A lot of the times when you’re shooting in direct sun, it’s very harsh on your subject’s face. Many people try not to put themselves in this situation because of it. Sometimes you have no choice, or maybe you like the location a lot so you have to put up with the challenge. Without any equipment, the sun can create harsh shadows and an unflattering look on your talent.
Wedding photographers are always looking to take creative, novel portraits and a quick, simple trick is often sitting right in their pocket. By using a phone screen as a reflective surface, it is possible to cover up unsightly elements, add intrigue, and make an image that much more interesting.
My name is Connar L’Ecuyer, and one of my main ongoing projects is photographing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, in military vets and first responders. Some people may have heard of PTSD and not know much about it, or have loved ones that suffer from PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is NOT a topic to hide in the background, and you are not weak for asking for help.
Godox recently released its new EC-200 extension head (AKA Flashpoint eVOLV 200) for the Godox AD200 TTL Pocket Flash (AKA Flashpoint eVOLV 200). Celebrity photographer Markus Klinko decided to combine four extenders and flashes into this unusual-looking quad-flash.
One way to stretch yourself as a photographer is to shoot outside your comfort zone, and the Opposite Photography Challenge is one way to do so. In this 7-minute video, photographer Irene Rudnyk shows how she carried out the challenge with a recent portrait shoot.
About six months ago, I created a portrait series titled Ashes Fell Like Snow, photographing people affected by the Northern California wildfires and gathering their stories to share with the world. Creating this collection of portraits required much effort in a short span of time.
If you've ever asked your friends to pose for a photo shoot before, you may have found that it can be difficult achieving high-quality poses when your subject doesn't have modeling experience. In this 5-minute video, photographer Sheldon Evans shares solid tips for how to overcome this hurdle.
Photographer Alan Powdrill has long been intrigued by tattoos and the idea that people would make permanent statements on their skin. For his project Covered, Powdrill shot portraits of heavily tattooed people in the UK both with and without clothes on.
Art has no rules. Right? Wrong! Call me cranky, but I don’t like the latest photography trends. I love simple, classic portraiture, and I admire legendary photographers like Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Albert Watson. That’s why I put together my 10 Commandments of Portrait Photography.
For her latest project "A Dog's Life," photographer Alícia Rius shot portraits of dogs and their possessions to provide a glimpse into "the kind of life they live."
Jedi mind tricks are not just for Jedi. They’re for photographers too. Us portrait photographers face a difficult mission. We must form instant connections with our subjects. Have you ever photographed someone with whom you just can’t click? I have, and it sucks.
At the WPPI wedding and portrait photography conference and expo this year, photographer Trevor Dayley taught this 1-hour class titled "17 Fast, Easy, Awesome Lighting Recipes." Dayley shares 17 lighting ideas you can keep in mind on any portrait shoot using a memorization story.
Portrait photographers Manny Ortiz and Jessica Kobeissi just did a shootout that pitted flash against natural light. The two each shot portraits of the same model in a studio, except Ortiz used an off-camera flash as his main light while Kobeissi only used the sunlight bouncing around in the space.
I’d love to have access to a massive studio space with all of the latest amenities. Who wouldn’t? But in many cases, a living room is all you need to get the dynamic shot you’re looking for. Nearly all of my favorite studio shots were done with my Oliphant backdrops in a 10x15-foot room.
She came in for her senior session. Her hair was a mess of tangled waves, unruly and uncooperative. Her face was covered with freckles and dotted with acne. She wasn’t model proportions and the clothing she wore required careful adjustment to keep it from bunching up in places.
Photographer Josh Rossi just spent three months working on a photo project for a good cause. He found 15 kids who have been severely bullied and turned them into The Avengers of Bullying.
Need some posing inspiration for an upcoming wedding or engagement portrait shoot? Photographers Sara Byrne and Phil Chester made this 2-minute video that shows some of the trendiest poses being used these days.
My name is Pep Williams, and I'm a photographer from Los Angeles. I recently shot a project with the help of Leica called "Out of Bounds." I'm one of the few photographers allowed to shoot inside a California state prison.
Gulf Photo Plus held another ShootOut at GPP Photo Week 2018 in Dubai last month, pitting three photographers (Nick Fancher, Zack Arias, and Caleb Arias) in the photography equivalent of a freestyle rap battle.
