Definition

A photo filter is a circular piece of glass that you apply on your camera in order to enhance the image or in order to obtain certain effects (such as infrared, gradient or toning). Filters can be used to protect, as well (the UV filter). Photoshop saves time when trying to enhance images. You no longer have to buy them and painstakingly apply them so as not to break the fragile glass. All you have to do is go to Image>Adjustments>Photo Filter. The basic filters are:

• Warming Filters (85, LBA, 81)
• Cooling Filters (80, LBB, 82)
• Sepia
  

Pros
You can enhance the image without having to buy an actual filter. This saves money as well as time.
Also, any colour can be applied to a photo, with varying densities.
Last but not least, you do not have to worry about breaking or damaging the filters.

Cons

The filters do not cover an important aspect: that of circular polarization. As this effect is nearly impossible to obtain in Photoshop, the use of a traditional filter is highly recommended.

To sum up...
If you are an amateur photographer and want to obtain spectacular photos, you should give these filters a try. Not only do they save you a lot of money but they do not break or deteriorate like traditional filters do. However, if you are a pro and want to create outstanding vistas, then you should opt for the physical version, as Photoshop cannot replicate the polarization of light.

• Sharon Courtney's Photoshop

Mmm Fresco...
Using a fresco filter wisely might prevent your photo from being thrown into the Recycle Bin. It works by darkening the photo and applying a sand-like texture over the image. The images speak for themselves.

Pros
Fresco in general makes a landscape stand out.

Original photo (resized smaller)

Fresco filter applied (resized smaller after filtering).

• Cutout
  
• Photo Filters
• Sharon Courtney's Photoshop
  

Behold the two

There are two important image formats that make up a photographer's arsenal. The JPEG format and the RAW (also known as RAF or CCD_RAW, depending on camera type).

What is RAW?
RAW (or RAF or CCD-RAW) is an image format which can be found on most digital cameras but most of you do not know of its existence because it is buried beneath the Options menu. This image format occupies a lot of space (around 10mb), thus containing more information. The advantage over a traditional photo is that you have more control over what you are doing. For instance, you can change the white balance accordingly (digital cameras cannot capture pure white; in order to fix this, one must balance the white until it looks more natural). If you are shooting in broad daylight, photos have the tendency to be a bit blueish. To fix this, you need to adjust the colour temperature, making the photo more warmer.
There are a number of software programs which specializes in RAW editing. The one I recommend is Adobe Photoshop CS3 or CS2. CS3 has the advantage of not requiring plugins, whereas CS2 needs plugins in order to see the RAW files.

This is how the Photoshop CS3 RAW editor looks like.

What is JPEG (or JPG for that matter)?
JPEG (or JPG or jpg) is the most commonly used image format. Most digital cameras save images this way (although some older cameras save the image in .bmp format). The size of the image varies according to the resolution (RAW images have a fixed resolution), ranging from 1mb (1280x960) to over 4.5mb if it is converted from RAW (approximately 2200x1800). Because of the limited information they store, JPEG's cannot be edited in detail. However, with sufficient Photoshop skills, one can create a masterpiece out of a JPEG.

A glimpse of the IrfanView image editor.

So which one should I choose in the end?
If you want to work with photos "around the house", then JPG is the right choice. Their small size makes it easy for them to fit on your card and, why not, HDD. However, if you are more of a pro, then you should go for RAW images. These contain more data and can be post-processed in numerous ways.

• Monochrome
  
• Fuji Test
• Clouds

The disabling of colors
The monochrome technique is basically your black&white photo. Photos taken in this manner are "cooler" (the tone of the image suggests distance, chill and any other cold feeling) and more artistic than regular ones. Modern artists tend to use this technique to make their artwork more expressive and to emphasize a certain idea. There are differences between the "regular" b/w photo and the "Photoshopped" one. The traditional b/w photo is made by switching your camera to b/w mode, whereas the Photoshop version is made by adjusting some sliders or choosing some presets. Our focus now is the traditional way of making b/w photos, so the Photoshop part will have to wait.

Things to try when with your camera
Below are some things you might wanna try out with your newly purchased camera (whether it's a traditional one or a digital):

• Infrared
• Clouds
  
• RAW vs JPEG
• Fuji Test
  

Zooming in on life
Here are some of my tips on how to make a good macro. For all you folks at home watching this, the word macro is a photography related term (it's not an Italian dish as some would think). It comes from the Greek word Macros and means something which is big(ger). In photography, this word means a close shot of an object which captures the details that would normally be invisible with the naked lens.

How do you do it?
This is how it goes: did it ever happen to you to not be able to see the text in a book because you were too close to it? This is caused by the fact that the eye cannot focus on things that are too near. The exact same thing happens with a camera. The macro function corrects this error and extends the distance to which details are visible (in organic terms it means that you can see closer). Usually, with this function on, you can see up to a distance of about 2cm from the subject. Some cameras have the super macro function. This enables you to capture the best details (up to 1cm from the subject).

