PREPARING AN IMAGE FOR UPLOADING
01/06/2008
01/05/2008
PREPARING AN IMAGE FOR UPLOADING
07/04/2008
Tips For Shooting And Selecting Images For A Photo Essay
01/07/2008 - PREPARING AN IMAGE FOR UPLOADING
File format:
JPEG only. Please save as JPEG 8 when saving file. Scan negative or transparency as a 50MB or greater TIF file, which you need to compress to around 2MB as a jpeg 8.
Colour format:
Adobe RGB 1998 is the recommended standard colour space to be applied.
File size:
Images must be medium-high resolution digital images equal to 5 megapixels or greater. If scanning film negatives or transparencies, please scan to a minimum 50MB TIFF files and save as JPEG 8.
Please ensure any files to be entered online are less than 2MB in size to reduce entry time.
Minimum size per JPEG image:
5 megapixels (multiply number of pixels across by the number of pixels down - this must be equal to or greater than 5 million pixels = ie. 5 megapixels).
Enhancement:
Images that have been digitally enhanced with software are accepted, however images that have been digitally altered must state so in the caption.
Both colour and black-and-white images are accepted.
i) Scanned photos must be treated for dust and scratches. You will also need to check images shot digitally as dust may get on the camera sensor and affect images. Do not use sharpening affects.
ii) A little colour/brightness/contrast adjustment can make the world of difference to an image, really bringing it to life. Try using the auto controls in Image > adjustments to see the result, but for more control play around with levels, curves or brightness/contrast. This adjustment should be very subtle and not affect the overall look of the image - simply enhancing the photo.
iii) By selecting areas in photshop using the lasso tool and a feather you can lighten areas that may be a touch too dark or vice versa.
iv) Do not sharpen an image - if it is out of focus it is out of focus and you cannot correct it.
Image caption:
All images must have suitably captioned metadata. This may be achieved using Adobe Photoshop or similar:
Go to “File Info” and complete the photo's Title and Description relating to the image.
Description:
Document title - the same title as your Photo Essay or Single Shot entry.
Author - your name.
Description - A description of the image.Origin:
Location - City, State/Region and Country.
Please enter these fields to the best of your knowledge.
01/06/2008 - THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE
Travel images may be interpreted in many ways. Keep your mind open and eyes peeled for new stock shots.
It's easy to get caught up in scenery and architecture when you're on the road but pointing your lens at less obvious targets can mean you end up with some real gems. Use these tips as a reminder to look outside the square on your travels.
Places people meet for social activities are great subjects when trying to evoke a sense of people and their lifestyle.
Set yourself up early to catch shots of people arriving at church on a Sunday morning, or school children coming out from school in their uniforms, or people in a street café, the local icerink, or marketplace.
Photograph fresh local produce, the local beer, an Asian chef tossing noodles about in a wok, Italian women in a country kitchen hand making pasta, or cocktails in a bar.
People using local ingredients, unusual cooking utensils and techniques make great subjects for photographs.
Look for people working - labourers, waiters, musicians, buskers, road workers, tour guides, bus conductors, shop and market sales people. People wearing uniforms can also make interesting images - think how different the uniforms of people in the Australian armed forces look to those in other countries. The same goes for police and the vehicles they drive.
Clothing and accessories can give the viewer insight into traditional cultures as well as economic conditions and climate so be sure to keep an eye out for authentic looking locals going about their daily lives.
The real interest in a building can often be found inside. Sometimes the attention to detail that goes into a building's interior can give a sense of the building's style as a whole so capturing fixtures and fittings is often the way to go.
Imagine the light fittings, taps and door handles in Versailles. Now imagine the lights, taps and doors of some of the poorer parts of Asia.
Staircases can also tell you a lot about a building. They can be grand and spiralling, or steep and tiny. They're interesting and often beautiful. Try to shoot them in the available light, and avoid using a flash.
Floor tiles and carpet patterns make interesting photographs. Picture the detail in the floor tiles inside some of Europe's cathedrals.
Shooting a detail of the building, perhaps lit by a shaft of light hitting the surface at an angle, can bring out the texture and age of the building.
Outside, go for wide-angle shots of the whole building with either a tree or person in the shot to give a sense of scale and get some close-ups of architectural detail - door frames, windows, a spire, a thatched roof, or a gargoyle will all be useful.
