My Every Day Shots (Landscape,Architecture)

Since I posted a lot of topics about photography on how to capture a good pictures I think its time for me to post the output of that... Starting today I will post my everyday photo to share here in Dubai United Arab Emirates...

Bill Gates America's richest for 14th year in a row

For this huge wealth what do you think how they will spend it...

NEW YORK (Reuters) by Michelle Nichols- Microsoft founder Bill Gates is the richest person in America for the 14th year in a row, followed by investor Warren Buffett, according to Forbes magazine's latest list of the wealthiest Americans.
The pair's fortunes each grew by $6 billion in the past year, Forbes said on Thursday, with Gates' fortune $59 billion and Buffett $52 billion.
Buffett has pledged 85 percent of his net worth to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and family charities.
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson ($28 billion), head of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and software tycoon Larry Ellison ($26 billion), chief executive of Oracle Corp, remain at No. 3 and No. 4 on the 25th annual ranking of 400 rich Americans, which now requires a minimum net worth of $1.3 billion for inclusion.
"The collective net worth of those listed on the 400 this year rose $290 billion to $1.54 trillion," Forbes said. "Despite market jitters, nearly half of the 45 new members come from hedge fund and private equity investments."
For the first time since 1989 there are no members of the Walton family, descendants of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. founder Sam Walton, in the top 10. Four members -- Jim, Christy, Robson and Alice -- slipped to 12th and 15th place.
The Waltons were displaced by Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who came in at No. 5 with fortunes of $18.5 billion, and brothers Charles and David Koch, who run Koch Industries, the world's second largest private company, and are each valued at $17 billion, earning them 9th place.
Investor Kirk Kerkorian was the biggest gainer on the list, his fortune rising by more than $9 billion in the past year to $18 billion. He debuted in the top 10 at No. 7 -- up from No. 26 last year.

To read more here

Understanding Depth of Field

What Is Depth of Field (DOF)?

Depth of field (DOF) is the distance wherein objects are in focus and the background are out of focus.

This is the pragmatic explanation.
To be technically correct, DOF is the zone of acceptable sharpness, the area in front of, and behind, a focused subject that appears in focus.

Circle of Confusion (COF)

Technically, only the subject in focus -- and all other objects at the same distance -- are in focus; everything else in front and behind are out of focus. How much out of focus depends on a term called the "Circle of Confusion (COF, or COC)."

Imagine we are photographing three (3) dots. They are the tiniest dots the human eye can clearly make out, and of course, we are assuming perfect 20-20 vision and ideal light condition.

So, here we have these 3 dots, arranged one behind the other (with the closest dot to the right of the middle dot, and the farthest dot to the left of the middle dot, so a camera can take a picture of all 3 dots).

Now, we focus our lens on the middle dot, which comes out in perfect focus. The two other dots also appear in focus, but peering closely at the resultant photograph, we notice, however, that the dot in front of and behind the middle dot appears as circles instead of perfect dots. I.e., technically, they are out of focus, but to our naked eyes (at a "normal" distance), they "appear" in focus.

It is this circle that we call the "Circle of Confusion." So the COF is the diameter of a dot such that when we view it with the naked eye, it appears in focus. If this circle gets past this diameter, our eyes tell us it's out of focus.

Lens manufacturers have to decide what that diameter is going to be and design their lenses accordingly to be able to resolve a dot within that COF so that it appears sharp to us.

What Affects DOF

What we really want to know as photographers is what affects DOF so we can control DOF in our pictures. For a long, long time, photographers have gone with the following three criteria:

• lens aperture
• distance from subject
• focal length

While the first two are technically correct, the third one has raised somewhat of a storm of controversy among certain circles. Why exactly, we will make clear later. Let's look at each of the three criteria in more detail.

Lens Aperture

The aperture is simply the size of the opening that allows light to go through the lens. It is expressed in f/stops (also referred to as f/value or aperture value), and a typical aperture range is f/2.8 - f/8, giving the range from maximum (large at f/2.8) to minimum (small at f/8) aperture.

A small f/value (e.g. f/2.8) indicates a large aperture.

A large f/value (e.g. f/8) indicates a small aperture.

So, f/2.8 is a larger aperture than f/8.

Generally, a large aperture gives a shallow DOF, and a small aperture gives great DOF.

Putting Aperture into practice:

If you want only the subject the lens focuses on to be sharp, and everything else to be out of focus -- such as a portrait with the background nicely blurred -- then you would "open up the aperture," i.e. use a large aperture.
If you need most of your picture to be in sharp focus -- such as a landscape scene -- then you would "stop down the aperture," i.e. use a small aperture.

So go out and practice I think you can make a perfect on doing it since we are all using digital from which we can evaluate our photos instantly at no cost...

How to Use the Advanced Features of your Digital Camera?

Watch this video to understand more regarding digital camera. Simple and Easy way...




