Photography BLOG

by Jeff Salvage

I just got back from 1 month of hiking in the Alps with the Eos 1Ds Mark III and a 40 D as a backup. I used to use a 1Ds Mark II and a 1D Mark II, but the 1Ds Mark II was stolen (it was insured) and I didn’t want to lug the extra weight of a separate Mark II body without the compatibility of battery systems. Buying a 2nd Mark III wasn’t in the budget, thus the lighter 40D. My primary purpose of shooting is for a book I am researching on the best treks in the world. I have a report on the treks (not edited yet) and some small photos on http://www.greattreks.com/greattreks/TopTen/TopTen01.asp. Go to Tour de Mont Blanc and the Haute Route for the photostory. Pics are small, I will provide slightly large images on links below. My photographs were more documantarian than usual, but I was focused on my book rather than straight artistic style.

I was very interested to see how the Mark III would stack up to the Mark II and if the 40D sacrifice was a mistake. Here’s my anecdotal report.

The Mark III was a tank. I hike almost 400 kilometers and climbed a total of 20,000 vertical meters. It was 23 days of hiking of which 4 were horrific weather wise. I would say I had the Mark III out of my bag 95% of the time. The exceptions being one time during really hard rain and a few times where I was concerned for my wife or my own safety. It was a tank. With that said I had 0 dust on the sensor problems. This is a huge advantage over my previous experience with the Mark II. When trekking one doesn’t have the luxury to check how clean one’s images are. I was amazed that I had no issues whatsoever.

As far as picture quality goes. Much has been previously said about the marginal improvements. I found my experience to be consistent with previous posts. Sure it’s improved, but probably not worth the upgrade price just for that. One nice benefit of the extra resolution is the crop factor. While trekking it’s not always possible to have the right lens and even if you do have it, to pull it out and use it while you are trying to make time of the trail. Therefore, there were many times I took a shot, knowingly with the wrong lens, and relied on cropping to get the framing I desired.

The slightly lighter weight of the camera is a huge bonus, as weight when trekking is always an issue. I typically carry 3 batteries, so this weight difference is multiplied and I found a nice bonus.

I do like to night shoot, using 1 hr exposures. There is still way too much noise when shooting this way. I haven’t had time to compare to the 1Ds Mark II, but it feels just as noisy as before. Which means, very noisy. OK for printing small as the resolution will diminish the noise’s effect, but I would like to see better.

Dynamic Range, is the single biggest issue in the mountains. One always needs more. I had to replace my graduated neutral density filter when my old camera was stolen and I don’t think I replaced it with a strong enough filter. The one I had was too weak to help significantly. Therefore, I struggled with early morning light. IMHO this is the most important area to improve. Most of us do not need more megapixels and the obsession over low light high ISO shooting is really only helpful to a few people. I typically flipped from 200 ISO to 800 ISO to get my shot and found the noise levels in this range great.

The battery life was great. I shot RAW to the CF card and large least compressed JPG to the other. I never killed a battery. I was averaging an estimated 1500 shots per charge, but only drained one battery to 1/2 charge. I believe people have reported close to 2000 shots under ideal conditions, but the backup in camera was a great option. No laptop required! Also, the 1 hour shot I did barely drained the battery. I remember shooting 1 hours before with significant battery drain. However, I don’t have a Mark II to compare. If anyone can verify this, that would be nice.

As for the 40D, there is no question the autofocus and body integrity are inferior to the 1D series. However, the 40D was mainly for a backup and for larger zoom lens shots. I typically had a 300m F 4 lens on it. So when I needed the reach the extra reach from the crop factor was nice. The lighter body was a huge help to my back as I was carrying between 25 and 30 kilos (60-65 lbs).

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens - sweet spot f/11 to f/13 (aperture setting)

I purchased this lens early on in my photography experience and am glad I had a shop assistant who pointed me in the right direction. As it's turned out, I couldn't be more happier with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Especially when it comes to photographing small objects, insects and flowers.

Shown below are a few examples of the types of images, as well as the quality you can expect to photograph with the canon 100mm macro lens. As you can see this is one of Canon's sharpest lenses, as recognised by many professional photographers. Numerous SLR camera magazines and books have also listed it amongst one of the best for portrait photography as well.

If your after technical details, the Canon website has these listed already: Specifications for Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Anyway as promised, here are a few examples of insect and flower close ups, so you can judge for yourself.

