Studio Family Portraits

Lighting and Family Portraits - Portrait Photography
Family Portrait Photographer from West Palm Beach to Ft Lauderdale
Portrait photography in Palm Beach and Broward

Photography of Palm Beach
By: Robert H. Walker
Tele: 561-964-5036


If you would like to have studio quality portraits taken of your family at my home studio in Boynton Beach Palm Beach County or at your choice of location, then I ask that you give me a call.

Lighting is a very important aspect of picture and portrait taking and the Lighting can affect the appearance of your subject quite dramatically . By changing the direction of the lighting, you can transform the mood of the image from plain or glamorous to downright ghoulish.

Remember when you took a flashlight while camping and you put it under your chin and let the light shine up towards your face? The lighting technique gave your face a ghastly appearance. The light can make a huge difference in the mood of the photography imaging. Pictures and especially portraits are affected by the color and angles of the lighting. I have color balanced lighting for my home portrait studio in ft lauderdale and you would not believe what I had to pay for a couple of lamps. This just to take pictures for formal portraits at a studio for some family pictures.

Outdoor photography

Bright direct sunlight is considered harsh or hard lighting. Bright lighting will cast dark harsh shadows that can obscure and hide the face and cast shadows under the nose and it will help in pointing out unwanted wrinkles and other blemishes. Harsh lighting will cause squinting in the eyes and this leads to unflattering poses in the pictures. I always warn people to avoid noon time wedding pictures and family portraits outside in the overhead sunlight. If the sky is overcast and cloudy, then this problem is lessened and you still have adequate lighting for your portraits.
Light from an overcast sky or if inside, from a window, is softer in lighting and it helps to create soft shadows that will not obscure and hide the face of the subject and this assists in minimizing wrinkles and other unsightly blemishes on the portrait subject.

The softer lighting will reveal soft and subtle skin tones and beautiful hues of the skin as well as allowing your portrait subject to open their eyes while avoiding squinting and avoid creating a poor portrait pose. I have a soft flash diffuser that will help prevent this problem from occuring for portrait photography. West Palm Beach and Ft Lauderdale is very bright during the day in the summer and the portrait photographer must know their lighting.

Direction of lighting

The direction of light, be it natural sunlight or studio lighting, changes the way that people look. Which direction is best will depend upon many factors. Depending on the portrait effect that you're trying to achieve will decide what type of lighting and the angles chosen.

Frontal lighting is like harsh sunlight shining directly into a person's face and it will create squinting of the eyes and appear to flatten the subjects face.

Overhead lighing like at noon time when the sun is overhead will create and cast an unpleasant facial shadow. I always use my cameras strobe flash to lighten harsh facial shadows. To reduce the
shadow effect of bright light then you do what is called using fill flash.

Side lighting is like the early and late sun in the day and you can locate and position your portrait subject so the lighting or the sun will strike one side of their face. When one side of the subjects face is brightly lit and the other side of the subjects face is in shadow then you will create a very dramatic effect and many television studios have mastered this technique.

Back lighting is a technique that occurs when you position your portrait subject facing away from the lighting source. This serves in placing your portrait subject's face in a slight shadow and you have no problem with squinting and this will add an attractive glowing feature to the subjects hair. You can Use a strobe fill flash to lighten your subject's facial features.

Indoor lighting is the most difficult as taking good indoor pictures is the most challenging because the light is often dim and inadequate.

Natural light from the sun is so much better and brighter than most artificial light. It's usually the best idea to take indoor pictures of your subjects and people with indirect sun light from a northern exposure window or any window not exposed to direct sunlight. The window light is good due to the fact that it is soft and indirect window light is good for people portraits and images. If you find that the side of the face away from the window is too dark then you can move your subject and then reposition yourself and the portrait subject. This way more of the facial features of the subject receives window lighting.

Dim window light may cause the automatic exposure settings of the camera as it forces the camera to use a slower shutter speed. If this happens then you will need to hold the camera very steady and you may try to use a tripod.

Artificial indoor lighting is difficult to get good results as with the typical table and ceiling lights are not properly color balanced. They will not provide proper and attractive lighting for portraits for the people's pictures.

Try to avoid using the incandescent and flourascent lights and try using the strobe flash or indirect window light. If you must use the artificial lighting then you must hold the camera very steady or you may put to use a tripod. Exposure times can be very long with dim light and the average person will shake some and this will cause your image to be blurred.

Flash: A built-in camera flash is ok for indoor snapshots of people. But a built-in flash is not adequate for portrait lighting. For portraits use window lighting or you will find that strobe flashes and studio lighting is best for color balanced pictures and portrait images.

