Portrait Tips: How to gel the sun
Levi Sim
Light and color are the only things your camera records, so those things should be a the top of your mind for every photo you make. Last week I was
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Equipment that will take your photos from zero to hero for less than $400
Jemma Pollari
When I’d been shooting for about eight years, I reached a plateau in my skills and equipment. I upgraded my original consumer camera to a pro body and replaced my
Portrait Tips: Shuffle the subject
Levi Sim
Yesterday I made 2665 portraits. I didn’t have that many subjects, but that’s how many pictures I took of several people, which is a ton. I’m not bragging about how
How to create your own smart studio lighting
Scott Wyden Kivowitz
While my office is also my studio, just like so many other photographers, I am in a unique situation. My office/studio lights have to be adjusted for various scenarios: Working
My go-to lights fit in the palm of my hand. Don’t yours?
Erin Holmstead
If I told you that my two must-have lights fit into the palm of my hand, would you believe me? One of those lights alone was used to light my
How bright is that light? Your guide to lux, footcandles and exposure
Kevin Ames
The output of LED lights is rated in lux, lumens or footcandles. What the heck do all of these terms mean when all we want to know is how bright
Portrait Tips: What was I wearing???
Levi Sim
How do you know someone is a photographer? They only wear black clothing, of course. The stereotypical garb of photographers is a stereotype for a reason, and we’ll get to
Taking a look at macro ring lights
Julie Powell
I recently wrote a post on using extension tubes and mentioned how macro ring lights can be very helpful. So in this follow-up, I take a closer look at macro
Crush your portraits with a snoot, the most underrated and underutilized light modifier
Darren Miles
I’ve been a professional photographer since 2005 and in that time I’ve tried a TON of different lighting modifiers. Umbrellas, soft boxes, scrims, translucent umbrellas, umbrellas with diffusion, octo boxes,
How to pick a location with stunning light for family photos
Jemma Pollari
(Editor’s Note: We welcome Jemma Pollari to Photofocus. Jemma is a photographer on the Sunshine Coast in Australia, where she photographs in between mothering her two little boys, writing, teaching and
Today on The Artists’ Notebook: March 25, 2020
Photofocus Team
Whether you’re at home with your kids, have had photoshoots canceled or just wondering what’s next, we hope that our latest project will help you fill the creative void. This
Portrait Tips: OCF with one umbrella
Levi Sim
I recently said that if I were allowed only one light for the rest of my life I’d choose a huge white umbrella. But if you’re just getting started with
Creating a dramatic portrait with one light
Photofocus Team
Lighting can be one of the most challenging things to understand as a new photographer. But did you really know that, to get started, you really only need one light?
Making soft light
Levi Sim
In this ThinkTAPLearn video, instructor Levi Sim talks about how to create soft light for your portrait photographs. He discusses multiple ways to diffuse and reflect light, as well as
Creating bokeh to add a Christmas feel to your images
Julie Powell
Creating bokeh to add a Christmas feel to your images is a great way to add interest and bring the holiday spirit to life! It can be done in-camera with
How to get photos with perfect exposure 100% of the time
Michèle Grenier
Are you eyeballing your exposure? Do your photos tend to be underexposed or overexposed from time to time? Are you 100% sure of your settings? I might just have the
Getting comfortable with studio lighting
Julie Powell
I must confess that I do prefer to work with natural light for still life photography, even bad light can be beautiful. However, it is not always possible to work
Creating soft beautiful images with natural window light
Julie Powell
Creating soft beautiful images with natural window light is quite simple to achieve with a few tools and some know-how. Working with soft indirect light can create some stunning still
Create dramatically beautiful images with indirect natural light
Julie Powell
Last time I wrote a post on using direct window lighting to create beautiful soft still life images. In this post, we are going to move the table a few
Learn the secrets of using one light in this masterclass
Bryan Esler
Lighting can be tricky. If you’re new to lighting, or seeking for creative ways to use one light, you might want to check out Joel Grimes’ latest masterclass! Usually $197,
Portrait Tips: Color contrast makes all the difference
Levi Sim
I made this portrait the other day at the Out of Oregon Photography Conference. I was teaching a class on portraiture, and I had a picture like this in my