# Photo tricks of the trade (Tutorials)



## leo

With all of the digital cameras with zoom showing up I thought it might be time to share some of our trade secrets/hard learned lessons.

I'll start with my suggestion for getting decent pics though windows.

Since I have taken a lot of my yard deer pics through glass I have found that getting real close to the glass, yes even touching it, helps me to get a clearer pic and greatly eliminate the glare.

Here are some I have taken through glass, both a single pane w/storm window and a double pane sliding door.

Keep in mind some of these pics are 3 years old and have deteriorated some, I have since learned to better protect them from deterioration, but thats for another post.

Please share some of your helpful methods of getting great outdoor/wildlife pics


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## pendy

*Leo*

Those pictures are great. It looks like you could just reach out and touch the deer. What kind of a camera do you use.

Aunt Bea


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## leo

*Thanks Pendy*

most were taken with my older Olympus 700, which I have now replaced with an Olympus 740  the turkey and dove were taken with my 740

The 1'st and 3'rd pics, of the doe and the family, were taken through a single pane and a storm window at a distance of about 40 feet.

The other deer were taken thru a sliding Glass door (double) pane and they were at about 60 to 80 yds.

They were all taken in "auto" and they all have been "cropped" and "quick fixed" (adobe photo shop) but the quick fix feature rarely changes any of the pics taken with the Oly's, the size reduction was done with "paint"

These digital cameras have added a new dimension to my outdoor adventures and rarely do I go in the woods without my camera


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## Jim Thompson

I can offer a couple of tips....

1. Take a huge number of pics.  You never know which ones will be successful.  Even with a bad pic you can sometimes crop and or do some editing to make it better.

2. ALWAYS use a rest of some sort if you are looking for a very high quality pic or if you will be using much zoom.  A tripod is best ($20 walmart) a monopod is second best ($20 walmart) a rock, fence post, front bar on your treestand etc all work fine.

3. If your cam has a remote control, use it even when on the tripod for shots where you have the luxury of doing so.  Such as being set up waiting on a sunset shot.

4. ALWAYS carry your camera.  The only time I do not have mine when on stand is when there is a threat of rain (or I just forget to grab it) and even then I contemplate it.  Just last year not having my camera costs me some great before shots of the 10pt I shot.

We will add to this thread as time goes on.

Jim


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## Handgunner

Answer me this while we're on the subject.

I've been taking pictures on the 640x480 setting..  Would taking them say with the 1280x360 setting or bigger and then resizing, make them any better?  Say more crisp?


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## slimbo

Since Delton brought it up........BY ALL MEANS TAKE THE PICTURE AT THE LARGEST SETTING POSSIBLE!!!!  You can always take pixels away later but you can never add them.

slimbo


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## leo

*YES, Delton*

take them in the biggest size possible then you will have more data to work with

Hopefully someone else will explain the reasons better than I can. I just know it works

RESIZE with PAINT............

With paint I find that the resizing seems to lose less quality than with the other methods of resizing that I have tried

SAVE in "TIF" FORMAT....................

Also save in "tif" format as soon as you download the pic from the camera, then make a copy to work on and then reformat to "jpeg" when you are ready to post or send, in "tif" it does not seem to lose data when you store, work, or edit the picture

Again hopefully one of our knowledgeable computer people can explain why these things seem to work


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## Jim Thompson

Leo and Slimbo are correct.  Take the photo in the largest and highest quality you can.  I take all of mine in the SHQ setting (would take them in Tif setting, but too time consuming and too much space on the card).  Then when you load them on your puter you should make a copy first and then you can save your copy in jpeg after doing your editing or resizing.  

EVERY time you re-save a photo in jpeg or gif formats you lose data.  When you save in Tif format you do not lose enough data to notice.

