photography

5 Ways to Make Money From Mother's Day

Ashley Eneriz — Tue, 01 May 2018 08:00:17 +0000

The average American spends around $172 to make Mom feel special every Mother's Day. If you have ever purchased a bouquet of flowers or box of chocolates, you've seen firsthand how costly it can be to shower Mom with gifts.

Turn the tables this year by earning money rather than spending it. Here are some unique ways you can cash in on Mother's Day. (See also: 14 Best Side Jobs For Fast Cash)

1. Host photo sessions

One year, a photographer friend of mine announced she was throwing mini Mother's Day photo sessions for $65. The session included 30 minutes of shooting with cute props in her backyard and a disc of five to seven edited shots on a CD a week later. She allowed families to sign up for one of 10 slots the weekend before Mother's Day.

As a customer, I was thrilled to get some affordable, wonderful shots without the hassle of planning a Pinterest-worthy photo shoot. As the photographer, she was able to generate $650 for about 10–15 hours of work. If you are a talented photographer, have great editing skills, and have a nice camera and editing software already on hand, try offering this service.

As a word of warning, if you are not experienced photographing families, especially ones with unpredictable kids and babies, you might not want to jump into this business until you are more practiced.

2. Sell crafted gifts

If you love to make crafts, think of the many ways you can offer your skills for sale for Mother's Day. You can sell general crafts, like scarves, potted succulents in unique designs, or jewelry. You can also offer customized creations that will help individuals give their mothers something extra special for the day. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

If you sew or quilt, offer to turn baby clothes or special family clothes into a beautiful blanket.
If you create jewelry, offer customized jewels to represent birthstones or personalities.
If you paint or draw, do personalized silhouettes or drawings of the family from photographs.
If you enjoy woodwork or painting, create customized signs or wood scroll art.

3. Deliver flower arrangements

Even having a small bouquet of flowers delivered will cost you around $35–$50. If you live near a flower market or have a flourishing garden to choose from, you can make your own floral arrangements and sell them locally.

Try creating one or two arrangements several weeks before Mother's Day to showcase your skills and what you will be selling. This will allow you to take orders and know exactly how much to buy when you purchase florals and containers. Offer handwritten notes to make the arrangement even more special. Add on a small fee for local delivery to cover your time and gas expenses. (See also: 7 Ways to Earn Extra Money With Your Car)

4. Put your baking skills to use

Nothing says love like a plate of homemade cookies or a tasty cake. However, not everyone has the time or desire to be in the kitchen whipping up something for their mama. If you know how to make beautiful cookies or cake pops, or have a secret cake recipe everyone raves over, why not try finding customers for the holiday weekend?

You could also sell your goods at local farmers markets or craft shows. Be sure to brush up on the laws in your state to ensure it is legal to sell food goods from your home.

5. Host a Mother's Day boutique

If you can't think of anything to create or sell, sell other people's goods. Host a Mother's Day boutique or craft show that allows other local vendors to set up tables and sell their goods. You can host the event in your home, backyard, or a low-cost venue such as a church. Vendors should pay a small fee to set up their booths and donate one item to your show's raffle. Next, advertise the boutique through friends, acquaintances, local businesses, and social media. Create an event on Facebook and spread the word.

The goal is to help connect your community to great local vendors and to give vendors the opportunity to sell their goods. Be sure to sell raffle tickets to help cover the costs of running the boutique, as well.

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This article is from Ashley Eneriz of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Turn Your Instagram Account Into a Paying Gig

Camilla Cheung — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:30:10 +0000

When it comes to digital marketing, Instagram is at the top of the heap. With 800 million users as of September 2017, the visually-driven platform is a big moneymaker for brands who are savvy about social media marketing.

So how can you leverage that marketing power to make some money off your own Instagram account? Assuming that you're just a regular individual who has built an engaged following, there are certainly ways to make an extra buck or two, or even support yourself, using your Instagram account. (See also: 5 Social Media Stars Who Earn Way More Than You)

1. Create sponsored posts

If you have a lifestyle or product-driven Instagram account, doing a few sponsored posts can provide a neat little side stream of income. Once your account has amassed a few thousand followers, you can start reaching out to brands (or they'll reach out to you) about doing a paid post. How much you'll be compensated varies greatly depending on the brand, how specialized your niche is, how engaged your followers are, and whether you'll include other services, like writing a blog post or hosting a giveaway.

Be wary of fatiguing your followers with constant sponsored posts, however. The whole reason why Instagram marketing is so popular is because it seems more authentic and engaged with its audience than traditional forms of marketing. Too many sponsored posts could make you look like you're just a brand mouthpiece.

2. Create content

With the growing importance of Instagram marketing, many brands are focusing more of their ad budget on creating content for social media channels, and often they hire freelancers for this rather than employ full-time staff. With this comes a whole new job category, the content creator — someone who is paid to create photos and written content for Instagram posts.

You don't need to have a huge following to sell your services as a content creator, but you do need creative photos and captions. Many brands are finding that it is less expensive to hire a content creator than to hire a professional photography studio — the photos don't need to be as detailed or as formal-looking, and can often be taken with natural light. You can also sell your Instagram photos through services like Snapwire, Foap, and Lobster Media. (See also: Earn Extra Income With Your Smartphone Camera)

For written content, instead of going through a marketing firm, some brands (especially smaller ones) are hiring freelance copywriters instead. What this means is that Instagram users with clever captions and descriptions are able to find work in content creation by using their Instagram accounts as an online portfolio.

3. Turn free products into paid work

Influencers, even small ones with just a few thousand followers, are often inundated with offers of free products in exchange for an Instagram post, a review, or a shoutout. While free products can be fun, they don't pay the bills.

What you can do, however, is turn these offers of free product into paying gigs. For products that I'm interested in, I'll often create an Instagram post using the free products. If the brand reacts favorably, I might email my contact at the brand offering freelance writing or photography services. Quite often, pitching brands for paid work turns into an opportunity to blog for them, create a set of product photos, or for long-term collaboration. (See also: How I Scored Tons of Free Stuff By Building a Small Social Media Audience)

4. Become a brand ambassador

Becoming a brand ambassador can set you up for steady income every month. Brand ambassador programs can vary greatly in compensation, from free products and an affiliate incentive, to monthly paid partnerships. Here, your status as an influencer will play a large role — the more engaged your followers are, the better a package you can negotiate. It's always best to work with a brand you truly believe in, so that you are authentic to your followers when you promote it on a consistent basis.

5. Do brand consulting

Once you have amassed a good number of followers who respect your opinion, some brands recognize that you may have good feedback to give them on how they market their brand. They may be willing to pay for that feedback. I personally know a few bloggers/Instagrammers who have been paid to spend a few hours chatting with a company about their products and how they can improve their brand image. There's also a whole category of Instagram consultants who help small or new accounts and brands polish their social media strategy and their Instagram feed.

6. Earn through affiliate networks

Earning money through an affiliate network means that every time someone makes a purchase based on your influence (by clicking an affiliate link with your unique code attached to it), you gain a commission. Affiliate sales can be a great way for influencers to earn income, but they tend to be more effective if you have a large following or if the product you're marketing is super popular. Nevertheless, affiliate sales can be another way to diversify your income stream, and for some influencers they can be extremely lucrative.

Because personal accounts on Instagram allow only one live URL (the link in your profile bio), and do not allow direct linking through Instagram photos, affiliate marketing on Instagram is different from blogs or other forms of social media. Some influencers have turned to third-party apps like LIKEtoKNOW.it, which send subscribed users an email with links to buy the products when users click "like" on an influencer's photo. You can also send users to your blog or another website where you have your affiliate links available.

7. Adhere to federal requirements

It's important to remember that the Federal Trade Commission notes that all Instagram posts (even the temporary posts on Instagram Stories) should fully disclose if the creator received compensation in any form for the post. This applies to free products as well as to monetary compensation. On Instagram, you can use the hashtags #ad, #sponsored, or an explanation in the caption. If you're going to be making money off your Instagram account, you must be upfront about it with your followers.

