Creative Art & Photography » Photography

What is Photomanipulation?

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:37:45 +0000

Although you will constantly hear photographers scold and nag about the photomanipulation process, it is actually one that has been used for many years, and one which is able to offer a variety of benefits. It has also existed throughout the art of photography in many different forms, including everything from different angles, how to use different lights and settings, hiding imperfections, and so on.

Especially in the situation we live in today, where everyone and everything is expected to be 100% perfect, like in the magazines that glaze back at us from the shelves, photomanipulation has been playing an incredibly large role.

What is it?

Photomanipulation is basically the art of taking a normal photograph and then manipulating it the way that you want it, namely through use of a computer and various tools and applications on the computer. Photomanipulation modifies photographs either by analog or digital means, and is also commonly referred or related to what is known as ‘Photoshopping’, which is the slang term for the digital editing of photos, and although it is not directly aimed at the Adobe Photoshop application, it was named after it. Adobe’s Photoshop is only one of the big bunch of the many different digital editing apps that are available however, and for example there is Corel PhotoPaint, Paint Shop Pro, and even Paint, although this is one of the less advanced programs and is rarely used in the photomanipulation processes of today.

Ethics

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of photomanipulation, and although there are definitely many people who have good, positive things to say about it, there are also those who feel that there are concerning issues surrounding it. For example on the covers of mags, when celebs’ heads are pasted onto different bodies (think Oprah), this in the past has stirred up a lot of mumbo jumbo. One situation wa when the O.J. Simpson trial was taking place and the Newsweek magazine posted his mug shot as their magazine cover picture, while Time Magazine posted the exact same picture only used photomanipulation to alter it, and ended up making Simpson appear much darker than he was in the actual picture, and as well they removed the serial number and darkened the area around him. The Reuters’ Lebanon incidents (they photoshopped in burning buildings and extra rockets) is just another prime example.

The ironic part was that the magazines ended up side by side on a newsstand, and it was incredibly clear what a significant amount of photomanipulation had taken place in Time’s version of the photograph.

Journalism is just one area using a great deal of photomanipulation, and fashion mags are definetely dominating the list as well. One of the biggest problems with these photomanipulated photographs is that they alter the opinions and views of the public who, for the majority of the time, have no clue that the particular photo was even altered at all. Therefore there really needs to be certain standards set in the field of photography when it comes to something such as photomanipulation.

Author Info:

Domen Lombergar uses photo manipulation to create his canvas art prints and also runs a digital photography community.

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The good and bad in the Evolt 510 Digital SLR

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:49:30 +0000

The new Evolt 510 is a great camera for its price. Continuing on Olympus successful Evolt 410 the Evolt 510 brings more features and fixes some bugs found in the Evolt 410. Here are some random good and bad things found in the Evolt 510.
There is no doubt that two of the good things about the Evolt 510 are its well spoken of features the image stabilizer and the live LCD view. The image stabilizer implemented in the Evolt 510 is an in-body image stabilizer that can work with any lens that is mounted on the camera. Although not the same quality as gyro-optical based in lens image stabilizer the Evolt 510 image stabilizer can help turning many of those blurry photos into sharp and crisp professionally looking digital photos.
The live LCD view on the other hand will help you take pictures in conditions where the optical view finder can not be used. There are many angles and compositions that can be very compelling and are executed with the camera far form your face and your eyes. With the live LCD view you can now hold the camera farther from your body while composition a photo by simply looking at the live video stream on the camera color LCD screen.
One of the problems with the Evolt 510 is the lack of a focus ring or focus buttons on the lens. Many times when you have to use manual focus using a focus ring is the natural thing to do. The next best thing are buttons on the lens. Both are not available with the Evolt 510.
Another Evolt 510 problem is its interface to the advanced features. If you are a professional photographer and need to often set the advanced features then the Evolt 510 is not your best choice as you would waste time going through many menus. It would have been nice if the Evolt 510 had macros or shortcuts to get to those settings.
The Evolt 510 also has problems with white balancing. In extreme conditions the camera white balance can be off and result in wrong colors. The Evolt 510 auto focus is slow and although the focus eventually is set right the slowness can be annoying and sometimes you might be losing a photo opportunity.
The Evolt 510 is bigger than its ancestor the Evolt 410 and also has an additional grip which makes holding it easier and taking pictures more stable. The extra grip is also rubber coated which further helps in keeping the camera stable. One of the weird design flaws of the Evolt 510 is that its weight is not balanced. When holding the camera it feels like it is leaning to the side where the battery and memory card are. Although it sounds like a minor problem when using the digital Evolt 510 SLR for a long day of photo shooting this can get annoying and after a whole day of work also put more stress on your hand as it needs to constantly compensate for that imbalance.

