Digital Imaging | DSLR-A700 | Sony Europe Customer Support Portal

http://support.sony-europe.com/dime/downloads/f...

clipped by ky1008 Sep 24, 2008

photography

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Step 4 - Update the camera firmware.
Important: when performing the firmware update, please use a fully charged battery pack NP-FM500H or the AC-VQ900AM AC adapter/charger (sold separately).

Do not remove the battery or the AC adapter during the firmware update process, otherwise the camera may be permanently damaged.
1. Slide the POWER switch to the ON position and select the type of Memory Card that will be used for the update (Memory Stick Duo / CF card / Microdrive) then slide the POWER switch to the OFF position.
2. Now insert the recording medium containing the update file in the camera. Press and hold the MENU button while sliding the POWER switch to the ON position.
4. The confirmation window appears.
5. If the confirmation window does not appear on the LCD monitor:
  - If the recording medium is not formatted, the firmware update may not start.
  - Please make sure that the update file (DSCA700.APP) is in the root folder of the recording medium.
6. Use the multi-selector to highlight "OK", and then press the centre of the multi-selector to confirm. If you select "No", the operation will be cancelled.
7. The updating process starts.
9. When the update procedure is completed, a message appears, stating that the update is completed and that the camera will automatically restart after approx. 10 sec.
11. Slide the POWER switch to the OFF position after the camera has restarted, and remove the recording medium.
Step 5 - Check the firmware version.
- Slide the POWER switch to the On position.
- Press the MENU button. The MENU is now displayed on the LCD screen.
- Press the DISP (Display) button.
- A window will show the firmware version on the LCD screen. Check that the version displayed is "Ver.4".
- Press the centre of the multi-selector to close the version number display.
- Important: If the firmware update cannot be performed, please contact Sony. After the camera has been updated, please format the recording medium or delete the update file (DSCA700.app) from the recording medium.

300/350.. is this a test?: Sony SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?...

clipped by ky1008 Jan 31, 2008

photography

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David Solomons | Photographer

http://www.davidsolomons.co.uk/blog/

clipped by ky1008 Jan 30, 2008

photography

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Tips and Tricks Mega Post - All Fuji cams. (well most): Fujifilm Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?...

clipped by ky1008 Jan 14, 2008

F30 photography

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With an F30 :

Set the LDC brightness to -4 to get an accurate idea of exposure. And calibrate your monitor.

When outdoors always set the white balance manually as Fuji pics are otherwise usually too cold and drab looking.

Underexpose by -1/3 or -2/3 for a professional looking underexposure that can usually be retrieved easily with curves (ie. the freeware smartcurves in the freeware irfanview) if too dark. Curves are surprisingly easy to understand and use, and mega-powerful.

For backlit portraits spot meter at -2/3 on white skin. Not sure about other colour skin. Make sure the hair has a suitable background so that the backlight-glow has something to contrast against. For sunlight backlighting don't forget to use a low sun and try to arrange a reflector to add light to the eyes (a white sheet or wall will do).

Tell you subjects to stop smiling, particularly kids. You'll get some amazing expressions. I've got a kid looking like a war orphan.

Tell your subjects that you only keep pics that make them look good and then take a lot of shots: they'll soon get used to you. You'll start getting candids even with the camera stuck in their face. Keep your promise (it's hard, but don't break trust or you'll never be able to do this again). For nice skin tones change that white-balance: fuji auto white balance has a corpsing affect on white skin.

Ruthlessly delete. Keeping two near identical pics spoils the viewers pleasure and is boring. Only keep one. However where the two pics are both highly meritous in different ways: use one for the web, and print the other.

Get the advantage of anti-shake by using continuous mode to take 3 shots. Statistically one of them will usually be a keeper.

When using ISO 3200 convert to B&W and apply +41 contrast in Irfanview. I did a whole party like this because the light was so low. People loved it. I shot at -2/3 or -1 EV to increase shutter speed: the scene was dark anyway and a normal exposure would have destroyed the dim atmosphere.

When using flash put ISO at 1600 to get even more ambient light, unless you need quality shots, but I usually don't. ISO 3200 is worth trying too. It's no mistake that fuji sets auto ISO to 800 for flash shots.

Consider rigging up a flash-bounce with foil, card-board and sticky tape: I had great success with this at a birth, and I also warmed up the scene with yellow and red coloured sticky tape placed in front of the flash.

Bad white-balance but a good shot: convert to B&W and increase that contrast.

