With something like 206,741,990 websites out there, there’s a good chance that some unscrupulous bum might decide to use your photographs and call them his own – and you’ll never know it.

Whether you are a professional photographer, or just a parent with vacation photos, your pictures are protected by Copyright Law. They SHOULD not be copied by anyone without permission, but that does not seem to stop people. The good thing is that you can watermark your photos with Photoshop and other image processing software out there.

Check out this short video that walks you step by step through the process of protecting your photographs from would be thieves.

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Ever wondered how some photographers get their subjects in sharp focus while the rest of the photo is softly out of focus?

Or how they get such great photos in near darkness?

If you have a DSLR camera (and the kit lens that came with it) and you are longing to get portraits like you see in magazines, you might just be a mere $135.00 away from your goal.

The kit lenses that ship with most DSLR cameras are built to be work horses to satisfy the masses. They have focal lengths (for example) between 18-55mm and serve the purposes of 75% of camera users. The next lens you might have already stepped up to could be the 55-200mm f/4 – 5.6 to compliment that 18-55. But have you ever considered a 50mm 1.8 lens?

A lot of people get hung up on focal length (the18-55mm part). What a large percentage of folks overlook is how “bright (aka fast)” the lens is. If you look at your kit lens, it might read something like this:

18-55mm f/3.5 – 5.6 The first part of that alphabet soup is the focal length of the lens (18mm-55mm) but it is the second part (f3.5 – 5.6) that tells you how “fast” the lens is. In other words, the maximum “Aperture” of the lens.

Think of aperture this way. When you’ve been in the dark for a few minutes, your pupils get really big. This allows more light to enter your eye and you see better in the dark. Flip a bright light on and you are forced to shut your eyes until your pupils get smaller, and let in less light.

Camera aperture works similarly. It’s a bit confusing, but the smaller the number, (e.g. 1.8) the MORE light the lens is letting in. When a lens allows a ton of light to come in, you can get away with using faster shutter speeds in lower light. With a faster shutter speed, you have less of a chance of getting a blurry photo due to camera shake. You can also freeze motion in low light, like at a concert, or dance recital where flashes are often not allowed. Fast lenses also let you shoot at lower ISO. The lower the ISO, the less noise.

The other thing a fast lens does for you is give you that sought after shallow depth of field effect, also known as Bokeh. The idea here is that your subject is sharp and the background (or foreground, or both) are softened, or blurred. This makes your primary subject stand out and helps with composing a better shot.

When you shoot with an Aperture of 1.8, you have very shallow depth of field, the lens opens up very wide, and you can use a faster shutter speed and lower ISO. This is ideal for getting great shots in very low light without a flash.

So what’s the secret?  Look beyond the tele range of your next lens, and pay attention to how “fast” the lens is. Take note, a 55-200mm f/4 – 5.6 lens may cost you $230, but the 2.8 version will cost 5 to 10 times that. The good news is that a 50mm 1.8 will only set you back about $130 (which is what I shot most of these photos with). If you want to step up to the 50mm 1.4, you will pay between $330 – $500.

Recently, I was doing a full motion video tour for a client and although he wanted my video services, he passed on my photography because he was a (self described) very adept photographer. I didn’t mind, video is my main gig – photography is a secondary offering.

While I was shooting the video, he was following me around, watching every move. Still – no biggie. When I was done with the shoot, I asked him if I could check out his camera. Being a Nikon guy, it’s not everyday I get to put my hands on a nice Canon like his EOS 50D. His lens was no slouch either. A Canon 17-55 f/2.8.

But it was what I saw next that generated my idea for this post.

His lens (which costs something like $1000) did not have any kind of filter on it. Not even a Clear Glass or UV filter. When I asked him why he didn’t have a filter on his lens, he said, “Those things are just gimmicks from the camera manufactures to get you to spend more money”.

I tried to keep my jaw from dropping and just said, “I see” and let it go. You have to remember that this is one of those guys who is right about everything and stating a counter idea to his is just futile.

HERE IS MY POINT – I totally disagree with his philosophy. If you buy a $1000 lens and scratch the lens, you are out $1000! Conversely, if you buy a $1000 lens and put a $40 filter on it and scratch the front of it, you are out ………. $40.00!

Please don’t make the same mistake he did! Filters protect the lens. It’s not a gimmick. Protect your investment – spend the money, you will be glad you did!

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Amazing Video Tours offers photography and full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video
Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.

Well the rumor mill is alive and kickin, even going as far as Photoshopped pictures of a Nikon D400 and articles in magazines from far away countries.

Well, rest easy. If you are a die hard Nikon fan, it’s inevitable. The Nikon D400 is around the corner. History shows us that it’s time for a new DX sensor Dxxx camera. The D300 was released in August, 2007 and Nikon has been running about a 18-24 month time period between like models.

If you were watching this closely then you know that at the beginning of April Nikon told everyone they were having a “big press release”. On April 14, they did release a new model, but it was not the D400, it was the D5000. The D5000 will be a new entry level DSLR featuring 720p HD video recording capabilities.

So the new rumors push the release date of the D400 to August 2009 with delivery ready for the Holiday Season. So what’s it gonna have that the D300 does not?

Well, I have compiled the rumor list from many different sources and the general consensus is the following:

• 14-15 Mega pixel CMOS Sensor (still DX format although rumors differ even on this)
• Faster FPS then the D300 (7 fps and more with the battery grip???)
• Next Gen Expeed Processor?
• Greater ISO range then the D300
• Video Capability

So, what does all this mean? Not much, it’s just rumors.

But here’s my 2 cents. At this point I really don’t see a compelling reason to upgrade if you are a D300 user. But, if you are a Dxx user and want to upgrade, it makes more sense. Personally I think the video capability is a gimmick. You have to remember that (at least in the D90) the camera does not auto focus in video mode. That squelches the idea of the camera doubling as a still and a video camera for everyday practical use. Also remember that the audio capabilities are minimal compared to a hand held video camera meant for video.

Another consideration for you Dxx users looking to upgrade is the fact that the D300 should come down in price when the D400 is released. The D300 is still the king of all DX sensor cameras and will maintain it’s relevance for a long while. (Don’t get mad at me Canon users – I meant king of the Nikon lineup. Your 50D is an awesome camera).

For me, I am sitting tight for a while. I think FX sensors will make their way into less expensive cameras and within 3-5 years even perhaps phase out DX sensors. But who knows, if I could predict the future, I’d just get next Wednesday’s lottery numbers, win it all, and buy an island.

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Amazing Video Tours offers photography and full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.

I love real estate. I also love photography. So, needless to say, when I found the following site, I was drawn in – and then spent way too much time there. If you are anything like me, visit http://www.celebrityaddressaerial.com/Celebrity/Celebrity.html to quench your thirst for some of the most expensive, and beautiful homes in America.

It features aerial views of 100′s of celeb homes and many of them are ….. WOW.

Here’s an example:

Aaron Spelling’s former home sold for a reported $130M. If you like this kind of thing, check out the site.

Other noted homes to check out are

• David Geffen’s Beverly Hills home (look at all that land)
• Bill Gates
• Oprah Winfrey

There are so many more to see. but beware – you might lose a couple hours.

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The photo in this post is from Microsoft Virtual Earth. Some info in this post was compiled from www.celebrityaddressaerial.com and credit goes to that website

Amazing Video Tours offers photography and full motion video marketing solutions to Realtors, and other individuals with property to sell, lease, or rent. A departure from the old fashion 360 Virtual Tour, Amazing Video Tours takes online property marketing to the next level.