Whether it’s a digital magazine or a good old fashioned printed version, there’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing your photos published in a magazine. But getting your work published isn’t easy. I have worked a professional photographer for almost 20 years, and I am also the founder of a an award-winning travel magazine called JRNY. So, I have experienced being on both sides of the fence. What I can tell you is that with a little bit of knowhow you can increase your chances of getting work published greatly.

Have great photos

It might sound obvious, but if you want to get your photos published, it helps if they are great photos. For a Picture Editor or Art Director, your previous work is the first thing that they looked at. So, if you don’t have a selection of great photos, make it your priority to get some.

But also if getting your work published is what you want to do, then think about the type of photos that you would see in the publications you want to contribute to. Then put together a collection that fits their style. A magazine isn’t going to change their style for you, so I would suggest flicking through a copy of previous issues to get a better idea of the type of work they publish.

The first approach

The hardest part of getting your work published, is getting your foot in the door. Most publications have their tried and tested photographers and so your task is to ultimately get into that group. Once you have the trust of the Picture Editor you will often find that they keep on re-approaching you.

So your first approach is incredibly important. In my role on JRNY magazine, I see hundred of emails a month from prospective photographers wanting to work with us. I simply don’t have the time to reply to every single person. So, my biggest advice is first and foremost, just be a nice, courteous, and polite person. If you are rude the chances are, you will never hear back. If you don’t hear back after the first email, it’s fine to send a follow-up or two, and if you don’t hear back don’t take it personally. Try again when you have other work.

Edit ruthlessly

If you are lucky enough to hear back from the Picture Editor and are asked to send some photos for consideration, be ruthless in what you select.

One of the hardest parts of being a photographer is knowing when to ditch a photo that might be close to your heart but isn’t quite right for the publication you want to pitch to. This might be because the photo isn’t technically perfect (i.e. it’s slightly blurred or too much noise). Keep in mind that print is much more unforgiving and the quality of photos have to be better than when used online. So, if it’s not perfect, don’t send it.

Think like a designer

If you want to maximize your chances of getting work published, one of the best tips I can give you is to think like a designer. By adopting a designer’s mindset, authors/photographers can approach magazine or book marketing strategically and creatively. If you look through any magazine you will be able to group the types of photos into a few categories of how they are used. These might include:

• Cover shots

These photos will require space at the top for the title of the magazine and space around the main point of interest for other text like what is in that issue.

• Double page spreads

These shots tend to be for opening pages of a feature and so require space for copy and the main point of interest either on the left or right-hand side of the page (i.e. avoid the centre of the magazine known as the gutter).

• Single page shots

These are vertical shots that work as a full page photo but don’t have as much space around the point of interest or the top of the photo.

• Half and quarter page shots

These types of shots will be more focused on the story but are not necessarily the “wow” factor shots that would look good as full pages.

• The “fillers”

These shots tend to be simple compositions that work well in small sizes. So they might be close-ups or specific details.

When taking photos or even when selecting them from your existing collection, if you can think like a designer about where the images might be used you may just find that you naturally select more appropriate photos which will have a better chance of being used.

Target the right place

One of things that I learnt at an early stage in my career was that it’s impossible to work with every publication. They all have their own styles and requirements for the type of photo that will use. So instead of a scatter gun approach, really think about which publications that are right for your work.

For example if you have tons of wildlife photos target a wildlife magazine instead of a more generic travel magazine. Or if you mainly have sport photos you probably won’t have much luck with a wedding publication. If you can build up a small pool of magazines that are perfect for your work, you will find that your success rate will improve hugely.

About Guest Author: Kav Dadfar

Kav is the professional photographer and Founding Editor of JRNY Travel Magazine. An ultra-premium coffee table style bookazine that is available in print and digital and published three times a year. Each issue features some of the world’s best travel writers and photographers and is packed with inspirational travel features and photo essays from around the globe. The magazine was launched during the pandemic and its rise in UK travel publishing has been meteoric. After just one issue, the magazine won Travel Magazine of the Year in the UK and has since won several more awards. One of the things that makes JRNY so unique is its emphasis on photography which makes it a perfect inspiration for anyone who loves photography or travel.

Colorcinch members will receive free digital versions of 3 fantastic digital issues published in 2023 plus access to the three previous issues as well! Register today for free access to this award-winning magazine.

The post Want to get your work published in a magazine? Here’s how appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

This is the perfect guide for anyone who wants to create their own successful online education business. I’ll take you through the entire process, from finding a profitable niche to creating a high-quality curriculum.

You’ll learn how to set up your course, attract students, and make a profit from your new venture.

With this guide, you can create the perfect course for your students – one that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations.

You’ll be able to give them the skills they need to succeed in today’s competitive job market. And best of all, you’ll be able to do it all from the comfort of your own home.

Let’s dive in and get started on building your very own successful online education business.

What Are We Creating Exactly?

The online course industry is growing at a rapid pace as demand increases for practical knowledge and education but without the exorbitant prices of traditional institutions.

The truth is, when it comes down to it, online education has all of the perks and none of the drawbacks of formal education.

Online courses typically include the exact same elements, such as lectures, tutorials, and materials, but of which you can access them at any time and go at your own pace.

Online courses also offer assignments and projects that you can complete for hands-on experience. In addition, they also offer forums where you can ask questions and get feedback from other students and lecturers.

By providing an online course, you can pass on your knowledge from the comfort of your own home and be paid for it, passively.

Reasons you should create your own online photography or design course

There are many reasons why you should create your own online photography or design course. Perhaps you are a professional photographer or designer who wants to share your knowledge with a wider audience.

Maybe you are an aspiring photographer or designer who is looking for a way to improve your skills and you know by teaching, you’re also learning.

Either way, an online course can be a great way to learn new techniques and develop your craft. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider creating your own online photography or design course:

1. You can reach a global audience. With an online course, you can reach students from all over the world. This gives you the opportunity to share your knowledge with a truly diverse group of people.
2. You can teach at your own pace. One of the great things about an online course is that you can teach at your own pace. This means that you can tailor the course to your student’s needs and schedules.
3. You can create course materials that reflect your unique style and approach. When you create an online course, you have the opportunity to create materials that reflect your unique style and approach to photography or design. This allows you to share your personal vision with your students.
4. You can build a community of like-minded individuals. An online course can help you connect with other photographers and designers who share your passion for creativity. This can be a great way to network and collaborate with others in the field.
5. You can earn income from your course. If you charge for access to your course, you can generate income from it. This can help offset the costs of creating and hosting the course, as well as provide an additional source of income for yourself or your business.

Whether you are a professional photographer or designer looking to share your knowledge with others, or an aspiring creative looking for a way to improve your skills, creating an online photography or design course can be a great option for you.

How To Build A Profitable Course, Step-By-Step

Building a profitable course is not as simple as creating high-quality content and throwing it up on the internet. If you want to charge for your course, you need to take a strategic approach to ensure that your investment of time and money pays off. Here are the key steps you need to take:

1. Figure out what your course will cover
2. Create a detailed outline or table of contents for your course
3. Create high-quality content
4. Choose an appropriate price point
5. Choose a platform for your course
6. Promote your course to your target audience
7. Provide excellent customer service

Let’s dive in and see what each step consists of.

1. Figure out what your course will cover

While the title of this article is targeting photography and design, it’s probably best if you separate each one into its own course so as not to stifle students with too much information.

Therefore, the first step is to figure out the scope of your course. A few considerations.

• What specific topic are you going to cover?
• How about the outcomes? What will the student gain by the end?
• Is it for beginners, advanced, or a combination?

2. Create a detailed outline or table of contents for your course

This will serve as a roadmap as you develop your material. Fleshing your course out like you would an article is the best way to approach the creative process as it keeps you on track and helps you to break down a large project into smaller chunks.

It’s recommended you break down your course into subheadings with their own outcomes in mind as well as handouts and exercises. Everything should also be set out in a linear, step-by-step fashion.

Also, try to make the course materials easily accessible, so consider using a tool that will compress pdf files, making them easier to download and manage.

3. Create high-quality content

This is essential! If your course material is lackluster, no one will want to take it. Invest the time and effort necessary to create engaging and useful content.

It should include:

• High-quality video content with clear audio (you can utilize an AI voice generator for narration)
• Relevant, supplementary hand-outs
• Additional tasks to consolidate the material

4. Choose an appropriate price point

Don’t undervalue your work, but also don’t price yourself out of the market. Look at similar courses and see what they charge, then set a competitive price for your own course.

Speaking from experience, this can take a lot of adjustment and experimentation. A good benchmark is to see how many similar courses are on sites like Udemy, where you can also see how many hours of content are in each program.

5. Choose a platform for your course

There are lots of options out there so think about what features you need and what you can afford. If you need something free, you can upload it to places like Udemy.

If you want more features, I’d recommend shopping around for the best online course platforms.

6. Promote your course to your target audience

It can be tempting to try and hammer every single social media platform in order to get as many students as possible, but this marketing tactic generally always fails.

It’s much better to do your research and pinpoint exactly where they are and hit one social media channel first. A few questions you can ask yourself.

Which platform gives me the biggest bang for my buck?
What kind of content do they consume and who do they follow?
Are they passionate about other things like certain charities, trends, social issues, or green marketing?

Use these channels to reach potential students and get them excited about taking your course. You could try email marketing to directly communicate with your target audience and share valuable information, updates, and enticing offers. As a beginner, a good strategy is to start creating both value and transactional content on your chosen social media platform.

Value content could be teaching people about a specific photography tip or advice while mentioning you also have a program. “How to” content is great, but it doesn’t pull in buyer traffic. For buyer traffic, you need transactional content.

Transactional content is most commonly found in review videos. Traffic ready to buy a product will often look for review videos as the final push they need to buy. You can use this to your advantage by honestly reviewing products and even other courses in your niche.

Traffic Highjacking

Traffic highjacking is a sneaky way you can also start making your first course sales. It is done by finding popular competitors in your niche and reviewing their products as well as creating a review for your own product.

The idea is that you give each review a rating out of 5, with your product as the best option. So instead of promoting competitor products in your final call to action, you recommend they check out your “number 1 choice review,” which is your own product.

Not many people know about this strategy, but it’s the exact same method I used to get my own first bunch of students. Please be ethical and don’t just downvote other products for the sake of getting views of your own. Ensure your course really is the best.

7. Provide excellent customer service

Once people have signed up for your course, it’s important that you deliver on your promises! You can use a customer portal solution to respond quickly to questions and concerns, and remember to always be professional and helpful. Exceptional customer service is an excellent churn prevention tactic that can help you build trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships with your customers.