Following these lighting tips for using a flash to take better indoor pictures of people:
Position your subjects well within the flash range for your camera and the flash strobe. When your are photographing a group, make sure that all your subjects are about the same distance from the strobe flash. You can turn on some room lights to help avoid red eye. Red eye is created when the flash hits the back of the eye and reflects back into the camera lens.

The extra brightness in the room created by the extra lights will help reduce the size of your subjects' pupils thus allowing light in. This is why some cameras havea pre flash prior to the flash taking the main flash for the picture, to reduce the size of the subjects pupil.

Be on the watch out for shiny surfaces and what not like mirrors, windows, and sunglasses, as they can reflect the flash back into the lens. If you stand at a rigt angle to a shiny surface then you will help to prevent unwanted reflections of the flash in your photographs. You can ask your subjects that are wearing glasses to turn or tilt their heads slightly to a right angle.

Consider the following portrait photographers tips:

Use soft, diffused lighting just like you would see on a cloudy-day for outdoors lighting or indirect window light and use this to reveal your subject's facial features in a most flattering way.

Keep the background simpleand you will avoid distracting elements in the portrait photography. Try to make it reveal the emotions and feelings of the portrayal of your subject.

Move in close with your lens for an above-the-waist or head-and-shoulders pictorial composition. You can also move back to show the entire figure of your subject.

Try to position your camera angle at or slightly below your subject's eye level, this makes the subject the main image in the picture. Portrait photography in Palm Beach, Florida and I also travel and perform portrait photography in Ft Lauderdale, in South Florida.

Pay special and particular attention to the positioning of your subject's hands and the angle of their head and shoulders. In a portrait, you do not want the hands and head to look awkward or out of place. Portrait photographer in Palm Beach and South Florida.

Q and A

Q. When do you need a contract and how much do you ask for to hold or book a date?

A. I ask for 50% of the total fee as a retainer to hold the date for photography services. I work on a first come - first served basis. If someone sends me a check and an agreement (contract) then I take the date off of my calender. So there is no real answer to the time question of when I need an agreement contract. Whoever books me gets my services for the date.

Q. How many pictures can I expect for an event? Like a wedding or portrait shoot?

A. I usually average 100+ pictures an hour. I take many pictures of the same poses - like with group pictures as someone always blinks, so I overshoot the weddings for this reason. I may take 5 pictures of your ring exchange and choose the best 1-2 to edit for this reason. I guarantee 50 edited pictures per hour booked. 2 hours is 100 edited (digitally enhanced images) pictures.

Q. Do I guarantee my work?

A. Normally - the answer is yes I do.

Q. I, as a photographer, have 3 questions for you to ask your pastor and / or church.
(if your having a wedding)

Is your priest/rabbi/pastor and / or church going to allow me to use a flash for indoor lighting during the ceremony?

Is your pastor / church going to make me stand in the back of the building, in the dark, during the ceremony?

Will I be allowed free movement during the wedding ceremony to get the angles I need for the proper pictures of your marriage ceremony?

If the above answers are no - then I can not guarantee anything.

I have never had this happen to me personally - but I know of photographers that this has happened to. No photographer can get great pictures under these conditions. If I am not allowed to take the pictures I need and have difficulty with the conditions, then I would prefer not to do the photography shoot or job.

Why waste time, yours and mine, taking poor pictures and you are unhappy with them. Under these conditions, I am sure a court would order a refund and this would not be due to my neglect - but would be the fault of the pastor or church. Yet I would bear the loss of time and reputation.
Please let me know the conditions that the pastor allows photography in their wedding ceremony or church.

I would always be willing to show you my print portfolio to preview...

I will be happy to allow you to review my work prior to delivery and choose between your pictures or a 50% refund.

Refunds:

I have question for you

If I deliver a CD with the digital negatives and then a photography client makes a dozen copies of the CD and makes 1,000 prints, what is my recourse if they want a refund? Am I supposed to issue a refund and give the pictures for free?

Photographers that offer refunds make you PAY PER PRINT and NEVER give you the DIGITAL NEGATIVES.

I am sure you have priced other photographers and the per print charges add a minimum of 500-700 to the hourly rate for just 100 4 X 6 prints and they never give you the negatives.

I will let you review the pictures as I take them on my on camera viewer.
I can also allow you to view the pictures on my computer, prior to my giving them to you, to see if you want a refund or the CD of your wedding pictures. I think that this is fair to us both.
If I am unable to deliver to deliver my work - then yes I do guarantee a refund.

Q. Is your lighting setup time included as part of my 3 total hours where it would take away from "my" photo opportunity time, or is the setup separate and not included as part of my contracted time? For example, if I requested a 6:00 pm start time, would you begin setting up at 6pm and not start shooting until you have finished setup at 6:30? Or would you come earlier to setup so we can begin at 6 p.m.?

