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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 biggest advantages to using window light is that what
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 and more wardrobe changes than ever before — but you
This is a great question, but when you’re getting going making portraits (and especially when you’re buying gear) it often gets overlooked. How close should your light be to your subject? Furthermore, what effect does a different distance have on
Shooting in direct sunlight can be challenging. It can cause harsh shadows, blown out highlights, uneven light on faces, and dark patches under the eyes that look great on a raccoon but not your subject. Most photographers wait and shoot
A silver and white reflector adds light to a scene whereas a black reflector — or fabric— absorbs light. This will give an illusion that light is being taken away from a scene. Known as negative fill, it will produce a dramatic effect especially when converting the image to Black and White
Photographer, Educator, Author and a Canon Explorer of Light, Roberto Valenzuela shares his tips on Lighting to Communicate.
Do you ever feel like Nemo’s dad, Marlin, from Finding Nemo? He meets a new group of fish and they say, “Hey, you’re a clownfish: Say something funny!” Once people find out you’re a photographer, the pressure is on to
Have you ever walked down the makeup aisle at a store and just stared at the images? Trying to understand what lighting setup they used to light that model/celebrities face? I do it all the time. In fact, sometimes I
Studio flags are similar to a 5-in-one round reflector with the except they are easier to mount to a c-stand. Here’s how to use the Flag’s built-in pin to attach to the knuckle of an extension arm which is attached to a c-stand.
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
When it comes to reflectors, I prefer large oval shaped tools and the Impact Collapsible Oval Reflector Disc is a good one. In this video, I show you the things I like about it. The unit I show has a
(Editor’s note: Levi shows how to fold circular, triangular and oblong reflectors in this tutorial.) After a camera and a good tripod, I’d say a 5-in-1 reflector is a must have tool for every photographer. Whether you’re photographing flowers, portraits,
With CompositionAI in the new LuminarAI, you can get the perfect copy and fix perspective issues in no time flat. Photofocus publisher Rich Harrington shows you how to get things done. Save on LuminarAI and get our free Boot Camp
I love it when photographers get extra creative with documenting daily life and the most mundane things out of it. It can be challenging to single out something interesting to capture in everyday things. It’s easy to fall into the
As photographers, we often take for granted one of the most important pieces of equipment we can invest in — memory cards. Whether you use CF or SD cards, there’s some simple things to remember in order to avoid card failure.
One of the most common questions I get asked is about if whether I have frightening encounters with animals when I am photographing at night. The answer is yes. People always think that it’s things like dogs, coyotes and snakes.
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
