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Helmut Newton – Life and Work   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
Helmut Newton was a German-Australian photographer, whose work challenged perceptions of sexuality and domination during a period of great social and moral upheaval in the 60's and 70's. He shot to prominence as an auteur to the standardised clean-cut style prevalent in photo houses around that time and he is now posited as one of the of all-time greats for his unique style.
Newton was born in Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party, and his family was of Jewish descent which caused great tension through his early years. Image By: SeabamirumHis Father was a factory owner, producing buttons and belt buckles, but was targeted during the worst of the Nazi persecution and forced to abandon his enterprise.
The family sought to emigrate after his Father spent time in a concentration, and they succeeded soon after. His parents fled to South America while he travelled to Singapore. Helmut had always held an interest in photography since the age of 12, and he managed to earn a living doing what he loved in his new surroundings. Firstly, he worked for the Straits Times and then later as a portrait photographer.
After moving to Australia, he set up a studio in 1946, in the extremely fashionable Flinders Lane and pursued his photography in the prosperous post-war years. Fashion was always his primary interest though and his name began to grow internationally for his striking fashion editorials. His name was truly established after his ground breaking works in London and Paris.
Newton took pictures for all of the major fashion magazines, most significantly, for Harper's Bazaar and French Vogue during his lifetime. He was also hired by Playboy on numerous occassions, which spanned pictorials for the famed playgirl bunnies Nastassia Kinski and Kristine DeBell, but his output was not limited simply to eroticism. He possessed excellent technical skills and was a master in portraiture and even experiment with more fantastical studies later in his life.

Tags: Helmut Newton, Photography, Vogue, Playboy, Harpe...
  

Digital VS Film Photos   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
Photography is merely a hobby for most people in the world. It's a way to capture memories and moments. People who truly take photography seriously are few and far between, and it's only these people who put the effort into making their photography truly great. If you think that you yourself may be one of these artists, then you are in for a great adventure, as photography is a wonderful and interesting field.
One question many photographers have, at all level of interest, skill and dedication to the craft, is whether digital or film is the better method. There are advocates for both groups, and so many people wonder which is truly right. People have used film for years before digital photography, but does that necessarily make either one better?  Image By: Mark Sebastian
The truth is that the camera doesn't always as much as whose hands it is in. If you are a good photographer, you can make do with any camera, and vice versa. There are photographers who swear by their film cameras, and for them it's true that this method is the best. They probably wouldn't be as comfortable with a digital camera if they had to use them, and therefore they would take worse pictures. For those who prefer digital cameras, it is the best choice. It's good for photographers to experiment with both kinds and find out which they prefer.
Many photographers work with both types of photography in order to achieve different and more versatile effects. There's a time and a place for each type of camera, and a photographer who can learn to use both, rather than have to choose between them, can find him or herself more prepared for any situation requiring good photography.

Tags: Photography, Digital, Film, Capture, Hobby
  

Dali’s Photography   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
Anyone with any interest in the art world will have heard of Salvador Dali. His work is considered to be a revolutionising monument in the art world, and, along with Picasso and Vincent van Gogh, he is perhaps the world's most famous artist of all time. Almost everyone has seen paintings or drawings by Dali, though they may not be able to connect the name to the artist. Once you know what Dali's works are like, then it's hard not to see his art or influences in the modern world.
What many people do not know about Dali is that his art took many forms. He wasn't only a sculptor or a painter, and his works range into the photography world as well. Due to his surrealist nature, Dali's photography is as weird and wonderful as his other works, yet they provide insights and interesting subject matter for students of photography.Image By: Cea
Dali's photography ranges from pictures of himself, to pictures of still life. His photography usually involved collaborations with other photographers who, while they would press the button and physically take the picture, were left in the background while Dali arranged the composition. Some of his most famous photographs include In Voluptate Mors and Dali Atomicus (both with Philippe Halsman).
While Dali's imagination came to life greatly through his paintings, we also see much about the man through his photography. Those interested in studying photography should certainly take a look at Dali's images and see what makes them special. His works have a great deal to show as far as creativity, imagination, and abstractness goes. You can catch many of his photos online or in museums and galleries. As far as abstract, striking, and extremely interesting photography goes, Dali certainly steals the show from many of the other famous surrealist or modern artists of his time till the present.

