Extra Cash With Your Digital Camera

Here is a wedding album being prepared in Apple's iPhoto software. This program come with every new Mac computer, and it makes it very easy to create and order custom wedding albums. This is the cover jacket for the album, and all the text starts out as a place holder, so you just select the default text and compose the correct text. All very easy with a very professional finished result.


This is a sample spread page. Creating an album is just a simple matter of drag and dropping images into the frame you want, to get the look you want for each album. You can create a large album for the bride and groom and smaller albums for the parents and friends.

The economic depression we are all facing at the moment, is certainly one of the worst, and some believe, even more damaging the great depression back in 1929. Many people are being laid off and losing their jobs and their income. It is very difficult for most people to continue to pay the bills and the mortgage when this happens. Having a skill with which you can make a part time or even full time income if necessary, can be the difference between making ends meet or filing for bankruptcy.

If you own a digital camera system, then you may have the skills and the equipment you need to make a good second income. Wedding photography can be a very lucrative part time of full time option. In the United State alone, wedding photography is approximately a $5 Billion per year industry. That's a sizable market. And with some know how and a decent digital camera, you can be a part of this industry. I have designed a course that includes everything you need, including business forms, technical discussions, sample ads and business cards, and even tips on using Apple iPhoto, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple's Aperture. You can see more information at my blog or website.

If you use an Apple Macintosh computer system, you have all the items you need to be able to process, edit, order prints and create photo albums, right from within the iPhoto software. You can create custom wedding books using iPhoto, and fully customize the printed product to please any bride.

iPhoto makes it quite easy to order prints and photo books. The orders are place right within the software, see my blog for sample images of the process. You can add words as well to really get a personalized product for your clients. The bride and groom will love the results, as they are very professionally printed, and relatively inexpensive.

Apple’s iPhoto makes it easy to edit and adjust your images. You can also remove red eye and blemishes. iPhoto ’09 is quite a powerful product if you do not own or wish to purchase other, more expensive software, such as Adobe Photoshop.

One of the first questions I am asked when shooting with a digital camera (after the "which camera do you use, question), is, what format should I shoot? Tiff, High Res. JPEG, RAW etc. And the answer is very simple. RAW! There is NO other option. And you need to make sure that you are using the highest resolution (mega pixels) available on your camera.

You should only be using a digital SLR (DSLR) camera, with the most powerful (expensive) flash you can afford, available for your system. When you shoot a wedding, you will need to use flash for almost every shot you take. Indoors and out, even in bright sunlight. The flash will light dark subjects inside and when you are outside, it will fill in the shadows of your subject, and make the resulting photos look their best.

A very important point to remember when you photograph the bride, is to make sure that there is lots of detail in the wedding gown. With digital cameras, the sensor cannot record as wide a range of light to dark as with traditional film cameras, and whites in particular, can be very challenging to record with detail. This is where you need to be able to balance the flash with the available light to get acceptable results. Otherwise, you may have some angry people calling you after the event. And you cannot arrange a do-over for a wedding, it is a one shot deal. So, make sure you do lots of practice before your first real paying event. A good way to practice is to have you wife/girlfriend/kids dress up in white clothes and take lots of shots and note the settings you need to get detail in the dress, and good even skin tones on the brides face.

Photos of kids at the wedding can help make you a lot of extra money. Whenever possible, set up the kids in the bridal party by themselves. These kinds of photos will sell to the parents, the bride and groom and many other family members, especially the grandparents. Part of your job is to not just take good photos, but to take photos that will sell and keep you in a job and allow you to buy more equipment as you need it. You should always take individual shots of each kid and have the parents help to get them comfortable so you can get some good shots. Always try to choose an interesting background where possible. In order to focus attention on the kids (refer to the photo on my blog, listed at the end of this article) and not the background, I have made a selection around the kids in Adobe Photoshop, and darkened the background a little, so the kids will stand out and be the center of attention in the photo.

