The advent of digital photography has opened new doors to amateur and professional photographers. Popular photo editing software provides a literal mini dark room for the computer. When the editing is completed, photographers want their final product to look professional and reflect the pride they take in their work.
For over twenty years Hampton Photo Arts has provided high quality, professional processing services to photographers all over New York. They have now expanded their excellent print reproduction services to include mail order. With this service they can meet the needs of photographers nationwide. Hampton Photo Arts uses Fuji Crystal Archive paper, and chemicals, to assure brilliant colors, bright whites and image stability to keep customer's photos beautiful for generations to come. Daily equipment testing, assuring color accuracy and consistency, is only one aspect of their commitment to excellence.
Have you ever wondered why a professional photographer’s pictures look better than your snapshots? Sure they’ve got the fancy cameras and the great software, but what about the nuts and bolts of shooting a great picture? Do they know something you don’t?
The answer is yes. They know about lighting.
Lighting can be the key to what ends up being a great photo, or it can be what ruined a potentially great photo.
Professional photographers spend a lot of time studying and learning about light but they’ll be the first to tell you how simple good lighting really is. Good lighting is simply light from a large light source from somewhere other than the camera.
When taking a picture the exposure is affected by three components: Aperture, Shutters-speed and ISO Rating. The combination of these three elements is what determines the exposure of an image. After reading this article you will have a better understanding of the three key factors that are crucial for taking professional quality photographs.
Aperture Alternately called the f-Stop, aperture refers to the size of the lens opening. The size of the lens opening plays a vital role in deciding the volume of light that will reach the camera sensor. For more light to enter the camera a larger aperture opening is needed; for less light, a smaller aperture opening is needed. Larger openings have smaller numbers and vice versa; for example, a small aperture would read f/22 and a larger aperture would read f/4.
Shutter-speed This refers to the length of time the aperture stays open. The longer the shutter-speed (the longer the aperture stays open) the more light reaches the camera sensor. When the shutter-speed or aperture is shorter, less light reaches the camera sensor.
What do you think is necessary to take that perfect picture? You know, the one that turns out even better than it looked in real life. Have you often wondered how to make your photograph tell a story or capture an image in such a way that it moves people to view it? There are a number of things each photographer must consider before pushing finger to button to capture a still image our real world which is in constant, perpetual motion. Composition, of course, is extremely important. Composing a decent picture with your camera takes some knowledge, thought, and preparation. The following will be a collection of things to look for when composing your next photograph for your portfolio, album, or collage.
Shape in a photograph is an effective way to grab people's attention. Try drawing attention to shape in a photograph by contrasting it against a simple background such as water or sky. A picture's shapes are likely to be more emphasized when the composition of the photo is simpler. Crop and compose carefully and you can use the shapes in your photo to work with the shape of your picture.
We at Hampton Photo Arts have found that people nowadays take a lot more pictures than they used to. This has a lot to do with the advent of digital photography. It no longer costs money to take pictures, so people feel comfortable shooting hundreds or even thousands of images. Photographers build libraries and organize their photographs in as many different ways as there are applications for doing so. But once you have thousands of photographs, what do you do with them? A hard drive crash can take them all away - this can be as emotionally devastating as a house fire that destroys the only pictures of Junior when he was a child, or Aunt Bessy at her 90th birthday party. Printing them all is prohibitive, even if you have your own photo printer - glossy photo paper can sell for upwards of fifty cents per sheet, and inks can add a dollar per 8x10 to the cost. Even when you get done, most prints aren't just water-sensitive - almost any liquid at all and the photograph is completely ruined due to ink run, not just wrinkled.
No matter your lifestyle, a camera is more than just an accessory. Cameras have become part of our everyday lives. They are the way we capture our memories and document our lives.
A camera case is a must-have for anyone who takes photography seriously.
When choosing a camera bag, Hampton Photo Arts recommends a small bag designed for sleek digital point and shoot cameras as well as older film cameras. A small case protects your investment and also provides a convenient place to carry media and batteries. Always have more media with you than you will use, and always carry spare batteries. The picture of the century may be dependent on you having the equipment to shoot it.
Another must have is a lens cleaning kit. In this era of megapixel wars, don’t forget that the lens is still the most crucial element of image quality. NASA’s Hubble scientists can attest to this. If space is limited consider a lens cloth. They’re small enough to fit along side your camera in any case. If you have a larger case definitely upgrade to one of our kits that include cleaning fluid, brushes and swabs.
Printing on canvas is incredibly versatile and a great way to create a ready-to-hang image or artwork. Every canvas that we print is protected with a UV coated acrylic finish to guard the print from dust, moisture and fading. Do you want your canvas stretched on bars or non-stretched? Framed or unframed? Customize the work to make it truly your own.
Photography is an amazing art form. A photograph album is a catalogue of life's history as seen through the camera. People, animals, nature, holidays, celebrations and even disasters are captured instantly and recorded as part of history. It is through the powerful presentations of photography that we better understand the progression of time and life. Hampton Photo Arts has over twenty years of experience working with photographers as they seek to capture and preserve the history of families and communities.
When families get together, both children and adults love to look through photograph albums. They enjoy seeing the childhood photos of older family members and compare themselves to ancestors who lived a hundred or more years ago. Photos are among the most important treasures of every family. They should not be faded and dull. They contain the smiles, tears and emotions of generations. The staff members at Hampton Photo Arts display excellence in the art of photography reproduction. They work with the highest quality materials. They know how to create family memories that will be just as beautiful one hundred years from now as they are today.
Watercolor is an easy, fun medium for creating art. Color theory, composition and design can be explored freely with watercolor paint, paper, and brushes. Several techniques may be used with watercolors for varying effects including painting wet on wet, wet on dry, layering washes, and more.
Watercolor paper comes in cold press, hot press, and rough. Rough paper has the most texture, and its hills and valleys can result in interesting effects when paint is added. Hot press is the smoothest and has the finest texture. Cold press has a moderate amount of texture and is the paper most commonly chosen by watercolor artists.
Watercolor paper comes in several weights ranging from 90 lb. to 300 lb. based on the pounds per ream of paper. Most artists prefer to use at least 140 lb. paper. Papers vary somewhat between manufacturers, so sampling different papers is advisable. Paper can be purchased in pads, in blocks or in large sheets. The large sheets are usually the most economical and can be torn into whatever size is desired.
Photo and Art Information 
The advent of digital photography has opened new doors to amateur and professional photographers. Popular photo editing software provides a literal mini dark room for the computer. When the editing is completed, photographers want their final product to look professional and reflect the pride they take in their work.
Have you ever wondered why a professional photographer’s pictures look better than your snapshots? Sure they’ve got the fancy cameras and the great software, but what about the nuts and bolts of shooting a great picture? Do they know something you don’t? 
We at 
No matter your lifestyle, a camera is more than just an accessory. Cameras have become part of our everyday lives. They are the way we capture our memories and document our lives. 
Photography is an amazing art form. A photograph album is a catalogue of life's history as seen through the camera. People, animals, nature, holidays, celebrations and even disasters are captured instantly and recorded as part of history. It is through the powerful presentations of photography that we better understand the progression of time and life. Hampton Photo Arts has over twenty years of experience working with photographers as they seek to capture and preserve the history of families and communities.