Category Archives: Photo Tips

Becki & Chris’ Camera Bag Tour – Promaster Camera Bag

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CAMERA BAGS  Features to look for in a camera bag: tons of space, lots of pockets, chest and waist straps, a tripod pouch, and style. It’s hard to find a backpack that ticks all those boxes, and style is usually the first one to go in lieu of practicality. Chris and I stumbled upon the ProMaster Cityscape Backpack last year in Vancouver at a local camera shop like Larmon Photo We shoot weekly vlogs for YouTube, as well as photos on a separate camera, so we were looking for a bag that would fit our whole kit. I have a tendency to buy camera bags that look nice yet … Continue reading →

5 Tips for Night Photography

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There’s nothing more epic than taking in the Canadian Rockies at night. Between the huge skies, Milky Way, and northern lights,  there’s no shortage of amazing night photography opportunities. Here are a few tips to make sure you can capture them completely! Find a Landscape & Plan Your Shot The most important part of any night photo is the landscape you choose to shoot. Scout out your perfect foreground before sunset to make sure you’re ready for the stars! This trick will keep you from stumbling around in the dark and ensure you’ve got a great frame ready. Pro Tip: Using online resources to find out … Continue reading →

Clean and Check – The #1 Photo Resolution for the New Year – What are the others?

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Seems like we were just gearing up for Thanksgiving and now we’ve said goodbye to 2017 and hello to a new year. As the family photographer you are tasked with maintaining your families history. It is a labor of love that many of us enjoy. So when January arrives it generally means it’s time for your equipment’s annual Clean & Check maintenance. Clean and Check The first, and most critical, is to have annual equipment maintenance completed. This means cameras and lenses go in for cleaning and a mechanical check-up.  Best time to do this is every January or before you go … Continue reading →

Why You Should Be Using Neutral Density Filters

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If you don’t have a variable neutral density filter in your camera case then you are seriously missing out!  My advice, get one STAT! I typically use a UV filter to protect my lenses and a ProMaster CPL filter for some scenics, however, the new ProMaster HGX Variable ND Filter is one I just won’t leave my studio without. Nuetral Density (ND) filters are basically sunglasses for your lenses; they diminish the light transmitting thru your lens. This lack of light transmitted permits you to use slower shutter speeds and wider apertures. Without using a ND filter you’d have to use faster shutter speeds with smaller f-stops … Continue reading →

5 Tips for Consistently Good Indoor Photos

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No matter what level photography experience you have we all know that creating indoor photos can be a little tricky. Below are a few tips on how to avoid some of the pitfalls. Color Balance/White Balance your Indoor Photos Taking photos inside is one place that gives automatic settings on your camera an operating issue. Especially relevant to better indoor photos is learning how to set your camera’s white balance.  If you are shooting available light and the light source is an Incandescent bulb, (3200˚K), Fluorescent tube (4500˚K), natural light through the window (5000˚-6500˚K) or an electronic flash (5500˚). Consider … Continue reading →

DIY Photo Tip – How To Take Your Own Family Portrait

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Thanksgiving is almost here and that means the holiday season is upon us again! Time to start planning all those family gatherings and creating new memories. And what is the best way to preserve your memories than with a photograph or video? Whether you hire a professional portrait artist at LarmonStudios.com to create a family heirloom, a family photo enthusiast with a sophisticated DSLR or you with your iPhone or other mobile device, photos and videos are always at the center preserving memories. Family First Before all the parties and gatherings begin, there is the “what to do for this year’s holiday … Continue reading →

Pinhole Projector for Eclipse Viewing and Photography

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Find a large box. Size is only important to give room for a pinhole that’s not obstructed by your head or your camera. Cut a small hole near the center of the short side.  Set your camera lens face down near the edge and draw an outline around your lens. Cut out that hole. You’ll use that for your lens or your eye. Pop a little pinhole in the center of a small piece of aluminum foil. Use a pin to make that hole. The cleaner and rounder the hole is- the sharper your viewing will be. Don’t dig around … Continue reading →

Tips for Eclipse Photography

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Now that we’re upon the #GreatAmericanEclipse, and especially that we’re now SOLD OUT OF SOLAR FILTERS!!! Its time for a nice technical post about eclipse photography. First, all the safety stuff!!! Only use approved solar viewing filters to look at the sun!!! Keep your camera lens capped except when actually shooting!!! I don’t want to see anyone come in with holes burned in their shutters – so don’t use Mirror Lockup!!! If you’re doing Live View from your camera’s rear screen remember that the sun is blasting onto the sensor!!! I’ll say it again- Keep your camera lens capped except when … Continue reading →

4 Tips to Great Travel Photos

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When it comes to travel photography its not about the camera you have.  Think about it, photographers like Ansel Adams & Yousuf Karsh could create better images with a pinhole camera than most of today’s photographers can with the most sophisticated computerized cameras made.  Photography is not even about the beautiful images we create. For most of us it is about telling stories and preserving family memories. Having the latest and greatest equipment is awesome if you can afford it; however, it is not necessary for taking great photos of your family. So, what is necessary? Being prepared and understanding … Continue reading →

Color Theory 101 – Basics to Understanding White Balance

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What is White Balance? White Balance is the single most important setting to master on a digital camera. The color temperature you select that tells a computer/camera what values equal white. Why white?  That is simple.  Do you remember CRT (Cathrode Ray Tube) televisions/monitors? Remember being told not to touch the screen because it would blow up the TV? This was because the TV’s had the 3 tubes, one Red, another Blue and the last Green, that fired electrons that created a static electricity field around the set/monitor while delivering a picture to the screen.  Red, Green and Blue are … Continue reading →