Thursday, June 30, 2016

7 Of The Best Tips for Shooting Outdoors in Overcast Conditions

6:11:00 AM
7 Of The Best Tips for Shooting Outdoors in Overcast Conditions

Image by Larisa Koshkina

FREE DOWNLOAD BONUS: Check out the link below for a free Landscape Photography Cheat Sheet. Enhance your skills by learning and understanding key Landscape Photography elements to really let your images take off! Why not print it out and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand!? Download it here.

When we think of photography, it’s common to consider great light conditions that perfectly illuminate the setting with a beautiful, yet not overly harsh sunlight. The thing is that soft, low-light conditions are great when shooting outdoors, and in this article I will take you through some of the best tips I know!

Think of an overcast day as a huge soft-box that dims light down during every step you make. Encourage yourself to get outside when heavy clouds are graying your window. Almost any photograph, no matter the discipline you feel the most affinity for, can be enhanced with the rich soft light on overcast days.

Let’s talk a little about tones created by soft light before getting to the tips. When a scene reflects less light, it allows a camera’s sensor to capture more detail in bright and dark areas of the scene.

Imagine reality as a live print, with extreme richness in its tonal range. That’s why overcast light conditions are really appealing for photography.

This amazing light can be seen as a stop or two of magnificent exposure you get almost anywhere overcast weather is present. Let’s face it: colors look amazing in overcast conditions.

pexels-photo-105015

Image by Khaled Ashgr

Check out this awesome guide to “Learning Landscape Photography” with Photzy. Professional advice…Amazing Outcomes.
Get the Professional Secrets that Will Transform Your Landscape Photography from “Ho-Hum” to “Hot-Stuff”, Fast!

1. Learn About Weather And Clouds

Rain mostly happens when it’s overcast, but not all overcast means rain. When doing any outdoorsy job, it’s important to actually a thing or two about the weather.

Meteorology is a complete world that I happen to enjoy studying, so let’s talk about the basics. Thanks to the internet, almost anybody can get information about current weather thanks to technology and news feeds.

Cumulonimbus, commonly known as “rain clouds”, are the only ones that can really put you in trouble in terms of keeping your precious gear and yourself dry and warm.

The humidity can be felt by our senses, and the apocalyptic grayness of the cloud is a good indicator of a heavy storm approaching.

Here’s a simple post that illustrates all the types of clouds that can be found in regular skies. When you get a mixture of more than 2 or 3 types of clouds, you can achieve very interesting compositions showing texture in the sky.

Some helpful websites for weather information and sun schedules:

And if you’re a weather freak like me:

2. Keep Yourself And Your Gear Dry

There are two kinds of rain: the one that occurs while you’re still indoors, and the one that surprises you in the outdoors. I invite you to be brave (but not reckless) and get outside when the weather is rainy.

You can capture a complete world that’s often unseen. The only times I don’t encourage you to get outside is when it’s raining in an almost biblical way. There are many gadgets out there – like rain coats and specially designed cases –that keep your gear dry and safe. You also need clothes for rainy weather!

Sometimes I’m not inconspicuous at all, and carry a huge bag with lenses and stuff. I always carry a black trash bag with me so I can stuff the whole thing inside the bag.

This little trick has allowed me to go to extremely soggy places (like Iguaçu Falls) without damaging my precious gear – including the tripod, which can get rusty and messy due when the grease of the legs mixes with the rain. This trick is so cheap that it’s sinful not to always use it when you do outdoor photography.

H9EYZ0QND6

Image by Sabeel Ahammed

3. Walk Around With A Portable Camera You Can Shoot With Under An Umbrella

Again, be aware of the weather.

If the rain is merely a soft mist, you can walk the streets with your camera in hand covered by a simple umbrella. If you own a compact camera, or even inconspicuous / light lenses for your DSLR, you can walk around the city with an umbrella, no problem.

Your gear will be dry, and so will you.

