Illustrious Photography

Enjoyable photo shoot with the members of The ‘A Fine Mess’ podcast. The show has been on hiatus and extremely missed.

f/4   1/6 sec  ISO: 400

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As California now has become the epic center for the COVID-19 virus, more than ever, it’s a must to protect yourself, your loved ones and those around you. Wearing a mask and social distancing is essential in stopping the spread of this virus. Let’s not make this about politics, but about saving lives. My new normal.

-Illustrious

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The Point Of View in Photography

The phrase "point of view" in photography simply means the position from which the camera sees the scene. Are you looking down on the subject? Are you looking up at the subject? How close are you to the subject? Is there anything between you and the subject? Every decision you make about point of view will change how your viewer sees the photo.

Regardless of what point of view you chose when taking a photo, remember the power of juxtaposition. Shooting a subject from an "unexpected" angle will have more impact than the viewing angle encountered in everyday life.

For example, looking up at an ant will have a much more visual impact than looking down on an ant. Or an eye-level shot of a bird is much more powerful than looking up at a bird in a tree.

Become the Subject

A powerful point of view involves "becoming the subject." This means that you shoot the photo from the angle of the subject. For example, a shot of surgery shown as though you were looking through the surgeon's eyes (patient and surgeon's hands visible but not the surgeon's face/body). These shots allow the viewer to feel like they are experiencing the event first hand.

Shooting From Eye Level

Shooting a photo from the eye level of the subject is the quickest way to help your viewers connect emotionally with a photo subject. By literally putting them at the photo subjects level, you create an instinctual response. When we are at eye level with a subject, we personify that subject—even if it is not human.

Shooting at eye level also allows you to see more of the subject than shooting downward or upward (or even from the side) would allow. This straight-on angle also helps to prevent distortion caused by perspective or angle of view.

Shooting From Below

When you shoot a photo from below a subject, you can make the viewer feel as though the subject is in control of a situation. The simple act of looking up at a subject can impart a feeling of smallness, loss of control or a sense that the subject (or object) is unobtainable.

This has been used in real-world situations throughout history. For example, thrones are set higher than other chairs, judges sit on a podium and executive desks are just a bit taller than normal desks.

A severely low shooting angle can also give the illusion of being inside the frame of the photograph.

Like almost everything in photography, this goes back to our instinctual reactions to situations. In a forest of tall trees, we feel small when looking up. As a child, we must obey our larger parents. Shooting with an upwards angle allows us to tap into this instinctive response.

Shooting From Above

Shooting from above a subject allows the viewer to feel superior to the subject or convey a sense of protectiveness of the subject. It can also give the viewer the impression that they are the object of the attention of the subject in the photo, as though it was the viewer placed on a stage. If the stage level effect is achieved, the viewer will often feel adversarial towards the subject.

-Illustrious

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The Rules Of Third:

The center of any photograph is not always a satisfying resting place for the eye. Artists, designers, and photographers have learned to follow the helpful concept known as the “rule of thirds.”

The Rule of Thirds is a common compositional technique that divides your frame into an equal, three-by-three grid with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines that intersect at four points. The Rule of Thirds places your subject on the left-third or right-third of the frame, creating a pleasing composition. Each intersection point is a potential point of interest; align your main subject along with other elements of the frame along these points to create a balanced, or visually interesting, image.

The Rules of Third Technique has the camera’s viewing screen etched with four grid lines (as in the photo below), resembling a tic-tac-toe game. As you look through the viewfinder at a scene, place the subject at one of the imaginary grid intersection points, often called a “sweet spot.” This gives the image an overall dynamic balance. You can also place a center of interest and a counterpoint at opposing intersections. Balance the composition so that both sides are pleasing but not of equal size, shape, or color. A small area of vivid color in one part of the picture will balance a larger area of less intense hue. A small animal will balance a large inanimate object. It will usually be clear which intersection is best, because whatever else is in the frame will either strengthen or detract from the image.

Since no human face is perfectly symmetrical anyway, apply the Rule of Thirds for interesting portraiture:

1. Align your subject’s right or left eye on one of the upper two intersection points.

2. Align your subject’s shoulders along the lower-third grid line, giving the subject a natural and relaxed appearance.

3. Draw your viewer into the portrait by subtly angling your subject toward the other empty quadrants in the grid.

If you’re shooting a horizontal image for print photography, you want to make sure that there’s no critical information in the middle of the image (which is yet another reason to use the Rule of Thirds when composing your photos).

Remember that the rule of thirds—either the point or zone methods—is just one tool photographers use in the greater scheme of composition. Use it and be aware of the position of your subjects in each photograph, but do not be overly concerned about following it exactly. It is merely a guide to help you compose visually pleasing images and not necessarily a hard and fast rule.

