Difference between macro micro and close up photography

What is the difference between macro, micro and closeup photography?

There is often much confusion amongst new photographers over the terms macro, micro and close up photography and how they differ. For starters, macro and micro usually refers to the same thing, in that Nikon names their range of ‘macro lenses’ with the word ’micro’. Canon on the other hand, calls them macro lenses.


For example, Nikons top macro lens is called :Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor Lens
Notice the term micro in that name.Now for comparisons sake, Canon’s top macro lens is called a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens


What does macro and micro refer to when it comes to photography?


The word macro means big, whereas the word micro mean small. So how is it that these two terms related?

If the subject you are photographing is small and you want to make it look big, you end up with a “macro” view of a “micro” subject


What is macro (micro) photography?


Macro photography is that which is taken with a dedicated macro lens. A real macro lens has the capability of achieving in the least a 1:1 magnification. Just because a camera has the word macro written on it, doesn’t make it a true macro lens. Both the Nikon and Canon lenses mentioned above, are considered real macro lenses.


What is close up photography?

Close up photography, is the act of photographing objects such as flowers or insects in close range so the subject you are photographing fills the frame. In other words, it’s the act of photographing subjects close up. This is easily achievable with any lens, even a 300mm telephoto lens.

Macro photography is in essence close up photography as well. However, close up photography is not always considered as true macro photography. For example, if you have a lens that is NOT considered a real macro lens, yet offers a macro setting (as many do nowadays), this is usually refered to as being close up photography, and not true macro.


How to recognise the difference between macro and close up photography?


Capturing the finest detail, is one of the main differences between macro / micro photography and close up photography.

Macro lenses are expensive for a reason. That being, a true macro lens allows the photographer to capture finer detail than would otherwise have been seen. For example, the hairs on an insects face, or the pattern in its eye.

Take the two photographs below for example. The first image is a very good example of a close up photograph, taken with a Nikon telephoto lens. While the second photograph is a macro shot, allowing for bigger magnification and showing the finest detail.

The Differences Between Digital Photography and Film Photography

Author: George
Digital Photography and Film Photography
There's a debate in which photography format is superior; digital or film. Is it the traditional film format or would you say it is the digital imagery of digital photography.
Film Photography

When discussing film photography there is many details to consider with the traditional film format. Film does not rate the resolution with pixels; essentially an estimate of the quality of film is calculated with 35mm film. It'll depend on the film you're using and even the camera that's used. Most standard film is 35mm film. Other points you need to consider when deciding about film photography is that you need to reload film when you run out of film. Furthermore film photography takes into consideration what size film you're working with and what type of lens your camera has, if any at all. Still there are instances where film photography has its place, mostly it depends on choice whether to use film photography over digital photography. If you happen to be a professional photographer or perhaps a freelance photographer that prefers film over digital then this may be a viable choice to choose film photography over digital. Film photography is older than digital photography. There are different sizes and structures that are used in developing film format photography.
Digital Photography

Film photography does have its ups and downs and there's many uses in film photography. Make no mistake digital photography will display the highest quality in your images. Digital film places images on memory so there's no film to load or reload. In addition digital photography rates images in pixels, the higher the pixel the better quality in the exposure. Adding higher pixels you get much larger images which in turn will use more memory when you save your images. Digital photography also has its benefits; one is that you can take hundreds of photos using one memory card. A typical memory card these days are usually between 2-4 Gigabits (Gb). There's the ability to take high definition photos with some of the newest cameras in use today, especially with the SLR digital cameras. Another huge benefit over film cameras is the ability to see your photos in real-time by using the LCD viewfinder that most digital cameras have nowadays. Photos are viewable, editable, and can be deleted on the fly, unlike film photography where editing can't occur until after the film has been developed. Digital photography is convenient, fast, and affordable. That's why people choose the convenience of digital photography over traditional film more.
Lastly it's a matter of choice whether to use film photography or digital photography. Many professional and amateur photographers will use both standards. Large prints or photos for billboards and even advertising use the best features of film photography. Photos of people, photos that incorporate detailed imagery, and photos best suited for Television and the internet are used with digital format. Try a little of both and see what standard looks and feels best to you. Although digital photography is here to stay, it does have benefits and features that outweighs traditional film. However film format will still be here as long as there's a need for photography.

