Using a very shallow depth of field is highly popular for portrait photography, but when you combine that with flash, you can run into a tricky situation when you bump into your flash sync speed. There are two ways around this: high speed sync and ND filters. Which is right for your work? This excellent video tutorial will explain the differences as well as the pros and cons of each.
Creating even, realistic, and balanced lighting when shooting interiors for real estate can be tough. One route is to light an interior with flash and balance it against the ambient light outside. Another option is to use HDR to blend a number of bracketed images together. Which gives better results?
There is always more you can do with photography in your own home, and I have some incredible results, but this use of a projector is up there with the best.
Nail white balance in Lightroom every time with these simple steps and techniques you can use on any photograph.
Music videos have been some of the most condensed displays of cinematic creativity for decades now, and there is a lot that can be learned. Here is a breakdown of some excellent lighting used in a music video.
Aputure has been growing and improving the lighting sector in photography for some time now, and they show no signs of slowing down. Announced today are the Light Storm (LS) 60d and 60x, two 60 watts adjustable focusing LED lights.
When you are working with artificial light, you often have to think about not only controlling the flash, but the ambient light as well. That can be a bit of a mystery for a lot of us when we first start working with artificial light, but this excellent video tutorial will demystify the relationship between ambient and artificial light and show you how to take control of both for better images.
Flash can be an excellent tool to freeze motion, especially when you are working in the studio or do not have extreme amounts of available light for using ultra-fast shutter speeds. But you can get even more creative results by mixing the freezing power of a flash with a long exposure that captures motion, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how it is done.
You might think the difference in setups that create high key and low key lighting is significant, but on the other hand, just a slight change in modifiers and light position can make a huge difference. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to create both high key and low key portraits using two strobes with almost identical modifiers.
YouTube and photography blogs seem to be all stocked up with quick BTS videos these days. We see photographers swinging lights around and talking about post, but I don’t think we see enough of their thought processes. Here, with Nathan Elson, we get a little bit of everything.
Dramatic portraits that mix the natural light of the sun behind the subject with a strobe to emphasize the model are a popular look and a fantastic way to practice lighting skills and to build your portfolio. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot one such portrait to produce professional results.
Aputure is taking a step into the realm of more affordable home studio gear with the release of four new lights. This review checks out the brand new Amaran 100d and 200d, with bi-color versions also available.
Half the fun of artificial lighting is the number of different ways you can experiment with strange effects to embrace your creativity. This great video will show you how you can use common objects to create entrancing lighting effects and eye-catching portraits.
Cinematography and photography might be separate disciplines in most regards, but there are a lot of crossovers, particularly when it comes to lighting. That's an area each profession can borrow from the other.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch Julia Hart’s recent film, I’m Your Woman, make a point to add it to your list. Bryce Fortner’s photography isn’t just eye-candy, it shows what you can do when you use style along with intention.
Lighting equipment can be quite costly, but you do not necessarily have to spend a ton of money to get effective setups that can create professional-level portraits. This fantastic video tutorial will show you five different budget lighting setups you can use to create professional portraits.
Portraiture doesn't require complicated, multi-light setups to pull off beautiful and striking images. Here are four one-light setups you can learn in ten minutes.
Using strobe or flash lighting for the first time can be daunting, but it's easier than you might realize. If you're looking at trying it out, here's a beginner's guide to getting started.
Lighting equipment can quickly add up in cost, but you do not always need top-level equipment and multi-light setups with esoteric modifiers to get great results. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to get professional portraits using nothing more than a simple speedlight and an umbrella.
It’s that time for the year for celebrating togetherness and if you’re fortunate enough to be with family during the holidays of this more than challenging year, it deserves a photograph.
If you are new to photography, it can seem a bit counterintuitive that you would use a flash when shooting in direct sunlight, but it can vastly improve your portraits. This excellent video tutorial will show you why you should use a flash in such a situation and how it will improve your photos.
Speedlights and similar flashes can be a wonderful way to bring high-quality lighting on location. However, adapting a small flash to take softboxes, gels, diffusers, and other modifiers can be a bit of a slog. By the time you bring everything you need you're back up to a sizable kit. For that reason, I don't usually bother with small flashes, preferring to go with my larger setup. That may be changing.
The beauty dish and the octabox are two of the most fundamental lighting modifiers out there, but they have properties and ways of rendering your subjects that are appropriate for different circumstances. If you are new to lighting, this fantastic video will show you the differences between the two with a lot of example photos.
The look of natural sunlight streaming through a window is a classic and a great way to create both mood and visual interest in a shot. However, a window with sunlight streaming through it is not always available to us. This great video tutorial will show you how to recreate the look using cheap mirrors.
One lighting trend I've found particularly interesting has been the emergence of RGB tube lights. Godox has just launched their TL60 tube light that brings a few unique features to the space. If you're looking for a unique way to light your next photo or video shoot, are these the ones you should pick up?
