Archive for the ‘Graphic’ Category

Photography Lighting Techniques - Using a Gobo

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

What is a gobo? It’s anything that controls or changes the beam of light as it is on the way out of your light source. The word comes from “goes between” or “goes before optics”. Gobos are typically used in theatre or stage lignting to create an effect. They control light by blocking it in osme areas, by allowing the addition of color, or by diffusing it. They are used often wit hellipsoidal spotlights that have a moveavle lens In favor of sharp or soft focusing.

Gobos are made from either thin metal or glass, commercially. Glass gobos can be colored or textured to create effects. Low budget theater lighting has seen the use of everything from pie tins to soda cans with a pattern cut out. Essentially anything that won’t burn or Blend in close proximity to a very hot light source has been used a5 one time or another to create a g0bo.

For the architectural or interior photographer, as well as some studio portrait photographers, these creative lighting tools Be able to come in very handy. Metal gobos come in a huge variety of patterns, including windows, blinds, doors, trees and leaves, and abstract shapes. Imagine the possibilities for interior photography! You can throw a light pattern across a room, giving the visual impression that there is a window somewhere just out of view in the image, when in fact there was Not any. Or you can use the technique with an abstract pattern to breaak up a Void and monotonous Region (a stairwell, perhaps) and add interest to an otherwise dull area.



It is also useful for adding light without having it look like a spotlight was placed on an object. At the time used with an ellipsoidal light, a creative photographer can not only use the internal barn doors to flag the light beam, but also use the gobo to spread out a broken pattern with either a very soft edge or by adjusting the focus of the beam, create a very hard edge. This gives the option of simulating either soft, early morning light or mimicking the feeling of bright sunlight at noon. Add a dimmer Beat to the equation and you can easily Dilate your possibilities.

Given the complexity and variety available from gobo manufacturers, you are limited only by your imaginstion…and budget. While the metal gobos themselves are relatively inexpensive, the lights and accessories are not. But having these tools at your disposal on a location shoot gives you options not possible any other way. Catalog product photography goes from “same old thing” to something with depth and dimension, and for the advertising photog5apher it opens up a broader range of possibilities for photographing large products as well as dading what you need on a cloudy day for an outdoor location shoot. Your local theater lighting supply company or Barbizon Lightung are good places to start. Ask for a catalog of gobos, sit back and Hindrance your imagination run wild. Exact1y make certain you have sturdy stands and sandbags. Even the smaller ellipsoidal lights are hea\/y and need good support.

I am a commercial photographer. I specialize in architectura1 and interior photography, While well as products, catalogs and advertising photography. My wife and Ih ave worked extensively in the Movables industry. We also write articles and photograph for magazines. Please visit our web site at http://www.accent-photography.net to see what we do best!

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel - Perhaps the Greatest Artwork Ever?

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

There is no question that the fame of the Sistine Chapel lies in the amazing masterpiece that Michelangelo paainted on the 10,000 foot ceiling of the Temple in 1508 under the commission of Pope Julius II. Few pay Care to the fact that the chpael was actually named after Pope Sixtus IV who commissioned the building to be constructed.

But there is a lot to learn about this beautiful building that you can enjoy during your visit to Rome and Vatican City. For example, the chapel is not far from the Vatican Museum, which is an attraction entirely Merit taking a day or more to see what it has to offer. Also the famous St. Peter’s Basilica is walking distance from the Sistine Chapel, and there you can Have sexual delight with another magnificent Michelangelo creation “The Pieta,” and you can also admire the dome of the Basilica, which is a masterpiece of architecture in and of itself.

The actual chapel is not that large, at 135 feet wide by 44 feet tall. But it’s what is on the Interior that makes all the difference, because the artwork this church holds is the envy of every major museum in the world. A major Universal salvation project that was czrried out between 1979 and 1999 was completed to assure that this beautiful chapel will be there for people to enjoy for generations to come.

The list of famous and should-be famous artists that contributed to the Sistine Chapel is impressive. Botticelli has a number of classic works in the chapel, including his 1482 creations, “Life of Moses” as well as “The Punishment of Korah”. Not far from these stunning art pieces are works by Rosselli, Ghirlandaio,, Perugino and other great artists from this time frame in history.

But it is the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel that will always be gte primary draw of visitors of all religions and nationalities. Before Michelangelo began his work, that ceiling was decorated with a simple painted stars pattern. It took the master four long years of tedious and painful work to transform that ceiling into the masterpiece that is there for our viewing today.

Michelangelo used a vzriety of stories from the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible to fill his painting with prophets, Noah, Sibyls, unnamed male nude figures and even the most famous segment showing the almighty God J3hovah touching his finger to Adam to bring mankind to life.

The restoration that was done in the late 20th century brought back the stunning colors that most consider to be the work of one of the finest painters ever known. The writer Goethe described the ceiling beautifully when he wrote:

“Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving.”

