(Editor's Note: We welcome this guest post from Sarah Driscoll. Sarah is a photographer, educator and co-founder of Unraveled Academy. The photographs in this post are by Sarah and students of the school.) Light. Mysterious, captivating, can’t-look-away light is truly the muse for any photographer. When we are first learning and honing on our photography skills, light is something we study most. I remember when I was first learning how to shoot in manual, I would find myself entranced by all different kinds of light, watching as it danced upon … [Read more...] about How to find moody light in your home
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Understanding exposure: The aperture setting
Exposure is the process of choosing the correct settings on your camera to produce a picture that "looks right;" not too bright, not too dark, and sharp where it should be. While your camera will figure all of this out for you, it's good to know how to take control away from your camera, and make sure it's making the right choices in each situation. In this series, you will learn what each setting means, how they affect the way your images look, and how they work together to create an image that matches your creative ideas. The process of … [Read more...] about Understanding exposure: The aperture setting
How to balance flash with natural light to make pleasing portraits
If you're like most photographers, using a flash to make portraits is intimidating. Using available light is so simple that most photographers never dive into the world of using flash to light their portraits. Unfortunately, that severely limits the hours of the day when you can make pictures and leads to worrying too much about how well your camera performs at high ISO's. Making great balanced light pictures doesn't require the fanciest tools or a full-frame camera. I shot all the pictures here with a cropped micro four-thirds camera. You can … [Read more...] about How to balance flash with natural light to make pleasing portraits
Quick Look: The Electric L.E.D. Light Orchestra
Luxli, a Gradus Group company, has introduced three instruments in their Orchestra of L.E.D. lights. They are the 10-inch Cello, 1foot square Tympani, and the 5-inch Viola. A rainbow symphony of lights These lights are nothing short of amazing. Each one has individual white balance settings for tungsten, fluorescent, daylight, overcast, open shade and snow. Each light can dial in specific color temperatures from 3000ºK to 10,000ºK as well. They have a hue control for dialing in an exact color. For example, 0º is Red, 120º is Green and 240º … [Read more...] about Quick Look: The Electric L.E.D. Light Orchestra
7 Portrait Lighting Patterns and How to Achieve Them
For me, photography is all about light and having full control over that light. It is why I am obsessed with studio light. Being able to create a shadow here and a highlight there brings me so much joy! Lighting can make or break your image especially when it comes to portraits. That's why I think understanding lighting patterns is so important. What are Lighting Patterns? So what are lighting patterns? For me, it's the design the light creates when it shines on your client's faces and each pattern has a different name. There are 6 main … [Read more...] about 7 Portrait Lighting Patterns and How to Achieve Them
The Traveling Photographer: Photographing People: Taking Control of the Light
This is my second post of three on photographing people during your travels. My first article provided basic guidelines…paying attention to the background, camera settings, composition, and waiting to capture that special moment when everything comes together. This post will cover making the light work for you, the last of my guidelines mentioned in my first post. Make A List And Plan Your Day Decisions regarding lighting begin before you leave on your trip. It is important to do some research and to make a list, even if it is just in … [Read more...] about The Traveling Photographer: Photographing People: Taking Control of the Light
Photographer of the Day: Dan Schneider
Category: Street Photographer: Dan Schneider "From Light to Dark" Dan does an amazing job with this capture, highlighting the deep shadows that are occurring during an afternoon high sun. The black and white edit adds to the contrast and scene here, creating somewhat of a surreal moment. And if that weren't enough, he lets the leading lines in the brick showcase off his subject in the upper part of the photograph. Originally shared with the Photofocus Flickr community right here. You can be the Photofocus Photographer of the Day. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Dan Schneider
A Better Way to Fly
Why it can be less expensive to fly First Class I recently returned back home to Boston from a three-week trip to the Bahamas and Florida. It was great to get out of the Boston winter! I was teaching workshops and shooting videos with Vanelli, photographing models and scenics and taking a few days off. Most of my time off was spent shooting. As always, I packed too much equipment with me. But, I need to make sure I have all of the gear I need for the shoots and the workshop! A big problem for traveling photographers is the fifty-pound … [Read more...] about A Better Way to Fly
Looking For Light from MPB.com
(Editor's Note: This is a guest post from our friends at MPB.com. MPB is a great place to sell gear that's no longer in use as well as where to buy quality used photo and video equipment at much lower cost than that of new.) Photography is completely centered around light: it not affects your photo's mood, but it also dictates what your settings must be in the camera to record a picture and represent that mood in the picture. Let's talk about how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO setting affect your image, and then we'll dive into the … [Read more...] about Looking For Light from MPB.com
Sunday Comics: Walk No Matter What
Photographer unknown. … [Read more...] about Sunday Comics: Walk No Matter What
DSLR Video Weekly: The Impact of Light and Motion on Focus
This is article #18 in the DSLR Video Weekly series. If you'd like the whole thing in one shot, check out the book Creating DSLR Video: From Snapshots to Great Shots. Once you get the hang of video, be sure to monetize it by becoming a contributor to Adobe Stock. The greatest challenge you’ll face when shooting DSLR video is focus. Even top pros find focus tough when dealing with moving subjects or a moving camera. In fact, on a professional movie set, there’s often a focus-puller who is dedicated to helping with this complex … [Read more...] about DSLR Video Weekly: The Impact of Light and Motion on Focus
Photofocus Podcast October 14, 2016 — Inspiration with Scott Bourne & Marco Larousse
On this #Inspiration "light" episode of the Photofocus podcast Scott and Marco discuss these topics: Get to know an inspirational photographer: This month Scott introduces you to the portrait photographer Don Blair better known as Big Daddy. (1925 - 2004). Don was a portrait photographer who was known for his attention to detail and was beloved in the industry. Scott was fortunate to have met Don and learned about lighting and posing from him. After some listener feedback, Scott and Marco decided to talk about light in photography … [Read more...] about Photofocus Podcast October 14, 2016 — Inspiration with Scott Bourne & Marco Larousse
Spiffy Gear Light Blaster
When first handed the Light Blaster, I was a little dubious. It seemed a bit like a kitschy toy not suited for a professional kit. But, like most things, its usefulness is largely dependent on the person using it and the goals they have in mind. Once I got my head around the idea, the Light Blaster makes a lot of sense in the creative arsenal of many photographers. What Is It? The Light Blaster is a strobe-based slide projector, which uses standard slides or special films from Light Blaster. On one end, the Light Blaster slides over … [Read more...] about Spiffy Gear Light Blaster