Classic Car Day 2012

 A car event where i was and took some pictures .. hope you guys enjoy !

Gallery

How to picture the moon

 Introduction

In this article I will try to cover the photography technique required to take good pictures of the moon. I have been for a long time fascinated by moon landscapes pictures and by pictures of the moon alone and wondered for a long time how can those pictures be accomplished. However, after some personal experience, it turned out that shooting the moon is not that hard.


The challenges

If you ever tried to take a moon landscape or, to put it in other terms, a landscape showing a moon you have certainly felt those two pressing problems
The moon looks so small

You will directly feel that the moon showing in your picture is x times smaller than how you had visualized it in the scene. This is mainly because of two reasons.
 * Landscape photography often requires wide angle lenses and wide angle lenses will make the moon look even smaller
 * The ability of our brain to show us the moon bigger than it actually is in the real scene, just because we know it should be bigger
Impossible Exposure

A night scene with a moon is almost impossible to expose, if you expose for the earth you will end up with a completely blown white circle as your moon. Whereas if you expose for your moon, your landscape will be completely black.
Problem solving

Well to solve the above two stated problems, you have two possible solutions
Carefully composed daylight moon picture

Daylight moon pictures can be as great photographsif not more as night scenes with moon. But if you spend enough time looking at some daylight pictures including the moon you will notice two common attributes between all of these shots
 * Telephoto shots: Those pictures are usually carefully composed with a long telephoto lens and not wide anglesand thus eliminating problem one
 * Daylight shots: No kidding  Well being taken during the day, these pictures doesn’t need the long exposure of the night shots and this eliminates problem two.
Separate night shots:

Well this might be a surprise for you, but it is true. Mostnot to say all night scenes pictures that includes a moon are blended shots of different exposures taken maybe miles or even months apart. It just seem an obvious solution to the above two stated problems.

Camera Settings
You will need a fairly long camera lens, from experience and on my Canon EOS 30D which has a 1.6x crop factor a 300mm is hardly enough. Even with it a good crop is still required.
ISO Settings

Set your camera to its lowest ISO speed. Since we are going to be using a tripod anyway then no need to boost the ISO speed, just set it to the lowest value possible because this will give you the cleanest picture your digital camera can give you.
Enable Mirror Lockup and Timer

Moon pictures are very delicate and you’ll really hate a blurry one. So, to minimize camera movements to the max you will want to enable the mirror lockup and, unless you have a cable release for your camera, enable the timer on your camera.
shoot RAW

RAW is much more flexible in editing afterwards and it is not unusual that you will want to develop different versions of your moon shots with different white balance settings.
White Balance

I usually shoot the moon with a tungsten white balance that will give it a nice bronze color. Some people do prefer to set the White Balance to Daylight
Aperture

My preferred aperture for moon shots is f/8 but I think this will also depend on your lens, so I’d say f/8 ~ f/16 range is OK.
Focus

Set your lens on Manual Focus and focus for infinity.
N.B.: Some lenses can focus past infinity, so make sure your lens focus in on infinity

Exposure guide

I have read the following values in some magazine but I really don’t remember which one.

Full => shutter:1/ISO aperture f/16
 Gibbous => shutter:2/ISO aperture f/16
 Quarter => shutter: 5/ISO aperture f/16
 Crescent => shutter: 10/ISO aperture f/16

Exposure compensation
 Moon high in the sky: none
 Moon in mid sky: +1EV
 Moon at/near horizon: +2EV
 Mist haze: +1 to +2 EV

N.B.: Don’t forget to bracket your shots 1 and 2 stops on each sides. I found my best settings to be at f/11, 1/60s, ISO 100

Taking the shot

Well all that you have to do right now is to mount your camera on your tripod, put that moon in the dead center and shoot.

