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The Smaller the Harder, the Larger the Softer When it comes to size in photography, one often thinks of lenses, and while proper lens selection makes sense, it’s often dictated by a photographer’s shooting style, not necessarily hard rules. When it comes...

Like blood to our bodies, light is the lifeblood of an image and like blood, without light, as photographers we have nothing. Photographers rely on light to give us the ability to reproduce life in our subjects and images through the addition or subtraction of...

Light modifiers for photography come in all shapes, sizes and forms to serve a unique purpose, and while I have my favorites, there are others, like an umbrella, that just don’t cut it for me as a professional photographer. My philosophy is simple, umbrellas work...

In the photography reflector tips section of this website, we discuss subtractive lighting, specifically when it comes to the SUNBOUNCE PRO, MINI, MICRO and the Sun-Cage. But recently, I had a new experience, the Sun-Mover Black Hole. I knew of the Zebra-White,...

Recently at my Maui Photography Adventure I took the time to meet up with one of my models, Laura, that I’ve worked with for almost two decades and lives on the island. And as I did two years ago for my Photography Reflectors Keep It Simple photography tip, I promised...

One basic creative concept taught in the first level of art classes in most colleges is chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro in photography and art simply means the intermixing of lights and darks that forms contrasts between the two to help create the illusion of depth and...

Outdoor natural lighting comes in many forms, but the two most common problems that face photographers are harsh sunlight found on bright sunny days, or boring, low-contrast light found on cloudy or overcast days. Rarely do photographers find “perfect” lighting when...

A photography studio, by simple definition, is basically a workspace where you can create beautiful photos. There is nothing that dictates it must have walls, must be indoors, or even must have electricity for that matter. In fact, the first photography studios “date...

Other than photographers that live on Caribbean, Atlantic or Pacific islands, spring and summer are the times photographers enjoy the most to capture some great outdoor photos. Like seagulls we flock to the nearest and largest body of water. Whether it's a swimming...

Colors in outdoor model photography can make or break your images. You can use colors to your advantage to create dramatic impact just like camera lens flare, or to minimize or hide imperfections in any photo. The key to it all, be observant and understand simple...

Wikipedia states, “Lens flare refers to a phenomenon wherein light is scattered or flared in a lens system, often in response to a bright light, producing a sometimes, undesirable artifact within the image.” Notice the subtext, “sometimes, undesirable,” which...

Any professional photographer will tell you to learn the fundamentals, principals and basics of photography — the rules — then learn how to break them. One of those photography rules you may have heard, don’t shoot in the midday, or direct overhead sunlight. So, in...

When it comes to photography genres, especially in the photography of women, there are many to include my favorite three, fashion, beauty, and glamour photography and thanks to the Internet and social media, the genres seem to converge at times. In my photography, my...

Understanding the Correct Image Resolution When digital photography and the Internet took hold, many photographers didn’t fully understand image resolution, or the proper pixel resolution when it comes to web browsers, social media, and printing. The many myths,...

Do You Smell Bad? It happens to many photographers, they can’t find models to work with them, especially the particular models they want in front of their camera the most. These photographers ask themselves, “What am I doing wrong? Is my photography that bad? Does it...

Camera Shutter Release Technique is Like Shooting A Weapon Back in my active-duty U.S. Army days, I was an expert with my M16 rifle and Beretta M9 pistol, plus I earned a German Schutzenschnur, shooting expert medal in bronze from the German Army in Koblenz, Germany....

As a photographer and a photojournalist, I’ve had the pleasure to work on assignment in 45 different countries over the years. As I worked in these countries, I learned a few things, especially when it comes to travel photography, and I’m here to share some tips for...

A Simple Photography Technique At my photography workshopsI advocate that depressing the camera shutter-release represents five-percent of the equation when it comes to the creation of photographs—pictures are easy, just pick up your smartphone. Photographs though...

The Lack of Lighting Technique for Photography Masterpieces Low-key lighting is often misunderstood as a type of lighting that requires a solid black background — not true. It’s not the background that separates low-key lighting from other lighting techniques, it’s...

In our four-part series about how to critique photos we covered various elements that make photos great like composition, lighting, exposure, sharpness, etc., so now let’s look at storytelling with your photos especially if you’re considering publication. If you have...

If you play tennis, golf, or even baseball, then you’ve heard the term “sweet spot.” Whether it’s a racquet, club or bat, professional athletes know their equipment has a sweet spot that helps them move to the top of their game. Photography is no different, your...

Clarity and focus in photography are two words that play heavily when you create plus evaluate a photograph. As a photographer you should take these terms into great consideration when you preplan or pre-visualize the process involved to create a conceptual photo or...

Photographers are funny creatures, but like all creatures on this planet, photographers like happiness too. Unfortunately, even in photography, things can go wrong. Sometimes it’s something simple, sometimes it’s not, but great photographers know when the plan doesn't...

Capture the Third Dimension in A One-Dimensional Medium As a model and I discussed some fine art photography concepts, she began to tell me stories from her middle-school swim days and how she competed in high diving. Through that discussion she mentioned the...

Any professional photographer will tell you the best light for outdoor photography with people in the scene is the first hour in the morning and the last hour of the day, the Golden Hour. This is one reason SUNBOUNCE provides a Golden Hour Calculator to...

The Digital Fingerprint of The Photo In all the years I’ve practiced digital photography I’ve heard many photographers discuss histograms. Some will tell you, “a perfect histogram displays a nice bell curve” and still other photographers will say, “it needs to look...

It Will Happen If It Hasn’t Already There is one beautiful thing life gives everyone, the ability to make mistakes, for if we were perfect, life becomes boring. Life is best with excitement. The goal of a photographer is to share something with visual interest....

Note, this is part one of four on how to Critique Your Photos. This four-part photography tips articles series will focus on 10 steps that should help you improve your photography. 10 Steps to Critique Your Photos—Part One  As a photojournalist most of my life, I’ve...

Note, this is part two of four on how to Critique Your Photos. This four-part photography tips articles series will focus on 10 steps that should help you improve your photography. 10 Steps to Critique Your Photos — Part Two ...continued from part one 4. Editorial...

Note, this is part three of four on how to Critique Your Photos. This four-part photography tips articles series will focus on 10 steps that should help you improve your photography. 10 Steps to Critique Your Photos—Part Three …continued from part two Background,...

Note, this is part four of four on how to Critique Your Photos. This four-part photography tip articles series will focus on 10 steps that should help you improve your photography. 10 Steps to Critique Your Photos—Part Four …continued from part three 9. “Light is to...

Many will say photography as an art, still others will argue it’s a skill trade and not art — personally, professional photography is a genre in the art forms and if anyone disagrees, then I’ll ask one simple question, “Can you create a masterpiece with a pipe...

Tell Their Story Through Photography  Everyone has a story, and everyone can tell their story, but it takes a photographer to convey a person’s story visually — and we’re not talkingselfies here. Selfies are more about self-image, a picture, not a photograph....