Portrait Photography How To

Shutterbug has teamed up with New York Times-best selling author/photographer Jordan Matter for a new series of How To videos called Tips that Matter. In this his first Shutterbug How To video, Matter shares five great tips on how to shoot stunning portraits at night with very little gear.

It's no secret that professional photographers are less concerned with cameras and lenses than they are with understanding and controlling the light that allows their images to be made.

There are several approaches to photographing couples. As with all portraiture, you can pose the two people for a more-formal look. Or you can shoot a more-candid portrayal that will convey the strong relationship between them. For example, just watch through your viewfinder and click the shutter when you see a special look or gesture that passes between them. Whichever approach...

Sometimes working with natural light is the best way to create a stunning portrait. I love lighting, don’t get me wrong and I use artificial light almost always. However, sometimes, the opportunity is right to allow natural light to be the only source.

First off, photographer and model Sorelle Amore apologizes for the title of this video, which is: “Why You Look Fat in Photos – And Six Ways to Fix It.” She admits she picked it mostly to attract attention on YouTube, and it definitely worked. The below video which, despite or, perhaps, because of its incendiary, Clickbait title, has already racked up 57,000 views (and counting) on YouTube.

Ever wonder why your travel portraits sometimes look no better than dull vacation snapshots? It might not be your skill as a photographer or the attractiveness of the person you’re photographing. You simply could be posing them wrong.