Monday, July 20, 2009

Artistic Photo Canvas











Display your memories with an elegant artistic canvas! You have to check this out. My father in-law sent a 35mm print and was returned with a beautiful large canvas. There are several techniques to choose from (b&w, sepia, etc.) and each piece of art looks crisp and professional. This is also more affordable than one might think. Check them out: Artistic Photo Canvas.

Win a $50 AMC movie gift certificate!

Win a $50 AMC gift certificate! To enter this contest just submit a video clip, that's it. Maybe its a clip that makes you laugh,smile, or perhaps its a personal memory. Please submit by August 20 12am Est. You must be a HVS fan to enter. Tell your friends and family and good luck!

How to submit a video on the Facebook Home Video Studio site:

HVS site:  http://bit.ly/ipcSB

To post another person's video is through video sharing sites such as You Tube. Simply click "share link" on the HVS wall and copy the entire link and clicking "attach" when done. To post your own video simply select "attach video" on the HVS wall.


Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Post your baby photos and you may win dinner on us!


Post your baby photos and you may win dinner on us! ($50 gift card to any Darren owned restaurant: Olive Garden, Smokey Bones Red Lobster, or Bahama Breeze). *Limit 1 entry per person, you must be a fan of HVS to enter, "baby" can be between infant-approx. 5 years old. A winner will be drawn THIS friday 7/17. Good luck!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Today's Tip: The Use of Tripods








Today's Tip: The Use of Tripods. Tripods are great because it eliminates the photographer's shaky hand and allows for more creativity (such as slowing the shutter speed, bulb shots, panning, etc.) Don't want to lug around a bulky tripod? Checkout a mini-pod like Gorilla Pod. This also makes those self-timer photos a possibility (and for the photographer to become the subject for once! ;)

Check out mini-pods on Amazon.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Today's Tip: How to photograph pets!






 Today's Tip: How to photograph pets! 1. Patience, Practice, and plenty of pictures. 2. Fast ISO if taking action shots @ least 400/200 ISO for slow moving pets 3. Natural lighting if possible 4. Take photos at the animals level rather than from above-get creative in their natural enviroment 5. Use treats or some other sort of reward (but be patient, just like children animals love to wiggle around!)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Live Events in Social Media


Live events are growing in popularity as our world evolves from sending emails to answering the age old question: "what are you doing?"  For those of you who have been living under a rock, social networking sites have status updates that allow you to answer the simple question of your whereabouts or what you are doing.  Some people give us way too much information to EXACTLY what they are doing which is also known as TMI (too much info). An example of this would be anything involving activities in the bathroom, bedroom, or anything else just oh-too-personal for the world wide web.  Remember: the world wide wide is not private.  If you don't want you future/current employer, parents, or in-laws to read your inner-most thoughts, don't post it!  There are also ways to select which users can see your status updates on Facebook: go to settings ,privacy settings, profile, status and links I think there is a customize but start typing all the friends you don't want them to see.

Live events are also becoming the 'it' way to not only get up-to-date news coverage but to experience news.  I participated in a town hall meeting hosted by President Obama last week via Facebook Live.  The video coverage plays while Facebook users type their comments similar to a chat room.  However, all comments that are typed are automatically updated to your current status.  This could be a nuisance or entertaining to read back this one-sided conversation (it also makes your friends scratch their heads if they have no idea what's going on).  Also, during live events, sometimes questions and/or comments will be pulled from Facbook, Twitter, or MySpace and displayed at the event.  This makes it possible to get involved with politics and have the common voice be heard!  

If you would like to participate in the next live event check out CNN's website.
Today, July 7, at 12pm Eastern, there will be a LIVE event for Michael Jackson's memorial.  Share your thoughts, prayers, and memories for the "King of Pop".


Monday, July 6, 2009

Are your Memories Safe?



The reality of new technology surpassing old became a reality for Laura. Laura, age 70, went to view her home vhs video of her daughter on her first horse back ride. To her dismay she discovered that her precious memories were beginning to fade and almost become unrecognizable. For myself, it was realizing that I had plenty of old photos (due to the fact I grew up in the digital boom) but little video. I realized I could no longer hear my great-grand-mom's voice. I could only relive her stories through written word and photographs. How great would it be if we would have captured her personality, her unique mannerisms, and recorded voice. It would truly be something special I could pass on to my family, children, and future generations. Protect your memories today..ask us how www.homevideostudio.com
*above photo taken in 2005, earlier photo taken in approx. 1989.

Today's Tip:How to Bulb Shot with Canon SLR Rebel XT | eHow.com


How to Bulb Shot with Canon SLR Rebel XT | eHow.com

Ever wonder how to make time stand still and get those fancy shots?  Try using your camera's bulb feature and exposing the shot as long as possible.  Read this article by eHow.com to find out more!

Shared via AddThis

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Today's Tip: Panning


Today's Tip: Panning 1. Pick a subject that is moving (try a car in traffic) 2. Panning technique can be used with a steady hand (ie.left to right) or tripod (preferred) 3. Slow the shutter speed (ie.1/30 seconds or slower) 4. Follow through-even though exposure time is slower, follow through with your pan 5.Practice makes perfect!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Today's Tip: How to photograph Fireworks!


Today's Tip: How to photograph Fireworks! 1. Use a tripod to hold still (consider using a timer to decrease movement when pressing the trigger) 2. No flash! 3. Use your camera's night mode or set your ISO to 100 or lower. 4. Use f/8 to f/16 since fireworks produce their own light. Submit your best firework's photos!
*photographer's photos to follow after the holiday. Happy 4th of July!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Rain, rain go away!




Rain, rain go away!........Or stay so I can take pictures!  I experimented in slowing and speeding up the shutter speed with some rain and moving water.

Today's Tip: Fight Fire with Fire!



Today's Tip: Fight Fire with Fire! Stretch your creative side by capturing a photograph of a single flame. Get a candle, tripod, and a dark room to illuminate your candle. Manual focus is best, slow down the shutter speed, and adjust white balance.

(left) My focal point was the flame itself, F7, 1/125 shutter, ISO 1600, white balance adjusted for Approx. 3200k

This information was taken from the following article: How to Photograph Fire

Today's Tip: Using White Balance

Today's Tip: Don't over rely on automatic features on your digital camera. For example, play with the white balance. If its a sunny day change the white balance to cloudy: this will make blues bluer and those puffy white clouds pop! 

Examples up shortly!**