Image by Israel Sundseth

Image by Israel Sundseth

4. Use A Tripod For Silky Clouds

Overcast weather may bring medium to strong winds, and this could be advantageous. Long exposures work really well with water and clouds. Use a sturdy tripod when doing this, because wind is strong enough to move a camera. (Trust me, I’ve seen some accidents.)

5. Use Filters To Enhance Dramatic Skies

Whitey clouds or light-gray clouds are boring. Try to enhance the dramatic presence of clouds with a graduated or ND filter or a circular polarizer.

FREE DOWNLOAD FOR ALL READERS! Check out the link below for a free Landscape Photography Cheat Sheet. Enhance your skills by learning and understanding key Landscape Photography elements to really let your images take off! Why not print it out and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand!? Download it here.

6. Take Advantage Of Light And Colors

I assure you that colors do look better under soft light, than under the harsh bright sun. Remember to use complementary colors too. Overcast skies and light give a more neutral color base to work with than the yellows and blues of a clear-sky day.

umbrella-1031328_1920

Image by Unsplash

 7. Use Of Reflections In Overcast Conditions

The rain has passed, and the ponds are your friends. Try to capture different points of view of the urban world by taking advantage of beautiful reflections.

TMULMQLOPW

Image by Veeterzy

Here’s An Extra Tip For You

You don’t need to shoot the rain from inside the rain. You can sit near a window at your favorite cafe, or even the still window of a cab, and capture the outdoor rain world while you’re safe and dry inside your comfy bubble.

Recently I was looking at a Steve McCurry TED Talk in which he was talking about a photograph he took in India. He shot a lot of pictures in heavy rain situations, like “Gateway to India”, which he shot for his essay “Monsoon”.

McCurry captured the shot from inside a taxi, shooting through a window. The picture is amazing: he truly captured the whole story of the Indian Monsoon in one shot.

CHECK THIS FREE CONTENT OUT: Click the link below for a free Landscape Photography Cheat Sheet. Enhance your skills by learning and understanding key Landscape Photography elements to really let your images take off! Why not print it out and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand!? Download it here.

You might want to consider also having a look at this awesome guide to “Learning Landscape Photography” with Photzy.
Get the Professional Secrets that Will Transform Your Landscape Photography from “Ho-Hum” to “Hot-Stuff”, Fast!

Further Resources

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Frederico is a professional photographer from El Salvador. Check out his work at 1x or Behance.

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Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Fun pool session w/@yoruichi_infinity_gof yesterday. _ Stay tuned for more to come from this #4thofJuly themed shoot. 'Merica! 🇺🇸 _ #IgPodium_Portraits #pursuitofportraits #ShotSoSensual #Sensual_Ladies #sacramentoca #SacramentoPhotographer _ 🌎http://ift.tt/1LW7xnO Capture today, relive it tomorrow. _ LiveEvents | Promotional | Beauty | FineArt _ #TimeTrapPhotography | #TimeTrap_Portraits

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Have Nothing To Photograph? Abstract Photography Is Literally Everywhere…

2:00:00 PM
-Have Nothing To Photograph- Abstract Photography Is Literally Everywhere-

Image by LEEROY Agency

FREE BONUS: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

Realism in photography is a natural thing. Digital photography allows us to capture the scene in front of us in startling realism, creating beautiful engaging images. There is a form of realism that some of us miss out on though, abstract.

An abstract photograph is one that is based in reality but by only giving the viewer a suggestion of that reality rather than the whole thing, we can create amazing, creative images using nothing but shapes, colors and texture. Shooting “abstract” photography can teach us much about the relationship of light and shade, combinations of color and how shapes interact together.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images, this guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

Why Shoot Abstract?

First and foremost it helps out creativity. Rather than trying to creatively represent reality, we need to look closer and deeper at our subjects. It makes us slow down and rather than look for the obvious, look for details within the subject, for interesting light patterns and textures. We can take a massive subject and shoot just the tiniest details.

