10 More Photography Tips to Help Take Your Images to the Next Level

By: Olivier Duong

A while back I wrote an article that was quite popular: 10 photography tips to take your photography up a level. In this article, I bring you 10 extra tips from all aspects of photography. Enjoy!

#1 – What’s more than meets the eye?

Let me ask you something, what would you do? You meet someone attractive, you are head over heels, and you finally start talking to them. You then uncover the most superficial person you have ever met. That person is all looks and not much else. You would lose interest, right? Because looks by themselves are good enough to make you interested, but if there is nothing sustaining that interest, you’re gone.
This is the same thing in photography. A beautiful composition is nice, but what is in your image that is designed to keep the viewer’s attention? What is it about your image that is more than meets the eye? Is it saying something deeper? Is it making a point? Showing a concept? Add meaning to your images to keep the viewer engaged.

#2 – Know your opportunity

I believe there are only four times when you control the image. The first is at the moment of exposure (when you shoot), the second is in post-processing, the third is in sequencing and editing, and the fourth is while printing. So, when shooting have these things in mind in order to shoot with clarity.
For example, you shoot an image and it’s overexposed. But it doesn’t end there, you have another opportunity in the post-processing phase to fix it. Or you shoot something with a nice texture but it doesn’t have the effect you want. It doesn’t end there, you know if you print and enlarge it you’ll get a different effect. Or you shoot an image that won’t work on its own. Once again it doesn’t end there, you know you have another similar image that can work alongside it to create a diptych.
Making an image is only the first step. There’s a whole process to create the effect you desire after you take a photo. So it’s important to know that what you have in the camera is the starting point and not the end.

#3 – Pay attention to this detail (after your background)

In the first 10 tips article, I suggested that you pay attention to the background first. Now I would like to add another thing to pay attention to – the corners of your image. You see there is a strong dynamic with the corners, they draw you into the frame, towards the dead center and if you can align some lines there, it’s like surfing a big wave, it just draws your eye even more!
In the image above we have the guy’s hands, the shape of the tree and the shadow on the bottom right corner just pulling you into the image. So, pay attention to your background, watch your corners, and then look at your subject.

#4 – Dennis Rodman-ize it

Let’s face it, it’s hard to get attention in this ever increasing attention deficit world. For example, Dennis Rodman had been in the NBA for years, but he was receiving few endorsement contracts. He was a good player but didn’t shine enough. Then came the new Rodman with the crazy hair and style, even as a kid I knew his name because he simply looked different.
That brings us to photography, you are probably doing something a certain way, so can you Dennis Rodman-ize it? Shoot in a different way that makes your work pop above and beyond what you normally do? For example, landscapes are usually shot with a wide angle, what if you shot landscape abstracts with a telephoto? Or used a special processing technique on your images that gave them a certain look?

#5 – Work on your name

You probably know the wine experiment, where they gave people wine to drink and told one was expensive and the other was cheap. Everyone, of course, preferred the expensive wine over the cheap one, even if it was the same wine. Here’s the REAL KICKER, when they scanned the brains of the people who drank the wine, their brain actually made them believe they were drinking expensive wine, and it literally tasted better. Their perception altered their reality.

With that in mind, work on your images but also on your name or brand. Try to get as much recognition as you can, it will alter people’s perception of your work. I remember a photographer who had decent work, and then that person got famous literally overnight. Let me tell you, even I, knowing all that I know about psychology, now see his work in a better light.
It’s crazy, and probably a bit sad, but that’s just the way it is. The story of Joshua Bell also illustrates this point well. This guy makes $1000 per minute playing on a million dollar violin, yet he got a meager $32 and a few cents when they had him play anonymously in a metro. Same guy, same skill – different context, different result.

#6 – Get luckier

Let’s not mince words here, luck plays a big role in photography. That Cartier-Bresson shot of the man jumping? That was 100% luck because he couldn’t even see what he was shooting through a hole.
Why is luck such a big deal? Because you DO have to be there at the right moment, and so does your subject, the light, etc. Truth be told, you need the skill and the eye to seize the moment, but if you are not there, the shot won’t be yours.

So taking into account the luck factor, shoot more often. You’ll get luckier and luckier every time you do. By making more photo opportunities, you’ll be making more images. So if you used to go out once, go out twice, etc.
I mean, who do you think will have a better chance at getting a job? The one that applies for one job, or the one that applies for 10? Skill and creativity are multiplying forces, but it doesn’t matter how skillful you are if you are a couch potato. Sharpen your skills and get out there to get lucky.

#7 – Scramble everything

There was this cool experiment where they gave this guy upside down glasses, so everything was inverted. They wanted to pour him a drink, and he turned the cup upside down (because he believed it was upside down). Imagine the world upside down and how hard it would be to live like that.  After 10 days he adapted to the upside down vision, and could even ride a bike!

Sometimes we just get used to how we shoot, we get complacent, that’s normal. So scramble things up. If you normally shoot color, try black and white. If you like portraits try street photography, if you are a film shooter, try digital. It’s like the “Dennis Rodman-ize” tip, but it will shake you out of complacency rather than to bring attention to your work.

#8 – Revisit your images

Two photographers can look at the same scene, and yet see two different things. The difference is their knowledge about photography. You probably have some hidden gems in your images that you’ll probably never uncover if you do not revisit your images. You made them, but when you revisit them you do so with new eyes, and you will see them differently.
You will be amazed at what you find. Images that you believed were boring and/or ruined will be seen in a new light. You may ask yourself, “How did I miss that?!? There are quite a few images that I have overlooked, that’s why I have a no-delete policy. Maybe I can’t see what my future self will see or what my future self will be into.

