Secrets To Take Sharper Photos

No matter how beautiful your model is or how attractive is your background, if your picture is not clear and sharp, it is less likely to attract the attention of the viewers. Simply buying high-end photo studio equipments will not be helpful; you need to follow the below mentioned steps to get crispy pictures. 

Stabilize your camera

Hold your camera properly and make sure it’s absolutely stable. Use your right hand to press the shutter button, whereas the left hand will support the lens. Your elbows should be tucked firmly to your sides. This will help you in stabilizing your camera. 

You can also use various photo studio equipments such as tripods, monopods, wireless shutter release, camera remote control, etc. in order to avoid camera shakes. 

Use a polarizing filter whenever needed

For outdoor shoots polarizing filters can do wonders for you. These inexpensive lens accessories available with any photography store are known to darken the blue sky and give a turquoise look to the water. The more hue your picture captures, the sharper it will be. Moreover, polarizing filters also help reducing the effect of haze, thereby giving a crispy look to your images. 

Shoot at a larger aperture 

 

This is because, when your aperture is small, diffraction happens thereby decreasing the sharpness of an image. Usually lenses are sharpest when stopped 2 to 3 stops before their maximum aperture. Adjust your f-stop as per your need but make sure it’s towards the maximum side and not the minimum one. 

Zoom and then focus

The parfocal lenses of the past were designed in a way that even if you zoomed in or out, the focus didn’t change. These days, parfocal lenses are no more in use and therefore, if you focus and then zoom, your original focus drifts, thereby decreasing the quality of your composition and sharpness. The better way is to first zoom in or out and once your composition is finalized, focus your lens.

These techniques are sure to help you give the sharpness that your picture wants. Apart from these, keep experimenting with your camera settings to see how they affect your photographs. The more you experiment, the more you learn.

The Technique of Lighting Your Subject Using a Softbox

Softbox

A soft box is a photographic equipment that is used to conceal a light source such as a flash head or a lamp. The light passes through its translucent front panel, thereby getting diffused and softened. Photographers, who are into portrait photography or macro photography, frequently use them. However, not all of them know how to exactly position their subject and this equipment to get the best results. I keep reviewing the photography forums, where I see endless numbers of amateur as well as professional photographers keep asking about the size of soft box they should buy, if they can use the soft box with a Speed light, and many other questions that prompted me to write these guidelines. Follow them properly and after seeing the results, I bet you will never shoot without these soft light devices.

• Always buy a soft box that is larger than the subject or object you will be shooting. A box with larger surface will make the light fall evenly on your subject. Moreover, the larger the box, the softer will be the lights produced by it, giving your subject a majestic look.
• If you want to adjust the intensity of the light, you can do that by altering the distance between the subject and the Soft Light Devices. The closer the subject, the harsher will be the light falling on it.
• Shadows can be created or removed by adjusting the angle and direction of the soft box and using other reflectors and diffusers. Experiment with different angles and enjoy the effects that you will get in your pictures.

Soft, diffused key light that illuminates your subject appropriately is crucial for having flawless photography experience. Softbox supplies will help you to achieve this.

Must-have Green Screen Accessories for Every Chroma Key Photographer

Green screen technology is indispensable for the entertainment industry for making special-effects laden videos and photos. This technology, driven with the help of Chroma Key Accessories, is simply about replacing the green color element from the screen with something of your choice. Using this technique allows you to take your subject’s picture at any physical or imaginary location without even moving out of your studio. Chroma keying has revolutionized the photography industry and has helped create some unbelievable work that has left people speechless. This however, is not a rocket-science. Anyone with good skills and knowledge can take up this form of photography. Here are some Green Screen Accessories that you would need for Chroma keying. 

Green Screen Body Suit

  

Green Screen Hood 

Green Screen Gloves

Green Screen Backdrop

Green Screen Software

 

Green Screen Accessories And Their Uses

Green screen photography has revolutionized the photographic industry. This technology is often used in movies to give special effects to the videos. There are endless uses of the green screen photography accessories such as software, Chroma key backdrops, green screen suits, gloves, and other apparel. The best part of the technology is that it’s not a rocket science and with some precision, can be used by any photographer. There are many practical uses of this technology.

Background replacement

The Chroma key accessories such as the backdrops are used for background replacement photography. The subject is initially photographed in front of the Chroma key backdrops and later, with the help of green screen software, the green or blue background is replaced with any desirable background. The same process is also applicable for videos as well. You don’t even need to move out of your studio for shooting your subject in front of the Seven Wonders of the World. You simply have to get the backgrounds that you will be using for replacing the green screen. 

Removing elements

The green screen photography accessories such as the hood and gloves are used for replacing certain parts of your foreground or background. Simply cover the part you want to remove in your video or picture and later, key the green colored portion out. If you want to make your subject go headless, make him wear the hood and use green screen software to remove it. The end result will give you a video having a headless man. Similarly make your subject wear the gloves if you want to make him become armless in your videos.
 

The entertainment industry is the biggest user of this technology, as they use green screen technology to create stunning videos for satisfying the demanding audience. Thriller and suspense movies strive due to this latest photographic technique. Even the news broadcasters use these Chroma key accessories for weather forecasting and other tricks that they use in their everyday display.
 

Green screen photography and its equipment have unlimited uses. Only your imagination limits you from what you can do with them.

Must-have Digital Camera Accessories for Videographers

There are endless camera accessories available in the market; all designed for a specific need and aimed at improving the quality of photographs and videos you shoot. Some of these accessories are an absolute necessity and many others are simply optional pieces. As a user, you need to decide which equipments are optional for you and which you cannot ignore. Here are some digital camera equipment that I feel are the must-haves for people who are into videography.

Extra batteries or battery grip :

While filming, the last thing you want to see is your device shutting in the middle of your shot. Before you begin your shot, make sure your batteries are completely charged. Experts even recommend using battery grip, as shooting videos consume more power. Make sure your batteries are in a healthy condition to last longer.

