Say hello to Timothy! He’s a web designer, just like you, and he’s here to share his infinite wisdom with the world. Read on for his handy tip on designing for smaller screens..

Seriously Though Folks..

Responsive Web Design is a snow-balling area of web design at the moment; it’s crucial you consider how your designs appear across a wide range of devices and screens. Check out these tutorials and articles for more information on the topic:

• How the iPad (and Tablets) Are Driving New Web Design Trends
• A Basic Responsive Grid (Plus Handy CSS3 Media Query Reporter)
• A Ten Minute Chat With Ethan Marcotte

Webdesigntuts+

Learning to use light effectively is essential for all photographers, there is no substitute for understanding how light works and appreciating how to use it to your advantage within your work. For portraits, I always prefer to use natural light, even if I am indoors. Working with natural light isn’t all easy sailing, there are plenty of aspects that need to be understood in order to avoid making mistakes.

1. Decide what the shoot is for

Before you even think about picking up your camera, the first thing you need to consider is the type of shoot you’re undertaking. Is there a certain purpose to the shoot?

It could be head shots for an actor or business, a fashion shoot, family portrait, for online promotion or just for a friend. Think carefully about the setting and style of the shoot depending upon its purpose. Will you need extra clothes, make-up and time for styling? Is it an environment portrait, depicting the person a familiar setting, possibly at work or at home?

Photo by Miss Selina

2. Location, Location, Location

Once you’ve decided the purpose of the shoot, you’ll find it far easier to select a suitable location. Think about what might suit the style of the shoot, for example, somewhere scenic with plenty of space, by a river, lake, hills or in the park?

Maybe you want to represent your subject in the midst of a busy city amongst the architecture, traffic and crowds? There’s also the option of using a room indoors. Larger rooms are usually brighter (most large rooms have more windows) and give you a sense of space to work with. Smaller and dimmer rooms will suit a shot that requires more shadows and a more somber mood. Don’t forget to utilize the structures around you, particularly indoors, doorways, windows, staircases and pillars can all make for useful structural support within your image.

Photo by svtherland

3. Determine the quality of the light

One of the most important things to consider if you are planning a shoot outdoors, is the time of day at which you shoot. I advise against working in the middle of the day, because it will be extremely difficult to work with the bright direct sunlight and you’ll find it difficult to avoid over exposing your images.

Instead, consider working slightly earlier or later in the day, so up until mid morning or after mid afternoon, this will mean you have sufficient light to work with, but it won’t be too strong. Alternatively, you could try working on an overcast or cloudy day. This might sound like a bad idea, but in actual fact, the colds act as a diffuser and means that you can work throughout the day with a consistent light source.

Remember your lighting basics. Harsh or hard light creates dramatic shadows. If that’s not what you’re going for, you may want to have the subject face the light directly. Soft light can make things look flatter, but allows you to worry less about losing detail in bright highlights or dark shadows.

If you’re working indoors, you’ll want as much light to be entering the room as possible. If you know your location, determine what time of day offers the best window light by figuring out which way the windows face (north, south, east or west).

Photo by Incendy

4. Getting your positioning right

One of the main advantages of using a studio light set up, is the freedom to move and adjust the height and angle of the light source to meet your requirements. This is obviously impossible when it comes to using natural light, so it’s up to you, the photographer, to utilise the available light as best as possible. When on location, find what you think might be a suitable place for your model to stand and then work out where the sun is in the sky. It’s essential that you don’t make your model look directly towards the sun, as they’ll just squint and get watery eyes! Begin by having them side on to the sun and work from there. A good tip here, is to get your model to turn 360 degrees gradually and for you to follow them as they turn. This way, you’ll be able to observe the change in the lighting to find the best positioning.

Photo by BB_eyes

5. Use the light to your advantage

There are a few other techniques that you can try to make the most of the light on offer. Whenever I’m using natural light, I always carry a reflector with me. It can be extremely useful for portraits as you can reflect some of the light streaming in from the side onto the subject’s face, highlighting their key features without blinding them and needing them to look towards the sun.

On nice bright days, it’s also worth trying some backlit shots, with the sun directly behind your subject. Again, the reflector will come in handy here, as you try to achieve a warm glow around the shape of your model, and it provides some front facing light.

Remember as well that you have the option of using shade and shadows within your portraiture work. A shady spot under a tree may well be just what you need when the direct sunlight is too bright, although be sure to check that the shade is evenly spread to avoid blotches of darker areas.

Shadows are also a great way to add contrast to a subject, and can be achieved easily by having the light source directly to the side of your subject. Just be sure not to obscure any key features.

Photo by Sapheron

6. Window shots

Employing the sunlight through a window to light a portrait shot is a favorite technique of mine and can make for some really engaging and dramatic portraits. The soft light through the window acts as the perfect highlight for a strong and moody image and works particularly well if you have the light cast on just one side of the subjects face, leaving the other in shadow.

The general rule is that the closer to the window you are, the more light you’ll have to work with and the stronger the contrast will be between the light and the dark. Also, if the light coming through the window is too bright, you always have the option of using curtains or a blind to diffuse some of the light.

Photo by Helenadagmar

7. Camera settings

As with any portraiture work, there are a few camera techniques that will really help you to get the results you want. The first is to focus on the eyes. When we look at a photo of another person, the first thing we connect with is their eyes. Make sure that the eyes are the focal point and use manual focus if you don’t trust your auto focus to get it right!

It’s also a good idea to use a large aperture (low f-number) to blur out the background so it doesn’t attract any attention away from your subject.

Photo by DreamingMom

8. Communication is key

It’s absolutely vital that you interact with your model. Be sure to build up a rapport with them before your begin the shoot. Have conversations leading up to the shoot to discuss ideas and to ensure that all involved have the same understanding of what needs to be achieved on the day.

When you’re actually on the shoot, don’t expect your model to be able to read your mind. They won’t know how you want them to pose or where you want them to look unless you communicate it to them. If you’re struggling to convey the shapes you want your model to make, give them example poses yourself.

Some practical direction will really help, although be aware that some professional models will not appreciate being told how to do their job! Also, just assume that they are working harder than you. Take breaks.

Photo by Meredith Farmer

9. The type of light

Don’t expect ever situation in which you use natural light to be the same. The quality and color of the light will change according to the time of day, season and the weather. Some days you’ll have warm and yellow light, where as on others, natural light will possess a blue tint.

This is where using white balance comes into play. You can use the settings to adapt to the conditions in order to achieve the tone of light you desire. I always prefer to shoot in RAW and edit the White Balance during post processing, although the in-camera presets offer a very good guide to the options available.

Photo by Kennysarmy

10. Try it for yourself

So now it’s over to you! Hopefully these few simple tips have enlightened you (pun intended) and you’re ready to tackle some natural light portraits of your own. The most challenging thing about the whole experience will likely be finding models to work with.

Don’t be afraid to ask family or friends to help you out. It will give you a great chance to practice your techniques and it will be easy to co-operate with your subject (although that depends which family member you choose). Always remind them that all they have to do is stand there and look pretty!

Photo by Lulieboo

Phototuts+

As the year comes to an end and we pack up our vector tools for some well deserved rest and relaxation, let’s take a look back at some of the best and most inspiring Vectortuts+ articles and tutorials for 2011.

The following collection is just a fraction of the fantastic content we have published this year, if there’s a tutorial or article that you have found particularly useful or inspiring this year, let us know about it in the comments section below.

Sessions

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  Beginners Guides to InDesign

  InDesign is a powerful design program with so many tools and features it can a bit tricky to find a topic to begin with. With this in mind, we’ve put together a collection of beginner guides on various InDesign topics like the best way to create a new document, how to import text and images and even useful advice on what to do when a document is corrupted and how to make comments and track changes. Work your way through the guides and you will be well on your way to mastering InDesign.

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  Vector Portraits

  Learning to draw the human figure and create stunning vector portraits can be an arduous task. Working with models, or photo references, finding the right pose, using just the right blend effect for skin, the correct vector brush for hair, are all subtle skills needed for the vector portrait artist.

  In this Creative Session, take your vector people portrait work to the next level, by grabbing a heavy dose of inspiration from professionals working in the field, as well as hands on tutorials that teach you the big brush strokes and artistic nuances that will transform your vector portrait work.

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  Vector Text Effects

  The right text effect can be one of the most important elements in any design or illustration. Often text effects involve an interesting combination of unique vector tool usage, artistic innovation, a designers eye for font choice, drawing skills, and an illustrator’s touch. In this Creative Session, take your text to the next level with these vector text effect tutorials.

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  Poster Design

  Successful poster designs communicate a clear message, make you halt and look, then draw you into the finer details. Posters are large canvases that give designers plenty of space to make masterpieces. In this session, you’ll learn how to incorporate the right font for the needed text, compose an effective layout, mix your illustration and design skills, grab attention, and more.

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  Icon Design

  Icons can range in level of detail, from the simple and symbolic, to those with realism and intricate detail. In either case, they need to be metaphorically meaningful and instantly recognizable. They have to communicate at a glance. We’ve assembled the best tutorials, articles, and resources we have on icon design here on Vectortuts+ into this Creative Session. Learn how to create functional and beautiful vector icons that will fit seamlessly within your designs.

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Quick Tips

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  Quick Tip: How to Create a Retro Style Textured Logo

  Learn how to create a retro vector seal logo in Adobe Illustrator with Ryan Quintal. Well be using simple shapes, effects, transparency masks, and a free grunge texture pack from PSD TutsPlus to create the final effect.

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  Quick Tip: Create an Old-School Print Style Illustration

  Ryan shows us how to get that old-school printed look. Mis-registered lines is key, as well as blending modes and more. You may even learn a lesson or two in the way things are printed classically. To kick us of, we will grab some resources from the Envato network.

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  Quick Tip: Create a Transparent Ruler Illustration

  In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a transparent ruler. The grid and the snap to grid will come in handy as we are about to create several paths with accurate dimensions. Using multiple fills and stroke with various blending modes and opacity percentages we will create the overall ruler illustration. For the final details we will use a built in brush and some basic effects.

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  Quick Tip: Combine Envelope Distort with Grids

  You can get some interesting effects by combining Envelope Distort with the Rectangular and Polar Grid tools. In this Quick Tip you will learn how to create a few different effects that may spark your imagination.

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  Quick Tip : Create a Fresh Cucumber Text Effect

  Follow this quick tip to learn how to create a fresh and realistic cucumber text effect. You will work with multiple appearances, blending modes and effects like: Feather, Inner Glow, Roughen and Pointillize. You will also learn to create a multipurpose water drop. Let’s start.

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  Quick Tip: How to Make a Repeating Japanese Wave Pattern in Adobe Illustrator

  Repeating patterns can be confusing to make and sometimes creating a quick and easy pattern will leave you with a result that is less than professional. In this basic Quick Tip tutorial you will learn how easy it is to use the Appearance Panel and an arch shape to create a harmonious Japanese Wave Pattern. Let’s get started!

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  Quick Tip: How to Create a Beautiful Vector Bokeh Effect

  In this video Quick Tip, learn how to use Symbols and the Symbolism tools to create a luminous autumn background. Let’s get started!

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  Quick Tip: Designing a Basic Letterhead with InDesign CS5

  For today’s Quick Tip we are going to set up a letterhead within InDesign. However, before we can start, you need to have a logo, some content (you can also use place holder text) and contact details ready. I will be using a logo from GraphicRiver which happens to be the free file for October.

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  Quick Tip: Create the iCloud Icon in Illustrator

  Learn how to create a radial mesh and a brushed metal effect as the basis for this stylish icon. Then make a beveled graphic style, which can be applied to any shape.

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  Quick Tip: Create a Slick Golden Text Effect with Adobe Illustrator

  In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a slick golden text effect. Although it’s a pretty short tutorial, the sixteen steps cover many techniques and effects that can be used for other projects. The Pen Tool steps may be a bit challenging, but with patience and some basic knowledge you will succeed.

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  Quick Tip: How to Cell Shade and add Texture to a Vector Comic Character

  This tutorial will show you how to create a cell shaded character in Adobe Illustrator, this is a fast technique utilizing the Live Paint bucket for block coloring, the gradient tool to add depth and form, and masked blended shapes for texture.

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  Quick Tip: How to Create a Floral Repeating Pattern

  Learn how to create a repeating floral pattern that’s perfect for gift wrap, desktop wallpapers or textile designs. This tutorial uses one of our very own free vector packs and is great for readers with a beginner to intermediate skill level.

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  Quick Tip: How to Create a Watercolor Background Using Adobe Illustrator

  In this tutorial we will learn how to create Watercolor Background using a Gradient Mesh, tools of deformation and Blending Modes. The techniques which are described here allow the creation of complex textural backgrounds in a simple and effective way.

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Tutorials

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  Create a Painterly Landscape with the Blob Brush Tool

  Illustrator’s Blob Brush is an intuitive and versatile tool. When used with a graphics tablet, you can create loose, painterly images that venture far from the sharp, clean lines usually associated with vector graphics. These files retain all the benefits of vector files, however, allowing you to experiment and be flexible with scale, color and composition. Let’s get started!

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  Design Wedding Rings Using Adobe Illustrator

  In this tutorial we create two wedding rings using 3D modeling in Illustrator. We learn a few operation techniques with gradient mesh. If you need to create an upcoming wedding invitation, this can serve as an excellent centerpiece for that kind of design.

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  Create a Vector, Space Rocket in Illustrator CS5

  In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a colorful rocket from simple geometric forms and 3D effects. We’ll use filters like Blur to create smoothness and movement in some of the illustration elements. Effects like Inner Glow will also be used to accentuate the depth of the 3D forms.

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  Illustrator CS5 Variable Width Stroke Tool: Gestural Sketches and Digital Inking!

  Hey Vectortuts+ faithful! Welcome back for part two of my tutorial series on the advantages of using the Variable Width Stroke Tool. If you haven’t read the first tutorial, I suggest you go back and read: Illustrator CS5 Variable Width Stroke Tool: Perfect for Making Tribal Designs!, which covers how to use the tool, and then shows how to create tribal designs with it. You’ll need to know those basics before proceeding with this part two of the series, where we use it to create gestural sketches and digital inking.

