Eliminating blinking from photographs has always been a huge challenge for photographers. And as far as challenges go, we can also add looking in the wrong direction, sneezing, and last-second movements to the list.

So when I heard about the Blink Eradication System, I HAD TO EXAMINE IT. I won’t keep you in suspense until the end of this review…

What’s Their Approach?

I was ready to yell “waste of time,” thinking that the Blink Eradication System would consist of the common… “make sure you count to 3 so they know when you’re taking the shot” type of “wisdom.”

Instead, they use a logical 2-Phase Approach that addresses any eventuality:

1. Practical information for “Minimizing” blinking before taking the picture (They actually say Minimize not Eliminate, which gained credibility points, since eliminating it is impossible.)

2. A software tool that completely eliminates blinking afterward, if any blinking made it through

What Does the Blink Eradication System Do and How Well Does It Work?

For the “Minimizing” phase, it works pretty well. They begin with a scientific conclusion:

“For groups smaller than 20, divide the number of people by three if there’s good light and two if the light’s bad. That’s how many shots you need to
take.”

Then, they cover considerable information on how to minimize blinking BEFORE taking the photo. Categories include equipment set up, preparing the environment and subjects, and even some posing tips. I give this phase a 4 out of 5.

For the 2nd phase, they hit a home run! The software worked flawlessly during the 7 times I used it. Even though they didn’t write the software, they were very upfront about all aspects of it.

Two animated tutorials are provided that eliminate the need of reading Help files. This phase gets a 5 out of 5.

Conclusion

Does it Function as Expected?
Yes, and quite well, with an overall score of 4.5 out of 5.0.

What Are The Drawbacks?
Note that I can find drawbacks to anything. With that said, the only point to be aware of is the software only operates on PCs that use the Windows XP operating system.

Given the state of Vista, that may not be an issue anymore. If you do use Vista, and would still like to use the software, they provide some ideas for workarounds. The simplest one is to maintain two operating systems on your PC (sounds very scary, but after using their software, you just might be tempted).

Does The Value Justify The Cost?
If you take nothing but landscape pictures, the answer is “no.” But if you take photos of people, especially groups of 2 or more; the answer is a decisive “yes.”

For what you’re getting, the Blink Eradication System is a bargain. In addition to what I’ve mentioned, they include a clever way to remember everything required prior to taking any photos — two “Cheat Sheets;” one for Indoor, and one for Outdoors. Anyone who doesn’t have a photographic memory will find these helpful.

And, as is the custom of online digital offers, they provide assorted bonuses to sweeten the deal. Their 5 bonuses actually provide some value. Plus, they stand behind the Blink Eradication System with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Final Conclusion
Imagine I’m shouting: age-Old photography problem finally solved! The Blink Eradication System is a product that I wish I had 10 years ago. At what they’re charging, all I can say is better late than never.

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Posted in: Inspiration | Comments(0) | December 2008

Having been born in Scotland and later married there I have a real love of the Scottish countryside. The quote Absence makes the heart grow fonder is a phrase I fully empathise with and it wasn’t until later that I was searching round our local gallery that I saw the work of Gillian McDonald an artist that is particularly skilled in capturing the ambience of beautiful landscapes.

Her beautiful pictures are amazing capturing the nature of the landscape but nestle in structures that have a security and peacefulness which gives the feel of untouched regions. Gillian McDonald learnt her art at the London college of art but focused her love for the medium of water colour in Indonesia. She is known for her fantastic use of colour which really deepens the feel of the scene she is trying to show.

It was really nice to see the stunning crags of Ben More at the back of the scene with homesteads placed in the comfortable and undulating landscape layed out In front of it. I love the fact that in Gillian McDonalds pictures you often find detail in a flower or blade of grass that links In brilliantly with other parts of the image. I understand that Gillian McDonald herself is an avid gardener and walker, often roaming different parts of the landscape searching for her next picture to paint.

I understand Gillian McDonald now lives in Wales where she produces her work focusing on her water colours and painting pictures that are loved the planet over.

