Conventional design of a camera captures images which technically translate into either still photographs or motion pictures. This device is nothing new, even to adorable children who love taking portrait photography.

Camera with small lens are integrated into most of our mobile phones these days.  It has become indispensable in our daily life in many ways; making it much simpler and conveniently to capture moments in a few clicks.

How camera works? How it record pictures? These simple questions should leave it to those encyclopedia writers.

To write down in detail of each individual design modular and components, and then explain the mechanism how camera works would, I think, occupy another long series of blog posts. Theoretically, it is still doable.

Such a lengthy explanation shall not be included in the context of this advanced technology I am about to introduce next.

Have you heard of ball-camera capable to capture panoramic photographs?

Imagine a spherical ball, evenly spaced and integrated with multiples of such miniature lens onto it’s round surface. User throws the ball up into the air, cameras automatically capture a panorama of surroundings. As the ball-camera descends, user catches it.

Till this point, everyone agrees it is absolutely easy to use. My great grandma living in the old folk’s home wouldn’t have any problem on this usage, either.

What comes next will require a bit of techies knowledge. One would only able to view all the recorded images in the computer by using a specialized software application.

Just last month, expertise from Computer Graphics Groups, TU Berlin, has engineered a new photographic technology dubbed as the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera. An Emerging Technologies demonstration at SIGGRAPH Asia 2011.

The technology as described, “it captures a full spherical panorama when thrown into the air. At the peak of its flight, which is determined using an accelerometer, a full panoramic image is captured by 36 mobile phone camera modules.”

Obviously, its not a mobile camera phone. Never will the mobile phone going to design in spherical shape. Likewise, how cumbersome it can be if a traveler would to bring such a ball-camera.

While watching the video below, instead of expecting any advance technology, my first impression was user throwing the round object that look more like a volley ball player ready serve behind the line.

Whatever is your thought, this interesting technology could possibly given new experiences on how one can view the world in a panoramic perspective.

Thinking of it, how ingenious and awesome to capture portrait photographs of children in a party with a throw of the ball-camera into the air?

I started off to learn photography with a prosumer digital SLR camera. My initial thought was to learn basic portrait photography, without spending much on equipment. Back then, this equipment was new to me, and I don’t have a good background of which portrait lens is best for me. Neither do I know about the term ‘aperture’ and ‘focal length’, nor knowing how this 2 terms affect the photographic results.

Are you one of the self-starter, yet troubled by deciding what is best for you?

You may say, “This is not the main concern, because purchasing a new digital SLR usually comes with a general purpose kit lens”. I agree, it is either a standard zoom lens or a telephoto zoom lens. Even today, I have also noticed that most amateur photographers use kit lens as well. There is nothing wrong with this, and this was what I did back then.

After months of diligence learning in portrait photography, I realized that the results of portrait shoots does not has maximum emphasis. In particularly the background, it looks equally as sharp as the subject. Shouldn’t the background supposed to be blur? Have you experienced this before?

Please read on to learn about the causes and basic criteria for good portrait photograph.

1. Using telephoto zoom lens, wide angle lens, or macro lens is not the key factors for blurring the background. However, it does contribute to the portraiture composition. The main criteria for good portrait is selecting wide aperture for your lens.
2. The aperture of lens refers to the round mechanical openings located at the center of lens. It control the amount of lights passes through and into the digital SLR sensors.
3. Aperture is expressed as F-stop, e.g. F2.8 or f/2.8. The smaller the number, the larger the lens opening.
4. Most of the general purpose kit lens comes with aperture of f4-5.6 or f3.5-5.6.
5. Be selective. Always shoot at the widest aperture setting. Recommended to own a lens with adjustable aperture. At least f/2.8 or lower.
6. This basic feature enable the photographer to create a shallow depth of field. Capable of blurring the background, thus, emphasizing a sharp focus on the portraiture.
7. Simplest settings on for the camera’s body is to use Aperture Priority auto-exposure mode, also know as AP mode. Otherwise, select fully manual mode and experiment it with low F-Stop.

After all, just be reminded that selecting the right lens with wide aperture is very important for good portrait photography. Below portrait photograph has clearly demonstrated the use of  widest aperture setting.

Baby Portrait with Wide Aperture Setting. Specification: 50mm, f1.8

Flickr Photo credit to R.Gringo’s photostream.

Portrait Painting for Young Children.
There are the most adorable and beautiful people doted by parents and adults, who always give the best whatever there can. Portrait photography for young children is good way of capturing natural pose with in a short time. Technically, it take little effort to snapshot a nice portrait, be it digital or film. On the contrary, portrait artists who acquire experience and genuine painting skill, will have to use their ingenuity and thinks of ways to keep young children in the same room with him. Keeping them looking at the artist takes even more cleverness. Here are a few ways.

1) When work actually begin…

The best thing one can do is talk with the child. Let the parents be there, but in the background. Portrait artist will find it absolutely essential to talk with the child subject. Otherwise, one will find the child either falls asleep or escapes from the chair. The idea is to get the child talking so artist can just nod or smile and concentrate on e painting work. Try opening the conversation by asking about a pet, or brothers and sisters, or favorite TV show or even a favorite color. In short, ask the child about himself. Incidentally, this technique works just as well with young children

2) Once in a while…

Artist will have a youngster who love to sing. Portrait artist can have fun with this, especially if one know the songs, too, and sing along with the child. Be entertained and occupied with this fun. Background music helps everyone relax and fills in the gaps when there is no conversation. Some parents bring the child’s favorite CD along. But insist on absolutely no video, such as cartoons. Visual media may keep a child in one place, but that mesmerized expression is too unnatural for a portrait.

3) If artist works standing up…

He will have to raise the child to his eye level. Try a small stool with a back on it that rotates – children really like that. If a child gets fussy, she might sit on the lap of the parent who agrees to sit on the stool. At times, artist may just easier to get down on the floor with the child while she sits in a juvenile chair or plays on the floor with her toys. Of course, this means moving all the painting gear to the floor, too. Toys such as Sony PSP or Nintendo are highly not recommended; a child will never look up to the artist, but will glued to the gadgets, instead.

4) Young children are inquisitive by nature.

There will be doggedly determined to get closed to artsit and start picking up paints and bushes, or may even want to work on the portrait. Curious of how the end results look like, asking questions of “why” and “how”. Its amazing how children thinks and talk. But then, no matter how nice you want to be, don’t let this happen. If you allow the child to dab around with the brush even once, one will find that the subject will want to paint, not pose, and artist will have lost control of the situation entirely.

5) After a while…

Many children will ask, “When will you be done?” or complain, “Aren’t you done yet?” When it looks like they are about to run out the door and you need more time, let them wear your watch and tell them they can get down when this hand gets to that number. This works far better than telling the child you only want her to pose “for about ten minutes,” because children have no idea how long ten minutes is. Most children enjoy this game, especially when they see that the hands really do move and thereby realize that you are not just humoring them. They are amazed that artist would give them their watch to wear, too. But it better be an inexpensive watch – don’t get mad at the watch if the child throws it.

Above are a few interesting ways for portrait artists painting on young children. These days, with modern technology advancing quickly, and price are affordable for a digital camera. One may take many photographs of children easily. What takes more skill is the portrait artist, who don’t need the actual appearance of the child, but a clear digital printout of your favorite photograph.

Portrait Painting is a realistic artwork.

Free to send me your enquiries on painting your portrait photo by clicking Contact me.

Or visit my store displaying some of the best photo portrait painting. Online Store.