Photographing & Watching Eagles

Tips for Photographing Eagles

1). For the sharpest images, have your camera on a good, sturdy tripod.

2). Use the longest telephoto or zoom lens you have. Even though the eagles are large birds, you'll still have to be fairly close to them to capture an impressive image.

3). Use at least 400 speed film. If it's cloudy, you may even try 800 or 1000 speed film. The faster film speeds allow you to use faster shutter speeds to freeze action. Digital camera shooters can also adjust film speed or shutter speeds.

4). You may shoot a few pictures of the eagles sitting still, but you will have more interesting photographs if you wait for them to do something¡X cleaning feathers, eating, interacting with other eagles, or if you're really lucky, diving for fish.

5). If the eagles you are photographing begin to act skittish or nervous, they are letting you know you're too close. Your goal should be to appreciate their beauty without disturbing their tranquility.

Eagle Watching Tips

1). Dress warm: warm boots, hat, scarf; gloves especially important.

2). Best viewing is dawn to around 9:00am, and an hour before sunset. That's when they are most likely to be eating or looking for food.

3). Use Binoculars. Up to 10 or 12 power, comfortable enough to hand hold. Over 12 power, or for a spotting scope, a tripod is recommended. Consider a pair of image stabilizing binoculars to help with comfortable viewing.

4). Eagles may be anywhere along the rivers, but there is usually a good concentration from West Alton to Alton, on up the River Road to Elsah and Grafton, and north along the Mississippi from there, especially at any of the locks and dams.

5). White headed eagles are generally about 5 years or older. Females are slightly larger than males.

6). If the eagles you are viewing begin to act skittish or nervous, they are letting you know you're too close. You goal should be to appreciate their beauty without disturbing their tranquility.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Fireworks

Checklist to get ready ahead of time:

* Tripod - prevents blurriness due to camera movement

* Remote control - prevents shaking the camera when pressing the shutter

* 800 speed film - records more light, reduces camera shake

* Review your camera settings, and stop by any Creve Coeur Camera store to ask any questions you may have.

* Take a small flashlight to see what you are doing, plenty of batteries, film and/or memory cards

Prepare your equipment:

IF YOU HAVE AN SLR

* The lens you choose will be determined by how far away the fireworks are. If you are close, you may want to choose a wide angle lens to capture all of the bursts. If you are, for example, across the river from the Arch, you may wish to use a telephoto lens.

* Experiment with different exposure lengths. You can isolate one fireworks burst by ending the exposure after the burst reaches its full size, or you can capture multiple bursts on the same frame of film by using a longer exposure time.

* On a digital SLR, change the sensitivity setting to the highest number available in the menu. Turn on ‘noise reduction’ if your camera has that optional feature.

* If you are shooting shorter exposures, maybe 3-5 seconds, you could choose an aperture around f4 or f5.6. For longer exposures, you may want to close the aperture down to f8 so the exposure doesn’t get too light from any street lights or city lights!

V For ISO 200, try f/16 at B or bulb, or 4 or more seconds.

IF YOU HAVE A POINT & SHOOT CAMERA

* You will probably get the best result with your lens at the widest setting.

* If your camera has a fireworks mode or a night mode, put it on that setting, and make sure the flash is turned off.

* If your camera has a bulb setting, you’ll be able to do some longer exposures.

* On a digital point & shoot, change the sensitivity setting to the highest number available in the menu.

Getting ready at the fireworks event:

* Scout out a good location.

* Decide if you want only fireworks in your photograph, or if you want some background subject.

* Look through the camera’s viewfinder to make sure you have the desired perspective.

* Shoot early in the fireworks show, as there will be a lot of smoke as you near the conclusion.

If you still have questions after reading these pointers, be sure to ask at the store for clarification and assistance!

No matter what type of camera you have, when you have your images printed, be sure to tell the lab that you have fireworks pictures!

And... don't forget to enjoy the fireworks while you shoot them!
Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Children

Capturing a child's "best" side isn't always easy. In fact without the right tools and information it can be very difficult. You have to be comfortable with your equipment to get the results you want. Professionals say that with small children you can only count on about 3 or 4 minutes before the child will loose patience. And that certainly has to be an over estimation when it comes to adolescents and teens.

