Welcome New Clients!

• Kramer+Crone PLC
• Hope Presbyterian Church

The future of our business truly depends upon the satisfaction of our customers, and we are happy you have chosen to become part of our family. We strive to provide all of our customers with fast, efficient service, along with the highest quality products available. If you are interested in our products and services, please contact us for more information!

Still curious who our satisfied clients are? Click here to view a partial client list. ]]> http://www.mangiantephoto.com/blog/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=91 http://www.mangiantephoto.com/blog/wordpress/?p=90 http://www.mangiantephoto.com/blog/wordpress/?p=90#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:54:31 +0000 gene_mangiante http://www.mangiantephoto.com/blog/wordpress/?p=90 Adobe has introduced Photoshop Express as an application for Apple’s iPad and iPhone. Previously known as Photoshop.com Mobile, the app has now been optimized for use with the iPad. It enables users to view, edit and apply effects to images via gesture-based functions. Photoshop Express is available as a free download from Apple’s App Store for new users and as an update including the new name for existing users. It is also available in the Android Marketplace.

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Have you ever stopped to think about all the different types of photography? There are many different categories, which means and almost endless variety of new things to try! You are probably familiar with some of the more common fields, like fashion, sports, and photojournalism - but let me introduce you to five areas of photography that you may not even know exist!

1) Forensic: If you love crime shows like CSI and Law & Order, you’ll be interested in this area of photography. Forensic photographers take pictures of crime scenes to help law enforcement with an investigation. Accuracy is extremely important, so forensic photographers will use scales and rulers, correct lighting and lenses, and a variety of different viewpoints and angles in order to best represent the scene. Most law enforcement agencies use digital SLR cameras, because they have instant access to the images, and because each image is ’stamped’ with the date and time, making it easy to verify authenticity. Photographers must be trained in a specialized course in order to work in the field of forensics.

2) Aerial: Aerial photography is any photography taken from an elevated position, as in from an airplane or the top of a tall building. It was first introduced by a Frenchman, who would ride a hot air balloon over Paris and take pictures of the city. Nowadays, you commonly see aerial shots of sports arenas, sweeping landscapes, and satellite photographs of our cities. Give aerial photography a try the next time you take a plane ride or visit a skyscraper. If you’re a traveler, plan a vacation in the mountains, or take your own hot air balloon ride!

3) Underwater: For the adventurous photographer, underwater photography provides a unique and stimulating experience, and a whole host of new challenges. This form of photography is commonly practiced by scuba divers, snorkelers, and swimmers, and by people on boats or submarines. Underwater cameras come in a wide variety of formats - from disposable film models that you can pick up at a drugstore, to high-tech digital SLRs with watertight casings. If you’re interested in trying it out, make sure to bring your camera with you the next time you hit the lake, beach, or pool. And if you’d really like to get your feet wet with underwater photography, sign up for scuba or snorkel classes at a local dive shop. Many dive shops will offer photography classes to help you learn what you need about this exciting field!

4) Pinhole: The pinhole camera, one of the oldest forms of cameras, is simply a lightproof box with a tiny hole for an aperture, and no lens. As light from a scene passes through the aperture, it projects an upside-down image onto the back wall of the box, where the photographer has placed a sheet of photo paper. It creates an image there in the same way that a lens camera will create an image on film. Pinhole cameras are easy to make at home, and they are really fun to use. Try having a pinhole project with your kids! You can find instructions on how to make your own at the Kodak website - or by following this link: http://tinyurl.com/kodakpinhole. Also, you can find some great samples of pinhole photography on Flickr at the “Pinhole Photography” group page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/pinholers/.

5) Paranormal: Paranormal photography is the practice of attempting to catch any kind of paranormal or ghostly activity with your camera. Photographers look for image abnormalities that they call “ghosts, orbs, flying rods, or apparitions,” and they will often use specialized equipment to detect the presence of paranormal activity. Photographers can either set out in search of such phenomenon, or find it unexpectedly in pictures they’ve already taken. Many cities have paranormal societies or clubs that lead photo expeditions - if you’re interested in the spookier side of photography, you might want to give it a try!

If you’re interested in getting involved in these or any other fields of photography, try a Google search for the terms and see what else you can learn. You never know what kinds of clubs or classes are meeting in your home town! Happy shooting!

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Like so many people these days, I’m completely addicted to my iPhone. I love the easy access to email, the ability to Google the answers to my questions no matter where I am, and the amazing Maps app that saves me from getting lost every time I get in the car. My favorite feature, though, has to be the awesome camera. The iPhone camera is fast, convenient, and high quality. With a host of available apps that make this already great feature even better, the iPhone camera is a photographer’s dream.

