If you want to find a great location in the United States, there are several series of books that you can use to begin your research. A four volume series called “Photographing the South West” by Laurent Martres is among the best series I have read. These volumes outline by chapter regions of the southwest, practical shooting guides, recommended trails, highway directions, weather, road difficulties, places to stay. The books are absolutely complete!

Another valuable series of books are produced by National Geographic. They have various volumes that cover the best places to photograph from Maine to California and they are also very reliable. National Geographic is not going to put their reputation on the line by provided poor or false information. They have no vested interest in having you go to one place over another. Their many “Field Guides” are the books to purchase.

If you are planning a trip abroad, the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are among the best. These books can be purchased for an entire country or for just a famous city. The information given starts with a brief history and then breaks down into regions, sights, points of interest, historically significant art, monuments and buildings. These books include maps, suggested places to eat, places to stay, shopping venues, activities, entertainment, weather, transportation, and regional specialties. They even offer a section on personal safety. I have often traveled with this particular guide and on one occasion when I found myself stranded in Ireland, it indeed saved my trip!

Book research should be followed by internet research. The addition of internet information is a bonus. Beware however, relying solely on the internet is risky. Websites are meant to lure your business and while there are so many credible sites, the goal is to get your business. Start with the books. They are almost always written by independent parties who are simply reporting.

Portrait photography can be a versatile area in itself. Portraits can range from weddings, children, event photography, corporate photography, pets or individuals. Children present very specific challenges. I have only known two photographers who are what I would call gifted in this extremely challenging area. Likewise, weddings can be rewarding but require basic experience. Those starting out might work with individuals in studio and on location. Studio photography is one of the easiest places to control light and you can build a portfolio rather quickly. Working on location will help you gain confidence when measuring light on location.

Understanding how to photograph a landscape could allow you to find work in travel and tourism. It may also provide you with a solid portfolio of images to offer companies who are in need of images for their marketing materials or websites. The skill itself is enough to get you hired to photograph whatever landscape or cityscape that a company needs.

We are a nation of products. Everyone has some product or service to sell and nearly all want to share those products and services on the internet, television or in the print media. Building a solid product portfolio provides a wide range of employers. Individuals, small businesses and fortune 500 companies are always in need of updating their products, their appeal, their brand.

Your passion may be landscape photography or still life photography but remember, even Mozart gave piano lessons!

Canon, in addition to being the leader in photographic technology, has the best customer service I have ever encountered and as a 20 year Canon veteran, I can say that their service is as good or better than when I began using their products some two decades ago.

There are several ways to go about having your basic camera or SLR camera body and lenses cleaned and “returned to factory specs.” Canon has systems in place for professional camera products and non-professional products. Located in New Jersey and California, your camera can be sent directly to Canon.

First, determine if you will need the consumer division or the professional division. Consumer products generally range from point and shoot cameras to beginning SLR’s up to and including the Rebel. If you are in the consumer division, securely pack your camera noting the serial number, and canon camera model. Enclose a quick letter including your name, address, phone number, email address, camera model and serial number and type of payment. Ask that your camera sensor be cleaned and that the camera be inspected for potential problems. You will receive by email usually, a confirmation that your camera has arrived and then an estimate for cleaning and inspection.

If you are in the professional division, chances are you have your equipment cleaned and checked two to three times a year. But if you are new to the professional world, do the following. Securely pack your camera body. I tend to use the original box and then pack it in a second box. Keep a record of your camera body serial number. In your letter to Canon, ask them to clean the camera sensor and return all functions to factory specs after inspecting the camera. In some cases, you will need to check with Canon, this can extend your warranty. You want all functions checked because you want your camera body returned to you as though you just purchased it. Be sure to include you name, address, phone, email address, make and serial number of your camera. On the outside box for professional cameras only, write the letters “CPS” (Canon Professional Services)along with the address. This will ensure that your camera/lens gets to the right division.

While some of the newer Mark II series camera bodies have a sensor cleaning function, you can still get dust on the sensor, which when it happens, looks like spots on your images. Using only “L” series lenses can cut down on the dust, because the seals on those lenses are a better grade than less expenses lenses.

