Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Learn w/ me

Levi Sim

Levi Sim is passionate about making photographs and helping others make their pictures better, too. He's a full-time photographer making business portraits and marketing and branding pictures for a living. He spends the rest of his time practicing all other kinds of photography and studying to be a better hunter. Read more of his articles here. And you can see more of Levi's portfolio here.

Levi is honored to be an ambassador for Vanguard tripods and bags and Spider Holster carry systems.
Learn w/ me

Latest posts by Levi Sim (see all)

Portrait Tips: Identify the environment

0

I'm pretty excited because Vanelli and I are teaching a class at Photoshop World on environmental portraiture. I love making environmental portraits because they help inform our knowledge of the person we're looking at without saying a word. The trouble is, we don't always get to photograph folks in their place with their stuff. But, if you can identify the environment a person brings with them, then you can make a more intimate and revealing portrait even on a white backdrop. Identify the environment When you're hiking in the mountains, … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Identify the environment

Portrait Tips: Perfect your un-pose

0

Every client you will ever have will say, "I prefer candid photos, not posed photos." And we get that: We understand that they want pictures that look like a moment captured instead of faces lined up in a row. But we also know that they don't mean it. Candid ... but not They mean they want natural-looking expressions and natural-feeling backdrops. But they don't initially understand that they still need significant posing help to have flattering pictures — pictures with hair that not's flying in faces, pictures that still help them look their … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Perfect your un-pose

Portrait Tips: Waterfalls and speedlights

0

What's not to love about making portraits in front of waterfalls? Beautiful place, beautiful people, water spraying your camera, nothing going the way you had in mind — it's a blast! When you photograph a bride and groom in front of a waterfall, you need that smooth water look. If you use a fast shutter speed, the staccato splashing is too sharp and distracting. Instead, use a long shutter speed to let the water wash over itself during the exposure and create that soft smoothness that will compliment your portrait. Use a polarizer or ND … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Waterfalls and speedlights

Photographing black holes is just like making panos

2

Photographing the shadow of a black hole 53,000,000,000 light years away is an amazing achievement. I'm no expert, but as I understand it, astronomers used many telescopes around the world to make this picture (read more). Forgive me for simplifying, but using a bunch of cameras to composite a single image is basically the same as making a panorama. And you can make panoramas with the tools you have right now. Why not just use a wide lens? You might be thinking that using a wide lens to get the whole scene in the picture is the same as … [Read more...] about Photographing black holes is just like making panos

Portrait Tips: Remember for yourself

0

It's a good idea to look back. Ten years ago I was looking at my photography idols and wondering what it'd be like to be doing this for a decade. Now I'm here, and I love that I can look back at 10 years' of work. As I do, I'm impressed by one thing, and it's the thing I've been telling clients for a decade. Photographs unlock the power of memory Scott Bourne calls us the high priests of memory protection. I believe that. And we always tell clients that they'll treasure these pictures for generations and all the things they experienced in … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Remember for yourself

Portrait Tips: Get your camera lower

0

Your camera's height has a strong effect on the impact your portraits make. I'm a fairly tall individual, and if I don't pay attention, my camera comes right up to my eye and I point it toward my subjects, who are usually shorter than me. That means I'm looking down at them, and everyone looking at the picture is also looking down on them, and that's not usually the relationship I want my viewer to have with my subject. Put the camera in the middle You should always shoot with your camera in the middle of the subject. For a headshot, put … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Get your camera lower

Portrait Tips: Save money, use a long lens for shallow depth

1

In outdoor portraits, we love shallow depth of field. We love to see the background nicely out of focus so that our subjects stand out better. In fact, we are easily convinced that we need to pay a lot of money for very bright lenses with big apertures so that we can get that beautiful shallow depth of field. The truth is that you can do with an inexpensive zoom lens — even the second lens that came with your camera kit can get it done well. Many kits come with a 55-200mm zoom, and you can also buy a 70-300mm lens for a couple of hundred … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Save money, use a long lens for shallow depth

