Setting Up a Successful Headshot Session: Part 3
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One of those most important parts of any portrait sessions is what happens after the shoot is over. In the last part of this series I want to talk a bit about the end of your photo session, and how you can ensure you have a happy client that will not only come back for more but will tell their friends how awesome the experience was. Almost every day I get a call from someone asking me to advertise on Google. I simply reply “no thank you” as I don’t feel that Google can compete with word of mouth. As I have mentioned in first part of this series, word of mouth is one of the most powerful advertising weapons you have, with the ability to grow your business exponentially. This will be a bit different for everyone, but I think you can take this and apply it to any type of photography session you do.

Three Reasons to Go Ultra Wide When Photographing Dogs Outdoors
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One of the most important compositional decisions to make when photographing pets is choosing a focal length. Due to perspective and lens distortion, ultra wide angles (generally considered to be less than 24mm on a full frame camera) can yield unflattering results when photographing humans. However, when photographing pets, shooting with an ultra-wide angle lens can do wonders in making your photos stand out.

Try This Simple Trick to Master Your Long Exposures
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Long exposure photography is a powerful technique in landscape photography, allowing you to capture the smooth, dynamic movement of clouds and water while keeping stationary elements sharp. One challenge we often face is dealing with moving subjects, such as boats, which can result in blurred images if not properly stabilized. Ensuring the stability of boats is crucial to achieving sharp, high-quality long exposures.

4 Different Kinds of Outdoor Natural Portrait Light You Should Look For
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It is pretty common knowledge that photography is based on understanding the principles of good lighting. It's also pretty common for the average photographer not to have the budget to afford a studio and light their subject from 8 different directions. Instead of worrying about not having enough, use the natural light you do have.

Here Come the Canon Mirrorless Lenses
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Canon's mirrorless lenses have been esoteric, exquisite, and... expensive. While they're certainly spectacular pieces of glass, some photographers have been waiting for the more standard workhorses to come along. The good news is that they are on their way quite soon.

Fstoppers Reviews the Massive 49-inch Curved Samsung Monitor That Is Built for Creatives
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Let's address the elephant in the room right off the bat, this monitor is absolutely massive. I have a fairly large desk and plenty of space at home to house this beast but it still seems large when viewing in the open. Though, it really comes down to how well it feels when working on it. To be blunt, it feels freaking amazing.

Are You Taking Advantage Of The Survey View in Lightroom?
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Like Photoshop, Lightroom is a powerful piece of software. Sadly most of us learn the basics and don't take advantage of all that is has to offer. One powerful feature is called the "Survey View." Are you taking advantage of it? If not, take a couple minutes to watch this two minute video where I go over how to use the tool and the shortcut to get there.

How To Shoot A Sunrise Engagement Session
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As a wedding photographer, the engagement session is probably one of the best ways to get to know your clients before spending 8 or more hours with them on their wedding day. These sessions are about the two of them as a couple and how they fell in love. Most of my sessions are held about 2 hours before the sun sets, but what about when you have a couple that wants to shoot at sunrise? I have to admit, I hardly ever get up any earlier than 9 AM most days, so the thought of being functional at 6 AM was terrifying. But the results? The light was beautiful and completely worth it.

And The Winner Of The Facebook Contest Is...
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This month we teamed up with SLR Lounge and Kelly Moore for an awesome Facebook Fan giveaway. With an overwheleming number of entries, I'd say this contest was even more successful than last month's. Without further adieu the winner of this month's Facebook Fan contest is....

National Geographic Conflict Photographer Documents Hurricane Harvey Flood Experience
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In my old hometown of Houston, Texas, residents and officials are assessing the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey which has left entire highways underwater, small towns decimated, and approximately 30,000 people evacuated. When a tragedy like this happens in our own backyard, we have a plethora of photographers to thank for capturing the aftermath. Erin Trieb is a Texas native who lives in Turkey but happened to be visiting family in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit. Trieb has a history of documenting trauma left by war and conflict in the Middle East due to her role as a conflict photographer for National Geographic.

Squarespace is a Breath of Fresh Air in the Smoggy Website Building Space
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Personal feeling: we don’t give our websites enough attention. It’s usually a “good enough” situation. It shows our photos, gets our name on Google and it serves as a place for us to send clients and prospects. That attitude tends to result in an attitude of “settling.” We settle for what we find and it is, again, good enough. Or is it? I wasn't ready to just be happy with "good enough" on my website.

Did Target Lie About Going Photoshop-Free in Their Latest Ad Campaign?
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Earlier today, we posted about Target forgoing the use of Photoshop in their latest ad campaign, when one of our eagle-eyed readers pointed out that it may not be true that Target went Photoshop-free, which would not be the first time the company was caught in such a fiasco.

Is Beyoncé's Twins Reveal Image Any Good?
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When it comes to deciding how good a particular image is, there are three aspects that I think are most important: composition, lighting, and colors. These three properties could be described as the technical attributes of an image. There are those who have compared this image to The Birth of Venus and the Virgin Mary, based on a number of styling choices, one can see some similarities.

5 Great Pieces of Photography Advice I Have Received
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I have been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of some great advice over the years. In this article, I go over the five bits that have resonated the most with me and that I think of on every shoot.

My Simple Approach To Shooting Studio Headshots
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As a headshot and portrait photographer, I'm always looking to streamline my process and create consistent results for my clients. With that in mind I want to share with you my "bread and butter," super-simple setup I've been using for the last two years.

Exporting Photos Has Just Become Even Easier For All Photographers With JPEGmini's Latest Update [Review]
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The favorite plug-in amongst many photographers just got a little better, which is great news! In case you haven't read my last article covering what JPEGmini does and what it's all about, it's both a software and plug-in that cuts the file size of every high-resolution photo in half while still retaining photo size and resolution. Sounds impossible, right? We put it to the test and the results did pleasantly surprise us. With that said, JPEGmini listened to what customers had to say and are finally sharing updates to all. Let's dive into what they've added.

The Complete Guide to Epic Foreground Bokeh
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When talking about bokeh, the majority of the photography community instantly thinks of those nice creamy out of focus backgrounds. This is because most of the photographs we see only involve a subject and a background. Once you start to incorporate foreground elements though, you will quickly see that bokeh in front of the subject can be just as important and impactful as having bokeh behind the subject.

A Beginner’s Guide to Lightroom: Part 2
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In Part 1 of this series, I explained the basics of how Lightroom works, the best way to import your photos, and the different options you have when culling your images. In Part 2, I want to show you the essentials of the Develop module. This module is the area of Lightroom where you can color correct, crop, straighten, sharpen, and perform several other adjustments as well.

Final Cut Pro X Is Now Free for 90 Days
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Apple has announced that you can now test out Final Cut Pro X for 90 days, increasing the trial period from 30 days. In addition, Apple will soon be applying the same deal to its digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer, Logic Pro X.

How Many Camera Bags Does a Photographer Need?
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Every photographer needs a camera bag. Preferably one that not only protects the equipment, but is also comfortable to use. It has to carry at least a camera and a couple of lenses, along with the necessary accessories. Unfortunately, there is not one camera bag that is perfect for every situation.

Continuing the Legacy of the U.S. President's Photographer
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The tradition of the White House photographers, now officially known as the Chief Official White House Photographer, was started by John F. Kennedy in January of 1961. A free press is responsible for accurate reportage and is essential to a democracy, though access can provide certain limitations. Having unprecedented access, where the press are typically held at a greater distance, the President’s photographer adds a level of transparency for the American public to engage and see the President working for the country within the context of current events.