Canon works quickly to get all cameras back to their customers, although the professional cameras tend to come back more quickly because professionals need the equipment to make a living. Don’t forget to send in your lenses. They too need to be cleaned and inspected. Your images are only as good as the glass you have on your camera!

I recommend sending your camera body and upon its return sending a lens or two. I also send my equipment overnight via UPS with the highest amount of insurance available for the item. This means that a camera body I paid 5K for will have a signature required every time it moves from driver to driver with UPS. It is a bit more expensive but gives better tracking information.

Canon’s address in New Jersey is: Canon USA Inc. Factory Service Center 100 Ridge Road Jamesburg, New Jersey 08831. Phone: 732-521-7007.

I come north every year to spend Christmas with family. I love Christmas but not the annual freeze fest I endure while being there. After many years, I have become accustomed to the south’s warm air. My blood has thinned, so I mostly stay indoors visiting, eating too many cookies that I cannot resist, and drinking egg nog that will require extra hours on the elliptical machine.

My father, now “retired,” and nearly 77, is a builder. He is frequently called out of retirement to manage projects in the small village where I grew up. His latest was to oversee the restoration of the “Opera Block”, a historic building in the center of the village. When I was a child, this building served as the bank on one side and a hardware store on the other. I never knew that it had been anything else. I suppose I wondered what was on the second and third floors at one time or another, but it was a passing thought at best. Yesterday, my father gave me the grand tour.

Old bank vaults encased in brick stood in the basement. A larger bank vault still in use remains on the main floor. Split level floors, staircases hidden in every corner, ideal for hide-and-go-seek! We peeked into every room, and walked down every hallway. The third floor was our last stop, a portion of the building yet to be renovated. As we walked toward the double doors, the entrance to the main room, I noticed a peculiar cubby on the wall. My father explained that it was the old ticket box. Not comprehending what he has just said, I followed him through the wooden doors and there before me was the opera house and stage built in 1876.

I couldn’t grab my camera fast enough! Though faded and worn from decades of waiting to be rediscovered, the intricate detail along the walls, and ornate moldings decorating the stage showed off its grandeur. The dressing room complete with signatures on the walls from actors dating back to the 1880’s were all photographs waiting to happen.

I had always assumed that the “Opera Block” had that name, because several of the buildings on that street had false fronts. These buildings were made to look like they were three stories high. Yet, in driving behind the buildings, many were only two stories high.

But this was indeed a real opera house. How could I have not known this? In a row of buildings I have always known, I now have seen the treasure within, the real Opera Block…a world of art being renewed, restored, and hidden in plain sight, in the middle of a small town.

Choose six areas of photography that will be spread out over the year. Each category should be scheduled for two months. These areas may include: landscape photography, product photography, still life photography, portrait photography, children and pet photography, high fashion photography, wedding photography, and candid photography. Each will demand its own set of skills which, when developed, will make you more marketable.

Lay out the year. For example, Product photography: January and February; Still Life photography: March and April, and so on. Be sure to choose topics where you know you need work. Remember, the point is to expand your portfolio and make yourself more marketable.

Once you have taken the first two steps, decide where and what you will photograph. When shooting out doors, choose the time of day you will be taking images. Since color changes throughout the day, you may want to schedule both morning and late afternoon shoots. Mapping out where you will shoot and knowing what your subject matter is will keep you focused. The goal for each two month segment is to create 12-20 photographs that are strong enough and varied enough to be used in a portfolio.

Using a basic textbook such as “Photography” by Upton and London can be particularly helpful while engaged in this kind of skill building. This text covers a wide range of photographic principles and situations, the ideal companion when working out of your comfort zone.

Finally, keep a log. Write down the date, time, camera settings and lenses used. This information will be useful for duplication of product photography or studio work. It will also help you remember what you did to capture that image you just love! So, get to it!

