I highly recommend a 5-in-1 reflector as a tool for helping you get terrific light under many circumstances. It should be the first lighting tool you buy, and you should learn to master it before buying more lighting. The good news is that a 5-in-1 reflector is relatively cheap. I recommend the oval shaped reflectors because they give you more room to work without covering the surface with your own shadow. The trouble is, one of the surfaces is a gold reflector and since it's included many photographers think it must be there to use for … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: How To Use A Gold Reflector
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. Read more of his articles here.
Latest posts by Levi Sim (see all)
- NYC Photowalk with Photofocus, Macphun, & Adobe Stock October 27, 2017 8:00pm - October 13, 2017
- Learn To Love Lemonade - October 13, 2017
- Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Three Tips For Making Videos - October 12, 2017
Tips For The Hiking Photographer
Sharing pictures from beautiful places is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I've hiked to get there. However, if I suddenly had to choose between never making a picture for the rest of my life or never hiking for the rest of my life...I choose to give up photography. I'd rather continue seeing marvelous places for myself and never share them in pictures than be able to share ordinary places in pictures but never hike. Plus, hiking is one of my favorite ways to torment my kids. I've learned a lot of techniques for hiking … [Read more...] about Tips For The Hiking Photographer
The Easy Way To Fold Reflectors & Backdrops
A collapsible reflector is a must-have tool for all kinds of photographers. I favor the 5-in-1 styles, and I favor a long oval style. The thing is, the toughest part about using a reflector has nothing to with lighting your subjects--the hardest thing is putting it away. This short video demonstrates how to fold several kinds of collapsible tools, including a circular reflector, a triangular reflector, an oval reflector, and an enormous collapsible backdrop. There's one simple way to do it: fold it in half, and tuck the ends together. Check … [Read more...] about The Easy Way To Fold Reflectors & Backdrops
Mirrorless Maniac: Shoot TeleFlorals
There are many lenses emerging for our mirrorless cameras, including macro lenses. The thing is about macro lenses that they are often a very good portrait length, and they often offer incredible edge-to-edge sharpness and contrast, but they are usually not as fast and bright as similar lenses intended for portraiture. I used to use Nikon's 105mm f/2.8 Micro for everything, and it's a terrific lens, but now I'm used to the shutter speeds I get with the Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 Nocticron, and shooting at f/2.8 just seems so slow. Which is the main … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Maniac: Shoot TeleFlorals
Portrait Tips: 3 Ways To Not Shoot Butts
When you take a street photography class with me, I'll probably tell you my one rule: No Butts. If you're photographing butts it means that you've either missed the moment or you're too chicken to photograph people to their face--which can be really intimidating. But even if you're simply making pictures at a family gathering, you should practice waiting for the right moment to make a picture when the action is happening and you can see it on folks' faces. Here are a couple of tips to capture the right moment from the right angle and not end … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: 3 Ways To Not Shoot Butts
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Hallelujah! Lr Update Includes Picture Styles For Lumix
Update: I've changed the title of this article for those who are jumping to conclusions without reading the body. Lightroom has always supported RAW files for Lumix cameras as well as lens profile corrections. That's not what this is about. Read on. Three years ago I dove into the mirrorless world and started shooting full-time with the Lumix GH4, leaving my full frame Nikons aside. Ever since then, I've been saying that the only things I miss from Nikon are the speedlight controls and the camera color profiles in Lightroom. Well, … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Hallelujah! Lr Update Includes Picture Styles For Lumix
Portrait Tips: Everybody LEAN
I've written before that everyone who gets in front of my camera will end up looking at my toes and that this is going to help me capture great looking eyes. Well here's another tip that is sure to help everyone look better in photographs. You should practice it yourself while brushing your teeth each day so you can clearly see the effect it has on the impact of your portraits. Lean Toward the Camera This is so simple but so vital--in fact, when I'm using someone else's phone to make a portrait of them (like at a landmark), I always ask them … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Everybody LEAN
Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Perfectly Clear has become our go-to tool for finishing our photographs, and we are excited to show you how you can maximize its power. Vanelli and Levi will be doing live demonstrations and answering your questions. We'll get in-depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching all kinds of photographs from portraits to landscapes to nightscapes. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Perfectly Clear Q&A with … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
What Color Space Should You Use?
I spent some time with friends in Rochester, New York last week at a conference at Kodak Alaris. These friends have worked in the imaging industry for a long time and they deal with lots of pictures from lots of different kinds of photographers and they opened my eyes regarding color space, and I thought you might benefit as well. I'm by no means an expert on color space, but maybe I can help you understand it a little better. I'll give you some simple information, then some recommendations on what settings to use in your camera and … [Read more...] about What Color Space Should You Use?
