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
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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
Polaroid LED Photo Studio Color Box – First Look
Polaroid continues to beef up its line up of affordable photography add-on accessories with their new Polaroid LED Photo Studio Color Box. It weighs just two pounds, is compact and portable but wow does it put out a lot of light! It comes in a kit with an attachable handgrip and remote control. The unit has barn doors built in. On-board controls let you adjust the color temperature, brightness and mode. you can also use the display to monitor battery life. The new color box light is designed to be highly portable with support for … [Read more...] about Polaroid LED Photo Studio Color Box – First Look
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
A Simple Lesson In How Light Direction & Background Can Make Or Break A Photograph
I was at one of the most beautiful places of its kind in America - Green Cay Wetlands last week. Green Cay is in Delray Beach, FL, and it’s open nearly every day from sun up to sun down and it’s free! Green Cay’s absolutely one of my favorite places to visit with or without a camera. It’s very peaceful and on any given day you will see not only 25 species of birds, but also snakes, alligators, insects, flowers, butterflies, rabbits, raccoons and more. Of course for me the attraction would be the birds. The wetlands are a water reclamation … [Read more...] about A Simple Lesson In How Light Direction & Background Can Make Or Break A Photograph
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
It’s Cloudy – Don’t Put That Camera Away
(Note the vulture above was photographed on a cloudy day. Had it been sunny, the contrast range would have been so great that there would be no detail in the bird's dark feathers.) As I write this, it's a rare cloudy day on the beach at Estero Lagoon. Many photographers leave their camera at home on cloudy days. Wow what a mistake. Cloudy days can make for some tremendous photography. Here is just a short list of photo opportunities on cloudy days. 1. People/Portraits Clouds mimic the nice diffuse light of a soft-box. This diffuse light is … [Read more...] about It’s Cloudy – Don’t Put That Camera Away
