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Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
As some of you realise, I used to be a photographer. So I'm very aware of the importance of quality images. Something I notice about many entertainers is they don't seem to have any real quality images. If you're reading this, I wonder if you realise the power such images have, and how easy it is to get some for yourself? I can advise you on some simple basics, but I'm "old school", and though I'd be happy to knock your photos out in a scruffy old bucket in the garden shed, I couldn't begin to suggest how to get/manipulate your images digitally.
I still set up a "studio" for promo shots every couple of years, and use an old-fashioned medium format camera, we get great shots, and they definitely help to sell my shows. My avatar was taken by a great photog, though I sadly forget his name. That's a really tough shot to get, and it's original 35mm, no trick stuff! To get a good shot of your show, you may like to take the simple route of going outdoors. Best day is a cloudy one so you have diffused light. Consider your background carefully, plain and simple for a magic show. I strongly suggest a good tripod to set your camera on, and you will need someone to compse the picture and press the button. For their information, the most fundamental mistakes are: Sloping horizons Too much space around the subject. It's almost unheard of for an amateur photographer to get too close. Get as close as you think is about right, then get even closer. Missing the moment. Make sure everyone knows when the pic will be taken, and take it regardless. DO NOT stop and change something. Take the photo, then rearrange whatever and re-shoot if necessary. Bad Exposures. Get an automatic camera, failing that, there's little to know, but not just now. Backlighting. Beautiful if you use fill-in flash, otherwise awful. Most entertainers in our field will want soft frontal lighting. It's worth taking time out to get some good shots, and you can have fun doing it. Having quality images on your website makes a big difference. |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
Doug
I have a few questions. How much of the body should be in the picture? Do you reccomend holding props? Isn't an out door backround a distraction? How about those slanted head shots? What do you think about using the hands? Should you look directly at the camera? Al Angello
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
A professional photographer does not take just one photo, as an amateur does. He (or she) takes hundreds of photos from every possible angle, asking the model to look this way and that, moving around to get different views of the background, and so on. You may not have to go that far, but with a digital camera, don't be stingy with the number of photos you take. Later, when you have time to really look at the photos, put them on your computer with a good graphics program and pick the shots you like. Crop them to cut out unnecessary details (do you really need to see all those trees in the background?) and adjust them for brightness, contrast and color.
The other way a professional photographer differs from your average snapshot taker: The average person takes a photo of a person with the head in the center of the photo ( nine times out of ten!). That's because when you speak to someone, you focus on their face and eyes. The professional places the head at the top of the photo, with perhaps an inch of space just above the head, and includes as much of the body as possible (very important to a magician!). It is true that you can later crop an amateur's photo to place the head at the top, but you may be missing much of the body as a result of poor planning. One of the ways we train beginner photographers is to give them an empty Dollar Store frame, and have them hold it up and try to see the finished picture through the frame BEFORE they take the camera and snap the picture. You'll notice movie directors and cinematographers doing the same thing before they shoot a scene.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
I LEARNED THE HARD WAY. some organizers like photo's with head only, because they use it in thier brochures. other photo's are beter for posters or give away cards.
question: how many different photo's should one have? |
Habu Veteran user Texas / Alabama 393 Posts |
Is it better to have a photo shoot (either pro or amature) where you stage a performance, or is it better to try to get quality shots from live performances?
And on a more personal note: for us bald headed folk, is there any lighting considerations or a need to use something to prevent shine or glare? I have noticed from photos of me since I began to go hairless that sometimes my head disappears into the background. Hair seems to frame the head and give a good reference for the face.
www.magicbyhabu.com
Real name: Rick Jackson Habu: Taken from SR-71 spy plane I worked on. It's name came from a poisonous snake on Okinawa. Hope my magic isn't poisonous! |
Tony James Inner circle Cheshire UK 1398 Posts |
If you want pictures with children supposedly doing something during a performance they need to be taken live at a show.
Apart from the rare child who is a pro photographic model, most children do not take a good, natural picture when you try to pose them, as if 'caught' during a performance. Yes, I know YOU have such a shot but it's rare. Get someone or better, get two people to take a lot during a show from different angles. You should get at least one useable shot. There's just something about a live shot that looks real. At least with digital you can have a camers take 50 or 100 shots and you know very quickly which to keep. We're all experts these days - you then crop to the bit of picture which works. Finally, I had some live shots of my Punch & Judy show taken outdoors by a pro who was way back from the show. Fantastic pictures. As good as any you could take in a studio. How many? Seven. How many did he take? Around 200.
Tony James
Still A Child At Heart |
Donald Dunphy Inner circle Victoria, BC, Canada 7563 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-02-07 00:59, Spellbinder wrote: Another way to make sure the head is higher in the photo (positioned "right"), is to use a rule of thirds. Visually divide the height of the frame into three parts, and place the eyes at the line that is one third down. Not one half down, but one third down. They also do this for filming television. I picked up this tip in my TV class back in high school many years ago. - Donald
Donald Dunphy is a Victoria Magician, British Columbia, Canada.
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Buster Balloon Regular user 168 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-02-07 11:04, Habu wrote: I agree with Tony. You need the good studio shots of yourself for post cards, posters, and other promo, but the audience shots have to be live. I have been chastised by my photographer for using the pitiful pictures that have been taken with my little digital camera at gigs, but it is these candid shots of you and your audience that really sell you to most clients. They see those photos and see what their event will look like, and how much fun their event will be. If you can get a pro to shoot a few of your shows, even better, but it is a numbers game. If you shoot enough pictures you will eventually have something usable. As far as how many photos you should have, I say as many as possible. I have hundreds of candid audience shots, and am racking up a pretty good collection of studio shots as well. I do not use them all at once of course, but I have them on hand for times when I decide to tweak my marketing or freshen up my website.
Buster Balloon
Creative Genius, Balloon Twisting Savant, & Pre-Sweetened Breakfast Cereal Connoisseur http://BusterBalloon.com |
Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
Al, the amount of your body you want to appear in the picture will depend on your particular show. I'd suggest that if you have a costume, it's good to show the whole thing. The face is very important of course, as is the expression. Sitting down for photos means your body is more compact, and creates a friendlier feel, but you need to justify being seated. Great for shots with puppets, balloon twisting with a child looking on, etc.
I think props are a valuable tool, just choose the ones that look the best, it really doesn't matter what the prop does. They can add colour and interest, and help to tell a story about who you are (a magician). The reason I suggest getting your shots outside on a cloudy day, is because inside you really have to do quite a lot of work to create a "professional" flash-lit scene. Though it's pretty cheap and easy to do that if you know how, I just think it's SO much easier to have the camera ready, then when it's a cloudy day you pop out for half and hour and take some shots. Anything can be a background, make sure it sets the picture off nicely. You might choose a plain wall, fence, hedge or building for your background. Equally a rolling landscape could work, there is a vast choice for you, just don't choose anything too busy. I believe the poses are what you want to experiment with, so try different expressions, work through some routines (with some kids if you can), and give yourself lots of variety to choose from. Looking at the camera directly works well for entertainers. Looking at your kid helper also works well. Showing the hands is good, especially if you do sleight-of-hand. Remember the closer your hands are to the camera, the larger they will appear. Springing the cards can create a nice effect for photos, though this is one shot you need to take a bunch of before you have the "perfect" one. Overall, try to think how you can tell the story of who you are and what you do with one photograph. What could you put in the picture to tell the story better? I agree about shots of live performances. These are again much better when taken outdoors, generally. Again because of lighting difficulties indoors. It's a sensible idea to collect a number of quality images showing different elements of your show. Personally, I'm very unlikely to use an image, even though the content might be fantastic, if the overall image doesn't look professional. |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
Thanks Doug and everybody else. I am always changing the pictures on my web site, I use about 1 out of 100 shots, and it would be nice if I knew what I was doing.
Al Angello
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
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