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Vanelli

Robert Vanelli (Vanelli to his friends) is a working photographer, educator and author living in Florida. After a successful career as a three-time, Triple Crown Karate champion, Vanelli turned his attention to teaching the visual arts. As an experienced educator, Vanelli has created several photography and digital workflow programs including Click for Kids.

Currently he is teaching workshops, writing for Photofocus and creating tutorials for various plug-in companies and for the Vanelli and Friends series.

You can find out more about Vanelli at www.VanelliandFriends.com

Latest posts by Vanelli (see all)

Photographer of the Day: Tomas Salinka

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Category: Children Photograph: “Eimi music lover” by Tomas Salinka Props and background gives this photo character, but Tomas use of a spotlight is what adds drama to the image. 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 Photographer of the Day: Tomas Salinka

Lynda.com joined with LinkedIn Learning: What does this mean for Photographers?

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LinkedIn purchased Lynda.com; an online learning company, on April 7, 2015 for $1.5 billion. In June of this year--according to Forbes--Microsoft announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which they will acquire LinkedIn for $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion, inclusive of LinkedIn’s net cash. Sounds impressive, but what does this mean for Photographers and those wanting to learn on their own? What does this mean for those of us who create content for Lynda.com? What is Lynda.com and why … [Read more...] about Lynda.com joined with LinkedIn Learning: What does this mean for Photographers?

Spice up a Boring Background with a Shadow

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Sometimes a simple background works for an image and sometimes you need to spice it up. Placing a gobo (go between)—such as a plant, blinds or a cucoloris (a device for casting shadows or silhouettes to produce patterned illumination)—will cast a shadow on a boring background. It’s best to include the shadow during the photoshoot, but here’s how you can just as easily add a shadow to a boring background in Photoshop. Prepare the image First, prepare the image. Enhance eyes, lips, smooth out the skin, remove blemishes and ensure the overall … [Read more...] about Spice up a Boring Background with a Shadow

Photographer of the Day: Rajagopalan Sarangapani

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Category: Children Photograph: “Children” by Rajagopalan Sarangapani Vibrant colors draws you into this candid shot of a day in the life of these children. At first glance, it appears the children live a simple life. Looking a little closer we see a cell phone in the child's hand; showing that even a simple life can have technology. 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 Photographer of the Day: Rajagopalan Sarangapani

How to Get the Windswept Hair Look without a Fan

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The windswept-hair look has been a favorite for many portrait photographers over the years. Using a high-power fan ensures the look; but when power is not an option on a location shoot, it’s useless. Here’re a few “no-power-needed” tips and tricks to help get the windswept hair look without a fan. Movement with the subject Have the subject strike a pose. Take a few test shots to ensure proper exposure and lighting. Now have the subject take a step off their mark and when you yell action, they quickly move into position. This accomplishes two … [Read more...] about How to Get the Windswept Hair Look without a Fan

How to Clean Your Camera Sensor and Lens (Video included)

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Cleaning your camera sensor and lens is a routine maintenance task all cameras need. You could send your camera back to the manufacturer, find a local camera repair shop or clean it yourself. Obviously cleaning your camera yourself is cheaper and faster, but it does come with a few risks if not performed properly. This cleaning procedure isn’t as complicated as it sounds—if you follow these simple directions. Check to see if your sensor or lens needs cleaning If you start to notice consistent spots on your images, you may have dust on your … [Read more...] about How to Clean Your Camera Sensor and Lens (Video included)

Photographer of the Day: Mary Ann DeSocio

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Category: Children Photograph: “Girl begging” by Mary Ann DeSocio A low angle of view added to this emotional capture of a little girl begging. By getting low, Mary Ann enabled the viewer to see the world from the little girl's point of view. 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 Photographer of the Day: Mary Ann DeSocio

Update the Sports Grit Look: Add Dirt

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The secret ingredient to produce the sports-grit look is to light the subject with harsh light. Harsh light produces strong shadows for a powerful photo. It sculptures the subject in such a way that when applying the Lightroom preset, the grit look is achieved. Style the shoot to change the mood I’ve been happy with the look for the past few years, but I felt it was time for a slight change. I wanted to create a different mood. Adding tape to the athlete's fingers and wrist symbolized injuries. Applying eye black added to the tough look. … [Read more...] about Update the Sports Grit Look: Add Dirt

Find Out Who’s Using Your Photos

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Have you ever wondered if someone—or even a company—is using your images? Finding out where your images are appearing on the internet is easy; here’s how: Reverse image search There are several websites that offer reverse image search. They all pretty much work the same. You upload an image, click the search icon and within a few seconds you’re presented with the results. I prefer to use Google's Search by Images. Google’s Search by Images seems to returns better results, plus you’re able to drag and drop an image onto the search field. … [Read more...] about Find Out Who’s Using Your Photos

Photographer of the Day: Tomas Baliukonis

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Category: Children Photograph: “Rain” by Tomas Baliukonis Tomas use of window light keeps the subject well lit without blowing out the background. The girls pose adds to the mood of the image. 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 Photographer of the Day: Tomas Baliukonis

Is White the New Green Screen for Portrait Photographers?