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  Create a Vector Chopper with Illustrator CS5 and VectorScribe

  This tutorial will cover a set of tools and techniques for creating a photorealistic vector chopper, such as Blends, Gradient, Gradient Mesh and most importantly we will meet the new VectorScribe plugin, which will make your job easier.

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  Create a Padlock with Adobe Illustrator and VectorScribe

  In this tutorial you will learn how to use Shape Building, Clipping Paths and Opacity Masks to make a metallic Padlock. You will also learn how to use the VectorScribe Adobe Illustrator plug-in to save time when creating vector illustrations and designs.

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  Coloring and Line Work in Illustrator CS5

  Do a search on “coloring comics,” and you get dozens of Photoshop tutorials. They all seem to involve building up areas of color with transparent brushes. Now you can achieve that same effect with Illustrator CS5, using the Bristle Brush.

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  Create a Loving Cup of Tea in Illustrator CS5

  In today’s tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a quick, loving cup of tea using Adobe Illustrator CS5 using 3D effects and the Bristle Brush Tool.

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  Shape-Building with VectorScribe

  VectorScribe is an Illustrator plug-in that will change the way you work in your favorite vector drawing program. After you’ve used it for a while, the old ways of file construction will feel cumbersome and tedious. VectorScribe is powerful and intuitive, but like everything, it has a learning curve and takes some getting used to. Don’t let that deter you &mdash once you know your way around this toolset, you’ll work faster, smarter and more cleanly. Let’s get started!

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  Create a Marker Text Effect in Illustrator

  In the following tutorial I will show you how to create a marker illustration. This tutorial involves intermediate vector shape building skills in Illustrator to create the markers, along with some layering and script usage to create the text effects. Let’s get started.

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  How to Illustrate an Auction Gavel Icon

  This work is a common project created together with Iaroslav Lazunov and Oleksandr Iegupov. We have used 3D-modeling, Gradients, Blends, and Gradient Meshes for creating this picture. Lets get started!

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  Create a Photo-Realistic Candle with Gradient Mesh

  Gradient Mesh can be intimidating for novice and experienced Illustrator users alike, but sophisticated results can be achieved with a simple mesh and careful coloring. This tutorial will set you on the road to mesh mastery. Let’s get started!

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  Creating Simple Origami Style Typography in Illustrator

  In this tutorial you will learn how to create a simple Origami style piece of Typography. You will create a set of basic shapes to build letters from and see how to refine those into a more realistic look of your type. Gradients and the appearance panel will help us, to create the final completely custom type.

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  How to Create a Nice Emoticons Icon Set

  In the following tutorial you will learn to create an attractive emoticons icon set. Learn an easy to follow workflow for creating each of these little emotional character faces in Adobe Illustrator.

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  Create a Security Seal in Illustrator Using Guilloche Patterns

  In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a security seal using Guilloche, the artistic technique that is typically used in banknote design and other documents to prevent them from being forged.

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  Create a Classic Baby Stroller in Adobe Illustrator

  In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a classic baby stroller illustration. If you’re looking to create vintage stroller art, modern baby stroller graphics, for stock art or to illustrate your next graphic project, then jump into this tutorial and learn every detail: from constructing the bassinet area, carriage handle, to wheels and more.

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  How to Color a Cute Character using Graphic Styles

  Coloring a character sketch can sometimes take much longer than anyone expects. With a few layer tricks and Graphic Styles, I will show you how to create a character that is quick to ink, easy to edit and a breeze to re-color. Let’s get started!

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  How To Create an Impossible Shape in Illustrator

  Infinite shapes are fun to design. In this Illustrator tutorial, learn how to create a specific impossible shape: an ‘Infinite Triangle.’ This vector drawing of an impossible object couldn’t be physically constructed, but we can design it in Illustrator in around an hour. You will be using Guides, Gradients, the Rotate Tool, and a simple Transparency Blend for the final touches.

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  Create a Vector Bamboo Forest with Blends, Brushes and Profiles

  In today’s tutorial you’ll learn how to create a bamboo vector illustration with the help of custom art and pattern brushes, blends and profiles on strokes in Adobe Illustrator CS5. Vector bamboo is an excellent element to use in your work to give a classic Japanese fine art print feel, for use as bamboo forest art background in a larger illustration, and to make your vector pictures stand out with stylish bamboo art. So let’s jump straight into it!

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  How to Create a Vector Stamp Set in Illustrator

  In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a vintage, vector stamp set in Adobe Illustrator. Learn how to build a stamp illustration, shape by shape. We’ll construct the stamp border vector shape, highlight the edges, create the branding, and give the vector postage stamp a vintage texture, and final illustrator stamp effect. Let’s get started with making this vector stamp in Illustrator and then transform this into a vector stamp set.

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  Make a Fun Holiday Reindeer Illustration

  Take an in-depth look at the process of designing and illustrating a holiday reindeer illustration. This tutorial covers illustration style, color selection, shading and touches on typography. The process of adapting your illustration during creation is also covered. This tutorial is created by Jesse Hora and Darrin Higgins. Time for some holiday fun!

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  Create a 3D Grungy Text Effect in Illustrator

  In the following tutorial you will learn how to create a grungy, 3D text effect. Learn how to draw highlights and shadows on your text to give it that 3D punch. Then design grunge effects using blending modes and other Illustrator tools. This grungy text effect is relatively simple to create, though does require quite a bit of attention to detail. Jump into this Illustrator text effect tutorial.

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Premium Tutorials

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  Create a Retro Style, Airline Destination, Travel Poster – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial exclusively available to Premium members. If you want to learn how to create a poster design, in the style of 1950′s air travel tourism. We’ll take a look at the typographic qualities and composition of late 50′s posters, then utilize modern digital rendering techniques to create an illustrated Australia tourism ad campaign.

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  Create a Backlit, Elegant Female Portrait in Illustrator – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial exclusively available to Premium members. If you want to take learn how to create an elegant female portrait from a photo, then we have an awesome tutorial for you. The reference photo in this tutorial is used mostly for structure and some color points, a dramatic transformation takes place through the vector drawing process. Learn some key cosmetic tips as well.

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  Adding Faux 3D Style to Your Vector Work – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. If you want to learn how to create a faux 3d style object with creative flavour, then we have an awesome tutorial for you. Learn how to quickly add dimension to your work, which will give your skills an edge in the marketplace.

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  Create a Rainbow Beetle Using Adobe Illustrator – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. If you want to learn how to create complex vector art with Illustrator’s gradient tools, then we have an awesome tutorial for you. Learn how to use a variety of inovative advanced Illustrator techniques in your work.

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  Create a Light Painting, Bokeh Effect in Illustrator – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. Learn how to create light painting effects in Illustrator, with high style and professional results. The key to this effect are Vector Brushes and Blend Modes.

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  It’s Time for a Change – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. If you want to learn how to use Illustrator’s Paintbrush Tool to bring your sketches to life, then we have an awesome tutorial for you. Learn how to give your work a sharp outline, and use limited color to add lighting and dimension, which will which will give your work a striking and professional look.

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  Creating a Stylish Line Art Portrait with Illustrator CS5, Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members.

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  Creating a Fun Editorial Illustration – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. If you’ve thought of becoming an editorial illustrator, then this tutorial is a must read. It reviews the complete editorial illustration with loads of tips inside as well. The process from sketch, through research, communication with the art direction, and vector build process is covered. If you’re a Premium member, then you’re in for a treat.

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  Create a Magical Vector Landscape Using Illustrator – Vector Premium Tutorial

  Today, we have another Vector Premium tutorial, which is available exclusively for Premium members. Learn how to paint imaginative landscapes in vector. Today, Zzanthia shares her workflow with us. If you’re looking to create unique vector illustrations, with an exotic feel, then this tutorial is a must read.

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Quizzes

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  Vectortuts+ Quiz: Adobe Illustrator Basics

  Test your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator with the Vectortuts+ Illustrator Basics Quiz! How well do you know the basics of Adobe Illustrator? Find out at the jump!

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  Vectortuts+ Quiz: Adobe Illustrator Type Basics

  Test your knowledge of Adobe Illustrator with the Vectortuts+ Illustrator Type Basics Quiz! How well do you know the basics of using type and text with Adobe Illustrator? Find out at the jump!

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Interviews

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  Interview With Travis Price

  Meet Travis Price, freelance designer and illustrator from Australia. He also runs a kids label called Mister Mista. Travis says as a child he did a lot of drawing and was fascinated with skateboarding, graffiti and clothing design. Those early influences can be seen intertwined in his work. His style of illustration is versatile, having the ability to appeal to both kids and grown-ups. Travis also creates a lot of print posters. He tells us that posters are the perfect medium where you can combine typography and illustration. Let’s have a chat with him.

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  Interview with Alex Storch, Editor-in-Chief of Carson Mag

  Today we have an exciting interview with Alex Storch of Carson Mag. Get to know his passion for magazines, and how working with David Carson, and his team, they’re pushing forward with a quality publication. Readers can appreciate these themed issues conceptually and touch the nuanced design details of every page. Get inside the mind of the Editor-in-Chief of Carson, and take a look at this exciting new publication from the trenches.

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  Interview with Chris Spooner

  Today we’ll meet British designer Chris Spooner. He became widely known thanks to his two successful blogs Blog.SpoonGraphics and Line25. Chris has written plenty of excellent tutorials on vector graphics and web design. Learn more about Chris Spooner, his tutorials and blogs after the jump.

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  Interview with Michael Doret

  Michael Doret’s career works have influenced generations of designs. You might be familiar with his design works if you have seen his logo for the NY Knicks or one of his many Time covers or the album cover design for KISS band and the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

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  Interview with Karan Singh

  Today we meet Australian designer Karan Singh. Karan is an experienced designer who has worked with a wide range of clients from local boutiques to internationally recognized brands. Learn more about Karan and his Illustrations after the jump.

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  Interview with Sant Valentin

  Today our guest is a true expert and person who will be interesting to talk to – Ukrainian designer Sant Valentin. “I believe that line should be alive, it does not have to have clearly defined directions, the more smooth and hasty lines, the more there is life in illustration style. I did not make up the name for my style, but to me it vaguely resembles watercolor,” says Valentin about vector graphics, and his style.

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  Interview with Andrea Austoni

  Today we are going to meet our old friend, great Italian designer Andrea Austoni, who wrote some brilliant tutorials for Vectortuts+. Andrea is a many-sided personality, beside design, he is interested in music, learning foreign languages, cooking, the eastern philosophy. “Only by partaking of a large spectrum of life’s many offerings will you become a better person and thus a better designer”- he says. Learn more about Andrea, his thoughts and illustrations after the jump.

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  Interview with Dismecha

  Meet Yoann Lim aka Dismecha, a vector artist from France. In this interview he talks about his childhood passion and fondness towards drawings and comic books and how it led him to become a self- taught vector artist. He has developed his own distinctive style of drawing. He loves to create doll-like characters which are colorful, detailed and have a theme behind them. Read on to learn more about his working process, ideas and inspiration.

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Case Studies

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  Creating the ABC Animals iPad Application

  ABC Animals is a fun and engaging application that teaches kids how to write letters. My client, a savvy developer who had done other apps in the past, came to me with an existing concept for this application. ABC Animals for the iPhone had already been produced and my client was looking to migrate this concept over to the iPad. With increased visual real estate and a rapidly increasing interest in the device, this application is ideally suited for the iPad. This article details the process of creating the design for this application.

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  The Making of an “ELITE” Identity

  Deep down inside every designer loves a good ol’ fashion logo. In-fact, as a kid you probably redrew the Nike or Lacoste logo over and over, just for fun. Or was that just me? So when a start-up business owner of an athletic training company approached me to help with their identity I was super excited about the opportunity. In this case study I will cover the process that I went through to the create the logo as well as a few of the identity pieces.

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  Illustrating a Series of Application Icons

  Infinite Skills is a software company that develops learning materials for people to enhance their knowledge of a variety of applications, from industry software to commonplace word processing programs. Infinite Skills approached me to create a series of application icons that will accompany their software. Needless to say, with my insatiable appetite for icon design and branding it was game on!

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Articles

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  How to Survive a Job Interview, 10 Tips for Creative Professionals

  Are you the kind of person that — no matter how many job interviews you attend — youre a ball of nervous energy? Youre not alone! In the following article I will share a few tips on how to be prepared and sail though your interview like a professional.

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  Careers in Vector Illustration and Design

  Want vector to pay your bills or an extra piece of income with your vector illustration and design skills? Then you’re in the same boat as me, as I want to know more about careers in vector too! Check out today’s article that asks the question to some big names in vector, as well as what qualities you need to make that career launching step!

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  Learning at the Speed of Technology

  If you’ve been using design software for as long as I have, you will no doubt have more than a few obsolete skills up your sleeve. Those of you who have mastered the notoriously difficult QuarkXPress will know what I mean. Dropping to a 25% market share, behind InDesign, many Quark users found themselves having to learn a new piece of software just to stay relevant in the workforce. With the current speed of software updates, how can you be sure that your skills will stay relevant in the future?

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  Your Portfolio, Starting Out with a Low Budget

  So you’ve decided you want a portfolio, but aren’t sure what you want in it, or which route to go. Maybe you’ve just started out and have a low budget. In today’s article I look at starting a new portfolio with advice from vector artists and a look at two low budget portfolio options.

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  Hope for Japan, Artists and Designers Show Their Support

  On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9 Earthquake hit Japan. The Earthquake and the subsequent Tsunami caused wide spread damage to the country and many people lost their lives. As the shocking events unfolded, artists and designers from across the globe created images to show their support for the people effected by this disaster and began to raise funds for the Japanese disaster relief efforts. Find out how you can help.

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  Using Design Principles to Create Exceptional Vector Illustrations

  Making an image is fairly straightforward, but making an image that stands out from the crowd is more science than it is luck. With the right combination of aesthetic and design, you can turn a good idea into a great piece of illustration. Today we will take a look at nine different design principles and how to apply them to the world of illustration.

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  Discussion: What Type of Computer do you use for Design?