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Posted in: Insightful | Comments(0) | December 2008

How to Draw with Pencil Fundamentals - Drawing Cones

Any scene can initially be seen as a composition of a series of forms that are all related to four basic geometric solids: the brick, the sphere, the cylinder, and the cone. In this article we concentrate on the cone, i.e., we will detail its properties and its place in the overall scheme of a drawing.

In this article we discussed how to produce a line drawing of a cone-like object. What we outlined above should be enough to get you started in the right direction.

A perfect cone is a three-dimensional solid that has a circular base on one end and terminates in a point at the other end. Invariably, the first example of a cone that pops into the mind is that of an ice cream cone. But there are bottles, glasses, lampshades, bowls, and many other man-made objects with shapes based on a cone. There are also countless creations of nature such as sea shells, flowers, and trees that have conical shapes.

When you begin to draw conical objects, remember that a cone is a solid mass that tapers uniformly from a circular base to a point. In the beginning, when you identify an object that has an underlying conical form, you should draw a perfect cone first. The cone can be long and thin like in a beer glass, or short and broad like in a lampshade. Only after you have drawn the cone in the right orientation and in the right proportions start adding the deviations you observe (bulges, stretches, etc.). Pretty soon you will not need this crutch anymore and you will be able to immediately start with the object.

The cone has also an axis of symmetry. To first lightly draw this axis will help you tremendously with the rendering of the correct geometry. The elliptical base should be perpendicular to the axis and the whole cone should be perfectly symmetric around the axis of symmetry. You can mark off a point on the axis where the tip of the cone is to be and then it is a simple matter of running two diagonal lines from the tip to the ends of the ellipse. Of course, the cone should also comply with the laws of perspective and should also be rendered according to those laws. A correctly drawn cone should fit into the overall perspective of the scene and the drawn ribs on the cone should converge with all other parallel lines to the same point at infinity. The same perspective rules apply to the planes in which ellipses drawn on the cone lie. That is, all other parallel planes should converge to the same horizon.

Ultimately, with enough practice, all you have to do is observe correctly, and all things will fall in place.

Identify a number of conical object and practice drawing them. Champaign glasses, ice cream cones, lampshades, party hats, etc. are all excellent examples. Pay attention to the proportions, lengths, curvatures, perspective, etc.

The three-dimensionality of a line drawing of a cone can be simulated by adding a number of ellipses along its body. Of course, when you have learned the skill of shading you will be able to create a much better solution. In fact, you have a chance to create the perfect illusion because, in essence, the only thing there is in a black and white scene are shades of different values. In other words, if you can draw the perfect geometry and add to it the perfect values then you have the perfect drawing (at least in terms of likeness if not in terms of creating a piece of art).

This is all you need to know about rendering line drawings of objects that have the cone as their underlying geometric form.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

10 Pencil Drawing Tips to Improve Your Compositions

Composition refers to an ordered relationship among the parts or elements of your drawing. Note that the position of shapes is not the only element of composition. Other elements include: value, intensity, and color.

1. Basic Unit - When composing a drawing it is always helpful to choose a “basic unit”. A basic unit is a line segment of medium size with respect to the composition you are trying to realize.

2. Focal Point - Rule of Thirds. Your drawing should always have a focal point, i.e., a point that attracts the viewer’s attention. The rest of your composition should serve to lead the viewer’s eye back to the focal point.

The rule requires you to divide the width and height of your paper in three equal parts. The four intersection points of the resulting lines are called the “hotspots”. Each of these hotspots can be used as focal points for your composition.

3. Balance - When creating a drawing you should always balance every compositional element relative to the focal point. It is important to develop your intuition for balance and then trust it and apply it.

4. Shapes - Shapes are one important element in a composition. There are two types: positive shapes (actual objects) and negative shapes (empty spaces in between objects). The idea is to strive for a balance in both types relative to the focal point and within the boundaries of your paper.

5. Value - Value is yet another element to keep in mind when putting together your composition. Value refers to the darks and the lights. Here again, balance is the keyword. Make sure that large areas of darks and/or lights are balanced within the boundaries of your paper.