A. I always come early to set up and YOU give me the time to start - So the answer is the set up time is not billed. You get 3 hours of pictures, not 2 1/2.

Q. What does the budget package include for prints?

A. The budget package is a CD only with the digital negatives on it and you are free to make unlimited prints at the photolab of your choice. There is minor editing done with this budget package.

Q. Do you have someone to help and assist you in taking pictures, I have alot of guests?

A. The lighting assistant is not always a professional photographer, but for the reception dinner of the guests only - the pictures that they take are decent and he can take many shots with my back-up camera. I also supply the same duplicate coverage of guests, but I concentrate primarily on the bridal party and immediate family primarily. The lighting assistant can take decent pictures of your guests. The photographers that charge per print - know that you will not be spending $5-7 a print for a picture of your guests at a table having dinner. So many photographers will not waste their time taking alot of guest pictures. We do cover your whole wedding and reception dinner and take pictures of all of your guests, friends and family, period...!

Q. What do you wear to weddings? I interviewed a photographer yesterday who wears shorts to summer weddings and I thought that was strange, so I have to ask I guess :)

A. I understand - I have photographed and seen formal tux weddings where the DJ or videographer wore jeans and a t-shirt. I wear black slacks and a suit jacket, I dress in an appropriate manner always. If you require my attendance in special attire - just give me the name of your tailor for a fitting, at your expense.

Q. Do you take continuing education classes on photography?

A. I had to actually go back to school and learn photoediting with the computer (it is actually fun with what can be done :) with the computer) also my darkroom experience is rapidly becoming obsolete...! I learned a program called photoshop and it is the photography and graphic arts studio standard for editing or digitally enhancing digital images.

Q. What packages do you offer?

A. I have a 2 hour budget wedding photography package with no prints for 2 hours of coverage for $500-600 for a CD with the digital negatives. This package includes the wedding officiant / clergy that assists me with the setup and lighting prior and after the ceremony. You get the digital negatives for prints and you get to make your own unlimited copies of prints. Extra hours for the budget package are $150 each and I bring a lighting assistant at no extra charge. This package is most popular for beach and budget weddings.

Online Photo Albums - Payment and Refund Policy

Click here for a larger photogallery

Thanks,

Robert H. Walker

Policies for payment of photographic services:

Photography of Palm Beach photo studio has a new policy concerning checks for payment.

We want you to enjoy your wedding photos that we take in Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach and Boca Raton. We do a great deal of work to make the pictures and digital images look the best. But due to all of the fraud associated with the photography business and with photographers, we do ask the following from our customers.

We only accept checks drawn on a US bank in US funds or US Dollars.

If you want to get your pictures in a timely manner, then we suggest that you pay us in a money order or cashiers check. Local checks take up to three
(3) weeks to clear and your pictures and images will not be released until the local check clears.

Out of state checks will or may not clear for up to four or five weeks. Your out of state check must clear before we will release your pictures. International checks? forget it!

I suggest that you pay us in funds that are not subject to collection, such as a money order or cashiers check. I say that cash always works. We am happy and can always give you a receipt for cash payments.

Refunds are only given after 60 business days for overages not due to our mistakes.

60 days after the event is under cancellation or check was deposited
Wedding pictures and family portraits and events will be held until the checks clear for payment.

Digital images and pictures of your wedding or family event are important to you and we want you to get them in a timely manner.

Please do not waste our time by writing us and asking us to deposit funds from out of the country and then asking for a refund in the method of a money
transfer like Western Union. It will not happen…!!!
We do not participate in money transfer schemes with fraudulent checks.

Refunds Policy:

I will gladly give a refund if I Am unable to deliver your pictures for whatever reason
(i.e. camera or equipment failure, theft, fire or disaster)
Unable to show up at your wedding or event
(car breakdown, accident or sickness)

I generally hold all monies paid to Photography of Palm Beach and apply them as a credit for future services. I will be happy to hold all overpayments and apply the money for extra prints or photoediting and retouching of portraits.

Under NO CIRUMSTANCES will I issue a refund before an event is scheduled and all monies must clear the appropriate banking procedures first.

I will verify that your event is scheduled with the venue, like the hotel or county club, to insure that your photography request for me is legitimate and is not a check scam or fraud.

In other words, if you tell me you are getting married at the Breakers Hotel - I will call them and ask about your wedding. I know most of the Hotels and Country Clubs in the area, after all I work here all the time.

I will also be happy to refund any overages or overpayments 60 business days after an event is finished, providing that the funds have cleared from the appropriate source.

If you are thinking of sending me a fake check or money order and you want me to wire you a cash refund - well forget it and move on - DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME...!!!

