BetterPhotoJim

Boost your skills with professional photography courses online

Have you ever thought of quitting your day job to become a professional photographer? Or simply making your hobby pay off with extra spending money?

At BetterPhoto.com, we have many professional photography courses online that are designed to make your photographic dreams come true. For example:

- Making Money with Your Photography - Pro shooter and author Jim Zuckerman will take the mystery out of earning a part-time or a full-time income with your photography. In this online photo class, Jim discusses a diverse range of markets.

- The Business of Photography - Pro photographer, author, and studio owner Vik Orenstein will guide you in setting up shop and making a real business out of your passion for photography.

In addition, BetterPhoto's other professional photography courses online cover all sorts of subjects for all skill levels.

© Jim Zuckerman

© Vik Orenstein

Complement Your Colors

Yellow and Purple Lupine © Jim Miotke All rights reserved

Recently, I was speaking with one the BetterPhoto.com® staffers about his taste in art. He said his primary criterium for enjoying any of the visual arts, is color. He said, "I'm immediately drawn to pieces that use a color I consider pleasing, or a nice arrangement of colors. ...If the colors don't turn me on, I'm likely to pass over it."

A simple way to draw viewers to your photography is to apply brilliant colors in an artful way. Remember the color wheel? Dig it out of your art box. If you can, pair complementary colors in your shots, as I did in this photo with purple and yellow. Color complements are located directly opposite each other on the color wheel. In almost every form of art, their combination makes for a dynamic, eye-catching image.

If you'd like to learn about photography from famous professional photographers, check out BetterPhoto.com®'s Online Photography Courses. Or if you'd like to learn how to display your own photos on the web, have a look at our Photo Sharing options today!

Isolate Your Subject

Lone Daisy in Lupine © Jim Miotke All rights reserved

Whenever you are out shooting nature, try to look for anomalies. Find something that's out of it's normal surroundings. I found this lonely daisy among a huge field of lupines. While it's not unusual to find flowers mixed in nature, it drew my attention immediately, giving me an idea for a interesting photograph. As I often do with macro photography, I used a shallow depth of field to create blur around my isolated daisy. To add another color, I rotated around the daisy until another yellow flower filled much of the frame. The flower also adds additional depth -- foreground blur.

This image is one of my favorites, and all it took was stumbling upon a splash of color in a field of purple.

If you'd like to learn more about macro photography, depth of field, or forming a pleasing composition from a famous professional photographer, check out BetterPhoto.com®'s Online Photography Courses. Or if you'd like to learn how to display your own photos on the web, have a look at our Photo Sharing options today!

Abstraction On the Sly

© Jim Miotke All rights reserved

Playing with abstraction is an excellent way to deal with difficult conditions. One of my favorite bands came to town a few years back, and I was determined to get a gorgeous, clear photograph of this famous front man - even after being spotted with my camera (not allowed at the show). Each shot came out blurry and unpleasant. Rather than getting frustrated and fighting it, I decided to let the blur work for me - playing with my zoom at lower shutter speeds.

I dropped the shutter speed to about three seconds, and gently zoomed in and out during the exposure, holding the camera as steady as I possibly could in the crowded venue. The result was this abstraction. I love the energy of the photo, and the lightning-like effect created by the zoom. It really captured the atmosphere that the extravagent light production and booming, entrancing music created at the concert.

See if you can figure out the profile of this world-famous musician...

If you'd like to learn about photography from famous professional photographers, check out BetterPhoto.com®'s Online Photography Courses. Or if you'd like to learn how to display your own photos on the web, have a look at our Photo Sharing options today!

New Homepage Design

I wanted to quickly announce another design improvement here at the world's premier photography education website.

BetterPhoto.com® designers and developers have been working round the clock to bring their members the best photography site on the internet. One of the most recent developments involves a new, more colorful, more pointed home page. The new home better highlights BetterPhoto's most cherished offerings: our online photography courses, BetterPholio™ photo sharing options, and our thousands of photo galleries and discussion forums for members to freely express themselves as budding artists and photographers. As always, a rotating sample from our world-renowned online photography contest is displayed as well.

BetterPhoto.com® is constantly striving for excellence. We are always open to suggestions and feedback on what features and pages could be enhanced to better serve our loyal members, as well as new visitors around the world.

Thanks, and have a great week!