Some tips to help insure a positive shoot and a better chance of getting good shots:

1). Practice first with the equipment you are going to use. Avoid any "hold on I'll get it figured out in a minute" situations.

2). Check your camera's battery. If it seems weak or if you just aren't sure, replace it.

3). Make sure you have plenty of film or digital memory card space, and make sure the camera is loaded.

4). Test everything before you get started. If you are using studio lights, slave flashes, props, stands, etc. check it all out a little while before shooting.

5). If it's a spur-of-the-moment photo shoot decision, pay attention to what is in the background or foreground that may be undesirable and adjust your position or framing. Do this through the viewfinder where it counts.

When you begin shooting, move in or zoom in for nice tight shots. You will want to have great shots of kids facial expressions and a common mistake is including too much distracting background or foreground information in the photo. Fill the frame with your subject and you will enjoy looking at your children's expressions rather than trying to figure out which child is which.

For infants and toddlers, it is a good idea to get down on their level. Photos from that angle will provide a view from the child's perspective on the world and make for very enjoyable pictures.

For all kids, especially the little ones, it is a good idea to have someone or some things around to help keep their attention. A relative or friend to make faces or laugh at, a toy, rattle, keys, stuffed animals, etc, will help keep the attention of a small child. This is critical when you need a few seconds to get the shot framed up and wait for expressions. For older children favorite sports or hobby, items can still help with facial expression and attention. The camera can make kids and adults uncomfortable and props can help distract people from focusing on the lens following them around.

Also very important is that you remain calm and at ease even if things are a bit difficult to handle. If you get upset the child will know and they too will get upset. Remember, you can try again later so stay calm and happy and your subject will be more willing to try again.

For some real fun try getting close with a super wide angle lens, or using colored and special effects filters, or getting your flash away from your camera for better lighting effects.

Visit your local Creve Coeur Camera store for all of the photo equipment and advice you need and to make the most of your photography.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Sports

For great results taking action shots, prepare your camera to suit the particular event. Photographers with experience shooting sports generally use fast film (or on your digital camera a higher ISO setting) in any action situation. This gives you more ability to use small apertures for greater depth of field, and fast shutter speeds to freeze moving subjects.

In a fully automatic camera, a fast film speed/setting will allow the camera to speed up the shutter by default. However full auto or "P" setting may not make the best use of shutter speed and aperture. If your camera has a "Sports & Action" setting (person running) and no manual functions, you should use it. For auto cameras The "Sports & Action" mode will ensure that you get the best action shots possible, with your camera and if the camera has a rapid advance feature it should be initiated when in this mode.

If your camera has manual controls and you wish to freeze the action, your shutter speeds need to be upward of 1/500 of a second. If the most important aspect is stopping action, your aperture setting will have to take a back seat to your shutter speed.

As a general rule the following will apply: for most field sports 1/500 and up; for auto or boat racing or diving 1/1000 and up; for a golf swing or pitch 1/2000 or higher, and so on. The faster the subject of interest, the faster the shutter speed required. Think about how fast hands and feet are moving also.

If you are using a telephoto lens, your shutter speeds are all the more critical. A long focal length can reduce your shutter speed flexibility, and more importantly increase camera shake causing blurry photos. The longer the lens the more important fast shutter speeds become. When you have a long lens, use a tripod or monopod whenever possible. In addition to steadying the camera, a tripod makes panning smoothly with a moving subject much easier.

If possible move to a position that gives you a good or interesting angle on the subject, and has a good background for the shots.

If you are shooting under indoor lighting, or in low light you will need very fast film to help ensure your results. Unless you have an advanced camera and a very fast aperture lens, count on 10% or so of these photos turning out acceptable. So shoot a lot of pictures!

A flash for indoor/or outdoor sports is not recommended. First, you probably won't be close enough to the action for the flash to be fo benefit. Second, if you are close enough you might temporarily blind a player and cause a problem. Generally you need a few high-end, pieces of equipment to capture really good indoor sports shots.

