I Can Photograph That: Part 2 | What Does This Do?

Hello again: Now that I've shared a little bit about purchasing a new camera I can begin to explain how to use the darn thing! If you are like my father, technology and all  those fancy buttons can be intimidating and down-right confusing. You may be left scratching your head saying, "what does AV mean" or "what the heck is a bulb setting? can't I just turn it on and go?" Well the answer is yes; you can simply turn the camera on auto and hope for the best or you can learn what your technology is all about. 

Now I'm not saying don't use the auto function, but it is beneficial do know what your camera is doing on auto. So below I will list some basic camera lingo that your buttons may say or  the camera's manual will talk about.

If you recently have purchased a camera or own one you may be wondering what all those buttons or options mean. I can't explain every single camera on the market but I will let you know some universal definitions and what some of the letters/numbers mean. 

Standard cameras usually have these settings: Auto, M (Manual), Tv, Av, & P. 

AV- Aperture Value/Priority. This setting lets your camera know how much light is coming into your lens. An aperture is the diameter of the opening in a lens; think of it like an eye, the more open the more light, etc. Every lens has a different aperture range, and on point n' shoots you can adjust it to the settings without interchanging lenses. You choose the aperture in this setting and the camera will find the correct shutter speed for each exposure. 

TV- Shutter Value/Priority. This setting lets you control the shutter speed in the camera (basically meaning how long your shutter stays open per shot). The shutter is what enables you to capture motion. It allows light to pass through for a certain amount of time (blink your eye, that is a form of a shutter). Speeds can range and vary depending on which camera you are using. You choose the shutter speed in this setting and the camera will find the correct aperture for each exposure. 

M- Manuel mode. This setting lets the user have complete control of the camera's aperture and shutter speeds. 

A(AUTO)- Auto mode. Your camera has control and you are basically the robot. All you need to do is point, your camera will automatically translate your scene into (hopefully) the correct settings. To be honest, I would recommend to stay away from Auto because using it is usually only a 50/50 chance of getting the correct image.

P- Program. It's like auto on crack ;) - The camera still chooses the aperture and shutter speeds but you are allowed to have control over other options such as ISO.

Here are some other terms you may see on your camera or come across while exploring:

Autofocus- Your focusing distance is set automatically. Usually a camera will show you where it is actually focusing, either by a red square or on point n shoots will show with a box over the focus point. 

B- Bulb. This is a shutter speed which means the shutter will stay open for however long the shutter release is pressed. Usually used for night exposures or to show motion. 

C-41- This is the current process for developing negative film (film cameras only). 

Composition- The arrangement of subject matter (how you take the photo). 

Crop- When cropping you are selecting what you want in the frame of your camera. You can crop while editing your images if necessary. 

Dedicated Flash- Flash is a light source, or a strobe and comes in many different powers and sizes. A dedicated flash will sync up with your camera's settings and coordinate with correct exposures. 

Exposure- Amount of light that enters your lens. 

F Number or F/Stop- These numbers are usually show like: f/1.4 or f/22 and can vary from camera to camera. It is what your aperture is set at. 

Highlights- The brightest part of your scene. Some cameras will show you the highlights on an image taken. Very important to make sure your highlights are never too high!

ISO- Film speed (digital or film cameras). In general, the most popular film speed or ISO is 400. 

Macro- Close up photography. Great when you want to show detail. 

There are many more buttons, logos and options that cameras have...so if you are trying to figure out what that button means please leave a comment below. Old or new cameras!

I Can Photograph That: Part 1 | Choosing A Camera

Many bloggers either own a camera or are in the market for one. Cell phones are great don't get me wrong, but a DSLR or Point N' Shoot does so much more; you have more control and can deliver better quality images. To be well rounded, having a cell & a real camera can take your blog from moderate to amazing!

As a photographer I get asked this question ALL THE TIME! "What kind of camera should I get?" Now I don't necessarily have the right answer for that question but I can say (no matter what kind of camera you are looking for) do enough research before you buy; read online, check out forums, ask friends, ask dealers, use the cameras (try out) if possible, ask about sales and warranties, ask about accessories...the whole nine yards! 