1. Butterfly macro / close up

Raining butterflies

2. Dragonfly macro / close up

dragonfly macro

3. Purple flower macro / close up

example of flower macro

Hints and tips for using a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens

It does take some time getting used to the shallow depth of field, especially when using an aperture setting of f/2.8. Firstly I found many of my photographs had too little depth of field, or in other words contained too much blur and not enough of the image in focus. You can solve this problem in 4 ways:

* Firstly, you can get used to the exteme depth of field. Many macro photographers have come to expect an image where the object isn't totally in focus. Instead, giving a more abstract view of the insect or flower, as shown in the photo below.

flower abstract macro

* You can crop the photograph using an image software program like Adobe Photoshop, so that only the main focus is seen in the end result. Of course doing this, your final image will be much smaller than the original which may make it impossible to print in certain sizes.

* When taking the photograph, try and get as much of the subject within the exact same distance from the macro lens. For example, the image of the macro dragonfly above, is largely in focus due to both the body and head being the same distance from the lens. If I had photographed this insect head on, the body would have been blurred, with only the head in focus. The wings in that specific photo are not in focus, due to one being closer than the point of focus (body) and the other being futher away in distance.

* Another way to handle the shallow depth of field is to increase the f stop, to say f/11 for example. This will ensure more of the image is in focus and create less blur in the background.

On the other hand, the shallow depth of field can be a fantastic tool if your photographing things like flowers, where you may want to single out one from a bunch. Take this image below for instance. The Canon 100mm macro lens made it easy to single out one orchid that is seen clearly in focus, yet blur any nearby background elements. If blured backgrounds are often a priority when you're out taking photographs, then this lens is definately for you.

Other notes and conclusion:

The sweet spot for the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, seems to be around f/11 to f/13 (aperture setting). This sweet spot is where you will see the sharpest photographs being taken. If you own a Canon DSLR camera and are serious about photographing the small things in life, then this macro lens will be a very useful addition to your collection.

If you own this lens yourself, or have any questions concerning the Canon 100mm macro lens, feel free to leave your comments and reviews so other photographers can read a more indepth viewpoint, from a wide range of experiences.

by srugina

I took this photo one cold winter day, at sunset, which in winter happens very early here in Oulu, Finland.

So it was around 3-4pm. For the taking of the photo I had gradient gray and sunset gradient Cokin mount filters on my camera.

I did some postprocessing on it. First I created three jpg files from the original RAW file, and then blended them so that I get the detail in the foreground more obvious.

Then I adjusted contrast and colours a little so that it is not so orange as the sunset filter had made it.

That is about it. Resized and submitted…

Thank you again!

by mplonsky

I am a professor (experimental psychology, not entomology). I had started scanning images back in 1989 for incorporating into my lectures that I projected in front of the classroom. For my first camera I bought a Canon G1 in November of 2000 for family photos and to document dog behavior. I enjoyed it because it makes it easy to learn about photography quickly.

Given my background, I tend to think of the camera as a scanner that you point. If you don't get the scan correct the first time, try again (and again). Compact flash is an endless roll of film. When I first got the camera, my (then) 5 year old son came into my office one day and suggested I photograph a bug that he had his eye on and we did. It was worse than terrible by my current standards, but it did allow us to see the bug in more detail than we could in real life. That is what got me started and what I enjoy so much about macros.

They let you see what you ordinarily cannot. In search of greater magnification, I began using diopters (or closeup lenses) and even reversing a 50mm lens. Refer to my articles for more details on the equipment and techniques. Most of my bugs are photographed in the natural environment. I don't chill them, spray them, glue them, or nail them down. I also like shooting the bug on a white building (and then overexpose the background).

My goal when photographing the bug is to present it in a positive light; to show it at it's best. I especially like intimate portraits, behavior shots, and full body shots with clean and smooth and sometimes colorful backgrounds. Two years and 25,000 clicks of the shutter later, I bought a Canon G3. It gave me more zoom and 4 megapixels instead of three. It was more responsive and handled exposure better.

Then, about 5 weeks ago, I purchased a 300D and various lenses including the Canon 100mm macro. It requires a different style and manner of shooting (for example, I am more likely to use a tripod nowadays).

Overall, it has advantages and disadvantages when compared to the prosumer digicams (see Digital Prosumer Point & Shoot (P&S) vs. the Digital SLR for Macro Photography), although, I love them both.

