Continuing on with the shooting series, this week I want to discuss my favorite subject matter: portraits. Some may wonder why people are my favorite subject to shoot. Perhaps it’s because of their familiarity. Or it could be because they are so diverse (yet universally similar.) Whatever the reason, I love having them as subjects and want to share a couple tips with you! First you should identify what type of portrait you are going to take. Some different types are headshots, couples or groups, seniors, children, newborns, and the list goes on. I personally cater towards adults either looking for professional headshots, promotional images, or creative shoots. If you want tips on babies, children, or weddings, this may not be the article for you since those niches have specific challenges. Hopefully, I can share some universal tips with you that you may take with whatever your subject matter may be. Planning First you need to have a person in mind. Whether this is a paid shoot or not, planning some things ahead of time will make the whole shoot go smoother. Have your day, time, & location set ahead of time. If you are photographing a […]
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In continuation of my shooting series, this week I’d like to give a couple tips in regards to shooting motion. At some point, you may find yourself wanting to freeze or intentionally blur an action. Both tips will be dependent on setting your shutter speed properly, but are very easy to achieve once you get into the habit. So without further ado, let’s get in! Tip 1: Freezing Motion In order to freeze motion, you will need your shutter speed to be set very fast. But you can’t set it so high that not enough light will get in. So you have two options here: you can either put your camera in shutter priority mode and let the camera figure things out, or you can keep fiddling in manual mode until (with practice) you know what your best settings will be. The speed at which your subject is moving also plays a large role. For instance, you will need a faster shutter speed for someone who is running vs someone who is walking. (Think 1/1000th vs 1/100th.) Tip 2: Blurring Motion In order to blur motion, you will need your shutter speed to be set very […]
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Today I would like to address something that has seemingly fallen through the digital cracks of the internet: how to photograph print art work. We live in a majorly digital world, but there are still times when having a printed representation is required. Typically, these times will be interviews, reviews, or for commercial purposes. This is something that is essential to illustrators, graphic designers, & fine artists for their portfolios & if they run an e-commerce store. It is true that people could simply post digital versions, but if they were originally intended for print, photographing them like this will help show the context in which they were made. Another advantage is that the images can be used for both your online website & your physical portfolio book. I am most experienced with graphic design prints, but I hope these tips can help other types of artists as well. I apologize though for fellow photographers as these may not be applicable to your work, but if you have a friend that asks for your services for their portfolio, then perhaps these 6 considerations can help you. Have high quality prints. Aside from looking professional, a high quality […]
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