By Allison Luther, Maryland Historical Trust
With support from the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship, Maryland Historical Trust staff members attended a photography workshop led by Willie Graham at the Chase-Lloyd House in Annapolis. It was truly an exceptional day—Willie is a skilled photographer and the Chase-Lloyd House is one of the most outstanding houses in Annapolis. The workshop content included composition, controlling light, sharpness, depth of field, tonal range, perspective correcting, color, black and white, digital editing, metadata, and camera equipment.
We also learned some of Willie’s practical photography tips, including:
Use a tripod.
Be conscious of windows’ lighting impact in interior shots; digitally edit as needed.
Find good skies or cut skies out.
Shoot your subject as straight on as possible to reduce the manipulation needed when digitally editing.
Use black and white for a dramatic impact.
Use a color corrected monitor when digitally editing.
Make sure your photographs are publishable.
Don’t share bad photos!
Attendees of the workshop practiced shooting the richly detailed interior of the Chase-Lloyd House. Construction of this property was commenced by Samuel Chase in 1769; however, Chase quickly sold the unfinished shell to Edward Lloyd IV. With the assistance of English joiner and builder William Buckland, the house was completed in 1774. Distinguishing the Chase-Lloyd House are its three-story height and dedicated tripartite exterior presentation, in addition to the standard Annapolis fare of stone foundation with galletting, molded water table, projecting belt courses, and enriched cornice. Notable interior features include the columned center hall with cantilevered stair, detailed Buckland carvings in the dining room, and Georgian-inspired decorative plaster ceilings.
The valuable skills gained from this workshop will assist the Maryland Historical Trust in both conducting and promoting proper record photography across the state of Maryland. We are very grateful for the financial support from the Orlando Ridout V Fieldwork Fellowship for this training opportunity.
