Latest Posts on Tips

 

My One-Shot, Zero-Setup, Sure-Fire Guide to Photographing Wedding Cakes

My One Shot, Zero Setup, Sure Fire Guide to Photographing Wedding Cakes cake head

This guide is what I do during wedding days, and I typically photograph the cake right when I enter the reception location. Overall, I take 4 shots of the cake: 1 vertical, 1 horizontal, 1 detail of topper, and 1 detail of the base or whatever is the most interesting on the cake.

This process takes me literally 30 seconds. That’s it; done. Move on to centerpieces. This guide is for photographing real cakes on real wedding days for wedding photography professionals.
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Dear Model: Posing Tips for How to Look Your Best in Photographs

Dear Model: Posing Tips for How to Look Your Best in Photographs dearmodel 9

Dear (new’ish) Model,

My name is Other Model. I have spent the last couple of years finding out a few things that I wish I’d known from the start. Please don’t think I’m patronising as I mean this only in goodwill, as there is absolutely no gain for me by sharing these cheats. Not all of my points will be valid for you as posing varies in each genre. Just take what you can and ignore the rest. If only one suggestion helps your future career then my time has been well spent…
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How to Photograph Kids… By a Former Poorly Photographed Kid

How to Photograph Kids... By a Former Poorly Photographed Kid ME 1024x818

I am a former kid. I have lived through the trauma of bad photos taken of me by my father. I was not photogenic, and admittedly he had a cheap camera. He had a knack for catching the incredibly awkward moments of childhood in a way that now makes me cringe. If I could go back in time and give my 1970′s dad a few tips on how to take better pictures of me I would.

As a former kid recovering from the trauma of bad photographs, I feel like it is my duty to future kids of the world to give parents and photographers some tips I have learned on how to take some great photos of kids. Or, at the very least, photos that won’t make your kid cringe when they get older.
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10 Easy Tips and Tricks for Looking Better in Photographs

10 Easy Tips and Tricks for Looking Better in Photographs lookingbetter

Before running out for Botox or for a fancy photographer, here are 10 quick and easy things you can do to improve how you look in photos:

Have a lot of shots taken of you, and only keep the best. Focus on flattering posture and angles. Know facial expressions that work for you. Make sure your eyes are facing the light. Pay attention to what you are wearing, your grooming, the lighting and background.
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The Kobayashi Maru of Photography

The Kobayashi Maru of Photography Kirk and Spock1

(Note: This is not an article about whom I feel is the better captain (Kirk). I mean, that would be ridiculous, because we all have our favorites (Kirk) and to bring up who I feel is the best (Kirk) really has no bearing on this photography column (Kirk). Just wanted to be clear.)

I grew up with Star Trek. By the time I was old enough to realize what it was, the show was well into syndication, but I watched every episode, sitting on the couch with my brother and eating Doritos. To this day, I can’t bite into a Dorito without hearing, “Space, the final frontier…”
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How I Make Sure My Photos Are Backed Up and Safe From Harm

How I Make Sure My Photos Are Backed Up and Safe From Harm harddrivefail

I had a hard drive fail on me once. It was a total nightmare. I lost two years of digital photos and all of my music that i’d digitized. Never again.

Thankfully this happened to me before I was a professional photographer and it was just my own images. Not a wedding client’s. If you charge people for your photography, you need to be professional and have a proper bomb-proof backup strategy.
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10 Things a Photographer Should Never Do While Photographing a Wedding

10 Things a Photographer Should Never Do While Photographing a Wedding weddingtop10

With over 2 million weddings taking place each year nationwide, there are over 2 million opportunities to make mistakes-countless pitfalls just waiting for the unsuspecting wedding photographer to stumble into. Sure, they seem harmless, until you realize the danger they impart to you and your business. I don’t want you to be just another wedding photographer statistic, so, I’ve compiled a list of my top ten things a photographer should never do while photographing a wedding. If you recognize yourself in any of these, don’t beat yourself up. Remember, it hurts to grow. Now, let’s begin…
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Tutorial: How to Get the Perfect Photo of a Steaming Cup of Coffee

Coffee is a wonderful thing. Early in the morning, there are few things that can put you at ease like a steaming cup of hot coffee warming your hands and firing up your brain. But have you ever wondered how those coffee advertisements manage to get the perfect shot of a coffee cup, steam and all?

Well, in the tutorial above, commercial photographer Robert Grant of LearnMyShot shows you how to compose and capture the perfect picture of a steaming cup o’ joe that will have you craving your morning caffeine fix. Read more…

PhotoExif Helps You Record EXIF Data for Film Photos On the Go

PhotoExif Helps You Record EXIF Data for Film Photos On the Go photoexif

One of the advantages of digital photography is having information about how each photo was shot embedded within the photograph’s file itself. This EXIF data is something photographers commonly jot down in notebooks as they walk around and shoot with their analog cameras.

Photographer Oriol Garcia wanted a better solution than manually writing down shot times and details. Since most people have smartphones now, why not make an extremely easy to use app that can document the info of every photograph taken? He ended up creating an app called PhotoExif that can do just that.
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10 Things an Art Director Looks for in a Photographer

10 Things an Art Director Looks for in a Photographer cosco patio furniture view1

Here is a list of 10 things an art director looks for when considering a photographer, and what keeps them coming back for more.
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