DOUBLE EXPOSURE by Mirin MacCarthy

Pattaya Mail’s new photography columnist, Mirin MacCarthy has had a varied and extensive career in the public eye. Mirin, a Registered Nurse, moved into the photojournalism field in the mid 1980s. Together with her husband she ran a commercial photographic studio in Australia for ten years. Amongst her studio’s photographic achievements, the Readymix calendar series rate very high. These collectable items have been described as the Australian equivalent to the famed European Pirelli calendars. Mirin also wrote a popular photography column for an Australian major daily newspaper. As a professional writer she has had articles on many different subjects published in overseas magazines. Mirin recently relocated to Jomtien so that she could live by the sea in Thailand, her favourite country.

Great Holiday Snaps

Do you want great holiday snapshots? Here’s how.

Have you ever anxiously awaited your perfect Pattaya pics only to be bitterly disappointed with the results?

The people in the photos were so small they were unrecognizable. Who was that with the Big Buddha? Was it Auntie Alice or Aunt Aggie? By following some simple rules you will never have this problem again.

The answer is the same whether you own the latest hi-tech Nikon or are using a disposable "camera in a box". Move in closer, or position the subject closer to the camera.

You can do this in either of two ways, and both have distinctly different results. Rest assured, however, both show recognizable Aunts and Uncles.

There is one simple decision to make before even looking through the viewfinder - that is the relative importance of the background.

Just decide - is this a shot of Aunt Aggie in a general Thai themed background, or is this Aunt Aggie in a specific place or time?

Take the first option - a general tropical background of the beach at Jomtien. Position Aunt where she is comfortable, (or sit her down if she is 94 and fairly fragile) then begin to compose your picture.

Now stand where you would usually take this type of photo and look through the viewfinder. Start walking towards Aggie looking through the viewfinder all the time. Stop when she begins to " fill the frame". She has now become the major feature inside the frame-up lines in the viewfinder. Take that shot - you now have a perfect picture of Aunt against a brightly coloured background of waving beach umbrellas and the Gulf of Siam.

However, if the background is specific and dominating, go about this differently. Leave Auntie sitting quietly in the shade while you compose the background first.

For example, imagine standing at the statue of the Big Buddha. Looking through the viewfinder walk forwards ‘till the important monument fills the frame. Get down low and move to get the base of the statue at the lower edge of the picture, and the top of the Buddha Head close to the upper line on the viewfinder.

Only now do you drag Aunt Aggie out of the shade. Tell her to stand at the front of the Buddha and walk slowly towards you while you look through the viewfinder. Stop her when she fills the frame from top to bottom. Now move her slowly sideways so the Buddha image appears again beside her in the photograph. Click the shutter button and you have the perfect shot again.

See the difference? When the background is a general flavour, move the camera closer to the subject. If the background is specific, however, move the subject closer to the camera.

It’s a simple formula, but if you remember to use it you will be rewarded with great holiday snaps of Aunt Aggie’s tropical trip.

Who knows she may be so grateful she leaves you her entire fortune.

There are lots of snappy (sorry couldn’t resist that) little hints which will improve the overall standard of your pictures. Over the next few weeks I suggest you keep these articles in a safe place so that you can refer back to them.

We will be having another great photo contest later in the year so practise your photo technique as much as possible. Practice makes perfect, even for the professional shooters.

Remember also, you do not need super expensive photo gear to take fabulous photos. Even the cheapest little compact camera can take great shots. It is simply a matter of technique and developing your own photographic "eye" or style.

Photography really has no boundaries. Just use your imagination - let it run riot. I will show you how.

Photo Hotline

Any photographic queries or advice needed? As part of the Pattaya Mail’s new Photography Column I will run a hotline to answer your questions. Just send them in to Mirin MacCarthy, c/o Pattaya Mail P.O. Box 155, Pattaya City, 20260. Or Fax - (038) 427 596.

I will try to answer them in the following week’s edition. HAPPY SNAPPING.

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