Lenses :

To get the best quality video, it is always advisable to invest in high-quality camera accessories. There are special varieties of lenses that are designed to give you clearer pictures while shooting videos. Apart from getting crisp output, many of the high-end versions also allow you to play with the framings. All these features are sure to give a professional look to even your studio-made videos.

Audio devices :

These days almost all cameras are equipped with their own built-in microphones; however, for making professional videos, you need to use the extra audio accessories that can give you clearer sound. Invest in an external audio recorder along with all the required accessories that will help you to capture the sound minus the disturbing elements such as wind or ambiance noise. In addition to all these, you must buy the software required for reducing the noise of your recorded videos.

Stands :

Unwanted camera shakes can cause blurriness and spoil your video. Therefore, you need something to stabilize your Digital Camera Equipment. Tripods and monopods are great for mounting your camera; use tripod with ball head so that you can comfortably move your camera to any angle you want without any shakes or friction.

Apart from these, there are numerous other equipment that you would need to work on.

Digital Camera Accessories that are a must have for Night Photography

Although clicking photographs in low light conditions seems to be a difficult task for most amateur shutterbugs, you can get spectacular results for night photography by using a few important digital camera equipments. Since most cameras have an automatic night mode, you don’t have to struggle for setting them up but experts recommend you to manually set the exposure, the f-number, and the ISO speed to get the desired results. Apart from setting up your camera, here is a list of few digital camera accessories that you must have for photographing during night.

Tripod:

Due to long exposure time that can even range to minutes, night photography requires a tripod or monopod so that you can give utmost stability to your camera. Achieving this manually is not possible; therefore, every photographer, who wants to take pictures in low light conditions, must use these digital camera accessories. You can use other objects around you to shoot your pictures such as a wall, a table, etc. but nothing can replace tripods, as they give you flexibility to change height, orientation, as well as angle.

Battery grip:

You must carry this not only to get a better grip over your camera but also to prolong its life. Your camera will use more power for long exposure shots and if the weather is cold, even more energy would be required. To avoid running out of battery, use a battery grip that will hold extra batteries and will extend the shooting time.

Shutter release

For getting excellent shots, you must avoid anything that might cause camera shake. During night, the chances of shakes are higher, as you would be using long exposures. Apart from using a tripod, you must also use a shutter release to isolate any physical action of opening or closing of the shutter release button of your digital camera equipments, thereby eliminating the risk of camera shake.

Getting crispier images during night photography needs some good practice and a lot of concentration along with these equipments.

The Key to Successful Chroma Key photography

 The Green screen technique has become the backbone of the entertainment industry, as an increasing number of producers are opting this for saving their production cost. This cutting-edge technique has allowed people to make amazing videos without breaking their bank or going out for an on-location shoot. Being simple, Chroma keying is no more limited to the big names of the industry. Even the professional photographers and videographers are buying green screen kits to impress their clients with stunning photographs having unbelievable backgrounds. However, if you miss the finer points while Chroma keying; you have to face a lot of keying headaches.

If you don’t want to sit for hours in front of the composting program, make sure you light the background as evenly as possible with no hot spots. Although most green screen software that comes with your green screen photography kit, has the required tools for correcting these flaws but the process is very much time-consuming. Therefore, keeping the background as uniformly lit as possible will make your post-production work much easier.

Never make your subject stand near to your green screen kit, especially the backdrop. The closer your subject, the more will be the color spills. Getting rid of these spills can be a nightmare for you and therefore, maintaining a healthy distance is advisable while shooting. The recommended distance between the subject and your backdrop is 6 to 10 feet.

The new background that you choose for your picture must have the same brightness and tone as that your picture. If the color contrast mismatches, your picture will not look natural. You can adjust the contrast during the post-production process but the extent of change that you can make it very limited. Therefore, you must try to match your background before Chroma keying.

Always adjust your camera settings to shoot at a higher resolution. This is because, the greater the resolution, the more will be the data available for the keyer to work with. Key at higher resolution and then, shrink the image to your requirements. This way you will be able to get more accuracy.

Just replacing the background is not sufficient; you need to make sure that the work is done accurately so that the final output seems real and not Chroma keyed.

What should be there in an ideal photographer’s kit?

Anyone who is into photography must have a photography kit that consists of all important equipments required for clicking the ideal shots. Professional photographers have a good understanding of what they would need for their assignments but amateurs, especially the ones who don’t have a mentor in this industry, will find it difficult to choose the right equipments for their kit. I keep receiving many queries from budding photographers about the equipments that they must buy or can avoid. To guide them and all other upcoming shutterbugs, here is a list of all those equipments that I feel you must have all the time; whether they are in their studio or at an on-location shoot. The list is very generic and will vary as per your assignment.

Chroma key backdrop and background stand

For portrait photography, product photography, wedding photography etc. your complete photo studio kit must have a backdrop against which you will feature your subject. Since you are new to this profession and do not have much to spend, buy reversible muslin blue and green Chroma key backdrop. The canvas ones would be expensive and moreover, you cannot carry them for on-location shoots. The Chroma key backdrops are multi-purpose and can also be used for green screen photography, if you try to get into it at a later stage. A backdrop stand is indispensable for holding the backdrop.

Tripod

You may not find it worth buying but like any other seasoned photographer; I would also recommend you to buy a tripod. Even professional photographers use them to give stability to their camera, thereby getting rid of camera shakes. A slight shaking of your hand can cause blurriness and destroy all your efforts. Your equipments are new to you and you are new to this profession. Investing in a tripod will be a wise decision for you.

Continuous lighting equipments

Don’t buy a flash unit or other related accessories; they are meant for experts who know how to position and use them. Using them is not as simple as it sounds. Until you get familiar with the lighting techniques, you should rely on continuous lighting equipments such as fluorescent bulbs, light stands, etc.

