HUGE TIP: How Come I Don't See all My Friends Facebook Posts?

Not seeing all the posts from those you friend or follow on Facebook.  That is Facebook deciding what to send and to whom, regardless of friend/follow.  Contact me if you'd like to see an article on why.

Anyway, my wife, Sally Dill Ossman, just pointed out a tidbit she discovered.  If you want increase your chances of seeing all your friends/followings posts, go to THEIR page, Like AND Comment, not just one or the other.  Don't do this on just your page.  For example, in this post, click on Lanis Brett Ossman in the upper part of the post, then Like and Comment there.  I’m guessing Sharing won’t hurt either, if you want to do that.

HUGE TIP: Why Do Web Photos Look Like Crap?

NOTE: This article is both for folks posting photos as well as folks simply viewing them.

Ever wonder why the photos you post or view on the web, say Facebook, look like crap, but they look fine elsewhere?  The colors are off or look flat.  This happened to me quite often.

Take this sample photo:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/on-fire-lanis-brett-ossman.html

I loved the vibrant, fire-like colors in the flower, but when I posted on the web, it looked flat and dull.  I just figured that was the web, Facebook, etc., and not much I could do about it.  Boy, was I wrong.

The problem is likely your photo settings, AND your browser.  Both are EASILY fixed.

Check out this article.  As usual it's brief and easy to follow.

Web browsers and Facebook

If you want to see an example, open the above photo using the link below it, side-by-side, in Internet Explorer and Firefox. WOW, very eye-opening.  Unfortunately, folks will use their browser of choice, and each have their pros and cons.  Maybe you can point them to Firefox to view your photos, at least for now.

As usual, any questions, fire away.

Photography Gear - Memory Cards

Definitely been asked which memory card to get a number of times.  Here's a great article from Adorama in New York City.  The article is brief, but at least check out the tables for the best card for your situation.

Picking the Right SD Card: What do the numbers mean?

From the article:

Conclusion
Choosing the right SD card for your device is crucially important to ensure that you're getting the best performance out of your device, and also prevent any kind of hiccups or data loss. A card too small could fill up and leave you without any free space when you need it most. A card too slow could cause your device to choke when attempting to write files and potentially cause those files to be lost forever. Know your needs, find the right card, and your device will thank you.

Photography Gear - Do Camera Phones Stack Up

Camera phones are getting there, but not quite yet, for higher-end photography.

From Shutterbug Magazine:
Nothing Beats a Great Piece of Glass
click link above for full article, it is brief

Excerpt from the article:

I got a lot of feedback – mostly positive but with a few spirited rejoiners – to last month’s editorial “Smartphones (Still) Can’t Compete with Great Camera Gear," that I feel I should “double down.” Again, this isn’t a knock against using smartphones for shooting images. As I mentioned last month, I do it all the time with some pretty decent results. And many serious photographers are constantly turning to that little phone in their pockets and have produced many spectacular photos.

Photography Gear - Which Camera Should I Buy?

What camera should I buy?  That’s like asking me which car to buy, but probably worse.  All depends, like a car, on what you want or care about.

Rather than say buy this camera, better I offer some quick tips:

UPDATE:
Check out this article from Digital Photo Secrets:
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Camera 

Do you already have a camera?  Probably.  What don’t you like or want to improve about it?  Some typical responses:

I want to take better pictures?  What’s wrong with the pictures you take now?

I just want them to look better.  Maybe you just need to improve your photography skills.  Try a FREE site like this: http://www.photographycourses.biz/videos

My photos are grainy or blurry.  Improve your skills (see above).  Read your camera manual.  I know, YUCK.  Better, download one from the manufacturer’s web site.  You can easily search that one.  Bottom line, learn your camera’s capabilities and how to best use it.  You might be surprised what your current camera can do, once you know how. 

Look over features and specifications of some cameras to help you figure out what you want or don’t care about.  http://www.amazon.com is a great place to do this. 

Armed with the above knowledge, NOW ask which camera to buy.  However, take any advice with a grain of salt, especially a sales pitch.  Remember often their objective is to sell you as much as they can, whether you really need it or not. Also, always ask about a NO QUESTIONS ASKED return policy.  Make sure you test your new camera before that timeframe expires.

As usual, any questions, fire away.

Photo Finishing or Editing - Tutorials

I would never recommend just playing around with any photo editing software to learn it.  I guarantee you will miss plenty.  Most editing software has both pay and free tutorials on the internet.  I would search on Google and YouTube.

Anthony Morganti has some fantastic videos laid out as a course with lessons, totally free.  But again, search Google and YouTube.  You may find something you like better.

http://www.anthonymorganti.com/

Anthony's YouTube PlayLists Playlists are great for organized course type videos

Photo Finishing or Editing - Photoshop

Want to watch a magician work magic with Photoshop.  Not necessarily special effects, but taking a ho-hum photo and turning it into WOW.

Here's one YouTube video from Phlearn I just watched.  It is about 30 minutes, but if you are into or curious about Photoshop, worth a look.  Blows you away.

How To Take Great Vacation Photos - Tulum, Mexico

Quick Tips for Anyone with a Camera - Grainy/Noisy Photos

Grainy/Noisy photos tend to come from low-light situations, where the ISO is cranked up. Different cameras will handle this better than others. But a couple of ideas:

• Low-light doesn’t mean night. Even indoors can be low light to the camera.
• Read about scenes in your camera manual to find any that lower ISO.
• Lower ISO typically leads to less noise.
• Try a flash if possible to add more light and lower ISO
• Many cameras have a noise reduction feature, but try both with and without.
• Many photo editors, like Lightroom and Photoshop have noise reduction features.

 Questions, fire away. Future topics for tips?

Quick Tips for Anyone with a Camera - Blurry Photos

In my experience blurry photos tend to be from camera shake.

Try the following:

• Turn on image stabilization (whatever your camera calls it)...
• Use a tripod or monopod where reasonable.
• NOTE: Turn off stabilization when using a tripod
• Speed up your shutter as you zoom in. An easy approach option: use sports or action scenes

Questions, fire away. Future topics for tips?

Quick Tips for Anyone with a Camera - Things to do with Your Photos

Just one of the things I do with some of my photos. :-)

A free photography contest site, with new contests frequently.

GuruShots.com/

Another Way to Watch YouTube

Like watching YouTube videos, but not sitting at your computer. How would you like to watch them on TV without hooking your up your computer to it? Check out this site.

SaveFrom.net

If your TV has a USB port, and many now do, and you have a memory stick, this site will let you save YouTube videos on your memory stick. Plug the stick into your TV, and viola.
Got any questions, fire away, but the site is pretty easy to use. Now, I'm going to go sit on my couch and watch some photography ...videos.

Photography Locations - Aviary Reconditioning Center

Had a nice photo shoot at the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, Florida.

Avian Reconditioning Center