Hope it will help us to produce more stunning photos in the future...

HOW TO FORWARD E-MAIL APPROPRIATELY

I post this because I think it is worth to share with...

A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system. It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails. Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures

Do you really know how to forward e-mails? 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.

Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it?

Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses & names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel!

How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps:

(1) When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, / I>whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.

(2) Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses. Always use the BCC : (blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses. This is the way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say "Undisclosed Recipients" in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.

(3) Remove any "FW :" in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.


(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading. Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.

(5) Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and emai l addresses contained therein. If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition. (Actually, if you think about it, who's supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports? And don 't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just aint so!)

(6) One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, "Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen." Or, sometimes they'll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!! (Trust me, I'm still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!) I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed. (Could be why I haven't won the lottery??)

(7) Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward d them. Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS! Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at Snopes.

Its really easy to find out if it's real or not. If it's not, please don't pass it on.

So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.

Ramadan Mubarak 2007

Ramadan in 2007 was start last Thursday, the 13th of September and will continue for 30 days and expected to end on the 12th of October. However, as the date depends on the sighting of the moon, it is possible that one day either side of these dates might also be an Eid day.

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان, Ramaḍān) is an Islamic religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when the Qur'an was revealed. The name "Ramadan" is taken from the name of this month; the word itself derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground, and shortness of rations. It is considered the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year. Prayers, (sawm) (fasting), charity, and self-accountability are especially stressed at this time; religious observances associated with Ramadan are kept throughout the month.

Ramadan is divided into three ten-day parts, or ashra (Arabic for ten). They are named Rahmah (mercy of God), Maghfirah (forgiveness of God), and Najah (salvation), respectively. Laylat al-Qadr, which falls during the last third, commemorates the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an and is considered the most holy night of the year. Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid ul-Fitr, on which feasts are held. During the month following Ramadan, called Shawaal, Muslims are encouraged to fast for a further six days.

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan migrates through the seasons.
The ill and travellers may substitute other days to perform their Ramadan obligations. Children, the elderly and pregnant women are viewed as excused. Women on their period also make up the days missed, usually in Shawwal.

The most prominent event of this month is the daytime fasting practiced by most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat and perform their (fajr) prayer. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.

Prayer and reading of the Qur'an

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an.
Sunni Muslims tend to perform the recitation of the entire Qur'an by means of special prayers, called Tarawih, which are held in the mosques every night of the month, during which a whole section of the Qur'an (‘Juz', which is 1/30 of the Qur'an) is recited, so that by the end of the month the entire Qur'an has been completed. Tarawih is an Arabic phrase referring to those extra prayers. This prayer is performed after salah of Isha'a, but before the Wit'r Rakat. These are done in remembrance of the fact that the revelation of the Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad was begun during Ramadan.
Muslims also pay Zakaat (Islamic alms giving similar to a tax) during the month. For those who qualify to pay Zakaat, as per the Islamic 'Nisab' (that is those whose wealth exceeds their necessities), have to pay 2.5% of the leftover of their wealth earned in that Islamic calendar year. Although Zakaat can be paid anytime of the year it has to be calculated on a year to year basis and many Muslims use Ramadan as the month for calculation and disbursement.
Ramadan is also a time when Muslims are supposed to slow down from their worldly affairs and focus on self reformation, spiritual cleansing and enlightenment and establish the link between the God almighty and themselves by prayer, supplication, charity and showing good deeds, kindness and helping others.
Since it is a festival of giving and sharing, Muslims prepare special foods and buy gifts for their family and friends and for giving to the poor and needy who cannot afford it.
It is a festival time where Muslims buy new clothes, shoes, jewelery, other items of need, prepare special foods, invite people for Iftar (meal and snacks commemorating the breaking of Fast).
In many Muslim and non Muslim countries with large Muslim populations, markets close down in the evening to enable people to perform prayer, Iftar (break fast) and then re-open in the night, and stay open for a good part of night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours.

Understanding Exposures ( SLR and D SLR)

First understand this rule:

Aperture - the lower the number the bigger the opening, the bigger the number the smaller the opening.

Faster shutter speed let in less light and decrease the exposure making the image darker but reducing blur.
Smaller apertures let in less light and decrease the exposure making the image darker but increasing depth of field.

You, or the camera's automatic exposure system, control exposure using the camera's shutter speed and aperture. Both affect the exposure, the total amount of light reaching the image sensor, and so control a picture's lightness or darkness. The shutter speed controls the length of time the image sensor is exposed to light and the aperture controls the brightness of that light.

The Shutter

Shutter speeds are specified in seconds or fractions of seconds. Traditional shutter speeds are arranged so each is half as fast as the next fastest and twice as fast as the next slowest in the sequence. Changing from one speed to the next is a change of one stop and, depending on which direction you change it, doubles or halves the light reaching the image sensor.

The shutter speed is the most important control you have over how motion is captured in a photograph. The longer the shutter is open, the more likely you are to get blur from subject or camera movement. In studio photography, where the subject rarely moves and the camera is mounted on a tripod, this usually isn't an issue so you can use fast or slow shutter speeds. The only reason not to use very slow shutter speeds is that the camera may automatically increase the ISO setting. If it does (and sometimes even if it doesn't), your image will have more noise than it otherwise would and this reduces image quality. Shutter speeds typically range from about 1/2000 to as long as 8 seconds or so, and a few cameras offer a bulb setting. Bulb keeps the shutter open as long as you hold down the shutter button.

The Aperture

Aperture settings, called f-stops, indicate the size of the aperture opening inside the lens. Traditional apertures let in half as much light as the next larger opening and twice as much light as the next smaller opening. As the f-stop number gets larger (f/8 to f/11, for example), the aperture size gets smaller. This may be easier to remember if you think of the f-number as a fraction: 1/11 is less than 1/8, just as the size of the f/11 lens opening is smaller that the size of the f/8 opening.
The aperture controls depth of field-the area in a setup from foreground to background that will be sharp in a photograph . The smaller the aperture you use, the greater the area of a setup that will be sharp. For some pictures you may want a smaller aperture for maximum depth of field so that everything is sharp. In others you may use a larger aperture to decrease the depth of field so that some details are sharp against a softer background.How wide you can open the aperture depends on the len's maximum aperture its widest opening. For example, a lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 opens wider than a lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.6. Larger apertures are better when photographing in dim light and also let you get shallower depth of field. With most zoom lenses the maximum aperture changes as you zoom the lens. It will be larger when zoomed out to a wide angle, and smaller when zoomed in to enlarge a subject.
One desirable feature of a lens is a small aperture. The smallest aperture on some digital cameras is f/8 or f/11. On 35mm film cameras, it may be f/16 or even f/32. Smaller apertures let you get more depth of field and also extend the range of your lighting. If you can't use a small enough aperture, some powerful studio lights will cause your images to be overexposed and too light. Your only control then is to move the lights farther away from the setup, something that may be difficult to do in a small room and which also changes the quality of the light.

Using the Shutter and Aperture Together

You, or the camera's autoexposure system, can pair a fast shutter speed (to let in light for a short time) with a wide aperture (to let in bright light) or a slow shutter speed (long time) with a small aperture (dim light). Speaking of exposure only, it doesn't make any difference which of the combinations is used. But in other ways, it does make a difference, and it is just this difference that gives you some creative opportunities. You're always balancing camera or subject movement against depth of field. This is because a change in one causes a change in the other. Let's see why.

Each exposure setting is 1 "stop" from the next and lets in half or twice the light of the next setting. (Many digital cameras actually let you adjust settings in one-third stops for finer control.) A shutter speed of 1/60 lets in half the light that 1/30 does, and twice the light of 1/125. An aperture of f/8 lets in half the light that f/5.6 does, and twice the light of f/11. If you make the shutter speed 1 stop slower (letting in 1 stop more light), and an aperture 1 stop smaller (letting in 1 stop less light), the same amount of light enters the camera so the exposure doesn't change. However, the smaller aperture increases the depth of field slightly and the slower shutter speed increases the possibility of blur.In the studio, where neither the subject or camera is likely to move, we generally think mainly of the aperture setting because of its effect on depth of field. In aperture-priority mode, as you change apertures the camera automatically changes shutter speeds to keep the exposure constant. All you have to do with the shutter speed is keep your eye on it. If the aperture you select results in a shutter speed below 1/15 second or so, you might turn on noise reduction if your camera has that feature and it doesn't come on automatically.

Exposure Modes

To creatively use shutter speeds and apertures, you have to change the camera's exposure mode. Let's take a look at the modes you usually have access to.

Automatic or program mode - sets the shutter speed and aperture without your intervention. This mode allows you to shoot without paying attention to settings so you can concentrate on composition and focus. For many studio setups, this mode works very well.
Scene mode has settings designed for specific situations such as landscapes, sports, and macro photography. In desktop photography, the only one of these settings you will be interested in is the macro setting.

Aperture-priority mode - is the most useful mode in studio photography. It lets you select the aperture (lens opening) you need to obtain the depth of field you want and the exposure system automatically sets the shutter speed to give you a good exposure. You select this mode whenever depth of field is most important, as it often is in desktop photography. To be sure everything is sharp, select a small aperture. To throw the background or some other part of the setup out of focus, select a large aperture.

Shutter-priority mode - lets you choose the shutter speed you need to freeze or deliberately blur camera or subject movement and the camera automatically sets the aperture to give you a good exposure. You select this mode when the portrayal of motion is most important. In digital desktop photography where the camera is mounted on a tripod and the subject usually isn't moving, this mode isn't of much importance.

