There is probably no type of photography that is more disappointing to the beginner than flash photography. Unlike natural-light photography, where what you see can often be what you get, it is difficult to visualize what the effects of using flash will be. Flash is shut off until the moment of exposure, and then its illumination is too brief to visually evaluate what it does to your picture.

The real learning process occurs over time, with trial and error. You should not expect to become an instant expert at flash photography, but persistence and observation (constantly comparing your pictures with earlier ones, and identifying not only the problems to overcome, but the successes you have achieved) will give you the experience you need to control flash and produce consistently-good flash pictures.

Generally, poor lighting conditions results in poor pictures. Usually you don’t need flash for normal daytime outdoor shots unless it’s very gloomy. Keep in mind that flash has a very limited range so it should only be used when the subject is fairly close. Use a fill flash to help lighten up a subject which in deep shadow.

It is best to avoid using flash indoors unless absolutely necessary: it tends to “burn out” subjects and can create harsh shadows. A better choice is to bounce the flash off the ceiling if your camera and flash support this option.

Another option is to let as much daylight in as possible and, turn on all of the lights. You have the option of using fill flash when there’s enough light in the scene but your subject isn’t well lit.

Under certain circumstances you might want to turn the flash off and let the camera deal with the low light condition by increasing exposure. This won’t work in very dim conditions, but can give better results than flash. Be sure to guard against camera shake.

Digital cameras are less sensitive to light than traditional film cameras. If you are shooting indoors or in a low-light situation, even with the flash, you should move close enough to the subject for the flash to be effective (no more than 10 feet away). If this is a concern, some digital cameras allow you to use accessory flashes or studio-type lighting.

If you set your digital camera on Auto, the camera will attempt to determine the need for flash based on the lighting conditions, but you still should use the manual setting when appropriate such as using the flash in bright sunlight to reduce intense shadows.

In typical indoor situations there will probably not be enough light to take a normal hand-held well-exposed photo. There are many indoor flash photo opportunities you may be faced with. You may want to cast light on a group of people for a portrait photo. You may want to throw light into a room for an architectural photo. Or you may just want to cast light on certain objects in a lighted room that appears too dark for an exposure.

If your camera’s auto-exposure settings say that the photo would require a shutter speed slower than 1/60 of a second then you probably shouldn’t hand-hold the camera or the photo would come out blurry. The reason it would come out blurry is because the shutter would be open long enough for any minor hand shake to distort the composition. The use of a tripod or faster film will probably be needed but many of us do not regularly carry a tripod. Most photographers simply use their flash bulb when they are inside.

In order to take effective indoor flash photos there are some techniques you should keep in mind. When using the flash do not point it directly at a mirror or glass that will create a lens flare or just ruin the photo. Stand close enough to your subjects so the flash is actually effective (four to ten feet). Try to make sure your main subjects are about the same distance away from the flash as each other or some that are closer to the flash will appear brighter than ones that are farther away.

Fill flash fills in the areas of a photo that would normally appear too dark. Fill flash can be used for sunny day portraits for shadows on a subject’s face or to fill any shaded area that is out of the sunlight. Fill flash can also be used to cast light into a room where there are no windows. Fill in flash is ideal for back-lit and side-lit situations.

In a backlit situation there will be a lot of light in the background but no or little light cast on the front of the subject. This would normally create somewhat of a silhouette effect, but with a fill flash it would balance the photo nicely. But in order for this technique to work, you must be careful to stay in flash range which is usually around four to ten feet. With common cameras in order to add fill flash to a photo just toggle the flash to go off when it normally would not be needed.

Many photographers also choose to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling to get a softer diffused kind of light commonly sought after for portraits. This kind of flash technique requires a flash that can be aimed in a direction that the camera is not pointed. It takes practice to refine this technique and only a small percentage of photographers actually use it.

Practice using flash in your photos even when it is not necessarily needed and pay attention to your results. The best way to become better at flash photography is to analyze your photos and try to figure out what you could have done differently in order to create a better flash-filled exposure.

It’s always nice to know what you’re in for when you have your wedding photos done as this will prepare you mentally. Important questions to consider prior to your big day would be what style of photos you prefer as this can be either traditional, spontaneous, arty etc. Another question would be whether you’d prefer color, sepia or black and white photos; with or without frames or a mix of everything. This all needs to be discussed with your wedding photographer before the wedding day - besides the fact that he/she needs to know what your preferences and requirements are, the photographer can give you some guidance and advice on must-have shots so that the photos you imagine can take on real life form.

Although there are so many hair styles to choose from, keep in mind that you’ll have to look at these photos for ever, so I would advise against anything very different or extreme (the kids will probably just tease you about this later!). If you want your wedding photos to be timeless, go for a classic, simplistic hair style that would be easy to manage throughout your photo shoot and day.

Its important to have a trial run with your make-up to avoid last minute disappointment. You know what you feel comfortable with, again, this needs to suit your personality. You want to mingle with your guests feeling comfortable and self assured. Your wedding make-up should compliment you, not change you - rather keep it natural and fresh.