Crop a lot.

q. EV vs Manual mode (A700): Sony SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?...

clipped by ky1008 Jan 11, 2008

photography

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q. EV vs Manual mode (A700) NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Please someone clarify the differences between the use of EV while in P or A or S mode, vs the use of M mode, in order to overexpose or underexpose. Thanks Clara -- Image control: Zoom out \| Zoom 100% \| Zoom in \| Expand / Contract \| New window http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: q. EV vs Manual mode (A700) NEW JawzX - 6 days ago OK, here goes: Using EV (exposure compensation) P(or scene) mode: You tell the camera to produce an exposure that is intentionally under or over the metered "correct" exposure, but the camera will still choose the aperture and shutter speed automatically based on it's internal program tables and scene/focus modes. The A700 also supports what are commonly called Ps and Pa modes (note the capitol P and small second letter...) by simply turning the appropriate control dial you can tell the camera to chose a higher or lower shutter speed or aperture than the currently selected one (sometimes also called program shift) on an individual exposure basis... Maximum settable exposure compensation value +/- 3 EV ("stops") Exposure Compensation works the same way in A and S modes except you manually set the shutter speed or aperture, which remains anchored at your set value, the camera chooses the correct corresponding aperture or shutter value to provide a correct (or compensated) exposure (when the required value is inside the operating parameters of the lens/shutter). Again, a +/- 3 EV limit applies. When you use the camera in M, full manual mode, you choose both the shutter speed and aperture with no automatic connection to the camera's built in metering. This allows you to under or over expose an image MORE than 3 exposure values. -- KM 5D (AS ROCKS!) 18-70 kit lens 28-85 Macro 1st Gen Metal Body 70-210 f:4 (Killer Lens!) Minolta 50mm f:1.4 + Kenko macro tube set (Shweeeeet!) ProOptic 500mm f:5.6 Mirror Lens (Don't I Feel Special!) Minolta 3600HS-d Minolta Xt-Si Olympus XA 1953 Minolta 35 Model II (Leica M39 mount) w/ Coated Super Rokkor 45mm f:2.8 Jupiter-9 85mm f:2 (Russian Sonnar Clone) in M39 Rochester 5x7 plate camera [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Another quick note... NEW JawzX - 6 days ago Don't forget to set your ISO manually or you will introduce YET ANOTHER variable, that is, the camera choosing a higher or lower sensitivity to keep shutter and aperture values within the parameters in it's program tables... although Auto ISO is sometimes desirable, you will find yourself getting frustrated by inconsistent results if you attempt to understand how exposure compensation works with the camera selecting different sensitivities all the time. -- KM 5D (AS ROCKS!) 18-70 kit lens 28-85 Macro 1st Gen Metal Body 70-210 f:4 (Killer Lens!) Minolta 50mm f:1.4 + Kenko macro tube set (Shweeeeet!) ProOptic 500mm f:5.6 Mirror Lens (Don't I Feel Special!) Minolta 3600HS-d Minolta Xt-Si Olympus XA 1953 Minolta 35 Model II (Leica M39 mount) w/ Coated Super Rokkor 45mm f:2.8 Jupiter-9 85mm f:2 (Russian Sonnar Clone) in M39 Rochester 5x7 plate camera [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: q. EV vs Manual mode (A700) NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Thanks a lot, JawzX. I'm trying to integrate the knowledge and to understand fully. I am aware that ISO should be chosen by the user, or the camera in Auto ISO will mess with the user's chosen EV, right? Also, I did not know that the number of EV stops available were less than the number of stops of under/over exposure that you can get in M mode. Otherwise, why using M if one can get same results by applying program shift (from P, A or S) combined with EV? Am I getting it? Thanks again Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Steve West - 6 days ago If I am in P mode and use exposure compensation (assume fixed ISO), will it choose the exact same shutter speed and aperture it would have without exposure compensation, and then electronically make the adjustment? Or does it tweek the shutter speed to obtain the compensation? Thanks! -- Steve W weather photos: http://home.comcast.net/~scwest/atmo/ [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Good question Steve. I believe it can be answered by testing it. Choose shutter speed and aperture, apply EV, shoot, and read the results (A and S values) in playback. I can't test it right now, since my battery is charging. Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 Edited at 1/5/2008 6:17:47 PM, 1/5/2008 (GMT) [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW ck3 - 6 days ago Steve West wrote: > If I am in P mode and use exposure compensation (assume fixed ISO), > will it choose the exact same shutter speed and aperture it would > have without exposure compensation, and then electronically make the > adjustment? Or does it tweek the shutter speed to obtain the > compensation? > > Thanks! > > -- > Steve W > weather photos: http://home.comcast.net/~scwest/atmo/ If we assume fixed ISO, the camera will indeed adjust shutter speed and aperture if you dial in EV-compensation. Carsten [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Carsten, if this is so, what's the point of telling the camera what shutter speed and aperture we want, if the camera modifies these values if we dial