This months facebook challenge is.....

'ACTION!'

So dig out those fast paced pics and have a go...you might win something!!!

cheers

MARK<

We have a winner!!

Pop over to our Facebook page and see the winning picture from this months Photo Challenge.

Ken Townend won one of our Fab Photo cushions with his Black and White portrait.

Well done Ken! we hope your photo gift goes down well...

This months challenge is 'ACTION' c'mon give it your best shot!!

cheers

Mark

This Months Facebook Photo Challenge is....

'FACES'

Go to our facebook page and ....

You could win a one of our fab Photo Cushions!!!

June Facebook Winner was.......

The JUNE Challenge, subject 'WATER' was won by Sophia Warriner-Gallyer.

CONGRATULATIONS Sophia!! We loved your photo, it has a great feeling of peace to it and the water is sooooo smooth, its lovely.

We've left the top 10 that we loved in the album here if you want to be nosy.

Thanks for all your entries. Have another go this month!!!

cheers

Mark and the Team

New site

The closer we get to finishing the new site, the further it seems to be away... some of the new features are really cool and i just want it all to be finished now...NOW! But our head of web development is on holiday from next week- Mike our chief programmer has broken 3 fingers trying to be 18 again on a skateboard, so its all slowed down a bit.

Never mind the suns shining and people kep telling us that all good things are worth waiting for ....'watever'.

You may have noticed a few smal changes to the site at the moment, this is kind os a sneak preveiw of the new site ..eerr .. only not ... confused? hopefully you will find he new site cleaner and more straight to the point. I could tell you some f thecool stuff we are doing .... but i'd have to kill you.. haha

right i'm off to burn something on a bbq

Have a Grea weekend folks!

Mark

its friday....

Does anyone want the RANDOM FACT FRIDAYS to come back? We enjoyed doing them last year so let us know and we will get them started agaian..... (anything for a laugh really... ; )

new site design...

.. the site redesign is now at beta test stage and we are stoopidly excited about it!! A cleaner look and previews of your photo on the actual products are going to make your experience simple and even more enjoyable. It will also coinecide with some major redevelopments in our production facility with faster printers and streamlined work flow that will make for even faster turnaround of your STUFF!!

However please rest assured we won't introduce a new but, a half finished, slow, hard to navigate site like like photobox seem to have just done......

cheers!

the boffin

Bug squished.....

We have been dancing in the hallways here at photostuff today... Why? eerr well the bug that was causing all sorts of problems with us notifying you about your orders progress has finally been fixed, we had a team of our top boffins bangin away day and night till it was sorted.

Seriously though, we are really sorry about our order updates being pretty rubbish for the last few weeks and hope its not caused anybody too much undue stress.

The good news is that we have added another status of 'queued for print' to give you even more detail about your PHOTO STUFFs progress!!

cheers!

The boffins

Photography For Kids

We are planning some online photography workshops and articles to give you some ideas of ways to entertain AND educate your kids for the coming summer holidays. If you have any tips or worthwhile comments about getting your kids into photography then we would love to hear from you!!

just comment or email us from the site

Cheers!

the boffin

down down deeper on down ....

We're on a downer today no mistake....well actally all these down based puns are becuase the site will be down for a few hours this morning, so if you do have an urgent photograph to turn into a fab photo gift then do it before 8.30pm today or after about 12pm.

Sorry about any trouble but we are making some essential changes to our live database could lose orders if they are made while we make the amendments.
thanks for your patience!!

theboffin

Wer'e gonna be on the TV .. agaaaaaain

We had a call from our great mates at ITV this afternoon and it looks like we are going to be featured on 60 minute makover again!!! Can't tell you much now as they're still filming the series, but watch this space.....

Night Out and Party Photos, photography tips video

Out on the lash? (Chris this ones for you...) Having a party? Then you really need to watch this video and get some great basic tips for getting great photos during a knees up!!

mines a pint ... of creme de methe please



And of course what comemerates a great 21st or stag/hen do? a Photo Montage of course..... enjoy

Heres a recap

How To Take Photos On A Night Out

Photos taken in a dingy pub or club can look horrific - unless you make the most of the situation and learn how to take amazing night out shots.

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Step 1:

Lighting

Parties, pubs and clubs are generally dark places with erratic lighting, so as to encourage mismatched couples to hook up. You need to learn to use this to your advantage.

A decent flash will be your best friend here – but knowing how to use it is integral. If you're too close to your subject they'll look washed out and utterly terrified, too far away and it won't penetrate the special levels of wispy darkness reserved for pubs and clubs.