The greater the magnification, the less the depth of field. To get around that issue a little, I have developed a technique of compositing more than one image with different planes of focus. Remark: The first four photos were taken by the Canon G1, 5th to 8th photos were taken by the Canon G3 and the last four photos were taken by the Canon 300D digital SLR camera.

By Liz Masoner

Did you know that light has temperature? Most of us have noticed that light seems to have different colors based on different times of day, weather conditions, and if it is natural or artificial light. Well, those color differences are measured by temperature. The Kelvin scale measures the amount of heat reflected by different light sources under controlled conditions. Because real-world lighting is not under controlled conditions, the actual color temperature of light varies widely.

The Kelvin scale generally used with photography ranges from red to white and then through blue. This covers a visible light spectrum and not the entire light spectrum. An easy way to remember the progression of light colors is the acronym "Roy G Biv". This stands for "red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet." This does not match exactly the way light colors behave in photography but it is a good place to start. Green tends to show up only occasionally in lighting situations with "white light" occupying green's place most of the time.

Contrary to what colors we tend to think of as "hot" and "cold", red is actually a cooler temperature than blue according to Kelvin scale. Still, in photographic terms, we refer to bluish light tint photographs as "cool" and reddish light tint photographs as "warm".

Color temperature is often used in digital darkroom software for making color corrections to images. It is also used to know what type of tint particular lighting will create in images. The most common usage of the Kelvin scale in photography is to determine white balance.

I've been shooting Canon literally my entire life until now, and I decided to switch to Nikon due to the combo of the D3's appeal and the 1dm3 debacle. I've had the D3 for about 10 days now, and I thought I would give some first impressions of things that other Canon switchers might want to know about in advance. I will also start by saying that I'm very much enjoying the exploration of Nikon, and that I have no buyer's remorse, and I am glad to ditch the cursed 1dm3. However, being "even handed" as I am, I will still point out some undesirable idiosyncracies of my shiny new machine!

First, I'll get the good stuff out of the way before the snags:

1. Build quality is awesome.

2. Once you learn the interface differences, the interface is pretty nice, and certainly good enough to dispose of the fears I had… I still think the Canon interface is slightly superior to the extent that it does not arbitrarily adhere to an outmoded paradigm of a large number of dedicated switches (which Nikon clearly does), but this is not a spoiler by any means.

3. It focuses very well. The non-cross point sensors definitely seem to focus better than the non-cross sensors on the 5D. I don't think it focuses as well in extreme dark as the 1dm3, BUT then again the 1dm3 is untrustworthy and cursed, so I can't really uphold it as a standard, can I?

4. The files look awesome. I shoot RAW. When I look at the files I'm getting, I feel no need to split hairs over the dynamic range. If anything, I was very impressed with the way the DR did not blow out the highlights when shooting a dusk landscape that included neon lighting. It handled that very well. Color and sharpness look good.

5. When using the SB-800, I feel like the TTL exposures are superior to those taken with a 580EX to extent that they seem less likely to blow the highlights. The SB-800 is a really impressive machine in terms of menus and robustness. My only grip against the 580EX is that the SB-800 can only rotate 180 degrees in 1 direction rather than in both directions. That definitely needs to be fixed in their next revision.

6. I love Nikon glass, despite the zoom ring being "backwards." The new 24-70 handles well and makes great images, very sharp. The 14-24 is also rad, and I even bought the older 17-35/2.8 ED-IF, due to its longstanding reputation, and my first shots with it backed that reputation up. The bokeh of the 70-200/2.8 VR is really cool. The 85/1.8 build quality totally blows away the Canon version, with 9 aperture blades and an included metal lens hood, and glass that looks more spectacular.

OK, now for some of the things that will SNAG canon users! (Or anyone!~)

1. Exposure Compensation button is LIVE during image playback. This is REALLY BAD.

To me, this is a huge deal, and an absolute hazard to real world shooting. The exposure compensation button remains live during image playback — even though there is no logical reason for it to be live then — and the result is that any false move during playback may result in you accidentally setting exposure compensation without knowing it, and then you miss shots until you do notice it. As far as I can tell, there is no way to turn this off. The button is placed pretty much exactly where your fingers fall to hold the camera in a viewing position, so you are almost certain to encounter this issue. When you wonder how on earth your exposure got to -4.7 stops without you doing it on purpose, THIS is how!

