There are different types of promotions you may find yourself asked to shoot. A business could want to show their new menu item, a performer could want some shots of them on stage, or a perfume brand just released a new scent. Basically these images are shot with the purpose of having the audience respond in some way. They should be inspired to visit the place, try the product, browse the website, call the number, donate the money, etc. So all the photography you see used in advertising would be promotional photography. Here are a few pointers to think about when you tackle this subject. Client Is this a single person or a whole company? Learn as much as you can about the client before and during the initial meeting. Questions are your best friend! You need to know what the project is, exactly what they’re looking for, the time frame, deliverables, & payment. During this meeting you should bring your contract so it can be signed as well. Style More often than not, you will not be able to use the full extent of your style. The client will want what most appeals to their […]
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For this month I wanted to try my hand at a more minimal composition. I chose “Unusual angle” as the prompt and found that looking at objects in a different way really encourages my creativity. This is an overview (slightly angled) of a ping pong table. I really enjoy how the top of the net contrasts from the dark table with its bold white color. I also enjoy the subtle mid-line that is further up on the image itself. Try to shoot more than the typical “eye-level” shot of your subject. Getting up really high or low or angling yourself differently can really change the photos you make. May the light be with you. Follow
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It’s easy to fall into the thought that 1 of something is “limiting” or “not enough” when that simply isn’t the case. You can achieve many different looks with only 1 light and possibly the addition of a reflector. Here are 5 setups to give you some ideas for your own shoots. Sunlight is one major light source, but I won’t be talking about it today. Check out this post to learn more about the different ways to use natural light. The type of light I’ll be using is a small LED on a light stand. You may try these techniques with other artificial light sources as well. Check out my softbox & flash posts for even more tips. Center Front The most basic and probably instinctual way to light a subject. Place your light right in the center of your subject, typically above your camera. This produces an even light and diminishes all shadows on their face. Side Front The most common way to light a subject (even in multiple lighting setups.) Place your light slightly above your subject to mimic our natural view. Side This can provide very dramatic results. Because only one side […]
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Richard Avedon Even non-photographers know him. His classic work helped inspire me in my other passion; fashion. Vivian Maier The fact that she had her passion aside from her profession is really interesting. I bet because she didn’t have the pressure of others critiquing her work, she felt even more freedom when shooting. Philippe Halsman He was able to capture not only classical headshots of celebrities, he planned fun, surrealist shoots as well. Claude Cahun She identified as what we would call “gender neutral/fluid” today, and helped stir the pot in terms of gender norms. I love that she used her work to show the world who she was, despite living in a rigid society. Edward S. Curtis His niche was in the amazing culture of Native Americans & was able to shoot them in a time where they were still a marginalized group in the country. May the light be with you. Follow
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This may contradict my why finding your niche is important post, but I’ve realized over the years there is a definite benefit to variety. Shooting things you don’t usually shoot results in the following benefits: Practice The age old saying “practice makes perfect” rings true. Though no one should be striving for that unreachable precipice, we can all strive to be better than we were before. Whether that improvement is in technical skill or conceptual prowess, we can gain some good from extra shooting. Volunteer Sometimes there are projects or organizations that really speak to you. What if instead of donating money, you donate your time & skill? A few photos of their work in the community that they could post online or put on a sign could really help bring awareness to their cause. Remember I love to travel. On every trip, I never leave home without my camera. I of course snap a few with my phone, but even the most advanced ones to date don’t offer the versatility & performance that my DSLR does. I love going to a new place and capturing a different culture. Instead of clamoring by all the stores […]
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Another year, another challenge. I’m going to continue to modify Lindsay Adler’s 52 week challenge because there are still prompts in it that intrigue me. With that said, I am making a change though. Instead of doing random shoots based off of various challenges, I’m going to shoot all of these with the intention of adding them to 1 cohesive series. My hope for the end of the year is to have enough content to feature the work in a gallery for the first time. Just another thing to cross off the bucket list. 🙂 The series title is “Chiaroscuro” which literally means light & dark, but is broadly defined as using light & shadow to define 3 dimensional objects in space. I wanted to focus on other aspects of design such as line, texture, & shape and not rely on color like I do for most of my work. Though I appreciate the timelessness of pure black & white, I’m not so much a fan of how overused it is. I decided to apply a burgundy color overlay on the images, which gives them a sepia-esque quality that I love even more. Another tenant […]
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Types: 1) Standard (with seamless white background) This is great for selling or providing space to write different descriptions on parts of the product. Some tips: instead of trying to get the whitest of white backgrounds in camera, just knock it out in post. It’s so much quicker & more consistent removing the background when you edit it. Also, because the product is taking center stage, it needs to look pristine. Retouch any lint, fuzz, or imperfections. 2) Flat on an interesting background This provides a more lifestyle approach to the product. The background can vary, but it should always match your branding. Sticking with 1-3 that you can change out depending on the color of the product will be the simplest way to have variety. 3) Being worn/used This is my personal favorite way to see a product, especially clothes & accessories. Use yourself, or find models to really show the item in action. It helps prospective customers to have context to where the product will be used. It will also make them more likely to buy. I hope these three tips on displaying your products help! May the light be with you. […]
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Woop here it is. If you’re looking for a 50mm lens that delivers and doesn’t cost an arm, leg, & a spleen, the Canon 50mm 1.4 is it. I decided on a whim to get this a few months after getting the nifty fifty. My excuse was this could be on my 5d mark IV and the nifty could be on my T3i. Looking back, I should have definitely bought this instead of the nifty, because the quality is noticeable for not much of a price difference. Pros – Great in low light – Compact – Nice image quality Cons – Sometimes hard to focus – Is extra if you already have the nifty fifty That extra stop really does help if you find yourself with less light. Its size isn’t much bigger than the nifty, so I usually keep this on my camera body for convenience. And as mentioned earlier, the image quality is excellent for the price (noticeably from the nifty too.) Depending on if the subject is low contrast or not, this lens occasionally has a hard time keeping focus. Because this is only 1 stop different and 3 times the price, […]
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Sometimes our favorite activity becomes less than fun and dwells in the “chore” category. This especially applies to people who do that particular activity for work on a daily basis. I’m not sure about you, but when the days are short and full of more darkness than light, I feel less motivated to actually do my craft. Photography becomes something that I do on occasion when I have to, not a daily task I enjoy. It isn’t always easy getting out of a photo rut, but here are a few tips that might helpfully inspire you if you’re going through it as well. Write about it You don’t necessarily have to blog, but journaling about different issues in your life can help you determine what really is preventing you from shooting. Each time you feel uninspired or bothered by the photographic process, stop for a moment and write down why. Try to be as detailed as possible, it could be a recent interaction or stress is really bogging you down and you’re transferring that negativity onto your photography. Look for inspiration Whether online or in photobooks, try and find something that speaks to you. Sometimes, a great […]
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I don’t know about you, but it felt like this year flew by. It seems that the older we get, our perception of time feels faster and faster. Although I won’t be able to share every detail, I will be able to look back at all those posts as a kind of journal of the year. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the process, there were ups and downs for sure. Here are some specific things I noticed: Found a flow about a third of the way in and really caught up on posts. Just over halfway I felt a bit bored with it. Didn’t feel challenged because of being so on top of my schedule. Was disappointed when subjects had to reschedule/cancel for my shoots so had to settle just to post for a challenge. (Or miss like in November because I had no back up plan.) Enjoyed focusing more on writing. Felt like I didn’t have enough images for a “photo blog.” Appreciated when people in real life told me they found my tips helpful. I’m glad I finally decided to consistently blog. Because of the planning beforehand and picking […]
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