EV? puzzled Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: q. EV vs Manual mode (A700) NEW ck3 - 6 days ago Clara Lisson wrote: > Thanks a lot, JawzX. I'm trying to integrate the knowledge and to > understand fully. I am aware that ISO should be chosen by the user, > or the camera in Auto ISO will mess with the user's chosen EV, right? No, Auto ISO doesn't mess with exposure compensation. If you dial in an EV-compensation of -1 the camera will always expose one stop darker than it would have done otherwise. In the case of Auto ISO it might do this by choosing a higher ISO value (ISO 200 instead of ISO 400) and leaving shutter speed and aperture unchanged. > Also, I did not know that the number of EV stops available were less > than the number of stops of under/over exposure that you can get in M > mode. Otherwise, why using M if one can get same results by applying > program shift (from P, A or S) combined with EV? M mode is a convenient way to leave the exposure unchanged without using exposure lock, for example when you want to take several pictures you intend to stitch together for a panorama afterwards. Another use for M would be if you used an external light meter instead of the camera's (f.e. if you want to meter not the reflected light but the incident light - see: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-metering.htm) Carsten [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW ck3 - 6 days ago Clara Lisson wrote: > Carsten, if this is so, what's the point of telling the camera what > shutter speed and aperture we want, if the camera modifies these > values if we dial EV? > puzzled > Clara > -- > http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ > Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 > In A mode the camera won't change the aperture you have chosen, in S mode it won't change the shutter speed. By using exposure compensation you merely influence the camera's choice of the other value (in A mode shutter speed, in S mode the aperture). If in A mode, using an EV of -1 you tell the camera: use a shorter shutter speed than you would have chosen otherwise (but leave the aperture I dialed in as it was). If in S mode, using an EV of -1 you tell the camera: use a smaller aperture (but leave the shutter speed I dialed in as it was). I hope that helps. Carsten Edited at 1/5/2008 6:43:24 PM, 1/5/2008 (GMT) [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Bramley - 6 days ago It doesn't modify those values. Choose A mode and f2.8. Shutter reads 1/100. +1EV will give f2.8 1/50. -1EV will give f2.8 1/200. Choose S mode and 1/100. Aperture reads f2.8. +1EV will give 1/100 f2. -1EV will give 1/100 f4. Choose M mode and f2.8 1/100. + or - 1EV will only move the scale - exposure will remain unchanged until you manually change the aperture or shutter speed. [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Yes, Carsten, this is the answer, thanks a lot. Then in P mode combined with EV, the camera chooses both A and S to different values that the ones that appear on the LCD. If I use program shift while in P mode and choose a setting of Aperture and Shooter Speed that I like, but then apply EV, the chosen P and S will be modified by the camera. Right? Thanks again Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 Edited at 1/5/2008 6:56:24 PM, 1/5/2008 (GMT) [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Bramley wrote: > Choose M mode and f2.8 1/100. + or - 1EV will only move the scale - > exposure will remain unchanged until you manually change the aperture > or shutter speed. Bramley, you mean the EV button does nothing if on M mode? Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW ck3 - 6 days ago Clara Lisson wrote: > Yes, Carsten, this is the answer, thanks a lot. > > Then in P mode combined with EV, the camera chooses both A and S to > different values that the ones that appear on the LCD. If I use > program shift while in P mode and choose a setting of Aperture and > Shooter Speed that I like, but then apply EV, the chosen P and S will > be modified by the camera. Right? > > Thanks again > Clara In P mode the effect of exposure compensation depends on whether you adjusted the aperture beforehand (the camera switches to Pa mode and will only adjust the shutter speed to reflect your desired EV setting) or the shutter speed (the camera switches to Ps mode and will only adjust the aperture) or left both values unchanged (P mode - the camera will adjust both aperture and shutter speed). I think it might be easiest if you just around with the camera once the battery's charged - while you dial in the EV-compensation the camera will automatically display the effect on the aperture and/or shutter speed. Carsten [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago Great idea, Carsten, I will do the tests. Thanks for the clear explanations! Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20 [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Steve West - 6 days ago Yeah, I've been playing around a bit by pointing at a white wall. I should have experimented before asking the question--I've always assumed that the camera was making an electronic processing adjustment while leaving the mechanical parameters fixed. I was wrong, and it's nice to know this. -- Steve W weather photos: http://home.comcast.net/~scwest/atmo/ [COMPLAINT] [REPLY] [QUOTE]
Re: Is EV adjustment electronic? NEW Clara Lisson - 6 days ago I thought like you, Steve. Thanks for testing. Clara -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/luxclara/ Sony A700 / Fuji F30 / Fuji F11 / Lumix FZ20

Sony eSupport - DSLR-A700K - Software Updates & Drivers

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.p...

clipped by ky1008 Dec 30, 2007

photography software

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DSLR-A700 Camera Firmware Update

Please read all information thoroughly before downloading and installing any files.

Filename :

DSCA700v03.exe

Version :

3

Last Modified :

12/20/2007

Size :

4.53 MB

Download Now

What does this do?

This utility updates the DSLR-A700 Camera Firmware to version 3 and provides the following benefits:

Benefits over firmware version 2:

Resolves an issue where the Access Lamp remains lit and the camera stops responding when several pictures are taken in rapid succession.
Resolves an issue where powering the camera off while in "MR" mode may cause some registered settings to carry over to other shooting modes.

Additional benefits over other firmware versions:

Sharper images for pictures taken under low contrast conditions
Reduced noise for pictures taken at ISO 3200
Improved flash control for objects closer than 1 meter with non ADI controlled lenses

What products and operating systems does this apply to?

Model:	DSLR-A700K
Operating System(s):	Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Microsoft® Windows® XP, Microsoft® Windows® XP MCE, Microsoft® Windows® 2000 with Service Pack 4, Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Basic, Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium, Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business, Microsoft® Windows Vista® Ultimate
See all applicable models and Operating Systems.

NOTE: This utility is only for use with the products identified above and sold in the United States. Not all models are sold in all countries.

Applicable Cameras

This update is needed only for the following cameras:

DSLR-A700 (body) with serial numbers 0500001 - 0508500
DSLR-A700P (body bundled with 16-105 lens) with serial numbers 800001 - 800200
DSLR-A700K (body bundled with 18-70 lens) with serial numbers 1100001 - 1105600

Determine Whether or Not this Firmware Update is Needed for Your Camera

This update only applies for DSLR-A700 cameras that currently have a firmware version earlier lower than version 3. If your camera firmware version is already Version 3, then this update is not necessary.

Checking the version of your camera firmware:

Slide the POWER switch to the ON position.
Press the MENU button and the (display) button simultaneously.
A window will show the firmware version on the LCD monitor.
- If a version lower than 3 is listed: Please proceed with the steps below to download and perform the firmware update.

- If version 3 or higher is listed: This firmware update is not necessary.
Press the Center button of the Multi-selector to close the version number display.

Important Notes

WARNING!!: This utility is only for use with the Sony® DSLR-A700 camera. Do not install this utility with any other model.
WARNING!!: This Digital Camera firmware update and any changes incurred by it are permanent. It is not possible to return to a previous firmware version after updating this firmware. By continuing this update process and downloading and updating this firmware, you acknowledge that you are aware and understand that this update cannot be reversed.
This update process requires the following items for proper updating:
- A computer with:
  - Available Hard Disk Space: 5 MB or more
  - Installed Memory: 32 MB or more
  - A USB port or a card slot which is suitable for recording media.
  - One of the following Microsoft® Windows® operating systems installed:
    - Windows Vista® Enterprise Edition
    - Windows Vista Business Edition
    - Windows Vista Ultimate Edition
    - Windows Vista Home Premium
    - Windows Vista Home Basic
    - Windows XP Home Edition
    - Windows XP Professional
    - Windows 2000 Professional
    - Windows Me (Millennium Edition)
    NOTE: 64 bit and starter editions of the operating system are not supported.
- Camera power supply:
  - When performing the firmware update, use a fully charged rechargeable battery pack NP-FM500H or the AC adapter AC-VQ900AM AC adapter/charger (sold separately).
    WARNING!!: The camera may not operate properly if the power is interrupted during the update.
- USB cable:
  NOTE: A USB cable is necessary if your computer does not have a card slot which is suitable for the recording media.
  - Use only the USB cable supplied with the camera.
    WARNING!!: Update functionality is not guaranteed if you use any other USB cable.
- Recording media (one of the following):
  - Memory Stick Duo™/Memory Stick PRO Duo™ with capacity of 16MB or more
  - CF (CompactFlash) card with capacity of 16MB or more
  - Microdrive
  NOTE: The recording media should be formatted with the camera before using it to perform the update. Be sure to backup all pictures and data from the recording media before formatting it.
It is highly recommended to print out these instructions as a reference during the installation process.

Download and Extraction Instructions

Download the DSCA700v03.exe file to a temporary or download directory (please note this directory for reference).
Go to the directory where the file was downloaded and double-click the DSCA700v03.exe file to begin the extraction.
At the "DSLR-A700 Firmware Ver.3" window, click "OK" to extract the DSCA700.APP file [File size: 4.49 MB] to the current folder.
NOTE: The file extension (APP) may not be displayed depending on your computer configuration.

Please continue with the section below.

Prepare the Recording Media and Copy the Files

Prepare the recording media (Memory Stick Duo / CF card / Microdrive) by formatting it with the camera.
WARNING!!: The recording media must be formatted in the camera. All data on the recording media, including even protected images, will be erased by formatting and cannot be restored.
Copy the update file to the recording media (Memory Stick Duo / CF card / Microdrive) with one of the procedures below. These procedures vary based on your computer configuration.
- If your computer has a card slot that is compatible with your recording media, or if you have a card reader that is compatible with your recording media:
  1. Insert the camera-formatted media into the card slot of your computer or card reader.
  2. Copy the update file (DSCA700.APP) to the root folder of the recording media.
- If your computer does not have a card slot that is compatible with your recording media:
  1. Insert a formatted recording media in the camera.
  2. Insert a fully charged battery (NP-FM500H) in the camera, or connect the AC Adaptor to the camera.
  3. Slide the POWER switch to the On position.
  4. Press the MENU button and select "Setup Menu 2" with the Multi-selector.
  5. Please check that "USB connection" is set to "Mass Storage" in the Setup menu.
    
    If it is not, please follow these steps to set it to "Mass Storage".
    1. Select the Transfer mode with the Multi-selector.
    2. Press the Center button of the Multi-selector to display the options of USB Connection.
    3. Select the "Mass Storage" with the Multi-selector, then press the Center button of the Multi-selector.
  6. Press the MENU button to turn off the menu.
  7. Connect the camera to the computer with the USB cable.
  8. Copy the update file (DSCA700.APP) to the root directory of the recording media inserted in the camera.
  9. When copying is finished, disconnect the USB cable.