When posting on the web you are a much nicer person if you do not try and post in the largest formats.  The dial upers will talk better of you

Jim


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## Jim Thompson

A great (but hard to get along with) forum and website for photography is http://www.dpreview.com/forums/

Jim


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## Hoss

One way to see the difference in quality at different settings is to set your camera up on a tripod and take a series of photos of the same subject changing the camera settings for each photo.  Try to get something in the photo with some sharp contrasts and straight edges.  You can then review these with your photo editing software trying out resizing and cropping.  This will give you a good feel for what works best with your camera.  
I agree with what others have said concerning quality and size.  Use highest quality and largest size.  Down side is speed to write to your card effecting how quickly you can get the next shot.

Hoss


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## Jim Thompson

one more...this one is often overlooked when trying to shoot quickly.

Most cams have an auto focus that activates when you hold the shutter button halfway down.  

WAIT ON IT TO FOCUS!

otherwise you have a half was focused pic.

Jim


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## Nugefan

*Great pics...*

and lots of critters come by your place...have a question...under the does left eye looks like Wolves that squirrels get ...Is it a sore or just glands swollen ?


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## leo

*Sure looks like it Nugefan*

it appears on all of the pics I have of her, it may be on the fawns also??

In this pic there appears to be something near the eyes of the fawns also, but the pic is not clear enough for me to be sure.

Are the "wolves" hereditary??


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## MoeBirds

leo,

Cool pics!!!!!
Question:
 In; fawn yard 4.........

......is that a "Plot Saver" in the background with the backend of another deer on the other side of it??

Just curious, It looks an awful lot like the same ribbon and stakes.


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## leo

*Greg, that is part of the momma deer in the background,*

the piece of conduit and ribbon is there so my neighbor on that side does not drive his lawn mower into a sink area (old construction burial site) that has since been filled in

Here is another pic of the whole family in that area


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## MoeBirds

Cool  !!
Thanks leo.


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## rip18

Here is a common sense one that I forgot earlier today...

Make sure you have enough film in the camera or space on the storage device BEFORE you go to a place you know you want to take a picture.    

We have a family of packrats/woodrats that had taken residence on our back porch.  My wife complained when they stole her little candles & ate her plants, & I moved a couple of them earlier.  They started stealing MY tools & taking them to their nest, so I got more serious about relocating them.  I took the one in the box trap this morning to an old moss-covered log in good light & eased the door open.  I went off to the side & waited for him to come out.  He poked his head out, came out onto the log, & posed for me.  I depressed the shutter release and OUT OF FILM!!!!  ARRRGHHH!!!


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## Branchminnow

Great pics thanks for the tip.


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## Jim Thompson

*How to resize photos IF they are on your computer*

This tutorial is ONLY for resizing, not other editing.

Go here http://bluefive.pair.com/pixresizer.htm and download the FREE software, save it to your desktop (or anywhere it will be easy to access).

Open the program and click on the top tab called "work with one file" , then click on "Load Picture", then you will need to find your photo in the box that pops up, double click on it.

Then click on what ever size you want the new photo to be, remember that 640x480 is the LARGEST size most forums will allow, although you do not want much smaller than that unless it will be your avatar. Make sure "maintain aspect ratio" is checked and click "save picture".

It will automatically rename your photo to whatever the pics original name was and the new size you chose. Make sure you save it somewhere that you can find it later.

Thats it!

Jim


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## leo

*Great tutorial Jim*

Thanks for sharing  

Here is a way that is a little harder for the ones that just want to "mess" with it on their own computer ...( with XP and "paint") ..here is a guide for using "paint" to resize

...................................................................

Resizing pictures with paint.............

Make a copy of pic before working.........

Put pic in "paint"

Click on "Images"

Click on "Attributes" .. (This will tell you the size of your pics,) do the math to figure how to reduce the pic to the size you need ...

Click on "Stretch/Skew"  and reduce the pics by percentages, I do mine in steps and always do both dimensions equally or pic will look weird. 

When the pic is the size you want, click on "file", then click on "save as"  and save where you keep your pics I use "my pictures"

............ EXAMPLE ...........

Example ...pic size 1600(width)x1200 (height) ... 