  Mac ‘vs’ PC, ‘vs’ Linux, ‘vs’ Mobile Device… Is the competition really worth it? In the past, "Computer A is better than Computer B" may have been a fair argument, but with multi platform graphics applications and more power in a mobile phone than a room full of vintage computers, is there really an ideal machine for Graphic Designers? Read on and share your thoughts with the Vectortuts+ community.

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  Discussion: Is Vector a Form of Art?

  Original artworks can be highly sought after, but how does digital media fit into the equation? Because a Vector file can be infinitely reproduced, will this form of art ever be held in the same esteem as its traditional cousins? Join us in our community discussion: Is vector an art form?

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  Vector Purity vs Raster Live Effects: Where do you stand?

  Consider an artist using 90% vector in their work and only 10% raster live effects, would you class this artist as a “vector artist” or would you see them as a “mixed medium artist”? Do you think “vector art” should be without raster live effects? Today’s article looks at this debate.

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  How to Make a Happy and Safe Office Space

  Lately I have been working some extraordinarily long days in front of the screen. Not only has it been exhausting it has made me think much more seriously about the importance of a proper office setup. Today I will share some tips and ideas for your office space that will make you more productive and keep the aches and pains away.

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  The Art of Skin Shading

  Skin shading is a large part of creating portrait and people art. In today’s article I’m going to show you different styles of skin shading and give you some helpful tips on creating flawless skin in your vector work!

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  What is Vexel Art?

  Vexel art has been mentioned on a variety of websites, be it talking about vector art and vexel art, or featuring the wonderful work created by vexel artists. However, do you actually know the answer to “What is vexel art?”

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  Traits of a Successful Icon Designer

  What makes a successful icon designer? Is it their skills in digital rendering, the clever ideas they have or is it something else? The truth is, it’s managing to be many things at once and keeping a balance between communicating a concept and crafting great designs. Do you have what it takes to be a productive, happy and successful icon designer? Find out at the jump.

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Thankyou!

Thankyou to all of the Vectortuts+ writers and contributors for making this year truly fantastic and teaching us some pretty cool things along the way. To everyone who participated in one of our Community Projects this year, it’s been lots of fun running them, and to our Facebook fans, Twitter followers and Google+ circle, we hope you have a safe and happy new year, and look forward to an inspired and productive 2012!

Vectortuts+

We know that many of you own tablets. Tablets are fantastic devices for creating artwork in Photoshop but they can be a bit frustrating for people who are used to working with a mouse. In this presentation, Weston Maggio, Application Specialist for Wacom will present you with some excellent tablet tips for Photoshop. Let’s take a look!

Psdtuts+

When I first got into photography almost 20 years ago, film was the de facto standard and, obviously, the only standard. For over a hundred years film was the only option. The greatest names in photography all shot film; I’m sure you’ve heard of Ansel Adams.

Some of the most inspiring, well-known photographs ever produced were shot by famous photographers—so why do all the modern-day pros shoot digital if all the greats shot film? The answer is quite simple: convenience and cost.

If Film Is So Great, Why Do We Shoot Digital?

I would like to preface this tutorial by saying that I make the majority of my income from shooting digital. Film versus digital is a very controversial subject and the point of this tutorial is not to claim that one is better than the other, but rather to provide the reader a better understanding of film, and what it can do for them today, even in a digital world.

The digital format…

1. Allows you to review your work after every single shot, from the camera, without having to wait for film to be developed.
2. Is easily transferable in digital format from one computer to the next, or from one mobile phone to another, or from one email box to another.
3. Costs less in the long run to print because there are no developing costs.
4. Is more versatile because the digital sensor is able to change ISO on the fly.
5. Does not expire like film does.

I could go on. The simple fact is that digital simply makes sense for the modern 35mm photographer and certainly for the weekend hobbyist. There are no messy chemicals to deal with, you’re not required to sit in a dark room for hours on end to see if your film [properly] developed, and you only need a memory card or two instead of roll after roll of film.

If Digital Is King, Why Are You Recommending Film?

If you are interested in becoming a photographer, starting out can be very expensive. Granted, if you buy used equipment you can save a lot of money. But even used, a digital SLR (DSLR) can run you a few hundred dollars whereas a mint condition film SLR will cost less than 0.

Even the most expensive, top of the line, professional film SLR’s on the used market go for a couple hundred bucks. On the other hand, top of the line DSLR’s go for thousands, even well used. Start-up cost is one of the toughest hurdles to overcome when getting into photography and this is where film can save you a bundle while getting your feet wet in the world of photography.

The second reason I recommend film to beginners is that it’s a more immersive way to learn about the relationship between aperture, ISO and shutter speed. You also have to be more cognizant of your surroundings and available light when shooting film. I have to admit, I’m a little grumpy knowing that many modern photographers never touched or even wanted to try their hand at film; they’re robbing themselves of a truly wonderful experience that I believe can take them to a whole other level.

The digital format allows one to be very sloppy, especially if you’re shooting in digital RAW format. You’re able to over or underexpose and fix it in post rather than doing it right in the first place. Heck, worrying about white-balance seems to be a thing of the past; a simple eye-dropper tool fixes everything for you in post! Learning on film teaches you to truly care about your surroundings while getting intimately familiar with your camera and all of its little quirks.

If you thought my reasons for shooting film were subjective, my final reasons are even more so; but hear me out. In my opinion, black and white photography has yet to be reproduced in digital format to echo the beautiful black and white film formats that are still available today.

It’s hard to explain; maybe it’s the film grain versus digital grain, maybe it’s the seemingly infinite tones that black and white film can produce or maybe it’s a combination of a lot of different elements aligning to “make it happen”. All I know is that I have yet to see consistent results from digital black and white prints that are as astoundingly gorgeous as examples from countless black and white prints that I have seen throughout my life. Obviously, this is subjective, but there you have it.

Canon EOS 630 – Kodak T-MAX400 B&W Film

Okay Fine, Where Do I Start?

Where else? The camera! There have been so many makes, models and formats of cameras over the years that it would be silly to try and review them all. And I don’t want to “fake it”, I’m not going to scour the internet looking for info on camera systems that I know nothing about. I believe that would only dilute my information and rob you of truly useful, real-world experience. My goal is to provide some of what I know so that you can make an informed decision when you go on the hunt for your own film camera.

In this article, I will not address medium or large format film cameras since I could write a book on that topic alone. Not to mention, I wouldn’t be saving you any money by recommending the medium/large format route anyway. Instead, I’ll start with Canon’s EOS systems, I’ll continue with a short glimpse into rangefinders and finish up with film recommendations.

I apologize ahead of time for those interested in Nikon or other manufacturers. I have far more experience with Canon, but some of these same principles should apply to other systems and the film recommendations should work across the board.

Let’s get started!

Canon EOS Elan

Models Include:

Elan
Elan II(e)
Elan 7(e)(n)(ne)

Up For Review: Elan IIe

The Canon EOS Elan IIe is a steal when you compare the price to performance ratio. While a 1v is a wonderful (and legendary) film SLR, even now a good copy is being sold for several hundred dollars and that might be a bit much to invest on a used film camera when you’re first starting out, especially since the Elan is so cheap and provides many of the same functions.

The Elan is also very easy to find in online auctions. It uses typical 35mm film and has the modern EF lens mount (versus the older, discontinued FD lens mount). I would highly recommend buying one that comes with a battery grip if you want to use AA batteries, the body itself will only take the more expensive 2CR5 batteries.

Why?

1. Cost. (-)
2. Performance and Features
3. Ergonomics
4. Pro Features

Where?

1. eBay
2. Buy/Sell sections on Camera Forums
3. Local Camera Shops
4. Yard Sales

Features

1. Silent Film Operation (Elan was the first SLR with near-silent operation)
2. Simultaneous AF/MF with USM lenses
3. A large thumb wheel for control
4. High speed flash sync
5. Basically the first “auto everything” SLR with just about every professional control you could ask for in a film SLR

Notes

1. No AE Lock
2. Not weather sealed (although I’ve had mine in the rain plenty of times)
3. Known for underexposing when in difficult, mixed lighting situations if using lower ISO film (50,100)
4. Make sure to buy one that comes with the grip so you can use AA batteries

Photo Sample

Canon EOS 600-Series

Models Include:

EOS 650
EOS 620
EOS 630

Up For Review: EOS 630

The reason I’m recommending the 600 series of cameras is that they’re extremely cheap, built like tanks, and can still be found quite easily. This series was among the first to rely on electronic focusing by communication between the on-board microprocessor and auto-focusing motors in EF lenses. The AF system out-performed anything else at the time.

The EOS 630 was the latest from the 600 line. It had the fastest processor which resulted in faster AF, had interchangeable viewing screens, had an illuminated LCD and could use databacks. It was also all metal construction; it has held up amazingly well over the years.

If I had a gripe, the biggest would be that it’s a pain to do manual metering because of the multiple button operations required to accomplish it. The camera is also not the most comfortable to hold in your hands in comparison with other EOS systems.

Why?

1. Cost. (-)
2. Performance and Features
3. Build Quality
4. Pro Features

Where?

1. eBay
2. Buy/Sell sections on Camera Forums
3. Local Camera Shops
4. Yard Sales

Features

1. Modern AF
2. Interchangeable viewing screens
3. Illuminated LCD
4. Databack Compatible
5. Metal construction

Notes

1. Ergonomics not the best
2. Multiple button presses for some operations

Photo Sample

Canon EOS Rebel Series

Models Include:

Rebel SII
Rebel X/XS
Rebel G
Rebel 2000
Rebel K2
Rebel Ti/T2

Up For Review: Rebel G

The Rebel series is probably the one you know as the “Andre Agassi camera”. The famous tennis player was hired by Canon to market their line of Rebel cameras throughout the 90′s and 2000′s. It was one of the most successful, mass-produced lines that Canon ever made (and continues that course with the digital Rebel today).

I’m recommending this camera because it costs next to nothing; I’ve seriously witnessed people give them away. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them, on the contrary! They’re quite capable with some pro-level features in a very light and compact package.

The reason they’re so cheap is that there were so many of them made and since they were never a “professional” camera, they were not that expensive, even when new. Don’t expect a lot of pro-features and amazing build quality, however.

If you want to spend next to nothing on a body just to get the experience of shooting and developing film, this is your camera.

Why?

1. Cost. (-)
2. Size and Weight
3. Easy to find

Where?

1. eBay
2. Buy/Sell sections on Camera Forums
3. Local Camera Shops
4. Yard Sales

Features

1. Very compact and lightweight (half the weight of the Elan II and 630)
2. Accepts all modern EF lenses
3. Full meter scale in the viewfinder at all times, even in metered-manual mode

Notes

1. Lacks DOF preview
2. Viewfinder is cramped
3. Built-in flash is weak
4. Plastic lens mount rather than metal
5. You only have one control to set both shutter speed and aperture, so manual mode metering is more difficult than it should be.

Photo Sample

The Rangefinder

What the heck is a rangefinder? It’s a camera fitted with a rangefinder, duh! For all intents and purposes, a rangefinder is a method of focusing. Most rangefinders show two images of a subject; when you turn a focus wheel, one of the images moves until it is lined up with the other image and that’s how you know it’s in focus. Personally, I really enjoy this method of focusing. Rangefinders are popular because of the following:

1. Very compact
2. No moving mirror
3. Quiet operation
4. “Both eyes open” shooting

Rangefinders offer a unique shooting experience in that you’re not looking through the lens like you do with an SLR. It’s sort of like shooting through a modern point-n-shoot. Because the viewfinder is off to the side, you can leave both eyes open while looking through the viewfinder to survey your scene as you’re shooting. This makes the rangefinder very popular amongst urban and photojournalist photographers.

If you’ve researched rangefinders at any level, you’ve probably run across mention of Leica, they are the bad boys in the realm of rangefinders, the top of the pack. Unfortunately, that means they’re also insanely expensive.

I’ve had experience with several rangefinders over the years, but I always go back to my Canon QL-17 GIII. I love the photos that come out of this thing, especially black and whites. It is often referred to as the “poor man’s Leica” because the lens quality was able to produce incredible photos for the price.

Canon Canonet QL-17 GIII

You can find them on used camera forums and eBay for -. The reason you can find them so cheap is that the light seals are often shot, sometimes the aperture blades are frozen and the shutter speed may be off.

If you are lucky enough to find one that only needs the light seals replaced, it’s a relatively easy and cheap fix (we’re talking – for the new seals) if you do the repair yourself.

Light Seal Replacement on my Canon Canonet QL-17 GIII

Photo Sample

Canon Canonet QL-17 GII – Kodak B&W T-MAX400

You’ve Convinced Me, So What About Film?

First and foremost, find a reputable local camera lab and give them a call. They’ll tell you what kind of film they’re able to handle as well as what they can print and what sort of print medium they can print on.

Don’t be shy about admitting you’re a film beginner. In fact, I encourage it. Otherwise, they’ll assume you know what you’re doing and you may miss out on some very important lessons while working with your photo lab. After you’ve developed your first couple of rolls, feel free to see if there are other services that are cheaper (including online) if you’re so inclined.

I recommend your local camera shop because I’m a believer in supporting your local industry. And, as I eluded to, you can learn a lot by asking questions and dealing with your lab in person.

Negative and Slide Film

Generally speaking, there are two types of film; slide film and negative film. I’m going to focus on negative film, it’s the easiest (and cheapest) to work with. As you progress, you may want to dabble with slide film as it can technically produce better prints than negatives can and slide longevity is much greater than negatives (which start to deteriorate well within a decade).

Film Speed

Next up is film speed. ISO speeds in digital cameras came from the ISO film rating system and the same principles apply. The larger the ISO number, the less light you’ll need to expose your scene on the film negative.

What I would recommend is starting with an ISO400 film (or thereabouts) so that you have a little more latitude with available light. Any higher and you’ll really start to see a lot of film grain and any lower will require sunlight or lots of interior light, more than a typically lit room in your house will provide.

Storage

You may have heard that some people store batteries in their refrigerator. Well, I have no idea if that does anything for batteries or not, but it certainly does for film. I store all of my film in the fridge. Why? Film is made of chemicals that start to break down as heat is introduced. The warmer it gets, the faster it deteriorates.

