the proper format for them is the key to ensuring that your Web site loads quickly in client browsers, regardless of the end user’s connection speed. Despite the escalating saturation of broadband connections, it is always a good idea to get your graphics media down to the smallest size possible while maintaining the best quality. I’ll show you how Adobe Photoshop CS3 makes this process simple and quick.

Nearly everyone involved in creating or maintaining a Web site is aware that the two most widely used graphics formats for viewing in browsers and other Web-connected devices are GIF and JPEG. Yet outside of the Web design profession, very few people seem to know which format is appropriate for what kind of graphic.

If you don’t own a copy of Photoshop CS3, you can download a fully functioning 30-day trial. This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download.

Small graphics

Start by saving the two graphics files below to your hard drive. The photograph of the woman getting a massage (Figure A) is a JPEG graphic at 100 percent quality — that is, it has little to no compression. Likewise, the fake Northstar Publishing logo (Figure B) is a GIF format graphic at 100 percent quality.

Figure A

The low-compression JPEG graphic that we’ll be using

Figure B

The low-compression GIF file

One of the biggest mistakes most people make is saving a graphics file in a format for which it is not really suited. This leads to graphics with poor visual quality, and worse, graphics that are not saved with a compression scheme that complements their content are more bloated in file size.

An easy way to remember when it is appropriate to compress a graphic as a GIF or a JPEG is this simple mnemonic:

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, and its compression scheme operates by dropping information from a graphic and then filling in the missing data with blurry artifacts based on adjacent colors in the picture. JPEG compression is best used for photographs and graphics that feature a lot of gradients.

• GIF – Graphics with Flat colors

GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format, and its compression scheme works by dropping colors from a graphic. The maximum number of colors a GIF can hold is 256, and any colors that are dropped in the compression process are gone forever and are not interpolated by the Web browser. GIF compression is best used for graphics that have areas of flat colors with minimal (if any) gradients.

Open the two graphics above in Photoshop. Select the window that has the massage customer and from the File menu, select the Save For Web & Devices option. You will see a large dialog box, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

The Save For Web & Devices Dialog box

At the top of the dialog box, select the tab that says 4-up. This lets us compare the original photo to three potential compression schemes. We can set different levels of compression in the three new windows and see how the final file will appear and how much it will weigh. (Figure D)

Figure D

The 4up window will let you compare the results of different compression settings.

Click on the magnifying glass tool in the upper-left corner of the dialog box and click a couple of times in any of the four windows to zoom in. All of the views will update. If you need to, click on the hand tool and move the photo in any of the windows until you can see a close-up of the woman’s face and some of the rose petals (Figure E).

Figure E

Zooming in and adjusting the view with the magnifying glass and hand tools

Here is where you can see the differences in the varying levels of compression. The first window in the upper left shows the original file. Click on the window immediately to the right and from the Optimization menu, select the JPEG option and set the quality to 100. Repeat these steps for the two views on the bottom, but set the JPEG quality for the lower-left view to 50 and the JPEG quality for the lower-right view to 25 (Figure F).

Figure F

Configuring the JPEG quality for the comparison windows

Look closely at each window, and you will see that as the quality level decreases, the number of compression artifacts increases in each photo. You can also see that Photoshop gives you the file size (weight in KB) of each version of the final compressed JPEG file. Here is where you must consider if you would rather sacrifice quality for file size, or vice versa.

The JPEG setting of 50 quality seems like a good compromise — fewer artifacts and 23KB — but let’s see what our photo would look like if it were compressed as a GIF. Click the lower-right window to select it and from the Optimization menu, select the GIF option and set the colors to 128, as in Figure G.

Figure G

Setting the Optimization option to GIF

As you can see when you compare the GIF version of the photo to the JPEG versions (Figure H), if you were to save the photo as a GIF, not only would you lose color and detail, the size of the file would more than double, compared to the JPEG photo at 50 quality! This is why the rule of thumb here is always compress photos as JPEGs.

Figure H

Comparing a GIF compression scheme to a JPEG

Select the window in the lower left and then click the Save button at the top of the dialog box. Photoshop will then let you save a copy of the photo using your custom compression setup. The best part of this is that the original photo is left untouched at 100 percent quality, allowing you to compress and recompress the original graphic as much as you need to — a handy, nondestructive feature.

Now that you are back in Photoshop, select the Northstar logo and open the Save For Web & Devices dialog box again. As you did with the massage photo, open the 4-up view, but this time, since this graphic is a flat black and white drawing, set all three compression views to GIF format. For the view in the upper right, set the Colors option to two. The view in the lower left should have a Color option of 16, while you should give the view in the lower right a Color setting of 256. Now, select the magnifying glass and zoom in on the spiral section a couple of times. Your dialog box should resemble Figure I.

Figure I

The Northstar logo in the Save For Web & Devices dialog box.

As you can see, the two-color GIF takes away too many of the gray colors to give us a smooth appearance to the curves of the graphic, while the 16-color GIF is nearly identical in quality to the original. Yet, it weighs only 5.4KB — we have a winner! The view in the lower right shows that even though we selected a 256-color compression palette, there are really only 83 colors in the graphic.

But let’s see what happens when we save a graphic that should be GIF file as a JPEG. Click the lower-right view to select it and from the Optimization menu, select the JPEG option and set the Quality to 50.

You will see that because you have applied a JPEG compression scheme to a graphic with flat colors, the JPEG compression artifacts are glaringly noticeable; giving the crisp lines a smudgy, dirty appearance. And the file size is double that of the GIF version! (Figure J)

Figure J

The effects of JPEG compression on flat colors

Select the lower-left window and save your new GIF file.

Files that should be GIFs and are instead JPEGs are the most common graphics errors to be found on the Web. But with the fundamental knowledge presented here, you have the means to save your site and your company plenty of bandwidth.

John Lee is a consultant specializing in design and illustration and a freelance technical writer. You can visit his Web site at johnleestudio.com.

January 31st, 2008

Posted by Janice Chen