Please continue with the section below.

Update the Firmware

WARNING!!: When performing the firmware update, use a fully charged rechargeable battery pack NP-FM500H or the AC adapter AC-VQ900AM AC adapter/charger (sold separately). Do not remove the battery or AC adapter during the firmware updating, otherwise the camera may be permanently damaged.

Slide the POWER switch to the ON position and set the "Memory card" to the type you are using for the update (Memory Stick Duo / CF card / Microdrive) in Setup Menu 2 , then slide the POWER switch to the OFF position.
If it is not already there, insert the formatted recording media (Memory Stick Duo / CF card / Microdrive) into the camera
Press and hold the MENU button. While holding the MENU button, slide the POWER switch to the ON position. Continue to press the MENU button until the confirmation window (shown below) appears.
The confirmation window appears.
Use the Multi-selector to highlight "OK", then press the Center button of the Multi-selector. The Updating procedure will start.
When the "Update is completed" message appears, the updating procedure is complete.
NOTE: The camera automatically restarts after about 5 seconds.
Power off the camera, then remove the recording media.

Check the Firmware Version After Updating

Slide the POWER switch to the ON position.
Press the MENU button and the (display) button simultaneously.
A window will show the firmware version.
Confirm that the version number is now "Ver. 3".
Press the Center button of the Multi-selector to close the version number display.
After updating the camera, format the recording media or delete the update file (DSCA700.APP) from the recording media.

NOTES:

If the firmware version number is not 3, please download and install the firmware update again.
If you need assistance or if your camera will not power on, please call Sony Support for at 800-222-7669.

20+ Tools To Sell Your Photos and Templates Online

http://mashable.com/2007/11/02/sell-your-photos/

clipped by ky1008 Nov 02, 2007

photography stock

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20+ Tools To Sell Your Photos and Templates Online

November 2, 2007 — 01:24 AM PDT — by Sean P. Aune — Share This

We’ve done a lot of toolboxes on how to design your sites and get yourself up and running. Well, have you found yourself with a lot of discarded work as you tried different things? Maybe some spare photos? A tossed aside template? Why not turn them in to money makers for you? We’ve gathered together 20+ sites for you to sell off your photography and templates, and you never know, it could become a whole new revenue stream for you!

Don’t forget to check out our post where you can suggest future toolbox topics! (This list, for example, came from one of the suggestions.)

Photography

123RF.com - Offers two payment systems: 50% of individual high res photo sale, and $.36 per subscription download.

Alamy.com - With over 10 million images, you may get a little lost in the shuffle here, but if you can sell your work, you’ll get 65%.

BigStockPhoto.com - Normal downloads will make you $.50 to $1.00. Special downloads (people who wish to produce products with your image) can make you $60.

CitizenImage.com - A mixture of selling news images and stock photos of daily life. They will also accept camera phone images for news images. Payout of 50% of the proceeds.

Dreamstime.com - You have to be approved by the quality of your images for inclusion, and the payout is a tiered system that is fairly complex, so it is best that you look at the chart they provide, but payouts can reach as high as 80%.

Fotolia.com - Offers sites for various countries, commissions for sale of your photos averages 52%, and goes as high as 80%.

iStockphoto.com - One of the best known stock image sites, has a pay out of 70%.

PhotoStockPlus.com - Provides you with your own ecommerce site to sell your photos as well as goods featuring your images. 85% of the sale goes to you.

ScoopLive.com - A marketplace for your news related images, sold in an auction format. Commissions can be up to 85%, but the system isn’t clear.

Scoopt.com - An agency for selling your images to the media. Upload your photos and they will try to sell them exclusively for 12-months. If they can’t use them, they will tell you so you won’t be under contract, and at the end of the year, the exclusivity ends. Pays 40% of final sale.

ShutterPoint.com - Offers a lot of features for photographers including the chance to fulfill buyer requests. Has an 85% payout.

ShutterStock.com - Since it is a subscription based system, you are paid per the download. Currently the payout is $.25 per download. Also allows for uploading of stock video footage.

SpyMedia.com - Sell stock images for approximately a 60% commission after fees. Unique “bounty” system where people list what they want, what they’ll pay, and you can fulfill it for extra work.

Stockxpert.com - Earn 50% ofthe sale, and with prices ranging $1 to $10, it could rack up quickly.

SuperStock.com - A stock image seller for over 20 years, seems pretty selective in the work they except, and no mention of prcentage.

Templates & Themes

CovantageTemplates.com - Allows you to sell all sorts of templates and themes, they keep 12% of each sale.

Customotion.com - Sell a full Flash page or just a menu. Customotion takes approxiametly 1/3 of the price charged to the customer.

Earner’s Forum Marketplace - A message board for you to advertise your themes, templates, complete websites and more.

HooverWebDesign.com - Templates for just about everything from business sites, Power Point, and even parties. Pays an average of $10 a template.

JungleTango.com - A recently launched marketplace for WordPress themes. Not real clear on how much of the sale they keep. Does emphasize selling unique designs and not selling over and over.

SitePoint’s Template Marketplace - List your templates for various systems here and connect directly with your buyers.

