Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Are Your Photos Getting Shared Online? [Infographic]

Choosing the right place to put your photos online to make sure they get shared is a scary proposition.  Did you know women are more likely than men to use Pinterest, while Instagram and Tumblr attract equal shares of men and women?

In fact, here are some of the latest statistics for 2013 Social Media use (facts and figures from the GlobalWebIndex Q1 2013 study):
1.  Twitter is the fastest growing social network in the world by active users. (Tweet me!)
2.  Twitter's fastest growing age demographic is 55-65 year olds. (Tweet me!)
3.  Facebook has 1.1 billion monthly active users. (Tweet me!)
4.  Facebook has 665 million daily active users. (Tweet me!)
5.  Google+ remains the number 2 social platform in the world with 359 million monthly active users. (Tweet me!)
What this all means is that you have to make sure that you post your photos in the right place using social media. Read the latest infographic from Muvee to learn more.

Are your photos getting shared?

Originally posted on blog.muvee.com.

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Fundamentals of Macro Photography [Infographic]

According to Wikipedia, macro photography was invented by Fritz Goro and it is considered to be extreme close-up photography, usually in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size.  The ratio of the subject size on the film plane or camera's sensor compared to the actual subject size is known as the reproduction ratio.  By some definitions, a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor is life size or greater.

A macro lens is classically a lens capable of reproduction ratios greater than 1:1, although it often refers to any lens with a large reproduction ratio, despite rarely exceeding 1:1.  Macro lenses are specifically designed for close-up work, with a long barrel for close focusing and are optimized for high reproduction ratios. True macro lenses can achieve higher magnification than life size, enabling photography of the structure of small insect eyes, snowflakes, and other minuscule objects.  Most modern macro lenses can focus continuously to infinity and provide excellent optical quality for even normal photographic situations.

Macro lenses of different focal lengths find different uses:
  • Continuously-variable focal length – suitable for virtually all macro subjects 
  • 45–65 mm – product photography, small objects that can be approached closely without causing undesirable influence, and scenes requiring natural background perspective 
  • 90–105 mm – insects, flowers, and small objects from a comfortable distance 
  • 150–200 mm – insects and other small animals where additional working distance is required
For those of you looking for a good reference on Macro Photography, our friends over at Photo Affiliates have put together a great infographic.  The infographic follows the step by step rules of macro photography beginning from lens focal length & depth to aperture settings. As it wraps up the lesson on macro photography it suggests alternative ways of shooting macro without a proper macro lens.



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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Thoughtful Thursday Photography Quote: July 25

Hey, I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota - what did you expect when I came up with a metaphor?!  But keep looking for that one nugget of gold when you take your photographs.  When it comes, it will be well worth it.



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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips

Living in the Black Hills of South Dakota means a car show about every weekend.  Rapid City Police hosted the Cruiser Car Show 2013 in downtown Rapid City, SD on July 14.  It is an exceptional show on the beautiful downtown Main Street with the historic buildings, tree lined avenues, and side streets full of vendors.

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: 1954 Sedan Delivery

The great set-up, but now what?  How do you shoot a car show and what tips can you provide me for making memories that come even close to what I saw!?  Here's five great tips for car shows - Dakota Visions style!


1.  Pray for overcast, cloudy skies.  If your religious, pray - pray - pray!  If you are not a believer, then ask someone who is to pray for you.  The bright shining sun may create sparkle to your own eyes, but that high contrast and glare creates all sorts of hassle with your camera and post-processing.

If you don't luck out (or maybe didn't go to church enough this month) then go early in the day or late in the day to keep the sun as low to the horizon as possible.  We lucked out this year with a hazy, cloudy fore noon with even a few sprinkles.

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Plymouth Pickup

2.  If you enjoy a car, or it pleases you aesthetically - then shoot it from many different angles.  A car show is so much more than just the side view of classic car show stance.  Look for what you can integrate into the shot as well - hey, this Chevy pickup is not only "Paris Chic", but it's on the "edge"!  (OK - you may have to go to the full size view to pick those out...)

