FREE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS, TIPS, AND TECHNIQUES

PHOTOGRAPHING SEASONAL CHANGES

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

While these two photographs are not perfectly "registered" with each other, it is always interesting to take images of the same subject in various seasons. The above two photographs were taken from my old house on Douglas Avenue, Saint John, New Brunswick Canada. Our city has a diverse collection of architectural styles, which makes it a haven for all types of visual artists.

I did not plan out the above photographs to work in tandem with each other, however if I did, this is what I would do:

1. Buy a used tripod that is solid and not wobbly, with a quick-release camera attachment plate.
2. Attach it to your house in a solid fashion.
3. Make sure the tripod head is locked tightly so that it will not move during the year.
4. At the first of every month place the same camera on the tripod, and take your monthly photo.
5. Make sure that all of your 12 images have the same "F-stop" number, preferably f/8.
6. When the year is finished, place the 12 photos into a slide show with a dissolve, and you will have a nice short film to send to your friends!

For more detailed information on any of these steps, or if you have any questions about this process or any other photography question, call me anytime at www.clarity.fm/markhemmings

These two photos are ready for your wall as large fine art prints! Check them out here: www.markhemmings/prints www.markhemmings.com/prints
Mark is available for hire as a photographer or filmmaker at www.hemmingshouse.com

CANON 50mm f/1.2 L USM LENS REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Do you want to get some intense shallow depth of field? Well, there are many ways of doing this, but if you have the cash one fine way is via a full frame camera like the Canon 5D MkII matched with the 50mm f/1.2 lens. I took this photo at our annual San Miguel de Allende Photo and DSLR Filmmaking Workshops last year. This is a straight photo with no photoshop retouching. As you can see, the photo has a very thin slice of focus:

I have used this lens quite a bit since its release, and have found that the images taken at f/1.2 have a soft-ish glow to them, which can either be good or bad depending on your subject matter. From the perspective of a commercial photographer, it is unlikely that they would be utilizing such an f-stop very often. Fashion photographers may enjoy the radical depth-of-field options, but they would not rely on f/1.2 for every shot. DSLR filmmakers tend to play around at f/2.8 to f/5.6 due to moving subjects. So, who could make regular use of this lens when used wide-open (lowest f number)? I think nature, wedding, film & theatre, and street photographers.

Nature Photography: While you have limited ability to get really close to the subject matter, using a full frame DSLR photographing flowers will result in some pretty cool shots. Here are some more photos that I took in the same cactus garden:

These nature photos are for sale as fine art prints for your wall by clicking here

Street photographers and wedding photographers share a similar skill set; catch the moment in a split second because if you miss it, it will never happen again. I am not saying that this lens is greater than average regards focusing speed, rather the ability to shoot in darker environments at f/1.2 allows for a greater chance of "getting the shot". Further, if a wedding photographer wants to mix flash with ambient light, shooting at f/1.2 will allow for a sharper image due to a faster shutter speed.

The Canon 1DX sports an incredible maximum ISO of just over 200,000! To put that into perspective, when I used to buy film I would rarely go above ISO 800 except for artistic applications. The Canon 50mm f/1.2 mixed with the 1DX camera body would be able to see in the dark.

On-set stills photographers need fast lenses as shutter speeds are required to be in the range of 1/45 of a second, at ISO 800 or so. When I worked in the movie industry I was always frustrated that I had to jack up my ISO just to get a shot that wasn't blurry (due to the actors moving around). A fast lens on a newer DSLR with usable high ISO abilities would suit stills photographers well.

Finally, you pay a high premium for f/1.2! If you can get by with f/1.8 you can save a ton of money, and still get amazingly sharp images.

Feel free to leave a comment about your experiences with this lens, or any other thing that comes to mind! To hire Mark as a photographer or filmmaker, visit his production company website at www.hemmingshouse.com

EYES ARE THE WINDOWS TO THE SOUL

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:44:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

The past six years or so I have been blessed to spend time with Eastern European Romani people (or Gypsies, as they are popularly known as). I am not sure why I am drawn to them, I seem to find a certain measure of self worth in giving of my time to the Romani families that I meet on my journeys. This blog entry is two-fold; the first is obvious, that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and the second is that the larger the camera sensor, the greater amount of depth-of-field options you have.