Sure, the big faceless corporation is just out there to get money out of you, but hidden right in front of you could be a masterclass in lighting, production design, and short story telling. This video takes a look at how Ikea made use out of a highly skilled director and production team to create this simple yet effective advertisement.
Fashion photography often makes use of complex setups with multiple lights, but that does not mean you can't create compelling images using just a single light. This excellent video tutorial will show you four different ways to use a single light for creating fashion imagery.
Looking to shoot portraits but need to acquire some lighting gear? What should you get, strobes or continuous lights? While both offer their pros and cons, here are a few reasons why you shouldn't use continuous lights for your portrait photography.
When starting out in photography, almost everyone makes mistakes. Here are 10 mistakes when it comes to using strobes and continuous lights.
Lighting can be a challenge to learn, and you might think you need complex multi-light setups to obtain professional results. And while there will always be a place for those, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish with just a single-light setup. This excellent video tutorial will show you five different lighting setups you can create with only a single light.
Traditionally, umbrellas are considered to be the lowest end of lighting modifiers, with beauty dishes being one of the more expensive and professional options. However, you might be surprised by how close you can get to the beauty dish look using a small shoot-through umbrella, and this excellent video will show you how.
Adding vibrant colors to your portraits with gels is something every photographer ought to know how to do, but more than that, it can create some truly stunning results.
A few days ago Patrick and I posted two images and asked you to vote on your favorite. What we didn't tell you was that one was taken with an iPhone and the other was taken with a Nikon D850. The majority of you chose the iPhone shot as the better photo.
Most beginner photographers are obsessed with figuring out the settings used by their favorite photographers. This video addresses those who ask specifically about flash power, but the answers can be applied to almost any question about camera settings.
The product shot on a white background is a staple of product photography, but it isn't the easiest shot to get. In this video you'll find some key tips for what you need to do to get those shots, as well as how to light them properly.
Learning how to effectively diffuse light is one of the most powerful skills any photographer can have, as it leads to softer and more flattering portraits. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use different kinds of diffused light for better portraits.
If, like me, you are pondering asking Santa for some lighting gear for Christmas to start putting together a home studio, check out this short video to show you what can be achieved through a very simple setup that’s very affordable.
Learning artificial lighting can be tricky, particularly given the abundance of unfamiliar terms. Once you get those down, though, you will find studying and working with artificial light a lot easier. This helpful video will get you up and running with the most commonly used terms in no time at all.
There are a ton of different lighting modifiers out there, and as a photographer, you can very quickly end up spending a lot of money building a library of different tools for specific looks and purposes. However, you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish with the humble and affordable umbrella, and this excellent video tutorial will teach you how to get professional results when using them.
Exposure compensation is a tool that every photographer ought to know how to use effectively. In this video, learn exactly how it works, when to use it, and how to use it.
Lighting is one of the most fundamental aspects of a successful portrait, and while we most often focus on getting the key light just right, the accessory lights can be what take a portrait from good to great. This excellent video will show you how simply adding a kicker light can make your portraits better.
There are many light modifiers available and the selection can become confusing at times. Some areas, in fact, are confusing even when you understand them. The primary suspect is the parabolic softbox.
Knowing the purpose of and controlling each light casting on your model is instrumental in portrait photography.
There's a lot that can be done with portraiture, even if you don't have an arsenal of studio lights at your disposal. Here's how you can create iconic, black and white portraits with just one light.
Lighting modifiers are powerful creative tools that can drastically change the look of your photos and videos, but they can also grow very expensive quite quickly. Luckily, if you understand the basics of lighting, you can create a variety of DIY modifiers using basic items and materials you probably already own and save yourself a ton of money in the process.
A beauty dish is one of the most popular lighting modifiers for portraits and for good reason, as it can create dramatic, contrasty images that instantly capture the viewer's eye. This fantastic video tutorial will show you three lighting setups using a beauty dish and other modifiers that capture a range of moods.
Corporate portraits can not only be shot in a number of different ways, but they are often required to be shot in different ways by your clients. Here are four different lighting setups, depending on how many lights you want to use.
When you are lighting portraits, you might sometimes notice unflattering shadows created on your subject's face. It does not take much to fix that, however; often, just adding a reflector can fix those issues, and this great video tutorial will show you how to do that.
Good black and white portraits are timeless and will always be in style, but they demand a different approach than color portraits. This fantastic video tutorial will show you a few multi-light setups for shooting compelling black and white portraits with dramatic contrast.
It is always best to start out with one light when you are first learning how to use artificial light, but once you have mastered the basics, you can enter an entirely new world of creativity when you start working with multi-light setups. This fantastic video tutorial will show you a dynamic and professional three-light setup for creating compelling portraits.