Reduce it by 50% (stretch and skew) = 800(w)x600(h)..

Then reduce it by 80% (stretch and skew) = 640(w)x480(h)


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## LJay

Nice pics, fine looking family. Wonder where papa is??????


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## Ga-Spur

Use filters.


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## GaBubbaLew

*Using WinXP?*

Microsoft offers a free image resizing "Powertoy" download for XP as part of their  "TweakUI" software.  

Once downloaded/installed, you just right click on an image, the popup menu will have an option for "resize pictures" and give you size options.  It's quick and easy to use and resident.  

The Microsoft download site for the FREE Tweak UI Image Resizer is:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/ImageResizerPowertoySetup.exe


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## rusty_bucket

A#1:  USE A TRIPOD!! OR A LEANING POST!!!  This tip alone will increase the quality of your images by 1000%

A#2:  KEEP YOUR LENS CLEAN!!!  Lens wipes are cheap and you can get them at any photo store or walmart.  Use them before, after and during every trip.  Your pictures will be clear and crisp.

1.  Look at your subject from an artistic viewpoint:    Don't always center your subject, a slightly offset subject will add character to the photo.  When taking pictures of people holding fish/deer try taking some pictures while the camera is close to the ground and some where the camera is elevated (ie, while standing on the bed of a truck) this will add a different perspective to your photos.  Experiement from different viewpoints to give your photos character.  

2.  Try to judge the way lighting is going to effect your subject.  Full sun is not always the best place to take pictures.  look at your subject and see if any 'hard shadows' appear (ie, sunny on the face, shadow on the fish)  shadows will cause portions of your subject to be over or under-exposed.  Overcast or cloudy days are great for getting High Definition Clear and Consise Photos.  Also, on a sunny day try to find a shady spot under a canopy of trees with the background of the picture also shady.

3.  Carry extra memory cards with your camera.  There is nothing more frustrating than being in the field, having a great shot and finding out your memory card is full and having to go back and delete photos.  

4.  Like Jim said Take lots of pictures!!!!  When you get home and look at the pics on a computer you will be amazed at how some pictures you thought would turn out good look horrible.  And some you don't even remember taking turn out to be incredible images. 

5.  Depth of Field:  When you zoom in on a subject and focus on the subject all areas of the picture farther away and closer than the subject will not be in focus.  This comes in handy when you want to draw all attention to the subject being photographed.  The best way to try this out is to go out in the yard and find a tree trunk.  Zoom all the way out and take a picture of the tree trunk from 5 feet.  Then back away10 or 20 feet and zoom in on the tree trunk, focus on the tree trunk allowing the trunk to take up half of the viewfinder and take another picture.   Go inside and pull the pics up on your computer.  If done correctly you will notice a vast difference.  In the picture where the zoom was used the tree trunk will stand out from its surroundings focusing all attention in the picture on the tree trunk.  Now take this concept and apply it to other pictures where you want your subject to stand out (ie, fishing, hunting and game pictures.)  Many times getting as close as you can to the subject is not going to produce a quality image.  Try backing up a little and zooming in some.

6.  The Human Factor.  Try taking pictures without the subject knowing that you are photographing them. Often a natural facial expression will make a great photograph.  When you tell someone that you are going to take a picture of them they all give you the same cheesy smile or grimmace.  Try catching people using their natural expressions of happiness, saddness or anger.  THE SUBJECT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE CAMERA!!!  This holds true for subjects of all ages and experiences.  For Example:  A picture of a Grandad and His Grandson after the Grandson has taken his first deer.  A straight on picture will show nothing more than the people and the game.  But.... Take a picture of the grandsons face while he is admiring his grandfather for all that he has taught him and all that he has learned  then you have yourself a picture.  Hang back away from the crowd and snap pictures without anyone knowing.  Campfire pictures are also great if there is enough light.

