Stone Field Reverie

They may not rival the British Invasion of rock music of the 1960s, but the young, energetic and creative people at 3 Legged Thing are conquering many digital photographers with their new Rock Legend Range of tripods, [amazon_link id="B000VZS2EU" target="_blank" ]monopod[/amazon_link]s and [amazon_link id="B00021XPYK" target="_blank" ]multipods[/amazon_link]. The first tripod in the new series is named for the first among all guitar gods, Eric Clapton.

As one would expect from a guitar god, the X4 Eric Tripod delivers a memorable performance every time its deployed for DSLRs, HDV cameras and Micro 4/3 cameras. Rated to support as much as 17.6 pounds (8kg), the X4 Eric is designed and built for superior stability.

What makes the X4 Eric Tripod wail is the strength of its four-section legs built with 3 Legged Thing’s new 26mm, 8 Core Stealth Carbon Fiber^™ and the highest aircraft-grade T6061 magnesium alloy. Just like “Slow Hands” caresses the strings of a guitar, this 3LT tripod is a smooth operator. It also has the muscle to overcome the horizontal strain as well as the twisting tendency of a tripod with the weight of a camera/lens.

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If you’re truly committed to and passionate about [amazon_link id="032147404X" target="_blank" ]digital photography[/amazon_link], then you should always be able to find interesting subject matter. Some of the best are common objects in your home or natural phenomenon that too many of us take for granted. One of these is smoke. It seems to exist, but only briefly; and when visible exhibits a fundamental concept of all life: both chaos and order. Smoke rings a;nd other temporary shapes it takes can be very geometric, or orderly. Smoke can also appear chaotic, without any pattern to its shape or movement. If you are patient with your camera, however, then occasionally the randomness of smoke will “organize” itself into the suggestion of a familiar form or shape, which will only last an instant. That’s when you want to trip the shutter.

Photographing smoke is not particularly difficult and doesn’t require any more than your camera, flash and rather common objects. It’s important that your camera has a manual exposure mode, so you can select shutter speed, aperture and ISO. You also want to maintain control of the zoom function of the lens. You’ll use a flash unit off camera, so it must be able to operate independent of the hot shoe. Control of the flash will be with a wireless remote device or cable. To create even light around the smoke trail, you’ll also need a reflector. It’s best to use a tripod to steady your camera, and a black background, either a board or drop.

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As a photography business owner, you may think employee background checks are only for much bigger companies, but you would be wrong. You could be vulnerable to potential lawsuits or in violation of federal and/or state laws if you don’t understand how to check prospective employees’ backgrounds and conduct them properly. Even if you’re just hiring a short-term intern or part-time “gofer” or second photographer, a background check will help you confirm that the person can be trusted with expensive equipment and work safely within a photography environment often filled with cables, light stands, etc.

A negligent hiring lawsuit is one of the legal traps that could be waiting for you. For example, you fail to conduct a background check of a new employee that would have revealed a record of violent behavior in the workplace. If this employee attacks another employee, a model or a client, then you could be sued for endangering the victim and others, although you had no knowledge of the new employee’s violent past.

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If you want your photography Web site to be a moneymaking machine, then you must think of it as a [amazon_link id="0470413980" target="_blank" ]sales and marketing tool[/amazon_link] first and as a place to display your photos second. This is the primary mistake of many photographers, who think they must merely show their work and present a career profile to generate a flood of customers. Try any or all of the following tips to transform your Web site into an active selling platform instead of a passive “portfolio.”

In most cases, your Web site’s home page is the first page prospective customers will see. Although your site must tell people who you are and what services you offer, prospects are most interested in learning why they should do business with you. They want to know how they will benefit if they hire you to shoot their wedding, portraits of their family members, a major corporate event or a new fashion spread.

Your home page should have a strong headline that helps to answer the “why” question immediately. “Jim Jones Photography” or “Uptown Wedding Photography” doesn’t explain how you will help the prospect solve a problem. The headline should be in the form of a benefit statement:

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As an establish commercial photographer or freshly-minted professional ready to open your first photography business or studio, it’s easy to make marketing mistakes that will not only cost you money, but also make it very difficult to succeed. After all, you are a [amazon_link id="B005SZ47JC" target="_blank" ]small business[/amazon_link] owner, which means you are working with a very limited marketing budget. Plus, your primary focus should be doing an excellent job fulfilling client projects.

By avoiding these 9 marketing mistakes, you are more likely to start generating business (or more business) quicker and at a lower marketing cost per lead or job sold.

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by nobsphotosuccess

If you are a photographer continuously looking for new methods to promote your online photography business, then joining a professional photography forum is a good way to get started. Using a professional photography forum is an innovative method to create a greater exposure of your website in front of a lot of people who share the same passion, the art of photography. This is done by giving plenty of advice and new tips to your fellow amateur photographers. Read more »

 
by nobsphotosuccess

Many people want to know the easiest way to achieve wedding photography success. The answer is that this is not such an easy task as many think or like to think. There are plenty of amateur photographers who believe that buying a professional camera and start taking photos will guarantee their wedding photography success. This idea is, however, wrong. Here are presented all tips you need to know in order to experiment a wedding photography success. Read more »

 
by: Robert Bezman

Whether you’re embarking on a family vacation or your family reunion, it’s going to be a special time. When we think of trips we’ve taken, we tend to remember them best with photographs. Here’s some ideas to enhance your vacation as well as your memories of them.

Location Preparation

Since you know where you’re going (that’s a minimum requirement), doesn’t it make sense to check out the location before you get there? Create a list of attractions, accommodations, special points of interest, amusement areas, shopping, etc. A good source to help you do this is: the Places and Travel section of msn.com ( http://groups.msn.com/Browse?CatId=179) Read more »