Basic advice for photographers (things I wish I heard before attending college)
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Hey there. I go to school for commercial photography, and thought I would post a few things I wish I knew going in. [U]If you are a professional, or have professional photographic experience, you probably know all this.[/U] Feel free to box me. If you discover any new information here, please please please look into it. Each item on this list is an aspect I've found essential to transitioning from a hobbyist photographer to a professional who uses his craft to put bread on the table. Here's hoping this post helps someone, and [U]if you have any more pieces of advice, feel free to share :)[/U]
[B]1. Raw files. Make them.
[/B][URL="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/05/why-you-should/"]WIRED: Why You Should Shoot in Camera Raw[/URL]
[quote=WIRED]If your camera has a RAW setting, you should be using it, no excuses. Here’s why.
[B]Dynamic Range[/B][B]... and... [/B][B]No In-Camera Processing [/B][/quote]
Setting your camera to capture RAW files should be relatively simple. Consult your camera manual or youtube. It's usually somewhere under Menu>Settings>
[img_thumb]http://www.birdinfo.co.za/photographic/pics/16_why_raw_1.jpg[/img_thumb]
[B]2. A basic DSLR body is fine Canon 50D and up, or nikon 500D. Make one purchase, then invest in lenses.
[/B]
Camera bodies upgrade about every 2-5 years. Purchasing something top of the line because it's top of the line will only serve to waste your money, be shiny for amateurs, and make professionals roll their eyes. The difference in quality is pretty minimal from one body to the next (in series), so don't even worry about it until you're about three bodies behind. (I still shoot Canon 50D)
[B]3. L-series lenses[/B]
[URL="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-L-Lens-Series.aspx"]If you shoot with a Canon DSLR, invest in these and a good 17-24mm. It'll cover 95% of any lens-based problems you could run into.[/URL]
[B]4. Learn to set up a custom white balance[/B]
The human eye naturally compensates for a change in light temperature. For instance, did you know that the light we see in a shadow has (proportionally) twice as much blue in it than direct sunlight? Of course you didn't, you have healthy eyes. Well, your camera doesn't inherently sense and compensate like your eyes. It sees those blues in shadow when it's set to view daylight, and it sees yellow when looking at direct sunlight and expecting shade. The solution to this problem is to give the camera a reference point to track. Find something neutral toned, put it in the same light, and later you have a reference point for the rest of your image to adjust around.
[img_thumb]http://blog.xritephoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/WB_MG_9262.jpg[/img_thumb]
[URL="http://learningdslr.com/2010/10/colour-temperature-white-balance/"]Here's a tutorial on setting your Custom White Balance[/URL]
[B]5. Traditional lighting patterns[/B]
There are 4. Accompanied by 4 head positions. Memorize where to put the lights to achieve a desired lighting pattern, and you will gain a fundamental understanding of how light falls across a face in a controlled lighting setup.
[B]Tell tale signs of lighting patterns[/B]
[U]Rembrandt (aka closed loop):[/U] a triangle of light on the otherwise shaded side of the face
-(good for making people look thinner)
[U]Paramount:[/U] a shadow under the nose going halfway to the lip/shadows under the eyebrows
-(good for thinning out the face, bad for sunken eyes)
[U]Loop:[/U] shadow of nose doesn't extend to the far shadow, diffused highlight of far cheek isn't surrounded by shadow
-(one size fits most)
[U]Split:[/U] an even split down the middle of the face with a gradation on the forehead
-(great for drama, incredibly bad for skin)
[B]
Tell tale signs of Head Positions
[/B][U]Profile:[/U] you should be able to see the far eyelashes, not the far eyelid
[U]Mug[/U]: Look for both earlobes (in the image below, she's just off mug). Mug is straight on
[U]3/4:[/U] a teensy tiny bit of skin separates the model's far eye from the background
[U]7/8:[/U] one ear disappears, and the center of the nose is where the edge of the nose would be for a mugshot.
[B]6. Ratios[/B]
Ratios are rates of contrast of the diffused highlight of an image to shadow
[U]1:1[/U] - Same light
[U]1:2[/U] - one stop difference
[U]1:5[/U] - two stops difference
[U]1:9[/U] - three stops difference
[IMG_thumb]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a379/aaronnoraa/punch-1.jpg[/IMG_thumb]
[URL="http://www.vividlight.com/articles/1916.htm"]For more information on Lighting Ratios, click here.[/URL]
[B]7. Always use a model release.[/B]
Period.
Seriously.
Just do it.
[B][URL="http://www.istockphoto.com/docs/languages/english/modelrelease.pdf"]Use this one.[/URL][/B]
If you don't, and you get money from an unlicensed image, someone will sue you.
Cover your ass. And always have a witness signature. It's absolutely essential to make your paperwork non-contestable in court.
[B]8. Never stop learning
[/B]​And good luck, fellow photogs.
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