
Monday, July 6, 2009
RAINY DAY PHOTOS

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
NIKON 35mm LENS & FOOD PHOTOS


Tuesday, June 23, 2009
ELEMENTS OF COMPOSITION

- Line - the visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece
- Shape - areas defined by edges within the piece, whether geometric or organic
- Color - hues with their various values and intensities
- Texture - surface qualities which translate into tactile illusions
- Direction - visual routes which take vertical, horizontal or diagonal paths
- Size - the relative dimensions and proportions of images or shapes to one another
- Perspective - expression of depth: foreground, middle ground, background
- Space - the space taken up by (positive) or in between (negative) objects
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
CARACAS MODERN

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

Monday, June 1, 2009
BACKGROUND SHADES

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
OVERHEAD PHOTOS

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
CLARITY TOOL

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
THREE LIGHT SETUP

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
NIKON D90 VIDEO REVIEW

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
COLORED LIGHTING

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
LAB ENVIRONMENTS

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
NIKON D5000 OPINIONS

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
DELETE LATER!

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.
To see more photography by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
MIRRORS AND DEPTH

Monday, March 23, 2009
BLUE COLOR CAST

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
EARLY MORNING SCENES

If you are photographing natural scenes with flowing water, try very early in the morning. There are a number of advantages to getting up at such an hour: you will get a cool blue color cast, your water will flow soft and silk-like (due to long exposures), you will most likely get mist over the water, and the final product will be unique, as no one else will be waking up at such an unreasonable hour!
When using a tripod, make sure that you use a self-timer or remote shutter release to take the photo. Your hand touching the shutter release button can cause camera shake, which may be detrimental to the final image.
To see more Japan photos by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings
Monday, March 9, 2009
JAPANESE ART AESTHETICS

This type of imagery is powerful, as all of the viewer's efforts at comprehending the image are compressed downward to the small (but potent) subject matter. Give it a try!
To see more photos of Japan by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
HARSH SUN, DEEP SHADOWS

If you are in mid-day sun, and you feel uninspired due to the harsh lighting, why not use the weather to your advantage? Create a low-fi image by increasing your camera's contrast, underexposing, boosting saturation, and finally, taking the picture slightly out of focus.

My sample image is quite deficient compared to the Buena Vista image, but it gives you an idea of what is possible when you purposefully take technically poor pictures! Sometimes you will get gems that turn out to be quite profitable.
Click here to see Mark Hemmings website. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Monday, February 16, 2009
WATER FOUNTAINS

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
OVERHEAD LIGHTING

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY

Monday, January 26, 2009
SINGLE LIGHT SOURCES

Tuesday, January 20, 2009
POST PROCESSING

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
REDUCING SHARPNESS

Monday, January 5, 2009
STOCK SKY IMAGES

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
TEXTURED BACKGROUNDS
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.
All Photos Copyright Mark Hemmings. To see more work by Mark, CLICK HERE
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
GROUP PHOTOS

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
DEFOCUSED PHOTOS

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!
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
HIGH CONTRAST - SHINY OBJECTS

Instead of taking a normally exposed photo that has excessively white shiny reflections, why not dramatically underexpose the photo? This technique will increase the appearance of contrast, and will keep tonal information in the bright white sections of the photograph. This technique will also add to the "fine art" aspect of your image.
These sleek machines are Japanese bullet trains called Shinkansen, photographed in Tokyo Station using T-Max P3200 B&W film.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
MAGAZINE STYLE PHOTOS

When people are in the photograph it is often advisable to have them walking, which increases the dynamic aspect of the composition. For a grounding effect, placing stationary people in the background can add to the static/dynamic balance.
If you were to use a flash for my above sample photograph, the people would have a sort of "ghost trail" moving ahead of their bodies. It does not look pleasing! Instead, the technique used is to have your camera on a tripod with no flash or strobe, and experiment with different shutter speeds (or different walking speeds), until you get a motion blur that is not too abstract, and not too still. A good shutter speed to start with is 1/2 second.
If there were no people in the photograph, studio strobes would be helpful to create a more even balance between the large volume of window light, and lesser intensity of interior lighting. While you can certainly still use models with flash or strobe lighting, they will be "frozen" in place, which may reduce the image's marketability.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
CONTROLLING LENS FLARE