#9 – Let go of preconceptions

I receive emails daily from photographers around the world. The one thing many seem to struggle with is that they don’t live in a big city. It is understandable, but just because you can’t find the images you have in your mind doesn’t mean they are not there. You just need to let go of your preconceived ideas and be more open to what is in front of you.
Some people tell me they wish they had more money to travel. Evidently, the image in their mind is of travel, but an image doesn’t need to be travel photography to be good, does it? It’s good to have a general idea of what you want, but also to be open to the possibilities.
Some people get hung up on relationship breakups, passing by great, if not better opportunities in front of them. Likewise, seeing what is possible right in front of us allows us to maximize our opportunities as photographers.

#10 – Remember it’s all plastic

It’s a hard concept to grasp, especially as a beginner, but remember that photography is plastic. Exposure? Plastic. Colors? Plastic. White Balance? Plastic. Sharpness. Who said every image needed to be averagely exposed, with white balance set perfectly by grey card, and super sharp? The first thing I do as a photographer in Lightroom is to clip my blacks. I LOVE clipping my blacks. I never set my white balance with a grey card, I just look at the image and hear what it creatively calls for, then do that.
Photo of a bride and groom? Probably needs to be on the warmer side so that the viewer can get some emotional cues from that. Shot these plastic surgeons? I’ll put my white balance on the cool side to reinforce the surgical cleanliness. Whatever you are doing right now, remember all of it is plastic. Who said images needed to be in a square or rectangle? Who said portraits have to contain faces? Who said colors had to be realistic (see above)? Who said paper and canvas was the only printing options…..you get the gist!

There you have it, 10 more photography tips to help you in your photography journey. I hope you resonate with some of them. Be yourself, stay focused and keep on shooting.

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4 Digital Photography Tips for the Year Ahead

By: Chas Elliott

Once in awhile, we all need to step back and take stock of where we are and where we’re going.  As readers of DPS, you probably do this periodically in pursuit of better photographic skills.  Photography should be a fun, creative outlet and way to express yourself.  Unfortunately it’s easy to get lost in the details or the vastness of it all.
As with most talents, there are some foundations and rules on which you should build. Once you have mastered these rules, you can start breaking them to expand your creative repertoire, venturing beyond your old stomping grounds.  After all, breaking rules can be the best part of art; this is where you find your unique style as an artist.
So if you’re just starting out, or you want a refresher on some important foundational guidelines, follow along and see what I think are four basic tips of digital photography to master before heading out into the great unknown.

#Headroom#Composition#Settings

(Too much headroom)

(closer crop)

Rule #1: Composition

Composition carries a lot of baggage.  I’m going to make it simple and narrow it down to a few aspects I consider important.
Portraits and headroom: One of the most common mistakes I see photographers make is the misuse of headroom.
The bottom line is, don’t leave a lot of space between the top of the subject’s head and the top of the frame.  Avoid the tendency to put faces square in the middle of your viewfinder where your focus brackets may be.
In order to capture the emotions of the face, start by getting in as close as you can.  At times you may even chop off the tops of a few heads.  Unless the sky is particularly amazing or the trees more fantastic than your average set of trees, don’t try and force getting the surroundings into your image.  Generally the background should not be more prominent than the subject.
Right are two family portraits I shot.  The image I gave the client has minimal dead space above the head and is cropped in so you can really see the emotions in their face.  The other has too much background.
Candids and framing: If you’re a wedding photographer or photo-journalist, you’ll find yourself trying to get balanced pictures that seem polished, but in fact were taken quickly. In these situations, you can’t pause the action to create nice compositions.  Not being in control of the environment, you must always scan your surroundings and move your feet in order to frame your images in interesting ways.

Try to find lines that will draw the eye to the subject.  Use windows and doorframes, pews, people and even occasionally swords.  Not too long ago I helped shoot a military wedding and was able to get some nice compositions using these techniques.  As the couple left the chapel I noticed their silhouette nicely framed by the door and fired off a few shots.  Adding some contrast and a B&W filter, exaggerated the effect.  The other image with the traditional military arch set itself up for a nice composition.  I just made sure I was behind and inside the doorway to get the right framing.

Through the distorting glass: Use your lens to distort relative sizes and perspectives.  Most commonly, I use my wide-angle lens to essentially blow-up the things closest to me as the photographer.  
A typical shot shown below is with the larger-than-life bride’s bouquet.  I usually crouch low below the bride and have her point her flowers right into the lens.  Don’t be afraid to tuck the subject away in the corner of the frame and even have them out of focus.
There will be plenty of other standard shots; these are the creative fun ones.  The other example shown here uses the wide angle to exaggerate the length of the couple’s vintage ride.  It’s often a pain to constantly switch lenses.  Try keeping your wide glass mounted on a second camera or with a second photographer.
Note: It doesn’t all have to be done at the time of shooting.  In post-production, start experimenting with the crop and straighten tools.  Most image editing packages are non-destructive so try a few versions of an image and then get a second opinion.
For more tips on composition check out this DPS article.

Rule #2: Learn about your Camera

(Automatic Settings)

(Dragging the shutter)

What are all those buttons and dials anyways?  Those buttons and dials can manipulate your photos drastically in ways you may not realize.  Try to wean yourself off shooting in auto-mode.  Start by playing with aperture or shutter priority and pay attention to how the camera balances the exposure.  When you feel like you have a handle on things, have a go at manual.
Like I said above, you have to know the rules, not so you can follow them but so you can know when to break them.
For example, I frequently use a technique called “dragging the shutter”.  This effect requires some manual tweaking and is best achieved outside of your automatic modes.  Dragging the shutter allows you to control how much ambient light you let in while still using your flash to pop and freeze the subject.
Below are two otherwise identical photos.  One used the camera’s automatic flash settings, the other was a manual drag.  Note the ambient hues the sensor soaked in.  Look for an upcoming article to more fully explain this technique.  If you have a photo you took with unique manual settings, share it in the comments.
Here is a good primer on some basic settings and what they can do for you.

Rule #3: Follow the Light

As photographers, we rely completely on light.  I loved this DPS article “Photograph the light, not the land.”  You could insert any word for land, and it would still hold true.
Creating your own artificial light, or getting good results with available light is a critical skill.  Lighting can drastically change the outcome of otherwise similar images.  Light at 12 noon can be perfect for landscape photography but too harsh for a portrait.  If you aren’t thinking about the light and it’s effect to your image, you’re only doing half your job as photographer.
For portrait work, I try to plan for late afternoon before sunset.  If possible, I avoid portraits on sunny, cloudless days.  They result in lots of blinking and the shadows exaggerate the subject’s features.  Flash photography is a must for some types shooting.  My general rule is, use it only when you have to.  Others may use it in almost all situations.  Share your thoughts below.

(Natural light with a little fill flash)

For a good primer on shooting with available light check out this great article.

Rule #4: Explore the Industry

If you’re reading this post then you’re already doing this, so hats off to you.  Study the photography of others and compare it to your own.
Do your pictures grab you like their images do?  Is your contrast high enough? Are your colors vivid enough?  Are you focusing in the right places and using proper depth of field?
Flipping through photography and travel magazines can be a good reference.  Never stop searching and trying to mimic the positive things you see in other’s photography. Here are some of my favorite sites: Strobist, Lens Culture, DP Challenge, Pology, and of course my own photography blog.

Conclusion:

Any one of these tips alone (or together) won’t be the key to great photography.  It’s not just about following all the rules or breaking them here and there.  It’s about developing a style.  You can’t please everyone all the time.  Strive to satisfy your desire to be creative; there are enough personalities out there looking for what you’ve got.

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5 Portrait Photography Rules You Should Probably Ignore

By: John McIntire

Think back to the time when you first got interested in photography. From the moment you first pick up a camera, you are bombarded with a constant onslaught of dos and don’ts. You have to do this. You can’t do that. Rules, rules, rules, some more rules: then once you have a grasp on those, there’s even more rules and limitations.

#RuleofThirds#SunnyConditions#Light

Each of these images uses a technique that violates at least one of the rules for portrait photography 

discussed in this article.

For the most part, these rules (usually more guideline than a rule) are well-intentioned. They force you to pay attention to things you may not have learned to pay attention to yet. They force you to develop habits that you then apply every time you pick up a camera.
For example, the Rule of Thirds (as we all should know is not a rule) forces you to be mindful of your composition in the early stages of photography. This gives you a massive head start when you’re starting out and over time, you will start composing your images without so much as a thought. In these instances, these rules can be a powerful tool while you are learning.
With so many rules out there and so many people coming up with new rules all of the time, sometimes a few get through that make little sense at all. This article discusses five rules for portrait photography that get touted quite a lot. While some of them make sense at first, closer examination should show you that they’re mostly arbitrary and once you have a grasp of what they are trying to point out to you, you should probably, in my opinion, discard them from your rulebook altogether.
Disclaimer: This might be a contentious topic for you. If you happen to like or live by these rules; that’s cool. I’m not here to change your mind. I’m simply asking you to take an objective look at these rules and evaluate why they’re there and if they still have a place. If you feel that way, do discuss it in the comments below. I’m more than happy to engage in any reasonable discussion about this topic and always keep an open mind regarding different views on that matter. The only thing I ask is that we maintain the community guidelines for commenting here on Digital Photography School.

1. Catchlights should only be small and round

This rule almost seems to make sense when you first hear it. Outdoors, in natural light (presuming sunny conditions), the sun will appear as a small, round catchlight in a portrait subject’s eyes. If that’s what the sun does, then it must be more natural to have a catchlight that matches in all of your portraits. After all, natural equals good, right? 

Small catchlights from hard light have their place, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with large

catchlights either.

Here’s the thing: how many times have you been told in photography books and articles, or videos that harsh midday sun should be generally avoided for the most flattering portraits? I’m guessing almost every one of them. (Yes, I know that midday sun can be a wonderful light source at times and there are plenty of resources that say so. They’re right too.) Once you remove yourself from the midday sun to a place where you get softer more flattering light (whether that be natural or studio), those catchlights stop being small and round.

Soft light typically means large light sources close to your subject, whether that be a large window or a large octabox, it doesn’t matter. The same applies if you’re photographing your portraits on an overcast day. Catchlights in those conditions often take up half of your subject’s eyes. The catchlight being a reflection of the light source which is everything above the horizon in your subject’s field of vision. 

The catchlight here is the entirety of the sky above the horizon. This is what catchlights look like on 

an overcast day. According to this rule, you can’t use them.

You can probably see the conflict here. On the one hand, you’re told that you should use soft light for your portraits. On the other, you have this rule that states that your catchlights should only be the result of hard light. It’s difficult to make sense of it.
I don’t know about you, but I’m very much a fan of my large modifiers and diffusers and the soft light that they provide, and I’d rather keep on using them.

Large modifiers close to the subject provide soft light perfect for portraiture. They also make large 

catchlights. Now, if you’re like me, I like seeing new types of catchlights in my subject’s eyes. I like

the thrill of finding some new lighting combination, or an odd pocket of natural light somewhere and 

seeing what it does to the eyes in my portraits. Sometimes the results are incredible. If you followed 

this rule to the tee, you would never have the opportunity for this discovery, and you’d be pretty 

limited in terms of the light you can use for your portraits.

