Monday 30 September 2013

How to Setup a Photo Shoot

How to Setup a Photo Shoot

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

How to Setup a Photo Shoot

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 09:16 PM PDT

This article is aimed at the newbie and those who want to branch out into fashion or people photography. If you’re new to the genre, you need to get a portfolio of work together so potential clients can see what you have to offer.

1940s photo shoot

“1940″ captured by Daniel Leis (Click image to see more from Leis.)

We are going to presume that you’ve decided what it is you’re going to be photographing along with your idea and theme. I’m going to talk you through an idea for a photo shoot I did in college so I can tell you about how I planned it. I chose a 1940′s style pin-up.

So we’ve chosen our theme 1940s pin-up. Now we need to think about these things:

  1. How many models do we want to use?
  2. Who will do the hair and make up?
  3. Who will do the wardrobe styling?
  4. Where are we going to do the photo shoot?
  5. What equipment will we need?

Models

Say we’ve decided we want to use two models. That’s great, but where are we going to find two models, and how much will they cost? When I was at college, I didn’t have a lot of money, so paying for models wasn’t really an option for me. A lot of people, when making a portfolio, will use their friends or family. This isn’t always the best idea. If they are genuinely suitable for your photo shoot, though, it’s great use a friend or family member. Otherwise you need to find a way to advertise for a model. I used a few internet advert sites to put up a casting call stating I needed a model and describing the shoot. There are also websites where photographers/models/stylists, etc. can upload their portfolios for everyone to view to work on a TFP basis (time for print/digital images instead of money). Working with someone on a TFP basis is great if you’re updating or starting a portfolio; you don’t pay with cash–just your time and photos. It’s a win, win situation for everyone.

Hair and Makeup

So we’ve got our two models who are willing to work on a TFP basis. We now need to find someone who can do their hair and makeup. We can find a hair and makeup artist exactly the same way we found our models: advertise with a casting call or browse the online portfolio sites and ask if they’d be willing to work on a TFP basis. Once you’ve found a hair and makeup artist, send them links to images of the models they’ll be working with and images of ideas you have for makeup. In this case, we would send the makeup artist images of 1940s pin-up girls suggesting we need make up done in a similar way. It’s important to communicate with your team so everybody knows what their role is before the day of the photo shoot.

photo shoot with model

“Untitled” captured by Patricia Moraru (Click image to see more from Moraru.)

Wardrobe Stylist

Again, when finding a wardrobe stylist, advertise and ask. When working with a stylist, however, you may need to spend some money on hiring clothing. As the 1940s theme is a dated and period look, I had a stylist who rented some clothing from a period costume store. Also, when working with a stylist, it’s import to show them images of ideas and who they’ll be working with, including height, clothing size, etc. You can’t afford to have your stylist show up with clothing that doesn’t fit your models.

fashion photography

“Geisha” captured by Joanne Q. Escober (Click image to see more from Escober.)

Location

So we’ve got our team together. It’s now time to decide where we’ll be doing the photo shoot, this is where you may have to start paying for things. If you’re still in college you should be able to use your college photography studio for a photo shoot. If not, there are places that are willing to rent out their studios when not in use at roughly £50 for half a day. There’s also the option of shooting on location; this is what I did. I found an aircraft museum that had plenty of period aeroplanes and military planes and got in touch with them explaining that I would like to do a photo shoot. This museum was kind enough to let me use their premises for free on the basis that I wouldn’t be making any profit from the images. Once I had edited the images, I sent them a few via email as a thank you. I also did this at a period train station. Again, I explained what I wanted to do, that the images wouldn’t be used for profit, and again they kindly agreed. Sometimes it’s simply a case of asking. Not everybody will say yes, but it’s worth putting yourself out there, because in some cases they do.

Equipment

Now you’ve got your team and your locations; you now need to think about equipment. I was shooting both outdoors and indoors, so I decided to take flashes/strobes with me. They weren’t anything fancy just a couple of speed lights on light stands with shoot through umbrellas to soften the light. Equipment is very important. If you are going to be using something like flashes, don’t forget spare batteries. If you’re going to be taking wide shots and close up shots, make sure you take both lenses. If you’re unsure whether or not to take something, then take it just in case. If you decide you don’t need it, no problem. However if you decide you do need it and have left it at home, you do have a problem.

outdoor photo shoot

“Kristine Remoreras in Talicud Island Philippines” captured by Brigette Lamb (Click image to see more from Lamb.)

Let’s do a quick overview:

  1. Advertise for a model, browse portfolio sites, and ask if they’d be willing to work a TFP basis.
  2. Do the same for makeup artists and stylist–advertise and ask!
  3. Make sure you communicate with your team before the day of the photo shoot. Everybody needs to know what their roles is and what they’ll be doing so there aren’t any problems on the day.
  4. Scout for locations. Do some looking to find the right place, and don’t be afraid to ask owners of premises if you can do a photo shoot. Some love the idea, especially when they get images afterward.
  5. Be prepared. Make sure you pack your equipment the night before, check it, and then check it again. Don’t leave behind anything you might need.

