Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Photo-ready Treat House!



Our Treat House on Meadow Glade in Frisco is decorated and ready for family photos each night for about four hours after sundown through Thursday, 31 Oct. 2024. It will be turned off during any rain.

Located at the DEAD END of Meadow Glade in Preston Glen in Frisco, it’s the place to be to get a treat. The yard features a high-end gravestone along with skeletons as well as plenty of spiders of all sizes and shapes. The planters and glow web feature energy-saving LED lighting while the sidewalks include retro-style stake lights with modern LED flair.




Younger children should feel safe for photos because nothing jumps or screams. Bring your whole family for ghoulish portraits in our yard if you wish.




I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Construction certified
214-862-7212
DFWmark@kw.com
DFWmark.com


#DFWmark #Halloween #TrickOrTreat #TreatHouse #decorations #inflatable #Frisco #lights #spider #ghost

Monday, July 01, 2024

KWNC Farm & Ranch Tour - Summer 2024

 
Keller Williams North Country Agents tour properties during the Summer 2024 Farm & Ranch Tour on 25 June 2024. Tour stops included the following properties:

• 12255 Strittmatter Road in Pilot Point listed by Jessica Self.
• 2412 Ranch Road in Whitesboro listed by Jeremy Lock.
• 256 Green Oaks Drive in Sadler listed by Leia Turner.
• 6904 Southmayd Road in Collinsville listed by Jessica Self.
• 626 Scoggins Road in Tioga listed by Jeremy Lock.

If you are ready for the big skies of Texas, contact me to see these beautiful properties in person and submit an offer.

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212
DFWmark.com

#DFWmark #REALTOR #farm #ranch #PilotPoint #Whitesboro #Sadler #Collinsville #Tioga #KWNC #tour

Friday, June 14, 2024

Quick Tips & Know Your Rights

This is an updated repost of the information presented on April 4, 2008 at the New York Press Association Annual Convention.
While there is no way to "pin" a post, I have set the date to keep this post on the front page for new visitors. Please scroll down to see newer content as it's added.

video, narration, beats by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com
photos by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com, The Beaumont Enterprise and/or The Dallas Morning News

If you find the "Quick Tips" version to be visual hot sauce, please watch "Savory Tips to Improve Photos." It's the same presentation with more time to savor each image.

Additional information is located on the All PJ-related posts section of this blog. Underlined topics are linked to previous posts with detailed information about the subject.

Basics:
Read equipment manuals three times.
Have the right equipment for the job.
Know the difference between nouns and verbs.
Pre-consider potential visual problems and solutions.

Photo basics (see below for specifics) 
Fill the frame.
Have sharp focus.
Get the right exposure.
Time the images.

Fill the frame:
Get close.
Use long lens.
Crop in camera.
Get wide.
Back away when necessary.

Focus:
Stabilize the camera.
Focus on lead eye.
Adjust plane of focus / angle.
Use depth of field.
Adjust focal length for available light.
When focusing manually, use one finger.
Zone focus.

Exposure:
Zone V.
Hand meter the area.
Use alternative meter techniques: Sunny 16, palm, grass.
Understand the dynamic range.

Timing:
Have patience.
Look for repeated action patterns.
Anticipate the action.
Shoot at apex.
Shoot before collision - wind through reaction.
Get reflective shots (quiet moments)
Seek "timeless" images.
Time of day.

Composition:
Shoot horizontals and verticals.
Start with a clean background.
Have dark corners.
Place subject in background.
Use subject and foreground to cover unwanted elements.
Leave leading space.
Use Rule of Thirds/Fifths.
Build a strong skeletal structure.
Frame items within other items.
Avoid tangents.
Have clean edges.
Lead eyes with light and focus.
Layer the image.
Employ leading lines.
Employ repetition of pattern.
Block corners.
Juxtaposition (harmony / irony)

Where to crop:
Avoid cropping joints.
Contain subject within rectangle (Golden Ratio).
Avoid lights, reflections and voids.
Frame arcs and lines.

Before shooting:
Research stories - find those with emotional elements.
Verify location, access.
Double-check equipment.
Have business cards, pencil and notepad.
Refuse access contracts.

Upon arrival:
Arrive early. Stay late.
Shoot signs and rosters. Collect paperwork. Shoot name tags and numbers.
Shoot basic package: scene, normal, tight
Shoot story: lede, transitions, kicker, emotion.
Get cutline information (5W & H). Get sound if possible.


