The culture of food is a huge part of our lives in every corner of
the globe. Photographing restaurants either in your home city or abroad
during travel can be a great “sneak peak” into this cultural corner.
Many of the same ideas and principles to travel photography also apply
to restaurant photography. You really have to capture the essence of a
place – the food, patrons, staff, setting and anything that makes the
place unique. Whether it’s gritty down and dirty home food or luxury
linens and pampered plating, think of it all as telling an editorial
story. Here are a few things to look for if you’d like to bolster your
restaurant photography.
The Staff
Who is making and bringing the food and drinks to your table are a
big consideration. Look at any magazine featuring a restaurant and you’d
be hard-pressed not to find an image of the chef or a server.
Especially when either are decked out in some form of uniform or
theme-wear. Simply, we want to know the people who are making and
serving what we’re eating. If you’re there on assignment from a
magazine, you probably have pretty good access to staff.
Waitress at Radegast Hall, Brooklyn, NY
If
you’re there trying to build your personal portfolio you probably just
can’t start snapping away. Find someone and ask for a manager and ask
permission from each person to photograph them. Sometimes you’ll get
turned down, other times you’ll find someone who finds it exciting and
is more than happy to let you snap away – as long as you don’t get in
the way of kitchen business or paying customers. Remember you’re dealing
with people who aren’t in front of the camera too often, so try
cracking a few jokes or giving them a compliment to try and set them at
ease and crack a smile. No one wants to go to a restaurant with a grumpy
chef! Bring out those beaming smiles.
The Food and Drinks
Food and drinks. It’s why we go to restaurants. Something different
than what we can make at home on our own and often in the company of
friends.
Mussels, fries and wine at Chez Oskar
There’s an immense science to food photography, and I’m not going to
try and dive into all of it in this article. It just won’t fit. However,
let’s go over some of the basic pointers of what to look for when
you’re on location with minimal equipment.
If at all possible, I always try to find or ask for a table near a
big open window. A nice big, soft natural light source is the best for
photographing food and maintaining its coloring. Avoid as best as
possible using flash on food. It tends to give it a very surreal, flat
feeling while distorting the colors. Crank your ISO a bit if you need to
and try to find something stable to brace on.
Shoot a lot of angles – overhead, flat on, tilted, straight, etc. The
more the better because it mixes up the feel and you never know what
might be just the right tilt for each dish.
Beer, brats and sauces at Radegast Hall
Get overhead and close down your aperture to get the maximum depth
you can, or get down low on the same level as the food and shoot very
shallow, highlighting one specific detail of the dish. Careful where
your focus spot lands here though. I like to try and keep it to the
front or first item in view and let the rest fade into blur in the
background. Sometimes getting in the middle can work well if you frame
it right, but shoot a few frames to check because your eye may feel
cheated if that first item in view isn’t in focus.
Do your best to capture the appropriate presentation of the food or
drink. Try to nudge an item or two here and there, ask for a little
extra seasoning if it gives it a nice flair and ultimately try to order
photographic and colorful dishes. Pair it with items that go together,
like the photo here with mussels, fries and white wine – common sides to
this dish. Or add items like the different arrangement of sauces at a
beer and brat house.
Steaming up at Chez Oskar
Kitchen and Preparation
If you have access to the kitchen this can be a great place to get
slightly blurry photos of food being flipped in a flaming pan or chefs,
fry cooks, sauciers, etc. running around in the daily hustle that is
working in a kitchen. Also look for prepped trays stacked next to
buckets of ingredients and spices. Expect a bit more grain and much more
wide open shooting here because lighting is usually very low and falls
in and out of spots from overhead. If you can, try to brace yourself in
the corner and shoot at a slower shutter, maybe somewhere between
1/10-1/30 of a second depending on how fast everything is moving. Be
sure you’re staying out of the way. Neither you nor one of the chefs
wants a face full of burning hot or oily food because you kept moving in
a common walking lane.
The Location and Ambiance
A round at Radegast
Don’t forget to capture the overall feel of the restaurant and
especially anything that sets it apart from the competition. This can
include table settings, tiny decorations, the front of the restaurant,
patrons, a sweeping spread of the dining hall, etc. If it’s a festive
atmosphere like the photo on the left, find a way to show smiling faces
and activity. If the restaurant has a more somber or romantic feel, look
for ways to pull that out of the shots. Give the viewer a sense of
place. What’s it going to be like when I go here?
If you can answer that question with three to four images than you’re on
your way to capturing better editorial restaurant photography.
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How to Quote Commercial Photography Jobs: A Few Important Line Items to Consider
There are a variety of ways to quote on a commercial photography job. Every photographer has their own approach.
If you’re new to working with clients, or even if you’ve been at it
for a little while, putting together a formal estimate can be a daunting
process. The bigger the scope, the more variables there are to
consider.
Here are some line items to consider.
Creative fee
When you’re putting together an estimate for a commercial photography job, I recommend charging a Creative Fee for your labor. This creative fee is the time you spend shooting, but it can also include some post-processing.
Some photographers charge a day rate or a half-day rate. I don’t
advise charging by the hours, but I determine how many hours you think
you may need to execute a job and multiply it by the hourly rate you
would like to receive for it. You may want to top that up by up to 25%,
as you’ll find most jobs take longer than you think they will.
As a new photographer, I tried a variety of ways of estimating jobs.
When I charged a half-day rate, I often found that there was no such
thing. By the time I set up, did all the project management to pull the
shoot together and hire the help I needed, it was a full day of work and
then some.
Think about how much work you have to do behind the scenes and factor that into your creative fee as well.
One thing I don’t recommend is lumping all your expenses together and
presenting it to the client. Giving them one big total can lead to
sticker shock and confuse your potential client. They won’t know what
they’re paying for exactly.
Breaking it down for them is a good business practice and helps the
less experienced clients – say, those with a small business – understand
all the work that goes into producing a commercial photo shoot.
Equipment
Some photographers like to have their own equipment they bring to
photo shoots. This not only means a couple of cameras and Speedlites,
but it can also mean monoheads, stands, and a variety of other gear.
You may have everything you need to bring to smaller shoots, but on
bigger productions, you may need to rent extra gear, like several lights
and lighting modifiers. You should not absorb this cost. It goes into
the estimate.
Therefore, you need to get all the pertinent information up front
about what the shot entails, so you know what to take. Make sure you get
a shot list and ask all the necessary questions up front.
If you do have your own gear, you can include it in your creative fee
and mention it as a footnote on the estimate that it’s included.
Alternatively, you may decide to separate it.
You should charge at least a nominal fee for the use of your
equipment. This way you can put money aside for any replacements and
upgrades you need to do over time.
If a client were to go to a rental house and rent the equipment
needed to pull off a commercial production, they would pay hundreds of
dollars. And that is just for the tools. What about the skill of the
person to handle those tools?
Don’t be afraid to charge appropriately for your services.
Studio rental
Photo shoots can take place in a variety of locations, but if you
need to shoot in a studio, make sure that you put a cost for the studio rental in your estimate.
Be familiar with at least three studios in your area that can be
rented out and what they charge per hour or day. If at the time that you
write your estimate you’re not sure which one you’d be shooting in, put
the most expensive one as the cost.
Once you get the go-ahead you can see what is available on the date you’ll be shooting and book the available studio.
Editing & post-production
When working on a commercial level, you may not be the person
responsible for editing the photos. If you’re working with an ad agency
or sometimes even a magazine, they may have someone in-house to do
editing according to specific parameters.
Alternatively, you may be expected to do the basic editing, but
someone else may be responsible for further refinement. Be clear on the
outset about the expectations around post-production.
The Photoshop required may be complex and require the expertise of a professional retoucher. In this case, you must get a quote from a retoucher and put that as a line item in your estimate.
Archiving fee
Some photographers charge an archiving fee as part of their post-production process.
There is the time associated with uploading and storing images and
the process required to back them up. Since you should be charging for
all the time you spend on a project, it makes sense to include it in the
scope. You can have it as a line item or include it in your creative
fee.
Digital Imaging Technician
Depending on the genre of photography you shoot and the nature of the
production, you might want to hire a Digital Imaging Technician. Also
known as a DIT, they are responsible for backing up everything as you
shoot, and for doing quick color treatments or composites on set.
