One of The Best Ways to Learn
Is From The Mistakes of Others

Contents

Composition is good, everyone is smiling, the background has been nicely blurred… everything looks pretty good, right?

Well, you're right. In fact, it's such a good picture that let's say the family wants to hang a nice big 14 x 11 picture on their wall.

Three 14 x 11 rectangular grids have been superimposed on this photograph to show what the final 14 x 11 cropped image would look like.

The red rectangle cuts off 1/2 of the boy; while the blue rectangle does the same to his sister on the left.

The yellow rectangle is an attempt to make the best of a bad situation by only cutting off a small bit of both the boy and girl.

The original image (first sample shown) is a terrific picture, but will require a custom mat and/or frame if you don't want anyone to lose an ear. On the other hand, if this image could be cropped to an 11 x 14 size (which is a STANDARD SIZE PICTURE), you will pay substantially less on framing charges.

One way to accomplish this goal is to add approximately 20% to both the horizontal and vertical sides of your composition when you frame it in your camera's viewfinder. (Then, once you decide on what size print you want, there will be enough excess to achieve your goal without sacrificing body parts. (More information on this and dozens of other tips can be found in "The No-Sweat Approach to Taking Great Group Photos".)

But in this case, logic would be wrong. As an example, here is a nice picture taken outside during the day, without a flash.

As photographs go, it's a pretty good one. Great pose, photogenic subjects, nice composition, and excellent background.

In fact, if you had never heard of fill flash, most photographers would be quite satisfied to have taken this shot. But... let's see how the same photograph would look if a flash had been used.

This photograph uses the identical pose, subjects, background, and composition.

However, this time a flash was used. Which image do you think looks better? Personally, I think the second one has a lot more "pop" to it. Wouldn't you agree?

The thing to remember is you will need a camera that allows for flash pictures to be taken WHEN YOU WANT TO USE A FLASH; not just when the camera senses low light situations. Just remember to keep the subjects within the range of your flash.

Their computer had the misfortune of receiving a virus, which when combined with other problems, resulted in over 200 GB of photos and data being lost forever. Can you even imagine losing that many pictures?

I didn't go into great detail with them on their data loss (since I was simply sending them another copy of their purchase from me), but my sense was their main drive PLUS their back-up drives were corrupted.

Since I have always been a major proponent of backing up crucial data, their catastrophe got me thinking. I rea lized that the only situation that would have saved their data was if they used an on-line back-up storage service. Therefore, I am expanding upon my back-up recommendations:

Personally, I have found Mozy to be one of the best around. Not only is the price inexpensive (you can even get 2GB for free), but if you're using a high speed cable service, it's a snap.

You can take a look at what they offer here. The free 2 GB of storage is on the left, above the testimonials). If you like it, the monthly fee for unlimited storage is dirt cheap. Either way, you have 2 GB for free!

Beginning and experienced photographers are constantly asking me about "the best" equipment, the accessories that make the biggest difference, and how much should be spent on a tripod.

People spend hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on photographic equipment in the form of cameras, lenses, batteries, memory cards, tripods, filters, etc. But, like the priceless picture of the smiling child, we often forget what the real purpose of photography is.

The true goal in photography is to pr oduce the best possible photos, NOT to accumulate expensive gear (as Seinfeld says: "not that there's anything wrong with that!"). It is so interesting to me that so few photographers ever ask "What will give me the biggest bang for my photographic buck?"

But isn't that what we all are trying to do... to buy or figure out that elusive... something that will significantly improve our final photographs; whether they are of our family or a stunning landscape in Italy.

Even though it may sound self-serving, if you want the biggest bang for your buck in photography, it doesn't have anything to do with spending hundreds of dollars on more photo gear. In fact, if you have a digital camera, you already have enough equipment to create outstanding pictures... IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT!

Don't make the common mistake of thinking you need more gear to create better pictures. All you really need is to figure out how to use the gear you already have in such a way to produce brilliant pictures.

And for the entire month of October, we will make it even easier for you. Subscribers to this newsletter will receive a 25% discount on all of the following Step-by-Step Tutorials. Simply enter the discount code SubscriberBenefit in the "Discount Code" box located directly above the Buy Now button on these pages:

• The No-Sweat Approach to Taking Great Group Photos
  
  
• How to Take Unforgettable Nighttime (and Fireworks) Photos
  
  
• Stop photos from being ruined with the Blink Eradication System
  
  
• How to Capture Spectacular Baby Pictures
  
  
• A Simple Approach For Better Photos, Wherever You Are

Okay, that wasn't a real Roman philosopher, but the concept is still valid. As the photographer, practice moving around between shots. After posing your "model," keep moving around your subject to:

• Discover new angles
  
  
• Shoot from different distances
  
  
• Change where the light source hits your subject
  
  
• Compose your photograph with your subject(s) positioned in different areas of the frame
  
  
• Get real close (with telephoto lens or by moving very close)
  
  
• Capture their environment by usi ng a wide angle lens

Remember that unless you're photographing professional models, don't expect them to get in a flattering pose or have the light hit them in a unique and flattering way.

As the photographer, that's your job! You will take much better portraits by assuming your subject hasn't a clue on what makes a great portrait! Once you realize it's up to you, then you can do something about it.

Stay tuned for some exciting decisions regarding the pictures everyone is contributing. We'll release the details within a week, so watch for our next Special Edition newsletter.

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