Portraits

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.

"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.

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.

With the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, Apple introduced the ability to control the amount of blur in the background of its Portrait Mode photos. But what seems like a gimmicky tweak takes what was a gimmick and turns it into a pro feature.

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 videos are a fantastic way to increase the visibility of your work, and ACDSee Video Studio 3 will help you get your BTS video edited and ready to view in less than an hour.

Phaidon Press is publishing a book of never-before-seen photographs of Kate Moss from the 1990s. The book entitled “Kate” is a compilation of photographs shot by the model's ex-boyfriend and now, renowned photographer, Mario Sorrenti.

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!

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.

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.

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?

Shooting portraits of people is a difficult thing, as you have to manage not only technical parameters involving the camera and lighting, but also the person's posing and expression. This excellent video essay reminds us of what's probably the most important aspect of any portrait.

When you're new to photography, one of the easiest things to overlook is how working distance affects the final look of your images. This great video will show you how to think about this when you're shooting portraits.

At some time, if you’re shooting glamour photos, you are going to need to perfect the blowing hair technique. This type of shot is inexpensive and fun, but does take a little more talent than merely throwing a fan in front of your model. This excellent video shows you the different fans and techniques that can be used to give your model that windblown look.

Not all of us have the luxury of an expansive studio space that we can fill with equipment and in which we can endlessly experiment. This great video shows to make the most of a very small studio space to light and shoot highly professional portraits.

For most people who know the name Edvard Munch, there’s an immediate association with his iconic painting, "The Scream.” This artist, fabled for his emotionally impactful painting, is not known for his photographs, but his lens-based work will soon be available for fans of art and photography.

For a photographer to continually grow and shape their portfolios, a test shoot is the most ideal way of creating a style. Test shoots ought to happen at every stage of your career if you want to grow, and find new challenges. For those wanting to enter the commercial arena for photography, get into the habit of testing.

The natural, backlit look is a highly popular style among wedding and portrait photographers that many clients are quite fond of. This great tutorial will give you some helpful tips for taking better backlit portraits.

Golden hour is the holy grail of times for photographers of almost all genres; whether you're taking a landscape in Iceland or a fitness portrait, early and late sun is the most flattering. However, it can also be the most challenging.

We've all been there, in a situation where you're working with either a client or a model who does not have any posing experience whatsoever, and it's up to you to make sure the shoot runs successfully.

Everyone has an origin story; neither you nor I were born a photographer. I want to know what your photography is about and what your story is so far.

Graphics are international, with photographic ideas and images spreading like wildfire. They speak a universal language, are pan-cultural, yet have their own local meanings and understandings. This sounds like the world of Instagram, 500px, YouTube, and Flickr, but it’s actually 1858, and the Abdullah Frères are setting up their photographic studio in Constantinople.

Sometimes, it's easy to get a bit over the top with the creative process in that we focus so much on every last detail and nuance that we outsmart ourselves. This video takes the opposite approach, pushing for fast experimentation.

Pet photography is as popular as ever right now, as more and more people become pet owners. In fact, according to a recent survey by American Pet Products Association, nearly 80 million American households have pets.

One photographer’s newborn photo is doing the rounds on the internet for its thought-provoking concept. Symbolizing the couple’s fertility struggle, the baby is surrounded by hundreds of IVF syringes.

We all know that we should photograph portraits using an 85mm or 105mm lens. A 70-200mm will also work. But Tony and Chelsea Northrup are telling us to shake it up and go wide. However, how wide should you go?

A retouch of the eyes is on every portrait photographer's image editing to-do list. This important alteration is also one of the easiest adjustments to spot when unintentionally overdone. See how this Lightroom-specific technique will help bring out that shine in your subjects eyes, without pushing things too far.

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.

Shooting the bridesmaids is one of the more significant parts of any wedding shoot, apart from photographing the bride and the groom. In fact, you never know, a few of them may end up as your future clients too. Here is Vanessa Joy for Adorama giving her two cents on prepping up to shoot the bridesmaids.

Photographer Juergen Teller is under fire for his recent images of pop singer Rihanna created for Vogue magazine. Teller has been accused of appropriating the work of Mickalene Thomas, a staple in black female art.

When you're taking portraits, you have a lot to think about: exposure, composition, subject expression, and more. As such, it's easy to overlook something. This great video is a quick reminder to avoid this common mistake.

As a photographer you are often presented with a wide range of both challenges and opportunities. Along with managing your lighting, your camera settings, and your location selections, the physical proportions of the individuals you work with will also play a part in how you set up specific poses and shots.

Ready to finally learn how to easily set up three-point lighting for your portraits? Watch this.

There have been more than a few different comparisons of Canon's 5D Mark IV and Sony's a7 III, though many of them have focused primarily on landscapes and astrophotography. If you've ever wondered how these to low-light powerhouse cameras stand up to each other in a portrait scenario then this is one comparison you won't want to miss.

In a small town in West Texas, one photographer has established a thriving business that rivals big city photography studios. “We’re in podunk Texas,” Kaleigh Horelica says with a spirited, self-deprecating laugh. Although Abilene isn’t an affluent market, it has been the perfect place for Kaleigh to grow a successful studio that earns over six figures in annual revenue.