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Green screen backgrounds are used on movie sets to remove the background and add special computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects. The idea is simple. Shoot on a single color backdrop (blue or green is often used) and make that color transparent—replacing it with other video clips, graphics or a still image. This is great for video, but it can be nightmare for photographers. The main reason: some color will “spill” onto the subject, especially around the edges. This can create a thin line around the person, or make areas like their hairline … [Read more...] about Is White the New Green Screen for Portrait Photographers?

Photographer of the Day: Shailendra Tawade

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Category: Children Photograph: “Nakhra” by Shailendra Tawade A beautifully captured series showing a child being a child. You can't help but smile when viewing the images. 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 Photographer of the Day: Shailendra Tawade

Split toning: Add a Touch of Lavender in Lightroom

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Split toning is an effect which involves assigning different colors to the shadows and the highlights of an image to produce a unique look. Typically, using opposite colors for each --cyan and red, magenta and green, yellow and blue– produces the best results. Here’s how to use Lightroom’s Split Toning tool to set the colors, adjust the strength and balance out the effect to add a touch of lavender to an image. Rest all values to zero To ensure previous settings will not interfere with our new look, click on the Development module and reset … [Read more...] about Split toning: Add a Touch of Lavender in Lightroom

Photographer of the Day: Oliver Ivory-Bray

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Category: Children Photograph: “Untitled” by Oliver Ivory-Bray A low angle of view puts the viewer on the ground with the child. Using a telephoto lens helped compressed the image keeping the focus on the subject. 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 Photographer of the Day: Oliver Ivory-Bray

Understanding Equivalent Exposure Pay attention – there’s a Quiz

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Let’s think technical for a moment. A properly exposed image is created by mixing three key elements, known as the Exposure Triangle—Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO—to produce the right amount of lightness and darkness for a photograph. There are almost endless combinations that can be used to achieve an equivalent exposure. Leaving your camera in full auto mode will usually guarantee a perfect exposure, but not necessarily a perfect image. To be creative, a photographer decides how much of each element’s value to use based on the element’s … [Read more...] about Understanding Equivalent Exposure Pay attention – there’s a Quiz

Photographer of the Day: Jim Rosswog

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Category: Children Photograph: “Mother and Child” by Jim Rosswog The absence of light draws the view into the photo. The mother's interaction; a kiss, conveys a special bond between a mother and child. This is an adorable 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 Photographer of the Day: Jim Rosswog

Take Control of Facebook’s Timeline

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Fellow Photocus author Rod Harlan suggested to “Mention Others To Get More Traffic” on social media in an article he wrote. That’s great advice. By simply tagging people in a photo or mentioning them in your Facebook post, you open the door for others to see what you wrote. But what if you’re the one being tagged by a friend and they post an extreme point of view different from your own? Your friends may think you posted it on your timeline and think you have the same views. Here’s how to fix this potential problem and take control of … [Read more...] about Take Control of Facebook’s Timeline

Photographer of the Day: Gary Radler

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Category: Children Photograph: “Toddler girl pouring water out of her boot” by Gary Radler As adults, we know boots are supposed to keep water out, not store it. The fact a toddler is pouring water out of a boot, makes the image cute. We can see the toddler had a great time playing and sitting in the grass -- as seen by the grass still attached to her bottom. Gary kept a shallow depth of field to keep the focus on the toddler and action. Originally shared with the Photofocus Flickr community right here. To learn how your work can be … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Gary Radler

3 Different Looks from 1 Location (Bonus Video)

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Using a reflector, an open aperture between f/2.8 and f/4.0, changing your camera’s angle and by simply moving, Bobbi shows how you can create three different looks from one location. Create Impression of Bokeh with Flowers Flowers offer a beautiful bokeh when shooting with a wide-open aperture of f/2.8. The trick is to make sure the flowers are lit and they are at least 5 to 10 feet away from the subject. Early morning dew or just after a light sunshower makes interesting backgrounds. Changing your angle A washed out wooden deck can … [Read more...] about 3 Different Looks from 1 Location (Bonus Video)