7.  **IMPORTANT**  DO NOT USE DIGITAL ZOOM!!!!!   Turn it off on your camera!!!  Everything that digital zoom does can be done from a computer with much greater clarity.  Digital zoom in cameras causes pixelation which makes the images look grainy and sloppy.  Please if you do not listen to anything else I have said please listen to this your pictures will turn out better and your memories afield will last forever.  Turn Off The Digital Zoom!!! Refer to your Owners Manual if you are unsure how to do this.


Hope this helped out.  The best way to take better pictures is to take alot of them and learn from your mistakes.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to take a picture.  Experiment!!  Digital cameras are great for this because you don't have to pay for development to see your pictures.  If they turn out bad just delete them.


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## Jim Thompson

*Posting multiple photos in a thread & have them all show up by using Photobucket.com*

1. Go to www.photobucket.com and register. It will send you a confirmation email. Go to your email and click the link and it will log you in. Go to "account options" and make sure the option for "display img" is checked yes.

2. After you login you will have an option in the middle of the screen to upload photos. Click on "Browse" , then find the photo which is on your computer and hopefully already resized.

3. Click on "submit"

4. Scroll down to find the photo you just loaded and click on the "img" address which is below the photo. It will automatically highlight the address, then hit the right mouse button and choose "COPY".

4. When making a post here you would type what you want and then when you are ready for your photo to attach, hit the right mouse button again and hit "PASTE". It will enter the code you copied a minute ago and when you hit reply your image will be there.


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## Bubba_1122

You do need to keep your lens clean. But be careful. Use less first (air). Then soft brush. Clean microfiber cloth. 

You never want to scrub/wipe gritty dirt. You'll ruin the lens. 

Also, I understand any cleaner with ammonia will take the coatings off the lens. 

Also, go read up on the Rule of Thirds. I know most aren't interested in being all that artistic with our photos. But still, we want it appealing to the eye. 

I spent hours at my duck pond on the last full moon trying to get a picture of the ringnecks leaving the pond right at dark.  

What I was trying to do was get a pic of a group of ducks flying in front of the full moon. 

I drove 30 miles, got my camera equipment together, and then sat on a dike for about 45 minutes waiting on the ducks to leave to go to roost. 

Never got the pic, but sure enjoyed watching the ducks flying everywhere else but in front of that moon. And will be back trying again. 

With digital photography, any of us can have a mighty good time taking pictures. And the cost is hardly anything once the equipment is bought.


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## leo

*Great advice Bubba_1122*



> With digital photography, any of us can have a mighty good time taking picture.



and a very true statement 

Thanks for sharing the knowledge with us


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## NOYDB

I agree with the earlier comment. USE FILTERS.

At minimun you want to have at least a UV and a Polarizing filter.


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## leo

*Good point NOYDB*



> I agree with the earlier comment. USE FILTERS.
> 
> At minimun you want to have at least a UV and a Polarizing filter.



Using filters is an area that I do not know much about at all .. maybe there are others that need/want some info on then too. 

With all of the fine pic takers we have, pro and amateur, hopefully some will share some guidelines with us on what types do certain things and when to use the different types of filters 

Thanks in advance all


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## leo

*Anyone want to share some info on filters*



> Using filters is an area that I do not know much about at all .. maybe there are others that need/want some info on then too.
> 
> With all of the fine pic takers we have, pro and amateur, hopefully some will share some guidelines with us on what types do certain things and when to use the different types of filters



I recently got a polarized filter for my Oly SP-500UZ and I have experimented with it some, and so far I have not really seen any difference it using it or not


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## Hoss

If you are interested in learning more details on the settings used for photos, there are programs which will display the camera settings.  The one that I have is View EXIF.  By right clicking on the photo and selecting the program from the drop down menu, I get to see the information shown below.  The information may not be available dependent upon the equipment used or the software used to porcess the file, but it can be interesting and an aid in understanding the camera setting used when the photos were taken.
The link to the website for ViewEXIF is http://ak.no-ip.com/EXIF/index_en.htm


Hoss


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## leo

*Secrets on great color in a lot of the pics*

As I have been really impressed with the color in a lot of the pics posted, I ask some of the members to share with us some of their secrets....

