A spy kit would be incomplete without a toothbrush, a can of Coca-Cola or other household items equipped with a micro lens and not arousing suspicion. This review presents a dozen small hidden cameras with great capabilities.
Hidden camera is the number one device. Manufacturers consider the best camouflage for “peeping” gadgets to be designed to look like everyday small things – from a pack of cigarettes to a can of air freshener.
An electric toothbrush Oral-B Pinhole Spy Helps take care of more than just your teeth. A cleverly hidden camera shoots video in AVI format, 640*480. Built-in flash memory allows you to store Oral-B Pinhole Spy up to 8 GB of incriminating evidence. average cost“dental” gadget – $243.
Coca-Cola with 4 GB memory it looks even more harmless from the outside. However, written with an “o” glossy reveals the Chinese origin of the pseudo-drink and probably alarms potential “victims”.
Hidden in a pack Marlboro camera SDHCC pinhole provides high quality video material. The footage can be recorded on a video or DVD player, and also viewed remotely from any TV and computer.
Employees were the first to “hide” the spying device law enforcement. Now similar gadgets are available to civilians starting at $300. Spy Shoes consists of two parts - the camera itself, built into the nose of the shoe or sneaker, and cell phone for 1 GB. To receive a clear signal, the distance between them should not exceed 50 meters.
Hidden camera from Omejo disguised as a lighter. According to the manufacturer, you can shoot up to 2 hours of video with excellent sound and a resolution of 640*480.
Hidden lighter camera from Omejo
gadget Motion Detector Telephone is positioned by the creators as a full-fledged alarm system. The “secret” phone not only conducts video surveillance, but also reacts to movements within a radius of 25 meters. Having detected unauthorized activity, Motion Detector Telephone sends a signal to the owner - calls a pre-programmed number.
Company BrickHouse produces spy devices that operate in extreme conditions. Sudden movements and lack of lighting are no obstacle to a hidden napkin packaging camera Tissue Box. Frame rate – up to 30 per second, resolution – 720*480.
Belt Minox- a real dream for Bond fans. It comes with an SD memory card and a USB adapter with a built-in hidden camera. The approximate cost of the image “toy” is $300.
Getting up close and personal with animals in the wild is an extremely difficult and dangerous endeavor. This is where camouflaged hidden cameras with remote control come to the rescue, allowing you to take portraits of the largest and most dangerous animals on the planet. Photos by Burrard-Lucas, Barcroft Media.
A 29-year-old photographer is engaged in these shootings wildlife. And here are the remote controlled cameras themselves:
When photographing such large animals, cameras have to be protected with armor. Three years ago, the photographer's cameras were unprotected, and one day a curious lioness completely destroyed them.
Will - that's the photographer's name - is from London. Filming took place in Zambia for a year.
Will calls leopards "shy creatures", so he had to spend a lot of time filming them in close-up with a hidden camera:
Unlike leopards, they are very inquisitive. They come and check the camera many times:
Handsome:
Crocodile by the river. If you don’t look closely, you might not notice it: it looks like a green log:
Goes about his business:
Lioness close-up.
If you've ever wondered how a digital camera works, then you no doubt know that to capture an image with the camera's sensor, the camera uses lenses, which in turn refract the light and focus it onto the surface of a special sensor. The subsequent problem is connected with this - in the case of the manufacture of microscopic lenses, even the slightest defect leads to distortion of the image.
However, in order to form an image, it is far from necessary to resort to the use of lenses, which was once again confirmed by the craftsmen from the Rambus company, California. The essence of their discovery, or rather development, is that they managed to make a camera that does not have traditional lenses. But that's not all, the most interesting thing is the very, very, very small size of the camera created by specialists, which can be integrated into almost any electronic device.
The thing is that the Californians were able to make a sensor covered with a layer of glass, which is formed in the form of a spiral, thanks to which the light falling on the glass is refracted in an unusual way and falls on the surface of the sensor.
The sensor reads data, which at first glance appears to be a set of random numbers. But this is far from the end; a special software algorithm detects traces of images in the received “chaotic” data, after which it collects the entire image.
Rambus lensless camera, pinhole camera module and ten euro cents
It goes without saying that a high-quality image cannot be obtained due to the low resolution, but even such an image is enough to recognize general details. That is, after looking at images using such a camera, you will not see the details of a human face, but you can confidently say that this is a human face. As an example, the developers showed an image of the Mona Lisa, which can be recognized even now.
“Our goal is to be able to provide vision functionality to any digital electronic device, no matter how small the device is,” Jill Patrick, project leader at MIT
The camera, by the way, is really as small as possible - 20 by 20 points, and due to the absence of moving parts in its device, the camera absorbs a minimum of energy. According to the developers, the camera can be placed not only on devices such as mobile phone, but also for apartment keys, watches or window glass. So if you film someone this way, don’t worry, it’s unlikely that anyone will see your camera.
It seems easier to take a close-up picture of a person than to take a full-length picture. The photographer does not need to think about the position of the model’s hands; he does not need to choose a pose for her. It seems that you don’t even have to worry about the costume - all the same, only your face will be in the frame. But this is not at all true. In order to beautifully and competently make a large portrait of a person, you need knowledge, skill and careful preparation. This is a painstaking and complex matter.
What to do before the shoot
How to prepare for such a shoot? If we are filming a person’s face, it must look decent. Well, at least in terms of makeup. If you are planning a photo for advertising or for some other commercial purposes, it would be a good idea to hire a makeup specialist, a professional stylist. Only a specialist will be able to competently disguise all the shortcomings of the model’s skin and face shape, and then you will practically not have to work with retouching later. Don't forget about the hairstyle of the person you are filming. If this is a child or a young girl, there is no point in coming up with a complex, elaborate hairstyle. Naturalness at this age is much more advantageous. The more natural a person looks in a photo, the more interesting the photo!
