Photo Of The Week

Today's photo of the week was taken by Gary Compton with Gary Compton Photography. The shot is an aerial view of Sydney from a recent series that won second place in the International Photography Awards in the Architecture/Cityscape category.

To see more of Gary Compton's work, be sure to visit his website at www.garycompton.com. You can also follow him on Instagram or Facebook. 

We Want To Feature Your Work! 

Do you have some really amazing photos you have taken recently or some of your past work that you simply love? We want to see! Each Tuesday, we will be featuring a "photo of the week" right here on the Camera Giveaways blog. We are looking for anything from amazing landscape photos, a gorgeous wedding or engagement shot, sports or animal photography, an awesome fashion photo...whatever you want to share, we would love to see!

Email your photos to contact@cameragiveaways.com with the subject "CG Blog Photo Submission" for consideration. In your email be sure to include a description of your photo, your name and company name as well as website and social media links. Please... no watermarks! If this information is not included, your photo will not be included.

3 Tips To Make The Wedding You Are Shooting Go Smoothly

Shooting a wedding can be tough. You are working for many hours in a fast-paced environment and you only have one chance to capture all the wonderful photos that the bride and groom have hired you to photograph. As a professional, you will work as hard as you can to get the job done and take some amazing photos for your clients. Many of you wedding photographers out there know how much goes into shooting a wedding from start to finish and being prepared ahead of time is the key. 

No matter what, you want to be ready so the wedding day goes over as smoothly as possible. Every single wedding you photograph is unique in some way. Even though you may work at the same venue often, the couple and their family will be different each time with different personalities. Whether you have been photographing in the wedding industry for years or are thinking about broadening your portfolio to weddings, here are 3 things to remember when shooting a wedding to make sure all goes according to plan:

1. Plan ahead.

It is always important when you are photographing a wedding to pre-plan the day. It is important to meet with the bride and groom to get a feel of how they are as a couple. You want to talk with them about the type of photos they want ahead of time so you know what they are expecting when the time comes for you to give them their photos. Ask for any specific shots they are interested in having taken, and be sure to discuss if they will be doing first look photos and what type of photographs they hope to get - whether it be candid, traditional or even photojournalist.

It is also important to know what the timeline of the day is so you know where you need to be when. You want to be ready for the first dance, the toasts and anything else that the couple has planned for the day. This is also helpful to know when considering whether or not you need an assistant or second shooter to accompany you on the wedding day. 

It is also important to know specific details taking place that day. For example, if the bride's grandmother is only able to come to the ceremony, that is something you need to know ahead of time so you can plan to get a photo of the bride and her together while she is there. Knowing all of this information before the wedding day will help keep you on track, feel more organized and ready to capture exactly what the couple hopes for.

Photo credit: Robert Evans Studios

Photo credit: Robert Evans Studios

2. Think outside the box.  

Take photos from every angle so you have variety in your shots and try to think outside the box. Perhaps there is a grand staircase and you can capture the bride and groom from the bottom of the stairs as they kiss at the top. Maybe you can get a great shot of the bride and groom during their first dance while standing on the second floor which would give a beautiful aerial view of them from above. 

You also want to think of unique backgrounds for the photos; find some great outdoor spaces, or a photo spot with a background of the city or landscape in the distance. You can even get creative and use colorful objects around you like the this bright red building and yellow taxi in the photo below. Is there a colorful flowerbed nearby or an old building with beautiful features that would be great to shoot in front of? 

Photo credit: Dave Robbins

Photo credit: Dave Robbins

3. Shoot lots of photos.

Even if you think you have shot enough of one specific shot, you can never take too many. Take one more. You never know, that final photo you snapped could be that special one that stands out from all of the others.

And remember, you will be taking lots and lots of photos over the course of the wedding day. Be sure to plan ahead with extra batteries and memory cards.  

Photo credit: Nick Otto Weddings via SnapKnot

Photo credit: Nick Otto Weddings via SnapKnot

If you are a wedding photographer, here are a few more wedding related posts you may enjoy: 

Are you a wedding photographer and know that some things just do not go as planned. Sometimes you have to find a plan B when the weather does not agree and you have to stay indoors rather than use the gorgeous outdoor scenery you wanted to utilize in the wedding photos. The Indoor Wedding & Engagement Posing Guide is for you! For $149, you can learn when it is best to reschedule your shoot due to rain, shooting in the rain, using indoor elements and SO MUCH MORE! 

GET THE INDOOR WEDDING & ENGAGEMENT POSING GUIDE NOW! 

 

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Check Out This Nikon Camera Halloween Costume That Actually Took Photos!

You have probably seen so many different and unique Halloween costumes that people have posted over the past week on social media, but we are pretty sure you have not seen one like this! Photographer Bryan Troll decided to turn himself into a Nikon camera that actually took photos and included a working flash and an LCD screen. 

