WARM/COOL TONES

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Yellow and Blue are opposites on the photographer's color wheel. I often try to locate images that have a mix of these two colors, similar to the attached sample image of Buda Castle. While not specifically Yellow and Blue, warm tones (yellow cast) are displayed by the interior castle lights, and the cool tones (blue cast) are displayed by the immediate frontal exterior. When the sun has set, building exteriors become cool-toned, while interiors usually maintain a warm toned, incandescent look.

Architectural photographers make use of this light color mixture frequently. You can do it too, by using a tripod with a cable or remote release. Take the photo after sunset, when the ambient sky light illuminating the building's exterior is roughly the same brightness as the interior light bulbs.

Thanks to Sue Furlong who clicked the shutter for me on this picture. Being a photographer there are very few pictures of myself, so I decided to get a photo taken in Budapest at this wonderful castle cafe. The view in the background is of the Parliament Building on the Pest side of the river.

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PEOPLE PHOTOS AT NIGHT

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A friend asked me to do some portfolio shots while I was in a different town. I didn't have my studio gear, so I had to rely on street lights. Here are a few hints for shooting using street lights at night:

1. Sodium or Mercury vapor street lights are very difficult to color balance properly. Black and white photographs are far easier to deal with.

2. The model needs to be in a position of looking upward. As the streetlights are far overhead, deep shadows will be the result if the model is looking straight ahead or downward. An upward look will illuminate the face.

3. Have the model a few meters behind a street light. As in the previous instruction, you want the street light to evenly illuminate the face, instead of the light illuminating the model in a vertical fashion (which creates shadows).

4. While street lights are very bright, you will still have a difficult time with camera shake. These types of photo shoots are best with models who can pose naturally while remaining still.

5. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, with the lowest "f" number. Secure the tripod, and adjust your ISO if you feel the shutter speed is too long to create a sharp image. Do not increase your ISO too much however, as you will get a poor quality image that will make skin look blotchy.

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NO TRIPODS ALLOWED!

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Many great buildings of the world allow photography, but no tripod usage. Using a flash is often worthless, so instead, try the following the next time you are in a location such as the attached photo of St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest:

With a wide angle lens, set your camera to Aperture Priority, and the lens f-stop number to f8. Set your lens to manual focus, and focus the lens to infinity. Place the camera on self-timer mode. Now, place your camera on the floor, in the middle of the room, hall, church, or whatever interior you are photographing. The lens should be pointing to the ceiling, lying on its back. You are now ready to release the shutter. Wait for the self-timer to kick in, and you will have a very sharp and precise photograph.

If you do not want a perfectly vertical interior photograph, use a purse, jacket, or any other soft material to prop up the front of your lens. This will give you an angled photograph. For a near-vertical shot place a small strip of fabric under the camera body (instead of the lens), which will give you a less-than perpendicular angle, similar to my attached example photo.

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FRAMED PORTRAITS

I am currently in Hungary, teaching photography and filmaking to international students. We have visited many fascinating locations, including this wonderful Greek-Catholic church. I asked through a translator if I could create a portrait of the priest, and he was happy to oblige.

This post is simply an encouragement to seek out backgrounds or surroundings that can frame your subject in a centered fashion. I love this type of framing device, and feel it often conveys a great sense of power and authority.

Good luck!

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Mark can be hired as a photographer or filmmaker via www.hemmingshouse.com

EMPTY SPACE

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While it is often not advisable to take photographs like the attached sample image, in certain circumstances strange compositions can be quite valuable as art photography. I took this photo in Amsterdam, during a time when people from every house would open their windows and play a musical instrument. The melody was prearranged by a central conductor on a tall crane. The sound was haunting and beautiful.

I felt that the surreal aspects of the musical endeavor required an equally surreal composition. Giving more weight to the clouds encourages the viewer to ask more questions of the artist, which is always a good thing (regardless of a negative or positive response).

Experiment with different compositions, and don't feel bad when your photography club or association judges you harshly. A lot of the time the judges wish that they too could express such freedom in their work!

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STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

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If you are hoping to get represented by a stock photography agent, it is often wise to wait until you have at least 500 print-worthy photographs.

One type of photo that should be included in an initial submission to an agency are pictures that can work as metaphors. As with my image of the Rubik's Cube, there are many ways this photo could be published. The "pool" of potential clients is quite large concerning this photo, as it can illustrate so many varied written articles and advertisements.

For greater agency sales, look for photos that can appeal to the varied needs of art directors and media buyers around the world.

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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

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING ISSUES

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There may be times when you are required to photograph a person in a room lit entirely with fluorescent lights. If you cannot turn off the fluorescent lights and use studio strobes, or natural light, then a green gelatin sheet may be the right thing for you.

This sample photo was such that the model needed fill light, as the fluorescent lights were shining solely from above. If you currently don't have softboxes or umbrellas, you can still get a decent look by using your on-camera flash.

The first step is to order a square sheet of light green plastic from your camera store. These plastic sheets are also called gelatin filters or films. The reason they are so important for every photographer is that they transform your own daylight-balanced flash into a fluorescent-balanced flash. Ask for a dedicated fluorescent-balanced green gelatin filter sheet.

If, for example, I photographed this model using overhead fluorescent lights, but used a normal flash for the fill light, her face and body would turn out to be a different color than the rest of the room. Why is this? Fluorescent light is greenish in color, and your camera flash is normal white (also called daylight balanced). For you to give the model the same color tone as the room, you need to make your camera flash emit greenish color light. Simply take the green plastic gel that you purchased, and tape it over your flash!

The next step is to set your camera's white balance to the Fluorescent Light setting. This is indicated by a long fluorescent bulb icon. Put your camera on a tripod, compose the photo including the model, and take the photograph. In full Program or Auto mode the camera flash should act as a fill light, with the background room evenly exposed. If you need a brighter room, adjust your exposure compensation. If you need a brighter subject, adjust your flash's exposure compensation (check your manual to see if your camera has this feature).

Balanced light is very important when photographing people in interior locations. The only time you would not want balanced color tones is for artistic effect, which can also add greatly to your finished product.

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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