My name is Jason Rinehart with Hartlight Photography, and I'm a light painter known around the world for my unique light painting style. I'm always in search of different creative ways to make my images I create as unique as possible, and this is by using whatever I can find to either shoot through or shoot with.
Photographer Nick Fancher is known for combining thriftiness and creativity into eye-catching portrait lighting, and he has even written two books on the subject, titled Studio Anywhere and Studio Anywhere 2. If you like workshops more than reading, Fancher just shared this free 2-hour video of his Studio Anywhere workshop.
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the endless low of discarded electronic devices that are thrown out on a daily basis around the world. To raise awareness of this ever-growing problem, photographer Benjamin Von Wong got his hands on 4,100 pounds of e-waste and used it to create a set of amazing surreal portraits.
Last year, I had the privilege of photographing Heather and Brett Pocorobba for their engagement and wedding. I am not a traditional wedding photographer, but they wanted a real street vibe to their collection, so it was a good fit.
Wet plate photographer Markus Hofstaetter recently tried his hand at tackling an unusual project: he wanted to shoot wet plate portraits handheld.
In this post, I'll share the story and results of a recent experiment I did with lighting a model with a neon light. I was hanging out with a friend in a local coffee shop when he showed me an awesome album artwork he saw online.
Photographer and Profoto Legend of Light Miguel Quiles made this 7-minute video in which he shares 5 different ways he likes to use a beauty dish for portrait lighting.
Want to get started with lighting your portraits with an off-camera flash but don't want to break the bank in the process? Photographer Francisco Hernandez made this 10-minute video that shows what you can do with a basic cheap lighting setup.
Photographer Matt Granger has been testing out the Leica NOCTILUX 75mm f/1.25 lens, which retails for a whopping $12,800, and in this 9-minute test video he shares his initial thoughts about using it.
Gemmy Woud-Binnendijk is a Dutch fine art photographer whose portrait photos may make you feel like you're walking through a museum. Her style is inspired by the masterpieces of old master painters.
If you're into shooting high-quality portraits with minimal studio equipment, here's a 6-minute video from photographer Manny Ortiz that explains how you can take great, dramatic portraits with just a single studio light.
Photographer Sean Tucker made this 36-minute video that walks through editing dramatic portraits in Photoshop. Watch Tucker's entire process from start to finish as he brings his portraits to life.
I recently came back from a trip to India. I left the UK with the intent of photographing a culture entirely different from mine. Searching for a new challenge, I looked at India in the eyes, and I faced myself.
If you're just getting started in studio portrait light, here's a 12-minute video that may be helpful to you. Photographer Antti Karppinen shares 7 of the most common lighting mistakes done in studio portraits, and he teaches how you can avoid each one.
There are different techniques you can use in Photoshop to brighten up a dark and dull portrait. This 4-minute tutorial by PHLEARN shows a 2-minute technique that avoids desaturated, unnatural skin tones.
When MasterClass announced Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography, I was pumped. I'd already taken the James Patterson Teaches Writing MasterClass and loved it. In just a few hours, I got a crash-course in fiction writing with plenty of actionable tips I still use every single day. So when MasterClass finally released Annie's class on December 14, I yelled: "Take my money!"
If you'd like to shoot studio portraits but don't have access to an actual studio or pricey equipment, you can achieve beautiful results with a minimalist setup in a small room that's bathed in natural window light. Here's a 5-minute video by photographer Irene Rudnyk that shows this type of setup for a recent shoot.
My name is Eli Dreyfuss. I'm a professional portrait photographer and documentary filmmaker attending Florida Atlantic University and studying film. This past month at my university (FAU), I had the honor and privilege of producing a short film about a man named Bobby.
Retouching eyes unnaturally is a great way to ruin a good portrait. Here's a 14-minute tutorial by photographer Dani Diamond that shows how you can easily retouch eyes with a natural look using Photoshop.
With the holiday season just around the corner, photographer Irene Rudnyk decided to do a portrait photo shoot using Christmas lights hung from the ceiling next to a bedroom window. This 4-minute behind-the-scenes video shows her results and glimpses at how she set each shot up.
Just starting out in photography and want to learn how to blur your backgrounds when shooting portraits? Here's a 4-minute video from Sheldon Evans that looks at how you can create a beautiful bokeh in your photos.