Ready to list and sell your home? Rent your apartment? Perfect! The key to successfully listing and selling your home/apartment, are the photos. Before preparing your home to be photographed, there are some important steps to consider before that photo shoot. We at Illustrious Photography have complied an essential list that will have your property looking it's ultimate best before that photo shoot.The better the home shows in photographs to potential buyers/renters the more likely they will want to view it and make a purchase. Buyers/Renters are incredibly visual, especially in an age where everything is viewed on mobile devices. Important stats from  Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD):

Homes with high quality photography sell 32 percent faster. Homes with more photos sell faster, too. A home with one photo spends an average 70 days on the market, but a home with 20 photos spends 32 days on the market. For homes in the $200,000 to $1 million range, those that include high-quality photography in their listings sell for $3,000-$11,000 more. Sign up for your free downloadable PDF 'How To Prepare Your Listing For Stunning Photos' and sell or rent your property now!

https://mailchi.mp/861569d2813b/sellrent-your-property-with-stunning-photographs

https://www.instagram.com/illustriousphotography1/

https://www.facebook.com/Illustrious-Photography-103463924601549

https://twitter.com/IllustriousPho3

Ready to list and sell your home? Rent your apartment? Perfect! The key to successfully listing and selling your home/apartment, are the photos. Before preparing your home to be photographed, there are some important steps to consider before that photo shoot. We at Illustrious Photography have complied an essential list that will have your property looking it's ultimate best before that photo shoot.The better the home shows in photographs to potential buyers/renters the more likely they will want to view it and make a purchase. Buyers/Renters are incredibly visual, especially in an age where everything is viewed on mobile devices. Important stats from  Center for REALTOR® Development (CRD):

Homes with high quality photography sell 32 percent faster.

Homes with more photos sell faster, too. A home with one photo spends an average 70 days on the market, but a home with 20 photos spends 32 days on the market.

For homes in the $200,000 to $1 million range, those that include high-quality photography in their listings sell for $3,000-$11,000 more.

Sign up for your free downloadable PDF 'How To Prepare Your Listing For Stunning Photos' and sell or rent your property now!

https://mailchi.mp/861569d2813b/sellrent-your-property-with-stunning-photographs

Illustrious Photography:

https://www.illustriousphotography.net

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@IllustriousPho3

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Back Up Your Photos

 As a photographer I have lost some important photos during my tenure. I have put all my photos on one hard drive and had that drive die on me and was unable to retrieve those photos. Your photos are valuable, and you must protect them at all costs. I have some tips for new photographers, so you do not make the same mistake I made.

For one, your photos should never be stored on just a single hard drive at a time, because eventually your hard drive will break. It’s not a question of if, but when. I have my photos on four (4) different drives now. Including iCloud and Google drive.

It is also smart to save your photos in different formats. When editing your photos, be sure to save your photos in 4X6, 5X8, 8X10 and e-mail sizes. These are your most popular sizes and will be ready for any printing that maybe necessary.

Your photos should be your most important possession, and you don’t want to lose them at any cost. As a photographer, in hopes of building a business, you never know when a customer may come back to ask for more copies from that photo shoot. You now have lost revue. Having my photos on 4 (four) different drives maybe overkill, but that’s the point. My photos are my livelihood, and they should be for you as well. Let’s take that extra step to protect our product.

-Illustrious

Illustrious Photography

Website: http://illustriousphotography.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illustriousphotography1/

Shoot what you love

If you have a passion for a certain subject like children, architecture, flowers, start by photographing that. For me, when it comes to practice (which is mandatory for any photographer) I am motivated to pick up that camera when I take photos of people. Portrait photography is my passion. I also love to take photos of random people. Weird, I know. I love to capture facial expressions.

When it’s time for me to practice, I always start with my passion and I later find myself shooting other objects, nature, architecture, etc. Everything becomes an open canvas once the creative juices get going. Your love for your subject will show in your work and it will make it much more enjoyable.

So grab your camera and start taking pictures! -Illustrious

The Benefits of Shooting in RAW

RAW files can be described as a photographic negative. After downloading from the camera, adjustments can be made to elements such as contrast, color, tonality, and more, without compromise to the original file. The JPEG format compresses the original file, which results in a loss of valuable image data. For many types of use, posting to social media for example, this is not an issue and, in fact, the smaller file size offers a huge advantage. But each time you take that original JPEG and resize or otherwise changes made, you are effectively losing data. If the RAW file is your starting point, you will be working from the best available image capture, which will be preserved intact in the storage device of your choosing. While shooting RAW brings with it the challenge of a larger file size and the added complexity of converting files in post, it is especially beneficial when bringing the file to life as a finished portrait.

