Whether it’s direct light, backlighting, or the often-overlooked blue hour lighting, understanding how to use these natural light effectively is a key skill.
When I first came across Guilherme Brasileiro’s series “Delicadezas” on Instagram, I was pulled in by a seemingly nonsensical, quirky theme: dozens of portraits, cropped close featuring men and women, each holding a hand under their chin. The energy of the series struck me as open and full of warmth; the subject’s reaction to the pose they had been asked to assume was usually very apparent (some looked amused, a good few looked self-conscious, and some had really obviously embraced the idea).
A tenth of a second is all it takes - yes, the blink is a marvel of human physiology that clears dust away from the eye and helps lubricate the eyeball. We have learned to cope with momentary blackout by suppressing those parts of the brain that monitor visual change, in a manner similar to the way we are able to ignore our blindspot caused by the optic nerve entering the eye. So why the hell do I often end up photographing people with their eyes closed?!
Autofocus was one hell of a quality-of-life upgrade in photography, but it's not always necessary. In this video, see a comparison of one fast autofocus prime with four fast manual focus primes to see how they hold up.
Beauty images are a wonderful chance for you to find your personal style through your choices of lighting, posing, and editing. This excellent video tutorial will show you how a photographer used two lights and gels to create a unique beauty image.
I’m here to talk about the best way to whisk away your couples for some relaxed portraits on their wedding day and get some natural photos of the two of them together.
Sometimes, improving your studio portraits isn’t about adding more lights—it’s about making better use of the ones you already have. This highly useful tutorial covers five essential lighting patterns in portraiture and compares the setups. In this in-depth yet quick guide, Pye Jirsa delivers clear and practical demonstrations designed to produce bold, impactful results without overcomplicating your workflow.
Halloween might not be my favorite "holiday", but it does bring with it some fantastic photoshoots. In this video, watch as Lindsay Adler creates some stunning Medusa-themed portraits using LEDs.
Dutch Filmmaker Jeroen Wolf shows us the span of a lifetime through many different individuals. Going from infancy all the way to 100 in just 150 seconds, this short film is appropriately titled, "100". No matter how simple the nature of the video is, there's something very compelling about this short film. Each clip, no matter how short, shows so much personality from each person.
After the traumatic loss of her son in a terror attack in Barcelona last year, an Australian mother found solace in composite superhero artwork created by a total stranger.
It’s no secret that 2020 has thrown the world a few curveballs. But while the majority of events are either canceling or postponing, Sue Bryce and her team have hit the ground running in order to keep the Portrait Masters Conference alive and well.
Hiring retouchers is something often talked about but I’ve never considered until recently as it has always seemed out of reach. Canadian company, The Image Salon, recently allowed me to try their portrait retouching services and I was excited to give them a whirl!
When looking for things to add to your list of gear and props for your photography studio, some items may not be as obvious as others. Are windows blinds on your list? Here's how you can use Venetian blinds to add a different look to your portraits.
Lighting can make or break a fitness portrait. Our goal is to highlight the form and definition of your subject as well as the movement if the intended photo involves action. In this tutorial, I'm going to walk through a few basic fitness photography lighting techniques.
Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2L lens was well known for being a superlative portrait lens with a boundary-pushing design that was popular with many photographers. However, it was not without flaws, particularly a notoriously finicky autofocus system and soft image quality at wide apertures. The RF 85mm f/1.2L improves on both those issues and brings modern refinements to the classic version, and this awesome video shows the kind of images you can get from it.
Transforming your portraits from ordinary to extraordinary often comes down to how you manipulate lighting. Here's an effective and affordable approach.
Remove the complications and long lists of equipment that you think you need to create stunning portraits. Look at what Irene Rudnyk can achieve shooting with this simple LED light set up in her living room.
Natural light is one of the most versatile tools in photography, but it can also be tricky to master. The way you use it can make or break your images, and getting it right takes some practice and attention to detail.
Beauty dishes and octaboxes are two of the most common lighting modifiers out there, with almost every portrait studio in existence owning at least one of the two, if not both. They are not identical, though, and each renders your subject in a unique way, which is why it is important to understand the differences so you can pick the proper one for your style and clients' needs. This great video tutorial will show you a deep look at the two options, how they differ, and which is appropriate for different situations.
When was the last time you can remember having fun with your photography? Not the joy of landing a photography job or the excitement of nailing that one photo, but rather childlike fun while shooting.
I'm a new(ish) parent who wishes they had a studio to photograph my little human. Surely you would only need a small studio for a small person, right? Preferably one you wouldn’t have to pay rent for. That’s where your living room and some creativity comes in handy.
