Learn Digital Photography - Understanding Exposure Compensation

As you learn digital photography you'll find terms that leave you wondering what on earth they mean. One of them is exposure compensation and sometimes known as aperture compensation or Ev. A technical term, but if you understand it will help make some of those good images great.

I always had a problem when taking images that had a lot of white in them or where they were quite dark. They came out grey or with the dark images, too light. What I hadn't realised was that my camera was doing its own thing. That is, the light meter was being fooled by the conditions and making its own decisions. Most times they are great but there are times when they just don't get it right.

The camera's light meter is not super intelligent so it's always trying to average all the colours in a scene to an 18% grey. It doesn't work with you but has its own agenda. This works fine most of the time as long as there isn't too much white, then it gets fooled and does its own thing.

On your camera you will find a setting or a button denoted by Ev or a little icon with a +/- sign. This is where you will change the exposure settings. So what do you need to need to change and how does it work to improve your photos?

1. When the light meter of your camera sees all the white in an image it thinks that there is too much white and the image will be overexposed so it compensates for this and underexposes the photo. Just what you don't want to happen.

2. The setting it chooses for the aperture size is therefore incorrect as it allows less light to hit the camera's sensor.

3. This results in a muddy or grey image because not enough light is allowed in through the lens.

4. In order for you to improve your image you have to compensate for the camera's light meter reading using the Ev setting.

5. Depending on your camera, the compensation measurements or stops as they are known are measured in thirds or halves.

6. If your scene is very white as in snow, you'll need to add a stop or a fraction of a stop so that enough light reaches the sensor.

7. By doing this you manually open the lens aperture overriding what the camera's light meter thinks it should be.

The same goes for a dark or black image. You just do the opposite by stopping down a third, half or full aperture stop. Here the camera thinks there is too much dark and opens up the aperture.

The proof of this is in the pudding as they say. You may get it right first time or it may be necessary to vary this setting until your photo is acceptable. When I learned how to use my exposure compensation setting my photos improved dramatically. It was my discovery of the year. As you learn digital photography and experiment with these settings you too will improve.

There is another feature on your camera which help you get this right virtually every time. It means taking extra images every time you press the shutter. It's called AEB or automatic exposure bracketing. What it does is this. You preselect the amount of compensation you want, say one third of a stop, and the camera brackets this by choosing one normal image, one a third of a stop over and one a third of a stop under. So when you press your shutter button it takes three shots, one for each of your chosen exposure settings. It's like insurance and you get the shot every time. Again you need to experiment to see if a third, half or full aperture stop will work.

By taking just a little extra time as you learn digital photography your images under these circumstances will improve considerably. Take a look at your camera's manual to see exactly how exposure compensation and exposure bracketing works on your particular camera. Happy shooting!

Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here - http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm.

Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.

Talking About Video Promotion

When you think of video promotion, what jumps out at you first? Is it the image of You Tube? There are many ways to use video promotion and they all start out with making a video. One tip is to use a good quality video cam or video camera to record your video. There are many different video recorders out there that can be used to create your video. There is also a software program or two that will help you to edit and promote your video on any web site including YouTube. Video promotion can be easy to do.

Why use video promotion to promote your business? It is really simple. Video can be made viral and spread all over the internet very quickly. They can also be presented on web sites or social media sites. With a video, potential clients and customers can see what is going on within your business and see just what you are selling or promoting. This can bring a great deal of personalization. In this day of videos, it just makes sense to use these types of videos for promotion. If a video is well make and produced, it has the potential to grab someone's attention really quickly.

Videos are also easy to imbed into any type of web site or blog. All you have to do is to cut and paste the code into any type of website and your video is now live for watching. By using videos of this sort, you can easily demonstrate, and promote any type of business. This will also put a very human face onto your business. This is essential to making your customers feel at ease and making you an expert in your particular field. So what can you make a video about?

The many things about your business that you can make a video about are practically endless. You can video what your business does, give a live demonstration of your product or service. You can also inform about new techniques that pertain to your business. You can also feature special events in these particular videos. Now, by using the video promotion, people cannot only see what the business looks like but also have a face to identify with. What kinds of software would you need to produce a video? There are many different software programs that we will discuss.

Pinnacle software is a good one when it comes to video production and creation. For video production, Adobe has quite a bit of software that can be used in the production of videos. Roxio is also a really good software for video production. There are many different types of software that can be used in the creation and promotion of videos for your business. From editing to finished product, you can find what you need to create and promote the videos of your business. You can promote videos in many different places such as YouTube, any social media or any place where videos are allowed. You can even use search engines to promote these videos.