If you are primarily a photographer who loves people, you may be best served with a full sensor camera. While these are usually the most expensive types, prices are dropping each year. The Canon 5D MkII has been a popular choice for many diverse photographers due to its great image quality, full frame sensor, incredible video, and light weight. At the time of writing this blog the price for the 5D MkII is about $2,300.

This is one of my favorite shots of my new Romani buddy who I met in Transylvania last summer. I was struck by the indescribable quality of his eyes . . . somewhat haunting! As you will see, the depth of field is so narrow that only his eyes are in focus. This is one of the advantages of a full frame sensor camera. Feel free to leave a comment below, I am always appreciative of extra input for my readers!

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

IPHONE 4S CAMERA REVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

I am writing this blog post on the iPhone 4s, and I have had plenty of time to play with the built in camera. My dad asked me what kind of point and shoot camera my mom should get, and my quick reply was to just buy a new iPhone (I believe her contract was coming to an end). While I don't appreciate over consumption with the new latest and greatest, the combination of a great camera and a great mobile phone has changed the way I communicate with the world. In the past I would photograph my kids with my point and shoot, attach it to my computer, download, edit the photo, upload it to our family website, email family members notifying them of an update. Now it is seamless and quick with one device that is always in my pocket.

While you may miss having an optical zoom on the iPhone 4s, remember that zoom lenses aren't absolutely necessary. If you look at the history of great photography, almost all of the iconic images were captured on prime (non zoom) lenses. Sometimes it is good practice to physically move your body closer or further away from the subject matter.

The images are very acceptable on the camera, and I am very impressed with the 1080 HD video capture as well. As a professional commercial filmmaker, having a decent portable HD cam in my pocket is so helpful when doing location scouting. Often we are working with clients who are in different cities, and they need to see what we are seeing. The iPhone's ability to send photos or videos quickly via cell towers or wifi makes it a great tool for the photographers and filmmakers who deal with agencies or PR firms.

I am happy! A tool that consistently works well for me deserves public mention. The attached photo was treated with a 70's look via an iPhone photo app.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:49:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

This will be old news to a lot of you, but for those who are experimenting with photography on your mobile phone (such as an iPhone), the Instagram App may be a good fit for you!

What I have discovered is that in monochrome settings such as a ski hill, you will often get uninspired results from your cell phone camera. The image will come out slightly dark due to the bright snow, and the image may have a melancholic blue color cast. Enter Instagram, and a host of other great photo apps. With one click of a button your cell phone pics become alive via some really cool filters. And for only a few dollars, you can't go wrong! I took this photo yesterday on a fun day at the slopes. This filter gave the photo an aged look from a few decades ago, which my dad appreciated!

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

PLASTER WALLS!

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:03:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

If you come across old peeling and mottled plaster walls, you are in the right place! Take pictures of the wall, and save the images in a folder called "textures". Use these textures in Photoshop as layer style backgrounds. Here is an example:

The wine was photographed on a plain white background. The plaster wall was added next on an additional layer. When the plaster layer goes over the wine photo, simply erase the area above the wine so the bottle can be revealed.

This is a rough explanation of the process, but it will get you started!

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com

Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

SERENDIPITOUS ACCIDENTS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

I was shooting interiors for a nice cafe called Magnolia in my home town, and just as I took a picture through a window a customer walked into the frame. I was slightly annoyed at first, and just about pressed the delete button, but realized that it could actually work as a viable image:

It is wise to keep images in the camera until you have had plenty of time to judge the photo's worth when back at the computer.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

INDUSTRIAL TIME LAPSES

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 05 May 2010 01:08:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

In late fall we finished a very cool project where we were hired to do a time-lapse of a Potash Mining tower being constructed. While this blog post may not be of interest to many of you, the great thing about films like this is that it is within every photographer's grasp. The entire production was done on a Nikon D300 and Nikon D90, both cameras being prosumer models, and not too expensive:

As our company grows, we continually desire to stretch our creativity by pushing inexpensive (but good) equipment to the limit. While this philosophy will have its detractors, the bottom line is that so far we have received very favorable responses from our clients. Their desire is quality at a low price, ours is quality with as much profit as possible. This is often accomplished by the balancing act of reducing expenses as much as possible without sacrificing on the technical and aesthetic side. Essentially, if you can do the job with the camera that you have, instead of buying the newest and coolest, save that money and reinvest it into your company. Eventually you will need to upgrade, and at that time you will have the savings to do so.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

LARGE CANVAS PRINTS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:06:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Canvas on Demand sent me a free 16x20 for me to do a review. I sent one of my photos of Budapest (Buda Castle at Sunrise), and I was very impressed. The colors are excellent, the frame is thick wood, and the canvas material is substantial.

The above stretched canvas print is of a photo that I took in my studio leaning against an easel with a white backdrop (more on that to follow). Here are some more images of the canvas print:

I have no complaints, it arrived quickly, and the photo looks like a painting! The canvas was well packaged for shipping, and it will find a nice home in our new photo studio that we are opening next month in Saint John. Here is their website: http://www.canvasondemand.com

So . . . perfect time for a quick and useful tip on how to photograph artwork the easy way. Here is the set up, using the 16x20 large canvas print:

1. Place two strobes or normal flashes in front and to the side of the artwork.
2. Place the artwork at an angle so that it will be facing you straight on when you take the picture.
3. Don't worry about using an easel or stool to lean the artwork on, this will be cut out later.
4. Choose f8 for your shutter speed, and around 1/200 for your shutter.
5. Take the photo with the flashes bouncing off the white ceiling (as shown in the photo).
6. The bounce will create a soft light, and the angle of light hitting in the artwork will keep reflections at bay.
7. If the photo is too light or dark, adjust the flash power, or your f-stop accordingly.
8. Take the image in photoshop or another editing program, cut out the background so that only pure white is behind the artwork.

Have fun!

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

STILL/MOTION DSLR SHOOTING

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

While filming some scenes for a client in Mexico, I came across a stunning view that would be tough to replicate:

When filming with a Video DSLR camera, you can usually (depending on the brand) take a printable still photo at any time during your filming. For example, I was shooting this scene on video, but realized that I would want it as a high resolution RAW still photo as well. I simply clicked the shutter button, the camera immediately switched to still photography mode, and I got my shot. The only downside to this process is a break in your filming, but it is worth that minor inconvenience, especially when fleeting moments happen before your camera.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

SUBWAY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:32:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Whenever I am in Tokyo I always enjoy walking through the mad rush of humanity in Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Tokyo subway/train stations. A fun and often intriguing street photography technique is to look for the large ad signage on the walls, and wait for the right people to walk by.

Sometimes this works, sometime it doesn't. The ones that do work, however, make the waiting worth it!

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

JAPAN AND THE NIKON 35mm f1.8 LENS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:30:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

I just got back from an excellent trip to Japan, and was fortunate to get this shot of a Maiko Geisha as she entered the famous Ichiriki-tei tea house on Hanami-koji street in Kyoto.

It was dark outside, so I used the new and very nice Nikon 35mm f1.8 lens with a higher ISO. I had no idea what the results would be! Looking at the image now, it could pass for a performance on a stage due to the street lights and curtain.

I have used the Nikon 35mm f1.8 quite a bit now, and I don't have a single complaint. It is great for travel photography, as it is lightweight, inexpensive, great in low-light conditions, has an excellent background blur, and works very well with DSLR video.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

FACES

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

This was a fun shoot for a local natural skin care company. We are blessed at our studio to have photogenic employees (the model)!

When photographing people in a light and airy manner such as the above photo, it helps to darken the hair, eyelids, eyelashes, etc. with the Burn tool in Photoshop. The subsequent darker areas provide needed contrast for a picture that otherwise would be too washed out.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

SKI MOUNTAINS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:01:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

This shot was taken at Mount Tremblant, in Quebec Canada. It is a wonderful ski resort, with great restaurants and a good vibe. When out on the slopes try to take a decent point and shoot, or even better, a small consumer DSLR. Often unexpected photos present themselves due to changing light conditions in relation to the snow.

