Recent Studio Articles

Dream Photography Studio Comes to Life

Photography dreams can come true, and for Adam Coppola, that’s just what happened this year when he opened his newly completed photography studio. I had an opportunity to tour Coppola's newly completed dream studio a few weeks ago.

How the Position of Light Changes Your Photographs

Mark Wallace from Adorama has produced another great video regarding light in photography. The capture of light is the most important part of photography, and in essence, the light you use will define the look of the photo and define your photographic style.

Product Photography With a DIY Diffusion Panel

In this six-minute video, YouTuber workphlo breaks down a simple DIY diffuser that works especially well when going for a "glossy" look in your product photos. This technique applies to close-ups of reflective products.

Three Easy Hacks to Help Make Your Still Life Photography Stand Out

Still life photography is usually thought to be simple and easy at first. But you'll quickly find out that arranging and composing your objects properly is crucial to making an image go from mediocre to great. Here are some easy guidelines to follow to get you there.

Amazon Boudoir Wardrobe Finds for Under $20

A few months ago I wrote about the higher end luxury finds for your boudoir wardrobe closet. In those instances where a client has either brought unflattering pieces or that she is relying on your to help guide her in looks, having these backups are perfect to get more looks for bigger sales. While having a closet can be helpful, it also does not have to break the bank if you are just starting out or like to change things up constantly.

Multiple Lighting Options in Studio

Working in studio presents a ton of lighting options, so how do you choose? Here are some examples of different light set ups that will give you variety in your work.

How I Shot This With Color Gels

Color gels are a lot of fun to work with and when done well can add a certain oomph to your photo. It can also be intimidating and hard to get just right. And when I say just right, even that itself is very subjective. Some people prefer it to be subtle while others want the color to dominate in the image. There are also photographers who only use it for color balancing.

Know How to Pose and Be a Better Photographer

In this video, Sorelle Amore gives tips on posing for photos by posing herself. She shows on camera what the various ways are to create angles, lines, and curves that are more appealing and flattering than just standing there.

How to Create a Moody DIY Set in a Plain White Studio

Breathing new life into your studio space shoot after shoot doesn't have to be difficult and it doesn't have to be expensive. With just a few simple DIY tricks, it's actually pretty easy to transform a plain white studio space into a stunning set.

Hasselblad H6D-400c: Introducing the 400MP Multi Shot

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to visit the DJI / Hasselblad headquarters in NYC for a demo on their H6D-400c Multi Shot. This new technology Hasselblad has developed allows for a user to take a 400 megapixel image, using their latest pixel shift technology.

Does The Profoto Frost Dome Make A Difference At All?

For years photographers and YouTube commenters have been telling us that in order to get the most out of our Profoto B1 and D1 lights, we need to add the Profoto Frosted Glass Dome to our strobes. Today I test this add-on to see if it makes a difference at all, and the results are surprising.

The Toy That Changed a Photographer's Life

The little red toy car sat on a shelf, serving no purpose. It was inanimate, nothing more than the die-cast metal pieces of which it had been constructed. But it caught the eye of photographer Felix Alejandro Hernandez Rodriguez and an idea — a character — was born. Hernandez changed the car and brought it to life, and in turn, the car changed his life.

Create Your Own Photography Studio on a Budget

Creating your own photography studio doesn't have to be as expensive as you might think. For around five dollars, you could make your own studio setup to take some amazing portraits in the comfort of your home.

How to Create a Grungy Glass Window

Windows can be used to create interesting shots, especially when using the reflections to your advantage, but that’s not the only way to incorporate glass in your photoshoot. There are several different ways, but what if you are looking for a grungy-looking window for a specific concept you have in mind? Here's how to make one.

Marques Brownlee Shows Us What a Camera Mounted on a Robot Can Do

Camera robots are what you see in movies and think it's computer generated. These robots link up to the camera you're working on, focus your lens during the movement, and make for great videos. Marques Brownlee from MKBHD shows us the capabilities.

Shooting Overhead Portraits in Studio

Photographing a model lying down can be very interesting, but it comes with a unique set of challenges too. Check out this great video on how to do it.

How to Paint Your Own Canvas Backdrop

There’s a slew of backdrop options out on the market today for you to choose from. Sometimes, those options don't always fit your vision, whether because of budget or creativity. So, what do you do then? Why not make your own canvas?

