ACTIVE D-LIGHTING

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

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