enji Yamaguchi’s shop could be mistaken for Sid’s workbench from Toy Story, a place where mangled lenses and broken shutters crowd out bare areas of his workspace. His office is tucked away in the basement of National Geographic, behind a grease-covered floor filled with drill presses and electric saws. Surrounded by robotic motors, modified macro lenses, and custom flashes, Kenji builds contraptions that can’t be bought. When a photographer needs to fasten a camera onto a thirty-foot pole to capture a bird in her nest, or build a wide-angle macro lense to identify pollen on a flower with mountains in the background, he’ll call Kenji
VIDEO: Visit Kenji’s workshop and meet the man behind the gear
He is particularly fond of his custom motion-detecting flashes, or what he calls “camera traps.” In the wild, cheetahs like to chew on the rubber-coated cable that connects the camera to its flash. Kenji solved this problem by incorporating a wireless flash. As a result, photographers are able to illuminate wildlife without distraction. The first time I meet Kenji, he was cranking out flash units—just like a one-man production line.
Kenji has been integral to projects worldwide. One of his favorite experiences occurred a few hours away from his native Tokyo when he helped underwater photographer David Doubilet with a month-long assignment in Suruga Bay, Japan. His main challenge was getting two scenes on one frame (a double exposure). Kenji’s role was to load the film and help capture the images in a single, seamless photo. A bifocal view captures the robot Searover in the little explored waters of Suruga Bay off of Honshu Island in Japan. Photograph by David Doubilet
Launch Gallery
The photographic team used one piece of film to create two different images. First they exposed the lower half of the negative underwater, then expose the upper half above water several days later.
Over the course of this project I’ve developed a profound respect for the people who manage and maintain our photographic tools. During our interview, I asked Kenji about his motivation. He said that he continually asks himself, “What can I do to make this device better?”
***** See how National Geographic photographer Steve Winter uses camera traps built by Kenji to photograph big cats. A native West Virginian, David Ehrenberg found his love for video storytelling in a high-school production class. After four months as National Geographic magazine’s multimedia apprentice, he is currently working as a video coordinator with the digital video team at National Geographic Studios. Outside of work, he enjoys backpacking, kayaking, and trout fishing. Follow David on Instagram.
Color correction is best described as Camera filters cellophane that fits over the lens or the film while printing.
There is a term well fix it in post meaning after the photo is taken we can make it look better. The misconception is that you can fix anything but that is not true. You can only work with what you got. If you are missing a person or body part you can only get it back if you have another photo with that person from the same photo shoot. that is why taking many photos is always a good idea.
The below site has some great reading on both uses of color in photographs during and after a photo event. It is a bit of reading but if you remember a colors class from elementary school you should be fine.
If you don't want to read that is fine below is the exercise for color correction and it covers the same concept. Practice on your own photos as well I love to see student progress.
There are many great things on photoshop but people are making their own things to be used in photoshop and posting them online some are free and others are not but with a little searching you can get some great things that can make some wonderful art.
Online Brush example
There is a site that is geared toward Elements with extra tips and tricks as well as simply searching for what you may need in Google with the program you have.
New Brushes/stamps Download different brushes for fun patterns textures and stamps.
Programs and filters Pre programed tasks that create that look your going for without following multiple steps. Layer masks Downloading
Make sure it is compatible with your program and computer
Don't give away any information you would not like everyone to know SS# Bank info etc. If they do ask just walk away.
After you click to download, I usually save to my desktop because that is easiest to find, open the file double click if it is a zip file. If it is not where you think it is use the search function in your computer (under start for Windows) and search all. Or check your download file.
The folders usually contain several items like a written note and the actual file usually double clicking will load it to photo shop.
Then search under the tool type,
For example
you download a new brush set to your desktop
you open the file and see a few items make sure there is one with a blue brush icon, If not the person did not load the files properly to the internet and you have to keep searching.
open photoshop and go to your brush tool and in the brush type at the top,
Clicking the little arrow to the right you can LOAD BRUSH and find the file with your new brushes.