Trapping is a very effective technique for action photography. It can be very difficult or impossible to follow a moving subject and keep sharp focus on them, unless they are traveling in a steady, fairly straight path. If not, try focusing on an area the subject is going to be moving through, in advance of the subject. Hold the pre-focus and when the subject comes into frame, capture them! This may also allow you to choose a more attractive setting/background for your shot.

These are just a few of the things to consider when shooting sports/ action pictures. Your Creve Coeur Camera store can help you with all of the considerations, to help ensure that you get that perfect shot!

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Wildlife

Where to find wildlife

* Africa’s Serengeti Plain (if you happen to be there)

* National parks

* Game reserves

* Local woods

* Your back yard

* The Zoo

* Your bird feeder (birds, squirrels, mice, raccoons, opossums, and deer like bird feeders!)

Getting close to wildlife

* Be smart. If you’re 40 yards from a grizzly bear, and 100 yards from your car, and the bear can run 3 times as fast as you, if the bear decides you look threatening, you’re not going to outrun it! This same theory applies to more rural/suburban creatures such as snakes and raccoons.

* Be stealthy. You may have to sit in one place for a long time for your subject to become comfortable with your presence. If you do have to move, move very slowly and deliberately, without sudden movements.

* Early morning and evening are the most active times for most animals.

* Read about your subject. The more you know about the animal, the better prepared you will be to anticipate and capture its behavior.

* Wear clothing that blends with the surroundings.How to capture the image.

* Use your longest telephoto lens.

* Use a tripod for good, sharp images.

* Use fast shutter speeds. This may require 800 speed films, or adjusting the ISO setting on a digital camera to a higher sensitivity setting.

* Use a cable release if available. This prevents movement of the camera that is caused when you directly depress the shutter release.

Additional Tips

* Pay attention to the background. Try to achieve a background that is attractive and natural looking. Be aware of distractions such as mesh fence (for enclosed animals), poles, trees, power lines, or other unnatural distractions in your pictures.

* You can take pictures of the animal, but it is even more interesting if you take pictures of the animal actually doing something, such as eating, capturing prey, cleaning itself, interacting with other animals.

 Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Your Vacation

* Film is cheap, shoot a lot of pictures!! Shooting different angles, lens settings, different backgrounds, with and without flash, and more is how the pros come up with those amazing shots. Even if you think you should be at a better angle, SHOOT! You may not be able to get the better angle and you may miss the shot altogether. And hey, you may never be back there again.

* For digital shooters, take extra media cards and consider a portable hard drive or portable CD burner so you can create backup files daily.

* Take extra batteries with you!!! This is the most avoidable, most common frustration among our customers.

* Those same rules also apply to video tapes and a backup camcorder battery!!!

* Take a couple cameras with you on your trip. Keep one with you at all times.

* Take a few single use (even waterproof) cameras with you. If it rains you will not be so concerned about them. If you go to the beach or sand/water you should not risk your good equipment. Fine sand and dust can damage a camera.

* Give the kids a one-time-use camera. It's always fun to capture their perspective of the family vacation.

* You won't get the great photos you are excited about if you leave the camera in the car or hotel room, or in the bottom of your backpack. Check out Creve Coeur Camera's selection of small cases that clip on to your waist.

* Shoot spontaneously sometimes, rather than set up every shot as a posed pre-arranged moment. You'll treasure pictures of unexpected moments.

* Be sure to take pictures of the family all together. Use the self-timer with a tripod, or ask a passerby to snap a couple of shots.

* Do you need to get a voltage adapter for the country you are visiting?

* If you are concerned about airport x-rays and your film, get a film shield bag at Creve Coeur Camera.

* If you are still concerned, have your negatives processed and left uncut on your trip. Then when you pass through the airport/s on the way back, the x-ray won't effect them. And you can have quality Creve Coeur Camera printing done when you get back home.

* A monopod or compact tripod is highly recommended. You are far more likely to succeed with your sunsets, night time shots, and self timer shots even if you have a little pocket tripod.

* To give your pictures a sense of the culture or region you visited, look for buildings and architectural details (window, door, ornamental style, etc) to include in your shots.