If you keep your film cold, the process is slowed, although never completely stopped. It doesn’t matter whether you keep your film in the fridge or the freezer, there are no ill effects to film if you freeze and defrost it. However, I keep mine in the fridge so that I can use it immediately instead of waiting for it to thaw.

Types

Here’s some film that I’ve used over the years. I shoot B&W Kodak T-MAX400 almost exclusively these days, although I do pop in a roll of T-MAX100 once in a while. As for color, I can’t remember the last time I used a color negative film slower than 400. I would probably recommend starting with TMX400 if you’re interested in B&W, I find it to be very versatile. Again, call up your local shop and make sure there will be no problems developing whatever film you decide to use.

Black & White

Slow: Ilford Pan F50
Mid/Fast: Plus-X, FP4,Tri-X, T-MAX400

Color

Slow: Kodak Gold 100, Fuji Super G 100
Mid/Fast: Kodak Professional Portra / Royal Gold 400, Fuji NPH

Important Note

When you buy your first used film camera, make sure to put a roll of cheap color film through it and have your photo lab develop straight to a CD so that you can check for possible issues with the camera. You’ll be able to see if there are light leaks, if the shutter is off or the aperture blades are malfunctioning.

I also recommend getting yourself a light meter or using your digital camera to meter (if you have one, of course). Write down the readings and compare them with the photos you get back to determine if your film camera has a metering problem.

Wrap Up

I know you’ll have many questions when you buy that first film camera and run that first roll through it, and a lot of it will be trial and error. But I hope this article will be enough to get you started and I encourage each of you to at least try shooting a couple rolls of film.

I’ve provided some options that cost next-to-nothing, so even if you don’t enjoy yourself, you’re not out that much cash. I’m betting you’ll have a blast!

Just be careful, it can become very addicting very quickly. Before you know it, you’ll be buying developer chemicals and trying to figure out which room in your house you can get away with turning into a darkroom!

All photos © Shane Parker Photography

Phototuts+

Street photography is a type of documentary photography that features subjects and people in candid situations. It’s usually focused on public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other settings. In this showcase we have collected some beautiful examples of street photography, along with few tips to perfect your own technique!.

Our 10 Simple Tips

Before you pick up a camera and head out into the street, it’s worth reading through our guide: The Ins and Outs of Street Photography: 10 Simple Steps. In it, we discuss the best choice of camera, finding a location, trusting your instinct, and the challenges and dangers of photographing in public. It’s a great place to start!

Other Street Photography Resources

• 20 Quick Street Photography Tips
• 19 Killer Street Photography Tips
• 11 Tips for Candid Street Photography
• 21 street photography tips from the professionals

80 Superb Examples

street photography

Solo

New York Street Photography

Rain

street

Clown And Man

Dreaming

street

photography

Foggy Day in the streets of Brussels

Lush Life

home delivery

Pizza To Go!

4 days of freedom

The Accidental Tourist – Windswept!

Old Play

Snow walk

The Little Match Girl

Getting a Shave

A silhouette walking alone in heavy rain.

Romance in the Rain

July 24th

Envy . . .

Unexpected Smile!

The Girl Who Ate the Apple

space

Street Photography

Hi Folks!

pigeons .

street

why i am ?

Basic Instinct

watching you

Sunset market mist

The Crying Game

Almost home

BubbleStare

stories from the city 1

Between the lines

bag snatch. . she’s getting away. . .

’09

winter memorie

Techno-Attitude

honey, which way?

Huddled.

A Splash of Burgundy!

Make a Wish!

red

Textbreak

stuck

Mobile facebook

hide-and-seek

Boat on the river

The birdman & the squirrel

Why Me?

Lost

Generation gap

Hats – Unexpected Smile II

Night – The Ice Maiden!

Night – Lucid Dreams!

Street Interview

Silence

She loves LOVE!

EYES

Life with the new 5D Mark II is all smiles

Shower

Undercover

Clarinet & Accordion

Extended communications …

Simba

Melbournia

The Street is a Catwalk

Street Scenes

Share Your Own Images!

I hope you enjoyed today’s inspiration post, and feel ready to head outside and capture what’s going on around you. Do you have your own example to share? We’d love to see it in the comments – just post a link to it below, and we’ll take a look!

Phototuts+

Pet photography is very similar to photographing children – it’s difficult to coax and encourage them into the perfect composition. But when you get it right, the hard work can pay off in dividends.

Working with animals is far easier if you know the subject personally, and not all the tips below will be relevant for every different animal. Still, hopefully they’ll give you a few ideas on how to take great shots of your pets!

Step 1. Focus on the Features

One of the first things to consider is how you want to portray your pet in your photographs. Consider whether your pet has any particular traits, habits or physical that you could capture. This may well affect what posture you’d ideally like the pet to have in your shot.

Try and maximise the affect of the animals facial features, such as teeth or eyes. Maybe you can try and evoke a particular reaction from the animal, but a good rule to start you off is to focus in on the eyes.

Photo by Jeff Balke

Step 2. Direction

It’s difficult to make a pet shot look natural, as they don’t necessarily follow directions and will behave unpredictably. But there are a few things you can do in order to get your pet to respond and make your life easier.

Try and get their attention – either call their name or use a treat or biscuit to get them to focus on you. If you’re not the pet owner, try and ensure the owner is present, as the animal will be far more receptive to their direction than yours.

If you like, you can try getting the pet to interact with the owner or other animals – this can produce some wonderful moments, but could also prove a major distraction, so it’s your call!

Photo by Trey Ratcliff

Step 3. Get to Their Level

Make sure you’ve got a nice quick lens, as undoubtedly your pet will move around quite a bit. Try and be as mobile as possible, so don’t burden yourself with loads of equipment. You want to be able to respond to your pet’s movement.

Get down (or up!) to their level, and consider it the same as taking a portrait shot, you want to capture the face of the subject and any expression or posture that they hold. Also, if you can, try and get in close, so you can capture the detail of the fur or skin and fill the frame with your subject.

Photo by jcoterhals

Step 4. Environment

It’s also important to consider the context and setting in which you’re taking the shots. Try and get the pet to a place with a decent amount of light – this could either be out in the park, or at home near a window or strong light source.

You could also trying using props, positioning your pet by a particular piece of furniture or even in someone’s hands depending on how small it is! Remember that the environment you choose will affect your pets behaviour. Somewhere familiar indoors will probably lead to them being quite subdued, but out and about, or even somewhere new to them, may lead to more excitable shots.

Photo by snapped_up

Step 5. Doing Something Different

Hopefully you’ve gathered a few ideas together of how and where you might construct your shoot, but don’t be afraid of trying something creative or different.

Think about the context in which you usually see your pet and maybe try removing it from that setting and trying a new location or environment. I’ve got nothing against capturing a really detailed face on portrait shot of a pet, but please don’t forget there is the potential to be creative!

Photo by frozi

Phototuts+

Family gatherings are a wonderful time to experience the joy and fun of those you love. And as a photographer (if you are reading this, you are probably a photographer) your internal mission is often to capture the best photos of all the activity as it unfolds.

Maybe relatives are making a special trip across the country or across the world for the gathering. Or perhaps it is an annual tradition. No matter which, these tips will help give you the advantage you need to capture some truly memorable photos at your own family gathering!

Copyright David Becker

Shoot The Front Door

While I don’t mean the front door itself (although that can be a nice photo at the beginning of a slide show or photo album) unless it is highly decorated, I am talking here about shooting the activity at the front door. As guest show up, it is great to capture photos of the welcoming hugs and handshakes. This is also when people are most relaxed and themselves.

Not only are people relaxed, if there is a chance to stand behind and above the head greeter, such as on steps, you will not be noticed at all. This leaves the trap perfectly set to shoot a few genuine smiles and hugs before any one notices their picture being taken. And let’s face it, once people know a camera is near, they start posing or changing their demeanor. Get them while they are fresh and unsuspecting, at the front door!

Copyright martathegoodone

Increase the ISO and Drop the Flash

Modern DSLRs are quickly becoming more and more effective in low light. While ISO 400 was once the highest useable setting, now decent photos can be shot up to ISO 1600, depending on the camera in use. This higher ISO lends itself well to the low lighting in some houses when families gather.

Shooting without a flash allows for far more stealth. More stealth leads to more natural shots, the shots that remind you of the actual activities of the gathering, not the posed moments. (Posed moments are fine, by the way, and we will cover them in a bit.) When shooting without a flash, it is important to check the shutter speed to ensure there is no blurred action.

Copyright Mitch Barrie

Use a Remote Control or Timer

Using a remote control, or a timer with the camera set in a non-conspicuous location, is a simple way to take candid photos when people are most relaxed. Warning, this may lead to some embarrassing photos as people are left to be themselves. We all do things when people aren’t watching, that we would never do if we knew they were. And especially not if a camera was in our face.

Taking a cue from the previous point, setting the ISO higher and removing the need for flash will hopefully help your guest not even know the camera exists. The less they know of the camera, the more relaxed they will be.

Move the camera around at various times. A number of cameras have a remote control with a timer function, allowing the camera to take a photo every X minutes for up to 100 or more images. This can be very handy when you want to take a break and enjoy the party, but let your camera keep capturing the action.

Copyright Bryan Rosengrant

Food Preparation

There’s going to be food at your gathering, that is almost assured. Whether or not that food is cooked on site is a different story. If the event is catered on-site or if the food is prepared by other family members in the kitchen, you will have a smorgasbord of photographic opportunities available. Wind your way behind the scenes and capture the kitchen magic.

Shoot the broad shots; the whole kitchen, food on the move and the happy chefs. But also get close and personal with the prep work. This is a side of the event some may not be witnessing (or you might have the entire party crowded into the kitchen).

Be sure to let them know where their food is coming from. The chopping, broiling, baking, frying and grilling that goes into making a family gathering feast. Whether it is an outdoor Bar-B-Que or a Wintery sit-down meal, the food preparation and work of the fine chefs in the kitchen deserve some spotlight.

Copyright Tudor

The Food Itself!

Food, food, glorious food! Whether the family gathering is a sit-down affair or a backyard BBQ, food will most likely be involved. At times it is the main reason for gathering is to share a meal and that makes food photos all the more important.

There are a number great posts here on Tuts+ with instructional information on capturing quality food shots, such as Food Photography That’s Good Enough To Eat.

A personal caution about food shots. Actually, not so much about the food, but about the eating of it. While capturing the feel of the day, be thoughtful of those eating the glorious food. Rarely is there a good shot of someone eating just about any normal food. We humans are not fashionable in our normal food eating graces and photos can be downright embarrassing for some.

Here is where comedy can save the day. Instead of the normal “you caught me eating” photos, ask your subjects to pose in some way. Food as a prop lightens the mood and gives people something to do. It is usually a fun, spontaneous way to take unique photos of the event.

Copyright Steven Depolo

Get Crazy With (Some Of) The Poses

Family gatherings often require an obligatory group photo. Or a photo of certain parts of the family all together. The larger the group, the harder the shot. One quick bit of advice would be to shoot multiple shots of any group to avoid the dreaded blinkers from ruining it.

Beyond the blinkers are the wandering eyes. When people have been standing for a portrait too long, with other family gathering around to admire the fine grouping, the eyes of those in front of the camera will wander around to the distractions coming from behind the camera and that can spell disaster.

As the photographer your goal is to gain control of the situation and try to hold the family together for just a few brief seconds. I tend to make this promise with those in front of the camera when things are getting a bit out of control:

“I need to take three quick, normal photos. Then we will shoot five goofy ones when you can do whatever you want.”

Is it cheap coercion just to get your way? Of course it is! And it works. If people know they will have a time to goof off that is more time than you are asking them to sit still and smile normal, they cave in and give you what you want. In return, there are always some keepers among the goofy set as well.

Copyright Evan Osherow

Employ Help, Especially Kids

This one can be a lot of fun if you know your family well. Enlist the help of a young one, someone who is outgoing and is a social butterfly, to wander the party and let you follow. Ask them to introduce you to the people they know.

Better yet, ask them to ask those at the party to pose for a photo. Again, it may seem like a type of coercion, but people often can’t say no and are more relaxed around kids.

If a child is not around or willing, grab an adult who tends to be the life of the party. Preferably someone who is not too tipsy so they don’t go off the deep end. You want someone who is fun and can get the crowd going without being obnoxious.

Follow this person around as they greet guests and ask to pose, then have them jump out of the picture so that one person doesn’t fill your entire album.

Copyright Alli

Props!

Most people feel odd standing in front of a camera and smiling. Admittedly, it is one of the more unusual things photographers ask of their subjects. We don’t naturally pose as we move through life. But we do work with props all the time. If things are seeming a bit humdrum in the photo field, grab an unlikely prop and walk through the party offering it up for people’s impressions.

It may be something simple, or it may be something completely off the wall. Stuffed animals work well for kids and something as simple as a household decoration works for adults.

This can also be a running theme. I have seen albums created where, at one point, there are photographs of all the party-goers wearing the same hat. Be creative and liven things up!

Copyright Fran Trudeau

Ask For A Favorite Memory

This technique works well if you plan to present the photos in some type of album (online or printed) and have room for captioning. It does take extra work, but the result is a great keepsake. The idea is to get your subject talking about a favorite memory they have about their family. This serves two purposes.

Firstly, it helps give context when captioning photos, such as “Uncle Jim loved fishing with his kids out at Lake Overfenchobie until the sky grew too dark to see.”

Second, when remembering a pleasant (or not so pleasant) time, it is almost impossible for the subject to be overly concerned about their photo being taken. People tend to be most self-conscious when they are told not to be. But if they are given a pleasant task, their attention shifts and their expressions become more natural. They will probably even be laughing at some point, a great time to grab their photo.

Phototuts+

Long exposure photography means using a long shutter speed, a tripod, and often a remote shutter release. The resulting effect is to sharply capture stationary elements of a scene, while blurring, smearing, or obscuring any moving elements. It’s a beautiful effect, and can lead to incredibly beautiful images. In this roundup, we’ve compiled some amazing long exposure photography, along with useful tips and links to help you try it yourself!

