Sunday, February 27, 2011

Blair Hill Photography in Salt Lake City, Utah


Cuba Gallery: Circus / vintage / typography / retro / ferris wheel / Coney Island / New York / fun / photography by ►CubaGallery


Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes



Blair Hill Photography services the Wasatch Valley areas locating between Provo to Logan Utah.

Blair Hill Photography began in the year 2000 when Blair first decided she wanted to use her camera for something other than fun. Though Blair had been taking photographs for a long time, and was very familiar with the SLR camera she owned, she was always just snapping photographs of family & friend adventures, music events, or other various events around the town. She had been published several times in her local newspaper and other various sources, but still never quite thought of the idea to go 'professional.'

When Blair decided that it was time to put her passion to work, she started to attend classes right away on her new favorite subject, so that she could learn as much as she could aside from what she already knew. She attended classes at her local community college, a local arts program, and MICA - Maryland Institute College of Art. She began developing her progressing in the field of musical/industrial photography, and developed a clientel very quickly.

To the downside of all the progress Blair had made with her work, in 2003 she moved 2000 miles across the county, which means her clients were not locals anymore. Discouraged, and looking for a refreshing moment in life, Blair took a break from her passion of photography until 2005. In 2005, Blair realized how much she missed doing what she loved most, taking pictures. She realized how much her focus of photography had changed though, and began to pursue portrait photography.

Since 2005, Blair has been an active portrait photographer in the greater Wasatch Valley in Utah. She has been complemented again and again on her wonderful work, with a repeat clientel that simply keeps growing and growing.

With astonishing photography, incomparable to any of the other local photographers here in Utah, yet still with the most amazingly affordable prices, Blair Hill Photography is completely unique, and perfect. Every day Blair is coming up with new ideas on how to make her work different, better. She is constantly attending trainings and schooling to further her educational background in photography, and to learn anything new she could possibly learn.

Her current creditinals include the following:

Anne Arundel Community College - 2001, Photography Certificate

Maryland Institute College of Art - 2002-2003 Photography Classes

Salt Lake Community College - 2006-current A.A. Photography Classes

In addition to her passion of photography, Blair has a B.S. In sociology from the University of Utah, and is currently working towards her masters in Gerontology. She hopes to one day mix her love for people and culture with her love and passion for photography.

To see Blairs work, please visit Blair Hill Photography by Clicking Here.


A Look at Some Helpful Photography Websites With Beginner Photography Tips and Advice For Pros


Cuba Gallery: Typography / water ripple / blue / red / color / reflection / ocean / texture background / ship / sea / boat / numbers / photography by ►CubaGallery


photo source



When I was in high school I found my moms old Nikon camera. I always wanted to get into photography but didn't know anything about it. So I got a job at a photo lab and took that camera with me everywhere. I'd bring the film into work the next day to see what I had learned and how the photos turned out. When prom time came around a bunch of my friends wanted me to do their prom pictures. So I borrowed a nicer camera from a friend and charged my friends to shoot their prom pictures. I made enough money to buy my first camera. After that it was a start of a dream

Since then I have done paintball photography for a world wide magazine, been a sports photographer, wedding photographer, school photographer, child photographer, and every kind of photographer in between. These are a list of sites I used when I first started out that I found to be invaluable.


www.photographytips.com
Great site that is some what member based. You can look around most of the site for free but if you want to access everything there is to see you can sign up online for only $5.00 a month. There are great articles on subjects from composition, to light, to how to use your flash. There are also some great galleries so that you can learn by example. Every page is filled with helpful information and numerous pictures that help explain the topic of the article.

www.photosecrets.com
This site may not be graphicly pleasing but it covers its bases. The tips are divided up into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The beginner section covers topics like what kind of camera and film you should buy as well as how to take better pictures of people. he intermediate section talks about quipment, hot to tackle more complicated subjects, and travel photography. The advanced section is more about selling photos, more details about film, and the use of filters. The only thing I Don't like is there are no photos on any of the pages. I think a photography site should have pictures!

www.kodak.com
As one would expect this site covers everything that is photography. This site is easily to scroll through and has a wide variety of topics. Learn the best way to photograph your baby, take better vacation pictures, or photograph your pet. The site also covers topics like printing pictures, sharing pictures, and getting started in digital. The photographs on the site are great and offer some step by step examples of topics discussed in the articles. There are also interactive demos on different subjects that are worth checking out. You can even research information on
film and digital cameras.

www.photonhead.com
This site offers a great tool for the photographer who wants a better understanding of shutter speeds and f-stops. This is the hardest concept to grasp when starting out=t in photography. I know, Ive been there. No matter how many times its explained you just Don't quite get it. This site offers a tool where you can set shutter speeds ad and f-stops in any combination and see what the effect would be. You have a sample photo to your left and to your right you can see what it would look like with your f-stop and shutter speed combo. This is a great tool that helps you learn about f-stops, shutter speed, focal length, and depth of field.

www.betterphoto.com
This site offers online photography course for the photographer who wants to become a professional. The online classes are rated for skill level of the photographer. Classes usually include weekly assignments and have the course instructor personally look over your work. Course range from the business of photography to how to use photoshop and many other topics. Classes vary in price. A 8week class could be between $200-$400. If your aren't happy with your course by the third assignment there is a money back guarantee.

www.scphoto.com
This is one of the best sites I can recommend for young photographers who need direction. This site was created by a high school photography teacher. Its is a free lesson plan that offers homework for photographer. The best thing it offers is assignments on different areas of photography. There are assignments for learning magazine photography,lighting, concepts, and much much more. There are list of words and terminology you should new. Its basically a free high school photography class. I went through the whole lesson plan when I was teaching my self photography and highly recommend it.

