Recent Portraits Articles

Pye Jirsa VS Lee Morris Round 2: Vote now!

Yep you read that right! After Pye Jirsa completely destroyed Lee Morris in our last Puerto Rican Photo Challenge, Lee is back for revenge. We need your help deciding the winner so please vote in the full article.

Caffenol Processing for Micro-Niche Photography

Jaana and Lorenzö of the studio Cahute have put a spin on the digital age of instant viewing by taking a step back into the past with a classic process of portraits on paper. They created a market for themselves that is so micro-niched they have yet to find another studio specializing solely in this process.

Using V-Flats for Background and the Perfect Lighting

Are you looking for an easy way to achieve great lighting with minimal gear? Regardless of whether it's because you are starting off and have to stay within a certain budget or you simply do not want to carry and set up a lot of gear, here's an easy way to get perfect lighting.

Interview With Magnum Photographer Christopher Anderson

Talented Magnum Photographer, Christopher Anderson, experienced something that completely changed his life. In June 2000, while traveling in Haiti, he met writer Michael Finkel and together they documented a group of 44 Haitians on their journey to the United States. A few days after they set sail, they realized the handmade boat was sinking. Anderson’s first reaction was to continue taking pictures – even though he knew there was a chance they may never be seen.

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.

Sometimes You Just Have to Get a Good, Paid Model Instead

There are times when you can get away working with a friend or someone willing to model for you for free, but then there are those times where you save yourself money, time, and effort by simply booking a professional model! How to decide which one to go for?

A Conversation With Art Streiber

Art and inspiration go hand in hand. For photographers, curling up in the corner of the bookstore with a stack of magazines, oohing and ahhing at photographs we wish we had created seems to be a part-time job. However, equally as important as what our heroes produce is how they produce it. We can learn a lot from the methodology of the folks that do what we want to do day in and day out. With that in mind, here's a conversation with Art Streiber.

How to Use Fill Flash for On-Location Portrait

Shooting portraits outside of the studio can be a great way to add context to an image, tell a story, or simply generate a bit more visual interest. Bringing along a flash for fill can often help you create a higher-quality image with a more balanced exposure. This great video tutorial will show you how to use a fill flash on location for better portraits.

Always in Season - A Beauty Photographer's First Foray into Video

Growing up, my dad liked to quote an old song called “Warpaint” by the Brooks Brothers: “With all that lipstick powder and paint, you all dressed up like what you ain’t.” It was his defense against the inevitable growing up of his teenage daughters, but never once did I buy into it. Instead, I embraced makeup, hair styling, clothing, and more as a path to self-expression.

Shooting in Extreme Conditions

Prolific street artist Banksy is quoted as saying “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” Photographer Tyler Shields has succeeded on both counts and in his latest video, he discusses shooting in extreme conditions.

How to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Eyes Using Photoshop

By far, one of the common retouching requests photographers receive when editing portraits is to lighten dark circles under the eyes. Thankfully, it is not an especially difficult problem to address, and this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to do to lighten those circles in a convincing and high-quality manner.

Ben Willmore Teaches Light Painting Tips For Photographers

As photographers, we are always sculpting our images with light. But if you've seen any of the light painting posts here on Fstoppers, then you know just how complex the art of light painting can get. Photographer Ben Willmore has been using small constant lights in his images for years, and now he's offering a free online workshop for anyone wanting to learn the craft. On Saturday, August 25th, Ben will be giving away all his tips and tricks for free on creativeLIVE.

Pictures Of Happy People Will Make You Happy

There is nothing better than seeing happy people around you - doesn't matter if they're family, friends or total strangers. Seeing happy people will make you smile, and this is why this week we are featuring 15 awesome pictures of happy people found on Flickr. Check them out and let us know which are your favorites.

[BTS Video] Monte Isom Shoots Sergio Martinez for HBO

Good friend of Fstoppers and Commercial Photographer, Monte Isom, takes us behind the scenes on his latest shoot with world class boxer, Sergio Martinez. Click through to the video to check out his lighting placement and setups. Enjoy!

Remembering One Of The Masters - Rene Burri (1933 - 2014)

Chances are you’ve all seen this iconic photo of Che Guevara at some point. But do you know who took it? Magnum, still arguably the most esteemed photographic collective in the world, announced the sad news last week that one of it’s longest serving members, Rene Burri, passed away aged 81. This post celebrates the life and work of Burri, and sheds a little light on what made him such a special photographer.

Helpful Tips for Posing and Photographing Men

Posing can be one of the trickiest aspects of photography for many people and takes a lot of work to truly master and feel confident at. If posing is something you personally struggle with, this helpful video will give you lots of tips and examples specifically for working with men.

Learn How to Create These Stunning Valentine Beauty Shots

It can be a lot of fun to deviate from the standard shoot and explore your creative side a bit. If you are looking to invigorate your photos a bit, this excellent video will show you two different looks based on a Valentine's Day theme and how they were shot.

Helpful Ideas for Finding Great Portrait Locations

If you are anything like me, you have probably found yourself agonizing over finding just the right location for a portrait shoot at one time or another. It does not have to be that difficult, though, and this helpful video tutorial will give you some great tips for finding suitable locations quickly and easily.

Impossible Hockey Portraits Taken From Below the Ice

When an idea goes beyond what is possible, sometimes you need to create your own reality. Learn how the photographer for and NHL team got below the ice for a fresh perspective and created some very cool portraits.

How To Make Money Photographing Other People's Pets

Some of the best advice I've heard from successful photographers has been to develop as many means of making money with your photography so you can sustain your income down the road. While pet photography might not be the first area you might consider, Vicki Taufer is here to tell us why it's a great area to supplement your wedding, family, and portrait businesses. This Thursday through Saturday (July 26-28), creativeLIVE will stream Vicki's online workshop for free as she shares the ins and outs of a successful pet business.

BTS: The Slanted Lens Shows How To Creatively Light At Night

The Slanted Lens is back with another amazing lighting tutorial. This time they venture onto a 1700's Naval ship, the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston, MA. The portraits include an early Naval captain and his shipmates loading cannons. This tutorial specifically goes through how to light creatively during the nighttime hours where lighting might be more difficult for some.

Some Helpful Tips for Better Family Holiday Portraits

With the holidays coming up, you might be thinking of offering family portrait sessions or simply putting together a shoot for your own family. This quick video will give you some great tips for getting the best portraits you can in as little time as possible.

10 Tips for Shooting Beautiful, More Creative Portraits

When it comes to finding creative inspiration for shooting beautiful portraits in your own home, there are few better than photographer Irene Rudnyk. Here are ten fantastic ideas to boost your portraiture game.

An Interview With Pete Souza: Behind the Images

American renowned former White House photographer and photojournalist, Pete Souza, for his first ever audio interview hosted by Ohio University, speaks of his time documenting the professional and personal life of former President Barack Obama.