Bending the light to your will is the difference between a good photographer and a better photographer. Shaping the light to make a person or product look more inviting is accomplished by understanding light and knowing how to use tools to make that happen. This is the 18 x 24
I was recently asked how to take great photos with bad lighting. The simple answer is there really is no such thing as bad lighting — you just have to get a little creative. Window light I have one small window in the studio, which faces east. This gives me
There’s an interesting buzz coming from the Savage booth at this year’s WPPI, surrounding their brand-new Stainless Steel C-Stand with Grip Arm Kit. While many photographers know Savage for its paper backgrounds, the company is becoming increasingly known for its studio gear. With the new C-Stand, Savage offers a product
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 should still keep excellent lighting at the top of your
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 hard light, and soft light is waaaaay better. Soft/Hard = Big/Small
(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, or products a 5-in-1 reflector can help you make great light.
A collapsible reflector is a must-have tool for all kinds of photographers. I favor the 5-in-1 styles, and I favor a long oval style. The thing is, the toughest part about using a reflector has nothing to with lighting your subjects–the hardest thing is putting it away. This short video
I’m a snob about lighting, which means I won’t make a picture if the light isn’t good enough. When I have the opportunity to influence the light on my subjects, the one tool I use most frequently is the diffuser, or scrim, from my 5-in-1 reflector kit. It’s extremely inexpensive
The Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens with its 1.4x teleconverter has helped me make a bunch of good pictures and allowed me to do a good job for my clients. Over the last few months, I’ve used it to shoot a variety of subjects from wild horses to
