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Planning is part of being tediously meticulous.

Are you tediously meticulous?

Kevin Ames

I was having lunch with one of my favorite models the other day. I asked her what it was like working with other photographers. She explained how they are very

Photographing portraits during Golden Hour

Rick Friedman

Shooting with speedlights on-location is a great way to be mobile, creative and light! We all know how heavy camera equipment can be. Speedlights on-location allows you to have the

Gear Review: Angler Collapsible Backdrop, 5×7′

Levi Sim

Collapsible backdrops are great for location shooting and small studios — even large studios use them for convenient and inexpensive options for backdrops. The video below shows the 5×7′ chroma key

lighting, speedlights, model, photography, photo education, photo tutorial WPPI

Lights, Colors, Fractals

Rick Friedman

I shot this photograph at WPPI in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. I was at the ClickProps Studio Backdrops booth. This company makes over 500 backdrops in various

Do You Revisit Old Locations?

Photofocus Team

(Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from our partner mpb.com a great place to use your old gear to acquire newer gear.) For many, the thought of revisiting an

Photographer of the Day: Dawna Moore

Jason Hahn

If you would like to experience a beautiful vision of a vintage holiday, look no further then this image, “GMC Christmas” by  Dawna Moore.  Part holiday cheer, part nostalgia, it’s a warmly lit scene featuring Christmas decorations along with a nice slice of Americana.  Beyond these elements, the composition and lighting are excellent, from the technical choices with aperture to create the starbursts on the Christmas lights, to the balance of complimentary colors with the reds and greens.  The portrait orientation of the photo helps simplify a busy scene, placing the focus on the wreath and letting your eye travel throughout the frame to take in all the detail.

Photographer of the Day: Mark Meyer zur Heide

Jason Hahn

Category: Street Photography Photograph: “Oslo No. 1” by Mark Meyer zur Heide What is particularly compelling about this image, “Oslo No. 1” by Mark Meyer zur Heide, is it let’s

Photographer of the Day: Jim Sollows

Jason Hahn

Category: Street Photography Photograph: “I’m sure there are many stories behind this old bike!” by  Jim Sollows It is often easier to say that you like an image versus trying

Photographer of the Day: Denis Malciu

Jason Hahn

The image “1” by Denis Malciu displays a perfect choice of composing in black and white, simplifying what could have otherwise been a very busy photo.  As the crowd stands in rapt attention to the dancer’s performance, they frame the dancers instead of competing with them. Imagine if instead this photo was presented in color.  The dancers could have easily gotten lost against that sea of people and the variety of textures and colors they are wearing.  Instead the photographer works purely with light and contrast.  Though small in the frame, the dancers take center stage in the image, drawing your attention directly to them, captivating you as they did the crowd.  

Photographer of the Day: in the streets of vienna

Jason Hahn

Simplicity and symmetry are the first two things that grab one’s attention in the image “lost in white”. The moment of the women in mid stride is perfectly framed by the columns, her black outfit in stark contrast to the white building she walks past. One of the smallest details that adds life to the image is the raised foot and slight bit of motion blur. This creates the sense of movement in the image, bringing her and it to life, a beautiful example of a decisive moment captured.

Photographer of the Day: Pierre Pichot

Jason Hahn

One of the most powerful aspects of photography is its ability elicit emotions in us.  But, our emotions can also change how we perceive an image. The first time I saw the Pierre Pichot’s photo “Ghost_19” I thought, “Cool, that has a great dark mood, it’s kinda creepy”. The next time, “It seems very melancholy, I wonder who that is and what they are thinking”.  The next time, “It feels like there is a sense of foreboding, like something bad is about to happen”. Each time I saw something different, because I was feeling something different before I looked at the image.  The photographer has created a scene where it conveys a dark mood, but they have left enough to our imaginations for us to dream up a story. It is a powerful image, because it engages us, drawing on our emotions to complete the scene.

Photographer of the Day: Rafa Velazquez

Jason Hahn

Category: Street Photography Photograph: “Amigos en Pedraza. Segovia. Spain” by Rafa Velazquez Even if you aren’t fluent in Spanish, you probably know that “amigos” means friends. In this image by

Two boys smiling

Natural Light Studio in Your Backyard

Bobbi Lane

It’s pretty easy to make your own natural light “studio” for just a little money and a little time for set up. “Portraits Unplugged” is what I call shooting with

Photographer of the Day: P Sterling Images

Jason Hahn

Category: Street Photography Photograph: Friday night in the City…. by P Sterling Images The two composition concepts that I find appealing and done well in this photo are the use

Photographer of the Day: Emanuele UbOldi

Jason Hahn

Category: Street Photography Photograph: Untitled by Emanuele UbOldi You can’t help but be drawn to the face of the child in this untitled image by Emanuele UbOldi.  Everything in the

Shooting on a Beach!

Rick Friedman

Happy Summer! It’s time to get away from the computer or out of the darkroom and enjoy the beautiful weather and shoot! Here are 3 tips on making great beach photographs.

Total Solar Eclipse Preparation – part 1

Marie Tartar

(Editor’s note: Marie Tartar’s photography, above and below the waterline, is compelling. In the first part of her series of guest posts, she describes the origins of her love of

Food Photography in a Working Restaurant

Kevin Ames

Small restaurants just don’t have the budgets that chains do. Creating a series of photographs for table tents while a restaurant is filed with customers is challenging. It’s also a