None of these odd catchlights are acceptable if you follow this rule to the letter.

Finally, there’s the consideration of specialist lighting equipment. The most obvious of these is the ringflash, or ringlight. Lights like these always create a weird-shaped catchlight. With ringlights, the catchlight shows up as a ring. According to this rule, you can never use these light sources.

If you happen to like the effect of ringlights, you’re going to have to ignore this rule.

2) There should only be one catchlight

This rule is one that I’ve been hearing a lot of recently. It’s similar to the previous rule in that its intent is to keep a natural look to your portraits. After all, there is only one sun in the sky. 

There’s nothing wrong with having one catchlight, but it’s better not to limit yourself in terms of 

techniques that you can use.

My contention with this rule lies with that fact that unless you’re taking portraits outdoors in a very weird place (maybe, but probably not, the Black Desert in Iceland), there is never, ever only one light source. Everything outdoors in sunlight is reflecting light back to your subject. In many cases, the exposure of these secondary sources will never come close to that of the sun. However, in a lot of other cases, the scenery can and does act as a reflector in your images. Light colored buildings, large windows, fields, foliage and green grass can all act as secondary light sources and more often than not will add extra catchlights to your subject’s eyes.
If you’re photographing a person near a light colored wall at their right with the sun at their left, that’s two light sources with two catchlights. You can’t do that according to this rule.
If you’re in the studio using butterfly lighting and you want to lift your subject’s eyes a bit with a reflector, that’s two catchlights. Don’t even think about it if you’re following this rule.

According to this rule, the catchlight from the reflector shouldn’t be there. Not only would the 

shadows not be filled in without it, but the eyes would be very dark.

If you take that idea a step further and you like to use complicated or creative lighting setups like clamshell lighting or cross lighting, then this rule rules them out. 

If you were following this rule, clamshell lighting would be a huge no-go.

Like the rule about keeping your catchlights small and round, the idea that you should only have one catchlight in your subject’s eyes only serves to limit you in what photographic techniques you can use if you want to do photography correctly. I don’t like the idea of arbitrary limitations, and I don’t like the idea that another photographer might not be using a technique that suits them, or that they would love, because they were told to follow a rule that someone made up.

3) Close-up portraits are technically wrong because the head is cut off

Because the top of the subject’s head isn’t in the frame, this photo is wrong according to this rule 

despite the top of the head adding no valuable information to the frame.

You will have heard the basis for this one a lot. “Don’t cut off your subject’s head.” This is one of those basic rules that the person who sold you your first camera might have told you. For the most part, this guideline is pretty sound. It stems from a time where you would hand someone a camera, usually a disposable one in my case, and ask them to take a photo for you. Once you developed the film, you could pretty much guarantee that half of your head was missing and the bottom third of the frame was nothing but empty ground below your feet. It makes absolute sense that people would want to avoid photos like that.
Continuing from that, in a wider portrait or even a headshot, cutting into the head at the top of the frame can seem disjointed and make for an awkward viewing experience. This isn’t always the case, but it’s best to avoid it until you understand when it works and when it doesn’t.

With head and shoulders and 3/4 shots like these, it is best to avoid cropping into your subject’s heads.

The issue here is with close-up portraits. It is not uncommon at all to hear someone dictate that close-up portraits are technically wrong simply because the top of the head is missing. Basically, this is taking the guide to not cut off heads to the extreme and completely discounting a not very uncommon style of photography. 

When you’re creating close-up portraits, you are narrowing your point of focus to specific features of your subject and making those the basis of your composition. There isn’t a whole lot of extra real estate in your frame for erroneous details like the top of the head. In fact, the inclusion of those details stops it from being a close-up portrait. 

When the focal point of an image is only a face, erroneous details need to be left out as much as 

possible. This rule does not allow for that.

I encourage you to ask yourself this question: What would films and television look like if filmmakers followed this rule? 

The takeaway here should be that when you are creating full, three quarters and head and shoulders portraits, it’s a good idea to not cut off your subject’s head. However, when you get in close, throw it out the window. The space you have in your frame for composition is valuable; don’t waste it. 

4) Portraits without eye contact directly to the camera are technically wrong

Eyes are important, but that doesn’t mean you always need them to create evocative portraits.

This rule purports that if you have a person in your frame, their eyes must be facing the camera or your photo is technically flawed. Fortunately, this has seemed to die down in recent years, but I still see it come up with fair regularity.
If your goal is a straight-up portrait, as in a record shot of a person, then yes, you’ll want to ensure that your subject is engaging with the lens. Likewise, if your goal is to create a commercial style image where the intent is to have your viewer feel personally engaged with the person in the photograph, then, again, yes, you’ll want to have direct eye contact with your subject.

Direct eye contact is fine and extremely useful, but it isn’t the only way to do things.

The problem here is that portraiture is such a broad category and there are so many different ways to approach it. For example, if you’re into street photography and you do a lot of candid portraits, there’s probably not going to be a lot of eye contact with your camera. Instead, your subjects will be engaged elsewhere and they will probably be making eye contact with something or someone else. That’s the trick, if you want to convey any kind of emotion or concept to your portraits, one of the quickest and easiest ways to do that is to have your subject engage with something outside of the frame that isn’t the camera. 

If you want to convey that your subject is involved, in any way, with the world around them, they need to be engaged with the world around them. If your thought is to evoke a sense of thoughtfulness, or longing, or any other sort of internal emotion, having your subject engaged with the camera will make that a much more difficult job to achieve. 