Google+ kicks the bucket

2

I recently received an email from Google+, the social media site that is was all the rage with photographers. Back when it started, I posted often and grew a following. Then something changed on the site and I didn't quite understand it, and I quit interacting. My blog posts continued auto-posting, but I haven't even visited the site in at least six years. On the other hand, I know several photographers who continued through the changes and kept a strong following and interaction with their audience. I liked Google+ because the interactions … [Read more...] about Google+ kicks the bucket

Portrait Tips: Utilize graduated filters to finish your portraits

0

There I was, in a ghost town in the desert in Arizona, or Nevada — it was so remote it's hard to be sure — with a super-telephoto zoom lens, a model in a flowy dress and an empty highway. I just got so excited to lay down in the middle of the road that I forgot that the sky was totally bland. Now, a bland sky doesn't ruin a portrait, but it would have been nice if there were some huge monsoon thunderheads up there. I could use Luminar to combine this with another photo of puffy clouds and combine the two images (and maybe I will later), but I … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Utilize graduated filters to finish your portraits

Portrait Tips: Take a walk

0

If you enjoy making pictures with people, then you should take a photowalk and make portraits on the street. There are a few good reasons to do this: Firstly, you'll get outdoors and stretch your legs and your eyes. Just being in a bigger place for a while can be invigorating. Also, meeting strangers and making a picture is liberating because you don't have the pressure associated with a client. You don't have to make a lot of pictures and finish a lot of pictures. You can just do what you do right there, and you might not even have to share … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Take a walk

Gear review: Spider Holster’s camera carry system

0

I've been making pictures for ten years, and I've tried most of the camera carrying systems on the market. However, the one system I've chosen to invest in is the Spider Holster. It's certainly not the least costly option, but it is the most secure and most comfortable. Spider Holsters take all the weight of your camera and put it on your hips, not your shoulders. When I use neck straps with a camera, I get a kink in my neck immediately — cameras are heavy! I last a few minutes longer if I use a sliding shoulder strap, but I can go for days … [Read more...] about Gear review: Spider Holster’s camera carry system

Portrait Tips: You need to get out more

0

I just attended WPPI in Las Vegas along with thousands of other photographers. The great thing about this conference is that it's focused on portraiture. There are all kinds of classes, but even if you only attend with a free expo pass, you can learn from speaker after speaker about tips for making the best portraits of your career and how to help your business grow. I've attended this conference for the last 10 years, as well as many other conferences. And you should, too. See new gear New gear won't make you a better photographer, but it … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: You need to get out more

Portrait Tips: Teeth whitening in Lightroom (easy does it!)

1

Teeth come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Your primary goal when retouching teeth should be to keep the teeth from distracting from the eyes. If teeth are very colorful, then they can be distracting, but if you make them bright white, then you're not doing any favors for your subject when people meet them and see yellower teeth than their portrait depicted. Lightroom's Adjustment Brush is a good tool for whitening teeth. One of the best things about using it is that the Auto Mask feature allows you to paint sloppily but keep the effect on … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Teeth whitening in Lightroom (easy does it!)

Portrait Tips: Automation is your best friend, part one

0

Last week I told you about my headshot factory. I've used this sort of setup to photograph as many as 300 people in one day. Unfortunately, that's the easy part for me. Making a portrait with a person is great fun. What's less fun is retouching 300 portraits over the next week or so. Each picture needs a little something, and most of them need the same things: Contrast, skin retouching, and eye brightening. The best way to improve contrast, retouch skin and brighten eyes in portraits is to use Perfectly Clear Complete (PCC). It recognizes each … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Automation is your best friend, part one

Perfecting the tones in your landscapes, or step #1 in finishing landscapes

0

You've got your foreground element, you've got your rule of thirds, and you've got striking light on your subject. Everything is looking good for you to have a terrific landscape photograph that you'll be proud of. But, as has always been the case in photography, your work has just begun: You still need to finish your picture. The first place I take my landscape photo is Perfectly Clear Complete. PCC lets you get the tones looking just right and it does it without adding noise. Here's my original photo. Exposure There is a Landscape … [Read more...] about Perfecting the tones in your landscapes, or step #1 in finishing landscapes