Keep the main thing the main thing - firstly you need to feel comfortable and most importantly be yourself so that your unique personality would reflect on the photos. But a girl needs all the help she can get and if a few props will help you to relax and have fun – why not! Take some props with or ask the photographer to supply some interesting objects that you can use during your photo shoot, for example a hat, colourful sarong (that will double up to keep your dress clean in case you have to get down and dirty), a wedding invitation, your garter, a cigar for the groom etc . Give your photographer some healthy attitude and the right tools to be creative.

We so often invest our precious time in things that won’t last – yes, its important that you look absolutely breathtaking but besides looking beautiful, the photo shoot takes priority as this is what you would take with you long after the champagne has lost its bubble. You can either shy away and lose out on stunning memories or you can forget yourself, go beyond yourself and have fun!

You have taken the best available digital camera that fits in your budget. You have also equipped your camera with accessories. Thus you have it all to enhance your hobby, but good pictures are taken by good photographers and not by the best cameras. There are many aspects of learning in photography and you can learn to make a simple picture dynamic by following some techniques. One of the most vital features of photography is the picture composition. This part is fundamental in photography and it has certain rules and tricks to make you picture unique and appealing.

Composition is not merely capturing your desired object/person of interest into the frame. It exceeds beyond that, providing you a sense of ability to capture from a different angle, or perspective making your picture exceptional. You would always thought of framing the focus object right at the centre of the frame. But it not so, if you place your focus somewhere around the centre of the fame, preferably on the right side of the centre, this would give a better appeal to your pictures. The camera should have the right proportion of the picture and the objects therein. It is important to grab the picture in focus in the first two thirds of the frame. This gives a dynamic and lively appeal to the picture. It is important to view your frame before capturing it. You need to get the right composition of the objects/people. If you are taking a group photo ensure that the all people have come into the frame and there are no other distractions in the picture. You can also experiment with the angles of the picture. This will provide you with unique pictures.

You can also take pictures from a perspective to add life to the image. This will also trigger a sense of action onto your images. It is important to buy a camera that suits you, both functionally and form type. This will better your photography and give you extended comfort in operating. You can choose Canon digital Cameras or Sony digital cameras as they have superior technology and provide sturdy performance. You can take quality pictures by following the basic methods of composition to get the right frame and even enhance the picture’s uniqueness. You will grab the best composition and you can crop the rest of the frame to get the perfect feel of the picture. With better composition you will get clear pictures and the pictures will speak for themselves. For more information visit- http://www.naaptol.com

It is true that most magazines have their own photographers on staff, however, some publications also use freelance photographers on a regular basis. Does that mean that you can submit your own shots? Yes, often, as long as you follow specific guidelines. First of all, submit your photos in a digital format. This is because a digital team is going to clean up your pictures before they send them on to the printers. The best bet for you is to send your images along in CD-ROM format. To submit your pictures properly, make sure you know the correct pixel size and resolution to send them in. This will make sure the magazine can see your image no matter what operating system they’re using. Because of this, you’re going to have to make sure your pictures can be seen by multiple operating systems and computers. What that means is that if you don’t have the software to make your pictures the proper resolution, invest in some, if you intend to make this a regular activity - Gimp is great open source (free) software for photo manipulation. Send your photos as JPG or 24-bit PNG. JPG is generally the most compatible format. Also, you send your photos at 5×7 at 300DPI.

When you submit images, include your name and address, as well as a description of the CD’s contents. One way to do this is by using the program Adobe Photoshop. With Photoshop, you can store your images in folders on your computer, choose “file,” “automate,” and “contact sheet.” Then, simply choose your paper size and the number of images you want on each “sheet of paper.”Make sure you make your images of adequate size so that they’re easily seen. If the images are too small, they’ll be too hard to see and will not likely be picked. Editors don’t have a lot of time to review images, so make sure their job is as easy as possible by making your images as large as possible within reason. If you want to get your CD back after you submit it to the magazine, enclose an envelope with return postage. Be aware that even if you do this, the CD may become their property regardless. If there are any other concerns to be addressed, enclose a short note with your CD or call them. Be aware that your concerns may not be addressed regardless (after all, these people are very busy), but you can at least give it a try. Whatever you do, don’t submit very large images, especially if they haven’t been solicited. These take up a lot of space and can be very hard to read. Only send images that are relevant to their particular topic that you have found images for. Never submit the memory card from your camera and instead make sure you submit your images on a CD you can afford to lose, in the format they request. Make sure the CD you use is high quality enough that the image is going to be of good quality, too. If you do things right, you could have success in submitting your images to a magazine, such that this may land you a full-time job taking photographs for a publication — maybe even one of the magazines you submitted images to. Regardless,  it looks great on your resume to have done this, so go ahead and submit as long as the publication invites you to do so. It could just be a path to a new career.

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