Here is the thread with some of their replies 

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=668550#post668550

Thanks All for sharing


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## slimbo

Filters.  Hmmmm. Yes and no.  If you are gonna use a filter, make sure it is a good on and make sure its clean.  When you buy a $1000 lens, you are paying for the glass.  In other words all glass is not the same.  The better the lens, the better the glass.  If you put a junk filter on a good lens its like looking through a dirty window that wont clean.  However, filters can be very beneficial if you use the right one in the right situation.  If you have ever noticed a glare on the pic when you are shooting in bright light, the polarized filter will cut that out.  Other filters do other things and some are more effective than others.

In a nut shell.  I use filters a lot, but if its not neccesary, dont use it.  Its just another piece of glass to look through.

slimbo


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## mmarkey

*Filters*

Filters are mainly for FILM uses. Unless you're using filters for special effects in your digital camera or perhaps a polarizing filter. But many of the filters that used to be commonly used, already have built-in  settings available in digital cameras that compensate for different lighting. Eliminating the need for filters.

As far as shooting as large as possible. I agree. BUT, my camera Largest setting is TIFF setting which is huge, so large that even downloading the image from my camera is an ordeal. I think my 256mb card will only hold 16 TIFF images. I usually shoot in SHP mode. It's a trade off with what you're Technology or pocket book can afford.


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## Handgunner

Hoss said:


> If you are interested in learning more details on the settings used for photos, there are programs which will display the camera settings.  The one that I have is View EXIF.  By right clicking on the photo and selecting the program from the drop down menu, I get to see the information shown below.  The information may not be available dependent upon the equipment used or the software used to porcess the file, but it can be interesting and an aid in understanding the camera setting used when the photos were taken.
> The link to the website for ViewEXIF is http://ak.no-ip.com/EXIF/index_en.htm
> 
> 
> Hoss



Hoss, I got that downloaded, but am using Firefox.  For some reason I can't drag the ViewEXIF file into my Extensions. 

Any ideas?

This is the step I'm having problems with...



> step 6. Drag viewexif.xpi to extension window .
> step 7. Install it .


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## Handgunner

I got it fangered out, Hoss. 

For some reason it worked this morning, but not last night.  Maybe I wasn't holdin' my tongue right or sumpin'...


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## Hoss

Gotta love talent Delton.  Now just remember how you were holding your tongue.  Also, I 've found it real helpful to note the wind direction.

Hoss


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## bigox911

2 tools that I've been learning with lately.

One is a free photoshop style program called paint.net and can be found here

http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

I'm sure this thing can do alot more than I've even started to do yet, but here's an example of some color changes that take about 4 clicks.
Before





After





Another program I just got today is called autostitch.  It's also free and can be found here...

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

It's real easy to use.  You just have to open the program, select the photos you want stitched, and it does everything for you.  It gives you an output file and you can use that 1st program to crop/adjust it till you get it as you like. 

output





croped/adjusted





Hope some of this helps!


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## Ron288

*photo*

i use photo bucket works just fine. choose your picture they size it for you


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## merc123

You can use MS Paint also (included in windows).

Open the image and click Image, Stretch/Skew

When the dialog box opens change the "Stretch" % to something less than 100%.


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## powerwagon

also check out irfanview, allive ever useda very good program


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## Harleywizard

Jpeg files are known as lossy files the lose a bit over time and use.


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## DRB1313

Putting Your Signature On the Image using a Brush Tool!

Instead of replying to Ron's thread, I thought I would create this tutorial for Ya'll.
I know I know, This is from someone who has'nt been signing his photos.
If you can make it through the initial set-up, I am confident, you will love this.
CHECK IT OUT

Open Photoshop
Click on "File" then "New" and set as follows:

Width - 3 inches
Height - .5 inches
Resolution - 300
Color mode - RGB
Background Contents - Transparent

Now Click "OK"

Next click on your "Type Tool" and in the options bar at the top do this:

Pick your font style from the drop down arrows.
Set the font size to 30pt.
Set the color to black (Optional)
Set the justification to center. (Optional)
(If your signature does not fit on the document, just lower the font size.)

