When I first bought my little Canon AE1 back in 1993 and started shooting, I couldn’t afford a flash.
I shot everything in natural light, and I think I made every mistake known to mankind, so for those who would like to learn from my mistakes, this one’s for you!!
… Continue reading Go Au Naturel: Shooting Portrait in Natural Light
Sunspots, they’re such an enigma. They’re huge right now. Everyone wants to see them in their photos, but they don’t want to have them on their wall…unless you do it right.
When I first started in photography, 20 years ago, there were Big Taboos, the Uncrossable Chasms that one never even considered crossing;
… Continue reading Shooting Sunspots or How to Get a Beautiful Lens Flare
This week, I had the opportunity to shoot photos for an adorable boutique clothing line called Bella and Gracies. Karen, the fabulous owner/designer had some super soft plush puppies that she wanted to show the world, so I lined up some of the most beautiful children known to mankind and we went to town. While I was shooting, I thought about some of the fabulous gifts that people had given to my girls, and how nice it was to have great shots of the girls with their gifts.
These tips can also be useful for those who want to take a picture of their children with the birthday or holiday toys that have been sent to them by family friends or relatives.
… Continue reading How to Photograph Your Baby with a Special Gift or Toy
I’ve noticed that a lot of articles on scouting locations focus on travel — we have a wonderful one on this website listing 100 amazing places to shoot. That is, however, not actionable advice for everyone. Some photographers can’t afford to travel regularly, some aren’t interested in it, and some simply focus on a different type of photography.
For that reason, I wanted to write an article about ways to find cool locations to shoot in your own town.
… Continue reading How To Source Locations For Portraits In Your Own Town
It might be the redheaded stepchild of photography, the gum under your shoe, the backwash left in the glass when you think you’re drinking champagne, but posing is one of the most important parts of any photograph.
I am not a traditional poser, so I’m not going to get into thumbs in or out of pockets, or serious or smiley, or even all looking at the camera or away from the camera discussion, although I do personally think that seven people all staring out into space is kind of 1970’s-esque spaced out druggy weird. Not that I have a strong opinion on that.
… Continue reading Mastering Family Portrait Part III: Posing Guide
Fall is still going strong here in North Eastern Ohio, so I grabbed a couple of my favorite models, the fun and fabulous Brooke, Chloe, Emily, Erica, Kelly, Lexi, Tenley and Zoe, and we Headed to the Hills… oh, right, it’s totally flat here…so we Headed to the Forest of Peninsula, Ohio one early, crisp fall morning.
We had everyone dress in black, grey and cream so that the drabness of their clothing would stand out amongst the brilliance of the fall colors, and so that they would form a cohesive look without being too matchy-matchy, which was very popular in the ‘90’s, but has now definitely fallen by the wayside in favor of everyone having their own personal style while still keeping the flow of the group.
… Continue reading Close-knit, Connected and Cohesive: Coming Together in Fall Colors
The world is filled with Red and Gold…Get out there and Shoot!!!
So, as many of you know, I have never actually lived in a place with true fall. I’m from Los Angeles, lived in Hawaii, both of which basically are perfect always, did an eight year stint in North Dakota, where it’s frigid for ten months, then there’s a brief stint of bee and mosquito season, then right back into frigid again, so when everyone would wax rhapsodic about “Going to see Fall Colors”, I was kind of nonplussed.
I mean, what’s the big deal about a few leaves turning colors anyway? Well, I was w-r-o-n-g, WRONG…The colors are SPECTACULAR!!!
… Continue reading Fall Foliage Photography Guide for Taking Better Autumn Photos
My experience has taught me that landscape photography is great for everyone who’s just starting out with photography because landscapes give you the chance to improve your photography skills without annoying a model or someone else. This is how I started with photography after all.
Ladscapes are also great for learning the basics of photography, since you have all the time you need. A mountain certainly won’t tell you to hurry up.
… Continue reading Elevate Your Landscape Photography Skills To The Next Level With These Easy Tips
I was hanging out in one of my blogging groups the other day, and people were discussing things they wanted to do to improve their photography. One thing that popped up a few times was switching to manual mode, and how daunting that seemed.
I am here to tell you that I thought the same thing until I actually went for it. Shooting in manual mode allows you access to a larger number of settings than automatic modes, so you can have fun adjusting all of them.
… Continue reading Shooting In Manual Mode: The Starter Kit [Infographic]
This week, when my fearless leader, Photodoto Head Honcho Nancy Young, asked me to write a story on shooting Halloween, I must admit that I kind of had a freak out attack. I’m just not a Halloween person. I mean, bobbing for apples? Totally unsanitary. Haunted houses? They’re SCARY.
But of course I take pictures of my children in their costumes…they cost too much for that single-use-two-hour- frenzy-in-the-dark-when-no-one-even-sees-their-costumes not to!!
… Continue reading Tips, Tricks and Treats for Your Halloween Photos