For example, as a food and still life photographer, I always shoot
tethered to my computer so I can see a large, more accurate rendition of
my image than I can get on the back of my LCD screen. I also sometimes
have to work with overlays if I’m doing product packaging, so I can see
how the image fits with any text or artwork. A DIT can help with this
process.
Photo assistant
I have used a photo assistant since the day I started shooting professionally.
A good photo assistant is indispensable and worth every penny. A
photo assistant can help you carry all your gear, work your lighting and
run out on errands. Having one on hand saves you time, which in the end
is saving you money.
There are professional photo assistants whose sole work is assisting
other photographers. However, there are plenty of photography school
grads that start their careers assisting and have a lot to offer in
terms of technical knowledge and eagerness to gain experience.
Many of them are not even that expensive, so if you can’t get the
extra expense approved, I suggest taking a cut for yourself to have one
help you out.
Stylists and makeup artists
Depending on the niche you’re shooting in, you may need a stylist. This may be a wardrobe or fashion stylist, or a food stylist.
Food stylists are responsible for shopping for the food and ingredients required for any food shoot
and preparing it for the set. Food styling requires particular skills
and are an essential part of any team producing food photography. It is
not the photographer’s job, as it’s a different occupation and should be
treated as such.
Food stylists usually charge by the hour or a day rate, as well as for prep, and often have their own assistants.
Similarly, wardrobe stylists are responsible for the clothing and related props on fashion shoots.
Makeup artists are required for fashion shoots as well, and sometimes on commercial portrait shoots.
Image usage
Image usage is the trickiest part of a photography estimate.
There is no right or wrong answer for how much you should be charging for usage.
When you are hired to shoot for a brand, you still own the copyright
to those images. The client does not own them. The creative fee is for
the labor to execute the commission, the usage fee is a license that
allows them to use the image in a defined way for a specific time
period.
How much you should charge is dependent on your market, the visibility of the brand, and how they want to use them.
The Getty Pricing Calculator is a free tool that can give you some idea of what to charge for usage.
However, I have found that there is what photographers should charge,
and then there is reality. There is no point in charging a client
hundreds of dollars per image if the client is small and cannot pay
that.
I always recommend separating image usage from the creative fee.
However, often you need to educate the client up front about copyright
and what usage refers to. This can be tough if you’re dealing with a
small business owner who thinks they own the images because they hired
you to shoot them.
Give them an agreement that outlines the usage and make sure they are clear on how and where they can use the images.
If you’ve been struggling with how to price your photographic
services, hopefully, you now have a better idea of the types of things
you can charge for.
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What You Need to Know to do Successful Restaurant Photography
If you want to be a food photographer,
you’ll likely start your career shooting restaurant photography. This
is how most food photographers get their start. Restaurants have smaller
budgets, so they’re open to working with new photographers.
However, photographing for restaurants isn’t that easy. Not only do
you have to be skilled at shooting food, but you also need to be able to
shoot interiors and portraits of the chef and other staff.
Restaurant photography can be a lot of work, and there are a lot of
ins-and-outs you should know to make sure you don’t end up getting
burned by this very specific type of shoot.
Ask for a shot list
Before you can give a potential client an estimate, you need to know
what you’ll be photographing in order to estimate how long the shoot
will take you. For example, beverages can take longer to photograph than
a plate of food, as managing reflections in glass can take time and be
challenging.
You should base your estimates on the project scope. If you can’t
estimate how long the shoot will take you, you can’t price your services
accordingly. Get a breakdown of how many food images will be required,
how many drinks etc.
Some restaurants want you to bring in your own surfaces,
dishes, linens etc. for a more magazine editorial feel. In this case,
note that it will take longer to shoot this type of scene than it will
shooting their own dishes on the restaurant tables.
Scout for the location and light
Check out the location beforehand so you know what you’ll be up against in terms of lighting.
You’ll also need to figure out where to set up your equipment and
workspace. This should be done with agreement from the manager or
proprietor.
It’s
important that if the restaurant is open when you shoot, that you’re as
unobtrusive to the patrons as possible. See if the client can close off
a section of the restaurant where you can work without bothering
anyone, and vice versa.
