Portrait Photography - A Primer

Portrait photograpy is the art of capturing human faces in a number of situations and capturing a variety of emotions. The whole idea is to adequately capture the personality of the subject as well as their image. Portrait photography doesn't have to be restricted to the studio either, as many people wish their portraits to be shot on location or in their own homes as well as the the traditional studio setup. Plus, one less glamourous aspect of portrait photography is for pictures used on official documents such as passports and the like.

With portrait style photography, the emphasis is very much on the subject themselves rather than the backdrop, but this doesn't mean that you cannot be creative with the composition of each shot. After all, we've all seen those rigid, awkward portraits with cheap backgrounds where the subject is sat staring at the lens and wishing for it all to be over.

Creative portrait photography can capture so much more of a person's personality if you are able to have them acting naturally, interacting with the other people in the image or simply in a more relaxed state than the regular sort of pictures you see people having taken. One of the most important elements of portrait based photography is the lighting, which is something that you really can't skimp on when buying your photographic equipment.

Adequate lighting is the key to making your images look professional- it's not just about the camera! Aim for soft and off-camera lighting, and be sure that shadows are eliminated.

When shooting outdoors, be sure that you have an electronic flash and a reflector at hand in your portrait photography arsenal. Above all, portrait photography is the practice of capturing a moment in an individual's life, and once you have got their personality shining through, your work is much easier to do well.

Start a Photography Business in a Destination Location

Starting a photography business in a destination location can be one of the easiest ways to get off the ground for a new portrait photographer. People flock to vacation destinations all over the globe because of their unique beauty and breathtaking backdrops. Capitalizing on the built-in tourism draw of these destinations can make a profitable portrait business and pay huge dividends over the life of that business. A new niche in portrait photography is emerging as I write this article. Are you one of the few tapping into this brand new market?

As someone just starting your photography business in portrait photography, let me ask you a question to shed some light on this amazing marketing opportunity. If you had a choice of where to get your portraits taken, in your local portrait studio or in your vacation destination which would you choose?

Your local portrait studio is the same place all of your friends and family have had their pictures taken for years, sounds pretty boring to me, because frankly it is.

Your vacation destination is where you have wanted to go for some time. You have a picture of the vacation destination in your mind. Is your picture of white sand beach in Maui, sitting next to Mayan Ruins in Mexico, the bright red arches of Arches National Park in Utah, the green foliage of California wine country, the massive columns of Greek ruins in Greece? What I am getting at is, there are niche destination photography markets all over the world you can capitalize on.

People are going to have their photography done somewhere and it is not always in a stuffy portrait studio. If you start your photography business next to travelers favorite destinations, and you get your marketing just right, you can catch a steady stream of these happy vacationing customers with open wallets just waiting to spend. Vacationing customers are so happy when they find you, because often they had no idea it was even possible to get their photos taken in their dream destination.

I recommend getting some additional information from the front runners in this field before starting a photography business in your destination. You can waste a lot of money very quickly on advertising and you need to set up your web presence very specifically to get them booked in.

Digital Photography Lessons

Do you want to snap some unbelievable photographs? Would you like some digital photography lessons? Let's talk about composition! Thinking about composition, or how the picture is constructed, when taking the picture is a technique that will improve your photographs. How can you build a better photograph?

Composition has many facets like; angle, light, color, depth of field, location of the subject and many others. This list does not go into all of the different items that make up composition, but reveal a few to get you thinking. If you employ a few of these digital photography lessons, your photos will advance greatly.

Here are some of my favorite easy techniques to learn. These digital photography lessons have been the most effective at improving my skills.

Changing the Angle - If you are like I once was, you look into the view finder of the camera, the horizon is straight and "snap" you take the picture. I have to admit how drab my photos were. To increase interest in the photograph, tilt the camera about 45 degrees .

Leading Lines - You can improve your photos by pulling the viewer's eye into the photo. A simple way is employing leading lines. It could be something as simple as a railroad track or road. You could use the edge of a building, a fence or anything else that grabs the viewer's eye and pulls them in.

