The potential of photography is endless. You can shoot whatever you want. If you’re bored in your home, you can take still life pictures of various items around the house. You can also go out and take pictures of nature and do macro shots. And if you’re willing to take the extra mile, you can shoot landscape. Everything is a potential photograph.

But if you have noticed, most of the above photography types are rather solitary practices (unless you have a companion photographer with you). Sometimes it gets boring and you need some interaction. This reason led me to plan a model shoot which is also another way to widen my photographic horizon. Even if you’re not interested in this kind of photography, do try it once since it can be an eye opener.


Tom Di Maggio

Concept

The most important thing when planning a model shoots is the concept. Even if you have expensive lights, beautiful models, and great locations, your pictures wouldn’t be noticed in a sea of various model portraits unless you come up with an interesting concept. It would look like a snapshot. A concept is what binds together a shoot, and without it, the chemistry of the photograph is gone.

Location

After the concept, you must find a location that would suit it. Scout various areas and ask around. Inquire if the location you found needs a permit for you to shoot. Avoid barging in a location without prior notice to its owners or managers. You don’t want your shoot to be canceled because of a simple permit. And if they require payment for the use of the location, you need to decide if it’s really worth it. Most of the time, if you make it clear you’re doing the shoot for non-commercial purposes (you don’t gain money from the shoot) you will be allowed to shoot for free.

Of course, a studio would always be a nice choice for a shoot. The lights are easily available and permits wouldn’t be a problem.

Models

The shoot wouldn’t be a model shoot without the model. Ask friends if they want to pose in front of your camera. Plenty of times, somebody will accept your invitation. If you can’t find models this way, ask your photographer friends if they can give you contacts.

Once you find a model, ask what kind of compensation he or she would like to get. You can trade for prints or raw files. Or you can also pay them. Most new models accept trade for prints or raw files since they are building up their portfolio and don’t have much experience.

Make-up Artists

Most of us don’t have MUA (make-up artist) friends, so the easiest way to get  one is through modelmayhem.com

The same goes for MUAs and models. They can be hired for prints, raw files, or cash payment.

Make sure to explain to the MUA the concept you are trying to achieve. If you have sample pictures that you can show him or her, that would be better. You don’t want to be surprised with a model looking like nothing you have imagined.

Wardrobe

Wardrobe is another factor in your model shoot. If you can get a clothing designer, it would be much better. Try to get the dimensions of the model and send them to the designer. This ensures that the clothing line they bring would fit the model perfectly.

Be careful when handling the outfits. Warn the models and don’t make them do poses that will stretch the fabric too much. Clothing designers value their work as much as you value your camera and pictures.

If you can’t get a hold of a designer, you can always tell the model what to wear. Since you came up with the concept, you should have an idea regarding the clothes that will fit it.

Technicalities

Lastly we handle the technicalities. Taking the shot is the least of your concerns when planning the photoshoot, since pre-production will take most of your time.

Things you need to consider during the actual shoot include the camera settings, light placement, model poses, if you want to use ambient or artificial light, add flare or not, Under-expose or overexpose. Just keep in line with the concept and be creative.

The more the merrier

If you have other photographer friends, invite them to your shoot. They can offer new insights and add flavour to the shoot. They can also help with your rapport with the model. A one on one session can be nerve wrecking, so having other people would help ease the tension.

Feel free to post examples of your model shoots here in the comments! Keep on shooting and embrace the light!

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Sometimes, when photographing a moving subject, you will get photos which are blurred, due to a use of an inappropriate shutter speed. This blur is called motion blur and it produces the effect of something leaving a trail behind itself when moving. Although, a photographer’s preference is most of the time to get perfectly sharp images, motion blur can produce impressive effects on an image if used correctly. So, in order to get amazing motion blur pictures, you need to stop thinking of it as a problem to be avoided and start on making it work for you.
Motion blur is mainly induced when the shutter speed you are using isn’t fast enough to capture the movement in the photo. There are 2 techniques used to achieve such an effect, both of them rely on the appropriate shutter speed to be used.

1- Moving subject/Still camera:

Photo by jrodmanjr

The first technique consists of having the camera completely still while the subject is moving. This will make the background or the setting of the photograph appear perfectly sharp and the motion blur effect will only be visible on the moving element. You can, for instance, achieve this effect when shooting car trails at night , or you can take some street shots in a crowded train station and with the use of a shutter speed slow enough you will get some people in sharp focus and others blurred by their movement.  While a shutter speed of 1/25s can be good for creating motion blur with people walking, you need to change it according to the subject you are shooting. For instance, you will see the motion blur effect on a speeding cat from a shutter speed of 1/125s and less.

2- Moving Subject/Moving Camera:

Photo by Andrew Morrell Photography

The second technique used in the creation of motion blur is called panning. Panning consists of moving the camera in accordance with the movement of your subject. It will make the background blurred while leaving the subject in focus. This technique may seem to be hard to master at first, but you will get better with practice.  There is no magical spell. You need to set a shutter speed appropriate for the type of movement you have in front of you, then you need to wait for your subject.  Once it enters the frame, press the shutter button and move along with the subject. Try to only use your upper body when following the subject and don’t move your whole body. Great results can be obtained with this technique especially with subjects such as car races, horse races, etc. Basically, the faster the movement the better, as it will allow you to use faster shutter speeds which, in turn, will help in getting a clean and steady motion blur lines in the background. A second issue with this kind of technique if auto focusing, as it can be challenging with fast objects. You can set the auto focus, to the focus tracking mode, and the camera will be able to keep the focus point on your subject as long as it’s within the frame.

Finally, there is another technique which can be considered as producing motion blur. Although the subject can be perfectly still, there is still movement from the camera. This technique is called zooming and consists of zooming in or out while taking the photograph, to produce a vortex like blur effect around your subject. This technique is like the previous one, a little bit challenging at first, but gets easier with practice.

Reborg

Remember, when shooting with really slow shutter speeds try to use a tripod. Although you are trying to produce blur, you will want to keep camera shake to a minimum.

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Whether you’re an amateur photographer with an interest in mountain photography, or a professional photographer looking to brush up on your skills, these essential tips below will help you achieve beautiful mountain photographs.

1-  Weather: In order to get the most out of your mountain photography excursion, you must be prepared for weather conditions. Begin by taking into account what season it is, then going further, be prepared for storms or alternate weather that can spring up anytime at high altitudes. During the cold winter months, mountains can be snowy, icy and overall, a slippery situation. If you are going out during warm months, bringing suntan lotion, a hat and bug spray will be beneficial. Be sure, that whichever weather condition you are going to be in, that you are prepared by obtaining the right kind of clothing and protective gear.

Photo by scotto

2- The Magic Hours: Most photographers agree that the best time to capture beautiful photographs is during the early morning or late evening. Both settings involve unique lighting situations caused by a rising or setting sun. The reason this is typical in mountain photography is because the sun, at either of those hours, will not produce harsh lighting or cast shadows on the subject you are trying to capture. Furthermore, midday heat from the sun can induce a haze in the air, which makes photos look polluted. This is not the case at dawn or dusk. Additionally, there won’t be a lot of human visitors at these times either.

Photo by shubat

3- Lens: Generally, when shooting mountains, you’ll want a lens capable of producing wide angle photos. A good range for a wide angle lens in this sense would be a 24-28mm. Also worthy of mentioning, is having a lens that has zooming capacities in about the 24-70mm range.  These lenses will allow you to capture mountains on a grand scale, but also give you the option to zoom in to get details of certain subjects in your frame.

Photo by  mutrus

4- Filters: There are basically three types of filters that can come in handy during mountain photography. Those are the ND Grad filter, a UV filter and a polarizer filter. The ND filter will help you in high contrast areas, where the foreground may be dark and the sky is very bright. A UV filter can come in handy for keeping your lens protected as well as filtering out sunshine, especially if you’re on top of a mountain where the intensity of the sun is greater. A polarizer filter can be beneficial for more than one occasion. It helps to cut through hazy skies and, if you’re photographing during winter months, the polarizer filter will help cut out glare and light reflected by the snow.

Photo by Castillion

5-  Tripod: Tripods are really useful in mountain photography for two reasons. One, for producing long exposure shots during a dusk or dawn setting, a tripod is very beneficial for a steady shot. The second reason is a tripod can enable you to take shots from unusual angles allowing you to break the mold and form a new perspective. Tripods are a really great tool, so make sure you bring it along. Plus, if you happen to be using a large lens, the tripod can help take away some of that heavy carrying.

Photo by NakorTBR

6-  Composition: Normally, after you’ve conquered your lighting issues and figured out what type of lens is best for your situation, you need to adjust and compose your shot. One tip for fixing your composition is to not zoom in too much, because the mountain will lose its liveliness and tend to look boring. Another aspect to consider is making sure there is some foreground in your frame so the viewer can gain a sense of proportion of the mountain.

Photo by kimjew

7- Aperture: Settings for aperture, in regards to landscape photography, is pretty much standard. You will want to have both the background and the foreground in sharp focus within your frame. In order to do this, your f-stop setting should be set at high value (small aperture). This can be anywhere from f/8 to f/22, depending on what type of camera you are using.

These tips are not only useful, but are also easy to utilize. Once you can get into the swing of things, these tips will help you to compose beautiful mountain photographs.

Photo by ghaxx

If you loved this article about mountain photography, don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.

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No matter how beautiful your subject is, or how nice your composition is, your photo won’t look great if everything is blurred and out of focus. One important part of taking a good photograph is making sure that the photos that you get are focused and sharp. Most people say that photos should tell a story, but how can the viewers see and understand the story of your photo if everything is blurred? In this article, you will learn some of the simple tips and tricks on how to take sharp photos.

One tip on taking sharper photos is using a fast shutter speed. This will help you avoid motion blur. The faster your shutter speed is, the less motion blur you will get, just make sure that your photo is still properly exposed. You don’t want to have extremely underexposed photos, right? Some photographers use burst mode when they can’t get a sharp photo. You can try using burst mode too, and then you just have to choose which photo is the sharpest when you’re shortlisting them on your computer.

Photo by: Yampy Yankee High Dynamic Ranger

If you’re shooting at a location or in a situation where there is very little light, using a fast shutter speed may not work. If you’re shooting in a low light condition, you may want to use a tripod or something flat and steady where you can put your camera. This way, no matter how slow your shutter speed is, or even when you’re using Bulb mode, you will still achieve sharper photos, unless your subject is moving.

Photo by: Williamcho

Another tip on how to take sharp photos is making sure that you focus on your subject properly. Some prefer using auto-focus mode, which is okay to use sometimes. I prefer using Manual Focus, because it gives me more control on which part of the photo I want to blur and which part I want to be focused and sharp.

Photo by: John Morgan

The next tip on how to take sharp photos is getting and using a good lens. As I’ve mentioned in my previous article, prime lenses are best to use when you want to take really sharp images. One of my favorite lenses to use is the 50mm f1.8. It’s cheap and it takes really great and sharp photos. I use it when shooting portraits, still life, and food, especially for detail shots.

Photo by: Thefost

Having a good lens isn’t enough though; you also have to make sure that the lens you’re using is clean. Keep your filters and lenses clean to avoid unwanted marks and fingerprints.

You can also use the image stabilization setting of your camera to avoid blurred photos and to successfully get sharper photos. If you don’t know how to use or turn on your image stabilization, check your camera’s manual.

Another tip that most beginners don’t know in order to take sharper photos is setting your camera’s ISO to the lowest possible setting. This will help you avoid having noise.  And if you want to every little detail of your photo to appear sharp and crisp you have to avoid Noise.

Lastly, you can also use light to achieve sharp photos. Using an off camera flash can be very helpful, especially for subjects that are positioned against the light source.

The tips mentioned above are just some of the many ways on taking sharp photos. I leave the other tricks for you to discover as you shoot away.

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When we take photos, we usually focus our attention on the subject and make sure it stands out in the shot. In our efforts to do so, we might place less importance to the empty areas in the frame. Negative space, or the areas not being occupied by the subject and other objects, can actually be successfully used to strengthen the visual effect of an image. Here are the various ways in which negative space can spice up your shot:

1. Provides balance – no matter what kind of shot you take, whether it is a wide-angle photo of a vast landscape or a macro shot of a tiny bug, you can use negative space to give balance to the composition. Positive space, that which the subject occupies in shape and form, might appear overwhelming if there is no empty space included in the image frame. The viewer would not know where to look and rest his eyes. You can make use of the Rule of Thirds by placing the subject on one-third of the frame and leaving empty space for the other two-thirds.

Photo by Kharied

2. Accentuates the subject – if a subject is surrounded by empty space, the viewer has hardly anywhere else to look but at the point of interest. The viewer can fully appreciate the subject without any distractions such as a cluttered background. With the proper use of negative space, the subject is isolated and placed in intense focus. Even the simplest and most ordinary objects can be fascinating when composed in this manner.

Photo by Lightstaff

3. Helps create atmosphere– negative spaces can effectively add to the mood of the image and can also evoke emotions. For instance, an image that shows a large portion of empty sky can exude tranquility. Even a simple black empty space can add a dramatic effect to the subject.

Photo by DARRIN J. OAKLEY

4. Allows the image to ‘breathe’ – when composing the subject in the shot, add negative space to give the subject room to be properly appreciated.  The subject will not seem cramped or crowded and the use of empty space will make it more visually appealing.

Photo by Caro Spark

5. Creates interesting shapes and patterns – objects in the photo create shapes and forms, but negative space can also create shapes that can be as attractive as the main point of focus. One of the most popular images that depict negative space shows two black silhouetted profiles facing each other. The white negative space created between these faces may appear to be shaped as a candlestick. The human brain always tries to create patterns in what the eyes see, and negative spaces in a photo can be used deliberately to show various shapes that add visual effect. Photos taken in the minimalist style utilize negative space to the extreme, and this is can create striking shots that appear almost abstract.

Photo by Lightstaff

Whenever you compose a shot, be constantly aware of negative space and not just the subject. Experiment with subject placement and notice how the empty areas in the frame can highlight the subject while creating an atmosphere that draws in the eyes of the viewer. Negative space is a powerful tool in composition which can transform an ordinary snapshot into a captivating and eye-catching image.

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Corporate or executive portraits are becoming more and more important in a world where communication plays a big role in the success and wealth of a company. Creating a visual identity for a company by photographing the people who work in it, will give it the human dimension which can help in getting new clients.  Corporate photos can range from classic and environmental portraits to be used in a company’s website, to the creation of photo stories and more fun shots for a company’s publications and for many other purposes.  Corporate photography doesn’t come without challenges. In order to succeed in this area of photography you need to know exactly what you are doing and you have to be prepared to work in any kind of condition. There is usually only a small amount of experimentation allowed, as you need to give your clients exactly what they need.


Photo by Emsvangoth

Preparation

Most of the time, you will be required to take the photos in a short time. So, you have to be well prepared. You will be dealing with people for whom being photographed is the least of their concern and who would rather be concentrating on their jobs. So you should assess the situation you will be shooting in very well, in order to get descent results while keeping your clients happy. Before the shoot, scout the location you will be using and examine the available light, the space and what kind of shots can be created in it. This will help you determine which gear to bring and where to set your shoot exactly. After, scouting the location, the second part of the preparation stage is talking to your client. It might be the person you are going to photograph or it can be someone else like an assistant. In your meeting with your client, determine exactly what’s needed of you and direct the subject on how to prepare himself or herself for the shoot (clothes, hair, make-up, etc.). If you are both prepared, then the actual picture taking stage shouldn’t be a problem.

Gear, light and camera

Let’s face it, although you can take beautiful portraits with a compact camera, corporate and executive photography is more demanding on the gear side. You need to guarantee to your clients that they will get the best quality possible, and for this reason you need at least an SLR camera which will provide you with big and clean files.  Being a natural light shooter, I managed to get great result with an SLR with a 105mm F2.8 lens, a reflector and diffused window light.  But, you might find yourself in conditions where it’s impossible to shoot using natural light, so it’s wise to invest in a starter lighting kit. You can get great results with an off camera flash, a softbox and an SLR equipped with the kit lens. What matters most is light and how to control it. You can also get some backdrops to use when the space you are shooting in is too cluttered.  And don’t forget your tripod, as it’s the only way to prevent camera shake when the light gets a little bit too dim.

Shooting

Talking with the clients thoroughly before the shoot will help you in knowing what kind of shot you need to make and it will save you a lot of time. Depending on your clients’ needs, there are a lot of options when taking corporate portraits. You can take some classic portraits with a plain background and some soft light. You can also make some environmental shots which show the employees of the company doing their jobs. And if time allows it you can take some shots which are a bit funny to loosen up the atmosphere and to help everybody relax. When taking the photos, try to always talk to your subject and try to get them to be more comfortable in front of the lens. If you don’t work on making your subjects feel relaxed, all you will get is  lots of portraits with tense people in them. Don’t hesitate to take as many frames as time and resources allow you. You will have more freedom for selection after finishing.

Some further Tips:

-Be confident.  Showing self confidence and knowing exactly what you are doing will get your subjects to trust you more quickly, which will make your job easier.

-Dress Smart. Your dress code should be adapted to the place you are shooting in. If you are taking portraits of a CEO of a company, you should dress as if you were an employee of the company. In the same logic, if you are shooting in a factory or at construction site, then you should wear something more suited to such environments.

-don’t overdo editing. Corporate portraits are not like fashion, glamour and other types of portraits where you can have more freedom in editing and altering the image. Your corporate photos should be authentic and post processing should be kept to a minimum.  It’s OK to remove a blemish or a pimple, but you shouldn’t exceed that, and make sure to let your client know of any extra editing that you did.

-Don’t get underpaid. Don’t accept to get paid less than the norm because you are just starting out or because you are doing it for fun. Accepting to work for a cheap rate or for free is only unfair to all the other professional photographers who devote their time and energy to this job. So ask other photographers, or do a little internet research to get an idea on how much you should charge for your services.

Following are some examples of corporate photography:

Photo by Guilherme Kardel

Photo by Iamnotthatsmart

Photo by Blacklollypops

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An aurora is a natural phenomenon where the night sky is colored with lights. It is drawn to the magnetic poles of the earth and usually occurs in the high latitudes of the Arctic and Antarctic. The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is seen in most parts of Scandinavia. It draws visitors from all over the world, all of whom aspire to photograph this unique display. Here are some technical tips on how to take good photographs of the aurora.

Technical Skills for Aurora Photography:

This phenomenon occurs in the dark and though the light show seems bright, it is not as much in reality. Set the aperture of your camera lens as large as possible, which means a low f-stop number. Set its upper limit to f/2.8; anything lower is better. In this way, the lens will be able to capture the lights from the aurora. A large lens aperture reduces the required exposure time. This is good since shorter exposure will give a more realistic shape of the aurora. However, longer exposure captures colors better, especially those which we cannot see with the naked eye. Foreground details are also better captured with longer exposures, which give a scale reference for the huge aurora and also enhance the photograph’s visual appeal. An ideal exposure time of 40 seconds would strike the right balance.

Martin Zalba

Zoom, Focus and Film Speed Settings for a Digicam:

Use a fairly wide-angle zoom lens, preferably fixed at 28 mm, to capture the large and distant aurora. Lens filters may work in other forms of photography, but since the aurora lights have irregular frequencies, filters will cause strange reflections and will spoil the natural beauty of the shot. If using a digital camera, set it to manual focus mode, the white balance to Auto and the noise reduction setting turned on. Choose a film setting of ISO400 or ISO800; faster settings tend to give grainy photographs but with a slower setting, you may not be able to capture the desired shot of the aurora before the display changes or disappears altogether.

Raymo-Phot

General Preparation for the Photo-Shoot:

Technical know-how is not sufficient; a good photographer takes care of the practical aspects as well, especially of his surroundings. Select a location for your photography session that is within the auroral belt to increase the likelihood of catching a show. Also, stay far away from cities and airports to avoid their bright lights and polluted air. A tripod with a remote wireless trigger is essential, so that you don’t need to touch the camera and it can remain absolutely steady. Make sure the tripod is firmly set into the ground and get the strap off the camera, so that it stays balanced even in strong winds. Come prepared with supplies. Batteries run out quickly in cold climate, so bring sufficient spares. Since it will be dark, a torch will be handy to check various settings on the camera and to change batteries. Use a stop-watch to time exposures, for precision. The aurora display can take several hours to make an appearance, Wear lots of warm clothing and carry a hot drink. And while you wait, you can experiment with various camera settings. Your patience and preparation will eventually be rewarded.

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Ladybug is a beautiful and recognizable insect because of it’s brilliant black spots and red color. It can be found on green leaves and sometimes on sand. Here are a 24 Vibrant ladybug Pictures for your inspiration. Enjoy!

Beautiful ladybug photos

Going homeby by Birthstone

Ladybugsby by CloudMcSwagger

Zweisamkeitby by Armene

Ladybugsby by Ruleri

Symphony in Red, Gold and Greenby by FlowerFreak

Ladybugs lifeby by Mksven

Walk on the brink by Vvillamon

Coccinellidae II – Mariquita in the beach by Yamiq

Ladybug grazing by Nick Harris1

Dream World by Arief Perdana

ladybugs by Mehmet Karaca

Dedicated by Mindwarp-hs

Ladybug, ladybug by Katie Austin

Happy by Outrageouslyweird-me

Descentby by Ursularodgers

Convergent ladybug by Carla Kishinami

Are ladybugs afraid of heightsby by JamesBlast

Lady talk by Maria Pinto

Detalles by Alejandro Ferrer Ruiz

Ladybug hard times 2by by Ertstaz

Ladybugs trip by Karyaardhi Perdana

El reflejo by Alejandro Ferrer Ruiz

Original forget Me Notsby by Ilyily96

En Hoja by Alejandro Ferrer Ruiz

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Whether you started photography in the age of darkroom chemicals or began to venture in this field in digital photography era, there is nothing more satisfying and pleasing to see your photo on a paper in the shape of a finished print. However in order to achieve this, you need to have the perfect equipment and material that suits your need and in this regard, printers are the integral part of any photography campaign.

Choosing a Photo Printer:

Following lines explain things you should keep in mind while buying a new digital photo printer.

• Printer Type:

In order to get photo realistic prints that can rival any other source of getting them, you can choose from two broader categories of printers that are dye-sublimation and inkjet. The earlier one relies on a heating process that mixes dyes on a specially coated paper to produce a continuous tone print. On the other hand, inkjet printers spray extremely tiny and discrete ink droplets onto a specially coated paper making a multiple passes across the tiny surface and creating a smooth picture to naked eye.

Photo by Danes96

• The Cost:

The cost of the printer is another factor to consider while buying a good photo printer for both professional and amateur photographers. Most of the printers come up with plenty of ink for a given number of photos and it is easy to calculate the cost of the printer that you are going to get according to your specific needs.

• Black and White Photos:

Modern printers are mostly colored and therefore cannot handle black and white very well. Furthermore, it is also sometimes difficult to get a monochrome image due to different tints for different shades of the gray. Therefore, you need to determine whether you want both color and black and white photos or any one of them from your printer.

• The Size of the Printer:

General use printers come in very small to very big sizes that are often too heave to carry. Therefore, if you are a casual photographer, small pocket size printers will do the job for you. On the other hand, if you are a dedicated photographer, you might need big printers where some of them can even print papers as large 13 by 19 inches or even bigger banners such as photo to canvas prints.

• The Speed of the Printer:

Speed perhaps is not very important as far as printers are concerned because only thing that matters is the quality of the picture. In fact, even the slowest printers available will give a fairly tolerable speed even for the large prints. Also keep in mind that given speed is more than actual speed and it also depends on the source you are printing from.

• How Much To Print:

How much do you want to print or “duty cycle” (total number of images per month) of the printer is also important to consider for any printer you are interested in. therefore, if you are a dedicated or semi dedicated photographer, do not buy a printer whose duty cycle has not been given by the manufacturer.

Conclusion:

Latest technology has become essential part for whole world. However, you need to be extra careful while buying a photo printer to obtain the maximum value for the fortune you spend. You need to keep in the mind the above mentioned points while going to purchase a good quality printer.

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