Easter Close-up!

Well, it's Easter time this year! Enjoy! I decided to go out and take some photos of nicely painted eggs to share with my friends and this is what turned out.

Contrast is always a good idea. 

Contrasting colors also works great.

Placing objects in a line is not always the best thing.

A classic "family" portrait.

And here's my advice:

• Use various backgrounds for your shoot.
• Get colorful props
• If the eggs are too pale mind the light because you might if it's too strong you'll get harsh shadows and burnt areas.
• Work for the bokeh by getting close to the object, open the aperture wider (f4-f5.6 should do in most cases if you're close enough).
• You can shoot with your favourite portrait lens (I did not need a macro lens or a vario for any of these).
• Get a friend to take photos with you so you can have more fun.

Well, I guess this about covers it. For more questions and advice send me a message via the comment box below.

All the best and a happy Easter,

Kamen Kunchev

Macro and Getting Kinda Close

I decided to go back to details and shoot some macro these days. It's been a while since my last post and quite some time since I had the chance to go out and have some fun while shooting, so why not macro.

Getting really close and taking worthy photos could be quite a challenge especially if you don't own a good close-up lens (or none at all like me). I guess I must have become rather rusty with this as it took some time to take several nice images.

When you go shooting close-up photography it is essential that you have more than enough light and all the patience in the world. Don't expect to go home with tons of good images and be prepared to scrap lots of the photos especially when shooting at a wider aperture.

And talking about aperture, I wouldn't recommend going for those values that usually give you a swell bokeh in portraiture (f1.8-f4). At these you will be losing focus constantly and gaining blur. It all works on different scales when you get this close to objects so experiment a lot and take several shots of an a object while refocusing.

I do not own a macro lens but there are 2 ways you can get away without having to buy one:

1. Get one of those magnifying glass type lenses you can mount in front of your lens. These glasses will give you lots of distortion around the edges when mounted on wider lenses but will deliver nice results on a prime lens.
2. Or you can simply buy a reverse ring adapter for you 50mm prime lens and use it as a macro lens (if it has an aperture control ring)

Both of these methods are rather cheap you will have to focus manually to get where you want but it's a good start if you don't want to spend too much on casual macro shots.

You can also check out my tips on flower photography.

Have fun,

Kamen Kunchev

With only a few hours left of 2012

Not too long now until the end of the year of the apocalypse, the year of a few global and personal disasters and the year that made me a better man. Well, good riddance to 2012 and hello to 2013!

I grabbed my 500mm mirror lens and decided to go for a walk downtown in the final hours of 2012. Here are 2 of the photos that I'd like to share with you!

Enjoy and share!

With over 3300 views since July 2012 this blog has brought me lots of confidence and a couple of new friends. Keep reading and sharing and I wish you all the best in 2013.

Regards,

Kamen Kunchev

Malta

Yes, Malta! A small island country in the middle of the Mediterranean with compact and friendly population and own language which is an interesting mixture. Anyway, English is the official language as well as their own Maltese so travelers have no problems getting along with locals.
So, why am I writing about Malta anyway? I don't have much of a choice really - it's a wonderful place for photography. Back in my days as a cruise ship photographer I would visit Malta on a schedule and it became my favourite port.

The old stone buildings that survived turbulent
 timesare a great opportunity for
 photographers and film
makers.

Tourists can book a round-the-island trip and
 enjoya view from above. I didn't
 have time for this unfortunately.

For such a small place the island presents just too many opportunities for sightseeing. One could just wander around on foot, get a regular bus, use a hop-on hop-off transportation or get a round-the-island trip by plane. I just didn't have the time for the air trip but I enjoyed myself a lot just taking random turns and ending up at where people were just having coffee or resting from busy tourist routes.
To my great surprise, there are parks with fat cats that just stand there eating. They have small wooden houses and just walk about all day. It's not the Indian cow cult but still... a little weird.

Sometimes you have to take the photo.
I  used some HDRretouch technique
to boost the sky here. I hope I didn't
overdo it.

So, they have imaginariums
in Malta? I don't know
how this works but it
looks kinda weird.

So, here was I walking around in Malta with my trustworthy dSLR thinking "Oh, what a great place to shoot a movie!" but so many people have walked around with the same idea and you can click here for a list of movies shot Malta.
Let's get back to photography and let the guys with deeper pockets shoot some great movies. Malta is not only spectacular on the outside but it's great to enter some of the old buildings too, like the St. John co-cathedral. Don't miss it! It's full of artifacts and history from Templar times!

