ThePhotoArtBlog

Still Time to Order Traditional Portraits for Christmas

Dharini Mistry — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:01:11 +0000

Capture your favorite people and moments in a wonderful traditional portrait. Based on your photos, Phototownship artists create original, handmade works of art in watercolor, acrylic, oil, or charcoal.

It takes 4-20 days to finish these very personal pieces so order now to receive by Christmas.

Start by simply selecting one of the pieces below or going to Phototownship to browse all of our artists’ work.

Customized Splashed Colors Portrait

in Acrylic and Oil Painting on Canvas

Photo Effect & Photo Gift Idea by: iamgabz

Watercolor Portrait

Photo Effect & Photo Gift Idea by: bryanodaly

Handpainted Portraits- A3

Photo Effect & Photo Gift Idea by: dawnydawn

Sample Portrait 1

Photo Effect & Photo Gift Idea by: waltersimon

Customized Charcoal Portrait – Family

Photo Effect & Photo Gift Idea by: Rjrey

Halloween Photo Tip #3 – Document the Ghoulish Transformation

Annie Varanese — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:27:24 +0000

Have a wild costume? Document the transformation through makeup, costume, etc. as you or your child are getting ready. Keep the background simple so it doesn’t distract from your subject. Maintain the same position in each photo for a fun slide show effect. This will be easier to do if you place the camera on a tripod. Tripods are also great if you are taking photos of yourself. As usual, always shoot from your child’s height, not yours.

What are your favorite Halloween photo ideas? Please share in the comments.

And remember to transform your photos from good to wow by having snapshots professionally retouched at FixMyPhotos.com. Or transform your photos into personalised art by selecting any number of artists’ styles at PhotoTownship.com. (Both are sister sites to ThePhotoArtBlog.)

Photo by: Jeri Gloege

Halloween Photo Tip #2 – Shoot Your Subjects Up Close

Annie Varanese — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:15:40 +0000

Once it is after dusk, you will need your flash. The best flash photos are those taken close enough to allow the flash to light everything in the frame. Filling the frame with your subject will also help you to avoid getting distracting stuff in the background of your picture. Don’t worry about photographing your little devil from head-to-toe, and always shoot from her height or lower. If you’re snapping pics of people in masks, take a second photo without the masks so you can identify everyone later on.

What are your favorite Halloween photo ideas? Please share in the comments.

And remember to transform your photos from good to wow by having snapshots professionally retouched at FixMyPhotos.com. Or transform your photos into personalised art by selecting any number of artists’ styles at PhotoTownship.com. (Both are sister sites to ThePhotoArtBlog.)

Photo by: jepoycamboy

Halloween Photo Tip #1 – Set the Right Mood with the Right Lighting

Annie Varanese — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:50:30 +0000

To capture the eerie mood of Halloween in your photos, you need to get the lighting just right. One way to do this is to take your Halloween photos at dusk. There is just enough natural light to capture the glow of the jack-o-lanterns and the bright colors of the costumes. Turn off your flash and use a tripod if possible. Carved pumpkins can also add to the ominous tone. For the best lighting effects, carve big openings and place several lights inside the pumpkins. Once lit, the pumpkins can be used as props – with people holding them close to their faces or against the sky at dusk.

What are your favorite Halloween photo ideas? Please share in the comments.

And remember to transform your photos from good to wow by having snapshots professionally retouched at FixMyPhotos.com. Or transform your photos into personalised art by selecting any number of artists’ styles at PhotoTownship.com. (Both are sister sites to ThePhotoArtBlog.)

Photo by: Jim Crotty

How To Find the Cool Local Places to Shoot Memorable Travel Photos

Annie Varanese — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:39:44 +0000

Everyone has taken photos of the real touristy places in a city, those places that you can’t avoid even if you tried. But how do you find those cool, off the beaten track places to photograph? Those places where the locals hang out?

There is a new site that just launched in beta called PartywithaLocal.com. Party with a Local was created to bring locals and travelers together for more rewarding travel experiences. The site makes it easy to find and meet locals (or travelers) to hang out with. And you can ask your local guides to help you find the cool places to photograph (and party, of course)

5 Ideas for Going Away to College Gifts from PhotoTownship.com

Annie Varanese — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:28:17 +0000

Are you looking for some fun and unique gifts for the college student in your life? Move in day for college dorms are already here and time is ticking. Care packages full of snacks and useful items are always welcome but wouldn’t you like to give something more personal? Our sister site, Phototownship, has hundreds of Artists selling unique art and craft based on your favorite photos. Here are our top five Going Away to College Gifts:

Personalized Photo Soap ($5.50 USD)

Photo Product and Gift by: soapsanitonalcreation

This personalized soap is great for the budding environmentalist, or as more personal addition to the traditional care package. Simply upload a photo and message, and it will be placed into an 5.5 ounce oval-top rectangle soap bar. All bars are eco-friendly and made from a 100% vegetable base.

Completely Customizable Digital Cartoon ($10.00 USD)

Photo Gift by: lollyxbeans

This is simply the funnest gift because it’s completely customizable and up to you. For just $10.00 (plus $5.00 for each additional subject), lollyxbeans will create a digital picture or portrait of whatever you’d like; whether it’s the recipient’s favorite character, family, best friend, or herself as a cartoon. We recommend having the digital cartoon printed on Tshirt for an extra $19.99 dollars.

Theme Card with Portrait ($30 USD)

Photo Gift by: thefabian

This gift does double duty. It is a superb greeting card, but also nice enough to be tacked to the dorm room wall as a special reminder of home all year round. You can even add text and collage details that reflect the student’s personality, likes, hobbies, goals, etc.. The final artwork comes in a digital file so you can print it yourself as a card or as any other format/size you want.

Digital Pet Portrait ($30 USD)

Photo Gift by: sketchi

The perfect gift for the animal lover. Sketchi will hand-draw your pet and capture their personality as well as their likeness. You just provide a clear picture of your pet, and you’re set to go. If you would like a more exaggerated, fun version of your pet, be sure to mention it in your order. Sketchi can draw any animal, no matter how obscure. We recommend having the pet portrait printed on canvas for an extra $35 dollars.

Customized Splashed Colors Portrait (Oil & Acrylic $800 USD)

Photo Product and Gift by: iamgabz

Okay, this one is pricey, but we had to include it because we think any college student would love an original oil and acrylic portrait stylized like this. The result is texture-rich and full of beautiful colors and contrast. The work is done in on a 20x20cms gallery wrapped canvas, with colors continuing on the sides of the frame so no staples show and no frame is needed. This is an incredible gift that will last a lifetime.

Graphic Designers Needed to Support OHMY Charity

Annie Varanese — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:39:39 +0000

PhotoTownship and ThePhotoArtBlog are helping charity OHMY Shirts spread the word about their graphic design contests to support crucial situations around the world. OHMY hosts on-going T-shirt design contests for specific causes that need attention and funds, such as providing disaster relief to Japan. If your design is chosen, it will be printed and sold through the site with 100% of net proceeds directly donated to the designated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that implements the relief. The winning designer will receive a free T-shirt and be featured on the OHMY site.

The on-going design contest works like this: for every 10 qualified submissions OHMY receives, 1 winning design will be chosen to be printed. The runner-up will be automatically entered into the next round where another winner will be chosen once the next 9 submissions are received. Winners will be notified via email.

To enter, you can submit your design @ http://www.ohmyshirts.org/design or email it directly to submit@ohmyshirts.org.

For more information about the OHMY organization, please see their website or check out their Facebook page.

How to Price Your Art

Annie Varanese — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:58:24 +0000

It is always difficult for artists to price their work, especially if they are just starting to try to sell their art on websites like PhotoTownship, FineArtAmerica, and RedBubble. A basic rule to remember is you can always raise your prices, but lowering them can deter buyers.

So start low with the intention of allowing prices to rise. Lower priced works of art sell faster and in greater quantities than higher priced items. If you find your art is selling like mad at the lower price point and you do not have the time to meet the demand, you can always raise your prices.

Keeping this in mind, there is some basic math you can do to calculate your prices. First identify the following costs:

Materials. Cost of all materials you use in creating your art piece.
Hourly Rate. Estimate the average number of hours you work on an item and multiply that times a realistic hourly rate.
Studio Costs. Estimated cost for your studio, water, electricity, etc for the time you created the artwork (if you have any at all).

Add these costs up and you have the price of an individual piece of art.

Generally, you will find that prices are based mainly on medium. A painting is more expensive than a drawing, which is more expensive than digital art. Another factor will be your how experience and reputation. A beginner artist will have a low hourly rate. As you sell more art and gain positive feedback on the sites, the demand and price for your artwork should naturally increase.

Your Favorite photos into Custom Wooden Art by Dave Danchuk

Dharini Mistry — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:30:56 +0000

Dave Danchuk is a Canadian scrollsaw artist who creates large colorful artwork by cutting a large piece of MDF or plywood into hundreds of small pieces using his scrollsaw. The pieces are then hand painted using acrylic paints. After that, the pieces are all glued on to a backing board.

You may visit http://phototownship.com/amazedcreations to get you favorite photos turn into custom made wooden art by Dave Danchuk.

You may also visit his website for some more works - http://amazedcreations.com/

Simone (video – making of the scrolled saw)

Simone

Heads Up

Dimebag Tribute Progression – video

Dimebag

Arlana & Garett

Easter Photo Tip #3 – Take a Family or Child’s Portrait

Sahdev Thakur — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:20:20 +0000

Easter is a great alternative to Christmas for the annual portrait. Take a photo when your family dresses up for church (if you do). Or just ask the kids to clean up and change into some bright clothes.

– Shoot outside at a spring-like location. Avoid the direct sun by choosing a shaded spot to reduce harsh shadows.

- Use your camera’s flash (even outdoors). It will make your family or child pop from the background and add a sparkle to their eyes.

- Shoot from your subjects’ eye level. And capture their candid expressions.

- Add some Easter props, such as bunnies, chicks, flowers, dyed eggs, etc.

What are your favorite Easter photo ideas? Please share in the comments.
And remember to transform your photos from good to wow by having snapshots professionally retouched at FixMyPhotos.com. Or transform your photos into personalized art by selecting any number of artists’ styles at PhotoTownship.com. (Both are sister sites to ThePhotoArtBlog.)

Photo by: Big D2112