This gives you an overall road map, but let’s dive into each step in detail to ensure you know exactly what to do at each stage.

Other Key Considerations For Successfully creating an online course

Creating an online course can be a great way to share your expertise with a wide audience. However, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind if you want your course to be successful.

First, it’s important to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you have a strong knowledge of. You’ll also need to be able to break down complex concepts into manageable bite-sized chunks.

Additionally, it’s important to create engaging and visually appealing content that will hold your students’ attention.

Finally, you’ll need to promote your course through various marketing channels. Rather than try to hit every social media channel out there, spend the time to research where your audience actually is and hit that one platform hard.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it. A comprehensive guide on how to build a photography or design course as a total beginner. This article has hopefully given you the knowledge and inspiration you need to get started.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. And don’t forget to share this post with your friends and followers – they might find it helpful too.

About Guest Author: Chris Hardy

Chris is a full-time content marketer running several niche blogs and a growing YouTube channel. A teacher at heart, Chris spent 10+ years as a professional dance and English teacher before diving into the world of online business where he made a name for himself on YouTube exposing “make money” scams.

The post How to Build A Photography or Design Course As A Total Beginner appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

The photography industry is fiercely competitive. Many photographers produce work of comparable quality. When you’re constantly competing for jobs and clients with other photographers, a strong brand can help market your business and gain more customers.

Having a logo is one of the most important aspects of your brand. Its purpose is to concisely identify and represent your photography business. It serves as a channel of communication between your business and its prospective market and customers.

Your logo will give potential customers an idea of what to expect from you. It also provides them with information about how you conduct business. People will learn about your brand personality and values from a great logo design.

First impressions matter

Having established already, selling photos online is highly competitive. One of the first things people notice on your photography page (apart from the images of course)is the logo of your business. It’s super important to make a good impression with potential customers right from the very beginning.

Your logo should be professional and reflect the type of photography you do. If you’re a wedding photographer for example, your logo might feature a picture of a bride and groom. If you specialize in landscape photography, your logo might feature a mountain or sunset scene.

People often judge businesses by their appearance, so it’s paramount to have a well-designed logo that makes a great first impression. Your logo is an essential part of your branding and can help people remember your business long after they’ve seen it for the first time.

A logo helps to build trust and credibility

Your logo should accurately represent what your business is all about. It helps to build trust and credibility with potential customers and clients. It shows that you’re a professional and serious about your photography business.

The values and image that you want to project should be reflected in your logo. It should be unique and memorable so that people will associate those qualities with your brand.

People hiring a photographer want to know that they’re working with an expert. A well-designed logo helps convey that message. A logo that is amateurish or looks like it was made in just five minutes can give potential clients the impression that your business is unprofessional.

On the other hand, a logo that is sleek, modern, and professionally designed conveys that your business is dependable and that you’re someone they can trust to deliver quality work.

A good logo can help you stand out from a crowd

Telling a story that will affect customers’ emotions is the key to successful branding. Although your logo is only one aspect of your brand, it forms the basis for the entire story that your brand is based on. And this will help separate your business from the crowd.

The story you’re trying to tell will determine the colors, tones, and fonts you use, and your logo sets the scene for this story. These elements can convey and demonstrate everything about your values.

Think out of the box when crafting your logo -utilizing a logo maker can be a great option. Aim to be distinctive. It will communicate to your customers what makes your photography different and better than others.

It makes your brand recognizable and builds loyalty

When people look for a photographer, they will feel more at ease if your branding is recognizable and consistent. Simply put, if people are familiar with your work, you’ll generate more business.

Your logo will help your work be easily identifiable by potential customers. It should be memorable while still being strong enough to convey the right message about your business.

And when that memory recall is coupled with an enjoyable experience, they will return to your brand for repeat business. The secret to success is having loyal customers who refer your business to other potential customers. Your brand’s reputation, customer loyalty, and referrals all depend on how well you manage your image. That’s why it’s crucial to get a professionally designed logo to establish the image you want to project.

What makes a good logo

There’s a lot that goes into designing a logo. It’s not just about making something that looks good – although that’s certainly important. As mentioned earlier, a logo needs to be distinctive and memorable, it should be able to work in a variety of contexts, and it should convey the personality of your brand.

When it comes to creating a logo for your photography business, there are some key elements to keep in mind. Again, it’s the impression of your business that will be left before a client meeting, so it’s important that it reflects the professionalism and quality of your work. Here are some things to consider when designing a logo for your photography business:

Color

Color is one of the most important aspects of any logo. The right colors can make your logo pop, and help it to stand out from the competition. But it’s not just about choosing pretty colors – you need to think about what those colors represent, and how they will be used in different contexts. For example, will your logo be printed in black and white, or used on a website? You need to make sure that it will work in both cases.

But at the end of the day, use meaningful colors. The colors you choose for your logo should reflect the type of photography you specialize in. Bright, bold colors can be good for a contemporary style, while muted tones can convey a more classic look.

Simplicity

Your logo should also be simple and easy to understand. A complex logo may look good, but if people can’t figure out what it’s supposed to represent, it’s not doing its job. Keep it clean and straightforward, and make sure the meaning is clear.

And finally, this can’t be stressed enough, your logo should be reflective of your brand personality. Is your brand fun and friendly? Serious and professional? Whatever it is, your logo should reflect that.

If you keep these elements in mind, you’ll be well on your way to designing a logo that’s perfect for your photography business.

Tips and tricks on designing your logo

Define your brand

The personality of your brand should be conveyed through your logo. Understanding the core personality of your brand is the first step in achieving this. Making design decisions that complete and complete the picture of who you are and what your brand stands for will be much simpler for you once you have a clear understanding of these things.

Understand your audience

Make a list of words that describe your brand and how you want it to be perceived by your audience by thinking like they do. Always keep in mind what would matter to your target demographic when thinking like a member of that group.

Create a mood board

A mood board might be the ideal resource for you to find inspiration. An actual physical board can be made by cutting out and pinning printed images, or you can create a digital one. Simply gather any and all images that appeal to you, whether they be other logos, color schemes, illustrations, or graphics. You’ll observe that your mood board quickly reflects the types of styles and design elements you prefer.

Check out the competition

You can always borrow ideas from the competition. Take a look at what they’re doing, what appeals to your audience, and what you should avoid. Consider how they’re different from you while you and how your logo design can highlight these differences.

Make sure to distinguish yourself from the competition in a clear way. Consider going monochromatic if everybody else is going with color. If everyone else is going traditional, maybe a quirky and contemporary logo will help you stand out.

Design style

It’s time to start putting your brand’s essence into design now that you’ve got a good sense of it and are feeling motivated. The use of colors, shapes, graphics, and typography are just a few of the many different elements that are in play here. To avoid becoming overwhelmed by the entire design at once, break down each element and what it can do for your logo. This will allow you to move forward incrementally.

Choose the appropriate design aesthetic for your brand before thinking about your logo. Only what is best for your brand is the right style for anyone.

Wrapping Up

In this article, we’ve shown you why it’s important to have a good logo for your photography business. The key reasons being that it visually represents your brand and that it’s an essential element of your marketing efforts. We’ve also outlined what makes a good logo and shared tips and tricks to help you make one.

Remember that a clean and modern logo will give potential customers the impression that your company is professional and trustworthy. It can be used to instantly identify your work, on business cards, websites, and social media posts. Investing in a good logo design will pay dividends in the long run by helping you in creating a strong brand identity for your business.

About Guest Author: Joe Troyer

Joe is an internet entrepreneur, helping businesses make more money since 2005. He is known as a leading expert in all things Internet Marketing. His latest venture Review Grower aims to compete in a market with competitors doing hundreds of millions a year.

The post The Importance of a Good Logo for your Photography Business appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

How can you use photography to level up your website’s user experience? Let’s find out.

Your website is the gateway to your company. And you only have 50 milliseconds to make a good impression.

If a user lands on your website and they instantly see too much text, it isn’t visually appealing, or it takes too long to load, there’s a good chance they are clicking out immediately and disappearing back into the blackhole of the internet. So how do you avoid this fate?

Thankfully, the answer is easier than you might think. A good user experience helps increase engagement, build trust, and drive sales. And a simple way to improve your site’s usability is by adding high-quality, custom photos.

Whether you use photos for menu items or as a part of a blog post, adding images to your website can help guide users through their journey. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use photography to improve the user experience on your site — and what kind of impact it’ll have on conversion rates.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is user experience (UX)?

User experience (UX) is the art of how users interact with a website, app, or digital product which is often shaped by the collaborative efforts of designers and app developers. It includes everything from the visual design of your website, how easily people can navigate it, and the simplicity of performing specific actions like purchasing something or signing up for an account. Of course, UX isn’t just about how it looks — it’s also about how the user feels while interacting.

A good UX allows users to seamlessly accomplish what they need to without getting frustrated by confusing interfaces or unclear instructions. It’s all about the user’s journey and ensuring it is as smooth as possible. It should be intuitive, engaging, and fun — all while helping users accomplish their goals.

User experience (UX) vs. user interface (UI)

User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are two of the most critical aspects of designing a website. While both are important, they’re often mixed up or used interchangeably. Here’s how to tell them apart.

The user experience revolves around your users and how they interact with your website, including how easy it is for them to navigate from one page to another. If your site has a great UX, it’s easy for users to find what they need when they want it and make it through all the steps required to complete their desired tasks. However, if you have poor UX, users will get frustrated and leave your site before getting what they need.

User interface refers to how your site looks — and that includes everything from color scheme to font choice to images used throughout each page. It also includes buttons or links that allow users to navigate between pages or perform actions like signing up for an account or purchasing something online (these are called “interaction elements”). Good UI means having an attractive website that doesn’t distract visitors from doing the things they came for.

The amazing thing about photography is that not only do images help to improve your user experience, but it also plays a crucial role in the user interface and the overall aesthetic of your website.

The Power of Photos

When designing your website or creating content, you’ll want to avoid using too many words. Because the truth is, people don’t want to read — they’d rather look at pictures.

You know what they say: a picture is worth a thousand words.

If you’re not using pictures on your website, you’re missing countless opportunities to connect with your audience and improve conversions. In fact, studies show that adding just one image to your landing page can increase conversion by up to 80%.

So why not take advantage of the fact that people prefer images over text and use that to your benefit? There are a wide variety of visual tools that you can use to enhance the user experience on your website: infographics, vector images, photos, and videos all provide their own unique value for your audience.

