The Towing Path

There are way too many tape, disk and stick formats out there:

VHS - The old standard, too big, not digital, easily played anywhere without conversion.

VHS-C - A small cassette that fits in an adapter to play in a regular VCR. Most people who have these older units record at the slow EP or SLP speed which gives them borderline crummy results. Not my favorite, as you may guess, but these camcorders are cheap, cheap, cheap. In the right hands, I’ve seen dazzling results.

S-VHS and S-VHS-C - Called “super” VHS, this format puts more details on a VHS-like tape than regular VHS camcorders do, but unless you have a VCR that plays it back, the picture looks all torn and raggedy. A good non-digital format for pros but on its way out.

8mm, Hi8 and Digital8 - A popular family of camcorder tapes primarily engineered by Sony, the small cassette looks sort of like VHS-C but there is no adapter to play it in a VHS VCR. It started with 8mm, got improved by Hi8 (which used to be expensive), and went digital with Digital8. Hi8 camcorders are now on sale very cheaply– they are a good choice for the budget-minded. The D8 (Digital8) format ain’t bad — it costs less lower than some of the other digital formats, it’s a little larger (therefore more robust?), and D8 equipment is compatible with computer editing systems through it’s Firewire plugs just like pro gear.

MiniDV - A small tape format that at one time or another all the major manufacturers agreed upon (but some have broken ranks as you step up into pro gear or move to still smaller tape or non-tape formats). At the time this is written, I’d say this is the best all-purpose format around. It’s used in mid-range consumer cameras up to some fine pro-gear used by the broadcast industry, worldwide. You can generally record one hour or so on a tape at normal speed and can get 50% more time at slow speed, but watch out: tapes recorded at the slow LP speed may not play back anywhere but in the camcorder that made them — great 10 years from now when the camcorder has gone to camcorder heaven and you want to dig out those old shots only to discover they play like your VCR has a bad case of the hiccups.

DVCAM and DVCpro - Industrial step-ups of the MiniDV format and standard. Electronically these digital formats are the same as MiniDV, but the tapes are bigger and there are other differences that Sony and Panasonic love to argue about. We mix and match a lot of MiniDV and DVCAM at our (primarily Sony) shop, using DVCAM in our more expensive camcorders where we need to shoot for two or three hours without stop. Panasonic’s DVCpro is similar and has been bought into by a number of broadcasters, but it is less compatible when mixing and matching with MiniDV (in my opinion).

Then there are some emerging formats that I’ve seen for sale or read about, but haven’t bought into yet:

MicroDV - a very small tape in very small Sony camcorders

MiniDVD - a DVD disk in a cartridge used in some Hitachi camcorders.

MPEG video in still digital cameras - some still camera manufacturers feel that you want to also record video with their units. Usually you can collect snippets of less than a minute. The results are interesting to post on a web site, but that’s about it. This video is usually captured on whatever memory sticks or diskettes the camera uses — another whole subject beyond the range of this discussion.

DVD - A major playback format but not yet widely available in camcorders.

I didn’t go into all the older formats and broadcast formats that are still lurking around: 3/4″, BetaMax, BetaSP, and 1″ to name just a few. On top of that, if you are sort of an international soul, you’ve run into the fact that other parts of the world have different TV standards. Ours is called NTSC, much of Europe is PAL, France is SECAM and there are subsets of these. If you are a student of world history shortly after World War II, you can fan out these three major formats to the rest of the world by who was in charge of or aligned politically with whom. The tapes and disks are the same mechanically, but what’s recorded on them is different. It takes special equipment to translate from one format to another.

A big part of our business is dedicated to just transferring all these old and new formats to the more popular playback formats: VHS and DVD. The digital formats are here to stay and pretty-much obsolete the older formats. As this is written, high definition camcorder equipment is not yet available for consumers — this equipment will probably be very expensive when it first shows up. Get a good camcorder today while everyone is still healthy and around, and the kids haven’t grown too big, and don’t second guess yourself about what might or might not be coming down the road.

Video Kitchen can edit, duplicate or convert your video to and from almost any format. Our most popular services are transferring photos to DVD building stunning photo montages and copying VHS and camcorder tapes to DVD to preserve and share those special moments.

We also shoot, edit and do mass duplication of VHS, DVD and CD for businesses and organizations. You can come in and work in an edit suite with one of our editors producing a “broadcast-ready” program or edit together a family video on a self-service basis.

