Taking a lesson from my nature photography roots for my studio work, I always try to compose my background first. With wildlife, this is often a split second decision in terms of positioning and adjustment. In the studio, you can be much more proactive and finely tune your background to
Photography is about capturing a brief moment of light. A large part of the art of photography is how we control light to create an image. Not just of a moment, but for how we want that moment to appear in the photograph. We alter the appearance of light with
I recently was tasked with scheduling two photoshoots with our local public school district, where the photos would be used in the Student Advancement Association’s annual gala (which I also photograph). The goal was simple. Show students, ages 5 to 18, doing things they would normally do throughout the school
I just attended WPPI in Las Vegas along with thousands of other photographers. The great thing about this conference is that it’s focused on portraiture. There are all kinds of classes, but even if you only attend with a free expo pass, you can learn from speaker after speaker about
A quick tip oh how to use a V-flat to Flag light and prevent light spill on the background.
I have used V-flats my entire career as a studio photographer. I’ve always had storage space for the 4-by-8 foot V-flats. But I never, no matter how much I wanted to, took them on location. They were way too big to fit into an SUV. Now I take them everywhere thanks to
When you light a portrait, a good rule of thumb is that your light should be about the same size as your subject. That’s easy for a single individual where any softbox will work, but what about lighting a group of people? A light that big is hard to find.
Welcome to a brand new feature — the Weekly Wrap-Up — a compendium of some of the articles published this week on Photofocus. This week, we got you ready for the holidays with plenty of Black Friday deals as well as our favorite gifts for photographers in our Holiday Gift Guide.
A set of V-flats is one of the most versatile — but not often talked about — light modifiers a photographer can have in their studio or home studio. Usually constructed of foam core, V-flats can be used to block light (known as flagging), to bounce or absorb light, or
I was recently able to get my hands on one of the hottest items in the photography world… the Portable V-Flat from V-Flat World. Guys, I kid you not, this is a game changer! I can’t be the only one who has wandered the aisles of Home Depot and Lowe’s
