Monday, 14 January 2008

Photo Art using your Scanner

Author: J Black
Title: Photo Art Using Your Scanner
Category: Creative Photography
Copyright 2005

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Photo Art Using your Scanner

Photo or Scanner Art is a simple way to capture still life
images that can be turned into creative pieces of art to
decorate your home.

Many ordinary objects that would be difficult to photograph
are good candidates for photo art - in particular objects
where it is otherwise difficult to get a good, clear close-up
shot of your subject.

These include such items as...

Feathers
Fruit and vegetables
Shells
Flowers
Pine Cones

To name a few.

Various backgrounds can be created for your artwork including
the use of tissue paper, rice paper, velvet or any texture or
background that would add interest.

Before placing objects onto the scanner surface it is important
to protect it from scratches and accidental damage. I like to
use a sheet of acetate (OHP transparency is a good option).
Likewise any debris should be removed from the object and
also the glass which could ruin the finished image. It is
easier at this stage than to have to do a touch-up with your
editing software program later on.

Be careful not to touch the scanner glass as it can be easily
ruined by acids such as perspiration on fingertips, drink or
food coming into contact with it likewise do not scan anything
that is wet or damp.

I like to let my scanner warm up for at least half an hour to
ensure that I get the best quality scanned image.

Compose your composition away from the scanner and when you
are happy with your arrangement lay your objects carefully
onto the scanner surface. Now you are ready to scan your
masterpiece.

If you are using a background (instead of the scanner cover
as your background) it is better to remove the cover to
avoid accidental damage.

Light backgrounds can be created using

- Scanner Cover
- Tissue or Rice paper

To create a seamless Black background

- Make a black box at least 6 inches deep to sit on top of
your scanner. By having this depth you will ensure that it
is always out of focus. Black velvet makes a good liner but
be careful to remove any white specks that could show up in
the final image with a small piece of sticky cellotape.

Start scanning at a lower resolution because of the memory
required and increase until you have the result you require.

Save your images onto computer ready for printing.

To print your images, use a good quality plain paper, glossy
paper or textured board.

If you use a textured board paper this can be sealed using
a decoupage medium to give the appearance of a textured
canvas. This is especially good for still life arrangements.
To give an aged appearance to your art use a crackle medium.

Copyright 2005. J Black.

For more resources and ideas for creative living
go to www.netwrite-publish.com


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Macro photography.

Tips for improving your macro photography.


Exploring the world of miniature objects with a macro lens is a special and exciting area of photography, and once you start, you will quickly become addicted. The world of macro photography holds many delights and is an area that cannot be appreciated with the human eye.

Macro photography is the name given to close-up photography, and is best explained as images that are taken at reproduction ratios of life-size and above. Ratios of between 1:7 and 1:1 fall into the macro photography category.

Understanding Ratios: This is a term used to express the magnification of a macro lens or other macro equipment that relates the real life-size object to the reproduction size on a slide or negative. If you shoot an object that is 3cm in length and it measures 1.5cm on a 35mm slide or negative - the ratio is 1:2. When both are equal length the ratio is 1:1

Choosing the right lens is the most important factor with macro photography. While a telephoto lens may be acceptable with some types of close-up photography, the macro lens is invaluable to get really close and really accurate focusing.

There is an endless range of subjects that fall under the range of macro photography. The most common subject for macro photography is the natural world - all types of flowers, plants, and insects. For the more creative photographer, macro photography is used in abstract imagery.

With many forms of macro photography, especially with insects, a lens with a long focal lens - minimum 200 mm is required for some nature subjects. You need to keep a working distance from the subject to get a successful image - you don’t want to frighten your subject away.

When shooting close-ups you are limited with depth-of-field - to get an attractive image you must focus on the most important part of the subject. This will be achieved easier if you place your camera on a tripod or monopod.

By using your tripod you will reduce the risk of camera shake. Subject movement is also an important factor to consider. Macro photography magnifies the subject, leaving more room for blur. A strobe unit can be used to freeze movement - even on the brightest of days you should consider using your strobe unit. Try bouncing light from your strobe unit off a reflector. This will give your image a softer illumination.

