How to Choose Your Photo Paper Wisely

By Ann Woods

Choosing the right paper for printing is one of the most important factors in producing great prints. Be it pictures or text, you usually just borrow what's in the copier. But the right paper makes an immense difference in print quality. To make the right choice, we must know the basics of selecting and printing on paper for general use and pictures.

• Paper Basics:
To choose the right paper for the required print keep in mind –the opacity, brightness, weight, caliper and finish. First, it is important to know what you are printing. Black and white documents are very different from full color photos. There are some multipurpose papers which are good for both. But if you want crisp, vibrant photos that will last a long time, then of course you need to use paper which is designed just for photos.

• Opacity:
This means how see-through is the paper? The more the opacity, less of the printed text will bleed through to the other side. This is especially important for double-sided prints. High opacity paper is considered good for documents such as brochures, newsletters and calendars. Photo papers have high opacity of about 94-97 usually.

• Weight:
Paper weight is expressed in pounds (lb.) or as grams per square meter (g/m2).This ranges from light weight newsprint to very heavy cardboard. Mostly quality business paper is 20 to 24 pound bond; the greeting card paper is heavier – usually in the range of 60 – 65 lb.

• Brightness:
Brightness basically means the amount of light reflected from the surface of the paper. Higher brightness will produce crisper text with better contrast and a brighter background for color and images. It is expressed in numbers 1 to 100. Photo papers have brightness number in high 90's. But then not all papers are labeled with their brightness rating. You will simply have to compare two or more papers side by side to compare their brightness.

• Caliper:
This is basically the thickness of the paper. Thickness affects its handling; whether the paper is stiffer and will resist creases and tears etc. Its unit of measure is 'mil'. Photo paper is usually 7 to 10 mils thick.

• Finish:
The finish of the paper can be matte glossy with lessening degrees of glossiness as semi-gloss, soft-gloss or satin-gloss. It is the coating on paper as glossy photo paper gives the printed photos the look and feel of photographs. Glossy papers take time in drying as the coating keeps the paper from readily absorbing the ink. However, quick dry gloss finishes are available nowadays. Mirror-like finish of high-gloss media is preferred for color photographs and smooth matte finishes for black and white photographs and business documents.

Paper has come a long way in the last decade. Choosing the right paper for printing is one of the most important decisions in creating great pictures. It is also important to know that the paper designed for your printer looks and performs better every time. The print depends upon what happens when the ink hits the paper. The wrong amount of ink can lead to jagged images that are too saturated or sometimes too light.

The synergy of ink, paper and printer is important so as to create color photos that are as bright as your memories. The latest coating technology prevents photo jams, curling and printed pages from sticking together.
Lastly, you know how sunlight damages a printed page. Special photo inks and special coating premium photo papers are available that resist the effects of indoor halogen and glowing light. You will be able to frame your photos and display them proudly as they will resist fading longer than most traditionally developed photographs.

Therefore, the right printer paper will not only give better results, it will also be more economical in the long run. There will be fewer paper jams and the output will look great every time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Woods

Photography - Photographing Children

By Michael Russell

Ever see the movie where the photographer is trying to take a family photo and the kid is doing everything he can, short of starting World War III, to keep that photo from being taken? Every tantrum in the world ever taken is captured in that one scene. Very funny, yes. But the truth is, photographing children is not an easy task for several reasons.

For starters, kids have a very short attention span. To get them to sit still for even a minute is like asking for a miracle. Fidgeting is like a way of life for kids. Bill Cosby used to have a blast doing comic bits about the brother and sister who couldn't stop touching each other and were always getting into some kind of trouble. Sit still? Not a chance.

Aside from that, children don't take direction very well even if they aren't restless. To say to a child, "turn your head slightly to the left" is like asking him to do advanced calculus. It isn't going to happen. Either the kid is going to move his head so little that it won't have made a difference or he'll turn his head half way around. "A little to the left" is a foreign concept to children.

So what is a photographer to do, especially if his assignment is to take photos of a church directory, or maybe of kids in school? Well, there are a few tricks he can use that will actually produce very good results. However, these tricks aren't going to work without one very key ingredient and this is the hardest thing to be able to do because you either have it or you don't.

