Are you a travel photographer? Looking for a photo opportunity? Then take a holiday in Thailand (”The Land of Smiles”) - your camera will be in your mitts the entire time! Why is that? Because Thailand is bustling with life. Markets are set up in moments, a mobile “kitchen” drives by connected to a motorcycle; then a large elephant happens to pass by you (you can even be in an urban location like Bangkok and observe elephants plodding the roads). There are unlimited opportunities to take pictures in Thailand.

Thailand is a “what you see is what you get” type of country - full of genial people, hazardous drivers, markets on every street corner, and dogs all over the place. Nonetheless, guesthouses give you 4 star service at 1 star prices. As a matter of fact, no matter where you are, expect a friendly and professional service.

So who’s been there already? You want to see such photos from Thailand? Then visit thailandimpression.com. Our website boasts photographs from various types of settings in Thailand : from countryside photos, to sunset photos, photos in Bangkok and other urban photos, as well as more traditional photos such as ones of temples. On this website we show you our impression of Thailand, not only via the lens of a camera, but in manipulation of the resulting photograph via photographic software - to twist the reality into sometimes subtle, sometimes radical new views of what the camera found. We hope our site can give you some inspiration to take the plunge and journey over to Thailand with your camera as witness to your own experiences. Even if for some mystifying reason you felt you’d exhausted all the possibilities “The Land of Smiles” has to offer you, there are the neighboring countries of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia to observe too!

It’s hard to find sometimes but it’s making a resurgence, black and white film. If you’ve never used this film now is the time to try it out. Here are some tips to using b&w film and what you can expect from the results.

1. Forget color. This is the hardest thing to do and the number one reason that you will not get good results with b&w film.

2. Look for contrast. Once you can ignore color look for contrast. You will want your image to have a bit more contrast than you would normally want in a color image.

3. Consider shooting situations that are more formal. Black and white film gives such a wonderful timelessness to an image and it’s perfect for formal situations.

4. Keep your photos simple. Black and white film simplifies so don’t fight it. Keep the images simple by keeping close to your subject or place your subject against a simple back drop.

5. Babies and pets look great on b&w film. Place the pet or baby on a white background and you’ll be stunned at the beautiful results.

Black and white film creates a timeless simple look. It’s wonderful for portraits and formal events. After shooting a few rolls of b&w you’ll notice that you start to pay attention to composition of your image more, since you don’t have to worry about color. If you’re just learned photography try using b&w film for awhile it will help you teach yourself good composition. Think of light and dark, black and white, and good composition and you’ll find that b&w film could be a whole new hobby for you.

Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal
Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. Recently she started her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

Have you ever wondered what use is a lens cap? It is often made of plastic, it is fiddly to use and often gets lost. Yet the humble cap should be seen as an essential part of your armamentarium. Here’s 10 reasons why:

1. It protects your lens from scratches - remember the golden rule, if anything can scratch your lens it will

2. It protects your lens from accidental knocks - a camera round the neck is always prone to the odd knock or two

3. It protects your lens from dirt - your lens is not excluded from the effects of daily muck and grime

4. It protects your lens from sticky fingers - yours, children’s and anyone else that wants to admire your equipment

5. It protects your lens from water - rain water, splashes

6. It is cheap - great value for money!

7. It is lightweight and easily portable - you won’t notice you’ve got it, unlike your tripod

8. It fits easily in your pocket when not needed - unobtrusive when not in use

9. It is easy to attach and remove - push on, pull off

10. It shows you care about your equipment and your photography - always protect your equipment

Can you afford not to use one?

Eric Hartwell is an experienced photographer and owner of the photography resource website ephotocentral.