Portrait Tips: Headshot factory

0

One of my favorite things to do for corporate clients is to make headshots at their annual meetings. Their employees live all around the country, so this is the only opportunity to make pictures for them all in one place. This is a challenging shoot, but it's a lot of fun — like a headshot factory that quickly turns out good portraits. My setup is simple and adaptive, and something similar could help you make a lot of portraits quickly. The space As you can see, I'm not allotted a whole lot of room. This is in the hallway outside the … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Headshot factory

LUMIX releases specs of full-frame S series cameras

0

Last fall, LUMIX announced its new full frame cameras, the S1 and S1R, which will feature a new L-Mount lens collaboration between LUMIX, Leica and Sigma. Early this morning, LUMIX came out with more information about both cameras. Let me give you the big details up front, and you can read the entire release below. S1R, 47.3 megapixels Boasting a full 36x24mm sensor, the S1R offers the highest resolution of any full-frame mirrorless camera on the market. Plus, the high-resolution mode — which combines multiple frames into a single raw file — … [Read more...] about LUMIX releases specs of full-frame S series cameras

Portrait Tips: A note for newborns

0

One of the best experiences you'll have as a portraitist is making pictures with brand new babies. There truly is something special about working with someone so new and pure, and it's a big responsibility to be entrusted with the opportunity. It's really a once-in-a-lifetime shoot, so be ready and take it seriously. And remember that it's not a picture of baskets and props. What is your purpose? We love pictures of babies snuggled into a blanket or wrapped in a peapod costume, and we dream of making that kind of picture, too. Swaddling a … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: A note for newborns

ACDSee’s Mobile Sync is really cool

0

Transferring pictures between your phone and your computer is troublesome but often necessary. If you're like me, then just because you shot a picture with your phone doesn't mean you don't want to use the best tools available on your computer to finish the photograph — especially as phone cameras get better and better (did you know you can shoot RAW files on your phone?). ACDSee has a terrific solution. Their mobile app, called Mobile Sync, is a free download for Android and iOS and it is simple to use. Let me show you how it works. Connect … [Read more...] about ACDSee’s Mobile Sync is really cool

Portrait Tips: Build a scene with Lume Cubes & holiday lights

2

Holiday lights are so cool. If the tree didn't dry out and start dropping needles, I think I'd petition my wife to leave them set up all year. They just give such a terrific mood. It's because they have a warm tone and because they are so spread out they make a very soft light. Plus, when they are in the background of the photo, they make really cool bokeh bobbles. I wanted to utilize these lights in the background, so I needed to build the light in the foreground so that it wouldn't overpower the twinkle in the back. Here's how to do it. Use … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Build a scene with Lume Cubes & holiday lights

How to photograph sledding (comprehensive)

0

Wanna have some fun this winter? Go photograph kids sledding. When your subjects are having fun, you're sure to have fun, too. It's a great excuse to get out and make pictures and keep your eye sharp through the winter. As much fun as it is, there are some surprising challenges you'll need to overcome if you want to make epic sledding pictures. Let's talk about camera settings and shooting techniques so you can get great pictures quickly and focus on having fun. White balance Why is white balance at the top of the list? It's simple, but … [Read more...] about How to photograph sledding (comprehensive)

Perfecting color in landscapes with Perfectly Clear Complete

0

If you can make a terrific foundation, then you can be free to create. This is especially true regarding color. Great color allows you to make better black and whites and utilize all kinds of creative apps. Let me show you how Perfectly Clear's excellent tools can help you make a sure color foundation to build your photofinishing on. Preset: Landscapes Start by clicking on the Landscapes preset button at the top of the window. This activates the excellent tone and color settings in Perfectly Clear and leaves all the stuff for portraits … [Read more...] about Perfecting color in landscapes with Perfectly Clear Complete

How to use Lightroom’s new Photomerge: HDR Panorama

0

Making panoramas is a wonderful way to photograph a scene with the best perspective. Shooting brackets for HDR is a wonderful way to get the best exposure for a scene. So why not do both? I've been doing both for several years, but it's always taken a lot of thought and process on the computer to get the pictures all put together. Do you do the HDR first, or stitch the panorama first? Lightroom's Classic's latest update brought the two together, and it's pretty awesome. Lightroom has processed HDR brackets and panoramas separately for several … [Read more...] about How to use Lightroom’s new Photomerge: HDR Panorama

