Recent Portraits Articles
Photographer Takes on a Nerve-Wracking Project: Headshots of Fellow Photographers
Dani Diamond is a talented portrait photographer based out of Connecticut and is also an active member of our Fstoppers Facebook Group. His headshot work is impeccable and eye-catching. Recently Dani has started a personal project coined simply as "The Project." His mission is to find fellow photographers from around the world, take their headshots and challenge his craft under the scrutiny of his talented peers.
Naomi Campbell's Recent Cover Is Shockingly Her First Ever Mainstream Fashion Shoot With Black Photographer
Thirty three and a half years as one of the most successful models on the planet and Naomi Campbell has only just completed a mainstream fashion shoot with a black photographer for the first time.
How to Become the Best Headshot Photographer in the World
After a four-hour trip to London and only being able to catch whatever sleep I could during the uncomfortable journey down, I met with Peter Hurley and immediately felt welcome. For those of you who don't know, Peter Hurley is a headshot photographer based in New York City. Hurley once had a career as a model and was also part of the U.S. Olympic sailing team. He is known for his clean, white background headshots and for coining the phrase "squinch," which has now become relatively mainstream thanks to news channels and shows like Orange is the New Black. To many, Peter is known as the best in the business and this may be true, but, what is Peter actually like to work with?
An Easy Way to Improve the Attractiveness of Any Portrait and It's Thanks to Our Biological Instincts
I have a question for you, which of these pictures do you prefer? One of them has had the smallest adjustment that you might not even spot yet unconsciously it will have affected your decision.
Things You MUST Know About Groups on Facebook
Photography-related groups on Facebook are growing exponentially along with the exploding industry. As with many things in life, there are pros and cons when participating in these groups. One can experience valuable feedback, expertise and positive reinforcement from peers, while also experiencing nitpickers and people who pull you down. There are far more important elements often missed when discussing groups that could change the way you benefit from them... forever.
Turn Your iPhone Into This Alternative 3D ‘Camera’ for Portraits
Thinking outside of the box can often result in interesting creations being made. Here's what happens when you repurpose an old iPhone for a glitchy photoshoot.
Portrait Photography Tips You Can Use Today
As with any craft, there are fundamental techniques which should always be considered regardless of the job, model, or location. Even working professionals overlook general rules from time to time and occasionally need to be reminded.
Photoshoot Breakdown - Behind The Scenes Into Camaro Photoshoot
Yesterday, I showed you the process of pre-producing a successful photoshoot and used a recent session as an example on all the steps it takes to put together a successful session with a large team. Today, I put together a breakdown of the entire production and post production process on creating a successful portrait session and a behind the scenes look into what all goes into it.
Portrait Photographers: Don't Make This Mistake
It’s a simple tip, but rewards you with more compelling images. Are you paying close enough attention to the details?
Shooting Portraits at an Insane 900mm
There is really no convincing professional reason to shoot portraits at a focal length of 900mm, and I am not going to sit here and try to convince you that there is. But sometimes, we do things for fun, just because we can. And that's exactly what happened when this photographer team decided to shoot portraits at such a crazy focal length.
Setting Up a Successful Headshot Session: Part 2
Getting your clients comfortable in front of a camera is always a challenge. I still get a little nervous before a shoot so I can imagine what my clients must feel like. In part one of this series, we talked about the importance of the pre-shoot consultation and how it can start you off on a good path toward a successful headshot or portrait session. In this article, I want to talk about ways we can address skin issues with our clients, how to deal with makeup, when to use a makeup artist, and discuss the basics of getting clients comfortable and focused in front of the camera.
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!
How A Photographer Can Use One Light, Camera, And Lens To Create Distinctly Different Styles
The world’s best photographers are defined by their styles. For example, you can instantly look at an image by Martin Schoeller or Annie Leibovitz and recognize what you’re seeing. Their work is distinctly theirs. I believe that a big part of a photographer's success lies in finding this style. It may not come easily to everyone, however.
