By Kurt Hansen

At the end of the day, no matter what camera you have and how much you spent on it, a camera is still basically a light-tight box designed to focus light on a piece of film or an image sensor. So it’s the lens and how the photographer uses it that makes all the difference in the world.

There are essentially three types of lenses - wide angle, normal and telephoto. Zoom lenses enable you to shift between wide and telephoto or an extensive range within the wide or telephoto subset. There are a few specialty lenses that most certainly have their place, but are used much less frequently.

Wide-angle lenses are lenses with focal lengths less than 40mm. The wide-angle lens provides a wider than normal angle of view. The angle of view is the amount of a scene covered, measured in degrees, based on plane geometry. A normal lens has an angle of view of about 45 degrees, which is approximately what the human eye sees. The wide-angle lens can provide an angle of view of 110 degrees, or even up to 140 degrees. Wide-angle lenses also provide greater depth of field, but they expand or exaggerate the perspective and when pointed up or down, the vanishing point lines in a scene can converge unnaturally.

You’ll want to use a wide-angle lens to photograph architecture, landscapes and large groups. Avoid using a wide-angle on portraits or interiors. This is just a guideline as you might like the distorting features that the wide-angle lens gives you for these subjects. Experimentation generates creative photographs.

Normal lenses have focal lengths of 45mm to 55mm and they provide an image that is very much in line with what your eye sees. These lenses are extremely versatile in that you capture whatever your eye happens to see, pretty much as your eye sees it. But because normal lenses don’t have attributes that enhance the image, you have to rely on your ability to make strong compositions to get the most out of these lenses. But that’s what you are supposed to do, go out and take a strong photo by designing a strong composition.

Telephoto lenses magnify a subject considerably depending on the focal length, which can be as high as 2000mm. Long lenses solve lots of problems by enabling you to fill a frame without having to get so close to a subject. This extra “reach” comes in handy when photographing such things as your son’s soccer game or your wife’s white water rafting adventure. However, telephoto lenses have a compressed angle of view, maybe only 18 degrees, and extremely shallow depth of field. The compressed angle of view and compressed perspective cause items to appear stacked on top of each other. Be aware of this and shoot at higher shutter speeds to remove any camera shake from your photographs. You’ll probably want to use a tripod from time to time.

Lenses can cost as much or more than the camera. That’s entirely acceptable because a high quality glass lens won’t have all the nagging little things that impede upon getting a rock-solid sharp image that produces as accurate color as possible. Your lens is one of the major painting tools for photography, as it also controls the scope of the canvas. You’ll probably only buy and use 2 or 3 lenses that will handle nearly all of your photographic needs. You might also splurge for a specialty lens like a Macro or Tilt-Shift. Experiment with wide-angle and telephoto zooms and primes, also known as fixed focal length lenses, to see what is most aesthetically pleasing to what you want to capture. Some people gravitate toward normal and telephoto zooms. Others like a strict set of primes and possibly a wide-angle zoom, say from 17mm to 35mm. It’s purely a personal preference.

Kurt Hansen

Find out more at: High FX Photo.net

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Looking-Glass—Camera-Lens-Basics&id=2920312

Photograph taken with a 28mm wide angle lens, showing photographers using telephoto lenses for wildlife photography. The telephoto lenses, with their extra reach, are necessary to bring the subjects closer as one can’t normally get close to wild animals.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $649.99

Amazon Price: $539.00

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR's

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Retail Price: $599.99

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For more information about different lenses and their focal lengths, and in particular which Canon lenses are most suitable for various photographic situations or applications, please see:
Canon Telephoto Lenses
Canon Zoom Lenses
Canon Wide Angle Lens

By Lisa Paredes

Everyone seems to have a snapshot of his or her favorite pet. Take a look through the family photo album and you will likely find a pet in more than one shot. Face it, pets often become extended family members and are well loved and equally cherished. This is why many pet owners today are taking the initiative to get their pet professionally photographed. Why not become the premier pet photographer in your region?

The Plan

You may not need to develop a photographic studio to start. You may look instead at the idea of making house calls. The pet may be more relaxed due to the familiarity of the home and the common backdrops of the home may provide a stronger family link to the resulting photograph.

Be sure to include props whenever possible. This could be something as simple as their favorite squeaky toy or as elaborate as a pet sweater and umbrella. Find out as much as you can about the personality of the pet - and the pet owner. Where one owner may not mind a tutu on their pet it may be an incredible offense to another pet owner. Offer to take photos of the pet with the owner as part of the package.

Constantly add to your portfolio even if that means taking a few photos for free in order to get that portfolio started. You might also consider developing an online website that shows some of your stars in all their glory.

