RAINY DAY PHOTOS

I would like to encourage you to take nature photographs when it is raining. Most photographers have a hard time with this because of the hassle, but it can be done by using a tripod and an umbrella. It is even better if you can convince a friend to come out and hold the umbrella! 

I have photographed Japanese bamboo forests many times in the last 10 years of my Japan travels. A rainy day in Kyoto initially looked like a disaster, until I started shooting. The colors of the bamboo were very rich, with a nice sheen and texture. I was pleasantly surprised! My day was salvaged by a simple introduction to watery surfaces. As long as you avoid including the sky in your composition, you will find that photographing nature scenes in the rain can be quite rewarding. Watery surfaces can provide a whole new dimension to old locations that you have photographed ad nauseam. If you are shooting macro scenes of flowers and plants on a dry but overcast day, try bringing a spray bottle full of water. The colors will pop out, and your shots will go from good to great!

To see Mark's photography, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

NIKON 35mm LENS & FOOD PHOTOS

A friend of mine recently bought the relatively new Nikon AF-S 35mm F1.8 lens. I have been using it lately for food photography, specifically menu items that don't need to be blown-up beyond 8x10 inches. The most important aspect of the lens for me is the ability to get in very close to the subject matter. The closest focus distance is 30 cm, which is quite valuable for certain types of food photography. The closer your lens is to the subject, the more options you have for creative depth of field experimentations.

While professional food photographers might not use this lens because it is not full frame (DX, used with normal consumer Nikon DSLR's), it is a great lens for practicing the art of food photography. A good way to start shooting food is to offer menu photography for your local diner or family-run restaurant. They probably won't have money to pay you, but why not work out food credit? When you get confident in your food lighting skills, and are ready to handle larger commercial jobs with dedicated photography budgets, you will already have a decent knowledge of how to present and light the dishes.

To see more photos by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings.

ELEMENTS OF COMPOSITION

Compositions can be created by many different design elements, such as color, texture, shapes, lines, differing sizes, etc. Next time you take a picture that you like, ask yourself which design elements are at work in this photograph. Sometimes fewer design elements are better, especially for Asian inspired scenes, and at other times the more compositional elements the better, such as high impact magazine ads. 

When I took this Barrios picture from a train station, the scene seemed happy and carefree. I looked behind me, and the same type of houses, on an almost identical mountain, seemed depressing and dangerous. Why the difference? The other neighborhood was in the shadow of the mountain, the houses weren't painted and there was a bit of cloud cover on that side.

Two almost identical scenes, but with vastly different emotions being portrayed. In this instance, color and brightness were the design elements that significantly altered the composition. The next time you are out shooting, use the following design elements to your advantage, and always work toward an image that portrays any kind of emotion. Below is a general list of design elements:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_(visual_arts)

• 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

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photographs copyright Mark Hemmings

CARACAS MODERN

Although not an expert, I am a big fan of mid-century modernist design, architecture, and art. A recent trip to Caracas, Venezuela was beneficial for me in many ways, especially as I was able to document modern design via still cameras and video. Caracas went through a modernization period in the 1950's that removed much of the Spanish Colonial style that is throughout Central and South America. While a trip to Caracas can easily be depressing to those who do not appreciate mid-century design, for those who are inclined, the city is quite valuable. 

The Humboldt Hotel is a great example; it was opened in 1957 by Perez Jiminez, but closed in 1970 due to shifting politics. Re-opened in 2002, the interior and exterior make for great photo opportunities. While the interior furnishings are new, I assume they are commensurate with what the hotel used to look like during its grand opening.

The photo lesson for today is an encouragement to always seek photo opportunities in places that you would normally consider unattractive. If you do your homework prior to departing for another country, you may be surprised by a newfound appreciation of the location's architecture, art and design history.

To see more photos by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

A few days ago I arrived home from filming a television documentary on the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra. We stayed for a week in Caracas, Venezuela, going to different neighborhoods doing interviews and photo sessions with the youth. 

Traveling to dangerous cities such as Caracas can be a challenge due to the high possibility of camera theft. I remember on past trips, especially to Japan, I would take a pro body such as the Nikon D2x, with a Nikon D70 as a back-up, with a 70-200 f2.8 pro lens, an 85mm, 50mm, and 12-24mm zoom. This made for a massive backpack, extremely heavy and uncomfortable.

Lately I have been traveling professionally with the least gear possible. I am not well versed with Canon equipment, but a Nikon D90 with an 18-200mm zoom has served me very well when on the road. I have always relied on the excellent quality of prime lenses, but zooms seem to be getting better each year. The D90 and 18-200 combination is adequate for almost all magazine work, and most stock agencies will except images from this equipment. And if it does get stolen or lost, it is a much easier pill to swallow than replacing a $10,000 professional Nikon body and lens!