Four Big Instagram Names Challenge Themselves to Shoot the Same Model
Jessica Kobeissi is back once again to challenge some big name Instagrammers to photograph the same model in just five minutes in their signature style.
How Von Wong Turned Tech Employees Into Athletic Superstars...With Only $20, And A Lot Of Creativity
Benjamin Von Wong is at it again. He teamed up with the team at SmugMug on yet another collaborative masterpiece. This time, he left the cold, foggy San Francisco forest, and retreated to the warm, sunny outdoor confines of the SmugMug campus in Mountain View, California. With only $20, a couple lights, and a lot of creativity, he turned everyday tech employees into athletic specimens.
BTS: Fashion Photoshoot With Olympic Gold Medalist McKayla Maroney
Kevin Jairaj, wedding and sports photographer based in Dallas, is usually shooting for USA Today Sports Images or for different unknown couples. Recently Kevin was hired by one of the most famous girls in the world to shoot her new set of images, for her own portfolio. Her name is McKayla Maroney, and she has more Olympic Gold medals than you. Check out the BTS video, and the final results.
How to Pose Someone Who’s Never Modeled
Working with professional models, those who know exactly what moves to make and how to position their bodies, can be a rewarding experience. However, it's one that most of us don’t have the pleasure of on a regular basis. In this video, you’ll learn some great tips for making your everyday client look and feel like a pro.
Preparing and Packing A Portable Studio Efficiently
When people walk through my living room studio, they are puzzled that I do not own or rent a permanent studio space. What many do not know is that when I’m contracted for a commercial assignment, about 80% of the time I must travel to a location or shot at the client’s home base. And, in many cases that requires transporting several 9 foot seamless backdrops and a whole lot of equipment. I don’t have a giant bus to haul all of my studio gear, so it’s been a trying experience to find the right tools to efficiently pack and tote my mobile studio.
Is the Nikon 50mm f/1.2 Nikkor Lens Better Than the f/1.4 Lens?
If there is one thing photographers are obsessed with it is lens bokeh. Even if you shoot landscapes or interiors at f/22, your mouth will surely drop the second someone pulls out a fast f/1.2 lens from their bag. One of the most sought after ultra-fast primes in the Nikon lineup is their manual focus 50mm f/1.2 lens. Can this 35-year-old design compete or even beat Nikon's newest 50mm f/1.4 lens in a studio setting? Today we find out.
Five Ways to Improve Your Posing
When it comes to taking images of couples, one of the biggest struggles photographers deal with is posing. Since posing can make or break and good image, these five tips can take your posing to next level.
5 Lies Beginner Portrait Photographers Believe
Portraiture is by far one of the most popular genres among photographers, both amateur and professional, and that tends to generate a lot of myths and misconceptions that can be harmful to your progress. This fantastic video discusses five common misconceptions about portrait photography and the truth about the genre.
7 Reasons Why Your Photos Aren't Perfectly Sharp
It's easy to start blaming your equipment when your images aren't perfectly sharp, but nine times out of ten, it's user error. Here are seven reasons why your photos might not be blurrier than they ought to be.
How To Make Difficult Selections Easily in Adobe Photoshop Using Channels
One of the most hated aspects of editing in Photoshop is making selections for masks, composites, and localized edits. The more difficult the selection, the more disliked it is, but there may be an easier way you aren't using.
How an Off-Camera Flash Can Improve Your Golden Hour Portraits
When you think of lighting, you might think of splitting things between either natural light or artificial lights, but strobes can be a great way to balance out an exposure with varying levels of ambient light. This excellent video will show you how you can use a strobe or even just its modeling light to create great golden hour or nighttime portraits.
How Lens Focal Length Shapes the Face
It's pretty crazy to think just a small change of focal length can drastically distort your subject's face. In this behind the scenes video , Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens goes into detail to show us each change and how it effected the model's appearance. Maybe you're interested in buying a fixed lens or maybe you're interested in gaining tips on portrait and headshot photography - either way this video is definitely worth checking out.