PC World - Make Your Photos Pop With Color

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,138288/articl...

clipped by ky1008 Oct 16, 2007

photography

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Make Your Photos Pop With Color

Convert your photos to black and white--while leaving the subject in brilliant color.

Dave Johnson

Monday, October 15, 2007 1:00 AM PDT

Recommend this story?

Yes 1 Votes

No 1 Votes

Surely you've seen television commercials in which everything is rendered in black and white except for one item--a person, perhaps, or the featured product--that appears in full color. The trick is effective because your eyes are drawn to the splotch of color image in a sea of gray. And really, the effect is a lot of fun.

On television, this trickery is typically done with the creative use of multiple cameras. On the PC, though, we can do it after the fact with a single image--you don't need to have this effect in mind when you take the shot. Best of all, it's not hard to do. It's particularly easy if your photo editor supports layers.

Here's the basic idea:

Stack two copies of the same image in separate layers.
Convert one of the layers to gray scale.
Switch to the color layer and select most of the photo, leaving the point of interest unselected.
Delete the selection, leaving the full-color section on top of the gray-scale image.

That's not so complicated, right? Let's try it out in Adobe Photoshop Elements. You can use any image from your own photo collection or you can use one of my sample images.

Duplicating the Photo

Open the photo in Photoshop Elements and make a copy of it by choosing Layer, Duplicate Layer, then click OK.

The top layer should be selected automatically, but we want to work with the bottom layer. Look at the Layer Palette on the right side of the screen. The top layer--called Background Copy--is highlighted. Click the bottom layer, called Background. We want to convert this layer to gray scale. To do that, choose Enhance, Convert to Black and White, then click OK.

Because this is the bottom layer, you won't see anything happen on the main canvas. Remember that the top layer is still in color, and it's covering the black-and-white layer. If you look at the Layer Palette, you'll see that the layer has changed.

Select Your Subject

Now it's time to work on the top layer.

Click the top layer in the Layer Palette, and use your favorite selection tool to trace the section that you want to appear in color. For this photo, I'm going to make just the pink petals of the flower appear in color, so I'll use the Magnetic Lasso tool, which you can find in the sixth cubby on the left side of the screen.

To use the Magnetic Lasso tool, click on an edge of the petal and then move along it a little at a time. The tool will automatically "snap" to the flower's edge without any clicking, but you can click when you want to force the tool to lock to a particular point, such as around a tricky curve. When you get all the way around, double-click and the petals will be selected.

Finishing Touches

When you're done isolating the petals, choose Select, Inverse from the menu. Press the Delete key to remove everything but the area that is in color. Immediately, the black-and-white image from the bottom layer should show through. Choose Select, Deselect to finish it off.

You should now have a gray-scale image with a single element in color. Save your new photo--you're done.

Hot Pic of the Week

Get published, get famous! Each week, we select our favorite reader-submitted photo based on creativity, originality, and technique. Every month, the best of the weekly winners gets a prize valued at between $15 and $50.

Here's how to enter: Send us your photograph in JPEG format, at a resolution no higher than 640 by 480 pixels. Entries at higher resolutions will be immediately disqualified. If necessary, use an image editing program to reduce the file size of your image before e-mailing it to us. Include the title of your photo along with a short description and how you photographed it. Don't forget to send your name, e-mail address, and postal address. Before entering, please read the full description of the contest rules and regulations.

This week's Hot Pic: This week's Hot Pic: "Glance of Africa," by Dave Hicks, College Station, Texas

Dave writes: "I took this picture while spending a summer in the village of Khohlo-Ntso in the southern African country of Lesotho. Our village was hosting a dance competition for the surrounding villages. Of the 1000 or so spectators, I was the only person with a camera, so apparently I attracted the split-second glance of this young Basotho girl during her dance."

This Week's Runner-Up: "The Guitarist and the Sunset," by David Benedict, El Cajon, California

David says he shot this silhouette at Ocean Beach in San Diego with his Canon Rebel XT.

See all the Hot Pic of the Week photos online.

Have a digital photo question? Send me your comments, questions, and suggestions about the newsletter itself. And be sure to sign up to have the Digital Focus Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

Twelve Essential Photographic Rules - - PopPhotoSeptember 2007

http://www.popphoto.com/howto/1175/twelve-essen...

clipped by ky1008 Oct 04, 2007

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Twelve Essential Photographic Rules

From Sunny 16 to Moony 11, 8, and 5.6, these facts, formulas, and photographic rules can get you out of a jam and help you get good shots when nothing else will.

By Jason Schneider

September 2007

What happens when your systems go belly-up, when all of that cutting-edge technology dies and you must rely on (gasp!) your own knowledge? It pays to have these basics in your head. They can get you out of a jam and help you get good shots when nothing else will.

1. Sunny 16 Rule

The basic exposure for an average scene taken on a bright, sunny day is f/16 at a shutter speed equivalent to one over the ISO setting—that is, f/16 at 1/100 sec at ISO 100. From this you can interpolate, and try f/22 at the beach, f/11 on a cloudy-bright day, etc.