Many amateur photographers stay away from macro photography because they feel that their technical ability is too inept - your personal ability should not turn you away from this exciting part of photography - macro photography is like all types of photography - practice makes perfect.


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Occupation: Landscape Photographer
TJ Tierney is an award winning Irish Landscape photographer. He frequently writes for the travel site www.trovoo.com and the photography site www.goldprints.com to view or buy some of his images visit his gallery at www.goldenirishlight.com

Eye Jogia Photography

Would you class photography as an Art? Eye Jogia is a professional photography service specialising in wedding photography, portraits, commercial, architectural, automotive and reportage photography.

Eye Jogia was born out of a passion for design, creativity and a trained eye for detail. The founder by Profession, Sanjay is a qualified Architect which inherently implies these qualities as well as an innate desire for aesthetics and an uncommon capacity for observation and anticipation of unfolding events from the synergy of Art & Technology.

Photography was an integral part of Sanjay’s creative evolution when at the age of only eight, he took his father’s Canon AE-1 manual SLR camera with the instruction book, which he promptly read from cover to cover, and began to shoot. With his new found insight in to photography and the mechanics of how a camera works, Sanjay’s new found hobby led him to experiment with his creativity and the limits of the camera; before he even knew it, Eye Jogia was born.

They believe to truly capture the spirit of the event, they aim to create natural and relaxed, yet lively images which is achieved by an discreet approach by blending in with the guests when appropriate to gain unique and unsuspecting angles which also provides opportunities catch natural expressions & emotions without having to artificially ‘stage’ the shot.

Although the style is predominantly reportage or photo-journalistic, they will be happy to arrange formal compositions to suit your needs.

They feel it is imperative to assist in the preparation and smooth running of your event by ‘going with the flow’ without taking control - thus our best efforts will be made to accommodate your timing and needs by meeting in person fine-tune the details before the event.

For more information visit Eye Jogia.

Monday, 7 January 2008

Why Are Analogue Reel to Reel Tape Recorders Still Popular?

When looking to get into the world of analogue reel to reel recorders there are one or two questions that will come to mind. Are all recorders and players compatible? What different tape speeds are there? What tape sizes are there and what is the significance? And why are analogue recorders still so popular.

Reel to reel recorders come in a variety of recording formats, shapes and sizes. And although most of the major manufacturers no longer make these appliances there are many still available, maintenance is easy, parts are freely available and there are plenty of specialist repairers around.

Professional players are usually stereo half-track recorders for stereo recording, meaning that the left channel occupies half the tape width, and the right channel the other half. Whereas, players intended for domestic use, tended to be quarter track machines meaning they recorded two channels in one direction, each track occupying slightly less than a quarter of the total tape width, and two in the other when the tape was turned over.

As for compatibility, in normal circumstances, a half-track machine won't be able to play quarter-track tapes, and, similarly, quarter track machines won't accommodate half track tapes. However, if the machine is fitted with additional heads it can accommodate the alternative format. Some reel to reel models came with this facility as an option.

Speeds can range between 1.875 and 15 ips (inches per second) although on rare occasions 30ips has been known to be used, but only on the bigger multi tracks and half-inch mastering machines. Domestic machines would typically have two speeds of 3.75 and 7.5 ips, although the option of a slower speed (1.875 ips) was common on a lot of machines and some analogue players offered three speeds instead of two.

Professional machines use typical speeds of 7.5 and 15 ips.

Generally speaking 1/4inch mono or stereo appliances were the norm for domestic applications, while the professionals used quarter inch, half inch, one inch and two inch mono, stereo and multi-track tape machines and because of the quality of sound produced, still do.

There were many recorder manufacturers in the heyday of the analogue tape machines, such as Akai, Studer/Revox, Ampex, Pioneer, Teac and many others, but the cheaper cassette players came into being and many opted for this easier to use option. The advantages of a reel to reel tape recorder, however, is the quality of recorded sound and the ability and relative ease of editing your tapes

A good many of these machines have had a hard life, especially the machines that have been used professionally and, although parts are relatively available a cheap machine can become expensive . However, good quality machines are widely available and are still immensely popular amongst people who cherish the more harmonious and fuller sound of these players.