Taking a Leap for Male Nude Project Promoting Body Positivity

When I spoke with photographer Anthony Manieri, he was sitting at home in the middle of editing images from a routine event before preparing to fly to Los Angeles to do another shoot for a personal project that has been more successful than he ever anticipated. He didn’t expect a one-off shoot to turn into a personal project taking him around the world creating portraits of diverse, mostly gay men to promote positive body imagery.

How I Shot This With Hard Lighting

Lighting can be a major pain in the ass and that is especially the case if you're not a technical person, like me. After picking up the camera 7 years ago I am still constantly learning about the many different aspects of lighting.

Try Lighting Your Subject From Your 'Weak Side'

Most photographers have a tendency to light their subjects from the same side. I personally like to set up my key light on camera right and I also always have my subject look toward that light. Not today.

Working With a Limited Color Palette in Studio

During the conceptual stages of a portrait shoot, when deciding which color palette to incorporate, could less possibly be more? This brief video from Adorama TV features small home studio savant Gavin Hoey showcasing for us how to create effective portraits in studio within a limited color range.

These Portrait Studio Fixtures Will Make Your Life Better

Are you thinking of designing and outfitting a portrait studio? I recently did just that, and through a little research and a lot of trial and error, I discovered some great, versatile finds that make life in a photography studio much easier.

Get Creative With Seamless Paper

Do you ever shoot with seamless paper as the backdrop? If so, how do you use it? Don’t use it just as a plain background when you can get creative with it. If you're not sure what else you can do with seamless paper, here are 10 creative uses to give you some ideas.

Can You Tell The Difference Between $10,000 and $425 Photography Lighting?

The lust for better photo gear is something every photographer struggles with. In our photography industry, many people swear by the quality of light of this brand verses that brand, but in the end isn't light just light? In this video I create a classic beauty lighting setup with $10,000 worth of lighting equipment and then replicate that same setup with only $425 worth of lighting equipment. Will they look the same? This is the Rich Photographer vs Poor Photographer lighting test.

iPhone Vs. Pro Camera Challenge

Patrick and I decided to create a video series where we compete to see who can come up with the best image based on a set of randomly chosen rules. This week, one of us got to use an iPhone and the other had the entire studio at their disposal.

Godox AD600 Pro Flash: Worth the Upgrade?

The Godox AD600 Pro Strobe was recently announced to the public. Having myself recently shifted from a fantastic (but also pricey) pair of Profoto B1s to jump into the Godox (Flashpoint in the U.S.) system, I took notice.

Shooting Film Noir Portraits Inside the Studio Space

Moody, dark, and dramatic — the term "film noir" immediately invokes cinematic scenes of crime-solving detectives and notorious mobsters in our minds. Film noir is interesting as a genre in photography too. In this article, we take a look at how to shoot film noir style portraits inside a studio.

What's Better for Tethering: Capture One Pro or Adobe Lightroom?

I've been a Lightroom user since the beginning of my career and honestly, I love it. It fits seamlessly into my workflow, and I couldn't imagine using any other raw processor. That is of course until I downloaded a trial of Capture One 11. I've heard people talk about Capture One, but I never thought much of it. After all, what's wrong with Lightroom?

How to Setup an Easy DIY Overhead Camera Rig

Whether you shoot portraits, still life, fashion, beauty, or even video, there will be a time when you’ll need to shoot overhead for some reason. Don’t ask me why, I’m just sure that one day you will. So while I can’t help you with when and why, I can share the latest video from Peter McKinnon explaining how. Watch this tutorial to learn all about setting up a secure, compact, and efficient overhead setup.

The Most Stunning UV Light Photography You'll Ever See

At first, you could wonder how a hairstylist found inspiration in deep sea creatures and avatar to make a collection. But then, when you see the actual looks and how a talented photographer such as David Sheldrick can make the most out every element to create masterpieces out of it, you actually start to hate yourself for not thinking of it earlier! This is probably the most stunning project I’ve seen in months, and I’m blown away by how much talent there is in these frames.

Shooting Winter Portraits Inside the Studio Space

Winter has officially started and everyone loves to shoot winter portraits. But what if you want to shoot snow and there isn't any in your location? Or what if it is too cold to head outside? Well, you can always bring the winter into your studio. Watch the video to find out how.

Using Flash Duration to Freeze Motion

Flash duration is one of those terms you hear in the world of flash photography but may not know exactly what it is, or why it matters. It’s really quite simple, and pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The measurement of time from when the flash begins to fire until it’s completely off is what’s known as flash duration. Like a light bulb filament slowly burning off when it’s turned off, a flash tube does the same thing, but much quicker.