You must also be responsible for reporting your income and paying taxes on it, so you will want to factor that into your asking rates. Brands who pay you are reporting their expenses on their end, so you must also report them when you file your income taxes to avoid a potential penalty.

If you've spent time building a following on Instagram, why not make it work for you financially? You might be surprised at how our growing social media use has resulted in a growing industry where you could earn some extra money, or even start an unconventional new career.

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This article is from Camilla Cheung of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Make Money Editing Photos With These Online Tools

Kat Tretina — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 08:30:09 +0000

When you need extra cash, side hustles are an easy solution. However, if you're short on time, committing hours to driving for Uber or delivering packages for Postmates can be difficult. That's why flexible gigs that allow you to work from home — bonus points if it's from your couch — are so important. (See also: Find a Side Gig at These 4 Best Micro-Jobs Sites)

If you have an artistic side and love photography, you can make some serious cash editing photos. And, you can skip spending time on building a website or pitching clients. These three sites and apps connect you directly to clients who need your help. Through these companies, you can work whenever you want — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (See also: 14 Best Side Jobs For Fast Cash)

1. FixThePhoto

FixThePhoto is a service meant for professional photographers. Retouching photos can take up a significant portion of their workload, reducing how much time they can allocate to booking gigs, marketing, or actually shooting. FixThePhoto allows photographers to outsource retouching to free up more time.

FixThePhoto editors work completely remote on a freelance basis. When you become an editor, you can post your services and your own retouching rates. If you have experience doing more complex work, you can set higher rates than someone just starting out. You can work whenever you want and decide how much work you want to take on.

2. Mendr

Mendr was created for both professionals and individuals who want to have their photos professionally retouched on a budget. Mendr connects those people with skilled editors who retouch the images for $2 to $30 per photo, depending on the complexity of the changes.

Unlike many other freelancing platforms, there is no bidding process. On other sites, photo editors often bid on gigs, which causes profits to drop in a race to the bottom. With Mendr, you can claim any of the jobs available and start working right away. With that approach, you know exactly how much you'll get paid and there's no waiting.

If you do great work, you can increase your earning potential, too. Users can request you to work on their photos and pay an extra fee to have you do the edits. You receive 100 percent of the added fee.

You do not have to be a professional editor to work for Mendr, but you will need to pass a skills test. The Mendr app works similarly to other photo editing programs, so a familiarity with Photoshop or similar applications is helpful.

3. Shutterstock

Shutterstock frequently hires freelance photo reviewers to ensure submitted photos meet the company's standards. As a reviewer, you'll check that the photos are the right resolution, do not violate any copyright laws, and that they meet Shutterstock's guidelines in terms of content.

While you won't edit or retouch the photos, you will edit the photo's metadata like captions, titles, and tags so site users can find the pictures.

To be eligible to be a reviewer, you must have experience with photography, either behind the camera or as an editor. You'll need high speed internet and a reliable computer. You can work up to 30 hours a week with Shutterstock, so it can be an excellent source of extra income.

Making money

If you need more cash to pay down debt, boost your savings account, or just to splurge on a vacation, turning your photo editing skills can be a lucrative source of income. You can work when it's convenient for you and decide your own workload. (See also: Earn Extra Income With Your Smartphone Camera)

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This article is from Kat Tretina of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Ways to Make Passive Income Online

Anum Yoon — Wed, 27 Sep 2017 08:30:11 +0000

The internet is responsible for many wonderful things, from letting you shop whenever and wherever you want, to the ability to view unlimited cat videos. And if you're savvy, the internet can also be a great place to develop income-producing assets for yourself.

Income-producing assets are products you create or invest in that earn passive income. In essence, passive income allows you to earn money without having to do additional work after creating the asset. There are several ways you can do this online. (See also: 7 Surprising Ways to Earn Money Online)

1. Sell a course or ebook

Everyone's an expert on something, right? And the world is full of people looking to learn. One income-producing idea is to develop an online course. People will pay to learn what you know about the best travel spots in Europe, how to be a better public speaker, and everything in between. There are multiple online platforms where you can host an e-course (though you will have to pay for most of them), or you can host the course through your own blog or social media channels. (See also: Can You Really Make a Living as an Ebook Writer?)

There are plenty of tutorial, video course, and ebook content creators out there generating a steady monthly income. How you design, develop, and create your course or ebook will be very dependent on what you teach, how you teach, and the best way for your readers to learn. This all requires some legwork upfront, but if you can get the ball rolling, your online book or course can continue generating passive income well into the future. (See also: How I Made $400 in 10 Days by Selling an Online Course I Created)

2. Earn interest on a loan

If you have some cash to spare, you could earn a nice return by investing in peer to peer lending. Peer to peer lending removes financial institutions from the equation. With sites like Prosper or Lending Club, you can put up a sum of money — whether it's a few hundred dollars or a few thousand — to fund a personal or business loan yourself. Just like if they had worked with a bank, borrowers then pay the loan back with interest, which acts as a passive income stream for you. Most sites report lenders see a return of between six and seven percent. Note that each peer to peer lending site will have its own qualifications and terms and conditions, so do some research to find the best option for you. (See also: Everything You Need to Know About Peer-to-Peer Investing With Lending Club)

3. Become an affiliate

Affiliate programs pay you in exchange for sending them customers via your website, blog, or social media channels. The best-known example of a popular affiliate program is Amazon, which pays "Associates" commissions of up to 10 percent.

Here's how it works: Say you run a food blog where you showcase your favorite recipes. People who read your blog are likely interested in all things cooking: cookware, cookbooks, kitchen remodeling — you get the picture. If you include an Amazon affiliate link to a mixer you're using, for example, you'll earn money any time a visitor clicks through from your blog and makes that purchase. (See also: 5 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money Blogging)

If you want to expand your affiliate partnerships beyond Amazon, you can join networks that connect you to companies looking for affiliates — ShareASale can help you do this. Also, if there is a particular company you would like to work with, check out their website. Usually at the very bottom of the page, in the footer bar, you'll find a link to learn about any affiliate program they might offer.

4. Use AdSense

AdSense, an advertising service run by Google, operates in a similar fashion to an affiliate program. To use AdSense, you'll also need to have a content site, YouTube channel, or blog with views. But rather than letting you promote or link to a specific item or brand, AdSense automatically places relevant ads on your site for readers to click through. These ads won't be random; they'll relate in some way to the type of content you normally post. You'll automatically earn money for views and clicks on your ad. The more views you get, the more money you can make. (See also: Can You Really Make Money by Starting a Blog?)

5. Sell your photos

Do you have a good eye for photography? Are friends and family always commenting how much they'd love one of your photos hanging on their wall? Take the hint! Build a portfolio storefront with sites like SmugMug or Zenfolio where fans of your photography can purchase prints. Many gallery sites do require paying for a monthly "plan" and may take a small commission, but their bottom tier packages are often fairly affordable at a few bucks per month. Many also have plugins that allow you to process print orders with high-quality photo labs and drop-ship directly to your customers. (See also: Earn Extra Income With Your Smartphone Camera)

You could also sell your own photography to be used as stock photos. While there are many big-name stock photo agencies out there, such as Getty Images and Shutterstock, becoming a contributor often involves a lot of competition and a lengthy application process. Selling your stock photography on your own website allows you to set your own prices, licenses, and keep 100 percent of the earnings for yourself.

The internet has opened up a world of opportunity for anyone to earn a little extra money. Think of what you're passionate about, what skills you have that someone might be willing to pay for, and create a revenue generating asset that will keep extra cash flowing into your budget. (See also: 13 Ways to Make Money Online That Aren't Scams)

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This article is from Anum Yoon of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Save Big on Everything for Your Wedding

Beth Braverman — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 08:30:16 +0000

For most people, their wedding is one of the most important days of their lives. In many cases, it's also one of the most expensive. With a little planning, though, you can still have everything you want for your special day, affordably. Here are over 25 ways to save big for your big day.

The general stuff

Cutting costs starts with the basics.