Remember a pet photographer will not simply take pictures of dogs and cats. You might find yourself up close and personal with a horse, a guinea pig or monkey. You might even find exotic pets or fish that require your special photographic skills.

You may begin the process with exceptional photographic skills or you might be a novice who is dedicated to further education on the subject. Your fees will largely depend on your skills, available equipment and how comfortable you are around animals.

The Funds

Every business will require startup funds. In the case of pet photography you might consider purchasing the best possible camera your budget will allow. Ask around or conduct research. Try to make sure your camera choice can expand based on growth potential. In other words make sure you can affix the camera to a tri-pod and make sure the camera will work well for both indoor and outdoor lighting.

Work at acquiring additional equipment as funds allow. Take advantage of synergy - work with companies that can provide additional sales tools like key rings, magnets, calendars, shirts and even puzzles that include the pets your photograph. You may find there are many customers who want more than just a framed 8×10. By using the expertise of others you can provide services you could not otherwise offer.

The Market

Take your idea to pet owners. This could be accomplished through a kennel club, an association of a particular breed of animal or even a 4-H show or fair.

Volunteer to take photos at a pet show and then make your prints available for sale. This can be a great first step in introducing yourself and your skills to the general public.

Use both online and offline marketing strategies. Develop a website, but get out and meet people face to face. Visit local veterinarians and leave your business card. If they have a bulletin board and allow it, place a small poster outlining what you do and include photos.

Your website should include multiple photographs as well as testimonials that help others envision what it would be like to have photos of their pet to remember and share for years to come.

MommyEmpire.com is dedicated to helping work at home moms succeed with their home business. Be sure to check us out on the Web for additional information on starting a pet photography business and other home business topics!

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Start-a-Pet-Photography-Business&id=1742230

By T Stevens

Firstly - I’m a parent, and there are certain pictures of the children that take center stage, and that’s well done portrait photographs. I can stare at them for ages. My mother had little portrait shots covering every available space on her dining room cabinet of friends, children and pets too. Everybody will buy a good portrait photo if if captures a special memory.

Ollie, a good friend of mine, has always loved taking all types of pictures, the walls of his cottage have beautiful prints of shots Ollie and his wife favor mostly, their children - four-year-old beautiful twin girls. As you can imagine there are quite a few pictures of the girls all around. He has a canny way of “capturing the natural” in his photography. In fact, on first looking at his photographs I thought they were professional prints!

Anyway, Ollie’s hobby took center stage. The twins often had friends over to play, and when the parents came to collect their children they saw all the photography. Like myself they assumed they were professional portrait pictures. So when finding out that Ollie took them they would often ask if he would take portraits photographs of their kids. Soon enough he was taking bookings for portraits, christenings even weddings. He was getting very busy just by word of mouth.

I got a call from Ollie one morning, quite out of the blue. He said that he was considering starting a new portrait photography business; to be completely honest I knew he was good but I wasn’t sure he could make a living out of it… Until he explained to me, that even I pay $70 for a single portrait picture of my kids. I thought about it for a second and then smiled to myself as I knew that of course it’s possible.

So there you have it starting a new portrait photography business can be done quite easily if you have a good camera and a passion for taking pictures. I for one can’t resist buying pictures of the people and the animals I love … Who can?

If your thinking about starting a new portrait photography business have a look at how my good buddy Ollie got his venture off the ground. He essentially works from home now and says he’s earning far more than he ever expected. Starting a new portrait photography business even whilst your working, is a great second income.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Start-a-New-Portrait-Photography-Business?&id=2296540

By R. Gajsek

Photography has changed so much in the past two decades. The price of photography has gone down significantly so that almost anyone can become a serious photographer. All you need is a decent digital camera, a computer and photo editing software to begin a career that can take you to the next level. A professional photography career. Here are four things that you’ll need to start running your own photography business:

Focus
You need to know what kind of photography you want to do. Do you want to do weddings? Do you want to photograph babies? Or do you want to do photography services for businesses? It’s important to know that the sooner you decide the more focused your efforts become. If, for example, you are going to do a baby photography business then your advertising should be focused on people who want their infants photographed. The referrals that you will be getting will be from other parents who want the same service. Once you get experience and you get a good reputation you may get a referral to do a wedding but most of your referrals will come from word of mouth for your main specialty.

Training.
It’s a good thing to get some training. Even if it’s very basic you’ll at least achieve a proficiency level that you would at least know what you are doing from the start. As your career flourishes you can take more courses to add more value and more services for your clients needs.

