You may have heard of HDR images before but what exactly are they and what purpose do they serve? Well let's start with what it stands for - High Dynamic Range. Basically this is a technique that allows for a far greater dynamic range of exposures (i.e. a large range of values between light and dark areas) than normal digital imaging techniques. The intention of HDR is to accurately represent the wide range of intensity levels found in real scenes ranging from direct sunlight to the deepest shadows. This effect is made by blending a minimum of 3 differently exposed images together to create th

We found a useful independent website called Photoshop Tutorials which has a range of resources available if you are looking to improve your post processing technique. They have interesting tutorials on working with Photoshop to improve your pictures and create special effects for backgrounds, as well as showing how to create those professional looking shots that the real pros seem to make. There is also a section on Photography skills which provides handy ideas for generating great photography before you throw it into Photoshop. In fact there is a whole wealth of information for the photograp

UV FiltersMany photographers always use a UV Filter on their cameras, wherever they go. The reason being that not only do they absorb ultraviolet rays from the sun, give cleaner, sharper pictures with less haze, but it also protects the lens from dust, moisture, scratches, and breakage. UV filters can be bought from shops such as Jessops for as little as £12.99. Well worth the cost considering without one to protect your lens you could end up paying hundreds of pounds for a brand new lens if you scratch it!

Shoot in RAW One of the best things I have come across to help perfect your photos is to shoot in the RAW format rather than JPG. Some photographers would disagree and say you should get the shot right first time in camera without post processing on the computer, but I disagree. With RAW you can either make minor adjustments to make it perfect or drastic changes to give your image a different 'feel'. Most of the pictures on fotoviva are taken in RAW mode. If you have a point and click camera, chances are you won't have the RAW option, but if you have a DSLR or bridge camera you should find it