Tips

Behind the Wknd Halloween cover

Behind the Wknd Halloween cover

0 Comment Q&A, The Baltimore Sun, Tips , , , , ,

19 Photos

For the Halloween Wknd cover shoot, Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron explains his lighting setup:

“Dual main lights were chosen – one main light, a beauty dish strobe which was softened by a simple white cloth sheet at left; the other, a cowl mounted to direct strobe, pointed down to the off-white floor, only a couple feet away from the platform. A black flag rested against the light between source and camera to knock back any lens flare. A strip box outfitted the third light which feathered the pumpkins – that source bounced off an oversized gold reflector to kick back warmth to accentuate detail in the shadows.”

Models for the shoot were Flash, a 12-year-old Welsh Pembroke Corgi and Winston, an 8-year-old Beagle.

See outtakes from the shoot below.

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How to shoot a video sequence

How to shoot a video sequence

0 Comment The Baltimore Sun, Tips, Video , , , , ,

46 Photos, 1 Video

Sequences are considered by many to be the building blocks of video storytelling. If ‘sequence’ is a new term to you in this context, it’s defined as showing a process from start to finish through a series of images, or video clips. Building a good sequence requires that you understand the process that you’re filming, that you get a variety of shots (wide, medium, tight, different angles, etc.) and that you can move to quickly set up your next shot.

I recently filmed a sequence of Venezuelan arepas being made at Alma Cocina Latina in Canton, and through the screenshots below, you’ll see how it was done.

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Capturing rainbows around the world (and in Baltimore)

Capturing rainbows around the world (and in Baltimore)

0 Comment The Baltimore Sun, Tips, Weather

31 Photos

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Rainbow Brite. Rain-Blo bubble gum. LGBT pride. Italian peace flag. Double rainbow euphoria. Roy G. Biv. Gateway to gold. No matter the point of reference, rainbows have a way of capturing the imagination and bringing about a sense of wonderment.

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and the rainy season, Baltimore Sun director of photography Robert Hamilton provides a few tips for photographing the meteorological phenomenon. As for finding that pot of gold, we can’t help you there.

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Tips for taking better pet pictures

Tips for taking better pet pictures

1 Comment Photo essays, The Baltimore Sun, Tips

57 Photos

Photographing pets can be delightful, and I treat any creature as if a human subject. This means working to make natural photographs that are intimate with emotional impact. It does not serve anyone’s interest to make pet photographs without any graphic quality or visual depth, that look more like social media snapshots, or are just “cute.” Cute does not equate quality.

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Old School-New School photography chat with local photographer John Milleker Jr.

Old School-New School photography chat with local photographer John Milleker Jr.

1 Comment Q&A, The Baltimore Sun, Tips , , , , , , , ,

23 photos, 1 video

In today’s technology-laden society, almost everyone has a camera on them at all times. However, many have claimed that the abundant snapping of pictures with a cell phone has belittled thoughtfully composed photography in a similar way that text messages and emails have bastardized grammatically correct, handwritten letters.

Amongst the quiet homes of Glen Burnie, Maryland lives a mustachioed gentleman working to bring class and artistry back to photography. With techniques ranging from Civil War era Wet Plate Collodion to the latest innovations in the digital realm, John Milleker Jr. always approaches a job with an eye for composition no matter the medium.

In the interview and video below, John talks about his hefty photographic arsenal and the lengths he’s taken to protect the more ‘analogue’ weapons he occasionally wields.
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