Portrait Photography How To

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in the Canon Explorers of Light and Canon Legends education program. This month's column is by Barbara Bordnick with easy tips for capturing great photos of friends and family this holiday season.

Experienced portrait photographers know that one key to a successful image is rendering skin tones in a manner that appears both natural and flattering. Dull pale skin is unappealing, as are overly saturated tones that can be ugly and unrealistic.

It’s not uncommon for photographers to avoid using a flash when shooting outdoors. Sometimes that’s because they prefer the look of ambient light images, while other times it’ a matter of not understanding how to properly employ supplemental light.

It's a simple consideration but one that's crucial for shooting attractive portraits. What is the right height to hold or position your camera?

Ricoh’s line of powerful full-featured pocket cameras has undergone an interesting and welcome transformation since the first GR Digital model was introduced back in 2006. There were three subsequent cameras, all with small sensors, with a bump in resolution from the first 8.1-megapixel version.

Here's a great idea to capture truly head-turning portraits if you have a willing model. In the below video, photographer Karl Taylor shows you how to create dynamic portraits by throwing (yes, throwing) paint on a model.

It‘s no secret that there’s been a dramatic shift from DSLR to mirrorless camera systems on the part of consumers and manufactures alike. But some photographers are hanging on to their trusty DSLRs for making certain types of images.