Compare these two images taken moments apart. How completely different are they simply based on

the eye contact or lack thereof?

Another aspect of this rule is that it firmly rejects the idea that you can have portraits where your subject’s eyes are closed. Having your subject close their eyes can be another powerful way to convey emotion in your portraits. While this shouldn’t be overused, there is no reason why you shouldn’t use it freely when the situation calls for it.
For a real-world example, open up any fashion magazine and look for the beauty ads. You’ll find that when eye makeup is on show, the subject’s eyes are often closed. For me, it’s a hard pill to swallow that these high-end images by some of the best photographers in the world are somehow technically incorrect because they use the tool required to convey a specific message.

I’ll take things one step further and say that you don’t even need a face in your images to create 

evocative portraits.

Perhaps it would be easier to say that this rule should be adjusted. So, instead of saying that your subject should have eye contact with the camera, your subject should have eye contact with something, whether that’s visible to the viewer or not.

5) There should be no specular highlights on the skin

Specular highlights are often misunderstood, but they are a vital part of images with depth and contrast. Note the three-dimensional appearance of the subject’s head thanks to the specular highlights on his forehead, nose, and cheek.

Of all of the rules discussed in this article, this might be the least obvious one in regard to why it shouldn’t be a rule. If you take it at face value, specular highlights can be seen as a distraction when they show up on your subject’s skin. The most likely place for these highlights to show up is the nose and the forehead. In poor light, these specular highlights can be irregularly shaped and look awful. You should modify and control your light to mitigate their effect on your photos; however, that doesn’t mean that specular highlights are wrong or that they should be avoided altogether.

Even large, soft light sources (in this case a wall of giant windows) create specular highlights. Use 

them to your advantage.

Like shadows, specular highlights indicate depth and contrast and they help shape and give three dimensions to your subject in the frame. Unless you’re using extremely soft light, the lack of a specular highlight often means that the light is flat. How often have you read or advised to avoid flat lighting? A lot, I reckon. Yet, somehow, we have this rule that insists that you use flat lighting, or that you use light that’s so soft that it removes all contrast in your portraits.
If you want to create images with a three-dimensional feel, with natural looking contrast, you want to avoid completely removing specular highlights from your images. Instead, control them. You can use flags, diffusers, and lighting position to change and control their shape and exposure. The key thing to look out for is that the specular highlights are not overexposed and that they are not an irregular shape. Try to keep the transitions from specular highlight to highlight smooth and graduated just like you would do for shadow transitions. This will help to ensure that you have pleasing and natural looking images full of depth and contrast.

When controlled and manipulated, specular highlights can be a wonderful tool for you to create bold 

portraits. As a little side note on specular highlights, it’s important to mention makeup. It is currently 

popular to use makeup that intentionally puts a large highlight on women’s cheekbones. If you value 

your working relationships with make-up artists and models or want repeat sales from a client who has 

her makeup done this way; do not remove that highlight. In fact, consider going out of your way to 

emphasize it.  Not only is the makeup expensive, but it’s a tricky technique to get right. Removing the 

highlight with either lighting techniques or Photoshop will delegitimize the effort that went into 

creating the effect. Please avoid doing this, not because of some arbitrary rule, but because it respects 

the specific effort that went into putting that highlight there in the first place. 

There you have it

If you’ve made it this far, hopefully, you can see why it’s important to take an objective look at some of the rules we are bombarded with every day. Even if you disagree with my assessment of any of these rules, I still encourage you to carefully consider why each rule you come across came to be, what its intent is and how it fits into what you want to achieve with your photography.
This article has focused on a narrow subset of rules for portrait photography; please feel free to discuss in the comments what other photographic rules you feel have no place in your photography, or which rules you feel must be followed at all costs.

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How to Prepare for an African Photo Safari

For many, going to Africa is a once in a lifetime occurrence—a chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat, to experience new cultures and unique environments—and your opportunity to capture it in all its grandeur—so you want to make absolutely certain that you are well prepared to make the most of it.
I recently returned from a safari to the Kruger National Park, South Africa, one of the world’s largest and most spectacular wildlife reserves. I grew up in South Africa and have spent at least one holiday there a year for the majority of my thirty-nine years. Although I know what to expect from such a trip, it still takes a lot of planning to make sure I have the right equipment. Even with my knowledge, all my planning and extensive reading, there were mistakes made and valuable lessons learned on my most recent trip back there in July this year.
Here a few of those mistakes (and solutions) that will hopefully help you take magnificent photographs of one of the most spectacular corners of the earth:

THE RIGHT LENS FOR REACH

If money and my ability to carry these lenses around the world was unlimited, I’d probably have a collection of big professional glass—like the Nikon 200-400mm and Nikon 500mm f4—but alas, I have to make compromises. On this last trip, I ended up renting a few lenses which gave me the chance to try out different lenses without having to spend a ton of money. I cannot recommend the renting option highly enough, since I really only need really big lenses about two to three weeks each year, as I suspect, most of us do.
The first decision is on how much reach you need. I was tempted to rent the Nikon 200-400mm lens, but its size and rental cost put me off. I ended up renting a Nikon 300mm f4with a 1.7x TC. On my DX body that gave me the equivalent of a 750mm lens. I didn’t need longer than that and camera shake would be a real issue if I had used anything bigger. Some people recommend the 70-300mm, but performance at 300mm is reportedly weak, hence my opting for the prime lens.

