Posing and lighting technique
Posing and lighting technique - posing in relation to the lighting
When taking a portrait, the pose needs to suit the lighting. And vice versa, the lighting needs to be done in relation to the intended pose. Especially so when the lighting is dramatic. This is such a key idea - lighting and posing are tightly correlated. Started again: you pose the participants in relation to the light. You light the people you photograph, in relation to how you position the light. When lighting a couple, I tend to favor the woman in terms of flattering light. So in setting up a pose, the lighting Read more inside...First steps in shooting video with a stabilized gimbal
First steps in shooting video with a stabilized gimbal
[Testing out the Defy G2x gimbal, with a test run one evening in Times Square. Here is some of the (random) footage as I played with it to get a hang of its response and handling.] That smooth, fluid movement when shooting video with the camera moving, used to be the domain of cinema or higher-end productions because of the cost of the gear. Recently however, stabilized gimbals have appeared on the market around the $5,000 mark ... and then the more accessible, smaller units at around the $2,000 point. Suddenly, these items Read more inside...Wedding photography – products delivered to clients
Wedding photography - products delivered to clients
I often get asked what album company I use, and what other products I offer my clients. When I first set up my business as a wedding photographer, I was completely green when it came to branding, marketing, as well as the products I could deliver to my clients. Albums, prints, cards, canvases, and all sorts of deliverables I could offer. I was overwhelmed by all the options I found at the various photography trade shows. So many album companies and print labs. Without much of an idea of branding and consistency, this overwhelming Read more inside...Tips on working with models
Tips on working with models
One of the best tips I can give you when photographing a professional model - wait for your model to "give" you the photo. Time your photos - don't just arbitrarily fire the shutter. Most models need a moment to settle into position. Watch their movements and pose. At some point they are likely to go through a little mental routine where they might breathe out a bit and then look at the camera. That's the moment. Not the inbetween settling-into-the-pose moments. Photographing a model, Adrienne, for her Daily Fashionista blog, I could again quickly Read more inside...Bounce flash photography – be bold!
Bounce flash photography - be bold!
With on-camera bounce flash photography, there is the initial idea that you need a white wall or ceiling to bounce off. With these examples from an engagement photo session of DaWeon and Toban, I want to show that it is entirely possible to really enhance the available light on location, with some unexpected bounce flash. For those who are just joining us now, here is a tutorial on bounce flash. We're just expanding here on that article. The essential idea from that tutorial - you bounce flash into the direction you want the light to come from. Read more inside...How to position off-camera flash
How to position off-camera flash
One of the most frequent (but easily corrected) mistakes I see when photographers use off-camera flash, is that they didn't position the flash in relation to their subject. They simply place the flash to the side (and often at a too-extreme 90 degree angle from their own position), with the flash too low in height. Your subject's pose and their position most often dictates how you should place the flash. We perhaps instinctively expect a light source to come from above somewhere, because that is where the sun is, or the light is coming from a Read more inside...recap: Photography workshop – Charlotte, NC (2015)
recap: Photography workshop - Charlotte, NC (2015)
A group of photographers in Charlotte asked if I would like to present a flash photography workshop there. We arranged a really nice venue - The Getty Center, in Rock Hill, SC - and settled on a date, July 25th (Sat). Everything in place for this, the first workshop away from NJ / NY since the workshop in Amsterdam two years ago. With two models, and a relatively small group of 8 people - just how I prefer the workshop size, we could cover the photography workshop syllabus in a relaxed tempo, and be sure everyone had the Read more inside...Off-camera flash: Rim-lighting and using flare
Off-camera flash: Rim-lighting and the intentional use of flare
For these promotional photos for aspiring model twins, Carina and Carolina, we went to a park. There are certain things I look for when working on an location, that I know will immediately give me a better chance at successful portraits. My book, Lighting and Design for Portrait Photography, looks at exactly that thought-process throughout the 60 chapters in the book. The technique here should be quite obvious by now: A long lens (a 70-200 used closer to the longer end), compressing the perspective. Shooting Read more inside...Wedding photography moments – Anticipation & being ready
Wedding photography moments - Anticipation & being ready
Wedding photography has fortunately come a long way since the times when it was more portrait dominant. Now there's more emphasis on the story-telling aspect - the photojournalism - where the moments that happen as the day unfolds, gets rightful attention. Obviously this means you need to have a watchful eye, and be ready to respond. This also means you have to have your camera ready - appropriate settings, and an appropriate choice of lens. You have to be able to anticipate what is likely to happen where you are right Read more inside...- « Previous Page
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