Some quick Photography tips

canon flash

Author:   Sweetwillow Photography
Photography is the art of capturing memories of remarkable times through images. Some pursue photography as their hobby whereas some make it their profession. Whatever be the case, one has to be highly passionate about it. Capturing a moment in a frame is not that easy as it may sound. Anybody can click a photograph but in order to retain the beauty of the photo it is essential for the photographer to know the basics of photography. Amateur photographers who have just started out as professionals must have a thorough knowledge about photography. There are even times when professional photographers forget about some elementary points without which the photographs lose their impact. Every photographer, be it starters or highly experienced, must follow some simple tips which will be highly beneficial for them. Those who carry out photography simply as a hobby can also go through these tips. There are many aspects of photography which needs to be kept in mind while clicking pictures. These tips might come in handy which cover almost all the major aspects.
• Be in a level with the subject
While taking a photograph, if the camera is held at the eye level of the subject then the expression is captured in a wonderful way. For children or animals, it is best to lower the camera to their eye level. Even if the subject doesn't look directly at the camera, it doesn't matter.
• Using flash outdoors
It is often thought that flash should be used during night only. But this is not true. Even during the day time flash should be used. Use of flash depends on the weather as well as the distance of the object from where the pictures is going to be taken. The fill flash mode in digital cameras should be used for sunny days and within a distance of five feet. It can also be used for cloudy days. In case of subjects at more than five feet distance, the full power mode should be used.
• Clicking in a clutter free area
A photo when clicked with a plain background looks much better than that of a background with many objects. This tends to draw the attention away from the object of the photograph. Every photographer should make it a point to check the background before clicking a photograph.
• Shorten the distance from subject
While clicking a picture, the photographer should shorten the distance from the subject. This makes the picture more vibrant. The aim of the photographer should be to fill up the space of the picture with the object.
• Create sharp pictures by focus locking
The focus should be locked when the subject is not in the middle of the picture. The locking can be done in the following way:
The subject should be centered and then the photographer should press and hold the shutter button halfway down
The camera should be positioned in such a way that the subject is not in the center.
Finally, the shutter button should be pressed down to capture the picture.
These are some of the top tips which should be followed to make an impact with the photography.

Photography for Beginners - An Introduction

What you need to know devides  into 3 parts:


1.Your camera – how to buy one and then how to manipulate it to get the kinds of photos you want.


2.Your computer – how to get your pictures off your camera and onto your computer and also how to process them in programs like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.


3.The art of photography – composition, exposure, and light.



Photography for Beginners: Cameras



First, let’s talk about the difference between a point-and-shoot camera, an SLR and a DSLR...


For the most part, point-and-shoots are compact, lightweight, and easy to travel with. And, if you're just starting out, the camera you most likely already own, or the camera you'll probably buy first, will fall into this category.


SLRs - In addition to having lenses that are removable and interchangeable, SLRs usually offer many more options for controlling the camera, including the ability to change your aperture and shutter speed settings as well as shoot in "full manual." (A DSLR camera is nothing more than a “digital” SLR camera.)


The biggest (and probably most important) difference that distinguishes a digital point-and-shoot from a digital SLR lies in the quality of the pictures each is capable of making.


While point-and-shoot cameras have their own advantages (they're compact, easy to travel with, usually cheaper, and they auto-adjust almost everything to help you get the best picture possible), they cannot compete with SLRs in terms of image quality.


That is because digital SLRs have much larger image sensors. This larger sensor size produces a much higher quality image and, therefore, the pictures you produce with an SLR will be saleable in many more markets than those taken with a point-and-shoot.


In addition. The DSLR will do several things much faster, allowing you to capture the image at the “decisive moment.” For one, they are much faster at auto-focus than point-and-shoots. They also likely have 3 to 15 times more auto-focus points on the sensor. Moreover, the inner computer chips react much faster. It’s possible to capture a fast-moving soccer or basketball match accurately -- a feat out of reach for the point-and-shoot camera. It will also process the shots and store them to the card faster. This allows you to keep shooting image after image in fast succession.


Also, top-of-the-line pro cameras have weather seals to let you shoot in difficult conditions, including snow and modest rain. The build quality makes them a more rugged piece of equipment for hard use.
How to Choose the Camera That's Best for You

 Canon eos rebel T3 :

• 12.2 MP CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Image Processor for high image quality and speed.
• ISO 100 - 6400 for shooting from bright to dim light.
• Improved EOS HD Movie mode with expanded recording and with in-camera video editing options.
• High speed, reliable 9-point AF system utilizing a high precision, f/5.6 cross-type center point.
• Enhanced metering with a 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system for accurate metering between exposures.