Epic Portraits Shot With an iPhone, a Flashlight, and a Big Mac Box
Being a commercial photographer means being able to deliver no matter what the conditions are and pushing the boundaries for the client. In this video, as you’ll see, French photographer Philippe Echaroux was given the challenge to go even further and create stunning portraits using only an iPhone, a flashlight, and a Big Mac box. Yes, you read that last item correctly! If you’re wondering how he did it, be sure to watch the full video.
Scrim It and Light It - How to Photograph in Hard, Direct Sunlight
Learning to find the perfect light is something that takes time and experience. But what do you do when the perfect light isn't there? Shooting in hard sunlight isn't always the most flattering or ideal situation. Don't settle for less than ideal results, bad light doesn't have to mean bad images. In this tutorial you'll learn how to defeat hard light by scrimming and lighting to completely reset your lighting conditions and take control of your shoot.
5 Great Tips for Posing Portraits
How to light a portrait and determine the proper exposure settings are things that can be objectively codified, and in that sense, they can be a bit easier to learn. On the other hand, posing tends to be a bit more nebulous and is something a lot of photographers tend to struggle with when they are learning how to photograph portraits. If you want to improve your posing, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you five excellent tips sure to make your portraits better.
The Suicide of David Hamilton and the Debate Over Child Nudity in Portraiture
The arts — very much including photography — under the umbrella of expression and free speech can explore the boundaries of what is acceptable. Often these boundaries are harmless and prompt little more than a debate regarding the meta of the relevant discipline. Occasionally, however, the debate is darker in nature as the boundary being pushed is one of moral significance. The photographer and director David Hamilton was somewhat of a permanent resident of such debate and his suspected suicide recently has brought a number of questions to fruition.
Fstoppers Reviews Digital Photo Retouching: Beauty, Fashion and Portrait Photography E-book
Beauty retouching can be an arduous task in any photographer's workflow. The amount of detail that can go into retouching a glamor portrait can easily run into several hours. Learning the secrets of the pros can be even more difficult. Julia Kuzmenko McKim has made learning easy with her new book entitled 'Digital Photo Retouching: Beauty, Fashion and Portrait Photography'
How to Avoid the Top Four Complaints Models Have With Their Photographers
"Collabs" are the new currency between aspirant photographers and content-pressured models. Both parties are looking for scroll-stopping images to gain attention as they rise up in their respective industries. What happens when the images don't measure up to the expectations? Are models expecting too much from growing photographers who are shooting for free, or are photographers hyping up their skills and not delivering?
Which is Better for Studio Portrait Photography, Lightroom Classic or Capture One 20?
Lightroom has enjoyed dominance in its area for over a decade and has been the go-to raw processor and catalog tool for many photographers. However, rivals have been creeping up and improving gradually, with Capture One 20 now being considered by many to be better in some regards.
A DSLR Shooter Reviews the Hasselblad CFV-50c
Shooting Portraits With a 200mm f/2 lens and High-Speed Sync
FUJIFILM just sent over their $6,000 200mm f/2 lens. I was planning to shoot a sporting event with it, but I decided to do something a little different.
Outdoor Portrait Posing Cheat Sheet
If you have ever wondered how to pose your subject for headshots but are stumped at the first hurdle or perhaps you're photographing someone who is not used to being in front of the camera, then these handy techniques will improve your outdoor portraits.
Ingenious Camera Work Allows Photographer To "Time Travel" In Self Portrait Series
I’m always intrigued by those photographers who shoot self portraits, particularly when they bring something new to the mix. Chino Otsuka used her camera and some skillful Photoshop work to not only carry out a self portrait series, but to transport herself back in time, into photographs featuring her younger self - sometimes from almost three decades in to her past. The results are both thought provoking and mesmerizing.