Photosecrets.com


Photographytips.com


Kodak.com


Photonhead.com


Betterphoto.com



Saturday, February 26, 2011

Budget Winter Wedding Photography Guide


Photography is allowed at Union Station by erin m


source,photo credit



Do-it-yourself wedding photography is an excellent way to save money, but it is important to plan the details. Chances are you probably know a few photography buffs who are willing to help with your wedding photos. Use this guide to make the most of their skills and generosity to get beautiful wedding pictures.

1. Recruit multiple friends or family members to help with the photographs.
Designating multiple people as photographer splits the workload and means the wedding pictures will reflect a variety of perspectives. Choose knowledgeable, reliable people who are experienced in digital photography.

2. Use a high quality camera.
Make sure the camera you choose is technologically capable of capturing your winter wedding memories. Varying lighting conditions and action scenes are no problem for a good digital camera.

3. Have backup batteries or a backup camera ready.
Be sure the camera you use is charged and have a backup battery or backup camera ready.

4. Bring extra memory cards.
With digital cameras, most people take a few photos then delete the bad ones. The quick pace of a wedding probably will not leave time to edit along the way. Besides, pictures that are out of focus or unusual often have a unique beauty that is not immediately apparent. Bring extra memory cards to avoid missing a good shot.

5. Be very clear about what you want.
Research online and browse friend's wedding albums to get an idea of the type of poses and moments you want to commemorate. Make a list to be absolutely certain each milestone is photographed.

6. Get a mix of candid and posed shots.
A variety of photos best captures the spirit of the day.

7. Plan for the weather.
Depending on the wedding location, winter weather may mean it is too frigid to venture outdoors for a photo session. Plan to take group shots of the bridal party and family members indoors.

8. Edit the photos.
Try cropping and adding different special effects. Sepia and black and white pictures take on an elegant, timeless quality.

9. Order quality photo prints.
Since you saved so much on the cost of a photographer, invest in prints that use high quality paper and ink.

10. Make a wedding album.
You can use traditional photo prints to make a wedding album, but digital photos give you more options. A variety of book options, including hardbound books and small flipbooks, are available online and in many drug and discount stores.

Tips for Your Commercial Photography Portfolio


Cuba Gallery: Portrait / smoke / hand / green / texture / woman / photography by ►CubaGallery


credit



A great commercial photography portfolio is your calling card in the industry, and your ticket to winning clients and landing jobs as a professional photographer. Read on to learn 3 key tips that will help make your commercial photography portfolio shine, so prepare to start getting the gigs you need to advance your career. These commercial photography portfolio tips will take your clips to the next level, so that you can scale the ladder to your dream job.

1. Offer Your Commercial Photography Portfolio In A Variety Of Formats

When you hand out your commercial photography portfolio, one of the things it is crucial to communicate to a client is that when they hire you, you will do everything you can to make his or her life easy. You want to be seen as professional and responsive, and as someone who proactively anticipates your client's needs. One great way to make this impression fast is to have your commercial photography portfolio available in a number of formats, including in print, on CD, and online, as AllArtSchools suggests. When you follow this advice and have print, digital, and virtual clips available, your first question to a client can always be "What's easiest for you?", a sentence that will be music to any prospective employer's ears.

2. Pitch Your Commercial Photography Portfolio Directly To The Job At Hand.

Instead of having one commercial photography portfolio, have several, one targeted to each kind of work you're hoping to do in your career. Have you taken some gorgeous nature images? That's great, but a client who's hiring for a fashion shoot won't care! A prospective employer will hire the person who seems most likely to do a great job on the specific project at hand, so make sure everything in the commercial photography portfolio you hand to a possible client is directly relevant to the task they'll need you to do. Try doing as PhotoCritic suggests, and put together a portfolio of just your fashion work, another that highlights your nature shots, another for photos you've taken of products, and so on for each genre you've got clips for, and are seeking work in. That way, as you move forward in applying for a variety of jobs, you'll always have your most specifically relevant work at your fingertips, ready to impress your next boss.

3. Include The Right Written Information In Your Commercial Photography Portfolio.

As Marketing For Photographers and Photography points out, you don't need to include much written information in your commercial photography portfolio. However, what you do put in can make or break a client's interest in your work. By reducing the amount of text, you help keep your prospective employer engaged with the images you're presenting, which is the goal of your commercial photography portfolio. You don't need to put forward the technical information for each picture, like your equipment choices or shutter speed, because the client only cares about your end result, not about the road you took to get the shot. You should offer a brief description of what each picture is, to provide some context, and a clean, professional, and specific title for each shot, so that it's easy for clients to reference a particular image in your commercial photography portfolio when they're in discussion with you, or with any colleagues who may be involved in making the decision to hire you.