Using Flash On Your Digital Camera

Have you ever wondered why your pictures turn out dark or cast deep dark shadows when taking pictures? I am not a professional photographer but I have learned a thing or two in taking pictures. Most people who are not photographers, but like to take lots of pictures of family members and pets don’t understand what they are doing wrong when their pictures turn out poorly. The answer to the question is that they are using flash when it is not needed. By knowing when to use the flash as a fill-in will give you better results. So, I am going to explain what I have learned about using flash as fill-ins when taking pictures. By trying these few techniques you will get better results with your own pictures.

You may think flash is used only when it is too dark in room, right? Well, you’re right to an extent. Flash is really meant to be used as a fill-in light not as a light source and the distance to your subject may also play a big part in the image too. Let’s say you’re at your child’s basketball game high up in the bleachers and you want some pictures to put in his/her photo album. You may think flash is needed but if there’s a lot of light and your subject is at a distance you can turn off the flash to get better results. You may also find that by using the flash at a distance had no effect on your subject. Another example, let’s say you’re at a football game and you want a picture of a football player coming out of the locker rooms and your only light source is the sun. You’re down on the field and you have only one chance to capture the moment. At this point you have to decide whether or not to use the flash. If you take the shot without the flash the players face will be too dark with no detail. This is caused by the sun casting a shadow over the players face from his helmet. But this can be avoided by using the flash to fill in the shadows the sun is casting on the subjects face evenly to have a more dramatic appearance. I am always taking test shots to find the best picture so, take some test shots first with and without the flash to determine if fill-in is needed.

Also, you may notice nasty dark shadows behind subjects in your photos. This is caused either because of poor lighting conditions or because the flash was used when it was not needed in good lighting conditions. It could also be that subjects are too close to each other. For example, taking a picture in your living room during early morning, late afternoon or on an over cast day would not be a good idea because your light source is very poor. This can be avoided by taking the picture during mid-day on a bright sun shiny day with all the curtains open and with no flash you won’t get those harsh, nasty looking shadows. Also, separate your background and your subject to avoid background shadows. But don’t be afraid to use flash fill-in on an over cast day because you can have your subject stand out amongst a crowd.

These are some techniques I have learned when taking pictures. Use them wisely and you will be taking pictures like the pros. But remember there is much more to taking pictures than just learning how to use the flash but that will be another article in the making.

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.

Photoshop Technique

Do you ever wounder what it means when professionals judge your photos as being too grainy when you think they look clear? If you zoom in on your photo you will see exactly why the professionals make the statement. When you look at the image close up it will look grainy and if it looks grainy it will give unwanted results when printed. If you are experinceing this problem then follow my technique below and your photos should come clear.

Open the grainy image in photoshop and if you don't have photoshop don't panic I will help you for free. But, Take the image and select the filter tab. Now, select noise. Next, choose despeckle and that is it. You can choose despeckle as many times as needed. There are also times I will place a dust & scratches filter and set it as low as 1 to 6. This is a technique I use on all my photos that come out too grainy. Good luck everyone!

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.

3 Types of Websites

Are you looking to design your own website? Well, before you start designing your website you should first decide which type of site is right for your particular interest. There are three different types of websites you should be aware of, they are the Informational, Interactive and Trading (e-commerce) sites.

The most common, least expensive and easiest site to design is the Informational site. This site is designed to give web surfers valuable information on a particular subject you may want to share. If your going to design such a site, it must be designed to a target adience. For example, if your subject is geared towards beginners in Autobody repair then the information must be for beginners. Informational sites may also generate revenue by using Google Adsense and Google search if designed correctly. These types of advertisements are placed on your site by Google that focus on the information you place on the site.

The next type of site is the interactive. The interactive sites are designed to allow web surfers interact with the site by leaving feedback, requesting information, downloading software, hardware or images. Surfers can also interact with each other through chat rooms, blogs or message boards. These site can also be profitable by using Google Adsense and Google search.

The third type of site is the Trading (e-commerce) site. Trading sites are becoming more and more popular in the market place. They are designed to sell a particular service and/or product. The Trading sites can be very expensive due to their database design but can be a very profitable marketplace for your product or service. If you are planning on designing such a site my advice would be to get a professional to help you unless you have taking hours of programming.

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.

Corporate Identity Colors

The personality of a company can be identified by the colors used in their logo. Each color gives off its own mood. This mood can either be positve or negative. By understanding the meaning of colors you can give your corporate identity a personality that is stimulating.