2. Command dials are live during playback for shoot setting -

Unlike Canon, Nikon's shooting settings, i.e. shutter speed and aperture, remain LIVE during image playback. For the same reasons as item 1, this is bad. LUCKILY you can remedy this by enabling the command dials for using during image playback. This will change their function during playback from being live shooting controls to being image scrollers… Again, I can't figure any reason for Nikon to leave the shooting controls live during playback, but whatever… The only downside of enabling the shooting controls for playback is that if you have auto playback turned on, you must remember that hitting the dial after a shot will just scroll the image rather than make the shooting adjustment you desired — that is, until you remember to kill playback by pressing the shutter button half way down. In this respect, Canon handles auto playback more subtly than Nikon, but it's an important subtlety that makes Canon superior on this detail… To me, it became very obvious at this point why playback OFF is the default setting on Nikon. So now I use that default setting with command dials enabled during playback, and it effectively resolves that issue… though it does nothing to resolve the aforementioned compensation item.

NIKON - If you read these boards, please consider adding via firmware update a custom function that disables, during playback, both exposure compensation and any other exposure setting (such as shutter and aperture) which are irrelevant to the task of image playback.

3. Exposure compensation is not visible in the viewfinder –

This is also huge… Canon users will expect BOTH flash and ambient exposure compensations to be visible in the viewfinder. With Nikon, you see NEITHER. What you do see is an icon indicating that compensation is in effect, but it does not tell you whether it's for flash or ambient exposure. To see the camera's master comp, you can press a button. To see the flash's, you have to actually remove the camera from your face and look at the back of the flash. I find that somewhat suboptimal. Also, you must physically touch the flash to enter the flash's comp, which is to say that you can't dial it in from the camera directly as you can with Canon. In the end, this does not break the deal for me, but it does suck. If anyone knows any logic as to why this has been omitted, please enlighten me.

4. Very easy to accidentally change focus modes –

Most of the D3's external "knob" type switches offer locking, but the focus mode one does not. Due to the shape and placement of the switch, it's very easy to accidentally bump from single shot mode into continuous mode without noticing. I find this very annoying, and I think it's time to give up this outdated switch model for such a crucial fucntion, but whatever. At least it's not a 1dm3

5. AF point selection method only "half" configurable –

Many canon users will prefer dialing the AF point as opposed to using a joy stick. On the D3, you can enable selection by command dial while in vertical mode (the second set of controls), but it does not work for the main horizontal set of controls. This is highly annoying to me, as it's a feature which they OBVIOUSLY could enable to appeal to us converts. Nikon - if you're reading this, PLEASE enable this in a future firmware update. All you need to do is add a custom function that makes the AF-ON button act as an AF point selection button in conjunction with the main command dials — that is: You press the AF-ON button quickly and release it, then the command dials act as AF selection until such time that the shutter button is depressed half way. This is essentially what you already offer via the Function button for the vertical controls, but the AF-ON button would be far more appealing to those of us who used our Canon 1d's in similar configuration. Canon converts would love this, and it would show that you're serious about welcoming us over

6. Reverse indicators does not reverse Exp. Comp -

If you enable the custom function to reverse the indicators (to Canon order), the indicator for exposure compensation does not reverse… I think this is an obvious omission, and thus a bug more than a feature…. NIKON - again, if you're reading, you might want to fix this bug in a firmware update.

7. AF Assist light only fires SOMETIMES –

This is horribly inconvenient, really buggy, and really bad behavior. And best of all, it's by design and explained in the manual! If you are a Canon user, you are accustomed to the AF Assist light, used in dark rooms etc, firing always without regard to which AF point you have selected. This is VERY IMPORTANT when shooting in dark rooms. The AF Assist NEEDS TO BE RELIABLE… So, how does Nikon handle this? The AF Assist light only fires when using CERTAIN AF points, and they have a map in the manual of which they are. However, it gets BETTER! There are 3 different maps, and as you zoom through different parts of the focal length range, THE FOCUS POINTS THAT CORRESPOND TO AF ASSIST ACTUALLY CHANGE! And it still gets better! Even if you limit your AF points to the smaller group of 11, the AF Assist light is STILL NOT GUARANTEED TO FIRE… Workaround: Limit yourself to the 11 point, but DON'T USE THE OUTERMOST 2 POINTS, OR use blob focus mode (all points active)…. NIKON: Please issue some firmware update that fires this light always, no matter what, and make some use of it! This particular issue will torture the sanity of former Canon shooters who take our lovely and mostly awesome D3's into dark rooms!!