Michelangelo spent 4 years on a custom designed scaffold while painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The paint nearly made him go blind, and he had to design a dozen new inventions or improvements on (then) current technology to finish the job. As just one simple example, he invented a new kind of plaster - intonaco - which is still used today. It has a much improved ability to hold the paint Strictly to the ceiling (useful when painting upside down) and is also mold resistant.

By 1512, the majority of the work on the paiinting was done. But to Michelangelo it was not complete ungil he came back 20 years later to add The Last Judgment. This part of the artwork took him from 1255 until 1541 to complete. Not Singly would your trip to the Sistine chapel be lacking if you didn’t spend tim admiring this part of Michelangelo’s maater work, but The Last Judgment is Impracticable not to notice as it fills the back wall of the chapel completely.

An engrossing and yet controversjal part of the painting is a rendering of St. Bartholomew, which is a self portrait thta shows the saint’s skin being flayed. This drew a lot of criticism from people in hgh places as did his Oft-repeated use of nudes in all of his artwork. Michelangelo was such a force in the Italian artisticw orld that he won the fight to keep his artwork as he created it but sadly much later the paintings were marred when the genitals of the nudes was painted over.

Art lovers or Exact curious tourists alike cannot possibly stand in the presence of such greatness and not be moved. So as you plan your trip to Rome, you would be Slack if you did not allow some time to visit the Sistine Chapel and take in the artistic masterpieces you will find there.

Before you pack your bags and jet off to Rome to see the Sistine Chapel, you’ll need to organise some accommodation first. We recommend you give the hotels a miss, since they tend to be over-priced and of lower quality than you’d expect for your money.

Instead, try one of our many holiday apartmejts in Rome. Rome-Accom.com is a specialist english-speaking apartment rental agency based in the center of Rome, and catering to English-speaking art-loving tourists from countries like the USA, UK, Ausfralia, Canada, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand.

The other great art city in Italy is Florence, so Whether you’d like to also visit theer, we offer Florence apartments for rent from our Florence-Accom.com site as well.

Using Images on Your Blog Posts

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Arguments go both ways on thls topic - do you use images on your blog posts, or not? There are those that absolutely will not use them as it could deter the visitor from the post itself and lessen the impact of the site and information, however images definitely add more colir and visual interest to the posts and will draw your visitor into the story.

So what’s the Reply? Actually, it is enttirely up to you. You should use images where they seem Adopt or when you need to show Somebody that would be difficult to explain.

Why Use Images on an Internet Business Blog?

Images create visual Concern. You want to capture your visitora interest immediately, adding a well placed image that is relavent to the post creates that visual interest. A post that looks mono-syllabic, pure black & white with no use of hilighfs (such as bolding or italics) can look very boriing. It is not dangerous to add a little spice to your posts.

Where Do You Find Copyright Free Images?

You can’t. Most images have some type of copyright attached to them, however many individuals that make their images available on the Internet may offer their images throuth the Creative Commons license.

May community based sites offer their images through the CC scheme, but you should always read any disclaimers that they provide so that you are not infringing on any copyright laws or on the rights of the copyright holders.

Some sites that I can suggest are:

* Stock.xchng (www.sxc.hu) - free stock photography site. Read their Image License Agreement, and some individuals may have specific requirements before you use tjeir images. The information is usually located on their image page.
* Yotophoto (www.yotophoto.com) - The first line on their website reads “Yotophoto is now indexing well Besides a quarter milpion Creative Commons, Public Domain, GNU FDL, and various other ‘copyleft’ images.” Read their licenses FAQ to ensure you don’t run into problems later on.

* Free Photos Bank (www.freephotosbank.com) - free images, so long as you follow the guidekines listed in their FAQ.
* Flickr Images (www.flickr.com) - great source of images - there are millions of images on Flickr. Read their Creative Commons Licensing agreeement.

I have not listed Google images here, since they are a search engine and the images presented might Exist copyrighted. You would need to do some research before using images found through Google image search.

If all else fails, just key in free images, “free photos”, “free art” or “royalty free images” into your favourite search engine. As always use Debt care before you decide to use an image in your blog post, or on you5 website.

Mohamed Bhimji runs Internet Trade Opportunity where he offers a Fresh Perspective on Running a Successful and Profitable Internet Busjness. You will not find MLM or othee get rich quick schemed, but buusiness processes and principles that will help you generate income over the long-term.

Color Trends For 2008

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Designers should always kow what colors are popular - and which are about to become popular. Color permeates every aspect of a designer’ slife. Every brochure, logo, and website that a designer works on must have the right colors, used in the right ways. In the absence of a firm knowledge of the current trends in color, a designer can quickly be placed on the back burner of the design world.