Bride on the beach

This is a pretty bride on the beach with one of the children of the family.

photography by Christina

Bridal bouquet

I have a wedding package that includes flowers and champagne for the wedding for people from out of town. I ordered these flowers for the bridal bouquet and said wow and did the bride.

These above flowers above were ordered from The Blossom Shoppe in Boynton for my wedding clients.

Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church Palm Beach

This is the garden at Bethesda Church in Palm Beach.

This is Bethesda by the Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach. All of these pictures are taken by Christina.

Since the development of the modern Aqualung by ocean pioneer Jacques Cousteau and Emil Gagnan in 1943, we have been able to stay underwater safely and comfortably for longer periods of time. This amazing technological breakthrough allows us to discover, explore, and photograph pictorial images of the wonders of the underwater world. It was one of the first challenges underwater pioneers, such as Cousteau, who was faced was capturing the beauty and mystique of this foreign underwater world on film in order to share it with those unable to see it for themselves. Television and cable audiences can frequently find a documentary or special about an aspect of the underwater world. Virtually everyone has seen a documentary with Jacques Cousteau and his underwater society and images.


What is it that makes the underwater world so intriguing and appealing to photographers?
First, it truly is another world - a world of motion and tranquillity. Like outer space, it offers underwater photographers a sense of adventure, the thrill of discovery, and the promise of excitement. The underwater world also appeals to aquatic photographers because its natural state that seems so foreign to ours in the world above the seas. In part, this reflects tremendous differences between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Land environments are dominated by plant life, while the underwater environments are dominated by animal species. When we describe land environments, we refer to grasslands, hardwood forests, and oak trees , and mangroves. When we describe underwater environments, we refer to coral reefs, oyster flats, and zebra mussel beds. In addition, the animals that photographers encounter underwater often have unusual, if not bizarre, shapes and colors that provide a never-ending supply of photographic subjects.

Land objects, which take on an entirely different nature and sometimes increase in value when submerged, can be excellent "foreign" underwater photography objects. Objects such as doorknobs, old nails, and bottles are usually termed junk, but they are considered treasures after resting at the bottom of a body of water for a decade or two. The broken hull of a lifeless ship sixty feet below the surface is another intriguing photo opportunity that lures many photographers into the water. This creates an artificial reef that is teeming with life as it creates a place for small fish to hide from larger predators.

The fundamentals of land photography - like measuring light, calculating exposure, focusing, framing, and composing - are essentially very similar to the same fundamentals that are and can be applied to underwater photography, the challenge of capturing images on film or digital in the underwater lies in dealing with the constraints of the underwater environment. First the photographer has to master the skill of scuba diving and learning to breathe underwater. There is always an element of skill and danger lurking while diving under the seas. Mastering this exhilarating sport is essential to mastering underwater photography. The aquatic realm imposes some unusual environmental constraints on both camera as well as the diver alike. The relatively poor clarity of water as a medium in which to photograph, and the loss of and change in the quality of available light underwater are the most serious constraints. In other words, it is difficult to get good quality images underwater and there is always the element of risk and danger involved.

Environmental constraints also require photographers to develop and sharpen their organizational and planning skills, which make or break any attempt at underwater photography. The steps it takes in order to simply get to the subject are often complex, involving events beyond anyone's control. For example, when an electronic flash fails underwater, a photographer cannot simply reach into their equipment case and pull out another one. Replacing the flash unit requires them to alert their diving companion, get back on the boat, take off most of the gear it originally took them a half an hour to put on, find a dry place to work on the equipment, and the get back in the water. Being unable to change film or a flash memory card underwater is the best example of a photographic environmental constraint that requires careful planning. On land, photographers usually take this simple procedure for granted, but it is a significant part of preparations for an underwater photographic shoot.

On the recreational level, the availability of underwater photography equipment at an affordable price allows sport divers to capture underwater encounters on film or digital. More and more divers are putting down spearguns and picking up cameras. On the professional level, the quality of underwater images continues to improve as increasingly advanced camera systems become available and as the market for such images broadens. The growing public awareness of the condition of the oceans - through the efforts of such conservation groups as Greenpeace, the Cousteau Society, and the World Wildlife Fund - continues to require high-impact, high-quality images that reveal the delicate nature and the precarious balance of the underwater world. At any level, underwater photography is just as exhilarating to look at, as it is to photograph it.
There is a group called the South Florida Underwater Photography Society
You can view there website here: www.sfups.org/
They love getting together for dive shoots.


