One of the most interesting things I learned from these folks was that a simple pair of binoculars can be a great way to start learning about astronomy. They emphasized that you don't have to shell out hundreds and hundreds of dollars to buy a large telescope that you may not end up using often due to its size. With a half-decent pair of binoculars, you can still see double stars, Milky Way star clouds and even some dim distant galaxies, according to the 'Binoculars for Astronomy' tutorial on the Sky & Telescope website (hyperlink http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/howtoequipment/3389576.html) We sell simple inexpensive brackets that make it possible to mount almost any pair of binoculars to a tripod, which will make viewing those dim objects a little less shaky.

Spending some time getting acquainted with the night sky with a pair of binoculars will make using a traditional telescope much easier since you will have a better idea of where to start looking for interesting subjects. If you do end up upgrading to a larger telescope, chances are good that you'll still find your pair of binoculars handy to have around. Astronomers who have graduated to the larger, brighter telescopes still use binoculars on a regular basis because it can be a little bit easier to find celestial objects with the wider field of vision, and also because binoculars won't flip images upside down, like telescopes usually do.  

And the best part is that binoculars will never become obsolete! Even if you don't end up pursuing astronomy as a full-fledged hobby, they'll be great to have around for so many other uses!

Moon-rise over Bryce Canyon, Utah.   - Taken in 2006 with a 3 Megapixel Canon Powershot A510.

More recently, I find that some of my favourite pictures are still taken with my point and shoot camera.  I have a little Panasonic DMC ZS-5 that is small enough to fit in my purse and is always with me when I decide to go for a spur of the moment trip to a beautiful corner of the province on a nice day. (We currently have the newer Panasonic DMC ZS-10 in stock in the store – it's a pretty sweet camera with a Leica lens, huge zoom, and built in GPS!) 

Peggy's Cove – taken last fall with a Panasonic ZS-5.

I recently came across a blog post about photojournalism on a budget that encouraged people to get out and use the equipment they already own rather than waiting until they can afford the good stuff:  http://www.zoriah.net/blog/2011/04/photojournalism-with-a-point-and-shoot-camera-becoming-a-photojournalis-on-a-budget.html    Zoriah is a photo journalist with a CV that includes clients such as Doctors Without Borders, Unicef, The International Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and has published work in everything from  The Wall Street Journal and BBC News to The History Channel and Discover Magazine. In this blog post he displays pictures he took on a recent trip to Africa with a used  point and shoot digital camera he bought off Craiglist for $70.  The images are haunting and speak volumes about the situation that some disadvantaged children in Uganda face.

Zoriah tells us to ”Be inspired, go out and shoot and quit thinking about what your camera CAN'T do and remember all the things it CAN.” 

We can't all be award winning photo journalists, but it's still a good message for anybody interested in photography who can't (YET) afford the good stuff.  Don't let your equipment stand in the way of being inspired by the world around you!

PROS

1. Easily lets people know who you are as a business, what you sell as well as the principles that are important to you - in addition to straightforward features like hours of operation and where you're located.
2. Add hundreds of friends and family worldwide and find friends through people you already know.
3. Promote your business and products, and give your client up-to-date information on new products and promotions.
4. Interact with potential and current customers to answer questions and be a source of insight.

CONS

1. Your Facebook identity needs to be managed and monitored. Always update and answer questions and comments to keep peoples' interest. If not, people are more than likely to simply forget about you and your brand.
2. Be the leader in creating groups or event pages. You and your staff needs to have the skills to stay on these online activities if not you may miss out on several networking opportunist.
3. Poor public relations can spread like wildfire across facebook. If just one customer or client start complaining about  you or post negative comments on other people's profiles, you won't have any control over the activities,if you're planning on creating a public profile make sure you have the marketing team to manage these situation to maintain a positive reputation.

Although facebook is a great way to promote your business, it is also a fulltime job in itself. What are your pro's and con's about promoting your business on facebook?

 "Why do I keep getting card errors?"

