Powerful Influences
These days, it’s popular for artists to say they’re “inspired” by other artists rather than “influenced” by them. After all, being inspired by others to create allows the artist to maintain more of a claim to personal vision. But to say you were influenced is admitting someone else had a hand in rendering a part [...]
Real Photographers Only Shoot in Manual Mode?
I recently received a question from a reader asking about some advice I give in 100% Reliable Flash Photography. In the sections covering outdoor work, I suggest Aperture Priority Mode (Av) for most shooting situations. He wondered if I always shoot that way, my being a professional and all, since he’s read that “real photographers [...]
Another Approach to Boudoir: Tompkins’ Temporary Pass
Like any genre of commercial portraiture, Boudoir styles will vary slightly from shooter to shooter. Creative differences in lighting, sets/location, and posing, as well as the marketing image of the photographer, are the way clients make choices about whom they’ll hire. But, as it is with wedding clients, for example, most Boudoir clients are in [...]
Becoming a Better Photographer: Get a Personal Mentor, In an E-Book!
I was at B&H Photo the other day and as usual the place was packed with customers buying all sorts of goodies to add to their gear. There’s supposed to be a recession going on, I thought to myself. But we photographers will seem to invest enormous amounts of money into anything that we feel [...]
Classic Portraiture: Learning, and Unlearning, From The Masters
If you’ve read enough of the portrait lighting literature, you’re probably familiar with the classic lighting styles: Broad Lighting, Short Lighting, Butterfly/Beauty Lighting, and Rembrandt/Loop Lighting. Each of these styles has a purpose, or so they say, for achieving a pleasing or “corrective” effect on the subject. For example, Short Lighting is supposed to help [...]
Building Rapport with Models, and Clients
I recently received a request for feedback from a photographer who has been applying some of my lighting techniques to his portraiture. He explained that learning the techniques had finally given him the confidence he needed to work with a model for the first time. And while I was impressed with his use of the [...]
Anatomy of an Editorial Shoot
If you’re a long-time follower, you know I love to work with performing artists. Actors and dancers can be lots of fun. With musicians, it’s a mixed bag. Sometimes you get the really self-conscious, withdrawn, need-to-be-drunk for anything types. Other times, you get lucky. Here’s one where I considered myself fortunate. Follow That Bird were [...]
A Twist on Classic Portraiture
One of my favorite types of portraiture is the classic, timeless look. I love the idea of a single main light coming in from one side. Call it the 45/45, loop, closed-loop, Rembrandt, or whatever. Beautiful portrait lighting and an interesting subject can make for a fascinating image. But what happens when you take the [...]
Chris Masterson, Eleanor Whitmore @ 11th Street Bar
Eleanor Whitmore Chris Masterson Eleanor Whitmore, Ishaq Clayton Photo Notes: For the most part, lighting was static and rather minimal (ok, it was near dark). However, pushing my Canon 40D to ISO 1600, allowed me to get adequate exposures at f/1.8, 1/60 sec. on my Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM. The truth is, most of the [...]
Retouching Tools For Boudoir
Excerpt from my book, 10 Ways to Improve Your Boudoir Photography Now. Note that the images shown here are of a client in her 60′s where tasteful retouching was used to bring out the best, yet stay well within the boundaries of reality: A question that usually comes up early in consultations prior to a [...]
