Here is a master list of tips that I did several years ago. They may be dated, and I must apologize, but my older posts have wonky, screwed up pictures. I need to correct that…when I have time. These are mostly just beginner type “learn your camera” and some basic photoshop posts. If you want to get more in-depth and knowlegable information, here are a few forums and blogs to check out.
I Love Photography forum – This forum has been an invaluable resource to me on learning how to shoot with my camera in manual and gives me inspiration all the time.
Digital Photography School blog – Subscribe to this blog, most definitely. It has some great informative articles. It also has a forum area, which I haven’t checked out, but may be worthwhile, as well.
I have the older ones listed first and the most recent on the bottom. I think my more recent ones are better, but for beginners in Photoshop, you might want to read the beginning Photoshop tips.
Tips in taking photographs
The “holy” trinity of manual – This tip is a discussion of Aperture, ISO and Shutterspeed and how they work together.
What not to do photo tips - This tip discusses some basic photography no no’s that will ruin a photo.
My makeshift studio – I’m sure you will be green with envy when you see these photos.
Looking at the environment for composition – A few examples of using the environment to add to the story.
Catchlights - This discusses the difference in photos with having a catchlights and with no catchlights.
Taking pictures inside – This tip discusses the challenges of taking pictures inside without the flash.
Shooting in full sun – This tip discusses some strategies for taking pictures in harsh full sunlight.
Finding your outdoor studio - This tip discusses scouting spots to take pictures.
How to take a family picture – Some tips (along with a little humor!) of taking a self-family portrait.
F-stop/aperture – A discussion on what this is and how to use it when shooting pictures.
Photography the little ones – Tips on how to capture your little maniacs
Composition - Detailed with lots of photos on different composition techniques.
Ray of light – Tips on how to look at how the light hits your subject to really tell the story.
What makes a portrait – Tips for creating a candid portrait vs a snapshot.
Working on the flash – An intro level to using a hot-shoe mounted flash on the DSLR
Use window light – A discussion on why to use window light for indoor shooting.
Focus - A discussion on manually focusing with your DSLR.
Backlighting - A quick discussion on backlighting and some examples.
Take a self portrait – Some tips on how to take a self portrait
Setting up a photo shoot for your child – A discussion on tempering your expectations
Location shoots – Tips at looking for old stuff in an environment to add some interest and texture to a photograph
Shooting in RAW – A (short) discussion on shooting in the RAW mode on your DSLR
Styling your shoot – A discussion on some things to look at when setting up a photoshoot
Getting eye contact – Some discussion on how to get eye contact with kids – read the comments, too!
Tips for PhotoShop
The basics of Photoshop – a little explanation of layers, using defog and a start at processing photos
Using the Virtual Photographer plugin – a tutorial for different ways to use a free plugin for Photoshop.
Black and White Conversion – very basic way of converting
Bring on the color – With the wonderful fall colors this is a great way to bring them out.
What is a color cast? – Discussion on how to see the color cast
Color cast and turning pictures to b&w and another one- These show how you can save a picture with a strong unsightly color cast.
How to make a fairy picture – This tutorial shows how to turn two normal pictures into a fantasy picture.
Another Black and White Conversion – The way I convert most of my pictures to b&w now.
Adding Borders and Frames – This shows how you can add simple borders or swirly frames in PhotoShop.
The basics – How I process most of my pictures
Dodge and burn – How to use these tools in Photoshop to add light or dark areas to the photos.
Watermarks – Tutorial on how to add a watermark to your photos for sharing on the internet.
Pumping up the eyes – This tutorial shows how to make the eyes “pop”
Printing Colors - A brief discussion on out of gamut printing – dulled prints.
Noise vs. Grain – A discussion on digital noise and how to get rid of it.
Editing process – Here I took some examples and ran through how I edited them.
Toned black and white photos – Tips on how you can colorize your black and white photos.
Contrast- This tip shows how to add contrast to your photos to give greater depth.
Are you a purist? - Discussion (read the comments, too) on why you may want to use Photoshop in editing your pictures.
Adding texture - This tutorial discusses how to add a texture layer to your photos.
Editing process – Further elaboration on how I basically edit photos.
Creating a collage – This tutorial shows how to create a frame for a collage in Photoshop.
Fixing imperfections – Tips on how to fix pimples, bruises, scratches, etc. in photos.
The “300″ Look – A tutorial on how to try to achieve this look
Before and afters – Some SOOC and processed shots
Straightening a photo – This tutorial shows how to straighten a photo in Photoshop.
Desaturating a photo – This tutorial details the steps you need to do to have a antiqued/desaturated photo.
How to create a storyboard - A tutorial on making a storyboard in Photoshop.
Batch processing - My workflow in ACR and CS3 for processing many photos at the same time.
Miscellaneous Tips
Where to print – Just some links and discussion on how to get the best quality prints.
DSLR Lenses – Discussion on why you just absolutely need as many lenses as you can afford.
Camera Accessories – Discussion on more camera-related stuff you can buy.
My Philosophy – A little bit of my 2.5 cents.
Ready, set, GO! – More 2.5 cents.
Taking and designing your holiday card – A few tips.
Cameras and Lenses – My equipment and make sure to read the comments for what other photographers have and love in their arsenal.
Photography Books – A listing of books that I like on learning photography. Read the comments for what others have read and liked, too.
What’s your style - A discussion on finding the type of photography you prefer to shoot
How long does it take - A discussion on the journey of learning how to use that camera
Nikon D40/D60 - The limitations on these cameras
Preserving your Memories - Some things to think about doing after you have taken those photos.