The in-between photos.
In Photography, a “full stop” refers to a doubling or halving of the amount of light entering your camera. When you increase exposure by a full stop, you double the light entering the lens. Conversely, when you decrease exposure by a full stop, you halve the light.
Think of it as adjusting a faucet: turning it all the way up doubles the water flow while turning it all the way down halves it
A “half-stop” is a midway point between full stops. It represents a 50% change in exposure. When you adjust by a half-stop, you’re either increasing or decreasing the light by half. Imagine fine-tuning that faucet: turning it halfway opens it just a bit more or less.
For most commercial assignments, I’m usually given, often in advance, some type of shot list or storyboard to work off of.
This list, generally speaking, is a good indicator of the key shots the client is looking for. The list is brimming with “Full-stop” photos.
I tend to think of these hero shots as “Full-Stop” photos.
They are the ones I am primarily after. They deserve my “full” attention. Click.
However, as with almost every assignment, there are other ancillary and additional shots I get, often in large quantities, that aren’t at all on the client list. Still, I can’t help but see and capture as I move through my assignment paces.
I call these “‘Half-Stop” photos. They get “half” my attention and focus. Click.
The “Half-Stop” photos help round out, in story speak, the details and nuance of the place and space I’m covering.
And while I understand, quite well, the importance. and the significance of the “Full-Stop” photos to a customer’s brand efforts, It in often the “Half-Stop” photos that I tend to like and admire most.
Click.
Jack Hollingsworth
Salamander Collection
