advice

When it comes to negotiations, as a photographer (or any freelance artist, for that matter) you’ve got to master the art of not being emotionally invested in the outcome -- something that is nearly impossible to do. But without it, you’ll never be able to break free of difficult clients and underpaid gigs.

Whether it’s a wedding, a festival, or a protest, crowds present photographers with some unique challenges. I’ve spent some time working on figuring out the best ways to handle crowded environments in order to produce images that are consistent with my style, while conveying the energy of the crowd in that moment.

Want to get creative with shooting portraits using just your smartphone? Apple made this 3-minute video with advice and inspiration for shooting iPhone portraits from award-winning Magnum photographer Christopher Anderson.

Whether you’re using it as a route into full-time wedding photography yourself, or just like shooting weddings with less responsibility, being a second shooter can be great fun. But there are responsibilities that come with being a second shooter, especially if you want to be invited back to shoot again!

Something about the way photographers acclimatize to shooting with film has intrigued me for some time. I think it’s safe to say that film is very much tried and tested -- some of the greatest photography pioneers worked with film and were not limited in their ability to create incredible work, which remains relevant.

"Do you have any advice on how to take good photos?" Because I don't make a secret of my interest in photography, it's not uncommon for people around me to assume that I'm the right person to answer this seemingly innocuous question.

Safari, conjures up beautiful imagery, The wilds of Africa. Endless grasslands which are teeming with wildlife, antelope, zebras, giraffe, buffalo, rhino and herds of elephant all share this beautiful world. But they are being watched and observed by fierce African predators, lions, cheetah, leopards, wild dogs and hyenas lie in wait to ambush these creatures, this game of life and death plays out every day and every night.

Besides a camera, lenses, and other photographic paraphernalia, I've found that there are a few things that may be worth having in your photo bag.

Composition is so important in creating an image and it's a cornerstone of the four key elements that make up a photo: subject, light, timing, and composition. However, one of the hardest things to learn in landscape photography is seeing that image and putting the elements together in the most pleasing arrangement.

This article will focus on how to choose an event photographer, but before getting into how to hire a professional photographer, it’s important to first discuss why you should hire one.

Freehand flower photography out in nature (or your own neighborhood) is one of my favorite photography genres. In this article and the 8-minute video above, I will give you my 8 best tips for flower photography in the wild.

It’s an ongoing joke with my friends and I that I am really not a fan on the current marketing messaging that the “universe has my back” and that the success of my business is down to my “mindset”.

I firmly believe that assisting a photographer whose work you admire is one of the greatest learning opportunities available to us and can provide invaluable experience.

Lighting two people can be difficult to do, so I’m going to use 5 portrait lighting positions to breakdown how to best light a couple.

Photographer, videographer, and YouTube star Peter McKinnon brainstormed with his photographer and filmmaker friends and came up with 6 common bad habits in photography that photographers should try to avoid having.

There are a number of oft-repeated photography tips out there that have guided new photographers over the years. Here's a 10-minute video in which Kai Wong examines 10 of the most popular tips and discusses whether they should be kept or killed.

Your actor headshots, combined with your actor showreel, are the foundations of your actor profile. They are without a doubt a key marketing tool for your acting career. It’s important to prepare yourself in order to get the most out of your session.

The state of photography is chaotic and rapidly changing. The definition of photographer is evolving, the barrier of entry is at its lowest yet, and imposter syndrome is taking hold. Let’s review the mental gear needed to shoot in this new landscape.

Want to up your portrait game? Here's a video by B&H in which Naew York City-based portrait photographer Peter Hurley shares 5 headshot tips in about 3 minutes.

It would be safe to say that the gap between the number of interesting project ideas I've had compared to the number of photo projects I've produced is a wide one. In order to hold myself accountable in executing some of my project ideas, I've created a blueprint that helps me get past ideation and into producing new content.

I recently shot this image while teaching a street photography workshop in London. I had been talking to my students about noticing things that were “odd” or out of place which normally makes for an engaging subject.

Today we are going to talk about placing a softbox -- not the positions that you would use, like a Rembrandt, a butterfly, or a loop, but how to place it once it’s in position. Let’s talk about how to finesse the look that you want to achieve while using a softbox.

I started photography on perhaps the most popular focal length, 35mm, in the form of my RX1R, which I shot through my time at university. From there I moved to 50mm, which was a revolution to me in the way I saw and thought about my images. I now shoot the majority of my favorite images on a 90mm, which although not entirely unconventional is still far from the “standard.”

The biggest and most common mistake I see in photographers in all genres is that they aren’t honest with themselves. They love the idea of being a photographer -- the romantic side of it all. Sounds cool, right? But they hate the work part, the hustle, the grind, the guts of what it takes to run any successful small business.

When I first began dabbling in the world of landscape photography, I was enticed by the instant gratification of purchasing Lightroom presets. I was originally drawn in by the fact that I could instantly download these presets and I could instantly import them into Lightroom and instantly “improve” my own photos.

Briefing a photographer can be challenging, especially if you haven’t hired one in the past. A good brief provides all the key information about your project that a photographer will need to make logistical, technical and creative decisions.

I last visited Venice a long time ago, and all I could remember were the crazy crowds. It's no wonder, because I visited in the summer. Last weekend, I decided to visit Venice in the winter with my girlfriend. People were saying "Why Venice? It’s not the season." But that’s exactly the point. I thought that visiting in Venice would be smart to avoid all the crowds, and I was right.

I’m at a Starbucks in Hanoi. Typically it’s a peaceful location where I can write and think, but today it’s overrun with young people smoking cigarettes, occasionally smiling and laughing, but mostly consumed with their phones browsing Instagram and taking selfies to reload their feed with an annoyed older man in their background typing away.

I made the uncommon decision to post my rates for on-location corporate headshots on my website. Some fear it will scare away clients before the photographer gets to explain the value in their work. Valid concern. Some want to gouge bigger clients who can pay more. That’s not the way I want to run my business.