Lighting accessories

Photography is all about playing with light and to do this, you would need the diffusers and reflectors in your photography kit. Reflectors will help you to fill in the shadows by bouncing the existing light, whereas the diffusers will soften the harsh light coming out of the light source. This will give a natural look to your subject.

A notebook

Confused? Since you are new to this industry, you will be learning a new thing every time you pick-up your camera. Note down all these things for future reference. Keep the notebook handy whenever you are with your camera.

There can never be a complete photo studio kit because there are endless equipments and each of them is important for a particular situation. The above mentioned equipments are just some of the many options. Please feel free to share your list.

The Evolution of Green Screen Technology

Chroma keying has become the basis of photography these days. Almost every photographer has tried his/her hands on it. This technique has helped many creative shutterbugs to come up with unbelievable pictures and videos that would not have been possible otherwise. Although we have been involved in this in our day to day life, very few of us actually know how it all started. The initial experimentation started in 1930’s by Linwood Dunn, a pioneer of visual special effects. He used travelling mattes to create wipes for the movie ‘Flying down to Rio’. Later, in 1040s, Larry Butler used Dunn’s principles and along with blue screen backgrounds and technology for making the movie ‘The thief of Bagdad’ for which had won an Academy award. After this, the entire film industry began experimenting with this new technique. Among all of them, Arthur Widmer, a Warner Brother employee and ex-researcher of Kodak, came up with extremely useful techniques that helped him in making ‘The old man and the sea’. Arthur developed the ultraviolet travelling matte process.

The Chroma keying industry kept using their blue screen kit until the late 1970s when the keying color was finally changed to green from blue. However, the process was still under experimentation. From weather report to film footage, the Chroma keying effects were not accurate but the industry leaders didn’t give up. They kept polishing this technique till it became the future of photography.

After 8 decades, the background replacement technique has got a wider acceptance and is frequently used to create amazing pictures and videos without even moving out of your studio. The keying process has become so accurate that it’s difficult to judge if it’s a real picture or a Chroma keyed one.

The Magical Power of Photographic Reflectors and Why cannot You do without them

Reflectors are amazing photographic equipments that can help you to solve most of your natural light photography issues. They are the ones that give your subject a bright, spotless look. As the name suggests, they reflect the direct sunlight falling on them and direct them towards your subject to illuminate him/her along with covering up the shadows. Although they are frequently used for outdoor photography, these photographic equipments also have an important place in studios as well.

When you photograph your model in sunlight, you must make her stand with her back towards the sun. This will give your background a great look but the model will get a lot of shadows on her front side. To combat this, you will have to light your subject from the front side. Since you already have so much light available in the surrounding, instead of using any artificial source you can direct the existing light towards your subject. This is where you would need the help of a reflector for photography.

Position your reflector towards the light source so that light falls on it and bounces back towards the subject who is standing in front of the reflector. For best effect, place it as close to the subject as you can without interfering with the shot. Always take your colleague or assistant’s help for holding it at an accurate position. If you have no one at your help, attach it onto a tripod. Reflectors come in many colors such as gold, silver, white, translucent, and black. Each color has its own significance and therefore, you must choose the most appropriate color as per your requirement. The gold one is perfect to add some warm look to your subject. The silver one reflects most of the light falling on them thereby increasing the brightness of the subject. For simply filling the shadows, use the white one; whereas if you feel the light is more than enough, use a translucent one between your subject as well as sun to restrict some of it.

Reflectors are of various shapes and sizes, such as circular reflectors, umbrella reflectors, etc. Anything that can bounce off light can be used as a light modifier. However, do not choose anything that can actually spoil your work. For example; never use a tin foil, even if it can reflect a good amount of light. This is because; tin foil reflections can actually cause inconvenience to your subject. Professional reflectors are advisable, as they are designed to give you best results.

Four Equipments That Must Never Forget While Going Out For A Wedding Photography Assignment

Photographing an important occasion such as a wedding involves a lot of responsibility. Your slight negligence can make you miss some very crucial moments of the celebrations and can cost you dearly. Only having high-end cameras and lenses will not help you to take those stunning pictures. You need to have the right accessories that will give you all opportunities to take flawless pictures. Here is a list of some of the important ones that you must have in your photography kit.

Battery grip:

There are many unexpected pictures that you might have to take. You have to keep your camera constantly on to capture every single movement of the bride and the groom. All this consumes a lot of power of your battery. If your camera runs out of power, you will miss many important shots. The best way to avoid this is to gear-up your camera for taking more pictures without having the need to change batteries. A battery grip will increase the capacity of your camera along with giving you a convenience of taking vertical shots.

Green and blue backdrops:

For creating amazing portraits of both bride and groom, you would have to take the help of green screen photography. Take your reversible backdrop with you instead of the green ones, as you can never be sure about the costumes and accessories of the wedding couple and the guests. Moreover, a green and blue reversible backdrop will reduce your burden of carrying both of them individually.

Tripods:

With a lot of people around, chances of someone hitting or stamping you are quite high. Moreover, when you are taking a lot of photographs, chances are there that your hands might shake leading to blurred images. Blurriness cannot be corrected by any photo-editing software and the only solution to get rid of this problem is to avoid camera shakes. A tripod will not only give you sharper pictures but also help you to keep your camera safe.

Light modifiers:

Even if the wedding is outside and during the day, you would need light modifiers to get rid of shadows and illuminating your subjects evenly. For this, do not forget to carry your reflector kit, and an umbrella.

Apart from all these, there are many other tools that can do wonders for you. The golden rule is not to anticipate anything and carry everything that you feel you would need.

How to Prevent Your Light Stand From Tripping When Shooting Outside

Whether you shoot indoors or outdoors, you cannot avoid bringing your own lighting equipments with you. Even though there will be sufficient natural light outside, it won’t be in the direction you need it. Moreover, you will need light to fill in the shadows on the face of the subject. Therefore, it is always advisable to carry your light and light stands wherever you go. Using the stands in windy conditions can be challenging and the consequences of not using one can be severe. Here are certain that will help you to give stability to your stand.