Reflection - Last week I was reflecting on past experiences...Oh, I am sure that you wouldn't like to hear me rant on about that, but why don't you think about this: One of the extremely useful digital photography lessons is to use a reflective surface to add dimension. You could take a photo utilizing a reflection in water, a mirror, a window or anything metallic and shiny. The most photographed object is called "The Bean" in Chicago.

Fill Flash - Flashing people in the daytime will help your pictures. Wait a minute, that didn't come out exactly like I meant it to. What I mean is one way to get rid of shadows during the day is to use your flash. This works very well with shadows on people's faces.

Incorporating these digital photography lessons when taking pictures can help tremendously. All of these have helped produce some incredible photographs and with practice, I am sure they will enhance your photos as well.

As shown above, Digital Photography Lessons can be simple and effective. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want see even more Digital Photography Lessons, I have many other articles that should interest you. The techniques in these articles will improve your photographic skills and help you create spectacular looking photographs.

Easy Digital Photography Basics

Learning digital photography can be simple. These digital photography basics can help your pictures and make them spectacular.

Color in a photo can be very powerful. It can be emotionally intoxicating. What do you feel when you look at a sunrise of pinks and purples? What about a deep blue sky with the American flag flying? It's amazing at conjuring up a lot of different emotions. Before taking a picture, think about what emotion you are trying to create. Warm colors, like reds and yellows will portray a completely different emotion than cooler colors like blues and greens.

Exactly like a room painted in a certain color, a photo can create an emotion. When you go into a space that is decorated in bright yellow, how do you feel? Is it a good feeling? When others view photographs, they can get the same emotions produced by the prominent colors.

Another way to look at color is the absence of it. Black and white pictures can create the same amount of emotions as any made up of color. Correspondingly, sepia tones can create feelings of times gone by. If you are trying to produce a "timeless" feeling in your photo, Black and white as well as sepia tone will do this.

Another one of the simple tools is to use light and shadows. If you want the viewer to "observe" an object or person in the photograph, bath them in brilliant light and have shadows throughout the remaining parts of the photograph. The light will pull the viewer's eye to the subject and anything in the shadows is just added dimension.

What if you want something hidden in the photo, so that the viewer has to really inspect it to identify the item? The object could be hiding in the shadows. The photograph could look sublime when first viewed, but then have something hiding in the shadows to create a contrast of the feeling in the picture.

As I have shown, digital photography basics can be as simple as selective use of light or color. I hope that you use these tips to create impressive photographs. Remember to always think about what emotions you want the viewer to feel and that will help you select the right color and light balance.

As shown above, Digital Photography Basics can be easy to learn. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to learn more Digital Photography Basics, I have many other articles that will interest you. The tricks in these articles will improve your photographic skills and help you create spectacular looking photographs.

Photography Tips to Start the Year

Most of the striking portraits in the internet are always those which bends or totally disregard the rules. As what Darren Rowse of DPS describes it "often the most striking portraits are those that break all the rules". I wonder how to pull this stunt in an actual photo contest and not only from anyone's perspective. Photo contests preserve the rules of photography and the judges are very particular in picking the winner to be a patriot of rules.

Anyways, I looked for my personal set of excellent tips, compiled and ranked them accordingly. Hopefully, these tips will help you out on taking magnificent photos and win photography contests. All the tips are intended to have a little uniqueness from the rules, not totally break them but just to get a whole new different aspect.

Rule of the Eye

The effect of the how the eyes of the subject is focused is incredible. I saw an entry from a previous photo competition that used a subject that is looking away from the lens. This way you can create a little sensation of intrigue and mystery added to the subject's emotion. What made her cry? What made him laugh? What did the kid see right over there? This technique can stimulate the mind of the viewer and develop some kind of connection.

Innovated Lightings

Lightings is another factor that could trigger striking portraits. "Side-lighting can create mood, back lighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful." - Darren Rowse. The slow sync flash and elements of randomness are two of the lighting techniques that could turn portraits into a winning photo competition entry.