The altar of the co-cathedral
 seemed
rather
spectacular.

The wall and ceiling paintings astonished me
even after my visit to theVatican.
It was amazing even though
the scale was smaller.

I really spent a lot of time visiting places on foot. It was a great experience especially for a man like me who likes taking unexpected turns and ending up in off-the-course places. I wish I could stay and take photos at just about every corner but I can't... You know, going back to work is something we all have to do.

Going on foot gives you a different
view of things and
takes you interesting places.

Some streets you just take
without knowing what's
on the other side of the hill at all.

I will visit Malta again soon, that's a promise! I will take lots more photos and return to tell. My stay there was so enjoyable I just didn't want to leave. All I have now is a bunch of photos, nice memories and a good friend who lives there.
If you get a chance to visit, please do! If get a chance to stay longer, go ahead! Bring your camera along and lots of big memory cards, you'll need them. Oh, what a nice place for photographers.

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

Car Photography Update

I have a special treat for everyone who likes car wallpapers. I am releasing for free 15 car wallpapers that I created over the past few weeks. Please, enjoy and share, this is all the support I need at the moment.

Download the HD wallpapers from the torrent linked below or leave me a message with your email and I'll attach it for you.

http://1337x.org/torrent/416136/High-Resolution-HD-Car-wallpapers/

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

P.S. You can read my tips on how to take photos of cars at shows by clicking here or scrolling down.

Best Natural Backgrounds

Of course, this article is about outdoor portraiture and what we need to know about making the photo equally good not only in terms of proper camera settings but also when it comes to choosing the best natural background. Making a good choice in this aspect will make our model stand out better and turn our photo more interesting delivering the right emphasis on what we want to show.
Let me make one thing clear before we start with my selection of backgrounds. By 'natural' I mean 'available outdoors'. We are not talking about the backdrops that we buy for the studio. If you want to read more about studio backdrops please click here.
My obvious number one outdoor background is the natural bokeh created by light that's hitting leaves. This is truly amazing and gives me the one-of-a-kind randomness of the environment that I can play around with in Photoshop to produce a really enticing image. All you need is a wide aperture lens (I shoot with a classical 50mm prime) and stay within the range of F2.8 to F4 for maximum sharpness. When I shoot such portraits I keep a fair distance between the model and the background to create a nice bokeh and give my photos the third dimension that most studio shots really lack. You need to know what you're doing here and use a diffused flash, a light reflector or both to make sure that light gets properly distributed on the areas of emphasis.

My second favourite background is the repeating pattern. Such shapes one can not find in nature because nature doesn't work this way but still we can be creative outdoors and find an old fence that we can shoot against. These patterns will make your model's face and body really pop out and you will get the needed emphasis exactly where it should be. The eye will go straight for the model's figure and face. Keep in mind that such photos can be made without a really wide aperture. We can simply use a lens without too much aberrations. Otherwise the straight lines of the background we chose will look curved at the edges of the photo. Another thing that is essential, do not leave harsh or any shadows on the background. If you do your portrait will look like taken with a small compact camera. Get a colorful pattern (a brick wall, a painted or old fence) and you'll find out that the results will turn out to be more than eye-catching.

Autumn leaves present a great opportunity to shoot different angles and experiment a lot. I like going for a late afternoon shoot with one reflector and work until dusk. Such photos give a nice and warm feeling because of the background color and are really easy on the eye.

I wouldn't want to make this list any longer even though I have plenty more favourite backgrounds. I will leave it at 3. Maybe you could post your 3 suggestions and we can discuss them.

Final words, use your background to build up on the idea of a third dimension, mood, season, place etc. Don't just go ahead and shoot like you would at the studio. Outdoor portraiture could be very demanding and usually requires good timing, careful selection of place and even choosing the right model. More on outdoor portrait photography click here.

Have a great day,

Kamen Kunchev

Posing & Props

I've put posing and props together because combining these two properly surely brings more attraction to the photograph. 

I'll start with what I'd never do and then move to the things that I really like when shooting in terms of poses and props.