Equipment needed for underwater photography

The two words that characterize all underwater photo equipment are "waterproof" and "rugged." The primary consideration in designing any piece of underwater photo gear is keeping the internal parts dry. This requirement shapes the design process for developing submersible camera systems. It calls for the use of strong, corrosion-resistant materials, as well as testing facilities that allow manufacturers to experiment with units under varying pressures underwater. Camera equipment for underwater photography must also be able to withstand extended periods of exposure to vibrations, the corrosion that saltwater can cause, violent knocks and bumps, and a variety of other abuses that would destroy even the most durable land camera immediately. As a result, most underwater camera equipment is heavy, bulky, oversized, and awkward to handle, at least on land. There are special needs for all underwater photography equipment and it must remain dry underwater.

Camera systems were developed along two major lines. The first consists of taking an existing land camera and designing a watertight vessel called a housing for it. Not only must this system accommodate getting the camera in and out of the housing in order for photographers to load the film and change lenses, but it also must have through-vessel fittings so that they can manipulate the camera controls from outside it. However, each fitting is a point on the housing where water can seep in, and each requires a seal. Early housings were not very reliable, like they are today. Today's modern housing models are made of both molded plastic and metal, and are extremely reliable if maintained properly.

In the second approach, the camera is the housing: the camera body represents the vessel with the outside controls that are directly linked to the inner workings of the camera. These controls include the shutter-release button, the lens-aperture control, and the film- advance lever. This approach is applied to viewfinder cameras only, with which it works quite well. The degree of complexity in the workings of single-lens-reflex cameras has, for the time being, prevented this approach from being used with these cameras.

Lens selection for underwater photography is rather limited, mainly because of the need to shoot at small camera-to-subject distances. Because there is no room for long distance photography underwater, telephoto lenses are not needed. Zoom lenses are also rarely used underwater because they require an additional housing. Most underwater photography is done with what is considered close-up or wide-angle lenses, both of which allows photographers to get close to their subject.

Because of the general lack of natural ambient lighting that is below the water's surface, most underwater photography requires supplementary light as either fill or, more often than not, key lighting. Additional light is usually needed to show the true colors of all of the subjects. These are usually lost because of water's differential absorption of visible light. There are three sources of artificial light for underwater use: movie lights, flashbulbs, and electronic flash units. Movie Lights - This source of artificial light allows photographers to dim the light and see in advance exactly what the picture will look like.

However, movie lights designed for underwater photography are not appropriate for still photography, primarily because they require large quantities of power in order to produce enough light to adequately cover most picture areas. Another problem: the color temperature of most movie lights does not match the color temperature ratings of most still-format films and digital cameras sensors. Flashbulbs - These artificial-light sources enable photographers to use cameras that synchronize flash firing with fast shutter speeds. Underwater photography subjects rarely have to be photographed with a flash at shutter speeds greater than 1/90 of a second because of the density of water: it significantly slows down almost any object moving through it.

Electronic Flash Units or speedlights - Essentially, all artificial light for underwater photography is supplied by electronic flash units. The advantages of using them include dependable firing and synchronization, adequate light output and area coverage, color temperatures that match existing film types, and adaptability to automatic light sensing/output or manual modes. There are a variety of makes and models to choose from in this line of artificial light.

For the most part, all underwater photography is done in the 35mm format or more recently in the digital format. Using medium-format camera systems underwater is complicated because of the difficulty in designing and constructing waterproof housings for them. Another reason for the dominance of the 35mm film format in underwater photography was the development of the Nikon's 35mm format system. Its widespread popularity in both the consumer and professional markets has had a big influence on the technological research, design, and construction of underwater camera equipment. While the size of the consumer market for underwater camera equipment is growing, it is still quite small in comparison to the market for cameras used on land. As a result, the research and development of underwater gear are slow.

Within the 35mm format, both light sensitivity and color characteristics determine film selection for underwater photography. Although print film gives photographers more leeway in regard to exposure during the developing process - which can be particularly helpful in underwater use where measuring ambient light is often difficult - slide film seems to be preferred for two reasons. First, it is less expensive than print film. Given the amount of film photographers go through underwater, price can become an important consideration from a budgetary point of view. Second, if the images will be used commercially, transparencies are generally preferred: they tend to reproduce better.

In addition, black and white film is used very little underwater; getting good shade contrast is difficult in most underwater situations. Because of this, black and white images usually appear dull and extremely monochromatic; they lean toward a fairly even gray tone, and everything in the picture blends in with everything else.

Digital photography has caught up with film in the quality department and has many advantages over film that is apparent in the land or underseas photography realm.

With the limited levels of ambient light underwater, "fast" color films are generally more useful for images in which ambient light is key. Some photographers use films with ratings of ISO 100 and higher despite the inherent problems of graininess and loss of resolution with the faster films. These include films with ISO ratings of 200 and 400, whose grain quality has been improved recently. With ambient light, images will lean heavily toward a monochromatic combination of blue and green - a result of water's color-absorption properties. With color-print film, warm colors can be enhanced to a certain degree during the printing process. This can also be done with slide film if an internegative is made and a print is produced from it. This reason of water than absorbs color from the white spectrum of light is why the seas appear blue and green.

Getting sharp, clear images underwater is hindered by several factors that vary with the type of camera system being used. With viewfinder cameras, the first concern is accurately estimating camera-to-subject distances. Refraction of light plays a role here: it confuses the issue on a conceptual level. As a result of refraction, the subject appears to be approximately 25 percent closer than it actually is. And, because there is another air/water interface between the camera lens and the surrounding water, the camera also "sees" the subject as being 25 percent closer than it is. So at whatever distance photographers estimate the subject is from the camera, that is the correct focus setting for the lens.

Focusing single-lens-reflex cameras underwater has its own set of difficulties. The main problems are being able to see through the viewfinder and getting a clear image on the focusing screen. Basically, photographers are looking through five glass interfaces: the face mask, the viewing window in the waterproof camera housing, the viewfinder of the camera in the housing, the lens, and finally the window on the other side of the housing through which the lens sees the subject. The generally low levels of light underwater further complicate these problems. South Florida is a wonderful place to practice underwater photography and scuba diving. Just be careful of the man-o-wars and sharks and barracudas.

All information gathered from various Internet sources including Duenow.com and Underwater Photography by Charles Seaborn published by Amphoto, New York, New York. 1988.

Beach Wedding planning

This was another wedding planned by Amy of Fabulous Wedding Planning. Amy is a fabulous wedding planner. This was a small intimate beach wedding as is great for a couple from out of town that need help with planning.

All of these pictures taken by Robert H. Walker

Microsoft is banking on a new imaging format called JPEG XR

By Robert Walker
Photography of Palm Beach

We at Photography of Palm Beach use the large JPEG standard for all of our wedding customers. We use large JPEG and it has a 4 to 1 compression ratio. This large format has very little loss of information quality in the way of photographic formatting. Raw format is great for editing and formatting, but the customers need JPEG for their printing of their images at the photo labs.

Cannon and Nikon use different methods for their "raw" format in the way they process their pictures or digital images and they are not compatible. There is no industry standard at the present time. Tiff and JPEG is the closest thing to an industry standard at the moment.

We do hope that maybe one day we will see a new and better standard for digital image compression that has little or no loss of information in the compression of the digital file.

Bill Gates and the Microsoft group are looking to have the entire photographic industry switch as an alternative to the photography standard known as the JPEG image format. Microsoft is hoping that this could become an industry standard. If adopted by the photography and camera manufacturers then this could be a major step in Microsoft’s business ambitions to spread this photographic technology and this would boost the newest Vista operating system.

(I have personally had problems with Vista and it made me switch to Apple)

The Joint Photographic Experts Group has named the current industry standard, which is what the JPEG file format is named after. They want to see if they should make Microsoft's relatively new HD Photo format a new standard.

“Getting to this stage is a good sign in Microsoft's view, and the company has hopes the format will be accepted as a standard called JPEG XR” as quoted by Mr. Robert Rossi, who is the principal program manager at Microsoft for emerging image and video technology.

"The fact that this happened is a very strong endorsement. It's very rare for this to be reversed in the formalities that happen between now and October," Rossi is quoted as saying. Microsoft wants the new format to be the standard.

“JPEG standardization could improve the format's prospects” Info Trends analyst Ed Lee is quoted as saying. "That helps the potential future of the standard significantly," he is also quoted as saying. “With an open standard, it will be easier to win allies such as camera makers, and competitors "won't feel as wary about adopting it."

The new standard will need the support of Adobe and Photoshop otherwise the new standard would be doomed to failure. Adobe’s Photoshop is the industry standard for digital image editing and retouching of photographs. Microsoft hopes the new HD format will put their new product lines in the middle of people's digital imaging. Windows Vista has built-in support for the file format right out of the box.

"It's going to make Vista more attractive as an operating system to use," Rossi is quoted as saying. Microsoft has found some very important partners for JPEG XR. Hasselblad is reported to be on-board with using the new entry into the imaging format by Microsoft. Earlier this year, Microsoft already won praise from image-editing software Adobe, which is the digital image and graphic design standard in the USA and much of the world.

Standardization alone will not guarantee success with consumers or businesses. It was reported that JPEG 2000, a successor to the original JPEG that came from the same photographic experts industry standards group, has been a complete failure the consumer markets and this even though it offered much more superior compression quality.

The new XR file format began its debut in the Windows Media Photo. 2006 sparked an effort by Microsoft to encourage a much broader acceptance as Microsoft changed the name of the imaging format to HD Photo. Microsoft also rescinded restrictive licensing and went to the open source and royalty-free terms of usage by the public.