Candid Shots

Shooting people while doing the things they love brings out the best of them. You will be surprised on how images will turn out if you shot candidly. Sometimes subjects don't look good while at pose, shooting candidly gives you wider variety and gives your subject more ease. The randomness that candid shots have may create a good impression for photo competitions.

Zoom in a Shot In A One Body Part

"Sometimes it's what is left out of an image that says more than what is included". This is true very true. In picture contests, focusing a shot in a certain body part plays the imagination of the viewer. This gives random thoughts and creates sensations to any that sees the portrait.

Burst Mode

Switch your camera into burst mode and make rapid shots at a time. This is a great technique for subjects that are constantly changing or to someone who's doing something that makes him move in quick successions. In picture contests, having a series of images rather than one static photo is unique and very amusing.

What to Remember When Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Selecting a wedding photographer is not quite the same as shopping for an outfit or even choosing your bridal bouquet. Unfortunately, you cannot see the pictures that you are paying for before you make a decision. For many brides-to-be, the deciding factor for choosing a photographer is price, which is not always a good idea, considering you have no second opportunities to capture your wedding.

The following are some basic guidelines designed to help you choose the wedding photographer that is right for you and your big day.

Recommendations

To begin, compile a list of several different photographers; gather names from friends and family that have referrals to share. Individuals who have had positive experiences and been pleased with their photographs are always more than happy to share the photographer's name with you. Inquire of friends that have recently gotten married to see if they were pleased with their wedding photographer.

Websites

Most photographers will have a website that you can consult, with galleries of their work posted. Carefully review the photos (not the actual website design) to get a feel for the style and abilities. Good, reputable photographers will often show full wedding albums online, from start to finish, to give you ideas and a sense of their work. Many will also have pricing information and available packages listed as well. Use the website as a frame of reference when you are considering photographers to contact and meet with.

Call

Once you have narrowed down the list, now is time to conduct initial phone interviews. This will enable you to get key pieces of information, such as their availability on the wedding day or what type of photography they specialize in (candid, traditional, etc.). You can also get a sense of their personality; are they outgoing, responsive, and friendly? Keep looking if they are not any of those things.

Meetings

Make appointments with each Utah photographer that sounds promising so you can discuss further details and see if they are a right fit for shooting your wedding. The meeting should include of course the bride and groom, but perhaps (if possible) the bride's parents or whoever is actually paying for the photographer's services. Take notes during the meeting to make sure you know all the details about the services and preferences of each photographer you meet with.

Photographing Gymnastics - 12 Helpful Tips For Getting Great Low Light Action Shots

Sports photography is certainly not something I specialize in, though I do love bringing my camera to sporting events like football, basketball, and baseball. When it comes to my children, they have a few hobbies that loosely fall into the category of sports: dance and gymnastics.

If you are not interested in cool wallpapers , then you have already missed a lot.

Both dance and gymnastics often have certain photographic challenges: low light, fast movement, and inability to move to ideal locations to shoot the photograph.

My daughter recently performed at her studio's recreation holiday show. It was fairly dark and there were not many spots for me to go capture images. Here are 12 tips for how I handled this situation and how you can too.

1. Shoot at a high ISO - shoot at the highest acceptable ISO for your camera. I was at ISO 3200-6400 on my Canon 5D MKII for these shots.
2. Use a fast focusing lens - I used my 50 1.2.
3. Shoot at a fairly wide open aperture. I shot most pictures at f 2.2-2.8 so I let more light in.
4. Use a fast shutter speed - gymnasts move fast. I varied speed, but primarily was at 1/500.
5. Use a flash to help stop action and light the subject. I used my 580ex (ceilings were too high so I aimed the flash directly at her versus bouncing)
6. Consider black and white if the color are harsh from the lighting and spotlights.
7. Consider staying with color when it sets the mood.
8. Embrace grain and noise. You cannot get noise-free image at this high an ISO, so use the noise to convey a feel to the images.
9. Try and capture feeling and emotion with the light.
10. Be flexible. Sometimes you may not get he angle you want or there may be a barrier (such as a person) blocking you. Do the best you can.
11. Be creative. Look for environment to enhance the image (for example the mirror showing a reflection).
12. Take a silhouette shot.