* ALWAYS REMEMBER TO COMPOSE YOUR IMAGE THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER OR ON THE LCD SCREEN. This is the actual representation of what the final image will look like. You may think you want certain items in or out of the frame, but until you check what the photo is going to look like, you cannot be sure.

* Plan taking pictures into your trip. If you want shots of the local culture or terrain, or "off the beaten path" stuff, certain tours or groups may not suit what you want.

* Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Moonlight Photo Tips

We have a lot of associations with moonlight -- romance, mystery, peacefulness -- and it is relatively easy to record those moods on film. A scene illuminated by moonlight, however, is about two million times (21 f-stops) dimmer than one illuminated by direct sunlight. So in order to get a good image, plan to shoot on nights when the sky is relatively clear and the moon is full or close to it. Also use a tripod or other firm camera support so that you can take long exposures. And use a high-speed film, possibly one that you can have push-processed for a higher ISO rating.

To get correct exposure, use the exposure table below or a very sensitive meter. The danger in using a meter is, surprisingly, that you may overexpose the scene. The meter is programmed to indicate settings that will make the scene appear of average brightness. By following the meter exactly, it is easy to make a moonlit scene look as if it had been taken in daylight. To avoid this result, use 25 to 50 percent less exposre than your meter indicates. On an automatic camera, set the exposure override control in the underexposure direction or reset your film-speed dial to twice its correct setting. This exposure adjustment is essential with slide films. It is less critical with negative films because the lightness or darkness of the image can be controlled during the printmaking process.

The type of film you select can also have a major effect on the color in the final image of a moonlit scene. A film balanced for tungsten light will produce a cool blue cast. A daylight-balanced slide film or color negative film will favor the red end of the spectrum and give the picture a warmer appearance.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Tips on Using Filters

How they work

Filters are used in both color and black-and-white photography to solve certain technical problems and to achieve special visual effects. For example, because film cannot adjust for the different colors of light the way the human eye can, filters are often essential in making the hues and tones of a photographic image correspond to those we see with our eyes. Conversely, you might want to use a special-effects filter to intentionally create a vision of unreality.

Basically, a color filter permits light of its own color to pass through it and, to varying degrees, blocks the light of other colors. The extent to which this occurs depends on the color of the filter and its intensity. In general, closely related hues pass through while complementary colors are stopped. Thus, a yellow filter absorbs blue but lets most orange pass through. Only the light that gets through, of course, is recorded on the film.

Filter factors

Nearly all filters, because they reduce the light entering the camera, require the use of a larger aperture or a slower shutter speed. The change, though now frequently given in f-stops, is traditionally specified as a filter factor -- a number that indicates how much you must increase your exposure. A filter factor of 2, for example, tells you that you must double your exposure -- the equivalent of a one-stop increase.

These factors are useful even if your camera has a through-the-lens metering system. If you're using a pale-colored filter, such as yellow or amber, the camera's meter will be fairly reliable. But if you're using a red filter to darken a blue sky and your subject includes a lot of green foliage, the filter will block so much light from the scene that the camera would probably overexpose to compensate. If in doubt, take a meter reading in the program mode before attaching the filter, and then see what the exposure setting is after you attach the filter. Is the difference approximately equal to the change recommended by the filter factor? If not, meter the scene in the metered manual mode without the filter, and use your camera's exposure compensation feature to provide the correct amount of additional exposure based on the filter factor. For instance, for a filter having a factor of 2, set a +1 compensation.

Types of filters

There are basically two types of filters in common use: mounted glass disks that screw onto the front of the lens, and optical resin (usually referred to as plastic) squares that slip into filter frames and are fitted to the lens with an adapter ring. The size of a round screw-in filter is expressed in terms of its diameter in millimeters, and you simply match it to the diameter of your lens. One of the drawbacks of buying glass filters is that if you have lenses of different diameters you may have to buy the same filter in two or more sizes. Fortunately, the diameters of many lenses of a particular brand are now standardized, so this isn't as much of a concern as it once was.

Filters of the square resin style are all the same size, so they can be adapted to any lens by using inexpensive adapter rings. Resin filters are offered by several companies as part of very large filter systems that include all manner of technical and creative effects filters: correction, multi-image, multicolor, and masking filters, among others. In most cases, the square filter frames are designed to hold two or more filters in combination, so that you can create even more elaborate effects -- mixing a soft-focus filter with a colored one, for example. 

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Tips for Various Kinds of Weather

Overcast skies

The quality of light can be excellent on dank, dreary days. Rather than producing harsh contrasts between bright highlights and deep shadows, light filtered through a canopy of clouds is even and diffused. Contrasts are soft and subtle. Colors are rich and fully saturated. Bright colors that would ordinarily clash with each other or overwhelm muted hues become more harmonious and part of a unified image.

Scenes photographed on an overcast day usually work best when you move in close and fill the entire image area with shapes and colors, since the sky is often an uninteresting, washed-out gray or white. Sometimes, however, a bland sky can provide a plain backdrop that sharply sets off interesting foreground elements. But try to keep your horizon line relatively high so that there is more ground than sky, and, if possible, mask part of the sky with a foreground frame such as overhanging tree branches.

Even when the sky looks gray, it can still be bright, and when it is included in a scene, it can mislead your camera's meter into making an underexposure that silhouettes the foreground. Take your reading off the foreground or an 18 percent gray card.

The lighting on an overcast day is excellent for outdoor portraits. Its soft, diffused quality is always flattering because it gently reveals the contours of the face with faint, almost imperceptible shadows.

Fog and Mist

The soft, hazy atmosphere created by fog and mist can be especially effective in photographs because it obscures more than it shows. In fog and mist, the farther an object is from the camera, the more it seems to dissolve and merge with the murky background. Even a fairly cluttered scene, such as a forest, is greatly simplified. Only subjects close to your camera stand out, and colors are so muted that they look almost monochromatic.

Fog, like sand and snow, is a bright, high-key subject and can fool a light meter into calling for underexposure. The best exposure will frequently be one of two f-stops more exposure than what the meter says. It's usually best to take the meter reading off an 18 percent gray card or a middle tone in the foreground.

The best place to find hazy conditions is on or near bodies of water, and the best time of day is early morning, before the sun has had a chance to burn off the night's accumulation of mist. Look for strong, distinctive shapes, especially ones that stand out against the haziness as dark silhouettes. Because the lighting is usually dim, plan to use a high-speed film and, if you go out especially early, take along a tripod for the necessary long exposures.

Storms and lightning

Storms, especially electrical storms, are among the most spectacular shows staged by nature, and capturing them on film is challenging. Luckily, the most dramatic shots of storm clouds can be taken as the storm approaches or leaves. It is during these transitional periods that you can get striking contrasts between areas that are clouded and ones that are sunlit. Sunlight breaking through dark clouds or creating bright rim lighting along their edges is especially attractive. Since lighting conditions are uneven and rapidly changing at such times, be sure to bracket your exposures.

Lightning can usually be photographed only during the height of a storm. To protect both yourself and your camera, you should always take your pictures from a safe cover. It is next to impossible to photograph lightning during the daytime unless you are waiting with eye on the viewfinder and finger on the shutter. And even then you may miss it. You'll find it much easier to work and will usually get more dramatic results if you make a time exposure at night.

Set up your camera on a tripod and point it at the area of the sky where most of the lightning seems to be occurring. Set your camera's shutter speed dial on B. Then open the shutter using a cable release and hold it open until a bolt streaks out of the clouds. Be sure to work in a dark area and to pick a scene that does not include light from houses or street lights. Exposure is mostly a matter of guesswork. Bracket by making several time exposures at different apertures. A good starting point is f/5.6 with ISO 60 film. Holding the shutter open for too long causes an overexposure of the surrounding area. Heat flashes between clouds can also ruin a frame.

Rainbows

In the aftermath of a rainstorm, nature sometimes provides us with one of its most delicate visual treats, the rainbow. A rainbow is caused by particles of moisture in the air that act as tiny prims to diffract the light, breaking it up into a spectral array of wavelengths of different colors. The phenomenon is not limited to rain-soaked skies; it can occur any place where there is an abundance of moisture in the air. A waterfall, a public fountain, or even a morning mist will often sport a miniature rainbow when sunlight hits at the proper angle.