The "XR" in the name has reference to and stands for the extended range of color tones that the format can represent as opposed to the standard JPEG of today. Microsoft claims that this new technology of XR JPEG can represent each separate component of red, blue and green color in a pixel with 8 bits of data. Digital cameras usually take and record images with 12 bits of data so this has a conversion factor to JPEG typically loses some information in a digital image that a photographer might desire to keep. Digital imaging details in the shadows of a face or the creases in light colored clothing. JPEG XR can store a minimum of 16 of data per color for each pixel.

Newer color printers should be able to tap into the full capabilities of the new technology Microsoft hopes. Among some of the many other advantages Microsoft puts forth are: Compression technology that can record the same quality as traditional JPEG but using only half the file size space or twice the quality at the same file size as using the standard JPEG available now. Also Microsoft states that in addition, unlike JPEG, the XR format’s new encoding algorithm will preserve all the digital imaging pixel data in what is called "loss less" compression and this is comparable to raw imaging.

XR is said to permit richer more vivid colors and better archival preservation as images are moved from camera to computer to printer. If this is as good as Microsoft states then this should be a real boom for the professional photographer and digital graphic artist.

HD Photo images can be huge, as large as 68.6 terapixels total, as long as the compressed image doesn't exceed 32GB in size.

Many photographers of today are seeking to use and extract all the digital imaging data from their cameras using the so-called "raw" formats, which capture image sensor information without in-camera processing.

The “raw” format allows one to have more manipulation of the following: color balance, sharpening, noise reduction and lossy compression into JPEG. Raw images are converted to the manufacturers proprietary file formats that are more easily viewed or printed formats such as JPEG or TIFF. TIFF is a large format imaging formula that is very good at preserving data and has very little loss in data.

Microsoft is banking that JPEG XR will do away with need for raw imaging.
"You're giving people much of the capability of raw in a convenient file format," Rossi said. "On the ultra-high-end there might be still a preference to use raw," he added. Getting the average mainstream photographer to use the new XR JPEG format will be a challenge. Standardization by the industry experts and computer and camera makers could make that easier.
"The bigger challenge is going to be getting the equipment manufacturers to buy in and incorporate that compression standard into their hardware," Lee said. "Once you've got that hardware, you're well on your way to getting it at least adopted by some consumers."

We will see where this goes and Microsoft has a habit of making something free and then start charging for what was once free, once it has been accepted into the mainstream.

Time for the reception

Time for the wedding reception and dinner, dancing and drinks...

All images by Robert H. Walker

Apple Tiger VS Windows Vista operating system. Microsoft Windows Vista – Vista the WOW factor - as in WOW Vista does not work… The black screen of death aka The Darth Vader of operating systems. I use Google's Picasa and Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Photoshop for retouching the digital photography and imaging that I take as a professional wedding photographer. I have been forced to migrate from a windows based operating system to an Apple based operating system. I like the Apple IPhoto digital imaging editing program and it compares favorably with the Google Picasa editing program. Digital cameras take decent pictures, but oftentimes the images need editing to get rid of clutter and color correcting. There is a learning curve from migrating from a Vista to a Tiger operating system. But as a wedding Photographer I need to do the best possible job for my married clients at their wedding. Editing of digital images is truly one of the most important aspects of the photography business. I can take an average picture or digital image and edit and retouch it and turn it into a great piece of artwork. Photoshop is a truly great program and piece of software. You can take Photoshop and take a photograph and change the colors in a photograph to anything that you want. You can restore old photos as it is used for old photograph restoration. I used this Photoshop program while I worked at a graphics arts business, just prior to my getting into the photography business full-time. I have used Apple Macs and Microsoft Windows based PC’s in my line of work and you can get digital image editing software for either platform. Google has a wonderful program called Picasa and it works only on PC’s with a Windows based operating system. Google’s Picasa is a great photo-editing program and it is free. I really like Picasa and having Google offering it for free. Thank you Google. I purchased a new HP computer, a laptop and the Vista system did not work properly. The CD/DVD player would hang up while viewing picture slideshows, right out of the box. My wedding photography client and I were really unimpressed. They did not hire me and I thank Microsoft for this mess. Hello Apple... I really liked Windows XP – But this Vista is a big problem with the last PC that I bought and returned. As a professional wedding and family portrait photographer, I can ill afford to wait while Microsoft fixes Vista problems. So I purchased an Apple Mac and it seems to be real good so far. Apple has far fewer virus and spy ware problems with the Tiger operating system. Sorry Mr. Gates, but as a business I cannot wait until you work out the bugs and problems with Vista. I do not dislike Bill and Microsoft and I respect them in many ways. But I cannot purchase a computer system for my photography business and not have the luxury of waiting for the bugs to be removed from Vista.

