NIGHT ILLUMINATION

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 is a photo of my first vehicle, a very enjoyable (and expensive to operate) Dodge camper van. I was out doing night photography a long time ago and decided to take a picture of the van, in case it ever died or was driven off a cliff in frustration. As it was a cloudless night, the moon provided all the light that I needed for my vehicular portrait. If you would like to see the world in a completely different way, set your camera up on a tripod (on a cloudless night), and do a long exposure photo of whatever subject you desire. Your exposure may be a few minutes, but the results are worth it. Even though moonlight is a similar color temperature as the sun, it is a very different quality of light, which will be evident in your final image.

If you are unsure of how to do a long exposure with your camera, click here for a previous blog post that dealt with star trail photography. 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

WIDE ANGLE LENSES

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.

If the above photo looks exaggerated in scale, it's because I photographed the dandelion with a wide angle lens. The distortion caused by such lenses are usually unwanted; stretched, fat-looking faces, and an untruthful expansion of interior spaces are a few examples. However when it comes to nature photography, the exaggerated results from a wide angle lens shot close to the subject can result in very interesting images. Simply get as close to the subject as your focusing will allow, and you will find the lens distortion adds to the picture. It really helps (as in the above photo) if you subject "trails off" into the background, which creates a feeling of even more depth. Anything wider than a 35mm lens should do the trick!

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

PHOTO BUSINESS CARDS

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.

Is your business card boring? Why not make a statement with your business cards by designing one with your own photography? The process is simple:

1. Take your preferred image and digitally re-size it to 2"x3.5" @ 300 DPI
2. Add the appropriate text
3. Save the finished file as a TIFF or PSD file
4. Burn to disk and send to your local print shop

I have been doing this for years, and each print run I change the photo. Many people keep my business cards, as there is less incentive to throw out a business card when it is visually appealing.

This business card photo was taken in Grand Central Station in New York. I don't know the person, but he was entering the Metrazure restaurant. If you are reading this blog, and that is your silhouette, thanks!

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

INTERIOR 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.

When you are asked to do interior photos of a large room or building, one of the most important technical elements of the final picture are straight lines. A sure sign that an interior photo was taken by an amateur photographer are curved or angled walls. The unnatural curve that you experience when taking the photo is not your fault; your camera lenses are not nearly as advanced as your eyes, which have the ability to optically correct the curving perspective.

So how do you correct the image so that all lines in the photograph will be straight? Here are a few suggestions for in-camera perspective control, without using software:
1. Learn how to use a view camera. This is a very expensive, time consuming, and technically challenging endeavor. To learn more about view cameras, do an internet search.
2. Purchase or rent a perspective control lens made by Canon or Nikon. These expensive lenses can move in many directions, and will allow you to get straight lines by experimenting with the amount of Tilt and Shift that you apply (these lenses are also called Tilt/Shift lenses). Currently, Canon has the best version of this lens, as their 24mm wide angle will be adequate for most interior spaces.

If you don't have the cash for the above options, the second-best choice is using software such as Photoshop. Software still requires the very best image however, so you need to supply it with a photo that is as straight as you can possibly get. To do the most for the photo, follow these guidelines:
1. Always use a tripod.
2. Compose the photo so that you are exactly in the middle of the room.
3. If possible make sure your camera is positioned at the same distance between the ground and the ceiling (half-way up the room). You may need a ladder to do this, and a measuring tape.
4. Step away from the camera and make sure that the lens is pointing exactly 90 degrees away from the floor. In other words, the lens direction has to be completely parallel to the floor.
5. Set the lens aperture of f8 or f11.
6. Use a cable shutter release or 10 second timer so you aren't touching the camera while the shutter is released.
7. Take the photo!

If you are able to import your final image into Photoshop or other software, you can now make fine-tune adjustments to create straight lines throughout the photo. Each software is different, so you will have to read the instructions or ask someone to help you with this. Some key words to look out for are "barrel distortion", "pincushion distortion", "perspective", and "lens distortion correction".