Rainbows are very transient, rarely lasting more than a few minutes. When you spot one, you have to act quickly. In composing your picture, the chief problem is usually trying to locate, on such short notice, foreground elements that will add interest to the scene. A rainbow alone is beautiful but not likely to be visually compelling. A foreground, such as sailboats, icy branches, or stone figures, provides a sense of place and completes the composition. In exposure, a problem can occur if a large expanse of relatively bright sky is included in the scene. In this case, it is best to take a reading off the foreground. Or, if you want to produce a greater saturation of colors in the rainbow, try underexposing one half-stop from the reading your derived from the foreground. On an automatic camera, temporarily reset your film-speed dial one ISO setting higher.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Hot Ait Balloon Photo Tips

Prepare

Fresh film and batteries are a must. Charge batteries in advance. Have extra film and digital camera memory cards available as it is easy to shoot a lot of balloon photos very quickly!

Film

Either print or slide film. Film with ASA speeds of 100 or 200 are fine for the daylight balloon races, but to shoot the sunrise balloon ascensions, 400, 800 or 1600 speed film is recommended. Use 400, 800 or 1600 speed film for nighttime balloon glows.

Flash

Flashes will not reach balloons in flight and even on the ground they aren’t really needed. However, it is recommended to use flash if you want to photograph someone's face, say, up close with the balloons in the background. For sunrise balloon lifts and evening balloon glows, a tripod is recommended. Composition: Its hard to get a bad photo of hot air balloons. Shoot what looks good to you. Look for form. When shooting many balloons in one photo, try to get one larger in the foreground, for instance. Let the beauty of these magnificent balloons become your photo.

Accessories

A wide angle and also a telephoto lens offer a variety of photos. A normal lens is not totally recommended. The wide-angle lens offers the shooter a chance to get in closer and still photograph more of the colorful balloons in one photo. A telephoto lens brings the balloons in.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

General Picture Taking Tips for Digital Cameras

Warm Up Those Tones

If you really want to add some punch to your images, use a polarizing filter. A polarizer is the one filter every photographer should have handy for landscapes and general outdoor shooting. By reducing glare and unwanted reflections, polarized shots have richer, more saturated colors, especially in the sky.

Outdoor Portraits That Shine

One of the great hidden features on digital cameras is the fill flash or flash on mode. By taking control of the flash so it goes on when you want it to, not when the camera deems it appropriate, you've just taken an important step toward capturing great outdoor portraits. In flash on mode, the camera exposes for the background first, then adds just enough flash to illuminate your portrait subject. The result is a professional looking picture where everything in the composition looks good.

Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode, beyond five feet the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results.On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.

Macro Mode

Activate the close up mode on your digital camera and begin to explore your world in finer detail. You will be rewarded with fresh new images unlike anything you've ever shot before. Even the simplest object takes on new fascination in macro mode. And the best part is that it's so easy to do with digital cameras.

Just look for the close up or macro mode icon, which is usually a flower symbol, turn it on, and get as close to an object as your camera will allow. Once you've found something to your liking, hold the shutter button down halfway to allow the camera to focus. When the confirmation light gives you the go ahead, press the shutter down the rest of the way to record the image. Keep in mind that you have very shallow depth of field when using the close up mode, so focus on the part of the subject that's most important to you, and let the rest of the image go soft.

Move It From The Middle

Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines.You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.

Spare Media Cards

Be prepared to get all the shots you want with spare memory cards! If you have a 2 megapixel camera, get two extra 64MB cards. Buy 2 extra 128MB cards for 3 megapixel models, and 3 extra 128MB cards for 4 megapixels cameras. That way, you'll never miss another shot because your memory card is full.

Shoot High Resolution Images ALL the time

One of the most important reasons for packing a massive memory card is to enable you to shoot at your camera's highest resolution. If you paid a premium price for a 3 megapixel digicam, then get your money's worth and shoot at 3 megapixels. And while you're at it, shoot at your camera's highest quality compression setting too.

