fotodirt 2.0

Article by Wendy Addams

Pictures of human emotions can be very striking and powerful. Emotion is something everyone can relate to, and when you capture that perfect expression, the viewers of your photos can be impacted in a big way.

The best facial expression photos happen when the person you are photographing is genuinely feeling that emotion. Sure, it’s easy to fake an emotion, and the picture will turn out decently, but when your subject is feeling the emotion and is really experiencing it your photos will turn out better. Try taking a self-portrait when you are genuinely sad. Now try taking a picture again when you’re not really sad, but pretending to be. You will see the difference.

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Article by Andrew Goodall

Landscape photography is a most rewarding pastime, but it can be far more challenging than some people imagine.

It sounds so easy: Visit a beautiful location, shoot a few snapshots, and come home with a work of art in your camera. After dealing with the public for over 20 years, I swear most people think it really is that simple.

But really good landscape photography is much more challenging. Anyone can recognize the potential of a good subject, but turning that potential into a memorable image is another story. The task is even greater if it is a popular location. When you photograph a place that is photographed a thousand times a day, you have to find a way to create something different from the everyday snapshot.

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Article by Terry Day

Lighting creates the mood, visual impact and in some cases, the actual composition of your photographs. Lighting is without question, the single most important aspect in photography. Today let’s discuss how your camera sees light.

If you look at a standard gray scale, one end is pure white and the other is pure black. Of the several shades in between, the one right in the middle is called “neutral or middle gray.”

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Totally mistitled article (don’t blame me!). Decent tip nonetheless, but really has more to do with getting into the right frame of mind to be able to produce excellent portraits rather than posing (in fact, I don’t even think posing is even mentioned once). Go figure. — EES

Article by David Gladstone

If you want to be a great ‘people’ photographer, you might think you need to know a lot of different poses, or know how to talk to your subjects like a fashion photographer. But really it’s more about being yourself.

Photographing people can be the most rewarding, and yet they can be the most difficult subject to photograph. The photographers in magazines make it seem so easy. Is it really that difficult? I used to think so; I used to be pretty intimidated by it. I struggled with — do I see their whole body, or just their face, what do I do with the hands, what do they wear? Yikes, just a few things to think about, all of this when you’re also struggling to think about exposure and lighting.

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Article by David L. Whittle

Family portrait photography has become more than just photographs of your family.

Many modern photographers now view portraits as a form of artistic expression. The feeling is that a well composed portrait can show the bond shared by the family, how they feel, and represent who they are.

Portraits are no longer just about smiling and staring into the camera. They can be both unique and creative.

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Article by John Huegel

Here are several tips to help you capture the best images in dark indoor settings.

1. Camera Stability. You will be taking long exposures, and any camera motion could impact the quality of the image. Try to utilize a monopod or stabilize the camera on the back of a theater seat. Do not hold the camera in front of you without support. Some cameras and lenses have stabilization features which help, but will not be able to compensate for large movements in the camera. If you have an SLR, you may want to tuck your elbow into your belly, relax, hold your breath and gently press the shutter button.

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Article by John Huegel

Here are some tips for creating great fall images.

1. Use Indirect Light. Try to avoid bright sunny exposures, which tend to increase the contrast and brightness of the colors. Instead, try for partial or full shade. Shooting on overcast or rainy days can emphasize the earth tones and the depth of color of fall trees and leaves. Raindrops on fresh fallen leaves can deepen the colors and create great patterns of light.

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Although written for the bride “customer,” this short, informative article gives you an excellent idea of how to manage a wedding shoot in case you decide to provide this kind of service, whethe professionally or as a “friend” (have you considered providing your photography services as a wedding gift?). — EES

Article by Michelle Noel

As a wedding photographer in Orange County and Los Angeles there are quite a few things to remember in order to be a good wedding photographer. One of the most important skills that is involved in wedding photography is timing! Now I enjoy shooting everything from babies, to buildings. But when it comes to wedding photography there is an element of timing that sets it apart.

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This post on Unfocused Brain describes an extremely simple technique that’ll let you easily and quickly do color correction (and, for that matter, light correction), improvement, adjustments, experiments, etc., to your photographs… extremely simple, that is, if you’re armed at least with Adobe Photoshop CS and its “Match Color” tool.

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Interesting little article, with a few good and really simple tips to help you set up and capture much better “small group” (couples, etc.) images. Try them! Anyone can do these… easily! — EES

Photography Poses — Tricks for Small Groups
Article by Tamas Gloetzer

Small groups present a different challenge to photography poses than big groups. When you take engagement photos for example, it involves pairs. You can use the same techniques for anniversary photos and even family photos of couples.

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