What kind of camera should I get?

There are many different brands and types of cameras on the market. Looking through all of the specs and features can be tedious and useless at times. It generally all comes down to personal preference when choosing one. The first thing to consider is size. If you want something small then I would suggest a compact or point and shoot camera. These small cameras can fit in pockets or purses and take great pictures without making manual adjustments. If size isn't a factor then I recomend a SLR or single lens reflex camera. These are what you would see papparazzi carrying. Although most people can't afford the same models that professionals buy, there are plenty of reasonable cameras out there that can offer great features and brilliant photos. I personally prefer Nikon over Canon but like I said earlier, it's all up to your own taste!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Fourth of July is a great day to be with friends and family, light up some fireworks and enjoy some great memories. And with any great occasion is the opportunity to capture them. Capturing those brilliant fireworks are always tough without the right knowledge. With light shows becoming more and more crazy, it is important to capture them. First and foremost, the camera you use is the biggest factor. Compact cameras are hard to shoot them because you can't manually choose all of the settings which is necessary. SLR (single lens reflex) is the type of camera that will be needed. As I have mentioned before, light is the most important factor in a good photograph which makes fireworks difficult to shoot because it is essentially a light. The tough thing about fireworks is the fact that the actual fireworks are so bright yet the area around it so dark. Most cameras will automatically make the picture too dark because of the night sky. To fix this, a longer shutter speed is needed. Anywhere from three to ten seconds will capture a vibrant fireworks show. This a fairly long shutter speed considering they are usually less than a split second. A tripod will come in handy because that long of a shutter speed will guarantee shakiness in the picture. I recommend playing around with different shutter speeds and even adjusting the iso from anywhere between 50 and 200. Happy 4th of July and be safe with all of those fireworks!

What about underwater?

Since I am currently getting my scuba diving open water certification, I felt it was only necessary to go over underwater photography. One of the biggest activities for scuba divers is photography and it only makes sense with the vast unexplored ocean right at their fingertips. Photography underwater is a little trickier than normally but the principles are the same. Here light is the number one factor in getting a good picture. To go a little into the science that we learned in our certificaiton class, when underwater certain colors on the spectrum are absorbed more than others. For example red is the first one to go so red objects underwater won't appear so red anymore. Without proper lighting, objects and marine life only appear in shades of blue and green.
Notice in the picture below how it is lacking in color. This is because of a weak flash that is unable to uncover the vibrant colors already there.

Normal camera flashes are nowhere near powerful enough to be able to show all the colors. Most serious photographers will have a powerful flash attached and sometimes will have up to four of these flashes. Here is a picture that used professional flash attachments. Notice how the colors pop out!

Who cares about light

So to give a little background about this blog, I am writing about anything and everything I know about photography as well as showing photographs that I have either taken or very impressed by. To explain the name, one of the major factors in taking a good picture is of course in the light! As any amateur photographer can tell you, flash and lighting can make the difference between a good picture and a very poor one. Next time you're about to take a picture, consider the lighting. A good way to learn how it can affect your picture is to go outside on a sunny day and face different directions in each picture. You'll notice shadow differences on the object or person. For example, if the subject is looking away from the sun then the person will look underexposed or filled with shadows, almost looking like a silhouette. Go outside and try it and comment to let me know how it went!