Environmental portraits show people in their place and their habitat. The environment sets the mood and the place of the story, and a single look at the photograph can tell you what the story is...
https://photofocus.com/photography/powerful-environmental-portraits-need-3-things/
When you buy a fast lens with a bright aperture, like f/1.8, you go crazy making photos with a super-shallow depth of field. You photograph flowers where only one stamen is in focus, and you sho...
https://photofocus.com/photography/what-is-focus-stacking-2/
When you photograph what you know and know what you photograph, you make connections with your clients, earn their respect and produce better images. I truly enjoy chocolate. My grandmother make...
https://photofocus.com/photography/shoot-what-you-know-know-what-you-shoot/
At weddings, you shoot portraits as quickly as possible so that your couples can spend as much time with their families as possible. I was an assistant shooter at this wedding with Lisa Robinson...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-if-you-know-your-tools-you-can-relax/
I hate to break it to you, but making pictures of one person is easy. It’s level one, beginner, easy-cheese. When you add another person, it becomes a lot harder — much more than twice as ha...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-how-to-pose-couples/
Holiday lights are so cool. If the tree didn’t dry out and start dropping needles, I think I’d petition my wife to leave them set up all year. They just give such a terrific mood. It’s bec...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-build-a-scene-with-lume-cubes-holiday-lights/
Ya know, if my back wasn’t seized in pain from shoveling snow, it would have been a great day to make portraits in the snow ;) A fresh blanket of white has a lot to offer a portraitist like yo...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-reminders-about-taking-photos-in-snow/
Holy cow, it’s the holidays. Yeah, crept right up on me. With family and friends getting together, you could have a golden opportunity to make terrific portraits. If you don’t blow it. Anoth...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-holiday-portraits/
When you make a portrait, your aim should be for maximum impact. Emotion, lighting, and movement all lend impact to a picture, but the way you frame the photo also makes a huge difference. the c...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-crop-the-top/
Photographing fireworks is one of the most fun things you can do on the Fourth of July — but it’s also a great way to ruin your family’s fun. While everyone is trying to enjoy the show, yo...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-sparkler-portraits/
How do you know someone is a photographer? They only wear black clothing, of course. The stereotypical garb of photographers is a stereotype for a reason, and we’ll get to that. Fortunately, b...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-what-was-i-wearing/
While most photographers rely on autofocus (even the pros), sometimes autofocus isn’t the right tool. You may find yourself needing to use manual focus. Perhaps your camera keeps latching onto...
https://photofocus.com/photography/when-to-use-manual-focus-on-your-camera/
The lens you choose to make a picture strongly affects how the subject will look. When people jokingly ask if you’re using the “skinny lens,” they’re not far from the mark. Zoom lens If ...
https://photofocus.com/photography/choose-the-right-lens-to-make-flattering-portraits/
No matter what kind of photographer you are, a tripod can make your pictures better. The trouble is, there are hundreds of tripods available and there are dozens of features on each. Many of the...
I often see photographers misusing an important piece of gear, and it’s one of the simplest tools in your bag. Many lenses come with a lens hood, and right now I’ll show you why you have it ...
I recently photographed the junior rowers in my rowing club, and I wanted to make sure that I made a great portrait for the team. There’s one simple thing I did that makes it easier to make a ...
https://photofocus.com/photography/one-tip-for-gorgeous-group-portraits/
For photographers, a great portfolio shows your work at its best. If you’re a professional, it’ll get you hired, and if you’re a hobbyist, it’ll let you share with more people. Either wa...
https://photofocus.com/photography/technique-tutorials/dos-and-donts-to-build-a-great-portfolio/
LEDs are holiday lights that are a little bit different to photograph than the old type of lighting. There is nothing like using holiday lights to set the mood for a photograph. When you see tho...
https://photofocus.com/photography/how-do-you-photograph-led-holiday-lights/
Wanna have some fun this winter? Go photograph kids sledding. When your subjects are having fun, you’re sure to have fun, too. It’s a great excuse to get out and make pictures and keep your ...
https://photofocus.com/photography/how-to-photograph-sledding-comprehensive/
A time-lapse is a fun way to record those Thanksgiving memories beyond the usual images. Murphy’s Law has a special addendum just for photographers: “Anything interesting that can happen wil...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-make-a-thanksgiving-time-lapse/
When people play in the snow they always have fun. It often ends in tears, but there’s always a lot of fun along the way, which means it’s a great time to make pictures. But photographing pe...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-how-to-photograph-people-on-snow/
Working with a makeup artist (MUA) for the first time is a memorable experience. I used to think an MUA just put makeup on people, but that’s like saying a photographer just takes pictures. A ...
https://photofocus.com/photography/three-excellent-reasons-you-need-an-mua/
Halloween is one of the most fun holidays there is. Kids dress up in crazy costumes and consume more sugar than is good for them, and people all over decorate their houses to welcome the madnes...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-have-fun-with-halloween/
If you’re like most photographers, using a flash to make portraits is intimidating. Using available light is so simple that most photographers never dive into the world of using flash to ligh...
https://photofocus.com/photography/how-to-balance-flash-natural-light/
The first thing you should do when you start to make a landscape photo is to ask yourself, “What do I like about this picture?” The answer will guide you when you make the picture with the c...
This is a wonderful time of year. It’s like the trees are throwing a big party for having survived another year, and they’re all wearing their best. Everyone joins in — the weather is plea...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-pretty-leaves-dont-make-a-good-portrait/
I’ve done lots of close-up and macro photography in my career, and I’ve tried many methods to get better results. We know that focusing close to a subject is one of the ways to make a very s...
https://photofocus.com/photography/are-you-nuts-you-cant-use-af-c-for-macro-photography/
In this special Photofocus webinar, Levi Sim sits down with Heather Larkin to discuss everything from photography to working with kids and editing workflows. Heather talks about the benefits of A...
https://photofocus.com/webinars/believing-in-magic-with-heather-larkin/
I’ve heard Joe McNally say, “If you want more interesting pictures, stand in front of more interesting stuff.” I’ve also heard it said, “If you want to make better pictures, become a b...
https://photofocus.com/photography/portrait-tips-practice-the-3-bes/
Whenever you photograph still life or product, using a soft backlight is a good place to start and car interiors are simply well-composed still-life arrangements. Try this technique for a simple...
https://photofocus.com/photography/technique-tutorials/one-light-setup-for-car-interiors/