1. Get the right credit card

One of the best tools to use for paying for and saving on your wedding is credit cards. No, not to borrow more than you can afford and end up paying thousands in interest charges. But to use them to save money and get rewards. There are three main strategies for using credit cards to pay for your wedding: Getting big bonuses and earning rewards for cash or travel, getting a zero interest loan in the form of 0% APR on purchases for a limited time, and paying off purchases with a 0% interest balance transfer card. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Travel Rewards)

In order for any of these strategies to work, you must commit to paying off your balance each month (for the rewards to actually be worthwhile), or make a plan to pay off the balance within the intro period to save on interest. Otherwise, you'll end up paying much more for your wedding than you anticipated due to the high interest charges.

2. Be flexible on timing

September, October, and June are the most popular months to get married, according to The Knot, so avoid those months for better prices. You can cut your costs further by staying away from Saturday night dates and evening weddings in general.

3. Pare the guest list

The easiest way to shave expenses across the board is to invite fewer people to your party. A smaller guest list means you'll be able to book a smaller venue, buy less food and alcohol, and hire less help. Start by eliminating anyone you haven't spoken to in more than six months, and be firm about not inviting "plus-ones" that you don't know.

4. Eliminate the bridal party

One of the latest wedding trends, according to Pinterest's 2017 Wedding Report, is doing without wedding attendants. Getting rid of (or shrinking) your bridal party means the focus is solely on you and your beloved. What's more, you don't have to pay for flowers, gifts, or other expenses for them.

5. Tap your network

Have a friend that does calligraphy or an uncle who's an amateur photographer? Ask them whether they'd offer their services for your wedding at cost or in lieu of a gift.

The venue

You don't have to break the bank to find a nice place to say "I do."

6. Consider nontraditional locations

Choosing a venue other than a banquet hall or hotel can add personality to your party, and cut costs at the same time. Research low-key outdoor locations such as a state or national park or renting out your favorite restaurant for the night.

7. Combine the wedding and reception

Having both the ceremony and the party at the same place will cut out one of your rental fees as well as the cost of transportation from one place to the next. Plus, it's easier and less stressful for everyone.

8. Compare apples to apples

When shopping around for a venue, be sure to ask exactly what's included in the rental fee, and if there are any extra costs, such as extra fees for cake-cutting or corkage if you're bringing your own wine. Knowing what's covered will help you make an informed decision about which venue offers the best value.

9. Consider a destination

While destination weddings typically cost more for guests to attend, they can be fairly cost-effective for the couple. Many all-inclusive resorts offer relatively low-cost wedding packages in which most of the planning is already done for you. Given the cost and commitment of attending the wedding, fewer guests will attend, keeping your costs down even further.

The music

It's not a wedding without awkward dancing.

10. Get a smaller band

The cost of a live band varies depending on the type of music and where you live, but no matter what, you'll pay more for a bigger band. Cutting down the size of your band from 10 pieces to six or eight will significantly reduce the price, and your guests probably won't notice the difference.

11. Opt for a DJ

A good DJ will be just as great at getting people onto the dance floor as a band, and you'll only have to pay one person. They'll also likely be able to play every song on your list and take requests, no matter how obscure.

12. Go the playlist route

Creating your own playlist for the wedding lets you eliminate the cost of a DJ entirely, and gives you total control over the music that's played. Ask a guest to handle the emcee duties, such as introducing you and announcing the cake-cutting. Ask someone else to hit "play" and "pause" at the appropriate times, and let the playlist handle the tunes. Just makes sure to scope out the sound system ahead of time to make sure you're able to hook into the available speakers.

Food and drink

Your guests will expect something to eat — but they won't expect it to be Michelin star.

13. Skip the sit-down dinner

Serving food buffet-style reduces the cost of the meal, since you need to hire fewer servers. Plus, buffets give guests more menu options, as well as a chance to mingle at the food stations with people who aren't sitting at their table.

14. Count the kids

If you're having children at your wedding, ask the caterer whether they offer a kids' meal. Most will provide something like chicken or pizza at a per-plate cost that's significantly lower than what they're charging for adult food.

15. Truck it in

Hiring a few local food trucks can be a fun and easy way to feed guests at a more casual, outdoor wedding. You'll want to bring in a few trucks in order to offer variety and ensure that guests aren't spending too much time standing in line.

16. Serve a sheet cake

Rather than splurging on a fancy tiered cake, purchase a small, decorated round cake for you and your spouse to use for the cake-cutting ceremony. Keep a cheaper supermarket sheet cake in the kitchen to serve to the guests. The quality and taste will be the same, and most will never know the difference.

Photography

Memorialize the occasion with affordable photos — not big credit card balances.

17. Set time limits

Cut the costs of your videographer and photographer by limiting the time that they're actually on-site and shooting. Skip the pre-wedding formal photos, and let the photographer or videographer finish up after the cake cutting. You'll have candid photos that capture the essence of the ceremony and reception.

18. Forget the photo booth

Eight in 10 couples who got married last year installed a photo booth for guests to take keepsake photos. Go old school instead and put a few disposable cameras on your tables for guests to use for snapping pictures.

Decor

Bright, cheery, and cheap should be your strategy with wedding decor.

19. Go with large, seasonal flowers and lots of greens

Local, seasonal flowers will cost less since there will be no shipping charge for your florist. Using large flowers (like hydrangeas or peonies) accented with greens allows you to get a bigger look while purchasing fewer blooms.

20. Dry it out

Dried flowers cost considerably less (and last considerably longer) than their fresh cousins. They make great bouquets or centerpieces for a wedding with a vintage feel.

21. DIY

Avoid the florist altogether and make your own centerpieces (get inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram). The dollar store is a great, low-cost resource to stock up on vases, votive candles, and other accessories for your tables.

Clothing and accessories

Why spend a ton on something you'll only wear once?

22. Rent your dress (or accessories)

Grooms have been renting their tuxes for years. Now, thanks to websites such as RentTheRunway, brides can also avoid forking over a fortune for an outfit they're only going to wear one time. Renting your dress allows you pay a fraction of the garment's cost while wearing real designer clothes on your wedding day.

23. Look for a non-bridal dress

Hit up your favorite dress store to see whether there are any off-the-rack white dresses that could serve as a wedding dress without the monster price tag. Or forget about white altogether and simply look for a dress you love that you might be able to wear again.

24. Something old, something new-to-you

Most people only wear their wedding dress once, so it's possible to find secondhand gowns that are in great condition. In addition to Craigslist and eBay, check out PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, where you can find designer dresses for up to 75 percent off. (It's also a good site to keep in mind after your wedding, since you may be able to sell your gown for some extra cash.)

Invitations

You'll need to send more than a bunch of text messages to invite your guests — but not much more.

25. Skip save-the-date cards

Your biggest VIP guests probably already have your wedding date committed to memory. Use a site like Evite to send online save-the-date notifications to everyone else, or simply send out an email blast. You'll avoid the expense of printing and shopping for an additional set of cards on top of your invitations.

26. Think minimal

The bells and whistles of formal wedding invitations (letterpress printing, envelope lining, response cards, tissue paper) add up quickly. Skip the extras and select a simple design that can fit on a single card. If there's additional information you want to convey, direct guests to your website.

27. Design them online

Use a site like TinyPrints to select from dozens of templates, rather than paying someone to design the invitation for you. Then, you can order hard copies of the invitations and mail them out, or cut your costs even further by sending them digitally to your guests.

This article is from Beth Braverman of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

A Simple Guide to Buying The Best Travel Cameras

Nick Wharton — Thu, 25 May 2017 08:30:14 +0000

If one thing is true about buying a new camera for an upcoming trip, it's that there are plenty of choices. However, deciding among them can be overwhelming. The camera market is more than saturated and it can be hard to figure out which one of the available options is right for you and your travel style.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the "best" camera is the one that will serve your needs best. Do you want to be able to use it underwater? Do you want to be able to take more professional looking photos by choosing settings manually? Deciding what factors are most important to you before you shop will help ensure that you pick a camera that is the best match for your needs.