Don't be afraid to switch the flash off – it can make for some excellent moody, stylised shots.

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Step 2:

Play around with your camera's settings

The trouble with night out photos is that they can often appear bland and mundane compared to your memories of a wild night.

Digital cameras these days come crammed with a whole host of settings you've probably never even noticed, so why not take the time to look into them?

Tricks like slowing down the shutter speed or adjusting the ISO settings, for example, will give you some really funky effects.

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Step 3:

Use interesting angles

Nights out aren't flat, boring and horizontal; if anything they're the very epitome of ‘at a slight angle', so why not take your snaps to match?

A little tilt here and there will make the occasional kooky shot stand right out.

One word of warning -- depending on how much you've had to drink you may be naturally tilting. Any additional tilt on your part may result in a ‘full 180', which means your photos are back to horizontal and dull, albeit upside-down.

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Step 4:

Be Trigger-Happy

Shots that relate to each other make for better memories of a night out than a stand-alone shot. Three or four photos of an event such as someone opening a present or downing a pint work much better than one shot on its own.

You're telling a story of the night out through your photos, so if your camera has a function to take several snaps with a single click, use it. They make for great sequences of someone dancing, so make sure your remove all the old junk from your memory card before you set off…

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Step 5:

Editing

Don't leave the photos as they are— run them through your favourite editing package and remove any imperfections or problems such as red eye. A quick touch up and brighten will work wonders, and will wow your chums when you inevitably upload them to Facebook.

Night out photos are a pain, and it's mostly due to shoddy lighting conditions. But a little effort goes a long way, here. Try to take funky photos that stand out, and you'll have a bunch of amazing photos to remember.

Basic composition, photography tips video....

A great clip for picking up the basics of great pics!




Enjoy! lets hope the lessons help you make some great photo canvas or photo cushions

Here are the main points again.

Photography: The Rules Of Composition

When taking great, professional looking photographs, composition is key. Learn the rules of composition with VideoJug's help, and you'll soon be creating the perfect pictures.

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Step 1:

Keep it simple

Put simply, composition is the art of making things look right. The visual language used is ancient and its principles can be seen in everything from classical architecture to blockbuster movies. There are Five basic rules to keep in mind when lining up or editing your photograph. That may sound complicated, but once you understand the principles involved you'll find that you start following them instinctively.

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Step 2:

The rule of Thirds

Nothing will dilute the impact of your pictures more than clutter.

Have a look at this picture. What is it of? Our eye is certainly drawn to the fountain, but the clutter around it is distracting.

Think about what your picture is OF - and then change your position or reposition your shot to make that the most prominent part of the picture. If necessary, get closer to your subject so it fills the frame and dominates what's around it.

Notice how in films and television, the most emotional moments of the story are mostly shot in close-up, as visual proximity to a human face instinctively makes us feel closer to that person. This is a tool you can use to not only effectively frame you picture, but also lend it more emotional prominence, particularly if you're photographing people.

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Step 3:

Balance

So although simplicity is important, simply centring your subject in the centre of the frame gives a very static, formal look to the picture. While this may be fine for certain subjects, you'll usually want to add more dynamism to your pictures.

Imagine your rectangular frame is divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally. Where these sections intersect are the optimum places for placing the focus of your picture to compose a pleasing image.

Which intersection you choose to place the important part of your picture on is up to you, but realize that if you are shooting a moving object it helps to give them room to move to in the picture, which means putting more space in front of them than behind.

Naturally, this rule can be subverted to create a narrative - in this case impression that they are soon to come to a halt or walk out of the picture.

Horizontal lines such as lampposts and trees and horizontals like the horizon should also be placed on the divisions of the thirds, rather than in the centre of the picture.

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Step 4:

Framing

Balance is a hard concept to explain. Basically, it's about preventing an image looking lopsided.

This can mean balancing a picture of one person by including another, incidental character.

Or framing the shot so the focus of your picture is balanced by another, complimentary object.

You'll just have to judge what feels "right" in the image, but it might help to imagine a pair of scales in your pictures. Where you have a concentration of colour, objects or light on one side of the picture, try and put a contrasting or complimentary setup on the opposite side of the picture to balance it out.

Balance can also be demonstrated by it's absence; deliberate unbalance gives the impression of movement, like the train has just nipped past this sign...