Use The Conventional Sand Bags to Balance Your Light Stand

These inexpensive bags are an excellent choice for balancing your studio light stands or even your tripod. The heavier the stand and the larger the light, the more weight you would be required. Experts recommend that the minimum weight should be 15 lbs.

Weight Lifting Plates

It’s hard to believe but you can actually use the weight lifting plates to stabilize your lighting equipments. Use a rope to suspend these plates from the stand. Make sure that the distance between the plates and the ground is not much so that even if the plates fall due to any reason, there will not be any major damage. Although this is a wonderful idea, the major disadvantage with this idea is that you have to carry the plates with you all the time. If you are sure that you will find something like a huge stone that can be hung from the stand, you can drop the idea of carrying the plates.

Excess Baggage

For any outdoor shoot, you have to carry a lot of equipments with you. This excessive baggage can be used to stabilize the stand. Tie a ball bungee cord to your main gear bag and hang it on the stand. This is an awesome way to prevent your stands from tripping, as you don’t have to carry any extra weight with you. However, chances are there that your excessive baggage may not weigh enough to support your stand.

Apart from the ideas mentioned above, you can use anything that can add weight to your stand, thereby stabilizing it.

How to keep Your Green Screen Backdrops Free from Wrinkles?

Wrinkles are neither good for your lady’s face nor for your Chroma key green screen backdrops. Here, we will discuss about how to keep wrinkles away from the photographic backdrop you use.

Usually, the backdrops are made of 100 % cotton fabric, which is also known as Muslin. Although this fabric is very convenient for using as a background, chances of getting wrinkles are high. If you don’t get rid of these, you will probably never be able to take a good photograph. This is because; wrinkles create shadows, the most dreadful issue that every photographer is scared of. Even though you use the best lighting system, creases can make it ineffective. Here is how green screen backdrops must be handled to keep them wrinkle-free.

• Never fold the muslin backdrop, as folding will result in crinkles. The best way to store it is to roll it up round a solid surface such as a plastic tube.

• Washing a backdrop is advisable only in rare cases. Do not wash it in hot water; always use normal or slightly cold water along with a fabric softener.

• If you are using a washing machine, do not machine dry it. Hang it in the sun and let it get dry naturally. Machine drying causes wrinkling.

• Steaming should be preferred over ironing. The water and heat combination will smooth it out.

• Hanging the backdrop from its stand will also help you to get rid of wrinkles. If there are a lot of imperfections, sew a metal pipe at the bottom of the backdrop so that it gets stretched out. Removing the wrinkles using gravitational pull is a time-consuming process and therefore, should be planned much ahead of the shoot.

Most creases occur due to bad storage and folding. Make sure you maintain your backdrop appropriately.

Blue Screen Photography and Its Benefits

The blue screen backgrounds are the unsung heroes of the photography industry. Except a few photographers like me, most people prefer the green one over the blue. They are satisfied with it and do not want to go for a change. The popularity of green screen has dominated the industry so much that most professionals as well as amateurs don’t even bother to experiment with other options such as black and blue.

A popular myth that discourages many people from using the blue screen kit is that it is not as effective as the green ones. I and many other blue screen fans laugh at this. Ask us and we can tell you end number of cases where it helped us take pictures that would not have been possible using the grassy backdrop. What will you do when you are featuring a model in a green dress or a model holding a green umbrella? You can still use the green screen but then you will not be able to use instant background removal features that are offered by many photo editing software. The best way to handle such cases is to use a blue screen. Both green and blue screens are equally effective; however, people use green one more because blue is a commonly worn color and therefore, has a higher chances of creating clothing conflicts.

Most people feel that blue is a dull color as compared to green and therefore, cannot make their subjects look attractive. This might be true to a certain extent but blue screen photography much more advantages than you can ever imagine. Easier color correction and less color spill are some of the reasons that make blue screen a better choice than its counterpart.

Don’t go by the name green screen photography; this is synonymous with blue screen photography. Learn the proper uses of blue backdrops and use them for your Chroma key photography needs.

Photo Light Box Versus Lighting Tent : Which One Should You Choose

For doing macro photography, such as shooting jewelry, mobile phones, etc. you have two basic equipments to choose from; the light tent and the light box. Each of these equipments has their own set of advantages that makes them popular among the photographers. Here is a brief comparison between the two that will help you make a better decision while buying them.

• A photo light box is a solid structure having inbuilt multiple lights whereas the tent is made of fabric that is supported by square or rectangular frames. You have to use external studio lights in case of the photo tent.

• A box offers you the ability to take pictures from the sides as well as from the top. If you buy a tent, you can only take pictures from the side and not from the top.

• Photo tents are much cheaper than the boxes. This is because they are made of fabric and do not have any inbuilt lighting facility.

• A light box is gives you consistent lighting every time you use it, whereas, in case of a lighting tent, you have to adjust your lighting equipments manually thereby getting more flexibility to light your subject. The downside is that you will have to spend a lot time in adjusting your equipments.

• Tents are more portable than the boxes and are ideal for photographers who are always on the move; however, the newer models of boxes are also specially designed to offer more mobility to the users.

If you are extremely busy and do not have the time to make the arrangements for lighting, buy a light box, whereas, if you want to experiment with the inputs and take the perfect shot, go for photo lighting tents.

Portable Photo Box : An Important Photographic Gadget

The technical advancement has created endless accessories for photographers to enhance their work. Some of these are highly complicated and expensive tools whereas there are many others that are quite simple but equally useful as the others. Here I am explaining about one such incredible tools that been starting to use more often.

I just happened to come across this portable photo box while searching for a green screen suit on Photostudiosupplies. Initially, I was not able to figure out how useful this box would be but since I am always curious to use the latest gadgets, I bought it. Since I have used it for the first time, this has become my favorite photography gadget that I always have in my tool kit.

A photo box is simply an arrangement of lights inside a box having one open end. They are great to photograph small objects such as jewelry, stuffed toys, food shots for recipes, books, CDs, tableware, and many other things that can conveniently fit inside them. The wall of the box acts as diffusers, thereby softening the harsh light that comes from the light source. Since, the box is a contained area, issues of reflection are minimized. Buy various photo box supplies such as the background pieces so that you can use the most appropriate ones as per the need. These pieces can be conveniently attached by Velcro. The box can be expanded when required and flattened when not in use.

All these benefits highlight the significance of photo light boxes. If you have not tried them yet, buy one and enjoy shooting small objects.

Darkroom Bags Empowers Your Creativity When You Are On The Move

Last Sunday, when I was ordering a darkroom bag from Photostudiosupplies, my assistant, Sabrina, asked why I need this when I already have a full-fledged darkroom for developing my films. She is new to this industry and is yet to learn about many such extremely helpful tools. Even though this bag seems in-efficacious to her, I would probably die without it. I am one of those photographers who still rely on film photography and, therefore, understand the importance of this little black bag, which is a waste for many others.

When I told Sabrina that I need darkroom bags to transfer the films from canister to the developing tank without exposing them to light, she laughed and replied “You can do it in the darkroom. Why do you want to get an extra equipment to increase the load on your shoulders?” She was right but then she probably didn’t realize that you need to actually have a darkroom for this. Photographers like me who are always on the move cannot wait to return to their home or studio to replace their film. Moreover, darkroom needs a lot of preparation such as blacking out the room, starting the ventilation, etc. When you just have to change the roll, you can easily do it anywhere anytime, using these bags.

Sabrina perhaps didn’t know that even if you are sure that your film will be sufficient for your outdoor shoot, you cannot rule out the chances of jammed or partially-exposed films. So what will you do; return to your studio to replace the film or buy this pretty small, light, and convenient Darkroom Bag for Photography. So next time when you are at a photography store, grab it and enjoy being outdoors.

Must-have Digital Camera Accessories for Every Photographer

Last weekend, one of my friends showed me some photographs of his 3 year old daughter standing in his garden with a bunch of roses. He wanted to use them for a baby photo contest but was not really happy with the quality. It seems he had really tried hard to get that perfect shot but despite having a good camera and using light properly, he still missed it. I was unable to help him in editing these pictures, as they had many severe flaws that are extremely difficult to correct. Seeing him disappointed was actually painful.

Most people don’t realize that only having an expensive camera will not give them high quality pictures; you need some Digital Camera Accessories to add that wow effect to your work. If you don’t have these accessories and are not a master in photography, don’t dream of taking photographs that you can send in a contest.

The most common issue that I have found in amateur photographs is blurriness. This happens when there is an unwanted and unintentional camera movement such as shaking of hands. A blurred image is as good as a waste and, to avoid this, you must invest in a tripod or at least a monopod depending upon your budget and interest level. If you feel this as an unnecessary expenditure, you perhaps don’t realize how good your picture can be when taken from a stable camera.

You might argue with me when I ask you to buy an off-camera flash operated by a wireless flash remote. Most digital cameras have built-in flash so why do you need to bother about buying an additional one? My answer is simple; buy it, use it, and compare the picture with the one taken using built-in flash. You don’t have to spend a fortune for these. Many online stores sell these equipments at budget-friendly prices. I usually buy from photostudiosupplies but you can explore many other stores as well. Using an off-camera flash will not only allow you to have proper lighting but also reduce the issue of red eye. To synchronize this equipment with your camera, buy wireless triggers for flash. They use radio signals for triggering.

The next time you want to take a group photo having you in it, don’t set the timer and run. You may just look so tired in the picture or may not be able to strike a good pose. Moreover, if you are still moving when the camera clicks the picture, the image will be blurred. My suggestion would be to buy a remote control. Yes, you can control your camera remotely, thereby getting more flexibility for clicking group photos. You can find a remote control for canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Sony, and almost all other leading brands of cameras.

Even if you are not an avid photographer like me, you still love to take pictures of your child, your pet, your house, and probably your neighborhood. Investing in good camera accessories will surely help you to beautifully capture those wonderful moments.

Beginner’s guide to using continuous studio lighting kit

For studio shooting, there are two types of lightnings that a photographer can use; strobe lighting and continuous lighting. In case of strobe or flash, the camera automatically turns the light on for exposure and once the exposure is complete, the light is turned off automatically. However, if you use a continuous studio lighting kit, the light source will remain illuminated as per the photographer’s desire. This form of illumination is suitable for amateur photographers, however; a majority of professionals also opt for this. Here is a basic guide to use this kit:

• Artificial light has a different color temperature than the natural light. Even if the human eye cannot detect it, the digital cameras cannot balance it properly and therefore, the pictures taken in artificial lighting have an unrealistic color cast. While shooting inside a studio, always make sure you adjust your camera settings to get the natural look.

• Daylight balanced bulbs are the best continuous lighting source. Therefore, your video lighting kit must have lights that are balanced to 5,000 to 6,000 k, the same as daylight.

• Use fluorescent lights, as they are cooler than the Incandescent Light Bulb. They use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than the conventional ones.

• The continuous light source can be conveniently used with softbox lighting kit, reflectors, barndoors, gels, filters, etc. Use them to get the desired effect.

Continuous lighting may not work in certain cases such as shooting frozen or chilled food such as ice cream, as the heat generated by this form of light may melt them. In such cases, the photographers have no choice other than using the strobe.

Why should you buy a reversible Chromakey green and blue screen backdrop?

If you are a photographer who religiously use green screen technology to enhance your work, then the green screen backdrop must be your lifeline. Whether you work indoors or outdoors, this simple but wonderful green colored fabric is the basic thing you would need to work. Being lightweight and collapsible, you can easily carry it with you wherever you go; however, despite being such a useful tool, many times it fails to help you flawlessly.