6. Intensity - Intensity (particularly of color) refers to the degree of brilliance. Color but also plain pencil graphite can be dull or brilliant or anything in between. Your drawing should also be balanced in terms of relative intensity.

7. Color - Color is the fourth element of composition. Observe how colored objects interact with each other to create a subtle harmony or a flashing contrast.

8. Vision - When establishing the basic structure of your composition, ask yourself whether or not it conveys the meaning or vision you have in mind. A good composition can help communicate your vision to the viewer.

9. Temperature - Color artists often talk in terms of warm and cool colors. A good color drawing will have a certain overall temperature (warm or cool), but within that overall feel there must still be balance in the relative temperature of the object colors.

10. Emotion - Understand that all the rules of composition are just aids in trying to create a good work of art. Therefore, the application of these rules should not be too obvious so that the viewer is not immediately drawn into an analysis of your work instead first responding to it emotionally.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

Measuring Lengths and Angles in Pencil Drawings

This is another stage of a typical pencil drawing, because you have come to the stage when you need to settle the units on the paper properly and take care of the angles.

Let’s get down to the typical units.

Basic Length Unit - A basic length unit is the length of a line segment of medium size relative to the composition. That means a line segment that is not too long and not too short.

1. Life Unit - First, we choose a basic length unit for the real scene you want to draw. For a large life scene you can do this by holding a pencil at arm’s length with locked elbow. Then, with one eye closed, you can measure a basic unit (not too long and not too short) along your pencil using your thumb as a marker.

If you work with a photograph you can measure your basic unit with your pencil directly on the photograph. Let us call this basic length unit the “Life Unit”. Draw this Life Unit on a separate piece of paper.

2. Ground Unit - Now, you also need a basic length for your actual drawing. Indeed, the size of the real scene will usually be different from the one you will realize on your paper. Again, use your pencil to choose a basic unit suitable for your ground and call it the “Paper Unit”. Draw it next to the Life Unit.

How to Use Your Basic Units - Now we can use the Life Unit to measure any length on the real composition. We express these lengths in terms of the number of Life Units. For example, you will speak of this table leg being about half a Life Unit or this hat sits 1.5 Life Units to the left of that umbrella. Don’t forget to make the measurements always in the same manner, i.e., at arm’s length, with locked elbow, and with one eye closed

Angle Measurement - Angles are measured relative to the horizontal and the vertical. If you work on rectangular paper you can use its vertical and horizontal edges as a reference. The angle you observe in your life composition will be the same on your paper.

Again, you can use your pencil but this time align it horizontally (or vertically) and estimate the angle a particular line makes with your horizontal (or vertical) pencil. Make sure you hold your pencil in a plane that is parallel to the plane of the life scene, i.e., perpendicular to your line of sight. For example, you will speak of this angle being about one third of a right angle. The same angle is then realized on your paper.

The above suggestions will give you a good start with estimating lengths and angles in a systematic manner. With some practice, you will be able to do this without thinking.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

Have you ever wondered why you would want to learn black and white photography tips in a world of color? In spite of the incredible popularity of digital color photography, there will always be room for black and white photography.

The elegance and timelessness of black and white photography insures its continual popularity. The fact is that more and more people are becoming interested in black and white photography for many reasons…

When used correctly, black and white images:

• Transforms a dingy or overcast look into a striking photo evoking emotion
• Produce a clean, crisp look
• Have a tendency to make photos look more like works of art
• Accentuate the depth of the photograph
• Heighten the emotional impact

Emotional Scenes

Very powerful, emotional, or moving photographs often look better as black and white photographs than in color. For example, here is a candid taken at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. from 100 feet away.

Like most digital photographs, this one was first seen as a color image. Unfortunately, in color, it lacked a strong emotional punch. By processing the same exact photo in black and white, the desired effect was achieved.

Keep in mind that when you have a highly emotional or poignant subject, try to also view it in black and white.

Relationship Portraits

Probably the most popular application for black and white images is with a single subject. Here is a photographic paradox: On the one hand, “Photography” per say, has very few absolute rules.

