How Flixtime And Animoto Can Promote Your Photography Business

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Have you seen a short video on the web that mixes images with music and wondered, How did they do that? Flixtime and Animoto are two online software providers that let you easily produce high quality, short video pieces from photos, images, video clips and music. Both of these services offer free accounts for those who want to create short videos and paid accounts for those who wish to create longer, more complicated, commercial or personal use video presentations. Animoto demo Flixtime demo

The big attraction to each of these products is their ease of use. The biggest drawback? Lack of control over the way the software chooses to mix and transition the photos and images.

The Animoto product has been around longer and offers three plans for users. The free plan allows you to create an unlimited number of 30 second videos. There are also paid subscriptions for those who want to create an unlimited number of full length and hi-resolution videos.

Flixtime, which first became available in February 2010, also offers several levels of plans. The free plan allows users to create unlimited 60 second videos. There are three levels of paid subscriptions which offer additional features and support appropriate for users making business or commercial videos.

Flixtimes images are provided by Fotolia and their music and sound effects by AudioMicro.

Consumer reviews of the two plans differ as to which plan the consumer prefers. Preference seems to be a matter of personal taste.

The benefits of having the Flextime or Animoto Paid Subscriber Plans are that a photographer is able to create an unlimited number of DVD-quality downloads which can be used for marketing pieces or to create photograph videos for clients. Once you’ve created a video, it can be used in a blog, on a website, on Facebook pages, YouTube, or to promote your services or products on a DVD or in any other manner you determine works for you.

Once you have established an Animoto or Flixtime account you can download your photos, arrange them in the order that you want the photos to appear in your video by clicking and dragging the photos into the sequence you want. It’s also simple to delete or rotate photos and to highlight a particular photo or photos in the sequence.

You can add your own text anywhere in the photo sequence to add extra information or marketing details to your video.

The next step is to select your music. With both services you have access to a library of commercially-licensed music or you may download your own music.

Animoto allows you to select the speed of your video and add a “Call to action” button at the end of the video that when clicked will take viewer to whatever URL you enter. You can also select a cover for your clip and insert video credits at the end of the clip if you desire.

Once you have made your image and music selections click on Create Video and wait for your email telling you your video is ready to review and edit until you have the perfect video for your needs. These simple software tools create elegant and professional videos to promote your photography products and services at a reasonable cost and with no training and little effort.

Where to Start with Photography Collages

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Taking classes in photography collages can help you “go pro”and take your skills and passion to the next level. You can peruse a career with your education. There are many ways that you can learn photography. However, going to photography colleges will give you the most wide-ranging education and methods by training and learning. This allows you to gain all the skills and tools to make a lot of money with your hobby.

Taking classes in photography colleges and working with fellow students and having the benefits of the guidance and learning under an experience instructor is definitely way better then learning alone. It benefits you not only personally, but with your career as well. Getting classes online is a good way to start out, however, its not the same as comparing to all the proper guidance and teaching a real class can offer. Not to say that online classes cant give you correct guidance, but if photography is your way to express yourself and is only a hobby, you can definitely stick with it. Most online classes only give you the basic instructions. Photography collages offer classes that are more specific and specialize, both on the art and technological side of photography. Taking classes at a photography collage are for people who are looking to take up photography as a career, way to profit, and as a specialization.

Then you can look for a school and start to process an application for one of the photography programs there. Its better this way since it saves time and your assured that your program will cater to what you really want. If youre not sure on which of the programs to choose, you can ask around for recommendations and feedback from experienced photographers or you can even search the net for more information.

Depending on the program that you chose in the photography colleges, you will learn the different specific aspects in photography. Landscape work as an example, will usually cover subjects such as lighting and color balance. Sports photography may discuss specific shutter speeds and aperture settings. Subjects like history of photography, golden rule and color components may also be discussed. Although you might think that these subjects are not practical, its a way for you to understand the whole of photography and understand the craft more

Best Books For Beginning Digital Photography

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Great Booksfor Beginning Digital Photographyby Yvonne Tan

I am going to share with you a secret that not many know about the 6 of the best books for beginner digital photographers.
1.The Ultimate How-To Photography Guide!
Written in plain English instead of techno speak this guide will help you sharpen up your talent and improve your overall results as an amateur photographer. Or, if you are considering the possibility of expanding your hobby into a money making enterprise, you will definitely find the answers to your questions in the chapter on How to start a photography business. The purpose ofthis guide is to give you an over view of photography as well as provide you with information about the different types of equipment used in amateur photography!
http://www.fotogenick.com
2.Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies
This is a great guide to photography itself, with less emphasis on the geekie side of digital photography. Not for absolute beginners (you should have a basic grasp of the concepts already), but ideal for anyone who wants to learn how to take good pictures with a digital camera.
3.Mastering Digital Photography
This book does a great job of both explaining how digital cameras work (and differ from film), and teaching readers how to take good pictures with digital cameras. I like the breakdown by photo type (action, macro, portraits, and so on).
4.Rick Sammon’s Complete Guide to Digital Photography
Using photos as examples to guide readers, this is a great book for people of all learning levels who are switching to digital. It is broken down into a series of lessons.
5.Digital Photographer’s Handbook
This is great for those who want to understand all layers of digital photography, from the camera to the computer to the print. This book is also attractive and easy to follow.
6.The National Geographic Field Guide to Photography: Digital
Very simple to follow, and featuring insights from the magazine’s photographers, this is a great book for beginners who want an introduction to digital photography, tips and ideas.
The 6 Books introduced here have received worldwide great acclaim. I certainly hope that they will help you fortify your digital photography skills as much as they have done for me. This is particularly so for the 3rd book – The Ultimate How to Photography Guide!

Yvonne Tan
A Budding Digital Photographer, Appointed the Organisation’s Official Photographer.
The Top 6 Books for Beginning Digital Photography.
http://www.fotogenick.com

Victorian Glamour Photography

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In the 19th centuries the classical arts were very much admired; sculptures and paintings showing the naked body were the major part of art gallery and museum exhibitions. However the Victorians were very strict on morality, and in the family home a portrait of the Queen, a framed religious tract or a landscape print would be the normal pictures to grace their sitting room. No nudes here!

Soon after the invention of the photographic process by Daguerre in the 1830’s the first nude photographs were created. These early photographs were intended to provide good reference material for painters and sculptors. Many of the early nude photographs were posed in the manner of classic oil paintings to make them more acceptable to critics of this art form.

This new technology of photography was quickly taken up by artists eager for new ways to illustrate the undraped feminine form – and to make a lot of money! In the moral climate of the 19th century the only officially sanctioned photography of the body was for the production of artist’s studies. However many were produced as erotic images for the ‘discerning gentleman.’

The reality of the photographic image was considered quite ugly at this time, so the closer the photographer could make the photograph resemble a classical painting the less likely he was to be accused of creating something obscene. The model who was willing to pose unclothed was considered immoral, and ‘respectable’ women rarely posed in the nude during the early days of photography.

The technical process in the early years required extremely long exposures, so the nude model often had to stay extremely still for up to ten minutes while the shutter remained open. The pose of the model was often contrived. Theatrical settings were used – the chaise-longue covered in heavy brocade, floral drapes, large classical urns and other paraphernalia were used to set the scene.

One picture could cost a week’s salary, so the audience for nudes mostly consisted of artists and the upper echelon of society. The French pioneered erotic photography, producing nude postcards, so named because of their size, although they were never meant to be postally sent as this was illegal. Nude photographs were marketed in a monthly magazine called the “La Beaute” that targeted artists looking for poses. Each issue contained 75 nude images which could be ordered by mail, in the form of postcards, hand-tinted or sepia toned. Street dealers, tobacco shops, and a variety of other vendors bought the photographs for resale to American tourists and servicemen.

The emergence of the glamorous pin-up photograph came about because not only was the female form revealed in all its splendour, but it also allowed the model a chance to put her own personality into the picture. Often, burlesque actresses were hired as models and semi-nude photographs appeared on the cover of publications and throughout; while these would now be termed softcore, they were quite shocking for the time. Later on publications masquerading as “art magazines” or publications celebrated the new cult of naturism, with titles such as Photo Bits, Body in Art, Figure Photography, Nude Living and Modern Art for Men. Health and Efficiency, started in 1900, was a typical naturist magazine in Britain.

