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I’m using the term on-camera to make a distinction between portable strobes and the type of lights used primarily indoors that require a wall plug for electricity and have built-in modeling lights. I hesitate to call them portable because I can guarantee that if you get a set of studio flashes or monolights, the second […]
Back in the 80s and 90s window lighting was very avant-garde and fashionable. However, the window was always part of the scene. The subject was facing directly into the window or at a 45-degree angle so the light would softly illuminate the side facing the window. Reflectors were sometimes used to fill in the shadow […]
When starting out using strobes, you might think it’s pointless to use them outside on a sunny day. However, there are many situations that call for more than just sunlight and/or reflectors. Outdoor strobes can help you balance your exposure between your background and the side of your subject that lies in shadow. Strobes will […]
It’s one of the paradoxes of photography. The shots that most convey a sense of movement—the ones that seem to freeze a split second in time while still creating an aura of motion—are some of the most time-consuming to set up and capture. Imagine, then, the amount of effort that went into photographer Max Riché‘s […]
When Pelle Cass was first called a “trick photographer,” he balked at the label because it seemed to stretch too far away from his noble intentions to accentuate reality with his single frame timelapse photographs—to capture hundreds of those fleeting, lesser-photographed moments of mundane living and combine them all together into one off-kilter scene. “I […]
Dogs quickly fill their place in our hearts, and we enjoy having their pictures framed on our desks and walls. Photos of these lovely creatures put us immediately in a state of joy and pure happiness. But it’s not always easy to capture their adorable personalities. Here is what we prepared for today—adorable examples of […]
As skeptics by nature, many times we refuse to believe something until we’ve seen it. This tendency creates numerous societal problems, but it also gives visual art forms like photography the power and potency to cause social change. Shannon Johnstone, a professor and photographer from North Carolina, seeks to do just that through her current […]
In the digital age, anyone with a smartphone or a mediocre DSLR can take a decent picture—even striking images with lovely composition, content, and exposure. It seems that everyone is a photographer these days, and the ever-increasing number of photographers producing competitive content leaves many photographers wondering how in the world they could ever set […]
In previous articles, we’ve discussed photo lighting patterns where we place the light source to the side of the subject–split lighting, loop lighting and Rembrandt lighting–and create shadows that go off to the side. Continuing with our series of portrait photography lighting patterns, today’s photo tip discusses butterfly lighting. Keep in mind that shadows create […]
Do you ever feel unprepared when you arrive at an engagement shoot location? Have you spent several agonizing minutes looking around at your surroundings, trying to compose a creative shot in your mind, while your clients looked on uncomfortably? Photographer Jasmine Star says you’re not alone. She fields the “what should I do before I […]
