Check this very informative & simple to understand tutorial on how to create beautiful photo studio portraits with one light from Pro Photo Life.   Enjoy.

Check out this great posing tutorial by expertvillage,  a professional modeling agency. Simple is beautiful…

Be true to who you are -
Often we tend to focus exclusively on going after the money and there will be times when you will do things out of necessity for the money. But never forget to be true to your vision and who are ‘really’ are. Your customers will appreciate you more for it and you’ll feel better about yourself because you’re doing what you truly love.

Don’t waste time waiting to be perfect -
We all want to put out the best possible product and you should. But many of us suffer from perfection paralysis. We wait and wait and wait until we “feel” we are perfect. Notice I said ‘feel’ we are perfect, not until we “are” perfect. But remember this: Practice makes perfect. You should always strive to do your best but at some point you must release your vision out into the world. You can always tweak, adjust and perfect your business and then re-release it back into the world.

Don’t rely on your customers to dictate your worth
I practically ruined my business doing that, mainly because I didn’t feel confident in my abilities. I allowed my customers to dictate my worth. But remember it’s your business and you determine your worth. You should focus your energies on providing value and then follow through with excellent customer service. By doing that you will demonstrate your worth to your customer, but it starts with you making the decision to determine your value first.

Be open to new ideas -
Often we think that there is only ‘one’ way to do something, or we rely on things that worked in the past that now no longer work and we paralyze ourselves with fear and indecision about moving forward. The road toward becoming a successful entrepreneur is always about re-invention. How are you reinventing yourself and your business?

Have faith -
Faith really means having a belief in something when there is no evidence to support that belief. To be faithful really means believing in yourself, your ideas or even another person. Your faith will be especially tested when others don’t share in your belief or vision to have your own successful photography business.

Extracted from:  Profiting from Photography business – Roy Barker

The popularity of digital cameras continues to explode; however, easy and understandable tips for how to take better photographs continues to be elusive. Knowing how to pose subjects, use backgrounds, and compose shots certainly makes the difference!

Portrait is defined as, “A likeness of a person, especially one showing the face, that is created by a painter or photographer, for example.  ” In the area of portrait photography there are some guidelines that you should consider when you go to take photos of people.

CLOSE-UP PORTRAITS

These usually have the subject’s shoulders and head or less. They are framed around the face. These are the most common and best at capturing expressions and glamour shots.  For these it is very important to have the light coming from a good angle. To accent wrinkles or small details you should have the light coming from the side or from the top.

For close-up portraits you should use a wide aperture (low f/stop) to make the background out of focus and therefore less of a distraction. Professionals commonly use a fixed telephoto lens that’s 90 mm or higher for portraits in order to de-emphasize the subject’s nose or any other unflattering feature. It works because at that distance the nose or any other feature does not seem closer to the camera than the rest of the face.

UPPER BODY OR MIDRANGE PORTRAITS

These are easier to capture because the subject is probably more relaxed because it’s less personal. These include a little more of the background than close-ups. These are commonly used for both single subjects and multiple subjects. This is the kind of portrait used to mark occasions such as graduation, yearbook, birthdays and other parties. The ideal lens would be about a 90 mm fixed telephoto or more wide angle depending on how many subjects there are.

ENVIRONMENTAL PORTRAITS

These are the portraits that let you into the life of a subject. They might include the whole subject in a scenario or the subject participating in some hobby that they enjoy. These are best for telling a story to the viewer about the subject. They are almost always used by photojournalists to look into the lives of interesting people. They also make great Black and White pictures.

Use this information to develop what kind of portrait style you would like to take… Dare to explore … Be creative… Learn the art of painting with Light & FEEL it with your EYES !

Here are some  kids photos  shot at Pixels Studio @ 28 Nagore  Road.  Enjoy !

Photography is a very powerful medium. IMAGINE a WORLD without Pictures !
Excellent photos don’t only display some facts — they tell stories, awake feelings and manage to share with the audience the emotions a photographer experienced when clicking the shot button. That’s should be our goal & pursue !

