Search results for: photography lighting importance of lighting in photography
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by John Harris · Posted
It would be foolish to claim that there is only one way to take a portrait, but there are some accepted norms and basic camera settings that you should understand if portraiture is to become your area of photographic interest. Remember though, as you walk down your creative path, that a portrait is more than a headshot, more than a beautiful photo of your subject; it is an opportunity to get to know someone, to have a visual conversation with a person, and to use your photographic skills to pass that understanding of the person on to the
by Cory Rice · Posted
Whether you are shooting a fashion editorial, a wedding reception, or anything in between, on- and off-camera lighting can make a huge difference outdoors. Natural light is wonderful, but there are scenarios in which you simply cannot run the risk of an unexpected cloud or rapidly setting sun ruining your shot. This article introduces the gear and accessories necessary to be prepared outdoors always, no matter what
by Emily Mandagie · Posted
"Alright, your time in flight will be approximately twelve minutes." Berty and I swallowed that weighted sentence and nervously nodded in response. Smiles were on the outside, but deep inside we were wondering how in the world we were going to make the most of those fleeting seconds in that helicopter and capture exactly what we wanted from the sky!
Aerial photography can be exciting and exhilarating. But it can also come with a lot of added challenges, such as time limits, weather conditions, and—let's be real—a large expense! (Flights aren't
by Jill Waterman · Posted
It has been said that all our knowledge begins with the senses. This is certainly the case for Martine Fougeron, who gave up a burgeoning fragrance-industry career as "the nose to the noses" to return to her roots—photography and family. What began as a personal challenge to reconnect with her creative life by photographing the inner world of her two sons and their teen tribe has blossomed into a long-term documentation of the in-between moments of daily life, from adolescence into adulthood.
Born in France, and brought up between Paris and
Posted
Making a name for itself with powerful, compact, and durable LED lights for video and action sports applications, Light & Motion is taking things up a notch with the Reflex and Reflex S—a new breed of LED fixture that supports ultra-fast flash as well as a highly capable continuous light. It also maintains a lot of
by Jill Waterman · Posted
Making pictures by night is a curious practice. While specialists of this subject embrace it as a deep-seated passion and have a never-ending quest for technical and creative advancement, those more familiar with daytime photography are often unaware that tried and true photography rules often need to be adapted or even overlooked at night. With this in mind, consider the following tips the next time you venture out in the darkness, to help you to adapt.
1. Take a Chance and Explore the Unknown
What’s my exposure time? This is the number one
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
The sun. Always on. Always overhead (of some part of the planet). Always free. Always a consideration for every photograph taken outside of a windowless studio or closet. The sun is nature’s free light source for photography and video. Regardless of whether you are making a landscape image, architectural photograph, portrait, macro shot, street photo, etc., sunlight, or the absence of sunlight, is a critical ingredient in the image.
Photographs © Todd Vorenkamp
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Thirty? Really? Thirty questions for every photo? The title of this article might make you think there’s a burdensome checklist that must be completed every time you release the camera’s shutter.
There is not.
However, if you want to take your photography to new dimensions, this list of questions—some dealing with the physical act of the photograph and some dealing with the inner thoughts behind the image—might be just what you need to get your head, feet, or camera in the right place, to help make a good photograph great or a great photograph
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Texture is one of those multi-sensory things that we can feel with our sense of touch and “feel” visually with our eyes. Because texture transcends the senses, we must account for it when we create photographs. Sometimes the goal is to accentuate a specific texture. Sometimes we wish to “smooth” the texture visually. How you light your subject has a lot to do with how you reveal, or hide, texture.
Photographs ©Todd Vorenkamp
by Jill Waterman · Posted
Jean Fruth is a diehard baseball fan. “Growing up in New York, with two great hometown teams, how could you not connect with the sport?” she asks. As a teen, she worked in a restaurant owned by serious Mets fans who had season tickets, “And they would take me to games,” she reminisces. “And my grandfather was a Mets fan, listening to games on the radio.”
Such formative influences foreshadow her ultimate path to becoming one of baseball’s preeminent photographers, yet it took many years of exploration for Fruth to put a plan into action. “My
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Welcome to B&H Sports Photography Week! Running June 1-3, 2021, across all of B&H's channels, will be loads of new content and events about how to capture the fast action of sports with your camera. You'll find inspiring presentations from top sports photographers who wield their long lenses and super-fast cameras to create incredible images of athletes and sports.
Find us on social media at #BHSportsPhotoWeek to share and spread the action with your fellow photographers!
To get more involved, tune into the live sessions that the B
by Jill Waterman · Posted
The In-Sight Photography Project has provided photographic instruction and camera gear to rural youth in and around Brattleboro, Vermont, since well before the dawn of digital, making it the Grande Dame of Youth Photography not-for-profits. The organization’s pay-what-you-can motto, paired with its four-tier payment system, encourages community support while also insuring that no student is turned away.
For this fourth story in our series, we spoke with In-Sight’s executive director, Victoria Heisler, and program director A. Hanus, about the
by Cory Rice · Posted
Like many photographers, I prefer being behind my camera to sitting in front of my computer. Any steps that I can take to minimize the amount of work needed in post, I make sure to incorporate into my shoots. One way that I do so is by choosing and lighting my backgrounds carefully. Evenly lit backgrounds have endless applications and are not hard to accomplish with the right tools and techniques. Here are some tips for getting consistent black, white, and color backgrounds straight out of camera.
For inky-black backdrops, choose a material
by Jill Waterman · Posted
In reflecting back on his long and varied career, photographer Lou Jones says, “In art, I think that you're pushed and pulled in a direction. And being a black artist, especially a black photographer, a lot of my decisions were based upon survival.”
To insure his survival over the past 50 years, the Boston-based Jones has mastered everything from corporate/industrial and advertising assignments to Olympic sports, photojournalism, and, perhaps most notably, self-assigned long-term projects. Starting from his earliest behind-the-scenes portraits
by Jill Waterman · Posted
With 215 episodes in the bank and dedicated listeners in countries that span the globe, over the past five years the B&H Photography Podcast has garnered more than three million downloads from B&H Photo’s Explora blog. Our intrepid team of John Harris, Allan Weitz, and Jason Tables spins up weekly episodes featuring a wide variety of insightful and entertaining guests. From gear and technique to history, science, and art, the