For example, there is not a specific “category” of pictures that looks better in black and white. However, black and white images of babies and children often look quite powerful.

Although there is a “formal/big occasion” aura surrounding black and white photography, there’s no reason to ignore it when taking everyday photos. If you are unsure, take the photo in color AND black and white; then you be the judge.

Everyday Magic!

Take your camera with you wherever you go. Why? Because you never know what or where photo opportunities will exist. (It’s that photographic Murphy’s Law thing.) In fact, sometimes you won’t even realize that a photograph is really good until after you download it and start to play with the photograph.

This process demonstrates how to transform and crop an average color photograph into a inspirational black and white image.

By cropping most photos, you can more precisely determine where your viewer’s focus will go. That may not be as important when taking portraits of single subjects; however, it’s true power can be seen in group photographs and landscapes.

Even though cropping can produce magical results, you need the right “rabbit” for everything to all come together. Unfortunately, there is one potential pitfall with cropping. Read about that pitfall here, as well as how to use a photographic technique that guarantees your cropped images will turn out perfectly.

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Posted in: Inspiration | Comments(0) | November 2008

How to draw with pencil fundamentals - the line in pencil drawing.

Speaking of the lines, we should have several important issues mentioned in this publication. As the line is part of the basic skills which you should master seriously - let’s get into the details of this issue.

The following characteristics are most often mentioned about the line.

Length - Naturally, the length of a straight line is the distance between its beginning point and its end point.

Direction - A straight line also has a direction. Its direction is determined by the angle it makes with a horizontal or vertical line.

So, when you want to draw a straight line you need to think about two things: length and direction.

Then, you also have to develop a technique to actually draw that line. A pencil artist seldom uses a ruler to draw a straight line. Lines are drawn free-hand.

The idea here is to swing your arm from the elbow as opposed to from the wrist. You can use your wrist for tiny lines or other small details. But generally you keep your wrist and lower arm fixed as one unit and you rotate your elbow as you draw the line. This movement happens quite fast.

To measure the length of a line you can use the following procedure.

First, you choose a Basic Length Unit. It is the length of a line segment that is not too long and not too short relative to a scene.

We will choose two such basic units:

1. Life Unit - First, we choose a basic length unit for the real scene you want to draw. For a large life scene you can do this by holding a pencil at arm’s length with locked elbow. Then, with one eye closed, you can measure a basic unit (not too long and not too short) with your pencil using your thumb as a marker.

2. Paper Unit - Now, you also need a basic length for your actual drawing. This is because the size of the real scene will usually be different from the one you will render on your paper. Again, use your pencil to choose a basic length unit suitable for the size of your paper and call it the “Paper Unit”. Draw it next to the Life Unit.

Now we are ready to use these two basic units. We use the Life Unit to measure any length on the real composition. We express these lengths in terms of the number of Life Units. For example, you will speak of this table leg being about half a Life Unit or this hat sits 1.5 Life Units to the left of that umbrella. Don’t forget to make the measurements always in the same manner, i.e., at arm’s length, with locked elbow, and with one eye closed.

Next, you take your Paper Unit and multiply it by the ratio you just obtained with your Life Unit. For example, on your paper the table leg will measure 0.5 times the Paper Unit or the hat will sit 1.5 Paper Units to the left of the umbrella.

Then there remains the technique to measure angles:

Angles are measured relative to the horizontal and the vertical. If you work on rectangular paper you can use its vertical and horizontal edges as a reference. The angle you observe in your life composition will be the same on your paper. No ratio involved here.

Again, you can use your pencil but this time align it horizontally (or vertically) and estimate the angle a particular line makes with your horizontal or vertical. This technique requires some practice but after awhile you’ll get a feel for angles. After you’ve drawn the line you can check of the length as well as the angle seem right to you. It is remarkable how quickly the eye gets trained to detect incorrect proportions and angles. But it does take some time and practice.

Note that curved lines can be considered as a linkage of small straight lines so that the same techniques can also be applied in an approximate manner to these curved lines.