Discuss styling the food
When shooting for restaurants, you should make clear on the outset that you’re not a food stylist and therefore are not responsible for how the food looks.
Food styling is a different occupation. It requires a separate skill set from photography. Your job is the lighting and image capture, not the plating of the food.
Of course, you should always be aware of garnishes and stray crumbs,
and generally, make sure the food looks its best for the camera. I’ve
been known to send back a sloppy looking burger or two.
The point is that clients need to make sure their chef is up to the
task. Otherwise, they should hire a food stylist to guide them. A food
stylist can be pricey and not feasible for an already tight budget. In
the case that a client refuses to hire one, they should know that the
look of the food on the plate ultimately falls on them.
Make sure you state this in your contract. You have a contract, right?
Bring a food styling kit and some basic props
While you won’t be plating and styling the food, you
should still bring along a basic food styling kit that includes items
such as tweezers, cotton swabs, and small brushes to tame errant
garnishes or clean unwanted crumbs and drips from the plate. You want to
do the best job you can with what you’re given.
It’s a good idea to come prepared with some props
as back up. Bring a stack of linens in various shapes, sizes, and
colors, and maybe some cutlery. Sometimes clients want their own tables,
flatware, and dishes shot as they are experienced by the patrons, but
many have a branding direction in mind that requires a specific look or
ambiance.
For example, when clients wanted me to
create dark and moody images for them, I bring in small, dark dishes and
vintage cutlery – the opposite of the large, white dishes you see in
most restaurants.
Use a tripod
If you shoot only in natural light, be aware that most restaurants are too dark for food photography.
You’ll need to shoot by a window and use a tripod
so you can decrease your shutter speed and make a longer exposure. This
won’t work for photographing people, however, as they will be blurry
with a slow shutter speed.
If the images will only appear on the web
or in social media, you can crank up the ISO and fix the noise in your
images later in post-production.
When I scout the location, I try to take a
few test shots and see how they look in Lightroom before making my
lighting decisions.
Shoot horizontally
Have a conversation with the client about how they would like the images shot. Most restaurants only need images for their website. Interactive web design often requires that images be shot in landscape orientation.
If the client will be printing some of the images on a menu, this may require a vertical format (and a higher resolution).
Make sure to discuss the best picture orientation with the client. Make
note that if they want both, it can take you up to twice as long to
shoot the images, as not only will you have to adjust the camera, but
you’ll have to recompose each image.
Shoot tethered
I always hook up my camera to a laptop so the client can view the images captured by my camera. Shooting tethered
allows you to see a larger, more accurate rendition of your shot than
you can get from the screen on the back of your camera. You can use
Lightroom or Capture One Pro for tethering. Make sure you have a high-quality tethering cord.
Work with the client
Ultimately, you want to produce good work
that makes the client happy. For this, the client needs to be involved
in the process. They must be present at the shoot to provide
creative direction and approve the images that are captured. That way,
they can’t come back and tell you they don’t like them, or that they
don’t align with the branding or aesthetic they had in mind.
I have a clause in my contract stating
that I will not begin a shoot without someone representing the
restaurant present. Also that the client will forfeit the deposit if I
need to pack up my things and leave. Believe me, you don’t want to get
into this situation.
Collaborate with the chef
Involve the chef in the process as much
as possible. When you make an appointment to scout the location, ask if
you could meet the chef.
Making
the chef feel like an important part of the process can make a big
difference in the outcome of your shoot. The shoots that end up being
the most easy and fun are the ones where the chef is enthusiastic about
working with you and making the food look its best for its moment in the
spotlight.
One more thing. Before you set foot in the restaurant with your camera, make sure you have liability insurance.
Many restaurants won’t always think about this, but bigger clients will
often ask for proof of liability insurance. If someone trips over an
extension or tethering cord and decides to sue the restaurant, you can
be included in that lawsuit.
Shop around for the best insurance for you, and read the fine print carefully. You need insurance that is specific to the photography industry so you can make sure you’re covered in the types of situations you will be faced with.
You should also insure your equipment against theft, loss, and damage, including that from fire or flood.
