6 Amazing Tutorials That Will Give You the Perfect Eye Catch-Lights in Your Portraits I'm Rob, the editor of Light Stalking. I try to keep this ship on course. By Admin on in Photography Websites, Shooting There’s not too many people who would argue about the fact that striking catch lights in the eyes of your portrait subject really improve the overall look of a photographic portrait and especially the eyes of the subject. What Are Catch Lights? Just so we’re all on the same page, catch lights are the light source that causes a reflection in a person’s eyes. Here are a few examples of gorgeous catch light reflections in the eyes of some portrait subjects. Now that we have established what a catch light is (and how awesome it can look in a portrait), let’s look at the practicalities. These Tutorials Are Great for Learning How to Create Catch Lights While Shooting Five Things to Know About Photographic Catch Lights – This is an excellent introduction to the basics of shooting with catch lights in mind. The Art of Adding Catch Lights to Eyes in Post Production
The Looky Loo: A New Way To Make Kids Look At Your Camera If you are a photographer specializing in kids and baby photography, or if you’re just using your talents to shoot your own kids and family members, this product may interest you. Young kids have a very short attention span, and it’s not always easy to get them to look directly to your camera. The ‘Looky Loo‘ is a new product trying to solve this issue in a very simple way. Photographer Allison Carenza got tired of all the random and weird methods of trying to get the kids attention, like having a squeaky toy right next to the camera, or having someone do funny stuff right behind the camera. The product itself is fairly simple: 4 light modules that attach to any lens you own by a Velcro band. The price-point for the Looky Loo is between $149 and $199 for 1 set. Allison Carenza: “The story of the Looky Loo starts with my frustrations of having to manage a majority of “tools” to get the attention of children; squeaky dog toys, crazy faces, puppets, you name it I used it.
5 Tips for Noobs On How to Make the Most of Your New 50mm Lens Congratulations: you’ve moved up in the photo world. You’re past the kit lens and now you’ve got your hands on one of the most valued pieces of glass any photographer will ever want or have–the 50mm lens. On an APS-C sensor camera, you’ll get the equivalent of a portrait focal length; that is unless you go for something that will give the field of view of a 50mm instead. On a full frame camera, you’re bound to take full advantage of the 50mm field of view in all its glory. But now that you have the lens, how the heck do you take advantage of it? Don’t Get Caught Up in the Bokeh Trap Many people new to the photography world not only enjoy DSLRs and mirrorless cameras because of their larger sensor, but also because of the fact that they can then get what they often call, “The sharp image with the blurry background.” This, my friends, is called bokeh. You know that person on Instagram that overuses the tilt-shift setting. Don’t be that guy. Use a Flash Learn to Stop Down
Extremely Essential Camera Skills by Rob and Lauren Lim The fastest route to better quality photography isn’t buying a new and expensive camera with all the latest bells and whistles. It’s by mastering the one you have. They say that the best camera is the one that you have with you, and this eBook will teach you all the essential camera skills you’ll need to create amazing photographs with whatever camera you may have. Mastering the technical aspect of your camera may seem daunting at first, and the manual isn’t going to be of much help. All the numbers, buttons and symbols on the dial can be overwhelming, which is why eBooks like this can come in handy; it’s everything you need to know compiled in one place. No need to waste hours upon hours of precious time sorting through the mountain of information available to you. Extremely Essential Camera Skills is a downloadable multimedia tutorial which provides all the essential camera skills in an easy-to-read format. A Camera Course – Concentrated The Camera Skills You’ll Need Beginner?
On Working Within a Fixed Focal Length “What kind of glass are you using?” or some variant of that almost always follows the camera question when I talk with other photographers. There are some who would rather not talk about gear because it’s about the image, not the tool, but having been a reviewer for quite some time now, I’m just as interested in the means as I am about the ends. Upon receiving the X-E2, I worked for a time with the 18-55mm f2.8-4 kit lens, and while I found it to be the most refreshing take on a kit lens, I reached for the 35mm f1.4 more times than I did the kit. last minute love For my purposes on the streets of New York City, a 35mm lens on a crop sensor body is perfect. Working with in a set focal length forces you to get creative in how you work within and around the limitations of the lens. Working within focal limits also commands that you interact with your environment. a literary peep show Find the appropriate distance. Pick your focal length and go make some photographs.
