Wednesday, March 12, 2014

On Cropping and Ratios.

I'll likely post this on my Facebook business page, but not everyone is on FB and I'd like to be able to forward clients to this explanation so I'll also post it here.

I make photographs with professional Digital SLR cameras.
Currently these cameras make images in 6000X4000 pixels (24MP) but even when I was using smaller 6MP cameras the images were 3000X2000 pixels out of camera.

This means that my images are a 3:2 ratio and if I made a 4X6 print EVERYTHING in the photo that the camera saw would show up on a print.

Many consumer digital cameras produce images that don't make 4X6" shaped photos (3:2 ratio) but rather 4X5.5" shaped photos (4:3 ratio). Though most cameras today let you choose the 3:2 ratio as well.)

Some websites (like the MLS system that Realtors use to post their listings) have space in their upload pages for only that 4:3 ratio images that the consumer cameras use to make by default.
They display photos in 1024X768 pixels size.

When the photos that I provide my clients are uploaded to MLS, the MLS system sizes them down to 768 pixels tall and places the photos into a white 'letterbox' like you see sometimes on your TV when watching a BluRay disc. (example #1 in the image below.)

While not ideal, this allows for the entire photo that I've made of any given room to be seen by anyone browsing the listing online and until MLS sets itself up to also display more professional 3:2 ratio images, it is the best option to use.

IF I or the client choses to have me CROP the images down to 1024X768 pixels before uploading to MLS, you get an image that doesn't show all of the room that we were able to capture with the camera. (example #2 in the image below...not recommended.)

The only other way to fit all of the image information from a 3:2 ratio image into a 4:3 ratio space is to have me SQUISH it in, but that makes everything in the image look distortedly taller than the room actually is and makes my photos look odd.

My clients pay me specifically because my images make their listings look the best that the do in reality. Squishing a photo to fit is NOT a realistic image. (example #3 in the image below...not recommended.)

Monday, May 21, 2012

TEDxDirigo: Engage

Here are the photos I made at the TED talks at USM on Saturday. This is my third event photographing with TEDxDirigo. It was a wonderful day and I love being able to be a small a part of it.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

My Photos on TODAY Show!

David Banks Team of ReMax By The Bay hired me to photograph this listing in March. Some of the photos of this No. Yarmouth home were highlighted on Friday's edition of the TODAY show. (see video) If my photos can attract the attention of the TODAY show's real estate professional, you KNOW they can get the attention of buyers! You never get a second chance to make that first impression...Isn't making that first one count worth a mere $125?
My entire Virtual Tour of the listing may be seen by clicking on this photo:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Portland Inside/Out Project

Several months ago my friend Adam Burk, the Executive Director of TEDxDirigo asked me if I'd be interested in helping out the students at Maine College of Art (MECA) with a public art project based on a TED prize winner J.D.'s project. I jumped at the chance and had a lot of fun making a LOT of portraits of Portlanders. No Umbrella Media put together a movie of the project and it has just been posted...

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Another Update for MaineVirtualHomeTours Site.

I've updated the Gallery of Recent Tours on MaineVirtualHomeTours website so that is always lists the most recent 9 tours that I've posted.


Sunday, September 18, 2011

MaineVirtualHomeTours.com Site Rebuild

I've designed a new interface for my recently acquired MaineVirtualHomeTours.com and Website Genius, Kathy Allen of GreenlightWebSites.com is making my designs an active working site. It should be uploaded and working very soon. Here is the preview of the design:


Friday, August 19, 2011

What I've been up to...

I've been shooting some Seniors, business headshots and some small weddings, but I've had LOTS of Real Estate Tours of late!

I have taken over operations as well as photography for MaintVirtualHomeTours.com and business is great with happy clients like the David Banks Team and the John Chase Team at Re/Max and Charlie Webber of Webber Real Estate. I very much enjoy the work. Every home offers a different challenge in Lighting and Composition and I find it interesting that unlike most of the photography that I've done in the last 26 years, there are no people in the photos!

Here are some of the most recent tours: