For me, photography is all about light and having full control over that light. It is why I am obsessed with studio light. Being able to create a shadow here and a highlight there brings me so much joy! Lighting can make or break your image especially when it comes to portraits. That's why I think understanding lighting patterns is so important. What are Lighting Patterns? So what are lighting patterns? For me, it's the design the light creates when it shines on your client's faces and each pattern has a different name. There are 6 main … [Read more...] about 7 Portrait Lighting Patterns and How to Achieve Them
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Lights, Colors, Fractals
I shot this photograph at WPPI in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. I was at the ClickProps Studio Backdrops booth. This company makes over 500 backdrops in various designs and sizes, and we got to test out a number of them. This photograph was shot against the "Brick Natural" backdrop. Our shooting space that was only about 5 feet by 10 feet. A Collaboration Between Two Photographers The photograph was a collaboration between 2 photographers: the model, Kat Armendariz of Hush Hush Shoot Studio in Las Vegas and me. Kat is one of Las Vegas's … [Read more...] about Lights, Colors, Fractals
How to D.I.Y. a Snoot & Grid
What is a snoot? A snoot is just a funny name for a piece of equipment, generally a tube or similar objects such as a conical, cylindrical, or rectangular shape, that fits over a studio light or portable flash. It allows you to control the direction or area of coverage of the light. Basically, it makes the light more focused and concentrated by directing your light and focusing it. This makes the coverage very narrow and the light falls-off very sharply giving you a harsher or harder light. Adding a Grid Personally, I like the snoot and grid … [Read more...] about How to D.I.Y. a Snoot & Grid
Rediscovering a lens that I already owned
When packing for trips, I find myself seesawing between my Fuji X system and Nikon DSLRs. We do underwater, street, nature and landscape photography. Do I pack the Fuji X-Pro2, the crop sensor Nikon D500 and my old D800 or complicate things and buy the new Nikon D850? Earlier this winter, we were packing for street and winter nature and landscape photography in Japan. My wife and partner in Aperture Photo Arts is a die-hard Fuji shooter and between us, we have most of the Fuji X lenses and spare camera bodies. This was the logical … [Read more...] about Rediscovering a lens that I already owned
How to Finish Your Wild Animal Photos With Tone Mapping
Funny thing about animals is they move around, a lot. So a technique like HDR, which requires several images that are nearly identical in everything but exposure values, is usually not an option for wildlife photographers. Often thought of as mainly a tool for landscape and architecture photography, High Dynamic Range photography captures a series of shots at multiple exposures to provide detail in both highlights and shadows which a camera cannot capture in one frame. But, in the case of a running horse or flying bird, even at high shutter … [Read more...] about How to Finish Your Wild Animal Photos With Tone Mapping
How to Remove Noise with a Luminosity Layer in Aurora HDR 2018
HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing of your photos by its nature can result in a lot of noise or graininess in your final image. While Macphun's new Aurora HDR 2018 for PC's does a great job overall reducing noise, there are still times when noisy areas appear in your processed HDR. This can be caused by many reasons, but most commonly it's due to your settings in camera (such as shooting at too high of an ISO) or any image processing you have done to your images before merging them in Aurora (such as exposure adjustments). Regardless of the … [Read more...] about How to Remove Noise with a Luminosity Layer in Aurora HDR 2018
Gear Review: Oben CT-3551 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod and BE-113T Ball Head
A lightweight travel tripod is a handy piece of equipment for every photographer to have in their gear collection. There are times where larger, heavier, "workhorse" tripods are not the right tool for the job, or places where they are too cumbersome to transport and use. On the lookout for a new one, a few months ago I got my hands on the Oben CT-3551 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod and BE-113T Ball Head. After unpacking it my first thought was "Wow, this thing is light, I'm going to break it." But, half a year later with pretty … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Oben CT-3551 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod and BE-113T Ball Head
Avoid These Tripod Trip Ups!
Most photographers will tell you that a good tripod is one of the most important equipment investments you can make for your photography. But, just owning one isn't enough to give you better pictures. You have to have the right one to fit your photography, as well as know how to use it properly. For as much time as we spend discussing and dissecting our settings, we often don't think about the physical mechanics of how we take pictures. Over the years of running photo workshops and pursuing my own photos, I have seen many mistakes and … [Read more...] about Avoid These Tripod Trip Ups!
Quick Trick in Adobe Lightroom to help find Sensor “Spots”
Tell me if this has ever happened to you. You've been on the road for a while, changing your lenses out over and over, and then came across the most perfect sunset landscape setting ever. So you take the most epic shot of this moment and head home to edit and share! Well, once you get home and load the image up on your computer, you notice it's riddled with spots!!! Well, fear not, that shot may need a lot of work, but the folks at Adobe have provided an awesome tool in Lightroom CC to help you see just how bad your camera needs a … [Read more...] about Quick Trick in Adobe Lightroom to help find Sensor “Spots”
Shooting on a Beach!
Happy Summer! It’s time to get away from the computer or out of the darkroom and enjoy the beautiful weather and shoot! Here are 3 tips on making great beach photographs. I shot these photographs at the end of the day, catching the very last bit of light, at the same location, yet achieving very different visual impacts. All of these photographs are shot without a tripod even though they are fairly long exposures. Exposing for the last light of the day. Start by using the in camera meter to read the light on the horizon. Make sure you are … [Read more...] about Shooting on a Beach!
Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod
There some times when even a travel tripod is just too much to lug around, and sometimes you need to get really low, or switch quickly between tripod steady, and hand held without leaving a valuable full-size tripod unattended. Thats where a good table top tripod can come in handy—a table top tripod can also be easily stuffed into a camera bag for emergencies without jeopardizing the carry-on status of your gear. I submit for your approval, the Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod: This little gem is a great addition to any photographers kit—it … [Read more...] about Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod
Shooting and Seeing Art in Architecture
Art is all around us. Sometimes we use our cameras to create art from what we see instead of merely capturing moments. Here are a few suggestions to help you see the art in architecture the next time you head out to shoot it. Put your camera down Too many times we get caught up in the moment and just start shooting everything and anything that is in front of us. When you find an interesting building you want to shoot, stop, put the camera down and look. Look up at the top of the building; does it create interesting shapes against the sky? … [Read more...] about Shooting and Seeing Art in Architecture
10 Ways to Protect Your Camera Memory Cards
Let's talk memory cards. We have SD cards, CF cards, SSD cards, CFast cards and many options within those to choose from. We all have them, need them and use them. But what does it all mean? Let's discuss taking care of our cards and preventing potential problems that can and will happen to all of us. Here are ten practical tips 1. Keep your camera up to date. It seems like firmware updates are happening more and more often. This can affect the way your camera talks to your memory card. Even memory cards nowadays can have firmware updates … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Protect Your Camera Memory Cards
Fast & Easy Photo Keywording from the Cloud
If you ask a random group of photographers what their favorite things about photography are, odds are "spending hours keywording images" is not on anyone's list! Keywording is a task that is easy to put off. I am guilty of this and quite often behind getting it done. I've set aside a specific "keywording" day on the calendar, used keyword lists to make it easier, I've even adked my wife to hide my memory cards until I get the latest batch of images done. For all of this, keywording remains my number one most procrastinated task on my … [Read more...] about Fast & Easy Photo Keywording from the Cloud
Portrait Tip: Double Check, Let Her Rip
You know how it is: you've got a great looking subject in front of you and you're nervous to miss a shot so you start shooting and shooting and clicking and clicking and you capture the great expressions. But, when you review your images, you realize that you didn't capture the great exposure. Don't Catch the Expression and Miss the Picture This is especially common when photographers are new at working with flash or speedlights. You've got to slow down a second and verify that you've got the right exposure and depth of field, etc., then you … [Read more...] about Portrait Tip: Double Check, Let Her Rip
