Portrait photographers use a myriad of different lights and lighting styles to achieve the results they desire. I’ve seen great portraits done with 10 lights, and even greater portraits done with a single light. The best photographers can do both and play around with lights like tools in their toolbox to create something unique.
Negative space is a powerful concept in art and photography that allows you to say a lot with very little. In this article, we will look at the basics of negative space and how you can use it as a tool for creative and powerful photo compositions.
The neutral-density filter, or ND filter, is a powerful lens filter photographers use to reduce the amount of light entering a camera lens in order to select exposure combinations that would otherwise result in overexposed images. This article is a basic guide to ND filters and how they are used.
When you hear “long exposure,” you probably think of a shutter speed that’s too slow to hand-hold and produce a sharp image. It might be something like ¼”, or maybe as long as 30”, which is the most common slowest shutter speed in DSLR and mirrorless cameras. However, shutter speeds slower than 30” can be advantageous in many long-exposure scenarios.
Landscape photography is one of the most popular photographic genres. It's easy to get started with the genre, but it can take a lifetime to master landscape photography skills. You don't need a sophisticated camera or expensive lens, and the skills you learn when doing landscape photography translate to other types of photography.
Photographers who want to expand into videography can often become overwhelmed by the number of terms that are unique to the filmmaking discipline. This glossary of videography terms should help.
If you’ve decided to take the next step in your photographic lighting and purchase some studio strobes, then you will need to ask some questions about what kind of images you’ll be creating in the studio and what the best lighting for those particular subjects is.
As a professional photographer, it's highly important to know you have support from a manufacturer to maintain your equipment. Canon knows this, which is why it provides a dedicated Canon Professional Services (CPS) for its customers; here's a look into what the service is and whether you should become a member.
Astrophotography. We hear the term tossed around a lot these days but what actually is it? The true definition of the word is photography of the nighttime sky. The sky only—at night.
Fine art photography has become all the rage over the past decade, and it is a moniker many photographers use to try and elevate their output to try and sell it via galleries and print sales. But what is fine art photography after all?
Wedding photography is one of the most challenging yet fulfilling genres of photography, one that will challenge your people skills, technical abilities, and physical stamina. To succeed as a wedding photographer, you will need to become an expert in a wide of subjects, from how to work your camera to how to market your business.
Fill light is one of the unsung heroes in the photographic industry, yet the fill light in basic three-point lighting can be just as important as the key. Getting it right can make your images look much better.
You're out in the field, having scouted out a new location to grab a landscape vista. You release the shutter button and then chimp the back of the camera to see what you've captured... the sky's blocked out, blinking back at you. You've got a dreaded case of the blinkies, but does it actually matter?
15 years ago, photo workshops were not yet a thing. You could sign up for a photo excursion on a cruise ship or other tour for which you had no instruction, but dedicated, stand-alone photo workshops were not really prevalent until around 10 years ago. Today, there is hardly a corner of the world or subject matter that is not served by a photo workshop.
When thinking about the Curves tool in Adobe Photoshop, the phrase “With great power, comes great responsibility” is a thought that comes to mind. Curves is the most powerful tool in Photoshop for adjusting brightness, contrast, tonality, and color.
In your photography adventure, you will most likely buy both a prime lens and a zoom lens at some point. If you are a beginning photographer looking to upgrade to a new lens, you are probably facing the decision of whether to choose a prime or a zoom. Which type should you get and what’s the difference?
Focus breathing is a term that is often used when discussing the features and specs of a camera lens. It is an issue that occurs across a wide range of lenses, and it is one that can negatively affect your photography and videography in certain situations. In this article, we will take a look at what focus breathing is, the situations it affects, and how you can avoid it.
In a world of increasing automation, at least photography still offers the opportunity to stay alert, active, and in command. While intimidating at first, shooting in full manual mode provides creative control, proper metering in tricky light, and deeper integration into the entire process of making photos. If you give it time, manual photography can help you craft your best images.
In the two-plus decades I’ve been a photographer, finding the right light modifiers for the varied work that I did was a challenge. In the small community I lived in, my subject matter ranged from commercial photography to weddings and portraits. Each subject required its own type of lighting.
Whenever you buy a new camera lens, you’ll often receive a free lens hood included with your purchase. And while many photographers leave it on without thinking twice about what it does, this handy tool isn’t just for show.
