Photographer Manuel Ortiz went out and did something many of us have been considering a lot lately: he bought himself a cheap, vintage Soviet lens. And now, we get to join him to see how this awesome old portrait lens performs when it's attached to the very modern Sony A7R II.
This quick demo is for those of you who can't afford a nice strobe. Don't think that being tethered to a speedlight means you have to keep that light on your hotshoe; getting a remote trigger and moving it off-camera can make a big difference.
High speed sync is a big deal when you're capturing portraits on-location. As photographer Manuel Ortiz shows in this informative video, it can mean the difference between a captivating shot and something full of background distraction.
Even a single off-camera flash can make a massive difference in an outdoor portrait shoot, giving you a look that is simply impossible to capture with natural light alone. Photographer Manuel Ortiz demonstrates this beautifully in a quick, eye-opening comparison video.
There is a constant push for faster and lighter technology across different industries, including laptops, smartphones, drones, cameras, and more. In the photography world specifically, mirrorless cameras have appeared on top of the race to overtake DSLR cameras as the industry standard camera for still photography.
Photographer Manny Ortiz loves finding perfect portrait situations in everyday places -- locations most people probably wouldn't think of using for a photo shoot. Here's a short video in which Ortiz compares how "normal" people see the world vs how photographers see it.
Here's a 5-minute video showing a portrait lens shootout I recently did at 85mm f/1.4, 105mm f/1.4, 135mm f/1.8, and 200mm f/2.8. If you are looking for a portrait lens, you can't go wrong with any of these focal lengths. Each focal length serves a specific purpose and will give you a slightly different look/perspective.
Shooting portraits under the midday sun is less-than-ideal because of the harsh shadows it can create. In this quick video, Manny Ortiz shows how to remove those shadows and create beautiful portraits using a single fill light.
When the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 was announced, I was very excited and eager to get my hands on it. Although I haven't had much success with adapting autofocus lenses to my Sony a7R II in the past, I thought using the official Sigma MC-11 adapter with the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 would bring me better results, since they are optimized to work together.
Posing is a tough skill for beginners to wrestle with; it's hard to know where to even start. That's why this video by photographer Manny Ortiz is so helpful. A beginner's guide of sorts, the tutorial simplifies posing into a easy "building up" process.
If you're looking for an 85mm portrait lens for your Sony full-frame e-mount camera, you should seriously consider the 'budget' FE 85mm f/1.8 Sony announced back in February. It might have seemed like an afterthought, but this $600 lens can keep up with glass more than twice its price.
After one full year using the Sony mirrorless system for my professional work, I believe I can give a very honest and helpful review of the system that can help others decide if it's right for them.
What's better for portraits? Is it the versatility of a great 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens, or the bright bokeh-tastic performance of a solid 85mm f/1.4 lens? That's what photographer Manny Ortiz set out to discover this week.
One of the most common beginner mistakes in portrait photography is not separating your subject from the background. Fortunately, it's an easy skill to learn. Here are three simple ways to make your subject pop and give your portraits more depth.
Tag along with photographer Manuel 'Manny' Ortiz on a recent trip to a snowy park with his favorite portrait subject (his wife), favorite portrait lens (the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM), two speedlights, and the new a6500 mirrorless camera to see what this pint-sized shooter (the camera, not Ortiz) can do!
If you shoot portraits and you're not sure if you should upgrade from the APS-C system you're using to that full-frame body you're coveting, read this first. Photographer Manny Ortiz gives you a side-by-side comparison between the APS-C Sony a6000 and the full frame Sony a7 II for portrait photography so you can see the difference for yourself.
Episode 80 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast.
Download MP3 - Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, email or RSS!
Featured: Wedding and portrait photographer Manny Ortiz
You have a powerful idea for a photography project, but not all the funds you need to make it happen. Sound familiar?
The great news is there are many foundations, non-profits and private companies alike, who are willing to fund worthy photographers based on talent and project goals. Some offer grants for photojournalists who expose social injustices; others focus on editorial photographers who tell long-form stories.
We’ve rounded up 16 as a start to help you in your search. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to add others to the list via the comments section!