It will come as no surprise to you that we are passionate about photography. A camera can capture a single moment in time that can tell an epic story. In this slideshare, we present to you some of the most famous and iconic photographs of all time.

The Most Famous Photos of All Time from SearchQuest Europe

 
Here at Camera Exchange Store, we are excited to be able to provide for those who capture incredible images. The first step to great photography is a decent camera, so if you’re thinking of upgrading, get in contact with us today by calling 0208 371 4179 to speak to a member of our team.

Photographic effects can be the difference between a boring photograph and one that is breathtaking. Some effects are difficult to produce and require specialist and expensive equipment and professional knowledge, however there are also many that anybody can easily create. In this post we’ve given you simple explanations on how you can create some professional effects that will greatly improve your photographs. Starting with…

Panning

Panning is an effect that produces a photograph with a clear and sharp subject, but a blurred background, adding movement to an image. The effect is in theory rather easy to produce but it does take a bit of practise before you get used to it. You can achieve this effect simply by moving with your subject and keeping them in the same place in the viewfinder. You can tweak the blurriness of the background by altering the aperture and the speed of the subject (if you have control of this). It may be tricky to use this effect on a fast moving subject like a car unless you are in another car that is driving alongside it, but you can certainly give it a go!
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Weddings are an expensive business; so many couples look for ways to cut costs. One compromise that is often made to reduce expenses is looking to friends and family for help. Having creative and skilled family members is particularly useful when planning a wedding! If you’re a dab hand at photography, you may find yourself being dragged into the weddings of long lost cousins or friends of friends, but it is a great opportunity to polish your skills, and maybe make a little extra cash! We’ve put together a few quick tips for the amateur wedding photographer.

Communication Is Key

Make sure that you have a sit down with the couple before the big day to get an idea of what they are looking for. There may be particular photos that they want in their collection, so don’t leave it ‘til the day itself to find out.

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As the festive day approaches, across the country keen photographers are polishing their lenses, checking their film and digital memory cards, and getting ready for the big day. After all, it’s not every day of the year that you have the whole family together, and you need to record those memories so that you can treasure them for years to come. Right?

Don’t Photograph Everything

Actually, you don’t need to record absolutely everything. Remember, life is meant to be lived, not simply seen through the viewfinder – so keep your camera handy for those must-catch moments, but don’t keep your eyes glued to your viewfinder all day or your relatives might forget the face behind the lens!

Use the Light

Because Christmas falls on one of the shortest days of the year, a lot of your Christmas photography is likely to be taken indoors by artificial light. It’s important to take this into consideration and use it well. In the picture above, the lamp in the background doesn’t help the picture at all – it’s not lighting the figure in the foreground, and ends up competing with him for the focus.

In the picture below, the lighting is also low and artificial, but because it’s in front of the subjects, it helps to light their features and doesn’t detract from the focus.

Capture Moments, not Poses

“Okay, Mum, if you sit over there and Dad, just lean on the sofa behind her, no not that far forward, can you just crouch a little bit, too? Right, now if Auntie Sue sits there with Jenny on her lap, and Uncle Bob holds the baby – can you wipe his nose first? Great. When I say go, put the antlers on the dog, then everybody say Cheese!”

This is a scene that’s likely to happen in many homes across the country – but it’s not necessarily the best way to capture that perfect family Christmas moment. After all, once you start directing everybody into poses, you lose spontaneity and personality. Instead of trying to direct your family into a stiff group picture, try to capture natural moments that express their personalities and individuality.

A few posed pictures can be OK – just don’t try your family’s patience with too many!

Other Tips:

* Check your frame – a beautiful Christmas tree in the background looks great, a bin bag full of discarded wrapping paper less so!
* Take pictures of Christmas lights when there’s a little ambient light still around to show the details around them – early evening is a good time, and can give you a better result than full darkness.
* The traditional “opening the present” shot can often result in forced smiles – try to get pictures of the kids playing with their new toys instead.
* Find good all-round settings for your camera so that you can point and shoot – this helps you to capture those all-important spontaneous moments.

Whatever you’re doing this Christmas, here at the Camera Exchange Store we’d like to wish you a healthy, happy and joyful one. If you happen to find a new camera underneath your tree, remember that you can sell second hand cameras to us quickly and easily – helping you to fund January! For more information contact us today.

Are you stuck for a Christmas present for the photographer that’s got everything?

When it comes to Christmas, it can often be hard to find a present that’s unique, a little different from the usual and, of course, much cooler than the typical aftershave and sock combo.

 

*Cats not included

Well, as specialists of used camera exchange services; we’re here with our stocking filler guide of what to get the photo-mad individual that’s got every piece of photography kit you can think of… apart from these 3 little gems! (All under £35!)

