Learn how to work with both natural lighting and off camera flash outdoors in this quick portrait photography tutorial.
Spotted a picture-perfect location for some portrait photography projects and practice? Working with natural light isn’t your only option to get some impressive shots. In this quick video, find out what you can achieve with both natural light and off camera flash, and decide which look you want.
Screenshot image from the video by Adam Karnacz.
One of the first things photographers and photography enthusiasts learn is composition, in particular, the rule of thirds. Out of the many composition techniques out there, the Rule of Thirds is arguably the most popular. We’re advised to stick to the rule of thirds by default because it makes our photos a lot more pleasing to look at. However, we are free to break the rule if, and only IF, the situation calls for it. And only if you understand this rule by heart, of course.
Screenshot image from the video by Adam Karnacz.
Filmmaker and landscape photographer Adam Karnacz is back with another educational video to help you improve your landscape photography. This time around, he talks about how one can use and control color to elevate their landscape photography.
In the 17-minute video, Adam highlighted five aspects – planning, composing with color, black and white and monochrome, post-processing, and printing – to help you wield color to your advantage. He emphasized that no matter whether one prefers vibrant and saturated colors, or muted colors, or monochrome or black and white, “…what is happening with the color in your image, you should be in control of because we don’t want that happening by chance.”
In a world rich in colour and vibrancy, it’s time to think a little more black and white.
The modern world is spoiled for choice when it comes to cameras, gadgets, and editing tools that bring out the beautiful colours in your photographs. I just got the Fuji XT2 and I’m learning all about those famously addictive ‘Fuji Colours’. But even in modern times, there is still a demand for that classic black and white look.
If you’re thinking of taking the colour out of your work, here are some tips on how to think in black and white when shooting street photography.
Thinking of getting into landscape photography? Learn about the best camera settings and shooting techniques in this quick video tutorial.
Anyone who has ever wanted to nail a beautiful landscape photo will know that it’s never as easy as pointing a camera to a stunning scene and pressing the shutter. There’s a lot involved to getting the colors, tones, and sharpness right to give justice to the beauty of the scene. That, of course, means getting your camera settings right. If you’ve been wondering about the optimal settings and shooting techniques for landscape photography, you’re in luck, because we have just the quick but useful video tutorial for your reference.
Wondering where is the focusing sweet spot when it comes landscape photography? This quick video tutorial holds the answer!
One of the most crucial things about landscape photography is setting your focus right to get everything in your frame in sharp focus. This allows you to give your viewers an accurate representation of what you saw in the scene. Not quite sure how to achieve this? We have just the right video tutorial for you.
A great photography project idea means nothing if it only lives in your mind.
You have had your lightbulb moment. You have come up with a creative project idea and you are sure it will catapult your career to the high heavens. Now what? In this piece, we will discuss the steps you can take to bring your photography project to life.
Street Photography is as much about psychology as it is about skill and creativity.
There is a mental process that goes into making photographs of everyday people in the street. Confidence is a huge driving force in getting strong, compelling visual content. When confidence is high, so is your creative flair. However, there will be times when you’re not your best self, and a high level of creative productivity is not always sustainable. Almost unknowingly you fall deep into a rut and your photography suffers. You can all of sudden feel stuck, and find that you are asking yourself, “how do I get out of this?”
Zone focusing with your Fujifilm camera is pretty easy, but there are two big ways to do this.
Recently on our Instagram TV channel, we showed how photographers can zone focus with their Fujifilm cameras. Believe it or not, it’s pretty simple. However, it depends a whole lot on the lenses you’ve got attached to your camera and can also depend partially on your EVF or screen.
Using an 85mm lens is pretty much as simple as mounting it and shooting. But here’s how you can get more from it.
The 85mm lens is a darling of many photographers due to its design. It is a short telephoto focal length and one of the best options when it comes to portrait photography. Many photographers enjoy its versatility; an 85mm lens can shoot street photography, candids, portraits, and landscapes if you’re in the right place. And like most of photography, getting the most from your 85mm lens requires you to be in the right place at the right time while making the most of your subject matter. For example, did you know an 85mm lens can deliver a variety of looks even though it is arguably the best option for portraiture? Let’s dive in.
Wrap around lighting is one of the best ways to do more with less when it comes to portraiture.
When I first learned about wrap around lighting many years ago, I discovered it by accident. Wrap around lighting is a technique used by many photographers to envelope their subject in a lighting that is both flattering and efficient. Lots of portrait photographers do it, and one of the aims is to try to mimic the look of the sun and clouds in certain situations. So today, we’re giving photographers a bit more of an introduction to how to do it.
Who knew an accidental sprinkling of sand could work some bokeh magic on a long exposure shot?
During one of our routine rounds on Reddit’s photography threads, we spotted a post by Brandon Nguyen on r/photocritique asking for thoughts on one of his long exposures taken at Lake Tahoe. There doesn’t seem to anything out of the ordinary about that at first, except for the bit about sand making a “neato bokeh effect” on his shot.
