FULL FRAME DIGITAL SENSORS

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 people are using Digital SLR's these days, and it has just been recently that full frame sensors are being offered on both Nikon and Canon cameras.

There are numerous pros and cons regarding smaller sensor sizes vs. full frame, 35mm sizes. The main advantage that I enjoy with full frame coverage is the appearance of a "thinner slice" of depth-of-field.

I won't get into the physics of why this happens, however the short answer is that you are able to get closer to a subject with a full frame camera as opposed to a sub-full frame camera. When you are able to get closer to a subject, backgrounds always get more blurry (providing the aperture stays the same while you are moving forward).

When doing travel photography, such as my sample South Korean photograph, it is often aesthetically advantageous to have the smallest depth of field possible, as long as the subject's eyes are in focus.
A master of this technique is Steve McCurry. His travel portraits usually have the subject's eyes in focus, but everything else becomes a dreamy blur.

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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

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

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 photo, taken at Hanguk Minsokchon, in South Korea, always makes me smile. It was a very hot day; 40 degrees celcius, and one woman was fanning the other. The whole time I was there they were laughing, talking, and having a great time with each other. I decided to just sit and take in the surroundings, and only when I got up to leave did I snap a quick shot, more for the sake of remembering the lovely scene.

When in another country, try to follow these guidelines and you will enjoy your trip much more:

1. During your pre-trip planning, never give yourself a quota of photos that you need to accomplish. If you do, you will be met with unnecessary frustration.

2. A slower pace yields greater results than a faster pace.

3. Do not be a "taker". Give back to your host country in any manner, and you will have contributed to your own learning.

4. Photographers who continually look for the ill in different cultures have nothing to contribute to the world. For your own sake (and everyone else's), do not be one of these parasites.

5. Food is one of the world's foremost forms of communion. When invited to share a meal, whenever possible, eat whatever is given to you. This will be your way of recognizing and celebrating the intrinsic value of the other person.

6. Go out of your way to make friends. Even if your time is limited, you will enjoy the exchange for many years after the actual event.

7. Finally, it is a sign of respect to be able to say a few words in the host country's language. Even if they understand English, saying , 'hello', 'goodbye', and 'thank you' in their own language will be a sign that you value them.

Finally, flexible people have a great advantage over uptight people. Flexible people can bend and twist around adversity. If you have trouble dealing with change, and the unknown, it may be best for you to start your travel photography closer to home. However, each time out you will have more experience dealing with unfamiliar locations.

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

WALL ART Part 2

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.

A friend of mine showed me a collection of beautiful 200 year old South Korean manuscripts. They were made with an old leathery paper and still intact, which gave me the idea that they would make unusual and dynamic artwork to hang in my home. Because the books were only 10 inches high, I decided to photograph them, blow them up for printing, and then get them framed.

Depending on your choice of interior decor, texture photos like this can make for interesting wall hangings. Some good ideas for finding texture are old worn-out leather, old printed fabrics, wall paper from a different era, and designs within nature.

Some tips for photographing these textures and printing them out for display:
1. Make sure that the light is evenly illuminating the texture. Overcast days may be best for this.
2. Use a tripod, and if you need maximum sharpness (not always necessary for artwork), set your lens aperture to f8.
3. Take a few different exposures of the same photo, so you are guaranteed at least one with the optimal light level.
4. Get the image printed at a professional lab that has access to fine art archival printing paper. These papers are usually thick, and can be watercolor style, canvass texture, Japanese Washi paper and so on. Ask your printer how many years the paper is rated for. The good papers and special ink jet printers (by Epson, HP, Canon etc.) can offer up to 100 years of color fidelity.
5. When the print is done, it is better to get the print framed by a professional. It will cost more than buying stock frames, but you will be guaranteed acid free matting which will extend the print life.
6. Enjoy your new artwork!

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

USE BLUE FILTERS

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 scene in South Korea was too good to pass up, but conditions were less than ideal. It was noontime with direct and very harsh sunlight, and 40 degrees celcius! I knew that the only way to get a good shot out of this was to put a blue filter on the lens and underexpose to mimic the look of moonlight. This trick has saved many of my travel photographs, as there are times during traveling where you can’t wait around for beautiful golden hour sunlight.

If you are a digital photographer and you don’t have a blue filter, you can do the same thing by using the indoor light (incandescent) white balance setting. Often this setting will be indicated by a lightbulb icon on your camera dial. Luckily after your shot you will be able to preview the image, and decide if the photo needs more or less blue color cast. If you can adjust contrast within your camera settings, higher contrast will mimic the look of moonlight better than normal contrast settings.

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