If you are looking to get into the world of Reel to Reel Tape Recorders check out Reel-2-Reel.com and witness how popular Analogue Reel to Reel Tape Recorders are.
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More information can be gathered about Reel to Reel Tape Recorders by visiting www.reel-t-reel.com an accepted website for tips and advice about Analogue Reel to Reel Tape Players.

High Treason

High Treason were originally formed in 1978 and eventually drifted apart around five years later. After a break of around twenty years we have re-formed and enhanced the original line-up with the addition of two new members. We are once again playing live with a mixture of both old and new material, have recorded a five track CD, and are currently working on a new album which is due for release in 2006.

Their latest five track CD has the following songs on it:

“Here With Me”

“Streets Tonight”

“Clear Blue Empty Sky”

“Boogie Man”

“Saturday Night Special”

Visit the bands official website: High Treason.

Wednesday, 28 November 2007

Film and Photographic Studio for Hire

Churchhill studio can offer you all the usual facilities such as a Wi Fi internet, telephones, sterio, ipod dock, kitchen, modern bathroom and shower, lounge, makeup area and parking. We can arrange lunch to suit your needs and budget.

The studio was set up by sisters Carley and Vicci Churchill who themselves grew up in the photgraphic industry. They are both experienced in studio managment and digital operating.

For more information visit Churchill Studio.

Monday, 15 October 2007

Learn guitar online- Jamorama review

Learning to play guitar is a time consuming and difficult job. Learning to play guitar requires a lot of dedication and hard work. Though this work is actually fun to 99% of aspiring guitarists. To learn to play the guitar you will need a great guitar teacher. Notice I said teacher and not player. There are many great guitar players I know that could not even teach you to hold a pick. I recently tried out Jamorama by Ben Edwards. As an already established guitar player I really enjoyed the 26 jam tracks and once you master the basics you will enjoy them too. But before you get onto that be sure to study the basics outlined in the course.

When you first start out in any guitar program no matter if it is online or offline make sure you completely master each lesson and idea before you move on. Without a solid foundation you will have nothing to fall back on for your basics of guitar. You do not want to develop bad habits and then have to try to change them years after you have been playing guitar. You would not believe how many guitar players I have seen make fundamentally wrong mistakes that have been playing for years.There are 148 lessons in Jamorama. Ben Edwards is the creator of this online lesson series and was the lead guitarist in a band called Degreesk. His band traveled the world playing many tours and shows. He is now working full time as private and online guitar teacher. This course is designed to be a multimedia course so you can quickly learn guitar without spending a fortune.

There is great step-by-step instruction that allows you to recognize the notes and be able to play the song later.I found Jamorama to be a great learning tool and I recommend it to all my guitar students how want to further their studies at home. I actually use the gaming software that teaches note reading in my private guitar lessons to help students learn. I find this effective mainly for children. Take some time to investigate Jamorama and other online guitar lessons. Do a few searches on Google, MSN or Yahoo and see what people are saying about this program and similar ones. Also get on the forums and ask questions about what beginner guitarists think about this program. I have been playing guitar for 7 years and have had many different private and online guitar teachers so my opinion might be a little different that new guitar players that have had no experience and are leaning everything for the first time.

The Jamorama site says that after you buy this program that you will not need to buy any software, lessons, videos or books again. I personally do not think this is true. Jamorama does not teach everything in the world about guitar, that would be impossible. But, if you did need to buy more guitar books or videos after you have mastered all the information in Jamorama you will be an elite guitar player. So having to buy more guitar book or videos or lessons would be a great problem to have.If you are looking to study guitar online sign up for a free 6-part online guitar course. You will have full access to 6 step-by-step guitar lessons including audio and video demos, free music learning software and helpful tips and advice. Sign up for free here: http://www.studyguitaronline.com/

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