3 Tips For Long Exposure Photography

Go Steady

Whenever you’re leaving your camera shutter open for a long period (anything above the reciprocal of the lens’ focal length – i.e. 1/50th of a second for a 50mm lens), you’ll need to have something to steady your camera. Holding it by hand is perfectly fine for many shots, but not if you’re wanting to experiment with a long exposure.

Start by picking up a tripod. It doesn’t need to be a particularly fancy or expensive model, particularly if you’re only just starting out. Choose a size that fits your compromise between being large enough to be useful, but small enough to carry around as needed.

You could also purchase a cable release, to avoid any shake when you physically press the shutter. A cheaper alternative to this is simply using the self-timer on your SLR. Set it to two seconds, and then stand back!

Use a Neutral Density Filter

If you’re wanting to use a long exposure in daytime for a blurring effect, you’ll often find that your image quickly becomes over-exposed with blown out highlights. To remedy this, try using a neutral density filter. These come in all manner of different varieties, each of which will allow you to maintain a longer shutter speed in particular light conditions.

These are particularly useful when you’re trying to blur the motion of water in daylight, or if you’d like to reduce the depth of field in very bright lighting conditions.

River Llugwy

Head Out at Night

Although there’s plenty to be captured in the day, long exposures at night take on a completely new feel. It’s a widely showcased type of photography, but one that never fails to impress and amaze. It shows a blurred aspect of light that we never see with our own eyes, and captivates viewers for that very reason.

The usual advice applies – You need a tripod, lots of patience, and a few interesting sources of artificial light to incorporate in the photo!

Bright Atlanta

Dazzling Long Exposure Examples

Endurance

Making An Appearance

In The Groove

Super S

News flash

Country Road at Night

7 snake

Another Early One

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Kiz Kulesi

Golden Gate

time to choose the right colours..

Platform Holly

Santa Monica Spin

Railway to Heaven

Snake Trail Road

Dune Blazers

Zion at night…. with a real camera.

Sunset Road

Another Sunset in Austin

Last passenger

Hyperdriiiiiiiiive

Burning Man

Railroad

back to the future…

Davenport

Rowena Crest

exposure

Rockstar

Petit groupe nocturne …

Daily Disney (Explored)

Speed Tunnel

Inter City Fisheye

Moonlit Cruise

flickrwhore

Champs Elysée

More Tower Bridge Traffic

Extreme Remix

The Stars Will Always Shine

Freeway Flow

1907 Yosemite Valley

Noches doradas

Abduction in Altadena

Ball of light – That Sinking Feeling

Foppolo by Night

port-O-potty

KFOG KABOOM

Speed of light

Car

Heavens Above

Nòria del Tibidabo

last train

Don’t Walk, Dante!

Locked

Expressboat leaving

- U -

Pacman II

Persistence

Northern Chicago and the Lake Michigan

Long Exposure

Holy Long Exposure

People mixer

Golden Gate bridge

The couple

Point Lobos

On the roof

Ode to Notraces

Vernazza

Long exposure Self Portrait

Other Resources Elsewhere

Ten Long-Exposure Photography Tips

Guide to daytime long exposures

8 Tips for Long Exposure Photography

Technique – using long exposures to achieve “glassy” water

Long Exposure Night Photography Technique

How to Shoot Light Trails

Phototuts+

You’ve heard there is big money in wedding photography and you want a piece of the action. After all, it sounds like a good gig, right? Five hours of work one evening on a weekend and a 00+ payday! What could be simpler?

Before the dreams of grandeur and big pay checks start clouding your vision, here are 20 tips I hope will help steer your growth so you are an asset to the happy couple entrusting you with their fond memories.

Persistence Is Essential to Success

I have this saying posted above my computer in my office. It stares at me every day I sit in front of the screen and get work done. It’s drilled into my head from repetition. I can’t remember where the quote came from but I want to thank whoever brought it into my life.

It is one of the single most important bits of advice which keeps me going on the days the phone doesn’t ring and no magical “we want to pay you ,000 for a photo shoot!” emails are filling my inbox.

Copyright Mark Kobayashi-Hillary

Those phone calls and those emails (minus a few thousand dollars) don’t come in unless you make them happen. And the way you make them happen is by keeping at the task of building your business every day of the week.

I can tell you, for a fact, I have received work only because I was persistent and sent four emails asking a potential client for work. You will hear over and over again, “I know you sent me an email before but it got buried. Thanks for the follow up.” if you keep at it.

Not many fishermen get a bite on their first cast. You have to keep at it. Say it with me: Persistence is essential to success.

Look Professional

This bit of advice varies greatly from region to region, country to country so I’m not going to give any specific advice on what to wear. A suit may be required in your area or maybe a sport shirt will suffice. The key here is to look professional — both when you are meeting potential clients and when performing your wedding shoots.

Copyright Michael Dunn

There is a balance that must be struck between dressing to a tee and having functional clothing. After all, you will be walking and standing for hours on end, sometimes half a day or longer. Make sure your outfit is workable.

But also strive to be the second best dressed person in the room (behind the wedding party). Some photographers spend as much on their outfits as they do on their camera gear. The impression you leave on your clients and others at the event is one way to generate leads to other paying jobs.

Be Professional

Looking professional is not enough. You need to act professional. What does this mean? Do:

• Refrain from getting drunk
• Avoid chatting about politics/religion/sensitive topics
• Point out your positive attributes rather than put down your competition
• Be respectful to all everyone you meet
• Listen
• Be on time
• Respond to emails and calls (see next item)

These are just a few of the items it takes to act professionally. If you want to make a living at wedding photography, you are going to have to stop treating it like a hobby and start treating it like a life long commitment. Your reputation is what will get you referrals. It will serve you well to always present a professional image.

Return Calls

It’s tempting when you are starting out in the wedding photography field to hide behind your keyboard. It’s easy to set up a ‘store front’ website, make some nice business cards and start sending out emails to potential clients.

Yet, many of us have a problem with direct contact if our confidence is anything less than 100%. And when you start out in the business, your confidence might not be 100%.

Copyright Gillian C.

One of the ways that lack of total confidence manifests itself is in avoidance, especially when the deal is not yet sealed. I’ve known a number of photographers who are masters of the English language when typing up proposals and creating portfolio websites, but the moment their phone rings, they stammer or press ignore. If you aren’t in a good position to take a call from a potential client, it is OK to let it go to voicemail.

And yet, you need to return calls, promptly. I speak from experience on this point. I still am not always the smoothest character on the phone, but I have found those phone calls to be the life blood of the business.

It does take some nerve when starting, but you will find more value in returning the calls promptly rather than putting it off for a day or two. Even a few hours could mean the loss of a client. Take care of your business first and return calls promptly.

Get Accustomed to Rejection

No one likes rejection. That’s obvious. If you absolutely can’t stand rejection, this might not be the best industry for you. A freelance photographer has to have tough skin when it comes to dealing with rejection.

Most of the time it is nothing personal, although at times a personality conflict might be exactly what it is. You’re going to get turned down at some point in your professional career.

Copyright LeJyBy

The good news is the world keeps turning. More clients will call, more leads will crop up, and opportunity will keep knocking. The sting of “No” doesn’t last and gets easier to take as time goes on. The less you have all your eggs in one basket, hoping for that dream client, the better off you are to handle rejection.

Try to turn the rejection around and ask why a client has decided on another photographer. If you look at the situation in the right light, it’s a chance to understand what the market is looking for and how you can adapt.

Know Your Limits

Just how low will you go, financially speaking, for a shoot? How far will you drive before charging mileage? Do you have a midnight cut off? How many phone calls are too many?

Copyright Harini Calamur

Knowing your limits is an important aspect in this business. There comes a point when a gig starts costing you money (via time, usually). Clients will try to barter you down or get as many free items as they can. Not all of them, but some will.

You need to know your limits before the questions come up, or you stand a chance of wavering and faltering in the face of pressure. If 00 is the lowest amount you will take to spend 10 hours shooting a wedding, stick to it and be OK with saying, “No thanks,” when a client tries to lowball you.

Build a Portfolio

Building a portfolio can be a classic ‘chicken and the egg’ problem. You want to break into wedding photography, but you have no wedding photographs to show. What do you do? One thing you do not do is show clients other people’s work. Ever. Not even in a “this is what I can do” manner. It’s dishonest and a bad reflection of character.

Copyright Mrmand Dijicks

What you can do is start on the low end. This business is a classic example of the school of hard knocks. You need to spend some time doing it before you can do it.

One way to accomplish this is signing on as an assistant for an established photographer. They can be a great resource for learning and, if you get lucky, they will act as a mentor for many years after you have professionally parted ways. Look for someone with a long history and who you feel you can work with.

Another option is to shoot as an unofficial second photographer. This is a bit trickier, because you will need the right set of circumstances to make it happen. You will need a wedding couple you feel comfortable approaching about the idea and the main photographer will have to be OK with it.

The latter is the harder piece to fit. But there are photographers out there who don’t feel threatened by a newbie wanting to get into the field. Again, you might get lucky and find someone who is willing to give you advice while you both have a free moment.

They will surely have some limits, such as not allowing you to shoot alongside of them for the portraits (having two cameras to look at confuses most groups and you get wandering eyes). Don’t be afraid to ask.

Know Your Gear

The night before your first or second wedding shoot is not a time to be pulling out the instruction manual or trying new things. Know your gear and know it cold.

Know how to adjust the basic settings in darkness or the flashing lights of the dance floor. Know just how far you can push the ISO before it is unrecoverable. Know how to control your strobe from the camera body and how long the batteries will last. Know your gear inside and out.

Have a Backup

Picture yourself at your first wedding shoot. Your heart is already racing. Your palms are getting sweaty and you’re not too sure of where you want to stand. It’s nerve-racking enough the first few times. Now imagine your camera won’t turn on… If you think you were nervous before, now you’re panicking!

Copyright TheSussman (Mike)

Bring a backup for everything that is vital to your job at hand. Starting out, you might not have enough money to buy a spare camera body and lens, and that’s just part of the game. Maybe you can borrow a friends.

As soon as you can, pick up another body similar to your main camera for a backup. And keep it within easy reach.

Some people normally shoot with two camera bodies to lessen time in switching lenses, but this doesn’t mean your spare has to be on you at all times (especially if you are not accustomed to carrying a spare camera and it keeps getting in the way). Keep it nearby and handy.

The same goes for extra camera and flash batteries, an extra flash, and more than enough memory cards.

Remember, the bride and groom are paying you well (because you knew your limits and stuck to them) and they entrust you with capturing the magic of the day. It’s your job to be prepared.

Communicate!

I mentioned it a little in the section about about returning calls. Communicate! While you can communicate too much, the odds of that dampening your relationship with your clients is not nearly as vast as the opportunity to alienate them by turning into a recluse.

If you are, in fact, a recluse, it’s time to pop out of your shell and be proactive with communication.

Copyright mikael altemark

In the beginning, you are learning and things won’t always go right. As time goes on, you will learn your own pattern for communicating with the happy couple. You will start to get a feel for when they might be antsy to see their final images, or proofs.

You will know to call X many days before the wedding to check in, again, even though you did it two weeks ago. Different clients will demand different amounts of communication and it’s your job to adapt to that and be proactive.

Being the first to communicate shows you care and your clients are important to you. That reputation is what will help secure referrals for other weddings.

Get to Know Other Photographers

Maybe you think of other wedding photographers as the enemy. Get over it. You need other wedding photographers, believe it or not.

While you can go it on your own and shun the industry, that tactic only works for a few. Make friends – or at least acquaintances – with as many local and distant photographers as you can.

Copyright Amanda Hatfield

Why? Because even though other photographers are indeed your competition, they can also be your comrades. As you build a reputation in the industry (see points above) you will also receive referrals, from time to time, from other photographers not able to cover a wedding.

If your name is in their mind and they know your work, you have a chance at securing gigs you didn’t even know existed. And things do come up. Photographers get sick and can’t cover a shoot. They need a second photographer and don’t normally shoot with one. Or maybe they want to hand off some editing work and are willing to pay a good price for your time.

Not only that, it’s great to have a community you can ask questions when in doubt. Shooting in a new location and want to know about great spots for portraits? Throw the question out to your community.

If you have made friends in that community, someone is bound to lend a hand or know someone who can. Don’t underestimate the power of networking! And to help you out, you can find me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Feel free to throw questions my way if you’re just starting out! (obviously I like to help)

Advertise

Who knows you are a wedding photographer? You need to advertise, period. This can be in the form of direct mailings to people you know, or a purchased mailing list. It can be shouting it out from Facebook every 15 minutes, or purchasing one of their ads.

There are lead generation sites where, for a fee, customers come to a common site and ask for bids for their wedding photography work. Pound the pavement, walk into bridal shops, let people know you exist.

Post business cards where you can, and network outside of your normal comfort zone because almost any interest group out there has someone looking to get married.

Value Your Time

Think quick: what is your time worth? Not “how happy would you be that anyone would pay you to shoot a wedding?” But really, how much is your time worth? Do you want to make a living at wedding photography?

Copyright Nina Matthews

It’s easy when you are first starting out in the business to take any low hanging fruit you can find. 0 for your four hour wedding? I’ll take it! That’s 0/hr. I’m rich!

But wait, what about time to edit the photos? What about time to negotiate the contract and meet with clients on the other side of town through an hour and a half of traffic, each way?

What about your cost to advertise? And time to create the ads? Then there’s time before and after the wedding itself, time to set up your website, wear and tear on your equipment, and the ever present desire to get nicer, newer cameras.

A lot goes into a photography business. I’ve heard it estimated only 10% of your time is spent shooting weddings. When you are starting out, ask around to other local photographers to get an idea of what they charge.

Those who charge 0 for a full day wedding shoot can not making a living in the business or will not last long. Value your time and charge accordingly.

Know Your Worth and State It

Wedding decorations last a few hours. Flowers, a week. Cake, a year (in the freezer). Photographs: a life time. That’s why they aren’t cheap.

Continuing with the item above, know what you need to make and charge that amount. State your value to your clients. Starting out, it’s a bit hard, but with a few weddings under your belt you will be able to point out the experience you bring, the expertise, the knowledge of how weddings unfold.