Build Your Own – Konstruktor DIY SLR Camera

If you’re looking for something a little different, and something that is sure to keep them occupied Christmas day – the Konstruktor DIY SLR Camera by Lomography is sure to be a hit! Sure, it seems everyone in the world is a photographer these days, but how many people can say they built their own camera?

The kit contains everything you need to create and personalise your own 35mm film SLR camera, along with easy-to-follow instructions that’ll have you DIY’d and ready to shoot in a few hours.

Cats, Everywhere! Even In Your Photos! – Cats Disposable Camera

Oops, cats again! But if you’re looking for a gift for your crazy-cat mate or a lover of all things feline – this single-use cam is the perfect disposable that’ll enhance your photos with a furry friend or two!

You know those pictures you try and pose for, pet in tow, and they turn out disastrous? No worries! Here’s the easy way to snap yourself in the presence of a cheeky feline friend – filling your reel with cat doodles on pre-printed film! How cool?

However, if cats aren’t your thing – you can also get plenty of other disposable cameras with fun and unique graphic themes. How about the ‘Remember This? Neither do I’ camera which stamps all your party-pics with lovely drunken quotes – helping you savour the memories you don’t remember in the morning! Amazing!

Save Your Photos In Style – Camera USB Drive

If you’re looking for those extra little bits to fill the last bit of stocking space up with, we absolutely love this Mini Camera USB Drive. It’s the cutest thing, and a pretty good tiny replica of real Nikon or Canon DSLR model. Providing 8GB space, this perfectly crafted little camera comes with a detachable USB lens, letting you upload and backup your precious photos in photographic style.

So, there you have it – we hope you enjoyed our cool Christmas gift round-up, and don’t forget – if you have an old camera and fancy exchanging it for cash, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0208 371 4179 or drop us an email at info@cameraexchangestore.co.uk today!

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy.”

― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

A wise man once said “Never work with children or animals”. He may have been onto something there, but there are times when that cannot be avoided. Working with children can be difficult at the best of times, but put a camera in front of them, and you’re in for a bumpy ride. Getting the right shot of a child can be challenging, so we’ve compiled a few tips to help you get the shot you’re looking for.

Get organised

Make sure you have everything you might need before you even attempt to start shooting. A bored child is an unhappy child. You might only have a small window of opportunity to get the right shot, so make sure you don’t waste it looking for the right lens.

 

Entertain them

You might want to make sure that you have plenty of toys or activities to keep them entertained during any pauses. The happier the child, the better the photos.

Be creative

The best type of photo is one that is relaxed and captures the personality and spirit of your subject. Try to think outside of the box instead of going for a photo that seems too posed or staged.

 

Patience is key

Children are temperamental and prone to mood swings. The best way to deal with that is by being patient and understanding with them. Losing your temper will only make them less likely to cooperate.

Take a LOT of photos

Instead of waiting for your subject to give you that perfect shot, take as many photos as you can. In the midst of all the blurry, not so great shots, you may find one that works perfectly.

                           

 

Enjoy yourself

Children are very perceptive and can pick up on the mood of the adults around them. If you’re not having a good time, the chances are that your child will recognise this, and as a result, will be less likely to feel happy and comfortable around you.

We hope these tips will have been helpful and made a challenging photo shoot a little easier. If you’re looking to upgrade your camera before your next shoot, our camera exchange service could be just what you’re looking for. Get in contact with us at the Camera Exchange Store by calling us on 0208 371 4179, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you with any queries you may have.

 

Ah, celebrities. Is there a more photographed breed than actors? And for all their whining in the magazines and newspapers – and now Twitter and Facebook – about the paparazzi, some of them actually enjoy the flash, clack and whir of the camera. So let’s take a look at a few actors who’ve recognised the true art of photography. Let’s start with…

 

Viggo Mortensen

 

Viggo Mortensen may have made his name as Aragon in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he’s actually done a whole lot more than reading lines in a script. Not only has he been a truck driver and flower seller, he’s also an artist, a poet and a well-regarded photographer. The photographs usually feature some form of scratching or scribbling, which can be seen in a number of books Mortensen has had published. Not bad going for the King of Men.

 

Jeff Bridges

 

Jeff Bridges has featured in some pretty awesome movies in his time, including Disney sci-fi Tron and starring as The Dude in the Coen’s cult classic The Big Lebowski. But he’s also kind of a big deal in the world of photography, having been honoured by the International Center of Photography. He says that his distinctive, blurred snapshots taken on film sets ‘is mainly focused on my work making movies. I think I have a perspective that not many people have.’ What a Dude!