It is the lens flare however that makes the photograph for me. This technique is easily done, and the results will always be unique:
1. Overexpose the photograph.
2. Do not have the sun in the composition, but place it just millimeters outside of the frame.
3. You can control (to a certain extent) how the flare will behave by moving your own physical position.
4. Take the picture! If the image is too dark, overexpose more.
This technique is easy to do, and is especially helpful for winter scenes. Make sure you do not look at sun through your viewfinder. For those of you with newer D-SLR cameras with LiveView, you can compose via the screen. Good luck!
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
BLUE/YELLOW POLARIZER

The reflective surface in this photo is the flowing stream. The polarizing filter gave it a warm, dreamlike hue, which can save a potentially boring nature photograph. The blue version of the stream looked equally intriguing, but for my purposes I stayed with the warmer version (it was photographed for a real estate company promoting their natural surroundings).
While these filters are hyper-realistic, they are very fun to work with, and can often perform miracles on dreary days. Most filter companies offer this polarizer, and they can be purchased at any professional camera store.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
EARLY MORNING SNOWFALL

The best time to capture exterior winter photographs is the morning after a snowfall. Here are some tips:
1. You only have a 20 minute window when the outdoor ambient light levels equal the light levels of the building(s) you are photographing. Thus, you should be outside and ready to photograph even when it is dark.
2. Auto exposure should be fine. The blue of the snow, and the orange of the artificial lights should evenly mix what your camera's white balance computer suggests as an appropriate color temperature.
3. Use a tripod and a remote shutter release of some sort, and set your camera to f8, in Aperture Priority mode. You may then have to adjust the +/- exposure compensation buttons to fine tune the exposure after a test shot.
4. As soon as there is a small amount of sky light, you should start shooting. At first, the building's artificial lights will be much brighter than the snow. Then a few minutes later, the photo will be balanced perfectly. Five to ten minutes after your well-balanced photo, you will find that the conditions are no longer adequate for a balanced picture. The snow will be far brighter than the building's lights, and the romantic scene will be greatly lessened due to (relatively) darker artificial exterior lights.
5. While I do not tend to use them, sometimes a softening filter can be useful to make the photo even more dreamy.
6. The only downside to this technique is the pain of waking up early on a snowy cold morning. This laborious aspect of the photo shoot wanes after you start to see the fantastic scene through your viewfinder! It is a great joy to make a photograph during a time of day that almost no one else gets to witness.
I took this photo in the picturesque village of Mt. Tremblant, in Quebec.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
FREEZING WATER

The strobe of light will stop all motion, and will dramatically enhance the stainless steel background. Normal house interior lighting is often not adequate to get a bold, sharp photo with a neutral color cast. Make sure, however, not to simply point your camera flash at the water. It should be diffused or reflected off of a very large surface. One idea is to shoot your flash into a large piece of white bristol board that is angled for the water, or another option is to shoot the flash through large diffusion material such as a bedsheet.
As always, I try to make these posts accessible to those who cannot afford professional gear. When the time comes to buy your first light kit, spend the money to get the largest softbox you can afford. The larger the softbox, the better the picture (in most cases!)
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, October 27, 2008
INDUSTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

If you are ever in the position to take photographs in industrial areas, here are a few tips:
1. Cooler tones are almost always better than warmer tones for metal products.
2. Look for traditional, bold compositions. Experimental compositions may not work as well for this type of photography; you are ideally looking for compositional 'power' that is a result of thirds or symmetrical compositions.
3. Overcast days tend to be better for steel. There are exceptions of course, but this has been my experience.
4. Tripods are essential even on very bright days, due to the need for architecturally straight lines.
5. High contrast settings on cameras or in post processing tends to look better than normal contrast.
6. While low depth of field lens aperture options are attractive for most images, I find that industrial locations with plenty of steel look best with apertures of f8 or f11. Industrial photography is very similar to architectural photography in that sense.
And finally, keep your equipment clean! Such environments tend to wear out your equipment sooner than normal locations. Here are some more photographs from my other company, Industrial Photographic Services. Hopefully they can be of additional help to you.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
COMPOSITIONAL ALIGNMENT

The only obvious straight line of any length is the yellow beam on the right side of the photo. By lining the edge of my camera's viewfinder with the straight wall beam, I was able to get an accurate composition. Keep an eye out for straight lines, either vertical or horizontal, to use as guides. If your camera has the option of turning on a grid display within the viewfinder, it would be wise to make use of it.
Some people have had success with bubble levels that fit on a camera's hotshoe, but I have found that the bubble is too small to allow for great accuracy. If all else fails however, there are always straightening tools in Photoshop. It is best though to get the photo composed perfectly the first time, as Photoshop straightening will slightly reduce the photo's resolution.
The room at the top of the stairs in this photo can be yours for a week! James Wilson and I are leading a photography tour to the Spanish Colonial town of San Miguel, and we are staying in this lovely Mexican villa. For more information on our international photography tours, please click here:
http://www.markhemmings.com/japan_photo_tour/index.htm
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
NIKON D90 REVIEW