Here are some ways that photography and visual elements can benefit your business:

• Make your site more visually appealing
• Draw attention and clicks to particular products or sections of your site
• Increase sales by showing off your products in an enticing way
• Help customers understand what they’re buying

5 Tips for Using Photography to Improve User Experience

Photography is a powerful tool for creating engaging, memorable experiences. Here are five best practices for using photography to improve user experience.

1. Pick a visual style that matches your brand

Brand consistency is the name of the game. Use the same visual style for your digital presence to keep your user experience consistent, like photos on product pages, blog posts, and social media platforms.

Make sure your branding looks and feels consistent across your digital platforms. It’s about creating a distinct identity for your company or organization so that people can recognize it no matter where they see it. Brand consistency can help you build stronger customer relationships by creating a cohesive experience across multiple touchpoints — from websites to social media pages to outreach campaigns.

Of course, this sounds like a lot of work. But thankfully, there are plenty of online tools available to help make this daunting task more bearable. For example, you may want to use an image editing API to make sure your images all have the same background and resolution quality for use on your website, social media and email newsletters.

Whole Foods, one of the largest natural grocery stores, does an excellent job with the design of its product page. They use different photos that meet dietary restrictions but also look similar enough to create a cohesive look that’s appealing to the eye.

Whole Foods doesn’t stray from this visual style, even with so many different digital formats available online, from desktop to mobile devices to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Follow their lead by matching your brand identity across all platforms and devices to improve user experience and build trust with your customers.

2. Tailor images to the best format, resolution, and file size

If you are into photography, you probably know how to frame your shot and capture the perfect photo. But the work doesn’t stop there.

A high-quality photo is only half the story when creating a solid UX. You need to understand how to optimize your photos to fit appropriately on your website without slowing down the page speed or distorting the resolution.

Image format

Regarding image file types, always use JPG for photos and PNG for logos and illustrations. Using a JPG format will guarantee that your photos load properly and not slow down your page’s load time.

Most images on websites can be JPGs, but sometimes PNGs are required. If so, use a conversion tool to turn a JPG into a PNG file. PNG images are larger and slower to load than JPGs, but they also support transparency and a higher quality.

Image resolution

Use high-resolution images that are ideally at least 1000 pixels wide. Large images are more accessible for users to read when displayed on their screens. If you have an image that’s too small and you try to scale it up, it can result in pixelation or distortion of the picture. Always try to use an image large enough for its purpose without the need for alteration.

Image file size

The size of images on your website depends on where you want to place them. The optimal file size of an image on a website is no more than 200 KB. For full-screen background images, aim between 1500 pixels and 2500 pixels wide. And for the rest of your photos, stick with a max width of 800 pixels. Keeping images between these perimeters will make sure they load properly on desktops, laptops and mobile devices.

3. Choose the right type of photography for the purpose

Using the correct type of photography for different purposes can improve your website’s user experience.

• Close-ups: Great for detail, but it can be challenging to see the whole story.
• Wide shots: Shows context and allows you to tell a story through images.
• Panoramas: Allows for sweeping views that give your audience a sense of location or space.
• Action shots: Helps convey movement and action while also sharing additional context.
• Portraits: Add a personal touch to your website.

Nike fills their website with action shots to show its fitness clothing in action. The more context you can provide your users with, the more likely they’ll engage in your content and understand your value.

These action shots resonate with their target audience better than a faceless model wearing athletic clothes against a white background.

4. Avoid stock photos

If you’re like us, you probably can’t stand stock photos. They’re generic and boring and don’t do anything for your brand. But what if we told you there was a way to replace those stock images with high-quality custom images that help your brand? It’s true. And it doesn’t even have to cost a lot of money.

The problem is that it’s easy to fall back on stock photos if you’re in a rush to get something out there. After all, they’re free and come with little work on your end — you can just download them, insert them into your website, and hit publish.

The problem is that readers don’t trust you when they see stock photos. They know that anyone can use those images. And when visitors doubt whether your website is legitimate or not, they’ll be less likely to stay.

Instead of using stock photos, try creating high-quality custom images yourself. It takes more time than downloading a stock photo, but investing in your visual content will pay off in the long run.

Stock photos don’t tell the story of who you are or what your business does. If you’re trying to tell a story with your brand’s image, don’t just rely on random pictures of people in a field of flowers. Instead, use high-quality custom images that show off exactly what makes your company unique:

• Products in action
• Customers using your product
• Your team is working hard at their jobs

Olipop is an example of a company that does a fantastic job of staying away from stock photos on its website. Instead, they use colorful images that share the best way to enjoy their healthy soda. These images are eye-catching and also show their product in an additional context.

We know what you are thinking. These custom photos must cost a fortune. That might be the case here, but there are other ways to create unique images without breaking the bank.

Don’t underestimate the power of user-generated content (UGC). Depending on the content you want to feature on your website, you can continuously tap into your audience for inspiration. Try embedding social media such as Instagram posts and videos or adding relevant and engaging tweet screenshots that have been trending. You’ll be surprised at the quality of content you can score from your customer base.

Still not sure about this approach? Don’t overthink it. In fact, millennials trust user-generated content 50% more than original content created by brands. So UGC is worth a try.

5. Use meaningful context clues when possible

When designing a website, you must understand what action you are trying to get your users to complete. Are you trying to get them to purchase a product or sign up for your newsletter?

Use context clues — text, icons, and other visual elements — to help people understand what they are looking at and take action.

For instance, Away luggage creates sleek suitcases for the modern traveler. They sell many types of suitcases on their website, from carry-ons to large checked bags in various colors. But sometimes, it’s hard to tell the tale of something through an image alone. For example, you can barely distinguish the difference between the suitcase on the left and the suitcase on the right.

The context clue in this example is the name of the suitcase “medium flex” and “large flex”. It helps visitors understand that the suitcase is a different size and not just a different color. They also describe the lock that’s not visible in the original photos. These context clues help enhance the value of the photos and allow users to make informed purchasing decisions and increase conversion rates.

Wrapping up

We hope this article inspires you to use photography to improve your website’s user experience.

These simple tips can go a long way in improving your site’s overall look and feel, making it easier for customers to navigate their options and make informed purchase decisions. And to top it all off, a human-centered design is more important than ever when it comes down to creating a positive experience for site visitors.

Get your creative juices flowing and start creating custom images for your site today.

About Guest Author: Kelly Moser

Kelly is the co-founder and editor at Home & Jet, a digital magazine for the modern era. She’s also an expert in freelance writing and content marketing for SaaS, Fintech, and ecommerce startups.

The post How to Use Photography to Improve Your Website’s User Experience appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Many eCommerce merchants struggle with making sales and building their brand’s reputation. The lack of a physical store can make it hard for you to connect with your customers and build your brand’s reputation. Product photography can help.

Keep reading to find out how.

First Things First, What is Product Photography?

Product photography, also called e-commerce photography, is what it sounds like: pictures that are taken and posted on websites and social media platforms to promote sales of your good or service.

Having beautiful product photos helps you to entice customers into buying products from your online store.

You may be iffy about spending the money it takes to hire professional photographers for your product photos. However, as an e-commerce merchant, providing your customers with high-quality pictures is vital to their shopping experience.

Your customers can’t physically touch or see your products. Providing them with high-quality photographs increases their trust in your products and adds value to your business. It allows you to make an awesome first impression.

In addition to making a good first impression, adding images will increase your company’s conversion rate because visuals are one of the most critical parts of a customer’s decision-making process.

Having good pictures also improves your brand’s identity and perception, which further solidifies the trust between you and your customers.

6 Steps To Getting Started With Product Photography

Getting started with product photography can be difficult because there are a lot of factors that you need to consider. The type of photograph that’s best for you will vary based on the type of business you have.

Here are the steps to get started with product photography.

1. Decide How You Want Your Products To Look

You can photograph your product in several ways, and different methods convey different messages. Here are the six different types of product photography. Consider the products you sell and your brand image while deciding which one is right for you.

Studio Photography

Studio photos are the type of pictures that most people think of when they hear about product photography. These photographs were produced in a studio, as the name suggests. They keep the focus on your products by straightforwardly presenting them.

Due to the simplicity of these pictures, your product will always be the main focus. Shadows amplify this focus, which can help your customers focus on your product’s details.

If you’re doing studio photos, you need to do a lot of research to ensure that you find a talented photographer because there is a lot that goes into taking the perfect studio photo.

The photographer must be adaptable enough to alter several shooting parameters depending on each product’s textures, packaging, and materials. All the pictures need to look like they’re part of a cohesive set while maintaining each picture’s unique qualities.

Whether you’re selling accessories, clothing, jewelry, shoes, perfume, or anything else, studio photography will clearly and efficiently showcase your product’s selling points.

This style of photography is not artistic, and it is often required to photograph every product at once in a set studio to maintain uniformity and light direction. In this kind of product photography, you can intensify certain shadows to emphasize your product’s form and alter the backdrop color depending on the focal point you want to emphasize.

Set Photography

If you’re selling a product with multiple different variants of a specific feature, such as its color or style, set photography may be a good option because it shows your customers all their options in one spot. We highly recommend you follow up your set photos with individual photos of each product to allow your customers to see the fine details of their favorite product variation.

Set photography is the best option if you’re selling your products as a set or making a special sale where you’re selling different products together.

It’s a good idea to follow up your set photos with individual photos of each product to allow your customers to see the fine details of their favorite product variation.

White Background Photography

You’ve seen white background photography before because it’s the most common type of product photography. It’s what the name would suggest: pictures of your products taken against a white backdrop. These pictures have a clean appearance and place complete focus on your product.

While it’s the most common type of product photography, it’s commonly mixed with other product photography. The use of shadow, which gives the product depth or suppression, is the only variable.

Real Environment Photography

In some cases, putting your product on display in a real-life setting that represents a lifestyle may be the best way to showcase the appeal of your product. It’s also an effective way to build your brand’s image.

Taking this approach creates a deeper connection to your customers because it allows you to present your brand image and core beliefs with every one of your products. That’s why more businesses are choosing to use real environment photography.

Real environment photography is mostly used in the fashion and design industries to promote a particular style of living, foster empathy with the target audience, who has similar interests and can identify with the photography, and increase sales.

The customer ends up not making a more emotional purchase and forging a stronger bond with the brand because the business sells more than just one product—it’s also selling an experience and a lifestyle.

