Category: Portrait Photographer: Johann Walter Bantz Photo: "Les voyageurs de la campagne" Portraits aren't required to be pretty. "Les voyageurs de la campagne" by Johann Walter Bantz is a great example of this. A mother holding a very young child stands behind two other children. The photograph reveals clues about their circumstances. A trailer, an old television antenna, an ominous sky and raw emotion on the faces of the kids. The image tears at our hearts. It reminds me of the photo of the migrant woman by Margaret … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Johann Walter Bantz
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Portrait Tips: Remember for yourself
It's a good idea to look back. Ten years ago I was looking at my photography idols and wondering what it'd be like to be doing this for a decade. Now I'm here, and I love that I can look back at 10 years' of work. As I do, I'm impressed by one thing, and it's the thing I've been telling clients for a decade. Photographs unlock the power of memory Scott Bourne calls us the high priests of memory protection. I believe that. And we always tell clients that they'll treasure these pictures for generations and all the things they experienced in … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Remember for yourself
Photographer of the Day: Robertino Radovix
Category: Portrait Photographer: Robertino Radovix Photo: "DSC_2516-Modifica" This man is a part of his environment in the portrait "Untitled" by Robertino Radovix. The face offers the weathered lines of experience that only a life outdoors can add. His story is well told with the background a soft canvas against which this super sharp portrait of an outdoorsman rests. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Robertino Radovix
Photographing magazine portraits
Author portrait photo session — magazine cover Had a quick portrait session for an author who was getting images together for a magazine cover and article. I was able to complete the photography part of the job in one hour from the time I showed up to unload my gear, make the portrait and pack it all back up. This timeline was possible due to the camera and lighting gear with which I was working. It helped that my subject was receptive and followed instructions for posing very well! We have all had those sessions where you ask for a tiny … [Read more...] about Photographing magazine portraits
Will I switch from DSLR to Mirrorless? My first photoshoot experience with the Sony a9
As you might already know, I am seriously thinking about changing my DSLR gear in favor of mirrorless. Because it would require a very important investment — perhaps one of the biggest I could make as a photographer — I want to feel 100% confident about my decision. For review purposes, I've been loaned two camera bodies: The new micro four-thirds Olympus OM-D E-M1X and the full-frame Sony a9. This article reviews my first photoshoot experience with the latter. Our first date Cloudy sky, soft light coming through the window, this was the … [Read more...] about Will I switch from DSLR to Mirrorless? My first photoshoot experience with the Sony a9
Portrait Tips: Get your camera lower
Your camera's height has a strong effect on the impact your portraits make. I'm a fairly tall individual, and if I don't pay attention, my camera comes right up to my eye and I point it toward my subjects, who are usually shorter than me. That means I'm looking down at them, and everyone looking at the picture is also looking down on them, and that's not usually the relationship I want my viewer to have with my subject. Put the camera in the middle You should always shoot with your camera in the middle of the subject. For a headshot, put … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Get your camera lower
Photographer of the Day: Michael Hutchinson
Category: Portrait Photographer: Michael Hutchinson Photo: "Bouncer" A stern face with a reflection of neon on the forehead sets up the viewer to believe the story of "Bouncer." This is a man who has to keep things peaceful in a bar where bad behavior can happen. The portrait from Michael Hutchinson earns him the nod at Photofocus Photographer of the Day. This photograph tells the story in a beautifully powerful composition. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Michael Hutchinson
Portrait Tips: Save money, use a long lens for shallow depth
In outdoor portraits, we love shallow depth of field. We love to see the background nicely out of focus so that our subjects stand out better. In fact, we are easily convinced that we need to pay a lot of money for very bright lenses with big apertures so that we can get that beautiful shallow depth of field. The truth is that you can do with an inexpensive zoom lens — even the second lens that came with your camera kit can get it done well. Many kits come with a 55-200mm zoom, and you can also buy a 70-300mm lens for a couple of hundred … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Save money, use a long lens for shallow depth
Photographer of the Day: Djordje Krdzic
Category: Portrait Photographer: Djordje Krdzic Photo: "Untitled" This powerful black and white naturally lit environmental portrait features a woman who has lived life. She peers directly into the camera with the smallest hint of a smile. The pot to her left is the hint she has been photographed in her kitchen. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Djordje Krdzic
Portrait Tips: Utilize graduated filters to finish your portraits
There I was, in a ghost town in the desert in Arizona, or Nevada — it was so remote it's hard to be sure — with a super-telephoto zoom lens, a model in a flowy dress and an empty highway. I just got so excited to lay down in the middle of the road that I forgot that the sky was totally bland. Now, a bland sky doesn't ruin a portrait, but it would have been nice if there were some huge monsoon thunderheads up there. I could use Luminar to combine this with another photo of puffy clouds and combine the two images (and maybe I will later), but I … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Utilize graduated filters to finish your portraits
Photographer of the Day: photodaddi
Category: Portrait Photographer: photodaddi Photo: "Untitled" Soft light. Window background. Young girl in a costume. Full makeup. Blue eyes. Innocent? Caught? What do these things bring to mind? This is a wonderfully simple and still complex portrait. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: photodaddi
Portrait Tips: Take a walk
If you enjoy making pictures with people, then you should take a photowalk and make portraits on the street. There are a few good reasons to do this: Firstly, you'll get outdoors and stretch your legs and your eyes. Just being in a bigger place for a while can be invigorating. Also, meeting strangers and making a picture is liberating because you don't have the pressure associated with a client. You don't have to make a lot of pictures and finish a lot of pictures. You can just do what you do right there, and you might not even have to share … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Take a walk
Photographer of the Day: Robert Armstrong
Category: Portrait Photographer: Robert Armstrong Photo: "Wedding Day" One of the most special days in a couple's lives is their wedding day. Robert Armstrong creates a memorable group portrait of a bride and her attendants in their sleepwear on the morning of the big event. This simple, sweet photograph will be a treasure for all of the women who are in it for a lifetime. And who knows for how many generations to follow. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Robert Armstrong
Portrait Tips: You need to get out more
I just attended WPPI in Las Vegas along with thousands of other photographers. The great thing about this conference is that it's focused on portraiture. There are all kinds of classes, but even if you only attend with a free expo pass, you can learn from speaker after speaker about tips for making the best portraits of your career and how to help your business grow. I've attended this conference for the last 10 years, as well as many other conferences. And you should, too. See new gear New gear won't make you a better photographer, but it … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: You need to get out more
Photographer of the Day: mxfelix01
Category: Portrait Photographer: mxfelix01 Photo: "Refugee Eyes" Portraits aren't always beautiful. Even when the subject is tragic or appears that way, a great photographer can see and record the spirit of the subject. This photograph does that very well. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: mxfelix01
Portrait Tips: Teeth whitening in Lightroom (easy does it!)
Teeth come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Your primary goal when retouching teeth should be to keep the teeth from distracting from the eyes. If teeth are very colorful, then they can be distracting, but if you make them bright white, then you're not doing any favors for your subject when people meet them and see yellower teeth than their portrait depicted. Lightroom's Adjustment Brush is a good tool for whitening teeth. One of the best things about using it is that the Auto Mask feature allows you to paint sloppily but keep the effect on … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Teeth whitening in Lightroom (easy does it!)
Photographer of the Day: Jeffrey Bevins
Category: Portrait Photographer: Jeffrey Bevins Photo: "The Crooked Mouth" How many musical groups — bands — photographs are there? More importantly, how many good ones have you seen? Art Kane's portrait of the Who wrapped in the Union Jack for example. Jeffrey Bevins shows a wry sense of portraiture with his "The Crooked Mouth." This is clearly a group of musicians posing for their band photo. I said "Band!" as soon as I saw it. Did you? Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jeffrey Bevins
Portrait Tips: Automation is your best friend, part one
Last week I told you about my headshot factory. I've used this sort of setup to photograph as many as 300 people in one day. Unfortunately, that's the easy part for me. Making a portrait with a person is great fun. What's less fun is retouching 300 portraits over the next week or so. Each picture needs a little something, and most of them need the same things: Contrast, skin retouching, and eye brightening. The best way to improve contrast, retouch skin and brighten eyes in portraits is to use Perfectly Clear Complete (PCC). It recognizes each … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Automation is your best friend, part one
Photographer of the Day: Kevin Kelleher
Category: Portrait Photographer: Kevin Kelleher Photo: "The Way We Were" The candid portrait is authentic. There are wrinkles in the jacket, the woman's hair is not perfect. The background is sea oats and sand. Yet, when put all in the same frame the photograph is a telling tale of emotion. The title suggests a happier, more contented time in the lives of the subject and possibly including the photographer. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Kevin Kelleher
Portrait Tips: Headshot factory
One of my favorite things to do for corporate clients is to make headshots at their annual meetings. Their employees live all around the country, so this is the only opportunity to make pictures for them all in one place. This is a challenging shoot, but it's a lot of fun — like a headshot factory that quickly turns out good portraits. My setup is simple and adaptive, and something similar could help you make a lot of portraits quickly. The space As you can see, I'm not allotted a whole lot of room. This is in the hallway outside the … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Headshot factory