Manual mode - lets you select both the shutter speed and the aperture. You normally use this mode only when the other modes or exposure compensation can't give you the results you want-as when you are using strobes. However, this mode has one big advantage over the other modes. As you move or rotate a subject, the camera's exposure doesn't change as the reflectivity of the subject changes. This means background exposure will remain constant through a series of pictures. This is very important when doing object photography or photographing any series where images will be shown together.

Earthquake in the UAE

(Gulfnews)The major concern in the UAE ... comes from seismic activity in the Zagros quake belt in western Iran. Iran has a history of earthquakes and a big southern fault line.

On the night of September 14, 2007 while we are browsing the internet at the house I feel my bed was shaking and I ask from a friend near if he shake my bed and he replied no I don't do anything. Then I ask all the people in the house if they feel anything, asking that the building was shaken a little, Only two person replied that they feel the same what I feel... The building was shaking... We conclude that it was an earthquake...

We are waiting for any news regarding with that till Friday morning and find out nothing, so our theory was maybe someone only doing a maintenace in the building.

Saturday morning while browsing again into the internet and visit online news at Gulfnews and find out that what I feel last thursday night is true and correct. There was an earthquake in Dubai on that night but the epicenter was in Ras Al Khaimah northern part of the United arab Emirates.

Now what? if there is an earthquake in United Arab Emirates... As all we know that UAE specially Dubai are constracting a lot of building and as far I know all this building they are constructed/constructing are not earthquake resistance since thay are saying that there are no earthquake here in Dubai...

Now what is the future of this city when a calamity like earthquake hits this sandland? Just to refresh that a month ago we are aware what happened in Oman and some part of UAE (Fujeirah) hits by a storm from which they are not experiencing for a long period of time...

Whats New in Photography World?

This morning I ask myself what is really happening in photography world? And find my self looking for the answers infront of my computer looking for anything. Then find out that Windows Vista® are offering a new way of customizing images for personal or web use.

Let me share you what I found.

Digital photography and Windows Vista:

The new operating system from Microsoft, Windows Vista®, has built in some nifty, easy ways to enjoy your digital photos. And don't worry, almost all HP cameras and printers work with Windows Vista® so your equipment will be ready to go when you switch to the new system.Windows Vista® offers all the basic photography features you need, including enhancements like these:
Photo organization made simple and searchable-so they're easy to find
Easy photo editing tools, perfect for beginners
Wizards for e-mailing and photo sharing without all the fuss
Back-up protection for your photos that's easy enough to do regularly

Organize your photos with tags:

When you upload pictures from your camera, they arrive with strange names—usually numbers in a sequence. This makes them hard to find later on. Windows Vista® lets you tag pictures with important keywords—"birthday party," for instance. Then, rather than looking through each picture, you simply search "birthday party," and all the photos with that tag come up.

Make simple edits:

Windows Vista® offers all the tools you need for basic photo editing. Clear up those red eyes, crop an image to the size you want, cut out distracting details, or adjust color, exposure or saturation. Windows Vista® Photo Gallery preserves the original as a "digital negative," so you can always return to the initial photo. Perform simple edits like removing red-eye, cropping, and adjusting color and exposure.

Send photos in e-mail that are always the right size:

You've buffed up pictures from the birthday party, and now you want to send them to friends and family to enjoy. But the last time you did it, the photo was way too big. With Windows Vista®, a photo e-mail wizard walks you through the process, making it easy to send the right size pictures every time.

Protect your cherished memories:

Windows Vista® simplifies the photo backup process with built-in tools and reminders. Anytime you insert a blank CD, you'll be given options for how you want to use it. Select "Burn files to disc", and choose the digital photos you want to save, and you're done. You can also schedule automatic back-ups to make it a total no-brainer.

So if you are having this new software and you love to share your everyday photo I think its time for you to explore it.

Camera Basic Accessories

Remember my last post regarding on "What is the best camera to buy?".

Now that you have a great digital camera (or still not decided what to buy? also try to consider all of this), you can enhance or improve the experience with many different digital camera accessories. Some (such as a decent camera bag to protect your investment or extra memory cards) are crucial, some (like a good photo printer or tripod) are simply handy. Here is a list of the best digital camera accessories that should be the next on your to-buy list once you get a camera.

1. Camera Bag

It is important to protect your digital point-and-shoot camera from LCD scratchesvor Digital SRL, dings and other general abuse. A great camera bag can do that. You don't want one that is too big and bulky, but you also need to be sure your camera fits. They can hold all the little extras, too, like batteries and memory cards. Brand of Camera Bag such as Lowepro, Tarmac and so on...