Comparative Photography

Sometimes it makes sense to include a related product in the photograph to show the buyer the product’s true size and prevent misleading them. In these cases, the best thing for you to do is ensure that whatever you’re using to showcase your product is something that has a size that’s recognizable to your customer base.

Dimensions can be depicted well by placing a person next to or using an object.

Back-and-white photography may not be enough for comparison with some products. In those cases, a scale can make all the difference. Because of this, the consumer can decide right away whether that thing is best for him or whether to get the larger or smaller version.

Photo Composing

It’s generally a good idea to surround your picture with related items for an aesthetic shot. It works regardless of the angle you shoot your photos from.

However, you need to take your pictures strategically because the focus needs to be on the item you wish to sell. A picture with more details conveys a narrative and forges a bond with the viewer; also, it is far more intriguing and alluring than a picture of a single object against a blank background.

Because, as was already mentioned, it presents values, tastes, and lifestyles, it is a format that functions extremely well on social networks. It is a fantastic strategy for engaging the target market and increasing sales.

2. Get the Right Equipment

The most important factors in photography are your abilities and imagination. However, little creativity and skill can make up for low-quality equipment. Here are some of the equipment that can improve your product photography.

Some of the equipment you may need is a high-quality camera, a sturdy tripod with an optional ball head, a table, a light tent, a model or mannequin, a white background, a bounce card, a potent computer, and good lighting.

The needs of your photoshoots may vary, so you should discuss your concept with your photographer to make sure that they have the right equipment for your desired concept if you’re using one. You need to do extensive research if you’re doing your photos yourself.

3. Get Your Products Ready

You may think setting up your products for the perfect picture is easy, but you’d be wrong. It can take multiple attempts and a lot of experimenting to get the angle, lighting, and location precisely how you want.

Ensure your product is positioned in front of the backdrop and is stable and centered.

For products like jewelry and other accessories, you might want to use a bust that better displays the object. If the product has labels or other unique features, you might need to spend some effort centering it.

4. Set Up Where You’ll be Taking the Pictures

Finding the perfect background serves two purposes: it focuses the attention on the item you are photographing and makes post-production editing easier.

They’ll have the setup process covered if you’re using a professional studio.
You’ll have to communicate clearly to make sure that the setup matches the vision you had in mind.

If you’re taking your pictures yourself, use a white or light background while taking images so that you may more easily crop and alter them.

DIY photographers will be happy to learn that purchasing a pricey backdrop is unnecessary to capture the ideal photo. Here are two affordable options that you can try.

Shooting Table

All you have to do to create a shooting table is push a chair against a wall. Then you’ll tape a piece of craft paper on the wall above your chair.

Let the piece of craft paper hang all the way to the ground to cause a clear transition from the horizontal and vertical planes when you position a product on the chair.

5. Choose the Right Camera Settings

You should pay attention to four key settings: aperture, shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, and white balance. Here is what these words mean.

Aperture

Your camera’s aperture setting helps you to make certain parts of your images sharp and other parts are blurry. You can use it to make fantastic blurred backdrops that highlight your product.

Shutter Speed

Your speed determines how long the shutter is open when you take a picture. If you choose a fast shutter speed, your pictures will be dark and crisp. If you choose slow shutter speeds, your photos will be brighter. Unfortunately, they may also be blurry due to more camera light.

ISO Sensitivity

ISO sensitivity regulates how sensitive to light your camera is. Your camera will be less light-sensitive, and your picture will have vibrant colors when the ISO sensitivity is low. Although a high ISO sensitivity setting makes your camera more light-sensitive, it can make your pictures grainy.

White Balance

White balance is a camera setting that assists in making white items in your setup appear white in your photographs. The other colors will be correct if you can get your whites to look white. Having various light sources and bright colors in your environment negatively affects your white balance.

6. Get Snapping!

Once you have the perfect setup, lighting, and product placement, the next step is taking your pictures.

Make sure you take tons of pictures from several different angles and don’t be scared to play around with your camera’s settings to add some variety to your pictures.

14 Tips to Perfect Your Product Photography Pictures for Your eCommerce Store

Here are 14 product photography tips you can follow to ensure you get amazing product photos every time.

1. Have a Mood Board for Inspiration

If you’re using a professional photographer, you need to give them a clear idea of what you want your pictures to look like.

Creating a mood board is a good method of conveying what you want to your photography team. If you’re DIYing your pictures, it’s a great way to get inspired.

Mood boards are an assortment of pictures that express a specific shoot’s design theme, style, direction, and inspiration.

You draw inspiration for your mood board from anywhere you want.

If you’re looking for inspiration for lighting, mood, color, props, and anything else that might be used as references for the actual shoot, you could make a mood board. The more specific you are, the better your pictures will turn out.

2. You Don’t Need a Fancy Camera – Use Your Phone

While having a professional camera will produce better pictures if you can’t afford professional product photographs, if you have a phone with a high-quality camera, then you can use it to take amazing product photos.

3. Use a Rolling White Background (A Sweep)

Editing is a crucial part of e-commerce photography, but you can lessen your post-production retouching needs by taking your photos against a white backdrop.

In contrast to a black backdrop, a white sweep reflects white light on your object, providing you with a good product photo that requires little to no contrast and brightness tweaks.

4. Take Multiple Pictures From Different Angles

Taking pictures from different angles allows you to figure out what angles make your product look best. Another benefit of taking photos from various angles is that it allows your customers to see your products in several different ways.

Some customers want to see close-up pictures. Others might want to view objects directly. Taking pictures from several angles means you can appeal to everyone, which may increase sales.

5. Be Consistent

It’s crucial to keep a consistent aesthetic throughout your product shots as you take more of them to give your website a cohesive look. Create a technical style guide and template for your brand to make this process easy. Some of the things you need to include in your style guide are your color scheme, background saturation, and composition.

If you’re going for a pastel color palette and a simple 1 product composition then that needs to be communicated to the photographer before the start of the shoot. Otherwise you’ll be wasting precious time and money on photos that don’t match what you’re looking for.

6. Include the Entire Product in the Picture

Your customers value visuals, so you need to ensure that your photos show the entirety of your products, so your customers get a full idea of the product you’re selling. If you’re selling a highly detailed product, you’ll need to take several pictures of your products from different angles to showcase all your product’s details.

You should always ensure that all of your product is showcased fully. It also needs to be in focus.

7. Learn How to Edit Your Pictures

If you’re going to take your product photos, you’ll need to learn how to edit your pictures to produce the best results. Editing helps to remove flaws from your e-commerce photos. You can also enhance your pictures with special effects.

You won’t need to become a perfect graphic designer, but you’ll at least need to know the basics of editing.

8. Don’t be Afraid to Take Lifestyle Shots

A lot of amateurs feel scared of taking lifestyle shots, but it can be a great way for you to boost sales and curate your brand’s image. You’ll need to think about what you’d like your brand’s image to be, then think about ways that you can convey this to your customers.

Lifestyle shots work well on social media sites because they provide a sense of personality and authenticity that helps you to connect with your customers.

9. Artificial Vs. Natural Light: Make a Decision

Whether you should get artificial or natural lighting depends on what your product is, your budget, and the image that you’re going for.

If you’re working on a budget, natural light is the best option for you. You take incredible pictures with natural lighting, and it’s the best option for some products like food.

Another scenario where natural light is a great choice is when you’re shooting outside or with a model for lifestyle photos. Natural light is great. You need to carefully plan your shoot so that you’re taking your pictures at the perfect time of day.

Artificial lighting could be a better choice for you if you have the money to spend on studio lights,

You’ll need at least two soft light setups if you’re using artificial lights. This light will soften the shadows around your product.

After you get your lights, the next step is figuring out how you’re going to position them. You can place your lights where ever you want, but you should always have one light in front of your products. The other light can be positioned where ever you want. The light in front is your key light, and the other is your fill light.

10. Try to Get a Sense of Scale

A common complaint online shoppers have is that they can’t accurately tell the product size they’re purchasing. You might have listed the size of your product in the description, but if you don’t scale your pictures, there may be some misunderstandings.

If you scale pictures, you can avoid these misunderstandings by giving your customers a complete understanding of a product’s actual size by contrasting it with common everyday objects. Customers will feel more confident making online purchases if they can picture your products in their daily lives.

11. Hire a Professional

While you don’t need to be a pro photographer to produce lovely product photographs, there could be some restrictions, just like with any DIY project.

If you’re not an expert photographer, you likely lack the tools and software required for professional product pictures. High-quality equipment creates high-quality pictures, and a trained photographer will most likely arrive well equipped with the best of the best. A pro will also seamlessly edit your photos to make them uniform.

12. Optimize Your Images for a Website

Optimizing your photographs for the web is critical because images with a large file size can slow down your website. Resizing and compressing your photos in the appropriate image format can do wonders for the speed at which your website loads.

You can find loads of tutorials on image optimization online.

13. Make the Product the Focus

As the name suggests, the product is the most important part of e-commerce photography. You must ensure that your product is the main focus of all your pictures. There are tons of ways that you can do this.

You can use a blurred background effect, comparative photography, real environment photography, and many other techniques.

14. Use Product Reflections

A reflection is a useful tool for making your products look high quality in your eCommerce photography. For products shot against any neutral-colored background, it’s easy to make pleasing reflections with the right software and a little talent.

Final Thoughts

Something else you should keep in mind while you’re taking your product pictures is that the world moves at a very fast pace. Trends go out of style constantly, and technology is constantly evolving.

We recommend that you keep researching product photography to make sure you’re staying up to date.

The post How To Perfect Product Photography for Your eCommerce Store appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Create stunning photography websites with the finest website builders available today.

Are you a photographer?

Do you want to showcase your talent to the world?

Do you want to start your photography business?

You can do so by promoting your business on social media or local directory websites. However, you will end up with a narrow audience and more costs.

The best way to showcase your talent or start a photography business is to set up your portfolio website.

This is where photography website builders come in handy.

A photography portfolio no code website builder should be easy to use, have a good number of templates, offer a lot of customization options, and should not be expensive. Also some of the website builders mentioned below, like Squarespace and Wix support integration with print-on-demand services which is perfect for selling photos on physical merch.

We researched by keeping the above-mentioned points in mind and found these website builders to be the best for photographers.

5 Best Photography Website Builders

1. Wix

Wix is one of the oldest website builders. It has over 200 million users. Overall, it has 800+ easy-to-use website templates. You can sign up and set up your website in minutes.

We rate Wix as the best photography website builder for beginners.

Templates:

With 30+ photography website templates, it is best suited for both beginner as well as advanced photographers.