The Nikon D90 is my new travel companion for a number of reasons. Here are a few:
1. It is inexpensive compared to similar 12 MP DSLR's
2. It is very lightweight, and small, which is great for traveling
3. It takes SD cards which are more readily available than CF, and are cheaper
4. While not 14-bit, the 12-bit sensor creates imagery almost as good as the Pro D3
5. It records manual focus HD video, great for travel locations
The video has some issues that would keep it from being used professionally, however it is excellent for creating fine art short films, travel videos, and family films. I have had great success using a 50mm lens shooting video at f1.4, which gives the final product a more film-like appearance as opposed to the plasticky look of video.
The less than $1200 price tag makes this a great camera for all levels. Professionals will find it helpful as a back-up in case of emergencies, travel photographers will like it because of the quality and because it is a "safer" camera to have on the streets, and amateurs will like it because it is simple to use and very effective. To sum up: It is cheap enough to not be a disaster if it was broken or stolen, and good enough for many professional applications. That mix makes the camera ideal for travel, as you need both elements (quality and expendability) for a successful trip.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, October 6, 2008
OVERCAST SKIES
Overcast days are wonderful for Fall foliage, but the addition of that dull gray blob of a sky can seriously detract from your great image. Why not just crop out the sky? If the sky is not an integral part of your composition, or the desire of your art director, just get rid of it (or leave a small slice like the sample photo). Give it a try! Your photo will be much better for it.Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, September 29, 2008
REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASES
Proper street photography is always unplanned and spontaneous. I subscribe to this ethos 95% of the time, except for the following scenario: a perfect location with no people around! This old picturesque part of Kyoto is called Ishibe Koji, and it is a great delight for exploring both night and day. There were no people around (unbelievably!) when I was there, which was disappointing due to the great scene. So I set up my camera on a tripod, composed the shot, and attached a remote cable release. After waiting about 10 minutes eventually this well-suited and unaware model walked into my frame. I quickly took the picture and got what I wanted.The advantage of using a remote shutter release (either cable or infrared) is its unobtrusive means of tripping the shutter. In fact, you don't even need to be looking through the camera, just trip the shutter as soon as someone enters the scene.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, September 22, 2008
BALANCING INTERIOR LIGHT
Interior photography can be very challenging, as you are often forced to photograph during the worst possible times. The ideal scenario is low, warm, directional sunlight flooding the interior of the location with soft pleasing light. Yet this may only happen 3 days out of the week, and only for a brief 1 hour window! That is why interior photographers need to learn how to work proficiently even in the worst conditions, such as rain, fog, unflattering sunlight, and harsh interior lights.The sample photo is an image that I took at a boutique hotel in the Laurentian mountains. The day was overcast and dreary, and somewhat uninspiring. The challenge was to get the interior lamp-light to match the intensity of the exterior light. Often you will have either an interior light that is not nearly bright enough compared to the outside natural light, or you will have an evening photo shoot where the interior lamp illumination is far too bright relative the the exterior evening light. If the latter is your challenge, you can either switch light bulbs to a lower watt bulb, or you can simply purchase a very simple tool called a cord dimmer switch. This useful addition to your gear collection is very inexpensive and highly useful. The cord is about $15, and works as an intermediate extension cord between the wall socket and the lamp's own power cord. This extension cord has a dimmer switch built in, so you can adjust the light bulb's illumination to balance with the exterior light. You can purchase these dimmers at most hardware stores, and I just recently saw some on Ikea's website. Do a product search for "Cord dimmer switch".
Conclusion: Keep a few high wattage household bulbs with your gear, in case you need more light power when you are photographing at your location. If you find the high wattage bulb is too strong compared to external light levels, simply lower the light intensity with the dimmer switch. (Note - I haven't tried this technique with the newer household fluorescent bulbs).
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, September 15, 2008
THE 50mm PRIME LENS
For readers who have been with me from the start, please forgive me for revisiting the 50mm prime lens. I believe the lens is great enough to warrant an additional posting.Prime (or fixed) lenses do not have any zoom; they are locked into a viewing angle that forces you to physically move back or forth to get the right composition. While many people would find this inconvenient, the advantages to prime lenses far outweigh the few drawbacks.
Canon and Nikon both make excellent 50mm lenses with f-stop setting of f1.2, f1.4, f1.8. 50mm prime lenses are great in low-light situations, they are very small and portable, they are extremely sharp and relatively inexpensive, and they are light weight compared to many zoom lenses. One could also argue that they will last much longer than zoom lenses, as there are fewer movable parts within the lens construction.