As photographers, when we hear the word "bokeh", we probably already have a visual in our mind of its meaning. Since bokeh can be somewhat abstract and subjective, describing it can be difficult.
Street photography is an age-old photography genre that is both popular and sometimes controversial. However, contrary to the reputation some prominent street photographers give the genre, there is way more to photographing streets than being aggressive and confrontational -- it can also be a relaxing, creative, and freeing experience for both amateurs and experienced shooters alike.
Have you just gotten a more advanced camera and are looking to get better at photography? Having a good understanding of digital camera modes is an essential step in that process. If you are just starting out and are confused about all the different icons on your camera's mode dial, then this comprehensive guide to digital camera modes is just for you.
One of the many features modern cameras have is a selection of modes for metering exposure. These allow you to choose how the camera measures the brightness of the subject or scene in order to automatically adjust camera settings for optimal exposure.
Umbrellas are perhaps the most under-appreciated light shaping tool around. Due to their low price and wide availability, they are considered by some to be only for those who are beginners. This couldn't be further from the truth.
There are literally hundreds of different flashes on the market. With brands competing for attention and offering some very unique features, it is often hard to decide which flash to pick. What is more, buying a flash is sometimes like buying a whole lighting system. If someone buys Profoto they are likely to stick with it for a long time because it’s part of a lighting system, not just one flash.
Reflections are the sole reason we’re able to see objects. An object that absorbs 100% of the light is invisible. Fortunately, we don’t encounter these in our daily lives. Any lighting-conscious photographer would be aware of the fact that their light positioning directly influences reflection and hence the viewer experience.
The beauty dish is one of the most commonly used light modifiers for beauty and portrait work, but being popular doesn’t mean that it’s an easy-to-use modifier without any quirks and intricacies. In fact, you can only harness the true magic of the beauty dish if you know the principles behind it inside-out. In this article, I will explain everything you need to know when using a beauty dish.
Softboxes are among the most popular light shaping tools. Few photographers have never shot with softboxes, and more often than not a softbox is a go-to modifier for beginners. In this article, I will break down the anatomy of a softbox, from physics to possible applications for it. Read on to become a master of using softboxes.
If you're just getting started in photography and want to build upon a solid foundation, here's a helpful 9-minute video by the popular YouTube channel Mango Street that covers 5 basic photography techniques for beginners.
Photographer Joe Edelman has put together a helpful beginner's guide that explains one of the most important (and easy to overlook) details in portrait photography: catchlights. These specular highlights can make or break your photo, and in this video, Edelman covers all of the basic "dos" and "donts" of catchlights in portraiture.
Do you know your camera basics? Today we dive into shutter speed and teach you all the ways you can use shutter speed to unlock your creativity and expand your photography style. Learn how to show fluid movement or capture a split second and what styles of photography these shutters speed options are best for.
In this 8.5-minute video, we’ll explain the 5 primary key light patterns and the ‘why’ or purpose behind each of them. It's all about “key” or main light positions and namely, understanding the why or purpose behind each one of these 5 primary lighting patterns.
Photographers Ian Norman and Diana Southern of Lonely Speck made this helpful video that will teach you the things you need to know to shoot the Milky Way in less than 5 minutes.
The latest episode of Adobe's YouTube series "3 2 1 Photoshop" is for anybody who wants to get into stop motion photography, but has no idea how to actually create a simple animation from a series of still photos.
The Drobo is a wish list item for many photographers, but do you really need one? A few years ago, the compelling reason to buy one was to have more storage than a single drive could provide at the time. But with 10TB external drives available for ~$179, having a lot of storage in a single drive is a lot easier and a lot less expensive.
Rachel and Daniel of Mango Street—one of the most popular photography channels on YouTube—have put together a great, straight-to-the-point guide to capturing that "moody" style of portrait that's become a popular counter-point to the "dreamy" overexposed look that often dominates lifestyle imagery.
If you've been wanting to learn more about the subject of camera color science, here's a solid 13-minute video by Gerald Undone that will bring you up to speed on the subject.
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.
If you've never tried your hand at black-and-white film photography before but would like to learn the basics of developing your own film at home, here's a great 8-minute primer that'll get you up to speed.