photography | Pittsburgh Video Production & Studio

Articles Tagged with: photography

Dec

Understanding High Speed Sync (HSS)

If you have ever browsed studio strobes or even own a speedlite with the feature, you may have come across that term in its title, “high speed sync” or “hss”. Let’s take a minute to help you understand what that is and how to use it to your advantage.

Every camera has its own maximum sync speed, or the fastest shutter speed you can use while shooting an image with flash. If you exceed this shutter speed while shooting with flash, you will see a horizontal black bar covering up part or all of your image. When you take a photo, the first part of your shutter (first curtain) separates from the second, the sensor gets exposed for the amount of time that your shutter speed is set to, and the second curtain closes behind it.

When you add flash to the mix, it can only properly expose the image up to your camera’s maximum sync speed. What happens then is you press the shutter release button, the first curtain opens, the flash then fires, and the second curtain closes. If your shutter speed is set too high (past the maximum synchronization speed), the second curtain will actually block part of the sensor as the flash is exposing the image. With high speed sync turned on, the flash pulses multiple times, exposing different parts of the image as the curtains fall. It happens too quickly for the human eye to see but the effect is surely noticeable.

You might be wondering how this happens if there are other lights in the room or scene. The unique thing about using flash photography is that it operates completely separately from continuous or ambient lighting. The two factors to keep in mind are that shutter speed affects only the ambient or continuous lighting in the exposure and your aperture affects the flash output. Experiment using different combinations and settings to find out what effects work best for your taste or needs.

You are able to combine continuous light and strobe lights for particular effects. A great photographer to cite as an example is Nick Fancher. He is a master of using various combinations of gels, continuous lighting, and strobe lighting to create amazing works of art.

As this was just a general overview of what it is and how it works, do some extra research to master this technique and create portfolio-quality work. Keep on shooting!

Nov

Keep Your Customers Coming Back

Video Production Services that Will Keep them Coming Back!

There are several key factors to consider with video production services for keeping your customers coming back. Quality, professional video productions are about more than the service and the customer; they are about the video experience as a whole. At Cut ’N’ Run Productions, we are dedicated to our services, as well as our customers, to make way for the best video production results in and around the Pittsburgh area.

Know All Aspects of Your Video Services

Your customers most likely do not know as much about video production as you do. This means they will probably ask several questions, making it imperative for you to fully know all aspects of your services. From service capabilities and creative solutions, to tasks of the impossible, your customer can not begin to fully understand all terms and aspects of the video production at hand unless you do.

Consider the Customer’s Perspective

This may sound easy and obvious, but the customer’s full point of view can unintentionally be neglected. Considering the customer’s perspective surpasses the basics of simple customer service. Taking the customer fully into account involves cost calculations from both parties, the customer’s skill level of video production as well as your own, trust within the professional relationship, and more. If you and your customer are not in congruence with one another, miscommunications can occur and result in the lack of a repeat client.

Affordability is important for both you and your customer to understand. Knowing the service prices in respect to the available project budget will provide a clear idea of what the customer can expect in their price range. Cost ranges are also great segues into project upgrades and advancements if the customer is seeking a higher-quality video production. Also, when it comes to explaining the cost-to-quality ratio, knowing your customer’s technology skill level is imperative to knowing how to talk to them and what to explain. For instance, does the customer understand the process at all levels, or only a few parts of what go into the video production in Pittsburgh? These inquiries will help you to build a professional relationship with your client, which will help you to also build trust. That developed trust will keep your customers coming back.

At Cut ’N’ Run Productions, we have everything you need to understand and create your next video project successfully. From convenience and affordability, to professional results and reliability, you can count on Cut ’N’ Run to get the job done. Call (412) 343-3600 now for more information on our Pittsburgh video production services or stop in for a visit at 1532 Beechview Ave!

May

Video Shoot Preparation

Video Shoot Preparation

Knowing what to and not to do before a photo or video shoot is imperative for successful results. From keeping everyone who is involved fully informed, to fulfilling shoot goals and purposes, success all starts with proper preparation. For readying properly for your next shoot, follow these few tips from our professionals at Cut ‘N’ Run Studios on necessary steps for proper preparation.

Make a Check List

Keep everyone informed and ready. From your shoot producer, to your stylist, everyone involved needs to remain informed at all times. Whether any alterations or rescheduling are major or minor, everyone should be informed. This will keep all on the same track, which will also keep things in order as the shoot proceeds.

Be Theme & Clothing Conscious

Whether your everyday clothing look is put together based on fashionista critiques or whatever is clean and pulled out first from the hamper, being clothing conscious for your shoot is important. The clothing worn in your shoot should help emphasize the idea or theme you are attempting to get across. Your clothing should also compliment captured surroundings. If your background is red for instance, do not wear the color unless you are trying to blend in.

Consider Your Health

Celebrate after the shoot. Unless the theme of your shoot is post-party hangover, prepare yourself health wise beforehand. The day before your shoot, getting enough rest, a good workout, and proper nourishment and hydration will go far in feeling fresh and ready to go for the big day. This, again, goes for everyone involved no matter the size of their part.

Rehearse

Perfect practice makes perfect. Rehearsing scenes, poses, et cetera well before the day of the shoot is imperative for an easy flow during it. Whether rehearsing for you means practicing expressions in the mirror or running times lines, do whatever it takes to remain in control during the real shoot.

At Cut ‘N’ Run Studios we provide all of your multi-media needs, from the preparation and planning stage, to fantastic end results. Whether seeking photo, video production or Pittsburgh party services, no matter what your multi-media needs you can trust in Cut ‘N’ Run Studios to get it done right. Contact us today for more information!