First of all I'd never use a gun or a knife (or any kind of object that could be used as a weapon) as a prop. Such objects create tension and will make whoever is looking at your work feel rather uneasy and will definitely bring out negative emotions. The only way I'd use guns in the photos is when the sides have been switched - the gun is the model and the model is the prop. You know, it's the same when you go to a car show - lots of pretty girls but you're there to see the cars in the first place.

Second, I'd not shoot in a way to create negative reaction (unless I am paid to do so and this is the idea of the shoot). I like having people spend more time with my photos so I want them to feel comfortable when looking at them. I'd not shoot a girl in tears or a guy looking mean at the camera.

Alright, now that we have talked about what I'd leave out of the photo let's see what we want to keep in. I will not show or give you exact poses because these you have to figure out according to the occasion, place, whether it's one, two or more people etc.

I will, however, advise about the general things you need to bear in mind while posing your model.

• Your model should feel and look relaxed. The lack of tension in your photo will make it easier for the audience to look at your work. It's psychological. If you are being screamed at you will start screaming back at one point. If you hear a nice song you will start singing it reflecting the mood. 
• It's not necessary for your model to always be looking at the camera. Ask the model to look away.
• Ask the models to just turn their heads left to right slowly stopping at times if you are not sure how this will look. Experiment with the position of the head until you get what you feel is the best result.
• The body should look natural and at ease. Ask the model to lean against something crossing the legs. Hands in the pockets - no problem. Avoid the slouchy look but keep the calm and confident posture.
• Crossed legs (or closed legs) are better than spread legs in photography. There's this psychological effect again. Regardless of whether we are shooting men or women (trousers or skirts) we should watch for this - legs should not be spread. Let's say I am shooting a female model, I want her legs to be either crossed or the knees should be closed and pointing at least 30 degrees away from the camera. I just don't like upskirt photographs. It's just vulgar and will not get you too far.
• We can go ahead and work on the hands. They can be in the pockets (either thumbs out or only thumbs in). We can try hands on one knee or crossed. Why not combing hair with fingers or adjusting the glasses. Feel free to experiment and keep in mind that the hands should also stay in a natural position.

I already wrote what my big no-no's are when we talk about props and I have to add one more thing. Gas masks are awful! There's nothing attractive about them and they bring back a feeling of an era that we do not want to go back to. Now, let me tell you what my favourite are so we can stop reading and go take some nice photos.

• Anything vintage. You've got an old film camera that your having second thought about? Don't throw it away! Use it as a prop. It will really spice up you photo.
• Anything the model can safely lean on - chairs, tables, ladders (this is not the WWE so play it safe when posing). If we put this and this and the previous point together we can take great shots on an old couch.
• Hats are amazing! Mix them up with clothing. Go ahead and ask your model to hold the hat or play with it. Maybe even put it in the back pocket of the jeans. You know, Bruce Springsteen style (Born In The USA at the end of the video)
• Balloons are a great prop for kids and they enjoy them very much. Popping a balloon could make the kid cry and cause wasting some time.
• Huge plush animals are a fine prop.
• Chess pieces and board are also really nice.
• The empty picture frame is a classic and will remain a favourite prop for many more years to come. Trust me!

I think we've covered a lot! So let's sum it up:

Use natural body positions. Mind the position of the arms and legs. Avoid negative feeling. Experiment with the poses and the position of the hands mostly. Mix props and use them to underline the model and express something. Don't leave the prop just hanging in the shot. Have the model and the prop interact with each other.

Tell me what your favourite props are and if you liked this article please, share comment! Also, check out the one about shooting portraits outdoors here.

Let's go get some nice shots!

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

The Great War Between Camera Makers

Here's some history straight from Wikipedia "The first permanent photograph was an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce". It's been quite a while since then and some companies have turned this picture taking affair into quite a business. Today we all have web cameras, camera phones, small cameras, dSLR's, underwater cameras and what not devices that let us capture the moment. We are producing and sharing huge amounts of images every day... and most people do not even know why.
The time we spend looking at photos is now down to a few seconds per image (clicking the "Like" button included). This is disturbing!
What's really striking however is how little things have changed in photography over the past 30 years in terms of what we buy. I'm not saying that my dSLR is not better than what I could have bought at the dawn of digital but still, come to think of it, photography hasn't changed that much. Let's see what the similarities between the old and new cameras are:

• We still have the shutter.
• We still have the lens.
• We still need to focus.
• We still have the grip.
• We still have the viewfinder.