Tips & Tricks
There are certain things one must bear in mind in order to realize a successful macro:

Focus - This is what Morpheus said to Neo. If you want to have a successful macro, you must focus on your subject. The cross-hair indicator shows where your camera will focus (the objects near the crosshair will be sharp). If it is in the right position, the resulted image will have all the details. Otherwise, it will be blurry and the details will be indistinguishable.	Light - Normally, a macro looks best during noon, when the amount of light is optimum. However, sunset lighting adds a more dramatic effect to your photo. It's the dust and speckles of the atmosphere that make your photo more terrific!	Zoom - If you zoom in too much, the image becomes a huge blur. Also, zooming in amplifies the natural shaking of the human body. As a result, images will get blurry because the camera can't be kept steady. Zoom out too much and the details will be less visible. When it comes to the optimal amount of zoom, it is your choice. But be careful not to fall into one of the extremes.
Shadows - Make sure that you do NOT create shadow with your camera. If you get too close to the subject, your lens barrel will create shadow which will ruin your day. Also, try to take photos contre jour (standing with your face towards the sun).	Water - A good idea is to sprinkle some water on your subject (unless the subject is Dad). The spray bottles used for spraying plants with pesticides work very good. They create a film of water which sets on the leaves or flowers. Avoid sprinkling on your lens because it is very hard to clean.

• Fuji Test

Exposure to photography

The human eye adjusts to different changes in light intensity. When we exit a dark room and enter a bright one, our eyes "hurt" as the pupil needs to adjust to the light's intensity. In other words, the amount of light that penetrates our pupil forces it to adapt accordingly. In photography this amount of light is known as exposure.
Exposure can be long, short or in-between. Short exposure has a quick response from the camera so it takes less than a second to take the photo. With long exposure however, taking a photo can last as long as 5 seconds (or 30 on professional cameras).

How to lengthen the exposure of a photo
There are two ways of making sure that your photos are exposed long enough to light. The first involves waiting for the sun to set or drawing the blinds in order to reduce light as much as possible. As a result the exposure time will be at around 3 seconds. The second way to do this is to manually set the exposure time (the FujiFilm s5600 allows exposure times to up to 15 seconds). Both ways are efficient as the result is virtually the same.

Dr. Andrew's Handy Exposure Tips
Here is a set of tips that may come in handy when taking long exposure shots:

• Shake your camera as much as possible. Although camera shaking is a photographer's worst nightmare, when dealing with long exposure it can produce some wonderful effects.

Lines and streaks

• The best light source to do this, is a LED (these can be found in TV lights, computer lights as well as on/off switches around the house). Larger lights, such as light bulbs produce diffuse glow in long exposure (as seen in the second picture above).

• Starlight can be captured with long exposure shots. If you set the timer to >10 seconds (amateur models; professionals can go up to 30 mins. and more) you can see the stars. Although they can be seen when taking normal photos, this really amplifies their light and makes them stand out. Specialised photographical equipment with high exposure times can capture the trajectory of stars on the night sky.

Neon effects

• In some cases, the camera cannot focus and the final image is a bit "puffy'. This can add to the image's originality but if you feel uncomfortable with it you can either approach the subject from a different angle or re-focus (the second image above shows the result of not being able to focus).

• Different coloured lights can enhance your photo and turn it into a masterpiece. An orange light can represent fire (or the sun) whereas a blue one can be a substitute for water.

Neon and ambient light effects

What is Infrared light?
The electromagnetic radiation (or light) whose wavelength is longer than that of visible light but shorter than that of microwaves is called Infrared (from the Latin infra which means below).Infrared light cannot be seen with the naked eye.

How can we obtain Infrared effects with digital cameras?
There are two ways of obtaining infrared on digital photos. The first way is to apply a filter onto your lens (Hoya, Cokin or any other good brand), whereas the second involves altering the colors of the resulting image via Photoshop or any other similar software. Below, I will try to present what can be achieved with Photoshop in terms of infrared (the method involving the filter is mostly the same).

Basic Infrared
Usually, the two most important colours you need in order to obtain a good IR photo are blue and green. It is a well-known fact that plants (such as grass) reflect IR radiation. That is why green is the best choice when trying to tackle IR. Also, a blue sky will turn black in IR, thus emphasizing the white clouds or, in this case, the green plants (the more intense the IR, the whiter the plants will become).

Not all things reflect IR. Water, for instance, absorbs the IR light and, therefore, does not reflect it. That is why, if you try to shoot a puddle scene, the puddle will not lighten up.

Colour Infrared

The more artistic version of IR photography is colour IR. This can be obtained only through image editing software (such as PS). When using a filter, the image you take will be solid (you won't see anything). Thus, you have to know exactly what you are doing before applying the filter. Once you take your pic and upload it to your PC, all you have to do is open Photoshop and start working on it (see Infrared Tutorial for further reference). In short, this technique is a combination of a color photo and an IR one.

• Monochrome
• Infrared Tutorial

Note that this article is subject to change as I will be conducting more tests with my two cameras.

• Macros
• Monochrome
• Long Exposure
• RAW vs JPEG
  

Definition

What happens when you add a lot of H2O, heat and a favorable gust of wind? Clouds. Often referred to as cotton puffs in the sky, things with silver linings or swirly vapors, these natural phenomena prove to be a tricky subject when attempting to photograph. The most common problem that arises is that of the blurriness (the camera is unable to focus on irregular shapes such as clouds).

How to impress using Clouds

First and foremost, the more the puff, the greater the buff. A puffy, cotton-like cloud will surely impress the ladies at home. The best season for attempting such a feat is summer, as high precipitations will bulge up the clouds.

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