To help you make an informed decision, I've compiled this guide to some of the most popular travel cameras. As a professional videographer and photographer with more than five years of experience, I've found that the cameras below are the best in their class. My colleagues and I have used every one of them and recommend each for the categories listed.(See also: 8 Ways to Take Stunning Travel Photos)

For the adventurer

Any active traveler knows that the tougher a camera is, the better. Chances are, your camera could be subjected to rain, snow, seawater, and lots of bumping around while you're climbing, sailing, diving, skiing, or just strolling around town. You need a rugged camera that can accompany you through it all.

Tough TG-5 by Olympus

The newest addition to Olympus' Tough lineup, the TG-5, is currently available for pre-order and will soon hit the mass market. Priced at $450, you can drop this tough point-and-shoot from heights of up to seven feet, subject it to temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and dive with it to depths of 50 feet. It's also dustproof and crushproof. This rugged camera can survive pretty much any condition you subject it to, and still take great pictures. It renders colors vibrantly and includes art filters if you want an easy way to add Instagram-like effects to your photos. If you prefer to do more in-depth post-processing, the TG-5 also shoots stills in RAW mode. It shoots stunning video in Ultra HD 4K.

Pros: In addition to its durability, this camera can fit into your pocket easily (it measures 4.4 inches by 2.6 inches by 1.2 inches). It's also lightweight at just over half a pound.

Cons: As a point-and-shoot camera, the TG-5 has no manual mode. If you intend to only use your camera in automatic modes, then this isn't really a downside.

GoPro Hero5 Black

GoPros are excellent and durable cameras that allow you to take action photos and videos from a unique point of view. You can take GoPros on the ski slopes, to the sea, mountain biking, parasailing, and just about anywhere else without ever having to worry about damaging them. Their durability is one big draw, but users also praise their wide angle lenses, which allow you to capture more in one frame than a traditional camera.

The easy mounts you can buy to accompany a GoPro allow you to shoot from your arm, a helmet, a bike, and so much more. These mounts secure the camera so you don't have to worry about losing it. You can focus on what you're doing while simultaneously preserving that moment for future viewing.

The Hero5 Black, the latest model, retails for about $400.

Pros: GoPros are great for extreme sports, but even the not-so-extreme traveler can benefit by using them to catch hands-free footage on the go. The body of the Hero5 Black is waterproof up to depths of 33 feet, meaning you no longer need a special casing to keep moisture out. You can shoot in 4K Ultra HD, and change settings with the touch-screen or by using voice commands. The Hero5 also features GPS, stereo audio, electronic image stabilization, and the ability to upload clips automatically to the cloud.

Cons: If you're going to be taking a lot of portraits or wildlife close-ups, a GoPro is probably not for you. The wide angle lens gives an immersive feeling to action shots, but also creates barrel distortion. The Hero5 comes with a linear field of view setting that allows you to shoot in a mode that corrects some of that distortion, but it's still not perfect.

GoPro colors can also be a little flat. You can use the ProTune feature to help increase saturation a bit, but without some postproduction editing, you may be disappointed with the vibrancy of your images.

One final thing to keep in mind is that the battery life of GoPros is notoriously short, lasting only about an hour-and-a-half when you're using the camera's GPS, electronic image stabilization, and Wi-Fi. You may want to purchase a backup battery, which costs around $20.

For the instant gratification seeker

Digital photography pretty much spelled the death of Polaroid cameras and their instant-print ilk. Or so it seemed.

These cameras have recently been staging a comeback, and some of them are small enough to be excellent for traveling. They allow you to instantly and effortlessly share your favorite shots with new friends that you've made on the go.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 is 4.6 inches by 4.7 inches by 2.7 inches, weighing 11 ounces before adding the batteries. That's not tiny, but it's smaller than some competing cameras. I prefer the Fujifilm brand because in my opinion, its cameras are more comfortable to hold and I've always liked Fujifilm's standard color grading in photos.

The Instax Mini 8 sells for about $60. You'll need to buy the Instax Mini film made specifically for these cameras.

Pros: The retro touch and the ability to get prints on the spot make these cameras instant fun. Want to make friends with locals wherever you go? Ask nicely to take their photo, then give them a copy from your Instax Mini. Kids especially appreciate the gift. You can also use the photos as souvenirs for yourself, or postcards for folks back home.

Cons: The image quality of the Instax Mini 8 doesn't match even most cellphone cameras, so don't buy it to capture beautiful landscapes. It's more of a fun, retro snapshot device.

Another drawback is that instant film is notoriously expensive, so be prepared to spend around $13 for a twin-pack (10 exposures on each film cartridge). You'll want to stock up before you leave home, because you'd be surprised how fast you can go through 10 shots — especially if you're used to shooting pictures digitally. You'll also need a scanner if you plan to upload your snapshots online.

For the artist

If you want more control over your camera, you'll need a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera with a manual mode, so you can adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO according to the light conditions and the elements you want to emphasize in your shot.

Canon EOS Rebel T6i

Canon's Rebel line of cameras are perfect entry-level DSLRs for travelers. They allow you to easily move between automatic and manual modes, giving you full control or easy point-and-shoot capability, depending on your mood and situation. This camera is easy to use and won't take up too much space, yet allows you to move closer to professional photography capabilities.

The T6i boasts a 24.2 MP sensor for beautiful high-resolution shots, and a quick, accurate autofocus. The 3-inch touch-screen is fully articulating, making it perfect for vloggers who need to be the focus of their own shots. This particular model of Canon Rebel frequently finds itself on the list of best DSLR cameras and it's my favorite of the DSLR class 24 MP+ category.

Pros: Automatic modes make it easier to shoot near-pro quality images and video even if you haven't fully mastered shooting in manual yet. Additionally, this model includes a very handy wireless transfer capability that enables you to sync pictures from the camera directly to your phone or computer, so you can easily publish on the go.

Canon's Rebel cameras are typically sold with a starter lens, and this one comes packaged with a EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. In layman's terms, this lens has a great range of wide-angle through medium telephoto, image stabilization for sharper photos, and the stepping motor (STM) keeps autofocus smooth and quiet during video.

Cons: Weighing in at 18 ounces, this camera is one of the bigger and heavier ones we've included in this list, although it is still very portable. Its dimensions in inches are 5.10 by 3.93 by 3.07, and it costs about $670.

For the vlogger

If your main intention is video blogging, then the best vlogging camera currently on the market should be your choice.

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II

You really can't beat this compact $679 camera for video. It's small enough to fit into a backpack pocket (4.2 inches by 2.4 inches by 1.7 inches, and weighing 11.2 ounces), which is nice for those who require some level of portability while traveling. It has a flip-up selfie screen for those perfect vlogging shots or selfie stills, and with its 1-inch image sensor it takes pretty nice photos, too.

Pros: Selfie flip-up screen. Beautiful colors. You can shoot images in RAW mode for in-depth editing in Lightroom or Photoshop, which is a feature still lacking in many compacts.

Cons: Barely pocketable. If they made it just a half inch narrower, this thing would slide in and out of your pants pocket with ease.

The biggest con about the G7 X Mark II is the fact that there is no external mic port, which is a huge disadvantage for people who are serious about taking professional videos. Unfortunately, none of the best cameras in this class have an external mic port.

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

These 6 Instragrammers Are Getting Rich by Traveling the World

Amanda Gokee — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 09:30:27 +0000

Love taking travel photos and sharing them with your friends on Instagram? So do the social media stars below. They've earned celebrity status — and sometimes six-digit incomes — from the travel snaps they post on the photo sharing giant.

Building such a loyal and monetizable following takes a long time, a lot of talent, and a little luck. But hopefully, their work can provide you with a bit of inspiration for your photography on your next trip. (See also: 5 Surprising Ways Social Media Stars Make Money)

1. Liz Eswein

Liz Eswein (@newyorkcity and her personal handle @lizeswein) started her account when Instagram first came out in 2010. Perhaps her early entry to the game helps explain how she was able to snag the handle @newyorkcity, which has now accumulated well over a million followers.

Eswein posts pictures of New York, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Although her account wasn't initially focused on travel, her success on Instagram has led her to travel to Chile, Namibia, and Dubai for different clients.

