Image size is somewhere in your camera menu. This is how it looks on my D3. Do not pick this setting.
I am working on a project for a non-profit where I will be putting some 25 – 20″x30″ prints on display at their offices. Most of these will be from images I did for them, but some we were hoping to use would come from volunteers who have been to different countries for them.
I went to their offices today and spent an hour or so going through folders of images. 90% of all the images were unusable. They were not usable because they were too small. They were only big enough for Facebook or a small website image. Most of the images when blown up to 100% would fit in this blog here.
Those size files are big enough to make an acceptable 4″x6″ print.
Always pick the largest size image.
If you pick the largest size you will not be able to shoot as many photos on a memory card. The good news is the memory card is so cheap today you can carry many cards in your wallet.
If you pick the largest size you now can make prints and large prints with today’s digital cameras.
You can always downsize the images for your Facebook or to email someone, but you cannot take the small image and make a large print.
This is the same as setting your camera to take color or black and white photos. Why shoot it in black and white? You can do that later with your Lightroom or Photoshop. You can’t go back and make it color.
Keep your options open and shoot your images on the highest quality setting for your camera. Since each camera is different on how to do this, pull your camera manual out or Google your camera model and how to set the quality of the images.
By the way all those wonderful shots of Kenya, Guatemala and Brazil are not usable for the exhibit. Be sure your photos are always considered for usage, by being sure your images are the largest size possible for your camera.
Is this what your Skype setup looks for your interview?
A series of experiments by Princeton psychologists reveal that all it takes is a tenth of a second to form an impression of a stranger from their face, and that longer exposures don’t significantly alter those impressions. Yikes.
In this amount of time you haven’t had a chance to even say your name. That first impression is primarily a visual impression and this is why I think I can help you.
I suggest going to a hair stylist and getting the best style you can for your features. Maybe find a stylist to help you with your wardrobe. Remember you only have tenth of a second to impress.
Simplify the backround and add some lights to either side of the monitor and for those of us older folks, I would add a light under you chin as I have done here. The lower light softens those wrinkles. You can see television anchors use this light–you just have to look to see it.
I chose white as a background here, you might want to choose blue as a background. It is used a great deal at press conferences like the White House because it is complimentary to the skin. The basic idea is the clean up that background of clutter.
The cool thing about a Skype interview is you can have your notes on the screen to read just like a teleprompter and keep your eyes engaged with the audience. Don’t use notes that you have to look down or away from the computer screen. You want to engage your audience.
Here is a good typical set up of lights. You can just use a household lamp on either side. To get the light effect under your chin you can just use white card board that you can buy anywhere to lay on the table to bounce the light up.
The benefit from using the additional lights is if you wear glasses this can actually cut down on the reflection of the monitor in your glasses. The brighter you make those lights on the side the more the reflection of the monitor will disappear.
Most of today’s new computers have pretty good microphones and cameras built in. As long as you are sitting close to the monitor you should sound good. Test it out. If your friend has trouble hearing you, then go and buy a small microphone.
Be sure you wipe off any dirt or smudges from your camera lens.
To be really sure you make a great first impression–don’t do what I did in these photos and not smile. Smile a lot. Practice a few times with your friends.
Share your screen
Another cool thing about Skype is you canshare your computer screen instead of them seeing just you. This is great if you want to show something on your computer to them.
Remember while you need to practice with some friends and smooth out your presentation, it is still the tenth of the first second they will make a lot of judgement just on how you look.
Back in 1980, during Christmas break from college, I went ice skating with my friends on a lake in New Jersey. I remember this time very well, because it was the moment I dropped my rangefinder camera onto the ice and it was destroyed.
The reason I dropped it was that I didn’t have a camera strap on it. I didn’t own one. Today, I see many people who must not have realized how important the camera strap is when they opened the box with their new camera. It can be cumbersome, but I can tell you from experience that not using it can be a disaster.
My favorite camera strap is the Domke 1.5″ strap.
Besides having a camera strap, you need to use it. Hanging the camera around your neck is the safest place for it to be when you’re a tourist. Second is maybe over the shoulder, but the worst thing is holding it without a strap.
Wrap the strap around the wrist if you don’t have it around your neck when shooting.