Now, click in your new document and type your signature.
Once you are satisfied with it, click on your "Move Tool" and you can click and drag your signature to center it in the document. 

HERE COMES THE FIRST COOL PART!

At the top, Click on "Select" then "All"
Now, at the top click on "Edit" then  "Define Brush Preset"

When the dialog box opens, Name it "My Signature" and click "OK"

CLOSE THE DOCUMENT AND DO NOT SAVE THE CHANGES.
Now Let me show you what you can do with this.

Open a photo in Photoshop.

Type the letter "B", This will open the brush tool.
Now, everytime you want to put a signature on a photo, it is one of your brushes. 
After typing the letter "B" you can get to your signature by going to the top and clicking the drop down arrow just to the right of the word brush. It will be the bottom one.

HERES THE SECOND COOL PART!

Once you have your signature brush, just move the curser into your photo and you will see your Name. At this point you can change the size of you signature to any size you want it by using the bracket keys on your keyboard. (These are the two keys to the right of the letter "P".  Once you have it to the size you want it, just click it into the spot you want it to go.

HERE'S THE THIRD COOL PART!

You can also change the color of your signature by going to the tool bar and clicking on the forground color picker and then when the dialog box opens choose til your hearts content and then click "OK".
OOOPS! You must do this before clicking the signature into the photo.

OK, TO WRAP THIS UP HERES A BONUS COOL TRICK!

If before you click your signature into your photo, you go to the top and click on "Layer" then "New Layer", you can lower the opacity of your signature to make it semi-transparent and look like a watermark. You will also be able to add Styles to it such as drop shadows and bevels.

I know this seems aweful complicated, but once you have your brush created it only takes seconds to add your signature to a photo and you have many options with it.

THE END!

PS. If I have missed anything or something is not working correctly with your version of Photoshop, let me know, I'm sure we can figure it out.


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## DRB1313

Here's an additional tip for matching colors from one that is in your photo for Leo. I saw your response about matching colors exactly in another thread, but decided to put it here.

When using your color sampler tool on a photo, you need to make sure you set the sample size to: "3x3 average".
With your color sampler tool activated, go to the top and change the sampler size to 3x3 average. Colors in a photo are made up of more than one color/Pixel. This will give you an accurate match of what you are sampling.


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## larry22

_leo_ your tips are great. These pics with deers are beautiful!


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## Hoss

Link to thread on sharping photos Thanks Ron.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=127911

Hoss


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## Hoss

Here's a link to flash photogrphy with lots of useful information.  Thanks Feral.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=139433

Hoss


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## Hoss

Link to printing at home.  Great information.  Thanks DRB.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=153511

Hoss


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## Hoss

Link to thread on Long lense techniques.  Thanks Rip18.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=160422

Hoss


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## rip18

And a link to the "good exposure" discussion thread:

http://www.forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=161236


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## rip18

And a link to the "depth of field" discussion thread:

http://www.forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=161710


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## rip18

And a link to how much light/shutter speed a polarizer can "cost" you:

http://www.forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=162714

Feral One's take home message was that if you are shooting wildlife in the early morning or late evening & don't need your polarizing filter - take it off!!!


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## Hoss

Link to use of layers, brushes, and other great photoshop techniques.  Thanks Rip18 and DRB1313

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=167421

and another one.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=167659


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## Hoss

Link to a lesson in composition.  Thanks RIP18.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=170126


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## Hoss

Links to frame training in PSE.  Thanks DRB.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=178371

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=178392


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## Hoss

Links to extension tube discussion.  Thanks Rip.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=205125


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## rip18

And thanks to DRB1313 for sharing his flashlight technique or painting with light.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=217539


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## Hoss

Thanks Rip for the artsy techniques.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=221090


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## rip18

ISO, what it is, & why it might be important to change it...