Her personal account has thousands of followers, and features destinations she's visited such as Tokyo, Seoul, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

After beginning the Instagram account, Eswein told The New York Times she earned around $50 for a promotional post. But the Gazette Review reports that since then, she's increased her earnings to $15,000 a post, making her one of the top earning Instagrammers in the world. The publisher estimates her net worth at $850,000.

2. Chris Burkard

It shouldn't come as a surprise that professional photographer, writer, and videographer Chris Burkard (@Chrisburkard) has gained such popularity on Instagram, garnering more than 2 million followers.

His account features breathtaking shots from the Arctic Circle (his focus is surfing in freezing waters), Yellowstone National Park, Zakynthos Island in Greece, and many other places.

Burkard regularly works with Fortune 500 clients and has given a TED talk on how he found meaning in those frigid Arctic waters. According to his website, he began taking pictures when he was 19 years old, and his favorite place to travel is Iceland. (See also: How to Take Stunning Travel Photos)

3. Julie Sariñana

Julie Sariñana is a blogger from Los Angeles, California. She began her blog in 2009 writing and posting about fashion, travel, and lifestyle. Today her Instagram account (@sincerelyjules) has an audience of more than 4 million followers.

As of June 2016, Gazette Review calculated her net worth at $800,000. She makes money by promoting products on her Instagram account and writing fashion articles. She also has her own fashion line, Shop Sincerely Jules.

Some of her recent destinations include Paris, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. She's been featured in Teen Vogue and Elle, and has written for Glamour. Some brands she's worked with on Instagram include Karl Lagerfeld and Nespresso. (See also: Earn Extra Income With Your Smartphone Camera)

4. Julia Engel

Julia Engel's Instagram account (@juliahengel) is focused on fashion and travel. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Engel posts photos of destinations including the Bahamas, Iceland, and Miami on her account.

She's parlayed her 1 million Instagram followers into $1.5 million, as estimated by Gazette Review. Some of her earnings are generated from a shopping app called LIKEtoKNOW.it, which allows Instagram followers who like a product they see in one of Engel's photos to be directed to a website where they can buy it. Engels reaps a commission from every sale.

5. Emilie Ristevski

Emilie Ristevski's account @HelloEmilie has about 400,000 followers. This Australian traveler started posting on Instagram when she was still in university and her travel-related posts attracted so many travel offers that she was able to turn Instagram posting into a living once she graduated, according to an interview with AWOL.

Some of her favorite destinations? Petra, Jordan, and New Zealand's Milford Sound. She has worked brands including Moet and AirAsia.

6. Brooke Saward

Brooke Saward is the woman behind the @worldwanderlust Instagram account. Originally from Australia, her travels have recently taken her to Lake Como, Italy; Paris, France; and throughout Japan. With more than 600,000 followers, she's attracted diverse brands such as Bose Australia and smartphone e-tailer Honor Global to work with her.

At just 24 years old, she's been featured in Elle and Glamour. Her rates are unpublished.

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This article is from Amanda Gokee of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Simple Ways to Take Stunning Travel Photos

Nick Wharton — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:30:33 +0000

Having beautiful photos of your trip is one of the best mementos you can bring back with you, to share with friends and family, and to look back on fondly. Whether you're an experienced photographer or you're just trying to get a nice shot on your vacation, here are some tips for capturing the best images possible on your trip.

1. Consider Your Subject

The first step is to think about what it is that you want to capture. This could be anything, including a person, a building or landmark, or a landscape.

Instead of just snapping shots randomly and hoping that one will come out the way you like, take a moment to assess what it is you hope to communicate with your picture. A shot of a lone tree on a dry prairie communicates something very different from a candid photo of locals laughing while they play mahjong in the park.

When someone looks at your picture they should be able to identify what it was you were trying to portray.

2. Lighting Is Everything

When you're taking a picture, you are always working with light, since that is how your camera is able to capture an image. Different lighting can dramatically alter the mood and clarity of your subject.

Many photographers recommend you to take pictures an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset — the so-called golden hours — because the light at these times is soft, diffused, and flattering to most subjects.

However, you can still take pictures during the rest of the day. Especially if you are working with a camera in automatic mode, utilizing the ample light during the day can help you to get a great shot.

Be cautious about taking pictures that are backlit. A backlit photo is any shot where the sun is behind the subject that you're shooting. Used intentionally, backlighting can produce gorgeous silhouette images. To do that, you'll need to expose for the background, making the subject dark enough that most detail is lost.

You can also use backlighting to create an effect where the subject is exposed correctly, but the background is overexposed, giving it a dreamy, faded look, sometimes purposely accented by sun flares. You might want to use a "fill flash" to fill in shadows on the subject as well.

If those backlit effects are not what you're aiming for, position yourself so that the sun is behind you, the photographer, which will ensure that your subject is properly exposed. Sometimes positioning the subject at an angle to the sun helps ward off the harshest shadows.

3. Sometimes Less Is More

At times it can be tempting to try to capture everything in one shot, but the usual outcome is a cluttered photo that ends up not really portraying much of anything.

One thing you can try is to identify one poignant detail and highlight that detail by framing it tightly. That's how our vision naturally works, and you can replicate that in your photography for eye-catching shots.

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In addition to taking a wide shot of a baroque cathedral, why not snap a few close-ups of detailed carvings, scenes from stained glass windows, or parishioners leaving or entering the building? At a market, rather than trying to capture the whole chaotic scene, focus on one vendor, or even one pile of brightly colored vegetables.

By capturing little quirky details from your trip you are also expressing something about yourself and your interaction with those details, which can be helpful when trying to weave together a story from these visual cues.

4. Pay Attention to Patterns

If you are going to take a busier photo, think about the natural patterns that may be appearing. Repetition — of fence posts, or trees in a row, for example — can often create a rhythm that's visually appealing in photography and this can help to guide the composition of your photo.

5. Follow the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is another guideline that can help when you're thinking about how you want to compose your photo. Imagine your photo with a grid of two lines horizontally and two lines vertically traced over the image that you are taking.

A viewer's eye is naturally drawn to the intersections on this grid, so instead of putting your subject right in the middle of the photo, you can play around with a more visually interesting layout by lining your subject up on these crossing points. Many digital cameras can overlay a grid on the viewfinder to help you.

6. Experiment With Different Points of View

A straight-on shot in which the subject is facing you at a 180 degree angle can be fine, but also try shooting from above, below, or at a different angle to the subject. Experiment with wide, medium, and close-up shots, too. The results are often more dramatic and dynamic than a straight-on point of view.

7. Start Looking at Photos With a Photographer's Eye

A great way to improve your pictures without even using your camera is by examining photographs that you like. The next time you open your Instagram feed, instead of mindlessly scrolling through the shots, take a few extra minutes with the ones that really catch your eye.

Identify three to five elements of the picture that make it special to you. This could be the color, the composition, a certain detail that pops or the repetition of certain elements. Whatever it is, once you've seen a successful example in a photograph, it will be easier for you to recreate the effect when you're out taking your own pictures.

8. Take Plenty of Shots

When you are out experimenting with your camera, take a variety of shots so that you can choose from them once you get home. Don't just take the same shot over and over. Change it up so that when you see the pictures later, you can figure out which way worked the best.

Remember to enjoy the process and take a playful attitude! You will be surprised at the beautiful results you can get just by taking a more lighthearted approach to your pictures.

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

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Earn Extra Income With Your Smartphone Camera

Kat Tretina — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:30:31 +0000

You no longer need to carry around a digital camera to capture in-the-moment photos. Today's smartphones feature fantastic cameras with surprising quality and clarity. For example, the latest iPhone 7 boasts a groundbreaking new camera, including the ability to take RAW photos and capture images in low light.

The new camera quality in smartphones means they can be a tool to create a small photography side business. If you love taking photos and have a great eye, you can turn your artistic vision into cash, right from your phone.

These three sites will pay cash for your smartphone photos. Here's how to get started.

EyeEm

EyeEm is one of the largest smartphone-picture platforms, with over 18 million creators. Available to both iPhone and Android users, you can sell photos for anywhere from $20 to $250, depending on the license.

EyeEm also allows you to upload photos from your computer, so you can edit photos from your smartphone before posting them for sale.

Foap

Foap is a free app for iPhones that allows you to sell your photos. Once you sign up for an account, you upload your photos. To use any of your photos, a customer must purchase a photo license for $10; Foap keeps $5, and you get $5 as the artist.

The great thing about Foap is that you are not limited in how many times you sell a photo. If that one adorable picture of your dog appeals to customers, you can sell it 100 times or more.

Fotolia Instant

With the Fotolia Instant app, you can upload images from your Android or iPhone directly to Fotolia Instant Collection, which is a subset of the site dedicated solely to smartphone images for brands looking for stock images.

Fotolia Instant allows you to include a model release, add keyword information, and manage every aspect of the sales process. You get a 33% commission for every photo you sell. Once you reach $50 in sales, you can request your payout via PayPal or Skrill.

Tips for Selling Your Photos

While you can turn your smartphone into a money-earner, the stock photo market can be crowded with other sellers. To increase your chances of customers buying your pictures, try to think from their point of view and what they need. Most shoppers are small business owners and bloggers looking for stock photos.

They likely will need your photos for various purposes, so:

Make sure your photos are large enough that they can be resized without getting blurry or grainy.
Take advantage of your location. If your city has well-known landmarks or shopping districts, those areas can translate to very popular photos.
You can also get inspiration by checking out blogs and looking at the stock photos they use for ideas for what shots sell.

Turning Your Phone Into Cash

Instead of just snapping selfies and paying for an expensive data plan, turn your smartphone camera into a cash-earning machine. If you love taking photos and have a unique point of view, you can turn your camera into a decent side hustle. Post photos on various sites to maximize your chances of earning extra money, and keep adding fresh content to keep customers coming back.

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This article is from Kat Tretina of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Big Ticket Wedding Items You Should Borrow Instead of Buy

Amanda Meadows — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 10:30:27 +0000

Getting fed up with the high ticket prices on wedding items? Zero out a few fields in your wedding budget and "borrow" them instead.

1. The Altar, Arch, or Canopy

This is an item everyone wants, until they remember how it's totally useless after the wedding. Building your own structure is awesome if you're handy, but why not borrow one? Try asking your officiant, venue, or your religious institution if they already have some materials you can use. For my wedding, our Rabbi already had the elements for a simple chuppah, so we used that instead of buying or renting an expensive one.

If you are getting married outdoors, find a nearby tree. A tree is not only the perfect backdrop and canopy in one, but it's a great symbol for the family you are making.

2. The Live Band or DJ

Instead of hiring a DJ, why not make the music a fun activity for your guests in anticipation of your wedding? Make a form on your wedding site asking guests what song they want to move their bodies to on the dance floor. You (or your Best Man or Maid of Honor) can gather up all the answers to form one epic playlist. Have your coordinator hit play at the start of the reception and let the good times roll.

Really have your heart set on a live band? If you are friends with musicians, try asking them to play for a portion of your wedding as their gift to you. Of course, they are working, too, so it may not be fair to keep them from enjoying the full night of festivities. Talk to your friends and family musicians to see how they can be a part of your wedding and enjoy it, too.

3. The Table Decor

From bunting to centerpieces, this is a factor of every wedding budget that tends to spiral out of control. A few ideas to borrow...

Looked at the florist's quote and cried? Instead of buying their labor, try having the mothers of the family gather flowers from their homes in mismatched vases to use as table dressings.
Bored of flowers and want something unique? Borrow framed family photos from all sides of the family and place them as table centerpieces with a few small tealights from the Dollar Store.
Borrow old books from your parents' bookshelves. Pick some ones that mean a lot to you to stack as a cute, nerdy centerpiece.
Looking for old decor that you don't have to DIY? Try asking your local department store when they will discard their window displays. Anthropologie tends to take theirs down every month.

4. The Getaway Car

Every couple wants a cool way to leave their reception, but trying to book a Batmobile or a vintage Rolls Royce can mean the difference between being on budget and having to cut down your honeymoon. Ask around! You probably have a relative or friend of a friend with a cool ride (or a connection to one). Leave in something authentic and cool, instead of paying hundreds for a rental that someone else will have to return for you the next day.

5. The Photography

While it's awesome to have a professional photographer following you all day, it's simply not in the cards for everyone. Lots of couples are saving room in the wedding budget by going the guest-sourced photography route. All your friends and family are eager to snap photos of the big day already, so encourage them to get their Instagrams ready. A great way to include guest photography can be through a game or scavenger hunt for people or details, like with the Ceremony app. Just be clear about when it is okay to ambush the couple for photos.

The wedding goes by fast, so the most beautiful part is seeing your wedding through the eyes of all your friends and family just days later. Remember to make a Dropbox or Flickr account for everyone to add their memories.

What else should couples borrow for wedding day?

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This article is from Amanda Meadows of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Best Hobbies for Introverts

Paul Michael — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 15:15:35 +0000

As an introvert myself, I find it challenging to engage in many aspects of life. I'm not one for big gatherings, competitive sports, or taking weekly classes filled with people I don't know. If you're introverted too, or know someone who is, this list of eight hobbies is well worth checking out.

1. Take Up Origami

Origami kits, which include starter paper, can be bought very inexpensively on Amazon or from your local discount bookstore. You can also find thousands of patterns online, and YouTube is filled with instructional videos that take you step-by-step through the process. Put on a little relaxing music (or head-banging rock, if that's your thing), and enjoy a hobby that relieves stress and results in some wonderful paper sculptures.

2. Make YouTube Videos

While being a famous celebrity may not be ideal for an introvert, becoming a YouTube personality might be. These days, all you need is a webcam, some very basic video editing software, and…an original take on an idea! If it becomes big enough, you can do your hobby full time, and make millions. Yes, millions. Here's a list of the biggest YouTube stars, and as you can see, they do pretty well for themselves — and it all started by doing something they love, at home. If you don't like to be on camera, consider unboxing videos, or even gaming videos. Do it well, and you can retire!

3. Learn Magic

You don't have to become a magician to learn magic, and you don't have to go big when you first start out. In fact, all you really need is a deck of cards, and access to YouTube or any other site you find that hosts free magic lessons. Once you master sleight of hand, you can move on to bigger tricks. It can take months, or even years, to get a trick right. But the satisfaction you get when you finally nail that first trick is well worth it. Master a few of these, and you'll always have something to do at parties besides feeling awkward!

4. Play an Instrument

With access to free lessons online, and resources like Craigslist and Facebook for private, one-on-one tutoring, it has never been easier to learn to play an instrument. Your library is also a great resource for these kinds of books and videos, and it's free. If you can't afford to buy the instrument you want immediately (for instance, not many of us have a piano), you can find alternatives. Perhaps start with an inexpensive keyboard (some instruments are even available for rent). And there's always eBay!

5. Write

Some people blog as a hobby, and have thousands of followers. Others write screenplays for TV and the movies (and if you get good at it, it could launch a new career). Stephen King's book On Writing – A Memoir of a Craft is an excellent place to start if you've never written anything before. They also say everyone has one novel in them, so why not try coaxing yours out?

6. Photography

As a professional photographer, you need excellent social and people skills to do your job. But as a hobby, photography is perfect for introverts. These days, everything is digital, and you can find some good quality digital SLR cameras on eBay. If you prefer, you can go the old fashioned route and try film cameras (although getting a hold of film is nowhere near as easy at it used to be). Whichever way you try, keep a blog or online gallery of your favorite photos, and share them with the world.

7. Learn a Language

Or several languages. You can find many of the tuition books and videos you need online for free, or a small price. Rosetta Stone gets rave reviews, but has a higher upfront cost of several hundred dollars. With the Internet, you can also watch foreign language TV and movies, and even engage in chat rooms, anonymously if you wish, to hone your skills.

8. Build Movie Prop Replicas

I've made everything from a Bane vest to an Iron Man arc reactor. My latest two props are from Ghostbusters — a proton pack and a ghost trap. Everything you need to build movie props, like these, can be found in hardware stores, thrift stores, and on eBay. You don't have to spend a lot; for example, all of the parts used in my ghost trap came to less than $40. Instructions for almost any prop you want to build can be downloaded from a fan site. You can use them to Cosplay, to dress up at Halloween, and to decorate your house or office.