As the list goes on I start feeling sad for people who keep buying the latest models before the old camera breaks completely from shooting. Cameras have turned into a simple commodity. We no longer think about the photo. Instead, we are looking at the megapixels, the new options on the menu and what not. Well guess what, Andy Warhol didn't have the latest camera from 2012 with a bunch of megapixels and expensive flashes. He had ideas. And those ideas he turned into art.
Let's get back to 'cameras now and then' before I start yapping too much.
Every year the big companies in the camera business are presenting us with their latest and most powerful offspring. Cameras that outperform the previous year models. They fight for survival on the market and are making lots of money on what they call "latest", "best", "fastest", "most megapixels", "highest resolution", "best dynamic range" and this gets repeated year after year without any significant advancements. Just think about it:

• Look at a cool professional photo on the web. Can you really tell the camera brand and model?
• How about the lens and the settings? I recently saw 2 photos uploaded by a big camera company asking their fans on a social network which one had been taken with a prime lens. 95% of the people were wrong!
• Can you guess the original megapixel count by looking at a photo that's been photoshopped and sized down for web use or if it was already printed?
• How much has been touched and altered? You can never tell.

The great war between camera makers is about sales and making money. It's not about providing a revolutionary product that could change the business. Big companies already have the formula for making money and I think it's something like this:

A + B + C = X
A is megapixels
B is features
C is accessories 
X is money

Innovation (if it were in the equation) would be a part of all 3 values. Let's say it is something like a faster processor for video, microphone jack, battery that can take 50 more photos with one charge, touch screen, higher ISO etc.
Some might say that these are rather significant. I think this is bollocks. You know why? Because there are smaller companies like Lytro Inc. that produced a small pocket camera which you can re-focus after the photo has been taken. How about that? This is the real point and shoot! This is innovation. I'm not saying that professionals will start using this camera soon. I am just making a point that new stuff is just around the corner and we've been going the same old way for too long agreeing that what we've been offered year after year is the best and greatest because of A, B and C which inevitably leads to more X for the big companies.

So let me sum this up. I am simply getting rather annoyed by this 'latest and best' battle for money which has made us, more or less, forget what is enough to take a great photo. Will you be a great photographer because you bought the latest camera every year? Allow me to let you in on a little secret. Great photographers get the latest cameras almost for free. All they have to do is write a review and submit the images to the company. This is how we get all the reviews and professional comments before the camera is even out. 
Think more about the photo, the composition, the light, the pose, the general idea and what you want to say with the picture, show the emotion and beauty and leave "the-biggest-and-the-best" mania for someone who really pleases their ego with it. After all, nobody asked Leonardo da Vinci what he painted with. Everybody is still enjoying the results.

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

The Great Old Film Cameras - Beirette & Vilia

Old film cameras! Wow! Now, this is a challenge. How about shooting with a Russian film camera that's over a quarter of a century old?

A friend of mine wrote to me on Skype asking if I wanted his old Vilia that he found after cleaning up some old stuff around the house. I cheered! I said yes right away and the following day it was in my hands. Holding the camera, it struck me how sturdy and simple it was. I bought film the same day and started shooting. All the settings were on the lens and, as it appeared, I had to pay attention to so many things that I took for granted on my DIGITAL SLR. One of those things was the autofocus. Another was the light meter... Oh, and how about the preset ISO that came with the film?! It's been a while since I shot on film and this time holding this old camera with not a single chip in it made me feel a bit unsafe in the beginning but the overall experience was really exciting.

Not two weeks later another friend of mine who was leaving for Norway gave me an old DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik - that was east of the Berlin wall aka East Germany) camera branded Beirette. The built-in lens allowing me to open the aperture as wide as F2.8 looked amazing and in great shape. 

The two cameras are in great shape and work perfectly. All it takes is practice and even more practice.

Here's what I learnt from shooting with these 2 old cameras:

• Digital cameras have so many advantages that they will make you lazy at times.
• Shooting on film with an old camera will make you think more about (before) the shot. It will really help you understand how important framing, setting the camera for the conditions and taking the shot are.
• Not being able to see what you've done right away will make you anxious especially when you (think you) have all the settings right. I was imagining what the photos will look like on paper.
• Having only 36 frames will leave those unnecessary shots that we take of silly things out of what we want to have on film. I started thinking what's really worthwhile but then I felt in a really artsy mood and before I knew it I had only 2 frames left!
• When you see the photos on paper you will feel nostalgic. The images have the color of your memories even though they were taken 2-3 days ago. Maybe you'll waste most of the first film but the few shots you have you will keep.

