The Before and After series focuses on the two or three key creative choices, in terms of composition and processing, that go into creating an image. Specific technical details about the shot have been left out — you won’t hear me talking about tone curve adjustments and whatnot unless it was a key component of the end result.
John Moran passes the ball at the MAC benefit last summer.
Exposure
- Shutter: 1/3200
- Aperture: f/2.8
- ISO: 200
- Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Composition
- Shooting volleyball, I usually wind up with hundreds of shots of passing, setting and hitting. While I can control for some variables, the fast movement and somewhat unpredictable nature of the subject means sheer volume is important. Still, I probably had half a dozen acceptable shots of John Moran passing. So why this one? First, he’s in motion laterally, which is less common when passing. Second, the background is fantastic — in the sense the solid black (or blue in the color version) doesn’t distract and contrasts nicely with the subject. Third, the sand kicking up to the left makes the shot more dynamic. Fourth, the more upright posture of this shot allowed for a vertical composition (passing shots, but the nature of the arm angle and crouched position are better off in a landscape view; you can see I even assumed this from the original). Other than the background, none of that could have been planned for in advance. Having a large selection of images of the same action increased the odds of getting all the interesting elements in one of the shots.
Color:
Original:
March 06 2010 | Photography | No Comments »
The Before and After series focuses on the two or three key creative choices, in terms of composition and processing, that go into creating an image. Specific technical details about the shot have been left out — you won’t hear me talking about tone curve adjustments and whatnot unless it was a key component of the end result.
Doa leans on the railing in downtown Austin.
Exposure
- Shutter: 1/125
- Aperture: f/2.0
- ISO: 400
- Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Composition
- The background was intentionally chosen for two reasons: first, to set the subject in context and suggest height; second, to make use of the blue pool as a contrasting color (which separates better from Doa’s skin tones than the reddish concrete). The various background and railing lines were convenient too, converging on the upper right corner where Doa’s face is.
- Punching up the exposure did more than just improve subject visibility. It completely changed the perception of the environment. This was shot after the sun went down, but looks as though it’s simply an overcast day. With all the new high ISO SLRs, I imagine we’ll see much more of this (and more extreme).
Original:
February 28 2010 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The Before and After series focuses on the two or three key creative choices, in terms of composition and processing, that go into creating an image. Specific technical details about the shot have been left out — you won’t hear me talking about tone curve adjustments and whatnot unless it was a key component of the end result.
Erica reaches for an apple during a rehearsal at Cafe Dance in Austin.
Exposure
- Shutter: 1/640
- Aperture: f/2.0
- ISO: 1600
- Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III
- Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM
Composition and Processing
- Normally when I have a subject reaching across the frame, I prefer to give them a bit more room to enter into. So in a shot like this, I’d put Erica more to the left and leave the right a bit empty. In this case though, the apples provide a balancing line that stops your eye and drags it back the other way.
- There’s always a question what to leave in and what to leave out. Kathy, out of focus in the back with the video camera, doesn’t initially appear to bring much to the frame and would be easy to remove given how blown out things are. Because of the apples though, she represents a counter balance at the top of the frame, completing a “Z” shape that starts with her, hits all the corners, and ends with the leftmost apple. Is that the appropriate shape here? Maybe. I left things very square within the frame because the Z shape was complicated enough– rotation might have made it more dynamic but also could have led to some visual confusion.
Original:
February 25 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »