SUNBOUNCE Photography Tips

When art styles synergize, the energy of two or more artists combine into one artistic style. Great artists, from photographers to painters alike are defined by their unique style in their specific arts. It’s this style that influences their creations, and in my case...

Often photographers are challenged to bring out the detail in the clothing or hair of their subjects, especially of light or dark fabrics, or blonde or black hair. The solution is simple, but first you must understand the physics 90-percent rule of light and...

Professional photographers capture the perfect moment in time because they know how to funnel their passion into the camera and they exercise great communication skills to build rapport with their subjects. This marriage of the minds brings out that perfect smile —...

All models and photographers will have a “first-time shoot” before they can start their professional working relationship with each other, it’s unavoidable, whether either party is experienced or not. While some photographers and models instantly synergize on set,...

Over the decades I’ve had photo industry manufacturers and vendors offer me sponsorships and product support in exchange for my endorsement at my workshops, articles, seminars, books, and any world stage to include social media and the Internet. When I’m approached...

One of the world’s greatest hockey players, Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take” and that famous quote applies to sports photography too. Here’s are 15 sports photography tips you can use from my years of experience photographing everything...

Every photographer hits a creative rut where no matter how much our heart and passion drives us to shoot, we draw a blank. Well you can kick-start your photography with themes to get out of that rut. Themes are concepts photographers should carry in their brain to...

Photography is a creative art, and like all arts, there’s one emotion that can bring our artistic abilities to a screeching halt — fear. A basic human emotion, fear normally arises from the perception of danger, but fear in photography isn’t as much about danger as it...

There are many ways to improve your photography, but if you want to turn pro, as a minimum you should start with the 10 steps to become a professional photographer listed below. Why not become a pro if you're not already? If you have a smartphone, you’re already a...

When I conduct a workshop or seminar, I’ll often ask the attendees to define a professional photographer. The most common answer is, “Someone who’s primary income comes from photography.” After I hear that, I’ll disagree and remind the group that the key word in my...

Once at a hairstylist’s salon I saw a sign that read: “I’m a beautician, not a magician.” Ever since that, I’ve wanted to create a similar saying for photographers, but so far, I haven’t been able to devise one that is filled with the same rhyme and eloquence....

Sometimes a photo might need a little more oomph due to strong back-light or perhaps you simply want to brighten deep shadow areas on your subject and you can do this with fill-flash. While there are many fill-flash photography techniques, the two most common...

Often people tell me photographers have it easy, just click and they’re done. I remind them it’s about the fundamentals, concepts, and principals of photography plus the processes that it takes to create great photos. So here are some photography process tips to make...

Back in the days of film, professional photographers would prioritize their time to include darkroom days, shooting sessions, and administrative time. Call it a part of the photographic culture and to survive in any creative profession, you have to allocate time to...

Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” Gretzky created his own style of play with passion and hard work and he knew how to find the shot and take it without hesitation, similar to great...

There are many ingredients that fuel a photographer’s appetite when it comes to their abilities to create, but two ingredients that every photographer should have are sources of influence and inspiration. Normally inspiration comes from a muse and influence from the...

The only photography tip here is that we all need to recognize that photography dopamine addiction exists. It’s not about blame, it’s about reality. Interpret this how you wish, but it’s meant to help you understand why more selfies are captured per second than...

So, you want to do some photography, but your mind draws a blank and you can’t think straight. It’s a mental lapse just like writer’s block. As a photographer you’re in a creative rut and have to overcome it to pre-visualize the photos you want to capture, so what do...

There’s always chatter on the Internet about mirror-less vs. DSLR cameras, especially with the new Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and Panasonic mirrorless cameras and lenses. People often express their opinions daily on social media and some focus on “whose camera beats...

In all forms of photography there are elements that make or break an image, some elements are required, some are optional, and some while required, vary in strength and play lesser or greater roles in the context of the image, depending on their use. Clothing in...

Over the decades at my photography workshops, seminars and lectures in all the America’s and throughout the United states, I’m often asked, "How do you pose a model?" I usually answer with a demonstration because posing is the body language of a photograph. You start...

