Recent Portraits Articles

A Beginner's Guide to the Best Camera Settings for Portraits

If you have ever wondered how to set up your camera for shooting portraits, then make sure you read every single word of this article in order to discover the best camera settings for natural light and flash portraits.

A Beginner's Guide to Planning a Portrait Photoshoot

One of the most popular genres of photography and perhaps one of the best for beginners to try is portraiture. This great video will give you a quick guide to planning a successful portrait photoshoot.

How This Photographer Made $10,000 in One Day Shooting Santa Sessions

The mall, removed. The cheesy decor, gone. The long lines, nope. Santa Sessions have become all-the-rage and photographers are making these shoots more of a high end experience. I witnessed a shoot first hand and to be honest, $10k seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s what I learned.

Could You Shoot a Photo Blindfolded?

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that shooting blindfolded isn't something you will likely ever have to do, unless you have some really weird clients with very specific needs. Nonetheless, it's a fun challenge, and it's quite enjoyable (and hilarious) to watch!

Mastering the Rain Shot: Lighting

Rain during a couple’s portrait session can be hugely annoying for a wedding photographer. A dramatic rain shot can be the silver lining, but only if you’re fully prepared, especially on the lighting front.

Learn the Nuances of Headshots and Lighting from Peter Hurley this Black Friday

Peter Hurley is a master of headshot photography with his ability to connect with clients and draw out the most flattering poses from his subjects. This Black Friday, Fstoppers is discounting all of Peter Hurley's tutorials. See the details below or visit the Fstoppers Store to see every deal being offered during the holiday season.

50 Photographers Across 50 States Capture Portraits for Merrell's One Trail Campaign

Merrell, an outdoor footwear brand, wanted a photography concept that would celebrate diversity on trails, but in a way that felt genuine and reflected reality. While outdoor brands usually look towards more of a traditional commercial photography approach, Tim Kemple had something else in mind to achieve their goals.

Faking a High End Portrait Backdrop With Texture Overlays

Do you crave the look of a high-end, hand-painted portrait backdrop for your studio, but don't want to shell out the bucks for such a luxury? Why not grab your favorite roll of seamless paper and fake it ‘til you make it?

Five Tips for Surviving a Bad Day as a Photographer

Yes, photographers can and do have bad days. Following your favorite photographers on Instagram, it might seem that all the photographers in the world are cruising along while you alone battle horrible days. And guess what, bad days are more common than you might think. So, it is important that we as a community learn and help each other survive bad days. I’ve created an action plan for myself that has helped me overcome difficult days and I hope this will help you as well.

Seven Reasons Why Flash Portraits Are Better Than Natural Light

If you're serious about improving your Portraits, then pull your seat in a little closer. Because in this article you’re about to discover 7 compelling reasons why, using flash is much better for your Portraits than just regular natural light. But first, can I ask you a question?

Five Steps to Photography Greatness

A chilly September morning. The crispness in the air added weight to the solemn moment. My composition was all figured out. I patiently waited for the final elements to come into place.

How the Miraculous Power of Spite Can Improve Your Photography

When someone asks me how long I’ve been doing photography, it’s a complicated question. I worked in the film industry for years and still do. Many of those concepts and techniques are directly translatable — composition, exposure, color, etc. I fooled around with photos, but I didn’t really start photography, putting my life on a whole new path, until someone told me not to.

How Photography Made Me Smile in Times of Darkness

"Laughter is the best medicine," they say. Find out how I used photography and laughter to overcome feelings of sadness in this photo series called "The Beauty of Laughter."

Beginning to End Look into the Creation of a Drag Queen Portrait

When taking a portrait of an artist, I find it is always a good idea to try and tell the story of the artist through the image. If someone is a musician, the aesthetic of a photograph should help you understand the type of music they play. Similarly, if someone is a drag queen – I try to photograph them in a way viewers can instantly ‘get’ their character. Join me behind the scenes in photographing Mango Sassi, a Drag Queen from Toronto, ON, and have a look into what it can take to create a collaborative image!

