Dilemma: How do you do this?

Your camera is up in the air 11 feet where you can’t reach it. Your subject is lying on props on the floor and cannot move, yet needs to see photos as they are being taken. You need to make adjustments to the camera, the lighting, the props, and show your client the photos … all without touching your camera. How do you do this?

Just recently, I had the great opportunity to photograph singer/songwriter, Janet Blair, for her second album. She wanted a look that required me to place the camera directly above her about 11 feet in the air. She also needed to see the photos as they were being taken to ensure they were what she was envisioning. If I were to have raised and lowered the camera so she could see the photos on the back of the camera, it would have wasted time and jeopardized the focus each time. It also would have added a lot of extra work to the project.

Solution:

I was able to remotely trigger and adjust my camera settings by using CamRanger and my iPad. CamRanger plugs into a camera and creates its own WiFi signal that connects to an iPad. Using the CamRanger app, the technology enabled the transferring of photos to my iPad in real time as well. This allowed me the freedom to show her the images via the iPad, and also make adjustments, as needed, to the camera settings, lighting and props without physically touching the camera. Today, most camera manufacturers have their own app and WiFi built into their cameras, but I have found the CamRanger to be very reliable, and the new version has more features that are really helpful!

And this is the image Janet chose for the cover of her second album, “Over Under.”

Have something you need photographed, but don’t know how you are going to do it? Send me an email and let’s get it solved!

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com

Dilemma: How would you solve this?

Your client is lying flat on the ground … surrounded by bicycle parts. A musician, they want a creative indoor photo that will require you to have your camera placed at least 11 feet directly above them. You have no balcony, scaffolding, or Shaquille O’Neil standing by … and a ladder isn’t going to work (because the ladder will show up in the shot). What do you do?

I had the great opportunity to photograph singer/songwriter, Janet Blair, for her second album. I photographed Janet in her home and the area to be photographed was about 9 feet in diameter. As a result of this width and needing to photograph directly above the scene, I had to place the camera high enough so that everything would be included and there would be no distortion (which would happen with a wide-angle lens up close).

There was no loft or scaffolding (and Shaquille was busy that day). If using a ladder, it would have shown up in the photo because I would have to be right in the middle of the shot - not good. With some creative problem solving, I used a C-stand, raised it up high, and attached my camera to its extending arm. This extension allowed the camera to be directly over Janet while the stand itself remained out of view.

(Stay tuned … next week for the final image and special technology used to capture it)

Have something you need photographed, but don’t know how you are going to do it? Send me an email and let’s get it solved!

Dana Attebery Photography - serving you through portraits, headshots, product photography, commercial and editorial photography, 360-virtual tours, fine art images, and 1-on-1 lessons.

info@danaphotography.com 626-374-3638 www.danaphotography.com