This shot is dramatic because the artificial snow stuck to all of the trees, and its brightness contrasts nicely with the dark forest beyond. For more drama, increase the contrast setting in your camera, and underexpose slightly. The result of slight underexposure and high contrast settings will be nice rich, deep black tones.

So in conclusion: wherever possible, take your camera! Most of my shots that were winners have been a result of being in the right place at the right time, with a camera in tow.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

ACTIVE D-LIGHTING

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Newer Nikon D-SLR cameras have a function called Active D-Lighting. When I bought my D300 years ago, the manual said this about D-Lighting: "Active D-Lighting preserves details in highlights and shadows, creating photos with natural contrast. Use for high contrast scenes, for example when photographing brightly lit outdoor scenery through a door or window or taking pictures of shaded subjects on a sunny day."

I find the function works very well for interior architecture and design. The following shot was taken in a beautiful home in Mexico, during one of our San Miguel de Allende photo workshops. The scene was such that when I exposed for the house interior, the door light was blown-out. When I exposed for the door light, the house interior was far too dark. Normally this would be solved with strobes or multiple exposures, however this was not necessary due to the Active D-Lighting option.

Fortunately professional level Nikon features are now starting to find their way into sub-$1,000 camera bodies. The Nikon D5000 for example has Active D-Lighting, 720p HD Video, and the much appreciated ability to take time lapse footage, all for a price below $1,000. Now is the time to experiment with new photographic subject matter, especially as our tools are getting cheaper and more sophisticated each year.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Most photographers know that one of the best times to get exteriors is after sunset when the sky has the same luminosity as the interior artificial light. In the winter months this is easy, because the sun sets early in the Northern hemisphere. I would also like to recommend photographing in the same manner with pre-dawn light. This method is harder because it means getting up very early, but the results can be excellent.

Morning pre-dawn light looks quite different than evening views. If the exterior job that you are doing is worth the time, why not do the same scene late evening, and early the next morning? Both scenes will have great light, but the two photos will have significantly different hues and tones.

I took this photo a few weeks ago for friends at the architectural firm Murdock & Boyd, of the E. & P. Senechal Centre in New Brunswick.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

BACKGROUNDS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

An enjoyable client of mine is Happinez Wine Bar. Each month I am asked to do the Wine of the Month photography, which always stretches my creativity. This month's wine was a deep, dark bottle, and was perfect for a high contrast and graphic treatment.

This post is simply an encouragement to try various backgrounds that at first seem ridiculous. This bottle was photographed at our studio, on top of our ping pong table! For those who know ping pong, you will recognize the white line.

When trying various backgrounds for your subject matter, keep in mind that contrast adjustments will usually aid your photograph. In this instance, I set the camera to maximum contrast, for deep blacks and crisp whites.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

ABSTRACT PATTERNS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

It is always wise to build up a collection of stock pattern/texture photos. This image is of a window drape with nice warm, late evening backlighting. As it is out of focus, it can be used within many different graphic design or montage experiments.

Look around your house, and when light is shining on a textured or patterned surface, photograph it slightly out of focus, and keep it for later use. The more stock images of this sort that you have, the more tools you will have at your disposal for interesting design or montage projects.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

MAGAZINE WORK

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Even though you may not be doing magazine work now, in the future you may need to know how to create space in your photo for text. If possible, it is wise to create a few variations of the same photograph to allow for magazine titles and other text. If creating various copies is not realistic, create your composition to allow for space around the subject for graphic design work. My photo below was composed in such a way as to allow for a text addition at the bottom of the image.

Composing is easy when you have a client who gives you exact specifications. When in doubt, however, choose a wider composition. In the television industry this is called the "TV Safe Area", whereby you compose wider than necessary to account for different viewing platforms.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

RGB COLOR

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Before any color space experts get angry at my gross simplification, please be aware that this blog is primarily aimed at those learning photography. So . . . in easy to understand terms, your digital camera has an option of different color spaces. sRGB is the most common, and Adobe RGB is the usual choice for professional photos that will be printed.