We see through the viewfinder with our eyes as we hold our camera with our hands, yet we often take for granted that the eyes and hands are the top reasons a photo editor will trash an image when it comes to publication consideration. As photographers of models we can...

Any photographer can kayak or canoe down the river, but great photographers avoid canoes whether they paddle on water or not. When you canoe on a body of water it takes strength, but in photography you avoid canoes in your subject’s eyes through the angle of your...

Every morning someone snaps a great sunrise photo on the east coast and later in that day, someone will snap a sunset photo on the west coast and both photographers will have captured a horizontal photograph because they didn’t turn the camera. But it’s a horizon...

Marketing and branding are two words often confused with one another but they’re important words all photographers or anyone in business should understand. It's more than just building your brand in photography. So, to start your guide to marketing and branding and...

Recently I viewed a magazine and was shocked how photographers ignore the rules of cropping when it comes to people photography. While it’s often heard, “learn to break the rules” when it comes to photography, it’s better said, “Learn the rules first, then learn to...

When you say “available light photography” to two photographers, you might get two different responses as that term can mean different things to many photographers. One former major magazine staff photographer told me once that available light photography meant to use...

A common mistake for photographers happens when they arrive to a location and look at the big picture when instead, they should focus on the “picture in the picture,” or the small things around them. When publication photo editors see this in an image, your image gets...

If you Google “conceptual photography” you’ll find many views on the genre itself. It’s like no one agrees on specifics, though you’ll find some common points, like, “It all starts with imagination” or, “It’s a type of fine art photography.”Ultimately, I define it as...

Lighting Basics First In the days of cellulose film-oriented photography books, most authors recommended the photography lighting basics of three and four light setups. These lighting setups usually included a main or key, fill, back and background light for studio...

Sometimes we look at a photograph and wonder, “How was that done?” and other times, “Oh, I could do that.” But in reality, it might look easy, but often it takes work, rarely are great shots stumbled upon and if they are, it happens more to photojournalists than...

Most agency-signed fashion models are at least five-foot-eight in height though the majority are even taller, and many glamour models are usually much shorter. It’s not that a glamour model couldn’t pull off fashion, it’s just that the major fashion model agencies...

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....

Post-Production Is Not the Same as Selecting Images Before digital photography became a reality, most people never knew about photo editing or editing photos, unless they were familiar with capturing photos for publication. Unfortunately, with the advancement of...

I’ve heard the arguments against mirrorless digital cameras like that of an arsenal of lenses DSLR owners don’t want to give up — but you don’t. There are many lens adapters to fit your DSLR lenses on your mirrorless digital cameras but do your research. For example,...

There are many photography myths, so I decided to expose five that I’ve witnessed over my decades as a professional photographer. As you read these explanations, hopefully you can gain some insight that you can apply to your photography and please feel free to share....

In all the decades I’ve practiced as a professional photographer, I’ve run into many misconceptions and myths about the art in capturing images. I’ll tackle the myths in a future photography tip, but for now, here are my top five photography misconceptions I’ve...

It’s Not the Camera, It’s You I’m often asked about different camera makes and models, and my first response is, “I only know the camera I use, or have used.” Then I follow with even though I’ve authored photography books, written articles for photography magazines,...

The Secret Sauces of Life and Photos When you walk into the sun, your shadow follows you from behind, it never leaves you alone. If you stop and turn your head, your shadow is still there, and if you move forward, it moves with you — it’s your best friend and only...

Build Your Brand The best models for a photo shoot are models that find you for your photography and this will happen if you build your photography brand with great photos. Your photography talent should speak for itself, and if it doesn’t, then you must work on it,...

I’m often asked, “What makes a great photographer?” It’s an ambiguous question because it isn’t specific to any photography genre, and it doesn’t help if the individual who asked doesn’t refer to the business or the artistic side of photography. But even then, there...

Light is all around us and it not only illuminates our world, but, allows us to accomplish everyday tasks when it eliminates darkness. Just like the air we breathe, we often take light for granted as it’s part of our big picture of life, but as photographers, we need...

Failure Is the Foundation to Success Failure in photography happens to everyone that owns a camera at some point in their life. I have failed many times and I’m sure you’ve failed at least once in something if not photography. Others have failed too, but the key to...

Picasso Knew the Value of Experience I’m often asked about my prices for my prints, my photography workshops or my fees for my photography. My normal answer is, “You’re not paying for how long it took me to print the photograph, not even how long it took to create the...

No Need for A Lens Break A traditional rule in people photography is to avoid harsh, midday sunlight, but there is one way you can be a midday photography rule-breaker and avoid no-income siestas. The easiest fix, look for open shade under a tree or...

Like many photographers, the first time use of a photography product can give you doubts, but my first time use of the SUNBOUNCE Sun-Cage, left no doubts in my mind what it can do for a photographer. The SUNBOUNCE Sun-Cage is basically a portable...

I’m often asked, “What lens do you prefer to use, a prime or zoom?”  My response is usually the lens that best suits my needs, however, primes are my preferred lenses. A prime lens is a fixed-focal length lens, usually with less elements inside as it only serves one...

Improve Your Photography, Get It Straight There are many things to consider when it comes to the elements of composition that make for a great photo, but one often overlooked element is the natural horizon and in manmade forms, horizontal lines. The...

Throughout my career, I’ve made about a dozen trips to Hawaii, my first landed me in Honolulu as a photojournalist on assignment to cover the military’s Joint Task Force Full Accounting mission. On that assignment, weeks before the 20th anniversary of the...

Photography Sessions with Model Jessica I believe a good photography tip can come from just learning from the story behind the photos, in this case, my photo shoot with model Jessica at Lake Como. Both of these two images were shot on Lake Como close to the Italian -...

Rules, rules, rules, we’ve been surrounded by them all our lives and photography is no stranger to rules—though rules don’t run photography, rules exist to guide you to capture better photos, and in photography, rules are breakable, but only after you master them...

There are many elements that make a great photo, so I figured I’d discuss one of the most varied, but required elements in a photo—backgrounds. Understanding this element can improve your photography and photos overall as after the subject, the background in a...

I’m often asked, what are some of your secrets to great photos. First of all, I don’t believe in secrets, I believe it’s good to spread the gospel of photography for all photographers. So, here’s another photography tip article to improve your photos of people—camera...

Click Photos For Lightbox View Commercial Photo Shoot By Professional Photographer Steve Thornton (Click Photos For Lightbox View) While in Cologne for Photokina, the world’s largest trade fair for photography and imaging held biennially, I shot a couple of...

As a professional photographer, it’s not uncommon for someone to challenge what you charge for your services, especially when another photographer lowballs for the same photo shoot. I’ve heard it, “Why should I pay more for you when I can find another photographer...

Professional Photographers Primary Source of Income is Photography. The biggest myth in photography is based on the old age question, “What’s the difference between a professional and an amateur photographer?” Normally the number one answer is “a professional gets...

Shooting Beauty Imagery By Professional Photographer Steve Thornton  Most fashion photographers will also shoot beauty. Beauty is usually shot with attractive to stunning female models that have good to great skin, with make-up & hair being...

Photography Project Shoot By Professional Photographer Steve Thornton (Click Photos For Lightbox View) Aquabella Farm is one of my favorite locations in all of Italy. Emiliano (my lead assistant in Europe) & I were driving to pick up a rental car as I...

Ten Finger Normalcy. Whether you believe in numerology or not, the numerical values of life are based on numbers so we can count, label, and measure the reality around us. When you’re born, a doctor inspects your body for five toes on each foot plus checks to see if...

Sand Between Your Toes, Sunglasses on Your Nose The weather is warm and the sound of the ocean surf relaxes your mind and body, especially with a drink of the margarita you hold in your hands. A swimsuit clad beauty walks by on the beach, so you raise your sunglasses...