Make your subjects look their best with our professional portrait photography tips, covering lighting setups, location scouting and tips for working with models.
In a previous article, I discussed shooting with the light at the subject’s back, creating a “halo” lighting pattern. Aside from being a particularly stunning light pattern, it automatically eliminates one of the biggest problems we have as photographers: squinting and closed eyes. With the light coming from the rear, the face is in shadow, […]
The dreaded double chin. As a portrait photographer, it’s your duty to make your models look great in their portraits. Here are five surefire ways to reduce the appearance of a double chin in your portrait photos from the Koldunov Brothers: 1. Move the Head Forward Ask your subject to push their head slightly forward and […]
Backdrops play an important role in studio photography. They complement the subject. Backdrops also help you in developing a signature style. But canvas backdrops can be expensive. Photographers David J. Fulde and Giancarli Pawelec from The Creative Contrast have a DIY solution: What You’ll Need Here are some supplies that Fulde and Pawelec got from […]
You probably don’t always carry a flash around with you. But don’t let that stop you from taking nighttime portraits. Photographer Pye Jirsa takes up the challenge of photographing portraits at night using his phone’s flashlight as a light source: Jirsa starts by placing the subject behind a sculpture so that it creates a frame around […]
If you’ve ever wanted an easy way to add color to your portrait lighting, using gel filters might just be for you. They’re easy to set up and make for some great effects. Here to walk you through the process is editorial photographer Jake Hicks: Unless you’ve worked a lot in theater or television, you’re […]
If you belong to the burgeoning populace obsessed with the perfect selfie, and you happen to own a DSLR, this is one trick you definitely need to know. Joseph Parry has a method which tends to produce a perfect result every time you push the shutter release: These are the main tools that Parry used for the […]
If you’ve ever been in the market for a new lens, you know the struggle. There are just too many options to choose from. The choice of lenses depends on the intended purpose. Photographer Jay P. Morgan experiments with different focal lengths to give you an idea of which one suits your taste for portrait […]
When the light source is behind your subject, it can become challenging to take a photograph. However, with the right technique, you can make the most of the challenge and create an amazing portrait. Daniel Norton with Adorama demonstrates how you can take dramatic backlit portraits using a single light setup: Before taking any shots […]
Work gets tough for photographers when there are shiny surfaces involved. Mirrors, for example, cause glare and produce stray light. But when used carefully, mirrors can make for great images. Photographer Daniel Norton from Adorama demonstrates how you can use a mirror creatively for a portrait shoot: Lighting Setup For the purpose of this photo […]
You don’t need much to shoot classic studio portraits. Manhattan photographer and Adorama instructor Daniel Norton takes us through a studio setup using just two speedlights and a DIY reflector: A speedlight is another name for a hot shoe flash, a small, battery-powered flash with an adjustable head that can be either attached to your […]