CONSIDER TWO BODIES

You need to be quick: Animals and birds don’t hang around while you fumble with lenses…it seems to me that the more you fumble, the quicker they leave. Whenever I had my Nikon 300mm f4 with a 1.7x TC giving me maximum reach, I’d invariably come across an animal right next to the car. I managed to get the changes done quickly, but even with my wife acting as assistant, I often missed the action.
On my next trip I’m hoping I’ll own that essential second body or rent one. I’ll have my longest lens (likely a 300mm f4 with 1.7xTC) on one, and probably the Nikon 70-200mm lens on the other. Another benefit of this strategy is that I avoid changing lenses in dusty areas – dust is a real issue on safari and we quickly had a fine film of dust on everything.

STUDY YOUR CAMERA BEFORE YOU GO

Before you go, study your camera manual thoroughly and practice shooting with each of the lenses, flashes and filters you’ll be taking along. If you rent lenses, try to have them arrive a few days before you leave so you can get used to the feel and weight of them.
Don’t buy equipment last minute: electronics are most likely to fail in the first few days of operation and you don’t want to waste valuable photo time learning about a new camera.

TAKE A BEANBAG

Most of your safari shooting is from a vehicle, either driving yourself around or on a game-viewing truck. An essential addition to your equipment is a beanbag which gives you great stability when shooting. I found a piece of fairly heavy-duty material (thick cotton) and got someone to sew it into a bag with a zipper – roughly 8”x12” is about right. When you get to your destination, find a local supermarket and buy a bag of rice, beans or similar to fill it, on your last day you can leave the rice for the hotel cleaners! Sewing an old boot lace onto the bag also helps you retrieve the bag if you accidently drop it out the window or off the truck – just tie it to the door handle. You won’t want to be stepping out of your car in the middle of a pride of lions or herd of elephants.

COMPACT FLASH CARDS

Compact flash cards can be difficult to buy in remote areas. SD cards are more common, since they are used by most point and shoot cameras. If you do find them, they’ll be expensive and probably some “no-name” brand, so take a good number of them with you. There is nothing more frustrating than not having enough memory to take that ultimate photo.
I lost a few cards while sailing in the British Virgin Islands (thankfully they were blank). I finally found a tiny general dealer in Spanish Town who sold me a 1GB “no-name” card for over $150. I also prefer 4GB cards rather than the larger versions – I’d rather lose a card with 4GB of photos than 32GB card.

FIGURE OUT A BACKUP ROUTINE BEFORE YOU GO

Volumes can be written about this topic, but it is essential to work out your field backup strategy and test it before you go. I don’t like those little portable devices that you plug your card into for backup – I had one crash on me and lost a lot of images. They don’t seem that rugged and I’ve read too many horror stories to be comfortable trusting them with all my images.
I use a portable drive which I plug into my laptop. I’ve set Lightroom to put a copy on the external portable drive and another onto the laptop when I import, plus, I keep the cards. There is always a possibility of your bag getting stolen, a good tip is to you keep these copies in different places: a hotel safe or (if you are traveling with someone else) have them carry a backup in their bag.
I only copy or backup images when traveling – never do any deleting or editing. I can do the editing when I get home and rather spend that valuable time taking photos and enjoying myself.

FLIGHTS AND BAGGAGE

The photographer’s nightmare… you have all this expensive equipment and you don’t want it to leave your side for a second (my wife calls my Nikon camera Niki – she says I spend more time and seem so much more concerned about Niki’s well being than anyone else in the family.) So, as you can imagine, the prospect of handing photo equipment to the airline makes me very nervous indeed.
Each airline has its own set of rules, and it depends on the agent as to how strictly the rules are applied. You may have to fly with small planes to get to the final destination. I flew on an SAA Jetstream 41 to get to the Kruger Park, and almost all hand baggage needs to be surrendered at the door. In this case, it really helps to have lockable hand luggage that is well padded. SAA did look after my gear… and I could watch it being loaded and unloaded.
South African Airways didn’t weigh my hand luggage, but in Asia this is becoming standard practice (usually limited to 8kg). You always need a backup plan in case and airline official forces you to check in what you’re carrying. One way to get around this is to wear a heavy jacket with lots of pockets, and distribute your heavier items in the pockets.
Check-in luggage for flights to South Africa shouldn’t be too much of a problem from the States, since both airlines (Delta and SAA) offer two pieces of 23kgs or 50lb each. Baggage on flights from Europe and some other destinations is much more limited.
Internal flights have much stricter check-in baggage limits (one piece at 20kgs or 44lbs on most flights in South Africa).
Here are a few tips which may help:

1. Book all your flights on one booking. That way the airlines can see your full journey and generally will be more lenient on check in baggage for internal flights. SAA is a member of Star Alliance, so connections with United will be easier. This also helps with lost baggage and checking baggage through to final destination.
2. It helps if you have kids and other family members to spread your photo equipment.
3. Travel with a jacket (okay you might die of heat stroke), but you can stuff the pockets with lenses and other gear if carry-on is limited.
4. Try to get status on the carrier your fly with. Having a premier status frequent flyer card will usually get you more leniencies. A Star Alliance Gold Card will usually get you 20kg (44lb) extra on check in and you get to board first.
5. If carry-on is a problem, then keep the high value sensitive equipment (such as lenses, bodies, flashes and filters) and check in things like chargers, batteries, power convertors, etc. Worst case scenario you can replace those items when you arrive at your destination.
6. Plan a day or two in your arrival city before you set off to game parks or remote locations. This way, delayed luggage has time to catch up, and worst case, you can find a good camera store to replace chargers, batteries or other miscellaneous items that go missing.
7. Get some good travel and equipment insurance.
8. Remember plugs and power converters – most chargers will accept 110-220v input, but check before you plug in – smoke and that strong electrical smell wafting in the air, are a certain result.
9. I use cable ties to lock the zips on all my check in bags (some people prefer the locks that FAA can open – I find it a pain to keep track of keys and combination). Cut the tail off the cable tie once it’s tightened. It is very difficult to cut or break a cable tie so it is a good added deterrent. You’ll need nail clippers or ask room service for a knife so you can cut the cable tie at your destination.