2. Memory Cards

Even if your digital camera has some built-in memory, you can be sure this is one of the first investments you will have to make. Don't believe me? Go shoot a handful of photos, and then see your space for images dwindle to nothing. Ouch! Having another large-capacity card, or even a couple medium-capacity cards, is truly manadatory to enjoy your digital camera. Do you know that before I got my Digital SLR I bought memory card first.

3. Tripod

Tripods really are a necessity if you’re serious about photography, and that’s that. I know they’re big, bulky and a pain to carry around, but if you want to get rid of that camera shake that seems to appear in every one of your photos, then it's time to start the hunt for a good tripod. Not all Tripod are big you can choose a size and brand that fits your need, Example my self I go for Manprotto it is big but this is my requirements, my friend got Slick because they said it is more lighter than Manprotto. So its up to you there is alot of sizes and brands to choose from...

4. Photo Storage

If you plan to shoot a lot of photos, especially while on the road traveling, save yourself the nuisance of lugging along your laptop or spending a load of money on multiple memory cards. This storage device accepts 7 memory card types, and stores up to 100 GB of images.

5. Photo Editing Software

Even though many cameras come with photo software of some sort, you will probably find you want to upgrade to another more advanced program. The great thing about digital photography is you can fix those little problems later. A good software photo editing program is key to that. My best suggestion on this Adobe PhotoShop and Corel Draw...

Interior Photography (Photographing Bedroom)

Photographing Bedrooms - The bedrooms are normally fairly straightforward and present few problems. Depending on the size of the property, Normally take photos of just the master bedroom, or the master and one other. The agents can only get so many images in their window, on the web and in their promotional literature.They would say that the bedroom is one of the most important aspects of any property; after all, it is the first thing that you see everyday when you wake up and it is where most people spend about a third of their life. It is also one of the main images a person or couple will look at when deciding to view a property so making it look appealing and inviting is important.

Photographing Bedrooms - Try to show off its best features;
Is it bright, south facing and gets a lot of sunshine?
Does it have big bright windows?
Does it have an en-suite bathroom you could incorporate into the shot?
How big is the bed?
Does it have a walk-in wardrobe?
What are the views like?
What is the lighting like?
Would a stitched shot help here?
Does it have a terrace or any other interesting features?
Take a good look before you set up the lights etc., and if need be, take 2 or 3 shots from different angles, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Remember that wherever you set up your camera to use the same lighting arrangement. Set both studio lights both sides, and as close to the camera as possible. You want to try and fire the lights straight through the cameras field of view to create the least amount of shadows.
If the main bedroom happens to be quite small, try the method of bounced flash , you should have enough power to cope.
Photographing Bedrooms - One tip for a different kind of shot is this;
Imagine you live in the house and wake up in the bed, what do you see, what is the view from the actual bed? If it is nice, set the camera up on the tripod, and on the center of the bed itself in front of or in place of the pillows. Use a self timer function either on the camera on via a cable release to take the shot.
Set up the lights accordingly to best light the view. You may have to place on light either side of the bed, facing where the camera is facing. It will probably take a few shots to get right but it should look great and not many people think of it.

Also, check to see if it is daylight outside or dusk/night when photographing bedrooms? Work out if it is best to have the curtains open or closed, views or no views. Try both if you have time but remember to turn on all the room lights either way. Clear away any clutter and/or personal items. Make the bedclothes look presentable and generally get the image looking neat and tidy.
Are there any special features in the bedrooms?
Fireplace?
En-suite bathroom?
Antique furniture?
Chandelier?
Terrace?
Walk-in wardrobe?
Basically anything that shows off the room and its potential, photograph it. Don't be afraid to get in close and isolate any interesting features.

Just don't forget and always remember this clean up your mess. Arranged every thing you touch and moved items into their respective place.

New Bread Design

Someone send me this email attached all the images below but there is no place where we can find this Bakery offering this kind of Bread. Decided to post here maybe my visitors got interest on it.

Kaya niyo bang kumain ng tinapay na ganito ang itsura??? (Can you Eat a bread like this???)

It look yummy... Wanna Try!!!

Tips for Portrait Photography & Posing

The portrait market demand reaches enormous levels especially when the requirement is almost every household across the globe in every civilized country. Think about this from another angle - you could target every building and what is more exciting is that repeat business is almost incalculable. Parents love to have family portraits but some like to have it done annually as the children grow. Then they most often like to have a portrait of each child in addition to that. The opportunities become endless.

When it comes to portrait digital photography and photography poses or shall we say, posing for portrait photography, there are many differentials and some of them aren’t obvious. It’s true that while your active organising portrait photography posing with your subject that many new posing ideas will come to mind but you will still need to know the rudimentary basics. Any studio posing will require posing techniques which will vary from posing the female model, baby portrait poses, family portrait poses, wedding photography poses, and even senior portrait poses. They all vary in their portrait pose requirements.