I’ve tried out many of the camera apps, but I have a few favorites that really stand out from the rest. I’ve compiled a list for you, of the top 9 iPhone photography apps I recommend:

1) Photoshop Mobile - free A simple to use image editing tool for making on-the-go adjustments to your shots. This is my number one, can’t live without it camera app!

2) Hipstamatic - $1.99, $0.99 for additional lens packs Imitates the effects of a rare vintage camera. Turns your snapshots into something fun and truly unique. Use the add-on lens film packs and the ’shake’ randomize feature for even more options. So much fun, and the results are fantastic!

3) CameraBag - $1.99 A large, easy to use assortment of vintage camera effects that turn your snapshots into something a little more special! Great for people who don’t want to deal with the additional cost of the Hipstamatic lens packs.

4) Camera Plus / CP Pro - Free / $1.99 Turns your camera phone into a mini-DSLR! Comes with various shooting modes and tools to help you get the most out of your pictures. Both the free and paid versions are worth a try.

5) Flickr Mobile - Free The app for the website flickr.com, lets you browse and upload from your phone. If you use Photobucket, MobileMe, or some other photo sharing site, there’s an app for you too!

6) Sneaky Pics - Free Lets you take pictures secretly - you pretend to talk on the phone while it silently snaps away! Perfect for those moments when discretion is necessary.

7) Color Splash - $1.99 Will colorize a portion of your image and leave the rest black and white. Very cute effects, but it takes a bit of practice to learn how to use this app.

TiltShift Generator - $0.99 Will make the subjects of your pictures look like miniature dioramas. Especially good for landscape and architectural shots. A specialized app for slightly more advanced users.

9) Incredibooth - $0.99 Only for the new iPhone 4G. Uses the new second camera on the front of the phone. It imitates a vintage photo booth, and comes with multiple effects. Really fun, authentic results!

Have fun experimenting with these tools, and see how easy it is to transform your cell phone pictures into little works of art! If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up with a photo library of 1,000+ images in no time!

• Aardvark Sweeping
• Bon Lin Middle School
• L’Ecole Culinaire
• Univ. of Tennessee - Dept. of Surgery

The future of our business truly depends upon the satisfaction of our customers, and we are happy you have chosen to become part of our family. We strive to provide all of our customers with fast, efficient service, along with the highest quality products available. If you are interested in our products and services, please contact us for more information!

Still curious who our satisfied clients are? Click here to view a partial client list.

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It’s finally summertime, and everyone is making plans for a little fun in the sun! Maybe it’s a big vacation to the beach, a girls’ day by the pool, or a run through the sprinklers with your family. Whatever the reason for your water-side gatherings, you’re sure to experience a lot of fun things you won’t want to forget. Contrary to what you may think, these summer memories are the perfect excuse to break out your camera - even if you’ve got a nice digital model. It IS possible to take great pictures AND keep your camera safe when you’re hanging out by the water, and I’m going to tell you how to do it!

Have you got a digital camera that takes great pictures, but you’re afraid to take it anywhere near the water? You can purchase a plastic case for your camera, called a ‘housing,’ that will create a water-tight seal around your camera, protecting it from sand, salty air, and anything wet. You can find a housing online by searching for your camera model and “underwater housing” on sites like Amazon.com, with options ranging in price between $25 and $2,500 dollars, depending on the model of your camera. Whether you have a compact snap-shot camera, or a full-size digital SLR, there is an underwater casing for you. There is always a slight risk of leakage, but if you use the case properly, you should not have any trouble taking your digital camera with you through the slip-and-slide, or all the way into the ocean!

If the thought of an underwater casing is making you queasy, then perhaps a disposable underwater camera would be a better choice for you. The bonus to using a disposable camera is obvious - you don’t have to worry about destroying your expensive investment! Though the image quality will not be equal to what your regular camera takes, the versatility and ease of disposable cameras make them great options for budget trips and younger hands. You can still find film disposable cameras at most convenience stores, but digital disposables are also available, for just a few more dollars. If you’re willing to pay a little more up front, you can skip the hassle of taking the camera back to the store to develop the film. But, if you’re one of those people that forget to make prints, you might find that a disposable film camera is a great way to remind yourself to finally get those vacation pictures printed and framed!

Do an internet search for underwater photography, and check out all the cool things you can do with a water-capable camera. Whether it’s a run in the sprinkler, some snapshots in the pool, or a snorkeling expedition in the ocean, you’re sure to get some unique and unforgettable results when you take your camera with you!

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