There will be times when you might want to take a photo out of the car window. Wrap the camera strap around your hand so that it stays in place and doesn’t slip or fall.
When you arrive at the restaurant and need to set it down, the safest spot is on the floor — it can’t fall from there. Some folks even put the strap through their leg so no one can grab it and run.
When you put a camera on a table, always try to keep the strap on the table and not hanging over. Animals and small children who are curious can easily pull it off the table.
If you place the camera on a table, ensure the strap does not dangle off the edge. I have seen way too many of these straps magically get hooked onto someone walking by, and then the camera hits the ground. Little kids love to explore, and having something within reach will be too tempting.
There are many types of camera straps, and I will recommend one that I prefer the most. Domke makes it, and here is a link to it for you. I appreciate the quick-release straps that can be easily removed for packing or when the camera is on a tripod.
Remember, the best insurance for your camera is preventive care on your part.
David Ring, the ultimate Raving Fan of Chick-fil-A
Today I just met one of the biggest raving fans of Chick-fil-A. I was photographing at the Richards Group in Dallas, Texas. Chick-fil-A is promoting Cow Appreciation Day, which is today Friday July 8, 2011.
Chick-fil-A was hosting not only The Richards Group employees, the agency that does the Cow advertising campaign, they also had Raving Fan bloggers as well there. So when I saw this guy convincing four of the cows to hold him for a photo I wasn’t shocked, but wanted to know more about this Raving Fan.
“I am David Ring and back in 1994 I created the Cows.” Well this was just too cool. I got to talk with David and learn more.
“Chick-fil-A didn’t serve beef and this got him to thinking that the Cows would be perfect.” He presented the idea to Stan Richards, the founder of The Richards Group who then passed this on to Steve Robinson, Sr Vice President of Marketing for Chick-fil-A.
Stan Richards just pointed out to Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A this is the guy as they walked by. Dan stopped to shake his hand.
In 1997 Ring left The Richards Group and just recently came back. Currently he doesn’t work on the Cows, but still feels proud of what The Richards Group and Chick-fil-A has done with the campaign.
Cows dancing at the Texas Rangers game on Wednesday night.
I didn’t even have to ask some questions, Ring was so excited. David Salyers, Vice President, National & Regional Marketing for Chick-fil-A, asked Ring about coming up with a billboard campaign, “We need something folks can talk about the next day in their Sunday School class,” this set the standard for how Ring proceeded.
Today at events all over the US, the cows are their to activate the brand of Chick-fil-A. Fans love the cows.
One thing that I learned from Ring about the Cow campaign. He said the success of the Cows has to do with Chick-fil-A sticking with the campaign and the experience customers had when they went to Chick-fil-A. People love the cows not just because they are fun, but because the experience was excellent. The Cows remind people of the great experience in great food and customer service.
This week the public relations team for Chick-fil-A has been in different major markets helping the restaurants to promote Cow Appreciation Day. If you come into any Chick-fil-A restaurant partially dressed as a cow you get a free sandwich today, Friday, July 8, 2011. If you dress head to toe like a cow get a free combo meal.
What other companies have their fans dressing up and driving around town letting everyone know where they eat?
Do you have a Chick-fil-A story to tell me about. Let me here about it below.
Images used by permission of Chick-fil-A. Photographer Stanley Leary.
You need to plan ahead for a project to be truly successful. Unlike a writer who can create the story as they go, the photographer must see it for it to exist.
We are painting our kitchen and we wanted to have a before and after photos of the work being done. I thought it would be fun to do this as a 360 degree panoramic photo.
The second part about this post is sometimes the eye-candy is what is needed to get your audience to listen. Would you have read this far in this post if the photo was a traditional photo?
Why did I choose to go this way with the before photo and most likely the after photo? I want you to feel our excitement about having a new look to our kitchen. We will be wanting to create events at our home just to show it off.
Want to get your audience to pay attention to your message–sometimes it is the eye-candy that will first hook them. Give me a call and I can help you create a 360 degree panoramic image of your location.