Tags: Salvador Dali, Art, Van Gogh, Still Life
  

August Sander   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
When you think of photographers, August Sander is probably not the first person that springs to mind. Yet his works are some of the most interesting and memorable of the twentieth century, and it's a shame that he is so underappreciated. He has actually been called the greatest early 20th century portrait photographer, and one of the most important of times past. Image By: TimothyJ
August Sander's life wasn't easy, but he found photography at a young age. He was born in Germany in 1867. Beginning in the mining industry, Sander became an assistant to a photographer in his youth, and travelled around the country in the military. It was only in 1911 when his best works began to develop, and from then till the early 1930s his most memorable pictures and portraits were taken.
Sander's most famous works were a series of photographs called People of the 20th Century. He photographed portraits of soldiers, children, women, and society in general. In fact, his series of photographs are still considered to be an interesting study in German life during those times. His photography took a cross section from all spheres of Germany. He documented the faces of artists, homeless people, soldiers, mothers, tradesmen, and much more. By the time of his death in 1964, his photography was known worldwide.
Sander's works were greatly inhibited by the Nazi regime, to the point that they burned many of his pieces and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Yet the spirit of his works can still be seen in the remaining photographs, which each tell a bold story.
Aspiring photographers can learn a great deal from August Sander, whose pictures show how even the most commonplace things can be interesting. Normal people and scenes were captured forever in a poignant and captivating way, which inspires people's imagination, creativity, and nostalgia for the past.

Tags: August Sander,Portrait, Nazi Germany
  

Kodak Goes Bankrupt   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
Eastman Kodak (commonly known as just Kodak), one of the pioneers of photography, has filed for bankruptcy this week, after chief executive, Antonio Perez, made the announcement. The fact that the 131 year old company is facing financial difficulty may not come as a surprise to many.
Kodak had its last boom in 1996 when shares were $80 apiece. But with the development of the digital age, some of Kodak’s products have become redundant. Previously, Kodak almost had a monopoly on photography film in the United States, but most people have switched to digital cameras, instead of the traditional cameras that use film. As a result, Kodak has had to work hard to keep with the technological trends in photography.
It has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, meaning it is not shutting down, but it will just become leaner. CEO, Perez, wants to be able to pay off creditors, and work on focusing Kodak on key elements of the company that are still relevant in today’s digital age. Some of the items that Kodak hopes to expand on are faster, more flexible consumer and commercial digital printers and its top quality printing ink. It also has 11,000 patents, so it can recover from licensing fees as well.
Though Kodak will still be around, its bankruptcy does illustrate how much people and photographers alike have moved away from traditional photography methods and truly embraced digital photography. For some people, who are feeling nostalgic for the bygone days of taking photographs and having no idea what they look like, then experiencing the excitement of collecting the prints and going through each photograph as a trip down memory lane, it signals the end of an era.
But photography has continuously been changing, even during the century-long existence of Kodak, and the growth of the digital age is just another transformation, which will be followed by other changes still. Photographers as artists and documenters are able to use the changes as they wish, as well as continue using old methods in their art.

Tags: Kodak, Photography, Camera, Bankruptcy, Digital
  

The Exposure Triangle   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
Understanding exposure when you aspire to work in photography is essential. Exposure is an element in photography that must be understood in order to grasp and begin to master the field. Understanding the relationships between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture is the key to comprehending exposure and learning to master your photo skills. The three elements combined create the balance that in the long run determines shutter speed. Learn to master these and you will soon find the many advantages that it presents to you.
To bImage By: Kevin Lawverecome the best in your field and to learn these tricks, you must understanding some of the metaphors that have been created in order to explain them. The first of these is the window. Aperture is the size of the window. The bigger the hole, the more the light comes through. Shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutters are open. The longer you leave them, the more that light comes in. ISO (low ISO in this example) is like wearing sunglasses in the room: it desensitises you to the light. The less or greater the ISO, the bigger the exposure on the film.
Understanding the correlation between these elements is fundamental. You add one of these on top of the other and you get more light or you get just the light that you want. There are a number of ways to increase the light in the room. Take off the sunglasses or make the window bigger or leave the shutters open for longer, or combine these. Depending on the effect that you want, you will need to add or remove some of these for the light to be greater or less. Carefully ascertain the exact effect that you desire for getting it just right with a proper understanding of the exposure triangle.

Tags: Exposure, Triangle, ISO, Aperture, Shutter
  

Managing Children on Shoots   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
One of the biggest challenges for a photographer is looking for a suitable subject. Though many times people who do photography create their own subjects by artificial means, some of the most beautiful pictures come when the thing being photographed is a natural. And among all that can be photographed, one of the most appealing is a child. There is something about their innocence and Cupid-like features that makes them very interesting subjects. Here are some suggestions and tips when it comes to photographing these wonderful little people.
1) Keep them amused
As any parent will know, perhaps the greatest challenge when it comes to children is keeping them interested for a long period of time. Since photography is sometimes a time-consuming process, this is a small difficulty. To combat this, give the child being photographed some age-appropriate material to keep them occupied, like toys or a colouring book.
2) Keep them calm
Though it may be an obvious point to some, it is a rather hard task to keep a child in one place for any length of time. It is, in part, due to the child having a great amount of energy. This can be taken care of in a number of ways. For example, you could keep the child's parent around to relax and keep them child calm. Or you could photograph them towards the end of their day, so they are a little more lethargic.
3) Keep them fed
Probably the most important thing to a young child is food. This should come as no surprise. When a child is hungry or deprived of food, they sometimes begin to get cranky and whiny. This is nothing weird or unusual. To avert it, then, it is probably a good idea to keep the child occupied with a good supply of food.