Abstracts challenge our creativity and the imagination of the viewers of our photos. They also make for wonderful print subjects, perhaps spurring us give our images a more physical presence.

Lets take a little individual look at the three main elements that we can use in an abstract image.

Abstracts challenge our imagination. By Colin Knowles

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images. This guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

The Importance Of Shape In Abstract Photography

Shape is the primary element of an abstract image. It can be the details in a beautiful spiral staircase or the angular might of brutalist architecture. The shape does not even have to have a physical presence, it could be ripples of light reflecting in the water of a lake.

You can create abstracts with similar shapes to give a pleasing look to the eye, or use very different shapes such as a sharp angle and curves to jar the eye and provoke thought.

Use the shapes as part of your composition, position them on thirds, use them as leading lines or even to create negative space. Shapes are the building blocks of your abstract composition.

Even brutalist architecture can be abstract. mini malist

Color’s Influence On Creating The Image

Color is what glues the building blocks of shapes together. It is used to delineate the shapes, add contrast to the image and draw the eye into and around the scene. We can use complimentary colors to give a feeling of peace and tranquility or use contrasting colors to create an edgy feel.

We can use the saturation of color to give a mood to our abstract image depending on the ambient light. Soft overcast light gives us a muted calm feel, whilst bright light will saturate colors and add energy and joy to an abstract shot.

Color and shapes combine to make an interesting abstract. By Mathias Appel

FREE DOWNLOAD: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

How To Add Texture

With texture, we can also add light and shade as the two work together. Texture adds definition to our shapes and contrast to our colors. We can manipulate the way the texture looks by changing the position and angle of the camera or if using artificial light, the position of the light source.

Light at a narrow-angle to the texture will give a deep, three-dimensional feel to that texture whilst with a high angle, the textures become flatter and harsher looking. Texture does not have to be small, it can be the look of hundreds of identical seats in a stadium, or the cobbles in an old street.

Textures also make for great abstract images. By eflon

Light and shade are what define not only our textures but our shapes too. We can create a harsh angular abstract using the shadows cast on the joints of a brutalist building, or a soft pleasing image of ripples of wet sand on a beach, low light making the shadows of the curves seem long and soft.

The beauty of abstract images is that they are all around us. You can find abstract in the everyday mundane, in poor weather, indoors and out. You can shoot close details or isolate parts of a much bigger object.

You don’t need to travel anywhere to get great abstract, even inside your own home there are abstract images just waiting to be shot.

Next time you are out with your camera, as well as looking at the bigger picture, take a look at those details and start capturing some abstracts. You will soon find yourself thinking in a different, more creative way.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images. This guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

Further Resources

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Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. His images have been licensed to companies such as Cunard, Ethiad and Virgin Atlantic as well as multiple newspapers and magazines. As well as shooting stills he is now creating travel stock video in 4K. He maintains a travel stock photography site at Jason Row Photography You can also catch up with him on Facebook at Facebook/TheOdessaFiles
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3 Ways To Deal With Distracting Backgrounds in Your Photographs

8:08:00 AM
3 Ways To Deal With Distracting Backgrounds

Image by Adina Voicu

FREE DOWNLOAD: Giving your Portrait Photography a real boost is right in your grasp, so start now by downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out and take it with you so you always have the basics just when you need them – like when shooting! Download it here.

In today’s helpful article, we’re discussing ways to deal with distracting backgrounds, because let’s face it not everyone is in a position to set up a working portrait studio in their home. Of course, there are all sorts of “hacks,” workarounds and budget-friendly options available to the aspiring portrait photographer who is struggling with the limitations of too little real estate or not enough money.

I imagine it’s a scenario that plays out quite often: you take inventory of your gear and realize you don’t have two really important pieces — off-camera flash and a backdrop of some kind (muslin, seamless paper, etc.).