Don’t be afraid to state clearly what value you are adding to the wedding. Your job now is to be a salesman for yourself. Some people already have an understanding of a photographer’s worth, but many people don’t quite get it

It’s your job to know your value in this situation and communicate it clearly.

Ask Questions

A client has called! It’s an exciting day and you’ve probably already told a few friends about the meeting next Thursday. In your glow, you set aside thoughts of the meeting until….it’s Wednesday night! Wait! What is tomorrow really about? What will they be asking?

Copyright Marc Worrell

A better question is; what will you be asking. The initial client meeting is a two way street. Yes, you are there to impress them with your gorgeous portfolio and vast knowledge of your art. But it’s also a time for you to decide if you want to take the assignment.

Remember; you are never required to sign on a client if you don’t want to, and that’s what this meeting is for – to make sure both parties involved want to work with each other. The best way to determine your desire to work with the clients is to ask questions.

I have turned down weddings before because the “vibe” wasn’t right. Another word for vibe might be that our personalities didn’t quite gel. Sure, you can still shoot a wedding like this, but do it once or twice and you soon realize the lost revenue is less than the heartache of working with a truly horrible client.

It can also be a disservice to the couple if your style and theirs don’t match. I’ve also declined offers because they bride and groom wanted highly stylized photos, lots of posing and staged shots. That isn’t my forte.

In the end the couple was better served by finding someone with whom they ‘clicked’. You will only find out if this is the case by asking a lot of questions at that first meeting.

Make a List

This item is a simple task which takes some time upfront to get ironed out, but saves a lot of time on the backend. Create a shot list you can hand to the bride and groom, long before the wedding day.

Ask them to check which shots they want, and highlight which shots are vital/do not miss. Leave space for them to add their own requests. Then make them a copy and keep the original some place safe until the wedding day.

Copyright Tony Case

The good part of making the list is you can reuse it from wedding to wedding. There are a number of lists on the web and I’ve even posted mine if that will help you get started.

Preview the Location

Sometimes, the wedding party has been to the ceremony site and knows it like the back of their hand. Sometimes they don’t have a clue.

Either way, it is your responsibility to preview the site to know where you want to shoot portraits. It’s OK if the bride already has plans, but it’s not OK if she doesn’t and neither do you.

Copyright Rupert Brun

It’s best to try to view the ceremony site at the same time of year to get an idea of how it’s lit. As a lot of weddings are in summer, this can be accomplished by visiting in the Spring when the sun sets at the same time of day. If the ceremony will be in a remote site, show up a few hours early to scout for shooting locations.

Deliver!

Remember the earlier items about responding to emails and communicating? This is the last step in that process; following through. You’ve talked the talk and now it’s time to walk the walk.

Deliver proofs when you say you will. Deliver the final product, be it a disc, album or online gallery, when you say you will. Make sure contracts are in hand when they need to be.

Copyright Nathan Rupert

You will rarely hear it said to your face, but if you are mercilessly consistent with your communication and delivery, your reputation will grow. Those referrals you will be getting will be bolstered by the statement, “He always returned our calls promptly and delivered the photos on time.”

People want to know you will do what you say and that comes from doing it over and over and over again. Know your deadlines and meet them before they are due to ensure everything is done on time.

Here you will need to be responsible for your time and commitment. Make sure to block out time for editing soon after the wedding. Don’t let things linger until the night before because your quality will suffer.

Who doesn’t love receiving an unexpected email, two weeks early, telling them their photos are ready? Deliver time and again, and the work will build with your reputation.

Don’t Get Drunk

If you are normally the life of the party, it’s time to hand the reins to someone else while you are working. It might be tempting because it is a party, after all. People will nearly force you to drink at times, insisting just one shot won’t kill you. “Loosen up!” they’ll say.

Copyright Leo Reynolds

While I enjoy a drink just as much as the next guy, I feel it is vital to hold off on the booze while working. You’re a professional photographer, not a guest.

I know that line gets blurry at times and it’s great when you’re shooting a wedding at which you really feel welcome. Again, it’s about your reputation, which will linger long after the alcohol has left the party guests’ systems.

Your responsibility is to your clients, the bride and groom, and they hired you to shoot photos and capture the fun of the party, not to be the life of it. Your goal in this regard will be to hear a month or two later, when the pictures are delivered, “He didn’t really party with us and wouldn’t even take a drink of the wine.” “No, but he gave us wonderful photos.”

Pack Snacks

You may be offered food at the reception and you may not. You might even request it. But don’t count on having time to sit down and eat. I’m lucky in this regard. When I shoot, my stomach shuts down and doesn’t request anything while I concentrate on the shoot.

But not everyone can do that. If that someone is you, pack a number of snacks as if you are going for a hike. Some sugars, but lots of protein and fats. You will be on your feet for hours, so don’t worry too much about gaining weight on this one day. Worry instead about having enough energy to get the last shot of the couple driving off into the sunset.

Remain Calm

Copyright tyler.wainright

This bit of advice holds true for many aspects of life: remain calm. There will be enough energy and emotion swirling around the ceremony without you adding to it. Be a pillar of calm.

When the bride turns to you and wants to know when the portraits will be shot, you can reassure her there is enough time, they’ll be in 15 minutes and it’ll all work out.

You might not know it, but you will soon become the most experienced person at the wedding. Most of us have seen or been in a wedding, but photographers and officiants are the ones who people turn to over and over as experts on what to do, where to stand and what comes next.

It will all work out. Even if you are nervous during your first wedding shoot, confidence will come in time. Until then, fake it and remain calm while those around you give in to all the nervous energy.

Bonus Advice: Have Fun

Weddings are a fun, frantic and exciting time. While it is considered a job for you, don’t forget to have fun with it. It’s a celebration and you are doing what you love to do; taking pictures. I can’t think of a better career to have than that of a wedding photographer!

Phototuts+
Print / Web Design Company India

Ideally, accessibility should be considered as part of every web project in order to increase availability to the widest possible audience. In the real world however, it can be easily overlooked. In this article we will look at easy ways that you can improve the accessibility of your site without having to make drastic or time consuming changes.

Introduction

“Unfortunately, the power and adaptability of the Web is not always fully utilised”

The World Wide Web is an incredible resource and it has opened up exciting new possibilities. Many more people are now able to access information and entertainment previously unavailable to them through traditional forms of media. The World Wide Web is especially significant for those with disabilities as the vast amount of digital information stored can be manipulated to meet differing requirements. Unfortunately, the power and adaptability of the Web is not always fully utilised and those with disabilities can find it difficult to navigate websites and have a negative experience with the Web in general.

There are numerous reasons why you should aim to improve the accessibility of your site, one of which is that it is the law in many countries. In the UK for example, web accessibility falls under the Disability Discrimination Act and if your website fails to comply, legal action could be brought against you. Legal issues aside however, why would you not want to open your site to the widest possible audience by making it accessible to everyone?

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) was set up by the W3C to promote accessibility on the Web. The WAI attempts to educate people on how those with disabilities use the Web and has created guidelines for web designers and developers to follow. You will find that many of the guidelines are easy to follow and implement. Below we will discuss some easy methods that will help you meet these guidelines and improve the accessibility of your site.

Tip 01: Consider Your Colors

It is estimated that around ten million men suffer from some form of color-blindness in the U.S. The most common types are Protanopia and Deuteranopia; and those who suffer from these have trouble distinguishing between red, green and similar colours. With such a high prevalence of this condition, it really is worth considering when designing and coding your website.

For the most part, there are no radical measures that need to be taken when designing with color-blindness in mind – as is the case with the majority of the suggestions within this article. A well designed website will generally not cause any major problems for color-blind users. It is worth taking extra consideration however, when designing interactive or call-to-action elements. For example; a simple text link, styled red with no other decoration may be impossible to see if it is within a block of grey or black text. No one is suggesting that you need to stick with default link styling, but it is helpful to use more than one type of decoration such as an underline or background-color.

A useful tool for designers can be found at colorfilter.wickline.org which provides several different filters that mimic how different types of color-blind users would perceive a website. Simply type in the URL of a website and select the filter you wish to use – it does take a bit of time to load however so you will have to be patient.

It is also worth taking into account the level of contrast between foreground and background elements of your website. A high level of contrast will benefit everyone, not just those who are visually impaired. The Web Accessibility Guidelines suggest a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 and an ideal ratio of 7:1 for standard sized body text. Obviously the safest option is always black text on a white background or vice versa.

You can check the contrast ratio of multiple elements on a site using Juicy Studio’s Color Contrast Analyser Firefox extension. It will analyse each element on the page and provide a report on whether or not it conforms to the WAI’s guidelines.

Tip 02: Contextual Links

Those who use screen readers will often have the option to navigate a web page by skipping through the links to find something of interest. In the case of text links, the user would simply hear the word in isolation, regardless of the content that surrounds it. It is therefore extremely unhelpful when all that the user hears is ‘click here’ or ‘more’ – these types of links provide no information of where they direct the user or to what they are referring to.

A much better option is to provide a more descriptive link. A link that takes the user to the complete article on a blog could read ‘learn more about S.E.O’ or ‘click here for the full article on S.E.O’.

Tip 03: Alternative Content

One of the core principles of the Web Accessibility Initiative is to make content on the web available to all regardless of any disability they may have. There are a number of techniques, such as the ones discussed in this article, which will help towards the WAI’s goal. There will always be some types of content however, that cannot be made accessible to some users, such as audio to those who are deaf. In this scenario, you should always provide alternative content where possible.

Web Content Accessibility Guideline 1.1:

Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need such as large print, Braille, symbols or simpler language.

For example, if you have a video of an interview on your site, you could consider including a transcript of the conversation for users to download or read on the site. Another method is to add captioning to the video – a method that YouTube is experimenting with using speech recognition software.

An even more complete approach is to provide a link to a text-only version of your website. This method will also make your site a lot more accessible to those with slow internet connections such as those still using a dial-up connection or browsing for a mobile device.

Tip 04: Tab Indexes

The Tab Index basically establishes the order of elements that a user will cycle through when using the ‘Tab’ key. In the majority of cases, if a page design follows a logical order and establishes a strong hierarchy using headings, sub-headings etc. then you need not worry about this too much. It is with the use of forms however that this function is really valuable.

Forms can incorporate many small elements such as checkboxes and radio buttons that can require precise movement and clicks of the mouse. Someone with a motor disability may not have the control needed to perform such precise actions. With a correct Tab Index established a user will be able to cycle through and interact with each form element using simple presses on the keyboard. A Tab Index will also benefit those who do not have access to a mouse and rely solely on the user of a keyboard to navigate a website.

Tip 05: Proper Use of the Alt Attribute

We all know about alt text. It’s that text that we need to add to images in order for our site to validate. Everyone uses them right? Actually there are plenty of websites that don’t and those that do often use them incorrectly. In fact, there is much debate about the correct use of the alt attribute.

The alt attribute serves three main purposes:

• Assistive technologies such as screen readers use alt text and read it aloud to the user.
• Alt text is displayed instead of the image when images have been disabled by those with a slow internet connection or those using a text-only browser.
• Search engines also use alt text to store information about the page as they cannot read the content of images.

“The truth is that alternative text for images depends on the context in which it is placed”

So essentially alt text is the text equivalent of an image or other media source and it is used when the image cannot be accessed for various reasons. So what information exactly do we use for the alt attribute? Some people place detailed descriptions of the image while others load it up with keywords in an effort to help their search rankings. The truth is that alternative text for images depends on the context in which it is placed.

For example, it is common for a relevant image to accompany a blog post, such as a typewriter for an article about freelance writing. The article itself makes no reference to the image so therefore it is pretty superfluous. Some people may give the alt attribute the value of ‘typewriter’ or ‘image of a typewriter’ or perhaps they would give the value of the title of the article. All of these methods are wrong however. Let us see why.

Firstly we need to imagine that we cannot see the image. So if the value of the alt attribute was ‘typewriter’ we would see the title of the blog post, the word ‘typewriter’ on its own then the main text of the article – this makes no sense when viewed as text and it would be even more confusing if you were using a screen reader and randomly heard ‘typewriter’.

As a general rule, it is best that you do not use phrases such as ‘an image of’ or ‘a picture of’ when providing alt attribute values. The alt attribute will only benefit those who cannot see the image for various reasons so therefore telling these users that there is an image there offers no real value other than clearing up some of confusion caused by the above method.

Lastly, giving the alt attribute the value of the title of the blog post would only result in the title being displayed twice as text or repeated twice when using screen readers. Alt text should not repeat any information that is already provided as text, it is simply unnecessary and potentially confusing.

The best option in this scenario is simply to provide a blank alt attribute value. A blank value ensures no potentially confusing or irrelevant information is communicated and there is no detriment to the understanding of the article as the image is not essential to this. Some may argue that since the image is purely aesthetic, then it is not content and therefore does not belong in the HTML and should be displayed using CSS, there are differing views on this however.

As you can see, providing correct alt attribute values can be tricky and very much depends on the situation. The best advice is to asses each scenario individually, deciding on whether the image is required for understanding and use your best judgement.

Tip 06: Access Keys

Like Tab Indexes, Access Keys are a valuable feature for those users who rely on a keyboard to navigate a website. Unfortunately, Access Keys are one of the least used HTML elements, primarily because a lot of people are not aware of them and those who are choose not to implement them despite it being extremely simple.

Access Keys are basically keyboard shortcuts that help a keyboard user navigate to certain sections of a website quickly. Access Keys can be used by holding down a function key (usually Alt on Windows or Ctrl on Macs) and pressing a specific letter or number key that corresponds to a section of the site.

As I mentioned earlier, Access Keys are incredibly simple to implement. All it involves is a simple piece of HTML code added to the navigation anchor tags of your site –

Home

Simple.

A problem with Access Keys is that there is no universal set of assigned keys that users can expect to be utilised and combined with no real standard of informing users of the ones that have actually been used results in Access Keys being pretty ineffective.

