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In this age of digital cameras, you have probably thought that you can just point and shoot and out will appear a great shot.  Not so fast.  The truth is you can have the top of the line digital camera, but if you don’t know what you are doing, you will take lousy shots.

Well, I would like to share with you some great tips on improving your digital photography skills.  These tips are coming from years of experience as a San Diego wedding photographer.  These tips all involve lighting and they are going to be some of the biggest keys to your success in taking your photos.

First tip in lighting.Now if the shots you will take are going to be outdoors during the day, the natural sunlight will be some of the best lighting possible.  Now you are probably thinking, “that’s easy, when you are a San Diego photographer since it is always shiny there”, when in actuality really bright sunlight can cast harsh shadows.Or it will wash out the face details while the sun is overhead.

Overall, you are going to want to take most of the shots with the sun behind you.This stops any harsh shadows in your photo caused by the sun.But there will be those times and instances when you want different angles to get those shadows into the shots.

Now that we have tackled the day shots, what if you are taking shots at night? 

The key to taking photos at night is turning off your flash.Now if it is pictch black, of course you will need it, but if there are some lighting, use it, but make sure the shutter speeds are slower to let the light in.Another thing, make sure you keep a steady hand when you take your shot or you can blur the photos.Applying these couple of techniques will make a dramatic difference for those nights shots you take. 

The final tips to using lighting for great shots is using the golden hour.There is this time that photographers like to call the golden hour or magic hour, and that is sunrise and sunset.

These times of day you wll be able to capture great shots because you will get the more warmer and inviting colors.You’re going to be able to capture the golden lighting you won’t find during any other part of the day.

There you have it.Probably the biggest secret in taking great photographs is taking advantage of the natural lighting.  Knowing what techniques to use for different parts of the day, or just scheduling a photo shoots to capture those times of day will help you become an excellent photographer.

Technorati Tags: general, photographer, photography

Have a special day coming up that you need to find a photographer for?  Well you’re in luck.  The experience I have gained as a San Diego Photographer will be to your benefit as I share some insights on what you need to do to find the right person for the job.  So before you roll the dice with any old photographer in the yellow pages, heed my quick tips and you will be very pleased in what photographer you find for the job.

For special days, most people want to capture those special memories with pictures, especially if it is a wedding, I know from first hand experience as a San Diego Wedding Photographer; so it is very important that you research the photographer you are going to trust for the job.  So why not ask friends and family for some recommendations.  Their recommendations will help you formulate a list of candidates for the job.

After talking with your friends and family, you should now have a good list of photographers to work with.  With that, take a look at their websites.  See if they have an online portfolio for you to view.  By looking at their past work, you will get a better idea of whether or not their style and the types of shots that they take are in line with what you have in mind.  By doing this, you can narrow your list down even more to the photographers whose work you like so far.

Third, start to call up the photographers and conduct a phone interview.  Once you have narrowed your list of photographers down to about two or three you can call them up and begin your interviewing process.  You can then make an appointment to meet with the photographer and view their portfolios if you have not already viewed it online.  During these phone interviews it is important to ask questions.  The more specific you are with your question the better understanding you will get as to whether or not the photographer is the one you are looking for.  While on the phone you should ask the photographer to bring in his collection of coverage of one particular event so that you will know exactly what to expect from that photographer.

Now, after meeting with the final photographers on the list, it is time to decide who will be the right person for the job.  Some of the factors you want to base your decision upon is, does this person understand what you want for this photo shoot, and how to capture the special moments.  Also is this a person whom you like.  Believe it or not, for something as intimate as photographing a special day, you want to make sure it is somebody you get along with.  After you believe you have found the perfect photographer, then go ahead and make the decision and let the person know you have chosen them.

Completing all these steps will be huge in helping ensure that you find the right person for the job.  Doing this simple process will help you determine a couple of very important things.  It will allow you to get to know your photographer more than any other method.  This is important because it will allow you to know if this person has the style and the vision you are looking for on your special day.  And most importantly you will have a piece of mind that you will not have found any other way in regards to knowing if you have found the right person.  On special days, the last thing you need to stress over is the photographer.

Technorati Tags: photographer, wedding photographer