Final words:

I love my Vilia and Beirette. These were the cameras that our parents used some time ago and they were rather happy. They could do the settings, take nice photos and put them in albums for us to look at. So, why can't we? Are we too stuck with digital? Have we forgotten analog to the extent that we can't really use it properly?

Girls On Film - Duran Duran

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

Flower Photography (Yes, It's a Different Type)

We've all been astonished by the beauty of flowers and it's truly hard explaining how amazing a flower garden is. That's why it's better to take a cool picture and just show it to everyone.

We don't really need much to take great flower photographs out in the open. I like to travel light so most of the time I carry only 2 lenses for my camera - 18-55 kit lens and my love the 50mm prime.

Here are a few examples from this spring. Please follow my comments and advice right below.

Let's start with what's really easy to spot.

• Choose a good angle so you'll get only flowers in the shot. Meaning, there will not be dirt, buildings, people or too much sky in the background. Get on your knees or belly if you have to.
• Watch the focus. This is very important because clearly we are not just shooting without looking. We want whoever we are showing the picture to, to know what we were actually shooting. So, if there is a certain tulip we want to emphasize on, let's keep the focus on it.
• Use a shallow depth of field meaning staying in the range between F2.8 and F4 for sharpness and a nice bokeh.
• Get close to the flowers. They do not bite. Keep in mind that the prime lens will give you a great sharpness and amazing bokeh. The kit lens (or a vario, I'd suggest using, starting around 18mm) will get you closer to the flowers because of the smaller minimum focus distance. It's really up to you to decide. Try both and see what suits you better. I like shooting with the prime lens.
• Be careful with the exposure. Switch to manual settings and do not trust the built-in light meter too much as it will give you odd values. Note that the many colourful surfaces might confuse the camera. My advice here is to trust the light meter initially and then make the corrections manually and check for burns (unwanted overexposed areas) after almost every shot.
• Use higher shutter speeds (1/500 or higher)
• Take more than one shot at a certain angle. Sometimes you might be losing focus because of the many objects in the camera's way.

Final words of wisdom:

You can shoot flowers all day. There's really no rule for what time is the best for taking this type of photos. Do not be worried about the sun being to high. All the samples here were taken around noon.
Check out the article on autumn leaves too by clicking here!

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

Shooting Portraits Outdoors - Fun and Easy

I really like shooting for fun in my spare time, however I do not want to just turn a blind eye on the manual settings, poses and all the small things just because I am shooting for fun. I like staying professional even when I don't have all my equipment and I'm not getting paid. So, here's what I like to carry with me when shooting portraits outdoors.

First of all, let's talk about the equipment:

• 50mm or 35mm lens would be great to have. Such lenses are small and light. They have wide aperture and will let you shoot in any conditions outside. Not having one of these is a big MISS and selling the one you own is a big FAIL.
• Light reflector. I am talking about the ones you just fold. These are very useful, cheap and take very little space. Most of them have various layers that you can use while shooting. Get a 43" one.
• A fellow photographer so you can help each other with the light and keep an eye on the stuff you leave around the place you shoot. (If you can't find one just give me a call and I'll check what I can do)

These 3 pretty much cover our expedition equipment. What's next?

Pick the location and know where you're going. This is very important because photography is, in the first place, about location and timing. And speaking of timing, avoid the hours when the sun is really high. The photos will look flat and your models will have terrible shades under the chin, nose and eyebrows. I like shooting early in the morning. I mean starting with the sunrise or late afternoon - 6pm until dusk (of course in the winter I'd start around 4pm). Remember, the softer the light the better the images.

Here's some advice on taking the shots:

• We are shooting outdoors and our photos should reflect the mood and the season so let's try to make it so.
• We have plenty of space so let's use it to create a nice atmosphere.
• Use the light reflector properly to expose the face and shed some light on the dark spots.
• Choose a nice background where you can really get some great bokeh behind our model.
• Shoot at F2.8 to get a nice depth of field and sharpness on the area of focus. I'd always shift between F2.8 and F4 to get the results of bokeh and sharpness that I need. All prime lenses work great in this range so keep the numbers somewhere in between.