Here is what he said in an article we saw on PetaPixel that was originally quoted on DIY Photography, "I spent at least 40 hours making it over many late nights, about $100 in cardboard, tape, rubber cement, plexiglass, and spray paint, and stuffed it with a few thousand dollars in camera equipment.”

We want to give Bryan some serious props for creating such a unique Halloween costume that actually worked! Pretty amazing. Be sure to check out the photos of his Nikon camera Halloween costume below. 

You can also check out this video by Bryan where he shows how the Nikon camera Halloween costume actually works. 

How cool and creative was this Halloween costume?!? Here are a few other great blog posts you may enjoy:

Are you looking to buy your own Nikon camera? Here is the Nikon D810 on Amazon! This camera (body only) has a 36.3 MP FX-format CMOS sensor without an Optical Low Pass Filter, a 30% faster EXPEED 4 image processing engine, 51-point AF system and 3D Color Matrix metering III with a 91,000-pixel RGB sensor, and an ISO 64-12,800 expandable to 51,200. 

GET YOUR NIKON D810 NOW!

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Photo Of The Week

Today's photo of the week was submitted by Adam Bowles with Adam Bowles Photography.

Here is what Adam had to say about his photo: "As more of an enthusiast with only a couple of paying 'gigs' to my name, I take every opportunity shoot styles of pictures I've never done before. So, when Rachel, a workmate of my wife who also does fire performance, got in touch and said she was looking for some promo pictures, and I said 'of course."

Check out Adam's great photo below! 

Adam Bowles Photography.jpg

To see more of Adam's work, visit his website at www.adambowlesphotography.com. You can also follow him on Facebook, Instagram or check out his YouTube page. 

We Want To Feature Your Work! 

Do you have some really amazing photos you have taken recently or some of your past work that you simply love? We want to see! Each Tuesday, we will be featuring a "photo of the week" right here on the Camera Giveaways blog. We are looking for anything from amazing landscape photos, a gorgeous wedding or engagement shot, sports or animal photography, an awesome fashion photo...whatever you want to share, we would love to see!

Email your photos to contact@cameragiveaways.com with the subject "CG Blog Photo Submission" for consideration. In your email be sure to include a description of your photo, your name and company name as well as website and social media links. Please... no watermarks! If this information is not included, your photo will not be included.

5 Spooky Halloween Photos You Are Sure To Love

Happy Halloween everyone! We can not believe it is already here again. Fall and Halloween is such a great time of year. Pumpkins are everywhere, the leaves change to beautiful hues of red, orange, yellow and the air is feeling crisp and cozy. This is a perfect time of year to get outside and capture some pretty amazing photography. To help get you in the mood and celebrate this fun and scary day, here are some spooky Halloween photos that we hope you will love! 

Photo credit: Alex Ragnar Photography via flickr

Photo credit: Alex Ragnar Photography via flickr

Photo credit: Clickitupanotch.com

Photo credit: Clickitupanotch.com

Photo credit: Daily News Dig

Photo credit: Daily News Dig

Photo credit: Julie Timohina via 500px

Photo credit: Julie Timohina via 500px

 

Do you love taking photos during the fall but looking to add a little bit of spice to your work? The Fall Portrait Action Pack for Photoshop is here to help! For $49.99 (a $179.99 value) you can get 26 creative actions plus 2 bonus actions that have bold and brilliant colors and a splash of the world famous and very popular matte! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE FALL PORTRAIT ACTION PACK NOW!

 

 

 

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What Social Media Platforms Are Most Important For Your Photography Business?

There are SO many social media platforms out there today that can make it overwhelming and hard to decide which ones you should spend your time on. We understand it...your time is precious. Many of you have a photography business and would rather be spending your time out actually taking photos, but you must remember that in today's technology driven world, social media is so important to marketing your business. Most of your potential customers are on social media and it is a great way to reach a larger range of people. 

How can you possibly keep up with all the social media sites out there today on a daily basis? There's Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Reddit, and the list goes on and they are all evolving and changing at a very fast pace.  

With all of these, which ones are the MOST IMPORTANT for photographers to be on? There is no need for you to be on all of them (unless of course you want to!) so which are the ones you should focus your time on? Read on below to find out. 

Photo credit: Social Media Examiner

Photo credit: Social Media Examiner

Facebook

Facebook is a great way to reach many different people and it has stuck around and continues to grow. With all the evolving social media and new platforms popping up, Facebook has evolved with the rest and continues staying on top and you want to be sure to be on the site. 