Jim

BetterPhoto Interview with Art Wolfe, host of the new TV series Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe

Don't miss BetterPhoto President Jim Miotke's fascinating interview with Art Wolfe. This famous photographer has published dozens of books, has been the recipient of numerous awards, and is the host of the new public TV series Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe.

Art is best known for his passion for wildlife and environmental advocacy, and his unique photographic style: an eye-catching mix of artistic and journalistic styles. Also check out Art Wolfe's photos and Art Wolfe's bio in his Premium BetterPholio.

For more information on his public TV show: Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe.

Editor's Note: BetterPhoto.com, where the Art Wolfe interview appears, offers many exciting things of interest: i.e., inspiring professional photography courses online, a very cool Trip Planner that is filled with vacation travel guides, and many great options for photo sharing.

© Art Wolfe

© Art Wolfe

How to capture funny animal pictures

When it comes to fun photography, it's really hard to top animal photos! Check out BetterPhoto.com's funny animal pictures gallery and you'll see what I mean.

How to capture shots like? Here are two quick tips for recording memorable images of fleeting moments: 1) Keep your camera handy and ready for "action". 2) Always be aware of your surroundings; in other words, be on the lookout for images about ready to "happen" ... the cute or interesting animal that might be on the verge of photo immortality. :-)

If you don't feel entirely comfortable with your camera, or would like to give a boost to your creativity, then consider one of BetterPhoto.com's famed online courses. These classes are fast, fun, and to the point ... you'll learn a lot in a short amount of time. BetterPhoto's online photography school offers online photo courses on all sorts of subjects. Here are two that may be of interest: Photographing Your Dog with an SLR Camera and How to Photograph Animals & Wildlife.

Have fun seeking out funny animal pictures!

Brown nosed pig © Donnarae Moratelli

Flower Children © Steven Gunnerson

How to take better baby pictures

Check out BetterPhoto.com's inspiring - and fun! - gallery of baby pictures, and you'll get all sorts of great ideas to improve your photography.

Cute babies, sleeping babies, happy babies, mom holding son or daughter, and close-up shots of face, hands and feet ... they're all there. The key to success? Some quick tips:

- Always keep your camera close at hand in order to capture memorable moments.

- Study the baby pictures in BP's online gallery. See how light plays a role, and how the compositions are good and simple, without any surrounding distractions that draw attention away from the excellent subject.

- Boost your skills with an online course! BetterPhoto.com's famed digital photography school offers many online photography classes, such as this awesome one by photographer-author Vik Orenstein: Photographing Children.

Have fun photographing your kids!!

Sleeping Baby © Vik Orenstein

Baby Feet © Vik Orenstein

Enroll in BetterPhoto's Online Photography School ... There's Still Time!

Learn to be creative and to capture exciting photographs ... right now and anywhere you live! BetterPhoto.com®'s online photography school offers an awesome array of online photo courses in an exciting array of subject categories, including Fundamentals, Digital, Light/Exposure, Composition, CameraCourses, Photoshop, People, Nature/Travel, and Specialty.

See for yourself! Our May four-week classes have just started, and it's not too late to enroll! Since these classes are online, there's plenty of time to catch up and start learning! :-) Plan on informative lessons, inspiring assignments, critiques by a professional, class discussions among students and instructor, and lots of fun.

Take a quick tour for more details on just how BetterPhoto's famed courses work. Learn more about the online photography school.

So what are you waiting for? :-) Sign up today!

How to take funny pictures of kids

What can be better than seeing funny pictures of children? Take a look at BetterPhoto.com's gallery of funny pictures, and you'll see just what I mean.

Would you like to record humorous happenings? Here are a few quick tips:

- Have your camera handy, so that you are ready to catch those often fleeting, but-sure-to-elicit-a-smile moments.

- Study the funny pictures in the online gallery of BetterPhoto.com®. For instance, check out the good-and-simple compositions: You'll find that each image has a clear subject that catches the viewer's eye ... without any surrounding distractions that "steal the show". Also, pay attention to how light to shows the subject in clear and beautiful color ... or in glorious black-and-white.

- Give your photo skills a big boost in a photo class. In particular, the online photography school at BetterPhoto offers great online photo courses, including Photographing Children by photographer and author Vik Orenstein.

Robin at snow © Jean-Francois Schmutz

Self Control © Rob Friedman