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Step 5:

Placing

Framing is the act of placing a person or object in the foreground of your subject to give depth and add interest. Consider using part of the surroundings if you are photographing a person, or placing people in a landscape photograph to give a sense of scale.

When photographing a subject, try to avoid overlaps of colour between your subject and the background or elements of the background protruding "out" of your subject. This looks at best distracting and at worst plain stupid. It's happens because we perceive the world in three dimensions and inevitably focus only on what's in front of us, while photography flattens that world - bringing the tree we hadn't noticed several feet away directly into our image.

Pay close attention to the viewfinder on your camera when composing shots as this gives us the best indication of what our picture will look like and should make any unnoticed background intrusions plain.

The opposite of unwelcome additions to your subject is managing to crop people out of the picture. This is easy to avoid if you are shooting individuals or small groups, but harder if you are shooting small crowds or something with people in the background. There's something instinctively unpleasant about incomplete faces to a viewer, so try and avoid it when shooting or crop it out of your images when editing.

The shape your subject makes should fit the rectangular frame of your photograph. That is to say, try and mentally trace the outline of your subject. The patterns of light and dark, strong straight lines and blocks of colour can be viewed as a geometric pattern. Pay attention to where these shapes point to and how they sit within the frame, as this will help you to compose a pleasing image.

Finally, think about any lines that are formed in your picture. Try and use them to lead the viewer into the picture. Lets' say you've placed the subject of your picture on the junction of a third, try and use any lines formed by the surroundings to point towards or lead the eye of the viewer to this point.

Also consider that straight horizontal or vertical lines produce a since of stillness in a picture, in a similar fashion to central framing, so for more exciting images try and introduce more diagonals into your image. while tilting the camera my not be an option, repositioning yourself in relation to what your photographing may work.

Also bear in mind that curved lines - especially those that curve twice to form an "S" are generally more aesthetically pleasing than those that are straight.

Don't forget, you can subvert any or all of these rules for narrative or artistic reasons so feel free to play around. But you can't break the rules unless you know what they are.

Here’s our top ten tips on taking great photographs of your pet:

Hers a great new article we found, about photo graphing your pooch, dont forget .. a Photo Gift is for life not just for christmas.....

1. Start with Your Pet's Personality

Before you start photographing your pet, ask yourself 'what sets it apart from other animals?' Think about what type of personality it has and then attempt to capture some of that in your shots. For example if everyone knows your pet as a sleepy, lazy or placid little thing set up your photo shoot around it's bed or where it goes after a meal to lie in the sun and you'll have every chance of capturing a shot that sums your pet right up. Alternatively if your pet is hyperactive, inquisitive and always on the move it might be better to do your shoot at a local park where it's racing around, jumping for balls or playing with other animals.

2. Think about Context

In choosing the location to photograph your pet you might want to consider a variety of other factors also. For starters choose a place where your pet will be comfortable and at ease. Also consider the familiarity of the location and the emotions that it will evoke in you as the pets owner. For example you might have a place that you and your pet have had some special moments together that will mean a lot in the future as you look back over your shots. Lastly consider the background of your shots. Ultimately you don't want your backgrounds to be distracting from your photo - sometimes the best locations are the plainest ones - a large patch of green grass, a well lit room with white walls and plain carpet etc can be ideal. Of course this can also be tool plain and sterile - my motto is that if the different elements in the background of the shot don't add to it avoid them.

3. Get in Close

Pets come in all shapes and sizes but in most cases they are smaller than a human and as a result they tend to end up getting a little lost in photos unless you make an effort to get up close to them. Of course getting close is not always easy, especially if you have a pet that likes to move around, but it's worth making the effort as the detail that can be gained and the personality that can be captured by an up close and personal photo shoot with a pet can really lift a photo to a new level. If you can't physically get close to your pet get your camera equipped with a zoom lens. The added benefit of a long focal length is that it will help with isolating your pet in terms of depth of field (ie give you a nice blurry background so that your pet is center of attention with no distractions).

4. Get On Their Level

Get down on your pets level where you can look upon them eye to eye. Images taken by a photographer standing up and looking down on their level not only leave you too far away from your subject but they also mean the shots end up having a very 'human perspective'. Getting down on your pets level means you enter their world and get a glimpse of what life looks like from their angle - you'll be impressed by the results as they are more personal and have a real element of intimacy.

5. Mix Up Your Framing

Pets, like human subjects' look different from different angles and framing them in a variety of ways can bring out different perspectives to your shots. In your photo shoot take some tightly cropped facial shots (even focussing right in on single features like eyes, noses, ears, whiskers etc) but also make sure you take three quarter body shots as well as full body shots. In this way you end up with a series of shots that give viewers of your photos a full perspective on who your pet is.