Mark West invites you to increase your website traffic with our Free Online Smart and Safe Backlink Building Guide. Your source for FREE Unlimited Backlinks. Get your FREE copy today at http://etraffichub.com

The Allure of Crime Movie Video Games

One of the more popular genres in video games is crime movies. With colorful characters, endless scenarios for action and shoot outs and an established story line from the original film these games never fail to entertain even the most jaded of video game players. Crime movies have always had a loyal following and that tradition continues with video games made to copy the captivating scenes and triggermen from such popular crime stories as The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, Scarface and The Sopranos. Often rated in the Teen to mature audience range these games are loaded with violence and adult content matter that is not suitable for children, much like the movies they borrow from.

Why crime stories continue to fascinate large audiences is beyond debate at this point. Pop culture has been immersed in organized crime tales ever since Vito Corleone started making offers no one could refuse. Now the gaming industry is capitalizing on the unquenchable thirst gamers have for playing out their own crime fantasies from the relative safety of their own homes. Vengeance is a popular theme among crime story games and being able to act out personal revenge through games allows many people to unleash pent-up aggression.

A landmark film that is always listed in any serious critic's top 10 movies of all time The Godfather is an American family saga that continues to influence pop culture today. From intense characters, brutal acts of retribution and subject matter that touches every facet of life the film translates easily to the surreal world of video games. Starting out as a soldier a game player of The Godfather works his way up through the Capo regime to one day head his own family and bask in the infamy and fortune that follow. Forging alliances, testing the loyalty of friends and associates and making difficult, sometimes fatal, decisions regarding life and death the game captures the unique and fragile fabric of the American crime family that has been woven into pop culture.

Another film that lends its ruthless storyline to video games is the Brian De Palma classic Scarface. Set in Miami right after the disastrous Muriel boat lift the film tracks the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of a brutal and calculating drug kingpin who stops at nothing to exact his wealth and fame. The movie was an instant hit with audiences and has achieved a long-lasting following among crime story fans. The video game continues that tradition and features the turbulent, glamorous and violent world of Tony Montana as he fights his way to the top of the bloody and unforgiving world of the narcotics trade.

A cult classic right from its release Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs gained instant fame for being brutally violent and uncompromising in its portrayal of a gang of diamond robbers. The video game based on the movie originally drew controversy for it violence and the game itself was banned in several countries. Players of the game struggle to stay a step ahead of the cops while also navigating their way through the web of intrigue surrounding the gang itself as gamers walk the fine line between 'psycho' and 'professional'. With a cast of literally colorful characters including Mr. Pink, Mr. White and Mr. Blue Reservoir Dogs gives game players the chance to act out the heist crime fantasy without having to answer directly to the remorseless men in black.

To rent the latest and greatest video games online go to Numb Thumb where you'll find your favorite crime, action/adventure, sports and fighting video games.

LG KS500 - A New Generation Phone

The LG KS-500 is an all new phone from LG, that is about to be issued in the market. Once it will be out, it will surely hit the bull's eye since the LG KS-500 has been designed with the idea that nothing is to be left out. LG has taken due care of its reputation in the market and has touched yet another milestone in the mobile industry.

Features:-

o Although the phone was announced in October 2008, it is still not out in the mobile market. The stylish LG KS-500 slider phone is a very trendy phone and specially designed keeping in view the demands of youths.

o With sleek dimensions measuring 102.8 x 49.2 x 14.9 mm, the LG KS-500 is just 106 grams in weight.

oVibration, downloadable polyphonic ringtones and MP3 ringtones are amongst the alert types available on this handset.

o GPRS class 12(4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), HSCSD, edge class 11, 3G HSDPA , 3.6 MBPS, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and USB v2.0 are the various data features that the LG KS-500 is loaded with.

o The LG KS-500 is a very trendy phone with a 3G video calling camera option, and a primary 3.15 MP camera that can also record video footage.

o SMS, EMS, MMS, EMAIL are amongst the various messaging features available on this handset, whereas WAP 2.0/XHTML is a browser feature in the LG KS-500.

o The LG KS-500 comes in a cool black colour, with a GPS support feature, with which you can never lost, as you can easily track your location.

o The modern technology features include JAVA MIDP 2.0, h.264/h.263/mpeg4/rv player, an mp3/ra/aac/wma+ audio player, and some other small features like voice memo, speaker phone and organiser are also present.

o The LG KS-500 comes packed with a headset, a travel charger, and a standard li-on battery of 950 mAh. This phone has a very good battery backup with talk time of 4 hrs and standby time of 300 hrs.

Free Nokia N96 and Free LG Cookie are the popular Mobile Phone deals and these deals are available on Online Mobile Phone Shop UK.

Faith Hill is Search Engine Marketing Consultant for Cheap Mobile Phone Contract UK.

The Importance of Security Cameras

Given the recent terrorist attacks, security cameras have taken on a whole new meaning in the 21-st Century. Previously, the thought of security cameras recording and keeping a record of people's activities were met with strong resistance as a harmful intrusion on our freedoms. How could we allow anybody to watch us, record us and look over our shoulders? Is this not America?