Networking.
There are several ways to start networking with people to build your business. Friends and family are a good first step. Let everyone know that you are in the photography business. Get business cards printed up telling people what kind of photography business you are in. Create a web site gallery where you can showcase your work. Don’t forget to add the URL to your business cards. Join service clubs, business networking clubs and chambers of commerce clubs in your area. Join Toastmasters to brush up on your public speaking skills. It’s all good for business.

Practice.
I think this is the most important part of this business when you’re first starting out. Take every opportunity that you can to hone your craft. Even if you have to do it for free. The best place is to start with your family and friends. They know you best. Volunteer to take pictures of friends weddings for cost. Take pictures of their babies for the cost of printing them. Your friends will appreciate you and you will have the beginnings of a portfolio that you can showcase to your prospective clients. Don’t forget to get signed release forms. As you get more experienced you can charge more for your services. Putting your profits back into the business allows you to upgrade your equipment and buy more advertising.

Do you want to know how you can earn a residual income with your camera? Find more ways to make money with your digital camera here.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Digital-Photography—How-to-Turn-Your-Hobby-Into-a-Business&id=2506297

By Roy Barker

The dream of turning your hobby into a photography business can come true. It just takes a lot of hard work and a little know how. Business planning and marketing strategies are important for the start up business and must be top priority but there are other things to consider when starting up your photography business.

No longer can you rely on the structure of working for somebody else. No longer are you just someone who takes photos. You are now a small business owner trying to make a living from taking photographs. No longer can you rely on the thought of losing your job to get you out of bed in the morning. Now the threat of losing your job has turned into a threat of your photography business failing if you do not stay motivated and focused on your success.

How many Stupid Questions are There?

The only stupid questions there are, are the ones you fail to ask. Do not be afraid to ask questions, to ask for help or get advice. There is a lot of support in the community for small businesses that can guide you in the right direction to find the solutions you need.

If you need to upgrade your skills to help you operate your photography business, then get the training you need. Many local councils run small business programs to help you learn the skills you need to be successful. You want to work smarter not harder. That is the point of going out on your own.

Budget your Time and Money

It is all well and good to have plans but if you cannot finance them and bring them into fruition then they are worthless and will do nothing to help your photography business be successful.

You need the time and the money to market your business successfully so make sure you factors these into your budget. Once you have a budget start implementing the marketing strategies. It is imperative to get these off the ground immediately. You need to get the message out into the public arena that you are now taking clients and the services you offer.

Use the time in your budget to continually analyse the success of your marketing strategies and be prepared to modify them if any are failing to deliver results.

Make sure you keep up with changing markets and be flexible in your approach to running your business.

Supplied courtesy of Roy Barker. Roy has provided more on this subject at Photography Business.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-on-Starting-a-Photography-Business&id=1739907

By John Huegel

Here are ten key steps to start and grow a profitable, debt-free photography business.

1. Practice! Keep a camera with you all of the time. Study other photographers and try to emulate images that you love. Spend time learning basic and advanced image editing. Learn your camera in and out, and practice with settings and modes that you don’t normally use. Take advantage of free and low cost photography blogs and web sites. Consider joining PPA, WPPI, SEP or a local photography group or club. Make a list of 50 things you want to do with your photography and try to cross of one item each week.

2. Define Your Business. Create a business name and get some cards printed up. You can get several hundred cards for under $20. Do your web research to make sure you aren’t choosing a name that is already used.

3. Define Your Finances. Get a separate business checking account. You will want to completely separate your business financial activities from your personal finances. Get online banking so you can check your balances. Keep a spreadsheet at home or use a program like Quicken to track and record your expenses.

4. Get online. Hosting a website is not expensive. You can purchase great photography web templates for under $100. Create and feed a blog. Get on Facebook and create a business page. Search for and join web-based business locators like Merchant Circle and Google Local Listings. Create coupons and special offers to draw in customers.

5. Define your target market, both geographically and demographically. What kind of work do you want to be known for? Seniors? Weddings? Landscape? What other work would you take? Draw three columns on a sheet of paper. In the first, note the kind of work you would love to do; in the second, what you would be OK doing, and in the third, what you would rather not do. It will help you formulate your mission and marketing messages.

6. Set Your Prices. Define your value proposition to your customers. You can’t give work away, or undercut everyone, or you’ll go out of business. If you factor in your time and the cost of everything to keep your business running once you get established, you will understand why prints cost what they do from other professionals. Benchmark your competition and understand their pricing and offerings. It’s better to be in their range but not highest or lowest as you are getting started. If you price cheap, people will undervalue your contributions and as you grow it will be harder to command the prices you need to be profitable. It’s OK and expected to change pricing.