A few final words on the matter:
Don't mind the clouds. If on a summer day you have clouds passing by in front of the sun, they will act as a natural soft box and you'll get nice results with a minimum effort.
For some info on how to pick the lens for you click here.
Check out my favourite backgrounds by clicking here!

Nothing better than a walk with your camera and a nice girl ready to smile for the picture!

All the best,

Kamen Kunchev

Taking Great Shots With A Camera Phone

Taking great shots with a camera phone? Really? Well, yes! Photography is not only about megapixels and lenses (they help a lot but it's not just that).

What are the pros and cons of shooting with the camera on your phone?
Cons:
1. Small sensor and slower than usual capturing - camera app takes a while to load, not all phones shoot as fast as we want them to.
2. Limited settings.
3. Small sensor and poor low light performance.
4. Photos taken with flash look bad.
Pros:
1. Your phone is always around.
2. Latest camera phones have burst mode (yes, we are talking about the expensive ones!)
3. Downloadable apps will let you add cool effects to your photos.
4. All your photos are really easy to share
5. Macro shots could look great with a bit of practice.

At this point we still haven't answered what makes a photo really nice even when taken with a phone.
Here are my tips to improving your camera phone photos:
1. Take action shots. You know, capture the moment when something cool and interesting is happening. Capture motion or a grimace that is worthwhile.
2. Frame the shots. Shoot as if you'd sell the photo. Try and arrange the shots with people. 
3. Make sure you have the camera focusing where it should (usually a tap on the screen where focus should be works)
4. Avoid photos in low light. Most camera phones will take great shots outdoors when there's plenty of light. Keep in mind that due to size limitations you can't really depend on your camera taking great photos indoors, even with flash. Anyway, if you feel like playing around with longer exposure and tweaks make sure you have the timer running and let the phone stand still to get rid of the motion blur.
5. Use cool camera apps with effects that could make your shots more interesting. I wouldn't recommend because there are plenty out there and I can't test them all. Don't overdo it when applying effects.

Final words.

Buy a case for your phone and keep the camera safe from scratches since day one!

Regards,

Kamen Kunchev

My Small Digital Camera (The Common Mistakes)

My small digital camera has always been a very good friend of  mine. It's easy to carry around, it's light and it's perfect for capturing moments when I don't have my dSLR with me.

Let's see what mistakes people make when they decide to buy a compact camera for a day-to-day use:

1. My camera has lots of megapixels! 

Yes, it does and it's a good selling point but why wouldn't images come out as crispy and "cool" as they would from a good old dSLR? Simply because the sensor on a small camera is also tiny and the pixels are really scrunched together. This will also give you a bad low light performance.

2. My camera has lots of zoom!

Well, that's just great but how did they manage to put so much zoom in such a small camera? It's not so hard to come up with a "how" but let's see what the production of a large-zoom-small-camera drawbacks are. First of all, the big zoom means a really tiny sensor on a small camera body - this will give you lots of noise (grainy images) in low light. Second, the batteries will drain faster because of all the zooming in and out. Last, the more you zoom the higher shutter speed the camera will need to keep the image from getting blurry. So, forget about shooting from your hand at max zoom in poorer light conditions. The camera will just automatically boost the ISO and play with the shutter speed to make it possible to take the shot, however this will give you motion blur and noise.

3. My camera has a touch screen (just like my iPhone).

I have never been a supporter of touch screens on cameras and let me tell you why. I like setting my camera by myself and using what I think are the best settings for certain conditions. I guess, maybe, it would be easier to set it all via a well-sized touch screen but the setback is that I could easily ruin a certain setting by accidentally touching the screen. Just think about how many times you started an app on your phone that you tapped on by accident. I simply prefer buttons to touch screen.

So, the 3 points that I made above are common selling points (as well as discounts)however they will not do you any good for taking nice photos both outdoors and indoors. I've sold quite a few cameras in my day so here's my advice:

1. Don't go for the megapixels. 10 or 12 is the max you need on a small camera (Do they make them with less nowadays?)

2. 10x zoom is the max you need and trust me I've used some telephoto lenses which proved to be impractical for most cases. The beautiful vacation shots that will wow people will be the no-zoom wide shots. Paying for a 14x-20x zoom camera is just impractical.