Author Info:

Jacob Georgeson writes the digital world and business. Jacob Georgeson is an amateur photographer and business guru. Visit Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital for more information about this and other topics. This article can be published as long as the resource box including the backlink is included.

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Digital Camera Buyers Guide

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 23:43:04 +0000

Time to get started on this topic. Take a few moments to read every aspect of this paper hopefully it will be of great help.

We use cameras to take pictures of a diversity of things. These can be special events in our lives or marvellous sights that we want to see time and time again. To take these pictures we can use a diverseness of cameras. These can be of the normal cameras where you wait for the picture to develop or they can be digital cameras. To buy a good calibre digital photographic camera these days it helps to look at a digital photographic camera buyers guide.

There are many unlike types of digital photographic camera buyers guide magazines that you can buy. While they will look unlike in styles and formatting they are all configured to help you select the best digital photographic camera for you. These digital camera buyers guides should not be that expensive and sometimes you can get one for free with a picture taking magazine.

When you look at a digital camera buyers guide cover you will be able to see the versatile products that will be reviewed and if they can be of any use to you in your photographic pursuits.

You will be able to see purchasing selective information about digital cameras, compact cameras, camera printers, lenses and some of the accessories that are requisite for photography. You will also see the types of digital cameras that are presently hotӔ.

You can also find tips for purchasing these cameras as parts of kits in the digital photographic camera buyers guide. The table of contents of the digital camera buyers guide will show you the main articles and product features that you can expect to read about when you buy this magazine.

Sometimes you will get worthful purchasing data about the newest digital cameras and the best types of camera lens. These articles will cover in-depth the assorted features and procedure abilities of the unlike devices. You will be able to see which digital and compact cameras are well thought out to be good value for your money and what you can expect to see from these products.

With a digital camera buyers guide you will be informed about the cost of the different compact cameras, digital cameras, lenses and even the latest photographic camera printers. Also looking at the purchasing advantages and prices of these products a digital camera buyers guide will also let you know what are the high end digital cameras and what can be reasoned as bargains… to find more on this subject, please check our web site by clicking on our link below…

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and found the information useful and interesting.

Author Info:

Michael Malega presents several Digital Camera Buyers Guide articles for your information. You can visit Michael’s web site at: Digital Camera Buyers Guide www.canon-cheap-digital-cameras.com/Digital-Camera-Buyers-Guide.php

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Free Photo Editing Glossary

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:57:46 +0000

Learning to use new technology is always a confusing experience. They are often full of complex jargon and you may feel lost without some kind of reference. If youre interested in trying your hand at editing photos in order to share them online, then read on for some definitions of common terms you might find.

Cloning Tool

A cloning tool is a basic copying tool that allows you to copy a part of an image to essentially create a ғbrush. Once youԒve copied the part of the image that you want, you can just use your mouse to paint that same like you would draw a line in a basic paint program. This is most useful when you have a specific texture that somehow ended up with some sort of blemish. You can simply paint over the blemish and, if done correctly, it will look like the natural texture. Some software programs have a feature that can automatically do this for you.

Fill-Flash

Fill-flash is sometimes referred to as a highlight or shadow adjustment tool. This tool can help you fix a photo in which the background is too dark, or the subject of the photo is too light (or vice versa). As with the cloning tool, many software programs have an option to perform this automatically for your convenience.

