Archive of ‘Commercial’ category

Tripods Are Boring – Tech Thursday

©TimeLine Media - Christmas Decorations at Fairfax Corner

Tripods are not the most exciting piece of photography gear. In fact, reading photography forums, you would think that the tripod is an obsolete piece of equipment! The newest digital SLR cameras are so good in low light, that many think that you can just push up the ISO values in the camera to keep your shutter speed fast enough to minimize blur from camera shake.

©TimeLine Media - Christmas Decorations at Fairfax Corner
©TimeLine Media – Christmas Decorations at Fairfax Corner

For a quick review, ISO will determine how sensitive your camera sensor it to light. The higher the value, the lower the amount of light is needed to show up on the sensor. So a photo taken at ISO 200 at 1/30th    of a second will be exposed the same amount as a photo taken at ISO 1600 at 1/200th of a second. At 1/200th, you can take a lot more sharp photos because your shutter speed is much higher. At 1/30th, your hands make shake more (especially during outside holiday family photos!).

©TimeLine Media - Christmas Decorations at Fairfax Corner
©TimeLine Media – Christmas Decorations at Fairfax Corner

The advances in technology are really game changing for photographers. When I am in a situation where I am photographing people at an event such as a wedding, or ballroom dance, I will push the ISO however high I need it to go to save the recycle time with the flashes since you never know when you need to have another pop of light. The action will not wait for the photographer! But there are many times when having a good steady tripod underneath your camera is essential. Recently, I have done a lot of shoots with outside Christmas lights, and interiors. It has been a huge help to use the tripod in these cases. I can get a nice long exposure which will blur any of the people in the photos which adds some action into the photos.

©TimeLine Media - Christmas Decorations at Tysons Corner Center
©TimeLine Media – Christmas Decorations at Tysons Corner Center

Another advantage of using lower ISO 100 – 200, are the colors! I am shooting in a saturated color style these days, and lower ISO values make it really easy to punch these up in post. You lose a lot of this ability once you push the ISO too high. There are many colorful decorations to photograph this holiday season, so get out your tripod and use it for steadier, more colorful images.

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Proofing Website

©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball

This upcoming Wednesday, I am planning an upgrade to the proofing website. The current site is working just fine, but there is a new version of the software available. There are some features that some of you have requested including a simple slideshow for viewing your photos. There is also a version that is specifically made for iPad users! Smartphone and iPads are used to view the websites more and more, so I am looking to make sure you get the full experience going forward.

©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball photos available at the proofing website
©TimeLine Media – American Star Ball

On Wednesday, I will close the proofing website for testing. The self tests on the website should not take long, so there should be a seamless transition to the new software. I will post here on the blog when it is completed. Please try it out and let me know how you like the new features. If there are any issues, I will work to get them fixed before the next new event. Of course, I would be happy to help if there is something you cannot find n there. Thank you!

©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball photos available at the proofing website
©TimeLine Media – American Star Ball
©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball
Pro-Am Dancers at the American Star Ball ©TimeLine Media
©TimeLine Media - American Star Ball
Dancers at the American Star Ball ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Holy Trinity – Rosary Windows

Joyful Mysteries - Holy Trinity Catholic Church - Dixon Studio
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Gainesville, VA by Dixon Studio

Photography for me is usually a loud, action-packed activity. From ballroom dancing, to frantic wedding days, to sporting fields, photos for me usually involve capturing images through a little chaos. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to again help Holy Trinity Catholic Church with another project. At this time the church completed the installation of all of the Mysteries of the Rosary in stained-glass form in their parish building! These amazing works of art were created by the Dixon Studio of Staunton, VA. They create an especially meditative space in front of the window. Whether or not you are praying the Rosary or just admiring areas inside the impressive church building.

Sorrowful Mysteries - Holy Trinity - Dixon Studio
Sorrowful Mysteries – Holy Trinity – Dixon Studio

Photographing these windows presented some challenges. On this occasion, I wanted to capture these with the same focal length throughout. So I used the same prime lens, and I tried to take the image from the same distance for each. This was not always possible with church pews, columns, and other obstacles. Keeping the angles straight on all sides was a challenge, that I had to fix in Photoshop later, but the results were worth the effort. These photos are featured in the latest issue of the Arlington Catholic Herald, and help to document the progress of a parish celebrating their 10th year in 2011! Thanks again to Father Peffley and the staff for trusting me with the photos, it is a great privilege for me to work on these with you. Thank you!

Glorious Mysteries - Holy Trinity Catholic Church - Dixon Studo
Glorious Mysteries – Holy Trinity – Dixon Studio

TimeLine Mediawww.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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