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Chevy Pickup

And sometimes, things can just get "riveting"!

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Ford Pickup - Rosie the Riveter

3.  Get creative - and that may mean that you have to get down on your knees. (This may or may not be directed at some of you from tip #1 - pray.  LOL!)  That creative angle is what most people won't do in a car show, but it shows off some of the most beautiful angles of a car.  Think speed - low, lean and long on those muscle cars.  (I know, your knees may feel like they are on "fire", but that shot will fly like a "bird.)

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Firebird

4.  Bring ultra wide lenses and a macro.  See our previous posting on "Going Macro at Kool Deadwood Nites Car Show". Walk all around the car and look for the different interesting shots.  Think of it in pieces (you know, like when a "Barracuda" eats its prey and pieces get strewn all over the river).

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Barracuda 440

Think of the car as a diagram - what to shoot with a wide angle, and what to shoot with a macro.  Think of logos, hood ornaments, mirrors, and door handles.  Make sure to get the engine and interior with your wide angle.  Oh, ride Sally, ride!

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Ford Mustang

5.  Post-processing: It's OK to CROP!  Yes, I said you could CROP it!  Chop it, crop it, and hide all those distractions.  With reflections, people walking all around you, and those distractions in the background (yes, he really was picking his nose...)  Unless you are shooting the event as a photojournalist and regardless of what your local camera club tells you - it's OK to crop!  Sometimes it makes or breaks that shot of the car that you just love...

And talking about going old school - think of it in your processing too.  That sexy Lincoln Continental looks good not only cropped, but retro black and white too.

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Lincoln Continental

And one bonus tip: Hang onto your camera equipment.  Lots of people, lots of distractions, and no one paying any attention to anything but the cars.  Your camera gear can disappear in an instant, and even in downtown, small town America - no one will see a thing.  Sorry for that drool on the Corvette, guys...yeah, it was me.

Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips: Little Red Corvette

Most of all - have fun.  Don't spend so much time setting up the shot that you miss time with your friends, family or significant other.  And gosh and by golly - DON'T MISS THE CARS!

This whole show was shot with our new Nikon COOLPIX S9200 16 MP Digital Camera.  We took our last bonus tip to heart, and wanted to go light this year to the Cruiser Car Show.  All photos were adjusted for exposure, and contrast via Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 and defined with Nik Software Dfine 2.0 .  We highly recommend this camera as the 'carry anywhere' and unobtrusive street photography camera for any discerning photographer.

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Pocketography: The Infographic

What do you get when you take high-quality camera phones, combine them with the sophisticated social media apps and put them in the pockets of nearly every human on the planet?  You get a whole new way of documenting history.  (Oh, and a whole lot of cats, too!)

Don't forget to share this infographic via the social media buttons found below.  In the comments, make sure to leave a link to your favorite camera phone shots.


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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Thoughtful Thursday Photography Quote: July 18

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. - Anais Nin

Question.  Do you just see a blurred background?  Or do you see the reflection of the pine covered mountain in the pool of peacefully still spring water as the sun rises?

My mother used to say, "Things are not always as they seem..."  While her meaning was for a totally separate lesson about life, it still rings true for our photography.  Find the abstract in the form, and play with it.  It will allow your viewer to see things through their own 'lens', not always what we see in ours.

Thoughtful Thursday Photography Quote on See You Behind the Lens... by Anais Nin

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Monday, July 15, 2013

Sneak Peek: Cruiser Car Show

Stay tuned later this week as we feature more Cruiser Car Show photographs that took place right downtown in Rapid City, SD.  A car show is so much more than the old, reliable side view of the car.  There is geometry, patterns, angles, and great unique views waiting to be explored.  See some examples in our upcoming post. (It's live - Top 5 Car Show Photography Tips - featuring the Cruiser Car Show!)