2. Moony 11, 8, and 5.6 Rules

There are many different rules that work well when shooting the moon. One favorite for a proper exposure of a full moon is f/11 at one over the ISO setting. For pictures of a half moon, use the same shutter speed at f/8, and for a quarter moon, use the same shutter speed at f/5.6.

3. Camera Shake Rule

The slowest shutter speed at which you can safely handhold a camera is one over the focal length of the lens in use. As shutter speeds get slower, camera shake is likely to result in an increasing loss of sharpness. So, if you're using a 50mm lens, shoot at 1/60 sec or faster. Not enough light? Use a flash, tripod, or brace your camera against a solid object.

4. Anatomical Gray Card

Metering off an 18-percent neutral gray card is a good way to get a midtone reading that will give you a good overall exposure of a scene. Forgot your gray card? Hold your open hand up so it's facing the light, take a reading off your palm, open up one stop, and shoot. (Various skin tones rarely account for even a full-stop difference.)

5. Depth of Field Rules

When focusing on a deep subject, focus on a point about a third of the way into the picture to maximize depth of field, because the depth-of-field zone behind that point is about twice as deep as the depth-of-field zone in front of it. This works for all apertures and focal lengths, but the smaller the aperture and the shorter the focal length, and the greater the distance you shoot at, the greater the depth of field.

6. Largest Digital Print Rule

To calculate in inches the largest photo-quality print you can make with a digital camera, divide the vertical and horizontal pixel counts (see your manual) by 200. For critical applications, or if you want exhibition-quality prints, divide the pixel counts by 250.

7. Exposure Rules

The classic advice is, "Expose for the highlights, and let the shadows take care of themselves." This works with slide film and digital. But with negative film, especially color negative, you're better off overexposing by one stop.

8. Quick Flash-fill Rule

When using an automatic flash unit that doesn't provide auto flash-fill ratios, set the flash's ISO dial to twice the ISO you're using. Meter the scene, select an f-stop, set the autoflash aperture to the same f-stop, and shoot. The resulting 2:1 flash-fill ratio will produce filled shadows one stop darker than the main subject.

9. Flash Range Rule

Want to know how much extra flash range you get by going to a faster ISO? The rule is, "Double the distance, four times the speed." For example: If your flash is good to 20 feet at ISO 100 (film or digital), it will be good to 40 feet at ISO 400.

10. Megapixel Multiplier Rule

To double the resolution in a digital camera, you must increase the number of megapixels by a factor of four—not two. Why? The number of pixels in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions must be doubled to double the pixel density across the image sensor.

11. Action-stopping Rules

To stop action moving across the frame that's perpendicular to the lens axis, you need shutter speeds two stops faster than action moving toward or away from you. For action moving at a 45-degree angle to the lens axis, you can use a shutter speed one stop slower. For example: If a person running toward you at moderate speed can be stopped at 1/125 sec, you'll need a shutter speed of 1/500 sec to stop the subject moving across the frame, and a shutter speed of 1/250 sec to stop him if moving obliquely with respect to the camera.

12. Sunset Rule

To get a properly exposed sunset, meter the area directly above the sun (without including the sun). If you want the scene to look like it's a half-hour later, stop down by one f-stop, or set exposure compensation to minus one.

Originally published November, 2004.

MediaShift . Photo Community::Flickr Changes Lives, Launches Photog Careers | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/photo_com...

clipped by ky1008 Aug 23, 2007

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Flickr Changes Lives, Launches Photog Careers

by Jennifer Woodard Maderazo, 9:23PM

Flickr pool.JPG With the plethora of social networking sites, it’s easy to come to the quick conclusion that what we are doing on these sites — chatting up strangers, lurking on people’s profiles, spying on friends — is just a waste of time. But there is one site that is more than just an unhealthy habit: Photo-sharing site Flickr is a photography school, art gallery and a sandbox for experimentation. On Flickr, bad photographers get schooled, mediocre ones get better and some even rise to the top as stars — all supported by an immense, and sometimes intimate, international community.

When Flickr founders Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield launched Flickr in 2004 they could not have expected the level of success it’s enjoyed among its users. There were already many other photo-sharing sites out there — among them Yahoo Photos, which would later be replaced by Flickr after Yahoo purchased the site . But none really had the ease of use and the kind of community tools that Flickr offered.

The way Flickr is designed makes discovering new images and new people easy and even fun. Thousands of images are uploaded from around the world every minute, and refreshing the homepage gives you access to random photos you might never have found through a search. Serendipitous encounters also happen by clicking on tags made by users on a photo. Click on the globe icon next to the tag pizza and get ready for a trip around the world via over 70,000 photos from people everywhere. In a way, these tags allow you to see other people’s take on something that’s familiar to you, which can be surprising and fascinating.

I’m an art school veteran, and I know the pain of feeling discouraged about my work by the scrutinizing eyes of academia. When I was in film school, I came to hate photography class because of the way it was taught: hours and hours of theory, playing with light meters, then back to the dark room to see how things came out. Though I had a love for images, try as I might, I couldn’t absorb the information I needed to create beautiful ones. I also didn’t find out that my images were less than perfect until I developed and printed them, which was often a moment of dread. I thought I was a rotten photographer.