While I haven't tried the new Nikon D5000, it might be an even better option for frequent travelers. It is small, light, can do decent travel videos, and is priced very well for its excellent image quality (based on my knowledge of the similar D90 CMOS sensor).

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

BACKGROUND SHADES

This studio backdrop is pure white in reality, but in this photograph it is gray. If all you have is a white wall to shoot against, you can change the shade of the background from pure white to dark grey. Simply move the model closer to, or further away from the wall.

If this subject was very close to the background, the wall would be pure white. If you don't want pure white, move the subject away from the wall. If your room is large enough, you will eventually get to the point where the white background has turned black.

How do you do this? Make sure that your studio lights are overpowering any ambient window or fixture lights. A good combination to start with is a shutter speed of approximately 1/200, and an aperture of f8. Place your lights slightly over the subject, in any direction that you choose. Make sure the lights aren't pointing toward the background. With this studio set-up, you should be able to effectively control the shade of the background simply by altering the position of the subject. This technique is very useful for photographers on a budget, as you will not need to purchase a gray background. 

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

OVERHEAD PHOTOS

This photo was taken by me a few years ago in a special section of Kyoto called Higashiyama. Because of the crowd, I needed to hold the camera over my head to get the shot. This technique can be very effective, but also troublesome when in autofocus. 

To insure you focus on what you want, even when you aren't able to see the scene through the viewfinder or rear screen, try the following:

While looking through the camera, autofocus on chosen subject. Then switch the camera to manual focus, place the camera over your head, and start shooting! The focus will remain constant while you try different compositions over your head. When you are done remember to switch the camera back to autofocus, if that is the mode that you usually use.

It is a simple tip, but it can very effective especially with darker scenes such as dusk and very early mornings. To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

CLARITY TOOL

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.

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

THREE LIGHT SETUP

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.

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

NIKON D90 VIDEO REVIEW

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.

Click Here to see Mark Hemmings website. All photos copyright M. Hemmings

COLORED LIGHTING

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.

To see more work by Mark Hemmings, click here.

LAB ENVIRONMENTS

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.

Click here to see more photographs by Mark Hemmings. All photographs copyright Mark Hemmings.

NIKON D5000 OPINIONS

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!

Click here to see Mark Hemmings website. 

DELETE LATER!

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.

To see more photography by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings.

MIRRORS AND DEPTH

If you are doing an interior photo shoot, and the locations have mirrors, why not use them to your advantage? Mirrors have a way of creating depth to an interior image, because they give the illusion that there are more rooms beyond the walls. If you have models in the shot, position them so that they are viewed multiple times in the same image.

I took this photo of a changing room in an oil refinery. While there were only two models present, I was able to get five people in the shot (reflection in the left mirror, two reflections in the right mirror, two actual models). It may take a bit of planning as to where you need the models to stand, but it will be worth it!

To see more photography by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings.

BLUE COLOR CAST

Each year I take people to Nagano, Japan, to photograph the famous Japanese Snow Monkeys. I took this photo last week, and was struck by the emotive quality of the image. This blog entry will be old news to many of my readers, but it is worth repeating. When you have a subject that is melancholic in nature, it is usually best to use a blue filter, or a color balance that produces a cool, blue-ish hue. This color tone will accentuate the moodiness of the image.

The day was overcast, and relatively neutral in color. By placing my digital camera on "tungsten" setting (light bulb icon), the image tone is changed from neutral to blue. If you are adept with using the Kelvin scale in your digital cameras, try a very low number, such as 3500 K.

I have never used the comments option on Blogger, but it is now open, and I will try to answer any questions or comments that are posted. Thanks!

To see more Japan images by Mark Hemmings, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings.

EARLY MORNING SCENES

Today is my last day in Japan, and I was blessed with snowfall in the mountains of Nagano. I was staying at a traditional inn with a beautiful outdoor natural hotspring bath. The water was very hot, and the air very cold due to the elevation and falling snow. I wanted to find the right time to photograph the bath, and chose one hour prior to sunrise.



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

JAPANESE ART AESTHETICS

I am teaching photography in Japan right now, and I took this image yesterday in Tokyo. I am reminded of the classic Japanese paintings that have a far greater percentage of empty space than subject matter. If you ever give yourself photo assignments, try this one out: find scenes that allow for 5%-10% subject matter, the rest of the scene being empty.



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

HARSH SUN, DEEP SHADOWS

Have you ever seen the cover photo for the Buena Vista Social Club? The scene is a Cuban street, with a man walking on one side, and an old classic American car on the other. The photo is not very good technically, but it is incredible aesthetically. The shadows are unacceptably deep, the photo is out of focus, and the man's face is hard to see. However it is one of my favorite images due to it's "soul" factor.



















