In May we had the privilege of hosting a photo printing event alongside our friends at Kodak. We invited a variety of Mommy Bloggers from across the GTA and one Daddy Blogger. We invited bloggers that we felt had a good following and could really help us to promote our brand. To try and get invited to events like this, why not consider starting a blog by following the advice of sitebeginner.com or others? Starting a blog improves your chances of being invited to these sorts of events in the future. You may find this video helpful to get you started! However, before doing all this, it would be prudent for you to learn the basics of blogging. For that, you might need to know about some technical stuff like backend and web hosting. If you are creating your blog on WordPress, this process of learning might seem easier (as compared to other platforms). For example, if want to gather information on the subject of WordPress hosting providers, then you can search for 16 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers: Compared online and get a detailed analysis easily.
Furthermore, the sort of event you might get invited to will depend on the content of your blog. For this certain event, we invited a variety of parent bloggers to show them just how easy it is to send photos wirelessly from your phone to get great quality prints that you can touch, within a matter of minutes!
The bloggers were shown samples and ideas of what is possible with the kiosk and other DIY ideas that can be done at home with the images they have printed. All who attended were impressed and enjoyed how easily the kiosk worked and how well the results turned out.
After the event the bloggers were all given a swag bag, which included an Apexel Universal Clip 4 IN 1 Lens to help with their creativity and quality of images in order to make the most of the photos they do capture with their smartphone. This lens offers a wide angle to capture better landscape imagery, a macro lens for better more close up photos, as well as a zoom lens to capture images at a distance. This lens is not only useful for group photos and portraits but also any other type of photography you may do with your phone.
Henry’s also had a few useful tips for the bloggers to help them get the most out of the tools they have with them on a daily basis.
- Hold Steady
When light levels drop, it takes longer for your phone’s lens and sensor to capture enough light to create the image. Reduce camera shake by using a two-handed grip to hold your phone like a camera, and pull your elbows in close to your body. You can also use a flat surface like a table to keep your phone still, or better yet use a small folding tripod to keep your phone still when it counts.
- Light it Up
You’re probably using your flash at the wrong time. In dark situations, your flash will overexpose the foreground and cause ugly shadows and reflections where you don’t want them. When it’s dark, you should actually turn the flash off and follow our first tip to let ambient light in. However, there is a time when you should be using your flash: when it’s very bright. That might seem counter-intuitive, but on bright, sunny days your phone’s flash will do a good job of filling in shadows and balancing the scene. It sounds crazy, but it works!
- Change your Perspective
Get out of the habit of shooting from your chest level, and start shooting from above or below your subject. From these new angles you can do a better job of eliminating distracting backgrounds, and the fresh perspective will help your images stand out from everything else on your Instagram feed. Next time you feel like photographing your dinner, do it from directly above the table and notice how the patterns and textures suddenly take centre stage. If you’re shooting kids or pets, get down to their level and shoot the world from their perspective and you’ll be amazed at how much more interesting your photos become.
- Zoom with your feet
Ditch the digital zoom, it will degrade your image quality and turn your pictures into a pixelated mess. Instead, try to get physically closer to your subjects. It’s good exercise, and your pictures will be a lot clearer and sharper because of it.
- Upgrade your Camera App
Your phone came with a camera app that gets the job done, but there are dozens of alternatives that can add loads of new features. One of our favourites is Camera Awesome (iOS and Android), which lets you separate the focus and exposure controls into two separate targets. This neat trick makes it easy to overcome most lighting and focus problems quickly and easily, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
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Henry’s has long been known in the Canadian photographic industry as the source for the best and newest products, informed Imaging Experts, award-winning customer service and competitive pricing. Henry’s, competitive pricing since 1909 and has evolved into Canada’s largest independent photographic and digital retailer.
