portraiture

How to Shoot Outdoor Engagement Photography

Outdoor engagement photography is one of my favorite aspects of being a wedding photographer. I get to shoot environmental portraits in beautiful places without the constraints of a wedding day. Additionally, I get to spend time with my couple getting to know them and their interests in a low-pressure environment.

Team Headshots: AI vs. Professional Photographer

Have you Googled “headshot photographers" lately? The results are pretty eye-opening. Right before I sat down to write this, my Google search resulted in 4 sponsored ads, right at the top, for AI headshot generators. If that doesn’t concern you, it should.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2023

Top National Photographic Portrait Prize Winner Takes Home $30,000

The National Portrait Gallery in Australia has announced the winners of its annual National Photographic Portrait Prize competition. Photographer Shea Kirk has taken home the top prize, including a $30,000 cash prize and $20,000 worth of Canon equipment, courtesy of Canon Australia.

How to Pose for Pictures: The Ultimate Guide

Great portrait photography is so much more than just about knowing how to work a camera. You can memorize your camera’s entire manual and still not be confident in a portrait shoot because most portraits require posing. Luckily, this is the right place to learn how to pose and become a better portrait photographer.

How to Shoot Headshots That Show Personality and Connection

We all know that headshot photography is all about capturing the essence of our subjects - their personality, character, and unique qualities that make them stand out. As headshot photographers, how do we really capture that magic?

4 Key Tips for Capturing Personality in Portraits

Portrait photography is about capturing the personality or identity of your subject. Therefore, these photography tips for portraits will unsurprisingly relate to the person you are photographing. How do you make them look their best, feel more comfortable, or even tell a story about them through your portrait?

How to Smile for Pictures: 8 Tips for Perfect Portraits

It’s a beautiful, sunny day. You’re celebrating a special event with a photo session, getting your poses ready. You’ve posed countless times with family and friends, at parties, and for selfies. This should be a piece of cake, right? You say ‘cheese’ in your head and bring out the pearly whites. Then you check the camera to see the result.

Why You Should Invest in Unique Props to Shoot Portraits That Stand Out

We live in a world where everyone has access to a camera in some form or another, and the content we create is often viewed through a phone screen. So it's no surprise that so many people have learned how to take and edit cool photos that will get them likes on Instagram.

What is Rembrandt Lighting and How to Use It for Portrait Photos

Photographers who shoot portraits are likely familiar with Rembrandt-style lighting as well as other styles such as loop, butterfly, and so on. This is especially true if you have taken a lighting class or have been reading up on the subject. You may be using this specific type of portrait lighting in previous images and might not even realize it until reviewing later. (Ask me how I know).

Football by Blair Bunting

Capturing Tension and Motion in Commercial Sports Photography

Photographing football campaigns in one of the most aggressive and intense types of commercial photography there is. While some photoshoots will have a sushi chef for craft services, football sets have doughnuts, caffeine and loud music. Football is unlike any other sport to capture, and I absolutely love it.

Westcott Eyelighter 3 Review: A Solid Portable Curved Reflector

Westcott recently released its third version of the popular specialist tool, the Eyelighter. If you happen to be a working headshot or portrait photographer, there is no way you haven’t seen it, thought about buying it, or even had it in your shopping cart at some point.

Philippe Halsman: American Portrait Photographer to the Stars

Philippe Halsman was born in Riga, Latvia, on May 2, 1906. He discovered an old view camera in the family attic when he was fifteen, bought some glass plates, and started making photographs. Like many other photographers, when he first saw that image appearing in the darkroom tray, it was a life-changing moment, and he knew what he was going to be doing with his life.

7 Types of Lighting in Portrait Photography

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.

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.

How to Shoot Better Photos of Mom on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is about a few things: flowers, lunch or dinner together, and of course, family photo time, a good opportunity to update the archive with images of us all together again.

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.