There are dozens of classes, courses and books on posing and they’re all useless. Why? There’s a definitive difference between directing a subject and posing a subject; if you’re “posing" a subject, then you’re doing it wrong. Here are three reasons why I don't like posing subjects and how I’ve managed to overcome those obstacles.
Anthony Duron and Mark Rainwater were one of the first same-sex couples married in Indiana on June 27th, 2014 after a federal judge overturned the state's ban on gay marriage. Unfortunately, a federal appeals court put a hold on the ruling and they have been waiting in a sort of limbo ever since. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to hear the issue of gay marriage from several states, so many couples like Anthony and Mark have been waiting anxiously for vindication over the last three months. I was honored with the opportunity to take portraits of these two gentlemen and I learned a lot about love and life along the way.
There are dozens of "How To" articles when it comes retouching. Very few, if any, focus on vital tips that are often overlooked, that will take your retouching to the next level. Here's a list that the Professionals in the industry never share with you.
At the end of the day, a photographer's work takes just seconds to capture your attention. Usually, it is very obvious why you like a photographer's work, and other times, it is a bit of a mystery to you. This was the case when I first experienced photographer Cary Fagan's work recently. The fact is, based on what I like, what I shoot, and what I tend to gravitate to, I shouldn't like his work. But, I do.
How would it feel to photograph Will Ferrell or Seth Rogen? How would you ever get to be able to shoot clients like these? How do you marry technical capability and develop your own style to deliver something unique? What if you could learn from someone doing this sort of work day in day out? Well, now you can, in this exclusive interview with Emily Shur.
All this week at the Photoville NYC festival, Tyler Stableford is hosting a gallery exhibition featuring his work from "The Farmers" project. This Saturday there is a reception which is free and open to the public if you'd like to check out some of the amazing prints from Tyler's latest passion project. This behind the scenes video gives you a look at the photography as well as the printing process involved in making this work come to life.
Social commentary showing up in the photography medium is hardly a new concept. But when photographer and retoucher Joel Parés set out to make a statement with his latest portrait series, he knew he wanted to showcase the images in a unique way. The shots, therefore, ended up being simple, two frame GIF animations, allowing you to absorb the initial impact first, and then its correspending follow up message for each image. And you know what? It works very well.
Photographer and art director Constantin Mashinskiy captures stunning black and white portraits of people encountered on the streets of Paris for his ongoing series “365 Parisiens.” Reminiscent of the work of classic street photographers like Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, the series is a yearlong project consisting of, at its finish, 365 portraits of strangers in The City of Light.
If you're on Instagram and have been immersed in the community they have built, you have most likely come across Bethany Olsen and Cory Staudacher feeds by now. Both photographers from Seattle met through mutual friends via the social network and eventual became an instant hit while sharing incredible photos across the Pacific Northwest gaining over 500,000 followers combined.
What do you get when you mix a little Australian photographer Jerry Ghionis with NJ Wedding Photographer Vanessa Joy? A conversation that talks about mastering the art of photography all in a half hour audio interview about common photographer fears and pitfalls. Jerry talks about his climb from his family losing their home to where he is today with nothing but a fierce passion and work ethic in his pocket.
So many times people post cropped photos on social media in order to get rid of their ex or someone they don't care about anymore. While cropping gets rid of the unwanted face, it still leaves other body parts in the frame, and makes the photo look weird - and makes people focus on the fact someone was cropped out instead of focusing on that great photo of you. This very informative and easy to follow video shows a very easy way to get rid of a person in just few minutes, and how to leave no trace behind.
If there is one medium that has been subject to the most censorship in society for well over a century, it's photography. Further, if there is one medium that has been responsible for the most heated debates about censorship, it's photography. For the most part, photographers decry and loathe censorship, whether it's because they capture nude figures, or create images with fictionalized depictions of violence, or perhaps - arguably the most important - they capture vital, photojournalistic visuals of the world around us which, let's face it, it's sometimes just plain scary. But consider this: Mainstream censorshop is not only necessary in photography, but it helps photography overall. No, really.
The most expensive and largest book project of the 20th century was Helmut Newton's SUMO, which sold out at $15,000 per copy, complete with its own book stand (the book is about as big as a medium-sized seven-year-old). Now, Annie Leibovitz' SUMO follows in its footsteps. At 476 pages, the Taschen-published art piece comes enveloped in your choice of four different dust jackets and is limited to 10,000 editioned copies, with the first 1000 coming in a leather-bound hardcover with a signed 20" x 20" archival pigment print and all four dust jackets.
Last year, Fstoppers interviewed photographer, and possibly one of the nicest people on the planet, Coty Tarr. Last week, Coty got not only his first cover ever, but THE cover for anyone that photographs anything remotely athletic - Sports Illustrated. What makes this story so great isn't just that it's the cover of SI, it's that Coty grew up just south of Pittsburgh. He's a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan. It wasn't just a cover for him... it was home.
What are certain photographers doing that make them popular? Surprisingly enough, things like gear, location, social media skills and post production have very little to do with it. Believe it or not, it's something far more important and it's not often discussed. Here is the common secret all five photographers shared that makes their work stand out.