6. Lighting

Light makes any photograph what it is and when it comes to pets it's especially important. In general I wouldn't recommend using a flash as they tend to distract pets and in some cases will even frighten them. The other issue with flashes is that they can create spooky red-eye problems with some animals (in the same way they do with humans). Natural light is a much better option than using a flash and so where possible outside photo shoots tend to work best (or at least in a well lit window inside). The only exception I would give for using a flash is when your pet has very dark (or black) fur as it tends to absorb light and a flash can add detail. With dark fury pets you might want to slightly over expose your images for this same reason. Alternatively with white pets you run the risk of over exposing shots so try to find a location out of direct sunlight and definitely avoid a flash.

7. Include People

One of the best things you can do to add context to a shot is to include the special people in the life of your pet in the image. Shots with the owner or other family members interacting with your pet can make the images incredibly special for years to come. You might like to try posed shots but sometimes it's the candid shots of owner and pet at play (or snoozing together in front of a fire) that really capture the character of the pet and evoke emotion.

8. Freeze the Action

Many pets present a challenge to photographers because they are active and always on the move. The key with any subject that's on the move is to freeze their action by using a fast shutter speed. Most digital cameras these days will allow you to shoot in full manual mode if you feel confident to get the mix between shutter and aperture right - alternatively you can work in shutter priority mode where you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically does the rest by picking a good aperture to work with your shutter speed. The last alternative is to use 'sports' mode which will mean the camera will select the fastest shutter speed possible for your situation. Once you've got your shutter speed nice and fast make sure your camera is always at the ready so you can anticipate the actions of your pet. If they are a fast mover you might also want to consider shooting in continuous mode (burst mode) to take a quick series of shots in a row. This can also lead to a wonderful sequence of shots that work well together.

9. Be Playful

Pets can be playful little critters and rather than attempting to contain this to get them posed for that special shot it's often very effective to go with their playfulness and make it a central feature of your image. Include their toys, stimulate them to look longingly into your camera by holding a special treat above your head or take a picture with them sitting on top of you mid wrestle etc. Make your photo shoot a fun experience for both you and your pet and your shots are likely to reflect it.

10. Catch them Unawares

Posed shots can be fun and effective but one thing I love to do (whether it be with animals or people) is to photograph them candidly paparazzi style. I have very fond memories of stalking a friend's dog as he played in a back yard one day. I took shots while he dug up flowers, as he buried a bone, as he fell chased a bee around and ask he sat contentedly with his head sticking out of his dog house. The whole time I photographed him he was barely aware of my presence so the shots were very natural without me distracting the dog from his 'business'.

11. Try a Wide Angle Lens

One of the techniques I've experimented with lately is using a wider angle lens. This allows you to get in close (point 3) but also fit in a lot of the pet. The other benefit of it is that using a wider angle lens will often give your image a little distortion that will give your image a new creative and fun perspective.

We really hope ur tips articles are helpful... if you want to see any particular topics covered let us know !

Cheers!

Get better photos from your Mobile Phone

We are living in a time where ‘convergence’ is everywhere. Gone are the days when a camera was a camera, a MP3 player was an MP3 player, a phone was a phone….

These days digital cameras are found in a variety of other gadgets - including cell phones. In fact Camera Phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market and with the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones (higher megapixels, better lenses, high capacity storage) some believe that they are beginning to win market share away from the low end offerings of many digital camera manufacturers. Some will print prettey well and enlarge up to wall canvases or photo cushions. A current poll on ‘take anywhere cameras‘ reveals that many of you are using camera phones regularly.

Unfortunately many of the pictures being taken with Camera Phones are poor in quality. This might partially be a result of lower quality cameras - but it is also often a result of poor photographic technique.

Following are some great tips for Camera Phone owners to help them get the most from their cameras phones:

1. Light Your Subject Well

The better lit your subject is the clearer your image is likely to be. If possible shoot outside or turn on lights when shooting inside. If you’re turning on lights in a room to add extra light to your shot be aware that artificial light impacts the color cast in your shots and you might want to experiment with white balance to fix it (see below).

Some cameras come with a built in flash or light - this can really lift a shot and add clarity to it, even if you’re shooting outside (in a sense it becomes a fill flash). If your camera doesn’t have a flash or light you should avoid shooting into bright lights as you’ll end up with subjects that are silhouetted.

