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.
When it comes to portrait photography, one of the most important choices you will make is the focal length you will use, both because it determines the overall look of the frame and because separate focal lengths can render your subject in drastically different ways. This great video takes a look at three of the most common focal lengths, 85mm, 100mm, and 135mm, to help you decide which is right for you.
Business portraits live in their own world distinct from normal portraits, and they have their own considerations and techniques you should be aware of before you set out on a shoot. This helpful video tutorial discusses five common business portrait mistakes photographers make and how to either fix them or avoid them altogether.
Post-production is core to most genres of photography, though it is more important to some than others. Portraiture is one of the most intricate areas of retouching with tricky tasks like skin retouching. Watch as one photographer talks you through his entire portrait editing workflow.
If you are new to the studio or want to practice your lighting techniques plus save time when in the studio, you should check out this 3D software by Ellixxier.
Headshots really aren't rocket science, but sub-par images being created, which can break the personal brand for which they are intended. This short video points out five relatively simple things that can be fixed with a little preparation before your next headshot session.
Lighting dictates an enormous amount about your final image, from mood and feel, to exposure and color. However, whether the light is hard or soft can also make a significant difference, and knowing when to use each is crucial. In this video, learn different lighting setups for each and the benefits of them.
There are lots of people who like and prefer a natural light look over flash, but sometimes the conditions outside may not cooperate with you to produce great results. Sometimes you have to grab a flash, here's a few ways you can get a more natural look when you do.
Once you have the basics of using artificial lighting down, you can start to really explore your creativity and develop a recognizable personal style by exploring more unique ways of using lighting. This quick and to-the-point video tutorial will give a few helpful tips and ideas for creative lighting for portraits.
A one-light portrait setup may seem simple, but it needn't be. There are so many different ways to manipulate artificial light that even if you limit yourself to just one, you can create a plethora of different, interesting looks. Here are twenty-one different lighting setups for you to try.
Adobe Photoshop is such a deep and impressive tool, that most things can be done within the software. While you may (and arguably, should) want to get it right in-camera, sometimes you don't have that option. Here is a great tutorial on how to fake the colored gel look.
If you have a big budget for an editorial shoot or you're lucky enough to live near some beautiful scenery, then finding an ideal location for a portrait or fashion shoot won't be an issue. However, the vast majority of photographers have to work with less than that, so here are some great tips to get creative in ugly environments.
Canon took their merry time about diving into the mirrorless camera space, but now they are fully submerged. Their four mirrorless bodies each come at distinct price points, but how well does the price of these cameras represent their quality?
Portraiture is a challenging genre that requires sharp skills with the camera, in lighting, post-processing, and your ability to work with and pose a subject. If you have been feeling a little unsure of your work lately and need something to get you back on track, check out this great video tutorial that will give you five helpful tips to improve your portraits.
Certain modifiers do tend to have some more traditional methods of use, especially when using a beauty dish. Sometimes we can get hung up on what is the "right" way to use them and lose out on creativity. Here's a different way you can use a beauty dish when shooting indoors.
For some, having a wide variety of poses can be challenging. The model is limited by what they are wearing, what they have to hold or interact with, or even the vision or mood of the shoot. Beauty headshots provide their own limitations, here are some posing tips for your next beauty shoot.
Creating successful portrait photos takes the confluence of a wide range of skills and as such, it can be quite challenging. If you are looking to improve your portrait photos, check out this great video tutorial that offers a range of tips in just five minutes.
A portrait with a dramatic golden sky behind the subject is a highly popular and timeless look, and it is also a fantastic way to learn how to balance artificial and ambient light. If you are new to the technique, this helpful video tutorial will show you how to set up and shoot such a portrait, including a lesson in using high-speed sync.
Shallow depth of field is desirable, particularly in portrait photography, due to its subject and background separation, and its pleasing aesthetic. But while your gut reaction for depth might be to go for the fastest prime you can, you might be surprised at this side-by-side comparison.
Natural light is popular and has been divisive at times, but when used properly, it can lead to some beautiful images. Here are six tips to help you take better portraits without artificial light.
You'll often hear photographers claim that a lot can be achieved with very little, and for the most part it's true. However, that tidbit doesn't offer a great deal of actionable information. In this behind-the-scenes video, you will see just how far creativity can take you.
The most classic portrait focal length is 85mm, but 135mm lenses have a special place in the heart of a lot of photographers. If you have not tried one in your own work, check out this excellent video that discusses the benefits of working with one and offers some helpful tips.
If you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you will probably notice that they frequently use more complex two- or three-light setups. Such setups certainly have their place, as they enable a lot of creative flexibility, but that does not mean you cannot take professional portraits with just a single light. This excellent video tutorial will show you an effective single-light portrait setup for taking compelling images.
Some of the most dreaded jobs in image editing and retouching have become significantly easier in the last few years. These newest Photoshop features simplify several such tasks and can speed up your workflow.
There are few people on the planet who know as much about headshots as Peter Hurley. In this helpful video tutorial, he discusses the sort of camera gear and settings you should consider for your headshot work.