 

Michael Madsen

 

Michael Madsen straddles that weird line between the brilliant and the terrible. For every stand-out character in Reservior Dogs there’s a phoned-in performance in Bloodrayne. But one thing he can’t be faulted for is his skills as a photographer. Madsen’s book, Signs of Life, shows his unique look at the many Americana signs across the United States. Oh, and his work has been exhibited all over the world.

 

Want to get to know the star in front of the camera? Get them behind a camera and all will be revealed. After all, whether you’re a professional or amateur, photography is irresistible. If you fancy upgrading your camera to a new model then let us know – here at the Camera Exchange Store we specialise in camera exchange. For more information about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0208 371 4179 or email us at info@cameraexchangestore.co.uk and our professional, friendly staff will be happy to help.

In almost every situation, a “proper camera” will produce a better photograph than a mobile phone camera. However, one of the elements of taking a great photograph is being ready for any photo opportunity, and what convenient device do you have on you almost all of the time? Your mobile phone. Mobile phone cameras can still produce excellent quality photographs if you use them right and this article will make sure that you’re prepared to do that.

Get close

Mobile phone cameras have a small sensor and a rather short lens, which means that they have a relatively wide depth of field. This means that when you’re taking a photograph of something up close, you can get the entire object in focus. A “proper camera” would have trouble doing this because of their larger sensors and longer lenses. These close shots can be very effective as phone cameras often show a lot more detail than you realise.

Crop instead of zoom

Few mobile phone cameras give you the ability to optical zoom and instead only have a digital zoom. This means that rather than actually zooming in on the subject, the phone merely enlarges the view. This reduces the quality of the photograph and more often than not ruins a good photo. Rather than zoom, you should simply crop the photograph later on with better software like Photoshop.

Edit afterwards, don’t filter

Filters are an irritating feature for any photographer who has sense. They add an effect to a photograph before it is saved rather than afterwards, which limits what you can do with the photograph. If you think a photograph will look great with a particular filter, note this for later, take the photograph without a filter and add in this effect later on. You’ll be able to play around with different effects and it may turn out that the photograph looks better with a different filter on it. Additionally, you’ll be able to add more effects than a simple filter after you have taken the photograph.

 

Avoid flash

The flash on most mobile phone cameras isn’t actually a suitable way to light a photograph. The LED flash often makes everything close to the camera appear very whitewashed, and ruins a photograph in a way that is very difficult to fix. Unless you have a mobile phone like the iPhone 5s and 6 that have natural coloured flashes, avoid the flash all together and simply try to position yourself and your subject in a place where the lighting of the photograph is best if it is at all possible.

 

Hopefully after reading these tips you will be better prepared for taking a photograph when you don’t have your trusted main camera to hand. If you are looking to upgrade your main camera, our camera exchange services can help you get money for your old model, making it easier and more affordable to get a new camera. For more information, contact us today on 0208 371 4179 and we’ll get a quote to you within two hours.

When it comes to photography you can’t quite beat the timeless beauty of nature as the ultimate source of inspiration. Nature photography is also a great way to get out there and discover the wonderful outdoors. So here we take a quick look at some great ways to ensure your nature photographs capture their subject matter perfectly.

The Rule of Thirds

When it comes to nature photography the rule of thirds can be a handy trick to follow. Often it can be tempting to put your subject in the middle of the frame, however this doesn’t always make for the best or most interesting photos. Simply put this rule means you should try imagining dividing an image into thirds both horizontally and vertically. This divides a photograph into 3 equivalent parts. Ensuring your main subject of interest lies were these lines intersect can produce more compelling images.

Light

Lighting can make or break an image. For some truly stunning images try looking for an interesting combination of light and shadow. Remember that the time of day will also dictate the colours in your photos; whilst morning light typically produces warmer colours and yellow tones, the afternoon and evening light offers colours with red accents. Many photographers also talk about the so-called golden hour when it comes to nature photography, and this refers to the period around sunrise or sunset when the light has a more golden appearance; this can create some perfect shadows and textures in your photographs.

Get Close

Close ups are a great way to capture the real essence of your subject, and this is particularly true when attempting to capture nature and wildlife in your photographs. Unfortunately when it comes to nature photography, moving closer to your intended subject matter isn’t always feasible, so often zooming in can be the best option. If this still doesn’t get you close enough, then a top tip is to bring out your binoculars. You can hold the lens of your camera up to one of the eyepieces and once your camera has focused on the image you can then take your picture. Whist this might not produce the same results as some of the more top end cameras it can still produce some pretty good images.

Practice

Make sure you take lots of photos and experiment with a variety of different angles until you get the ideal shot; after all, practice really does make perfect.

Hopefully this will have inspired you to get out there and try some nature photography of your own, so you can try and capture some stunning natural scenes for yourself. Here at the Camera Exchange Store we specialise in camera exchange services and can help you get the equipment you need. For more information about our range of services please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help you with your enquiries.