Archive for the ‘Useful Photography Tip’ Category
Useful Photography Tip #10: Holiday Pet Photos
The holidays are upon us and with that comes many pictures. It seems like people are more likely to take pictures around this time of year. The gatherings, get-togethers, work functions, parties, these are all camera magnets. Along with pictures of family and friends, the family dog (or cat, rabbit, lizard, trained sloth) makes its way in front of the lens, or rather you put them in front of the lens.
Read on to check it out. And for more Useful Photography Tips, click here.
Useful Photography Tip #9: Get the Most Out of Your Mac
Mac users enjoy a level of virus free stability Windows users can only dream of. A poorly written app might crash but it’s unlikely to shut your whole computer down. However, demanding creative professionals (like us photographers) will often complain their Mac is too slow. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your Macintosh computer if you’re not ready to shop for a new one. Sorry PC guys, I have no idea if any of these tips work for Windows or not, I’ve been using Macs since my first computer in 1994. If you use Windows and want to but haven’t moved yet, I’m sorry, let’s try again.
Useful Photography Tip #8: Give the Bride and Groom a Moment to Breathe
wedding couple
Let me first admit that I’m not a wedding photographer. I’ve photographed a grand total of four weddings. However I have learned a few things in the ones I’ve done. If you’re a full time wedding photographer perhaps this tip sounds obvious, but if you’re not and find yourself shooting one, this might be something you wouldn’t think about.
Remember your telephoto lens – If there’s one thing that’s true for practically any wedding, it’s that the bride and groom don’t really get any time just for them. The whole day is packed with things to do, people to talk to, food to eat, dancing to do. Many couples will later admit they barely remember the day and that kind of sucks. What I do is ask them for a bit of time, often between the ceremony and the reception. After warding off the hordes of other people with their cameras trying to get the same shots as me, I put the longest lens I own on my camera and find somewhere where they can be alone for a while. Then get out of the way and wait till they forget there’s a camera 50-100 feet away from them. They’ll appreciate and remember those moments forever while you make sure they do with the intimate, personal and unposed shots you’ll be able to capture.
Wedding couple 2
If like me you don’t use a telephoto lens in your normal photography often enough to invest in one, this is a good time to pull out the Tamron 18-270mm (available for Canon and Nikon). Read our full review here. Lastly, also take a look at our Ultimate Wedding Photography Checklist.
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We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.
Useful Photography Tip #7: Cross Your T’s and Dot Your I’s
Don't wind up behind bars
In light of the most absurd photography lawsuit I’ve ever heard of, I thought this might be a good time to remind you to make sure you always have your paperwork in order. It won’t protect you in every case, but a signed contract, liability release form, model release forms, copyright licensing terms and whatever else is needed for your specific business model. I say business, but even if you’re shooting for fun or as a favor you should still get your documents signed to be safe. I recommended 3 books in the Business and Legal section of The Phoblographer’s Library. The free software PhotoByte can help you generate custom forms and many photography stores carry generic ones.
Although forms and signatures will help with these things, none of them replace the benefit of having liability insurance like that offered by Hill & Usher (866-977-4725 x134).
Finally, you should always be smart and work to avoid the problems of liability in the first place. Take a look at The Phoblographer’s Checklist on How to Not Kill Yourself in a Photo Studio if you do studio work, but just like each discipline has its’ own set of legal documents, the same applies for how to be safe in your type of photography.
The resources I have provided in this quick tip should help you figure out the particular risks of your business and hopefully keep you out of court and protected if you do end up there.
Please Support The Phoblographer
We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.
Useful Photography Tip #6: Making Your Subjects Look Better
Help your subjects look their best
The most common question I get at the beginning of a shoot from non-professional models, especially females is “Can you make me look skinnier/prettier/younger?” They’re generally saying it in jest and are thus surprised when I answer in all seriousness “Yes, I can. It will still be you, just the best you.” How do I do that without changing what the person actually looks like? Well here are a few tricks to do just that.
Useful Photography Tip #5: Using a Superzoom Lens at Occupy Wall Street
A superzoom lens like the Tamron 18-270mm (for Nikon and Canon) is ideal for street photography, and never more so than when photographing a protest like Occupy Wall Street. While down at Liberty Square (officially Zuccotti park) I found this lens more useful than just about anywhere else.
