Portrait Photography How To

The Luminosity Mask is a versatile image-editing tool, enabling you to make selective tone-based adjustments to specific portions of an image. In other words, you can modify highlights, shadows, or midtones in one area without affecting other parts of a photograph.

When it comes to portraiture, “posing is everything.” So says pro Justin Laurens who regrettably neglected this consideration when first getting started. He admits he was initially confused by how to pose models, and considered this important skill “trivial.”

One unfortunate mistake we see regularly is bumping up saturation in an attempt to make photos “POP,” with a heavy-handed approach that gives the shot an ugly, unrealistic appearance and actually ruins the image.

You’ve probably noticed there’s been a trend for editing portraits lately that favors a bright, high key look. While there is some visual appeal to processing portraits this way since it gives them an eye-catching, ethereal color palette there are some trade-offs to this method.

You may not consider yourself a portrait photographer, but trust us: Sooner or later you’ll be asked to work some magic with family members or friends. And it’s likely your “model” will be just as inexperienced as you are.

When you're just getting started in photography, shooting portraits can be both fun and intimidating. It's fun because you can get your friends and family to act as models and just start shooting away. It can be intimidating though because you're liable to make a few mistakes that could make your subjects look less than their best.

Now that temperatures are rising, it’s time to head to the shore for a day of portrait photography before beaches get crowded later in the season. In the video below you’ll learn several quick tips for making captivating images with a unique look.