Professional Photography in Cape Town

It is important for digital camera users to grasp the basics of digital image sizing. Should you be sending photos to the People’s Post or another newspaper, then a photo taken in JPEG format at medium resolution (around 5 megapixel) is suitable. However, should you need to keep this photo for printing and possible enlargement, it becomes important to shoot at the camera’s maximum digital resolution. An additional setting available on your digicam is compression or image quality. This is normally selected by setting the camera to take   “fine or high   quality” or on the other hand, “medium or standard” quality. Some cameras also have a low quality or high compression option. The significance of this setting is as follows: ·         Low compression means a large file (around 3 megabytes) on your memory storage card but the photo is rendered at highest quality. There is a minimum of digital noise or blurring of detail. ·  ...

Last time I mentioned some of the image editing software options available to you for free download or bundled with certain digital cameras you purchase. So you’ve all installed yours on the computer, right ? Editing technique number one to know is how to crop effectively. It is the ideal fix for photos that were badly composed (shot in a hurry!) or contained unwanted distracting objects. The cropping tool in the software is normally denoted by a boxy looking icon depicting scissors. An effective photograph is like a good essay that puts across one story, or an idea. Think abou t that when you crop. Dismiss the notion that your subject needs to be at the centre of the photograph. Think about what story you are trying to tell, or what looks interesting. Consider how you would like the eye of the viewer to travel. Experiment. Remember first to save your original image from the camera, and always work on copies only. The beauty of modern high resolution cameras is that y...

I'm available to do some group or individual training on the ins and outs of digital cameras. What I had in mind would be personal training of small groups of about 3 individuals. The Basics course would consist of 3 x 1.5 hour modules over 3 days as follows: First session: Your camera - how to find the right buttons and ask your questions. (1.5 hours) Second session: Practical photography session in the field. (2 hours) Third session: Processing your images on the computer and optimising for prints. (1.5 hours) The 3 sessions would not necessarily be on consecutive days and would be arranged to fit in with everyone's schedules as best possible. Bring some cash for tea / coffee. And of course bring your cameras and your questions! More advanced training would include use of camera under difficult lighting conditions, understanding "magapixels", sizing of images for publishing or for the internet, etc. Cost: R xxx for the full set of three. Contact me via e...