by Chris Gampat on April 21, 2012
Instagram is an extremely fun app to use that promote social photo sharing and has a major emphasis on simplicity. While this is all true, the photos from your phone won’t always be as great as your camera’s. To get around that, get your hands on an Eye-Fi X2 Pro card and enable Eye-Fi’s mobile sharing powers through the menus.
Plug the card into your computer using the special card reader. After the software is installed, click on the settings and route the photos to come to your phone. Try to set it so that only JPEGs come through and not RAWs. When you shoot a photo with your camera, the photos will be sent into Eye-Fi’s cloud where they will then be downloaded onto your computer or phone depending on how you set it up.
After downloading the Eye-Fi app for your Android or iOS device, ensure that your device will be able to receive the photos from your camera. Here’s how to do it with an Android device or an iOS device. The settings and menus could use a major UI overhaul, but after some experimentation and patience, you’ll be able to get it working.
For the best results, shoot in the smallest JPEG possible.
When shooting, your Eye-Fi card will try to find a WiFi connection; but if it can’t, it will create its own to send the images. The app’s ability to download images from the cloud will vary on your mobile phone carrier’s connection speed. Once they come in though, simply select the photo and click on the share button. Select Instagram, choose a filter, then type in a message followed by selecting where to send the photo to, and let it fly. This works best with Eye-Fi enabled cameras, I’m using my Olympus EPM1, but my Nikon D5100 would also work well.
Give it shot, and let us know if you have any questions. If you’re on Instagram, be sure to find me online @chrisgampat
You can check out more Useful Photography Tips right here.
by Felix Esser on April 21, 2012
A lens with filter and hood. Read below why using both is important.
When being out and about taking pictures, one of the most important rules is to keep your lens(es) protected. There are various reasons why this is important, and various ways of lens protection that are possible. For one, you don’t want your lenses to be damaged. Ever walked through the narrow streets of a small Mediterranean village? You could easily come too close to a wall and scratch your front lens element. Ever taken pictures at the sea with a non-waterproof camera? Dirt or salt could easily penetrate your lens. But it’s not only about the lenses—it’s also about the camera. Ever walked through bright sunlight without a lens cap on? Your shutter or sensor could be damaged by a concentrated beam of light. (Remember how you used to burn ants with a loupe when you were a child?)
Here are a number of ways to protect your lens, and the reasons why you should do so. [click to continue…]
by Chris Gampat on April 17, 2012
More experienced users will know that people just dipping their toes into the world of flashes and strobism often try to directly point their flash at a subject and hope for the best. That’s not always the best way to think about it. Direct flash will deliver harsh shadows on a subject, and if you’re going for that Terry Richardson type of look, then go ahead and fire away.
However, speedlites, speedlights and other hot shoe flashes are meant to be used differently. Keep this very quick list of tips in mind:
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by Gevon Servo on April 15, 2012
I am the type of person who tries to keep a camera with them at all times. You never know when a good photo opportunity is going to present itself. The universe is funny that way. Along with my camera, I try to keep cleaning supplies, my BlackRapid strap, an Ultra Pod II and polarizer filters for whatever lenses am carrying at the moment. The polarizing is one of the most important things I have in my bag.
Why? Read more after the jump. And take a look at our other Useful Photography Tips. [click to continue…]
by Thomas Campbell on April 10, 2012
Bridal portrait on the beach in Maui, Hawaii
Anyone who has run a successful photography business can tell you that being successful is 80% business and 20% photography. I know when I first started out that the biggest time block was spent in editing. And all that time editing is completely wasted because I don’t get paid any more for spending more time editing. So the less time I can spend processing my images, the more time I can invest where it matters.
Check out all our other Useful Photography Tips too!
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by Thomas Campbell on March 29, 2012
Celebration
Weddings are generally slow moving events: a slow walk up the aisle, some forewarning before the kiss, a slow walk back down the aisle, slow first dance, etc.. But you always have one event that moves quickly – the bouquet and garter toss. Capturing this event is another major mile stone in telling the story of the day.
If you want to capture the moment when the bouquet gets tossed and caught, here are a couple of quick tips.
Want More Useful Photography Tips? Take a look at our list here.
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