You can easily find templates like fashion photographer, family photographer, art photographer, photography studio, wedding photographer, and real estate photographer. Moreover, you can also sort and filter the templates according to your requirements.

Features:

You can easily select a template and edit it according to your requirements. You can also drag and drop text and images. The best thing about Wix is you do not need any coding skills to change the appearance of a website.

You can upload your fonts, add Cinemagraphs, and import photos from Bigstock to grab the attention of your audience.

Wix also offers an artificial intelligence system (ADI). It asks some questions about your requirements and builds a website automatically.

You can easily add booking and contact pages. Built In apps like chat widgets, feedback loop product management, social links, and forms further increase the functionalities of the Wix.

SEO:

Wix offers a checklist that you can follow to optimize your photography website for SEO. It also allows you to write blog posts by adding a blog option to your website. As a result, you can write about your favorite topic and gain authority and rankings in your domain.

Pricing:

Wix has four price plans known as Connect Domain ($4.50/month), Combo ($8.50/month), Unlimited ( $12.50/month), and VIP (24.50).

Wix also has a free plan. However, it is pretty basic. You do not get customized domains and the features are very limited.

The Connect Domain plan gives you access to a custom domain name, SSL certificate, 1 GB bandwidth, 500 MB storage space, and 24/7 customer support.

The Combo plan offers 2GB bandwidth, 3 GB storage space, 30 minutes of video streaming, and all the features of the basic plan.

When you buy the Unlimited Plan, you get unlimited bandwidth, 10 GB storage space, Site Booster App, Video Analytics, and 1 hour of video streaming plus all other features in the previous plans.

The VIP plan offers unlimited bandwidth, 35 GB storage space, 5 video hours, logo files, and priority customer support.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• A good number of photography templates
• Free SSL
• SEO optimization options
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• The templates are pretty basic.
• There are so many limitations if you want to add videos.

2. Squarespace

Established in 2004, Squarespace has made its name one of the leaders in website builders. It has around 4 million users. With 110 templates, you get the complete freedom of designing and editing.

We rate Squarespace as the best website builder for those familiar with complex editing tools.

Templates:

Squarespace offers 41 beautiful templates specifically designed for photographers. It includes templates like wedding, real estate, nature photography, interior design photography, etc. You can use these templates to create an online store, portfolio, membership website, or a complete photography blog.

Features:

You can select a template and edit it according to your requirements. You can even drag and drop files to save your time. However, editing is not as easy as in Wix. The templates can take some time to load.

There is no AI feature like Wix. That is why we consider Squarespace geared towards advanced users.

If you want to increase the functionalities of a Squarespace website, you can also buy templates from third-party vendors. These templates can also be integrated easily.

SEO:

Squarespace offers detailed guides related to SEO optimizations. You can read these guides to take your Squarespace photography website to the next level. Adding meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags is also easy. Moreover, you can easily add a blog section to your website to increase content and traffic.

Pricing:

The pricing structure of Squarespace is similar to Wix. However, there is no free plan and all the plans are quite expensive.

There are four plans; Personal ($16/month), Business ($23/month), Basic Commerce ($27/month), and Advance Commerce ($47/month).

The Personal plan comes with a free domain, SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, 30 minutes of video storage, SEO features, and basic website metrics.

The Business plan offers unlimited contributors, premium integrations, and blocks as well as all the features of the personal plan.

The Basic Ecommerce plan offers useful features for photography business owners like customer accounts, point of sale, product reviews, check out on the same domain, and advanced analytics.

The Advanced Ecommerce plan allows you to sell photography subscriptions, advanced discounts, Commerce APIs as well as all the features of the Basic Ecommerce plan.

Pros:

• Beautiful templates
• Advanced integrations
• SEO optimization options
• No bandwidth limits
• 24/7 customer support

Cons:

• Geared towards advanced users
• Expensive

3. SmugMug

Launched in 2002, SmugMug has been specifically designed for photographers. It is one of the best photo sharing, storage, and selling websites. With over 100k users, Smugmug has already made its name in the photography niche. In 2018, SmugMug also acquired flicker, which is one of the best image hosting and sharing platforms.

We rate it as the best website builder for professional photographers.

Templates:

Smugmug offers 26 different photography templates. You can choose from templates like a professional photographer, fine art, travel photographer, etc. Moreover, you can use these templates to create a slideshow, gallery, portfolio, and pages.

The number of Smugmug photography templates is less when we compare it to Wix or Squarespace.

Features:

You can choose a template and view it completely before applying it. You can easily add your pictures, logos, and social media links. We found it extremely easy to list the photos for selling. However, the design interface looks busy and we found it difficult to locate different options.

We loved that it has features that other photography website builders lack. You can easily block the right-click option, add custom watermarks, and add passwords to your images.

SEO:

You can add meta titles, descriptions, and alt tags easily. Smugmug offers a lot of practical advice related to SEO. However, you cannot create blog pages which means there are chances of missing out on some potential traffic.

Pricing:

Smugmug offers three price plans: Power ( $13/month), Portfolio ($28/month), and Pro ($42/month).

The power plan gives you access to unlimited free storage, a fully secure photography website, desktop apps, mobile apps, and domain customization options.

The Portfolio plan allows you to set your prices and profit margin. You can also integrate e-commerce and order fulfillment options.

The Pro plan allows you to set the photo and gallery-specific prices, generate coupon codes, and client proofing.

A 14-day free trial is also available.

Pros:

• Specifically designed for photographers
• Sell your photographs easily
• Free desktop and mobile apps
• Password protected images
• Set your profit

Cons:

• The editor is a bit clunky.
• Limited templates
• Expensive as compared to Wix

4. Zenfolio

Founded in 2004, Zenfolio started as a photo hosting website. It now offers a complete website portfolio builder for photographers. You can showcase as well as sell your photos easily. With several templates, Zenfolio promises to do all administrative tasks while you spend time with your lens.

We rate it as the best website builder for event photographers.

Templates:

Zenfolio offers 13 designer templates that you can customize according to your requirements. The templates include wedding, maternity, portrait photography, moody style, etc.

Features:

The website builder requires just a full name and email to sign up. Then, you can choose the type of shoot you do the most often. You can choose the type of layout and change the text and colors accordingly. Adding and deleting the pages is also easy.

You can upload RAW images directly. You can add watermarks to your images. Moreover, you can also integrate Adobe Lightroom easily.

While it is not difficult to figure out the options in the Zenfolio dashboard, we feel Wix and Squarespace do a better job than this. Moreover, The subscribe button interferes with the workflow which is distracting.

SEO:

There are no options for SEO optimizations. You cannot start your content blog. It means there are chances of missing out on some potential traffic.

Pricing:

It offers three pricing options: Portfolio ($36/year), PortfolioPlus ($90/year), and ProSuite ($180/year).

The Portfolio package allows 15 GB of photo storage, 25 hosted videos, shareable galleries, and multi-page websites.

The PortfolioPlus plan allows 100 GB of photo storage, and 75 hosted videos + all features of the Portfolio plan.

The ProSuite offers 1 TB photo storage, 250 hosted videos, and all the features of other plans.

When we compare these plans with Smugmug, Zenfolio is certainly cheaper.

Pros:

• 14 days free trial
• Best event photography templates
• Adobe Lightroom integration
• Add watermarks to your photos

Cons:

• Fewer templates
• Unintuitive
• No SEO functionalities

5. Pixpa

Founded in 2013, Pixpa is relatively a new portfolio builder for photographers. It offers 100+ templates for creative professionals.

We rate Pixpa as the best cheap photography website builder.

Templates:

There are 57 photography website templates. It includes templates like weddings, nature, food, fashion photography, etc.

The number of templates offered by Pixpa is huge when we compare it to big names like Wix and Squarespace. However, we found the same templates listed under other categories too which makes it difficult to find those specifically designed for photographers.

Features:

It is easy to sign up and select the templates. You can add the content easily by the drag and drop method. It allows you to create password-protected galleries. You can even create personalized galleries for different clients optimized for their mobile phone screens.

You can integrate Google analytics and Mailchimp easily. Setting up a store on Pixpa is a breeze. The best thing about Pixpa store is it does not charge payment processing fees when a customer buys from your store.

SEO:

Pixpa offers tools to help you optimize the SEO of your website. You can add meta titles, tags, descriptions, and alt tags. Moreover, you can also add a blog section. However, it requires an advanced subscription.

Pricing:

Pixpa has three price plans: Basic ($1.88/month), Creator ($3.75/month), Professional ($5.63/month), and Advanced ($9.38/month).

There is no free trial. However, all plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

The basic plan allows a custom domain, SSL, 5 pages, advanced SEO features, and 1000 gallery images.

When you subscribe to the Creator plan, you can add 10 pages, 300 images, and a free domain name on top of the basic plan.

The Professional plan offers unlimited content, images, website extensions, and client galleries as well as the features mentioned in previous plans.

The advanced plan comes with additional benefits like 100 GB storage, unlimited mobile gallery apps, customer accounts, and inventory management.

Pros:

• Cheap
• A huge number of templates
• Advanced integrations
• 24/7 customer support
• 30 days money back guarantee

Cons:

• Interface needs improvement
• Different template categories feature the same templates

Frequently Asked Questions

How to create my photography website?

You can easily create your photography website by choosing a website builder like Wix and adding the content.

You can also create your photography website by using WordPress. Install WordPress, select a good theme, design according to your requirements, and publish content to gain traffic. You can utilize a secure WordPress hosting for top-tier security and tools to enhance your site’s performance and updates.

Should I create a website for my photography?

There is no definitive answer, but in general, creating a website can be a great way to showcase your work, build a portfolio, and attract new clients. Keep in mind the more attractive, the more business you will get. Try to use photo effects to further enhance what you will show in the portfolio for maximum impact.

Is Wix worth the price for photographers?

Yes, Wix is worth the price for photographers. With 30+ easy-to-use templates, endless functionalities, and inexpensive price plans, it is worth the price.

Which among the website builders is the best for wedding photographers?

With 13 designer templates specifically designed for event photographers, Zenfolio is the best website builder for wedding photographers.

Wix or WordPress: Which one is the best for photographers?

If you are looking for a simple portfolio website or a store with few products, Wix is the best. If you want to add advanced galleries, multiple products, and advanced functionalities, you cannot go wrong with WordPress.

Wrapping Up

Choosing the best website builder for your photography site should be based on your specific needs. Factors can be taken into consideration like eCommerce capability, galleries, template designs and pricing.