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The Wrong ( Or Right) Reason to Buy Mirrorless
I was out making pictures with three other photographers, yesterday--just a random assortment of friends--and all of us were using mirrorless cameras and that's the first time I've been out with a group and no one had a DSLR. We took a short hike to a waterfall and as we walked everyone remarked once that they loved how much lighter their mirrorless systems are, which is always a big selling point. But I think getting into mirrorless because it's lighter would be a mistake. It's Not About Weight We're photographers, not adventure racers … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: The Wrong ( Or Right) Reason to Buy Mirrorless
Portrait Tips: Consider the Background
I'm a big believer that the most important thing in the picture should be the people. Many clients want to know where we'll shoot, where is a great background. I'm usually not looking for great backgrounds--I'm usually looking for backgrounds that don't ruin the picture! There are some great backgrounds, but for the most part, as long as it's not so distracting that attention is drawn away from my subject, the background is not a big consideration for most of my work. Of course, there are exceptions, and when there are these tips will help … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Consider the Background
Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Perfectly Clear has become our go-to tool for finishing our photographs, and we are excited to show you how you can maximize its power. Vanelli and Levi will be doing live demonstrations and answering your questions. We'll get in-depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching all kinds of photographs from portraits to landscapes to nightscapes. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Perfectly Clear Q&A with … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Perfectly Clear has become our go-to tool for finishing our photographs, and we are excited to show you how you can maximize its power. Vanelli and Levi will be doing live demonstrations and answering your questions. We'll get in-depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching all kinds of photographs from portraits to landscapes to nightscapes. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Perfectly Clear Q&A with … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Lightroom Live: Mastering Monochrome with Daniel Gregory
You gotta join us live for our next Lightroom Live, 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 be giving away a copy of Perfectly Clear from Athentech. Plus you never know what else. We kick off Monday, July 18th at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central, 11:00 am Mountain, and 10:00 am Pacific. 2 pm in the Virgin Islands. Check out the YouTube event here and it'll show your … [Read more...] about Lightroom Live: Mastering Monochrome with Daniel Gregory
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Focus Priority Settings
Our latest cameras boast lightning-quick autofocus and it's a good thing because my kids and their cousins are lightning-quick subjects, not to mention sports and wildlife subjects. The thing is, your camera has two or three options related to autofocus you may not have considered which will affect your performance. Focus or Release? There's a spot in your menu that dictates whether the camera will make a picture when the subject is out of focus. The default setting is for Focus Priority, which means the shutter will only fire when the … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Focus Priority Settings
Portrait Tips: Done Is Better Than Good
There's a saying, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." While it's usually true that if you're going to take the time to do something, you should do your best at it. However, I've also learned that getting something done is often better than doing it well. "Done is better than good" applies to portraiture in an important way. Done Is Better Than Good Whether you're photographing a wedding or family portraits or your own family reunion, there are certain pictures you simply must make but they are not necessarily going to be art. … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Done Is Better Than Good
Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Perfectly Clear has become our go-to tool for finishing our photographs, and we are excited to show you how you can maximize its power. Vanelli and Levi will be doing live demonstrations and answering your questions. We'll get in-depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching all kinds of photographs from portraits to landscapes to nightscapes. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Perfectly Clear Q&A with … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Perfectly Clear Q&A with Vanelli and Levi Sim
Mini Review: Glovax
I use gloves daily. Sometimes I get a little grief for it, but when I'm handling boxes and tripods and light stands and all kinds of thing that have been who knows where, the gloves protect my hands, keep them clean, and keep them from drying out. When I'm shooting outdoors, they also help me keep a good grip on my tripod and stay warm when it's cool and wet. I love gloves, and you'll always find a lightweight pair in my pocket or bag. B&H carries a big selection of set gloves, so I'm not alone in using gloves on a photo/cinema set. When I … [Read more...] about Mini Review: Glovax
Lightroom Live: Mastering Monochrome with Daniel Gregory
You gotta join us live for our next Lightroom Live, 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 be giving away a copy of Perfectly Clear from Athentech. Plus you never know what else. We kick off Monday, July 18th at 1:00 pm Eastern, 12:00 pm Central, 11:00 am Mountain, and 10:00 am Pacific. 2 pm in the Virgin Islands. Check out the YouTube event here and it'll show your … [Read more...] about Lightroom Live: Mastering Monochrome with Daniel Gregory
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Is It Time To Update?
Mirrorless cameras have been on the market for more than a decade and there's no other camera type that has developed and changed more rapidly, and there's no other category of camera that is more critically discussed. With all the changes constantly going on, I think you should make sure you're up to date before you criticize the efficacy of a camera platform. Here are three places you should check your facts. 1. Are you talking about the latest model? I talk with many photographers about mirrorless, and many times someone has tried a camera … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Is It Time To Update?