Photography poses are very strenuous on the model or subject as well and there is usually a photography posing guide or a model posing guide that can help your understanding with these areas. Fatigue and restlessness must be considered at long shoots for instance while models are posing for portraits. I recently saw an article that was a guide to posing the female body; however it was too focussed on the one aspect and left little room for photography posing of other types.

The rest of this article offers some posing tips for a photography pose in general and is compiled to stimulate your interest in portrait posing because once you have the basics, your portrait posing skills will compound with each new sitting. To photograph a pose and make it look natural and interesting is what your goal should be with posing. Remember not to treat portrait poses lightly and you will get much better at this skill in a short space of time.

Portrait photography is also a photography business that can be initiated from home. Often only requiring modest photography equipment , you’ll only need several pieces of cloth (backdrop), a camera, some good lenses, two or maybe three lights and let’s not forget the tripod. In addition to the equipment being modest by any ones standards, it is all reasonably lightweight and easy to handle should you need to work outdoors.

The most important rule to remember is that it is a portrait, not necessarily of just the head, but the person, or group is the focal part of the picture, so it is important to take the photograph without any extraneous clutter. Because you will always be dealing with people with whom you have to maintain control, not as a tyrant, but you have to guide your subjects. Therefore a certain degree of self-confidence is necessary. If you are taking a formal portrait of a group of children it is necessary for you as the photographer to ensure that none of the children are making faces.

This brings us to posing. Many photographers underate this essential requirement because posing will make or break your portraiture. There is much value in learning to guide people through various poses. Posing has an ongoing education requirement depending on age, gender, culture, promotion, product, and emotion needed for each piece of art etc. It is such an important and extensive subject that I’ve provided you with this downloadable guide which I think you should take seriously - Make Camera Friendly Posing Happen!

When you have signed up a person for a photographic portrait take a few extra shots, and offer them as wallet or purse photographs at a smaller fee. You already have started the business, capitalise on it, few people can resist the feeling that they have got “something for nothing”. This may seem a waste of time; they can be important additives for your portfolio.

Portrait photography has undergone many changes of style since the introduction of the formal portrait. The modern emphasis is to bring out each individual’s personality. Top glamour models are paid enormous fees to express a distinctive personality, but to bring that aspect forward in your subject is as much about people skills as camera techniques. It is imperative to be able to create a rapport with your subject to bring out the expressions that display their personality. Anyone over the age of two can pose for the camera, with a vacuous expression, but the secret of saleable portrait photography is capturing more than the pose. To be a really good portrait photographer you have to be able to connect with people, if you have not got these skills, then it is better that you concentrate on some other type of photography-perhaps underwater photography if you want to be more active and adventurous

If you want to flatter your subject, you’ll probably want to minimize their nose. Stand about twelve feet from your subject, so that their nose isn’t significantly closer to you than the rest of the face. However, at such a large distance from the camera, if you want to fill the frame with just your subject’s face, then you need a high magnification lens. Typical “portrait” lenses are therefore between 90 and 135 millimeters long when you are using a 35mm camera.

Whilst a lot of portrait photography is completed inside a studio, the prospect of natural light can be very flattering. This can be achieved inside by positioning your subject in front of a window. Environmental portraiture presents different challenges. These portraits are best enlarged, otherwise the subject’s face gets lost in the background. Slow film and the use of a tripod; help to keep your images sharp. There are a number of professional photographers who argue that a portrait is not shown to it’s best advantage when it is clinically sharp and they use a filter, but with modern digital cameras, you can make an adjustment in Photoshop at a later time. However if you are using a digital camera you will achieve the best results with a camera with a true single lens reflex.

Natural light or umbrella lighting can achieve soft lighting; both of these reduce shadows and show the face in a “better more attractive light”. However there is another type of portrait photography, which is high impact photography. This is a very dramatic type of portrait photography, which uses very strong light with a high contrast of tonal color. This technique is more effective indoors, as it is achieved by controlling light, and there is too much light to control out of doors. Position your subject at different angles to the light, from one side, or from underneath. This lengthens the shadows, rather than muting them, and gives a distinctly dramatic effect. You can achieve this in varying degrees, but if the light source is placed at 90 degrees to the face, it will throw the whole of the opposite side of the face in shadow. If you are using a digital camera you can also manipulate the contrast later to achieve a more dramatic effect.