OK, enough for now. I reiterate, the D3 is awesome, and I'm very happy to be learning Nikon world, and the glass is awesome! At the same time, I'm retaining half of my Canon glass, and I keep an open mind to Canon, despite being angry with them at present time. In the end, I think I can say I've become very pragmatic and definitely not in the mindless "fanboy" category, but I know I'm already annoying the fanboys who read this far, so let's get it on! ha ha ha ha ha

– David Hill
http://www.davidhillphoto.com
Austin, Texas

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens - sweet spot f/11 to f/13 (aperture setting)

I purchased this lens early on in my photography experience and am glad I had a shop assistant who pointed me in the right direction. As it's turned out, I couldn't be more happier with the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Especially when it comes to photographing small objects, insects and flowers.

Shown below are a few examples of the types of images, as well as the quality you can expect to photograph with the canon 100mm macro lens. As you can see this is one of Canon's sharpest lenses, as recognised by many professional photographers. Numerous SLR camera magazines and books have also listed it amongst one of the best for portrait photography as well.

If your after technical details, the Canon website has these listed already: Specifications for Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Anyway as promised, here are a few examples of insect and flower close ups, so you can judge for yourself.

1. Butterfly macro / close up

Raining butterflies

2. Dragonfly macro / close up

dragonfly macro

3. Purple flower macro / close up

example of flower macro

Hints and tips for using a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens

It does take some time getting used to the shallow depth of field, especially when using an aperture setting of f/2.8. Firstly I found many of my photographs had too little depth of field, or in other words contained too much blur and not enough of the image in focus. You can solve this problem in 4 ways:

* Firstly, you can get used to the exteme depth of field. Many macro photographers have come to expect an image where the object isn't totally in focus. Instead, giving a more abstract view of the insect or flower, as shown in the photo below.

flower abstract macro

* You can crop the photograph using an image software program like Adobe Photoshop, so that only the main focus is seen in the end result. Of course doing this, your final image will be much smaller than the original which may make it impossible to print in certain sizes.

* When taking the photograph, try and get as much of the subject within the exact same distance from the macro lens. For example, the image of the macro dragonfly above, is largely in focus due to both the body and head being the same distance from the lens. If I had photographed this insect head on, the body would have been blurred, with only the head in focus. The wings in that specific photo are not in focus, due to one being closer than the point of focus (body) and the other being futher away in distance.

* Another way to handle the shallow depth of field is to increase the f stop, to say f/11 for example. This will ensure more of the image is in focus and create less blur in the background.

On the other hand, the shallow depth of field can be a fantastic tool if your photographing things like flowers, where you may want to single out one from a bunch. Take this image below for instance. The Canon 100mm macro lens made it easy to single out one orchid that is seen clearly in focus, yet blur any nearby background elements. If blured backgrounds are often a priority when you're out taking photographs, then this lens is definately for you.

Other notes and conclusion:

The sweet spot for the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, seems to be around f/11 to f/13 (aperture setting). This sweet spot is where you will see the sharpest photographs being taken. If you own a Canon DSLR camera and are serious about photographing the small things in life, then this macro lens will be a very useful addition to your collection.

If you own this lens yourself, or have any questions concerning the Canon 100mm macro lens, feel free to leave your comments and reviews so other photographers can read a more indepth viewpoint, from a wide range of experiences.

By Liz Masoner

Cold weather presents numerous challenges to photographers and their equipment. From drained batteries to frostbit fingers, cold weather photography is a completely different prospect than hot weather shooting. While there are some simple solutions to most cold weather problems, these solutions may not be the ones you would first think about.

Equipment Problems

Condensation

* What is Condensation?
Condensation is a photographer's nightmare. Just like a pair of eyeglasses fogging up when changing temperatures rapidly, a camera lens (and the inside of the camera) can fog up with condensation. Condensation is water forming on surfaces that are significantly colder or warmer than the air surrounding it. Technically, this means that if your camera goes into an area where the air is warm condensation will form if the camera is colder than the dew point. The opposite is also true. If your camera goes into a cold air area and the camera is warmer than the dew point then condensation can form.

(Article Continues Below)

* How to Avoid Condensation?
The basic way to avoid condensation is to gradually bring your camera through these extreme temperature changes by sealing it inside a bag containing air the same temperature as the camera is acclimatized to. This way, any condensation forms on the bag instead of the camera as the air and camera gradually equalize to the new environment. In practice, this usually results in the photographer freezing in his/her car because he/she doesn't want to wait for the camera to cool off when he/she gets to the photo location.