This particular image was taken at a hotel spa with poor lighting. The interior was dark and dreary, with fluorescent lights and only a small window to the outside. I was confronted with the challenge of lighting the model in the cramped space, and after a few unsuccessful attempts at using studio lights, I pulled out the 50mm lens.
If you are in a similar situation with less than ideal lighting, yet there is at least one window, try the following:
1. Place the camera on a steady tripod, and use a remote shutter release to avoid camera shake. If you do not have a remote shutter release, use your camera's self timer (also called a 10 second timer on some models).
2. Place the model so that the window is on the side and slightly behind him or her. The reason the window should be behind the model is to illuminate the background for a soft, pleasing look.
3. Place a large reflector on the other side of the model, closer to you camera. The reflector should be bouncing window light onto the darker side of the model.
4. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, and the lens to it's lowest f-stop number. If you have a 50mm lens, set it to f1.4 or f1.8, depending on the model that you have.
5. Turn off all the lights in the room. This is essential, as you do not want to mix different color temperatures. Window light is normal daylight, whereas interior light bulbs are either tungsten or fluorescent, which are yellowish and greenish respectively.
6. Your camera's white balance can be set to "cloudy", which will warm up the potentially cool daylight coming in from the window(s).
7. If the room is particularly dark, the shutter speed will be very slow. For this photo, the shutter stayed open for 3 seconds just to get enough light to fill the room. That is why it is essential to trip the shutter without touching the camera. Remember to ask the models to remain perfectly still.
After you take the photo, you should get a pleasing image similar to my sample photograph, with a low depth of field appearance, and soft, warm backlighting. Other great prime lenses that are similar to the 50mm lens is the 105mm, 85mm, 35mm, 28mm, and 20mm. Lenses that are wider than 20mm tend to be quite expensive, but equally proficient. If you are on a tight budget, do not discount the idea of purchasing used prime lenses. I would only encourage used lens purchases from professional camera stores however, as you will have at least a few weeks of warranty if something goes wrong with the lens.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, September 8, 2008
TONED PHOTOGRAPHS
Today's lesson is very simple and short; if you want to photograph an object that has great design characteristics, but is bland in color and tone, try adding a bluish color cast to the photo. This technique is especially useful for metallic objects that have lost their shine.Simply turn your white balance setting to the "lightbulb" icon, which is also called Incandescent or Tungsten. This will give your photograph new life, and give you a new avenue of expression!
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, September 1, 2008
INTRODUCTION TO LAYERS
For those of you who are already well versed in Layers, you may find this information of little value. However, if you are just now starting to learn the value of Layers in Photoshop or other programs, I would encourage you to keep learning!I created this sample photo to give you an idea of what is possible utilizing layers:
#1. This is the base exposure, which also included the cobblestone road. At the time, there were no people walking on the street.
#2. As my camera was firmly fixed on my tripod, I took photo #2 of the person walking down the sidewalk. The camera exposure remained the same as the first photo, which is essential (manual exposure for this process is very helpful).
#3. I waiting a little longer for this next group of people to walk into frame. Again, they were exposed with the same amount of light as #1 and #2.
#4. This fourth photo was of a horse and carriage that went by. That part of the photo seemed empty, so the addition of the wagon was very much welcomed.
#5. This part of the photo was incredibly overexposed. It was too bright and too harsh, so I underexposed the photograph to even things out.
In Photoshop, I now had 5 separate photographs available to cut and paste. The final image is a well-exposed, relatively dynamic travel image. There are many great on-line resources on how to actually create Layers in Photoshop, so do a search and start opening up your horizons! I have found that the greatest advantage of Layers (for me) is the ability to get even exposure throughout the whole photograph, and add people to the photograph in a very natural way.
Finally, for those of you who are valiantly protesting in your mind regarding the ethics of this type of photo manipulation, it is time for you to realize that almost every advertising image you see in the entire world is manipulated to some degree. If you don't don't ascribe truth to advertising photographs to begin with, you won't have those ethical questions to deal with.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, August 25, 2008
COLOR HUE PERCEPTION
In the past, a great frustration of mine when dealing with yellow subjects was the color's propensity to shift toward a greenish color cast. This was not necessarily the fault of the subject, or the color itself; mainly it was a result of different devices (monitors, printers, scanners, cameras) interpreting colors in different ways. I find that often, but not always, subjects that appear true yellow on Mac screens have a slight greenish tinge when the same image is viewed on PC screens.There is an entire industry centered around the quest for color consistency. If you do not have the means to purchase color calibrating tools for your monitors, you may have to do it the old fashioned way; check your image on as many different platforms, screens, and browsers as possible.
