Naturally these images are outstanding because they are selected from hundreds of project submissions. In fact only a handful of images are selected through the course of a year.

Here are the first two images chosen for our Student Gallery.

The Lake – Rubina Danji, Markham, Ontario, Canada. Image submitted for a project in our Digital Imaging Course.

Glass and Grapes – Sumayyah Balamesh, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Image submitted for a project in our Creative Photography Course.

The images can be viewed in our Student Gallery.

More images will be added to this Thread through the course of the year so watch this space!

It is at this time of year when the snow is on the ground and skies are dark and grey that we dream of better weather as the year matures. During the months from January to March a good percentage of travel plans are booked. This gives people something to plan and look forward to but more importantly, the earlier in the year you book, the better chance of getting the flights/destination/accomodation of your choosing.

So you may have booked your trip and you are just now impatiently awaiting for the time to come. True you probably still need to arrange many things and possibly purchase a few supplies for your journey such as clothing, etc. but there is plenty of time. This time allows for even more preparation for your trip.

One aspect of travelling we think of is taking photos. They may be just quick snaps to show where you have been, who you were with or who you have met. Or maybe you are hoping to capture some real top quality images, possibly to show publicly? Getting these photos may even be the reason for taking this trip. Whatever the reason, a bit more thought and preparation will yield much better images for you to show whether it is to friends and family or even for publication purposes, and will look even better in years to come.

Our Travel Photography Course is the ideal way to prepare for your trip. Not just in strict photographic terms but will also give you an insight in planning a trip, particularly for those who are not very experienced in planning a trip. In fact even before you book anything, this course will give insight into the best ways of going about it.

For those who are just interested in taking quick snaps, this course will be of benefit. Most of us now display are photos publicly on the Internet in social networking websites such as Facebook. We all know how poor some of the images we come across can be. With a bit of knowledge and training your photos will stand out on these websites. Simple things like understanding the lighting conditions can improve your photography immensely.

For the enthusiast photographer who wants to improve their skills, this course is ideal. It will take the quality of your work to the next level. This isn’t just about technical issues such as exposure, it is also about understanding the lighting, weather and getting to know the people and locality you are in. The course shows how best to immerse yourself into the surroundings of your destination.

So if you’re planning or have already booked that trip, whether it is an hour away or 24 hours away, give yourself that extra knowledge and preparation to not only improve your photography but to make that trip a much better experience.

Join our Travel Photography Course today – Enroll!

One of our courses could be the perfect gift.
See details of our full range of courses on our website.  

Gift Certificates are now available for all of our courses. Enroll your gift recipient and you will receive a certificate by email which you can print out yourself. No worry about postal delays and getting it on time for Christmas. You can then present the gift personally.

Christmas Gift Certificates can be ordered up to 12 noon 24th December 2011.

So don’t delay, enroll your loved one today!

See enrolment details on our Fees Page.

I had roughly planned a route beforehand and I pretty much covered it in the end and then some. I started in Las Vegas and then on to Grand Canyon (with a bit of Route 66 along the way), through Monument Valley, Mesa Verde and Durango, Colorado and up through the Million Dollar Highway in the Rocky Mountains to Grand Junction, Colorado. Up through Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park and back down through Idaho and Utah, passing Salt Lake City and Bonneville Salt Flats. I continued south through Great Basin, Nevada and east into Utah to Bryce Canyon and then back to Las Vegas.

The Grand Canyon and Monument Valley did not disappoint. I found myself constantly taking photos. No sooner did I take the camera from my eye when something else caught it. Naturally these places are best photographed early and late in the day but even when lighting isn’t the most flattering, you just can’t help but take photos anyway.

Colorado and the Rocky Mountains offers a feast for the photographer. Not only is there outstanding and dramatic natural beauty, there is also the human element. There is a historical interest from the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde to the pretty much preserved mining towns like Silverton high in the Rocky Mountains.

Yellowstone National Park is a great place for photographing the slightly more unusual. The geysers here are probably the main attraction and rightly so. The eruptions of Old Faithful go off every 93 minutes so you would be very unfortunate to miss one if you visited there. However it is the colours of many of these geysers that attract the photographers eye. Wildlife is also usually plentiful in Yellowstone National Park, though on my too short a visit, all I saw was Buffalo.

There are landmarks of American history all over this area of the country, mainly representing the movement of people to the west. North of Salt Lake City is one of these more famous historical points known as the Golden Spike. Here the final spike was laid in the first railway linking East to West or coast to coast. The well preserved steam locomotives are attractive but so is the people who perform the reinactment of the ceremony of placing the Golden Spike back in the late 1860′s.

My journey then took me to the Bonneville Salt Flats, which was a bit disappointing as there were no speed tests the day I was there. However it was well worth seeing. Next was the Great Basin in Nevada. I took Highway 93 from Windover south as far as Panaca. This was 300 miles of little or nothing to see. Only one or two small towns along the way and very little sign of human habitation in between. Probably one of the loniest areas in the world.

I headed east to Utah for what was to be the highlight of the trip in photographic terms, this was Bryce Canyon. Some may refer to it as a mini Grand Canyon but it offers something very different. At certain times of day, mainly in the late afternoon, the sun hits the rock formations and they appear to glow. The rock formations, some known as “Hoo-doos” are much more dramatic looking then what you would find in Grand Canyon. It amazed me how you just walk a few feet along the rim of the canyon and the rocks appearance changes completely.

Although I started my trip in Las Vegas, I only spent one night there on my arrival. At the end of my trip I spent three days before going home. This city doesn’t need any introduction as it is one of the most well known in the world for what it is about, and it is all of that. The hotels along the strip are simply massive, you could spend most of a day in each exploring, eating and of course, gambling. Most of the hotels have a theme, mainly cities like Paris, New York, Venice etc. But they are all very attractive despite their theme park style of architecture. One attraction in Las Vegas doesn’t get the notoriety it deserves, this is Fremont St, which is now pedestrianised. It is the original gambling strip in the city with the original casinos like the Golden Nugget. The real attraction is the “roof” over the street which is the worlds biggest video screen, it extends for three blocks. At night on the hour all the lights go out on the street except for the screen and a set of songs from a famous band or music artist is played.

As a photographer and a biker, this trip was fantastic and everything that I had hoped and then some. I hope you enjoy just a very few of the images from my trip. Just click on the image to get a larger image.

Diarmuid Moriarty
School of Photography.com

If you would like to learn how to take great Travel images, join our Travel Photography Course.

Nikon D5100

The camera is smaller and neater then the D5000 but this doesn’t mean it has taken anything away. In fact some features have naturally been added and improved. One feature is the 1080p HD video and another is the 921k dot LCD screen, which can be used as a viewfinder for both stills and video. The screen is also hinged so it can be positioned in all sorts of different angles, enabling viewing from most positions.

The D5100 has a 16.2mp Nikon DX CMOS sensor, very similar to what is in the D7000, which is the next step up in Nikons range. Understandably the D5100 wouldn’t have other features the D7000 has but the final image quality would be very similar.

The D5100 has all you would expect from a DSLR. The standard exposure modes including Manual plus the usual scene modes. A maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 sec is adequate for practically all situations and an ISO range of 100 to 6400 will also suffice. However the ISO can be extended up to 25600 ISO.

A new set of features included with the D5100 is the Effects modes. On the exposure setting dial is “Effects” and these are a set of preset effects that can be added to an image when shooting it. One such effect is selective color where a color is keyed in and preserved in the image while all other colors are converted to black & white. Some may see this as an added gimmick but as this particular effect is commonly used in photography, it may be a nice attraction for some.

In the School of Photography we would recommend this camera as perfect for use in our courses.

We are pleased to announce our newly updated Freelance Photography Course for 2011. Freelance photography has moved on quite a lot since the previous update  and these changes are all covered in the new online course. The course has also been added to our e-learning environment for easier contact with your personal tutor and uploading and marking of projects.

If you are considering taking your photography to the next level and make money on a part time or full time basis, the Freelance Photography course 2011 is for YOU!

For full details see our Freelance Photography Tour Page.

Enroll today by going to our Fees Page.

As part of the Environmental Photographer of the Year, the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year categories promote the talents of anyone under the age of 21, whilst the remaining categories are open to photographers of all ages.

The Young Environmental Photographer of the Year is divided into two groups, one open to anyone under the age of 16 and the other open to those aged between 16 and 21. Photographers are encouraged to highlight issues important to their generation, explore their place in society or celebrate people, places and animals that they value. This competition actively encourages entries from beginners, as well as photography students.

The competition is completely free to enter and encourages entries that are contemporary, creative, resonant, original and beautiful. The winning photographs come together to form the most outstanding collection of environmental, social and natural photographs in the world. Individual pieces are judged on impact, creativity, composition, originality and technical abilities. Winners receive cash prizes and all winning entries are displayed in the Environmental Photographer of the Year exhibition, launched in London. Copyright is retained by the photographer.

See past winning entries, competition details and news coverage from 2010 at www.epoty.org. You can also watch a brief video of the 2010 Awards Ceremony. You can also keep up to date with any new developments by joining our Facebook group.

The competition will run until 31^st July 2011, with judging taking place throughout August and September.

Please Note: School of Photography.com is not responsible for the content of this post. For any further information or to contact epoty regarding this matter, please go to their website www.epoty.org.

At first glance the Samsung NX10 looks just like a DSLR…just about. It is slightly smaller then a DSLR but this isn’t the sole reason for this camera being classed as non DSLR. The main reason why this camera is classed as a Hybrid is because of the way the image is viewed through the viewfinder.