Restaurant photography can be a great way
to start building up your professional portfolio. Just make sure to do
it right to avoid any headaches along the way, and to get your clients
to hire you as their preferred photographer whenever they update their
menu.
Do you have any other tips or experiences you’d like to share with us about Restaurant Photography? Do so in the comments!
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5 Tips for More Professional-Looking Food Photography
In an age where iPhones are shooting stellar images and high quality
DSLRs are coming down in price, it’s becoming increasingly challenging
for food photographers
to make a living as professionals. As a food photographer in Seattle,
I’ve noticed that many of my clients have become opinionated about what
makes a good photo, and in many cases are shooting right next to me with
their iPhones. I take it as a positive sign that clients, and most
people with smartphones, are becoming more informed and educated about
photography, but there is of course the notion that this could very soon
make professional photography even more undervalued.
So, what’s a professional food photographer to do? Here are some tips
to help make sure you capture quality food photography images that
attest to the value of paying you, a professional, to do the job.
Tip #1: Don’t use natural lighting
Natural lighting
is fantastic, and I still try to use it as often as possible. However,
many of my clients have realized the value of using natural lighting and
tend to shoot their iPhone photos in naturally lit areas. Taking into
account the quality of iPhone photos these days, it’s not unusual that
their cell phone photos look pretty darn good, even compared to my DSLR
shots. To make sure your photos always look unquestionably better than
those taken with a cell phone, use natural lighting less and do some
experimenting with strobes and off-camera flash.
Tip #2: Shoot in dark spaces
Taking tip #1 into consideration, take full advantage of your professional-grade camera’s low lighting capabilities,
and/or your strobe lighting knowledge, by shooting dishes of food in
spaces where iPhones have a slim chance of performing well. This is also
a good opportunity to incorporate some of the unique features of the
restaurant’s interior spaces, into your main shot.
Photographed in an extremely dark space, this photo wouldn’t have been possible without a
DSLR and strobe.
Tip #3: Use a macro lens
While cell phone cameras are becoming equipped with better features
with every new release, many still can’t shoot quality macro photos the
way that DSLRs can. Use this fact to your advantage and make a macro lens
your best friend when shooting food photos. Don’t be afraid to get up
close and personal, and capture the details of the dishes you’re
shooting. These photos may not be exactly what your clients have in
mind, but at the very least it’s always a good thing to show them an
alternative perspective that reminds them why they hired you.
Tip #4: Be a creative director and/or food stylist
Most amateurs approach food photos very statically, opting to shoot
dishes from a seated position or overhead. Very few will get creative
and incorporate people, props, or activity in their shots. This is your
opportunity to shine as a food photographer. Move beyond standalone food
photos and use your creativity to make a more dynamic shot. Ways to do
this might be capturing action shots, adding a beverage or extra
silverware in the shot, or even working with chefs to help them plate
dishes in ways that will be photographically appealing. These skills are
also part of the reason your client is hiring you, so don’t be afraid
to exert your creative authority.
Tip #5: Shoot tethered
A very simple, yet highly effective, way to come off as a polished,
professional photographer is to shoot tethered. If you’re unfamiliar
with tethered shooting, it is basically the act of connecting your
camera to a computer or tablet, which allows your clients to see your
shots on a screen just seconds after you’ve pressed the shutter. This
might sound intimidating, but it’s a very simple way to make sure that
you and your client are on the same page throughout the photo shoot. It
also invites your client to actively participate in the shoot and give
you feedback and their own ideas. Tethered shooting is very easy to do
using a USB cord or even Wi-Fi technology
if your camera has this capability. If you have the means to shoot
tethered, definitely consider offering this service to your clients.
Tip #6: Transmit photos via Wi-Fi
If you have a client who is shooting alongside you with their iPhone,
chances are it’s because they want access to photos for immediate
posting on social media. Do yourself and your client a favor and offer
to send them images on the spot using in-camera Wi-Fi, or do a few quick
edits and transmit some shots directly from your computer if you’re
shooting tethered. Depending on your agreement with your client, you
could even charge a little extra for these services.
Over to you
Do you have other tips for offering more professional-looking food
photography that outperforms iPhones and other amateur cameras? Let me
know in the comments below!
