TFP stands for Time for Prints (sometimes also referred to as Trade for Prints or Time for portfolio). In the world of photography, TFP represents a collaborative arrangement between a photographer and a model. Here’s what it entails: Definition TFP involves a mutual exchange where the photographer agrees to provide [...]
Read MorePractice safe portraiture Hearing about the death of someone while taking photos is always heartbreaking for me. Recently, A Singaporean tourist, Nur Aisyah Binte MD Akbar (39), tragically died after falling off a cliff while taking a photo with her husband. The tragedy occurred at Minnewaska State Park near Rochester, [...]
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I lurk (and participate) in a lot of internet forums on photography, and one recurring topic I see is that image critiques are not useful after the shoot has been done. This sentiment seems to be especially common from newer photographers. Let’s face it, the internet can be a terrible place, and no matter how good you are at something […]
Teaching yourself to be critical of your work can improve the quality of your work immensely. I often use a failed attempt at an image here to illustrate my workflow and mindset when choosing images for social media or an exhibition. Let’s talk about it.. I often see photographers using the “machine gun” approach when taking a photo, they […]
Are you one of those photographers who have difficulty selecting the one iconic image from a set of good shots? Have you ever taken a portrait, and liked the look on the models face but you missed focus on the eyes and decided to show it anyway? If you have problems identifying flaws in your work, then this article can […]
First, let me say this article is written from the perspective of a photographer (that’s me), but the information contained herein can certainly be applied to either side of the image creating relationship. When a model cancels on your shoot, it can be frustrating, but understanding the process, and your actions that led you to that flaked session can make […]
The vignette in photographic terms is characterized as the loss of brightness around the edge of a photograph. A vignette was often considered an undesirable effect in photography, as it historically highlighted the limitations of a lens. Programs like Adobe Lightroom come preloaded with profiles for most available lenses and easily counter the darkening effect in software. Vignettes have changed […]
If you are new here, let me catch you up… I’m almost completely blind (yes, really), and a guide dog user. For ages I worked in the videogames industry creating games for Atari, Accolade and Mattel Toys, until a career-ending car accident left me with 5% low functioning vision in one eye. I can see highlight and shadow but lose […]
I have noticed a trend with many photographers when sharing their images on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Depending on the forum you are posting to, you may include some technical information on the image or maybe just a catchy title. All too often however, photographers just post the image and move on – leaving the viewer to […]
There are more videos and articles comparing battery powered flashes than you can shake a stick at. Anyone researching a portable lighting setup will undoubtedly look at the strobe offerings from Profoto (B10, B1X) and Godox (AD200, AD600PRO etc.) but once you have that shiny new strobe unit, you are going to need to pony up for some light modifiers. […]
As a photographer, do you often look at your work and think it isn’t good enough to show? Do you look at your work and compare it to the images you see in National Geographic or on 500px and think “my work will never be that good”? Being your own worst critic to the point where you don’t feel like […]
I actively participate in many online photography forums, and I have noticed after years you start to see patterns of behavior and the same kinds of people in every forum. Learning how to deal with critiques and comments – both positive and negative can help you grow as a photographer and artist. While this article is geared towards the photographer, […]
2019 is here and it’s a time for me to reflect on some of the events of 2018. Before I go any further though, I want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate everyone in my life. I may not say it often, but I the time I spend with my friends and family mean more to […]
This week we explore how objects between and around your flash affect your images. You may have heard of terms like cookie, flag and gobo when referring to lighting, what the heck are these things and will using them benefit your images? Lets talk about it… Cookies Cookies are an object which is placed in front of your light source […]
By numerous reader request, in this week’s Troubleshooting your photography we discuss portraits with Christmas lights. Controlling your ambient light and flash exposure to get Christmas lights that pop while keeping a proper exposure on your subject can be confusing. Let’s talk about it… Using a strobe, whether on-camera or off to light your subject is a straightforward process, but […]
Today I continue my weekly series helping you to Troubleshoot your Photography. This series is geared towards beginning and intermediate photographers, but old grizzled photographers (yours truly included) may also find useful tidbits in these musings. Are you new to photography and finding that people on social media are not liking your images as much as you expected them to? […]
Have you ever sent off your photos to the local pharmacy or the big box store, only to get back a box full of prints that are way too dark? Do you wonder why your prints do not match what you see on your computer monitor? Did you get an awesome new photo printer for a gift, and all your […]
Welcome to part two of a new weekly series called Troubleshooting your Photography. This series is geared towards beginning and intermediate photographers, but old grizzled photographers (yours truly included) may also find useful tidbits in these musings. I’m publishing new articles each Tuesday. Are you new to photography and finding that people on social media are not liking your images […]
Today I start a new weekly series called Troubleshooting your Photography. This series is geared towards beginning and intermediate photographers, but old grizzled photographers (yours truly included) may also find useful tidbits in these musings. Watch for new articles each Tuesday. Are you new to photography and finding that people on social media are not liking your images as much […]
I formally started my Landscapes of the Body project seven years ago. At that time, I had years of experience shooting people places and things under my belt, and had a decent portfolio of well-exposed and composed images.I also had a vision (albeit cloudy) of what I wanted my project to be. I knew I wanted abstract images of the […]
When I first began my interest in photography, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to shoot, so I created images of flowers, the ocean, people and any number of things I found interesting. It wasn’t until I took some formal photo training that I was given assignments to shoot a specific subject for a time. One assignment I remember was […]
Most beginning and intermediate photographers (and some professionals as well) believe that placing a garish watermark on a photo before you share it online will effectively copyright that image and prevent unauthorized use. This could not be farther from the truth, in fact, it is incredibly simple to remove a watermark as illustrated by this article from The Verge, which […]