When using a green screen backdrop, you have to ensure that there is nothing that is green in the picture including the subject’s dress or even the eyes. This is because, while keying, everything that is in green in the picture will be keyed out. Nevertheless, in many cases, you cannot simply avoid green. Here comes the role of blue backdrop. While shooting a green colored fruit drink bottle or a model wearing green colored dress designed by a renowned designer, you have to use blue screen instead of the conventional green one.

To avoid carrying two different backdrops, you should opt for reversible backdrops sold by many renowned online stores such as photostudiosupplies.com. These backdrops have blue and green colored screens on the alternate sides and therefore, are the best options for your photographic requirements. You can use any side as per your requirement. The good quality products collapse to one third of their size and therefore, are portable. This double colored backdrop has all the features that you will get in a single colored one. Buy this Chromakey Green and Blue Screen Backdrop and stay away from the hassles of extra loads while going out for an on location shoot.

Tips for choosing a green screen kit

Gone are those days when photographers had to travel to different locations carrying all necessities and accessories along with their subjects for an outdoor shoot. These days, all they have to do is to install a green screen kit in their studio and start clicking. Green screen technology has proved to be a boon for photographers, as they just have to superimpose their subject’s image on a desired background to create those wonderful looking pictures, sitting inside their studio! However, having the right studio set up by using the perfect supplies is required to give all those magical effects. Below are a few tips to choose the best materials for your green screen studio.

• Backdrop quality: While choosing green screen backdrop kits, make sure that the backdrop is made of high-quality muslin that is wrinkle-free and light weight.

• Color: For making the keying process easier, always buy a backdrop whose color is scientifically matched with Chromakey green.

• Size: While deciding the size of the screen, consider your shooting requirement. For head shots, a small screen of about five by five feet will work but for a full shot, you will need a big screen. If your subject needs to run or lie on the screen, you will have to purchase a bigger one than the full body shot.

• Stand quality: Along with the backdrop, the kit will have a stand for supporting the background. Professional stands are made of telescopic poles to adjust the height of the screen with that of the subject.

• Support: Ensure that the stand supports the screen flawlessly so that you don’t have to struggle with creases. You might need some additional clamps to keep the fabric stretched during the shoot.
  
  Our green screen background kits come with a carry bag for better portability. Buy them at affordable prices from photostudiosupplies.com. To have a well-equipped green photography studio, you must buy a good quality kit. Choose us for all your photographic requirements.

Why is a Chromakey green suit vital for the entertainment industry?

For decades, the entertainment industry has amused us with unbelievable tricks that sometimes leave our eyes and mouth wide open. The demand for such magical actions has always been on the rise; however, with time, it has become difficult to please the audience and the competition within this industry has increased manifolds. To address all these issues, showbiz players are increasing becoming dependent on camera technology rather than stunt men who cannot do all those supernatural actions. Here comes the role of the green screen technology.

Among all green screen equipments, the one that has got the most attention is the Chromakey green screen body suit . The ski-fi movies showing the protagonist becoming invisible and trying hard to save the world is actually possible due to this simple clothing. All that the actor needs to do is, to wear it while doing the tricks; rest all is managed by the videographer who uses software to remove the green color from the video thereby removing the actor wearing the green screen suit. Apart from the full body disappearing, headless shots can also be done by wearing a green hood instead of the full suit.

This suit and other apparel have become the basic requirement of the entertainment industry. These days, green screen technology is used for shooting almost every video. With the rising public demand, the videographers have to be innovative with this Chromakey green suit to come up with crowd-pleasing tricks and therefore, the demand for such clothing will increase tremendously. These cheap but remarkable technological tools are easily available with any online photographic equipment store such as photostudiosupplies.com; however, you must buy the right piece to make an incredible film.

The Art of using Photography Light Reflector

A photography light reflector is the most inexpensive tool that deals with most natural light problems. It is used only with the sole objective to reflect light and diffuse the unwanted shadows that are casted on the subject by the natural light. In many cases, this indispensable photography tool is also used for indoor shooting; however, it is mostly used outdoors.

When shooting portraits with outdoor light, you will get harsh shadows in the areas that will not get sufficient light such as the area under the eyes, nose, and chin. If not removed, these shadows will create dark patches on the face of the subject. The best way to avoid these lighting issues is to use a reflector. This simple but wonderful object purely reflects the light on the subject and eliminates the annoying shadows. Adjust the angle of the reflector as per your requirement and aim the light wherever you want. This way, you will get a subject that is well lit from both front and back. You can use this tool with a flash or in lieu of a flash. Therefore, the best way to compensate the light deficiencies is to use a reflector.

Reflectors are usually are of two types; the collapsible type and the frame and panel type. The collapsible ones are light-weight and are therefore, preferred by the photographers who are always on the move. They have a circular shape and have a removable and reversible covers to provide silver, golden or white reflection. You can easily buy them from any online photography supplies store such as photostudiosupplies.com. This Circular Reflector Kit is so light that it can be easily swayed away by the wind. You will need assistance in holding it at its position. The frame and panel ones are heavier than the circular ones; however, they are durable and can withstand light wind.

Appropriate use of this indispensable tool can give your photos a polished professional look.

Make your imagination come true with green screen backdrops

Do you aspire to take creative photographs like never before? Do you want to come up with pictures which are a result of your imagination? Do you think that budget is a barrier in coming u with great pictures? If all your answers are yes, there is an easy solution which will suit both your pocket and needs. Green screen backdrops are what all you need to take amazingly brilliant and creative pictures.

These backdrops will allow you to play with your imagination and come up with exactly what you want. Now, you don’t have to worry about the high cost of photography as you can do it yourself. All you have to do is take the pictures against the green screen backdrops and edit them. The green screen software used in green screen photography will help you in editing the pictures easily and instantly. You can easily remove the backdrop from the images and insert the image of your choice. You can make your pictures more attractive by adding special visual effects.
The photographers won’t have to search for locations to carry out amazing photo shoots as they can simply take the pictures against the green screen backdrops indoor. 10' x 20' green screens are generally used by photographers for this purpose as it is the standard size and can be fixed anywhere. These backdrops are generally made of muslin fabric which avoids any kind of wrinkles or folds in the images and makes editing even easier.

