INDUSTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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.

As a result of an energy boom in my city, industrial photography is now a regular part of my business. I love this type of photography because it deals with shiny steel, bold architectural lines, and very graphic, aggressive visual elements.



If you are ever in the position to take photographs in industrial areas, here are a few tips:
1. Cooler tones are almost always better than warmer tones for metal products.
2. Look for traditional, bold compositions. Experimental compositions may not work as well for this type of photography; you are ideally looking for compositional 'power' that is a result of thirds or symmetrical compositions.
3. Overcast days tend to be better for steel. There are exceptions of course, but this has been my experience.
4. Tripods are essential even on very bright days, due to the need for architecturally straight lines.
5. High contrast settings on cameras or in post processing tends to look better than normal contrast.
6. While low depth of field lens aperture options are attractive for most images, I find that industrial locations with plenty of steel look best with apertures of f8 or f11. Industrial photography is very similar to architectural photography in that sense.

And finally, keep your equipment clean! Such environments tend to wear out your equipment sooner than normal locations. Here are some more photographs from my other company, Industrial Photographic Services. Hopefully they can be of additional help to you.

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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

COMPOSITIONAL ALIGNMENT

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 interior shot of a Mexican villa was taken with a 17mm wide angle lens. When doing interior wide angle photography, it is helpful to locate a straight line in the architecture, and use this straight line as a reference point. Take a look at my photo below:

The only obvious straight line of any length is the yellow beam on the right side of the photo. By lining the edge of my camera's viewfinder with the straight wall beam, I was able to get an accurate composition. Keep an eye out for straight lines, either vertical or horizontal, to use as guides. If your camera has the option of turning on a grid display within the viewfinder, it would be wise to make use of it.

Some people have had success with bubble levels that fit on a camera's hotshoe, but I have found that the bubble is too small to allow for great accuracy. If all else fails however, there are always straightening tools in Photoshop. It is best though to get the photo composed perfectly the first time, as Photoshop straightening will slightly reduce the photo's resolution.

The room at the top of the stairs in this photo can be yours for a week! James Wilson and I are leading a photography tour to the Spanish Colonial town of San Miguel, and we are staying in this lovely Mexican villa. For more information on our international photography tours, please click here:
http://www.markhemmings.com/japan_photo_tour/index.htm

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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

NIKON D90 REVIEW

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.

Awhile back I did a review of the Nikon D300, and concluded that for professionals it was an ideal back-up camera, but also a very acceptable option for professional and amateur travel photography. In the past I would take a very large camera while traveling (such as the D2x), which increased the weight I had to carry, and made me quite conspicuous on the streets. With the advent of the Nikon D300 I had a smaller camera body, but with a great 14-bit chip to record images that had challenging lighting.

The Nikon D90 is my new travel companion for a number of reasons. Here are a few:
1. It is inexpensive compared to similar 12 MP DSLR's
2. It is very lightweight, and small, which is great for traveling
3. It takes SD cards which are more readily available than CF, and are cheaper
4. While not 14-bit, the 12-bit sensor creates imagery almost as good as the Pro D3
5. It records manual focus HD video, great for travel locations

The video has some issues that would keep it from being used professionally, however it is excellent for creating fine art short films, travel videos, and family films. I have had great success using a 50mm lens shooting video at f1.4, which gives the final product a more film-like appearance as opposed to the plasticky look of video.

The less than $1200 price tag makes this a great camera for all levels. Professionals will find it helpful as a back-up in case of emergencies, travel photographers will like it because of the quality and because it is a "safer" camera to have on the streets, and amateurs will like it because it is simple to use and very effective. To sum up: It is cheap enough to not be a disaster if it was broken or stolen, and good enough for many professional applications. That mix makes the camera ideal for travel, as you need both elements (quality and expendability) for a successful trip.

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 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

OVERCAST SKIES

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.

Overcast days are wonderful for Fall foliage, but the addition of that dull gray blob of a sky can seriously detract from your great image. Why not just crop out the sky? If the sky is not an integral part of your composition, or the desire of your art director, just get rid of it (or leave a small slice like the sample photo). Give it a try! Your photo will be much better for it.

Email this Blog to a friend.

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