Most professional photographers own a compact point-and-shoot camera they can easily slip into their bag or carry in their pocket.


Some will tell you they never leave home without it. All agree that a lower quality picture taken with a point-and-shoot is better than no picture at all. And sometimes, it's just not prudent to carry around bigger equipment.


This is the first level of equipment you should have in your kit. At times, it'll be the only equipment you carry.


When you're buying a compact point-and-shoot, try to get one that has at least five megapixels. (We’ll talk more about megapixels in a minute.)


Nikon, Canon, Panasonic and Olympus make great point-and-shoot cameras. They're usually at the top of the line. Sony has great point-and-shoots, too, but all their equipment is proprietary -- it doesn't mix well with equipment and accessories of other brands.


If all you have in your camera bag is a digital point-and-shoot camera, here are the markets you can consider when it comes time to sell your images...
Online stock agencies (though you'll have a lot more images turned down for image quality and size than you will with an SLR and you’ll make far less money because your images can not be enlarged to meet the requirements of many photo buyers)...
Supporting photos to go with a travel article on the web...
Most newspapers...
Fine art for pieces 8 x 10 and smaller.


SLR markets have no limits (and by the way, we use SLR and DSLR interchangeably when we talk about cameras in The Right Way to Travel newsletter. Whenever we say SLR we usually mean a digital SLR camera or DSLR).


DSLRs have an image sensor that's significantly larger than those of point-and-shoot cameras and can produce a much higher-quality image.


Camera makers have led us to believe that a camera with more megapixels is a better camera. But that doesn't always hold true.


When you pack more pixels on a small image sensor, you tend to lose image quality. So when you see a point-and-shoot camera with a higher megapixel count than a DSLR, it doesn't mean that the quality is going to be better. The pixels on a DSLR sensor are themselves bigger, yielding a better image.
Choosing the Right Brand


Most professional photographers will tell you that their preferences in camera brands are largely dependent on how the camera feels and handles, not just on how many pixels or special features it has.


The major players in digital SLR photography today are Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Olympus, with Canon and Nikon in the lead.


The major advantage to sticking with these brands is that these companies have been at this for a long time. They're not likely to go out of business (leaving you with a bunch of equipment you can't sell off, upgrade, or repair). And if you stick with Canon or Nikon, you'll have the largest selection of accessories from which to choose.


The rest comes down to price. Typically, more expensive cameras buy you more durability and larger sensor sizes. More expensive cameras also tend to take better pictures at night with less "noise" in your shadows and faster ISO speeds.


That said, every camera comes with a learning curve and while professional-grade cameras come with extra features, that’s just more you need to learn. And when something goes wrong and your pictures aren’t turning out right, you’ll have to experiment with more buttons and screens to find the problem.


If you’re starting out, I recommend you purchase an entry-level SLR and use it for a couple of years. When you're ready to upgrade, you can place your old equipment on consignment at a professional camera store or sell it to a mail-order outlet such as Adorama or KEH Camera.
SLR Models for Beginners


The Canon Rebel XSi is a great starter SLR camera for beginners. It has 12 Megapixels, and you can find it online for about $579 with a standard, normal lens.


The Canon Rebel XS is nice, too, (and typically sells for a little cheaper as it only has 10 megapixels) but you'll save less than $100 by choosing this model over the XSi and if you're interested in selling your photos as stock, those extra two megapixels can be enough to move your images up a notch on the online stock photography scale.


The Nikon D3000 and D5000 have a similar story. But the D5000 will cost you an extra $200 to $300 for those extra two megapixels (and an articulated screen) so it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. The D3000 is an excellent starter camera.
SLRs for the More Advanced Shooter


Everything more expensive than the Canon Rebel XSi and the Nikon D3000 is best purchased by considering the price you're willing to pay and what that price buys you - faster ISO speeds, more durability, a larger sensor size, and potentially newer technology.


Your best bet is to figure out how much you're willing to spend and then go into a store to look at your options. Price alone will narrow your search dramatically. And brand will help you narrow them even further.


Again, Nikon and Canon are the biggest players. Both make really great cameras. And both will be easy to resell when you're ready to upgrade.


