Positioning the light & posing
Positioning the light & posing
Before we even start, I want you to be aware that even though this photograph was taken in the studio with studio lighting, the principles here are exactly the same if we had used a large light source with a speedlight. Or of we had used a large window and the available light. So don't tune out because this is a studio photograph - this is all about the direction and quality of light ... and how positioning and posing your subject affects this. So let's have a look and see how this relates to photographic opportunities you might encounter, for the Read more inside...Posing tips: Avoid foreshortening by seeing two-dimensionally
Posing tips: Avoid foreshortening by seeing two-dimensionally
There is this translation we have to do as photographers, from seeing in 3 dimensions, to realizing our images will be shown in 2 dimension. We might see the depth, but that information is mostly missing when the scene is flattened as a photograph. This is a stumbling block when we pose people - we might see their limbs and hands in 3 dimensions, but when your subjects hands extend towards you, there is foreshortening. The perspective changes, and makes the limbs look shorter than they are. This can be visually Read more inside...Checklist for portrait photography on location
Checklist for portrait photography on location
There's that algorithm that I most often use when shooting on-location portraits - find an interesting or complementary background, that also has good light on my subject. If there isn't good ambient light, then I add light. Then, my subject's positioning and pose is adjusted so that the photograph comes together. Find an interesting or complementary background, that also has good light on my subject. If there isn't good ambient light, then I add light. Then, my subject's positioning and pose is adjusted so that the photograph Read more inside...Connect with your clients for better engagement photo sessions
Mauricio is a photographer in Costa Rica that has consistently posted photographs that got everyone's attention in the Tangents Facebook group. One of the sessions was this engagement shoot - his lighting and post-processing are impeccable. But there's more to photography than the gear and camera settings - there has to be a connection with your subjects, and in this case, clients. There has to be a spark that you, as the photographer, help elicit. I asked Mauricio to share some of his magic through advice on how he connects with his clients as part of creating wonderful images that his Read more inside...
Gesture and posing – building up a photograph
Gesture and posing - building up a photograph
This striking photograph of Anastasiya, like some flying super-hero, didn't just happen on a first take in the studio. It started with an idea, and then through several iterations, finally took shape. I wanted to test the Profoto B1 flash's Freeze mode, where the duration of the flash is much shorter - perfect for freezing fast motion. However, with a jumping shot like this, the photo is timed pretty much at peak movement - and there isn't really as much blur as we'd need to show that the Freeze mode is effective. We're going to need 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...Wedding photography posing tips – For variety, make slight changes
Wedding photography posing tips - For variety, make slight changes
Wedding photography often feels like a sustained burst of stressful periods - the processional (where you have a really limited range to nail everything in low light), the family photos (where you have to gain control over a potentially chaotic situation), and the romantic portrait session with the bride and groom. Even with a couple as cool as Jackie and Todd, there is still the pressure to get photos as awesome as the images you show in your portfolio. The time is usually limited, and you have to nail the lighting, 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...One thing you can do to improve your portrait photography
One thing you can do to improve your portrait photography
Possibly the most clichéd photographer's phrase next to "say cheese", is something about being more comfortable behind the camera than in front of the camera. We've all been there - that moment of discomfort when you have to be photographed. But I say it is time to confront this. You need to own it and become used to being photographed. Seriously. I would even go as far as saying that you have an obligation to your subjects and clients to be comfortable about being photographed. You need to know how to handle yourself in Read more inside...- 1
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