So you resort to what you deem to be the next best option — take your portraiture outdoors.

If you’re looking to really expand your photography skills and/or portfolio we’ve got it covered: “The Creativity Catalog” – a stunning Guide designed for you to explore your passion further and get outta that rut which ALL photographers can find themselves in from time to time! “Dramatically Improve your Creative Output with the Fun and Challenging Assignments”

It’s a perfectly logical and feasible option that can really open up creative potential for your portraits, but outdoor portraiture also has the potential to foil some of those lofty ideas you may have originally held, especially when it comes to getting good backgrounds.

If you’ve taken up outdoor portraiture and have found yourself struggling to achieve non-distracting backgrounds, you’ll be happy to know that the solutions to your frustration are super simple and won’t cost you a dime.

1. Micromanage the Background

When you decide to shoot in the great outdoors you kind of have to take what you’re given – and sometimes, particularly in urban environments, what you have to work with is less than ideal.

Your job as a portrait photographer is to work the scene, not to let the scene work you. This means paying attention to detail; virtually any scene you encounter will have the potential to work for you. All you need to do is break the environment down to its very best elements.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a building facade, a tree or a graffiti covered wall; there’s always a small area of potential. Locate that area of potential, position your subject accordingly and get your shot.

2. Blur Out the Background

Shooting wide open refers to taking a shot with your lens set to its largest (widest) aperture. This, in turn, creates shallow depth of field — you can keep your subject’s face in focus while blurring out the background. There are, however, a couple of points you will want to keep in mind in order to get the best results from this method.

It may not be possible to use your lens wide open in a bright outdoor setting without severely overexposing the shot. If you can’t get your shutter speed high enough to get a proper exposure, you can use a neutral density filter to help decrease the amount of light entering the lens.

Be sure to place your subject a good distance from the background; if there isn’t sufficient space between your subject and the background you won’t really see any blur.

You can further help maximize background blur by using a longer focal length, which will take better advantage of the compression effect. An 85mm focal length will produce more compression than a 50mm focal length; 200mm is even better.

FREE BONUS: Enhance your Portrait Photography quicker by learning the skills and techniques whilst with your camera. Start now by downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out and take it with you so you always have the basics just when you need them – like when shooting! Download it here.

3. Blow Out the Background

A third practical but creative way to handle a distracting background is to overexpose it a bit. It’s easy to accomplish. Position your subject in front of a well-lit background (something as simple as a white wall can work wonders) and meter for the subject’s face (use spot metering if your camera has it).

The end result will be a blown out background with your subject being the center of attention. A quick reminder: make sure you don’t meter for the background or you’ll end up with a silhouette.

The Creativity Catalog” – it’s a stunning Guide designed for you to explore your passion further and get outta that rut which ALL photographers can find themselves in from time to time! “Dramatically Improve your Creative Output with the Fun and Challenging Assignments”

My Final Thoughts

Some photographers prefer to do their portraits outdoors; others resort to working outdoors due to financial or space constraints.

No matter what might compel you to take up outdoor portraiture, you must be aware that you are going to encounter challenging environments; you may save money on traditional studio equipment but you’re going to have to expend some time and effort overcoming cluttered/unsightly backgrounds.

Fortunately, it’s not a terribly difficult thing to do. While the ideas presented above represent specific solutions, the overriding point is to use the environment to your advantage – use light, shadows, angles and even less-than-perfect backgrounds in a creative manner.

And after you’ve captured your shot, apply that same creativity in post-processing; some resourceful cropping can be especially helpful for improving busy backgrounds.

FREE BONUS DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE: Enhance your Portrait Photography quicker by learning the skills and techniques whilst with your camera. Start now by downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out and take it with you so you always have the basics just when you need them – like when shooting! Download it here.