Canon EOS-1 Ds Mark 3

• CANON USA's NEW LINE-LEADING, 21.1-MEGAPIXEL, FULL-FRAME EOS-1Ds MARK III DIGITAL SLR KEEPS CANON AT THE TOP OF THE PRO PHOTO CLASS
• Responsive, Ultra-High Resolution, Ultra-Low Noise CMOS Sensor and Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processors Power the EOS-1Ds Mark III Into the Realm of Medium-Format Digital Cameras, at a Fraction of the Cost – Fast, New Ultra Wide-Angle 14mm Lens Is a Picture Perfect Match for the Camera's Full Frame Sensor –
• LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 20, 2007 – The new 21.1-megapixel, full-frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR* camera brings the power of Canon U.S.A., Inc.'s professional imaging excellence and innovation into sharper focus than ever before. While Canon's EOS-1D series has dominated the 35mm-based professional Digital SLR market for the past six years, the new EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR takes Canon's pro-digital prowess into and the realm of high-fashion and commercial photo studios where bulkier, medium-format cameras previously reigned.
• The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III's compact, lighter-weight magnesium alloy body is rugged and versatile enough to take out of the studio and into the field. The camera's fast, five-frame-per-second (fps) shooting rate for bursts of up to 56 Large/Fine (21-megapixel) JPEGS or 12 RAW images is unmatched in its class, making it the ideal instrument for capturing the fluid motion and free-flowing lines of location-based fashion photography as well as a wide range of other professional photographic applications.
• The Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III professional digital single lens reflex camera is scheduled to begin shipping in November and will have an estimated selling price of $7,999 (the same price as its predecessor, the 16.7 megapixel EOS-1Ds Mark II).
• "The EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is a prime example of the EOS philosophy and Canon's ongoing commitment to providing photo professionals with the tools they need to create the finest quality images" stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager Consumer Imaging Group Canon U.S.A. "To continue our legacy, we must provide not only the right professional tools, but also the finest photo tools for the job and do so consistently, whether we are presenting this exemplary EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR camera, or any one of the many fine specialty lenses, flashes and accessories that populate the EOS professional photo system."
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• Revolutionary Resolution
  Developed and manufactured by Canon specifically for the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR, the camera's new full-size 36 x 24 mm CMOS image sensor offers the highest resolution in its class, and is comprised of approximately 21.1 million effective pixels (5632 x 3750) set at a pitch of 6.4 microns. The user can select any one of six recording formats ranging from 21.0 megapixels in Large JPEG or RAW format, 16.6 or 11.0 megapixels in the two medium JPEG sizes, or 5.2 megapixels in the small JPEG or "sRAW" formats. In any JPEG format, the user can set one of ten compression rates for each image size. In sRAW mode, the number of pixels is reduced to one-fourth that of a standard RAW image and the file size is cut in half, while retaining all of the flexibility and creative possibilities associated with full-size, traditional RAW images.
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• Dual "DIGIC III" Image Processors
  Fulfilling the ultra-low noise, ultra-high image quality promise of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera requires handling the enormous signal processing requirements of the camera's 21-megapixel resolution and top continuous shooting speed of five fps. To accomplish this, Canon has incorporated two identical DIGIC III imaging engines into the camera for parallel (and hence, faster) signal processing. The CMOS sensor reads out to the dual "DIGIC III" processors simultaneously in eight channels. DIGIC III is the next generation of Canon's proprietary image processing engine. This technology ensures the fine details and natural colours of images are optimally recorded and, as an added bonus, is responsible for the EOS-1Ds Mark III SLR's high-speed performance, faster signal processing and more efficient energy consumption.
• Adding to the improved virtuosity of the images captured by the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera is the camera's 14-bit Analog-to-Digital (A/D) conversion process. Able to recognize 16,384 colours per channel (four times the number of colours recognized by the EOS-1Ds Mark II Digital SLR camera's 12-bit conversion capability), this line-leading model is able to produce images with finer and more accurate gradations of tones and colours. Additionally, given the significantly larger image file sizes created by the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera, Canon has provided compatibility with the new Ultra Direct Memory Access (UDMA) compact flash memory card specification, which enables ultra-high-speed data transfer to the card. Utilizing a UDMA compliant card doubles the data transfer speed compared to a conventional memory card, putting the new EOS-1Ds Mark III on par with the 10.1-megapixel EOS-1D Mark III camera, even though the pixel count of this new model is more than twice as large.
• Advanced Autofocus Technology
  The EOS-1Ds Mark III autofocus system - first introduced earlier this year on the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR - has 45 AF points including 19 high-precision cross-type points and 26 Assist AF points. This new array allows the 19 cross-type points to be divided into groups of nine inner and nine outer focusing points plus a centre point, which makes picking an individual focusing point much faster and easier than going through all 45. During manual AF point selection, the AF point area is expandable in two stages via Custom Function control.
• At the request of sports and wildlife photographers, a new micro-adjustment feature allows for very fine changes in the AF point of focus for each lens type in use, along with the addition of adjustable focus-tracking sensitivity as another sophisticated new AF feature. Other new components in the AF system include the reconfigured concave submirror and the secondary image formation lens, both products of Canon's vast expertise in optical engineering. Finally, the low-light sensitivity of the new AF sensor has been doubled to EV-1 for superior performance, compared with earlier EOS digital SLRs.