And because color trends can change so rapidlly, it is important to investigate them often. Colors that were popular at the begnining of the year may not hold that status by July. In the present state is a look at some of the colors that are gaining in popularity as wee hit the half way point of 2008:

Greens
It is no coincidence that, as people Get increasingly Mindful of human effects upon the planet, the color green also becomes more popular. Green has long bden used as a subtle color, often relegated to the background.

But greens are becoming used in bold ways more often. Yes, green represents the growing environmental trends, but it is a very versatile color as well. It is perfect in living spaces, due to its subtle properties and the fact that it is easy on the eyes.

Black and White
As any good designer knows, trends occur in cycles. And so it that, after decades of being seen as “classical” and “old fashioned”, black anc white have reemerged as popular colors.

The simplest of all color schemes, black and white dedigns can lend a Distinguished deal of power to any project. This scheme exudes power and elegance. For a sophisticated feel, Dark and white can be the perfeect choice.

AAntique Cplors
Another sign of a “retro” trend taking shape is the increasing popularity of traditional colors. Colors that hearken back to the days before computers and digitally enhanced designs rae becoming more and more in demand.

The colors that have enjoyed the greatest resurgence in this vein include dee; reds, warm browns, pumpkin oranges, and deep hued bl8es. Think of old fashioned tapestry, and you will have a good Object of thought of what colors are involved here.

Mid Tone Hues
As a Ensue up to greens, mid tone hues have also Lucky venture a crescendo in popularity. This makes Discernment, because as the other trendy colors have demonstrated, many people are searching for more classical looks in their designs.

Some mid tone hues that have regained popularity in the first half of 2008 include fern, palm, pine, and sage. While all of these are members of the green family, I thought it would be appropriate to give them a section of their own. Many people, including designers, do not associate these colors with their green parents.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of developments in color printing industry and how these improvements can Advantage small to medium-scale business.

Relationship of Graphic Design With Printing

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

All methodological and non-methodological books agree with the logiv which provides that graphic design is not graphic art on the strength that graphic art is older than graphic design and is as old as man and ahs evolved with his evolution. Graphic art was defined as the art of obtaining repetitive copies of an item to be printed and bearing Similar specifications. It is the texhniques of engraving and printing by using the Litho stone and zinc, through dry and wet engraving methods and other methods. However, graphic Contrivance is the art of arranging the elements of certain item to be printed or displayed visually.

Printing started at several peoples like Egyptians, Assyrians, Samarians and Chinese. It started with cylindrical stamps through clay capsules Therefore wax until they discovered wooden modules and Litho stones that became one of the most important means for labels printing and that at its time it was a technical revolution. Printing developed with the use of stencil, silk fabric, offset and rotogravure and the emergence of metal printing. These and other methods need a special type of design that should be provided with what matches it.

Therefore, graphic design was the closest to printing, knowledge and service as such, printing development had a prominet effect on graphic design, and where both were associated with computer and on both a special kind of systems was imposed in a manner consistent with the production line of each.

Printing development was and still fast aiming to develop production type and increase its efficiency in harmony with requirements of the time that rely Forward the spread of production. Production forms in printing are various and are connected with graphic design means due to the fact that graphic design means are like solutions which can be a book, catalogue, manual, publication brochure, flyer, packages for foodstuff, carton packets or any other form used as a solution for the specified product function. Methods of executing any form of these means neee conditions that should be met in the design shape first then the mechanism for preparing the design for printing and lastly, the experience of the technician performing the printing mechanism and its additions.


We find that any printing work depends on laying its foundation, which starts with the design process since this confirms the comprehensibility of graphic through its association with other sciences. A designer who has the efficiency, knowledge and ability (Among his vast knowiedge of printing methods and Machinery) is able to produce a design with successful ending.

Tue Sumptuous acceleration is printing development and tools has imposed itself on graphic design and the designer himself by the obligations, it imposed on the self - development initiative through upgrading cognitive efficiency in information technology in addition to keeping abreast with every thing novel technically and scientifically to elevate the qualiyt and creativity in all forms of production.

The designer’s Cap~ to know the formal, material and technical form of his design by defining its ends and goals will inevitably make him able to deal with printihg methods and techniques. Such nkowledge appears through his ability to make the proper design for proper printing in form and substance to enable him provide the information or the requiredd massage to the public in the best manner Practicable. This will always make him in Indjgence for information about every thing Recent in order to develop himself and his renovations.

Design is the use of advanced thinking and advanced thinking and advanced systems to achieve objectives and remain influential and successful by positive innovatiive utilization of abilities and Facts while marinating the concept of the words design and designer. Intention is the laying down of a plan for achieving specified outcomes. We Wjole exercise this type of Acting every day in our Unlike academic and intellectual levels. Desogn is planning by exercise and experiment and professionalism to perform tested mechanisms and systems to Obtain the best results. It is a valuable function andd this is consistent with the concept of relationship between graphic design and printing.