Don't forget about accessories. If you shoot in winter, even in a photo studio or at home, scarves, hats, and scarves will be useful in a close-up portrait. If they are approaching New Year holidays- you can also use the hats of the Snow Maiden and Father Frost. You can also offer the model discreet jewelry: beads or earrings, and don’t forget about the clothing styles of individual nations.
What equipment is needed
Which camera you will use to shoot a portrait is up to you to decide. The lens is much more important here. It is best to choose a lens with a fixed focal length, as it has a higher aperture ratio than a zoom lens, which has a variable focal length. Never use it when shooting a large portrait. wide angle lenses- when shooting from a short distance, they significantly distort the proportions of the object. If you're shooting a portrait, you don't need a distorted face of the model in the picture. In general, for such work there are special lenses, which are called portrait lenses.
When photographing a face close up, it is necessary to use all kinds of photo reflectors, light diffusers and various types his sources. The camera must be on a tripod. The background, of course, must be monochromatic. If you decide to take such a portrait on the street, then it is better to look for a quiet and deserted place for this.
Lighting
When you take a close-up portrait, light is very important. When light from various sources hits the model’s face, it creates a so-called light pattern. It is formed by the shadows that form on the face. The intensity of these shadows, their size, and color depend not only on the placement of the light source relative to the model, but also on its type, on whether it emits warm or cold light. The light pattern favorably emphasizes the advantageous features of the face and hides its flaws.
If you are shooting in a studio, it is best to use classic scheme lighting - three light sources. Set the camera to ISO 100, lens aperture 5.6, shutter speed 1/100 sec.
Uniform illumination of the face can be achieved using only two light sources directed at the side of the face.
If you are shooting at home, you can simply sit the model near a window and use just one light source, which in this case should be positioned parallel to the window. If the model's face is not well lit, you can use a reflector, which can be easily made from an ordinary white sheet of paper or even a simple newspaper.
When shooting a large portrait on the street, the lighting is usually frontal, the light most often falls directly on the model's face, from the front. With this lighting option, the model’s eyes in the photo may appear watery and narrowed due to the bright light. That is why it is better to place the model so that the light falls on her face from the side. But here another problem arises: in this case, one side of the face remains in shadow. But an assistant will help you solve this problem, holding a photo reflector on the shadow side of the model’s face. If you do not have an assistant, then the reflector can be strengthened in some way as you need. At least even with clothespins on the branches of the nearest tree. Another way to highlight the shadow side of a model’s face when shooting on location is external flash. You will have to hold the camera in one hand and the flash in the other. This, of course, is not entirely convenient, but still...
If you are unable to implement any of the options proposed above, then try taking a portrait in backlight, that is, when the light source is behind the model’s back. But such shooting is a very difficult matter. The main point here is that the light source can cause glare. In order to get rid of them, we recommend putting a lens hood on the lens. And if you also use a flash, then you need to reduce the strength of its impulse. You can also shoot in the studio with backlight. In this case, you direct one light source directly to the background, and illuminate the model’s face with the second. The first source, by the way, can also be placed behind the background.
If you decide to use shadow as one of your creative elements, we recommend using a simple lighting scheme when shooting in the studio. Direct the first light source towards the face of the person being portrayed from the side, and the second, a “light umbrella”, towards the light. The background can be selected according to the mood of the photo.
It is best to take a close-up portrait on location, that is, on the street, on a cloudy, cloudy day. In such weather, there will be no rough, hard shadows on the model’s face, tonal transitions will be soft and gentle, which will easily highlight the model’s femininity.
Angle and shooting point
Both the angle and the point at which the portrait is taken mainly depends on the type of face of the model. If the face of the person being portrayed is quite round and wide, it is better not to shoot it from the front. It will look much wider than it actually is. It’s good to shoot people with such a face half-turned. If the model turns slightly sideways towards the lens, her face will appear slightly narrower. It should be taken into account that the camera should be located slightly above the model’s eye level or at their level. This shooting option is applicable, in principle, to almost every type of face. But here we must not forget about the model’s shoulder, which in this case turns out to be closer to the lens. This shoulder in the portrait may turn out to be too large. Think about it, maybe get rid of it altogether, not include it in the frame?
Portrait composition
The composition of any photograph depends primarily on the photographer, and not on what or who he is photographing. This truth also applies to close-up portraits. The model must completely submit to the photographer. She must smile, show sadness, be able to express other feelings and moods, and, at the photographer’s request, look into the lens or in another direction. When creating a composition for a close-up portrait, you must first focus on the eyes of the person being photographed. The eyes should be at the top of the portrait. When working on a composition, it is better to crop the upper part of the face, the forehead, rather than the chin. The absence of a chin makes the viewer psychological discomfort, makes the portrait disproportionate.
Feel free to include close-ups of your hands as well. But this also needs to be done competently and carefully.
Try working with color. Depending on the color of the model’s clothes, the color of the background, you can put some kind of color filter on the light source. A bright spot of color can be, for example, beads or something else from accessories or costume details.
Experiment with your aperture. It has a very serious impact on image quality. If you shoot at aperture 22, then all the details, including wrinkles, skin irregularities, and all sorts of defects will appear in the picture very well, clearly and sharply. And this is absolutely useless in a portrait. That’s why you need to shoot a close-up portrait with a shallow depth of field. That is, with an aperture of 2.8 or 4. Moreover, with such aperture values, the background will go blurry, which is very welcome in the type of shooting we are talking about today. After all, the main thing here is to show the person’s eyes, because that’s what they are. As you know, they are the mirror of his soul.