Photographer of the Day: Mark Krajnak
Category: Portrait Photographer: Mark Krajnak Photo: "Untitled" Emotion. Raw. Expressive. Emotion. Photographer of the Day Mark Krajnak captures all of that and more in "Untitled." No one ever said that a portrait had to paint a pretty picture. This one certainly doesn't. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mark Krajnak
Weekly Wrap-Up: February 3-9, 2019
The Weekly Wrap-up compiles interesting articles published this week on Photofocus. This week, we learned about finishing studio portraits in Perfectly Clear, a camera's exposure, traveling to Antarctica, cropping in Lightroom Classic, and found out some quick tips for nature photographers. … [Read more...] about Weekly Wrap-Up: February 3-9, 2019
Photographer of the Day: Mark Meyer zur Heide
Category: Portrait Photographer: Mark Meyer zur Heide Photo: "The Face" A candid portrait often tells the most about its subject. Here, in "The Face," Photographer of the Day Mark Meyer zur Heide shows the simplicity of his subject leaning on her hand while appearing to rest against a brick column. The shadows of window mullions complete the composition. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mark Meyer zur Heide
Finishing a studio portrait after retouching
The purpose of working in a studio is control. This includes lighting for the most flattering result to go along with makeup, hair styling and camera angle. A photograph that has all of these advantages still has the finishing done in post-production. In the days of film and making prints, it was common to use darkroom techniques to lighten and darken areas of the print. For the most special subjects, the print would be airbrushed (why the term seem synonymous today with Photoshop) then re-photographed and printed for delivery to the … [Read more...] about Finishing a studio portrait after retouching
Quick Tip: Select the right prop to create a new look or mood
The right prop can change an entire look of a scene. As a sport and portrait photographer, I’ll use the athlete’s ball or stick in an image to complete the portrait. During a photo shoot in a desert, stock photographer Rick Ray showed how he can capture different looks by adding props. He began with the model sitting on the road, in complete despair. Next, he added a piece of luggage, then gas can. Each of the props told a different story. Rick was able to capture multiple moods from the same scene. Want to learn more? Check out this … [Read more...] about Quick Tip: Select the right prop to create a new look or mood
Portrait Tips: A note for newborns
One of the best experiences you'll have as a portraitist is making pictures with brand new babies. There truly is something special about working with someone so new and pure, and it's a big responsibility to be entrusted with the opportunity. It's really a once-in-a-lifetime shoot, so be ready and take it seriously. And remember that it's not a picture of baskets and props. What is your purpose? We love pictures of babies snuggled into a blanket or wrapped in a peapod costume, and we dream of making that kind of picture, too. Swaddling a … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: A note for newborns
Photographer of the Day: Tommy Le
Category: Portrait Photographer: Tommy Le Photo: "Peek-a-Boo" This compelling portrait of a very young girl carrying her brother shows the power of focus. The girl in the foreground is totally blurred, out of focus, while the little boy on her back is sharp as a tack. The look on his face is that of wanting to understand what that man with that funny thing up to his eye is doing. A great portrait tells a story. What does this one say to you? Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Tommy Le
Photographer of the Day: thesrpspaintshop
Category: Portrait Photographer: thesrpspaintshop Photo: "Concentration" This aptly titled work exemplifies a portrait that stands up to its title and more. The light from the smartphone seems to add to the highlights on the man's face. His expression shows the intensity of his focus. A newspaper in the corner of the frame has other information. Originally shared with the Photofocus Readers Flickr Group. Join the group and share your photo or submit yours via the Photofocus website. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: thesrpspaintshop
Reflections on beauty standards and photo editing, part two
The golden ratio or golden mean — have you already heard about it? It's a very popular composition rule in the photographic world. But did you know there is a golden ratio for a face's beauty as well? What are those ratios based on, and how do people look like with those perfect features? Here' what I found. I wrote part one of this series in a very serious vein. Now it's is time to have some fun. A revised and scientific procedure I must confess. I felt quite inaccurate once part one had been posted. I did my Photoshop transformation based … [Read more...] about Reflections on beauty standards and photo editing, part two
Portrait Tips: Build a scene with Lume Cubes & holiday lights
Holiday lights are so cool. If the tree didn't dry out and start dropping needles, I think I'd petition my wife to leave them set up all year. They just give such a terrific mood. It's because they have a warm tone and because they are so spread out they make a very soft light. Plus, when they are in the background of the photo, they make really cool bokeh bobbles. I wanted to utilize these lights in the background, so I needed to build the light in the foreground so that it wouldn't overpower the twinkle in the back. Here's how to do it. Use … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Build a scene with Lume Cubes & holiday lights