Are you an introvert with an interesting or unusual hobby? Tell us more about it.

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: How to Take a Better Selfie

Amy Lu — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 19:01:25 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great tips for a better selfie, how to create a minimalist wardrobe, and cheap ways to avoid fall illnesses.

The 5 Best DSLR Cameras

William Tran — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 09:48:04 +0000

Many people have argued that smartphones are the best cameras to own nowadays, given that they now possess excellent photographic capabilities in addition to the other great conveniences of a smartphone. However, while it may be difficult to dispute the convenience of having a great camera on a phone, a DSLR camera is a far better companion if you really want to take stunning, high-quality photos worthy of an art gallery or the awe of your friends and colleagues.

DSLR cameras give you much more control over the quality of your photos, and their larger sensors are able to produce much more vibrant and detailed photos as well. Additionally, they can also produce amazingly high-quality HD videos and have become very popular tools for professional and amateur filmmakers alike. Despite the hefty price tags, DSLR cameras give you quite the bang for your buck.

What Is a DSLR Camera?

DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex. Basically, a DSLR is a digital camera that utilizes a reflex mirror to both direct light from a lens into a viewfinder so that you can view the image you're shooting and also forward light from a lens onto the camera's sensor for digital processing. While classic point-and-shoot cameras possess only one lens that can never be removed, DSLR cameras use interchangeable lenses, which means you can swap out and choose lenses that best suit your needs.

There are a number of controls and functions on a DSLR that allow you manually fine tune specific aspects of your camera, including aperture, shutter speed, and light sensitivity (ISO). However, for beginners and those who desire it, DSLRs also have automatic control settings that can take care of all that stuff for you, so all you have to worry about is snapping the photo.

Best 5 DSLR Cameras

Nikon D800

If you're serious about photography and want a DSLR that delivers on performance and features, then the Nikon D800 is the camera for you. This entry-pro, full frame DSLR is a Consumer Search top pick that packs a record-breaking 36.3-megapixel FX CMOS sensor which will take super-crisp, highly-detailed photos that'll have extreme clarity even when zoomed in or cropped.

Many users have also reported that photos taken with this camera show rich colors and a great dynamic range. The Nikon D800 also performs amazingly well in low-light conditions, which is highly unexpected in a DSLR with such a high megapixel count. Combine that with excellent HD video recording capabilities within a weather-sealed body, and the Nikon D800 becomes a worthy investment when it comes to meeting your photography needs. Just makes sure you stock up on memory cards, because this camera fills them up fast. Currently $2,796.95 (body only) on Amazon.

Canon 5D Mark III

The 5D Mark III is Canon's answer to the Nikon D800 and is also the successor to the famous 5D Mark II, which was the first full-frame DSLR capable of HD video recording. The 5D Mark III stays true to its heritage by really shining in the video department. Its 22.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor utilizes a DIGIC 5+ image processor to deliver superior low-light performance and less moiré and aliasing (also known as "the rainbow effect") when recording HD video. The 5D Mark III can also record up to 30 minutes of continuous HD video, which is a big step up from the 12-minute standard on most other DSLRs.

Despite these video upgrades, the 5D Mark III is still a powerhouse when it comes to photography. With its whopping 61-point autofocus system and 6 frames-per-second burst shooting, this is the ideal DSLR for sports and action photography. This camera does cost quite a bit more than its rival, the D800. But if Nikon cameras aren't your cup of tea or if video functionality is more important to you, then the Canon 5D Mark III is worth every extra penny. Currently, $3,349.00 (body only) on Amazon.

Canon 60D

The Canon 60D is the best DSLR if you desire a camera with quality features and performance that won't break the bank. This midrange DSLR, which comes highly recommended by Consumer Reports and Consumer Search, has an 18-megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor with a 1.6x crop factor. That means images taken with this camera will be a bit more magnified than if they were taken on a full-frame DSLR. However, the picture quality still remains as superb as ever, with many users praising the sharpness and detail that this camera can achieve.

One special feature on the Canon 60D is its flip-out, swiveling LCD screen, which can be very useful for shooting video and getting weirdly-angled shots. It makes this camera perfect for budget filmmakers and amateur photographers looking to experiment. While its competitors and its successor (the Canon 70D) may have slightly better features, it's hard to beat the Canon 60D for the price. Currently $699.00 (body only) on Amazon.

Pentax K-30

The Pentax K-30 is hands-down the toughest camera on our list. If you're an adventure-seeker who's looking for a camera that can handle the outdoors, then this entry-level DSLR is the one you want to get. It's one of the only DSLRs in its class to be dustproof, coldproof (up to 14 degrees Fahrenheit), and weather-sealed; this camera can and will take anything you throw at it.

Beyond its amazing ruggedness, the Pentax K-30 is also a very impressive photo shooter. It's one of the only entry-level cameras to have a viewfinder with 100% coverage. Its 16-megapixel APS-C sensor performs wonderfully in low-light conditions, and its built-in image stabilizer is very effective at eliminating blur in photos. Its biggest downside is that its video mode lacks a lot of manual controls. But given the already impressive feature set at an incredible price, its no wonder the Pentax K-30 was named a "Best Buy" by Consumer Reports. Currently $497.99 (body only) on Amazon.

Nikon D3200

Whether you're a beginning photographer who desires to learn the craft or a photo enthusiast who wants an easy-to-use camera that's also budget-friendly, you'll be hard-pressed to find a camera better than the Nikon D3200 to fill those needs. Consumer Search named the Nikon D3200 as their Best DSLR for Beginners, and it's also a top pick from Consumer Reports, which goes to show that there's a lot to like about the Nikon D3200.

Having a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor in an entry-level camera is already an amazing value — one that puts it above most other budget DSLRs and even some pro-level ones. It can take very sharp photos in both well-lit and low-light environments. Its lightweight build makes the camera comfortable to hold and carry around with you. But for beginners especially, the Nikon D3200 has a very impressive and thorough Guide Mode that will teach first-time photographers step-by-step how to shoot photos in various conditions and environments. Overall, the Nikon D3200 offers one of the best deals for a DSLR on the market. Currently $546.95 (body only) on Amazon.

This article is from William Tran of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Maintaining Memories: How to Save Old Photographs

Jennifer Holder — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:24:41 +0000

At the beginning of this year, my grandfather passed away. While going through his things, my family discovered photographs — amazing photographs from my grandparents' younger years, specifically the time my grandfather spent in the Korean War.

There is some ripping and fading, but overall, they’re in surprisingly good shape. I mean, after all, my grandfather left them in an old department store box on the top shelf of his closet for close to 40 years. They should be all but decrepit.

And now that we’ve pulled them down, my biggest fear is that something might happen to them. So, I volunteered to make sure all of their special memories stay intact. In a way, this article was therapeutic for me. I had no idea just how much my grandfather loved my grandmother (she passed away in 1993 from a brain tumor — I was too young to really remember) until we discovered the photographic evidence of their love. And now I’m on a mission so that we never forget. (See also: 7 Easy Photoshop Fixes for Your Family Photos)

Preserving Paper Photographs

To start off my mission, I consulted the professionals. The first place I turned was the Library of Congress (LOC). After all, they’re in the business of preserving paper. From there, a quick Google search lead me to the Minnesota Historical Society (PDF) and the American Museum of Photography (AMOP). As they all had similar advice, I’m going to detail the highlights below.

Let’s start with environmental conditions. According to the LOC, the photos should be stored at 68°F and 30-40% relative humidity. Since we don’t all have wine fridges, let’s say that if you keep the photos in a cooler place in your house, like a closet in the dark, you should be good. Just make sure that your closet won’t spring a leak. The AMOP says to steer clear of basements, attics, and garages, as they are hard to keep temperature-regulated, and the humidity will make mold grow.