The number one key to being able to photograph a child is to be able to relate to the child one on one. You have to have the kind of personality that either mesmerizes the child or at least makes him feel enough at ease with you that he or she can follow simple instructions. Unfortunately, some photographers have the personality of a fig leaf and there is just nothing you can do about it. These people probably shouldn't be photographing kids at all. But if you do have a bubbling personality, use it. Make the kid laugh and feel at home.

If, however, you're not exactly personality plus, there are some things you can do to get the kid's attention. One of the oldest and most effective tricks in the book is to bring along objects with you that the child can either play with or look at.

For example, if you want to get the child to tilt his head and look in a certain direction, the easiest way to do this is to hold up an object. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but the more colorful the better. All you need to do is hold the object up in the direction you want the child to look. So let's say you want him to move his head slightly to his right. What you do is hold the object in your left hand and move it to your left to the point where you want the child to look. Then simply tell him to look at the object, using the object's name. So if you're holding up a small brown bear, tell the child to look at the brown bear. Also, smile when you do this. Eventually the child's head will be in the exact position where you want it so you can take the photo.

Another thing you can do, in the case of a child who won't sit still, is to give him something to play with. While he's looking at the object, simply call his name or do something to get his attention and as soon as he looks up you can take the photo. Yes, you have to be fast. But with a lot of practice you'll get real good at this.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Photography

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Photo Websites- Sell Photos Online For a Profit

By Brandon Baumgarten

Would you like to sell photos online at your own gallery? Send people to your very own web address to purchase the photos you've taken of them. There's more than one way to go about it. Here we take a look at the benefits of building a photo website, using services designed for professional photographers.

Not long ago it would have been a major project starting your own photography business. My how things have changed. Today, the new online photo services let you up load all of your photos to your own gallery and set your own prices. Shoot whatever you want and send your customers to your beautiful online gallery, to purchase the shots.

It's the easy way to get your photos and video on line for family, friends and customers to view. They can click to order any size prints or a variety of gifts like coffee mugs, sweatshirts, holiday cards etc... and you make money on every sale you set your own prices. So now you just upload the pictures and Aunt Alice can order what she wants and stop bugging you for copies! Get carried away, upload UNLIMITED photos with a click, shoot a million pictures if you want, you can't out grow that! Your precious family heirlooms, safely stored in full resolution. Download them anytime you want, because it's a photo storage website too. Hey, backup is good right? Organizing photo albums could not be simpler with the easy to use tools these companies provide. As with everything each photo sharing website has its advantages, click on the link at the bottom of this ezinearticle to compare the different services.

One of the photo gallery website providers called Smugmug has teamed up with GoogleMaps to create SmugMaps, I would have named it smoogle maps, whatever you call it, it's so cool! Install GoogleEarth, then click on the green GoogleEarth botton. Then while your logged into your smugmug account click on the map, the photos you select are tagged to that spot and displayed for the world to see, promoting your art gallery. You can also SmugMap by typing in the street address or gps coordinates.

Are you an artist waiting to be discovered? Get your work out there today. Whether your shooting the local cheerleader squad or an expedition to Alaska. Selling your photos is now very easy to do. You don't really want to go thru the hassle of setting up a merchants account to charge peoples credit cards do you? Good because you don't have to! You don't really want to print, trim, pack, address, ship, and provide customer service on each order do you? Good because you don't have to. (if you answered yes, we have an opening for a lab tech) of course I'm just kidding, we don't have time for all that, were out shooting more pictures to sell!

That's right, now you actually have the time to go out and take lots and lots of pictures. Go crazy you can take a million photos if you want. There's no limit to number of photos that you can upload on some of the professional photo sharing web sites. Hey your goal oriented right? How long would it take you to shoot a million photos? Let's see, this should be easier than figuring out the Tootsie Pop thing. If you shoot everyday for 10 years you'd have to shoot 274 pictures per day, because I don't think you can take 2739 photos every day for a year!