Our wide-ranging transfer services include converting old Super 8, 8mm and 16mm home movie film to video, converting video footage for PowerPoint presentations and encoding clips to be shown on the Internet, to name a few.

We have a location in Louisville Kentucky’s Highlands at 2323 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205 and one in Jeffersontown in the East End at 1917 Blankenbaker Parkway, Louisville KY 40299. Please browse through our pages at http://www.videokitchen.com and feel free to call six days a week.

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All cameras can take pictures. Some of those will be good pictures and some will be bad. Most of them will be adequate and will perform the function for which they were taken.

Whether your pictures are good or bad will depend on a number of things. Quality is dependent as much upon the camera as on the size of your sensor. Megapixels count for nothing if your camera and lens are substandard and nothing is overall more important than the photographer himself.

The biggest difference between the cheaper and more expensive cameras is versatility. Cheaper cameras, on the whole, have less functions and less flexibility. More expensive cameras have more options and are usually more rugged. Changeable lenses and bigger and better sensors make for the improved quality in expensive cameras.

But, things have changed a lot in recent years. Now, even cheap cameras are able to produce good quality images in units that also have a good degree of versatility. Even “old” digital cameras, such as the Canon A60, can hold their own with the latest models even if, as in the case of the Canon, there is only 2 megapixels on the sensor. And most cameras, like the Canon A60, allow the photographer to alter settings such as the focal length, shutter speed, aperture and ISO setting.

It is hard to go wrong with current cameras. Even if your budget is limited, you should still be able to buy a camera that fits your pocket as well as your needs.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

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How do you find a Los Angeles Photographer for that special occasion at a price I can afford? As if moving to Los Angeles isn’t difficult enough in and of itself, there is always the hassle of getting things done when you don’t know anyone to cope with. So to find a Los Angeles Photographer, or any other service for that matter, in the town, there are some steps I always take to make sure I get what I want at the price I want.

When it comes to service providers, like a Los Angeles photographer, the first step you should do is to figure out exactly what you want. In the case of a Los Angeles photographer, you will need to determine whether you are going to have portraits done, candid photos as a party, or formal pictures and portraits at an event like a wedding or graduation. Once you determine what exactly you need out of a Los Angeles photographer, you will have an easier time looking for someone who fits your specific needs.

Next, you need to do your homework. Get out your yellow pages and look up photographers. It seems like an elementary way of locating a good Los Angeles photographer, but it is a necessity to get started. Find a few that look good to you based on the ad and what it looks like they specialize in. Once you have scoured your yellow pages thoroughly, check out the internet. Look up Los Angeles photographers in a search engine or business directory and look for more places you can check out. Also, you may want to look up the ones you have chosen from the yellow pages to see if they have a website. Often the sites have sample photos, portfolios, and the like which can help you to make an informed decision about the photographer that will work best for you.

Last comes the calls. Once you have narrowed your list of Los Angeles photographers down, you should start making calls. Talk to the photographer, find out about availability, find out about prices, and get a feel for the business. You want someone you feel comfortable with, so it is okay to just go a little bit on gut feeling. In addition, you should ask about additional services, like video or album creation. Once you have talked to all of the photographers on your list you will likely have a fairly easy time making your decision. Choose someone you have confidence in and feel comfortable with and you won’t go wrong.

Moving to a new city can be incredibly difficult. Having to find a service provider in that city, then, can be equally as daunting. However, finding a Los Angeles photographer or any other services provider doesn’t have to be that bad. By taking three simple steps, you will have done your homework and be able to book a photographer that meets your needs at the price you are looking for. Take your time and work with confidence and you will find your Los Angeles photographer in no time.

If you would like to find more of my personal articles on california photographers please check out my website on photographers!

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Most folks who buy a digital camera are just looking for an easy way to atake high quality photos of their family, friends, and special events that can be shared with others. But others are interested in other aspects of photography as well, perhaps landscapes, closeups, still lifes, or art photography. For them, the compact digital camera can be used to create a fine image if they are skilled enough, but a digital single lens reflex camera gives them the ultimate of control and versatility instead.

The image quality in many digital SLRs is much greater than that found in most smaller compact cameras. The digital image sensors are usually larger, and therefore yields more information on each photo taken. For all but the most demanding of users, a 6 - 8 megapixel camera will be fine, yielding very high quality images on up to about 11 X 14 inch sizes. There are higher resolution digital SLRs avilable for those that need it though, but just expect to pay more for these higher end cameras.