After film school I put down the film camera for many years, then in 2005 picked up a cheap digital point-and-shoot. I began uploading careless, admittedly ugly images to a fairly new site called Flickr, mainly to share photos with friends and family. As I did that, I perused other people’s photos, and began to make contact with the people behind the images. My contact base grew as people began to comment on my images and vice versa. Before I knew it, I was beginning to care more about the quality of my photos. I looked at my contacts’ work and wondered, “what kind of camera did they use?” and “how can I get my photos to look like that?” Involuntarily I began learning on Flickr all that I didn’t in my classes, and I gained something beyond technique: a renewed passion for picture-taking.

From Point-and-Shoot to Photo Studio

And I’m not the only one who started learning more from Flickr. Roughly one year ago Flickr user Laretta Houston uploaded her first image onto the service, taken with a point-and-shoot camera. She describes the progression from amateur to pro in a series of milestones: “March 2006 - Bought a cheap DSLR camera…October 2006 - My first gig with Lupe Fiasco…” Today, she’s set up her own studio and is working as a photographer. After one year, a total transformation has taken place, and Houston isn’t alone. There are so many cases of “Joe Schmo to pro” (or at least semi-pro) on Flickr that they’ve almost stopped surprising me.

Daniel Krieger

A contact of mine, Brooklyn-based photographer Daniel Krieger (known as Smoothdude on Flickr) is another success story. He told me that this progression of nobody to somebody in photographic terms is one of the things that make Flickr so special for him. “Being able to watch some regular Joe Schmo buy a camera, hop on Flickr, and develop into a talented photographer with a vision is something revolutionary in the art world, I would say. I don’t think there’s ever been anything like that.”

While that kind of transformation doesn’t happen overnight, in some cases Flickr facilitates and speeds the learning process. Just how one learns on Flickr is really up to the individual, and the process often happens accidentally. When you see a really striking photo, you might ask the photographer how he or she managed it. If you are starting basically from zero, as I was when I joined, you might have lots of questions about lenses, exposure, shutter speed and the like. Flickr users love to give advice, and sometimes you don’t have to ask — others do the asking for you. When Daniel Krieger uploaded a series of really spectacular wedding shots , many users began asking him what techniques he used to shoot them. I made notes on some of his tips for future reference, and that’s how many Flickr photographers learn how to improve their craft.

Krieger himself began like so many others on Flickr, just uploading a few photos to share with others. He joined in January 2005 and says he learned 85% of what he knows about photography from Flickr. That knowledge, gained from peer feedback and the work of the greater Flickr community, has helped make him what he is today: a working professional photographer . Krieger tells me he has several assignments every week and his name is featured on the masthead of a publication.

Support Groups for Photogs

Flickr user Diyosa Carter is a working mom and budding photographer. She began uploading images on Flickr as a way to share pictures of her children with family and friends, but eventually became hooked on the community aspect of the site. “Much of my photography knowledge can be credited to Flickr,” she said. “Through contacts and various groups I understand more about photography and my camera than I could have ever imagined.”

Diyosa recently had one of her images selected for a charity auction celebrating Flickr’s third birthday, and her experience on the site is helping her see her work in a different light. “Flickr has made me see photography as a potential career opportunity for myself,” she said. “Also, in my day-to-day job I have taken on the role of photographer at our events more seriously, seeing them as a form of experience or even portfolio-building opportunities.”

Digital Photo School.jpg

On Flickr, there are also groups built around certain styles of photography, technique or even lenses. If you are primarily a landscape photographer and are interested in breaking into portraits, there are plenty of groups on the site where you can get advice and guidance from people already working in that area. And since Flickr is made up of amateurs and professional photographers alike (and everything in between), the person with the photo next to you could become a sort of an online mentor.

Flickr is truly changing the way photographers learn, work and get discovered. And it’s changed me, too. The site and the community on Flickr have made a tangible and positive impact on my life. I too have gone from playing around with photography to getting real work and beginning to take my pictures seriously. Like many other users, in the Flickr community I’ve found a gallery, a school and a marketplace all in one place. Not bad for $24.95 per year.

What do you think of Flickr? What are the best aspects of the community, and what could be improved? What other photo-sharing sites do you use? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Jennifer Woodard Maderazo is the associate editor of PBS MediaShift. She is a San Francisco-based writer, blogger and marketer, who covers Latino marketing at Latin-Know and Latino cultural issues at VivirLatino .

Flickr water photo by Lali Masriera Arnau .

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Twelve Essential Photographic Rules - - PopPhotoSeptember 2007

Twelve Essential Photographic Rules

From Sunny 16 to Moony 11, 8, and 5.6, these facts, formulas, and photographic rules can get you out of a jam and help you get good shots when nothing else will.

MediaShift . Photo Community::Flickr Changes Lives, Launches Photog Careers | PBS

Flickr Changes Lives, Launches Photog Careers

From Point-and-Shoot to Photo Studio

Support Groups for Photogs