How to Get a Pure Black Background

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Shooting on a black background doesn't guarantee it will photograph as true black. To achieve a true black background, we need to shield it from light. Here’s how a faster shutter speed combined with grids, flags and proper positioning of our subject ensures we have a true black background. Use a fast shutter speed Shutter speed controls the amount of ambient light when dealing with flash photography. Most speedlights and studio strobes sync at a maximum speed of 1/200 second. If you use a shutter speed of 1/250 or higher, you'll notice a … [Read more...] about How to Get a Pure Black Background

Photographer of the Day: Darcy

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Category: Children Photograph: “Advanced Potty Training” by Darcy A great example of adding an element --the magazine-- to an image that creates a unique story. This is an adorable capture, one the child will cherish when they get older. 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 Photographer of the Day: Darcy

Photographing New England Patriots Gronk

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I caught up with my Photojournalist friend, Rick Friedman, at the New England Camera Council Conference. Rick showed me images he took of Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots for Sports Illustrated. Rick is best known for photographing Presidential races—he started in the 70’s photographing Jimmy Carter and Ronald Regan—but he’s also a talented portrait photographer and lighting expert. I asked him how he lit the shot. Intrigued with his story, I asked if I could share it with our Photofocus readers. There are lots of great tips and … [Read more...] about Photographing New England Patriots Gronk

Photographer of the Day: Oleh Shkurlei

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Category: Children Photograph: “Early bird and the night owl” by Oleh Shkurlei Beautiful candid shot showing love and emotion. The younger of the two is ready to get up and play but is content with her stuff animal as she enjoys a warm embrace from her big sister. 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 Photographer of the Day: Oleh Shkurlei

Use Lightroom to post images to Instagram

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The LR/Instagram plug-in is a great addition to your Lightroom Publishing Services.When you post an image from Lightroom to Instagram, the plug-in keeps the images in sync. If you modify the image, change the caption or decide you want to remove it from the catalog, the plug-in will send those changes to Instagram. Pretty cool! Here’s how to install it. Installing the Lightroom to Instagram Plug-in Step 1: Download LRInstagram plugin: http://www.lrinstagram.com/index.html. If you haven’t organized your Lightroom’s plug-in folder, now maybe a … [Read more...] about Use Lightroom to post images to Instagram

Photographer of the Day: Steven Clint Brookes

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Category: Children Photograph: “Captivating” by Steven Clint Brookes Great use of window light and shadow play helps sets the mood for this photo. Gregory's aperture choice, f/3.2, applied a shallow depth of field giving the overall image a soft and pleasing feel. 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 Photographer of the Day: Steven Clint Brookes

How to use Photoshop’s new Content-Aware Crop Tool

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Adobe added a content-aware fill option to the crop tool making it a one step process to crop and fill in blank canvas space around an image. It doesn’t sound too exciting at first until you use it. The content-aware function has been upgraded and is 'up to 3X faster with even better results! Here’s how to use the new Content-Aware Crop Tool. Straighten, Crop and Watch it Fill Select the crop tool and in the Options bar at the top of the screen, check the Content-Aware checkbox to turn on the Crop tool's Content-Aware option. Using the … [Read more...] about How to use Photoshop’s new Content-Aware Crop Tool

How to Capture Starbursts and Sun Flares

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A sun flare or starburst is an artistic photographic technique that can be achieved without any special post-processing or editing tricks. By controlling how light enters the camera, we can make some really compelling images, here's how. The Key to Capturing Starburst To capture starbursts, we need to stop down to the minimum aperture of the lens. This is usually f/22. This makes the actual size of the aperture smaller, allowing less light in. The smaller hole is what gives us the beautiful starburst effect. Best gear to use With the … [Read more...] about How to Capture Starbursts and Sun Flares

Photographer of the Day: Tomas Salinka

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Category: Children Photograph: “Best friends” by Tomas Salinka The park location was a good choice for the shot. It sets the mood, telling a story of a little girl having a playdate with her "Best Friend". 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 Photographer of the Day: Tomas Salinka

The New Perfect Skin: Supermodel Results in Photoshop

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In the article, One click Supermodel Results in Lightroom, we covered what images are great for a Supermodel look. Then, using the Lightroom version of Perfect Skin, we applied a superfast One-Click preset to produce a killer look. But sometimes an image may need a little editing first. Removing flyaway hairs or a blown-out highlight on the nose is what Photoshop was created for. Here’s how we are going to take a skin-damaged image and give it a Supermodel look. Getting our Photoshop workspace in order Let’s start by opening an image inside … [Read more...] about The New Perfect Skin: Supermodel Results in Photoshop