BE CAREFUL OF AIR CONDITIONERS

Be very careful about leaving photo equipment in an air-conditioned hotel or lodge room. When you walk into the hot and humid air outside you lenses will condense and fog up.
Good luck.
Robert Koen is an amateur photographer who grew up in South Africa. Now living in California, he has travelled to more than forty countries. Learn more about Robert and read more of his tips and tricks at robertkoen.com.

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How to Choose the Right Photography Backdrop

By: Mark C Hughes

So, you’ve picked up some strobes to help light your subjects and are in the process of setting up your studio. This is a very exciting time: so much to photograph, total control of the lighting, what an opportunity…. but how to choose the right photography backdrop? How you shoot and what you shoot will affect your decision, as will your budget.

#Seemlesspaper#Backdrop#Photography

Model with a black seamless paper backdrop

Photography backdrops make your photographs pop

If you haven’t figured it out already – you soon will – most photographers realize that one of the essential features of a good photograph is the thing that nobody notices: the background. When it works, people “oohh” and “aahh”. However, if it doesn’t work, people can’t figure out why they don’t like your image. One of the secrets of any successful photographer is paying attention to what’s behind your subject. This applies to any photograph, not just those taken in the studio. You might want to consider purchasing commercial backdrops that can significantly improve the quality of your shots.

Model with a white seamless paper backdrop

Beyond lighting

Assuming you already know what’s involved in lighting a studio (if not check this out), the next question is what to use as a backdrop. There are multiple types and sizes with pros and cons for each. Backdrop mounting and portability are also necessary.
It is one thing to have a backdrop for use in your studio, but what if you are asked to set up somewhere else? How do you make your backdrop portable? What goes best with the subject? If you are shooting a white subject, you probably don’t want a white backdrop because the white may disappear into the background (same with black on black). The color doesn’t need to be complementary (although it helps if it is) but should provide contrast. Lighting tricks can alleviate some of this, but sometimes it’s just easier to use a contrasting backdrop.

Model with a white seamless paper backdrop

Types

There are multiple types of backdrops but they all function similarly. They all tend to be relatively thin and only intended as backgrounds (not designed for subjects to interact with). Then can be constructed of seamless paper, muslin, hand-painted canvas or vinyl. The most expensive, least flexible, and the fanciest backdrop is the cyclorama or cyc studio.

Seamless paper

Seamless paper is a versatile and inexpensive backdrop and is a staple for many studios. They are available in many colors, with the most common being black or white. You can produce gray from white backdrops by altering your lighting setup, so a dedicated gray backdrop isn’t necessary. You can also modify white backgrounds with gelled lighting to created colored backgrounds.

Product photo on a seamless white paper backdrop

There are pros of using seamless paper: the look is clean, you can modify the background colors with lighting, and the images can be cut out for background replacement. The cons of using seamless paper are: the rolls can be awkward to transport if a wide size (even just from the store to the studio), the paper can be easily damaged, and the backgrounds have no texture. In addition, if you have colored paper, the background colors can seep into the edges of your subject.
Seamless paper provides flooring as well as the backdrop without a visible interface between the floor and the background. This makes it ideal for product photography as well as studio shots. The lack of a seam makes the image appear to float with an infinite background.

Muslin

Muslin backdrops are constructed from a cotton fabric. They come in various weights and sizes and can be dyed in a single color, have color splotches, or be hand painted. Because muslin backdrops have been in use for a long time, some photographers don’t pay much attention to them. They are, however, very portable and generally look good. Another great feature is that you can easily wash them if soiled. However, you may need to clean larger sizes in a commercial machine. Muslin backdrops can look modern or retro, depending upon the style of lighting. They are a great addition to every photographer’s arsenal of backdrops.

Model in front of dyed muslin backdrop

Similar to paper, you can use longer muslin as flooring for the subject. Solid colors function much like seamless paper, but you need to be cautious about folds in the muslin as they can be distracting from the subject. Muslin backdrops produce many of the same effects as a seamless paper but are much easier to transport.

Dog in front of muslin backdrop showing flooring

There are a few downsides to muslin backdrops. Depending upon how you light them, you may see folds in the fabric behind your subject. As your subject moves, the backdrop may also move, disrupting your background. People may even trip over the material as they walk across the muslin. If you are not careful, solid colored muslins will wrinkle, detracting from the appearance of the background. Because muslins were popular for so many years, certain styles appear particularly old or dated. Photographers need to take care in choosing the style of the muslin backdrops.

Dog in front of muslin backdrop

Hand-painted canvas

If you have ever flipped through a copy of Vanity Fair or seen images from Annie Leibovitz, you know the look of a hand-painted canvas backdrop. They look amazing. These studio backdrops are hand painted onto large sheets of canvas. The paint is done in multiple layers to give the perception of depth and texture. The ones used in many of the fashion or movie-star photoshoots tend to be specialty canvases that are custom made. The effort to paint the backdrops, and the large space required to create them, tends to make these expensive.

Cat in front of hand-painted canvas backdrop

Hand-painted canvas backdrops provide a vibrant appearance. A lighting change does not generate this richness, but purely because of the reflective surfaces on the backdrop. The paint adds texture, and the various layers of the paint add depth and tonality you cannot achieve with seamless paper. Because they are hand-painted, each canvas tends to be unique.