Here are some suggestions on what to shoot:

1. TAKING PICTURES ON VACATION
a) Museums and Historical Landmarks
b) National Parks and Monuments
c) City Skylines and Architecture
d) Amusement Parks
e) Back Roads and Byways
f) Scenic Overlooks

2. SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS- Especially regional and state tournaments or championships. They are a goldmine, parents love pictures of their superstars. If you take a photo of each kid and then a team group picture, many of the parents will buy a few. One for the house, one for grandma etc. When you add up all the kids from all the teams, you're looking at hundred's kids. The money starts adding up real quick.
a) Football Team Photo
b) Cheerleader Squad photo
c) Homecoming Activities
d) Regional & State Championships
e) Soccer, Wrestling, Swimming etc...
f) School Plays, Concerts and more
g) Little League Baseball
h) Soccer Teams
i) Basketball Teams

3. LOCAL EVENTS- Check the local paper and see what's happening in your area
a) Hot Air Balloon Races and Air Shows
b) Car Shows & Motorcycle Rally’s
c) Parades & Fireworks
d) County And State Fairs
e) Craft Shows
f) Trade shows
g) Concerts
h) Tail Gate Parties

4. BOY SCOUTS AND GIRL SCOUTS- Many kids don't play soccer or basketball, they enjoy scouting, and they buy lots of pictures of the kids during scouting activities. Just go around the event and shoot it up, try to get a nice posed photo of each scout, then a troop shot with the leaders. Make sure you get permission from the appropriate council.
a) Camp outs
b) Hikes
c) The Annual Jamboree
d) Pinewood derby
e) Fundraisers

5.PROPERTY- Real estate agents need quality photographs to promote their listed properties. Let your local agencies know your available on call and watch the cash start flowing in. Architects need photos of the properties they design for many reasons. Show me the money!
a) Real Estate Agencies
b) Commercial Properties
c) Architectural Photography
d) Builders and Contractors

6. RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES- This is my favorite, I live up in the mountains and we have a lot of these type of adventures available close by. Folks on vacation sure like photos of themselves while participating in activities. If you have activities like these in your area, talk with a local outfitter, they are usually very receptive to the idea of photo souvenirs, because it promotes their service long after the adventure is over.
a) Whitewater River Rafting
b) Horseback Riding Outfitters
c) Ski Resorts
d) Snowmobile Trails
e) Golf Tournaments

7. INSURANCE COMPANIES- Most insurance companies require documentation to reimburse policy holders for a loss. A photographic inventory of all items covered by the policy is recommended by insurance adjusters, this is a huge market.
a) Residential
b) Commercial

8. FAMILY PORTRAITS- Many families have a portrait done annually. I like to photograph the family during fun time, rather than a studio. I like to have a good time with them. I always get better smiles and more interesting images on location. This year suggest doing the photo at an activity that the whole family enjoys participating in together "A family that plays together, stays together"
a) At home
b) In the studio
c) On location
d) Holiday Cards in October

9. SCHOOL ACTIVITIES- If I told you how much money you could make in one day photographing graduates, clubs, dances or homecoming activities, you wouldn't believe me. So I am going to let you find out for yourself. Then you email me and tell me and I will believe it! Photographing some of the school events like graduation and plays should be done at a dress rehearsal prior to the actual event. Always make prior arrangements with the school before you shoot.
a) Graduation
b) School Plays
c) Dances
d) Marching Band
e) Homecoming

10. STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY AGENCYS- there are many agencies that will purchase quality images to package and resell. Check stock photo agencies many of them accept freelance work.

Here's how it goes. Take the photo, give the client a card with your photo gallery web site address on it. Up load the pictures to your gallery. They go to your website and pick out the ones they want and order prints or coffee mugs, whatever they want. Then the photos are printed and shipped by the company that hosts your gallery. Then the company sends you a check. How much you make on each image is up to you. The Photo gallery hosting company charges you say, $1.99 for an 8"x 10" print. You set your retail prices at 24.99 for the print. You just made $23.00. The magic happens when you use the intrinsic artistic value, to increase the value of an otherwise inexpensive piece of paper. Most retailers wish they had a markup this good!

Once you get going, you will be lining up jobs at all sorts of events. Even taking photos while traveling and writing off your business expenses. If you really love photography you should consider your own gallery online.

When I got my gallery, I had so much fun thinking of creative titles for the galleries and getting all my pictures set up and organized. For instance, I have one gallery that is a tribute to trees. Everytime I see a beautiful tree, I capture a picture and display it in a gallery that I named Treebute.

Start your online photo website gallery today and start selling your photos online for a profit. Visit
DigitalPhotographyWebsite.com

I have been a professional photographer at several western ski resorts including Vail and Breckenridge. I started out at Grand Targhee Wyoming, where I landed my first professional photography job taking action photos of skiers on the slopes at Grand Targhee. I am currently a freelance photographer based out of Lake Tahoe, CA.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Baumgarten