Tags: Photography, Colouring, Toys, Child, Food
  

Why Join A Photography Club?   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
A lot of people have taken up photography and never managed more than a few holiday snaps. Maybe it was a passing phase, maybe it was difficult to get the right equipment – or maybe that expensive camera has been gathering dust in the drawer because nobody was telling you to get it back out again. When you’re developing a new skill, always it’s important to have someone else around to encourage you and bounce ideas off. One of the best ways to make sure that camera never stays inside the box is to join a photography club.
Simply put, a photography club is any group of people who share a common love of taking pictures. Members might meet regularly to swap work and ideas with each other, but online clubs are becoming increasingly popular – with photographers sharing their work on digital forums. Though it might be more fun to actually get together with other budding enthusiasts, online clubs have a lot of benefits for beginners and pros alike.
One of the great draws of a digital group is the sense of community. Everyone who shares a common love or passion can stay in touch with likeminded people all around the world and stay up to date with the fast moving world of technology. Whilst many people already use forums for problem solving advice, the exchange of creative ideas is also an important part of any club. Swapping great photos and techniques with an online community can help one good idea take off and expand into avenues that you might never have dreamed of.

Tags: Photography, Club, Online, Community, Technology
  

Outdoor Photography   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
There’s nothing quite as satisfying to a photographer as a shot of the Great Outdoors. From portraits to panoramas, there’s something about capturing nature in all its wild glory that makes it worth trekking through the woods with a heavy camera around your neck. However, outdoor photography can be difficult to get right, and it’s important to remember the quirks and issues of taking pictures in the field.
Many people are of the opinion that, given the great amount of natural light outdoors, there’s no need to use a flash. Though sometimes true, this doesn’t always mean you have to light with the sun. It might usually be bright enough outside during the day, but there are certain situations when it’s still important to use a flash. For example, when shooting at sunset, using a flash gives a stunning contrast between near and far objects that couldn’t be achieved without an artificial bulb. This effect has to be taken on a shot-by-shot basis, of course, so don’t make the mistake of missing out on the infinite creative possibilities of natural light.
Nothing has been more harmful to the art of photography than Photoshop. Now, don’t misunderstand. Photoshop can be an extremely useful tool for touching up details and making slight adjustments. The problem comes when photographers lose the motivation to take a good, balanced picture because they know that Photoshop can fix any flaws. Whilst you can easily apply filters and touch up the tone and colour of a picture in Photoshop, you can never transform a mediocre shot into a good one. Every photographer should always try to take the best picture that they can, without thinking too much about how it might be improved on the screen. A slight mistake can be touched up later, but a large one cannot. No matter how fast the technology tries to catch up, the real magic of photography still relies on a good eye and a steady pair of hands.

Tags: Photography, Outdoor, Photoshop, Picture, Creative
  

The White Balance   [Report Abuse]  

Posted by: soulblueprints     
The white balance is an aspect of photography that many aspiring photographers fail to understand, placing them at a great disadvantage due to not being able to get the maximum out of their cameras as perhaps they may have wanted to.
Understanding why you would need it and how it benefits you is key to moving ahead in your photography and taking it to the expected (OR TOP) level. It is the one thing that separates the pros from the amateurs besides giving you a serious advantage in the long term. Knowing how to adjust this important aspect of photography, particularly in situations where there is a great amount of light, will set you on the road to success.
In its purest form, white balance is the adjusting of the white in a picture (either lessening or increasing its effect) in order to make a truer definition of the colours presented.
For instance, in situations where the light level is very high, lowering the white balance may be the best way to get the colours you want to represent and avoid that unwanted whiteout where necessary. Also, adding a higher white balance to a photo where the content is dark may make up for poor lighting and draw out the colours of the dark that are missing.
Many amateurs substitute exposure settings for this, and while that does have a good outcome, the exact effect that the white balance setting on a camera can have is an added and necessary advantage. Knowing when to use one or the other (white balance vs. exposure) will greatly aid you in getting the most out of your photos. This benefit will strengthen your skill and set you on a road to take your photography skills to the next level and set you up to work as a professional in this field.

Tags: Photography, Balance, White, Light, Exposure
  

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