One of the few mistakes that can totally ruin a photo is failing to achieve precise focus on the primary subject in a scene. There are a variety of camera settings and shooting techniques for increasing your odds of success, and today we’re going to concentrate on one of the most helpful.
Nothing spoils an otherwise great shot more than failing to achieve precise focus. You can compose a scene properly, nail exposure, and capture beautiful colors, but if the image is soft all is for naught.
(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 Denis Reggie with tips on how to successfully capture weddings like a news event.
When I was invited to create five lighting tips for this Exploring Light column, my initial thought was to avoid common lighting tips you’re familiar with and likely using now. Instead, I wanted to offer a few tips and techniques that have benefited me throughout my career while shooting portraits.
Capturing great portraits requires more than an attractive model, proper shooting techniques, and a nice location. That’s because all could be for naught unless you are adept at posing the subject.
Beautiful people make for beautiful photographs. While that statement may be up for debate, we can widely agree that the majority of people in the world are not runway models or celebrities gracing the pages of Vogue or People magazines. So, what are some ways photographers can create fabulous portraits of their subjects, even if they aren’t fashion models?
Chicago-based photographer and filmmaker Eric Flobeg has been shooting weddings for seven years and he’s learned a lot along the way. In the below video, Floberg shares some of his own tips and strategies for how to get started as a wedding photographer, along with tips and strategies he’s picked up from his colleagues in the wedding photography business.
Wedding photography is serious business. Anyone who’s ever shot a wedding or, more specifically, tried to make a living as a wedding photographer will undoubtedly know this.
If you think you’ve run out of ideas as a photographer, watch the below video from Light Club that presents one seemingly small but actually much bigger idea: shoot the dog.
As a wedding photographer/videographer you have to be ready for anything. The same can be said for a wedding couple as the scary video below captured by F&J Productions shows.
Sure, the passionate kiss and the classic theater marquee in this shot by wedding photographer Jason Groupp are romantic but what’s the deal with Anthony Bourdain? The popular chef and host of CNN’s Parts Unknown seems like a cool guy and all but why photograph this couple smooching in this particular spot?
According to Shutterbug reader Rico Leffanta, the Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a very popular site for wedding photographers because they can capture backgrounds that include “beautiful blue ocean waves or Magic Island [a man-made peninsula].” While Leffanta, who turned 78 in April, has seen a lot of weddings at the park, this one is rather memorable due to an uninvited guest.
For our annual discussion on the business of wedding photography, I spoke to three wedding photographers who are finding success in doing what they love. One of the keys to their success is that their marketing ideas and tips illustrate top-of-mind awareness, which helps keep them foremost in their clients’ minds.
The following is something people tell me when I suggest using a plug-in or specialized software for enhancing or retouching portraits: “But you can do that in Photoshop!” That’s because when it comes to software for wedding, portrait, and boudoir photographs, everyone has an opinion—sometimes a strong one—even if they’re wrong.
When it comes to great portrait and wedding photographers, California pro Bambi Cantrell is near the top of everyone’s list. In the tutorial below, she provides three powerful tips for making stunning photos of your own.