Like many professionals, Tom Jackson began his career by shooting weddings. You can make a substantial income shooting weddings with very little overhead. You can get more info on wedding photography, cameras and computer image editing, and see examples of his work, or get more info on how to start your own business at http://www.howtoshootweddings.net

Making Money in Hard Times

This is the final image after editing with Adobe Photoshop. The original image is below. Also, I have included some enlarged detail images for reference.



We are currently in an economic depression. Many people are being laid off and losing their jobs and their income. It is very difficult for most people to continue to pay the bills and the mortgage when this happens. Having a part time hobby with which you can make a part time or even full time income if necessary, can be the difference between making ends meet or filing for bankruptcy.

You can make a good income with wedding photography. It can be a very lucrative part time of full time option. In the United State alone, wedding photography is approximately a $5 Billion per year industry. That's a sizable market. And with some know how and a decent digital camera, you can be a part of this industry. I have designed a course that includes everything you need, including business forms, technical discussions, sample ads and business cards, and even tips on using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple's Aperture. You can see more information and order at my blog or website.

Using Adobe Photoshop will be essential to making a good income with photography as many of the photos you take will require some kind of manipulation, even if it is just a small brightness or contrast adjustment. However, if you can master some of the trickier tools, you will be able to create some stunning photos. You will also be able to contract to other studios for work. Mastering Photoshop is still something that not everyone can do. But id you enjoy creating images on the computer, then you can could be in great demand by others looking for help.

On my blog, you will see images of a cabin in the snow country of Arizona. The client wanted an image that they could frame and put on the wall. They were very proud of their cabin, but to make a really good image required some extensive Photoshop work. The main tool I used was the Clone tool. I think that the Clone tool and the Pen tool are the two most powerful tools in Photoshop. If you master these tools, you will be able to create some really great images.

As you will see, by astute use of the Clone tool, the overhead power lines were eliminated, so we have a nice clear view of the beautiful blue sky. Next, we smoothes out the snow covered road, and deleted the car by Cloning the snow over the car. Next, the sidewalk was smoothed out and the footprints were removed. Then, some Cloning of the snow on the roof to make the roof line look better. Finally, judicious use of the curves and a selection on the cabin itself, brought the warmth and texture of the wood walls to life. These kinds of techniques will enable you to earn money, even in a down economy. Just be sure to practice as often as you can.

One of the first questions I am asked when shooting with a digital camera (after the "which camera do you use, question), is, what format should I shoot? Tiff, High Res. JPEG, RAW etc. And the answer is very simple. RAW! There is NO other option. And you need to make sure that you are using the highest resolution (mega pixels) available on your camera.

You should only be using a digital SLR (DSLR) camera, with the most powerful (expensive) flash you can afford, available for your system. When you shoot a wedding, you will need to use flash for basically every shot you take. Indoors and out, even in bright sunlight. The flash will light dark subjects inside and when you are outside, it will fill in the shadows of your subject, and make the resulting photos look their best.

A very important point to remember when you photograph the bride, is to make sure that there is lots of detail in the brides dress. With digital cameras, the sensor cannot record as wide a range of light to dark as with traditional film cameras, and whites in particular, can be very challenging to record with detail. This is where you need to be able to balance the flash with the available light to get acceptable results. Otherwise, you may have some angry people calling you after the event. And you cannot arrange a do-over for a wedding, it is a one shot deal. So, make sure you do lots of practice before your first real, paying event. A good way to practice is to have you wife/girlfriend/kids dress up in white clothes and take lots of shots and note the settings you need to get detail in the dress, and good even skin tones on the brides face.

Photos of kids at the wedding can help make you a lot of extra money. Whenever possible, set up the kids in the bridal party by themselves. These kinds of photos will sell to the parents, the bride and groom and many other family members, especially the grandparents. Part of your job is to not just take good photos, but to take photos that will sell and keep you in a job and allow you to buy more equipment as you need it. You should always take individual shots of each kid and have the parents help to get them comfortable so you can get some good shots. Always try to choose an interesting background where possible. In order to focus attention on the kids (refer to the photo on my blog, listed at the end of this article) and not the background, I have made a selection around the kids in Adobe Photoshop, and darkened the background a little, so the kids will stand out and be the center of attention in the photo.