Further Resources

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Profile photo of Jason D. Little
Jason Little is a photographer (shooting macros, portraits, candids, and the occasional landscape), writer, and music lover. You can see Jason’s photography on Flickr, his Website or his Blog.
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Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Have Nothing To Photograph? Abstract Photography Is Literally Everywhere…

6:35:00 AM
-Have Nothing To Photograph- Abstract Photography Is Literally Everywhere-

Image by LEEROY Agency

FREE BONUS: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

Realism in photography is a natural thing. Digital photography allows us to capture the scene in front of us in startling realism, creating beautiful engaging images. There is a form of realism that some of us miss out on though, abstract.

An abstract photograph is one that is based in reality but by only giving the viewer a suggestion of that reality rather than the whole thing, we can create amazing, creative images using nothing but shapes, colors and texture. Shooting “abstract” photography can teach us much about the relationship of light and shade, combinations of color and how shapes interact together.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images, this guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

Why Shoot Abstract?

First and foremost it helps out creativity. Rather than trying to creatively represent reality, we need to look closer and deeper at our subjects. It makes us slow down and rather than look for the obvious, look for details within the subject, for interesting light patterns and textures. We can take a massive subject and shoot just the tiniest details.

Abstracts challenge our creativity and the imagination of the viewers of our photos. They also make for wonderful print subjects, perhaps spurring us give our images a more physical presence.

Lets take a little individual look at the three main elements that we can use in an abstract image.

Abstracts challenge our imagination. By Colin Knowles

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images. This guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

The Importance Of Shape In Abstract Photography

Shape is the primary element of an abstract image. It can be the details in a beautiful spiral staircase or the angular might of brutalist architecture. The shape does not even have to have a physical presence, it could be ripples of light reflecting in the water of a lake.

You can create abstracts with similar shapes to give a pleasing look to the eye, or use very different shapes such as a sharp angle and curves to jar the eye and provoke thought.

Use the shapes as part of your composition, position them on thirds, use them as leading lines or even to create negative space. Shapes are the building blocks of your abstract composition.

Even brutalist architecture can be abstract. mini malist

Color’s Influence On Creating The Image

Color is what glues the building blocks of shapes together. It is used to delineate the shapes, add contrast to the image and draw the eye into and around the scene. We can use complimentary colors to give a feeling of peace and tranquility or use contrasting colors to create an edgy feel.

We can use the saturation of color to give a mood to our abstract image depending on the ambient light. Soft overcast light gives us a muted calm feel, whilst bright light will saturate colors and add energy and joy to an abstract shot.

Color and shapes combine to make an interesting abstract. By Mathias Appel

FREE DOWNLOAD: Want to make your sunsets abstract with that creative edge, then download our free Sunset Photography Cheat Sheet. Learn the essentials of exposure, color & composition – that way, you’re all set! Download it here.

How To Add Texture

With texture, we can also add light and shade as the two work together. Texture adds definition to our shapes and contrast to our colors. We can manipulate the way the texture looks by changing the position and angle of the camera or if using artificial light, the position of the light source.

Light at a narrow-angle to the texture will give a deep, three-dimensional feel to that texture whilst with a high angle, the textures become flatter and harsher looking. Texture does not have to be small, it can be the look of hundreds of identical seats in a stadium, or the cobbles in an old street.

Textures also make for great abstract images. By eflon

Light and shade are what define not only our textures but our shapes too. We can create a harsh angular abstract using the shadows cast on the joints of a brutalist building, or a soft pleasing image of ripples of wet sand on a beach, low light making the shadows of the curves seem long and soft.

The beauty of abstract images is that they are all around us. You can find abstract in the everyday mundane, in poor weather, indoors and out. You can shoot close details or isolate parts of a much bigger object.

You don’t need to travel anywhere to get great abstract, even inside your own home there are abstract images just waiting to be shot.

Next time you are out with your camera, as well as looking at the bigger picture, take a look at those details and start capturing some abstracts. You will soon find yourself thinking in a different, more creative way.