3. Use the built-in presets for different conditions on your camera. I can see all manufacturers are making great improvements there.

4. Learn how to use the P (program) mode because it's kinda cool when you can get a little more creative.

5. Search for a compact camera with M (manual) settings and a viewfinder. One day you might want to make the transition to a dSLR and you'll know everything about it from its smaller brother by having used it on M and looking through the viewfinder.

Here are my camera suggestions:

1. Canon G1X (any G series Canon is a great choice G9, G10, G11, G12 - comparatively big sensor, later models shoot RAW, great dynamic range for a small camera)

2. Sony NEX (pricey but really cool and the quality of the build is very good)

3. Olympus PEN (Olympus are really on top of the game when it comes to the PEN range)

4. Nikon P7100 (or a later of the series will ensure great value for your money)

5. Canon s100 (or look for the older but still amazing s90 and s95)

Final words.

You can't just say bad words about small cameras compared to their big dSLR counterparts. Let me make a few points about how great small cameras are.

1. You can shoot great video with fast and precise autofocus (some video advice here).

2. You can just leave the camera hanging from your wrist.

3. You can get a nice small gorilla tripod and attach the camera pretty much anywhere.

4. You have a built-in macro function in all the compact camera lenses (well, in the non-interchangeable lens ones)

5. Fun to use and easy to understand. You can just hand it to your friend and he will take a nice photo of you by the Eiffel tower.

Keep taking nice photos and try P and M modes on your compact cameras from time to time.

Regards,

Kamen Kunchev

Wedding Photography (The Other Kind)

We've all seen those beautiful shots that make us sigh. Shot with some sunlight in the lens and photoshopped to look like taken straight out of a fairy tale. Well, I think this is the easy part. We need good Photoshop skills and proper framing of the shot that we took in RAW to make all the necessary adjustments later. 
So, why am I really against all this? First of all, it's getting trivial. All these made up poses are getting boring. Photographers are starting to forget the classic poses that we know will always make the woman look pretty and feminine and the man look strong and masculine. Now it's all about taking either funny or over-photoshopped images that look unnatural.
Anyway, there is another wedding photography that we need to keep an eye on. Yes, it's the table shots. Remember the guests need photos too. This is where old school hardcore straight-to-jpeg shots need to be done right and as fast as possible so we can then go back to shooting the young family.

Well, here are my tips and explanations for the table shots:
1. Use manual settings (aperture, ISO, shutter speed, flash) or in other words turn that dial to M and do not change anything from the first to the last photo, unless external conditions change.
Why? Simply because you want all photos to look the same. You need consistency and consistency means same settings for all photos. Consistency is your safety belt - if you mess something up you can create an action for all photos and fix them with 1 click.
My settings:
f5.6/8 (do not use open aperture and go below f5.6 because you want good focus range)
Speed 1/60 - 1/200 (lower is not recommended because of motion blur)
ISO200-400 (you may go even to 640 so your flash won't overheat and you catch some of the restaurant or club's atmosphere without overflashing people)
Flash settings according to the place but make sure you don't overflash. Instead of boosting the flash try working with the ISO. Later camera models will give you very little noise at ISO up to 800. Use a diffuser!
2. Framing the shot
- Make sure people are close together (especially couples)
- No bottles, forks, knives, glasses etc. in the photo
- No hands on the shoulders (ask them to lean shoulder to shoulder)
- Make them smile (tell a quick neutral joke to break the ice - "do you know each other?" or "pretend you like each other")
- 2 people horizontal shot, 3 - horizontal, 4 vertical (2 sitting, 2 standing), 5 - horizontal (2 sitting, 3 standing).
- Leave the table outside the photo
- Watch for the waiter (you don't want him in the shot)
- Check for eyes closed and re-take the photo if necessary
- Say "Thank you!" (Yes, this is also a part of framing the shot. You got yourself into shooting people and now that you're done let them know that you appreciate their assistance)
3. Last but not least, start taking the table shots as soon as people are seated.
Why? No spots from food and beverage spills on their clothes. No waiters running with dishes. Kids (well most of them) will still be at the tables.

One more thing, it's best to carry a second camera with a good vario lens for this type of photos so you don't waste time and risk exposing your sensor to dust while swapping lenses.

Shoot fast and shoot like a pro!

Regards,

Kamen Kunchev