Why not squeeze more images on your memory card by shooting a lower resolution and low quality compression settings? You never know when you're going to capture the next great image! If you take a beautiful picture at the low 640 x 480 resolution, that means you can only make a print about the size of a snapshot, not exactly the right dimensions for hanging in the museum.

On the other hand, if you recorded the image at 2048 x 1536 (3 megapixels) or larger, then you can make a lovely 8- x 10-inch photo-quality print suitable for framing. And just in case you we're able to get as close to the action as you had liked, having those extra pixels enables you to crop your image and still have enough resolution to make a decent sized print. The point is, if you have enough memory, then there's no reason to shoot at lower resolution and risk missing the opportunity to show off your work in a big way.

Tripods, Monopods and Tablepods

For certain types of shots, tripods can be very useful. As an alternative, use a monopod or tablepod.

Tablepods are compact, and versatile, and can fit in your back pocket. They enable you to steady your camera in a variety of situations. You can open the legs and set it on any reasonable flat surface such as a tabletop or a boulder in the middle of nowhere. These are ideal for use with self timers so you can get in the shot too!

Self Timer Fun

Self timers delays the firing of the shutter (after the button has been pushed) for up to 10 seconds, fixing one of the age old problems in photography: the missing photographer. Be sure the focusing sensor is aimed at a person in the group and not the distant background, or you'll get very sharp trees and fuzzy family members.

Click here to find out about ordering prints from your digital camera online.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Summer Outdoor Photography

Make your outdoor portraits better!

The summer we’ll all take hundreds of images of our kids, family and friends. Many of them will be when the sun is in the wrong place…but for reasons we can’t control…we aren’t able to move the subject or the sun!

Did you know that you can make a simple adjustment on your camera to make your images 50% better? No it’s not complex or requiring you to think. Just turn you flash on. Yes that simple control where the flash is always on. (See below for the icon).

By turning on your flash (as we call “fill” flash”) your camera will automatically adjust for the amount of light. What you will achieve is that the flash will light and enhance/compensate in the following areas.

* The subjects eye area will lighten up

* Any area shadowed by hair will be bright

* You will reduce the number of “double chins"

* You will see an overall improvement of the image.

This simple technique can also help make a horrible backlit image (from the sun) turn out great. If you are interested in learning more about making your photo better, try out one of our great classes by calling 314-993-2681.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Fall Colors

The best time for shooting fall colors is in the morning and late afternoon. These times often provide the most interesting shadows. However, there are also opportunities mid-day. With the sun overhead, you can use backlighting to make leaves glow in your photographs.

Polarizing filters may enrich the blue of the sky, cut the glare on water and overall enhance fall color.

When taking portraits in fall color try working with subjects and leaves on the ground.  Don’t hesitate to get in tight for a close-up.

Be sure to watch out for distracting elements in all your fall photographs.  It's easy to get carried away by the beautiful colors all around and the crisp, clear air and fail to notice the telephone pole, wires, or stop sign that will be all too apparent in your photograph.

Get out there with your camera and enjoy the fall colors!

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Shooting Great Sunsets & Sunrise

Dramatic Images

Sunrise and sunset are two of nature's grandest spectacles. Whether they are the main subject of a picture or are included in a broader vista, they assure an image with a dramatically heightened mood. Fortunately, both sunrises and sunsets can be recorded successfully on film over a wide range of exposure settings, allowing you to determine the effect that is best for a particular scene. As an extremely bright source of light, however, the sun will cause your camera's built-in meter to respond inaccurately when it is included in the scene.

Sun as Subject

If the sun itself is the subject of your picture, take you reading from the brightness of the sky and clouds — not directly from the sun. This will slightly underexpose the scene and produce deep rich colors in the clouds. It will also darken the foreground so that trees, buildings or people will be silhouetted against the sky, forming a dramatic frame. The effect can be heightened by giving a scene an f-stop or two less exposure. Look especially for scenes with a slight amount of haze or mist, as the fine particles of water in the air will pick up and reflect the sun's colors. And try using a telephoto lens to make the sun appear larger and more dominant.