The above tips should start you off in the right direction with regards to dealing with lines.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

Pencil Drawing Fundamentals - The Compositional Role of Object Placement and Viewpoint Selection

In this article we will learn about some of the considerations to be made when it comes to creating a composition or selecting a particular viewpoint.

First, let us introduce a few definitions:

Eye Level - The eye level is the height of the line (eye level line) that connects your two pupils. This assumes that you stand vertically on a level surface.

Eye Level Plane - A horizontal plane drawn through the eye level line is called the eye level plane. This plane divides a scene into an upper and a lower half space. It is worth mentioning and to remember that to see objects in the upper half space you will need to look up and to see those in the lower one you will need to look down.

Horizon - The intersection of the eye level plane and a face-on vertical plane is called a horizon. An example of a close approximation of a horizon is the actual ocean horizon you see when standing on a beach. You will find that to view anything below the horizon your eyeballs need to rotate downward and to view anything above the horizon you will have to rotate your eyeballs upward.

Now, when you create a composition, you must first consider the height at which you will place the objects. This is critical because many compositions are weakened when the placement of the objects is either too high or too low relative to the horizon.

It is good practice to ask questions such as: Would my objects look better if I saw them from above? Would the composition benefit from lowering my eye level? What if the horizon were to split the objects? This last option means that a particular object is located such that part of it is above the horizon and part of it is below the horizon. That is, you see neither the top nor the bottom of the object.

The choice of placement of the objects relative to the horizon depends to a large extent on the form and the number of objects that participate in your composition.

Next to the placement of your objects relative to the horizon, your composition will also be fundamentally influence by your choice of viewpoint.

The viewpoint is determined by the location of the eye level plane and the location of your eyes on the eye level line. To help you understand the effect of the viewpoint on a composition, place a group of objects on a table and start varying your viewpoint, i.e., change the eye level plane by moving your eye level line up or down and then also by moving your eyes along the eye level line.

The idea is to study these different viewpoints, i.e., see how the composition changes when the viewpoint changes. Some of the objects will begin to intersect with others. Others will now show their top or bottom. At the same time you can also change the placement of the objects relative to each other to improve certain compositions that you found.

It is clear that both the placement of objects and the selection of a viewpoint drastically influence the composition of a scene. Your task as an artist is to change both placement and viewpoint in such a way that you end up with the composition that suits your artistic requirements the best.

It makes good sense to learn the difference. This can be done by developing your artistic sensibility for composition. One way to do this is to pay attention to composition when you study the work of great artists. In fact, the greatness of the work of some artists rests specifically on their talent for seeing good composition.

With this I hope that you now have developed awareness as to the importance of object placement and viewpoint selection and how they influence composition and therefore the attractiveness of your work.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

Your Free Beginners Oil Painting Tips - Solvents Mediums and Varnishes

If you paint with oils you will need a solvent to clean your brushes and thin your paints. Of course, if you paint with water soluble oils then your solvent will be water.

Turpentine is a standard solvent used to thin ordinary oil paints. You can purchase turpentine in any art supply store or hardware store. In some cases, the kind of turpentine you buy in a hardware store may be fresher because of the shorter turnaround time.

Some artists work with mineral spirits. These are also available in hardware stores. To save money, buy the largest available quantity and use a smaller container when you do your actual painting.

Tube oil paint (i.e., oil paint directly from the tube) can be difficult to manipulate. Some colors are stiffer than others and may be hard to evenly distribute over your canvas. To solve this problem, artists often need to mix their tube paints with a so-called painting medium.

A painting medium is a liquid solution that makes the oil paint smoother and easier to manipulate. Adding any one of a number of different painting mediums changes the consistency of the paint. Some mediums are meant to make the paint thinner for glazing and others are meant to make the paint thicker for impasto painting.

The most basic medium is regular turpentine. Adding a little turpentine thins oils paint. Another frequently used medium is linseed oil, which makes the paint more fluid but, over time, it also tends to yellow the paint. The most commonly used medium is a combination of turpentine and linseed oil, sometimes with the addition of a little damar varnish.