It is important to have a business page on Facebook that you post on regularly. Mixing up what you post about it a good idea...you want to share your work and business information, but that is not what you always want to talk about. Post your recent photos and information about a new service you offer or discounts you have going on. You also want to post as an industry expert. For example, if you are a wedding photographer and trying to market to engaged couples, post information on 'finding a great photographer,' or on '10 wedding photos you want to make sure that your photographer gets,' can make you stand out and be seen as an expert.   

Along with posting, you also want to make sure you take time to comment and like other's pages and posts. If people are commenting on your posts, be sure you respond back with them so you keep the communication going. If you see something posted on another photographer's page that you think is great information, share it. If you share the love, they may do the same for you.  

Such a variety of people are on Facebook and their advertising can help you to specifically target a certain type of person that you are looking for. For example, if you are trying to promote your wedding photography business to engaged couples in New York, you can specifically do that with a sponsored post. Or, if you are looking for people who love pets, Facebook can make that happen. With decently low prices for a sponsored post that can work around many budgets, you can easily boost the social media marketing you are doing for your business so it can be more viral.  

Be sure you are following Camera Giveaways on Facebook! 

Instagram

Instagram is a great way to show off your amazing photography and if you are not on here, you are missing out on big potential opportunities. With over 500 million monthly active users as of June 2016 (according to Statista), the Instagram app is one of the most popular social media sites worldwide. 

This platform is literally created to share photos... how perfect is that for a photographer? All you want to do in your business is promote your photos and market your business to others looking for a photographer. It offers a very easy place to post your photos and search for specific groups of people based with keywords (otherwise known as hashtags). 

Hashtags are very useful to the Instagram platform. Using specific hashtags helps you to interact with your target audience. You can include specific hashtags with your photos so that others can find your work when searching for that same keyword or phrase. An example... if you photograph landscapes and use #landscapephotography with your photo, others searching for that same hashtag will see your photo. You can also search specific hashtags to find and start following others. If you are looking for engaged couples or someone planning their wedding, searching for #engaged, #imengaged, or #isaidyes could pull up profiles of people potentially looking for a wedding photographer.  

Be sure you are following Camera Giveaways on Instagram! 

Pinterest

The third social media platform that is important for your photography business is Pinterest. You have your own profile and can create "boards" where you can pin things. If you post an article with lots of photos on your blog from a recent photo shoot you did, you can pin that to one of your specific boards and it will link from Pinterest directly back to that blog post on your website. When others see your post and share it, it has the potential to become very popular and go viral. 

People get on Pinterest for inspiration. Whether they are looking for inspiration when planning their wedding, redecorating their home, for cooking or even tips on how to capture amazing photos at sunset, you can find anything you need on this platform which makes it such a huge success. If you pin recent wedding photography you have taken or even pin blog posts you write, people will see your pins and it can bring your website much more traffic.  

Pinterest is also a great place for you to send your customers (and potential customers) as a resource. Perhaps you are a photographer that loves teaching other photographers and you have a board that is titled "photographer resources" that includes tons of great photography related information... you can point other photographers to your board so they can get some great industry information. If you are a wedding photographer, perhaps you have a board of gorgeous wedding gowns to help bring more wedding planning inspiration to your brides. 

Be sure you are following Camera Giveaways on Pinterest! 

If you are active on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for your photography business, then you are doing pretty great! Just be sure to post on a regular basis, stay active and engaging and the possibilities for your marketing are endless! 

Still having a hard time coming up with different things to post about? Make sure you also check out these 7 social media post ideas that will keep your followers engaged. 

If you are still in need of a little more help with your social media but do not have the budget to hire a social media expert, then this Social Media Kit Bundle is perfect for you! Get 5 great social media products bundled together to help you do your social media like a pro for only $350! 

 GET THE SOCIAL MEDIA KIT BUNDLE NOW!

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Photo Of The Week

Today's photo of the week was taken by Renda Brooks with RRB Photography. Here is what she had to say:

"I've been a nurse for over 28 years and a photographer for a lifetime. I'm in the process of getting a studio open, Ren's Seaside Studio & Gifts, at the end of this travel nurse assignment. 

I recently took this photo while I was trying to race the sun to chase the moon. The full moon was quickly descending and the morning light of the sun was making the moonlight dissipate. I finally stopped just across the Wyoming/South Dakota state line to get this shot in a last ditch effort."

The photo settings Renda used were: Canon EOS 60D camera with 18-200mm lens,  Aperture 6, f/8, ISO 100, Used AP mode, manual focus. 

To see more from Renda, be sure to visit her website at www.rrbphotography.com. You can also follow her on Facebook or Twitter. 

We Want To Feature Your Work! 

Do you have some really amazing photos you have taken recently or some of your past work that you simply love? We want to see! Each Tuesday, we will be featuring a "photo of the week" right here on the Camera Giveaways blog. We are looking for anything from amazing landscape photos, a gorgeous wedding or engagement shot, sports or animal photography, an awesome fashion photo...whatever you want to share, we would love to see!