Understanding Light is one of the fundamental keys to producing stunning abstract images. This guide suitably titled “Understanding Light” will ensure you can take the skills learned from the pros and insert that into your own workflow.

Further Resources

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Profile photo of Jason Row
Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. His images have been licensed to companies such as Cunard, Ethiad and Virgin Atlantic as well as multiple newspapers and magazines. As well as shooting stills he is now creating travel stock video in 4K. He maintains a travel stock photography site at Jason Row Photography You can also catch up with him on Facebook at Facebook/TheOdessaFiles
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Time Trap Photography is dedicated to freezing those special moments in life that can be revisited and admired for generations to come.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Common Mistakes Made By Models

10:58:00 AM
Common Mistakes Made By Models

Image by Lando

FREE BONUS: If you want to take your portraits to the next level, then download our free Sharp Eyes Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand when you need it – when shooting! Download it here.

Modelling…In A Nutshell

Being a model is far from an easy job and today we’re going to look at some of the most common mistakes made by models or misconceptions that models make, from a photographer’s point of view.

Even though to the rest of the world it basically looks like “just be pretty and stand in front of the camera” kind of job, it is far more than that. Just as for the rest of the world, photographers are usually just seen as “point the camera and press the button, the $3000 camera does the job itself anyway” too, so there are misconceptions on both sides.

Many people are overconfident and think that good looks will make them models instantly. That is a misconception as well. Beauty (even though subjective) is mere 20% of the modeling job. A good model should work in unison with the photographer and vice versa.

There is no hierarchy there. It is like tango; the photographer takes the lead, but it takes two to dance.

Portrait photography is a genre in itself and so it requires an understanding to achieve the results that you’re really after. That’s where this GuideThe Art Of Portrait Photography” comes in. Here’s your chance to produce your own inspiring, memorable images that convey real meaning and emotion.

When Models Overcompensate

It happens to beginner models, it happens to experienced models. There is basically no running away from it. When the photographer or any other person responsible for the looks of the model points that out to you (the model), you need to be able to correct it. That’s the trick.
Gina by Natalia Fadejeva on 500px.com

Photo by Natalia Fadejeva

The problem is, when somebody tells you that you are overcompensating a certain feature in your gait, pose, or anything along those lines, it is hard to picture it.

This is where experience and self-awareness come to play, plus mirrors. It is good to write down the remarks you get after a shoot or set and have them reflected upon when you start practising again. You’ll get better and better that way.

FREE DOWNLOAD: If you want to take your portraits to the next level, then download our free Sharp Eyes Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand when you need it – when shooting! Download it here.

Not Having Enough Practice

Models need practice. Just as actors do.

Modeling requires knowing your body much better than any other normal person. Practising for some time each day gives you enough experience and body control to do your job. As with any other profession.

Take a look at some behind the scenes videos from high-end shoots, and see how the models behave and what poses they often strike, and practise some of those. You don’t have to copy them, but when you are able to do a variety of poses, it is easy to mix and match between those in order to create something unique.

tess rose by Luca Iafrate on 500px.com

Photo by Luca Iafrate

Lack Of Body Control

As mentioned before, the model needs to have complete control of the body. You might think that “yes, I can move my limbs, I guess it qualifies as having complete body control”, but no, that is basically enough to get you from point A to point B and do your normal daily tasks.

Complete Body Control means:

  • Being aware of the facial expressions you are making,
  • Making slight changes to them,
  • Being able to hold still in weird poses,
  • And avoiding involuntary muscle movements. Basically, acting/dancing classes or practical experience helps quite a lot in this area.

Ebony portrait beauty #2 by Mr.G. Photoimaging on 500px.com

Photo by Mr. G. Photoimaging

Possessing A Lack Of Character

Being just like everybody else probably won’t land you tons of jobs. Being unique however will prove to be better. Not having character, basically blending in with the crowd keeps you in the mediocre range.