Your Wedding Photography Business, Taking Special Photos

Wedding photography is a very fulfilling activity. You get to meet lots of people. You travel to places you have never been to before. You will see some beautiful sunsets. And you get to be intimately involved in an event full of emotion for the bride and groom, their parents and all the friends and family who attend.

If you enjoy photography, and you have some good digital equipment, then you too can participate in the wedding photography industry. An industry that is worth approximately $5 Billion per year. Many of today’s professional photographers began their careers shooting weddings. It is usually the easiest way to get into the photography industry because nearly all of us know someone who will be getting married. And they will need a photographer.

If you know the bride and groom well enough, you can offer them a deal directly or have one of your friends approach the bride or groom. In the tough times we face today, most couples will love the opportunity to save some money. But you do need to ensure that you provide the couple with a quality product. Check some of the downloadable courses available on the net if you are not experienced.

When I am teaching wedding photography, I always tell my students, that every photo you take needs to be good enough that it is one you would buy yourself if you were the bride. Just because you are starting out in this industry, does not mean that you can deliver an inferior product. You really do not want the wrath of the bride and her mom coming down upon you.

One way I make sure I have saleable photos, is to pose the couple, but not in a way that makes the photos look posed. Yes, many will need to be posed, like the photos of the parents etc. But if you can provide some photos to show off the glamour of the occasion or the fun that the couple had on the day, you will receive lots of orders for prints, and the referral of the couple to others they know who will need the services of a wedding photographer.

Whenever I have the chance, I will use items that are meaningful to the bride and groom in my photos. For instance, if the bride is wearing an item that has been handed down from one generation to the next, I will make sure I cover that item in one or more photos for the bride and her family to choose from and hence, make me some more money. This is a business, and you need to keep in mind that you need to make money so you can invest in new technology, as well as providing your clients with a memorable product.

If you check out the photo on the blog shown at the end of this article, you will see one such photo. The groom owned an old Cadillac which was his pride and joy. It was the main car for the bride and grooms arrival at the church and reception. So, to make a memorable shot, I had the bride take the wheel and pretend to be driving away in the grooms pride and joy, while he tried to hop aboard before she ‘got away’. The couple loved this shot. He had to get both feet off the ground to make the shot work, and I did some Photoshop work to make it look like the car was traveling at a higher speed than it was. I think you’ll agree, the shot came out great and the couple loved it.

Make Money with your own Photography Business

I am writing this article in December 2008. In the economic crises we are now facing, it can be very difficult to make enough money to pay the bills. Many people are being laid off, and finding work is becoming more and more difficult. One way is to start your own home based photography business using your digital camera. If you own a good quality digital camera, you can start your own home photography business. Wedding Photography is an approx. $5 Billion per year industry.

We currently face some of the most difficult economic times in our history. It is becoming more important than ever that people find a way to make an extra income at home. Many online business opportunities usually make a lot of money for the owners of the site, but it can be very difficult for anyone else to make a part time income. As a photographer, you will be your own boss. You will have a great opportunity to make a real income. And with so many people losing their jobs, having a way to make an income at home is can be a true blessing

Using your digital camera you can make a very good income at home. If you enjoy taking pictures and sharing them with friends and family, then you might consider taking wedding photos on weekends. Wedding photography can be a very lucrative part time or full time career. In the United State alone, the Wedding Photography industry accounts for approx., $5 Billion per year. That's a very large market. And with some know how and a decent digital camera, you can be a part of this industry. All you need is a course that includes business forms, technical discussions, sample ads and business cards, and even tips on using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple's Aperture.

In this article, I will explain some technical considerations of picture taking. Available light photography and many people often have questions about the aperture and how to use it effectively.

Available light photography is pretty much as the term says. You take photos using just the available light in the scene. You do not add any light with either a flash or other light sources. However, by using a reflector, you can redirect, or model, the light to give a more pleasing and natural effect. In image above, you will see a sample photo, of a scene from a wedding which does not use a flash.

