Thinking Differently About Composition
I don’t remember if it was David Hobby (Strobist) or Joe McNally who said that when they were shooting for newspapers, they would always use the same lighting technique: camera in right hand, flash in left hand. That led to the same lighting pattern over and over again. So it took some thought to begin setting up a light on the right hand side of a subject.
It’s kind of like that for composition, I think. If you are used to doing one technique; be it lighting, shooting or editing, you fall into a routine. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It can lead a beginning photographer to discover their style. But it’s also a good exercise to break out of your routine and try something new.
Not too long ago, I was hired to shoot a couple of houses. I thought it would be a standard shoot until I arrived at the first house. The client said he was looking for something more creative; not necessarily showing the whole room. It turned out to be a fun and challenging shoot because I had to approach each shot in a different mind frame.
The shot above, for example, is not one I would have normally taken; but I rather like the compositional elements. The homeowner specifically mentioned the sculpture on the right. On the left, the pattern and vertical lines of the wrought iron door anchor the image. In the middle distance, you can see a sitting area and the dining area in the background adds depth.
At the second house, the client wanted to emphasize the detail work above the doorway. I didn’t want to just take a picture of the door, so I thought I’d make it interesting by showing the spiral staircase. The dramatic curve plays nicely against the horizontal and vertical lines outside.
In this last image, I think the angle of the staircase leads the viewer’s eye to the living area. The vertical line of the wall makes a good dividing point between the left and right side of the image.
Obviously all these examples are of interiors and architecture. If you are a wedding or portrait photographer, you might try using negative space. Or use the environment around your subject to frame them. The point is, break out of your comfort zone. It’s going to take a little forethought before you even look through the viewfinder, but you might be pleasantly surprised at the result.
Shoot the 2012 Supermoon…now with 15% more moony-ness!
Super Moon on 3/19/11. (f/11, ISO200, 1/90th @ 200mm)
I checked my blog stats and noticed that searches and hits to a post I wrote last year about photographing the super moon were exploding. I couldn’t figure out why until I heard on the news tonight that the super moon is coming back this Saturday. This year’s super moon is supposed to be even bigger than last years! The news report said the moon will appear about 30% larger than normal. Last year it was 10%-to-15%. If you want to geek out on why that is, check out this science-y article.
In the meantime, feel free to re-visit last year’s post. The same principles apply.
Why Photographers Need Liability Insurance
In a recent post, I glossed over liability insurance. Well here’s a good example of why a photographer might need it. A photographer taking pictures of a client’s art work allegedly moved an ancient statue to take advantage of the light. It seems the statue was placed on uneven wood floor and toppled over. The piece was valued at $300,000 and the owner is suing. In this case the photographer was working for an art magazine which says they have no liability.
You can read more on the story HERE.
Now imagine you are a wedding photographer and at the reception you accidentally knock over a priceless piece of art or break a piece of furniture. Do you have thousands or tens-of-thousands of dollars to pay for it? I know some reception halls require photographers to carry liability insurance. Not all photographers need it; but if you shoot on location (weddings, events, corporate settings, commercial clients, etc.) then it’s something worth looking into.
Tax Tips for Photographers
The photography tax man cometh! Okay, there’s not really a photography tax…the same dude takes all our taxes. But the end is near! Well, you’re almost out of time to pay your taxes, anyway.
In a previous post, I touched on some tax considerations for photographers. Now I want to give you a working illustration and a quick and easy way to give Uncle Same his due.
As always, please remember I am not an accountant. I sought help from a certified public accountant and I suggest you do the same; especially if you’re just starting out.
So here’s my deal: I have enough coin to buy that shiny new 5D MKIII. Sweet, huh? Not so fast. I’ll have to work a little harder and wait a little longer. You see, I owe taxes on everything I’ve made this quarter. I add up all my profits, subtract my expenses and calculate 38.3% of that to come up with my estimated tax payment for the first quarter of 2012. Keep in mind that not all expenses can be taken at 100%. The IRS calculates depreciation for equipment. But that’s why it’s called an estimated payment. I may end up owing the government more money at the end of the year, or I might get money back. Read the previous post to find out why it’s 38.3% for me. Your mileage may vary.
Taxes are due April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15. This year April 15 falls on a Sunday, so we get an extra day. The fastest way to pre-pay your estimated tax is to go to www.eftps.gov. Click the “enrollment” link and follow the registration instructions. Basically, you enter some personal info (social security, address, etc.) and link a bank account. You then request a PIN which comes to you in the mail within 7 days. Use that PIN to complete the registration and you’re all set.
Why pre-pay my taxes every quarter? ‘Cause I don’t want to get hit with a big tax bill at the end of the year. I would rather pay it in chunks throughout the year. I know it’s not fun, but I don’t imagine getting audited is fun either! And hey, maybe next quarter I’ll be able to deduct that 5D MKIII!
Photographing a 14-thousand Square Foot Home
I’ve shot some big homes before. But this one takes the cake. This 14-thousand square foot, 9-bedroom home is the largest home I’ve shot to date. The pool area alone was bigger than most homes!
Yes, there are lights that shoot through the jets of water, like tracer rounds (I still don’t know how they do it). The long exposure above makes it look like the fountains are constantly lit.
This is a vacation home and the best part of the story for me is that the homeowner told me since the pictures went live, he’s had 30 bookings! That’s enough to carry over into 2013! Proof that professional photography adds value.
I’ll leave you with a few more images. Check out the full gallery here.
68 Free Photography Education Videos
I’ve blogged before about sources where you can find some free photography education. You may also be familiar with B&H; the huge photography, video and electronics retailer based in New York. But you may not know that the folks at B&H produce educational videos in their “event space”.
Check out this link for a list of 68 videos ranging from Lightroom and Photoshop to off-camera flash and studio lighting. Most videos run from an hour-and-a-half to two hours. So it’s a time commitment, but you can always watch in chunks; and hey, you can’t beat the price!
Canon 5D MKII Price Drop Begins
Let the price drop begin. When Canon announced the 5D MKIII two days ago, I was expecting the price of the MKII to drop in the coming weeks (the MKIII is expected to begin shipping in late March). I had no idea how soon the price would drop.
I tracked price fluctuations last year; from a hike to about $2,700 after the Japan earthquake to a low of about $2,100 for the Christmas shopping season. It stabilized to the usual $2,500 after the holidays.
Now it’s down to $2,200 on Amazon. [UPDATE 3/5/12: Another $50 drop. It's down to $2,149.] How low will it go? We’ll see in the next few weeks. So if you’ve been eyeing a full frame camera, you might save some money by opting for the MKII over the newer MKIII.
Is the MKIII worth the extra $1,300? I did a comparison using SnapSort and found mostly minor differences.
- A screen that is .2-inches larger with better resolution. The image on the screen does not reflect what you’ll see on your computer or print.
- 6 frames per second vs. 3.9. If you don’t shoot action, then this won’t matter to you.
- 22.1 megapixels vs. 21. ‘Nuff said.
The differences that might sway me are:
- ISO 25,600 vs. 6,400
- 100% viewfinder coverage vs. 98%. As an interior photographer, this is actually a big deal for me
Other features that might interest you:
- More focus points and more cross type focus points
- In camera HDR
- Silent mode for video recording
The question is: is that worth the extra money? Hit me up in the comments with your thoughts. If the MKII drops to $2,000 would you get it instead of the MKIII or is the MKIII clearly superior?