* Hidden Condensation Cause
Another source of condensation is the photographer. If you breathe on your camera you risk fogging it. The heat from your eye could also cause problems on the viewfinder. If your viewfinder fogs due to photographer body heat it is almost always only an inconvenience that does not affect the rest of the camera. You should, however, refrain from putting your camera in your coat as this could raise the temperature of the camera and lens itself enough to create problematic condensation.

Remember that condensation can form inside the camera as well. Beyond the moisture not agreeing with any electronic parts, the moisture could freeze in very cold conditions and completely ruin the camera.

Drained Batteries
Batteries lose their charge more quickly in cold weather. When shooting in cold weather it is essential to carry spare batteries for all of your equipment. Lithium batteries are a good choice as they are better at holding a charge than the older chemical compositions to begin with. You can also keep the spare batteries in your coat pocket or other relatively warm spot. However, be extremely careful not to let the batteries be too warm as this could cause condensation when they are placed back into the cold equipment.

Photographer Problems

Exposed Skin

* What is in Danger?
We all know to wear a coat when we go outside in the cold, but we often forget about our hands and faces. For your face, consider a ski mask to reduce the amount of skin exposed to the wind and cold. This can also help reduce the amount of water vapor you breathe onto your camera. A photographer's fingers and face are the most endangered in cold weather shooting. Often a photographer will take off his/her gloves while shooting in order to better handle the camera. This exposes your fingers not only to the cold but also the wind. Even if the ambient air temperature is not below freezing, the wind chill may be cold enough to cause frostbite.

* Protecting Your Fingers
Fingers cause a bit more problems for photographers. Fear of dropping the camera and difficulty in managing the controls with heavy gloves often leads photographers to forgo gloves altogether. This leads to quickly numb fingers and is a fast track to frostbite. Depending on how cold the conditions are, you may even be at risk for your fingers freezing to the metal on the camera. Layering your gloves is an excellent solution to frozen fingers. Wear silk or other fine mesh gloves first (even women's nylons with a few extra seams make great first layer gloves). Over these gloves add a pair of fingerless crafter's gloves. These not only add warmth, but can also help cut down on hand fatigue. The final layer are your normal cold-weather heavy gloves. These will be removed whenever you are shooting so a cord to hang them around your neck is needed to prevent loosing them. Your fingers will still get cold with the crafter's gloves and under gloves (but more slowly). Try keeping a hunter's chemical heat pack in your coat pocket for quick reheating of your hands in between frames.

Wet Feet
Even when wearing very well insulated boots, your feet can become damp from perspiration or a poorly placed step that puts you in snow higher than your boot tops. Wet skin is in major danger of damage from cold. Keep extra socks with you at all times for emergency changes. Keeping a couple of kitchen dish towels with you will also allow you to dry off your feet before changing socks.

Slipping
In cold conditions, almost any surface can be covered in ice. Photographers are notorious for not paying attention to their surroundings while they are focusing on a subject. Be sure to pay attention to where you are stepping and wear footgear with good traction in order to avoid a nasty fall.

Photography Equipment: Cameras, Lenses and More!

Whether you’re an amateur or seasoned photographer, you’ll need some standard photography equipment at any photo shoot you plan. While you probably know that a camera is essential, other photography tools, such as memory cards or additional lenses, may not immediately come to mind.

Photography Equipment Essentials
Obviously, some kind of camera is the first tool that a photographer will need. The following list details the various types of cameras a photographer can use:

* 35mm camera
* digital camera
* disposable camera
* SLR camera.

The accessories you need are dependent on the type of camera you have. While a manual camera requires film (with extra rolls), a digital camera demands a memory card (with extras for longer, more involved shoots). Regardless of the type of camera, photographers should always pack extra batteries.

Another key piece of equipment to have is a camera bag. Often overlooked as a photographic tool, camera bags not only carry your extra film/memory cards and batteries, but they also protect your camera in between shots.

Photography Equipment: Helpful,Yet Less Essential
Now that we have the essentials nailed down, we can move on to the tools that can spice up your everyday shots. One such piece of equipment is the tripod. By setting up your camera on a tripod (unless you’re using a disposable camera, of course!) you can steady your shot, eliminating any blurriness in the picture due to a shaky hand.