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=237802

Thank you, DRB1313


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## Hoss

Teleconverters and Extension tubes

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=257205

Thanks DRB1313 and RIP18 for the info.


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## rip18

Thanks to JasonF for a great tutorial on basic camera understanding!

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=274026


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## rip18

And a DRB1313 tutorial on capturing very creative smoke shots!

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=275685


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## Hoss

A compiled list of threads about blinds for birding.  Thanks Feral.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=278233


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## Hoss

This link takes you to a thread listing sites with free photo editing software.  Thanks Itchy Finger

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=291981


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## Hoss

This link takes you to a thread about cards for cameras and readers.  Thanks DRB1313 and RIP18

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=308782


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## Hoss

This link takes you to a thread about insuring photo equipment.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=324803


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## leo

*I D Links*

for many of our photo subjects .....

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery?f=34&_st=1
http://198.170.233.95/index.html birds 
http://bugguide.net/node/view/605 bugs
http://www.pitt.edu/~mcs2/herp/SoNA.html snakes
http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider.htm spiders
http://www.termite.com/spider-identi...ml#grassspider
http://www.dereila.ca/na_nature/NAflower.html wild flowers 
http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?act=x_get_guide good one

Provided by our member NWCO in this thread... Thanks Lee

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=3497895#post3497895


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## leo

*"Photographing" Venomous snakes ... tutorial.*

a link to a neat tutorial thread provided by  member  GAranger1403


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=339062


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## leo

*Homemade Diffuser*

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=3542024#post3542024

Fine set of instructions for a homemade Flash Diffuser 


Thanks DRB1313


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## leo

*"better water shots with how to !!! "*

A fine tutorial on getting some awesome water drop shots, Thanks FERAL ONE  


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=367263


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## Hoss

Saving a blown background.  Thanks for the tutorial, Leo.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=380239


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## Hoss

A lesson in stacking photos.  Thanks Jason and Browtine.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=394326


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## Hoss

Layer Mask tutorial.  Thanks Browtine.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=394523


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## Hoss

Thread with link to website for Iridium flare information.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=501253

Thanks xs5875


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## Hoss

A whole lot of information about camera modes, metering, and all the stuff you wanted to know but didn't know enough to ask about.
Thanks Rip18 and all others.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=521391


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## Hoss

Link to a thread explaining the histogram and how to use it in digital photography.  Thanks JasonF.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=544431


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## Hoss

Basic Photoshop - bringing and underexposed photo back to life.  Thanks JasonF.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=544447


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## Hoss

Here's  link to a thread on how to clean your sensor.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=240843&highlight=sensor+cleaning

Thanks a bunch of folks.


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## Hoss

For tripod info, here are several links that provide a lot of information.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?...ighlight=bogen


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?...ighlight=bogen


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?...ighlight=bogen


http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?...ighlight=bogen


Thanks to all who contributed.


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## Hoss

Background replacement info.  

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=609307

Thanks Lee Woodie for the original photo and those who with his permission worked on it and provided information on how they made their adjustments.


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## Hoss

*Basic pointers regardless of camera brand*

Here's a link to some good basic info.  Thanks Rip.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=612122

Hoss


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## Hoss

This link provides useful information on using a fill flash.  Thanks Rip.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=657049

Hoss


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## lost alaskan

No one has mentioned batteries.  It's a sore subject with me.  My fujifilm uses the double A batts and I learned to get organized with them.  I set up a series of compartments marked, discharge to charge, and charged.  As it was explained to me (and seems to work)you have to completely discharge your AA batts to get them to charge enough to work more than a short while.  There is a setting on the camera that will completely discharge them and then when they are charged they keep the charge longer.  
I haven't used the lithium batts(very costly)but may give them a try on the next camera.


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## Hoss

Great lens suggestions.  Thanks all.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=6610237#post6610237

Hoss


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## Hoss

A fine tutorial on modifying light.

Thanks Rip.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=699122

Hoss


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