The ACLU and other legal watchdog groups would have been all over the courts to stop them before they became widespread. In the post 9/11 world we cry out for more protection, demanding our government do everything in its power to stop these madmen from hurting people, especially here in America. And security cameras have leaped into the forefront of that battle, recording the movements of suicide bombers and other terrorists, hopefully preventing them from wreaking havoc.

Recently, there were terrorist attacks in London. Four separate locations were hit - three separate subway stations and one double-decker bus. As the airwaves filled with news of the attacks, one bit of information stood out. The investigation into who committed these horrific acts would involve checking the footage on 1800 security cameras around town. 1800 cameras! It turns out that London has the most pervasive security camera system in the world.

Security Cameras Info provides detailed information about home, wireless, hidden, fake, and wholesale security cameras, as well as outdoor, remote, business, and other security camera systems. Security Cameras Info is the sister site of Metal Detectors Web.

Buy Cheap Binoculars Digital Cameras

If you know a techie nut and his birthday is fast approaching, we recommend that you get him binoculars digital cameras. This is also the perfect gift for people who love to take pictures of birds, are sports fans, and are into the wildlife.

Here are the top five binoculars digital cameras that are available in the market today.

The fist one is the Barska Point N View. It has five megapixels and is one of the most popular binoculars digital cameras today. The best feature people find in the Barska Point N View is the fact that this item is a high quality set of binoculars and at the same time is a pretty decent digital camera.

The Barska Point N View provides the users with a flip color LCD screen, an 8x magnification with video recording. It is portable and really compact. These only weigh 10 ounces. The user can bring this anywhere he wants.

Another example of the best binoculars digital cameras is the Bushnell Image View. It is very compact and weighs only 14.8 ounces. This is the best choice for people who want a pair of binoculars and at the same time shoot pictures which they can print.

Printing pictures may be expensive so those practical photographers go for these binoculars digital cameras because it wouldn't cost them as much to print this using the Bushnell Image View.

However, this means that the user will also lose a couple of megapixels. If he wants good quality in the picture, he shouldn't print big pictures. The Bushnell Image View can still shoot videos by attaching it to a tripod and this is one of the well-loved features.

The Top 3 Binoculars Digital Cameras for the techie nut is the Bushnell 8 X 32 Instant Replay. This is very appropriate for those sports buffs and wildlife and bird watchers. It has a video recording capability of 30 second clips.

The flip up LCD screen makes it manageable for the user and it also shoots 2.1 megapixel images.

Taking the fourth spot is the Pentax Digibino DB 100. It may be different from its competition because it doesn't have the whistles and the bells that the previous mentioned three have but it has a very compact design and is very portable.

The user can easily put these in his jacket's pockets. It is also very durable. The user wouldn't be worried about it getting hit once in a while.

Wrapping up the top 5 Binoculars Digital Cameras is the Bushnell Porro Prism. It may only have a .3 megapixel camera but it is still a good combo for light users.

This is also the best binoculars digital cameras for those who don't need to make prints of the pictures taken.

Discover which are the best binoculars digital cameras at my site. Learn where to buy cheap digital binoculars online.

Lynda Training - HOT Software Training For Amazing Results

For me, it started with H.O.T. Flash. No, it's not about old age. It's a Lynda Training book.

Here's how it happened.

I wanted to learn Flash, and I had been fooling around with some tutorials that I found on the Internet. Then one day I noticed a coworker creating a very cool Flash project, and I knew that she did not know Flash a few weeks before. So I asked her how she learned it... "H.O.T. Flash," she casually announced with a sly smile.

Then she pulled out a bright red book from a desk drawer, and sure enough, the title was "H.O.T. Flash," a Lynda Training book. I looked closer at the title to find that H.O.T. actually stands for Hands On Training.

I had done lots of tutorials for many different software products, but this one was different. As I progressed through each section of the book, I actually was learning how to use Flash in a very useful way. The outcome of this Lynda Training experience was twofold.

First, I began teaching Flash to my high school class (I had just gotten a job teaching Web Design at a local high school.)

Second, I discovered that there was Lynda Training online site where you could receive the same "Hands On Training" via video. I tried a few of the free training videos, and I was hooked.

I signed up for a month of training. I watched Lynda Training videos non-stop for months (I didn't stop after a month, or two months). They are totally awesome! And the best part is that you can watch them again and again until you get it right (I'm a slow learner - and a hands-on learner, as well). The trainers on the Lynda Training videos are the best at their craft. But not only are they good, they know how to TEACH the software.

Use the link below and test the free videos and see if what I say is not true. I think that you will be as surprised as I was at the quality of the training. My guess is that there is not a software application that has anything to do with graphics, writing, or video production that is not taught at the Lynda Training site.

My name is Wayne Rasku, and I challenge you to take a look at www.digital-photographic-resources.com. There, you will find still more about the Lynda Training site.