If you look carefully at the photo, you will notice some very obvious things about the light. Overall, the light is very even right across the whole image, including the background of the image. This is because the light is bouncing off the walls of the church and lighting the whole scene. A flash on the other hand, will only light a small part of the scene, usually just the bride. The problem with flash is that it will product a lot of hard shadows both on the bride and dress, and also on the background. With flash, you would normally see a big shadow of the bride on the wall in the background. By using available light, you eliminate this shadow. Also, the shadows on the brides face are also very soft.

Now, the biggest problem with available light photography, is that the exposures are usually much longer, and so there is more opportunity for the subjects to move a create a blurred image, thus negating all the advantages. So, you need to let people know that this is a special lighting effect and that they need to stay very still for the exposure. The image shown in the blog, had a shutter speed of a quarter of a second. Photographically speaking, that is a long time. Most exposures will be in the order of a hundredth of a second or more, which will freeze the movement of most subjects (maybe not very active children) and give you a nice pleasing photo as a result.

So, available light photography will consider two aspects of the camera to make a correct exposure. One is, as we mentioned, the shutter speed, and the other of course, is the aperture.

Lets take a look at how a correct exposure works. The shutter speed, in a wedding for instance, will freeze the movement of the subjects, so that the images appear sharp and pleasing to the eye. So, the shutter speed determines how long the light affects the sensor on the camera, and the aperture affects how much light hits the sensor. So the combination of how much light hits the sensor for how long determines by the shutter speed, gives us a correct exposure.

The secondary effects of the shutter speed is the amount of movement shown on the image. A fast shutter speed will show no movement, and a slow shutter speed will cause a blur of the image, either from the movement of the subject or by not holding the camera perfectly steady.

The secondary effect of the aperture is how much of the image is in sharp focus. With either shutter speed or aperture, a lot of people get confused about the numbers involved. The aperture shown on a camera lens is usually shown as f5.6 or f8 etc. The confusing part for many photographers, is that the larger the f number, the smaller the lens opening. But do not let the numbers confuse you. The numbers are only written this way because of space constraints. The number is really a fraction, and every number technically should be written with a one on top of the number. So, f8 is really f and 1 over 8. And f16 is really f 1 over 16, or a sixteenth. What this means is that each stop downs, halves the amount of light coming through the lens.

The effect of closing down the aperture this way, is that the smaller the aperture, the larger the depth of field. In other words, the smaller the aperture, more of the image will appear in focus. So, when shooting portraits, we usually want a shallow depth of field, so that the background does not affect the appearance of the subject. But as we adjust the aperture, by letting more or less light reach the sensor, we have to adjust the shutter speed to allow the light to be on the sensor for a longer or shorter period to make a correct exposure.

Making Money with Wedding Photography

I always try to keep everything light and fun for the bride and groom, as well as the bridal party. You will be able to get some great shots by making sure that they have fun at the same time as you are setting up the shots and taking the photos. The best shots are often the more relaxed, informal ones. You can make quite a lot of money on these shots, as everyone in the shot will want a copy, as well as parents and grandparents.

Have your friends have told you how good your photography is? Are the prints you create appreciated by friends and family? Have they have suggested that you start your own wedding photography studio? If so, you may be asking what is your next step? Well, with a little help, you can get started in your very own business.

You may have been taking photos of friends and family for a number of years now, and everyone makes the comment that you should start your own business. Sounds great, but where do you start. Well, there is a great eCourse with everything you need to get started. This article, covers just a couple of things that you will need to be aware of. The course concentrates on wedding photography, however, the techniques apply to any type of photography. It’s just that with wedding photography, you have a much better chance of making a good part or full time income, without having to go through years of study and research. Many great photographers began their careers by shooting weddings for friends and family, on a part time basis.