Have you ever wondered why some photos of snow seem to reflect a gray or bluish tone? It is because
your camera measures light by starting with a tone of gray (18% gray). Everything else that your camera “sees” is either lighter or darker than that tone. When you use the meter in your camera to measure a scene say with snow in it, your camera meter will think that there is a whole lot of light (lighter than the 18% gray) and you may end up with an F-stop of 8, 11 or even higher. The snow is really fooling the meter in your camera. If you shoot at those F-stops, your beautiful winter wonderland will look dark or gray. This is how to shoot it to avoid that problem:

First, set your camera on manual. Don’t be afraid to use your camera on the manual setting! Second, set your shutter speed on 125.

Using the meter in your camera, take a read on the snow. Then set your aperture. Say your meter read F-8, take the shot and then set your aperture for F-6.3. On the third shot set it for F-5.6. For the fourth shot, set your aperture at F-5.0. Finally, for your last shot, set your aperture to F-4.5. With each shot you are adding a little more light, allowing your white snow to really look white. By taking at least five shots, you will begin to build a file set so that you can compare what you think is the best image, the best white. Eventually, you won’t have to take so many shots. You will be able to take only two or three.

Remember: your goal is to shoot correctly, not take a bad shot and then doctor it in PhotoShop. This will help you to learn how much light is needed to take those fabulous winter wonderland images!

Once in a while we are given the gift of looking through the window of a stranger’s soul. It is a look that wins the Pulitzer. Hauntingly, it is a look that stays with us. Such was the gift I was given last weekend. I had gone to Pennsylvania to meet with a man who needed product photos. I spent much of this past year doing product photography, so I thought it would be a fine way to round out the year.

Before my meeting, I had the privilege of touring the Gettysburg battlefield with a historian. Not being a history buff myself, it was a pleasure to learn what I should have learned back in school and to take in the enormity of what happened there. I was feeling great and looking forward to my business meeting. But the meeting was just short of a disaster. After an hour, which was all I could take, I could see that this project was going no-where. Cordially as I might, I excused myself.

Pleased to have escaped the unfortunate lunacy, I ducked into a local shop that was going out of business. Inside, standing there to greet me was a man whose dream had come to an end. What it is about the way a person’s eyes greet you when they have lost something very precious to them? Waiting for my business partner to join me, I spoke with this slender, dark haired man who explained that he had owned this business for 15 years, and that the decline in the economy over this past year had made it impossible for him to stay open. He tried to say that all would be well. By then my business partner had joined me. As we continued to listen, all we could hear was that his dreams had been shattered. His eyes gave him away. I thought about how much it would have meant to have captured his countenance but for so weary a man, surely taking a camera out to capture such emotion would be unpardonably wrong.

Even in the press of his compellingly sad circumstances, he invited us to see more of his inventory in his living quarters above the store. We were lead to the second floor. The entry way which was filled with books and glass from his shop was dark. From there he led us through the main rooms of his home. Antiques filled every available space. I had been transported to the time of Lincoln. The man was living in a museum! Sharing in the delight he saw in our interest, his eyes lifted and his countenance brightened a little. Room after room we were presented with a glimpse into a portion our nations historical past.

Descending the steps which took us back to the street, his eyes again went dark. As I began to walk away without a single photograph, I glanced back to see him place a “closed” sign in the window, turn off the lights and lock the door to his dream.

Another option is the Power Shot G10. This amazing camera is 14.7 mega pixels with a 5x optical zoom with a 28-140 mm lens. The LCD screen is 3 inches but the real advantage is that this camera allows you to set your exposure by using a manual mode and it has RAW capture as well as JPEG.This camera also has a E-TTL flash hot shoe and the ISO can be set as high as 1600. Very cool! And the cost? WOW…$489.00 through B&H Video.

If this type of technology is more than you need or you want to work in a lower price range take a look at the Power Shot SD 1200 with accessory kit. This camera is 10 mega pixels with a 3x optical zoom with a 35-105 mm lens. The LCD is 2.5 inches with face detection, optical image stabilization. It comes with a lithium battery, charger and interface cable. Cost? $249.00 from B&H Video.