IFTTT for Photographers – Part 2: Stay on Top of Your Photography Business
Are you new to IFTTT? Then check out this article first! For many of us in photography, keeping up with the business side is probably not at the top of our list of fun things to do. Realistically, most of us would rather be crafting that perfect photo than itemizing our receipts. Using an automation tool like IFTTT.com can ease the burden of the business side. Think of it as your internet friend who doesn’t mind doing the stuff you don't want to do! How to use IFTTT Here are some ways I use IFTTT (IF This, Then That) to stay on top of my … [Read more...] about IFTTT for Photographers – Part 2: Stay on Top of Your Photography Business
9 Tips to Put More Life into Your Wildlife Photos
As the (insert amazing wild animal of choice here) steps out of the edge of the woods into view and you imagine getting award-winning images of it, countless choices face you for how to make those images. "What aperture should I use...what ISO...should I try to move closer...should I shoot it as a vertical...should I put on a teleconverter...should I take off the teleconverter... should I switch my car insurance to that company run by a lizard…?" In wildlife photography, things happen fast. Deep, right? You can quote me on that. When … [Read more...] about 9 Tips to Put More Life into Your Wildlife Photos
Take Control with Back Button Focusing
By default, pressing the shutter button down half way activates the autofocus feature. It's handy, quick and can lead to some compositional issues. Center of the frame syndrome The autofocus sensors are most accurate at the center of the viewfinder. Because of this, there are a lot of photographs with the subject placed in the exact center of the frame. Usually, a subject in the dead center of the frame is a poor composition. Not to mention that much of the frame is wasted because of the extra room above the subject's head. Yes, the camera … [Read more...] about Take Control with Back Button Focusing
Pro Tip: Make a Tripod into a Monopod
There are times I really wish i had a monopod. You know, those one legged camera stabilizers sports photogs use to steady their long lenses. Thing is I don't want to buy one. What to do? Convert your tripod into a monopod This is so simple. Extend one of the tripod's legs so the head is at the perfect height. Leave the other legs short. Ta-dah! Instant monopod. Finish the conversion by using either a Velcro cable strap or an elastic cord with a cord lock wrapped around all three legs Minuses & pluses The downside of making your tripod … [Read more...] about Pro Tip: Make a Tripod into a Monopod
5 Ways To Use Your Body To Stabilize Video Recording Without A Tripod
The #1 piece of advice I give my students for getting a beautiful fluid stabilized video recording (no shakey parts) is to use a quality tripod with a quality tripod head. But there are times when you find yourself either without a tripod or not allowed to use one (like in a museum or highly trafficked area). Luckily, even though we only have two legs, there are some very simple things we can do to use our body as a tripod. Here are 5 ways to use your body to help improve the stability of your video capture. 1. Make your Body a Tripod … [Read more...] about 5 Ways To Use Your Body To Stabilize Video Recording Without A Tripod
Consolidating and Organizing with the Drobo 5D
I am one of those photographers that has been slow to cross over to a larger, more accommodating external storage system. I did figure out long ago the value of not keeping the bulk of my work on my desktop or laptop. I started out with a simple rugged 250GB external drive that I would swap between my two stations. That quickly filled up and led to the purchase of some 500GB drives and eventually a 1TB drive. I bought as I could afford or at least I hadn’t yet decided to really invest in a better system. I started to read about drive … [Read more...] about Consolidating and Organizing with the Drobo 5D
Simple shooting strategy for High Dynamic Range
I've been saying it for so long that it's time to write about it! What I'm referring to is my often-given advice for capturing bracketed images. Many people say that we should choose the 'correct' exposure, then capture overexposed & underexposed images. However I recommend to forget the notion of the middle image being the 'correct' exposure. Rather, the 'correct' exposure is a series of images -- and those images capture the full dynamic range of the scene. We can do that by measuring and choosing all of the exposures … [Read more...] about Simple shooting strategy for High Dynamic Range
Photography Activities for Kids — Point of View
