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One of the most frustrating things in photography is camera shake. Camera shake occurs when a camera moves while the photographer is taking a shot. This is usually the result of hand holding a camera instead of placing it on a tripod or other stable object. Modern cameras can be quite heavy and difficult to hold steady while taking shots, resulting in movement that can find its way onto the finished picture.

Camera shake usually doesn’t occur when the photographer is using a fast enough shutter speed. If the shutter is only open for a fraction of a second – say 1/640th of a second or faster – then it is almost impossible for any movement to affect the shot. However often photographers cannot use fast shutter speeds because of low light, so they need to find a way to reduce camera shake. When a shutter is open for a long period of time – anything from 1/20th of a second or longer is considered a long time for shutters – camera shake will ruin the shot if a method for keeping the camera steady is not utilised.

One of the most popular methods for keeping cameras steady is to use a tripod. Sports photographers, and any other photographers who don’t have time to set up a tripod for each shot, might use a monopod instead.

A tripod is a three legged device specifically designed to keep a camera steady when shooting. The legs can usually be extended or retracted and work independently of each other. The legs might also be partially covered in rubber to keep the photographer’s hands warm when adjusting the legs in cold weather, and for protection of the legs from bumps and scratches. Good tripods will also have rubber feet that can grip any surface, even if it’s wet.

Depending on the type of tripod being used, the neck and head type will vary. Some necks can be lifted up and down to allow for height adjustments, similar to the legs. A few types of tripods have necks that can be positioned sideways when lifted up and out. This provides for side-on, or portrait shooting. Other tripods only allow for switching between landscape and portrait shooting from the head.
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So you’ve got a product that you’re wanting to sell. You need some good photos and you need them done right or at least better than most of your competitors, right?

Some individuals and companies will spend thousands on photographing products and that’s fine if you have the budget. This can be truly unreasonable or unfeasible for the small business or person trying to get their products off of the ground and to potential customer’s eyes.

So here are a few tips for capturing some great shots of the products you want to sell without spending a fortune.

Clean your products

Nothing’s worse than having a dusty product full of fingerprint smudges in product catalogs. Clean it up before shooting!

Analyze the setting and scene

First, let’s start with the setting. Take the time to make a great environment for the product to be displayed in. You’re going to want to block out background ‘noise’, meaning other items and things around that would distract from the attention of the item itself.

Sometimes this can be as easy as draping a blanket, sheet or other type of linen as a background and base for the product to sit on.

Background

Consider the colors. If your item is black, don’t use a black backdrop. If it’s white, don’t use a white backdrop. Make your item stand out. Consider using your yard for an outdoors type product. You get the idea.
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Being alive at this very moment is the greatest opportunity anyone has ever had. The expansion of the Internet offers a lot of possibilities to make money online, one of which consists of selling your own photography. Some of the most common questions tackle the issue of where to sell photos on the Internet and why anyone would spend money on photography, when using a digital camera is extremely simple.

Let’s start with the first issue. Where to sell photos on the Internet? You might be surprised to find out how many people are actually looking to buy photos online. Bloggers, freelancers, magazine writers, they all prefer to just pay regular people for their photos, instead of doing the work themselves.

Probably the best known way to make money selling photos online is through specialized stock photos websites. This is actually how I first started in this business. I was earning a few dollars here and there selling stock photos, but after a trip to Thailand, during which I took about 4000 photos with the sole purpose of selling them, I truly discovered the real potential of this. By selling those photos, I managed to earn a little more than $10,000 during the next two months!

You can find this kind of websites by performing a simple Google search for “stock photos”, but you will have to do a little research yourself in order to find the ones with the best payout. All you have to do is upload your photos (which can be taken with a simple digital camera), set your prices, depending on the quality of the photos and wait for buyers to show up.
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