Your camera is probably set to sRGB by default, however you may be able to change it to Adobe RGB or other color spaces. If you are not a working professional, you can probably stick with sRGB.

This blog post is an encouragement to utilize sRGB for all photos that will end up on the web. If your photo does not have a color space saved, or is in another color space, it would be wise to change the photo to sRGB prior to uploading it to the web. Open your photo in Photoshop or another image editor, and then save the photo with "save as". There should be an option to choose a color space for the photo prior to saving the image to the hard drive.

The above photo from yesterday was taken in Adobe RGB for professional printing, however for this blog I changed it to sRGB, resized it, and it is now properly displayed for the web.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

FIRE AND STROBES

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

It is often difficult to capture fire with strobes or flashes. To get good images of fire it is best to use natural light, and let the shutter stay open as necessary. There are circumstances however when you may need to use strobes to light people or places, but need natural light to capture the flow of fire.

A local bartender named Shawn Horgan from the Alehouse in Saint John, New Brunswick asked me to do a shoot of the above drink, lit on fire. We lit the scene and subject with strobes, but found that the fire was very weak in appearance. An easy fix was to create two exposures; one for the subject (strobes), and one for the fire (natural light). As soon as we took the first photo with the studio lights we immediately took a second photo in Aperture Priority mode with no flashes. The result of the second photo was a nice flowing stream of fire. Since the pictures were taken so quickly one after the other, the subject didn't move at all.

In Photoshop, I simply cut out the fire and pasted it over the first photo. The results look realistic, and everyone involved was happy with the final product.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

DRAMATIC LIGHTING

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

The greatest light in my opinion is dark ominous clouds with a late evening, horizontal blast of warm sun light. The directional sunlight is due to a break in the clouds at the horizon, and this light illuminates the landscape while the sky stays dark. This contrast makes for very dramatic photos!

When you encounter such a scene, make sure your camera is on its highest contrast setting, and try underexposing a little bit. This photo is untouched, straight from the camera. It was shot at a historic village in New Brunswick called King's Landing.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

DIRECTIONAL LIGHTING

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

One way to create strong dramatic portraits is to use one single overhead light. This will create deep shadows under the eyebrows, and will accentuate strongly defined bone structures. In normal portraiture this style is usually not welcomed, but for fashion and fine art shoots, it will work nicely.

These are mannequins that I photographed a few years ago in New York city.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

DSLR's FOR THE CAR

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

I looked up in the sky the other day and found another sun dog!

Many great photographs happen when you are out living your normal life. Most often however we don't have our camera with us at that opportune time. Freeman Patterson mentioned in one of his books that he keeps a spare camera in his trunk for such occasions, and it is a good idea. If you are a Canon shooter you could invest in a used Rebel DSLR, or if you are a Nikon shooter any used DSLR models will work for a backup camera. While it is a bit risky to keep camera equipment in your car, you can reduce the impact of an incident by purchase a used consumer model and kit lens.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

SMALL INTERIORS

noreply@blogger.com (MARK HEMMINGS) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Dear reader, if this entry or my other blog entries don't answer your specific photography questions, you can call me on the phone anytime for advice by clicking here.

Have you ever needed to photograph a bathroom? It is very tricky due to the size of the space, and lighting issues. Often you will need to rely on the ceiling light, which creates unpleasant shadows. A way to make small spaces more attractive is to take a bedsheet and pin it up (if possible) at the four corners of the ceiling. The bedsheet will sag a bit in the middle, which is fine. The single ceiling light now acts as a giant softbox, filling in harsh shadow spaces.

Here are the problems with this approach: You may not be at liberty to pin a sheet up on the ceiling. Hopefully you can find some other solution for the bed sheet; as long as it fills most of the ceiling, and of course covers the ceiling light, it should be fine. Problem number two is the diminished light strength, due to heavy diffusion (the bed sheet). The solution is to have a longer exposure.

Mark's photographic prints for your wall can be purchased at www.markhemmings.com
Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com