Finally, if you are looking for a starter 35mm SLR, the Canon Rebel XSI with 18-55mm lens is a great place to start. Canon cameras are designed so that their customers can step up in their progression of cameras. This 12.2 mega pixel camera has a 3 inch LCD and high sensitivity ISO of 1600. It uses Canon EF and EF-S lenses and has a color depth of 42 bit/RGB. It offers picture style settings, RAW and JPEG formats as well as a full range of white balance and exposure modes. This is the natural progression from the Power Shots to the SLR cameras. It costs around $625.00 through B&H Video.

With all of the cameras suggested here, it is best to buy the camera with the accessories. The cost of buying batteries, chargers and straps really adds up if purchased separately. You can’t go wrong with a Canon. After 20 years, I am always waiting for the next Canon upgrade.

The Rochester Institute of Technology, renowned for their programs in photography, has been using an updated edition of the same book to teach the basics of photography for more than 30 years. The book, Photography, by Upton and Upton has been revised to its’ latest ninth edition. Upton and Upton are now London and Upton. The book has seen major changes over the years in order to stay current with technology. But the fundamentals of the book remain what they were thirty years ago; a blessing for those serious about working in the field of photography.

This text has several chapters that are the vital to understanding light, and therefore, photography. Chapter 1 provides some fine “getting started” information. Holding the camera, photographic topics, and basic vocabulary are discussed.

Chapters 2, 3 and 5 cover aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, focal length and exposure. These topics are the heart and soul of photography. Integrating your knowledge of these topics with a creative eye will help you to create your own photographic style. Chapters 9 and 12 on color and lighting could be two courses all by themselves. They are as necessary as the previous chapters for successfully capturing professional images.

While all of the additional information on digital technology in the text will keep you current, without the information on the principles of photography, it is like having a car without the engine. Principles of photography are the beginning and the end of your photograph. This text can help you weed through the piles of information available. It will put you on the right track to being the best photographer you can be.

Our national park system is truly a system. The visitors centers employ knowledgeable people who also happen to be friendly. I have found this to be true no matter what national park I have been in. This is important because the visitors center is the first place you want to go to get the lay of the land so to speak. If you only have a few days in a particular place, you want to be able to find the right points of interest and know the right time of day to get your photographs taken. The park people are crucial if your time is limited. On my most recent trip to Arches National Park, I had only four days. I needed to know when and where to be from the day I arrived. Happily, an intern named Rachel helped me layout my stay and had some really fine suggestions about some of the more popular photographic stops. The folks that work in the parks have seen the sights day in and day out and at all hours. They can be your best friends!

Generally, a map of the park with points of interest will be given to you when you enter a national park but the visitors center will have additional information. Be sure to ask when sunrise is and when sunset is. Ask about the types of wildlife you should expect to encounter and what are the best trails to hike on with your camera equipment. Keep in mind that carrying a 40lb pack of equipment can get heavy in a hurry on some primitive trails but, also may well worth it when seeking out specific photographs. Again, plan your time. Ask if GPS systems and cell phones work in the park and where. You could get so lost in your work that you get lost in the park. Safety should be as much a priority as getting your images.

The parks are a tool for learning how to shoot in specific kinds of light. Given that your subject matter does not move, it is a wonderful opportunity to put that camera in the manual mode and set the shutter speed at 125, while bracketing your exposure and setting different ISO speeds. This is also a great time to get the feel of using a tripod. A tripod will give you clearer photographs, reducing tremendously the possibility of having camera shake. Digital photography is inherently less sharp than film. Therefore, knowing how to use a tripod well can add fine quality to your work, even if you have very steady hands.

National parks are a terrific place to work in the early morning light and as the sun is going down. While one seems to have a great deal of time working in the morning light, the end of day light sinks quickly. This will help you learn to shoot quickly. There may come a time when you are capturing a scene in which you have but seconds to do it. Working with sinking light is a tool to that end.

Our national parks are a place to learn to isolate your subject. In the vastness of the land, a land so grand that it often makes a better photograph capturing it in parts because capturing the whole is impossible and couldn’t do it justice. These beautiful lands protected by the fine rangers who watch over thousands of acres are a place to explore and let your creative self loose gathering in images what your spirit can see and what your soul can feel but cannot express in the confines of the day to day.