RAINY DAY PHOTOS

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 would like to encourage you to take nature photographs when it is raining. Most photographers have a hard time with this because of the hassle, but it can be done by using a tripod and an umbrella. It is even better if you can convince a friend to come out and hold the umbrella!

I have photographed Japanese bamboo forests many times in the last 10 years of my Japan travels. A rainy day in Kyoto initially looked like a disaster, until I started shooting. The colors of the bamboo were very rich, with a nice sheen and texture. I was pleasantly surprised! My day was salvaged by a simple introduction to watery surfaces. As long as you avoid including the sky in your composition, you will find that photographing nature scenes in the rain can be quite rewarding. Watery surfaces can provide a whole new dimension to old locations that you have photographed ad nauseam. If you are shooting macro scenes of flowers and plants on a dry but overcast day, try bringing a spray bottle full of water. The colors will pop out, and your shots will go from good to great!

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

IMPRESSIONISTIC PHOTOS

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.

An easy way to get your flower photos to look like a painting:
1. Put your camera on Aperture Priority and set your lens to its lowest f-stop number. In this case, a 50mm f1.4 lens works best, but use whatever you have.
2. If you are using digital, set your camera's saturation level to high, and white balance to Shade setting. If you are using a film camera, place a warming filter or orange gel in front of the lens. Use a very saturated slide film like Fuji Velvia or Kodak VS.
2. Hand-hold this photo, no tripods needed.
3. Place your lens on manual focus, and focus above the flowers, somewhere between the tops of the flowers and your camera.
4. Try a few different photos with different levels of de-focus, and choose the best one. I have found that overcast days work best for this technique. Have fun!

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

USING SUN FLARE

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.

Sun flare is a phenomenon where direct sunlight comes into contact with the many pieces of glass in your lens, and then creates mostly unwanted flares and reflections in your photographs. The way to avoid sun flare is to use your lens's hood, or simply place your hand in front and to the side of the lens, thus blocking the direct rays of the sun from coming into contact with your lens surface.

There are a few times when allowing sun flare can be good for a photograph. In the case of this attached image of the clouds, I waited until the sun was just coming out from behind the cloud and took the shot. I knew that because of the great intensity of the sun, the camera would automatically reduce the exposure, making the background very dark and dramatic.

This type of shot can be very dangerous to your eyes, so I would advise the following: Wear sunglasses, and have your camera on auto exposure. The only time you should be looking through the lens is to quickly get the right composition, then close your eyes and take the shot. Allow your camera to choose the exposure for you, and you might be surprised at the bold images that are a result. If you try the same image a number of times you will find that the sun flare always changes, because your composition will change slightly. Feel free to "bracket" your photos, which is taking many different shots at different exposures. You can lighten or darken your images even when the camera is set on auto exposure. The setting is called Exposure Compensation, and it usually identified with a symbol like this: +/-

Finally, this is the type of shot where older or cheaper lenses may be better, as they do not have as much anti-flare coating on the lens glass (compared to pro lenses). Again, avoid looking at the sun directly when composing the shot . . . you can do a lot of damage to your eyes.

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