 Card errors can happen at the most inconvenient times and usually it's because information on your card has gotten jumbled. When a memory card is full of photos most people simply delete the photos  but this doesn't erase them from your card. The information is still there and it simply rewrites over it as you take more photos. This can go haywire sometimes which is why if you want to delete all you photos from your card then  formatting is your best bet. The format option is usually located in your camera's setup menu and usually will require several confirmations before it will format. Formatting completely clears all information from your card and will keep it in good working order. Here are some tips for staying out of trouble:

1. Whenever you buy a new card, format it before you start using it.

2. Whenever your card is full (or at least every month or so) save all your photos on your computer or to disk and format your card. Formatting deletes everything so make sure your photos are saved in a safe place before you format!

3. If you do end up deleting your photos or formatting you card accidentally, stop taking photos immediately  but don't panic just yet! We do card recoveries here at Atlantic Photo Supply and we can usually recover lost photos.

 "What is my photo gear worth?"

 If you're looking to resell your gear or just want to know what the current retail value is then KEH.com is a good place to start. They have a large database of used camera gear as well as a very accurate rating system for the condition of the gear. It makes it pretty easy to find a good price match for your own equipment and give you an idea of how much it could be worth. KEH is located in Georgia so their prices are in US dollars. Also, it's important to keep in mind your location and that demand and accessibility can change from place to place. If you want to know a good place to sell your gear, Craiglist or Kijiji are free to use. People are usually looking to barter so ask for $20-$50 more than you expect to get. If you're having a hard time selling, wait awhile and then repost your ad with a lower price.  The market value of digital cameras drops significantly over time so it's better to sell it sooner than later.

"Where can I find good camera reviews?"

The best place to check out is dpreview.com. Their reviews are  thorough and objective. They usually have in-depth reviews on most of the dslr's and offer a clear outline of the pros and cons of each model. Since new cameras are released often make sure that the reviews you're reading are current. 

"Why aren't my photos sharp?"

 If you find your photos aren't looking sharp then it could be a variety of things:

 1. Slow shutter speed: if you're shooting with very little light and your camera is on automatic settings then it could be that your camera is choosing a slower shutter speed to compensate. By slowing down the shutter speed you're at risk for getting blurry photos. A solution is choosing a manual mode  or shutter priority mode and making sure your shutter speed is faster the 1/60th of a second.

 2.  Lens not focusing: in low-light settings cameras have trouble focusing if there's a lack of contrast in the scene your shooting. It could also be your focus settings. Look at your camera's focusing options to pick one that fits your shooting style (facial recognition, center focusing, etc)

3. High ISO:  ISO determines how sensitive your camera's sensor is to light. If your camera is automatically choosing a high ISO due to poor light you will notice that your photos have "digital noise". This can be solved by keeping your ISO at the lowest setting you can, 200 usually being the best choice.

"Do you take passport photos?"

 Yes. bring your specs. $20.

here's mine!

Sometimes it's hard to find ways to use and display all the photos that I've accumulated over the years. I don't want walls covered in hundreds of prints of flowers, sunsets and balloons. I want my home to look nice- but I also need to stick to a budget. My solution is to combine two things that I love- photographs and crafting!

Sometimes I scope the 'net for ideas- there are tons of blogs out there dedicated to crafts, repurposing and all things handmade. Most of the time the projects aren't for me- but sometimes I find a gem.

I can't remember the blog I got this idea from (feel free to leave a comment and link, if you know), but I love it. It's can be simple or intricate. Use Photoshop, or get the kids to mark up a print on a rainy day. It's up to you.

All you need is:

1 empty frame with glass

1 photo to fit the frame

1 dry erase marker

Simply make columns on your photo for days and meals. Make sure to leave space to write what you plan to have! Now simply pop it into your frame, and hang it on a wall in the kitchen. You can write on the glass with a dry erase marker without worry- it wont stain! Wipe off with a cloth, or with a little eraser that you can buy specifically for those markers. It's a pretty addition to any kitchen, and it's helpful too!

Have you got any project idea's that you'd like to share with us?

This can be the best or the worst day of the year, ohhh what to do.. Ohh what to get. You just want to do that perfect thing for the one you love, and with valentines just around the corner there's nothing that says I love you then a gift from the heart. Here are a few ideas and suggestions that might help.