At first glance, you may be turned off by your RAW pictures. RAW files tend to be dull and boring straight out of the camera. It’s because they are not finished inside the camera as JPEG’s are. You will need to finish it on your computer, which is beneficial: it will give you control over the final image output. When starting with shooting in RAW, I would have the camera set to take RAW and JPEG photos. That way you will have a picture ready for posting, e-mail’s and sharing as soon as you take the photo. You will have a decent photo until you have time to edit the RAW files. I still shoot in RAW and JPEG for that very reason.

The richness, sharpness, color range and ability to adjust these settings end up being so much greater with a RAW file, even if a RAW file looks dull before processing. Here is a list of the pros and cons of JPEG and RAW files.

JPEG:

Standard format

Processed by the camera

Fairly small in size

Higher in contrast

Sharper straight out of the camera

Immediately suitable for printing and web posting

Takes up less space on your hard drive

Is like a print

Takes up less space on your memory card

Photograph in perfect daylight conditions

Want a quick workflow

Don’t need to do much post-processing

Want to save space on your hard drive

Take everyday snapshots

RAW:

Uncompressed format

Waiting to be processed by software like Photoshop or Lightroom

Large in size

Not as sharp. You get to fine-tune sharpen in Photoshop

Gives you great control over exposure, highlights, contrast, colors, etc.

Not suitable for printing directly from the camera

Is like having a negative

Takes up a lot of space on your memory card

I would shoot in RAW when:

Photograph in not-so-perfect light conditions

Want a perfect white balance

Want quality photos for your portfolio and clients

Want full control over the final look of your image

Print large photos and posters

-Illustrious

The eyes are nearly always the focal point in portrait photography, as that’s the first thing we are naturally drawn to when looking at an image of a person

When taking portrait photographs at any aperture, make sure you nail the focus on the eyes. As long as the eyes are in focus, both you and your subject are more likely to consider the picture to be properly shot.

 If you don’t have sharp eyes, you have a photo that is less than perfect. When the eyes are soft they are also a little dull, and dull eyes can’t function as that all-important window to the soul.

It does take some practice to get this right, so I suggest scheduling a photo shoot with friends or family so you can really start to get the hang of your single point AF system and your back button focus. And really, don’t be afraid to ask for a little help from your post-processing software. Often a little sharpening can go a very long way.

So grab your camera and start taking pictures!

-Illustrious

Illustrious Photography

http://www.illustriousphotography.net

 https://www.instagram.com/illustriousphotography1/

https://www.facebook.com/Illustrious-Photography-103463924601549

Sign up for your free downloadable PDF 'How To Prepare Your Listing For Stunning Photos' and sell or rent your property now! https://mailchi.mp/861569d2813b/sellrent-your-property-with-stunning-photographs

I’ve spent big money on camera equipment over the years and looking back, it was not money well spent! However, all the money I invested on books, videos or workshops is priceless. It’s the gift that keeps giving. You can always apply these techniques in your photography career. Any camera you buy today will be redundant or outdated every 5 years. Any photography book you buy will probably be relevant 5–10 years from now. If anything, many of your photography books will increase in value.

The mistake I made in photography is that I thought my photos weren’t good enough because I didn’t have that high price piece of equipment. I thought if I had the hottest camera on the market, this new lens, tripod, or whatever, I would suddenly become Gordon Parks with my photography. Boy, was I wrong!

The only lasting effect to improve in photography is to invest in photography books — especially books from the masters of photography.

A master photographer will probably spend his/her entire working life (30–50 years) to create a body of work. And that photographer will invest thousands of dollars to produce this book, market the book, and share it with others. A photography book is a well-curated, well-considered, and well-edited collection of images. Great photography is timeless. It is never outdated. Regardless where technology goes. In today’s social media society, we are drowning in cat photos and selfies. Real photography is a lost art. The more time we spend on social media, the more we are being fed “visual junk food.”

If you look at great photography (especially in the form of photography books), you will be inspired to take great images. You learn what makes a great photograph, what great composition is, and how to make a body of work that lasts through the years and decades.

Let me make myself clear. To take your photography to the next level, you WILL need to invest in the proper gear. Mainly cameras, lenses and equipment that will accommodate the field of photography you choose (Portrait, Event, Real Estate, etc.), but it should not be your first choice for financial investment.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have moments where I doubt myself, I am still learning and growing as a photographer. And at times feel that if I had this new camera system I can become that great photographer. I would have more options. I have come to learn that the photographer makes the camera and not the other way around. I have seen some amazing photos taken with a iPhone and would not believe it if I wasn’t told otherwise!

So let’s spend that hard earned money on knowledge instead and be inspired to take greater photos.

 -Illustrious

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 Illustrious Photography

Twitter: @illustriousPho3

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