CCTV – What Are The Advantages? How Do I Decide, What I Need?Written by Jimmie Newell
Closed circuit TV systems have been available for many years, they have also undergone some almost miraculous transformations in recent years. What used to be very expensive, cumbersome and hard to configure systems are now very reasonable, easy to configure , and easy to maintain, and they provide much more versatility and usefulness than just a few years ago.When choosing system components first decision you need to make is what are you using it for. The primary uses for CCTV systems are surveillance, traffic control, theft, shoplifting, employee theft, and/or robbery deterrence, and identification. Surveillance and traffic control probably do not require color cameras, black & white may actually provide better resolution. However theft, shoplifting and/or robbery deterrence and identification may require color cameras, if there is an arrest and prosecution a court will require color to make positive identification, on a black & white recording a red sweatshirt would appear to be gray. Next you need to decide what exactly do you want to see, how far away is it, what are lighting conditions, is it indoor or outdoor, how wide a viewing angle is desired? The answers to these questions will help you choose correct kind of camera and lens combination, correct mounting or enclosure, even what kind of cabling needs to be provided.Deciding how you will view, record and store information is next on list. The choices for viewing include a central monitoring point, multiple monitors, single monitors that can show multiple images, on your computer via Internet, how about on a special cell phone from anywhere in world. Recording and storing information can range from a time lapse recorder, your computer, or a DVR recorder. If you use a time lapse recorder, you need to be aware of limitations on what is recorded and when, and you may need more equipment, such as a switcher and/or multiplexer. Storage of video tapes can also be a challenge. With a DVR recorder, all you need to decide is how long to you want to save events at one time, longer time frame you want to save, bigger hard drive you need. Events or time periods that need to be saved can be downloaded to a computer, or burned to a CD, very economical and easy to manage. A DVR, unlike time lapse recorder will record continuously from all camera's, they also incorporate switcher and multiplexer functions into one unit. A few years ago DVR recorders were very expensive, today they are very reasonable, and will continue to go down in cost and provide more advanced features.
| | Portrait PhotographyWritten by Roy Barker
The market opportunities for Portrait photography are now so enormous, that they include every dwelling where you live. Everyone wants his or her photograph taken for some reason, or other. Not only can you target every building, but also it is a type of business where repeat business potential is also enormous. Parents now repeat opportunities for formal portraits; add to that is that they have more than one child, possibilities for repeat business is also enormous.It is a business that you can start very easily from home; it means that you are not working in outdoor inclement weather conditions. The equipment you need is comparatively modest. A camera, good lenses, a tripod, two or three lights and several pieces of cloth that will make various backdrops. Not only is equipment modest it is also light if you have to transfer it to an event outside your home. The most important rule to remember is that it is a portrait, not necessarily of just head, but person, or group is focal part of picture, so it is important to take photograph without any extraneous clutter. Because you will always be dealing with people you have to maintain control, not as a tyrant, but you have to guide your subjects. Therefore a certain degree of self-confidence is necessary. If you are taking a formal portrait of a group of children it is necessary for you as photographer to ensure that none of children are making faces. When you have signed up a person for a photographic portrait take a few extra shots, and offer them as wallet or purse photographs at a smaller fee. You already have start business capitalise on it, few people can resist feeling that they have got “something for nothing”. This may seem a waste of time; they can be important additives for your portfolio. Portrait photography has undergone many changes of style since introduction of formal portrait. The modern emphasis is to bring out each individual’s personality. Top glamour models are paid enormous fees to express a distinctive personality, but to bring that aspect forward in your subject is as much about people skills as camera techniques. It is imperative to be able to create a rapport with your subject to bring out expressions that display their personality. Anyone over age of two can pose for camera, with a vacuous expression, but secret of saleable portrait photography is capturing more than pose. To be a really good portrait photographer you have to be able to connect with people, if you have not got these skills, then it is better that you concentrate on some other types of photography
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