1. Breakfast in bed is a great way to start the day, who wouldn't like that?

2. Give that special loved one a present with a personal touch: Write a poem, little love notes or even those candy hearts with the messages on them and put them in his/her pocket or somewhere they will find them throughout the day. What a nice surprise.

3. Send a video or text message throughout the day.

4. When the day is over, end it with a special dinner at a resturant or just stay in.

But if you are looking for gift ideas just visit our web site at atlanticphotosupply.com, or just walk on into the store- we have lots of ideas that you just might not of even thought of.

• Personalized mugs, mousepads, mini pocket albums etc...
• Camera equipment & accessories.
• Variety of frames and albums.
• Get you favorite picture of the one you love on a canvas or maybe get one of the both of you mounted and laminated to put in a nice frame.

What is your favorite valentines day memory?

So have a happy valentines day and enjoy...

One afternoon, one of my co workers directed me to some photography from the early 1900's, known as "The Invisible Mothers"

During this time period, many families wanted portraits of their children. Memories of their innocence that they could hold onto. The only problem was that many children were afraid of the photographers. The solution to this, was to include the mother in the photograph, by covering her as a prop. A blanket, a rug, even a curtain, would be thrown around the mother, and then the children would sit on her lap or gather around her for their photograph. In some of the pictures, it was very hard to tell, because they would crop right in on the children. However in some of the other photo's, it was all too obvious that the family room curtain was wrapped around mother's head.

To see these fascinating portraits, and WARNING, they are addictive! check out this website. (Retronaut) I guarantee once you start looking, you will want to see them all.

I would be interested to know what you think of them. I myself find them interesting, yet very eerie. It makes me wonder, why didn't this "invisible mother" want to be in the picture with her children?

Everyone has their favorite subjects to photograph. For some it's
nature, for others the cityscape. Our favorite photography subject
says a lot about who we are as a person, what peaks our interest and
what grabs our attention. Even diverse photographers will often have a
consistent theme to their work throughout changing subject matter.
When I look though my photographs over the past few years, I am struck
by the amount of photos I have of my two favorite subjects: my two
dogs! I am constantly trying to capture their lovely little
personalities in my photographs. For every nice picture I have of
them, I have ten that didn't work because they looked away or stopped
doing the things they were doing as soon as I approached them with a
camera. I've found a few tricks that helps me with my guys; here are a
few:

1. Try to take the photograph from your pet's point of view; instead
of standing and angling your camera down at your pets, try and get on
your hands and knees or even your belly.
2. Take photographs using natural light. Their fur stays truer to
their natural coloring, and you don't have to use a flash, which can
upset some pets (My doggies don't like it).
3. Stay positive and upbeat, give lots of praise and pets. If your pet
is getting bored or frustrated give them a break; it's hard to capture
their personality when they are not in a good mood.
4. When possible, remove collars and leashes to get a pic of your pet
au naturel. This ONLY applies when you are in a securely fenced area
and there is no chance of your pet getting loose. It is not worth the
risk to your pet's well being to do so otherwise.

When I look as my photos of my dogs through the years, I can see the
passage of time. I can see my little guy passing through his puppy
stage, his scruffy  adolescence with freakishly large paws and no
grace to speak of. I see my little girl in all the silly sweaters and
costumes I've made her wear. I see my house become a home, and us
become a family.

The few good shots I have of snow seem to be from film.

For one, I'm bad at photographing snow. I could probably remedy that with practice and a search online for tips, but then the second reason comes barreling out at me- winter makes me lazy. Unless you are super human, you probably get that feeling too. Short days, long nights, cold, slush... It's the perfect mix to make me wish I could hibernate for most of the winter months.

I can't just waste the winter, though, as tempting as it sometimes seems. Instead I try my best to find a little inspiration where I can. A google search sometimes helps, and this time I found something to share with all of you; a website called sh1ft.org

If you are tired of the same old photo project, then you might find something new here. They've got project ideas such as "a day in the life", "26 things" and "quick snap". All the ideas are great, and as a bonus, people share links to their blog, flickr etc. Sharing our progress makes it easier to obtain our goals! Plus, it's fun to see the different things other people come up with.

Do you think you'll be participating in any of these? Or do you have a project of your own that you're working on? Drop us a comment with a link, photo, or suggestion, we'd love to see what everyone is up to!