These are tips on how to get model releases and what I can do to obtain them.Let’s start with how you ask for a person to sign a model release. Less is more when asking someone to sign a model release. I always start with the reason I am making the photos. I am here at the university, helping them with their recruiting materials. Can I take your picture? Once they say yes, I will follow up with question two. Can you sign a model release that permits the university to use your photo? At this point, I find it best not to open the can of worms. I let them open the can of worms if necessary. 95% of the time, people will sign the model release. For those less than 5%, I talk about what their signature allows the university to do with the photos and what most likely could be some possible uses of the images. For example, “The school will put these into their database of photos and then use them for things like their website, recruiting printed materials, posters, billboards and maybe as part of a TV ad, for example.”
This is an example of the model release on your device.
At this point, only a handful of people in my career have said no to permitting the use of their photos.
What not to do
I have been with a couple of my clients who wanted to handle getting the model releases signed. Many use a similar technique to the one I outlined above. However, I have had a couple who do a better job talking people out of signing a release than talking them into signing one. “We are here today doing a photo shoot for the school. Stanley, here is the photographer working with us to make these photos. He does a great job of getting great images for us. We have a model release we would like you to sign. The model release gives the school the right to use the photo however we choose. For example, we may use it in the recruiting materials or on a billboard.”
Here is where it falls apart
“You won’t see your photo published just anywhere. You will not see it somewhere else on the web. You will only see it in other publications associated with the school. By the way, the teacher doesn’t have to sign this. We already have you sign an agreement that permits us to make these photos without your permission.”
The model can sign with their finger.
As you can see, the person thought they were helpful, but in talking, they brought up all the reasons they had yet to consider. Then, they helped nail it because the institution was mistreating the professor. Who wants to help a group like that? I wouldn’t.
Now that you know how to ask for a signature on a model release, what should you use now?
It affects expressions
You’re asking for permission to take a photo and release it, which can help or hurt expressions. Do it right, and you will make everyone feel like this is their special day, treating them like movie stars.
If you do it incorrectly, people will wish you were not there. You are bothering them, and they want you to leave.
You can see this in their expressions–even if they signed the release, they would not be as positive if you did it wrong.
What to use
I have used the pocket release, which I modified from the American Society of Media Photographers. Their legal counsel developed forms, and many photographers have used them. Click here for a link to their website, which gives you all you need to know about the model and property release. I put four pocket release forms on a page, printed them one 8.5″ x 11″ card stock, and had them cut into more miniature sheets. Which language should I use? Click here for examples.
You can then send an email with it attached as a PDF and JPEG
Easy Release App
I got an iPad this past week and have been exploring everything it can do. If you download an App from the App Store, you will be recommended more apps based on what you have already downloaded. I got a recommendation for the Easy Release.
You don’t need an iPad for this App. You can put it on any smartphone or tablet, whether Android or an iPhone/iPad. The App generates a PDF and a JPEG of the model release. I love this because I can put many of these PDFs into one larger PDF and upload it to my PhotoShelter Image Database. So, the client has a copy of the model releases alongside the photos. When I first started reading, I hoped for a simple release and a way for the person to sign the waiver. However, you can do even more. You can now have the longer verbiage form or modify it to what you and your lawyer deem necessary. You can take a photo with your smartphone or iPad and attach it to the model release. The Easy Release model release has more information than I was gathering earlier. I have a long-form, their information typed (I can now read it), a signature, and a photo of them all in one document I can email to anyone. In some situations, it might be more feasible to pass out forms to a large room of folks to sign than pass around your iPad, but I prefer the final model release of the Easy Release over all others I have ever used before. So, if you are hesitant about getting those releases because it is difficult to remember to carry those forms, they are always with you on your phone or iPad.
Robert Giroux is the founder and CEO of Easy Release and a Senior Media Management Systems Specialist at the National Geographic Society. Photographer with over twenty-four years of experience in editorial and commercial shoots whose clients have included Newsweek, Time, AFP, Reuters, and Getty Images, among many others. Over eight years on staff with Getty Images in various roles, including chief photographer and designer of the photo-editing software currently used by their editorial division. Moran Belford is the software developer and consultant at Gis. Belford is a veteran mobile, web, and desktop software developer and founder of Snikkr, Inc. Here is a PDF of the press release about the software.
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