Digital SLRs are capable of being used in manual mode, allowing you to have total control over the composition and settings of each photo, but they can also be operated very successfully in fully automatic mode too, making using one almost as simple as a point and shoot camera. This can come in very handy for those folks that need a camera that can be used by more than one person with differing photographic skill levels, and still get great results either way.

Digital SLRs are usually bigger than other normal digital cameras, but many people see that as a plus because they often feel more substantial and solid in the hand, and the controls can even be easier for those with larger hands to use comfortably.

Of course, a great advantage of digital SLRs is the ability to switch lenses easily and quickly for different kinds of shots, and the good news is that many film camera brands of lenses can be used on the same brand of digital SLR saving you the cost of extra lenses.

Another solid benefit of digital SLRs is that they usually power up almost instantly and have almost no shutter lag between the time you press the shutter and the moment that the photo is actually recorded. Some regular digital cameras can take a few seconds to power on and then have up to a second or so of shutter delay on top of that. So if you like to shoot fast action scenes, a digital SLR can be a big benefit.

So if you like having more creative control or want to have the flexibility to expand your photographic skills in the future, a digital single lens reflex camera can make a great choice.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including digital photography. You can find digital slr camera reviews and a digital cameras comparison by visiting our Digital Photography website.

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A is for … Aperture

Cameras let light in through an opening in the lens called an aperture. It does not matter exactly how it works, suffice it to say that the bigger the aperture the more light that is let in and the smaller the aperture the less light coming in.

The amount of light determines the exposure of the digital image. If there is too much light then the image will tend to be washed out and bright. If there is too little light the image will be dark.

On automatic settings, the camera will determine the aperture size and therefore the amount of light coming in. However, you have the ability to control the aperture on other settings and this can be used to good creative effect.

Unfortunately, in order to confuse us, the powers that be have decided that apertures sizes are round the wrorg way. So a small aperture (less light) has a large number and vice versa. As long as you remember this you will be ok.

The other thing to remember is that the larger (smaller number) the aperture the less things will be in focus in front of and behind your subject. This can also be used to creative effect but if you want as much in focus as possible, use a small (large number) aperture.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com

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We use filters in photography to bring back an image to the way our eyes have perceived the original scene. Some times it’s not possible for our cameras to record an exact scene - so we have to rely on the manufacturers of camera products.

If you are only going to buy one filter for your landscape photography a polarizing filter is the one you’ll use most. A polarizing filter can be used with colour or black and white and is probably the most important filter on the market today.

Lets take a quick look at the science behind it. A polarizing filter is made up of two pieces of glass which when rotated cut out all glare on non-metallic surfaces. Light travels in waves - these waves travel in all directions and at different rates and speeds. The polarizing filter works by limiting the amount of waves that enter your lens. You decide how many waves pass through your lens by rotating the filter.

The polarizing filter is most effective with side lighting.

For example: if you are taking a picture of a scenic lake area and there is a messy reflection of the clouds in the lake; it will be too much of a distraction in the final picture. This can be simply removed by rotating the polarizing filter ’til the clouds disappear. You can view the filter working in the viewfinder of your camera.

The polarizing filter will also darken the blue sky to give it a strong rich colour. It will make mist stand out and can be also used to give fast flowing water a misty effect.

You don’t have to rotate the filter the full amount to get the maximum affect you need, sometimes you will only have to rotate it a small amount. You can decide best for yourself by viewing through your viewfinder while you rotate the polarizing filter.

This filter is not just for a landscape photographer.

There are many different uses for a polarizing filter, which make it so important for all photographers. Property photographers would find this filter extremely handy - when taking an image of a shop front, the polarizing filter will remove glare that reflects off the glass.

Take extreme care when calculating exposure. Remember that you will have to add two stops of light when using the polarizing.

TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland.

http://www.goldenirishlight.com

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If you’ve ever heard anything about Australia it may be that you’ve been told to look under the toilet seat for Redback spiders before stealing some uninterrupted time in the quietest and darkest room of the house - the Aussie outback toilet. Australia is home to some of the most-deadly insects and arachnids in the world - all of which, despite their fearsome reputation, are extremely photographic.