Exploring photography with your kids? This is my second in a series of posts offering ideas you can use to help your young photographer get comfortable with fundamental concepts. Last time we walked through the very basics of photographic composition: reduce and simplify. With just those two words in mind, you and your child will both be taking better pictures. Today’s activity expands the concept of composition a bit further. The goal is to play with the idea that there’s more than one way to see an object. Equipment Keep it … [Read more...] about Photography Activities for Kids — Point of View
Photography Activities for Kids — Composition 101
EDITOR'S NOTE: We would like to welcome Scott Lawrence to our team of talented writers. I have vivid memories of my dad sharing his love of photography with me. The weight of this strange object in my hand the first time he brought out his old SLR is something I’ll never forget. It’s impossible to shake the smell of the chemicals when we set up a darkroom in a guest bathroom. Unfortunately, the bathroom was sorely lacking in ventilation. All great memories, if not flawless plans. Photography is amazingly complex. You can spend a lifetime … [Read more...] about Photography Activities for Kids — Composition 101
More to a Silhouette than Exposure
There are a few key elements that create a successful silhouette. I'll say it loud and proud. It is MORE than exposure. Yes, you meter for the sky, yes, that brings the blacks black, but there is so much more to it than that. I used to say, angle, separation, and exposure. But it is even more than that. You can nail the angle, shooting from down low, you can nail the exposure, and you can even get the separation, but if you aren't telling a story, or conveying an emotion, you're not getting it. There needs to be a story. There needs to … [Read more...] about More to a Silhouette than Exposure
Experiment in Photoshop for Nine Seconds
I’m a huge believer in the power of experimenting in Photoshop to help discover what’s possible. One of the comments I hear a lot is “I’m too busy to experiment”. Believe me, I understand about deadlines and getting your work done, so here’s my idea: experiment for nine seconds. Generally, I think we're creatures of habit: we do things a certain way in Photoshop because that's the way we were shown at some point, or perhaps figured out for ourselves. So here's where the nine second idea comes in. If you always use the Gaussian Blur Filter, … [Read more...] about Experiment in Photoshop for Nine Seconds
Start documenting daily life as inspiration
I know many photographers (pros and amateurs alike) who need a special occasion like a vacation, a wedding or a sports event to take their camera out in their free time. When I ask them "why only for big occasions?", I often get the reply that every day life is not interesting enough… This is where photography meets psychology. It is in our nature to not be aware of our daily routine as it appears that it’ll always be there and that it is not important enough for us. The funny thing is that i.e. in 10 or 20 years time those few ordinary … [Read more...] about Start documenting daily life as inspiration
3 Tips for Great Pet Photography
After a long week at WPPI in Las Vegas, I joined fellow Photofocus author Mykii Liu, David Crewe and my new friend, Hair and Makeup artist, Dinah Raphaelle, for Korean Barbecue. I was exhausted from the week, plus we had just finished a 4-hour shoot. I wanted to go back to the hotel and rest; but they insisted I join them. I sat down to a full table of Mykii’s friends. We made our introductions and began to eat. During small talk, I found out the man sitting next to me, Darcy Evans, was a pet photographer. I have to admit, I found it odd a pet … [Read more...] about 3 Tips for Great Pet Photography
Getting Taped Up
Here's a great tip I got from watching some grips quickly change gels on some frames. In the past, when you removed an old gel or diffusion material you always had the mess of the sticky material. Either the 2-sided tape, or the foam stuff from 3M double stick, which ever material was used it was a challenge. I was observing some grips used the following technique and it was fast. This is a standard 18"x24" frame. The first thing you want to do is apply Blue Painters Tape around the entire frame. Here you can see I'm using 1" … [Read more...] about Getting Taped Up
Synchronizing folders in Lightroom
As much as I try to keep my workflow minimal and simplistic, sometimes there are other pieces of software that I'd like to use that don't seamlessly integrate with Lightroom. When you use a third party program to edit a picture outside of Lightroom's knowledge (i.e. when Lightroom is closed), Lightroom doesn't have a chance to update the changes to the photo. Maybe you created an edit, maybe you created a couple different versions, maybe you even deleted them or moved them. Synchronizing folders helps you use Lightroom to track all those … [Read more...] about Synchronizing folders in Lightroom