It is decent enough but hardly something that most photographers/magazines would want. Develop your own character, offer something that the others won’t be able to do. You don’t have to go to extremes, but then again, if it’s too subtle it won’t be as impactful.

The last cigarette by Matteo Kutufa on 500px.com

Photo by Matteo Kutufa

Not Being Professional Enough

The final “mistake” made by many models, centers around any other profession in that it requires “professionalism”. Simple as that.

When you are on a set, you are there for just that. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, they stay at home, unless they are part of the job. Additionally, as mentioned before, the model works in unison with the photographer, along with the crew responsible for the general scene.

That means being able to work with the makeup artist, hair dresser, clothes designer, and so forth. You can make suggestions from time to time, but basically making demands or declining is quite rude.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: If you want to take your portraits to the next level, then download our free Sharp Eyes Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like and take it with you so you always have the essentials on hand when you need it – when shooting! Download it here.

Summary

Modeling, as any other job requires devotion, skill, and experience. Do your research, practice as much as possible, and be professional – always. There is nothing better than a model that knows what they are doing, which is efficient and creative.

The better the job is done, the better the final result will be. Better pictures = better feedback. Good feedback means more work, and that is the way to success.

But, before you head off, check this out,
Portrait photography being a genre in itself requires an understanding to achieve the results that you’re really after. That’s where this GuideThe Art Of Portrait Photography” comes in. Here’s your chance to produce your own inspiring, memorable images that convey real meaning and emotion. Click on the link to see more!

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Photographer who loves challenging and experimental photography and is not afraid to share the knowledge about it.
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5 Things Not To Forget When Planning For Black And White Photographs

10:58:00 AM
-5 Things Not To Forget When Planning For Black And White Photographs-

Image by Claudia

FREE BONUS: Combine your knowledge of Portrait Photography with Black & White by firstly downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like, just so you’ve got it handy. Download it here.

A (Very Brief) History Of Black & White Photography

Black and White photography has a longer tradition than color, and we could have a long and endless debate about which one is the best. But the prime goal of this article is to talk about certain elements you must consider when working in monochrome.

We can trace black and white as a tool for artistic expression way back to the first uses of ink (between 6,000 to 5,000 years ago). It has been with us since that time. Today, some people feel that its qualities are more suited for fine art, but that’s a topic for another day.

But it’s true that black and white can render reality in a different way than we normally see it. Thanks to digital technology, we can stop figuring out whether to shoot color or monochrome and decide later, once we have our precious information-filled RAW files.

Let’s talk about the elements you need to remember when dealing with black and white photographs.

Want to learn the art of creating beautiful Black & White photographs? Check out this awesome guide by professional photographer Kent DuFault “Better Black And White” – How to Produce Your Own Dynamic and Share-Worthy B&W Images, Without Spending Money on Fancy Plugins or Presets.

Using Contrast For Black & White Photography

Achieving higher levels of contrast without producing strange effects on the image is more doable in black and white photography than it is with color. Try it. You’ll mathematically see in the numbers of Lightroom sliders that you can go further with monochrome without getting odd results.

Contrast should be done through color channels when converting to black and white. This is because as soon as you convert a RAW file into monochromatic media, the colors become tones.

Then you can play with the generous eight channels of color that the RAW file captures (red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, blue, purple and magenta) to achieve a richer level of contrast.

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Image by Benjamin Balazs

Since the days of film, black and white photography has been lenient to those who are sloppy when developing negatives. You could achieve great-looking contrast even though the chemicals weren’t at the temperature the film required. You still ended up with great results.

That was definitely not the case with color film. You had to be hugely aware of the chemical temperatures; precision was extremely important.

This characteristic is still present today, even though we’re dealing with information and not chemicals. By contrasting an image via tonality, you’ll get amazing results. You can say farewell to flat monochromatic images and achieve striking contrast thanks to the tonal range of colors produced by a proper monochrome conversion of your RAW files.

