Category: Street Photography Photograph: Untitled by Dean Holland Dean Holland’s Untitled image is a great example of a “decisive moment”, as the man looks away from his phone to take in the scene before him. We all know how much technology affects our lives, so many of us seem glued to our smart phone screens instead of seeing the world around us. This ancient architecture had the power to pull him away from his phone for a moment, his engagement with the beauty of it makes you want to be there seeing it as well. The composition makes … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Dean Holland
black and white
Portrait Tips: Dramatic Light Made Simple
A simple and impactful way to make a portrait is to position your subject next to a window and in front of a dark background. With the proper exposure, your subject's face will stand out starkly against the dark background with dramatic light coming in from the side. This is probably my favorite kind of portrait. But there's one key that will either make the portrait striking or bland. The Shady Nose The thing that makes the picture look dramatic is the play of shadows and highlights across the face. See the highlight on the edge of the … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Dramatic Light Made Simple
Photographer of the Day: Jeff Clouet
Category: Street Photography Photograph: “Path to the Heavens” by Jeff Clouet Jeff Clouet’s image “Path to the Heavens” is a strong example of using leading lines and a vanishing point to convey both movement and depth in a scene. The bright light at the top of the escalator acts as the vanishing point, conjuring up imagery of the “light at the end of the tunnel” and other symbolic concepts. Meanwhile, it also leaves it up to the viewer to imagine what is there. The photographer's choices in where to place the lines in the scene result in … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jeff Clouet
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?
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
Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot
Category: Street Photography Photograph: "Exit" by Pierre Pichot Pierre's image "Exit" is a great example of using lines, light, and shapes to draw your eye to the vanishing point in a photo. I confess, I am rarely a fan of the "off-kilter" look of purposely tilted composition, but in this case it works beautifully. The "Exit" sign creates a story, repeated by a second sign and an unknown figure in the distance. But, the story is left up to the viewer's imagination, whether you see the figure as leaving or coming toward you. Either way it … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot
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: 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
How To Stitch Panoramas In Lightroom
Lightroom CC can stitch panoramas, and having this function at my fingertips has completely revolutionized the way that I shoot. I used to use ultra wide angle lenses to get more scene in my picture, but now I just keep my normal or even telephoto lens on and make a panorama. I end up with a higher resolution picture of my scene, and I get to keep the proportions from the telephoto I love. Here’s how to use Lightroom to stitch your panoramas. Shoot for Panos Lightroom does a great job putting the pieces of a panorama together, but there are a … [Read more...] about How To Stitch Panoramas In Lightroom
7 Tips for Better Black and White Photos
This is a guest post from Adam Price from ACD Systems. They are the makers of ACDSee Ultimate 10 for Windows. 1. Shoot RAW Depending on your camera, try shooting RAW, if you don’t already. Shooting RAW gives you the most control in post-production. RAW files contain much more information than JPEGs. For instance, you’ll have greater control editing the shadows and highlights in a RAW file versus a JPEG. RAW files also contain more color information if you want a color version of the image. 2. Increase Exposure Time Increasing exposure … [Read more...] about 7 Tips for Better Black and White Photos
Photographer of the Day: Joan Manel Zamora Muñoz
Category: Sports Photography Photograph: "Climbing - Agulles d'engolasters” by Joan Manel Zamora Muñoz The emotion surrounding the rock climber in Joan's photograph is stellar, and the sun flare acts as a sort of "goal" to make it closer and closer to the top of the Pyrenees mountains in Europe. Originally shared with the Photofocus Google Plus 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: Joan Manel Zamora Muñoz
Mirrorless Camera Guru: How To See The World Like A Photograph
Mirrorless cameras' greatest advantage is the fact that there is no separation between what the sensor records and what you see in the viewfinder. Seeing exactly what your picture will look like before you even press the shutter button is an incredibly powerful way to shoot. Personally, I now shoot far fewer pictures because I know that I've already nailed the exposure. When I look in the viewfinder, I see the world like a photograph. DSLR's require you to focus a lot of brain power on your camera's light meter. The skill to interpret what … [Read more...] about Mirrorless Camera Guru: How To See The World Like A Photograph