Wedding arch

This is a decorated wedding arch made of bamboo and we can put the flower and color combination of your choice for your wedding day. The bride wanted Fuchsia as her color scheme and the groom wanted the "safety orange" as his color combo. These pictures were not retouched or color corrected. They are raw and unedited and maybe only cropped.

Mom and Dad of the bridal party and yes that is the real "safety orange" color of the lei as the color in the picture is not touched.

Hey when does the reception start...?

Rings and finger shot with the bouquet on the beach.

Bride and groom - get the sunglasses out for that orange...

Walking into the sunset on the beach.

Group family shot.

Romantic beach picture.

Rain is considered "good luck" on the wedding day. There was good luck on this wedding day on the beach as it sprinkled a bit.

Decorated wedding arch made of bamboo with colors of your choice.

All pictures taken by Robert H. Walker

Photography is sometimes called painting with light

Job 38: 19 - Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

Photon:

The words photo, photograph, photography, photographer and photon all have the same Greek root word. photon means light. Photo and photograph all have reference to paint with light and photography is the art of painting with light and the photographer is the artist that paints with light. A camera captures light and color and in essence creates an painting with light.

The photon was originally called a "light quantum" by Albert Einstein and the modern name "photon" is derived from the Greek word for light. A scientist named Lewis' had a theory was never accepted as it was contradicted by many experiments, but he coined a new name, photon, was adopted immediately by most physicists.

Visible light at times will behave like a wave but at other times it acts like a stream of high-speed, submicroscopic particles. Sir Isaac Newton was one of the first scientists to have a theory that light consists of a group of particles. Modern physicists have demonstrated that the energy in any electromagnetic field is made up of a group of discrete packets.

The term photon has the meaning of visible-light particle and this has been proposed for these energy packets. Particle-like behavior is not restricted to the visible-light portion of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Radio waves, infrared rays, visible light, ultraviolet rays, X rays, and gamma rays all consist of photons, each of which contains a particular amount of energy that depends on the specific wavelength.

White light is made up of the following visible (optical) color spectrum: violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and if you split the colors through a prism then you will see the various colors. A rainbow is essentially the same optical vision as a prism as the atmosphere allows our eyes to view the varied colors of white light as it shifts to the splendid colors we see. Red, Blue and Green are the primary colors and you can make up the full range of visible colors from these three (3) colors.

Light was essentially and originally captured on film and was printed on paper, so that you could see the vivid colors. Now the light is essentially captured on a sensor and transmitted to a monitor or printer. Photography has truly changed a great deal since I was in college and used my 35 mm camera.

In the physical universe there are a great many things which cannot be explained. Among these many things is light. Light, as far as we know, comes in different wave lengths and the size of the wavelength will determine what type of light it is. The middle wavelength lights are what gives us the seven basic colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Beside these visible lights there are the lights that cannot be seen by the human eye. These invisible lights can be grouped into two other groups the long waves and short waves.

Light's properties can seem very confusing and appears inconsistent because of the unique nature and properties of light: light has the properties of both a wave and a particle. In some situations, light's behavior is more easily explained by thinking of light as a particle. In other situations, its behavior can only be explained if light is thought of as a wave. This duality of the nature and properties of light between a particle and a wave is very difficult if not impossible to visualize. It is much easier to see light demonstrate its properties in specific situations.

Light as it behaves as a Wave:

Before the nineteenth century, the physics and scientific community was split in a controversy over the actual nature and properties of light. Around 1800, Thomas Young devised an experiment designed specifically to settle the debate over the nature of light once and for all. The basic principle behind the experiment was how light would behave when it encountered an obstacle with a hole that was smaller than the beam of light. Young set up a beam of light to shine through a slit, then the resulting light that made it through that slit was to pass through two more slits side by side. If light behaves as a group of particles, it should pass through the first slit, then through the two small slits. But, it should not spread out after passing through the slits. Because of this if light behaves as a particle in this situation, only two stripes of light should end up passing through the entire slit system.

These results were not what Young actually observed. Instead of seeing two stripes, Young saw a series of many stripes. This was definitely not consistent with the behavior of a particle. However, it was consistent with the behavior of a wave. When a wave passes through a slit, it spreads out on the other side. Also, when two waves pass over each other they can interfere with each other. These two properties of waves explain the behavior that Young observed. When the light waves pass through the slit, the waves spread out on the other side of the slit. When the two waves overlap, they interfere with each other.

Fabulous Wedding Planning

This is the handy work of Fabulous Wedding Planning. She does wonderful work and I recommend her to all. I have seen her do small intimate beach weddings and these pictures were taken in the club house at a gated community. Click on the below link to go to her website. Her name is Amy and she will take care of the decor for your wedding.

Fabulous Wedding Planning

Pictures by Christina and Robert H. Walker