Portrait Tips

For professional photographers, cameras and lenses are tools of the trade—not baubles. When a particular system no longer fulfills their needs, they switch or fortify their arsenal by adding the brand that delivers. They don't always need the latest and greatest; in fact, an established, time-proven setup is often the preferable option. Equipment that is seldom used is a debit, not an asset.

Passionate amateurs have the same gear options and generally the same motivations. Furthermore, recent research from MPB, the largest online platform to buy, sell and trade used photo and video gear, reveals the US population is hoarding $650 billion worth of devices they don’t use. And bear in mind that older tech does not improve with age. It has a shelf life. It's fish, not canned green beans.

Creative photographers use special effects camera filters to produce unique images and videos that make us wonder, “How did they do that?” The Black Pro-Mist filter from Tiffen is a screw-in filter that delivers results that cannot be created consistently using any other method. The Tiffen Black Pro-Mist filter…

Here’s an opportunity you can’t refuse; a copy of Athentech’s popular Perfect Eyes software, as well as their Perfect Portraits eBook. And both are perfectly free until January 5.

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.

There are several approaches to photographing couples. As with all portraiture, you can pose the two people for a more-formal look. Or you can shoot a more-candid portrayal that will convey the strong relationship between them. For example, just watch through your viewfinder and click the shutter when you see a special look or gesture that passes between them. Whichever approach...

All Photos © Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Simple yet revealing, his portraits are direct and get right to the heart of the subject. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders prefers to strip away pretentiousness when portraying political figures, entertainers, artists, musicians and other intriguing personalities. His backdrops never distract from the subject, and he often uses a...

With Honda and Acura as major clients, having an automobile in his large cove studio is a frequent occurrence for photographer Jerry Garns. He's been shooting for American Honda Corporation since the late '80s, and his intricately lit detail shots of auto interiors and exteriors appear in the company's brochures, sales manuals, and on Acura's Website. And...