Using Intricate Light Patterns to Contour and Accentuate Nudes Models (NSFW)
Paris-based French Photographer Dani Olivier has spent eight years refining a process for creating incredibly mesmerizing images by projecting intricate patterns of light onto nude models.
Use Lightroom to Quickly Change Colors in Just Two Minutes
Learn how to change colors selectively in photos in only two minutes using a tool in Lightroom Classic.
How to Capture Beautiful Images in Harsh Sunlight
Are you prepared to handle a session where the natural lighting conditions are difficult and there is no shade to turn to? Here are three techniques you can use to get beautiful photos in harsh conditions.
How to Enhance Skin Texture With Sharpening and Luminosity Masks
Keeping a fair amount of texture seems to be an issue for a lot of photographers and retouchers. No matter what technique they use to clean the skin of a model, I often hear people trying to find a solution to get a more natural and visible texture. Here is one for you!
How Different Lens Focal Lengths Change the Style and Direction of Portrait Photography
Newcomers to photography may have heard that 50mm or 85mm lenses are the right choice for portraiture. But did you know even as wide as 35mm can be used in the right situations? Take a look at how these three focal lengths compare and when to use them in this helpful video.
Photo Series Compares Contrast Between Everyday Clothes and BDSM Outfits
They say you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. This photography series, though, is shedding light on one of the most taboo sexual trends there is: BDSM. Here, one photographer shoots his subjects in both their everyday clothes, and their BDSM style.
Fstoppers Reviews the Canon 40mm f/2.8 Pancake Lens
When the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens was announced a couple weeks ago, Canon fans all over were squealing with joy- myself included. This tiny lens would be great for life on the go, had a brand new AF engine called the Stepping Motor (or STM), and looked to be extremely versatile. But does it live up to the expectations?
Portrait Beast: We Review the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Lens for Fujifilm
I spent a few weeks testing the new Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 lens for Fujifilm, and in the accompanying article and video, I share my thoughts on one of the most exciting third party lenses on the market today.
A Full Tutorial on Retouching and Color Grading a Portrait in Photoshop
Knowing how to light, pose, and shoot a good portrait is only half the battle; you also need to be able to edit your images to produce a fully finished and compelling final product. If you are new to portraiture and looking to improve your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a full image edit, including retouching, dodging and burning, color grading, and more.
Russian Photographer Takes Neon 'Dystopian Metropolis' Street Photos of Moscow
In a collection of street photos, one Russian photographer has documented his local city in a cinematic, surreal manner.
5 Tips for Making Models More Likely to Reply to TFP Requests
Getting started in photography is expensive. Sometimes frustratingly so. This expense tends to compound a bit if one has to pay professional models to build a portfolio. Fortunately, you don’t. Models also need to build a portfolio, so collaborating with photographers to create images becomes extremely valuable. TFP (time for print, or time for portfolio) has becomes a keystone of the beauty/fashion/glamor world.
Glyn Dewis Shares How to Turn a BAD Picture into a GREAT Picture Using Post Production
It has happened to all of us a million times: After wrapping up a creative photo shoot and go through some of the images in post, we typically find a few photos in there that are "meh" at best and you most likely pass over or discard. Well, photographer and retoucher Glyn Dewis once again shares an awesome Photoshop / Lightroom tutorial on how he turned one of his throwaway photos into a killer shot. Check out the final image and information below.
Start to Finish Fashion Editorial Retouching: Part 1
Post-Production and Retouching is just as much an integral part of creating a great image or series of images as pre-production and the actual shoot, especially when you are shooting for a client and not just for yourself. Each genre of imagery, advertising, beauty, fashion, etc. has a slightly different set of rules and parameters when it comes to retouching. In this tutorial we will look at the complete start to finish of a fashion editorial image. Last week I posted the complete gear list for this exact shoot. This week we will look at the first part of retouching, including cleaning up our white seamless and correcting distractions in our image.