Portrait Photography How To

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.

(Editor’s Note: Exploring Light is a monthly Shutterbug column featuring tips, tricks, and photo advice from professional photographers in Canon’s Explorer’s of Light education program. This month's column is by Gregory Heisler on his approach to creating an environmental portrait. 

What makes a great portrait versus a boring snapshot? Sometimes you need to have the eye of a pro to take your portraits to the next level.

Have your model strike the right pose, and your photo shoot could be a success. Have them strike the wrong one and it could end up a disaster. Nowhere is this more important thaen in boudoir and swimwear photography where appealing posing is critical.

You've likely heard a million times that you should forget about Jpegs and always shoot in the Raw file format. But is this really true? According to this tutorial from the Photography Explained YouTube channel, the answer isn't is clear or definitive as you've been led to believe.

Motion blur is a very popular technique in which slow shutter speeds are used to give photos a sense of movement, and appropriate subjects span the gamut from flowing water, clouds blowing across the sky, and even action shots of athletes. This effect can be achieved in the camera or during post processing.

This may be the first time we’ve invoked the laws of physics in a phography tutorial. But fear not, because the "Inverse Square Law" is a simple concept, at least as it pertains to photography, and it can have a big impact on your images.