A cylinder is a sphere and cube combined. When lighted, a cylinder has a highlight side, an incident highlight, a core shadow and shape shadow. The light can either go around the cylinder for more or less highlight, or it can go up and down to change the darkness on top. Jay P Morgan created this […]
In this second part of a three part series on the laws of light, Jay P Morgan demonstrates the correct ways of lighting a cube. The world isn’t a flat square or a flat circle or for that matter a flat rectangle. It’s composed of spheres, cubes, and cuboids. In other words, the world is filled […]
There’s an old technique photojournalists call “flash and slash” that is used to dramatize movement. Basically, it allows you to keep the subject sharp while creating motion in the background. While typically used for high-movement or chaotic scenes, it is actually a really creative way to add an interesting element when shooting in low light. […]
Sometimes the sterile surroundings of a studio aren’t best suited to show off a product or still life. Just as a colorful backdrop can completely transform the tone of a portrait, the surface on which a subject rests can make a significant difference. The tabletop is a texture just about everyone is familiar with and is a […]
With the heyday of film photography in the past, it’s easy to consider tossing your abandoned hand held cameras into the trash. However, as the Koldunov Brothers share, the following hack can put your old school point and shoot to use—without a roll of film: While the camera function of many point and shoots might be a […]
George Hurrell was the master of Hollywood glamour photography in the 30s and 40s. He worked with the biggest stars of the time, including Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, and Greta Garbo, to name a few, and his portraits were beautiful and memorable. Hurrell wasn’t afraid of a little shadow and that’s what gave […]
When you start out as a photographer, you probably don’t have a lot of equipment or money, so you need to come up with unique ways of using what you do have to create professional, beautiful looking images that sell. The thing is, you can do amazing things with just one light if you understand how that […]
An overcast sky is often considered the best kind of lighting for portraits. Not only does it provide a soft and even light source, but it allows you the ability to set your camera settings and fire away. To understand a little more about the pros and cons of ambient light versus flash in portrait […]
Indoor-sunset themed photo shoots are among the easiest and hottest trends you can experiment with to create cool, sexy and flattering photos to add to your portfolio. All you’re going to need in order to achieve this look are a back light, which should consist of a single bare bulb in a strobe, and a […]
Having trouble producing amazing, crisp, and exciting still life photographs? It’s not always easy to give an inanimate object substance and make it pop, but with a few simple lighting techniques and tricks, you can bring those still lifes to life, so to speak. Photographers Karl Taylor and Urs Recher show us two very different, yet […]