Along with the tripod, a photographer can use a cable release bulb. This mechanism allows a photographer to trigger the camera to take a picture from a distance. Often, the cable release bulb plugs into the camera at one end while the other end remains in the photographer’s hand. At the appropriate moment, the photographer presses the button in his hand, taking a picture. With the cable release bulb, the photographer can set up a shot, be in the shot himself or stand in places (other than behind the camera) to manipulate lighting or props. Most important, the cable release allows the photographer to take the picture without even the slightest tremor to blur the picture.

Specialized lenses can enhance a photographer’s shots. While some lenses are primarily used by professionals, the zoom lens is one type that amateurs can enjoy without much training. Zoom lenses, also known as telephoto lenses, are best used when a photographer can’t get close to his subject. For example, try taking a nature shot of an insect or an action shot at a sporting event. A telephoto lens improves the quality of these types of photos.

Professional Photography Equipment
Although much of the equipment described below is best suited for professional photographers, amateurs, of course, can dabble with these tools as well. Generally, this equipment is left to the pros because each piece requires that the photographer know how to use it just right so that his shots turn out.

Similarly, these pieces of photographic equipment tend to be expensive. Consequently, a photographer should invest in them only if he’s committed to learning how to use them or if he already understands how they’re used.

In addition to the telephoto lens, pros may consider using a macro lens, a fisheye lens or a wide-angle lens. While the macro lens enlarges small subjects in photos (such as the eyes of a fly), both the fisheye and the wide-angle lenses capture subjects that have a broad scope, such as overviews of cities or landscape shots.

Filters alter the way in which light enters the camera’s lens. A filter either slightly changes the details or shades of a frame or it creates an image on the film that isn’t visible to the naked eye.

Pros may need a special flash attachment, as the more advanced cameras they use may not come with a built-in flash. Also, photographers can use different types of films: not only will they change between color and black and white, but they may also use films of different speeds. While slower film speeds are best used in poorly lit scenes with only ambient lighting, faster speeds are more suited for action shots, such as cars speeding by.

Darkroom Equipment
Photography equipment can expand from here whether or not you have a darkroom. If you’re stocking a darkroom you’ll need a dry area with storage bins, an enlarger and a dry tabletop to dry your photos. Also, you’ll need running water and a series of chemical baths for the wet area.

The best advice for both amateurs and professional photographers alike is to practice with both new and old equipment. Experimenting with photographic tools will not only help you refine your skills, but it may also help you create interesting shots!

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ritz Camera Centers, Inc., the nation's largest specialty camera and image products and accessories retailer, announced today that it will close more than 300 stores nationwide as part of a court-supervised bankruptcy reorganization. The move will leave approximately 400 Ritz Camera stores still open around the country.

Retail inventory valued at more than $50 million will be liquidated at the stores that are being closed. Store closing sales offering substantial discounts on all inventory at those locations will begin on Saturday, April 4, and are expected to continue until everything is sold to the bare walls.

A joint venture group comprised of Great American Group, LLC, SB Capital Group, LLC, Tiger Capital Group, LLC, and Hudson Capital Partners, LLC, will be conducting the sales.

Daniel Platt, senior vice president, capital markets, for Great American Group, said, "Long-time Ritz Camera customers as well as those with any interest in cameras, photography and video-related products will find a tremendous selection of quality, brand-name merchandise at greatly reduced prices. Shoppers looking for distinctive and unique gifts will find these sales particularly appealing, as well."

Among the thousands of products that will be available at reduced prices are digital cameras and accessories, digital SLR compact cameras, digital frames, binoculars, camcorders and video accessories, and other popular electronic items.

Beginning with a single store in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1918, the Beltsville, Maryland-based privately held chain quickly grew to become the country's leading supplier of photography products, equipment and services. At one point, after acquiring Wolf Camera, Kits Cameras and a number of other companies, Ritz Camera had over 800 stores in more than 40 states across the country. Financial troubles, however, caused the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, 2009.

Ritz Camera's downsizing follows efforts over the past year by a number of prominent retailers to deal with slumping sales and the drop in consumer spending brought on by the recession. Major national retailers that have liquidated completely in recent months include Circuit City, Mervyns, Steve & Barry's, Shoe Pavilion, KB Toys and Linens 'N Things.

A complete list of stores closing can be found here. Read More about Ritz closing over 300 stores.