Sun as Backdrop

If the sun is to be a backdrop for a more panoramic picture, angle your camera downward and take a reading off the foreground. This will prevent the foreground from becoming a silhouette, but the sun and sky will be overexposed, appearing lighter and closer to normal daylight. Similarly, you can often get more dramatic results by shooting when the sun is not in the picture — when it is hidden behind a cloud or at the moment just after it sets or just before it rises.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Halloween Photo Tips

General Tips

For film cameras, make sure you have plenty of film and extra batteries. For digital cameras, make sure you have an extra or fully-charged battery and a spare or large memory card. For timed shots a use of a tripod is handy.
People & Group Photos

Photograph everything! Decorations, pets, children, houses and groups. Candid’s can turn out especially good.

Closer is better! The closer you can get to your subject, the better the photo. Try to take pictures of people at eye level.  For shots of children, get down to their level.

Position your subjects so they are illuminated by the best light source in front of them, not behind them. If you use the flash make sure you are within its effective range, typically between six to twelve feet. Digital users can increase your ISO to around 1200 to 1600. Shooting this way will lighten up the background and prevent those “black” backgrounds.
Jack O' Lanterns

The light used to illuminate the outside of the pumpkin and that of the candles inside is actually a delicate balance. Ideally, your photographs will want is to capture the candles glow from within the pumpkin, but still be able to see the outside of the pumpkin itself.

If you use a flash, you'll over light the surface of the pumpkin and drown out the light from the candles inside. Turn your camera flash off, then place your camera on a tripod or solid subject.  To help avoid the light inside the pumpkin from being to faint, use two or even three candles.

The best technique is to take your pictures around dusk, before it becomes totally dark.

Compliments of Creve Coeur Camera.

Photographing Holiday Lights

Lights!  Lights on trees, houses, light poles, offices and buildings, even autos and trucks.  During the Christmas season, colorful lights are seemingly everywhere.  Nearly every city has their own light display spread over several acres for everyone to enjoy.  As photographers, we can’t help but want to take pictures of all the lights.  Doing so, however, usually takes some forethought.

Equipment

Probably the most important piece of equipment – besides your camera! – is a tripod.  Although it is possible to photograph a bright light display without one, we strongly recommend using one to assure you of the sharpest images.  You can buy tripods for prices ranging from around $30 to several hundred dollars; while the lower priced models might seem like a bargain, you’re better off to buy the best you can afford.

Almost any camera, compact or SLR, film or digital, is capable of capturing Christmas light photographs.  However, digital cameras offer the tremendous advantage of immediate feedback, so that you know right away if your exposure is good or not.  You will find a close focusing lens to be quite beneficial, because often you’ll want to get close for the details.  And, although a fully automatic camera can be used, one that gives you some options for control also gives you more flexibility.

Shooting Methods

When you photograph lighting displays, your camera will see a lot of darkness, so this is one of the problems you must deal with.  The meter in your camera will want to make the darkness lighter.  However, you want to keep the dark background dark – if not, the lights will be too light and less colorful.

One method of photographing Christmas lights is to use a “spot meter.”  All cameras have light meters, but most read the available light in the entire image area.  A spot meter, on the other hand, looks only at the light in the center of your image, and sets your camera’s exposure for only that light it sees.  If your camera has a spot meter (check your owner’s manual if you’re not sure), use it to meter the lights that you really want for your main subject.  Once your camera’s meter reads the light, use its Manual exposure control, or the AEL (auto exposure lock) button, to hold this setting.  (Again, read your manual for more information – or, come by your local Creve Coeur Camera for assistance.)  If you are shooting digital, review your photo on the LCD screen, and adjust your exposure if necessary.

If you’re taking photos of people in front of the lights, and you want the lights to really show up behind your family or friends, try using the “night portrait” mode on your camera.  (You’ll still need to use a tripod!)  This automated mode sets a slow shutter speed, which should allow the lights to show up, but will also fire the camera’s flash, to illuminate your subjects.

Finally, remember good composition.  Quite often, lights are arranged to create an almost abstract representation of a figure, and if a background figure is included, the primary subject will get lost.  Either use a limited depth of field to blur the background, or move so that your subject is in front of a dark background.

Article written by Larry Millican, Bedford Camera and Video, Arkansas