We offer superior quality 10' x 20' green screen backdrops that helps in eliminating reflection from the images. This technique also helps in avoiding any kind of shadow or extra light in the images and makes them look just perfect. These backdrops are easy to use and fold and can be easily transported for on location shoots. You can buy them now to make your imagination come true and also get special discounts.

Why to Use Circular Light (5-in-1 Circular Light Reflector?

Circular Photography Reflectors, as the name suggests, are primarily used by photographers to reflect light towards the subject of their photograph. These help in bouncing light back up towards the subject and also, eliminate or reduce shadows during photo-shoot. While using a camera, the artistic vision, use of tools and techniques to achieve desired results is what separates a photographer and a snap-shooter.
A set of proper equipment can be of great help for every photographer during shoots and circular reflectors are an essential part of the kit.

Circular Reflectors, which are commonly used with umbrellas, help photographers to compensate for light deficiencies during shoots.

Circular reflectors are available in various sizes and can be easily attached to a clamp in front of a studio light.

The Circular reflectors are always placed at an equal angle from the light source and the subject of photography.

Circular Reflectors help in modifying the quality of light in photographs. The different colors of the circular reflector will show up in the light reflected onto the subject of the photography.

Using5-in-1 reflector, Gold creates warm tones, White creates neutral color effect, Blue creates cool tones and silver creates neutral tones but brighter than white.

The black absorption sheet of the 5-in-1 circular reflector is designed to absorb all light which falls on it, preventing any reflection.

The different colors used in light tones are dependent on the color temperature and white balance for the photo shoot.

The essential key for capturing professional photographs depends on the photographer’s capability to use 5-in-1 reflectors during shoot to enhance and improve the photograph, and also to overcome various environmental obstacles. We recommend starting with proper reflectors and you can experiment with angles. Also, choosing different reflector colors will help you achieve desired effect and accordingly you can enhance that for future results.

Circular reflectors kit by Photo Studio Supplies are an amazing, easy to use, cheap and versatile solution for all natural light loving photographers. For every issue which presents itself to photographers across the world, there is always an answer. On the same lines, Circular reflectors offer huge benefits during any kind of photo-shoots and at a very affordable price. Visit us now to buy the kit and avail special discounts.

Do Great Photography with Green Screen Kit

Most of the people love photographs and being photographed. Nowadays you enhance the quality of our pictures by editing them in an attractive manner. Specially Facebook lovers love to upload their pictures to achieve awesomeness. The enhanced features of the new technology are beyond the range of normal photography. The value of chroma key in film making cannot ever be overstated, not only for the professional industry but also for those doing personal videos projects.

A green screen kit will cater all the photography related needs of professional and amateur photographers. Buying a complete photo studio kit will be helpful as it will save your time and money in hunting for locations for different photo shoots.

Why to have a green screen kit?

The green screen kit includes chromakey green and blue screen muslin backdrops, background stands, tripods, photography umbrellas and lighting bulbs. The kit also includes carrying bags for portability. The great feature of the kit is that it can be transported to carry on locations shots as well.

The green screen backdrop in the kit will help you in taking the pictures of your choice. You can take the pictures anywhere against these green screen muslin backdrops which can be later edited to insert the image of your choice.
The stands in the kit can be used to hang the backdrops anywhere so that wrinkles and folds can be avoided on the backdrop. Any fold on the backdrop can make the editing of the photos or videos really difficult.

The photography umbrellas will of great use during outdoor shoots to control the light falling on the object. The umbrellas control extra reflection and contrast and help you in talking perfect pictures.

The fluorescent bulbs are used to illuminate the object when you are talking the picture inside the room. It ensures proper lighting to the object. The complete photo studio kit is also comprised of tripod stands to fix the photography umbrellas during professionals shoots or portrays.

Create Magic with Green Screen Digital Photography

Create Magic with Green Screen Digital Photography

The unique and special effects in Hollywood movies entice us and leave us amazed. The effects are created by nothing other than green screen digital photography. It is a great technique used in photography with the help of which photographers can make simple pictures look surprising and marvelous.

Green screen digital photography is the best technique to create magical pictures for both amateur and professional photographers because there doesn’t require to invest a lot of money. Green screen digital photography is widely used by the photographers because it doesn’t involve any complex procedures.

Green Screen Equipments for Green Screen Digital Photography

• In order to have best quality green screen digital photography you must ensure that the photography equipments and accessories you are using are of premium quality.
• All you need for green screen digital photography are the basic equipments like chromakey green screen backdrop, backdrop stand, light bulbs and photography umbrellas.
• The photographers can take the images in front of the green screen backdrop which can be easily edited with the help of chromakey software to insert the image of your choice.
• The backdrops stands will help in fixing the backdrops anywhere without any problem so that there are no folds or wrinkles in the background and the photos come out to be great.
• The light bulbs help in illuminating the object while taking the photographs inside the photo studio. It helps in preventing shadows from the images.
• The photography umbrellas are mainly used for on location shoots to control the amount of light reaching the object. It eliminates reflection and ensures proper contrast in the photographs taken.
• You must also make sure that all these equipments are easy to carry and fold so that they can also be used for on location shoots.

The technique offers the photographers an opportunity to explore and come up with creative pictures. These photographs will impress their viewers.

You can buy all the equipments required for green screen digital photography as green screen kit, green screen lighting, green screen backdrops, studio lighting kits, studio background, photography studio equipment, chroma key software, studio lighting equipment from us at very affordable prices. The equipments are of premium quality. So order now to avail the best deals.