The UK government does however have a set of recommended Access Keys to assign, they are as follows:

• S – Skip navigation
• 1 – Home Page
• 2 – News/Updates
• 3 – Site Map
• 4 – Search
• 5 – Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
• 6 – Help
• 7 – Complaints Procedure
• 8 – Terms and Conditions
• 9 – Feedback Form
• 10 – Access Key Information

Final Thoughts

As you can see, many of the above methods are very easy to implement and only require a basic knowledge of HTML. Making your website more accessible need not be time consuming, require massive modification or be detrimental to the appeal of a website.

I believe it is important for designers as well as developers to be knowledgeable about accessibility and consider it within the various stages of building a website. The earlier in the design process that attention and thought are paid to accessibility, the easier it will be to incorporate these methods and achieve better results.

It is also important to remember that the majority of the methods detailed above will not only help those with disabilities, but will benefit all users of your website. Some of the tips may even improve your rankings with search engines.

We have discussed just a few tips that will make your website more accessible, but if you are really committed, you may want to check out how you can conform to the full list of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Webdesigntuts+

Arriving at any major city can be daunting, not least if you are on a photography-related trip. Somewhere as expansive as London can be a difficult location to portray in just a few days, and you’ll need to prepare well in advance! Today we’re going to showcase a selection stunning images taken in England’s capital, along with some tips for your own visit.

Shoot the Landmarks

Although it might feel a little cliché, taking photos of the main landmarks and attractions is always a fun thing to do. Aim for something a little bit unique – I particularly like the two images taken by Michiel Jelijs below, showing famous landmarks in the background of a photo that focuses on a different subject.

You won’t be short of famous landmarks to photograph in London, but here’s a quick list to remind you of some major sights not to miss:

• London Eye
• Houses of Parliament & Big Ben
• St Paul’s Cathedral
• Tower Bridge
• Covent Garden
• Canary Wharf
• Millennium Dome
• Buckingham Palace
• 10 Downing Street

All of these different landmarks aren’t conveniently located five minutes away from one another unfortunately, which brings me on to the next piece of advice…

Alvaro

Get Underground

Travelling around London is best done on the iconic Underground system, connecting all the various sights and landmarks. A good idea is to pick up a Day Ticket, giving you unlimited access to roam around London all day.

Just because you’re underground, it’s no reason to put your camera away. I’ve included a number of fantastic underground shots in today’s inspiration, both of people, trains, and the iconography surrounding the whole Underground system. This is a big part of the London culture, and definitely worth exploring!

Zyllan

Capture the People

Although it can be easy and tempting to simply stick with architectural photography in a city such as London, don’t forget that a city’s “life” comes from the people living there. Whether it’s a busker sat across the river from St Paul’s Cathedral, or a solitary man walking away down a cobbled street, adding a person to your photo can go a long way.

Tom

Think About Events

London is host to many regular events that provide a unique chance to shoot something a little different. The yearly London Marathon, for instance, takes over the city for one day each year (17th April next year). London is also going to be host to the 2012 Olympic Games, another great reason to think about making a visit.

Julian Mason

Photo Inspiration

J. A. Alcaide

Carlo

Talke Photography

Tony Eccles

Natalia Romay

Jason

J. A. Alcaide

jrodmanjr

E01

Chris JL

night86mare

Taro Taylor

Harshil Shah

Michiel Jelijs

Craig Allen

Martino

Anirudh Koul

Stu Mayhew

Sheldon Wood

Zyllan

Carlo

Michiel Jelijs

Carlo

Nick Garrod

Cyril Attias

Primeroz

Mackenzie London

Mrs. Knook

Heart & Soul

Peter PZ

supersum

While You’re There…

As well as practicing your own photography, London is a great place to visit a museum and appreciate the work of other talented artists. Here are a few fantastic places to check out:

• London Design Museum
• Tate Modern
• Tate Britain
• The Photographers’ Gallery
• Atlas Gallery

Any Other Tips?

Do you have any of your own London photography tips to share? I’d love to hear them in the comments, and it would be great to have you contribute to our resource!

Phototuts+

One of the most difficult steps in any design process is selling that design to your clients and getting it signed-off. This is something that I have grown to really enjoy as I have become more experienced… in this article, I’ll share a few secrets to getting your designs approved by clients quickly and easily.

Getting Approval

A lot of people would think that if you understood the client and project well enough, made the right decisions and put in lots of hard work, your design should sell itself and the sign-off will go on very smooth, but as much as you would like your design to speak for itself, walking the client through a design and discussing comments always has a stronger impact and a higher probability for approval.

Here are a few tips to help you turn this fearful step into something you would enjoy and look forward to…

Tip 1. Make Well Researched and Studied Design Decisions

Assuming you came up with a great and wonderful design, you will still need to think through and study your designs. In order to sell something and gain approval you will need to be able to explain why certain decisions were made, although this may seem obvious, but I have been through hundreds of design meetings to know as a fact that designers almost always make design decisions without really knowing why because it’s easy to work on instinct and not fully think through decisions as they’re being made. DO NOT fall into this trap, it will come back and hurt you when it’s time to sign-off your designs.

Tip 2. Know Your Stakeholders

It’s highly important to know who will be reviewing your work as early in the process as possible, don’t trust that your clients will simply give you this information and never rely on assumptions.

Ask them specifically who will be making the decisions, doing this will help you tailor your presentation and could influence your design decisions as well, but beware; even if you’re 100% sure who will be reviewing your work and who is making decisions, always be prepared to present your design to anyone, I cannot say how many times a new decision maker was introduced in the middle of a project or even in the middle of the presentation itself, and usually you will find that this person is someone who’s opinion carry’s a lot of weight, this will happen from time to time, so always be prepared.

Tip 3. Set Expectations

It’s important to set yourself up for success from the beginning, tell your stakeholders what you’re going to do and how the design process is going on, explain your design decisions and tell your client why they are a good fit. Tell them they are going to love the work you’ve done before showing them anything, the more you can be in the mood the better it should go.

Always remember that your clients hired you to help them as a professional consultant, they will let you lead them if you step up and take the reins from the beginning.

You’ll find out that it’s always better to stick to decisions you are comfortable and 100% convinced with than try to please a specific client or do something just because the client asked for it.

Tip 4. Only Show the Great Stuff

I am a big fan of doing my homework and researching what the client needs then target one single design, however in many cases this is not an option and some clients need to have choices.

If you are presenting multiple options, you should only show the ones you feel are good enough, if you show 2 good designs and one “not so good”, you’re not only disappointing your client, but you’re just asking to get stuck with a design you’re not happy about.

You have to also beware of ending up with a combination of two or more totally different designs, you need to avoid the client’s love for playing the “mix and match” game, make sure they know upfront and before you show them anything that this is not an option.

If your designs are presented as JPEGs, always keep your quality up to a max, never compress review designs, it’s better to stick to PNG files as they keep the full quality of the original design.

Tip 5. Getting Feedback

When going into a feedback cycle with your stakeholders, be sure and let them know in detail what kind of feedback you need. “I just don’t like it” kind of feedback will not do, they need to be extremely specific and detailed in the feedback they give, they need to have a reason for not liking something, make them really have to think about what they’re telling you. Not only will it help get your designs approved later on, it will also give you much better feedback to work with when it comes to revisions.

Educate your client into giving you problems not solutions. The difference between what clients often think they’re paying for and what we really do is exactly the difference between architects and construction workers. Architects plan and design new buildings, and construction workers implement those plans. Likewise, there are two tasks in creation of a new website: the planning/design, and the implementation. In some cases, they are both done by the same person — but it seems that many clients are expecting their web designer to be far more concerned with the implementation than with the design. That is to say, they sometimes see us as web monkeys who simply carry out whatever they ask of us. But the reality is they’re losing out on half of our skill set when they do this — and it really should be our responsibility to educate them as such.

“Make the logo bigger” is a solution. “The brand isn’t prominent enough” is a problem; it’s the client’s job to bring problems, and the designer’s job to find solutions. A good designer needs to be able to lead their stakeholders to a certain extent, clients are very often non-designers (and sometimes non-creative in general), it’s common for them to only see — and therefore suggest — the obvious solution.

Clients who insist on art directing every step of the way usually lose out — and frustrate the hell out of a designer.

Brandon wrote a complete article on “Getting Feedback” – read it here.

Tip 6. Defend, but Never Become Defensive

Be prepared to defend yourself without being defensive, chances are you will get some feedback you don’t agree with, sometimes it could really damage the integrity of the design. Your goal here is to not let your clients do something they will regret later on and whatever you do DON’T roll over on major design decisions, but take care, the last thing you would want to do is getting defensive, don’t let your ego get in the way, a defensive attitude will clearly show and you’ll damage your credibility and the designs with it.

When it comes to the smaller stuff, go ahead and let the client win, it’s not worth fighting over something trivial, pick your battles and fight those only worth fighting.

Tip 7. Listen Up!

The most important thing during a design review is listening; you have to understand your stakeholder’s questions and feedback. This simple fact of listening and letting them share how they feel about your work will help you sell it, always remember you are working for and with them, they are an essential part of the design process and you need them to succeed.

Be patient in your replies, listen first, think it over then reply, do not disagree or reply with the first word that comes out of the client’s mouth, don’t over interrupt your stakeholders, give them space to talk, the more they talk the more likely they will listen to you.

Tip 8. Print It!

Printing your design on paper (preferably A3 size), although avoiding the true user experience such as scrolling, clicking, hovering and the above-the-fold phenomenon, it keeps change requests down to a minimum as it makes stakeholders comfortable with the medium they are reviewing and lets you avoid unexpected cases such as power outage, broken projectors, bad screens…etc.

Tip 9. Prepare Comps

If you know your client would want to see design or color variations for certain components, DO IT. Not doing so risks having your client not approving on the spot because they are waiting to see the “other variations”, I am not talking here about different designs, but only different variations or colors from the same design.

Satisfying their need to see variations will help you guide them to the best one and make a decision.

Do you have any of your own tips for getting quick client approval? Have a comment or question? Post it below in the comments!

About the Author

Ahmed Hussam is currently UI Manager at Link Development and Adobe User Group Manager in Egypt. He is an Architect With over 15 years of experience in the design and web development world, an experienced CFML developer, and was managing 2 of the most successful creative teams in Egypt over the past 10 years. He’s also an MCDBA and is GAIQ certified. He writes about Design, UI Development, User Experience, Management, Technology, Gadgets…and much more.

Webdesigntuts+

If your next holiday will take you to a tropical location, with warm, clear waters and a bounty of aquatic life, you may be tempted to bring back photos of life under the waves. If that is the case, this primer will help point you in the right direction to make the most out of your time in the water!

We’ll start with assuming you have not chosen a camera for your trip and then move on to techniques you can practice at home and on location to help ensure you bring back memorable, quality underwater photographs.

Camera Options

In the past, underwater photography was the realm of those with very deep pockets. Casings built to dive the depths costs tens of thousands of dollars. Specially built cameras, such as Nikon’s Nikonos line of cameras, were not much cheaper. On top of the cost, film cameras were limited in the number of shots that would fill a roll before surfacing to reload the camera.

But now the market is becoming flooded with a variety of digital underwater cameras targeted to the casual user. These specific cameras are of the point and shoot variety, small enough to fit in a pocket but still useful under the sea.

There are also a number of sport housings available for DSLR style cameras as well, but their cost is still a bit prohibitive for the casual holiday maker. In this article we will focus on the point and shoot market, while still mentioning DSLR options for those interested.

When selecting a camera for underwater use, make sure it is waterproof to at least 10m (33′). Any rating less than this may leak when diving under the waters on a snorkel trip. It is not uncommon for a good swimmer to be able to submerge 10-20″ when trying to get close to coral reefs. Chances are that the good photos will be more than a few feet below the surface.

Also make sure the camera has a large LCD screen to make “in the water” review and adjustment easy. A larger screen will help with framing your shots as well. Water distorts distance, so the bigger the screen, the better. Also, a camera with a video mode can be a lot of fun underwater and you’ll be amazed at how well the audio will work to capture the sounds under the surface.

Manage Your Expectations

On your first attempt at underwater photography, you may find some discrepancy between photos you have seen and what you are able to produce.

If you have been lured into the idea of underwater photography by perusing the pages of National Geographic or visiting a professional exhibit at a nearby gallery, realize those are the people that have sunk tens of thousands of dollars into their craft. They also spend hours and days waiting for that perfect shot, often returning to the same location dozens of times until the perfect conditions exist for the photo.

In contrast, you are likely on a much tighter schedule and may not have the resources available that a professional on assignment may be blessed with. But that’s not to say you can’t bring back stunning images from the depths. As a matter of fact, the tips in this article are aimed at helping you do just that!

That said, it is important to set your expectations accordingly. The water may be murkier than you expected (even though it is crystal clear blue from the shore) and those fish are much faster swimmers than you are! As with any aspect of photography, it takes practice to refine the art, so if this is your first attempt, allow yourself permission to make a few mistakes while ramping up your learning curve.

Practice At Home

It is an exciting day when your new underwater camera arrives, and nothing seems more like an eternity than waiting for the battery to charge. Take some time to read the manual while the battery is charging, getting to know the camera’s limits. Most importantly, learn how to service the camera’s O-rings properly if your camera contains them (the seals that hold out the water). Chances are they will have some type of seal where the battery and media card are inserted.

If you have a DSLR and are using an underwater housing or shell, the same rules apply. You will also have to spend more time in getting accustomed to the larger control knobs and the possible limitations of the housing (not all housings allow for the control of all camera features while underwater).

I have found fitting a camera in a housing takes practice to ensure everything is seated properly. If the camera and controls don’t line up properly, you may find yourself cursing through your snorkel once out in the waves.

Also, if there is a swimming pool nearby, take your camera and a willing assistant to help you get used to using the camera underwater. It’s a good time to play without the pressure of figuring it all out while at your favorite tropical location.

One thing you might notice is that holding the camera up for a picture is not as simple as on land, because you are often using your arms and hands to keep yourself steady in the water. And don’t forget to rinse your camera off when you’re finished!

Use The Underwater Setting

Now that you’ve taken the time to learn all your camera’s normal settings, it’s time to play with the underwater settings. For a number of point and shoot cameras there is a “scene” setting for underwater photography. This is because of the inherent color cast found below the surface.