And that’s it. It can be hard work setting up a photo shoot, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. You’ll find models and stylists in the same position as you–looking to build a portfolio on a budget. Just don’t be afraid to ask.

About the Author:
This articles was written by Catherine A Alcock from Pro Composite, a website dedicated to teaching you about photography and Photoshop. From the basics of changing colours in post production to creating realistic composites.


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Essential Equipment for Architectural Photography

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 01:56 PM PDT

As with any line of work, having the right tools is essential in one’s ability to successfully accomplish a task and deliver a final product that measures up to professional standards. Photographing architecture and interiors requires specialized equipment, especially when it comes to lenses.

night architecture photography

“Berlin Hauptbahnhof” captured by Ulf Buschmann (Click image to see more from Buschmann)

In photographing architecture or interiors, whether it be for the architect, the interior design, the hospitality, or the home builder markets, care must be taken to keep all vertical lines perfectly plumb and true. This requires that the camera be perfectly level. However, frequently one will need to show more ceiling or foreground, and tilting the camera up or down will cause parallax where the verticals will converge upward if the camera is pointed up, or converge down if the camera is pointed down. This is unacceptable. What is required is a special lens that can be raised and lowered to allow for more height or foreground, yet still maintain the level camera position.

interior architecture photography

“Salon Verve” captured by Liani Cantu (Click image to see more from Cantu)

Up until the past decade the standard camera for photographing architecture and interiors was the 4×5 technical view camera. This camera had standards that allow for the lens or camera back to be raised, lowered, swung left or right (off axis) and tilted (for optimum depth of field). The 4×5 format was well-suited for architectural photography, as opposed to the more elongated 35mm format of the newer digital cameras.

Since the advent of professional quality digital cameras, most architectural photographers have switched to the professional level digital camera, which is the 35mm format. If money is no object, there are technical view cameras that have digital backs, but they are extremely expensive. If one understands what constitutes a good architectural or interior photograph, one can work around the limitations of the more affordable, yet excellent quality professional digital cameras, such as the Nikon or Canon series.

After shooting with the 4×5 view camera exclusively for over 30 years, I have had to adjust to the smaller and more elongated format of the digital camera, and my clients don’t see the difference. When I find that I really want more space than the 35mm format allows, I just add to the canvas size and layer in the additional spatial content in Photoshop.

Essential Equipment for the Architectural Photographer

Camera

One of the most important features in the digital camera for architectural photography is the size of the chip. The camera with the largest chip–or at least a full sized 1:1 ratio to the lens–is imperative. Wide-angle lenses are always required, and one cannot afford the loss of image space when using a camera with a lens factor of anything less than 1:1, which allows for the full use of wide-angle capabilities.

Another helpful feature is automatic exposure bracketing so one can bracket up and down at least two stops from the base exposure. There also must be a manual setting, as that is the setting that will always be used. Most, if not all, of the professional digital cameras that are a full size 1:1 chip ratio will have these features.

Lenses

As previously mentioned, having the right lenses is essential. That requires perspective control (PC) or tilt-shift lenses. (I personally have never needed to use the tilt feature, however). I use the 17mm Canon tilt-shift, the 24mm tilt-shift, and the 35mm PC lenses on a regular basis. I also use the 28 PC lens occasionally. If one was to have only one lens to start out with, the 24mm tilt-shift would be the most important lens to have. That said, there are many times when the wider 17mm tilt-shift is essential and the 35mm would be very helpful. It may be possible to sometimes work around these scenarios with conventional lenses and correct the parallax in Photoshop. Keep in mind, however, that any correction made in Photoshop will infringe on the image space. The other benefit of using the PC or tilt-shift lens is that one can raise or lower the lens for more sky or foreground, then merge the layers in Photoshop.

outdoor architectural photography

“Church of Saint Lazarus, Larnaca CY” captured by Sergio Gorokh (Click image to see more from Gorokh)

It is possible to use older Nikor PC lenses with an adapter to fit your camera. My 35 and 28 PC lenses are the old Nikor lenses (over 30 years old) and they work just fine on my Canon. There is a variation in contrast due to the lack of modern day lens coating techniques, but it is nothing that minimal Photoshop adjustments can’t handle.

Another option that works well, although I have never tried it, is to use a 1.4 teleconverter on the 17 or 24 or 35mm tilt-shift lenses, effectively converting them to the 24, 35 or 50mm focal lengths. There are other advantages as well (i.e. a larger image circle which translates into more coverage and movement with the lenses, with less distortion).

