UBC Medical Illustrator Wins 5 Awards

We are happy to announce that our medical illustrator, Vicky Earle, has received 5 international awards from the 2010 UK Institute of Medical Illustrators Annual Competition. Two Silver and three Bronze Awards were presented for her submissions this year showing “an outstanding application of technique and an excellent understanding of the client’s needs”. The Institute of Medical Illustrators was founded in 1968 to bring together the several disciplines of medical illustration and has set and maintained standards of practice for the profession.

Superior Dental Plexus by V. Earle

Nerves of the Palate by V. Earle

Medical Illustrations have been recording anatomical and physiological systems for hundreds of years, the most recognized works being from Leonardo da Vinci, Andreas Vesalius, and Frank Netter. Today’s medical illustrators are artists who create material designed to record, teach and support medical and scientific knowledge through visual communication media. Many are also active consultants and advisors in education and administration.

Vicky began working in the Media Group at UBC (and affiliated teaching hospitals) in 1989 after receiving her degree in Medical Illustration from the University of Toronto. More recently, she acquired a Masters in Education Technology from UBC with a goal to better understand technology for teaching and online education. She has been involved with the design and production of numerous textbook and journal illustrations as well as artwork for video, animation and websites. Vicky is also a member of the Association of Medical Illustrators, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, HeSCA, and the American Society of Botanical Illustrators. Click here to view more work.

Female Anatomy in Situ by V. Earle

Ready, Steady, Shoot

Camera steadiness is one of the most basic, but sometimes the most difficult skill to master in photography, especially if you find yourself in a low light situation with no tripod! These few simple steps will help.

Havana Dance Academy Student in Low Light. Photo by Janis Franklin

Stand erect with your feet about 18 inches apart and your body weight evenly distributed

Once in this position, keep your elbows tucked in as close to your body as possible and bring the camera viewfinder to your eye. Now press the camera lightly against your face. When using a normal or wide angle lens, try holding the camera body on both sides with fingers on the front and thumbs on the back. If you have a longer, heavier lens, try using your left hand to support the lens rather than holding the camera body. This position is also convenient for adjusting focus and/or the zoom controls.

Gain steadiness by using your surroundings

Lean against a pillar, a wall, or rest the camera on the back of a chair, a car hood, railing or other surface. Just before releasing the shutter, take a deep breath and exhale until you feel comfortable. Now hold your breath and trip the shutter. Using a light touch is the best to avoid jarring the camera at the moment of exposure. For smoothness in the release, increase your pressure on the button gently and steadily until the shutter trips.

Dimly lit street in Beaune, France. Photo by Janis Franklin

Use a self-timer

This method works best when photographing stationary objects. A self-timer lets you concentrate on holding the camera steady while the timer makes the exposure. Important tip: set the timer for a shorter-than-normal interval so that you won’t have an excessive wait time for the shutter to trip.

Tripod alternates

Interestingly, many public buildings such as museums and churches allow cameras but not tripods. A small bean bag is a useful alternative for a camera support, plus its small size is convenient to pack for traveling. Alternatively, a piece of clothing rolled up tightly works almost as well. If possible, use the self-timer to trip the shutter. On a recent trip to Europe, I was often asked not to use my tripod. To work around this, I took the lens hood off and placed it on a table or other available surface. This worked as a useful support to prop up my lens while using the self-timer. Sometimes necessity brings out the best innovations!

Good luck and happy shooting!