Using a fog machine indoors—especially in a small, unvented room—can be challenging. The fog can sometimes linger too long or move in front of your subject, causing a hazy image. Here’s how to control fog using a neat little product called Atmosphere Aerosol, a.k.a Fog in a Can. What is Atmosphere Aerosol? Atmosphere Aerosol looks like hairspray, but without the choking fumes. It enables photographers to add fog or haze during a shoot. It’s a safe, non-toxic, clear spray that won’t stain gowns, suits, uniforms or garments. How it … [Read more...] about Fog… in a can?
Portraits
Gear Review: Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter
I am slowly getting hooked on my new Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter. Not only do I get beautiful on-location headshots and portraits with my flash when using the Ringbox, but it makes my life a lot easier, and I like things easy. I use to carry around a light stand and softbox when I knew I needed more than natural light. Not anymore--I just take the Ringbox. I am also looking forward to trying it out on my next trip. It is very light and will not take much room in my suitcase. What is a Ringbox Flash Adapter A Ringbox Flash Adapter is a … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Vellos Ringbox Flash Adapter
Dragging the Shutter Part Two: Shake, Spin and Zoom
Dragging the Shutter, as we learned in Part One, is a tricky technique where you light the subject with your flash, and then use a slow shutter speed to pull in the background light. All the basic how-to information on how to balance light to make it “correct” is laid out in the previous article. Now we are going to break the rules and have fun! The Venice Carnival is the perfect place to play with this technique because of the extravagant and colorful costumes combined with gorgeous scenery. I love dragging the shutter, but I like to play … [Read more...] about Dragging the Shutter Part Two: Shake, Spin and Zoom
Portrait Tips: Great Eyes Start At The Toes
The eyes are the most important part of a portrait, and the expression in the eyes makes the difference between a well-lit picture and a stunning portrait. You'll notice that when people look into the camera you have about .026 seconds before the eyes start to glaze over. The eyes quickly look disengaged and even frightened. The majority of pictures posted on the internet have dull, uninterested eyes. But there's a simple way to help you get fresh eyes in every picture. "Look down at my toes, please." Whether I'm photographing old friends, … [Read more...] about Portrait Tips: Great Eyes Start At The Toes
How to Take Better Portraits of Women with Matthew Jordan Smith
Are you looking for some great tips form an expert photographer? We've got a great video here from Matthew Jordan Smith How to Shoot and Develop Better Portraits Learn from celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith as he quickly shows you How to Take Better Portraits of Women and finish them off with LUCID by Athentech. These same presets are also in Perfect Skin and Perfectly Clear Complete for Photoshop and Lightroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOMkqXyriMY Who's Matthew Jordan Smith? Matthew Jordan … [Read more...] about How to Take Better Portraits of Women with Matthew Jordan Smith
How to Keep a Family Portrait Session Under Control
You want your clients to have fun during a portrait session—but some clients take it too, far leaving you with unusable images. Bunny ears and goofy faces are great for outtake shots; but if that’s all you have, your client won’t be happy and they will blame you. Here’s how to take command of your set, keeping your family portrait session under control while having fun. Establishing a Time Limit Ask the client how much time they have and if there is anyone who needs to leave early. Plan on photographing those family members first. This will … [Read more...] about How to Keep a Family Portrait Session Under Control
Color Correction for the Best Skin Tone
Editor's NOTE: Photofocus is proud to welcome master photo educator Lee Varis to our roster of authors! Subtle Adjustments Make all the Difference Every photo needs some amount of adjustment to enhance its presentation, even really good photos can benefit with the right adjustment. However, if you ask 5 different people what needs to be done, you'll get 5 different answers, or worse, no answers, simply, "it looks fine!" Things become really difficult when there is no obvious problem. There are simple things to check for, like making … [Read more...] about Color Correction for the Best Skin Tone
Photographer of the Day: Robert Armstrong
Category: Children Photograph: “Wonderful” by Robert Armstrong Robert captured a great expression and pose from this little girl. The shallow depth of field keeps the viewer's attention on her beautiful face. Originally shared with the Photofocus Flickr community right here. To learn how your work can be featured on the Photofocus, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Robert Armstrong
Photographer of the Day – Steve Lavelle
Category: Portraits Photographer: Steve Lavelle - Vietnamese Lady Since I’m a new contributor here at PhotoFocus, I’ve been perusing the Photofocus Flickr community in order to highlight some of the group’s fantastic portrait photographers. At our DC portrait studio, we shoot portraits every day, but this one totally stood out! Steve Lavelle has hit it out of the park with this one! All too often, portrait photographers go a little too far when smoothing skin in portraits. The reason why we love this image, is because of the overall … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day – Steve Lavelle
Photographer of the Day – Jeremy VanderMeer
Category: Portraits Photographer: Jeremy VanderMeer – Sad Man Calling this portrait ‘striking’ is putting it lightly! This portrait just stopped me in my tracks! While Jeremy VanderMeer seems to predominantly photograph babies and nature, he sure is a talent when it comes to portraits too. We can also see that he has a fabulous knowledge of the dodge and burn technique, as illustrated in this shot. We here at DC Headshots like to think we know a thing or two about portraits and retouching. Keep up the great work, Jeremy! As per … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day – Jeremy VanderMeer
Photographer of the Day – George Prapas
Category: Portraits Photographer: George Prapas - GP_MG_8774 Hey guys! My name is Kristina Sherk and I’m a professional retoucher and portrait photographer from Washington DC. At our DC headshot studio, we like to think we know a thing or two about photographing and retouching people, so I’m going to start featuring some amazing portrait photographers on Mondays, here on Photofocus! Here’s our first featured portrait photographer: Bulgarian photographer George Prapas has got a keen eye for photographing people and it absolutely … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day – George Prapas
