MID-CENTURY MODERNISM

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 staying at a hotel in Caracas, Venezuela a few months ago, and when I looked out across the street I was taken by a tile design on the side of an apartment block. I immediately thought "late fifties" era Modern, and as I got closer I read the inscription, "E. Tamiazzo, Hecho En Caracas, Oct. 1955".

No doubt most of the city dwellers walk by that piece everyday without noticing it. It often takes fresh eyes from outsiders to appreciate the qualities of particular cities. I did a search for Tamiazzo, but nothing came up under English Google results. Maybe a Spanish speaking person can help me out with a bit of information. The remarkable thing about this mural is that the individual tiles were only a few inches square. It must have taken a long time to create the wall art.

When photographing artwork on buildings, a good way to present the artwork is to make the structure darker than the mural. The structure is necessary, to show the viewer the context of the artwork, but it should remain secondary in importance. Place your camera on high contrast, and if needed, increase the contrast afterward in an image editing program. Most of the time you are looking for a gritty, high contrast scene, especially if you are shooting in a city environment. If you are a RAW shooter, you can also try the "clarity" tool in Photoshop Raw converter. This tool will keep light levels relatively stable, but will increase the graphic appearance of the image. As in my above sample photo, try to arrange the composition in such a way that the building also acts as a design element with vertical or horizontal lines.

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

CARACAS MODERN

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.

Although not an expert, I am a big fan of mid-century modernist design, architecture, and art. A recent trip to Caracas, Venezuela was beneficial for me in many ways, especially as I was able to document modern design via still cameras and video. Caracas went through a modernization period in the 1950's that removed much of the Spanish Colonial style that is throughout Central and South America. While a trip to Caracas can easily be depressing to those who do not appreciate mid-century design, for those who are inclined, the city is quite valuable.

The Humboldt Hotel is a great example; it was opened in 1957 by Perez Jiminez, but closed in 1970 due to shifting politics. Re-opened in 2002, the interior and exterior make for great photo opportunities. While the interior furnishings are new, I assume they are commensurate with what the hotel used to look like during its grand opening.

The photo lesson for today is an encouragement to always seek photo opportunities in places that you would normally consider unattractive. If you do your homework prior to departing for another country, you may be surprised by a newfound appreciation of the location's architecture, art and design history.

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 1

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.

With the steady rise of Modernism's popularity in the home, design has been receiving almost as much attention as traditional artwork when it comes to wall hangings. While many would not classify two dimensional design as art, record sales at art auction houses say otherwise. To create your own piece of Modern design for your walls, simply find a colorful linear or circular pattern and take a picture of it out of focus. You will need to have your lens aperture set to its lowest f-stop number. The photo above was originally a colorful bedsheet, focused manually.

One day I was preparing my camera for a photo shoot, and I took a test shot of a venetian blind. My photo was out of focus, so I checked my camera and saw that my lens was on manual focus instead of auto. I was just about to delete the test shot, when I realized that the image had a nice abstract appearance to it. During the next few weeks I photographed many things out of focus, and eventually had enough dynamic images to create a series. It was a good example of serendipitous creativity!

The next lesson is also on artwork for your walls, and will mention printing options.

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