As for storage, pick archival-quality boxes (prices start at $14.99 at the Container Store). Make sure the paper is acid-free and not cardboard. Keep the negatives separate from the printed photographs. If you want to display your photos, stick with a copy and keep the originals in the appropriate conditions. The light can fade the color dye on photographs.

In the process of handling your photographs, use clean cotton gloves to keep fingerprints and perspiration off. This is especially important for negatives.

Digitizing the Photographs

There are two main ways to go about this: One, you can pay a company to digitize (and therefore scan and retouch) all of the photos, or two, you can do it yourself. Pretty simple right?

It gets a little more complicated than that. Having a company do it seems practical: You mail them your pictures, they upload them to their website where you can edit and print them, and they’ll mail back the pictures with DVDs. There are many websites dedicated to this very thing, such as iMemories, starting at $19.99.

But of course, my fear is that the images will get lost in the mail, lost at the company, or ruined somehow. There might be no need to fear — after all, iMemories was just included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of 100 Brilliant Ideas. Also, even after your memories are returned, you can pay $4.99/month for unlimited storage, so you never lose anything. You can also try out Memory Hub, which offers similar prices.

The other option is more time consuming, but actually might be more rewarding, if you’re willing to put in the effort.

If you go this route, the first step is buying the scanner. You can buy a high quality scanner for prices starting at $99. After scouring a few review sites, the best ones seem to be the Canon CanoScan, Epson Perfection, and HP Scanjet. Each scanner is different in terms of quality, so shop around to get exactly what you need. Also pay attention to the photo editing functions included with the scanner, such as dust and scratch removal — they can be an added bonus.

Now it’s time to scan. First, ensure the photo is free from dust before scanning — and more importantly, that the scanner is. Clean the scanner off with a drive cloth. Next, make sure your scanner is set for 300 DPI and save the photo as a TIFF for editing purposes. For more advice, PC World has an excellent article on photo scanning, detailing every step.

The last step is editing. If you don’t want to spend any money, Windows Live Gallery is good editing software for PCs, and iPhoto is good for Macs. The best option is Adobe Photoshop, but if you don’t know how to use it, it would be a waste of money. No matter what, you should also peruse the internet for some tips and tricks on how to digitally restore the photographs. PC World offers some good ones, and HP’s website is surprisingly useful (even if you decide to go with an Epson or Canon scanner).

From there, you can burn the pictures to DVDs or use a USB drive to spread the love to family and friends.

Sharing the Photographs

Despite this being 2012, when I say “share” I actually don’t mean Facebook, Flickr, and Picasa. I mean sharing the photographs in the printed form. Ironically, the internet can help with this.

From Shutterfly to Snapfish to Tiny Prints, there are plenty of options for pretty much the same outcome. Each site offers the chance to play around with backgrounds, placement, captions, and more. The price is similar as well, but make sure to check out the special deals before purchasing.

Now, if you choose to use an old fashioned photo album, don’t forget that it must be acid-free and magnet-free. Also, the pages should be made of polypropylene plastic (plastic number 5) and not PVC (the pages with the strong plastic odor). Make sure your photo albums are stored in the same place as the archival boxes, but still accessible for visitors.

And finally, don’t forget scrapbooking (something my mother still particularly enjoys) — it’s probably the best way to take a trip down memory lane while simultaneously keeping the lane in one piece.

How do you save your old family photos?

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This article is from Jennifer Holder of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Which Online Services Are Worth Paying For?

Jennifer Holder — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:48:08 +0000

The internet has a bevy of entertainment and information, mostly for free. The majority of websites offer a small amount of entertainment at no cost, and more for a nominal fee. And although the record industry and television industry seem to be suffering for it, we consumers are coming out on top. Below is a list of consumer-driven websites like Hulu and Spotify, as well as content-driven websites like Vimeo and Flickr. The question for each website is simple — is paying for online content worth it? I've detailed the pluses and minuses so you can figure out what's worthwhile for you. (See also: New Ways to Listen to Music for Free or Cheap)

1. Hulu

Since Hulu launched, I haven’t paid for cable. There’s no point — almost everything I want to watch is on there, and most is free. Hulu Plus was introduced two years ago, and its content boasts old-school television shows and feature films. Thanks to Hulu Plus, I’ve spent the last week revisiting my favorite television shows like "3rd Rock From the Sun" and "Doogie Howser." Unfortunately, their movie selection is scarce. They claim to have deals with Miramax and the Criterion collection, but most movies offered are terrible, one-star films that never made it to the big screen. Their television shows are better, but still not as good as Netflix’s selection. Hulu Plus has a lot of Korean and Spanish-language programs too, but Netflix has more of an instant selection, and it costs the same. Also, even with Hulu Plus, there is still advertising, and with Netflix there is none. But don’t forget — Netflix has yesterday’s television shows; Hulu has today’s.

Hulu Plus: $7.99/month

2. Spotify

If you haven’t heard of Spotify and are only annoyed by the constant Facebook updates, you’re actually missing a whole world of awesome music, for free. Spotify is a desktop application with occasional ads between songs. However, if you want unlimited music no matter where you are, even when you're without an internet connection, that’ll cost you money. Out of their two options, the unlimited account is cheaper, featuring unlimited music without ads. The premium account, however, is the clincher — on top of no advertising, you can play music on your mobile phone and offline. There is also advanced sound quality (320 kbps) and the ability to play music anywhere in the house. Overall, Spotify Premium is worth it if you have a smartphone.

Spotify Unlimited: $4.99/month
Spotify Premium: $9.99/month

3. Pandora

Where Spotify is perfect for finally listening to that band that your ex-boyfriend gushed about for your entire relationship, Pandora is good for listening to the bands that sound like your favorite bands. Pandora has far more commercials, but their upgraded account is far cheaper. What Pandora One promises: no ads, higher-quality audio (but at 192kbps, still not as good as Spotify Premium), a desktop application, and the ability to listen for five hours straight without interruption. Pandora’s free set-up makes you click on occasion to prove you’re still there. Pandora One is perfect for playing in businesses — there is variety instantly built in.

Pandora One: $36/year, $3.99/month

4. Vimeo

Vimeo is the go-to for all aspiring (and a ton of accomplished) filmmakers. Better than YouTube, it gives users a chance to really connect with other users, rather than just uploading a cat video and getting a pop record out of it. The disadvantages of a regular Vimeo account aren’t terrible; after uploading the video, your video is “queued” to convert and you have uploading limits in regards to size and quality. But with Vimeo Plus, you jump ahead of the line, straight to converting. You also have the ability to upload as many HD videos as you want; create an unlimited amount of groups, channels, and albums; get discounts for products, and more. Simply put, if you’re someone who likes producing high-quality video, Vimeo Plus is for you, but if you’re there for the community, stick to a regular account.

Vimeo Plus: $59.95/year

5. Flickr

Flickr has been my picture sharing service of choice since Yahoo was popular. Once I started traveling, I started paying for their Pro account. Now, Google’s Picasa exists, and Facebook has expanded their upload limits, but I still pay for the Pro account. Why? Truthfully, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s laziness. Flickr doesn’t make it easy to upload and sort pictures, where Picasa has a desktop application that helps you edit pictures on your computer, which is easier than uploading then sorting. Also, Picasa is free for up to 1GB of storage, but the additional storage prices vary. To me, the main difference between the two is the same as the difference between Vimeo and YouTube (also owned by Google) — Picasa reaches a broader audience, whereas Flickr is for professional photographers (or those who think they are, like me).

Flickr Pro: $24.95/year

6. LinkedIn

Unless you’re a photographer or filmmaker, LinkedIn might be the best way to advance your career. LinkedIn is a great way to put yourself out there, but connecting options are limited. You can send messages to some, but upgraded accounts give you more search results, expanded profiles, and more. If you’re recruiting, there are special packages for your company as well. It works the same as personal accounts, but instead of finding potential employers, you’re able to find potential employees. Although I haven’t personally used LinkedIn to advance my career, I do have friends who use it for work functions and networking, and after looking it over more, I'll be doing the same.

Premium prices vary

What do you think? Is it worth it to pay for online content?

This article is from Jennifer Holder of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: