If you are a fan of landscapes, and would love to be able to capture some of the incredible ones that Australia has to offer, then Kirk’s Cameras can help you out! We love to take images of any landscapes, from moutains to oceans to sunsets - and we have some of the best tips for shooting your ideal landscape perfectly.

Research
It is crucial that you are aware of what you are shooting, as every location has different specifications. Ensure that you do your research on the area - where the best spots are, what the weather conditions are typically like and what time of the day will suit the image. It is great to be informed, as this will make you feel at ease and comfortable during your shooting. Generally, it is best to avoid shooting images around mid-day, as the lighting can be too harsh.

Tripod
Always ensure that you pack a tripod if you plan on shooting a landscape. Tripods are great for any photographer of any skill level, are simple to come by and can range to suit any budget.
Even if the day is bright, you may need to use a small aperture to achieve a great depth of field. In this case, you may be using a low shutter speed – which leads to camera shake if you are not able to hold the camera steady in your hands. This is why a Tripod can be a fantastic buddy to take along with you!

Filters
Filters are important when shooting strong landscape photos. There are different types of filters that are commonly used for capturing a landscape – polarizers and neutral density filter. Polarizers are useful in reducing glare from reflective surfaces, such as water. Neutral density filters will stop a specified amount of light entering the camera.

Lenses
When shooting a landscape image, it is generally best to make use of a wide-angle lens, as it will capture as much of the scene as possible in one frame. Of course, it is always wise to pack any other favourite lenses you may have, as they can produce unusual effects and also provide high quality, great landscape photos.

Composition
Just because a beautiful image is sitting right infront of you does not mean that you can disregard the composition rules! Ensure that you have certain subjects in the foreground, mid-ground and background, as this will definately assist with the end result of the image.

The friendly team at Kirk’s Cameras can provide you with everything that you will need on your journey to capture some beautiful landscapes - so come on in or give us a call today!

We all know the amount of times that a link on the Internet captures our eye; screaming an incredibly low price for that certain camera you’ve been searching for. These ‘exciting’ finds can, quite often, be ‘Grey Imports’. A Grey Import is an item that is sold and purchased via an unauthorised camera reseller. Grey Import or Grey Market items are typically sold on the Internet, where they cannot be easily viewed and inspected.

Grey Market merchandise is imported and sold via methods that are not standard in the given industry. Typically in the camera industry, a manufacturer works alongside an importer who sells the product to distributors a specific, local region. These distributors go on to sell the authorised goods. Grey Market items are not certified and cannot be supported by the authorised importer or manufacturer.

Selling and purchasing goods via the Internet and over international borders is becoming a  highly popular way to shop. Grey Imports are most common in the photographic and electronic markets, where - via the Internet - they cannot be inspected. It is crucial that you know exactly what you are purchasing, and if this item will comply with Australian standards. Here are a few problems you will discover when buying a Grey Import:

• Functionality - The camera does not function efficiently, or sometimes does not function at all.
• Features - Often the camera does not have the key features or abilities that it should ideally have.
• Damage - With bad storage and shipping, these cameras can often be damaged.
• Technical Support - These cameras generally will have no technical support available.
• Australian Standards - Grey Imports will not comply with Australian Standards.
• Warranty - Often the warranty is only valid in the country of issue.
• Manual - Photocopied manuals are often supplied, in languages other than English.
• Software - Any downloadable software available on the Internet will not be compatible with the camera.

Noise can be frustrating when it appears in your photos, especially when you don’t want it there! Whilst it can be a great way to achieve a funky, modern effect, it does take away from the sharpness and clarity of your photo. Increasing the ISO allows you to capture sharp pictures in low light situations by increasing the camera’s sensitivity, but it can also add unwanted digital noise to your picture. So, what are some ways of correcting noise and emilinating it from your photos?

To begin, it is important to know exactly what noise is and what to be looking out for. Dots, speckles and smudges of random color are generally what makes up digital noise on your photograph. It is most visible in places such as within skin tone or on a backdrop, where the tone should be even but becomes unstable. Digital noise can have a ‘grainy’ appearance; and this can often be appealing when attempting to achieve a unique style.

