I picked up some new flash modifier equipment today, and wanted to run some tests to outline the different impacts and effects they had when shooting with them in harsh light conditions (like midday shoots). So I let Molly out of her bag (yes, I named my mannequin!), set her up, and performed some tests for everyone to compare! I …
Nice Shot! How a Photographer Captured a Once-in-a-Lifetime Image of Lightning
As an evening storm lights up the sky near Wood River, Nebraska, about 413,000 sandhill cranes—tall, bugling, crimson-capped birds—arrive to roost in the shallows of the Platte River, which is fed by the aquifer. PHOTOGRAPH BY RANDY OLSON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC This shot happened on my last night on assignment. I was working on astory about the Ogallala Aquifer near Wood …
QUICK TRICK FOR “HIDING THE LIGHT” FOR LOCATION SHOOTS
This is the written tutorial of something I did in my course on using Westcott Speedlight Modifiers over on KelbyOne, and the trick is a very effective, location lighting technique for a formal portrait of the bride, and part of the technique is done in camera, and then the other part in Photoshop, and the good news is — both parts are …
9 Steps to Get Over Your Fear of Off-Camera Flash
For the first three years as a professional photographer I suffered a severe case of Photophobia and Photoaugliaphobia. I tried to cover it up by saying things like, “I’m a natural light photographer” or “I really don’t like the aesthetics of flash photography”. In reality I was scared to death of using flash. I just couldn’t wrap my head around …
Lifestyle Photography: Newborns
There is nothing sweeter or more ephemeral than a newborn baby. Those sweet milk drunk smiles and three hour naps don’t last long. All parents will, at one point or another, find themselves astonished to look down at their child and realize that little baby has turned into a child. Lifestyle photography is one of two main forms of newborn …
Why you should learn blog photography & graphic design for yourself
If there’s one thing I’m passionate about, it’s about learning to do things for yourself. Maybe it’s because the things that I’ve wanted to learn over the years were things that no one I knew could teach me. Maybe it’s because I’m a combination of broke and cheap (that’s the student life!) and I would never pay for someone else …
Should you Study Photography at College or are There Better Options Now?
If someone were to ask me whether it’s worth going to college or university to study for a degree in photography I would find that a difficult question to answer. I don’t think there is much value in studying photography at college, yet I don’t want to destroy anyone’s dreams (the good news is that there are plenty of other …
7 Habits of Boring Street Photography
Street Photography is hard to do well. Really hard. Even if you are great, most of your shots will not be. The internet is filled with boring street photography. The biggest problem is people thinking any photo taken on the street is now Street Photography. There is so much more to Street Photography than that so how do you capture more in your …
4 Steps to Help You Start a Documentary Photography Project
The thing you need to do for getting good ideas which are actually possible, is to weigh the game in your favour. You need to be selective in your project choices, research well, and demonstrate an intense curiosity when pitching your project idea. The four steps in this article will help you: Use your interests to research and learn about …
10 Tips For Your First Fashion Shoot
Welcome to the exciting world of fashion photography! In this article, I will take you through a whirlwind 10-step process for organizing your first fashion shoot. As you will see from this list, in addition to technical merit, successful fashion photographers must be adept at managing a team and networking in a fast-paced, global industry. I love fashion photography because …