Email your photos to contact@cameragiveaways.com with the subject "CG Blog Photo Submission" for consideration. In your email be sure to include a description of your photo, your name and company name as well as website and social media links. Please... no watermarks! If this information is not included, your photo will not be included.

 

25 Photos That Show How Beautiful America Truly Is

There is something unique and beautiful to every single state in America.... it is truly a beautiful country to photograph. From tall mountains to miles of sand swept beaches, and all the unique landscapes in between, this country has so many different types of scenery that can be dramatically different from each other. Here are 25 photos that we saw on Huffington Post that showcase some of that unique scenery to the wonderful home we live. 

Alaska - Mountains reflected in the Kenai River.

Arizona - Horseshoe Bend

California - McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, Big Sur

Colorado - Maroon Bells, Aspen

Connecticut - Ender's Falls

Florida - Dry Tortugas National Park
 

Hawaii - Wailua Falls

Idaho - Bruneau Dunes State Park

Illinois - Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest

Iowa - Malanaphy Springs State Preserve

Louisiana - Lake Martin

Maine - Coastline at Acadia National Park

Maryland - The Brighton Dam at the Tridelphia Reservoir

Minnesota - Minnehaha Falls

Montana - Grinnell Lake, Glacier National Park

Nebraska - Scotts Bluff National Monument

New Mexico - White Sands National Monument

New York - Taughannock Falls State Park

North Carolina - Thomas Divide, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

North Dakota - Badlands sandstone formations, Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Oklahoma - Mount Scott, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

South Carolina - Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island

South Dakota - Badlands National Park

Texas - Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park

Virginia - Shenandoah National Park

Do you take outdoor photos and spend lots of time editing? Save time with The Ultimate Season Action Bundle for Photoshop. No matter what type of weather, season or lighting condition you photographed in, these actions are perfect for you! For $249.99, you get a total of 126 actions that are perfect for both indoor and outdoor photos! 

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Go From Ordinary to Extraordinary With These Tips From Ben Von Wong


"Keep experimenting and never give up... and that, my friends, is how you take your photos to the next level." Such a great and inspiring quote from professional photographer Ben Vong Wong.

Like so many things in life, this quote is perfect for taking photos; no matter what type of photos it is that you take - whether you photograph weddings, gorgeous landscapes around the world or portraits - you never want to stop experimenting and trying out new techniques, poses, and ideas. 

By continuing to learn and grow and try out new techniques, you can take your photos from ordinary to extraordinary - or "epic" as Von Wong would say. 

Underwater shipwreck in Bali. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Underwater shipwreck in Bali. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Vong Wong has spent years developing his creative vision and style and is known throughout the photography world for his incredible vision and portraiture. One thing we love is that he enjoys sharing his tips and creative process with others all around the world on his YouTube channel and website. 

The quote from above was from a video of his where he explains how to take your photography to the next level of epic. You can watch his video "How To Take Your Photography To The Next Level of Epic" below. 

The techniques and tricks he shows in the video can be done by any photographer with some brainstorming, planning and consistency. He says that you must start small and work your way up to more complicated concepts that will create more advanced shots. Like Von Wong says, it takes many tries to get it perfect, but you must keep trying to have it look the way you envisioned. 

Here are a few more photos from him that we thought you would enjoy seeing. 

Superheros on a skyscraper. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Superheros on a skyscraper. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Disney library. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Disney library. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Storm chaser. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Storm chaser. Photo credit: Ben Von Wong

Do you want to add some blur to the background of your photos or perhaps you want to create depth? These Creative Blur Overlays are for you! This product provides 60 overlays will allow you to add various colors and shapes of blurring to your photos for only $124.99. The creative possibilities are endless! 

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Photo Of The Week

Today's photo of the week is of a beautiful bride and groom that was photographed by Tanya McSween with McSween Photography based in North Carolina. 

Tanya and Harry McSween make up McSween Photography and they photograph everything from weddings and engagements, to family portraits, baby's and senior photos throughout North Carolina. 

To see more work from McSween Photography, be sure to visit their website at www.mcsweenphotography.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. 

We Want To Feature Your Work! 

Do you have some really amazing photos you have taken recently or some of your past work that you simply love? We want to see! Each Tuesday, we will be featuring a "photo of the week" right here on the Camera Giveaways blog. We are looking for anything from amazing landscape photos, a gorgeous wedding or engagement shot, sports or animal photography, an awesome fashion photo...whatever you want to share, we would love to see!

Email your photos to contact@cameragiveaways.com with the subject "CG Blog Photo Submission" for consideration. In your email be sure to include a description of your photo, your name and company name as well as website and social media links. Please... no watermarks! If this information is not included, your photo will not be included.