Tripod

I always use a heavy tripod and a cable release on the camera and lock the mirror in the “up” position to minimize vibration. A tripod head that has flat surfaces on the sides is also very helpful for leveling if the tripod head doesn’t have levels built in.

Level

Always use a small level for leveling the camera or tripod head. Hot-shoe levels are not accurate. Trying to find a level spot on the ergo friendly style of cameras today is impossible, so level the tripod first, then refine the camera angle. Verticals can be more problematic if the tripod head doesn’t have a flat surface on which to place the level. As already stated, there are Photoshop fixes for parallax correction, but it is much easier and less time consuming to get it level in the first place. And, more importantly, any post-production correction will result in cutting off some of the image, which may be very problematic.

architectural photography

“Sky High” captured by John Torcasio (Click image to see more from Torcasio)

Although these tools are essential for architectural and interior photography, the most important tool of all is an understanding of what makes a good architectural and interior photograph. One must understand and be sensitive to what the architect, builder, or interior designer is conveying in his or her design, and then present that design in the strongest possible way. As professional commercial architectural photographers, it is our job to sell our clients’ products.

About the Author:
Paul Schlismann is a professional architectural photographer and has specialized in photographing architecture and interiors since 1980 for the professional architect, interior design, hospitality, architectural product and corporate markets (www.schlismann.com). Having been established in his career for over 30 years as a Chicago architectural photographer, he now also has an office located in Arizona as well and is working in Chicago, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego and California statewide.


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How to Print Photos with Lightroom: The Print Module (Video)

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:49 AM PDT

Numerous photographers are taking advantage of Lightroom for organizing and editing photos. The software makes the process of importing and processing easy and uncomplicated. Yet it can do much more than make your images look their best. The Print module in Lightroom 5 is a powerful, yet often overlooked feature that simplifies workflow. Mastering all of its components gives you maximum control over all aspects of printing. To learn how to get the most out of your prints, watch this thorough printing tutorial lead by Canson Infinity ambassador Robert Rodriguez, Jr:

Rodriguez, who has been printing fine art photography for years, acknowledges that printing used to be a complicated and frustrating experience. It was a multi-step endeavor that required meticulous troubleshooting and fine-tuning. Now, thanks to Lightroom and its streamlined interface, the process is simplified. The Print module is one of the software’s strongest features.

printing-in-lightroom

Advantages of Lightroom’s Print Module:

  • Raw files: print directly from raw, 16-bit images in the largest color space possible
  • Workflow: do everything in one interface
  • Layout: choose packages and fit images onto a sheet in many configurations
  • Templates: save your settings and layouts
  • Soft proofing: apply paper profiles to see how the paper type affects your images
  • Versatility: use plugins, make triptychs, add borders, add identity plates, create collages
  • Save layouts as JPEGs: quickly make layouts for websites

printing-in-lightroom-2

Rodriguez discusses his recommended settings and explains how to use each of the Print module’s features to save time and reduce stress. He also covers shortcuts, paper choice, exporting, creating contact sheets, and choosing specific printer settings. After watching the video, you’ll be ready to get started with making beautiful prints by taking advantage of the tools available in Lightroom 5.


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Sunday 29 September 2013

Sky Photography Tips and Techniques

Sky Photography Tips and Techniques

Link to PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Sky Photography Tips and Techniques

Posted: 28 Sep 2013 04:01 PM PDT

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How many beautiful nature pictures have we all seen with little or none of the sky-scape? You may think of the sky as only some unavoidable background for most of your nature photo subject matter, and the more blue it is, the better. Well guess what? Mother Nature has a treasure trove of eye catching possibilities up, overhead if you only take the time to have a look and know what to look for.

sky photography tips

“The Paths” captured by Richard Krchnak (Click Image to See More From Richard Krchnak)

Lets start with the basics. Obviously, a beautiful clear, deep blue sky makes for a good backdrop for many subjects but can be rather dull by itself, as can a completely gray overcast sky. Now start adding fluffy white cumulus clouds and it starts getting more interesting, but it is only the beginning of the many opportunities the sky can provide for unique and pleasing photos.

Take fair weather cirrus and stratus clouds for instance. Their thinner and more spread out nature can provide a completely different look for your photo. Even at mid-day the sky can be gorgeous. For example an approaching thundershower can be striking with the billowing and ever changing shapes and textures, and bright white color as it approaches. It is like a mountain-canyon vista in the sky, and is easily captured compared to other faster moving, unpredictable subject matter. And you will have no problem capturing multiple, unique shots of the storm before it moves off or overhead because of its continual morphing of shapes and colors. Also some clear skies around the storm can add to its magnificence and enhance your image.

Using a digital camera for capturing mid-day storms is easy since auto mode frequently works well at adjusting the cameras ISO setting (light sensitivity), preventing overexposure of the clouds white colors and preserving the definition of their many shapes and edges. Some cameras may not do this as well as others, so manually adjusting the ISO setting may be required for best results.

Always remember when taking full sky-scape shots to have a clean sky, meaning nothing obscuring the view such as trees, buildings, power lines, etc. Of course those objects can work great in their own compositions, but at the moment we are concentrating on that big empty space overhead.

how to take photos of the sky

Photo captured by dan2452 (Click Image to See More From dan2452)

Dusk and dawn sky shots are definitely the most colorful and one of my favorites. Sure, clear sunrises and sunsets are nice, but by far the best is when you have high, wispy, cirrus clouds, and mid level stratus to reflect the suns beautiful and ever changing colors as it rises or sets. Lower puffers or cumulus can add some nice contrast as long as they do not block the view of the higher ones which reflect most of the colors. All this is most easily captured over water or a flat landscape with no obstructions. A water vista often works best because of the additional color reflections.

I have found that the deepest reds and purples are from about 15-20 minutes before sunrise and after sunset, with the oranges and yellows occurring shortly before rise and set. Of course a vertically building cumulus cloud will reflect stunning colors as well during these times. I have seen large cumulus and stratus clouds light the area up like you were in a giant red, pink, or orange room, then fade away as the suns rays leaves them and hit the higher clouds.

You will want to make sure your cameras ISO setting in auto mode is adequate for the conditions when working in lower light levels. If not, try manually adjusting the setting to increase the cameras light sensitivity. Settings can vary from camera to camera, but you will be able to see when it looks right. This is when the sky still looks natural, not too bright or glowing, and not too dark or fuzzy. Try to match what the camera is picking up with what you see with your own eyes. Low light conditions can be tricky so take your time, being careful not to overexpose.

techniques for sky photos

“moorland glory” captured by David Hobcote (Click Image to See More From David Hobcote)

Hopefully this information will encourage you to get out there with your camera and explore a part of nature that is often overlooked.

About the Author
John King is a pilot and amateur photographer residing in South Florida. His interests include kayaking, sailing, and nature photography, and he has recently completed the coastal portion of the Florida Master Naturalist Course.

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Interesting Photo of the Day: Look Closely, Photographer at Work in Norway

Posted: 28 Sep 2013 02:15 PM PDT

A lot of times, landscape photography means waking up well before the sun does and going on a wilderness adventure in the pre-dawn darkness all in the name of getting the shot. Sometimes we don’t get any great photographs and it hardly seems worth it, but then we encounter a photo such as this one, below, and all the sudden we remember why we do all the troublesome things we do:

sunrise landscape photography

Via 35photo (Click for larger size)

The photograph was taken by Daniel Korzhonov, who has an expansive collection of photographs just as breathtaking as this one. Korzhonov took the photograph in Senja, Norway, a part of the world where the sun, depending on the time of year, shines well into the night hours. In fact, they have what is referred to as the “midnight sun.” The photo is actually of a sunset in Norway; however, since the sun doesn’t always set there, it is likely this image was taken around 1AM.


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Wedding Photographer Scams Clients out of $140,000 (Video)

Posted: 28 Sep 2013 12:42 PM PDT

At weddings, no guest is perhaps more valued than the photographer. Charged with capturing priceless, fleeting moments of a once-in-a-lifetime event, wedding photographers had better deliver. In Little Falls, New Jersey, however, one wedding photographer has proven to be interested in only one thing: money.

Operating under the alias Michael Distasio, a photographer named Michael DeRubeis has been arrested and accused of scamming 38 couples out of $140,000—and the numbers continue to rise as more couples come forward claiming that DeRubeis performed poor-quality work, or in many cases, never delivered any wedding photographs at all. In this video, CBS New York covers the story and speaks with two devastated victims:

Shockingly, this is not the first time that DeRubeis has been charged with fraud. In 2003, Eliot Spitzer, New York's Attorney General at the time, sued DeRubeis for ripping off at least 60 clients in similar fashion.

Through the years, DeRubeis repeatedly changed the name of his photography business, using names such as Jonathan Michael Fine Art Photography, Creative Photography and Video, and Impressive Images. DeRubeis filed for bankruptcy in New York to avoid the 2003 charges and shortly thereafter moved to New Jersey, where he immediately opened another studio and began scamming unsuspecting couples again.

cbs news new jersey de rubeis

DeRubeis, 52, was arrested in April.

de rubeis distasio scam

DeRubeis’ former studio in Little Falls, NJ.

"The actions of this wedding photographer have turned the hopes and dreams of dozens of couples into a nightmare of broken promises," said Spitzer in 2003.

Currently, DeRubeis faces six counts of theft by deception and six counts of impersonation, with more charges forthcoming.

On the brighter side, DeRubeis' weddingwire.com profile has deservedly been decimated by angry reviewers. He sports a mere 1.8-star rating, with many of his victims crying wolf.


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