Hi everyone

Sorry about the delay getting this newsletter out to you. I have been a lot busier than I ever expected with a new wee girl to look after. Charlotte has a bib that says “I might be small but I’m the boss” well I can tell you that this is definitely right.

Welcome:

Welcome to all of our new photographers. We look forward to seeing all your photos for sale. Don’t forget to ask us if you have any questions, it’s the best way to learn.

Winter’s well under way:

With winter well and truly here it is time to think of different ways to make money. We are constantly being told that we are in a recession so new ways to bring in that extra income are needed. For those of you who would like to try some new ideas how about contacting any events organisers in your area and seeing what they have coming up, you may like to attend the mountain bike races or other events they have. You can take the photos, hand out your shortcut address on a slip of paper and upload the photos to the site, this is a good fun way to earn those extra dollars.

Another thought would be to go to your local Ski Field when it opens and take some nice photos of couples, families and groups of friends give them the shortcut address and upload your photos that night. You will find this is a good way to get to tourists and people love photos of themselves having fun with the lovely scenery in the background.

Photo Competition:

Since having Charlotte I have been slack with the newsletter hence the photo competition has lapsed. We are looking to running the photo competition every three months onstead of every two. The current competition is a collection of the past winners photos so you can all go and vote for your very favourite photo. The next Competition will start on August the 1st  and the theme will be “Laughter” so email us your photos before the start of August to be in to win.

Photography Tip: Candid Photography

 Candid photography is photography that focuses on spontaneity rather than technique. Your subject’s focus is not on the camera, but on their current task. So we’re not talking about the photo albums full of people looking at the camera and smiling here! Your subjects are un-posed and the shots are unplanned.

Candid photos are usually simple photos without a lot of technical equipment or any time taken setting up the shot. Thus they capture some wonderful slices of life!

Here are some tips for taking candid photos: •

• Take your camera everywhere you go! Keep alert for candid situations – they can be found everywhere. 
• It’s rare to get a second chance with candid photography. When you see an opportunity, grab it! •
• Don’t use complicated lighting techniques for taking your candid shots. Concentrate on the simple and use your camera’s automatic features. Technical problems don’t matter so much if you have a great candid photo. Most technical problems (like if the image is too dark or too light) can be fixed on your computer. 
• The best candid photographers blend into the background, so don’t be too obvious. Do what everyone else is doing so you fit in with the situation. Then when you see a good candid moment, bring your camera up to your eye. 
• You don’t always need to take the shot with your camera at eye level. Support your camera on your waist when taking the photo. Some luck or experience is needed here to get the framing right. 
• Use your zoom lens to it’s fullest extent so you can keep away from the action while taking your shot. A telephoto lens is essential if you’re going to be a fair distance away.
• Never take photos of people’s backs. Nothing is more boring than a group of people with all backs turned to the camera. It just doesn’t work. 
• Try converting the image to black and white to get that extra punch and emotion. 
• People ‘doing things’ make the best candid photos. Sports players, trades people, farmers and accountants are all excellent examples of subjects with things to do. 
• Try to capture the essence of the person’s task. For example, you might capture a plumber concentrating on fixing a leaky pipe.
• If you’re in a public place, it’s usually okay to photograph people. If they object, however, you need to stop. If you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask permission beforehand. Your subject may want to pose, so explain what you saw them doing and ask them to continue as if you weren’t there. 
• Experiment! Sometimes the artistic expression of a candid photo can be limited by you, the photographer. Try different angles, places and scenes. Look at candid photos created by others (they can be found in lots of magazines) for inspiration.

Candid photography is a great way to add some artistic flair to your photos without spending a lot of time with the technical aspects of photography. David Peterson has a great love of photography and loves to share his knowledge with the world! He has created a series of free tips at http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com to help digital photography users everywhere take better photos.

 Good luck with your candid photography – happy shooting

Newsletter:

If there is anything you would like us to cover just send Jeanna an email at admin and we will endeavour to include it in the following edition.