Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Erika Thornes

Erika is a San Diego based photographer with a lot of verve. As a photographer, her goal is to make images her clients will treasure; to still be hung on a family’s walls in 50 years as gifts and heirlooms.As a person, her goal to discover something new each day. Erika loves to share her knowledge, boundless energy, ideas and enthusiasm with her clients, her students and her peers.To learn more, visit Erika's portfolio or blog.

Latest posts by Erika Thornes (see all)

More to a Silhouette than Exposure

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There are a few key elements that create a successful silhouette. I'll say it loud and proud. It is MORE than exposure. Yes, you meter for the sky, yes, that brings the blacks black, but there is so much more to it than that. I used to say, angle, separation, and exposure. But it is even more than that. You can nail the angle, shooting from down low, you can nail the exposure, and you can even get the separation, but if you aren't telling a story, or conveying an emotion, you're not getting it. There needs to be a story. There needs to … [Read more...] about More to a Silhouette than Exposure

Sony a6000 with Neewer Underwater Case

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I use Sony a6000 as my primary underwater camera. It is 24.3MP so I can easily compose in editing. The kit lens is sharp and shoots wide. The Sony shoots in RAW, necessary for white balance and editing after the fact. It has very fast autofocus which can keep up with my subjects as well as three continuous shooting speeds. But, the primary reason I went with the a6000 over any other model was because I was able to purchase an underwater hard case for the camera for around $200. I selected the Neewer 40m/130ft Underwater Housing. Amazon also … [Read more...] about Sony a6000 with Neewer Underwater Case

Document Everyday Life

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Our lives sometimes surprise us. Sometimes, something happens in our lives that defines who we are. Some of those moments are planned, like a wedding. We spend time thinking about the ceremony, who we want to invite, how we want to share this moment in time with our family, and how we want to document it. Sometimes, quite often actually, we hire a photographer to capture these times in our lives. We spend a lot of money, and we agonize over 6 hours coverage vs. 8 hours. We think, one photographer or two.... Weddings are important. Very … [Read more...] about Document Everyday Life

Being Prepared Makes all the Difference

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I love the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared. As a photographer that often means carrying extra batteries, a spare camera, and an extra memory card. But also knowing the location, and what conditions you'll be working under. Practice Ahead of Time We just recently moved into a house with a pool, and I have been eager to shoot in it. I was asked if we could hold a baptism celebration in our pool. It is winter here in San Diego, and the pool temperature has been hovering around 55 degrees. Too cold for daily practice. Underwater photography has a … [Read more...] about Being Prepared Makes all the Difference

Using your Children as Models

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I often use my children as subjects before I have a big shoot scheduled. I will bring my children to the location, and have them help scout, pick angles and model for me. This provides valuable feedback on how the light and environment responds to my gear and settings and gives me the opportunity to review my images before the make or break day. Practice with New Gear I am a Canon shooter and a member of Canons professional services program. It is free to borrow lenses through this program. Last year, I borrowed a Canon 200mm F/2.0 lens. I was … [Read more...] about Using your Children as Models

2015 Holiday Gift Guide

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A lot of us are just coming out of the fog of Christmas photography rush orders and holiday shipping deadlines for photo products. We finally have time to breathe, and browse, and shop! I've put together a list of gifts that I'd personally recommend that hopefully, a little bit different than other lists you've seen. Of course, some are super fun repeats, but I'd be delighted to hear if one of these items tickles you. Let me know in the comments. Lets start with some fun Because we all need fun! Fun PolaRoll This retro camera toilet paper … [Read more...] about 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas Bokeh and Compression

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The other day, I was watching a family take photos in front of a Christmas tree. They were standing directly in front of it. I realized that with a bit of practice, and knowledge, we can really use the lights in the tree to our advantage, and set the stage for a fantastic background for our holiday portraits. Set Up Ive started with a Christmas tree, of course. I placed a seat about 4 feet in front of the tree, and placed a cushion and blanket on top of it. It provided a great place to put the baby where the lights would be behind her. Using … [Read more...] about Christmas Bokeh and Compression

Photo of the Day- Merry Christmas

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Category: Family Photograph: by Jeremie Damez Originally shared on the PhotoFocus Flickr Group To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day- Merry Christmas

Photo of the Day: Christmas Family Photo

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Category: Family Photograph: Christmas Family Photo- Jeremy W Cox Setup: Composite shot with individual shots of figurines, head shots and background. Key light above subject slightly to the right (variable distance based on subject size) with Lumiquest Softbox Ltp or Softbox III depending on subject size. Fill light with Westcott umbrella bounced off white ceiling. Accent light from back left. Background slate and shelf shot with mostly ambient light and added fill camera left. Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr community, right … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: Christmas Family Photo

Photo of the Day: First Spoonful

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Category: Family Photograph: "First Spoonful" Tiffany Alfonso Tiffany shared with me that this was the first time her daughter had ever used a spoon at home. She had been in Occupational Therapy to learn how to use a spoon, and after a lot of hard work, this was her first time using a spoon at home. What a fantastic memory to capture. Originally shared with the Photofocus Flickr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the Photofocus, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: First Spoonful

Bounced Flash for Casual Shooting

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I live in a cave. Not literally, but it sure feels like it. My house is so dark. Even with the windows wide open, on a bright sunny day, I still have to shoot at a minimum of ISO 1600. Sometimes I embrace my cave, I shoot with the high ISO, and I don't sweat it. But, honestly, the images that I love, the images that I keep, the images that I share of my family in my home almost alway use my flash aimed at a corner of my ceiling. Why Bounced Flash? Because it is flexible and easy. There are lots of ways to bring in extra light to shoot indoors … [Read more...] about Bounced Flash for Casual Shooting

Photo of the Day: “Joy of Autumn”

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Category: Family Photograph "Joy of Autumn" by Ben Grey originally shared in the Photofocus Flikr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: “Joy of Autumn”

Finding A Mentor

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I am sitting here this morning, after waking up at 4:15 am to help a friend with a photography project on the beach, thinking about our friendship. We met a few years ago when our kids were starting swim team together. We started talking about things beyond family and kids, and got into what we really do. What, at the heart of it, is our life, or skills, and our passion. She's one of the top graphic and textile designers in the world. Her talent and her skills are top notch. Not a humble brag, this friend has the pedigree and resume to back it … [Read more...] about Finding A Mentor

Photo of the Day: “First Solid Food”

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Category: Family Photograph "First Solid Food" by Jeremy VanderMeer originally shared in the Photofocus Flikr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: “First Solid Food”

Photo of the Day: “Britton Drum Pad”

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Category: Family Photograph "Britton Drum Pad" by Jason Zollan originally shared in the Photofocus Flikr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: “Britton Drum Pad”

Photo of the Day: “Wiggin'”

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Category: Family. Photograph "Wiggin' " by M Graham, originally shared in the Photofocus Flikr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: “Wiggin'”

Photo of the Day: My Daughter

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Category: Family Photograph: My Daughter, by Valerie Kuepper Originally shared on the Photofocus Facebook community . To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: My Daughter

Underwater Portraits with Directed Light

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Underwater portraiture is a beautiful medium with many factors to consider that can't be addressed within a single post, so we'll start off here by focusing on one aspect: directing the light. Just like above water, the direction and quality of the light dramatically change the look of the portrait. Choosing a Lighting Source for Underwater Underwater strobes and lights get expensive and require special camera housings to truly be effective. I've seen ingenious ways to get strobes fired from above the pool to be reflected down into the pool, … [Read more...] about Underwater Portraits with Directed Light