Overall, website builders are a great tool for your photography hobby or business to show the world your talent.

The post Top 5 Photography Website Builders in 2022 appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Photographs have long served as a token of beauty, remembrance, art, and so much more. It has evolved through the years from cameras to formats to the way people perceive photography.

The world’s very first photograph was created by a camera in the 1800s. It’s a photograph taken by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826, where his frame focused on his estate in the Burgundy region of France.

Since then, there have been many firsts – the first portrait, the first photo in color, the first digital photograph. Somehow the list of firsts is yet being created and probably will be for a long time to come.

In 1992, the world wide web was introduced to the first photographic image of a band called Les Horribles Cernettes. A little less than a decade later, Google Images was created in 2001, purely for the number of times people around the world searched for Jennifer Lopez’s 2000 green Versace Dress.

However, little did people know what the power of photographs could hold when everyone had access to posting online. In 2010, two of the biggest photo-sharing apps came alive with unique niches that still held photo-sharing as a core unique selling point. These are none other than Pinterest and Instagram.

While Pinterest launched in January 2010, Instagram launched in October 2010. Now in 2022, billions of users across the world continue to use them for personal and professional reasons. Which begs the question, “Which platform is better for your business?”

To understand that, let’s take a look at both these platforms individually.

The birth and rise of Pinterest

Pinterest, to the rest of us, is a “visual discovery tool.” When it was created, the aim was to have people sign up and share ideas or inspiration about various projects across interests.

The social media platform was founded by a former Google employee – Ben Silbermann, along with Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra.

At an Alt Summit 2012 in Salt Lake City, Ben Silbermann gave a 45-minute keynote speech about how he renounced his long-held plans to become a doctor, and founded Pinterest during the recession. He continued to discuss how he survived early failures and continued to build a company with a slow but steady future.

While the development of Pinterest began in December 2009, the platform launched in March 2010 as a closed beta. Nine months post the launch, Pinterest had a total of 10,000 users. By the next year, Pinterest had made it onto Time magazine’s list of best websites, and by January, Pinterest started breaking records.

Is Pinterest the best platform for your photography business?

The truth about this question is that there is no denying users love Pinterest. But all platforms require a solid strategy and consistency. So, what was it about Pinterest that got people wanting more of the platform? Its easy accessibility, visual appeal, and relatability. Pinterest is so visual, popular categories such as home and living, arts, crafts, food, and fashion, could finally be shared more easily.

Drawing inspiration from physical mood boards or pin-up boards, Pinterest’s smartest feature allowed people to ‘pin’ tips or inspiration onto their virtual boards, which could be categorized according to their preference.

So, if you haven’t considered it before, now is probably the best time for you to think of Pinterest as a great photo-sharing app. Photographs on Pinterest can be uploaded manually as an idea pin or as a pin which allows you to upload photos via a link. The platform recommends high-quality image files that are under 20MB. While both of them are great options, uploading your photos as a pin gives you the added advantage of redirecting the audience to your website or portfolio.

As a photographer, the benefits of being on Pinterest are endless.

Not only can you draw inspiration from your peers. You can also meet like-minded photographers and create mood or vision boards that help plan your next shoot.

But you can also upload your work and build a community. The important part to remember about uploading your work is that consistency is pivotal. People appreciate photographers that can constantly inspire them. As well as those who have a view array of choices for them to choose from if they’re looking for your service. That is why it helps to have a strategy, a content calendar, and a posting schedule.

If these terms overwhelm you, don’t worry. There are plenty of social automation tools such as SocialPilot that help you with a social media posting schedule, integrations with various drives, scheduling features, and in-app editing tools.

The birth and rise of Instagram

We’re no stranger to Instagram. Just to rehash the basics, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger created and founded Instagram in 2010 as a photo-sharing social networking service. Post its success, Facebook Inc., (now known famously as Meta Platforms) acquired Instagram.

So what set Instagram apart from other apps? When Instagram was created, its niche was directed at being an ‘instant’ photo-sharing app. The app allowed users to directly click or upload photos that could then be edited with filters and other editing features in-app. Instagram also popularized the ‘hashtag’ feature as well as geographical tagging.

Due to its viral usage, Instagram constantly updated its features, creating a versatile inbox, a desktop platform, supporting video formats, and more.

So does that make Instagram the best platform for your photography business?

To put it simply, Instagram may have aligned its business goals to match competitors such as Tik Tok and the likes. But Instagram has had a monstrous following since the beginning of time. Thus, making the app addictive to users around the world.

With the rise of stories and various other features such as shoppable posts, Instagram is constantly outdoing itself and still gives users the potential to grow. Unlike its supposed new competitor – TikTok, Instagram still allows you to share photographs.

Oftentimes, photographers have spoken about the compressed resolution while uploading photos on Instagram. However, there are countless videos of photographers who speak about how to get about this starting from setting tweaks in the app to export settings on any other professional editing software.

When Instagram made the move to focus on videos, many photographers such as Pat Kay, Mango Street, and more felt left out and voiced their opinions about what they thought photographers’ should be doing either with or without their Instagram apps. But this didn’t necessarily declare Pinterest the winner.

So who wins the battle for the best platform for your photography business? Here are the pros and cons.

It’s hard to say. But here are some factors that could help you decide:

1. Inspiration and mood boards

Con: Pinterest has been around for just a little while longer. Most photographers still view the platform as more inspiration and a mood board app. It initially seemed like the perfect app to draw ideas from but not necessarily go back and upload work on there.

Pro: Many creative people still resort to using Pinterest in order to plan shoots ahead, find inspiration for lighting, costumes, etc.

Con: This was the opposite for Instagram. When Instagram was first created, people shared more photographs. But they didn’t have a mood board feature to draw inspiration from. So, people take screenshots if they were inspired by something they saw on the app.

Pro: The option to save a media file on Instagram was only launched in 2017. This gave Instagram the advantage of being seen as an inspiration and mood board app too late.

2. Art vs. Process

Pro: Instagram always focused on the main artwork by itself. For example, users appreciate photos of food and would move on.

Con: Very few Instagram users would pay attention to the details of the dish even if it were written in the bio.

Pro: On Pinterest, most people search for the process instead of just looking at the art. This makes it a pro for bloggers.

Con: Most photographers just want to upload work onto various platforms for visibility and creativity.

3. Links

Pro: Photographers that did harp on the Pinterest business accounts and uploaded their work, did reap some benefits. When a user uploaded their work directly via a link to their website or portfolio, Pinterest allowed for traffic to be redirected to these links spontaneously. For no charge at all. Thus, allowing photographers to garner free organic views instantly.

Con: While Instagram acted as a portfolio by itself, the only way a single photo could redirect a viewer to a website or external portfolio was by paid advertisements. The other way for photographers to lead people to their website was by adding their link in the bio. Another smart accessible move that Instagram now allows is by adding a link when you upload a story.

Pro: However, plenty of photographers have found business opportunities via clients in their Instagram inboxes.

But, to wrap up…

So, if we’re still asking if there is a winner? Then, it boils down to where your audience is and what you are looking for in a platform. In today’s day and age, it helps to have a presence across multiple apps. The reality is, that Pinterest and Instagram feed both feature great high-quality photos as well as videos.

It gives photographers a reason to be social, spontaneous, and consistent.  And while all of this is tedious, plenty of social automation apps can help photographers become great content creators.

So, go out there and try your best to be as present on as many platforms as there are out there. As a photographer, you never know where your audience or your next workmate can be.

About Guest Author: Chelsea Cris Crocker

Chelsea is a Senior Content Writer at SocialPilot. She is a Google-certified Digital Marketer with over 6 years of agency experience. When she isn’t writing or strategizing for brands, she photographs, embroiders, hoards books, and spends more than necessary time fussing with her pets. Her weaknesses include coffee, swimming pools, and more that she isn’t willing to share.

The post Pinterest vs. Instagram: Which is best for your photography business? appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

The internet opened up many doors for professional creatives. In the old days, you needed to talk to an editor or curator so people could see your work.

Today, you can just go online, find an art curation platform, and go through the sales or auction process.

While the world of photography is slow to catch up, they finally have, thanks to non-fungible tokens or NFTs. These NFTs have allowed photographers to sell a wide variety of digital assets and digital items on online marketplaces. This leads many to wonder and ask, “Is NFT the future of photography?”

Hence, let’s talk about NFTs and their benefits to find the answer. We’ll also look into some of the top marketplaces where you can sell NFTs.

What Are NFTs?

NFT or a non-fungible token is a unit of data stored in a blockchain platform. It can be video clips, audio files, or any digital asset.

Using a blockchain network certifies that the digital asset is unique and could not be replaced by anything of similar value. Unlike the digital currency, which allows crypto exchanges, NFTs are not mutually tradeable assets.

Another thing that you should know about NFTs is that they have unique identifiers. When artists upload their photos to a blockchain network, they become unique, like a specific picture in a roll of film.

The process of uploading an image to a blockchain network is called minting. The cryptographic nature of the process provides a digital signature, ensuring that each file is one-of-a-kind.

As a result, photographers can use it as proof of ownership over blockchain assets like photos. It is a way for photographers to keep track of their work separately from copyright.

Why Should Photographers Use NFTs?

Before NFTs, selling stock photos or prints was the bread and butter of most photographers. Some of them also do photoshoots for magazines and other publications.

However, as the physical and virtual worlds get more saturated, it is becoming harder for photographers to earn a living. While there is a wide variety of ways for them to monetize their work, there is just too much competition.

That is why NFT marketplaces are so important.

NFTs are like certificates of authenticity that can help protect a variety of assets online, including photos. Since it uses a blockchain network, an NFT could not be destroyed or tampered with.

More importantly, it allows you to make money from secondary sales. So if anyone sells your work in a super-popular secondary market, you should earn from it too. Since it also does away with a middleperson, you can showcase your work and sell it without paying for commissions.

Aside from providing greater profitability, what makes NFT platforms even more helpful is that they offer more security and recognition.

NFTs could not prevent people from saving different versions of your photos or artwork over time. Still, they provide a universal standard for authenticity.

The higher level of authenticity and uniqueness increases the value and the demand for this digital asset class. As a result, photographers can ask for a higher price for their work.

Are NFTs the Future of Photography?

Definitely, NFTs are the future of photography because the world continues to embrace digitalization.
In fact, all types of digital assets are now considered the future of capital markets.

Thus, NFTs offer a great way to futureproof your business if you are a photographer or digital creator.

That said, you need access to a reliable NFT marketplace whether you want to sell photos or other digital assets. These platforms can help you generate a new revenue stream and are worth giving a shot.

Best Online NFT Marketplaces for Digital Artists

We have discussed NFTs and the benefits of using online art marketplaces. It is now time to know where you could sell your NFT photos.

Below are the top NFT marketplaces for a wide range of tradeable assets. With this table, you won’t need a flowchart maker to visualize your decision-making process.

1. OpenSea

OpenSea is the first peer-to-peer digital assets marketplace. It is also the largest by far, with a trading volume that reaches tens of billions.

What makes OpenSea unique is that it offers a wide variety of assets, from works of art to games. Signing up for this platform is also quite easy.

All you need is a crypto wallet, like the MetaMask wallet. You could also choose from the wide range of wallets that it supports, such as:

• Coinbase crypto wallet
• TrustWallet
• Portis
• Formatic/Magic
• Venly
• Authereum

Once you are in, minting your photos is pretty straightforward. Go to the “Create” tab, link your crypto wallet as the initial creator, and upload your photo with its description.

2. Quantum Art

Quantum Art is one of the best NFT platforms for photographers and digital creators. However, there is a catch: it hosts only the best-curated photos in the market today.

In fact, only a limited number of photographers are currently registered on this platform. If you want to join this select group, you need to submit the following information:

• Your Twitter username
• A portfolio of NFT photos
• A project statement and an artist statement
• Ten to 15 photos that you intend to sell

Once you have submitted the requirements, a team of Quantum token holders will cast their votes. If you win, you will have permission to mint your photos.

While it seems like a tedious process, it allows Quantum Art to remain one of the best NFT platforms today.

3. Foundation

Foundation is another of many NFT platforms that are exclusive to photographers. Like other art marketplaces, it is creator-focused and aims to connect digital artists with their supporters.

However, getting into this platform is not as easy as you hope. That is because you can only join if you get invited.

The good news is that any of its members could send an invite. So if you know someone on the platform, you have a way in.

Similar to other NFT platforms, you must have a digital wallet to buy or sell. It has standard network fees of 15% for sellers.

4. MakersPlace

MakersPlace is one of many NFT platforms that use Ethereum. It is a bit of a mixed bag as a digital assets marketplace, with NFTs from famous artists and newbies.

The transaction fees on the platform are a bit high, but it has some of the best art pieces and photos on the market. Moreover, it is an invite-only platform, adding more to its exclusivity.

5. NFT Gateway

Nifty Gateway is home to famous artists known within the NFT art world. While you do not need an invite to join, you must undergo a strict vetting process.

Selection starts with a survey where you have to tell them about your long-term goals as an artist. You also have to submit a recording of yourself telling them about what you do.

The good thing about Nifty Gateway is that its transaction fees are reasonable. It charges 30 cents for each transaction and 5% on sales.

Other Types of Marketplaces for NFTs

NFTs offer a reliable revenue stream for all creatives. In 2021, the global sales value of digital art and collectibles alone peaked at $11.16 billion.

If you want to try tradeable assets other than photos, many NFT platforms can meet your needs. Here are the top NFT platforms that you should consider:

1. Binance NFT Marketplace

Binance NFT Marketplace is a low-fee NFT trading platform. It also happens to be the largest cryptocurrency exchange company today.

What makes Binance NFT Marketplace unique is that it charges transaction fees as low as 1%. On top of this, it offers NFTs on the Binance Smart Chain aside from Ethereum.

It means that you can sell a wide range of tradeable assets, from art to music to sports.

As of today, Binance NFT Marketplace only accepts crypto exchanges as a payment method. It means that you could not use a debit card on it.

2. Enjin Marketplace

If you have video games, trading cards, digital art projects, or other auction assets you want to sell, try Enjin Marketplace. It is a social gaming platform built on the Ethereum blockchain network.

It has game and digital art projects with the likes of Microsoft and Binance NFT Marketplace.

With transaction fees amounting to 2.5% of sales, Enjin Marketplace is a great place to conduct business. It accepts payments using a debit card or a credit card, along with other payment options.

3. Crypto.com NFT Marketplace

Crypto.com NFT Marketplace is one of the older NFT platforms in the crypto space. It is also one of the best marketplaces for investors.

High-end investors and experienced investors like Crypto.com NFT Marketplace because it has many perks and features. It also has low transaction fees and supports over 90 cryptocurrencies.

However, its trading interface is not very intuitive. So if you want something user-friendly, you should try other NFT platforms.

4. Axie Marketplace

Axie Marketplace is one of the biggest NFT platforms today when it comes to trading volume. It is powered by Axie Infinity, a blockchain-based game where you can trade digital pets.

What sets Axie Marketplace apart from other NFT platforms like art marketplaces is that its NFTs have other uses. You can use them to battle other players and earn tokens.

However, note that the Axie Infinity services are quite complex. In addition, you would have to go through a lengthy process before you can play the game.

That said, all you need is a MetaMask Wallet or one of the numerous wallets that it supports. You also have to buy three Axies from the NFT market.

5. NBA Top Shot

NBA Top Shot is one of the first NFT platforms to appeal to a broader audience. It features digital trading cards that have NBA video clips, which is something that sports fans love.

You can buy these clips and store them in your digital wallet. If you have had your fill viewing them, you can sell them back at the NBA Top Shot marketplace.

Another thing that makes this platform popular is that it is easy to use, even for the mainstream user.

All you have to do is link your Google account and input your phone number. Once you get a confirmation message, just follow a few more steps to set up your account.

6. AtomicMarket

AtomicMarket is an NFT platform where multiple websites can buy and sell shared liquidity assets.

Known as Atomic Assets, you can use these NFTs to create digital assets that can appear on other markets. You can also buy and sell other auction assets in the Atomic Assets marketplace.

Note that well-known NFTs get a verification checkmark from AtomicMarket. If you see a collection that does not bear this mark, you should be extra careful.

How to Choose an NFT Marketplace

By now, you probably know that there are many types of marketplaces available. Some cater exclusively to photographs, but others support a wide range of digital assets.

When choosing a platform, you need first to figure out what kind of digital asset you want to sell or buy. You can tokenize anything, from the written word to collector’s items.

Your choice will determine what kind of platform you should use.

Next, you need to consider what token the marketplace supports. Some sites have proprietary tokens, while others support a wide range of tokens.

Finally, ensure that the platform is secure and has no unresolved issues. Remember that crypto can be risky, so you must do your due diligence.

FAQs About NFTs

1. How do I join NFT trading?

To trade NFTs, you need to sign up with a marketplace and create a user account. Once you set up your profile, you can list the NFTs you want to sell or browse for NFTs to buy.

2. Can I post my NFTs on multiple platforms?

Yes, but it is generally not a good idea, especially if you sell them at different prices. You could try selling different digital assets across various platforms, but not the same ones.

3. How do I create an NFT?

To create an NFT, you must choose a blockchain and a marketplace and set up your digital wallet. From there, you can set up the sales process and mint your digital asset.

About Guest Author: Uday Tank

Uday is a serial entrepreneur and content marketing leader who serves the international community at Rankwisely. He enjoys writing, including marketing, productivity, business, health, diversity, and management.

The post Are NFTs the Future of Photography? appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

Photography is an art that has evolved over the years. Amidst different innovations and techniques implemented in photography, light leaks are one of the standout modern ways of enhancing the pictures.

Traditionally, these patches of lights ruined the picture in the early days. But cut to the modern century, and it seems things have changed. Today, light leaks add dimension, depth, and layers to the film, thereby ramping up the photo’s emotion.

But what exactly are light leaks? And how will you create them in your photos or videos? To get an insightful understanding of the concept, keep reading on.

An Introduction To Light Leaks: What Is It?

If you are a beginner in the world of photography, there are hordes of terms that may intrigue you.

And one of them is light leaks.

In general, the light leak is a term that comes from the concept of light leaking onto films. As a result, it leads to color and value leaks on the slides. The look adds a touch of nostalgia to the images. The light leak makes an outstanding addition to any analog photography as it offers your photos an outstanding appeal.

Despite being a popular photography technique however, some photographers don’t prefer using it. It could be that they are unfamiliar with the proper implementation of light leaks to enhance the overall photo.

If that sounds like an alien concept to you, welcome this post. Here, we will explore how to create light leaks with easy and interesting hacks.

Easy Hacks To Create Light Leaks In Any Photo

Here are the easy hacks to create light leaks in photos:

1. Implementing The Technique Of Glass Obstruction

Using a prism or crystal will help you create the light leak, but you will need a camera that features manual controls. You can take advantage of the technique by using a directional light source.

There are multiple ways to experiment with glasses.

For instance, you can use colored glasses to create various refraction types. You may also use diffractive light to create mirror-esque style leaks. Considering how the prism works, you can use them as mirror-like objects, which helps you create some intriguing images.

They aren’t always technically light leaks, but they can be creative projects in the same realm.

Start with the subject and obstructive glass when you use your camera. Then set the aperture fairly low and use a regular or telephoto lens. Use a stand or your hand and have that glass in front of your lens. Then, rotate it gradually while looking through the camera’s live view or viewfinder.

Experiment with distances between the front of the glass, subject, and lens.

2. A Bright Source Of Light Is Better To Use

Using a bright light source is an incredible way to create a light leak. You can do this either with the lens flare or in the effect of rays. Use the lens flare to your benefit but don’t forget to implement your creative skills too.

In general, lens flare is often out of control, although there are different ways to produce an image through the process. The most seamless process is to use a bright light source, and to do so, follow the directions below:

• Place the subject between the source and camera
• Now, you need to get your lens to create beautiful flares
• Try and move the light source around the frame’s edges, and keep the subject at the contrasting value with the source of the light source

The more you expose the source of light, the better and easier the light leaks look. But remember, some parts of it may go out of control.

Some high-end lenses will produce minimum flaring. In addition, the more inexpensive lenses have fewer blades in their aperture eye and have flares that aren’t so beautiful. That’s why the prime lenses that don’t have the coated elements can create the best effects.

One quick note: These prime lenses should not have coated elements that stop flaring and should be high quality.

3. Using Old Film Cameras For Creating More Stunning Light Leaks

Not all film cameras produce light leaks, and what technique you implement is vital to the ultimate result. After all, light leaks enhance not only photographs but also videos.

But when using the effect for videos, ensure that the camera is susceptible to light exposure. So, it’s better to purchase an inexpensive camera. For example, a toy camera or something a bit more advanced than that. If these cameras feature holes or defects, it becomes easier to get light leaks in the images.

You can purchase an analog camera to gain more control over the images. Don’t forget to get an interchangeable lens, which will help you experiment with apertures and light leak methods.

4. Use Different Angles and Cameras

Investing in a couple of equipment can be a great idea to play with light leaks. The more inexpensive the camera, the better your results are. In addition, you can use more than one lens and fill roll to experiment with apertures. That’s an excellent way to create surreal light leaks.

Try sticking to one technique for the shoot, and then change your camera and angles to discover an approach that blends in well with your requirements. For example, increase the aperture for the shoot and gradually change things for other shoots. You may try and keep the camera aperture small to tweak other camera setups.

If you’re looking for inspiration on the different camera setups, angles, and settings that you can play around with, watch photography influencers on platforms like YouTube or TikTok and get a feel for how they’re doing things. This could offer a new perspective to the way you’re approaching things as well.

One quick note: Whatever you practice, check the impacts of light leaks in each method.

5. Creating Fake Light Leaks

Light leaks are aesthetically pleasing elements that can enhance the overall photograph, which may explain why they are popular in digital photography. So, you can implement digital photo techniques to make beautiful light leaks.

You may use lighters, a vibrant piece of cloth, or even your finger. Whatever you select, ensure that you do not cover the lens specifically if you are experimenting with fire. All you need to do is hold the object in front of the lens so that it looks like it comes from one side.

You can always hop on to Colorcinch and play around with its vast collection of built-in overlay presets including light leaks, sun flare & haze, texture, and more!

In Conclusion

Light leaks can be a fantastic addition to film photography if incorporated smartly. As a budding photographer, you may experiment with different light leak methods, setups, and equipment to move closer to the perfect effect that you want for the photographs. Remember to follow the above hacks if you are a beginner.

The post A Simple Guide To Create Light Leaks in Photography appeared first on Photo to Cartoon – Cartoonize Yourself & Create Avatar Characters for Free.

The exposure triangle forms the foundation of photography. Also commonly referred to as photography’s holy trinity or the three pillars of photography, having a firm understanding of the exposure triangle is a must if you’re serious about photography.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive to learn in-depth about the exposure triangle. We’ll also see how we can use it to improve our photography.

Elements of Exposure Triangle

The exposure triangle is made up of the following three fundamentals. We’ll learn more about them as we progress in the article.

• Aperture
• Shutter speed
• ISO

Aperture

The aperture is the physical opening in the lens through which the light has to pass through to make it to the camera’s sensor. It’s made up of multiple layers of blades that open or close to control the size of the aperture.

By now you must’ve understood that the aperture controls the amount of light entering the camera – hence the brightness

Aperture and Depth of Field

Aperture also controls what’s called the depth of field. A lens cannot have everything in focus from front to back. At any given aperture, there’s a certain range within which the image is acceptably sharp, which is known as the depth of field.

A greater depth of field means that a greater portion of the image is in focus and appears sharp. This is mostly the case with landscape images. You can achieve a greater depth of field by closing down the aperture i.e. narrow opening.

On the other hand, a shallow depth of field means that only a smaller portion of the image is in focus and most of the image appears out of focus and blurry. For instance, this is prominent in portrait and macro photography. You can have a shallower depth of field by widening the aperture.

Aperture Notation

Aperture is measured in terms of f-stops. Mathematically, an f-stop (also known as f-number) is the ratio of the focal length to the diameter of the aperture. It is represented as fractions like f/1.8, f/5.6, f/8, and so on.

It is worth noting that wider apertures have smaller f-numbers like f/1.8, f/2, and so on. Whereas, a narrower aperture will have greater f-number such as f/8,f/13, and so on. It can be a bit tricky at first so it’s important that you pay attention to this.

Aperture Summary

In summary, a wide aperture:

• is represented by smaller f-numbers such as f/1.8
• allows more light to enter the camera
• has a shallow depth of field i.e. less things in focus

On the contrary, a narrow aperture:

• is represented by bigger f-numbers such as f/13
• allows less light to enter the camera
• has a greater depth of field i.e. more things in focus

Every lens has a fixed range of aperture values and they vary from lens to lens. Be sure to go through the specifications of your lens to know about its maximum and minimum aperture range.

Shutter Speed

It’s not that the light can reach the camera as soon as it passes through the lens. Right in front of the sensor is the shutter which controls when the sensor is to be exposed to light, and for how long. Think of a shutter as the blinds on your windows.

Basically, the shutter opens when you click the shutter release button on the camera to take a picture. You can control the duration for which the sensor is to be exposed to light by defining the shutter speed.

The shutter speed is thus the duration for which the shutter opens to let the light. Since it’s a time period, it’s measured in terms of seconds. If it’s fast, shutter speed is represented in terms of fractions like 1/1000s (read one thousand of a second), or 1/500s. But if it’s slow, it is represented simply as 1s, 2s, 30s, and so on.

Shutter Speed and Brightness

When you set a faster shutter speed like 1/500s, the shutter opens and closes almost instantly letting very little light into the sensor. This is useful when the scene is brightly lit, or when you want to take a dark image.

On the other hand, when you set a slow shutter speed like 1/2s, the shutter opens for a significant time letting a considerable amount of light into the sensor. This is useful when the scene is dimly lit, or when you want to take a bright image.

Shutter Speed and Motion

Besides controlling the time duration for the light to strike the sensor, shutter speed also plays a pivotal role in capturing or freezing motion.

Using a fast shutter speed ensures that your subject appears well-frozen and tack sharp. A fast shutter speed nullifies the subject’s motion and freezes them. This is why sports and wildlife photographers use a shutter speed of 1/1000s and even faster.

Sometimes, especially for creative reasons,  you’d want to capture the subject’s motion in your images. This is where using a slow shutter speed comes in handy. Notice how the waterfall appears silky smooth in the image above.

You can also use a slower shutter speed in a dimly lit situation and for creative purposes like light painting. In such cases, the camera records the movement of the light source for a dramatic effect.

In case the shutter speed is too slow, you will need to use a tripod. Otherwise, the image will come out blurry either due to the shaking of your hands, or the movement of the subjects.

ISO

ISO determines the level of amplification of the light signals done by the camera’s image processor. When the ISO is set to its base value (usually 100), no boosting occurs. In all the other values, the signal gets boosted so that the image appears brighter.

ISO is measured in terms of absolute numbers like 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and so on. When you double your ISO, you double the brightness of the image.

Now, while ISO might sound like the holy grail to tackle dark images, there’s a catch. Simply increasing the ISO won’t help you take photos in dark conditions as it has an adverse side-effect.

Amplifying the light signals gives rise to grain-like artifacts in an image referred to as noise. They reduce the details on an image and also result in inaccurate colors. So, you’ll need to be very much aware of your camera’s ISO capabilities as every sensor has its own limitations.

Exposure Triangle: Deciding on the Variables

Now that you have an idea of the elements of the exposure triangle and how they affect your image, let’s see how you can decide on your camera settings for the perfect exposure.

1. Prioritize the Aperture or Shutter Speed Setting

Ask yourself if you’re more concerned about the depth of field in the image, or the motion of the subject. For instance, if your subject moves around quite a bit and you’re concerned about their speed, prioritize shutter speed.

Start by setting a fast shutter speed of about 1/1000s while leaving the ISO to its base value. Since this will cut down the light significantly, you’ll need to reduce the aperture. While keeping an eye on the light meter of your camera, reduce the shutter speed until the light meter points to the middle 0 value.

If the moving subject appears frozen and tack sharp, you’re well and good. But in case you weren’t able to freeze the motion on your first try, you can try again by increasing the shutter speed to let’s say 1/2000s.

Again, since you’re reducing the exposure duration, you will need to widen the aperture while keeping an eye on the light meter so that it points to 0. Repeat the process until you’re able to completely freeze the motion.

On the other hand, if you are more concerned with the depth of field, dial in your aperture setting first while leaving the ISO to the base value. Then, let the shutter speed setting follow.

For instance, if you want to isolate your subject, set your aperture to its widest setting, let’s say f/1.8. Since this will let in a lot of light, you’ll need to increase the shutter speed while keeping your eye on the light meter until it reads 0.

On the contrary, if you want an image with a large depth of field, start with a narrow aperture, preferably around f/8 or f/11. Since this will cut down the light, you’ll need to use a slower shutter speed. So, reduce the shutter speed while keeping your eye on the light meter.

2. Set Your ISO

We highly recommend that you keep the ISO at its native value as far as possible. This is why we suggest that you set your ISO only after you’ve dialed in your aperture and shutter speed.

Increase your ISO only in cases where camera shake or motion blur becomes unavoidable due to a slow shutter speed. That’s because the image comes out the cleanest at the base ISO. Once you increase the ISO the camera will introduce some level of noise in the image.

Having said that, it should also be noted that modern cameras have fantastic high ISO performance. So, be sure to check how your camera performs at higher ISOs. This will give you more confidence to switch over to higher ISO values when needed.

Giving Your Exposure a Final Touch

During the initial phase of learning photography, expect your exposures to be all over the place. You’ll overexpose some images, underexpose some, and take blurry photos most of the time. Just don’t stress yourself. That’s how we all learn.

While there’s no fix for blurry images, we can take the help of photo editing tools like Colorcinch to fine-tune exposure-related issues. In Colorcinch, if you navigate to Edit – Exposure, you’ll come across the following options that will help you drastically improve the exposure in your image.

• Brightness: This controls the overall brightness of the image
  
• Contrast: This controls the extent of difference between the brightness and the darkest parts in an image and helps to add a pop to flat images
  
• Highlights: This affects only the brighter regions of the image
• Shadows: This affects only the darker regions of the image

For instance, let’s have a look at how we can transform an underexposed image in Colorcinch.

Step 1: Upload the image to Colorcinch.

Step 2: Navigate to Edit – Exposure. There, you’ll find the exposure controls.

Step 3: Start by adjusting the overall brightness of the image using the Brightness slider. To adjust the sky region (bright), use the Highlights slider, and to adjust the landscape region (dark), adjust the Shadows slider. Finally, add some kick to the image using the Contrast slider.

Here’s how the image appears after the adjustments.

To Sum it Up

Photographing feels a lot more challenging in the earlier stages. But once you get a hang of things like the exposure triangle, you can concentrate more on the creative aspects of photography. And that’s where all the fun and other challenges come into play.

We’re sure that our discussion here regarding the exposure triangle will help you kick start your photography journey. All the best!

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