Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Importance of White Balance (light & color temperature)

Advanced Videography students: yes, we are only at the beginning but it's important to understand light while we are just working with cameras. I don't want you to white balance the camera just because I tell you that you need to do it, but I want you to understand why!

See this tutorial, "Understanding White Balance" (aimed at primarily digital still photography but the principals still apply for videography). I think that their image examples are pretty clear:


Here's another (longer) article about white balance for video that includes photos, definitions, and pretty good explanations of the theory and practice of white balance and color temperature.

Make sure you can manually set the white balance on ALL the cameras the we are using for class!

This week: SONY HDV and JVC HM100

Also, in class I mentioned that the SONY PD150 and PD170s have 3CCD and that the HDV has a CMOS censor. Here's a great article from Videomaker magazine on CMOS vs. CCD (you just have to join - it's free). Also, here's another article on CMOS and CCD sensors, and one more (highly technical) from hdtv Read up!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Some of my photographic inspirations

I get really obsessed with portraits of people - close-ups in particular. I love to learn more about people, places, and color through photography.

B+ is a photographer that I have known and respected for many years. Every once in a while I will go to his site and see the images he's made from so many places around the globe and I feel like I've traveled just a little bit more.



I really love how he creates this diptych images that juxtapose people together. In this set, I love the connection of color, the mood and tone he creates... you know they are both just chillin'. The shallow depth of field (which puts everything soft in the background), really allows you to look at each of these men. The shadows of trees on the window and the shades over his eyes keep up at a distance, but somehow, I still feel invited in to know, even just in part.



I did a google search on hip hop photography and this photographer popped up first. I'd never heard of him. His work is pretty commercial - slick, high contrast, saturated colors, etc... but there is something I dig about his framing and composition. I really like the way that he uses angles to create energy and attitude for the photographic subjects. Both images are in color but he uses a heavily black and white color palette and a hard, rim light that gives the subject a glow and separation from the background.


portraits by John Ricard :: homepage



Monday, August 23, 2010

Ten Things About Dr. R

10. I am on facebook. I don't friend students, but accept friend requests when they friend me. (My mentor adopted this policy and I followed his policy.)

9. I LOVE my job. I love to make films and I love to teach people how to make films.

8. I watch TV shows on HGTV, TRU, BIO, APL (River Monsters!) and other doc-like types of programming. I did have a VH1 reality TV obsession but I believe that I have weened myself from that habit.

7. I love John Cusack! Lloyd Dobler, yeah.



6. I listen to music through I heart radio and Pandora mostly. I just can't do the Clear Channel, Radio One, Emmis of it all anymore. I have to be able to search or click next. I need control!

5. I love too many films to name just a few!

4. My favorite books are: The Autobiography of Assata Shakur and The Prisoner's Wife



3. I am going to *fingers crossed* teach a story abroad TCF course in Madrid next summer (if 10 students enroll). The course, "Documenting Madrid: Mujeres en Movimiento" will give students the opportunity to work with women artists, organizers, activists and cultural workers in Madrid to make short documentary videos and digital stories. I <3 Madrid!




2. I really focus on being an open and accepting person. I may not agree with you but I definitely respect that you are your own individual with a whole set of life experiences that have brought you to this point. Respect is critical.

1. I am a Mom. It is the hardest, most rewarding, and most challenging part of my life.