Portrait Tips: Remember the White Balance, Forget the Histogram
A popular way to make portraits is to place the sun behind your subjects (often done in a field of tall grass at sunset). It's a pet peeve of mine, however, that these pictures are often the wrong color. White Balance for the Faces Your camera's white balance control helps you make portraits with great color by correcting for the color of light illuminating your subject's face. The common problem with backlit portraits is that the photographers thinks to himself, "My subjects are standing in sunlight, so I'll use the Daylight white balance," … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Remember the White Balance, Forget the Histogram
The Best Method For Fireworks
The Fourth of July is this coming Tuesday. It's America's biggest party and we love to celebrate with fireworks. Making a good fireworks picture is satisfying and difficult. So here are two tips for making great fireworks photos. f/8, 3 Seconds, ISO 400 on a Tripod Use a tripod for this technique. It doesn't have to be fancy. I used the Platypod Ultra with a Vanguard TBH-50 head for all the pictures in this post. Try those settings (f/8, 3 Seconds, ISO 400) and you can't go wrong. To adjust how bright the fireworks streams are, change the … [Read more...] about The Best Method For Fireworks
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Shoot Black and White
Possibly the greatest feature of mirrorless cameras is that they can show you exactly how your picture will appear before you press the shutter (see this column). You should leverage this unique ability to truly see the world in black and white. Set the camera to Monochrome mode, choose the right settings, and you'll be amazed at what you can learn. Choose Monochrome + Filters Go to your camera's picture style settings, often in a quick menu, and you'll see an option for monochrome. You can use this, but you'll just get gray pictures. … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Shoot Black and White
Portrait Tips: Practice, Realize, Change
Last week, I wrote about practicing portraiture and gave several ideas for ways and places to practice. This week, I had the chance to practice photographing a lot of people in a short time, and I jumped at it. I was at Out of Chicago Conference and made pictures with 54 people in less than an hour and a half. Doing this reminded me of something very important. Practice, Realize, Change At OOC I made more portraits for the Steve Jobs portrait Project. The last time I made portraits in this style, I was trying to explain to someone how to hold … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Practice, Realize, Change
Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Does Form Follow Function?
When it comes to Mirrorless cameras, you've got two basic styles to choose from. The traditional SLR-shaped camera with a viewfinder in the center of the body, and the rangefinder style, with the viewfinder mounted at the top left corner of the body. Interestingly, you can't divide the styles up by brand because most of the manufacturers make bodies in both styles. I'm interested in this because with mirrorless cameras there's the opportunity to start over completely in regards to design. Film cameras required a lens mounted to the camera in … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Maniac: Does Form Follow Function?
Portrait Tips: Muscle Memory
When you're making pictures with people, you need to have practiced your camera well enough that you can change the ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed (or Exposure Compensation) without taking your eye from the viewfinder. Muscle Memory Go ahead and practice right now. You should be 'dry firing' your camera daily. Take it with you to work and when you take a lunch break, put it to your eye and practice changing all the settings. You need to program your muscles to know exactly where all the settings are the same way you can find your way from … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Muscle Memory
Live Webinar: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk
Portrait retouching Master, Kristina Sherk, is joining us for this webinar to help you learn the best techniques for portrait retouching. She'll show us the principles and demonstrate the tools. We'll get in depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching portraits. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions and cases from Kristina herself, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk Monday, June 19th, 2017 at … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk
Live Webinar: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk
Portrait retouching Master, Kristina Sherk, is joining us for this webinar to help you learn the best techniques for portrait retouching. She'll show us the principles and demonstrate the tools. We'll get in depth with Perfectly Clear Complete's marvelous system for retouching portraits. Tune in Live and you'll get answers to your questions and cases from Kristina herself, plus enter a drawing for complimentary licenses of Perfectly Clear Complete. Tune in Live: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk Monday, June 19th, 2017 at … [Read more...] about Live Webinar: Mastering Portrait Retouching with Kristina Sherk
Mirorrless Camera Maniac: Dealing with Flickering Lights
Why are there colored lines of bright and dark in your indoor and nighttime pictures? How do you get rid of them? Don't worry, it's not a problem with your camera. It's a problem with electricity and LED lights and fluorescent lights. Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do to mitigate the problem. What's the Situation? The power that comes from the wall is called AC power, which stands for alternating current. Alternating means the power is literally cycling on and off continuously. In countries using about 110V in the wall, it … [Read more...] about Mirorrless Camera Maniac: Dealing with Flickering Lights
Portrait Tips: The Secret To Making Better Portraits
This shouldn't be a secret. There's only one way to make better portraits, and it's simply a procedure. Let me give it to you, and I'll give you some examples I've used to get it done, and an important warning. The Secret to Making Better Portraits... ...is making more portraits. That's really it. Most photographers just aren't shooting enough to become good at what they do. Let's say for instance that you're doing portraits in the evenings after work and you shoot one or two sessions a week--whether for fun or pay, that's quite a lot of … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: The Secret To Making Better Portraits