In this way the nude photograph caused a sexual response from the viewer as well as an appreciation of the artistry of the picture. Erotic postcards enjoyed considerable popularity at the turn of the 20th century. They could always be obtained, by those in the know, from suppliers in every walk of life who were out to make money from a profitable trade.

The majority of the pin-up cards were mild by today’s standards. They were created to show a pleasing image which would entertain and stimulate the viewer. These images have innocence about them. Although often saucy, they were not the blatant images seen in the top-shelf magazines around today.

In spite of the contrived coy poses of the models these vintage photographs have great charm. The use of a primitive lens, slow film and daylight studios created a luminous quality which any glamour photographers would be happy to achieve in their work today.

Wedding Photography In Orange County – The Top 10 Places For Engagement And Wedding Photography

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Many plans go into creating the perfect day for a bride’s wedding. But when all is said and done, the wedding and engagement photographs will tell the tale of “Our Wedding Day.” Capture your perfect moments with pictures at the ideal location that will remind you of how enchanting, romantic, and personal your wedding day really was. Here are top ten wedding engagement and wedding photography session locations in Orange County:

1. The number one location for wedding and engagement photography sessions in Orange County is… the DISNEYLAND theme park. Let the child in you have fun at the Happiest Place on Earth. Bring the enchanting fairy tale of your engagement or wedding to life in your photographs using the enchanted castle as your backdrop. Or for more playful shots, take some “mad” photos in the teacups, explosive shots at Big Thunder Mountain or wacky cracks in ToonTown.

2. Looking for the classic beach shot for your e-session? The beach at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach is the best location in Orange County. With its panoramic Pacific Ocean views you’ll have a classic romantic paradise to illuminate your romantic moments.

3. Downtown San Juan Capistrano is home to one of the oldest train stations in Orange County. Centered in an antique mission town, the train station offers a beautiful and unique backdrop of colorful train cars and a rustic country town. You can even get amazing shots aboard some old trains.

4. For animal lovers the best photography location in Orange County is the Zoomars Petting Zoo in San Juan Capistrano. With this rare collection of exotic and endangered species as a backdrop, you have a distinctive way to exhibit your personality in your engagement or wedding photos.

5. Downtown Laguna Beach provides a great location for engagement or wedding photography sessions. With its quaint beach city, charming boardwalk and protected tide pools, your photos can have the unique blend of cityscape and casual beach lifestyle that defines Southern California.

6. Just outside Orange County, you can feel like you’re on the other side of the world in the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Gardens located at California State University in Long Beach. This beautiful and quaint garden is a hidden gem for engagement and wedding photos. Lush with green trees and a peaceful creek, the grace of this garden will capture your precious moment.

7. Looking for an ocean view backdrop? Not excited about the sand? Check out Little Corona Beach in Corona Del Mar. The top of the cliff offers stunning views of the Newport Beach jetties and bay at Inspiration Point Park. A very romantic spot to photograph your engagement or wedding.

8. Casper’s Wilderness Park (the former Starr Ranch) in San Juan Capistrano is a beautiful location showcasing Orange County’s scenic landscapes. Sandstone canyons, river terraces, and magnificent stands of California sycamore trees will give a truly Californian look for your wedding or engagement photos!

9. Nature not your style? Have a metro e-session with an urban shoot in downtown Santa Ana Art District. This hip art district lined with art galleries, coffee shops, and museums, gives the perfect backdrop for the en vogue couple looking for an edgy engagement photography location in Orange County.

10. Rancho Las Lomas in Lawrence Canyon of Silverado has spectacular facilities surrounded by beautiful zoological and botanical gardens. For a unique touch, have your engagement photos done under ancient Oaks and magnificent giant Sycamores. Rancho Las Lomas also features a gorgeous rose garden.

Every bride looks for the perfect dress, the perfect cake, the perfect location for her wedding. But what must not be forgotten are the best locations for engagement and wedding photography sessions. Capture your most memorable moments with the location that best reflects your personality.