I work on Mac computers, but I also have a PC which I use to view my images for color correction purposes. For images that will be viewed on the web, I will often see what the pictures look like on Firefox, Safari, Explorer, and maybe other lesser used browsers.
Even though this may seem like a laborious process, after a few tries you will intuitively know how your own screen's colors match with your viewers around the world, and you will be able to color correct your images accordingly. For example, if your yellows appear slightly greenish, add a bit of magenta to counter the green.
It may be wise for you to memorize the color wheel, as it will speed up your editing time. You will, for example, know immediately that if your photo is too reddish, you will need to add cyan. For a quick overview of the color wheel that photographer use (different for painters!), see below:
Red is opposite to Cyan
Green is opposite to Magenta
Blue is opposite to Yellow
Thanks to Adrienn Nagy for showing me this 1960's modern cottage located on the Maros river, in Hungary.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, August 18, 2008
WIDE ANGLE PERSPECTIVE
If you desire to create a graphic, or metaphor-laden image, try using a very wide angle lens. The perspective distortion on wide angle lenses removes the subject from reality, and may take your image from documentary to illustration.This technique is especially evident and useful when the lens focus is on a part of the subject that protrudes, or is extended radically toward the camera lens (see attached photo). That which is closest to the wide angle lens will appear accentuated and large, in relation to the background.
This illustrative photo was a group project by Sue Furlong, Lauchlan Ough, and myself, commissioned by the International Youth Media Summit, in Belgrade, Serbia.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, August 11, 2008
BLUE COLOR CAST
This may be obvious to most readers, but if you have subject matter that is inherently depressing, choose a blue color cast. This image of a bullet ridden building (kept un-repaired as a monument I believe) has a haunting and sad feel. I chose an incandescent or tungsten white balance setting, which on most cameras is signified by a little light bulb icon.Give this color balance option a try, and you may find that it adds more mood and atmosphere to many of your photos.
The building is in the castle district in Budapest, Hungary.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, August 4, 2008
WARM/COOL TONES
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.
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, July 28, 2008
PEOPLE PHOTOS AT NIGHT
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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Tuesday, July 22, 2008
NO TRIPODS ALLOWED!
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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Monday, July 14, 2008
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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Sunday, July 6, 2008
EMPTY SPACE
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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Monday, June 30, 2008
STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
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.
Email this Blog to a friend! To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS
Monday, June 23, 2008
FLUORESCENT LIGHTING ISSUES
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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Monday, June 16, 2008
OLD AND NEW EXPRESSIONS
This is a still image from a new film I am working on, using a similar stop-motion animation technique as my film entitled GEIST.This time I am experimenting with using an old mid-20th century twin lens reflex camera made by Yashica.
Today's blog entry is not a photography lesson, rather an encouragement to start photographing and thinking in very non-traditional ways. For photography as art, don't worry about sharpness and technical accuracy; soul is far more important.
Use materials that have appeared in the past, and mix them with present day materials. With experimentation you should be able to come up with some very intriguing results! With a mind-numbing mass of good photographers around the world, you need to really provide the world with a solid and unique look. This may be the hardest part in any photography career. If you are at this stage, my encouragement is to read old photography magazines, and current fashion, lifestyle, art, and design magazines. A mixture of past, present, and future influences can only help in molding your own individual style.
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Monday, June 9, 2008
UNEXPECTED RESULTS
I feel very grateful that I thoroughly enjoy photographing almost all of the commercial assignments that I receive. This is no doubt due to the trust that my clients have in my abilities, which allows me to experiment and find new ways of presenting normal subjects.I am asked to photograph wine and food fairly regularly, and I always enjoy the task because it forces me to out-do my last job. This delicious 2004 Argentinian Alfa Crux Malbec had me stumped, as nothing was working out. The lighting was uninspired, and I couldn't seem to go beyond the look of a normal documentary style product shot.
I unintentionally placed one of my umbrellas behind the bottle, rearranging the studio to try for a different light setup. I did a test shot just to make sure my wireless units were working, and to my surprise found out that the umbrella itself worked as a decent (and unexpected) background! I fine-tuned the shot adding an additional frontal fill light, and gave the image to the client, who was very happy with the results.