Portrait Tips: How to use V-flats to light a group

0

When you light a portrait, a good rule of thumb is that your light should be about the same size as your subject. That's easy for a single individual where any softbox will work, but what about lighting a group of people? A light that big is hard to find. V-flats offer an easy way to make a large light that gives soft, even coverage for your group. You can use them to make soft light on the whole group, but you can also move your subjects around for different effects. V-flat as a modifier The V-flat is two large sheets (typically 7 or 8 … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How to use V-flats to light a group

Retouching portraits fast with Perfectly Clear Complete

1

Making a picture with your camera is the first step in making a portrait, but retouching it on the computer is when you truly finish it. If you're using tools like Photoshop to do your retouching, then it can be a complicated and time-consuming to give your picture the finish it needs. Personally, I like to shoot pictures more than I like to retouch them so I want to get it done as quickly as possible. Let me show you how I use Perfectly Clear Complete to retouch portraits simply and quickly. Brightness, color, eyes and texture The four main … [Read more...] about Retouching portraits fast with Perfectly Clear Complete

Portrait Tips: Retouch portraits in a batch

0

Batch retouching is the holy grail of portrait finishing. You've shot a lot of good pictures you want to share, but you know your client will only buy a few. How do you prepare all the best pictures without spending hours retouching pictures that won't be chosen? Let me show you how to do some things with Lightroom and then allow Perfectly Clear to finish them off automatically. Batching in Lightroom In Lightroom, you can adjust all the pictures at the same time very easily. Start by adjusting one of the pictures you want to work on. Make any … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Retouch portraits in a batch

Gear Review: Cordskinz solves earbud tangle woes

0

You probably use headphones often--if nothing else, you use them to listen to the Photofocus podcast when you're on the go, right? I use mine for monitoring sound while shooting videos on my camera, while working on photos on my laptop in cafés, and for talking on the phone hands-free. If you're like me, then your headphones probably get tangled everytime you put them into your pocket. No matter how carefully you coil them, they always end up tangled, and it's a little frustrating to get them sorted out. This is the problem Cordskinz solves and … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Cordskinz solves earbud tangle woes

Live webinar on the hour: Perfecting portraits & travel photos

0

Welcome to the webinar. We'll be learning how to perfect your portraits and travel images using Perfectly Clear, and we've got some door prizes to share as well. If you'd like to comment, ask questions, and be eligible for prizes, please click here to join us live on YouTube. This webinar is recorded so you can tune in later. We'll be live Monday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 a.m. Mountain, 9:00 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and 1:00 p.m. in the V.I. Thanks to Athentech, makers of the marvelous … [Read more...] about Live webinar on the hour: Perfecting portraits & travel photos

Webinar tomorrow, 12/17: Perfecting portraits & travel photos with Erin Holmstead & Mike Hagen

0

This episode has something for everyone. Levi Sim will be joined by two of our other authors, Erin Holmstead and Mike Hagen to help you learn how to make the most of your portraits and your travel photography. They'll teach techniques to make the most of your time shooting and then they'll demonstrate Perfectly Clear Complete to help make the most of your time finishing your photographs, too. There's something for everyone, so be sure to join us right here. We'll have some giveaways for live viewers, so be sure to join us live on … [Read more...] about Webinar tomorrow, 12/17: Perfecting portraits & travel photos with Erin Holmstead & Mike Hagen

Webinar on Monday, 12/17: Perfecting portraits & travel photos with Erin Holmstead & Mike Hagen

0

That's right, portraits and travel all in one episode. Levi Sim will be joined by two of our other authors, Erin Holmstead, and Mike Hagen to help you learn how to make the most of your portraits and your travel photography. They'll teach techniques to make the most of your time shooting and then they'll demonstrate Perfectly Clear Complete to help make the most of your time finishing your photographs, too. There's something for everyone, so be sure to join us Monday. We'll have some giveaways for live viewers, so be sure to join us live on … [Read more...] about Webinar on Monday, 12/17: Perfecting portraits & travel photos with Erin Holmstead & Mike Hagen