Photographer of the Day: Pat Callahan “Off to Market”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Pat Callahan This nicely composed street portrait by Pat Callahan shows beautiful light on a great wall in Antigua, Guatemala. Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Pat Callahan “Off to Market”
New Category & Curator for Photographer of the Day
Travel Photofocus' popular feature "Photographer of the Day" has a new category--Travel. Susan Kanfer who herself is an amazingly talented destination photographer curates Travel. The Weddings category is on hiatus. I'm excited about evolving Photographer of the Day. If you have category ideas or other thoughts, email me at [email protected] Be a Photofocus Photographer of the Day The POTD curators scour submissions to the Photofocus groups on Flickr, 500px & Google Plus. Upload photos that you have made with one of our daily … [Read more...] about New Category & Curator for Photographer of the Day
Photographer of the Day: Nick Pemberton “Preying Mantis”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Nick Pemberton This shot by Nick Pemberton proves that faces in shadows actually can yield great portraits. Of course having a few cool bugs never hurts... Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Nick Pemberton “Preying Mantis”
Photographer of the Day: K.a.J.a “Creo en mi”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by K.a.J.a This beautiful portrait from K.a.J.a that harkens back to classic Hollywood glamour portraits of the 1930s. Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: K.a.J.a “Creo en mi”
Photographer of the Day: Owwski “Marla”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Owwski Owwski shows how light and dark shapes can add depth to a portrait. Of course a lovely face never hurts... Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Owwski “Marla”
Photographer of the Day: Jim J.H. “Taking the Moment”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Jim J.H. As location portraits go - it's hard to get much better than this: Great Face. Great Location. Great Light. BOOM! Well done, Jim!!! Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Jim J.H. “Taking the Moment”
Photographer of the Day: Miloš Vujičić
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Miloš Vujičić Here's a truly stunning portrait by Miloš Vujičić that proves dark can be sexy... Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Miloš Vujičić
Photographer of the Day: Gary Radler
Category: Children Photograph: “Toddler girl pouring water out of her boot” by Gary Radler As adults, we know boots are supposed to keep water out, not store it. The fact a toddler is pouring water out of a boot, makes the image cute. We can see the toddler had a great time playing and sitting in the grass -- as seen by the grass still attached to her bottom. Gary kept a shallow depth of field to keep the focus on the toddler and action. Originally shared with the Photofocus Flickr community right here. To learn how your work can be … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Gary Radler
Photographer of the Day: Manol Z. Manolov “The Odd Couple”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Manol Z. Manolov Hats off to Manol Z. Manolov for capturing this great portrait of contrasts! Bravo!!! Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Manol Z. Manolov “The Odd Couple”
Photographer of the Day: Fitz Crittle “Money on the table”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Fitz Crittle Here's a lovely portrait by Fitz Crittle that proves you don't have to understand the title to appreciate the artistry... Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Fitz Crittle “Money on the table”
Photographer of the Day: Stephen Wolfe “Doo Dah Portrait”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Stephen Wolfe This portrait by Stephen Wolfe, of Columbus, Ohio, shows the LOVE that lured LeBron James back to Ohio. Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Stephen Wolfe “Doo Dah Portrait”
Quick Review: Tamron 90MM F/2.8 Macro VC Lens
These days when you hear Tamron, most people seem impressed with their lenses. My go-to lens recently has been their 35mm f/1.8 lens which is a must for landscapes. I’ve also found myself using it frequently on weddings. Tamron has been a breath of fresh air in providing high quality, inexpensive options for lenses. A Look at the 90MM F/2.8 Macro VC Lens Recently I was able to get my hands on the new Tamron 90mm f/2.8. My normal favorite macro lens has always been the Canon version 100mm. The lens is available on the following … [Read more...] about Quick Review: Tamron 90MM F/2.8 Macro VC Lens
Photographer of the Day: Sohail Karmani “Old Village Lady”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Sohail Karmani Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Sohail Karmani “Old Village Lady”
Photographer of the Day: Paulo Moreira
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Paulo Moreira Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Paulo Moreira
Photography Projects – Expectation vs Reality
As anyone who's been to WPPI can tell you, it's pretty insane. Between the Classes, Expo Booths, Parties, Socials, After Parties, Dinners, and well...everything else that Las Vegas can throw at you, seeing everyone / everything you want too is next to impossible, let alone keeping your professional schedule in check! 2016 was no different, however this time, I was on a mission. I decided to start a new photo project digging back into an old one for inspiration...one of my favorites of all time, Film Noir. As I began casting for this project, a … [Read more...] about Photography Projects – Expectation vs Reality
Photographer of the Day: Varun Puri “Joy”
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Varun Puri Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Varun Puri “Joy”
Photographer of the Day: Mundl
Category: Portraits Photograph: by Mundl Originally shared on the Photofocus Flickr Community. To learn how your work can be featured on the site, please read this article. … [Read more...] about Photographer of the Day: Mundl
With Portraits, It’s Not About You
I consider portraits my main photography genre. One thing I’ve come to notice is that no matter how great a photo I technically produce, the client will only be pleased if I’m able to authentically create their image in a way that is personally pleasing to them. It’s the human condition: most of us are dealing with decades of complex, personal “issues”. I believe it’s our job to take that into account when we are creating portraits for our clients. This can be as simple as a gentleman not liking the wrinkles around his eyes, or as complex as … [Read more...] about With Portraits, It’s Not About You