In a DSLR camera there is an optical viewfinder, the view comes directly through the lens via mirror and pentaprism and through the viewfinder at the back of the camera. This is what has always made the Single lens reflex design unique, the photographer can view through the picture taking lens.

Hybrid cameras use various means of viewing an image. The Samsung NX10 still looks like a DSLR because the viewfinder is in the exact same place, and when you look through, you see the image the camera sees through the picture taking lens. The difference is the view is transmitted electronically rather then by reflection. This isn’t any way detrimental. In fact the advantage of this electronic viewfinder is the photographer sees 100% of the image view, there isn’t any DSLR’s that can boast this.

The electronic viewfinder isn’t a new idea but has proven to be a very useful tool. The two advantages of this compared to using the rear screen as a viewfinder is: 1. The scene can be viewed in the brightest of conditions: 2. The risk of camera shake is reduced as the camera can be held firmly against the face.

The camera is very well featured and would give many DSLR’s a run for their money with features. Significantly it has interchangeable lenses, just like the DSLR. Plus plenty of focusing options, even manual focus. It has all the standard exposure modes including the all important Manual Mode for the creative photographer. The ranges of settings also impress with ISO ranges from 100 to 3200 ISO and shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec, this camera is very versatile. A 14.6mp image sensor is also another proud feature on this camera.

The latest feature to be added to DSLR cameras is Movie Modes. This is nothing new to Hybrid cameras and the NX10 is no different with a HD quality movie mode with an impressive 1260×720 resolution.

This camera is a hybrid yet it has the capability of interchangeable lenses and a hotshoe for external flash. However because it is a Samsung and not a Nikon or Canon, the range of lenses/flash etc would be limited compared to the other big names. Not a major consideration but if one has big plans for expansion of photo gear, this camera may be found limiting.

As an entry level camera into serious photography, the Samsung NX10 should be a serious consideration when comparing to the likes of Nikons D5000 and Canons EOS Rebel range. When comparing specifications, there is little difference between these three cameras, though the Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D) has slightly better spec but with a significantly higher price tag.

The samsung NX10 would be a perfect camera for use in our Creative and Digital Photography Courses.

Naturally these images are outstanding because they are selected from hundreds of project submissions. In fact only a handful of images are selected through the course of a year.

So far for 2010 there have been 7 images added to the student gallery. These are as follows:

Waterway by Diane Dugas, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Image submitted by Diane for the Freelance Photography Project 3.

Majestic by Maria Warnes, St Ives, Cambs, UK. Image submitted by Maria for Digital Photography Project 4.

Emotion by Diane Dugas, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Image submitted by Diane for Freelance Photography Project 3.

The Woods Today by Kira Ellender, Folkstone, Kent, UK. Image submitted by Kira for Basic Photography Project 5.

Forgotten Classic by Lindsay Anderson, NW Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Image submitted by Lindsay for Basic Photography Project 3.

Cream Bud by Kira Ellender, Folkstone, Kent, England. Image submitted by Kira for Digital Imaging Project 1.

Autumn Colors by Sebastjan Reven, Logatec, Slovenia. Image submitted by Sebastjan for Landscape Photography Project 1.

Congratulations to all.

You can see these images in our Student Gallery.

You are welcome to browse all our Student and Tutors Galleries.

If you would like to take stunning images like these, enroll in one or more of our many courses.

Fig 1 - Tatra Mountains, Slovakia Original

It seems most of us take the bulk of our photos during the summer. The weather is pleasant and we generally have more time due to holidays/vacations. This is also true for the landscape enthusiast. Even though most scenic locations may look better in autumn or spring, summer may be the only time for most to enjoy taking landscape images.

Fig 2 - Photoshop Elements: Replace Color

Year round, there is ample opportunity to take good landscape images, however Autumn is argueably the best time. The colours in the foliage are at their most varied and vibrant.

The image in fig 1 was taken at the beginning of August. The colours in the foliage are dull and there is very little variation in the shade of green. This is typical of most locations at this point in summer. However here is a way of transforming that dull summer snap to a colourful autumnal image without leaving your seat.

In Photoshop Elements this can be easily achieved. Go to Enhance>Adjust Color>Replace Color. The dialog box in default shows a type of negative lith image of the photo. Using the Color Picker, select the shade of colour you want to alter. The lith type image will alter showing how much of that shade is in the image and effected by any changes made. Fuzziness can increase or decrease the shades within that general colour.

Once the shades are selected the colour can be altered dramatically. In fig 2 you can see a colour box called “Reset” (circled in yellow. Double clicking on this opens another dialog box indicated as “Select Target Color”. Here the colour can be changed using any one or more of the features in this box. Our colours for fig 3 were chosen by moving the slider down to an orangy/red colour and then fine tuning this in the larger Color window.

This dramtic but simple adjustment only takes about 10 minutes to perform. Naturally some experimentation is needed to get the effect just right.

To learn more about Digital Imaging or Landscape Photography, see our range of courses.