Macro photography is generally recognized as the art of capturing images of small objects at a scale larger than life. Insects and spiders fit perfectly into the serious macro photographer’s psyche as they pose in unpredictable positions and are always on the move. Depending on the insect - this can make it extremely difficult to capture them clearly-enough for the photograph to be of high-enough quality for presentation value.

The Australian Redback spider is a very timid creature. It lives in warm dark places such as wood piles, under the eaves of homes, along timber fences and yes - even under the famed outback Aussie toilet seat! They’ve even started to make their presence known in the steel cities of Japan - courtesy of shipments of Australian iron ore.

Finding a Redback can sometimes be the easy part of the shoot - they’re everywhere in summer. Getting the little creature to keep still and pose in the right position and light can be the difficult part.

Shooting macro photography images usually means getting as close as only a couple of inches away from the subject. This can sometimes be a disturbing experience when photographing the Redback. They’re mostly shy and sometimes move fast.

I’ve never read anywhere that Redback spiders can jump; however I’ve had a couple of experiences where I’ve witnessed this. It’s usually the smaller ones that will leap from the leaf of a shrub and swing on a fine thread to the ground in an attempt to escape. So when you’ve spent the last five minutes setting up the shot only to see the highly magnified spider disappear from the eyepiece of the camera in an instant - you’ll find yourself spending the next fifteen minutes looking for the damn thing up the leg of your trousers!

The silky smooth blackness of the Redback in sunlight lends itself to a set of gleaming macro photographs you’ll be proud to show to your friends.

If you go searching for a Redback to photograph, be warned; around 200 Australians are bitten each year!

Phill Petrovic is the owner of Photo Shop Australia at: http://www.PhotoShopAustralia.com/

Photo Shop Australia provides unique and amazing Australian nature photography including macro, infrared and landscape images of Australia. Photo Shop Australia also has a page of totally royalty free images available for free download for businesses and personal users.

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A few years ago I became interested in digital photography, mainly for web publishing and
personal reasons. You know, how nice is it now to NOT have to deal with film, scanning
pictures, and the costs of developing all of those “not great” photos that you didn’t know were so
bad until you paid to have them developed!

So, at the time I got my first digital camera a friend of mine was playing in a rock band, and
needed pictures for their web pages and promotional printings and ads. When I first began to
do their photography, I had NO IDEA what it all would lead to… and now I will reveal to you some
of the MANY ways to make money, part-time, with your love for photography!

Now, at the clubs my friend’s band played in- a lot of the time they would be in a line-up of 3
bands for the evening, of which I shot live pictures of my friend’s band’s performance. Then I got
another idea, I’m there already, usually to finish the night with the band, so I started to take
pictures of the other bands. Afterwards, as they were breaking down their equipment, I
introduced myself as the other bands photographer, and explained that I liked their music and
look- and also took pictures of them also.

I got the names of the band members, jotted down notes about which instruments each one
played, and then got a mailing address to reach them. I told them that I was going to print up
some proof sheets and send them off to them… all were very agreeable and willing (and why
not, it doesn’t cost them a thing).

Then I printed the proof sheet(s), and selected three of what I thought were the best- of which I
made a little bigger on a seperate sheet and used Photoshop to refine and enhance the images
prior to printing (all on my little ink-jet printer).

I composed a form letter that I could customize for each mailing explaining details like:

- The first proof sheet was all of the raw digital images

- The second one with the larger images was digitally self enhanced

- I would professionally print any pictures they wanted for XXX cost (considering mailing costs,
printing costs at a local printing shop, labor for digital enhancement, and healthy profit margin)

- For any order I would give them a CD with ALL of the photos in digital form for them to use any
way they wanted

- Add my contact information

- And finally my availability to book shootings with them in the future

Now I could personalize this form letter and send it with the proof sheets to the band, and
when I would call them about a 8 days after I made the mailing to ask them if they recieved
the proof sheets and which ones they liked (and I liked)- and I simply asked for an order.

It was amazing how well this worked, and I expanded the idea.

I would go to fund-raising events, marathons, special events hosted by radio station
personalities… always getting the contact information for reaching whoever is in charge of
promotions and following the same system!

As you go along, you realize some other benefits to you new “business”- like free
admissions (and no club cover charges), press passes, exciting opportunities to meet
interesting people and celebrities, discount drinks, and much more! It’s amazing what people
will GIVE you, if you just ask!

