I used to wait to pick up my camera until I wanted to shoot, or until I had something to shoot, or until I had time. Let’s face it: there are days I just don’t want to pick up my camera. And some days, the desire is there, but the time is not. And then…
In regards to children’s photography, we are often advised to shoot at eye level. We are warned of all the dangers of shooting from above or below them. More specifically, shooting from above a child can make the subject appear weak, subservient and small. Alternatively, shooting from below can make an image seem angry, intimidating,…
As the one behind the camera, chances are, you aren’t in photos very often. But it can be so rewarding to actually be in the frame… to not just capture the memories, but to be in them, too. That is precisely why I decided to learn how to take a self portrait. I wanted to…
The next time you look at a portrait, take notice of the subject’s eyes. If the photographer has done a good job of lighting the subject, you will notice that the eyes are illuminated and have life in them. See those bright eyes? They sparkle. Those glimmers of light in a subject’s eyes are called…
A client questionnaire is a valuable tool to not only establish a good client relationship, but lead a great photography session. It reminds people you are not just a person with a camera, you are a business, have goals, and care about their needs/wants. Using a client questionnaire has helped me to get to know…
It seems like everyone has a camera these days. And with such a wealth of information on the internet, learning how to use it has never been easier! It’s a double-edged sword, because while we have droves of information and know-how at our very fingertips, this also means that an industry that used to require…
I really used to struggle when it came to taking pictures of my kiddos in their everyday environments when they were just playing or just hanging out being themselves. I had spent so much time learning, honing my craft, to take these perfect, clean, dreamy portraits. I had really lost my way about doing what…
It’s that time of year, photographers: Busy season is upon us. At one time, this season filled me with equal parts excitement and dread. Could I manage it all? What if I dropped the ball? How would I keep everything straight? I have a lot on my plate besides running my photography business. Sound familiar?…
We arrived to the wedding venue, and to put it briefly, we were quite underwhelmed. It was one of those locations full of tile from the 1990s, furniture to match, and a bridal room that doubled as a storage closet. Right away, we began racking our brains to find a way to make this work….
Have you seen the term “noise” thrown around and wondered what exactly it is? Or maybe you’ve noticed that some of your images aren’t as crisp and clear as you want them to be, and almost have a grainy appearance to them. Digital noise could be the reason. By understanding what noise is and how…
In the first portion of this blog series I discussed how to obtain correct exposure in your camera by following the guidelines of your integrated light meter on your DSLR. Today we will take the process one step further by metering isolated areas of your photo, and discussing the various metering modes. The previous metering…
At some point or another, if you own a nice camera and have at least minimal skill using it, the time will come (and probably more than once): Someone will ask you to work for free. Or maybe no one will ask you, but you’ll find yourself slow on work, worried about growing your business,…
Have you ever considered adding wedding photography to your current photography business? Do you love weddings but simply don’t have the time for the contracts, client meetings, post processing & logistics? Are you looking for a way to fill in your schedule gaps and make some additional income? Two years ago, I answered yes to…
When working in automatic mode on your DSLR, your camera will make the decision for you regarding what it thinks the correct exposure settings need to be by using its internal light meter. So, what exactly is light metering? Light metering is how your camera decides what your exposure settings should be based on the…
One of the most important factors in a good photo is lighting. You can have the perfect settings, great exposure, and even knockout composition, but if you don’t have good lighting, your image will fall flat. In this new series, Finding the Light, we are going to be talking about how to find and work…
One of the most important factors in a good photo is lighting. You can have the perfect settings, great exposure, and even knockout composition, but if you don’t have good lighting, your image will fall flat. In this new series, Finding the Light, we are going to be talking about how to find and work…