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When you make a picture–any kind of picture–you should think, “What word would I use to describe this picture?” From what I’ve seen on the interwebs, lately, the word most people seem to choose for their portraits is simply “sexy.”
When people see your picture, they should say, “Wow, that’s a great photograph,” not, “Wow, that’s a well-lit photograph.” Once you start using flashes, it’s like having a hammer in your hand: everything looks like a nail that needs to
When the eyes are visible in a portrait, they should usually be the point of focus for the viewer–your viewer should snap right up to those eyes and linger there. Many things can distract from the eyes–hands, earrings, noserings (the
Having photographed thousands of people, it’s true that most people have a ‘camera smile’, and most people desire ‘natural expressions’ in their pictures. Whether you’re photographing children or adults or groups, there are two tools you can use to elicit
The Holidays are one of the best times to make pictures. (Check out Bryan’s and Lauri’s articles for some terrific ideas.) And it’s a great time to photograph kids–if you haven’t discovered it, yet, a simple truth is that the
There are so many things to think about when making portraits that leaving your white balance set to auto is a tempting proposition. Especially when everyone raves about how good each new camera’s auto white balance settings are. Don’t fall
Group pictures can be intimidating. All the skills you’ve mastered to make a person look great in a picture now have to be applied to a bunch of folks all at once, and that’s not easy. Let me share a
Vitreous is a great word. It’s used to describe something that looks glassy or shiny. It comes from the Latin word that means glass. I think one of the most important things you can do in your portraits is to
I’ve said many times that the background in a picture is just a backdrop that’s its job is to not ruin the portrait. Well, this time I’m backpedaling a little. The right background or environment or details for your picture
If you’re like me, you get calls all the time to make portraits at your client’s favorite park. The trouble is that your client doesn’t think about the park as a place for pictures, they just think about them as
A classic pose you can use to add variety to every shoot is a profile. This is done with the person’s face looking 90 degrees to the side of the camera so that you see only the outline of the
I’m always talking about soft light and how great it looks for portraits. But what does it mean? If there’s soft light, is there hard light? Let me show you what it means and you’ll see that yes, there is
This Exposure Tactics post explains what a “technically proper” exposure is and how to get there. Remember I said technically proper, not creatively right. The three photos above are with different exposures. Each one brings out a different feeling or
Have you been shooting 35mm film for a while and are considering moving to medium format next? You may have encountered 645 (6-by-4.5 cm) as one of the formats available for 120 film. But, is it the right film format
I wish I had a real studio! This was my big goal at the end of 2019. Right before the world went crazy. I mean it has always been my dream! But 2020 was the year it was going to
Welcome to Mind Your Own Business, the podcast that helps photographers improve their business and their lives! Today Skip and I have a detailed discussion about what photographers can do to make 2021 (and 2022, actually) better than ever. “Growth
Being stuck at home doesn’t need to stunt our creativity. With just a few simple items that you probably already have around the house, we can create interesting images and have fun experimenting by doing macro photography. You have many
For many photographers, 35mm is the ideal focal length for street photography. However, if you’ve ever been curious about wide you can go with your choice of lenses for this genre, the quick video above by Pierre Lambert will give
We are all photographers. Phones. Tablets. Cameras. Every one of us can at almost any given moment take a photo. The question is how can you make your images different from anyone else’s? “The real voyage of discovery consists not
When used correctly, color is a very powerful tool for fashion photography and creative projects. It can create different moods, make a statement and highlight subjects effectively. This is why working with color is one of the most important skills
The state university where I work includes 30 campuses spread over the whole state. I visit them and make pictures regularly, but there are so many places and so many projects that I often need to contract local photographers to
It’s interesting how a year later, this video feature by NBC Left Field still rings true. In fact, it has been case for all the younger photographers around the world who have been ardently shooting film in the last two
