How to take great aerial photographs

  By Guest Poster | February 16, 2012 - 9:03 am | Photography
Leave a comment

Aerial photography is a beautiful form of photography offering stunning images we cannot see in our everyday lives but it is also very difficult.

This art form has fascinated photographers since it was invented in the 19th century and has developed in line with technological advances for use in producing maps, film-making, environmental studies, surveillance and commercial imagery.

Many people try to capture aerial photographs as they fly to holiday destinations or over their home in private aircraft but the quality is often hampered by the fact the shot is taken through glass which adds reflections. An example of a holiday destination aerial photograph without reflection is this image of Caenarfon Castle in Wales.

From Above All Images

The best aerial photography comes from small aircraft; planes or helicopters which fly slower than commercial aircraft and where windows can be opened. Helicopters are preferable as they can hover lower to the ground than a fixed wing craft and early morning or late night offers the best light to capture your images.

A stabilizer can be used to prevent vibrations interfering with aerial photography but the best advice is to use the fastest shutter speed on your camera to avoid blurring. A professional zoom will allow more light into the camera, the lens can be used at faster shutter speeds and your images will be sharper. Below is an example of a sharp image taken at not such great height!

From Above All Images

Rely on your pilot to advise when visibility is at its best and take plenty of shots you might never see your subject matter from this angle again and the more images you have when you get back on terra firma, the more choice you have to select your perfect aerial photograph.

The Benefits of Going out on Scrapbooking Retreats

  By admin | January 25, 2012 - 8:30 pm | Scrapbooking
Leave a comment
Scrapbooking retreats offer a wide variety of valuable benefits to scrapbooking lover as well as those who desire to know a thing or two about scrapbooking. Among some of these valuable benefits includes access to some special supplies as well as outside creative inputs.
scrapbooking retreats
Just to give a brief definition, scrapbooking retreats are a week or weekend long event organized around the art of using photography in creating memory books. Such kind of gatherings could also involve instructional classes that are guided by experts on this particular subject as well as a time for participants to create memory books together. The events can either be hosted or un-hosted. This implies that a club or group can hire a scrapbooking professional to lead the retreat. But of course, scrapbooking fans can organize and lead their retreat and lead themselves without the assistance of an outside supervisor.

Top 5 Scrapbooking Tips

  By admin | January 21, 2012 - 11:00 pm | Scrapbooking
Leave a comment
Important mementos that you have should be treasured the way you do with the memories. Instead of storing these photos and other collectibles in boxes where they are hidden, why not make a scrapbook out of them so that you can show them off to everyone? To help you with that, here are top 5 Scrapbooking tips that can help you kick off this project of yours.
scrapbooking
1. Think of a purpose. Before starting your scrapbook, you should first determine a purpose for it. As you may already know, a scrapbook can serve a lot of purposes. It can be a birthday book for your kid, a book for the events that happened to you during the year or something where you can keep a chronicle of important events in your life. Once you have decided on the purpose of the scrapbook that you are going to make, this will keep you focused and get you started.
scrapbooking
2. Formulate a plan. Planning is essential when you are going to make a scrapbook. Plan ahead the page layouts that you are going to use to keep everything organized. There are instances when you run out of ideas when in the middle of the project so when you are prepared with a plan, you will be able to finish the scrapbook smoothly. You can actually do the layouts one at a time if you want different ones or you can think of a certain template for the entire book. You can also go through the photos and other things that you want to include in the scrapbook so that you will know the number of pages that you will make. Making sketches of the layouts is also helpful since you can determine where you will put the photos, clips and other embellishments that you want to add.
3. Prepare the materials you need. This may be a clichbut it is indeed important to be prepared with the materials you need whenever you want to make something such as a scrapbook. The quality of the materials is of utmost importance so that the scrapbook will be able to last. Most of the paper, boxes and folders sold today contain materials that are highly acidic which will break down the structure of the paper over time. You have to avoid these types of materials if you want your scrapbook to last. Other things that you will need for the scrapbook aside from the paper are page protectors, adhesives, scissors and cutters, pens, inks and other embellishments. When you have everything at hand you can finish your project smoothly in a rapid manner.
scrapbooking
Aside from considering the quality of the materials that you are going to use for your scrapbook, there are also other factors that you have to think about. You have to choose colors and patterns that compliment the photos that you will include. When you choose the right colors and designs, your scrapbook will certainly be a delight not just for you but for everyone else who will see it.
4. Put the scrapbook together. Since you have everything prepared, you can now put them all together to create your scrapbook. You can now lay the pages out and place the items to check if they are properly placed together. Once you are satisfied with it, you can now glue them together and create your scrapbook.
5. Have fun! When creating a scrapbook, it is important for you to have fun. Do not let the project stress you out especially during the planning process. Just enjoy what you are doing and let the scrapbooking be fun.
Scrapbooking is definitely a fun thing to do. To keep your photos and other mementos safe from the dust and humidity of the attic or basement, you can create a scrapbook for them so that you can relive the moments anytime you want.