One of my pet peeves are crooked photos. You know the kind… where the image seems to be leaning to the left and right. Sure, maybe that’s by design… but often it’s just because of being careless. I’d like to offer you several ways to avoid this amateur mistake. In
I recently had a chance to review a new ebook and video tutorials created by fellow Photofocus author, Nicole Young. “The Mask” is a 256 page eBook featuring in depth tutorials with step-by-step instructions on how to achieve perfect masking in ON1’s Photo 10 software. The eBook is bundled with presets,
Picking bookmarks is a little adventure for me. My daughter is constantly creating pictures and doodles, so I usually use one of these as a bookmark for whatever book (or books) I’m reading. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to pick a bookmark for Jay Maisel’s Light Gesture & Color. In fact, I
Almost twenty years ago Atlanta was frenetically preparing for the Centennial Olympic Games. Immediately after every Olympics, the Paralympic Games are held. These disabled athletes have lots of determination and heart. I set up a studio in one of the buildings where the athletes live in the Paralympic Village. Today
A passport photo is NOT a portrait – it’s a reference photo. Much like a driver’s licenses, its sole purpose is to reference your likeness. Taking your own photo is easy, once you know the requirement.
As a portrait photographer, I love getting a close, tight shot that really captures the personality of my subject. Understanding the limitations and effects your gear has on the final image is vital. Close up portraits are typically shot using a focal length of 85mm or longer, but when starting
Whenever you use a very large light on a subject wearing eye glasses, you’re likely to run into a problem with glare on the glasses. The is simply a reflection of the light in the glasses. I do my best to mitigate this problem by moving the subject, the light,
What started out as a quick 36-hour trip to Pittsburgh turned into a full-scale video production to help out a friend of mine with a shoot. Luckily for me I was traveling as a one-man band and because I’m flexible, I was able to gain a new client.
Photographers have struggled with limited dynamic range for as long as there have been photographers. Expose for the highlights in most scenes, and you will end up with crushed shadows where no details can be extracted from the inky blackness. Conversely, if you expose for the shadows, the highlights will
You gotta join us live for our next Google+ Hangout, totally free of charge. Not only will you learn terrific techniques, but if you tune in live, you can be entered to win excellent prizes to help you in your work. (Note: MUST BE TUNED IN LIVE TO WIN). We’ll
This is a hands-on shooting time when you can practice various techniques, like dragging the shutter, long exposures, and light placement for the most flattering portraits. All skill levels are welcome! Here are some pictures I’ve made during other photowalks. We’re really pleased to team up with Perfectly Clear for
Media professionals can all relate to the long production day. Whether you’re a landscape photographer waking up at zero dark thirty to capture the first light or a wedding photographer shooting from bridal prep straight through to the reception, we’ve all had those days. In the video world, I’ve had