Then there are the home-business tax deductions that are eye-opening in themselves!

As soon as you can, upgrade to more professional equipment so you can not only “play”
the part, but also “look” the part. Print up business cards, and make up your own porfolio of
your “best” digitally enhanced photos of all kinds of subjects and previous shootings.

Seriously, this could turn your love for digital photography into an exciting lifestyle and an
income that could surpass your present one!

But then again, I know I have only just scratched the surface with professional digital
photography, and I’m sure you now have just entered a “think-tank” that will spur many more
ideas for you to make digital photography more than just a love. Make it a great life!

Richard Meredith is the Author of
“The BLACK BOOK of Online Business” -
An amazing FREE SOURCE ebook for the online business person!

http://www.straight-talkmarketing.com

Feel free to distribute or publish this article conditional only by including the by-line intact.

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Stick To Your Theme

“I think I’ll choose a Pepsi,” the lady says in front of the vending machine.

Out comes the soft drink can of her choice.

She makes a choice based on preference (or need) and makes payment for it. Vertical marketing works much in the same way. If you were to open the interior of the machine, you would find that the soft drink cans are all lined up in a vertical row. All soft drinks of one selection are slotted into one vertical column, ready for dispensing.

There’s no crossover. The cans must be lined up in the same dispensing vertical row, or they will deliver a wrong selection to the customer.

If you were the serviceman and haphazardly placed the cans in the machine in random positions, the results would be chaotic and unsatisfactory to customers.

NO CENTRAL THEME

Most beginning stock photographers make the mistake of building a stock file in random fashion, with no focussed marketing themes. Their picture-taking choices are “all across the board.”

Because any one photobuyer’s publication appeals to a vertical market (gardeners, pilots, medical technicians, teachers, etc.) photobuyers turn to vendors who can supply them pictures within those specialty areas. They can’t afford to waste time on a vendor who does not offer an extensive selection of the product in the vertical market they need.

NO TEARS MARKETING

If the customer at the vending machine is served up a soft drink that doesn’t fit their choice, they become irritated and pound on the machine and demand a return of their money. “This is not what I wanted!”

The soft drink they received may be of excellent taste and quality, but it doesn’t match their needs. This realization may help to assuage your disappointment when a photobuyer rejects your submission of excellent pictures. The pictures may be of high quality, but you are vending them to the wrong buyer.

Stay within the vertical markets that you enjoy photographing in, and match with markets who need photos in those subject areas. At this moment, buyers are searching for you. Don’t waste film or time on picture-taking that doesn’t fit into your vertical market areas.

Rohn Engh is director of PhotoSource International and publisher of PhotoStockNotes. Pine Lake Farm, 1910 35th Road, Osceola, WI 54020 USA. 1 800 624 0266; Fax: 1 715 248 7394. http://www.photosource.com

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When looking to purchase a new digital camera there is always the debate between size and quality within the range of your budget. No matter what the budget, the choice will have to be made between a smaller size, more portable camera and a higher resolution camera with more features. Making the choice between the two is simply a matter off considering what the camera’s purpose.

Digital camera users who plan to use a camera for simple point-and-shoot purposes will want to focus their budget on a small, portable camera. These individuals are most likely using their camera to document travels, family events, and personal experiences for their own memory. The photos don’t need to be or a super high resolution because they will not be blown up to poster size, but will remain 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 in a frame on the mantel. It is important to consider that when size is traded for quality, while the photos will be higher quality, users may be less inclined to take photos as the size of the camera becomes a hindrance to taking it along for the fun.

Photographers who are more interested in the end product will want to sacrifice size for a higher resolution camera or one with more features and/or accessories. The bulkier high-resolution cameras or digital SLRs will be the better choice for users who are taking artistic or professional photographs. Even the amateur artist, will want to invest in quality over size to produce the kind of photos that can be enlarged to show detail. Cameras used for professional shots, whether to be displayed in a portfolio, brochure or website, will also need to be of higher quality, and it will be worth hefting the extra weight to get the higher-end photos.

Knowing the type of photographer you are, will help you make the right choice in cameras. When you have an idea of what characteristics are most important to you, take the time to shop, read the reviews, and compare the various cameras in your price range.

Sara Wells is a successful writer for CameraPieces.com. She provides information and details on cameras and accessories on her website.

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