HAPPY ACCIDENTS

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.

There have been many times when during a photo shoot, it is the test shots that turn out the best. Most often it is because the models aren't conscious of the need to start performing. In this case, the woman in this photo was my assistant, and we were getting the studio ready for a photo shoot. Prior to any photo sessions, I always get my assistants to stand in so I can test my lights. When I saw the results of the test photo, and the mystery that it conveyed, I immediately knew that this test image would be far better than the results of the real photo shoot, and I could probably not duplicate the results anyway. So during the real photo session we worked with other studio set-ups.

What I learned from this experience is that it is wise to avoid deleting photos in-camera, at least until after they are all loaded into your computer. There could be many jems that may not look good on your tiny 3 inch screen, but may be great on your much larger computer monitor.

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

HOW TO FOCUS

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 are photographing any type of room or interior, and would like to get as much of the room in focus as possible, try this:

Set your camera on a tripod, and compose your picture. Now, walk away from the camera into the room and divide up the room into "thirds". Between the camera and the far end of the room you should be able to estimate where to mentally divide up the space into 1/3 distances. For example, if your interior space from the camera to the far wall is 30 feet deep, find the location on the floor (or a piece of furniture) that is 10 feet away from the camera. This section is "one third" of the total depth of the room.

Go back to your camera, and now manually focus the lens to that place on the floor, or that piece of furniture that is (as in our example) 10 feet away from you. Now re-compose you picture, set your lens aperture number to f8 or f11 (Aperture Priority setting), and take the shot. Your resulting image should have the most even amount of foreground and background sharpness.

Other tips: f8 and f11 are usually the sharpest lens apertures. If you need the maximum depth of field possible, go to f22 or the highest aperture number that your lens is capable of. The trade-off is that the final image may not be as sharp as the same image taken at f8.

When doing interiors, always use your self-timer. The shake of your finger on the shutter button will compromise image sharpness. Instead of waiting the full 10 seconds for the shutter to be released, see if your camera allows for a 2 or 5 second self timer.

Finally, make sure your camera is set to Manual Focus. After you have focused on your "1/3" location, you don't want the camera to focus on some other location as soon as you take the photo (which it will do, if the camera remains on Auto Focus).

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

BACKGROUND CLUTTER

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 posting is short and simple; always be conscious of what background elements are directly behind the subject's face. During this photo shoot the coffee table was positioned such that the books were behind the model's nose and mouth, which was very distracting. By moving the background out of the way (or by moving your own position) you can create more open, uncluttered background space for the subject.

There are many people who have a good eye for composition, but when they get their photos back the images are far too busy. Before you take the photo, always scan the background, and make sure it is as minimal as possible. Also try to have the background slightly out of focus as well, as this aids in directing the viewer's attention to the subject.

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