If the light is poor or the weather's bad, and you're unable to take the picture you want, try buying the postcard and trying to replicate it when the weather changes. If you are not scheduled to travel on for a few days, the opportunity to capture as good an image (and if not better!) just may present itself.
Seek out interiors of pubs and cafes, where the locals relax. Don't be afraid to set up your tripod and hang around until the scenes you want present themselves. Patience is often rewarded.
QUICK TIPS
- Well known restaurants and dishes
- Famous hotels particularly 5-star or celebrity locations
- Local food, farming and markets
- City icons, famous statues and landmarks
- Local music, art, crafts, theatres and the arts
- Famous shops, centres, arcades,
- Traditional outfits, local clothing and customs
- Country flags, furled and unfurled
- Currencies shot in an interesting way
- Aerial shots. Views from a helicoptor or small plane
01/05/2008 - PREPARING AN IMAGE FOR UPLOADING
File format:
JPEG only. Please save as JPEG 10 when saving file. Scan negative or transparency as a 50MB or greater TIF file, which should compress to around 4 or 5MB as a jpeg.
Colour format:
Adobe RGB 1998 must be applied as the standard colour space.
File size:
Images must be high resolution digital images equal to 6 megapixels or greater. If scanning film negatives or transparencies, please scan to a minimum 50MB TIFF files and save as JPEG 10.
Minimum size per JPEG image:
6 megapixels (multiply number of pixels across by the number of pixels down - this must be equal to or greater than 6 million pixels = ie. 6 megapixels). If the image is smaller than the size mentioned above, the file will not be accepted.
Enhancement:
Images that have been digitally enhanced with software are accepted, however images that have been digitally altered must state so in the caption.
Both colour and black-and-white images are accepted.
i) Scanned photos must be treated for dust and scratches. You will also need to check images shot digitally as dust may get on the camera sensor and affect images. Do not use sharpening affects.
ii) A little colour/brightness/contrast adjustment can make the world of difference to an image, really bringing it to life. Try using the auto controls in Image > adjustments to see the result, but for more control play around with levels, curves or brightness/contrast. This adjustment should be very subtle and not affect the overall look of the image - simply enhancing the photo.
iii) By selecting areas in photshop using the lasso tool and a feather you can lighten areas that may be a touch too dark or vice versa.
iv) Do not sharpen an image - if it is out of focus it is out of focus and you cannot correct it.
Image caption:
All images must have suitably captioned metadata. This may be achieved using Adobe Photoshop or similar:
Go to “File Info” and complete the photo's Title, Description and Keywords relating to the image.
Description:
Document title - the same title as your Photo Essay or Single Shot entry.
Author - your name.
Description - The country name followed by a description of the image.
Keywords - only use relevant keywords.
Copyright - this ensures you retain copyright at all times.
Origin:
Date created - the image date needs to be added for our records.
Location - City, state/region and country.
All these fields must be entered to the best of your knowledge for the entry to be accepted. Please write informative captions and check for spelling and facts if you are not sure.
07/04/2008 - Tips For Shooting And Selecting Images For A Photo Essay
Photo essay – a collection of images that visually tell a story.
These are the key points that our judges will consider when evaluating a well thought out photographic essay:
Know your subject: Being passionate about your subject is half the challenge. Your research and feelings will show in the final collection. By concentrating on a place or event that you love you will capture more than just the look, you will capture the soul.
Plan what you will shoot and how you want it to look: All stories have a beginning, a middle and an end, and the same goes with a photographic narrative. Set the scene and create a sense of place. Include wide and detailed shots, but vary your angles, colours and lighting, ensuring they work visually together. In-camera visual effects are much more highly regarded than images that are over-photoshopped. By all means enhance your images to bring out the very best, but be careful not overdo it and ruin a good photo.
Be consistant, but be interesting: Shoot your images only in one colour style or format, for example all images in colour or all in a panoramic format, to provide a consistant look and feel to the collection. Disjointed shoots are jarring visually, and whilst individually the images may be award-winners, they must also all work together in a strong cohesive manner.
Edit: Six stunning images that tell the story will have a much stronger overall effect than by watering down your collection. The hardest job of all is to edit hundreds or thousands of images, especially when you are personally involved with them. Getting opinions by trusted photojournalists may open your eyes to different views and options.