Amateur Photography Art Contest

Written by Michael Vass

Often the average person, if asked, would mention that an artist is a painter, and usually older. Such were the comments I received when I asked a few random people. But that is not the only type of artist or art.

There is photography, which is a difficult art form as anyone taking photos at a family gathering might attest. The availability of cameras, camcorders, and cell phone cameras belies the techniques and insight a true artist can bring to these tools. Far too often the abundance of photos on social networks and the internet makes it look easy.

But when the art is considered, amateurs (including kids up to age 17) that are interested in showing their ability might feel they don’t have many opportunities to display their work. But in Delaware there is a chance coming up.

A competition for amateurs is now underway, and will be open until Oct. 12th for submissions. Organized by Friends of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the contest is a nature photography event focused on aspects of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. On Oct 19th winners will be announced and given cash prizes – with entries being on display to the public from Oct 19th – Nov. 21st.

There are 4 categories, all of which are color photos, which are:

• Landscapes or Seascapes
• Native Wildlife (birds, animals, insects, amphibians, etc.)
• Native Flowers and Plants
• Beauty of Prime Hook - pictures taken of the scenery, flora and fauna of Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.

None of the pictures can include anything manmade, nor contain any people. Entries are to be submitted with a fee of $5 for each photo or $30 for 8. Students do not have to pay the entry fee.

To find out more details on the rules and information on the contest visit the Friends of Prime Hook site.

RAW file format - The new digital negatives

Written by Michael Vass

Being a fan of digital cameras I am often looking through the net to find out what is going on. I especially tend to seek out options that might improve video and still pictures. As a growing business owner that uses several of these options it is important to know what is on the horizon.

That is why I thought that a new development in the industry could be of such a value. It’s a new electronic format that can be used in place of JPEG or TIFF files. It’s called the RAW format and its function is what its name implies.

Think of this as a digital camera equivalent of negative film. The size of the files are much larger, but it contains all of the information that your digital camera can capture. This is useful because this allows you to manipulate and reproduce the images stored in the RAW file with the latest technological advances. So in the future if it’s possible to produce crisper images, or to filter out say an over abundance of ultra-violet light, or remove the motion blur you will be able to do so with images taken years before the technology ever existed.

While it may be difficult to imagine exactly what advances may be coming, considering that storages space has now increased to as much as 6 Megapixels, providing more clarity and depth than ever before, I have to believe that software developers will be working hard to find ways to use all that space. And eventually I’m sure that at least some of that will become a welcome asset to my business, as well as personal life.

So the next digital camera you buy, check to see that it has the RAW option. You’ll thank me in a couple of years.

Understanding Depth of Field for Landscape Photography

In order to shoot great landscape photography, you should really have a great understanding of depth of field. Unfortunately, most amateur photographers don’t understand it. This article offers a great explanation of depth of field. It even includes an explanation of the formula to calculate depth of field. Since most landscape shots give you time to think, you’ll also have time to calculate the depth of field in order to capture the best picture.

Use the Same Brand Paper as Your Printer for Quality Prints

In an inflationary environment with $135 oil prices, amateur photographers and even professionals seem to want to save money on their paper purchases. However, it’s not a good idea and we would urge you to buy the same paper as the brand of your printer.

Two of the best value printers for quality digital prints are the Epson Stylus Photo R 1900 and the Canon Pixma Pro9000. Both of these printers can print quality images on paper up to 13×19 images.

Printer manufacturers tend to test the quality of their print and the final calibration of their printers with their own paper. All paper is different. Therefore, use the ink that’s recommended for that printers and the paper in order to produce high quality images.

India: One Million Digital Cameras Sold

India’s digital camera market is estimated at 1 million units with Sony claiming over 30 percent of the technology-savvy marketplace.

Manufacturers such as Sony and Nikon are discovering that their biggest challenge in India is to fight the grey market. In addition, Indians have to accept photography as an integral part of their disclosure.

One executive from a major camera manufacturer told us, “There are many affluent 20-35 year olds in India who are fueling the growth. Consumers are looking for great technology in a convenient package and it looks like India is accepting cameras as a regular part of their culture.”