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“1200 pictures??? How is that even possible …?” You’ve said that to yourself after a shoot, right? There’s a certain sense of dread associated with it. “She’s a newborn; she
Thanksgiving is next week in the U.S., and it’s one of the biggest, most-celebrated holidays of the year. Family and friends gather from all around the world to express their
This is what usually happens: You go to the park to meet your clients, you head to your secret portrait spot and make a bunch of great pictures, then you
You’re a photographer, for Pete’s sake! Shouldn’t your photos be just a little better than average? Selfies made with a phone at arm’s reach are the epitome of average. Sure,
I made this portrait the other day at the Out of Oregon Photography Conference. I was teaching a class on portraiture, and I had a picture like this in my
Making marketing pictures at schools is one of my favorites activities. There’s endless variety in subjects and every classroom offers unique challenges in lighting. Last week I was making pictures
It’s an old saying that means doing things in the wrong order. I could also say, don’t run before you can walk…but I had this picture handy. I want to
It doesn’t really take too much imagination when you have a muscleman in front of your lens to picture him as a green mass with purple highlights. It’s either because
Dread: That’s the feeling that happens when you know you’re in over your head but you have to perform anyway. Dread started weighing on me and pulling my stomach into
Everyone knows that to make romantic, intimate-looking photos you need to be in a romantic kind of place. You’d better build a strong relationship with the Italian restaurant nearby so
This is about mindset. Somehow, late in the last century, folks became worried about how they looked in photos. People my grandparents’ and parents’ ages were very concerned about how
Whenever you make a portrait, you should say to yourself, “Self, I like this picture because ____.” Then, you should use the right tools to help the picture emphasize the
Using the light from a window is a terrific way to illuminate your subject. It can be the biggest and softest light off all — and it’s free. One of
The one thing most worth photographing is the relationship between people. Everything else is documentary. When you make photographs, always be on the lookout for the photo that will reveal
It’s senior picture season, and the one tool you must have is a 5-in-1 reflector. Many of us will be on the run with seniors — they want more locations
In classes and conferences, I’m often asked about settings for making black and white portraits. The question goes something like this, “I’m sure it’s different for every picture, but can
Take all the lighting tips, all the posing tips, all the retouching tips, all the business tips and put them away in a file folder in your brain. It’s summertime.
If you give a boy a hammer, everything looks like a nail and he will pound it. If you give a photographer a flash, everything looks like it needs to
I was thinking the other day about what one lighting tool would I choose if I were stranded on a desert island for the rest of my life with a
When you make pictures for a client, you’ve got to keep in mind what their final use will be. In fact, you’ve got to quiz them carefully about what the
The other day a fellow contacted me about a picture I made nearly ten years ago. He was an assistant to the master woodcarver and I spent a few minutes
