October 29, 2006
Yes, we know this is a big preview. What can we say? We love this couple. They are so perfect together! Congratulations Melissa and David! We are looking forward to seeing you again ;)
To PhotoShop or Not...
We have been getting a lot of questions lately, from our clients as well as other photographers, as to what PhotoShop techniques we are using to achieve our saturated colors and rich black and whites. The answer is very short and simple: none! We prefer to have a winning image right out of the camera, rather then try to create one out of a snapshot with the help of PhotoShop. In fact, a lot of our work is done on film (you know, the thing that people used to put in their cameras in the twentieth century). Hint: use highly saturated emulsion and you can delete PhotoShop!
Getting your exposure spot-on is the key to a successful picture for both digital, and film photographers. Even a slight overexposure, besides blowing out the highlights, will also result in weaker-then-optimal colors in the scene, as well as reduced contrast. Underexposure can be equally, if not more, devastating to the overall "richness" of the color-palette. Here, film photographers are at an advantage, as film in general allows slightly more under- and over-exposure, while still preserving both highlight and shadow detail. However, even the best of film emulsions also have their limits. Things are a bit more tricky for those shooting digital, where even a slight misjudgment in exposure may result in loss of quality. The previews on LCD screens are of no help here, as most of them are factory pre-set to very bright levels (to allow viewing of images in daylight conditions) which results in the image being judged by the photographer as properly exposed, when it is in fact severely underexposed. Hint: if your camera has the option of showing a histogram - use it instead!
Look for the best angle and direction. Sometimes a minimal repositioning of the camera (even as small as one degree up or down or side-to-side) can greatly increase the saturation of colors in your subject (and richness of blacks in BW images). It will of course all depend on the subject itself, the lighting (time of the day - or even time of the year!) and the lens/camera in use. The next time you find yourself shooting outdoors, before setting up your subject, take a moment to look around the area. Notice that the saturation of colors in the background may differ greatly from east to west and north to south? Use this to your advantage. Sometimes (for us, always) the direction of light, and thus the resulting contrast is more important that what's in the background. A good light will make a bad background look great. Bad light can make even the best scenes look dull.
Finally, there is no substitute for the right tools. The choice of film or the settings on a digital camera will make a huge difference. For example: don't reach for low-contrast film, in low contrast conditions! Choose the right gear and media for the job! Do you want sharp and crisp images with good micro-contrast to the edge of the frame? Use sharp lenses! No amount of sharpening in post-production will bring back the tiny details lost because of a poorly resolving lens!It's that simple!
Happy shooting.
October 22, 2006
...And we are back to the Le Parker Meridien in Manhattan for the reception yet again. This time congratulations go to Jennifer and Jarred!
October 20, 2006
First we had rain, a downpour really. Then just when they said "I do", the sky turned deep blue. And we thought that it only happens in the movies... Congratulations to Aileen and Peter!
