I know, that seems like a lead-in to get you to buy some downloadable course in PDF format, but no, I’m not selling anything, just offering up a little advice.  I have been taking pictures for over 25 years now and the one thing that is as true today as it was the first time I picked up a camera is this, I have a lot to learn!

You would think that after 25 years that I would know everything there is to know, but the minute you close yourself off to learning, you limit your ability to improve.  The first thing I tell someone that asks me how to get better pictures is to learn the basics.  I’m talking f-stop, shutterspeed, and ISO.  I don’t care which camera you use because in the end, they all do the same thing which is expose a light sensitive media to light.  Learning the mechanics of this process will be your gateway to improving your images.  Cameras are smarter now, more than ever, but the one thing they can’t do is read your mind.  When you look through your viewfinder, you have a vision of how you want that scene to look and all your camera knows is that there is a level of light that requires a certain amount of exposure to try and accurately replicate the tones that the meter is reading.  What it can’t do is adjust the exposure for the subject that you have selected or point itself at something worth shooting.  These are things you need to learn how to do.

Once you master the mechanics, then work on the aesthetics.  Pick a genre and try mastering it.  Work on your people pictures, shoot food, take some landscapes,  work with your flash, try some painting with light, get some creative filters, learn how to use Elements or Photoshop or Aperture.

There are so many different places to take your photography and you are only limited by your imagination and your willingness to learn.  If you are reading this, which I really hope you are, then you already have access to one of the most powerful educational tools ever devised, the Internet.  There are so many talented and brilliant photographers out there that are sharing their techniques and experiences that it would take a lifetime to soak it all in.  There are also tons of books, seminars, magazines, college classes, workshops, online classes, and even photowalks.  With so many resources, your only problem should be deciding what to learn next.

So to wrap things up, learn your basics, then learn the finer points, and never ever be content with what you think you know.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to learning about off camera flash with Joe McNally. 

There has been a dust up recently over photo contests and the cost of actually entering an image in hopes of winning a prize.  I’m not referring to entry fees, but the cost of giving away all your rights to your prized photographs.  Blog reader Andrew Graham from Belgium pointed me to this article (click here) from the Sydney Morning Herald about how many mainstream photo contests are burying clauses in their Terms of Agreements (TOA) that, in essence, take away all rights to submitted photographs and claim them for themselves.  This means that the companies that are running the contests are free to use or sell the submitted images without compensation given to the photographer.  Most of the contests are aimed at amateur photographers that are so excited at the prospect of winning the contest that they fail to read the TOA.  It doesn’t help that many of the TOAs are written by lawers and are often confusing and filled with so much legal-speak that it is hard to decipher just what you are getting yourself into.

Earlier this week, Super Blogger David Ziser, wrote about an appearance he made on the PhotoNetCast podcast (click here to see his post) where he participated in a round-table discussion that covered this very issue.  David, like most of us, finds it hard to believe that so many people would willingly or unknowingly trade away their rights.  If you think the problem is just with small contests, you would be wrong.  In 2005,  Microsoft ran their FuturePro contest with a TOA that read in part:

By submitting your Entry, you grant Sponsor and Administrators an irrevocable royalty-free, worldwide right, in all media (now known or later developed) to use, publish, alter or otherwise exploit your Entry.You hereby forever release the Sponsor and Administrators from any and all claims you might have in connection with their use and exhibit of your Entry as set forth above. You also agree to sign any necessary documentation to effectuate that license and release.

There was such a public outcry of contempt for the TOA that Microsoft was forced to change the rules, leaving the rights to images intact for the photographers.  So the bottom line is that while you might be excited about showing off your great image in hopes of winning a prize, be wary that you might be filling the stock photo coffers of some corporation without any further compensation to you.

If you are wondering where to find more information about which contests are protecting your rights, check out this link provided by David Ziser to Pro Imaging International.  They are committed to disecting those TOAs and determining which contests are really in your best interest.

I received a comment on my past Single Image processing video from one of my subscribers.  He told me about a different method that he was using for processing single RAW images for HDR processing.  I gave it a try and it’s pretty darn cool.  So much so in fact that I made a tutorial to show you how it’s done.  Just like everything in Photoshop, there always seems to be a multitude of ways to get things done.  Enjoy.

Here’s the before and after for comparison

Just a few odds and ends that I came across recently.

I found this great article over at the Digital Photography School that explains the use of Exposure Value Compensation, how to use it, and more importantly, when to use it.  I use this feature all the time and if you are using a DSLR, you probably should put it in your repertoire.

While doing my weekend blog round-up I found this plea for support over at 1001 Noisy Cameras.  Besides being a clever way of soliciting readers, I thought it was pretty unique and honest thing to do.  I value all of the information that I get from 1001 and if it’s not on your daily read list, you should definitely head over and see what you are missing.

Rob Jones from Towner Jones Photography wrote to let me know that TJ Photography is following up their successful July photo contest with a new monthly contest.  The winner receives a $25 B&H photography gift card.  The deadline for submitting your image is July 31st.  For full details on how you can enter your best shot, click here.

Friend of the blog, Brian Auer of the Epic Edits blog, wrote a very funny, tongue in cheek, article titled 10 Things I Hate About Film.  Apparently there were quite a few folks that didn’t get the sarcasm so Brian has written a revised version to explain each of his 10 “Things”.  Brian always has great articles and this on is no exception.  Give it a read and see what you think.

I know I have mentioned this next site in the past but I get so much from it that I think it deserves repeating.  Photography Voter is a social networking site dedicated to posting photography articles for others to find.  You can post a new article, or find something new for yourself.  You can even rank pages much like Digg or StumbleUpon.  Start finding and recommending here.

That’s all I have for now so go ahead and get clicking and I’ll see you tomorrow.