You’re familiar with the gorgeous deep blues and light greens seen in tropical pictures when shot from the beach. It is the ideal scene most of us have in mind when we think of the tropics. The color on the surface is also the color typically found in the water (except for the deepest blues that come from very deep water).

What looks good on the outside can be an off-color in the water. By its nature, water scatters light. Depending on the makeup of the minerals and salts dissolved in the water, water also absorbs certain colors more than others. On top of this, other life in the ocean—the really little beings like plankton—will add more color.

To put it simply, most water is not as clear as the air above it!

To that end, camera manufacturers have added a preset “scene” setting which helps compensate for the average colors seen underwater. If you use this setting above water, you’ll find the colors tend towards the yellow and orange in color cast. This is to compensate for the shift in colors below water.

Learn how the settings change on your individual camera so you’re not too surprised when what you see underwater is not exactly how it shows up on the computer screen afterward.

If you are shooting with a DSLR or another camera that doesn’t have an underwater scene mode, I highly suggest shooting in the camera’s RAW mode with one static white balance point (‘sunlight’ is a great option to start). This will allow for the greatest flexibility for adjustment when back at home.

While your white balance will change depending whether you are near or far to a subject (thus allowing more light changing water between you and the subject), shooting in RAW will allow for better batch processing when back at your computer, speeding up processing time before you can share your pictures with the world.

Get Close

Water amplifies a number of things. For one thing, its weight amplifies the pressure on your body. Divers know this, and you’ve experienced it too if you’ve ever dived to the bottom of a pool. Going five feet underwater leads to a far greater pressure difference than rising five feet above the surface. There’s simply more substance per given square foot. All that water and its light changing capabilities effects your photography too.

This is why it’s important to get as close as you can to your subject matter (while maintaining safe distances for any given coral, fish or plant life). The less water between you and your subject, the more vividly the colors will show. And if you’re in the tropics, there will be plenty of color to show. While some of the color cast created by water can be removed in the computer after the shoot, it’s best to try to get it right the first time and shoot close.

Use The Flash

One equalizer against all that color cast from water is the good old fashioned strobe, or built in flash. If you go off the deep end (pun intended), there are some high quality, expensive units available on the market. But even a small flash on a point and shoot will help.

Again, getting in close is vital here. If your flash comes with a diffuser (many Canon camera cases do) use it. Scattering that small, point and shoot flash does help in producing smoother, less stark photos. Just remember, underwater your flash coverage will not extend as far as it does on land.

Dry Off And Clean Up

The last step is the most important for keeping your camera alive and shooting wonderful underwater photos for years to come (or until the next model releases with more must-have features!). If possible, rinse your camera or housing off with fresh water before opening them, either to remove the camera or the media card.

Dive boats will often have a fresh water dunk tank for cameras, but smaller snorkel operators will not. Then make sure to pat down and dry off the camera or case before opening to access the media card.

Underwater point and shoot cameras usually store the card next to the battery – not a good place to have water sneaking in. DLSRs being removed from a housing aren’t as critical, but it is imporant to clean off as much salt water as possible before opening.

Before putting away your camera until the next adventure, be sure to give it a thorough wipe down with a damp cloth and then completely dry it. No, I don’t always follow this advice myself, I admit it. But it does help in the long run to not let salt water sit any longer on your equipment than it has to.

Lastly, check all the seals on the camera or housing before storing. Most housing should not be stored with O-rings in place and the unit closed up, as this will compress the rings for extended periods and weaken them.

Inspect for cracks or peeling and be sure to lubricate the rings with a silicone based lubricant before storing. This is also good advice when it is time to bring the camera out for the next underwater adventure!

Share Your Shots

Do you have special underwater shots you have captured while on vacation? Please feel free to link to them in the comments section below!

Phototuts+

http://www.1love.org

http://www.simple-drive.com

We all know that gaining Twitter followers is down to how often you tweet and what you tweet about – or if you’re a website owner and use Twitter, a way to communicate with your readers. However, there are additional ways to increase the chances of new stumblers to follow you, one of them being by having an interesting background.

This isn’t a quick route to Twitter success, but it most certainly does help. By designing your own interesting Twitter background you can express your personality through images. One example is if you’re a creative person (which you probably are as you’re on Psdtuts+!) you would likely be able to put your skills to use and produce something beautiful that other creatives will appreciate. If they like your profile page, the chances are they’ll like your tweets, therefore following you!

A Quick Introduction To Twitter Backgrounds

Twitter doesn’t offer a whole lot of functionality when it comes to designing backgrounds, but there are a bunch of ways to work around this. You can change the color of the background, sidebar and links, and add background images – fixed or tiled. The biggest problem with Twitter backgrounds is the fact that the majority of your image will be hidden behind Twitter’s timeline and menu, leaving only the space between the edges of your browser and Twitter’s foreground, as seen below:

The above screenshot was taken on my 13″ MacBook Pro with a screen resolution of 1280×800 pixels. The amount of space for a background with this resolution is reasonably good, however with smaller screens or older laptops with a lower resolution the space can decrease dramatically and you will need to be able to work around this.

The obvious thing you need to do is to design your background around Twitter’s foreground content so that when you upload your image it won’t be hidden beneath the timeline.

Types of Backgrounds

There are a few different types of backgrounds in terms of image sizes:

• The Big Image: This is just what the image suggests, a very large image! It can be used to cover the whole background of your Twitter profile. The bottom of them are often faded off into a solid color so that it merges into Twitters background (which of course you can choose the color of).
• The Fading Image: This is often a much smaller image than the above option, often just a square or rectangle covering the top left corner or the complete right side of your profile. All of the edges are faded into a solid color so that they blend into Twitters background.
• The Repeating Image: The repeating image option allows you to repeat an image throughout your background. A common use for this is patterned or textured backgrounds, such as my own which can be in the screenshot above. Text is not recommended for this kind of background as it will be repeated anywhere from several to several hundred times!

Chris Spooner has summed up these examples of Twitter backgrounds with a bunch of great examples, which can be seen along with a Twitter background tutorial: “Twitter Background Design How-To and Best Practices“.

The Good Stuff: Great Tips, Gorgeous Examples & Resources

After that quick introduction to Twitter backgrounds, we’re now going to look at a small selection of some lovely examples of backgrounds. We’re going to look at one design at time, and follow it up with a “Twitter Background Tip” that you can keep in mind when designing your own. We’ll also be outsourcing to some other articles and tutorials for a more in-depth look at particular subjects.

Please note that these tips may or may not be used together. Ideally only a few of these tips should be put into practice at any one time, as they don’t all work together.

Tip #1: Make your Twitter profile clearly match your websites image.

@Envato

We all know about how important it is to have a clear and strong brand, whether you’re an individual, a freelancer or a full-blown company. Envato has made their Twitter profile represent their main website by using the same beautiful digital bokeh background and the strong green color scheme.

Bokeh Resources

If you like Envato’s bokeh background, check out some of the following resources!

• Stock Resources: More Than 620 Bokeh Background Textures
• Tutorial: Creating An Awesome Digital Bokeh Effect in Photoshop
• Photography: Shooting Your Own Bokeh Shots With The Bokeh Masters Kit

Tip #2: Use plenty of interesting shapes and colors in your repeated backgrounds.

@Daniesq

If you’re going to use a repeated/tiled image as your background, be sure to keep it interesting, or alternatively make it match your brand identity. Daniesq uses a lovely vector-style floral tiled image that fits together perfectly.

Pattern Resources

If you want to go for a repeating background, some of the following resources may come in handy!

• Resources: The Ultimate Collection Of Free Photoshop Patterns
• Tutorial: Create a Themed Repeating Pattern in Illustrator
• Tutorial: Repeating Patterns

Tip #3: Show your face to the world and stick it in your background.

@chrisspooner

After all everyone wants to know what you look like! Your profile picture is often to small to really represent yourself, or you may be using it to display your brands logo or another image. Although your profile picture can be enlarged, most people choose not to view larger versions of your pictures, therefore this is where your background profile can come in handy if you feel a picture of yourself is vital for your online identity. Chris Spooner for example uses a portrait of himself (which is important for his identity as he posts vlogs [video blogs]) with some of his infamous vector shapes to give his Twitter profile a highly-personalised touch.

Portrait Photography Resources

There’s no point including a photo of yourself in your background. Even if it is “just Twitter” you need to keep your standards up at a professional level. The below resources should help you do that.

• Tutorial: Simple Portrait Photography Tricks
• Resources: 100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How To Make Your Own)
• Guide: A Simple Guide To Choosing Your First Lens

Tip #4: Make a big deal out of your logo and include it in your background image.

@vpieters

Including your logo in your Twitter background isn’t really necessary if you are already using your logo as your profile picture, but if not there isn’t really anything better you can do – it not only shows off your skills but also advertises your brands image! Vpieters uses a beautiful illustration (also used in the header of their blog) along with the Veerle logo in their Twitter background to make their website and Twitter profile fit together like two peas in a pod.

Logo Resources

If you don’t yet have a logo for yourself it is recommended even if you aren’t a freelancer as it helps to identify you as an individual, and it’s something else to show off! Here are a few good logo resources:

• Inspiration: Logo Showcase
• Tutorial: Logo Design Project Step by Step Walkthrough
• Tutorial: Creating A Crazy Cool Logo

Tip #5: Make use of the infamous Twitter bird.

@KrisColvin

Twitter is very well known for its simple Twitter bird mascot (as you can see in the following post: “Splendid Twitter Accessories and Products“, the Twitter bird is very well known and pretty sweet!), so why not embed it into your own design mixed with any of the above or below features? KrisColvin uses the bird to her advantage to produce a stunning “big image” background.

Twitter Bird Resources

If you want to include a Twitter bird in your background, check out these resources.

• Resources: 8 Free Cute & Simple Twitter Bird Vector Graphics
• Tutorial: Create a Cute and Adorable Twitter Icon in Photoshop
• Tutorial: Create a Twitter Style Bird Mascot

Tip #6: Link your background in with your Twitter name and profile picture.

@mut1ey

If you have a reasonably unique name that you use for your online identity, then why not expand on that and base your Twitter profile picture and background around that name? Mut1ey uses a rather cool picture of Muttley the dog from an old popular TV show as the profile picture, and expands on this by using a great illustrated piece of the character, along with an actual picture of the man behind the Twitter account and some contact information.

Brand Consistency Resources

It is important to keep the consistency of your brands image throughout your marketing material and social networking sites. Here are a couple of informative and helpful articles:

• The No. 1 Rule / Brand Consistency
• How To Keep Your Blog Branding On Track

Tip #7: Use the space you have to share some information with your followers.

@oridusartic

Your background space is a great way to share a little more information about yourself with your followers without being restricted by the character limit Twitter gives you in the primary biography area. Oridusartic embeds her blogs URL, email address and a list of her passions within a simple but stylish vector-based illustration that merges into a solid color. This helps new stumblers decide whether or not the user is going to be tweeting about things that are interesting to them.

Tip #8: Use a restricted color palette.

@willbryantplz

Using a restricted color palette (especially in tiled backgrounds) is a great way to show off your skill, as it requires patience and great compositions to make it look good. Willbryantplz uses a beautiful illustrated background merged with a grayscale texture to “wow” his followers and make the white Twitter foreground pop out from the screen. To really make this style work, the same colors should also be used as your font and sidebar colors.

Color Resources

If you’re going to use a limited color scheme, choose it wisely. Make it match your branding. Below are a few great color scheme websites well worth checking out!

• COLOURlovers: Color Trends and Downloadable Palettes
• ColorCombos: Website Color Combinations
• Adobe Kuler: Color Scheme Generator

Tip #9: Use your background to show off your personality, characteristics and interests.

@ericsteuten

Images are one of the best ways to share your personality and interests with people that somehow land on your Twitter page. Ericsteuten uses a wonderful illustration to represent his characteristics; clearly a happy, funny and imaginative guy.

Character Illustration Resources

Illustrated characters in your background are one of the best ways to show off your personality to your Twitter profile viewers; it shows off your skills too! Below are a few resources to help with character illustration.

• Interview: Roughly Speaking: Character Design Sketching Approaches
• Navigating the Sea of Character Design Merchandising
• Creating a Collection of Quirky Caricatures

Tip #10: Make the most of your own mascot.

@MailChimp

If you have a mascot for your brand your Twitter profile is an excellent place to show him, her or it off! It’s not only fun and entertaining, but is a great way to link your Twitter profile with your brand. One superb example of this is MailChimp’s Twitter profile, who use their infamous MailChimp character to really jazz up their page.

Conclusion

By putting some of these Twitter background design tips into practice, you’ll be improving your design skills as you’ll learn how to work around design limitations which more than often do turn up in personal and client projects, as well as producing a great, attractive background that will appeal more people to hit the follow button when visiting your profile page!

Do you feel you have a good Twitter background? Share it with us in the comments section below!

Psdtuts+

At Fantasy Interactive, we have the opportunity to work with brand leaders whom innovate and inspire us in everyday life. However, hard work, dedication and the right process is still required.

In the case of our recent award winning Panamera website for Porsche, we had a few challenges put on front of us when it came to creating realistic environments to perfectly match a cars driving path. Anton Repponen, ACD at Fantasy, takes us through the process and how to over come the challenges via six HD video tutorials.

Intro to Image Retouching / Compositing

Here we take a look at where the ideas for the scenes came from.

Porsche 911

Anton composes a scene to match the 911′s personality with the environment of a winding road next to the coast.

Porsche Cayenne

How about a flat autobahn with the black forest in the background for this SUV thriller?

Boxster

The Boxster is all about taking great curves and feeling the wind.

Cayman

It’s night and time to take out the Cayman for a spin in an Urban sprawl.

Spyder

Ready to race? This scene was one of the toughest scenes to compose.

Check out the Porsche Panamera case study and upload your Porsche story to Panamera.com

http://www.seocontentdesigner.com

http://sisumedia.com

slidescreenhome.com

www.derryhoyland.com

www.eddpolska.com

www.three23.net

www.fsdsign.com/#fs.com

www.www.buzapp.com

www.creativejuicesolutions.co.uk

www.fullyillustrated.com/

www.bluepixel.net

www.thefreelancefeed.com