I will be honest and admit that a good percentage of my best images are serendipitous. I am thankful for this, as I am well aware of my own limited capacities, and enjoy when the "Invisible Hand" takes over for me. I would encourage young photographers who are struggling with finding your creativity to purchase and read the book entitled The Artists Way. It may be a catalyst to take you from cerebral problem solving to right brain (and possibly spiritual) aptitude.
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Monday, June 2, 2008
ELIMINATING EMPTY SPACE
If empty space in a photograph is not needed for printed text, why not get rid of it? I find that horizontal photos can be given more power simply by cropping the relatively useless strips of space above and below the main action.I just took this interior for a client, and I knew ahead of time that the ceiling was a distraction because of the fans, and the extra empty floor made the tables and chairs less visually potent.
Greater authority is often possible when photographs in standard aspect ratio are given a slight panoramic crop treatment. I always admire dedicated Panoramic cameras, and how the thin, long slice of image holds one's attention slightly longer than our normal print sizes. I have seen it done very successfully with Nature photographers, and in my experience slight panoramics work equally well with horizontal Interior/Architecture photos.
Exceptions: While I am sure that many photographers have been successful at creating vertical panoramic crops, it has never worked out quite right for me. As for art directors, it may be wise to give them the un-cropped AND cropped version of the photo. If they need to add text to the image, they will have the space to do so at the top or bottom of the image.
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Monday, May 26, 2008
PHOTOGRAPHING THE SUN
I took this photo last week while walking through the woods. In this day of digital manipulation, I have witnesses to attest that this is exactly what we saw in the sky! It was a magnificent "sundog", a ring around the sun that happens on rare occasions.When photographing the sun, for any reason, here are a few tips:
1. Manually focus your lens to infinity. The brightness of the sun may confuse your autofocus sensors.
2. Set your exposure to Aperture Priority, and underexpose the photo by using your Exposure Compensation +/- dial. The camera's exposure computer will automatically underexpose the photo anyway, as a result of the incredibly bright sun. However, for more dramatic effect, you can use your exposure compensation to varying degrees.
3. Do not look at the sun through your camera viewfinder, as this can cause eye damage. Wear sunglasses, compose and shoot quickly.
4. You can experiment with different white balance settings (for digital) or colored filters (for film). Each change in color temperature offers a different emotion for the viewer.
5. Caution: I have experienced first-hand certain digital SLR's that have a very difficult time handling the extreme brightness of direct sunlight. If the resulting photo looks extremely off, without smooth tonal gradations, it may be best not to submit your camera's sensor to such abuse.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
EASY INTERIOR LIGHTING
It is my desire that these weekly lessons be profitable for photographers who want to make the leap from amateur to professional, but do not as of yet have the funds to buy all the necessary equipment. In this lesson I will show a very simple way to get decent interior photography results with minimal equipment.Two weeks ago I was asked by a client to help create an ad campaign that involved teenagers doing unwanted housework. While I used studio strobes for this shoot, I could have just as easily used the following inexpensive set-up:
(The first step is to make sure you have a removable camera flash, also called a speedlight. You will also need a very long extension PC Synch cord from your local camera store. Purchase the longest one possible. If your camera doesn't have a PC terminal, ask your camera store clerk for a hot shoe PC terminal adaptor)
1. Using a tripod, compose the photo so window light is acting as the main light source hitting the subject matter. Take a test photo and make sure the subject is well exposed.
2. On a piece of paper, write down the exposure of the photo that you just took (f-stop and shutter speed).
3. Change your camera exposure mode to manual, and use the same shutter and aperture numbers that are written down on your piece of paper.
4. Connect your external camera flash to the PC extension cord, and have a friend place it behind the subject at a fair distance. Do a test shot to make sure the flash fires when the picture is taken.
5. At this point, there is only one variable for exposure, and that is the power of the flash unit. Since your camera is in Manual mode, the majority of the exposure will remain the same from picture to picture. The flash exposure however, may be either too bright, or not bright enough. Ask your friend to increase or decrease the power of the flash unit until the back of the subject is evenly exposed.
6. As you can see in my example photo, the uni-directional back light of the flash unit is balanced well with the frontal window light. Because the flash unit from behind is usually harsh and direct, you will get shadows similar to the one created by the roll of paper towels. I like this look, as it creates a "sharp" and contrasty look to the photo, which is usually required for commercial jobs.
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