Green Screen Apparel - The secret of invisibility

Do the special effects in movies entice you? Are you innovative and dreams of shooting creative photos and videos? The chromakey green screen apparels are for you. You can use the chromakey green screen apparel to create the magic in your photos and videos. These green screen apparels are great photography accessory which can be easily afforded by anyone.

The green screen apparels include green screen full body suit, green screen gloves and green screen hood. All the types of apparel are of great use for both professional and amateur photographers.

Green Screen Full Body Suit

· You can make your object or a person go invisible in the pictures with the help of green screen full body suit. The suit is amazing photography equipment that allows the photographer to take interesting pictures.

· You can perform various tasks wearing this suit in the photos and videos and later edit it completely or partially to create remarkable photos or videos.

· Always wear suit which is made of high quality muslin cloth so that it completely eradicates reflection which is an essential element to get good photographs.

· Chromakey green color should be matched for digital photography.

Green Screen Gloves

· Green screen gloves are another type of photography apparels that will help you in adding humor or magic to your pictures and videos.

· The gloves can be worn while shooting and edited later on to make the hands disappear from the final picture making it look magical.

Green screen hood

· Wearing green screen hood you can make your head disappear in the pictures or videos or can replace it with something else. The apparel helps you in easy editing of the pictures.

Make sure that your green screen apparels are of high quality and wrinkle-free as folds or wrinkles on the apparel would make editing difficult.

You can shop all these green screen accessories with us which are available at a special price. The apparels are made of high quality fabric and are stretchable. These apparels are easy to fit and remove and fit all body sizes. Hurry! Buy the green screen apparels and add to the collection of your photo studio. The apparels are apt for both indoor and on location shoots and can be carried easily.

Use Umbrella Continuous Lighting Kits to Enrich Your Photography

Improper lighting may distract you and affect your photographs so ensure continuous photography lighting towards the subject to click better pictures.

Continuous studio lighting kit makes sure you focus on your subject only by throwing continuous lighting on the object which gives better contrast to the image. The photographs which are clicked using umbrella continuous lighting kits and other studio lighting equipments come out to be of far better quality than others.

The photography complete studio lighting kit is highly useful for taking the pictures of small objects where shadow might interfere with the quality of your pictures.

Choose the right kit for you

Continuous studio lighting kits are not so expensive but are of great use, especially for amateur photographers.

As the kit is mainly used for lighting purpose, it must have compact fluorescent bulbs to enhance the picture or video quality. We offer you five types of bulbs to choose from for your kit. These are e-27 spiral lamp, 65 watt, 5000 k photo fluorescent daylight light bulb, 45 watt, 5500 k photo fluorescent daylight light bulb, 200 watt compact fluorescent daylight grow bulb, 150 watt and 110 volt modeling lamp light replacement bulb.

Keep in mind that the type of umbrella you choose for the kit as it is a special reflective tool and makes an impact on the picture quality. You can select from 32" Umbrella Translucent, 32" Umbrella Silver/White or a 32" Umbrella Silver umbrella as per your requirement. Often white and silver umbrellas are used in photography.

The lighting kit must have a light stand or a tripod for quick amendments and must be height adjustable. Choose a stand of high quality which is strong, flexible and light weight.

While selecting a continuous lighting kit for you should make sure that the kit is portable and can be carried to different locations easily as the kit is equally important for taking pictures inside a studio and on location. The kit must be easy to operate and a professional one.

PhotoStudioSupplies on Facebook

Do you eat, breathe and sleep photography? Or you dream about photography all day? Want more interesting tricks and tips on improving your photography skills? Visit Photostudiosupplies facebook page. Here you can get more ideas about photography.

You can also share your views, ideas or some fascinating experiences with other photographers from across the globe. You can also get some of the greatest tips and information on best photography equipments and green screen photography on our facebook page.

Also, you can get tips on how to use these photography equipments to make your pictures look world class. Some of the photography equipments like photography stands, green screens, backdrops etc can add brilliant effects to your pictures making them look ideal. We provide a complete knowledge about all the aspects of photography to develop the amateur photographer in you as a professional one.

You can also find some of the really crazy and funny tips on photography on our page so that your photographs look interesting and grab the attention of all.

Every photograph tells a story…The story can be of the place, person or photography equipments. You can also send us your photographs with a story and you might get lucky to see it on Photostudiosupplies facebook page.

So log on to Facebook now and “like” Photostudiosupplies.com. Your one-stop solution for all photography needs and do not forget to share it with your friends as well.

Try chroma key effect using blue or green screen Backdrop

Are you looking forward to add amazing backgrounds to your photo shoots? Or you want to get professional results using simple techniques? Whatever your demands are, we have a vast inventory to cater your needs.

Only superior quality backdrops can add ideal background in a picture and make them look perfect no matter they are clicked by seasoned photographers or hobby photographers.
You can try chroma key effect using blue or green screen background and come up with amazing images. These easy-to-use backdrops can be replaced with any image or background of your choice instantly and add magical environment to your pictures. Not only this, using chroma key technology two pictures can also be combined and you can make them appear on the same background even though the two were shot at different times in different locations.

The blue or green screen backdrops help you in changing the background of your images with something creative such as images of different locations or other scenic views. For example children dressed in different costumes can strike different poses and later the backgrounds of their pictures can be changed with the place of your choice.

How to use chroma key

To use chroma key, you need to have a camera, good quality chroma background and digital images to place as the background of the photographs. Images of any object or person can be taken inside a room or at a particular place and can be replaced with any scenic view, beach, mountain, building or even with a view of the rainfall.
You can use either green or blue backdrop, according to your need. Whereas blue backdrops complement all skin tones, it becomes easy with green screen backdrops to generate a cleaner mask and it also requires less light.

Extensive portfolio

Chroma key opens up various pathways for both hobby and professional photographers. They can come up with creative photography using blue and green screen backdrops. It will suit both the photo studio and pocket and will prove beneficial financially.

So, if you are looking for Chroma key Blue or Green screen backdrop you can purchase from our online store for photographers at affordable price.