Now that the holidays are upon us, many photographers will be shooting portraits of friends and family. And whether or not you’re experienced at taking people pictures, the following tutorial will help you capture memorable photos of your loved ones.
Proper posing and directing techniques are critically important in portraiture, especially when your goal is to create a seductive look when photographing pretty, sensuous models. And we found an experienced pro that will help boost your confidence by demonstrating just how it’s done.
You know the expression, "keep it simple"? Or how about this one: "less is more?" Those are words to live by for many things in life including boudoir photography, believe it or not.
There's been a movement in boudoir photography circles lately to keep posing and lighting simple to produce beautiful imagery that highlights dramatic sensuality and we're here for it. Recently, boudoir photographer Critsey Rowe shared her one posing secret with us and now Yuliya Panchenko explains how you only need one light and one pose to capture stunning boudoir photos.
Shooting outdoor portraits can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, natural light photography means carrying less gear, but here’s the problem: On bright, sunny days with high contrast, it can be difficult to properly meter a scene and capture flattering images.
If you’re looking for a simple technique to give your portraits a unique look, how about mixing natural light with colored gels on your strobes? The quick tutorial below demonstrates how it’s done.
If you've ever dreamed of doing a shoot at a photo studio that's bathed only in gorgeous natural light, here's a great video showing what it's really like. In the below clip, portrait and swimwear photographer Anita Sadowska takes you behind the scenes for a swimwear shoot she did recently at a studio in New York City.
Portrait and beauty photographer Irene Rudnyk is one of the queens of the beach photo shoots on YouTube. A few months ago, we shared an awesome behind-the-scenes (BTS) video of Rudnyk’s tips for capturing backlit photos of a swimsuit model at the beach. Now she’s back with another great beach photography tutorial and BTS video on how to shoot gorgeous golden hour portraits.
Photographing people for a living can prove intimidating for many photographers. Now add “celebrity” to that and you may find you have to step up your game several notches to stand on equal footing with your subject. You can’t afford to be intimidated and you certainly can’t afford to appear unsure of yourself or to question your decisions. You have to enter the picture with a game plan and be decisive, know which lens you’ll be using, what lights, and where to place those lights. But you also have to be prepared for the unexpected. That’s why they give these jobs to photographers such as Victoria Will.
Back when we all used film, the proper way to meter a scene had a lot to do with whether we were shooting slides or prints. The general rule of thumb was to expose for highlights with transparency film, and expose for shadows with negative film. But what’s the best approach when using digital cameras?
It’s one of the eternal debates in photography: which is better, shooting with a flash or with just natural light? Two professional photographers who we have featured on Shutterbug many times recently tried to find in a “Natural Light vs Off Camera Flash Challenge.” The results might surprise you.
When shooting portraits, is it better to use a zoom lens or a prime lens? It's a common question a lot of photographers, particularly those who are just starting out in portraiture, are bound to ask.
In the trifecta of portrait lenses—85mm, 105mm, and 135mm—the 85mm focal length is the gateway. It’s short enough for tight shooting spaces, while producing a real portrait look, yet versatile enough for use in other genres, including photojournalism, where a nifty 50 comes up a bit short. Enter Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens ($1,199) that’s fast enough for reportage and long enough for portraiture.
Some photographers shy away from portraiture because they believe this form of photography requires a sophisticated studio with a lot of expensive lighting gear. But in this quick tutorial photographer Mark Wallace demonstrates how to make compelling portraits in a small room with just one light and a mirror.
Most of us occasionally shoot portraits at home, and in the absence of a real studio rely upon a white wall as the backdrop for our shots. For those on a budget, wouldn’t it be nice to do something more dramatic without spending money on a custom backdrop or fiddling around with Photoshop?