Express Action Sports

I was wondering if I could use a UV filter or Polarizer to improve the color saturation and clarity of my sport videos. Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

a UV filter does nothing for video. some film, notably Kodachrome, will expose in UV light giving an odd purple glow to sky shots, so many traditional photographers use the UV filter out of habit.
a polarizer may cut glare from reflected water, so if you are trying to photograph Koi fish, it is a big plus. It also cuts reflected glare from windows. So if you trying to shoot through glass windows of a luxury sky box, it could help. It can darken the sky to make clouds more dramatic, but only when shooting certain orientations away from the sun. if you pan the camera to follow the action, then the dramatic changes in the sky color would be most distracting.

Have you been disappointed with your photos of your cat? If I asked you to articulate what distinguishes good photos from bad, can you tell me?

You don’t need a whiz-bang camera. If you learn and practise these basic techniques, you’ll see your photos improve measurably. And don’t be afraid to take lots of photos to get a few good ones. The professionals do.

Prepare your cat
Take a little time to plan your photography sessions. How do you want to capture your cat’s personality? Is she smoochy, lazy, active, playful?

Help your cat relax around the camera. Let her sniff it first. Remove any collar and wipe her over with a damp cloth if he looks a bit scruffy. You might want to control how far your cat can roam during the photo session. This could be as simple as closing a door or putting up a barrier.

If your cat is very active, wait for a quieter time, like after a meal when he may be sleepy. Or tire him out first. A good way to get your cat to hold still is to let him play quietly and once you have everything ready, call him. This will catch his attention, giving you a few seconds to capture an alert posture.

If you have a predominantly outside cat, she may be flirty when just let into the house. A chance for great photos of her rubbing against a chair.

If you want your cat to look at the camera, hold some food above or alongside the camera. You’ll want to take these shots before feeding her.

For shots of your cat playing, it will be easier with an assistant. Have some teasers, like feathers or string. Use a box or paper bag, but not all at once! You want uncluttered photos.

Lighting
Inadequate light ruins a lot of photos. Outside light is best, ideally at dawn and dusk. Remember not to shoot into the sun. Inside shots are best near a large window. Otherwise you will need good artificial lighting. There are a few problems with using the camera flash. It can cause red or green eyes when the light hits the back of the eyes. Red eye reduction is not helpful as it uses a second flash by which time your cat will have moved. The flash also tends to scare cats. If you must use it, you want the flash as far from the camera lens as possible. If possible, turn the flash away so it’s not pointing at your cat. If you can’t do this, cover the flash with tissue paper to soften the effect.

Movement
If your cat is on the move, a fast shutter speed is helpful. Most digital cameras have a sports mode designed for moving action. If your cat is a fast mover, a fast shutter speed allows you to take a quick series of shots.

To avoid blurred shots, steady the camera by bracing the it gently against your forehead, pushing your elbows into your ribs and holding a shallow breath just before you take your photos.

Close-ups
Get up close, at cat or even mouse level – this will give intimacy to your shots, and put you in your cat’s world. You may need to get on your stomach or knees. The cat should take up most of the space in your shot.

Cats look different from different angles. Take facial close-ups, full body shots, three-quarter body shots and action shots.

Background
Avoid distractions and clutter in your photos – use simple settings like a large patch of grass or a well-lit room with pale walls and plain carpet. Avoid couches, televisions, tables, lamps, wall hangings and such in the background.

If your cat is light-colored, try to have a dark background, and vice-versa. If necessary, hang a cloth as a backdrop. Be careful of background objects that appear to stick out of your cat’s head (or rear-end). Only include background objects if they add to the photo.

Now I strongly suggest you spend time looking at good and bad photos. Articulate why the poor ones don’t look so good. Is the object of the photo too small and far away? Is there too much background distraction? Is the lighting poor? Then look at some of your good photos or from my website. Why do you like them? Put it into words and you can start to transform your photographs.

Happy snapping!

Jenny Jackson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/cat-pictures-how-to-take-better-photos-of-your-cat-393424.html

You are on the clock until 10:00 PM tonight and before you know it the sun begins to set. You still want to be on alert for anything that might be going wrong, so you get out your night vision goggles and turn them on. Who ever thought that you, yes you, the new guy on the job would be using such high tech equipment? And just think, the other day you had gone for an extreme helicopter ride with state of the art flight helmets! Whether you are a marine official or an aviation guru, or even just someone who likes to participate in some extreme sports, high tech equipment like these items may be your realm of excitement.

I have got a friend who works with the Coast Guard on the coast of Florida near the Gulf of Mexico, and he says that he is using high tech equipment almost every night to stay alert on the job. He says that the night vision goggles are an amazing item to have when you need it. He says that he would not be able to complete his job as well without them. My friend also says that the night vision goggles are fun and easy to use making it virtually impossible to not know how to figure them out.

For more information on extreme sports jobs click here