Portraits with shallow DoF & high-speed sync flash
Portraits with shallow DoF & high-speed sync flash
High-speed flash sync (HSS) has two primary uses - being able to get to a fast enough shutter speed to stop action, and for shallow depth-of-field. Other than that, I rarely stray higher than max flash sync speed. So for me, it is a conscious decision to go to HSS. Or not. For these playful portraits of my friends, Irene and Michael, I wanted to use the shallow depth-of-field with specific intent. Irene and Michael are at the core of a performance group called the Modern Gypsies. Their official website: Modern Gypsies Read more inside...Outdoor photo session with kids, using off-camera flash
Outdoor photo session with kids, using off-camera flash
When I posted photos from this session on FB, there were questions about the lighting (and whether I had used off-camera flash), as well as camera settings. There were also questions about which lens I had used for this sequence - whether it was perhaps an 85mm lens. The surprise perhaps might be that this isn't out of the ordinary from how I usually approach a photo session - Checklist for portrait photography on location. A systematic way to make sure I get images that look really good. With kids being their Read more inside...Studio lighting with style and elegance
Studio lighting with style and elegance
The title here might be presumptuous - studio lighting with style and elegance - but it is a good summary for the intent I had in lighting a series of portraits for a client. Unfussy lighting that highlighted our subjects - women. Specifically, women over the age of 55. This is part of a collaboration with Brynn Hudson jewelry – portrait photography which focuses on the many faces and personalities of women. I posted a selection of my favorite photos on my One Perfect Moment blog: Accomplished – Portraits of strong women. But Read more inside...Photographing wide-angle portraits
Photographing wide-angle portraits
In photographing wide-angle portraits, we have to make the decision whether we want to embrace the wide-angle distortion (such as Bill Brandt famously did), or have a more natural approach where the wide-angle is used to show more of the environment and to help with a dynamic composition. With this photo of Anastasiya, I wanted to include these massive billboards 5th Avenue. That meant I had to use a wide focal length. In this example, I had my 24-7mm zoom racked to 24mm. The idea here is that we need to be purposeful. Better to shoot in a Read more inside...Tips on posing hands
Tips on posing hands
This portrait of my friend Christy, was shot in my studio - the lighting entirely from the globes circling the make-up table. In fact, if you look closely, you can see the ring of lights circling the iris of her eyes. Now, as drop-dead gorgeous as Christy is, it is also a running joke between us that she is tough to pose. She isn't a model, so hasn't built up the experience or repertoire of poses yet to naturally glide into a pose in front of the camera. So it needs me to pose her or adjust her pose along the way. In the case of her hands, it needed Read more inside...More spontaneous portrait photography
More spontaneous portrait photography
A friend of my daughter sent me an email with a few observations and a question, which in turn, set of a much longer train of thought about portrait photography, and making it more spontaneous. My portrait photography tends to be controlled on some levels. I don't strictly pose, but I do control the pose and the lighting and composition - while still trying to retain some spontaneous reaction from my subject. Here's Terry's email (which was titled: Intrinsic Splendor) I was thumbing through one of your books to brush up on something Read more inside...On-location photo session in New York – BTS video
On-location photo session in New York - BTS video
I met Marco when he attended one of my photography workshops - he is charismatic and with that photogenic ruggedness, I thought he'd be a great subject to photograph on location. He was visiting New York from Germany for a few days, and I asked if he would be up for a photo session. And here we are. With this photo session, I also wanted to try out something I saw Dani Diamond does - where he has an on-camera stabilized gimbal for his Go-Pro, to give a wider point of view from the photographer's perspective. A kind of Read more inside...Portrait lighting setup – Chiaroscuro
Portrait lighting setup - Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro is defined as the use of strong contrasts between light and dark - bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. Chiaroscuro in an Italian phrase meaning Light and Dark. Chiaro = Light; Scuro = Dark. In Film Noir, there are many examples of the use of Chiaroscuro, enhancing the mood. Here though, we're going to look at a straight-forward way of using Chiaroscuro as a lighting technique. This then becomes an easy starting point to experiment further. By adding planes that have a gradient between light and dark, you can enhance Read more inside...Informal / candid portraits on the street – Applying what you know
Informal / candid portraits on the street - Applying what you know
New York City abounds with characters - interesting and colorful people. This is one of those constants if you're out on the streets in NYC, especially when taking photos or busy with a photo session ... or as in this case, during one of the individual photography workshops in NYC. This man approached us to sell his artwork ... and we ended up taking a few photos of him. With a few quick, automatic steps, the informal portrait is improved. I'm one of those people, who, if tourists in Times Square give me their Read more inside...- « Previous Page
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