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

NATURAL LIGHT PORTRAITS

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.

To get a nice soft natural look for indoor portraits using window light, it is very important to have a lot of light illuminating all sides of the model. If you have a corner in your house that has two windows on both walls, try placing your model in the corner. If you only have access to one window, pin up reflective material to surround the model. The reflective material will bounce light from the window back to the model. Reflection can be anything white or shiny, which could include a large white bedsheet, tinfoil, white bristol board, etc.

The reason that it is helpful to have non-contrasty scenes for lifestyle shots is because high contrast images do not sell as well. Take a look at any lifestyle magazine and you will see that the majority of images are light, airy, and warm. The more light that you can find to surround the subject the better!

Over-exposure is also a benefit, to the point where the background is always lighter than the foreground. The reverse just doesn't look right. Expose so that the model's face looks great, and don't worry about the rest.

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

MOVIE 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.

There are many different types of professional photography, and most of the time a photographer will work within many different disciplines. There are a few photographers who only specialize in one part of the industry, but they are rare, and usually work only in large cities.

A Still Photographer is someone who works in the movies. It is the on-set still photographer's job to take photos of the same scene that the movie cameraman is filming. Why bother having a normal photographer in addition to a movie camera photographer? It is much easier to use still photos for advertising, than the film that comes from a movie camera. It is the still photographers job to take all the photos that end up on the movie posters, websites, movie extra features, and DVD cases.

During filming, the still photographer stands near the cinematographer and takes the same images. It is not an easy job, as the spaces on set are often very small. The still photographer has to keep a low profile, and remain out of the way of everyone else on set. In addition, the still photographer has the added challenge of working in very low-light conditions. Film cameras can handle light levels that would cause severe motion blur in normal still cameras. The solution is to use very fast lenses, and high ISO settings.

If you would like to get involved with movie photography, the best way to start is to join a local Film Co-op. They are often student groups who help each other make films on the cheap . . . each person volunteers their time to create the final product. Another thing to consider is that in most cases you need to be a part of a union to work on movies. It is necessary to have a number of films under your belt before you are permitted to join the union, which is why the student film co-op is such a good experience.

Equipment needed for on-set stills photography: 10-12 megapixel digital SLR, a monopod (tripods are too big), and camera sound blimp to encase the camera (reduces camera noise; available from Jacobson in California), 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lenses, and a 70-200 (or equivalent) f2.8 zoom lens. As you can see, it is quite an investment!

You may also need a full studio light set-up to do what are called Gallery Shots. These are the planned studio shots that end up on the main film poster. These shots need to be of a higher quality than on-set film stills, thus the planned nature of the photo shoot.

Finally, although it may seem glamorous to be working in the movies, it is an incredibly boring process, with long hours and many egos to deal with . . . be prepared!
The above photo was one I took of James Caan in the movie Jericho Mansions

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

VERTICAL PANNING

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 have already practiced horizontal panning; when a moving subject travels past the photographer, the camera lens follows the subject. This allows the subject to remain relatively sharp, while the background becomes blurry in a linear fashion.

The same technique can be effectively used for vertical shots as well. I was working on a series of advertising photos for Mitsubishi Motors, and one of the shots needed to be an aerial photo to show off the top of the car. A helicopter would have worked, but a much quicker and cheaper option is to simply photograph from a highway overpass.

I wanted the shot to be taken at dusk, so the shutter speeds would automatically be slow enough to cause vertical motion blur. In fact, the driver was only traveling at 20 miles per hour. This slow speed was a good choice for just a slight amount of blur. Simply follow the car with your camera on a loose tripod, and take the shot at will. The amount of blur will be dependent on the duration of your exposure.

While you may not be interested in photographing cars, vertical panning is a good technique to practice, as it can be implemented in many diverse forms of photography.

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