Selecting subjects:
Hunting techniques: shadows, oblique angle, concealment, pre-compose, pre-focus
Emotion
Activity
Color
Sound
Use attention span limitations.

Goals:
Tell the story.
Get main subjects.
Get emotion.
Shoot 100-frame minimum.
Use each lens.
Shoot each angle (left, right, high, low).
Shoot reflection / refraction.
Shoot silhouette / isolation.
Shoot blur.

Before leaving:
Understand the story.
Be able to tell the story in one frame, three frames, five frames, 20 frames.
Have all cutline information.
Have 100+ images.
Count equipment.

Advanced:
Find new word.
Make unique (rare) images: access, subject, news value, combination.
Multi layers
Multi meaning

Artificial light:
Use flash whenever it's helpful (no light, too slow).
Use flash from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outdoors (fill light).
Get flash off the camera.
Understand what causes red-eye.
Try to keep flash angles from 45 to 90 degrees.
Diffuse light.
Color balance artificial light.
Learn to light large areas.
Use multiple lights to add depth.
Be ready to manually calculate exposure (guide number).
Understand inverse square law of light.
Speed techniques (stop action).
Light painting with mixed light and flash (holiday lights, fireworks, lightning).
Increase depth of field with artificial light.



 video, narration, beats by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com
photos by Mark M. Hancock / © DFWmark.com, The Beaumont Enterprise and/or The Dallas Morning News

Do you know your rights as a photojournalist?

Please watch “Know Your Rights as a Citizen Photojournalist.”

Know your rights (most is covered on this link)
It's best to be courteous to defuse confrontations.
Don't be belligerent.
The First Amendment provides the right for anyone to make photos.
Anyone can shoot in public places, streets and sidewalks.
Anyone can shoot where access is granted.
Property owners have the right to deny access.
Understand trespass law by state.
Generally, PJs can shoot until asked to stop.
Exceptions include military facilities and some areas within nuclear plants.
Model releases aren't required for editorial use (but pubs may still require).
Celebrities, politicians and emergency workers limited their right to privacy (injected themselves into spotlight).
Felony criminals have no right to privacy until in prison.
The right to privacy is seriously limited in public places.
The exception to this is medical facilities (which include ambulances in some states).
Business security isn't sufficient to prohibit photography.
Trade secrets aren't in public view. Trade dress doesn't apply to photojournalism.
Police may limit access, but can't prohibit photography (prior restraint).
You aren't required to explain the purpose of your photography.
Coercion and harassment by private security is a criminal offense in all states.
Private parties have limited rights to detain and could face criminal and civil charges.
Without a court order, private parties can't confiscate film.
Ask what law was specifically violated.
Ask for this person's name, and who they represent.
Report rights violations to police. Call before the offender does.
Enough for now,

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Total Solar Eclipse 2024 - Frisco Rail Yards

 
Guests gathered at the Frisco Rail Yard to observe the total solar eclipse as the moon obscured the sun at 1:40 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024. The 125-mile-wide shadow of the moon will cross the Earth at 1,600 miles per hour. The 2024 eclipse will cross many major cities from Texas to Maine. It’s the last total eclipse visible over the USA until 23 Aug. 2044. It was one of the most viewed celestial events in recorded history.

Learn more about this eclipse.

I've Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock, GRI, MRP, AHWD
REALTOR, New Build certified
214-862-7212
DFWmark.com

#DFWmark #REALTOR #eclipse #SolarEclipse #Frisco #RailYard #video #photos #TotalSolarEclipse #event

Monday, February 19, 2024

Sports Photojournalism Portfolio

Sports photojournalism portfolio by Mark M. Hancock for The Beaumont Enterprise or The Dallas Morning News.

Enough for now,

Mark M. Hancock
Photojournalist, REALTOR
214-862-7212
markhancock.blogspot.com

#DFWmark #sports #PhotoJournalism #photojournalist #portfolio #AwardWinners #ballers #competition #emotion #motion

Sunday, February 11, 2024

"Crystal" Cirque

Cirque du Soleil performs “Crystal” at Comerica Center in Frisco on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2024. The presentation is aerial and on ice to combine the dangers of both acrobatics and skating. It’s always a joy to see any of the Cirque du Soleil performances. If you’ve never seen one in person, you must.

I’ve Got Your Six!

Mark M. Hancock
DFWmark.com

#DFWmark #CirqueDuSoleil #cirque #circus #Crystal #Frisco #ComericaCenter #acrobatic #skating #iPhotos