Photography Skills

Technical and business advice. DSLR intro, portrait photography. Other genres. Promotion.

Resources

 * Going professional: 4 things to do first!
 * Excellent DSLR beginner's guide from Digital Photography School
 * DPS Beginner's Guide registry
 * Guide to outdoor photography: Part 1 | Part 2
 * Guide to focal length
 * Great article about aspect ratio
 * Diagram about depth of field
 * Retouching in Lightroom: guides

Inspiration

 * Posing guides: women 1 | women 2 | women 3 | women 4 | women 5 | men 1
 * Creative, inspiring photos!

General Business Advice

 * Get a pro Flickr account, be active on Flickr, engage with people
 * Allow creative commons use (about 1 in 10 photos)
 * Flickr tags: mood and description (romantic, calming, woman, sunset)
 * Host a small art party with fellow photographers, combine contact lists and promote/sell
 * What sells? Small items like greeting cards!
 * Large variety with my best images
 * Pack wrapped with bow (good gift ideas for friends, coworkers)
 * Bargain basket: ltd. edition of discounted cards
 * "One free card if you buy ten"
 * Article has more advice on how to make and sell them
 * Don't listen to outdated advice (by established pros)
 * Learn about personal selling (face-to-face)
 * Take customer service seriously! Experience starts way before photo sessionDirections to reach me
 * Where to park
 * "Thank you" note
 * Surprise preview photos
 * Remember that winter is low season
 * Care for your friends and keep communication open


 * Going pro: guide on Digital Photography School
 * Work: 1/2 of all time is actual photography work
 * Discuss with clients why they hire me (great sample conversation in article!)
 * State my rates or work out a budget, don't start work w/o deposit!
 * Agree on a timeline: stress transparency
 * Market market market!!
 * Shout it from the rooftops, offer photos & exposure to businesses
 * Team up with others
 * Online
 * 5 cornerstones of building a photography business
 * Technical proficiency: quality, consistent product
 * Legalities: be ready to deal with them (permits, licenses)
 * Operating costs: know and understand your costs of running business
 * Research: be on top of market trends, developments
 * Manage clients: have a solid, automated business workflow so you can take good care of them
 * Total up all your expenses
 * Figure in all taxes and credit card fees
 * Consider the total cost of goods sold
 * Factor in your time, workload, and financial situation!
 * How much money/hours per week? E.g. 1000$ / 25 hours = 40$ per hour

Blog as a Promotional Tool
Article on Digital Photography School
 * Ideal: website + blog!!
 * Blog builds trust (relationship!). Articles: everyday stories with amazing photos
 * Helps increase your reach & get local exposure: e.g. write about local photography
 * Helps your website rank higher
 * Helps build new collaborations
 * Tips:
 * Know your brand
 * Be personal & friendly
 * Find a way to be different
 * Make blog your "home base"

General Photography Advice

 * Shoot with the heart. Observe your emotions and let them guide you
 * Ingredients for good images:
 * Subject
 * Strong composition
 * Moment
 * Light
 * Emotional impact
 * Perspective options:
 * Low & straight on (child)
 * Downward
 * Upward
 * Wide
 * Up-close
 * Reflections
 * Behind/through things
 * Light sources at night in the city:
 * Illuminated advertisements
 * Street Lights
 * LED Lights
 * Seek and find!
 * Get close and remove clutter
 * Daily exercises:
 * Pick a color
 * Shape
 * "Sth. different"
 * Reflections
 * Everything within 2.5 meters from you
 * Look for curves
 * Look for converging lines (lines approaching each other)
 * How to find those:
 * Become aware, look and plan
 * Roads, paths
 * Shadows
 * Buildings, structures
 * Lines of streetlights
 * Look up (buildings)
 * Patterns in the ground, sand, paved
 * Look up: tall trees
 * Make lines:
 * Light painting
 * Long exposure water
 * Keep the lines in focus (plan!)
 * Accentuate in post
 * Look for light
 * Bring camera everywhere, carry little gear!
 * 1 lens
 * Cloth
 * ND filter
 * Extra card
 * Battery
 * Get a pocket camera for mobility
 * Suggestion from article: Ricoh GR DIGITAL IV
 * Expose with purpose: add something interesting!
 * Composition: have a second point of interest

Using Flash
Article on Digital Photography School
 * Aim flash directly at subject: even lighting, but harsh shadows & flatness
 * Bounce off a surface (ceiling, wall): nice light on top parts of subject, but shadows on protruding parts
 * Use built-in white card: reflects off surface and card, produces more even light, catchlights
 * Use white flash diffuser cap: extra accessory, evenly spreads out, eliminates harsh shadows

Image Quality

 * Minimize noise: expose to the right!
 * Get max amount of light possible without clipping
 * Article is specifically about EOS camera
 * Keep tonal contrast in mind: bright vs. dark areas!

Shutter Speed

 * Basics/introduction:
 * Fast enough to have a sharp image
 * Slow down to create movement
 * Speed up to freeze motion
 * You can hold still for about 1/60 second ("60" shutter speed)
 * Reciprocal Rule: speed should reciprocate focal length!
 * 60mm: 1/60
 * 200mm: 1/200
 * etc.
 * Use it creatively:
 * Freeze action (e.g. drops of water)
 * Pan: follow a moving subject during exposure
 * Slow down to convey motion
 * Flash (set to 1st curtain in menus) then pan during exposure
 * Long exposure (e.g. 20 seconds)

Metering

 * Metering Modes: Cheat Sheet at DPS
 * Spot metering to fine-tune exposure:
 * Spot Metering: use when subject is much brighter/darker than background
 * Measure where you want visible detail (area will be mid-tone in final photo)
 * Use Exposure Lock (* button) to lock metering results while recomposing

Focus

 * How to get telephoto focus right
 * High Shutter Speed!
 * Tripod
 * Image Stabilization
 * Aperture
 * Wide open is not as sharp as more closed
 * Very shallow DOF is unforgiving!
 * Bump the ISO
 * Teleconverters work, but have drawbacks

Backgrounds

 * Keep them even, no distractions
 * Change perspective
 * Put up backdrops
 * Even colours
 * Horizon: don't cut through important parts of my subject
 * Align background to highlight important features of subject
 * Watch for bright spots!

Portrait Photography

 * Article: "Create Portraits with Depth"
 * What are my subject's habits?
 * What decisions have they made? (about their bodies: style, clothing, shape, hair, tattoos, jewellery, ...)
 * How do they present themselves? (identity expressed in clothing, accessories, props): ask them about their clothes!
 * Facial expressions, body language
 * Make them laugh!
 * Elicit emotions
 * Look for physical features that stand out - bone structure, height, eye/hair color
 * Article: 15 tips for more powerful portraits
 * Have respect
 * How to tell the subject's "story"? Focus on one emotion expressed by them or you.
 * How did you feel when you met them?
 * Look for emotion: the "unguarded moment" where the soul comes out
 * Start with someone you know: your comfort zone
 * Leave your comfort zone: ask strangers if you could photograph them! ("I'm a photography enthusiast" / "you'll get a copy")
 * Choose the right focal length
 * What's your usual photography distance?
 * How much weight are you willing to carry?
 * Maximum aperture?
 * Price
 * Choose the wrong focal length: experiment and experience
 * Study the masters
 * Dorothea Lange – one of the first photographers of Social realism
 * Steve McCurry – probably the best color portrait maker in history
 * Richard Avedon – unique fashion and portrait photography
 * Sebastião Salgado- outstanding B&W documentary portraits
 * Annie Leibovitz- Editorial portraits
 * Careful with DoF: too shallow and vital parts get blurred
 * No flash
 * Don't follow the crowd
 * Consider the background: no distractions. You can use it as a storytelling element
 * Have fun: jokes, show photos, don't put them into the sun
 * Always ask their name
 * 45 degrees light: place your subject at a 45° angle!
 * Create Mood Boards with Pinterest (inspirational sites here!)
 * Check mood boards to decide locations
 * Location will influence lens choice!
 * Find location that provides shade and interesting structures/backdrops
 * Use surroundings: e.g. sky
 * Have your camera with you to capture perfect moments

The Session: Creating a Vibe

 * Kids:
 * Get down to their height (towering above them is intimidating)
 * Be funny (dance, joke around, get them to scare you, be enthusiastic, loud, roll eyes, stumble / use props)
 * Let them run and play
 * Reassure your models
 * During booking: assure they will love the session, and professionals are there to create good photos
 * Do not mention "Photoshop" (retouching). Your job is to take photos that are instantly great
 * Ask them what they hate about photo sessions, and what they love about themselves - take mental notes
 * Talk to them as you shoot. Ask for their feelings, get them laughing
 * Women:
 * Careful with low shots! Makes them look unattractive.
 * From above: helps, but don't overdo it or it will show that you're trying to attenuate a heavy figure, and it may make them more uncomfortable

Posture/Poses
See posing guides in resources! Photographing strangers / street photography article: Flattering posing(article features lots of images!):
 * Get the subject to so something (with their hands/sth. they like)!
 * More than 1 person: stagger heads (diagonal positioning)
 * Bend body parts: e.g. shift weight to stick out hip, hand in pocket, finger hooked in belt, lean in/back/etc, cross feet
 * Use burst to capture subject in motion
 * Get them to twirl around, dance, be busy
 * Start out with no specific "pose": just straight-faced, no smile
 * After a few shots, warm up with jokes
 * Sit them down (find a suitable location, sit down yourself to show pose)
 * Angle away from the camera, hide "away" arm behind body.
 * Chin out, tilt head forward (accentuates jaw!)
 * Never pose beside a person thinner than you
 * Never be closest to the camera
 * Use props to hide protruding body parts
 * Use hands to define your waist
 * Clothes are important! Thin people: bright on bright background, weighty: dark clothes
 * Smile: count to three before shutter clicks. Breathe deep with eyes closed, then breathe out, eyes open, smile
 * Height correction: sit down, crop shot
 * Avoid reference objects (standard mailbox, other people)
 * The more of legs is visible, the longer they look
 * Group: short people in front, tall in the back
 * Convey motion

Headshots
Article on Digital Photography School
 * Lens: 70mm crop sensor (aka 105 mm full frame)
 * Neutral background if possible (grey, black, white)
 * Have some low music playing to chill out
 * Get the model to blink 10x quickly & lick their lips
 * They relax
 * Creates fluid in eye for catchlights
 * Also reflection lips
 * Tilt subject's head slightly
 * Ask subject to dress neutrally
 * Warm up! Play around, get different expressions
 * Involve the subject: show shots, get feedback
 * Give direction and positive feedback!
 * Engage the subject, get them to talk

Reflectors
Great article on Digital Photography School
 * Recommended: 40-43" 5-in-1, round
 * Will require a stand or assistant!
 * Use diffuser (white) to counteract harsh light/shadow situations, e.g. light through trees

Clothing
Guide on DPS
 * Solid coloured (to see faces and not stand out from group)
 * Muted, subdued colours - flattering, attention on person
 * Top and bottom in similar tones - brighter will look bigger!
 * Groups: 1-3 colours, everybody in the same palette
 * Long sleeves because arms can look fat
 * Long pants / skirts (same as above)
 * Dark socks and footwear. Bright sticks out
 * Not too much jewellery (for attention)
 * Hair should look like it normally does with these clothes - no fancy shit
 * No fresh hair cuts - rarely look best next day.

Dealing with Personalities
Article on DPS
 * The loud ones: wise-cracks and volume
 * The clown in group shots, possibly covering up insecurities
 * Smile, joke with them. Put them at ease. Don't confront.
 * Put them into comfortable surroundings: small group of friends
 * Or photograph them on their own, build rapport
 * Enlist them to round people up and get them in line
 * The shy ones: nervous laughter, no eye contact
 * Test the waters: see how they respond to shots, perhaps they warm up
 * First shy shots may show their personality and be appreciated
 * Put the camera down, talk about anything with them (scene, their clothes)
 * Try to make them laugh, compliment them while shooting
 * Go slow. Reassure them
 * The wannabe models: pouting, uncontainable enthusiasm
 * Often younger females
 * Pleasant, but extremely excited. Want to try all kinds of outfits and scenes
 * Great if you have the time!
 * Otherwise: tame them without killing enthusiasm!
 * Extract others from their shadow by praising them
 * If too much posing: suggest natural poses by referencing celebs
 * Distract them by having the group do fun things together
 * Then catch candids
 * Fellow photographers: taking their own shots, spewing photography trivia
 * Enthusiastic and secure: good. Know-it-all or insecure: bad.
 * Indulge them. Peacock a little. Discuss gear. Listen.
 * Then: impress them with your photos. Discuss merits.

Light for Portraits

 * 3 types:
 * Open shade
 * Between sun and shade
 * You benefit from surrounding reflections
 * Consider direction my subject is facing
 * Overcast days
 * Beautiful even light
 * Backlighting
 * Meter for model's face
 * Just under the eye closest to you
 * Sunset portraits:
 * Facing the sun
 * Side Light: 1 shoulder facing light, face angled into sun (over shoulder)
 * Sun behind subject: note that it will blow out the background!
 * Focus on eyes and get light into them: catchlights
 * Use reflectors: bounce light up from below, or diffuse straight sunlight
 * High key portraits: expose to the right, don’t clip. Diffuse light with reflector.
 * Midday light: go to shade & use residual light, burn background, use silhouettes

Other Genres

 * Subtle colours for nature photography. Man-made objects have more bold colours
 * 3 landscape tips: choose a subject, find the right light, create a composition

Shooting Sunsets
Article on DPS
 * Camera settings:
 * Manual
 * ISO 100
 * f/11
 * Shutter: fast/slow enough to retain sky detail
 * White balance: daylight/sunny
 * Exposure: use graduated density filter or HDR
 * Composition: perhaps exclude sun from image
 * Keep shooting after sun is gone
 * Don't forget sunrise! :-)

Food Photography

 * Less food on the plate! Use plate as frame
 * Use paper (ex. baking paper) to add texture
 * Contrast between food and background
 * Natural spillover
 * Unobtrusive plates, cutlery to bring out food
 * WIP shots
 * What makes food intriguing? ex. ice cream: creamy, soft
 * Start looking at all food from photographer’s POV
 * Half-finished plate