Museum Photography

The next time you visit a museum don't forget your digital camera! I recently went to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and was delighted with the photos I took of some of the world's greatest art work.

First, when planning to visit a museum, make sure you are allowed to take photographs. I asked the security guard before entering, and he said there was no problem with using a digital camera. I didn't have a tripod, but as a general rule I don't carry one around in DC, security frowns upon people breaking out tripods to take photos around the Capital, Mall and White House. In any case, it is more fun to travel light when your visiting museums.

Second, I turned off my flash. Not only is the flash annoying to other museum guest, but the flash can cause unwanted glare.

Third, once you find a subject of interest, obtaining a good exposure may be difficult due to low room lighting. In my case, I opted to raise my ISO to 400 so my camera would be more sensitive to the low light condition. The downside of using a higher ISO is there will be increased noise in photos. Noise results in less photo detail and clarity. Because your shutter speed might be slow, keeping your camera still might be an issue. Use the viewfinder and not the live preview (if you have one) because you will gain stability when your camera is pressed against your face. Hold the camera with both hands, bend your arms downward and brace both of them against the sides of your body, take a deep breath and fire away. If you have the opportunity to support yourself by leaning against a wall or other support you will be better off. I found myself taking a lot of photos in the art museum and did not once fell like I was intruding on any one's experience. That would have been different if I used a tripod or a flash.

Finally, you want to avoid lens distortion. I typically stood about 6 feet from the subject, centered myself in the middle, and used a focal length of 50mm or more. Try to avoid those wide angle shots, as they will distort the subject. If possible, use a small aperture to get a larger depth of field.

One other tip is to take along a note pad so you can document the subject information. Because after you get home, you want to remember the subject's name, artist, date, etc.
There are many photo opportunities outside the museum, so look around for some shots.

Church Encounter

It's always a good thing to take along your camera where ever you go, even on your way to work.

On a recent trip to Leonardtown Campus, I had my handy and portable Canon PowerShot riding shotgun with me. Always looking for a good photo opportunities, I noticed the Christ Church steeple just off Buds Creek Road, Route 234in Chaptico. I decided to stop and take some photos. It was a beautiful morning with some stratus clouds beginning to appear against the blue sky. The church is an older structure with red brick siding with a white roof and steeple. The grounds were littered with old grave stones bounded by a rusty steel black picked fence.

I parked the car, and with the engine still running, jumped out into the cold wind to snap a "few" photos. Not feeling real adventurous because of the cold, I composed a couple shots, then decided to run back into the warmth of the car. That's when I made the discovery I accidentally locked myself out. The reality hit real quick, what do I do? The car was still running, didn't have a phone and there was no one around. Next, came the realization I would have to walk to the nearest phone, which was at the intersection down the road. I walked down the road about 1/4 mile to a General Store and called 911 St. Mary's County Police. The dispatcher assured me they would send a unit to unlock the door. I went back to the church and waited. All I had was my camera, so I started snapping more photos.

After about an hour of patiently waiting no one came. So I walked back to the store and called 911 again. The 911 operator said they had some higher priority emergencies they were attending too and they they would answer the "lock out" call as soon as they could. I told them I would wait in the store where it was warmer and I could grab a cup of warm coffee. After about a 1/2 hour a unit arrived and took me back to the church. The police officer was able to quickly open the door because the door was not shut all the way. The officer was proud of his home made door opener. I was just glad to see the door open. I thanked the officer, and parted. After a 3 hour commute I finally made it to the college.

This experience taught me a lesson. Always carry your camera...and your car keys!

Landscapes

This week we talked about landscape photography one question that came up is what is the definition of landscape photography? According to Wikipedia the definition is "a genre intended to show different spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic." That covers a broad range of photography. Typically, landscapes don't focus on human subjects, although as I showed you in the classroom, limited human activity can enhance a landscape photograph. So there is no real definition of landscape photography. Popular "landscape" photos include mountains, lakes, waterfalls and even industrial sites. In any case, your landscape photograph should capture the beauty or unique character of an rural or even urban area. Good luck. The PowerPoint for this week's class is posted below

Landscape

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