SINGLE LIGHT SOURCES

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 confronted by the challenge to photograph objects, either for commercial jobs or for your own portfolio projects, the tendency is to overcomplicate the lighting.

This wine bottle was a commercial job, and the reflective glass posed a lot of challenges. I tried lighting it with up to five different strobes, and nothing was working. I finally gave up and put one single strobe over the bottle, and I was amazed at the difference. Less is more! 

Try to simplify your lighting setups. It will save you time and a lot of frustration.

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

POST PROCESSING

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.

A quick tip on post processing for a dream-like effect:

Give the photo a very slight diffusion with Guassian Blur (but not too much!), then increase the contrast, and boost the saturation.

Make sure the color cast is on the warm side, meaning more red and orange, rather than blue.

These simple techniques can be found in almost any image editor, and can often rescue bland photographs.


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

REDUCING SHARPNESS

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 it comes to issues of photo sharpness, almost always the subject deals with techniques to increase the sharpness of a particular image. I have found that digital images are often TOO sharp, and this detracts from their fine-art potential.

If your subject matter is more artistic than documentary in style, why not try a slight out-of-focus technique? It is very easy . . . simply focus on the subject normally, and then switch the lens to Manual Focus. At this point you only need to rotate the lens focus ring slightly. The results are a more organic, film-like look.

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

STOCK SKY IMAGES

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.

Here is a short but useful tip: when you are outside taking pictures, grab a few shots of nice cloud formations. 

You can use these photos to rescue bland, overcast exterior photographs that have blown-out, white skies. As long as you do the layering (in Photoshop or other editor) judiciously, you can produce a reasonably realistic landscape or exterior architectural image.

The more stock photos of clouds that you have in your collection, the easier it is to match with various exterior scenes. If you are unaware of the process of Layering, do a web search for Photoshop Layers. With a bit of practice you should be able to get the hang of it in a few hours!

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

TEXTURED BACKGROUNDS

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 always enjoy using textured backgrounds for fashion photo shoots. Wallpaper in old houses, curtains, or any fabric that has a certain amount of relief, or three dimensionality, can make for intriguing backgrounds. Flat, or non-textured backgrounds are not has photogenic, as there are no 'ridges' in the material to catch the light. When directional light encounters a bump or ridge in background fabric, there will always be a resultant miniscule shadow created. It is the shadows and highlights of a background that will give the appearance of depth, even in relatively flat objects such as sheets.

Remember that the appearance of depth on fabric will not be visible when light is pointed at a 90 degree angle (or straight on). You need to point the directional light at a sharp angle, 45 degrees or less. The slighter the angle, the more texture will be visible. 

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

GROUP 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 was hired to photograph wrestlers for a television series, and the requirements were individual photos of each wrestler, and a group shot. Group shots can be difficult because people in the middle, and people on the ends of the group often receive inconsistent lighting. Depending on the subject matter, it may be best to photograph the models individually, and paste them into a group setting using software like Photoshop.

This process can be tedious, because you will need to cut each model away from their background. The simplest way to do this (but not always the most accurate) is to use the Magnetic Lasoo tool.

My graphic design skills are somewhat basic, and I know of many professional designers who are masters of this process (and could do a far better job than I). Do not be intimidated by this process however . . . it is a useful skill to practice and learn. The major benefit that I can see is consistent lighting for each model. It would be impossible to get this hyper-real lighting if the wrestlers were all lined up together in a group during the photograph.

This type of photographic graphic design is quite common in the movie industry. Whenever you rent a movie, take a look at the DVD cover photos, or movie posters. 90% of the time the actors were photographed in a studio at different intervals, and later placed together for the final product; a group photograph of people who were never in a group to begin with.

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

DEFOCUSED 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.

In 1999 I lived in Nagano, Japan, working as a photographer while my wife was working as a teacher. Every week I would take the bullet train to Tokyo, and spend time in the various subway stations learning the art of street photography. I was particularly taken with the odd and wonderful results of photographing people out-of-focus.



The results were often ethereal and dream-like; long skinny arms, legs, and necks, and due to fluorescent lighting, odd color balances.

To try this technique, always have your lens at the lowest f-number, and of course in manual focus. Overexposure is also important, as this type of photography loses it's appeal if exposed properly.

Have fun experimenting!
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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