2. Get Close to Your Subject

One of the most common mistakes with camera phone images is that their subject ends up being a tiny, unrecognizable object in the distance. Camera phone images tend to be small due to low resolution (although this is changing) - so fill up your view finder with your subject to save having to zoom in on the subject in editing it later (which decreases quality even more).

Having said this, getting too close on some model camera phones creates distortion and focusing issues (particularly if the camera phone doesn’t have a macro or close focusing mode).

3. Keep Still

As with all digital photography, the more steady your camera phone is when taking your shot the clearer your image will be.

This is especially important in low light situations where the camera will select longer shutter speeds to compensate for the lack of light. One trick is to lean your camera phone (or the hand holding it) against a solid object (like a tree, wall, ledge) when taking shots.

Keep in mind that many camera phones also suffer from ’shutter lag’ (ie the time between when you press the shutter and when the camera takes the shot can be a second or so). This means you need to hold the camera still a little longer to ensure it doesn’t take a shot as you’re lowering it away from the subject.

4. Edit Images Later

Whilst it can be fun to use your camera phone’s inbuilt editing and effects, editing pictures later on your computer produces much better quality images. Take your shots in color at high resolution to keep your options open on how to treat it later.

You can always make it black and white on your computer, but you can’t make it color if you take it in Black and White mode.

5. Don’t Throw Away ‘mistakes’

Remember that on many phones the quality of the screen will not be as good as your computer’s. So if possible hang onto your shots until you can get them on your PC. You might just find that they come alive on a quality monitor. You’ll also find that even ‘mistakes’ and blurred shots can actually be quite usable (in an abstract kind of way)

6. Avoid Using the Digital Zoom

As tempting as it might be to zoom in on your subject when taking your picture (if you have a zoom feature on your camera phone), if the zoom is a ‘digital zoom’ it will decrease the quality of your shot to use it (you’ll end up with a more pixelated shot)..

Plus you can always edit your shot later using photo editing software on your computer.

Of course some camera phones are beginning to hit the market with ‘optical zooms’ - these are fine to use as they don’t enlarge your subject by enlarging pixels.

7. Experiment with White Balance

An increasing number of camera phones come with adjustable white balance which allows you to modify color balance in your images based on shooting conditions. Experiment with this feature to get a good feel for the impact that it has on your shots. I find that it impacts different camera phones differently. Read your manual to find out how it works on your phone.

8. Take loads of Shots and Experiment

The beauty of all forms of digital photography (including that of camera phones) is the ability to shoot off many shots quickly and without cost. This means you can experiment with different modes and composition and discard those that you don’t want to keep.

Camera phones are particularly good for experimenting with new angles and perspectives - shoot from down low, up high, close up etc and you’ll end up with interesting and fun shots.

9. Follow Rules of Composition (and then Break them)

Learn some basic composition ‘rules’. (for example - the rule of thirds - ie don’t place your subject squarely in the middle of your frame but a third of the way in). Simple tips like this can bring life toyour photos.

But then also remember that the beauty of a camera phone is its ability to break all conventions - some of the best shots around break all the rules. So shoot from the hip, the floor, up high, up close - anything goes.

10. Keep Your Lens Clean

One of the challenges with many camera phones is keeping them maintained and clean. Phones spend a lot of time in pockets, in bags and being used in all manner of weather and conditions. As a result they get dirty and can easily become damaged - fingerprints are a common problem on camera lenses - especially if your phone doesn’t have a lens cover. From time to time clean the lens of your camera using a soft cloth (sunglasses cleaning cloths are great).

11. Observe Camera Phone Etiquette

While there is no formal set of rules for

using camera phones - it is worth considering how you use it and what impact it might have upon others. There are many cases of camera phones being abused to take sneaky or voyeuristic photos. Ask permission to photograph strangers, consider restrictions on the use of cameras

in places like theaters and concerts etc.

12. Use the highest resolution possible on your camera phone

Some phones allow you to choose what resolution you want to take photos at. It almost goes without saying (but we like to state the bleeding obvious) that the higher your resolution the clearer your shot will be. This is especially true for camera phones which often have sensors of under 1 megapixel in them. Keep in mind however that the higher the resolution the larger the file size of the images you take - this means if you want to send images they can end up taking a long time to send.

We decided to start again....

The last blog was not as easy to update as we hoped, so we are starting again here ... hopefully it will be a bit more relevant and kept up-to-date and with more helpfull stuff too

fingers crossed eh?