This video from nature photographer Simon d'Entremont offers one of the best explanations of camera metering modes I have come across, complete with examples of each mode and when to use them.
Conventional wisdom in studio portrait photography tells us to avoid shooting portraits wide open. But in this video, I will show you why I shoot portraits wide open all the time, and you should try it too.
In this video from nature photographer Simon d'Entremont, he details many solid techniques to help you improve your photography.
Studio photographers are often admired for their lighting skills, and for good reason. Creating compelling portrait lighting is not only extremely difficult, but requires lighting gear, backdrops, and a shooting space. Editing can play either a small or large role in the final image. Have you ever wondered how much of what you see was created in camera, as opposed to in the editing room? In this article, I will show you some before and after images from my own studio work and lift the veil on my editing process.
I have quickly become a big fan of the Sigma Contemporary lenses for Fujifilm X Mount. A few months back, I reviewed the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, a lens that delivers superb image quality and performance in an extremely small and well-constructed package. More recently, I had a chance to test the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 and 30mm f/1.4 on the Fujifilm X-T5, and I was once again impressed by the results.
A few months ago, I reluctantly took the plunge into Instagram reels, like many other still photographers. My most popular reel by a wide margin was a joke comparing “amateurs” to “professionals.” And, although my point was not so much to make a distinction between two classes of photographers, but rather to comment on photographers’ common obsession with gear, sometimes at the expense of fundamentals, I touched a nerve with some people who took exception to what they saw as an insult to amateur photographers.
I started my YouTube photography channel a little more than a year ago ,and it's been quite an interesting journey. At first, I just wanted to post some videos as a tool to help me improve my own videography skills, but I quickly realized that I enjoyed creating content and watching the channel grow. Having now created videos including tutorials, gear reviews, and even tongue-in-cheek commentaries for a year, I wanted to give you a glimpse into what it's like and dispel some common misconceptions about what it really means to be a small photography "YouTuber."
In this video, I test the new Fujifilm X-T5 against the Canon EOS R5, which is my go-to studio camera. Originally, I intended only to compare the image quality of Fuji's new 40-megapixel cropped sensor against Canon's 45-megapixel full-frame sensor, but after using the X-T5 for a number of sessions in my studio I decided to make a friendly general comparison of the two cameras.
As part of Sigma’s Contemporary lens line, the 56mm f/1.4 DC DN is designed to offer exceptional image quality and performance all in a small, convenient package. With a 35mm equivalent of 84mm, this lens is great for portraiture, street photography, pet photography, travel work, and any low-light shooting situations.
When I was working in the photo industry in the late 90s and early 00s, Nikon was king. Canon was already a close second or even considered the leading brand, depending on which photographer one spoke with. Both companies offered a robust selection of lenses, advanced camera bodies, and excellent autofocus systems. And then there were the outlier brands, like Minolta, Olympus, and Pentax, all who made some wonderful cameras, but were not nearly as popular as tools for professionals. Minolta was, perhaps, one of the most adventurous camera makers.
When Fujifilm announced the new X-H2, I was immediately interested to test it out against my current camera, the Canon R5. Featuring a 40-megapixel sensor, much improved autofocus, and other advancements, on paper, it hits all the marks for my type of work.
In what is becoming a disturbing trend, photographers are being attacked and robbed in broad daylight at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. The latest attack, which was caught on video, has photographers who work in the area on edge.
The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary lens is a small, light, and fast zoom lens suitable for a wide range of subjects. I spent a week testing the 18-50mm, and I was very impressed with this tiny powerhouse of a lens, which is now available for Fujifilm X Mount cameras.
I often get together with some of my photographer friends to experiment with lighting techniques and try out new gear. Recently, my friend, John, stopped by the studio, and we decided to have a go at recreating a Dan Winters portrait. In this video, I detail my process, including the lighting I used as well as my editing process.
Twitter has been at the top of the news cycle since Elon Musk completed his purchase of the company for $44 billion. And although the mere mention of his name stirs a variety of emotions, political opinions, and other reactions, for the sake of this piece, I want to focus not on the political ramifications of his acquisition of Twitter, but rather on how it will impact us as photographers. I am greatly interested, in fact, in some of his proposed changes to the platform and how they may affect photographers and content creators, especially if the change is positive.
When it comes to portrait posing, there are some great poses, some not great poses, and then, there are those poses that are so egregious that they should be avoided at all costs.
GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a real problem for most photographers, especially as we enter the holiday season.
One of the challenges for photographers who post online is learning to cultivate what we decide to post. When I was just getting started as a headshot photographer, I only had an occasional client, and the fact that I created a headshot at all was a huge accomplishment. Because of this, I would immediately post images from the session on my Instagram feed and website. As my clientele grew and I developed my own style, however, I realized that I needed to be much more selective in deciding why and when I post an image.
Using the LCD screen to compose images has become very common in the age of mirrorless cameras. Holding the camera away from your face is convenient when photographing a subject from difficult to reach angles. In some ways, I consider this an excellent advantage that mirrorless cameras have over DSLRs, but in my latest video, I give three reasons why I never use the LCD screen to compose headshots and portraits.
Although depth of field is often discussed in portrait photography, the conversation tends to center around background bokeh. In this article and the accompanying video, however, I would like to address depth of field as it relates to the face itself and attempt to answer the question as to which aperture is best for photographing faces.