It is possible that you can make a lot of money shooting weddings. Many of the top professional photographers began their careers shooting weddings either for themselves or for a studio. Doing it for yourself of course, means that you get to keep all the money. But, please note that as the photographer, you will often be required to act as the wedding coordinator as well, as these days, most brides cannot afford one. And if there is no wedding coordinator, then it is usually the wedding photographer who will make sure everyone is where they should be most of the time. So, a downloadable training course will help in this aspect also, as it covers the entire event in detail. As the wedding photographer, you need to make sure that the bride and groom follow your directions. Make them aware that it is in their interest to follow your directions because they want a whole lot of great looking photos for their album.

As you prepare for an event, you need to make sure that all your equipment is ready, and that you have everything you need for the days event. If possible, be sure to have a series of back-ups, a spare camera body, a spare lens and a spare flash in case any of your prime units fails. There is no excuse for the photographer to have to come up to the bride, and try to explain that your camera just broke, and you cannot take any more photos. Again, a death sentence. Your back-up units do not need to be identical to your prime units, but they should be at least close to the same specs. The camera needs to be able to take images at the same resolution as your prime camera, otherwise there will be a noticeable difference in quality of the final prints. The flash unit can be a smaller unit with a slightly lower light output, but if it happens, then this unit will have to do quite a bit of work, so be careful. Make sure that the spare flash is fully charged before taking photos. I have seen a number of photographers get excited about taking some pictures at an event, and they will often just fire away, taking picture after picture, not realizing that the flash is not fully charged for each picture, and so, most of the resulting images will have serious problems, that may not be able to be recovered on the computer. So, make sure that you have good back-up equipment.

Are you are ready to take the next step? Would you like to start your own photography business? Then you will find that the wedding photography course is designed to get you off to a great start. Everything is in this course, including all the forms you will need. They are provided as a computer file that you can change and edit so you can create your very own designs, with your own information. This alone will help you and your business look very professional and save you a lot of time and money, so you can get bookings and start making some money with your very own wedding photography business.

Learn Wedding Photography - Your Portfolio

In order to win business from prospective clients, you will, at some point, have to show them images you have taken from past events. Even if you have never been the designated photographer at a wedding, you will still need to be able to show your skills and creativity in order to for you to be hired. Go to a friends wedding and take some photos, or ask the bride if you can take some shots of her in return for a free print.

Showing sample pictures you have taken is probably the best way to get an order for a wedding event. There are of course, many ways to show your pictures, for instance, on a web page or in an album with printed images to show prospective clients.

But in this day and age of technology, there is another way to show your images. One that will allow you to have you album with you at all times. One that will show off your pictures in all their beautiful color. One that allows your potential client to see your work in glorious detail. I am referring to portable devices with high resolution color LCD screens.

An ideal device for the purpose is the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. In this article, I will use the term iPhone to refer to both devices. The beauty of this device, is that in most cases, you need to have a cell phone with you so you can make and receive calls, especially from clients or prospective clients. But at any time, you can show images to people you meet. The iPhone is so portable and functional, it allows you to create many digital albums. You can have an album of wedding images, or you can split wedding photos into multiple albums, and create albums of themes. For instance, a series of brides in outdoor locations. Or sunsets, at the church etc. The iPhone is very flexible, and you can set it up in so many different ways.

You can also have a number of albums that show off images that you take for your own enjoyment. Such as landscapes, or portraits of family groups. Again, having all these albums on one device, means that you can tailor a presentation to just about anyone you meet, for almost any occasion.

And do not forget, you can use it to promote yourself as a product or advertising photographer. Whenever you meet people, if they are in business for themselves, you may have an opportunity to promote your services for their business. They may need some shots of their building for a promotion, or the products they sell for advertising, or for marketing materials, such as flyers or postcards.

With a device such as the iPhone, you will always be ready to promote yourself and your services. You may have a website, but you will not always be at a computer with an internet connection. And sometimes, you may not be able to access your website from some computers, especially in corporate settings, where many sites are blocked if it is not within the corporate web intranet. And although you can always access the web with your iPhone wherever you are, it is always easier to use the iPhone to display your images, quickly and easily.

