What is a Camera?

What is a Camera?
You must be thinking why such a silly topic? We all know what camera is, it records pictures or movies. Well... you are right.

Before we get into other related topics its always good to start from very basics! Now you must be getting worried, don't be, we will keep it simple and sweet. Ok so back to the topic...

Camera is a device which is used to record still pictures or motion pictures (videos).

How does camera record images?
Camera captures light and converts it into image.
As a new photographer you will need to understand this simple mechanism to start with.

   * Light enters into your lens through a special kind of door called as Aperture.
   * From there it falls on camera's sensor / film through another door called Shutter to form an image.

These two doors play a major role on controlling the amount of light that passes through your lens and the resulting image is formed. They are couple of your best friends as a photographer.
Your 3rd best friend is the Sensor. Sensor is the one which captures this light which got emitted from a source or reflected from any surface and gives it appropriate shape creating a photograph.

To get good image you not only maintain good relation between you and your best friends, but also make sure your 3 best friends maintain good relation among each other as well.

I will tell you more about these relationships in my other posts where we will discuss in details about them.

In this article you met your 3 best friends:
Best Friend 1: Aperture
Best Friend 2: Shutter
Best Friend 3: Sensor

You will be making many more friends as we continue with the story in my future articles.

This was so simple isn't it!

Glamor Photogrpahy

What is glamor photography?

Glamor photography is a form of photography where models usually females are presented in sensuous, romantic, sexy way.

Glamor photography has changed over decades reflecting the social changes.

It is an art of admiring nature in human form.

Many people mistake glamor photography to be fashion photography. In glamor photography person is the focus, where as in fashion photography the apparels or accessories are the focus.

Related reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glamour_photography

Stock Photography

What is stock photography?
Stock photography is a commercially focused photography where photographs are clicked keeping in mind that they will be sold later on.

As name suggests photographers either stock their own work a 3rd party stocks multiple photographer's work and sell them to end customer who that use them for their business purposes.

Stock photos can be sold with complete rights to the end customer or on a royalty-free model. There are various other business models also followed by stockists where either a part of sale or recurring sale is given to the photographer owner of the photograph.

There are may websites these days who stock photos and display it to customers for purchasing or contracting a photograph.

Fashion Photography

What is fashion photography?
Fashion photography is a specialized commercial form or photography.

Many confuse this to be a form of people photography, but this is more to do with fashion industry. It's main objective is to capture the apparels and accessories that has or is expected to set a fashion trend.

Is fashion photography an indoor studio photography?
No, fashion photography can be both indoor and outdoor activity. In either cases is a well thought out, planned and staged photography.

There are various players involved in fashion photography apart from photographer like, art director, designers, light specialist and photo processing / media specialists.

How can one become fashion photographer?
There are various courses, graduation and diplomas available in which teaches fashion photography.
Added to that opportunity to work under an established fashion photographer can be the best tutor.

Event Photography

What is Event Photography?

Event photography is a specialized form of photography focused on covering event. Its one of the most commonly seen commercial form of photography.
Event photography cover event so of any kind. It could be sports, musical night, dance, drama, charity functions, birthday parties to even kitty parties at your home.
Wedding photography is a little more specialized form of event photography which can be explored as a subject, career in itself.



What kind of camera, lens suits event photography?
Type of camera and lens would depend on kind of event that you are trying to capture.
If its a simple birthday party at your home you want to capture memory picture even a basic point and shoot camera would do, though SLRs will give you better results and better flexibility to process your pictures.

Tips and tricks:

• Before planning your photography kit find out following details:
• Timing of event
• Key highlights or ceremonies 
• Is it indoors or outdoors?
• Climate forecast
• Mode of travel and distance, etc.
• Get very familiar with the options available on your camera
• Shoot in continuous mode when there is lot of action happening
• Adjust the ISO based on lighting condition
• Adjust white balance that best suits the setting and lighting situations
• Constantly look for good subjects
• Get familiar with venue of events and what activities would be performed around the place
• Carry additional charged batteries 
• Build good rapport with one of the organizers who can assist you managing crowed or with any other help that you may need.
• Most important tip: "Have fun!"

Related reading:

http://photo.net/learn/digital-photography-workflow/overview/event-photography/
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-do-i-photograph-a-gymnastics-event-dps-community-workshop
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-a-childs-birthday-party

Food Photography

What is food photography?

As name suggests food photography is an art of photographing food!
Art is not just in clicking the picture but also on how to make it look more enticing. World is full of food lovers and great cooks. All of these people would like to see great pictures of food.

"Its a fact that food is first consumed by eyes, then nose and then mouth. Its important to pleases all these senses." So if you are selling food, you know what is the first thing you want to do for customers to like your place even before they are served your delicacies!

Food photography is not as simple as it may sound there are various factors that play key role in getting good food photographs. One need to master various techniques other than photography for becoming a good food photographer. Some of these are:

• Lighting
• Styling
• Art direction
• Understanding colors, textures, etc.
  

Few tips for food photography:

• Shoot with mild lighting to capture those beautiful textures created. You may want to use harder light to bring out the overall shape, let the food make this choice for you. 
• Do not shoot in dark, avoid using flash. If required shoot outside in open natural light.
• Use less quantity of food than what you would serve someone to eat.
• Shoot from an lower angle, unless you are getting a very interesting top shot. Lower angle will help you create the depth.
• Compose your subject to fit tightly in to the frame, you can choose to leave a little space for cropping freedom during post processing.
• Allow food to spillover naturally, you can try and be more artistic but overdoing may spoil the photograph.
• Shoot with shallow depth of filed so that your focus is concentrated on the main subject. Use macro lens if you have one.
  
• Capture the temperature, make it look hot or cold based on types of dish you are photographing. You can make food look hot by using a bit of vegetable oil on it.  It will also avoid food from looking dry. You can make food look cold by suing a few ice cubed or creating mild vapor around it.
• Remember your main subject is food, try to avoid picturing other decoration around it. Decorations on the food is the key things to capture.
• Try both landscape and portrait shots, chose what looks better sometimes you will get both nice.
• Have a back up, food may look fresh for a certain period of time. If your shoot is taking more time than expected and the food looses its charm you must plan to replace it with a very similar looking stand by. 
• Choose the distance and position of light carefully. Placing light on the top, behind or some other weird angle will not highlight the key textures that you may want to capture. Distance of light will control the intensity and glare on food item.
• Use tripod, its always better to use tripod as while shooting using mild lighting and indoor you may have too shoot at very slow shutter speed and you would not want to create blurred pictures of those beautiful mouth watering dishes in front of you. 
• Consider using multiples to create a pattern.
• Do not shoot less quantity of food in bigger container unless you are trying out something creative.

Related reading:

http://www.foodportfolio.com/blog/food_photography/food_photgraphy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_photography
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/angles-for-food-photography

Photojournalism

 What is Photojournalism?

Photojournalism is an art of capturing action and presenting it to the world were it tells its own story.
This is a very responsible form of photography where one should be ethically right and not try to mislead people for their personal benefits.

"Capture the truth and show it as it is."

Is that so easy? Not always.

A photojournalist have to face a lot of challenges it can be anything for hectic schedule, bad weather, dangerous locations, etc.