At the car show, we were also testing out the newest addition to our camera bag: Nikon COOLPIX S9200 16 MP Digital Camera .  Yes, you read that right - I have a Nikon in my bag!  (Gasp, the horrors!  Better check - did hell freeze over last night?)  We wanted something for those times when I don't want to carry around a big DSLR but want something a little bit more creative than my cell phone.  (Do I hear a future blog post about the review of this camera coming...?!)

And now, back to the car show - we hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

Sneak Peek Cruiser Car Show Rapid City SD Plymouth Antique Truck

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Saturday, July 13, 2013

The World's Most Popular Destinations to Photograph

Have you ever wondered what was the most scientific way to pick the most popular destinations to photograph?  Well, you don't have to wonder about one of them anymore!  Scientists at Cornell University analyzed 35 million Flickr photos to look at what the world's most photographed destinations are.  They were also able to identify the most photographed landmarks in each city and the typical shot and angle used to photograph them.  The results are below along in this great infographic.

Don't forget to share online via the social media share buttons below.  Tell us in the comments - what do you think is the most popular destination to photograph?


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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Thoughtful Thursday Photography Quote: July 11

Don't shoot what it looks like.  Shoot what it feels like.  - David Alan Harvey

If we have to explain this one, I'm sorry - but, please put the camera down and walk away from it slowly.

Thoughtful Thursday Photography Quote by David Alan Harvey - Shoot what it feels like.

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Photoshop CS6 Shortcuts Infographic

A handy shortcut tool for designers and power Photoshop users alike.  This infographic comes complete with defined opacity settings for PS CS6 using the numerical keys and combined key functions including switching tools, selecting, and viewing shortcuts.  We hope you enjoy and find a good use for this great tool.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Shortcut Cheatsheet
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Cheatsheet By ZeroLag Hosting

We've never used Zerolag hosting services before, but we sure do appreciate them publishing this great tool.

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600x300

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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Exposure Guide Infographic: Road to Exposure

Exposure is one of the primary building blocks of photography, but seldom is it so clearly explained as in this infographic.  Each portion of this infographic explains the three basic components of exposure: shutter speed, ISO, and aperture.

Shutter speed or exposure time is the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open.  The total exposure is proportional to this exposure time, or duration that light is reaching the film or image sensor.  In optics, an aperture is a hole or opening through which light travels.  More specifically the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane.  Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measure on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system.  A closely related ISO system is used to measure the sensitivity of digital imaging systems.

We hope you enjoy and share this infographic on your favorite social media with the share buttons provided below.


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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Friday, July 5, 2013

Photo of the Day: July 5, 2013

As we were driving along taking photographs for our day job of the freshly cut bales of hay across western South Dakota, we caught something out of the corner of our eye on a fence post.  Meadowlark?  No, it was way to big and had too much space underneath between the fence post.  So we stopped, tracked back, and sure enough - a burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) sitting on a fence post looking for its evening meal.  We couldn't help but take a few photographs before letting the beautiful bird have supper in peace.

You never know what you will see along the road, when you take the road less traveled...

Burrowing Owl in the Black Hills of South Dakota taken by Dakota Visions Photography LLC


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by Richard S - Dakota Visions Photography, LLC

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy July 4th! Proud to be an American

Happy July 4th to you and yours from the family here at Dakota Visions Photography, LLC!

Lee Greenwood put it best in his song, "Proud to be an American".  We hope you don't mind us putting that song in your head today.

"I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, 
 And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, 
 And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today, 
 'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A."

Have a safe and happy July 4th holiday!

And remember, we can celebrate today because of those that give their lives for us everyday.  Don't forget to say a prayer for those who have served, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those in the battlefield today serving with honor.

May God bless this United States of America!

Have a safe and happy July 4th holiday from The Dakota Visions Photography LLC family!