Adjustment Layers

Adjustment layers are a fairly advanced feature that allows you to edit a photo with affects without actually altering the photo itself. That is, instead of making changes to the picture itself, you create additional layers that are superimposed on top of the standard picture. You can edit the main photo or any of the additional layers at any point, or even delete the extra layers without affecting the main picture. Depending on what software youre using, you may even be able to adjust the transparency of the extra layers to whatever level you desire.

Type Effects

This term refers to effects that can be placed on text entered on your image. Depending on the type of software youҒre using, you may have to use a text tool to input your text, or you may be able to add text directly onto the image. In either case, type effects allow you to add effects like shadows, 3D effects, warped text, and many more.

Selection Tools

Selection tools are the tools that you use to select a part of an image that you want to manipulate. For instance, basic selection tools might commonly come in shapes like squares or circles. However, there are also advanced selection tools that allow for more unique interactions with the image youre editing. For instance, one type of selection tool might allow you to select all parts of an image that have the same color. Or, for maximum flexibility, you can use a lasso type tool to select exactly which parts of the image you want to work with.

Obviously the world of photo editing is very complex and these are just a few basic terms. If you run across other terms that you donҒt understand, you should just make a backup of your picture and experiment to find out what they do. You may be able to really improve the quality of some pictures and make your online photo sharing experience all the better.

Author Info:
MJ Johnston writes for a variety of websites, including Onlinedigitalphotoprinting.net, a photo site that offers advice on the quickest and easiest way to enjoy online digital photo printing, as well as how to get a free online photo album.

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Photo Basics

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:12:08 +0000

Here are some simple tips and rules that can help you to create better pictures. Use them as a guide to lead you in creating that extraordinary picture. But remember there are exceptions to every rule, so if you think something will look good, do not be afraid to try it! Enjoy!

This seems like a little thing, but often times just taking a pause before pressing the button and really looking through the view finder can go a long way to improving your shots. Check that everything is in the viewfinder that you want or that there is not too much there. Check that the camera is straight and level.

If you are shooting a person try and watch that objects behind the subject do not appear cluttered around the subjects head. An example might be a lamp directly behind someones head will tend to detract from the picture.

Try shooting your subject from different angles not just straight on. Often times a unique point of view can really add dimension to a picture. Do not be afraid to climb up that hill, stand on a chair, or even lie on your back. Great artists will go to great lengths to get that perfect shot!

Try turning the camera 90 degrees and taking a vertical shot instead of a horizontal shot. This particular technique works great when shooting a picture of one or two persons.
You will undoubtedly notice a time lag between pressing the shutter release and the exposure. This delay is necessary because your camera needs a little time for pre-shot calibration and to balance the colors. Just hold the camera steady for a little longer than usual until you get used to the time delay.

There is also a delay between shots as the camera processes the previous images. Some new cameras have buffers that let you continue shooting during the processing time, which is great for fast action photography. If your camera does not have a buffer you will have to wait between shots, so look for a camera with fast shot-to-shot time.

If your camera lets you to override the auto focus, you will want to use this feature if you take a lot of action shots, or if you are shooting through glass. Even if your camera has a buffer, the auto focus may not react fast enough to give you sharp pictures if you shoot too quickly or the light is too low.

Have you ever noticed that your shots sometimes have a cool, clammy feel to them? If so, you are not alone. The default white balance setting for digital cameras is auto, which is fine for most snapshots, but tends to be a bit on the cool side.

When shooting outdoor portraits and sunny landscapes, try changing your white balance setting from auto to cloudy. Thats right, cloudy. Why? This adjustment is like putting a mild warming filter on your camera. It increases the reds and yellows resulting in richer, warmer pictures.

Author Info:

For several years now, Jason has been reviewing hundreds of online products and services. Many consider his reviews to be very insightful and reliable. Visit his website bestcamerabargains.com

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