Before you dive into the swing of things or even take a look at a camera ask yourself these questions:*
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1. What do you need the camera for? (Examples: Product, Lifestyle, Daily Life, Personal,  Street Photography, etc)
2. What is your budget?
3. What conditions will you be shooting in (Indoor, outdoor, in water, low light,etc)?
4. Will you just use the auto function or are you willing to go for pro(meaning learn more)?
5. Any experience?
6. What features do you want? (zoom, image stabilization, touch screen, interchangeable lenses, etc)?
*helpful hint: when shopping for the camera, ask the dealer his opinions. have him help you compare cameras.

Here are some things to consider:

Megapixels - I mean, what are they even for? I just want a camera! Well to be honest, maybe 10 years ago the word megapixel would have been a major concern when buying a digital camera but nowadays most cameras are well equipped with over 6 megapixels. If you are worried about megapixels, the main worry should be when printing. If you are printing larger than normal size (over 8x10) make sure your camera has over 10 megapixels. For online use, blogging and personal life all cameras that are on the market right now will have enough pixels to suit your needs.

Accessories - If you haven't owned a camera before be aware of what you need! Most cameras have accessories which can be as simple as a bag. Keep that in mind when shopping on a budget. I highly recommend a sturdy case for your camera. Other accessories include: flash equipment (lighting), other lenses, memory cards, tripod/stands, backgrounds, straps, spare batteries, amongst other things. A memory card of course is always needed & I recommend no less than 4GB.

DSRL or PointNShoot - Keep in mind when shopping, what type of camera you want to lug around. DSLRs are larger and heavier and require more accessories (lenses, flashes, etc). They usually are body only, or with a simple beginner kit, which means a bag, lens, some cleaning accessories, maybe an extra battery, a memory card...anyway kits vary. The kit lens is great to learn on, but I recommend researching at least two other lenses you can buy in the future (depending on what you are shooting). Point N' Shoots are great because of how portable they are. Some can even go in your front pocket!

DSLRs are of course, more cash(mostly).

Zoom - You may see the words "optical and digital zoom." These are important. Stay away from fancy high digital zoom. That only means it is enlarging the pixels in your shot; yes it does make your subject closer/bigger but also more pixelated (like if were looking at a mosaic piece or too close to your television). Optical zoom is key, 3x or larger is what most modern cameras have.

Like I said above, read reviews and ask questions. It is very important you don't miss anything especially since most of the nice digital cameras are in the hundred(s) dollar range. Personally, I would check online forums and photography sites before asking an employee at a store. Sometimes that employee is just an employee. If there is a local camera shop in town, go visit and have them pick out a few cameras, ask if you can touch them, and use them around the store. Check out their features, is it comfortable to hold, and you can even see some accessories right there instead of waiting.

Once you like a camera or a few, compare. Ask the pros and cons. And then most important, find the best price. Rather it be online or at a store, there is usually a good deal somewhere. Don't be afraid to buy used, just be careful. My first DSLR was used.

Are you in the market for a camera? Do you have any questions? Leave a comment below!

How To: Make a Blog Picture Watermark using Photoshop

Watermarking. We've all heard of it- we've even seen it on our beloved bloggers' pictures- but how do they do it?? It's got to be easy, right?

Well it is. 

In these following steps, I am going to show you how to make a basic watermark for all of your blog pictures, using Photoshop (my editing photo program of choice). These steps are for a text-based watermark! Believe me, it looks daunting, but it's rather easy! I promise!!! 

Seriously, if I can do this, ANYONE can. Totes.

1.

Like I stated earlier, we'll be using the Photoshop editing program for this How-To :)

So, open your photoshop program and open a new Document:

File > New

I generally like to start on the bigger side of things, always. It is so much easier to shrink something to the size you need rather than try and blow it up. Once saved small, anything blown up will pixelate and look grainy. So, save big, edit to a smaller size if needed- always.

When creating new watermarks (or any other brush for that matter) I like to open a new Document at 1000x1000 pixels wide. Hit "OK" once done.

2.

Once your new Document is opened, we can begin creating your fancy new text-based watermark!

1. First, select the "Type" tool on the left hand tool bar. 
2. On the top you'll see your "font" box- by clicking that arrow, a menu will drop down and you can scroll through until you find a font you like best!
3. Once you found the font you like, click it!

3.

Next we will need to change the font color- I recommend using white or black to begin with- I usually choose black.

1. On the left hand tool bar click the "Foreground Color Box". A new window will show up.
2. Drag your cursor to your color- again I suggest starting with white or (my preference) black!
3. When color is chosen, click "OK".

4.

Next we will need to pick a font size- I generally like to begin with an 8-10pt font size. We will resize this later.

Just click the menu at the top and find the font size you're comfy with.

5.

Now, in your white Document box, click your cursor somewhere on the left hand side. Make sure that "Type" tool on the left hand menu bar is still clicked.

Start typing your desired watermark text. I'm just going to simply do my blog name- Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe :)

6.

Once finished, click on the "layer 1" box on the right menu to set your text. The box should be highlighted.

7.

Now we will need to resize that text!

1. With your watermark's layer box highlighted (clicked and set) press buttons "command" and "t" at the same time, on your keyboard. If you're using a PC, you'll press buttons "ctrl" and "t". This will create a box around your text for easy resizing (and moving). You can let go of keyboard buttons now :)
2. Again on the keyboard, press and hold the "shift" button. While holing that shift button, drag your cursor to the corner of your box and drag out as far as you can go in your white document. When done, let go of mouse cursor and then "shift". By holding the "shift" button, you can resize your picture/text at an equal proportion. If you do not hold "shift" your text/picture can resize disproportionately. If at any time you mess up, just hit "command" and "z" at the same time (ctrl and z for PC) and it will take you back one step. 
3. Hit enter when sized to your liking. This sets it.

8.

Now we are going to crop our text and get rid of all that extra space.

1. On the left hand menu, click the "crop" tool. 
2. Starting at one corner of your text, drag a box around your text, as close to the actual words as possible, without cutting anything off. You can also bring the sides in manually once this box is created OR push them out a bit if you got too close.
3. When ready, hit "enter" on your keyboard.

Again, remember- if at ANY time you mess up a step- simply hit "command" and "z" on your keyboard at the same time. This will bring you back one step/undo last step :) 

9.

Once cropped, on the top menus, go to:

Select > All

This will select everything you've cropped in your new box/the entire image.

10.

Next, again on those top menus, go to:

Edit > Define Brush Preset

This creates your brush which will become your new text watermark!

11.

A window will pop up asking you to name your new brush. Go ahead and do so :) Hit "OK" when done.

Your watermark brush is now created!

12.

Now for the fun stuff! How to actually use your watermark!

Upload your photo to Photoshop.

1. Then on the left hand menu bar click on the "brush" tool.
2. Next, on the right hand side there will be another little menu, click on "brush". 
3. Scroll through all the possible brushes you can use for future projects ;) until you find your created watermark brush. Look closely! Once found, click it! 

13.

Now...

1. At the bottom right you'll need to click that "create new layer" button again. By doing this you'll make sure you are creating/editing/having fun with only your watermark created.
2. Make sure your new layer is highlighted, if it's not- click it. 

14.

Now "stamp" your watermark wherever you'd like! I stamped mine at the bottom left hand corner- it's hard to see because it's black. 

We'll need to change this watermark to another lighter color for this particular picture. Where I wanted my watermark to be, the picture had a lot of dark colors- so black won't work. Remember- because my "foreground color" box shows black, when I "stamp" my watermark it is going to show up black.

With watermark layer still highlighted, go to:

Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation

15.

 A window will show up allowing you to change that watermark color!

1. Play around with those 3 arrows! By moving them left and right you'll see you can choose from a variety of colors! For my watermark, I simply want white. To do so just move that bottom arrow all the way to the right- or until it says "+100".
2. Viola!

16.

Remember, if you need to move your watermark around, or resize it you can do so by simply pressing "command" and "t" at the same time on your keyboard when your watermark layer is highlighted. Holding "shift" and dragging any corner allows you to resize it, and clicking in the center of your box and dragging around allows you to move it around!

When done, hit "enter"on your keyboard.

Neat right?! 

Once you get this technique down, make sure you play around! There are so many lovely things you can discover, like making a multiple font watermark or image watermark. This is also a great way to make a custom brush for arrows, little banners, fun shapes, etc.

If you have an image you like, you can skip to steps 9 on and basically make the same thing. Just make sure your background of your image is transparent. Making one from scratch on Photoshop will do that for ya!

Got questions? Need help? We're here to help! Just email us and we'll get you back on track in no time!

Be In Control Of Your Photo Apps

So...who takes photos upon photos on their nifty cell phone?! {Raises hand} I do & I'm pretty positive many bloggers do as well. Owning a "smartphone" is in my opinion a necessity for a blogger and many of us including myself are left questioning which apps are best for image editing and just taking photographs. In this post I will introduce some of my favorites as well as other popular apps in the digital world today. 

Like Heidi (below post) exclaims, at some point any blogger will probably need to take a photo. Many of you may not have access to a DSLR or even a point n' shoot camera and strictly rely on a camera phone and hopefully this will help out. 

Apps in general are sometimes hit or miss and that can definitely be applied to the photography apps on the market. I've downloaded and uninstalled many, loved some and almost threw my phone out the door because of others. So how do you choose the right app(s)? Luckily many are free so you can easily download and test out each app. Hopefully this post will spare you the trail and error process like my photo friends & I have already gone through!
*Warning: Please do not think that the number system I'm using is a rating system!

-Be Your Own Editor-

1. VSCO CAM | IPHONE | $.99
An easy to use app made for the photographer that loves realistic, film images. The app is a simplistic design based off of their VSCO Film Packs for photographers, and most professional photographers I know use this app to process their images. It is for quick and easy editing & sharing.

10 filters, ability to adjust brightness and contrast plus add grain
1 con - not able to crop

2. AFTERGLOW | IPHONE | $.99
Ashley's favorite app! :) Afterglow offers many textures, filters, adjustment tools that many bloggers must have. It allows the user to be more creative and a great perk is that they run guest filters; which means more filters will be added often (many apps do not accept user designed ideas).

30+ filters, ability to use adjustment tools and add effects
No cons

3. SNAPSEED | IPHONE & DROID | FREE
Since I do not have an iPhone, this is my "start point" to every photograph I take. It supports high resolution files and even RAW images on an iPad. Snapsneed does just about everything from adjusting an image's brightness to adding and tweeking certain filters.

Selective adjusting, straighten and crop images, filters which you can adjust strength and/or effects
1 con - not many frame options

4. PIXLR EXPRESS | IPHONE & DROID | FREE
My favorite app for my Samsung Galaxy s3. Why? Because the wide variety of effects and you can adjust with many options similar to Pixlr's free online editor. For a free app it really is incredible because it offers hundreds of options!

About 600 different options that are easy to use, includes an autofix tool that actually works, I use this all the time, check out the Pixlr-O-Matic
1 con - be careful if you hit the "back" button on your phone, it will exit the image you are currently working on without any warning!

5. VIGNETTE | DROID | $2.60
This app has been on the Android Market for awhile and it has proven to be one of the top photo apps. When opened you go into their camera interface which offers many on the go adjustments before you even take your first photo. After the photo is taken you can compose it with different effects based on films, popular effects and/or basic options.

Save your favorite effects (create presets basically), own camera interface, nice frames/borders, simple to drastic effects, double exposures
1 con - cost (but there is a free demo)

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That is all for now...There are many more apps out there so my advice is to (if free) test them all before purchasing any pro versions. The above 5 are what I have used or my friends use that come highly recommended.

Do you currently use any of these photo apps? Do you use a different one? Tell us your favorite cell phone photo app!