In design there are three catagories in which we place colors they are neutral, warm and cool. Neutral colors are considered non-colors because they are used more as a mixture to create other shades of colors. These neutral colors are known as Black, White, Gray, Beige and Brown. By mixing netural colors with other colors you can influence the positive and negative mood of your logo. We associate black with power, authority and often signifies assertiveness and formality. Also, remeber white is not considered as a color but as an absence of all colors and signifies purity and innocense.

Next, we have warm colors. In design we use these colors as attention getters because they stimulate the nervous system. Warm colors include; Red, Orange, Yellow, Yellow/Green and Purple. Haven't you ever ask yourself why red is used for stop signs or yellow for caution? It is because psycholoically you understand the importance of the color and react to it. Using Red will associated your corporate identity with intensity, strength and good fortune while yellow will promote visibility and danger.

The next catagory of colors give a sense of restfullnes. They are known as the Cool colors because they easy on the eyes. Cool colors include; Blue, Violet, Turquoise, Sea/Green, Green. Using a light blue can give your corporate identity a sense of peacefulness and tranquility but if you want to go for more trustworthiness and dependability use a darker blue.

Knowing and understanding the meaning of colors will help you give your corporate identity the personality that will influence the mood of your customers.

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.

3D Rendering with A Transparent Background

As a graphic designer I sometimes have to render an object with a transparent background. These objects are usually placed in brochures, catalogs and/or advertisements. In Feburary, we were working on a project that required rendered objects instead of photos. The problem we were running into is not having smooth edges on our rendered objects after clipping out the background. So, I came across a technique that allows you to prep 3D objects for Photoshop background clipping. This technique will allow you to create a 3D object with a transparent background. To perform this technique you will need some knowledge in 3D Studio Max R3 and Photoshop 7 and above.

Step 1:
First we will begin with an object to render in 3D Studio Max. Choose an object with in your files you wish to clip out the background. Go to preference under the customize tab. In the Preference settings dialoge box under the viewport tab check the Filter Enviroment Background box.

Step 2:
Next, go to the render scene dialoge box and set the output size to your specific size. Under render output select the save file box and save your file as a .tga file then render your object.

Step 3:
When your rendering is complete open the .tga file in Photoshop. Go to the channels tab and turn off the Alpha 1 layer channel.

Step 4:
Now, go to your layers and make your background image layer a layer. Notice the background layer has a red background. Select the magic wand tool and select the red area. Under the select tab go to feather and set the feather weight. Now delete the red background.

Step 5:
Save your file as a .tif and be sure the Save as Transparent is checked then click save.

You now have a rendered image saved with a transparent background.

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.

Transparent Background Leaving A Smooth Blended Edge

Clipping out the background of an image is a tedious job but the results are awesome. I clip out about 60 backgrounds a week and boy does it get boring. I use to clip out backgrounds by taking the polygonal lasso tool and selecting the edges of the of the object I was going to keep and then inverting the selection. By doing this the results gave a very rough edges. When I placed them on a document for print or for the web you could still see the background in some areas of the image. To fix this problem I created a technique that leaves the image with a soft blended edge. This technique takes a lot of patients but you will be pleased with the ending results. This technique is using Adobe Photoshop 7.0 and above.

Step 1:
First, you will begin by choosing an image that you would like the background clip out. Open it in Photoshop.

Step 2:
Next, Make the background a layer and name it "image" then make two seperate layers and place them behind the image layer. Fill one of the layers with black and the other with white. It doesn't matter which one is black and which one is white because these layers are used to see the darker and lighter areas of the objects edge.

Step 3:
Now, select the Lasso tool from the tool bar and trace the object you are going to keep. NOTE: Do not select the actual edge of the object. Go out about 8px to 10px from the edge. When you are done invert your selection and hit delete. You will now notice your background is either black or white. Depending on the darkness of the edge you will have to determine which background layer to use. I usually start with the black and switch back and forth with the white.

Step 4:
Okay, you are now ready to erase the rest of the background. Select a size 45 soft edge Eraser tool and make the brush size 10px. Start erasing the access background about the same area you began tracing the object with the Lasso tool. You can use your shortcut key [ or ] to size the Eraser tool up or down. Size the eraser tool to 5px and again run the tool along the edge of the object until you see the background erasing before your eyes.

Step 5:
When you have completed step 4 take the blur tool and run it along the edges using a 3px size tool. Stay along the outside of the edge and watch the edge blend in with the white or black background. When you are complete discard the white and black background and save your clipped image as a .tif with a transparent background.

You now have a clipped image saved with a transparent background you can use in your documents.

Copyright © 2006 Lonnie Niver, All rights reserved.