And of course, if you use these types of devices, you will be able to take advantage of the many other features they provide. You will always have access to email, so if anyone is trying to reply to you about a booking, you can do so while on the road at all times. If you need to send a quote, you can do so easily. If you need to check your calendar for upcoming appointments or events, you can easily check these items. You may even come across an interesting location for photography, and so you can take a photo and place it into your database, always able to refer back to the location at any time. As well, as being able to show the location to a prospective client as a potential place for photos on the important day. You will also have your contact database, so you can make a call to your prospective clients and follow up on any questions they may have. In short, you will always be ready for any situation.

And lastly, but not always, least, you can play a game or two when you are waiting or perhaps enjoying a coffee at your favorite café. And if you have not looked at some of the games and other applications available for the iPhone and iPod touch, you will be amazed at the variety of applications available, starting from free to ten dollars. But, I digress. Never let it be said that I would encourage your use of these devices for anything other than serious business (yeah, right)!

Background Check-Be Sure You Check The Background First

Whenever you are taking photos, either for a big event, like a wedding, or just the family at the beach, you need to take notice of the surrondings. Very often, you will see photos taken by people that would have been very good, but something got in the way, like something in the background or the camera was not held straight, or some other small thing that could have been avoided, but now has lead to a picture that is less than acceptable.

Apart from making sure the camera is held straight, and that the lens cap is off, and your finger is not in front of the lens, the first thing you should look at is the background. This is where most problems occur because the photographer is looking at the subject, not the background. If you do not check the background first, you could end up with tress and other things growing out of the heads of the subjects or worse.

With the advent of digital cameras, it is an easy task to check that the photo looks good, at least on the small screen of the camera. You can tell if there are problems and make any necessary corrections on the spot. Be careful not to get caught up in the emotion, and forget to check these things. Just remember, every time you hold the camera up to take a photo, look at the background, then the subjects, then take the photo.

Also, you need to be aware of where the sun is when taking photos outdoors. If the sun is behind the subjects, it can be very easy for the light sensor in the camera to take an exposure that is adjusting for the sun rather than your subjects. Your photos will be very dark as a result, although you will get a lovely exposure of the sun. And, be very careful if you are pointing the camera in the direction of the sun, as the sensor could be damaged if exposed to such a bright light for too long.

If you are taking photos for a bride and groom, then this information becomes even more critical. In fact, if you are taking photos for anyone who is paying you, then you need to make sure each and every photo is perfect. If you do not plan every photo, you leave yourself open to failure. That means a nice enjoyable day taking photos and making some money to boot, becomes your worst nightmare. Remember, plan to succeed and take care of the small details, and you will have fun and make some money along the way.

If you do find yourself taking photos at a wedding, either for money or as a gift to the bride or groom, then checking the background becomes an even more important task. Now, instead of just making sure that the background is not causing a problem, you now need to be looking at the background for photo opportunites. In the church or at the reception, you need to be constantly searching out suitable backgrounds to use for the bride and groom and the bridal party. Look for any opportuntiy to use a sunset, water fountain, garden, staircase or anything that will enhance the photo. You can check the blog in the resource box for a photo of a bride and groom, taken at the base of a staircase in an office building downtown Phoenix AZ. This is an example of spotting a suitable background, and then making sure the bride and groom follow the photographers direction, in order to take some stunning photos that will sell.

This office complex had such a beautiful wooden staircase, that it was an obvious choice for some photos of the bridal party. In this situation, and wherever you possibly can, if the groom is shorter than the bride, make sure you position the couple in such a way that the groom will look taller. Even if you have to use a phone book or a small box. Use whatever you can to make the groom look taller. It may seem silly at the time, but the photos will look much better, you will sell more photos and hence make more money. The bride and groom will also appreciate your efforts to make their photos look their best.

This will also help with advertising your services. People will see the thought and care you put into every picture you take, and they will tell their friends. Word of mouth is always the best form of advertising. And make sure you have plenty of cards with you to promote yourself. People will not want to write down your details, they will want a business card or postcard or flyer.