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Image by StockSnap

Color Subtraction

When color photography arrived on the photography scene, it was both welcomed and despised. It was welcomed thanks to its closer depiction of reality. The hate came because it’s normal to prefer old, familiar methods.

Modern camera sensors are outstandingly accurate when capturing true color. Some brands have a slighter difference in their built-in white balance response, and this is a key criterion for some photographers when they choose one camera brand or another.

The best way to plan for black and white photography is to shoot true RAW, without any conversion, so you can end up with a pure file that has greater possibilities than one that is processed in the camera. Some people like to shoot using the monochromatic setting that cameras have installed in their firmware. I don’t recommend this.

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Image by Anja

Shoot color first, and decide later whether you want the image to be color or black and white. When its color is subtracted, an image achieves a very interesting quality. The lack of color helps people focus their attention on the image’s message.

I live in a Latin-American country and colorful scenes are almost everywhere – but in my opinion, I find that certain colors don’t “get along” very well and that a huge amount of color can a distract the viewer (even though there are certain scenes I would rather develop in color than in monochrome).

Thanks to the RAW format, you can go from color to black and white without losing information. On the other hand, if you shoot a monochrome jpeg, you won’t be able to do this after the image is captured.

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Image by Karen Arnold

DOWNLOAD THIS FOR FREE: Combine your knowledge of Portrait Photography with Black & White by firstly downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like, just so you’ve got it handy. Download it here.

Reading The Structure Of Photographs

Certain images have strong character, thanks to their structure. They have a predominance of lines and shapes, highlighted by contrast. These effects are enhanced in black and white because the distractions of color is removed, which forces the viewer’s attention to the edges of the structure.

This can even become more defined with the control over RAW files that many photographic software suites include in their workflow.

Nuance and Tonality Nuance refers to the vast gamut of hues possessed by a certain color. The way we interpret color is strongly related to the message of an image, and there is a whole theory of color in psychology.

We can achieve precise contrast by taking advantage of these qualities of color. Tonal range is very strongly related to exposure, specifically to highlights and shadows. By playing with tones, you can achieve everything from a very natural look to a strong HDR effect.

So Black & White photographs are your thing? Why not check out this awesome guide by professional photographer Kent DuFault “Better Black And White” – How to Produce Your Own Dynamic and Share-Worthy B&W Images, Without Spending Money on Fancy Plugins or Presets.

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Image by 1138601 (anonymous)

It’s Also About Your Interpretation

Interpretation refers to the image’s message and is created through local adjustments as part of the final steps in the black-and-white photography workflow.

Some scenes have a strong accent on a specific portion of the frame. You need to interpret the image while developing it to detect these subtle accents and use local adjustments to enhance their character to the desired level.

For example, you may have a picture whose bottom half has certain elements you want to emphasize. This portion of the scene will require a different development process that can be quite pretty different than that used for the overall scene.

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Image by Godric’s Hollow

Here’s An Extra Trick For Creating Monochrome Images

There is a little fella called the Wratten 90 filter, which is on my wish list. This is a filter not intended for rendering special effects on the film or sensor, but to give a true representation of what your eyes would see if the world was black and white.

This could greatly help a photographer develop the ability to see with “true” eyes, in black and white, which normally is virtually impossible. You can only predict what this world looks like. But, using this tool, you can obtain this marvelous ability.

IT’S FREE TO DOWNLOAD: Combine your knowledge of Portrait Photography with Black & White by firstly downloading our free Portrait Photography Cheat Sheet. Print it out if you like, just so you’ve got it handy. Download it here.

If you’re looking to really take your Black & White photography to the next level, you’d be crazy not to consider this awesome guide by professional photographer Kent DuFault “Better Black And White“. – How to Produce Your Own Dynamic and Share-Worthy B&W Images, Without Spending Money on Fancy Plugins or Presets.

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Frederico is a professional photographer from El Salvador. Check out his work at 1x or Behance.

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