Lasting Impacts of the Daguerreotype
Lasting Impacts of the Daguerreotype In the past few articles of this series, we’ve seen how the daguerreotype came about but we haven’t really taken a moment to look at just how far-reaching the effects of its “birth” were. For starters, the daguerreotype put an end to the portrait making business as it was known to the world. Skilled painters, who previously were the only means of creating a likeness of one’s self, were suddenly squeezed by the faster and cheaper process. Not only was the daguerreotype literally faster and easier to create … [Read more...] about Lasting Impacts of the Daguerreotype
Photoshop Tip: Advanced Black and White Conversion
If you'd like to create the most professional black and white conversion, be sure to head over to Adobe Photoshop. True black and white image in film are heavily influenced by the colors present in the original image (and are not just a desaturated photo). The Black & White adjustment in Photoshop is easiest to use as an adjustment layer. The interactive controls and On Image tool make it much easier to create a custom black and white conversion. Open your photo file with Photoshop (File > Open). To get the maximum dynamic … [Read more...] about Photoshop Tip: Advanced Black and White Conversion
Black and White at First and Last Light
I invited Jason and his wife Nicole Hahn to hang out on a special photo shoot I had lined up with about 20 people. Jason--a very talented nature and adventure photographer--expressed interested in seeing my group portrait workflow. He traded in his swamp boots for the day and traveled 3hrs on a Sunday just to spend a few hours watching me shoot portraits. Afterwards, we relaxed and had a nice dinner. He started talking about how he creates black and white sunsets images. After seeing a few samples of his work, I was hooked. I asked him to be a … [Read more...] about Black and White at First and Last Light
Photographer of the Day – Igor Kovalenko
Photographer: Igor Kovalenko – Jay Happy Monday guys! It’s Kristi Sherk here, Washington DC headshot photographer and Shark Pixel retoucher, with your Portrait Photographer of the Day! I was blown away when I came across this photo by Igor Kovalenko while browsing the Photofocus Flickr Community, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I think portraits are best when they tell a story, and everything in this image does that - from the background of the image to the wrinkles of the man’s skin to the sepia tone. I love how sharp every … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day – Igor Kovalenko
Mini Review: Tonality (Spoilers: It Makes Great Black and Whites)
So many of us started photography with black and white processing and the love of monochrome has stuck with us. Adams and Weston still haunt my dreams with black skies over Yosemite and pleated peppers. Digital black and white photography is even better because we have more control, far more options, and our fingers don't smell like Rodinol. There are several terrific ways to make your pictures black and white, but the most powerful and my personal favorite is by using Macphun's Tonality. Tonality has an intuitive interface, presets that make … [Read more...] about Mini Review: Tonality (Spoilers: It Makes Great Black and Whites)
Photographer of the Day – Dirk Marwede
Photographer: Dirk Marwede - Untitled Hey guys! I have to say I am having so much fun with this Photographer of the Day project! I love having the chance to really go through the awesome content in the Photofocus Flickr community and picking out cool images to share with you. As a DC headshot photographer, I don’t always have the freedom to be creative with portraits, so I am always blown away by the creativity that is demonstrated by all of the photographers that contribute, but Dirk Marwede really stood out to me today. The lines in … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day – Dirk Marwede
Book Review: Black and White Artistry, by Chuck Kimmerle
Black and white photography is a passion for me which I actively pursue. I've just read a good book on the subject by Chuck Kimmerle called, Black and White Artistry, The Creative Photographer's Guide to Interpreting Places and Spaces. Kimmerle's made a living in pictures first as a photojournalist at several papers and then as a staff photographer at a college and always as an artist. This book emphasizes that art and creativity are subjective. He doesn't try to teach elementary principles like form and pattern and texture by describing them … [Read more...] about Book Review: Black and White Artistry, by Chuck Kimmerle
Photographer of the Day: Joaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez
Category: Nature Photographer: oaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez Title: Bear A great portrait of a a dangerous creature. Black and white post-processing produces an image with a ghostly feel. Over on the the G+ thread, the photographer talks about the fact that, perhaps, he got to close to the animal to get this image. The ensuing conversation is worth reading for some pointers. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Google+ group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Joaquín Alonso Arellano Ramírez
“Street Photography: First Steps and Beyond” by Valerie Jardin
Valerie Jardin's latest book is exactly what you need to get started with the wonderful genre of street photography, and it's a perfect refresher course for those with experience. Jardin is an energetic and passionate teacher who leads workshops for street photography in places like Paris and Chicago and when you read her book you'll feel that passion and it'll excite you to get out and shoot. The book is well organized and it is simple to read, yet it maintains an intelligent voice. Jardin's photography fills the book and the examples are … [Read more...] about “Street Photography: First Steps and Beyond” by Valerie Jardin
5 Ideas when faced with ‘blah’ light… but a GREAT location
Lately I've been working on a project which includes capturing ‘post card’ type images in and around San Francisco. A huge challenge with this project is that I'm doing on my own time, which ain't much, and it means that I can't often visit the best locations at the most ideal times. This presents a problem to solve which is, ‘How can I get at least a good (doesn’t have to be great) photo when the light isn’t very good?’ And I decided to share some ideas which have come from this experience. On one particular occasion, I took time to … [Read more...] about 5 Ideas when faced with ‘blah’ light… but a GREAT location
Photographer of the Day: Dan Warkentin
Category: Nature Photographer: Dan Warkentin Title: Mt. Kidd To often, landscapes are framed and executed as snapshots. Not so here. From location scouting, to composition & framing through to post-processing; Warkentin's deft choices show through in the final image. Photo originally shared in Photofocus' Flickr group. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Dan Warkentin
Instant Replay: Making Great Black and White Photos in Lightroom
Black and white photographs can be very impactful, but there's so much more to making great black and whites than simply removing the color. In this episode, Adobe's Bryan O'Neil Hughes is back to help us demonstrate all the great tools Lightroom has for helping us make the most of our monochromes. Hosted by: Rob Sylvan and Levi Sim Produced by: Rich Harrington and Photofocus.com https://youtu.be/IsmIa1KXTPk?t=5m12s https://youtu.be/yuOLQva1iZs … [Read more...] about Instant Replay: Making Great Black and White Photos in Lightroom
Lightroom Hangout: Crafting Fine Art Black and White Portraits with Mykii Liu
You gotta join us live for our next Google+ Hangout, 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 5/16 at 6:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Central, 4:00 pm Mountain, and 3:00 am Pacific. 7:30 pm in Newfoundland. RSVP here and it'll show your local time. This Month: Crafting … [Read more...] about Lightroom Hangout: Crafting Fine Art Black and White Portraits with Mykii Liu
Lightroom Hangout: Crafting Fine Art Black and White Portraits with Mykii Liu
You gotta join us live for our next Google+ Hangout, 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 5/16 at 6:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Central, 4:00 pm Mountain, and 3:00 am Pacific. 7:30 pm in Newfoundland. RSVP here and it'll show your local time. This Month: Crafting … [Read more...] about Lightroom Hangout: Crafting Fine Art Black and White Portraits with Mykii Liu
Photographer of The Day: Robert Johnson
Category: Wedding Photographer: Robert Johnson I chose this moment because Robert masterfully captured this bride in her veil. With a style evoking high fashion, Robert created a black and white photo with full tonal range (my favorite thing with black and whites) as well as a photo with a depth of field that catches every detail in the mesh of the veil and sparkle of the bride's eye. It is a beautiful job! Photo originally shared on our Photofocus Flickr Page here. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read … [Read more...] about Photographer of The Day: Robert Johnson
Photographer of the Day: Marianna Roussou “Into the White”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Marianna Roussou Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Marianna Roussou “Into the White”
Photo of the Day: Emily
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Berit Alits Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photo of the Day: Emily
Photographer of the Day: Kong
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Luis Alvarez Marra Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Kong