To attain result , you need to find a perfect perspective and consider the perfect timing. Achieving brilliant photography needs practice and patience. However, it is worth it : the results can be truly stunning.Today ! If Black & White photographs are brought before you , you will most probably be tempted to ask ” Why Black & White when I can get colour ? “Beautiful black and white photography doesn’t attract with its play of colors. Here close attention to composition, lighting, perspective and the context it is shot in are important. So, let’s CHANGE our perspective of view, & explore the beautiful world in Black & White !
Read the rest of this entry »

Candid photography is best described by WIKIPEDIA as un-posed and unplanned, immediate and unobtrusive. This is in contrast to classic photography, which includes aspects such as carefully staged portrait photography, landscape photography or object photography. Candid photography catches moments of life from immersion in it.

Some photographers develop candid photography into an art form. Almost all successful photographers in the field of candid photography master the art of making people relax and feel at ease around the camera, they master the art of blending in at parties, of finding acceptance despite an obvious intrusive element – the camera.

It could be argued that candid photography is the purest form of photojournalism. There is a fine line between photojournalism and candid photography, a line that was blurred by photographers.

Photojournalism often sets out to tell a story in images, whereas candid photography simply captures people living an event.

What say you ? More importantly, ENJOY Capturing MOMENTS ! life is precious & great ! Live it !

Be anticipative ; Be fast ; Be emotional & of course, shoot with the RIGHT Tool !

Ashley playful

Ashlene in action

Sean in action

alethia cycling

Kudos to BOB Kahn for sharing enlightening video tips on Posing ! A PPA Master Wedding & Portrait Photographer.

Learn the most flattering angles of the face and body (poses) before you can really apply correct lighting techniques.

More info of his work, log unto : http://www.bobkahn.com/

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkpHKZxSdp8&hl=en]

Shooting children is one of the toughest shooting sessions possible. Whether you are a professional photographer, an amateur or just a father with a point and shoot, kids raise some of the more challenging aspect of photography.

They move fast, they don’t take modeling instructions, they touch your gear and create mayhem all around them. Hey even if you are not trying to photograph you sometimes just want to shoot them So, what can you do to take better pictures of children?

Compliments to DIY Photograph.net for sharing GREAT PRACTICAL TIPS on Children Photography !

DIY Photography.net also offers great tips & enlightening info on studio setups & photography !

Explore & enjoy ! Knowledge is Power !

Here are some photo collections of the growing stages of my children ( Blessed with 2 boys ; 2 girls )

Imagine a world without photos !

An enlightening Video Tutorial by SNAP FACTORY ( Host Mark Wallace )

SnapFactory is a full service photography studio in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mark Wallace is an Associate of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). He shoots corporate portraits, model portfolios, product, editorial, travel, and stock photography.

… Enjoy…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKzY4wMixQ&rel=1]

You can find two approaches to wedding photography that are recognized today:

Traditional and Photojournalistic.

Traditional wedding photography provides for more classically posed images.

Photojournalistic wedding photography takes its cue from editorial reporting styles and focuses more on candid and unposed images.

A third style that is becoming more and more in demand is a fashion-based approach. In contemporary/fashion-based wedding photography, photojournalistic images of the events of the day are combined with posed images that are inspired by editorial fashion photography as would be found in magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, and so forth.

Ultimately the true expert in our business is not ourselves, or our peers. The real expert is the client.

They open up their hearts and wallets and fork over hard earned cash for the memories we create for them.

Do they care if we use the biggest, best, strongest, fastest computers and software? OR care if it is shot on a JPEG or RAw Mode ? Of course not. When you get into your clients head and listen to the conversation that goes on these things are totally irrelevant.

Far more important to her, and to us, is the fundamentals of good photography. In a whirlwind of technological advances nothing seems to ever stay the same. Truth is, the fundamentals of good photography will never change.

That’s where is all starts. Master that and you have 99% of your digital photography challenges mastered.