Lighting How To

One of the things that most budding photographers forget to focus on is light. When we are beginning our photography journey there are many things to be learned. We have to learn how to use our camera, understand the exposure triangle, master camera settings and composition to name but a few.

As people move through different stages of their life, photographic records of these events are the mainstay of the portrait photographer’s business model. The idea of hiring a professional photographer to capture life’s important moments will never be completely replaced by relying on family or friends to “just take a picture.” 

We’re all familiar with the notion that the camera adds 10 pounds to people in our photos. Rather than debating the veracity of that claim, we’d thought we’d share the following video from SLR Lounge, describing a simple lighting technique for making portrait subjects appear thinner.

The flash bracket has become the “forgotten accessory” in photography but it’s still an essential tool if you’re looking to achieve consistent studio-quality lighting on the fly.

Posing a model properly can make or break portrait photos, especially when using a single flash to light the images. In the video below, you’ll learn eight simple poses for achieving attractive results.

My flights in helicopters, small planes, and hot-air balloons are often provided by clients as part of my assignments; if I’m shooting for stock, I’ll pick up the hire fee. Aerial tours are widely available to tourists and photo enthusiasts alike, and there’s certainly no limit to spectacular locations you can photograph from above.

Hi everybody! I’m very excited to be launching a new Q&A column here in Shutterbug—a magazine I’ve been reading, and been a fan of, for so many years—so it’s truly an honor to be here with you. I invite you to send in your questions to editorial@shutterbug.com, and I’ll do my best to answer them in Ask a Pro. OK, let’s jump right to it.