Capital Photography Center Blog

July 8, 2015

Planning A Personal Project

Marie Joabar

Sometimes as photographers we loose momentum or find ourselves in a rut lacking creativity or motivation, or worse, both.

Other times, we need to commit to practice a particular skill but lack the discipline to do so letting other things in our lives take precedent.

These are the best times to start a personal project. You’ll find it will improve your photography, and might help you move past your comfort zone or broaden your skills so why not plan yours now and get started.

June 18, 2015

Apps to Help Plan Your Photo Shoots

Marie Joabar

Today’s photographers have access to an incredible amount of information by way of Apps making it easier to be in the right place at the right time to capture the best light.

There’s a world of apps out there but here are some of our favorites that help us plan. Give them a look and see which work for what and how you like to shoot.

May 27, 2015

10 Tips For Perfect Panning

Marie Joabar

Panning is a fun way to imply speed and movement and give a totally different look to an otherwise plain and ordinary scene. As your subject moves across an area, you follow it with your camera using a slow, steady, sweeping motion and fire a shot (or several) to capture them against a blurred background.

Enjoy these 10 tips to perfect your panning.

May 6, 2015

What Is Street Photography?

Marie Joabar

Researching an article on Street Photography I came across this article by Eric Kim. It's an enjoyable read and brings up some interesting points about the topic.

Since Eric shares this as an "Open Source" and encourages sharing as a way to educate, I decided to share it with you and hope you find his take on the matter insightful.

April 14, 2015

Controlling Backgrounds In Macro Photography

Timothy Cooper

As with most forms of photography, macro imagery benefits from having a strong main subject; a subject that stands out and keeps the attention of the viewer. One approach to strengthening your main subject is by ensuring that you background does not compete with it. A few techniques can help you better control and subdue your backgrounds.

January 21, 2015

How To Choose The Right Memory Card

Marie Joabar

We’re often asked about memory cards; what’s a good brand, what does the Class rating mean, what is a good read/write speed for your camera, best practices for card handling and more. We hope this article will help clarify things.

If you’ve shopped for a memory card recently, the options can be overwhelming but with a little information, you can make a better decision and choose the card that’s best for you.

December 26, 2014

Setting Photography Goals For 2015

Marie Joabar

Now is the perfect time to review your collection of photos from last year and ask yourself what you can do to take your photography to the next level. Look at what you did well and what you can improve on, and with that information, make a few goals.

December 17, 2014

Tips for Creative Holiday Photos

Marie Joabar

Holiday decorations give us some of the best opportunities to capture festive, colorful and creative photos, so grab your camera and find some holiday magic to fill your frame. A few tips will help you tap in to the creative side of your brain for more exciting shots.

October 1, 2014

Editing Between Lightroom and Photoshop

Timothy Cooper

Although Lightroom’s Develop Module is extremely powerful there are plenty of reasons that we would need to take our images into Photoshop. First and foremost is the ability to very accurately enhance local areas of an image. While Lightroom’s Graduated Filter, Radial Filter, and Adjustment Brush are quite robust, they pale in comparison to the capabilities of Photoshop.

Adobe has made exporting images from Lightroom
 to Photoshop and back a snap! Here's how.

September 15, 2014

6 Tips For Stronger Images

Marie Joabar

Composing strong, compelling photos takes practice and although some people have a better eye naturally, we all have the ability to improve our skills and “see” stronger images.

Regardless of what you like to shoot, keeping a few basic things in mind when composing can help you improve your eye and capture better photographs.

September 4, 2014

When Do You Need A Model Release?

Marie Joabar

​You’re out at an event enjoying the celebration and casually taking photos of the happenings. Later, you realize you can use a few of the images in your online portfolio and a few you can present to a client. Problem is, you don’t have the people in the photographs permission. You wonder if you can you use the images without it or if you need a signed model release.  

Just exactly what is a model release and when do you need to use one? 

August 21, 2014

Streamline Your Workflow With Lightroom Shortcuts

Timothy Cooper

Like most photographers I prefer to spend my time shooting than to spend it behind the computer.  Downloading and editing images sucks up precious energy and time so I’m eager to streamline my workflow and shave time wherever possible. One of the best ways to do this is by using keyboard shortcuts and this article will show you many that can be used to streamline your Lightroom work.

July 16, 2014

Adding A Poster Look To Your Images

Admin

​If you've ever looked at Karen Messick's images, you'll find they have a very professional, finished, poster look to them. In this blog article, Karen shares how she does it.

June 19, 2014

Tips for Flying with Photo Gear

Marie Joabar

It's summertime and that usually means vacations and travel.

If flying is in your plans, packing your camera equipment requires careful consideration. Deciding ahead of time what gear to take, which bag to carry it in, how to pack it, what’s allowed by the airlines as well as knowing the TSA rules and the rules in foreign countries can help you enjoy your travel with less stress and worry.

Check out the expert advice from some of our instructors. Since they travel often leading photo workshops in the U.S and internationally, they've 'been there' and 'done that' and their insight can be helpful as we plan for our next trip.

June 4, 2014

Learning to See…  By Bryan F. Peterson

Admin

Learning to see creatively is very dependent on what your camera and lens can and cannot see. Captains of ships need to become very familiar with their maps as they navigate the world, making certain to keep the ship pointed in the right direction. In much the same way, your lenses are maps that can lead you to new and enchanting lands. With constant practice, which will only come by placing the camera and lens to your eye, you’ll begin to visually memorize the unique vision of each and every lens—both the pluses and the minuses.