Experiencing even a small fireworks show is a purely sensual delight.
For the eyes there is the synchronized bursts of color and lights arcing across the sky, compounded by the light reflecting off the smoke, nearby buildings, and low clouds, but there is more to it than visual spectacle. If you are close enough you can even feel the concussive whump of the shells exploding overhead, smell and taste the acridness of fire and burnt chemicals. For the ears there are the irregularly syncopated booms and bangs of launch and explosion accompanied by the sliding whistle and sizzle of individual stars, and at the end the sheer fusillade of sound followed by silence at the show’s end. It is this sort of whole body experience that makes the show exciting- that and the primal psychological yin-yang attraction to and fear of controlled danger. As a photographer, I see it as my job as trying to transmute that full range of experiences into a visual document which communicates the excitement I felt, across time to someone who was not there. That for me the great challenge.
Photographing fireworks on film surely does require more work than when shooting digital.
With pyrotechnics, the stars of the show are quite literally shooting stars (“stars” being the fireworks industry’s term for those bits of flying sparkly fire). As in any performance, stars need a stage, and in a photograph the stage is everything else in the frame: the dark sky, buildings, or monuments, even your fellow audience members watching the show.
Although shooting on film eliminates digital photography’s near immediate feedback loop, it has other advantages. If you use color transparency film, you give up dynamic range with film and the ability to easily manipulate color in exchange for sensationally saturated color against a very dark background. The challenge is to get the exposure right while shooting without resorting to post-shoot processing manipulations. On the other hand, ISO 100 to 400 color negative films have an inherently large highlight range and lower contrast which is great for recording the color and details of the bright but short-lived streaks.
With this cheap trick, you’ll be on your way to shooting moody foggy photos and videos in any outdoor location in no time.
Got a cool idea for a moody and misty outdoor shoot but keep putting it off because you haven’t found the perfect foggy location yet or can’t get your timing right for those foggy days? Here’s a cheap and easy trick from Shutterstock Tutorials that will let you get those dreamy foggy shots whenever you need to, in your outdoor location of choice!
This is a syndicated blog post from Digital Photo Magazine. It is being republished here with permission.
My introduction to “real” macro photography came more than a decade ago when I was reviewing the Canon MP-E 65mm F/2.8 1-5x Macro lens and Canon’s macro strobe setup. I had shot macro before, but this was my first time shooting with a lens that captured images greater than life-size, and it was a mesmerizing experience.I remember buying flowers so that I’d have a steady object to practice with, and I set them out on the dining room table in a nice sunny spot. At first, I took some images at the least magnified setting, the 1x power, and the images were lovely. With the Canon strobe system and some tinkering, I could really control focus and background lighting, and I took some nice photos.
In case you were looking for a new lens for portrait photography, consider this.
Photographers who love taking portraits have most likely experimented with a variety of focal lengths, or they’re at least curious about what each does for the genre. Popular focal lengths include 85mm, but in the past few years 50mm and 35mm lenses have become better and better when it comes to portraiture. They have less distortion and overall just have a more pleasing look about them. Today, every manufacturer makes good lenses; and when it comes to portraiture the only thing to keep in mind is what sort of portrait you want to create.
Aside from preparing the chemicals, Markus Hofstaetter also has to make his own metal plates for his wet plate photography
Part of what catches the attention of would-be wet plate photographers and fans is the hands-on processes that come with the age-old medium. In a recent video, wedding and wet plate photographer Markus Hofstaetter tells us exactly how hands-on it gets by showing us how he makes his own metal plates for wet plate photography.
Candid portraits are much harder than you’d think they are.
First and foremost, candid portraits often require one of two things: either a lot of trust in the photographer or a really stealthy photographer that absolutely cannot be seen or heard. This is what many aspire to be: the fly on the wall. But if you can’t be this type of photographer, here’s how you can become more like it.
Be bold and take as many photos of a scene from as many angles as possible
One of the most useful tricks we can learn and master when it comes to street photography is how to work scenes we come across. More often than not, these scenes offer more than one way to present a story to us, and we can say it’s our mission to capture as much these as possible. Eric Kim, while on a photo walk in Japan, explained how it’s done and why it’s a powerful tool for street photography.
Have you ever had the bizarre urge to walk up to a total stranger and say “can I take your picture?” Yeah? Then you’re in the right place.
You’re about to read over 3,000+ words on the art of creating street portraits, or what I like to call “the gentle art of photographing strangers.” My name is Michael Comeau. I’m a portrait photographer based in New York City. I’m also a textbook introvert. I spend more time alone than with other people. I suck at small talk. And I never, ever talk to strangers… unless I’m shooting their portrait. But you don’t have to be a social butterfly to shoot great street portraits. You just have to turn your camera on and your brain off.