A lot of the work by professional portrait photographers uses more complex two- or three-light setups. And such setups absolutely have their place and give a wide amount of technical and creative control, but you can also accomplish quite a bit with only a single light. This excellent video tutorial will show you five great one-light setups for portrait photography.
If you're looking to make a portrait a little more interesting or give it a little more character, here is a tutorial on how to add natural-looking freckles quickly and easily in Photoshop. The brushes used in the video are also provided free of charge.
Editing portraits can be a time-consuming task, especially when you have done something like a corporate session and have multiple subjects to work through. However, newer software offers the ability to automate many parts of the process and vastly increase your efficiency. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to edit portraits using Luminar AI.
So much of portraiture is of women that you would be surprised at just how much posing knowledge you might have without trying. However, for many reasons, with men, it's trickier. This video goes into some tips, tricks, and mistakes when posing men for portraits.
Suzanne Phoenix is a photographer and artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her work is primarily portrait based, with a focus on developing and fostering community. We had an opportunity to connect and talk about the importance of relationships and consent in the photography world.
The art of creating an appealing and memorable, moody portrait is often in the post-production of that image as much as it is in the lighting. In this short video, you get some tricks for getting the most out of your shot when you're creating a moody edit.
Whereas things like camera settings and lighting can be quantified and thus committed to memory in a straightforward manner, posing and directing a subject is a bit more nebulous and often gives photographers a fair amount of trouble. Peter Hurley is well known as a master of directing and posing, and in this excellent video tutorial, he shares some of his best advice that is sure to improve your own work.
Canon's RF lens range has been expanding but some of their earlier lenses are closing in on early classics for Canon mirrorless. One that has been particularly well-received, is the 50mm f/1.2.
Vuhlandes is a film photographer based in Detroit, Michigan. In this video, he collaborates with cowgirl Brianna and her horse, Dapper Dan, to create images that meld Vuhlandes’ urban style with a distinctly nostalgic, yet new Americana.
Learning how to balance artificial light with ambient light is one of the most important and versatile skills for a portrait photographer to learn. If you are still working on that, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a series of outdoor portraits shot using a combination of strobes and ambient light and how they were lit.
Self-portraits tend to get a somewhat bad rap, in part because of the selfie craze. But, self-portraits can be an incredibly beneficial process for photographers that can lead to great growth and skill development.
As portrait photographers, we dream of great models, great light, and a great location. Well, this shoot quite comfortably has all three in abundance and required a helicopter to get there.
Portrait photography can be a real challenge given all the factors you need to balance simultaneously, and the two that often give photographers some of the greatest difficulties are posing and composition. If those are factors you tend to struggle with, check out this helpful video tutorial that follows a photographer on a shoot while offering a range of useful tips to improve your work.
Portrait photography takes the combination of technical skills with your camera, lighting knowledge, the ability to work with subjects, and strong editing skills to make a compelling final image, meaning a lot to learn for the new photographer. If you are just starting out, this excellent video tutorial features five helpful tips that will help you get on the right track to becoming proficient.
A good portrait photo needs a compelling composition to complement the subject and complete the frame, but we tend to focus so heavily on our posing our subjects that it can be easy to overlook everything else. This excellent video tutorial will give you some helpful tips for composing portraits to create better-balanced images.
How many hours a day are you spending retouching portraits? I'd guess too much. Today, I’ll be comparing three different pieces of software that automatically retouch portraits: Luminar AI, On1 Photo RAW 2021, and PortraitPro Studio Max.
When it comes to lighting for portraits, we mostly focus on learning how to light our subjects; after all, that is what the eye is drawn. But a complete image involves accounting for how the background is lit as well, and that can be the difference that makes your photos truly professional. This helpful video tutorial will give you five tips to improve the lighting of your portrait backgrounds.
Being a photographer requires a lot of different skills. A well-rounded photographer (pun intended) has technical proficiency with cameras, an understanding of the physics of light, and certainly a lot of business ability. However, there is one skill that all creatives must have. It relates to judgment and valuing your work. Check out this great video to learn more.
Trade for Print or TFP shoots are shoots where the photographer doesn’t pay the model and the model doesn’t pay the photographer. They are a great tool for when models and photographers are starting out or when they don’t have a budget. Here are some tips for how to make them successful.
As a photographer and a photography critic, I see and review hundreds of photo books. Most, unfortunately, are not all that good. Some are actually outright bad, and others are okay, but ultimately just bring more of the same to the table. This is not the case with Sally Davies' first-ever monograph, "New Yorkers."
A subject who’s not used to being a model can make for some slightly awkward portraits, so having a stock of ideas that you can use can be very useful — particularly if they are men. Check out these ideas for some natural, relaxed portraits of a reluctant male model.
If you have ever worked with a model, you’ve probably heard of the concept of model releases. Here is an explanation of when you need them and what kind of language they should contain.
It is not something we do often, but shooting portraits in the rain can be a great way to give your images a different look that captures the eye. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to light and shoot compelling portraits in the rain.
Go behind the scenes on a professional portrait shoot at the most picturesque time of the day to see how these stunning images were created.
Despite being a lawyer for 10 years in California and a former professor of Business Law at UCSD, I only recently started using contracts in my client portrait work. Here are the reasons why I wish I used them sooner and how they could benefit your business.