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

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

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!

To see more of Mark Hemmings work, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

WATER FOUNTAINS

Each year I do international photography courses for those who want to learn more about their cameras, and how to take better travel photos. Right now I am in Mexico teaching a course, in the beautiful UNESCO designated San Miguel de Allende. 

Last night as we were walking back to our villa, we came across a recessed fountain that seemed to glow with a mysterious light. Although difficult to see in the small photo below, a stream of water was pouring from a carved mask, and the water was bubbling and moving as a result of the fountain. The water was illuminated from the bottom of the pool:

This lesson is about flowing water and long shutter speeds. When you are photographing a fountain, there are ways to change the bubbling water to a smooth sheet of luminescent liquid. This is done via a long shutter speed. Here are some tips to create a similar image:

1. Compose the scene with your camera on a tripod.

2. Manually focus on a point in the scene that is of primary interest, namely the pool of water.

3. Set your camera to Aperture Priority, and your lens to f22 (or the highest f-number available).

4. If the photo is taken at night, be prepared for a very long photo. The sample photo above took 30 seconds.

5. Take the photo, and when it is finished adjust the exposure compensation (+/-) if your image is either too bright or too dark.

6. You should now have a smooth, glowing image ready for framing!

Too see more of Mark's work, click here. All photos copyright M. Hemmings

OVERHEAD LIGHTING

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!

To see more of Mark Hemmings work, click here. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

SYMMETRY AND ASYMMETRY

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.

Visit Mark Hemmings Website. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

SINGLE LIGHT SOURCES

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.

POST PROCESSING

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.

REDUCING SHARPNESS

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.

Visit Mark Hemmings Website. All Photos copyright Mark Hemmings

STOCK SKY IMAGES

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!

Click Here for Mark Hemmings Website. All photos copyright Mark Hemmings

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

GROUP PHOTOS

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.

All photographs Copyright Mark Hemmings

DEFOCUSED PHOTOS

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!
Email this Blog to a friend. To see more photographs by Mark Hemmings, click here. ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHT MARK HEMMINGS

HIGH CONTRAST - SHINY OBJECTS

I love photographing shiny, curved objects such as metal, acrylic, and glass. These objects allow for a very high contrast appearance due to the reflective material's propensity to blow-out the highlights. This simply means that the bright reflective areas of shiny material will usually be pure white, with no color or tonal information. Most of the time this situation is undesirable; we almost always want at least a little bit of shade or color, even in the brightest highlights.




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.
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MAGAZINE STYLE PHOTOS

When shooting interiors for magazines, you will often use strobe lights if people are NOT in the photograph, and ambient light (windows and lightbulbs) if people ARE included in the images.



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

CONTROLLING LENS FLARE

One of my favorite non-photoshop techniques is lens-flare. This photo was a painful procedure for me, as it was extremely cold outside. It was no doubt enjoyable for the models however, relaxing in the nice warm outdoor hot tub! I love the result however, as the steam and snow accurately give the viewer a sense of the cold air, and warm water.



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!

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BLUE/YELLOW POLARIZER

This tip will be old news to many of my readers, but for those who have never heard of this filter, it is worthy of a post. The Blue/Yellow polarizing filter goes by a few different names, depending on the manufacturer. They all do a similar trick however, and create either a blue tone to reflective surfaces, or a yellow tone on the same surfaces, depending on how much you rotate the lens filter. I included one of my photos to illustrate, rotated to the Yellow side of the filter:



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

EARLY MORNING SNOWFALL

Although we haven't had our first snowfall in my city yet, hopefully this post will encourage you to prepare for great photo opportunities in the months ahead.



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.
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FREEZING WATER

Today's post is very simple and short, but might not be readily known by many photographers. When you are required to photograph moving water within a steel environment such as a sink, always use a flash.



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!)

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INDUSTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

As a result of an energy boom in my city, industrial photography is now a regular part of my business. I love this type of photography because it deals with shiny steel, bold architectural lines, and very graphic, aggressive visual elements.



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.

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COMPOSITIONAL ALIGNMENT

This interior shot of a Mexican villa was taken with a 17mm wide angle lens. When doing interior wide angle photography, it is helpful to locate a straight line in the architecture, and use this straight line as a reference point. Take a look at my photo below:

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

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NIKON D90 REVIEW

Awhile back I did a review of the Nikon D300, and concluded that for professionals it was an ideal back-up camera, but also a very acceptable option for professional and amateur travel photography. In the past I would take a very large camera while traveling (such as the D2x), which increased the weight I had to carry, and made me quite conspicuous on the streets. With the advent of the Nikon D300 I had a smaller camera body, but with a great 14-bit chip to record images that had challenging lighting.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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