7. Spread the word. Read “Guerilla Marketing” books by Jay Levinson, and “Purple Cow” by Seth Godin. Blog like crazy. Study “Search Engine Optimization” to make your web’s page rank higher. Look for ways to generate publicity. Approach family, friends, co-workers and people in church for special “starter” sessions. Offer your customers rewards for referrals.

8. Develop Partnerships. Create cooperative relationships with local businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches and other organizations. Become their “go-to” person for event photography and promotional photography. Donate sessions, products and gift certificates to fund-raising auctions and galas. Get to know the leaders in your community and find ways to make them successful and visible through your work.

9. Grow your business debt-free. Create a list of the hardware, software and purchased services that you would like to have. Price them out and rank them in order of your need. Only buy them when your business bank account allows it. Make sure you have reserves in the account to cover samples, upcoming fees and taxes and insurance. If you devote a high percentage of your first few years profits into growing your business assets, you will be able to stay debt-free and keep the business growing, while still taking some profit each year.

10. Pay your Bills. Make sure you collect and pay sales and use tax. Retain and pay quarterly federal and state taxes if appropriate. Have the right amount of liability insurance. Keep good records of mileage, supplies, prints, office expenses, education, advertising and any other expense category that would count as business expenses.

What about equipment? Of course you will need a camera and other equipment, but don’t assume you need to run out and get the latest and greatest SLR and lighting systems. Start small, with your current camera or an older model picked up off of Craigslist or other used gear source. Add some inexpensive reflectors and/or home-grown lights to start with. As you earn money, you can work your way through your list, and you’ll appreciate every new piece of gear even more. The same goes for software. Free, open source image-editing software such as The GIMP is a great way to get started. Corel’s Paint Shop Pro is also excellent and very reasonably priced. And you don’t need a printer, other than to print normal business correspondence. Hook up with a good local or national professional lab and you can get great prints and great support. One idea I have found useful is to put your wish list on Amazon, and drop some hints around the holidays and other occasions. Your family will appreciate knowing that what they buy you will be put to good use!

There you go! By following these ten steps, you can take your vision of being a pro photographer and make it a reality! What are you waiting for?

John Huegel is a photographer in the Erie, Pennsylvania area who specializes in Seniors, Dance Studio, Families, Weddings and Events. He is active in many charitable and volunteer activities in the Erie area. His work can be seen at http://jhphotomusic.com He operates a blog for professional photographers at http://newphotopro.blogspot.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Started-in-Photography—10-Steps-to-Jump-Start-Your-Photography-Business&id=2204858

A master photographer’s guide to capturing the natural landscape — written for hobbyists and pros.

Step-by-step instructions, pictograms, and before-and-after comparisons provide a complete course in capturing a landscape’s natural beauty. Renowned photographer Tim Fitzharris reveals foolproof techniques he has used through decades of fieldwork in a wide variety of settings. His own outstanding examples are accompanied by detailed information on the equipment, exposure, film, shutter speed and filters used.

The book is designed for use with the latest digital as well as traditional cameras. Fitzharris encourages photographers to rise above technology and remain sensitive to a landscape’s changing moods. Everything needed to achieve professional results is covered, including:

• The best equipment and how to use it
• Digital camera considerations
• Detailed field techniques for a wide variety of natural settings
• Using filters
• Fine art composition, simplified and diagrammed
• A step-by-step guide to recognizing and finding great scenic shooting sites
• Getting a correct exposure every time
• Recording mirror-like reflections in lakes and shooting postcard-perfect sunrises and sunsets
• Creating high-quality panorama images
• Post-production basics, including image selection and color correction.

Filled with tips and strategies, this outstanding guide includes all that’s required for taking professional-caliber photographs of great landscapes.

Price: $16.47

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For one-semester introductory courses in photography. This easy-to-use, inexpensive text introduces students to the fundamentals of photography and suggests ways in which they might create photographs that have meaning. Oriented toward traditional black and white photography, the book also explores digital techniques and web photography resources, equipment, cameras and camera accessories, the exposure and development of film, and the making and finishing of prints. All aspects of the process are explained and illustrated clearly in two-page spreads, each of which addresses a self-contained topic.

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Sony Digital Still Camera with 9.0 MegaPixel / 20x Optical Zoom

Price: $499.99

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Encompasses the entire range of the photographic medium, from the camera lucida to up-to-date computer technology, and from Europe and the Americas to the Far East. The text investigates all aspects of photography - aesthetic, documentary, commercial and technical - while placing it in historical context. It includes three technical sections with detailed information about equipment and processes. This edition also updates important new international work from the 1980s and 1990s.

Price: $45

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