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• Live View
  One of the dynamic innovations incorporated into new EOS Digital SLRs - and optimized for professional shooters on the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR - is Canon's Live View shooting mode which provides photographers with an expanded and exceedingly convenient set of shooting options beyond the conventional SLR through-the-lens viewing. Framing and shooting subjects using the camera's LCD screen affords the shooter the same 100 percent field of view provided by the optical viewfinder - this is a full-frame digital SLR after all - but Live View has the added advantage of allowing the image to be more easily composed on the camera's bright and brilliant 230,000-pixel, three-inch LED screen. Additionally, the LCD-viewed image can be magnified by five or ten times in order to ensure that the shot is optimally focused.
• Live View is at its best during tripod shooting, particularly for close-up photography where precise focusing is imperative. As a side benefit, the Live View shooting mode helps to reduce vibration by lifting the reflex mirror out of the optical path well in advance of the exposure, improving image quality at slow shutter speeds. Additionally, as the release time lag is miniscule, even instantaneous movements like a bird taking flight can be readily captured. The shutter charge sound can be delayed and made quieter than normal in Live View mode to avoid spooking wildlife or disturbing people nearby with unwanted camera sounds.
• If a user is going to be several feet away from the camera, such as in some studio settings, the EOS-1Ds Mark III can be connected by cable to a computer via its USB 2.0 High-Speed interface. The camera can also be operated remotely at distances up to 492 feet with the assistance of the optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2A which allows users to view images directly off the camera's sensor in virtually real-time, with the ability to adjust many camera settings quickly and easily.
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• Viewing Display
  Easy to read, even in outdoor conditions such as bright sunlight, the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera features a three-inch, 230,000-pixel wide angle LCD display screen. The TFT colour liquid-crystal monitor features seven user-settable brightness levels and a wide, 140-degree viewing angle, both horizontally and vertically. An added advantage of the large, three-inch display size is the ability to utilize a larger font size for text, making it easier to read setting and menu options on the screen.
• Canon extends its "ease-of-reading" policy to the EOS-1Ds Mark III's viewfinder as well. Bright and clear with zero distortion and a 100 percent picture coverage and a magnification factor of .75x, it is the finest viewfinder ever placed in an EOS camera.
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System
  Another first for a professional digital SLR of this caliber is Canon's complete dust management solution, called the EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The new CMOS image sensor is designed with a lightweight infrared absorption glass cover that vibrates for 3.5 seconds when the camera is turned on or off. This brief delay can be cancelled immediately upon start-up by pressing the shutter button half way. Dust that has been shaken or blown loose of the sensor is trapped by adhesive surfaces surrounding the sensor unit housing, preventing the problematic particles from reattaching themselves to the filter when the camera moves.
• Like its sibling, the EOS-1D Mark III, the shutter of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR camera carries a durability rating of 300,000 cycles and, though it generates less dust, it still charges itself three times during the manual cleaning process so that dust is shaken off the shutter curtains as well. This cleaning system uses very little battery power and can be turned off in the custom function menu.
• The second part of the dust management system is a software solution that maps the location of any spots that may remain on the sensor. The mapped information is saved as Dust Delete Data and attached to the image file. Subsequently, the offending dust information is subtracted from the final image during post processing, using the supplied Digital Photo Professional software.
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• Rock Solid Reliability
  The entire body of the EOS-1Ds Mark III, including its internal chassis and mirror box, is made of an advanced magnesium alloy for exceptional strength and rigidity. Comprehensive weatherproofing at 76 locations on the camera body ensures superior reliability, even when shooting in harsh environments. Together with the 300,000-cycle shutter durability rating, these features result in a camera that, even though it is six ounces lighter than the EOS-1Ds Mark II, can truly withstand even the most severe shooting conditions.
• Improved Software
  Among the most valuable features of the EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR is its compatibility with Canon's new Picture Style Editor 1.0 software. With PSE, photographers can personalize the look of their photographs by inputting their own preferred image processing parameters, including custom tone curves. The EOS-1Ds Mark III Digital SLR also ships with the latest versions of Canon's powerful software applications, including Digital Photo Professional 3.2 and EOS Utility 2.2, which support the camera's Remote Live View and Dust Delete Data functions, as well as incorporating a broad range of additional improvements designed to improve image quality and speed up workflow. Particularly noteworthy in DPP 3.2 is a new Lens Aberration Correction Function that corrects various image defects such as chromatic aberration, colour blur, vignetting and distortion. Initially, the Lens Aberration Correction Function will support images captured by the EOS-1Ds Mark III and 11 other EOS Digital SLRs using any of 29 individual EF and EF-S lenses. Also included are ZoomBrowser EX 6.0 and ImageBrowser 6.0 for easy browsing, viewing, printing and archiving with compatible computer operating systems, including Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows XP, as well as Mac OS X.