There are two great ways to eliminate digital noise - via your digital camera and on your computer. In order to reduce noise on your camera, use higher ISO values only when you require it - so the lower your ISO level, the less noise will appear in your photos. Many modern digital cameras have a noise-reduction mode and if so, ensure that it is switched on. Get to know your camera, what it likes to take and in what conditions.

To further eliminate noise, the next step can only be performed on your computer - so it’s time to get computer savvy! Transfer your photos to your computer and select your favourite image editor program. If you do not have one on your computer, have a look online and download a basic model. Programs such as PhotoShop and Paint Shop Pro often will have a noise-reduction filter that you can use to get rid of noise. Make sure you gain a good knowledge of the program that you are using, and understand how to use it effectively.

By this point, your images should have a very low level of noise apparent, if any!

There is nothing more frustrating when you find that perfect shot, take a snap and the discover seconds later that it was a blurry mess. Blurred images can be caused by a number of reasons, such as a shaky hand, slow shutter speeds and your camera focusing incorrectly. So, how can blurry images be prevented on my digital camera?

Steady Hands
Even when shooting in a clear situation with great lighting, you may move the camera slightly without realizing it.  To help reduce blurred images, hold the camera as steady as possible and take extreme caer when lining up the shot via the LCD screen. If you are using a viewfinder to capture your shots, steady the camera against your face.
Digital cameras can be prone to camera shake when taking hand-held shots and zooming in on a subject - so it isn’t always your unsteady hand! To help prevent blur, shutter speed should be set at a faster rate than the focal length.

Focus
Most modern digital cameras will indicate when they achieve correct focus, generally on screen or via a small sound. In order to gain the best focus possible, aim the camera at the object that you are attempting to capture and press the shutter-release button to the halfway mark. You will feel a slight click at this halfway point and the camera should focus well. This is the point in which you are able to press the shutter-release button fully and take your picture.
In some circumstances, particularly in low lighting, a digital camera may have some trouble focusing. Auto focus modes on your digital camera will work best when there is contrasting colour or light between a subject and the background.

Slow Shutter Speed
If lighting is particularly low, wide apertures and slow shutter speeds will automatically selected by the digital camera. Most people are unable to achieve taking sharp shots that are hand-held when the shutter speed is below 1/60th of a second.  Be sure to increase lighting within the room, heighten the ISO setting or use a tripod.

Fast Shutter Speed
Attempt to freeze the image by using a faster shutter speed. Using a faster shutter speed will ‘freeze’ the image momentarily, and give you a sharper shot. If you do not have the option of altering the shutter speed, select a Sports or Outdoors mode, as these are developed to also freeze the frame.

The Pentax K7 has many exciting and new adaptions for any passionate photographer. Let’s take a look at some of the changes and technical specifications of this exciting new digital camera…

Battery and Battery Life: The Pentax K7 comes with a brand new battery and charger. The brand new 7.2v 1,860mAh lithium-ion battery is reliable, rating at 980 image per each charge using the corded D-BC90.

Dust Removal: The Pentax K7 now includes a brand new DR II dust removal system. The K7 now includes a an element which vibrates the low-pass filter, removing dust from the filter. The dust alert system can check for the presence of dust on the low-pass filter, at the press of a button!

White balance: The K7 offers a wide range of new white balance settings, in both Automatic and Manual modes, and there more than ten white balance pre-settings. Colour Temperature Enhancement is used to retain and enhance the lighting tone - for example, enhancing a beautiful sun rise.

LCD: The Pentax K7’s exterior design includes a 3.0 inch LCD display with a huge 921,000 dots of resolution. The screen offers a view of wide 170 degree horizontal and vertical angles, and the screen does not reflect. 

Viewfinder: The optical viewfinder on the Pentax K7, which offers a 100% field of view and 0.92x magnification, has four interchangeable focusing screens. The viewfinder has now been made user-friendly to those photographers wearing glasses.

Flash: The Pentax K7 a brand new built-in popup flash. The K7’s inbuilt flash offers 28mm coverage and red-eye removal capabilities. The K7’s flash offers many opportunities for any avid photographer.

These are just several of the Pentax K7’s capabilites - the specifications can double and even triple from the list you see here! The team at Kirk’s Cameras would love for you to come down and visit, and give you a few more new details of the Pentax K7!

Kirks Cameras Melbourne now also offers an online resources section for all you camera enthusiasts.