High-tech Lighting Techniques Bring Incredible Sharpness And Clarity To Images

Many people ask us just how we get our photos so incredibly sharp and lifelike. We use a system called "Enhanced Lighting Compression" or ELC, which is a group of technologies that we've developed over the last 5 years here at PrimeImage. Part of the system involves a process called HDR, a technique that has been in use for over 150 years.

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, specifically High Dynamic Range Imagery. Basically, it's a digital technique that allows you to bring out the brightest brights and darkest darks in an image to accurately represent the intensity of light.

By capturing multiple images of varying exposures almost simultaneously, the entire light spectrum is captured. Then, using special software, the images are combined into one seamlessly developed picture.

What makes it even more interesting is that this technology was actually used back in the mid-19th century when Gustave Le Gray famously made seascapes showing the sky and the sea. Because the range of light was too great to capture with standard techniques at the time, Le Gray actually used two different negatives, one of the sky and one of the sea, and then combined them together to create the single picture.

However, it wasn’t until the early 1990’s that HDR took off among amateur and professional photographers. Thanks to the constant fall in price and rise in demand of consumer and prosumer level cameras, HDR is now something that almost anyone with a camera can achieve.

Although HDR video has been researched since the late 1980’s, it wasn’t until the early 2000’s that true attempts at it were made. In 2010, the independent film studio Soviet Montage released footage of HDR video created using a beam-splitter and two cameras. The effects are almost haunting, with the result resting in the uncanny valley of reality.

At PrimeImage, we took the basis of HDR and pioneered a type of imaging called Enhanced Lighting Compression (ELC) photography. Like HDR, ELC uses shots of multiple exposures to capture the varying light intensities of a scene. However, ELC also uses custom software algorithms and special techniques to bring incredible sharpness and clarity to images that can’t be attained with standard HDR. This custom technology helps to bring out the details that the human eye sees that are unable to be captured with other methods. Although ELC has been formerly used in both the medical and military fields, PrimeImage is one of the first companies to use ELC for real estate.

It will be interesting to see where HDR goes in the future. As technology progresses, what new forms of lighting compression will we see researched and developed? If you’d like to use ELC images for your business, drop us a line at 480.240.9270

Discover Real Estate Secrets with the Top Women in Real Estate

We recently had a shoot in Phoenix for the up-coming Real Estate site, TopWomenInRealEstate.com.

Created by Carrie Love and Tara Revel, the website discusses industry and trade secrets for all members of the real estate community, from people just getting their feet wet to experienced brokers.

The women were having a photo shoot, and they wanted us to film a "behind-the-scenes" video for their website.

Because we're used to being the ones with all the equipment, it was definitely an experience working around another photography crew. It’s always great to work with other crews though to exchange ideas and thoughts.

Using our trusty tripod and dolly, we were able to set up great shots while keeping the camera moving smoothly. On the dolly, you’re able to lock the wheels in a certain direction so that when moving it, you can lock it to keep it turning at a set angle. This is particularly helpful when rotating the camera around a steady subject.

When we wanted to get mobile, we used our hand-held steadicam, the GlideCam. Amazingly, it gets some very smooth shots for being hand-held. It’s definitely been a great acquisition for our company.

Besides getting those shots, they also wanted to do a short video of them speaking about the service. This will go on their website when they get it up and running.

If you’d like to make a video for your website, drop us a line at 480.240.9270

Neo-Fight: The Technology Show for the Not-So-Geeky!

Love technology, but not technology minded?

Do the technical specs discussed in reviews mean nothing to you?

If so, check out Neo-Fight, the technology show for the not-so-geeky!

Created by PrimeImage Media owner and producer Ben Freedman, the show has been in production for over five years, with almost 350 episodes. Along with Ben, the show is also hosted by Heather Driscoll.

Each episode is broken up into segments in which various technological gadgets and gizmos are reviewed. Ben offers his perspective as a techno-geek while Heather counters with her perspective as a casual technology user.

Released weekly, we film a month's worth of shows at a time in our Mesa studio.

On one of the episodes we shot this month, we reviewed several rugged cameras, designed for underwater use as well as outdoor activities such as mountain biking and off-roading.

We also reviewed the Micro Hornet remote controlled helicopter. Weighing only half an ounce, the Micro Hornet can be used for indoor flight with a flight time of about five minutes.

Along with those items, we reviewed the iRig Mic for the iPhone, a mouse, a color calibrator for computer monitors and more. You’ll have to check out the latest episodes to see everything we reviewed!

Be sure to check out Neo-fight at neo-fight.tv and give us a call at 480.240.9270 if you have an idea for a web show you’d like to get produced.

TesTeachers: The Virtual Classroom Experience

In 2006, TesTeachers Online became the first online class to use video technology to fully recreate the classroom experience.

In 2011, they came to us to help make those videos.

TesTeachers is an online preparation course for insurance and securities exams. With eight securities courses and twenty insurance courses, TesTeachers provides a valuable alternative to classroom-based learning.

This shoot, containing over eighteen hours of footage, took us three days in our Mesa studio to complete.

Using a specially modified television, the instructor is able to “write” on it like a whiteboard, and using a program called Camtasia, the contents of the board are stored and can be used in editing to show what was written on the board, without showing the instructor in the way of it.

The total length of the course we shot was about eighteen hours, so each day we shot six hours of footage. Once the shot starts, our job is fairly simple. The instructor simply teaches to the camera as if they are teaching to a class full of students, with occasional breaks.

Now that we have all of our footage, we’ll sit down and edit it together into manageable chunks for the students, which will then be distributed to the students of the class.

If you’d like to use state of the art video technology for your company or class, contact us at 480.240.9270

Visiting Dr. Aldo Guerra

We recently headed to the office of Doctor Aldo Guerra, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, Arizona. Specializing in cosmetic plastic surgery, Dr. Guerra works with patients wishing to enhance their physical appearance and well-being.

After pulling up to his office, we immediately got to work unloading our truck full of equipment. For this shoot we used a tripod, dolly, three lights, a microphone, and other various gadgets.

One of the main pieces of footage we were shooting was a testimonial by a woman coming in for a procedure for a “before-and-after” segment. We converted a small consultation office into a studio, packing a full set of equipment into the room. We used a standard three-light set up, using our new LED lights, which produce virtually no heat.

After the interview, we went to various locations in the office to get action shots. Some of these shots included the client entering the office and being greeted at the front desk, Dr. Guerra discussing the procedure, and general shots of the office staff.

Using the tripod with a dolly (basically wheels for the tripod) underneath, we were able to achieve some slow, smooth shots.

If you’d like us to shoot a video for your business, drop us a line at 480.240.9270