3 Things : playing with printing + a giveaway

I don't have a tip but i really like the look of the photo printed onto the vellum and then layered. That could be used in so many ways.

What I love the most is when part of the photo is in focus and part isn't. I'd like to know how to do it better, sometimes I do it accidentally and love it. But I can never seem to be able to do it on purpose (with a point and shoot).

Guess my photo tip would also have to be to have your camera with you. It's always those times that its not there that the cool shot gets away. Love looking back and seeing how far I've come and how far I have to go.
thanks for the inspiration.

PRINT your digital photos, don't just take pictures and store them on your computer. frame them, scrapbook them, put them in albums. my other tip is to print them in different sizes 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 2x2 - mix it up.
julie

Like some others have already said... I am not even close to know much about photography but I have a strong hatred for the flash... I wish I could figure out how to take better natural photos without them being often blurry... Thank you for having this giveaway! I would love to try printing on different materials too!

One thing I really want to work on is perspective and layout. I really try to pay more attention to the perspective from which I am taking a photo and the overall composition of the picture. In the past I have found myself always taking the same type of picture, so this is a challenge for me to move beyond that typical picture and capture things in a different angle or a different perspective.
I really love the translucent paper and have never tried it so I would love to play with some. Thanks as usual for all the yummy inspiration here :-)

My favorite photo tip as of late is to duplicate the layer (I'm talking CS2), then change the blend mode on the new layer to hard light or soft light and bring the opacity down if necessary (usually is). Flatten the image and you're all set. This makes the photo more vivid and takes the gray haze out that digital cameras leave. P.S. if you haven't figured out already, I'm not a photographer!

Hmmmm. Photo tip. Hmmmm. Besides take tons of photos to get the one that you love? Oh, I know. Take photos of the big picture (landscape) and then move in and take photos of the details. Both tell the story.

This summer my goal is to organize and BACK-UP my photos.
Want a new camera!!!!
And I want to just be inspired!!!
Sam

thanks for sharing all of this really helpful information, ali (as always!).
my best photo tip, especially in the digital age, is to just take, take, take pictures--don't worry about the right composition, or "recipe" of exposure/aperture--just take pictures that feel good to you!

My photography tip is NO flash, higher ISO, fast shutter speed. Take LOTS of photos.
Of course there are times when a flash is great... but I usually try do without.

My favorite photo tip is to look at your subject from different angles, notice the "whole picture" before snapping the shot. I too take A LOT of photos before getting that perfect shot!

I love my 50m lense! Also called the 'nifty fifty'. I get my best photos with that lense. My best tip is to have a backup system! You can burn hundreds of photos onto a DVD or upload them to a website that stores photos for free.
I want to feel more at ease with my less then perfect pictures. I might have a great story to tell but I'll push those photos to the end of my 'to scrap' file.
Ali, your the best! I love this!

Something I'm doing right now (I found interesting that you mentioned it in your words+photos entry today) is deleting photos. Really looking at what I have and just keeping those that tell the story and/or reflect the personality of the subject. It keeps me focused and I agree it helps for future photo taking opportunities. And I try to use natural light as much as possible.

Love the fact that you tried these items and then gave us a 'heads up'. I have been eyeing 2 of these items..but was hesitant. You're the BEST. As far as the photography portion..I am one of those always WorrieD about getting that perfect shot (IE: lighting, smiles, the like) so my goal now is to be more relaxed. :) Maybe the boys wont groan as much when they see the camera now thxs

What I would like to work on is photo in movement !

Thanks for the chance to win.
I love taking natural photos where the subject is doing something they love. They always have much more emotion and meaning than posed photos.

I want to work on better utilizing light in my photos - you can only fix so much with editing software!

My favorite thing to do with my camera is to set it on manual. It justs looks so much better! Thanks for the giveaway!

I honestly want to forget about what all the 'pros' think and go back to really liking my pictures. I think too much and end up with so-so pictures even by my standards.

I wish I had a creative photo tip.. Mostly I just try to capture as many candid shots and use sepia, black and white and color. Definitely use the action shots for sports outings.. I need to remember that one.

Hey, love all the ideas!! Keep 'em comin'!
Janine

pictures on vellum!! so cool!
my favorite tip is to use the timer on the macro setting. this way your picture turns out crisp rather than trying to hold still while pushing your finger down.

I definitely want to work more in manual mode - sometimes it's hard to take the time to figure the correct settings while chasing my kids! My favorite tip is in photoshop... I followed a tutorial to make my pictures look like Lomo photography. I am obsessed and love playing with new and old photos!

Hi Ali! My photo tip would be to purchase an external hard drive for the computer! I recently purchased a Canon Rebel XTI and am finding I am running out of room on my computer, so I will need to get one of those super-duper hard drives that hold a ton of photos!
Thanks!
Jenn B