CLARITY TOOL

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 will be times when a commercial shoot will result in an image that is unavoidably low-contrast. If you need to photograph two dimensional subjects, such as this antique flag, you may find that even a high contrast in-camera setting does not provide the clarity that is required. Thus, in Photoshop RAW we can use the "Clarity" slider to help with our mid-tones.

Set your camera to shoot in its RAW setting, and open the resultant file in Photoshop. In most cases, the program will be set up so that the RAW converter handles the file prior to opening the normal Photoshop screen. You will find a slider called "Clarity", and by taking it to the right you will see the mid tones increase in contrast, while keeping the highlights and shadows relatively untouched.

This tool is an easy and quick way to do mid-tone contrast adjustments to flat, washed out subject matter.

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

THREE LIGHT SETUP

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 took this photo for a local auction where the public bids on hiring a chef, who will come to their home to cook a meal (thus the chef's knife and wine glass!). For location portraits, it is often beneficial to have a triangular pattern of lighting. One light should be in front of the subject slightly off-center, and two lights on either side of the subject, placed slightly to the rear.

The rear lights should be behind the subject, but placed so that a sliver of light illuminates both the left and right side of the subject's head. If you try this triangular lighting technique and find that the light is far too bright on the two sides of the subject's head, simply increase the frontal light, or decrease the rear light output.

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

NIKON D90 VIDEO REVIEW

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.

From time to time I will be giving my thoughts on Nikon and their foray into video. Despite the technical limitations of the camera, I have been able to get some really dynamic footage from three different countries so far. When it is finished, I will include on this blog a short film that I did in Japan, solely using the D90.

This blog entry is simply a reminder to check your footage for any potentially interesting still images! Even though HD video is not a great resolution for making prints, it is certainly fine for web viewing. This evocative still image is of my assistant Jon, as he was standing in while getting the manual focus right. I find the D90 has a nice "cinematic" look to it, and I am looking forward to the next offering from Nikon.

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

COLORED LIGHTING

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 add drama to any product photography you may be asked to do, try using a combination of light colors. This only works however when the two types of colors are not mixed together. For example, the glass color of the bottle of wine was green, so I accentuated the green bottle by illuminating the back of the bottle with green light. The front of the bottle had a white label, so it was important to illuminate the front of the bottle with normal white balanced light (5500 Kelvin).

 

The best way to experiment with color effects is to purchase "colored gels". Any professional camera store can order these for you, and the most common are blue, green, and orange. They are sheets of colored plastic that you place in front of your light to change the color. As mentioned above, certain parts of objects may need to always remain normal white. You can do this by simply not using colored gels on that particular part of the object.

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

LAB ENVIRONMENTS

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 you are ever requested to shoot in a lab environment, or other sterile location such as commercial kitchens or hospitals, always do your best to have a brighter background than foreground.

The lighter background will accentuate the viewers feeling of cleanliness and professionalism. A darker background will appear slightly depressing, and not as sterile. To get this shot, I used a Nikon speedlight and placed it on remote firing. When my normal studio strobe fired in the lab, the small Nikon flash fired inside the glass enclosure (behind the model). Had I not illuminated this background, the image would have lost almost all of its value.

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

NIKON D5000 OPINIONS

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 excited this morning when I discovered that the D5000 was in fact a reality! Very few people have seen this camera, as it is not released yet, but by reading the specs I will share my thoughts:

1. The swivel screen is excellent for photographing in large crowds where you need to raise the camera above your head (press scrums, concerts, etc.), and also great for seeing what you are filming with the video feature.

2. The camera will work very well for snapshots of people using the built-in flash, in Auto mode. My assumptions are based on the D90's excellent performance in full Auto mode, while taking family pics at birthday parties and other non-professional events. This camera, while not in the D90 class, will no doubt equal the D90 in its D-Lighting and flash balancing capabilities.

3. The video will probably be of the same quality as the D90; not so great with regards to the Jello-like effects of "rolling shutter", but very decent for low depth-of-field effects when using fast prime lenses.

4. It will be a great travel camera, just like the D90. It is small, light, unobtrusive, and relatively inexpensive considering its many features. Up until last year I would take my large professional camera bodies on international trips. I don't do this anymore; my last two trips were shot entirely on the Nikon D90, with great results.

5. Do you have a family with small children? The D5000 may be perfect for you. The video capability will be much easier than the D90 due to the swivel screen, and as mentioned above, the camera is feature-packed, inexpensive, lightweight, and it looks easy to use.

To get more information on this camera, do a Google search for "D5000". DP Review is also a great source for a more detailed study of the camera. The comments section is open, feel free to discuss and ask any questions!

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

DELETE LATER!

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.

The attached photo taken in Tokyo a few weeks ago is one of my favorites, yet is very much unacceptable according to compositional rules and common practices. The photo wasn't planned to be a statement against established picture-space guidelines; it was a mistake! I saw the two girls crossing the street from a distance, so I quickly climbed up on top of a tall curb, but missed the shot. They were in the photo, but I wasn't quick enough to compose properly.



I was about to delete the image, but decided it would be best to wait until I reviewed all the images at my hotel. When I got the shot on the screen, I changed my opinion, and decided I would continue its existence!

This is simply a reminder to be very cautious when deleting digital images in the camera. It is often best to delete them after reviewing on a computer monitor. This time period will also give you greater perspective on what images have value, and which ones do not.


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