And beware of Sony. Sony cameras need special adapters when you want to use anything that's not made by the Sony brand -- studio lights, external flashes, etc. It's generally not worth the hassle to start down that road.


So which is right for you: Point-and-shoot or SLR?


Truth is, point-and-shoots are great cameras for learning because they don't typically have all the bells and whistles of an SLR. That means you can master basic photography techniques without getting bogged down in the technical specifics of your camera. (They're also great on trips where a bulkier camera might be more of a hindrance than a help.)


Besides that, almost all of the techniques in our e-letter archives and our Turn Your Pictures into Cash Program can be practiced on a point-and-shoot. Selective focus (where you select one part of your image to be in focus and blur the other elements in the photo) will be an exception left mostly to SLR.                     


A higher quality point-and-shoot -- the Canon G10 which has now been upgraded to the Canon G11. And an entry-level SLR, the Panasonic Lumix G1. The Panasonic G1 is also much a much smaller SLR due to the fact that they’ve replaced the mirror box with an electronic finder, and the sensor is slightly smaller than the cameras made by Nikon and Canon. As a result, you have a smaller body and smaller lenses.
 If you’re not quite ready to make the jump to an SLR (because remember, SLR cameras come with a larger learning curve) or you don’t want to carry around a big piece of equipment, perhaps the Canon G11 will fit the bill.
 As i said above that Nikon and Canon are good brands to get into. But without getting too much into the technical specifics, I also said Olympus was a good brand and Panasonic and Olympus cameras can share lenses.

Nikon D3100 :

• 14.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor; 3-inch monitor with One-Touch Live View shooting and movie capture
• Includes 3x 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR VR Image Stabilization lens
• Full 1080p HD Cinematic Video with full-time autofocus and sound
• Easy-To-Use Nikon Guide Mode with intuitive controls and on-board assistance
• Capture images to SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards (not included)
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 13 x 6 inches ; 1.3 pounds  

Different Types of Portrait Photography – Tips & Suggestions

Author: Vernon Southward
The term portrait may refer to Portrait Painting and Portrait Photography both – here, the facial expression of the subject is captured by the painter or the photographer. People interested in a career in portrait photography should know the basics of this subject and maintain these guidelines while taking pictures of people.
Portrait photography has many branches; let’s learn about them first.


Different types of Portrait Photography:


Portrait photography is further classified under four main sections:

1. Close-ups


2. Facial Shots


3. Upper Body Shots


4. Environmental Portrait

Professional photographers always try to capture the true self of a person through photography. However, with a camera focusing on the face, people become nervous and make faces that do no represent their real personality or the mood. And the photograph looks artificial.
An expert photographer would follow his own tricks to make the person feel comfortable and relaxed so that the right facial expression is captured. As a photographer you have to make the subject feel easy and not worried about the camera. While taking pictures of professional models, you don’t need to worry at all as they are quite trained on how to face the camera. But general people become very much camera-conscious during photo shoot. Hence, to capture natural photographs, you have to take few snaps without making them aware. You may go through portrait photography tips to know more about such tricks.
Some easy and widely practiced tricks are stated below:
Ask your subject to get ready for a photograph; let them prepare for the snap; and then take a picture. Now as the shutter moves up and down and your subject starts to relax, take few more snaps very fast. This would help you capture their true persona.
Some professionals tell funny jokes while taking pictures to ease up the situation; some ask the subjects to engage in some easy and fun activities and take the snaps when the person is unaware of the camera.
The activities may depend on the age of the subject. For example, if you are taking portrait of a child, ask him or her to look at a picture and count number of circles in it. OR ask them to play with toy, solve a puzzle or copy an easy illustration.
Tackling children is quite easy than adults. A matured person is very much aware of the situation and knows that you are trying to distract his mind from the camera. Hence, you may need to choose some other tricks.
Some professional portrait photographers prefer to chat with their subject for hours before taking them to the shooting floor. You can engage someone to talk with the subject when you prepare your camera, lens and lights. You can also ask them to continue talking when you take pictures.
You can also think of some tricks of your own OR consult professional portrait photographers for more effective ideas. Many such methods, tips and tricks of portrait photography are available online. You can go through online photography tutorials or attend workshops to know more about portrait photography.