ViewBug is the home for your photos. Members participate in photo contests, photo communities, buy & sell photos.

All of the ViewBug staff and members thank you for such great photos and input shared into our community.

by PaulMullin:

“I found Viewbug through an internet search over  2 years ago.   I was relatively new to phototgraphyand I never really thought about posting any images on the net but some friends and family encouraged me to “get my stuff out there” so I took a chance. Over the last 2 years I have learned a great deal about photography and much of what I learned is due to my joining the Viewbug Community. Things like composition, contrast, lines,shapes- simple things that can transform a bland picture into a great image can be learned simply by observing the work of others. I began to experiment with multiple angles, pov’s and began to see everyday things in a different way. When I see an abandoned buliding in a field I make a mental note to visit that place with my camera. Some of the best subject matter can be found in those locations. Be bold. If you see something that would make a good picture, ask permission to take it. I once asked the proprietor of a cyclery if I could shoot a few pic’s of some of the old bikes he had around his store and to my surprise he said yes. Now he has two of the images framed and hanging in his shop!     Viewbug affords you the opportunity to share work, comments, critiques and   feedback with so many talented photographers (in addition to make new friends) and gain exposure to a wider audience. I remember the first time one of my photos was featured on the VB homepage. It is a great feeling to have your work recognized and it gives motivation to continue improving your work. I am very fortunate & humbled to have so many people encourage me through their kind comments. I really like the new site. The new features are excellent. Adding the photo tips tab was a great idea. Sometimes, I’ll just poke around and find the answer to a question or problem I’ve been experiencing. I have begun to employ some of the portrait tips-keep ‘em coming!  I also anticipate entering an essay soon, but the Viewbug store really has me exctited. It’s so convenient to post and sell your work on the same site- definitley a great addition.
I take my nikon d50 everywhere I go.You never know when an opportunity will arise to catch that one moment in time which cannot be reproduced. Life happens quickly so you have to be ready!  There is a photograph in everything we see and a story in every photograph, so keep your camera with you.”

Taking a good photo in the fall can be challenging to all kind of photographers. Fall photos can be very powerful due to the magical combination of colors found in this season; bright blue skies, deep oranges and electric green grass.

We recommend taking photos from up close (using macro lenses in some occasions) in order to take advantage of these beautiful mix of colors. Shooting at leaves from a proximity can show their amazing texture and color range! Leaves can be used in portraits, having them close to faces, and people stepping on piles of them too.

The wetness of the leaves as well as their dryness can communicate a lot of feeling in just a single shot. Try to shoot in a cold and wet day and you will see how many feelings you can get out of that one single photo!

When shooting try to take a good luck of your surroundings and you will see all the magical elements that you can incorporate in your photographies.

We love this amazing new camera. We recommend that you take a look at it if you have a little bit of extra cash to spare. You can always join a viewbug challenge if you are a little bit short on cash though!

Widen Your Horizons!

The Canon EOS 5D offers advanced photographers a lightweight, robust digital SLR that uses Canon’s superlative EF lenses without a conversion factor. Its full-frame 12.8 Megapixel CMOS sensor combines with Canon’s DIGIC II Image Processor, a high-precision 9-point AF system with 6 assist points, and “Picture Style” color control to deliver images of superior quality with enough resolution for any application. With its wide-angle capabilities, 2.5 inch LCD and magnesium-alloy body, the 5D is the perfect addition to the Digital EOS line. 

Look at the camera now!

Portraits can be visually strong and project strong feelings, emotions and sensations.

There are some basic points that can help you achieve a great portrait photograph without being a professional photographer.

1. Objects face: It is important to focus on the objects face, specifically the eyes. The eyes and facial expressions are the most important aspects in the photograph. The facial expressions and eyes tell the story of the person, their situation and feelings.  It is important to capture the exact expression that you want to share with the viewers.

2. Lighting: Portraits are better with natural light and good shades. Never position the person with the sun behind them. It is recommendable to have the sun on the side of the face to accentuate the facial features.

3. Shallow depth of field:  You will achieve a blurred background when you use a shallow depth of field. This will help you to focus the viewers attention in the subject rather than the background. A blurry background will help you give more dimension to your photograph as well.

We encourage you to take your camera and play with it. Go outdoors and take some portrait photos, you will see how fun it can be!

Remember that Subject Matter is one of the most important aspects of a good photograph. Taking a photo when an undesired object appears in the viewfinder can be very frustrating. As some of the greatest photographers have always said, do not be afraid to shoot, just shoot away and take care of the photo at a later time.

Most of the computer softwares provide a cropping tool. You can always crop out the undesired object and fix the photo to your choice.

Cropping a photo is a great tool, not only to remove undesired objects, but also to align your subject matter in the right position in the photo frame. 

We encourage you to download your photos to your computer, open them in a software editing tool and play with the crop tool. You will notice that the image within the photo changes drastically when the whole frame has been adjusted.

Taking a great video without editing is possible but difficult. Most videos look better after they have been edited. Editing a video can help you achieve important results in areas such as lighting, effects, transitions, etc.

Finding the right editing tool is always a difficult task.

Follow the link to one of our favorite resources, PC Magazine. Here you will find a very detail product comparison and review to make your decision making process easier.

Good luck and enjoy!

The exposure in your camera determines how much light is recorded in your camera. When there is plenty of light you need short exposure times. At nighttime, the time of exposure will increase dramatically.

Most digital cameras will adjust automatically, you should know though that some cameras will allow you to manually adjust the exposure time.

Playing with exposure times is a great way to experiment with your camera and to find out different results that you might get. For example, you can take the same picture of running water at different exposure times and you will notice a great difference on how the water appears in the final product. Remember to use a tripod if you plan to use a long exposure time to avoid a blurry image.

Choosing the right lens can often be the cause of many sleepless nights researching and debating whether or not to pony up the hundreds of dollars (and sometimes thousands of dollars for that coveted “glass”. From choosing the right focal length range for your needs to picking the speed of your lens, you’ll have to study up before you decide.

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