I’ve been trying some advanced techniques that really aren’t well documented yet and as I experiment more, maybe I’ll post some results and comparisons. Here are some questions I’m trying to answer using the old trial and error method:

• Do you get better results if you first process the images and do a bit of dodging and burning in some specific areas?
• What happens if you mix color temperature of the files before processing them together (i.e. tungsten for the interiors, but daylight for the exposure intended to capture the outdoors, etc.)
• Do you get the same results if you first make two or three MDR (medium dynamic range) images, then, blend those.

If anyone has experience trying any of these methods out, leave a comment with a link to your blog or results.

For more information about architectural photography, contact Los Angeles Photographer, William Foster.

20 years ago, the most visible symbol of the division between Communism and Democracy, between East and West, came down. An announcement that East Germany was lifting travel restrictions was the pivotal moment in the collapse of European communism. I can remember the photos of people literally dismantling the wall with sledgehammers, people freely crossing what had been a fortified border representing two halves of a country divided between itself.

The thing that’s been most fascinating to me during my photographic career is looking back at the times I had first heard about these people who are world leaders, global icons and I now find myself being given the opportunity to photograph them. I can remember having a very small view of the world as a Senior in High School and knowing nothing about the significance of these kinds of events, but as my understanding has grown over the years, it is exciting to me to be able to capture these people in photos.

Like this photo? Leave a comment.

For more information about event photography, please visit Sacramento Photographer, William Foster.

Sometimes things come together in an accidental way that ends up working so well. Case in point, we were making food images for the Hanford House Inn in Sutter Creek because their breakfast is beyond good. It’s in a class of its own. I know because when we were done with this plate, it was promptly eaten. Innkeeper, Athena Gordon is a culinary school graduate and what she has learned has been put to very good use. Nearly every review of their inn includes a comment about the food. I digress.

The lights were set and the photo was ready to go. I like to make food photos with the actual food without makeup. I know, some people use white glue for milk and motor oil for turkeys, but I like to work with the unadulterated product. We used a mock-up first to get the angles, lights and exposure, then as soon as the french toast was pulled from the pan, it was placed in the shot where the other plate was. Wait! The finishing touch is powdered sugar. I happened to make a frame or two of the shaker in action just to make sure everything was right for the “official frame” a few seconds later. Accidentally, it ended up being my favorite one of the set and used it on their website. The other image without was really great too, but having that slight human interaction made all the difference; especially for a bed and breakfast. Serendipitous.

For more samples of corporate photography, visit Sacramento Corporate Photographer online.

Posted by Sacramento Photographer, William Foster.

I love photographing architectural interiors, especially kitchens. I have several clients who regularly call on me to make images of their recent work. The kitchen remodeling contractor who hired me for this is so good at designing the light in their kitchens, I simply cannot improve on what they’ve done with artificial light.

My feeling is, if I add light to the kitchen with strobes, I lose exactly what they designed the kitchen to look like. They designed pools of light to fall in specific areas to highlight the cabinetry, granite counters and work areas.

I’m finding HDR or High Dynamic Range to be a perfect solution these days. By taking 7 images of varying exposures, I’m able to preserve details in the brightest highlights down to the deepest shadows. Ultimately, what the client ends up with is a photo that looks exactly how their eye sees it naturally, which is always my goal for client photography.

Details: Canon 5D Mark II, 24-70 f2.8L, f11, shot in RAW, 7 exposures

For more information about architectural photography, visit Sacramento Architectural Photographer online.

Posted by Sacramento Photographer, William Foster

I received a unique call from an auction house – a nice one. They needed to photograph a collection of fossils that the owner wanted to sell at auction.  The set included very small pieces as well as very large ones including a “slice” of stone containing hundreds of embedded fossils that measured about 8 feet wide. The caveat – it all must be photographed on gray seamless inside the owner’s home in Georgetown. Georgetown homes are not known for their spacious interiors. In fact, we had to set up the seamless parallel to the long dimension of the home because even the widest part of the living area couldn’t accommodate a 9 foot seamless with stands.

Every image had to look great to entice buyers to bid on the pieces. Plus, even the minutest of details had to show through in order for people to see exactly what they were getting. Fossil collectors are a finicky bunch and certain marks or cracks could mean the difference between hundreds of dollars. This ended up being one of my favorite assignments over the years not just because of the unique subject matter, but it was also challenging, but highly rewarding; tiring, but somehow energizing; educational, enlightening and memorable.

The pictured image is of a Hadrosaur skull, quite intact. Note the rows of tiny, flat teeth indicating it was herbivorous.

Want to see more corporate photography including products? Visit Sacramento Corporate Photographer online.

Corporate photography usually presents a unique challenge in that no two assignments are alike. Sometimes even two days for one client are drastically different. In the case of this image, the client needed images of mice in the research environment, but with a human element.

The specific challenge included coming up with a concept in the first place, setting up the shot and executing in a 5 by 6 foot clean room and getting four mice to stay on the wheel long enough to get a few frames.

The reward of overcoming the challenges of this project is seeing the client use this image in most of their marketing materials for 2009.

For more information about corporate photography, visit Sacramento Photographer online.

For the Hanford House website, the photos had to show details. This image ended up being one of my favorites of the take. The open door showing the detail of the brushed metal fixtures against the dark stained wood. I like the welcoming message it sends with the open door showing the modern furnishings and decor on the inside. The bright room with a modern European feel makes me want to push the door open a little more for a better look.

My goal with the photographs on the website was to give potential guests a glimps that would pique their curiosity. Images like this make you want to see more.

For more information about architectural photography, visit Sacramento Photographer, William Foster online

This image was made for the front page of the website of this bed and breakfast in the Gold Country. The brick building used to be the inn and has ten guestrooms. When the new owners purchased the bed and breakfast in 2008, they immediately set their eyes on purchasing the cottage next door. The two properties are now adjoined and are all part of the Hanford House Inn, but the styles of the two properties are worlds apart.

The brick building is more traditional in the bed and breakfast arena with each room decorated with exquisite antiques and furnishings. The cottage, on the other hand is quite modern and more european feeling. Completely updated throughout, the feel is more like something you’d find in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

The Hanford House Website has plenty more pictures of both buildings if you’re curious. By the way, we didn’t just take the pictures. We built the website.

For more architectural photography samples, be sure to check out Sacramento Architectural Photographer.

posted by: Sacramento Photographer, William Foster

Normally when I cover an event, my mind is more on making an image than what the subjects are talking about. Photographing Desmond Tutu was one of those rare cases where I had to remind myself to keep the camera to my eye. His message was riveting and I found myself wanting to hear more. While millions of people have heard him speak over the years and many of them multiple times, I somehow felt like hearing him was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I usually don’t put people on pedestals and I’m certainly not starstruck. But in this case, I felt like having the opportunity to meet someone of such quiet importance was a rare treat.

For more samples of event photography, visit Sacramento Event Photographer.

Posted by Sacramento Photographer, William Foster