Just some quick pointers for taking informal portraits of people for things like theater production programs and non-profit newsletters.
1. Don't stand people in front of a glossy or shiny wall. Your flash will reflect and suddenly it looks like God dropped in to put rabbit ears on your subject. Similarly, do not put people in front of a window if it is daytime. Mmmm backlighting=bad.
2. Give them a day's notice and suggest that they wear something in a midtone, particularly if everything is to be printed in black & white.
3. Don't stand too close to them. Even the most dry-skinned person can have a glaring nose if you're too close. However, try not to include feet. You really only need from the elbow up.
4. Try to use natural light. Then you don't have to use a flash and you're less likely to end up with blurry photos. This is especially important if you've got a big group of people. If you've got to light up eight rows of people with the flash of a point & shoot camera, the back half is gonna be too dark.
5. Know your white balance. Set it for the appropriate lighting. Or be safe and leave it on auto.
Showing posts with label Top Five. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Five. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
What's that you say?
Top five moving pictures with plot and sound that changed the way I think and talk
1: Clueless. The cultural phenomenon that is Clueless needs very little elaboration on my part. Just watch VH1 or some Top 100 Teen movies on Bravo or A&E. But personally, I mark elapsing of time by how long ago Clueless was released (14 years ago, this July). Four days before I turned thirteen, Amy Heckerling released this beast upon my psyche. I can't identify the millions of tiny ways in which this movie affected me on the large scale, but ever since seeing it, I've always wanted to drop an entire log of cookie dough into an oven to see what would happen.
2: Wayne's World. If for no other reason than I say "ah" to emphasize random things. "A gun wrack. A gun wrack? You bought me a gun wrack. I don't even own ah gun, let alone many that would necessitate an entire wrack. What am I gonna do? With a gun wrack?" I was eight when this one came out. I didn't get half the jokes but I know laughed when my parents did. The emphasis on the ah didn't pop into my vernacular until late high school, but every time I said it, that scene goes through my head.
3: Sudden Impact. I was four months old when this came out so clearly I saw it later, on VHS–when I was three. Why my parents let me watch this movie at three, I will never know. But there are two things I remember saying over and over again. "Listen, punk!" and "Who's we sucka." My cousin Jonathan also remembers because he's told me stories of how cute, but annoying it was to have his three-year old cousin grabbing his collar, getting in close to his face, and saying "Listen, punk" every time he picked her up.
4: If I were a boy, The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, Trainspotting and anything Quentin Tarantino. I'm not a boy, however. I've never seen The Big Lebowski but I'm so sick of man-boys walking around in bathrobes drinking white russians and calling themselves The Dude.
5: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). I can't count the things I say or the ways in which I say them that have been affected by Buffy. But it's a lot.
1: Clueless. The cultural phenomenon that is Clueless needs very little elaboration on my part. Just watch VH1 or some Top 100 Teen movies on Bravo or A&E. But personally, I mark elapsing of time by how long ago Clueless was released (14 years ago, this July). Four days before I turned thirteen, Amy Heckerling released this beast upon my psyche. I can't identify the millions of tiny ways in which this movie affected me on the large scale, but ever since seeing it, I've always wanted to drop an entire log of cookie dough into an oven to see what would happen.
2: Wayne's World. If for no other reason than I say "ah" to emphasize random things. "A gun wrack. A gun wrack? You bought me a gun wrack. I don't even own ah gun, let alone many that would necessitate an entire wrack. What am I gonna do? With a gun wrack?" I was eight when this one came out. I didn't get half the jokes but I know laughed when my parents did. The emphasis on the ah didn't pop into my vernacular until late high school, but every time I said it, that scene goes through my head.
3: Sudden Impact. I was four months old when this came out so clearly I saw it later, on VHS–when I was three. Why my parents let me watch this movie at three, I will never know. But there are two things I remember saying over and over again. "Listen, punk!" and "Who's we sucka." My cousin Jonathan also remembers because he's told me stories of how cute, but annoying it was to have his three-year old cousin grabbing his collar, getting in close to his face, and saying "Listen, punk" every time he picked her up.
4: If I were a boy, The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, Trainspotting and anything Quentin Tarantino. I'm not a boy, however. I've never seen The Big Lebowski but I'm so sick of man-boys walking around in bathrobes drinking white russians and calling themselves The Dude.
5: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). I can't count the things I say or the ways in which I say them that have been affected by Buffy. But it's a lot.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Top five things I'm sick of
1. Being subtly blamed for the delay in projects. "I was waiting to get the specifics from you." Okay, so ask. Or consider that the job was emailed and addressed to you first. You forwarded it to me. I assumed you knew what was going on. And you don't seem to want anyone else touching the machine this job will be run on. I just need to figure out how to hound you. Have you run it, have you run it. Also, must stop assuming you've read the things you've forwarded to me.
2. My mouse at work that only works every third click.
3. The way I clean, which leads to bags and piles of things that are out of/have no place waiting for me to find a place for them.
4. My own laziness.
5. The jungle that is the second bedroom.
2. My mouse at work that only works every third click.
3. The way I clean, which leads to bags and piles of things that are out of/have no place waiting for me to find a place for them.
4. My own laziness.
5. The jungle that is the second bedroom.
Top Five Most Embarrassing or something like embarrassing
1. Going to dinner at Racheal's Cafe, only to find it's open mic night.
2. Going to see the toy piano player, only to find no one is at the venue.
3. Going to Runcible Spoon for open mic, only to find it's not open mic.
4. Trying to parallel park in front of a gaggle of construction workers.
5. Going to dinner at Runcible Spoon, only to find it's open mic night.
Lot's of embarrassment over open-mic nights.
2. Going to see the toy piano player, only to find no one is at the venue.
3. Going to Runcible Spoon for open mic, only to find it's not open mic.
4. Trying to parallel park in front of a gaggle of construction workers.
5. Going to dinner at Runcible Spoon, only to find it's open mic night.
Lot's of embarrassment over open-mic nights.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Ah Lo-fi Scott-pop
For me, Belle and Sebastian is perfect. There's not any more I can say.
Top five voice crushes:
Ray Davies (always and forever # 1)
Stuart Murdoch
Jeff Mangum
Joanna Newsom
Alan Rickman
Top five voice crushes:
Ray Davies (always and forever # 1)
Stuart Murdoch
Jeff Mangum
Joanna Newsom
Alan Rickman
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