Begin by experimenting with a half-and-half mixture of turpentine and linseed oil. Because linseed oil slows down the drying process, you may want to increase the proportion of turpentine. A good mixture is three parts of turpentine to one part of linseed oil.

Once you find the medium you like, mix a batch and store it in a tightly sealed jar. As you paint, dip your brush into the medium, then add a little paint, then mix them together on your palette.

Preliminary compositions can be drawn on your canvas with a so-called thin turp wash, i.e., a little bit of paint with a lot of turpentine. A turp wash evaporates very quickly, so you can quickly paint over them.

In general, the more turpentine you use the matter the finish will be and the more linseed oil you use the glossier it will be. If you like robust, permanently visible brushstrokes, you may want to use less dry.

Special painting mediums are also available that change the oil paint in different ways. The most common are those that shorten or lengthen the drying time of the oil paint. Check your art supply store or the Internet to see the available types of mediums. All medium bottles will show instructions on how best to use the particular medium.

Oil paintings must be varnished to protect them from undesirable elements such as dirt and toxins. Varnish is a clear solution made from a resin and turpentine or some other solvent.

In art-supply stores you will see two major types, retouching varnish and picture varnish. Depending on the paint layer thickness, it can take six months or more for an oil painting to dry. In the meantime, the surface of the painting needs to be protected with a coat of retouching varnish. After the varnish is applied, the turpentine evaporates, and leaving a thin protective coat.

Picture varnish contains more resin than retouching varnish. It should be applied about six months after you complete a painting. If you paint with impasto-like brushstrokes, you may have to wait as long as a year before applying the final coat.

Both types of varnish are applied in the same manner. Using a broad, flat nylon brush, apply the varnish evenly using horizontal strokes. You can also use retouching varnish to brighten dry dull patches in your painting.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008

Free Beginners Oil Painting - Canvas Priming

When you refuse to buy any of the pre-fabricated canvases you can always buy a roll of primed or raw canvas cloth. The first step in the process towards constructing a finished canvas is the stretching of the canvas. Once the stretching is done it is time to prime the canvas cloth if you bought a roll of raw canvas.

The reason it is necessary to prime a raw canvas is that both linen and cotton cloth will eventually rot when saturated with oil paint. To prevent the occurrence of rotting the canvas cloth must be treated with a glue or gelatin solution to so-call “size” the canvas and then coated with an oil-based primer.

Here are the steps to be executed in the priming process:

1) After stretching the raw canvas, evenly brush the weak glue or gelatin solution onto the raw canvas using a wide nylon or bristle brush. Note, do not stretch raw canvas too tight, because the priming will shrink the canvas cloth and therefore tighten it automatically.

2) When the fabric dries, coat it with a mixture of white lead in oil and turpentine, again using a wide brush.

3) Once the canvas is dry, sand it lightly.

4) Then, apply a second coat of the white lead in oil and turpentine solution, and sand the canvas again.

All these materials and the accompanying instructions can be bought in a serious art supply store or on the Internet.

Many artists also enjoy working on wood panels, which is a proving support for oil painting. The old masters worked on oak, poplar, and mahogany, but today “wood panel” can mean anything from a piece of poplar to plywood to Masonite.

Wood panels are perfect for rendering intricate, detailed subjects where the weave of the canvas might be too uneven. You can buy prepared boards or you can make your own. You must prime the panel with gesso before you begin painting. Dilute the gesso with water; apply it with a wide housepainter’s brush, let it dry, and then sand it smooth.

You can also oil paint on watercolor paper or vellum. You can size the paper with an acrylic medium first so that the oil paint does not eventually rot the paper. If you want to make your painting last longer (permanence) you need to choose heavy paper of at least 200 lbs.

This is the end of short primer on priming different grounds for the purpose of oil painting. There is much more to learn but this will give you enough information to go to a reputable art supply store and be able to converse intelligently on the subject of priming and priming methods.

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Posted in: Drawing Tips | Comments(0) | November 2008