Timeless Portrait Photography Tips by Wayne Radford TIMELESS PORTRAITS is a supplement to NATURAL LIGHT PORTRAITURE and contains more images of recommended setups and diagrams that will help you create natural light portraits. Aside from that, you’ll also be getting lots of valuable information on how Wayne Radford plans his portrait sessions. He doesn’t just show up at a shoot unprepared, but goes the extra mile such as planning the color schemes of everything from clothes to the interior of the subject’s home. One common mistake among photographers is how when they forget to match the theme to the background. Creating a timeless portrait does not mean creating an avant-garde fashion portrait or a vintage style portrait. Radford has written the ebook in a straightforward, easy-to-follow manner filled with charts, images and explanations to help you understand his tips better. If you’re a more experienced creative portrait photographer, this ebook might be just what you’re looking for in terms of fine-tuning your craftsmanship.
How to Use a Sound Trigger to Photograph Kids Photographers know that the two hardest living things to capture good pictures of are children and animals. Because they’re constantly active and moving, it can be quite a challenge to keep young children stationary long enough to focus your lens and snap a picture before they’re off and running toward the next shiny object they see. Inventor James Madelin created the ioShutter to combine the iPhone and a DSLR to create incredible time-lapse, stop-action, or single frame photos using your iPhone as the trigger. As an added bonus, Madelin created a feature in the ioShutter app that allows you to trigger the shutter through sound or movement. So, how does this invention make it easier to photograph kids? In this video, Madelin shows us how the ioShutter allows children to essentially take their own photos: How to Set Up a Simple Studio to Photograph Kids Madelin says it’s very easy to set up an impromptu, portable studio for a reasonable cost.
A Guide to Creating Mood in your Images Moody photographs, we all love them, but how can we take them ourselves? I guess first we need to know what mood means, it’s a pretty abstract concept after all. The dictionary defines it as “Inducing or suggestive of a particular feeling or state of mind” which would suggest that a moody photo is one that creates a feeling in the viewer. This can be easier said than done. So what do we need to do to add a feeling of mood to our images? Thinking About Lighting Well the best place to start is in the camera with the original shot. A Golden Hour Silhouette, perfect for setting a mood. Just after the second golden hour comes another wonderful time for creating moody images, the “Blue Hour”. You will need to work fast, the inky blueness of the sky does not last long, and getting the right exposure can be challenging. The Moody Blues. Car light trails in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Using the Environment as a Mood Modifier Another great mood enhancer for your photos is stormy weather.
DIY: Build A Video Camera Slider for $30 A recent tutorial online shows us how we’re able to take our video production with the use of a video slider. Often, camera sliders can cost hundreds of dollars, and can even break $1000 for a professional quality one. This latest tutorial shows you how you can make one in just an hour of time, and a mere $30 spent at your local Ikea. We’ve reviewed quite a few sliders here on Fstoppers – some costing well over $1000. But even if you buy a $100 slider, this DIY solution will get you up and running for well under a third of that, leaving you with enough leftover money for 30 cups of coffee or a new pair of jeans. I wouldn’t expect it to rival those constructed out of steel and with built in motors, but it should certainly help in a pinch. The components below are all you need to get started and were purchased at Ikea for $28.48. The image below shows the completed slider (on the right). If you’re into text instructions the maker of the video also made this Instructable. [Via PetaPixel]
At First I Thought These Were Classic 18th Century Paintings…Then I Took A Closer Look. Wow! Bill Gekas is an Australian photographer with a love for classic paintings. But last year Gekas took his love a bit farther and decided to recreate the classics through photography…using his gorgeous 5-year old daughter as the subject. And the outcome is, well, take a look for yourself… It’s not easy to get a small child to look natural in an 18th century scene… He uses props to create the aura of a simpler, more modest time… He must hunt for classic garments and have them fit perfectly for his daughter… Such an elegant 5-year old… Even stealing the show from the cat… And her wisdom and charm is evident… A perfect cast mate to a time long passed… With such striking eyes… That still show her youth… She plays the part perfectly… A true picture of beauty… Never to be forgotten… That is one ridiculously adorable child! Source