STREET 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.

When doing street photography, it is of utmost importance to have your camera ready to shoot. Great images present themselves all the time; most often we are fumbling with our cameras and miss the shot.

I took this shot last week in Mexico, and it was one of those images that can never be re-shot! The police turned a corner, and I had only 3 seconds to take the photo. I find that it is best (for me at least) to have the camera set to Aperture Priority, on the lowest "f" number, with the exposure compensation (+/-) set to +0.3. I set the white balance to Cloudy, to keep things warm. 

Try the above camera settings the next time you are traveling, and hopefully you will find that it is a fast combination, for capturing fleeting moments!

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

OVERHEAD 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.

I am on a theme of simplicity lately, so here is another one! When approaching the direction of a project, begin the experimentation with as few variables as possible. Keep everything minimal to begin with, and increase the complexity of lighting as needed.

This illustrative image was lit with only one overhead light. I tried the same composition with additional lights, but the photos weren't nearly as dramatic. This minimalist tip is good news for those on a budget . . . never be dismayed by your lack of gear; use what you have and put your soul into it!

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

SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY

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 a potential composition allows for perfect, or near perfect symmetry, carefully adjust your camera and tripod so that all major lines are either vertical or horizontal.

When the image is perfectly lined up, try to include an off-center subject within the symmetrical composition. This creates an interesting scenario where you have two unique compositional styles in one photo: symmetry and asymmetry.

This photo was taken last year during a trip to Hungary. It is at the Budapest Museum of Fine Art, in the ancient Rome and Greek hall.

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

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