portraits

Anime Conventions: A Great Place to Build Confidence as a Photographer

Perhaps you’ve been through this scenario. You see an interesting subject doing something truly unique, you hesitate and sometimes miss the shot altogether. When you do gather enough courage, your heart races, your palms get sweaty, and a quiver can be heard in your voice as you nervously ask if you can take a person’s picture. Sounds familiar? It can be discouraging if you miss the opportunity and the shot.

best sitting poses for portraits

3 Best Poses for Sitting Portraits of Women

Portraits of sitting subjects can make up a big portion of a gallery, particularly for those who shoot indoors. To help avoid shooting unflattering poses, photographer and educator Jessica Whitaker has shared her best tips on how to capture seated women looking their best.

How to Achieve Moody and Emotional Portrait Photography

Some of the most enticing shots in portrait photography depict darker emotions, adding in elements of storytelling that include our shadow sides, and show the subject as a complex human. Portrait, documentary, and news photographers rely on emotions to draw viewers in.

The Best Time of Day to Take Outdoor Portrait Photos

When is the best time of day to shoot portrait photos outdoors? Should we shoot only during the golden hours and avoid midday altogether, or is it better to use the brightest daylight hours to take our portraits with a few simple light modifiers? In this guide, we explore the best times of day for outdoor portraits.

Why Clients Won't Like Your Portrait Photos

3 Reasons Clients Won’t Like Your Portrait Photos (And How to Fix Them)

There is nothing more devastating for a portrait photographer than when a client doesn’t like your photos. You train for years, buy the best equipment possible, and come to your session with 100% dedication to providing the best possible experience... and then you get that feedback.

Anything Can Be a Light Modifier for Portraits with a Little Creativity

Light shaping tools are very expensive. What if you could take any object and turn it into a modifier? That would save you a lot of money as well as give some unique results. In this article, I will share some everyday objects that you can turn into light modifiers to get different looks.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2 Review: Affordable and Surprisingly Useful

Despite a nearly two-year global supply chain shortage, Nikon has been making good on the company's promise to deliver a plethora of new lenses for the mirrorless Z system. Filling in most of the missing gaps from the F-mount lineup with greatly improved lenses, this time with a unique and affordable "in-between" focal length lens for everyday use, the $297 40mm f/2 Z.

Photos of People Saying Goodbye to Their Dogs

Lauren Smith-Kennedy is a Maine-based photographer who offers free end-of-life photo shoots for pet owners. Her photos show the tender moments families share with their beloved animal companions as they say goodbye for the final time.

Three Easy Portrait Lighting Setups for Small Spaces

One of the hardest things I experienced as a beginner was not knowing how to create a simple lighting setup. I’d always imagined elaborate lighting setups of three to six lights or more, and it’s why I began to shy away from working in a studio.

A Bright Idea for Subject Placement in Portrait Photos

With careful composition and editing techniques, you can take your portrait game to the next level. In this video, I'll show how you can level up your portraits with this one simple tip.

How to Light Headshots: Five Tips from Peter Hurley

When it comes to headshots, there is perhaps no better source of information and guidance than the man who has made an empire out of the practice. In this five minute video on the, Peter Hurley quickly breaks down his favorite tips to light the perfect headshot.

How to Capture In-Action Portraits with a Wide-Angle Lens

One of my favorite engagement photography techniques is getting up close to the subjects with a wide-angle lens. The resulting images feel alive and immersive. In this article and video, I'll be demonstrating the difference a wide-angle and a telephoto lens can make when capturing action.

How to Use Color Gels for Outdoor Portraits

You don’t often see photographers using gels outdoors in natural light, but why? I think one of the core reasons you don't see too many natural light gel shots, is that you need a lot of power and control from your lights to make color gels visible in daylight.

How to Level Up Your Portraits Using Simple Props

An easy and effective way to increase production value to your images is by adding simple props. Not only do they add additional visual interest, but they can also add story to the scene. Today, I’ll be starting with a basic “walk-up” shot and working step by step to make changes until we get to our final portraits using props.

How to Photograph Couples With Height Difference

I am a professional wedding, portrait, and fashion photographer and have been photographing couples for nearly three decades and I have been teaching photography for over twenty years. I recently published a brand new video tutorial with tips on how to pose couples that have a big height difference.

A Glossary of Lighting Terms Used in Photography

When starting out in photography, you are bombarded with terms, definitions, and a whole new universe of things you must know as a photographer. Sometimes the definitions are confusing at best, seemingly conflicting at worst. When it comes to lighting, there's a big list of terms and jargon that you need to know. Here are some of the common ones with simple definitions and explanations.