Hand-painted canvas backdrop

The downsides of hand-painted canvas backdrops are cost and care in handling. You don’t want people stepping on your canvas backdrops because they are easily damaged and difficult to clean. That said, the visual effect of a hand-painted canvas backdrop can be stunning.

Vinyl

Vinyl backdrops consist of large images printed on pliable vinyl. Many images are suitable for a vinyl backdrop, but this form is limited to the vertical surface in the background. Flooring is separate. You can purchase separate vinyl sheets for flooring to simulate flooring (such as hardwood floors).

Unimpressed dog in front of a vinyl backdrop

Vinyl backdrops can feature unusual or creative backgrounds. They are great for children, parties or events and are washable, so they work for different types of cake smash, food fight or spray images (be careful about the rest of your studio). Also, they are quite pliable so they can be moved about without much difficulty. Finally, they can feature images that appear three dimensional (like a bookcase).
On the other hand, vinyl backdrops are a little reflective, so you need to be cautious about how your lights are set up. You also need to be aware that the backgrounds are two dimensional even though they can appear to be three dimensional.

Cycloramas or Cyc Studios

A cyclorama or cyc studio is a fixed (built in place) backdrop consisting of two intersecting wall sections that have been curved seamlessly into one another and the floor so that there are no visible corners. By curving the corners, the background flows from wall to wall to floor.  A cyclorama is a practical and durable backdrop. However, it is also the least flexible (it won’t move) and is only one color (usually white). It makes the subject appear to be floating with an infinite background and is a great way to create cut outs to modify your background.
This type of backdrop takes a lot of space, time and effort, but makes for great photographs.

Sizes and handling

Seamless paper doesn’t usually have any texture. It comes in large rolls of varying widths, with 53 inches and 107 inches being the two most common sizes. Seamless paper also provides the flooring in front of the background without a corner edge. Because it is paper, you need to be aware of dirty or wet footwear because they leave marks and can damage the paper. When the paper is too damaged, you roll out more paper and discard the dirty or damaged section. The rolls generally have lots of paper, somewhere in the range of 9-12 yards (27-36 feet). White seamless paper is often ideal for a studio set up when you want to cut out the background and replace it with something else.

Santa in front of black muslin backdrop

Muslin backdrops come in different styles: standard, washed, crumpled and hand-painted. Standard sizes are 10 feet wide by 12 or 24 feet long. They can be challenging to manage but cover a wide area. Ideally, they come sewn with a pocket at the top that allows you to run it on a rod. Folds in the backdrop can evoke an older photographic style, so most contemporary photographers try to flatten out the muslin. Wrinkle elimination sometimes requires a steamer.

Model with a large muslin backdrop

Because canvas is a much heavier material, these backdrops typically come on rolls. If you don’t manage them as rolls, they can be difficult to handle. Standard sizes are about 6 feet wide by 8 feet tall. Most suppliers have a range of sizes. Canvas tends to hang in stretched out to avoid any folds. If you are doing full-length photographs, you will need to consider what you are using for the floor.
Vinyl backdrops vary in size. Similar to canvas, you need to stretch them to eliminate folds. Some vinyl backdrops come with printed flooring (such as hardwood floors) and can be used together, provided you deal with the interface. Stretching the vinyl on the mounting allows for the image to present well. When shooting with vinyl, you need to ensure that the lighting does not reflect into the camera lens. If you’ve used a backdrop with a three-dimensional image, a reflection will make it clear that the background is not real.

Mounting

There are a few options for mounting backdrops. The determining factor tends to be the size and type of backdrop you are using, as well as the frequency with which you plan on changing them. In general, you want some ability to change and mix up the backgrounds.
The basic options for mounting are fixed bars or portable stands. If you have a permanent studio and never plan on taking any of your backgrounds on the road, fixed bars or rollers are ideal. You mount them on the ceiling or wall so that they are suitably high, and allow the paper or fabric to roll off. Mounting on the ceiling means the backdrop will be high enough for your tallest subjects. Framing can be done merely with conduit and small size piping. There are also large electrically controlled rollers available. The costs can range from very cheap to very expensive.

Stands, allow for flexibility of the configuration. Some stands are intended for backdrops and often come as a set with clamps included. With portable backdrops, clamps play an integral role in making the background smooth and even. It is particularly the case with muslin or canvas backdrops, but seamless paper also benefits from strategic use of clamps to ensure that it does not keep unspooling as you hang the rolls.
There are also pop-up stands that you can use for canvas or vinyl backgrounds. You simply clamp the background to the edges of a springy stand. There are multiple systems for this, and many come with their own backgrounds as a complete set.

Using

Regardless of your backdrop choice, keep the subject at least 3 feet away from it to avoid casting shadows onto the backdrop. This all ties to the strategic use of lighting setups. Your goal is to have the backdrop disappear behind the subject, making it the center of attention.
Some backdrops, particularly white seamless paper, may need to be lit separately. If you don’t light the backdrop you may have uneven colors behind the subject that detract from the image or prevent the easy masking of the backdrop.

Dog in front of muslin backdrop

In general, keeping backdrops clean can be a challenge. Some are easier to clean than others. However, hand-painted canvas and paper backdrops can’t be cleaned without damaging the surfaces, while muslin and vinyl backdrops are easier to clean. You may need to wash large muslins commercially. It is also important that any washing gets done in such a way that the fabrics don’t become altered or damaged.

Choosing the right studio backdrop can affect the mood and overall feel of your images. My personal favorite is hand-painted canvas, but I have used them all (except a cyclorama) effectively. The use of backdrops work hand in glove with your chosen lighting setup, and you should consider both together. If used well, you can make your images pop by having the backdrops pull focus onto your subjects.

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