How to Use Frequency Separation for Retouching

Frequency separation can be a very overwhelming technique used most commonly for skin retouching. It is a technique that is very easy to overdo and destroy texture when not used correctly. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, where do you start?

Street Photographer Asks Strangers What They Wish for in Life

As a street photographer, how far do you go to engage with strangers? Crash Taylor, currently a UK based photographer, not only asks strangers to pose for a portrait but also asks to reveal their deepest wish. Find out how he does it!

A Makeup Artist Dishes on Working in Photography and Video

As a portrait photographer, you’ve probably considered hiring a professional makeup artist to prep your clients. In this first part of a two-part series, a professional makeup artist tells us everything we need to know about making professional makeup a part of our portrait photography offerings.

Photographer Searches for Mystery Couple Captured in Amazing Yosemite Photo

An unknown couple shared a moment of joy when one of them dropped to one knee to propose atop Taft Point in Yosemite National Park on October 6. Photographer Matthew Dippel serendipitously captured the big moment in the gloaming, and now the search is on to find the mystery couple.

Leave The iPad at Home, Print Your Portfolio

Every photographer today has a digital portfolio of some kind but only a very few have spent the time to create a printed book. In this video, we look into three very differently designed printed portfolios.

iPhone Camera Versus Consumer Camera Versus Pro: Can You Tell the Difference?

With every new generation of class-leading camera phones comes new claims of their ability to compete with professional-quality camera equipment. In this short test, the Northrups puts the brand new iPhone XS head to head with a consumer DSLR with a kit lens and a top-end Nikon boasting some super-sharp glass.

Here Are Nine Poses in Just 90 Seconds

Posing is a subtle art full of nuance that takes a long time to develop a good eye for. This great video will give you a head start by showing you nine poses in just 90 seconds.

Can A Pocket Camera Produce Pro Results? Testing Out The Sony RX100V

This past weekend in Colorado I decided to give my full frame mirrorless camera a break and shoot some portraits using the much smaller Sony RX100V. I was curious to see if a small, pocket-sized camera could give me the kind of results that I would be happy with. Here are my experience and recommendations if you choose to do the same!

Beautygate: New iPhone Cameras Automatically Apply Beauty Mode

After Apple’s WWDC conference on September 12, many consumers were excited to upgrade their phones to the latest flagship phones, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. One of the biggest selling features of these new devices were the upgraded front and back cameras. Now, after about a week or so of the phones being in the market, people are beginning to notice something strange in the camera.

The No Forced Smile Approach to Special Needs Photography

"Say cheese" might be one of the most common things you think of when it comes to standard portrait photography. In the days of mall studios or even class pictures, this phrase is something we can all attest to hearing at least once in our lives. With more modern day photography, there has become less and less forced smiles and bribery in order to get that perfect image.

If You Don't Own a 50mm Prime Lens, Go and Spend $50 Right Now

Why would anyone spend $50 on a lens that's almost certain to be soft, noisy, and slow to focus? Let me tell you: because it's awesome. If you're new to photography, have a tiny budget, or have never owned a prime lens and want to see what the fuss is about, this is where to start.

Fstoppers Reviews the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art for Sony E

Today I’ll be talking about the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art lens for Sony E mount. As with my prior review of the 35mm version, I will be going over the topics that are relevant to me which are sharpness, focusing, bokeh, and usability.

Behind the Scenes: 'Sing Like No One Is Watching' Photo Series

We all have our favorite songs that we sing when are going through bad times or want to pump ourselves up. In this hilarious photo series, a photographer captures his friends singing their favorite songs and imagining that the camera is not there. See which song each person was singing!

Six Portrait Photography Tips for Beginners

Portrait photography is by far one of the most popular genres of photography, and it comes with its own sets of challenges and things you should keep in mind. If you're new to portrait work, this great video will give you six helpful tips and tricks.

A Look at the Best 85mm Lenses

What happens when seven different 85mm lenses are pitted against each other in a controlled test? I guarantee the results will shock you and make you reevaluate your spending habits on lenses.

The Lens That Never Lets Me Down

Do you have a lens in your kit that delivers results every time? Is it your go-to lens or is it one that you don't use as much as you should?