As photographers and artists, we all hit creative walls. We work hard to
improve our skills, we learn new things and then it seems we hit a
wall.
Sometimes I think we over complicate problems like this, searching
for some magical trick that will give us the creative perspective we are
looking for. If you are like me you know that usually doesn’t work.
Instead, here is a collection of tips you can go out and try today to
improve your photography and develop your creative eye. Pay no
attention to the order, they are all completely random.
1. Visit an Art Museum | Fall in Love with Art
I can’t stress enough the importance of art appreciation as a
photographer. If you want to get better at photography become an admirer
and student of the world of art.
Visit a museum and spend the day studying the work of great artists.
Better yet, take a pen and paper with you. When a painting or work of
art grabs your attention jot down why. Write down everything you love
about it and the reasoning behind it. If you find something you don’t
care for write that down too.
Museums are abundant in most big cities. In fact in a lot of cases
they are even free. If they aren’t free, there may still be ways to get
in for free. For example, if you have a debit or credit card through
Bank of America, you can get in free at over 100 museums nationwide.
2. Freshen Your Perspective
Take a day and focus on perspective. Experiment with different camera
angles that you may not have tried before. This tip is only limited by
how far you are willing to get out of your comfort zone.
If you are shooting a portrait session, bring a ladder with you. If
you don’t have a ladder, climb a tree or find a perspective above your
subjects head. Not only is this different, looking up is almost always
flattering to your subjects features, especially if they are prone to
double chins!
If you are photographing flowers, consider shooting them from
underneath. While this may get you dirty, I promise it will be
rewarding. Play with the angle of the sun and capture the translucency
of the flower as the sunlight pours through it.
A fresh perspective can almost always give you that creative boost you are looking for.
3. Take a Trip To Your Local Zoo
Visiting a zoo is one of my favorite things to do as a photographer –
mainly because I’m doing it simply for me. There is no pressure and I
don’t have a client that wants a certain type of image. I don’t feel the
need to create a certain look or feel to the photos. It’s just me, my
camera and hundreds of exotic animals at my fingertips! Zoos are cheap
and most of them have one day a week where you can even get in for half
price. Here’s a challenge: When you go, try and conceal the
fact that the animals are at the zoo. That means getting creative with
the way you frame shots.
This
can be challenging at times, but it’s very rewarding. If there is a
fence, an obviously fake looking rock or object, or if the surroundings
just don’t click, don’t take the picture. Alternatively simply change
your perspective until the framing works. This mindset will get your
creative juices flowing and I promise you will have a blast!
4. Minimize Your Possibilities
That’s right, minimize. While being able to shoot thousands
of images is nice, it can also dull your creative thought process. With
seemingly unlimited images you can just click away, firing off shots
left and right all day long. With this mentality, you’re sure to get a
few keepers. Right?
Consider this instead; next time you’re out taking pictures (and not
for a client!) try taking the smallest memory card you have. Choose one
that will only allow you a very limited number of shots – and don’t take
any other cards. Alternatively, if you only have large capacity cards
just set a limit in your head of only taking 50 images the entire day.
All of the sudden, there is a certain and definite brevity in the
amount of images you can take. You can’t just walk around snapping
pictures at everything you see. This will take you back to the
limitations of film and you will have to carefully consider each shot
you take. The flip side of this is that your creative juices will begin
to flow and you will be more alert to what is going to make a good
image.
5. Take Your Camera Everywhere
In his book Visual Poetry, Chris Orwig states that, “Even without taking pictures, carrying a camera enhances life.”
I couldn’t agree more. Carrying a camera is an instant way to put
your senses on high alert. It causes you to look at the world as if your
camera was always pressed to your eye. It gives you a reason to slow
down, to take everything in, no matter where you are.
Commit to carrying your camera with you everywhere for a
certain amount of time. Take pictures knowing full well that the world
may never see them. Create photographs of everyday things, moments in
time that normally wouldn’t require a photograph. The trick will be to
see these subtle events in a new way and to find a way to make them
interesting. Even if you just use your camera phone, this tip is a solid
way to improve your creative eye.
6. Always Be a Beginner
The moment you adopt the mindset that you’re the best at something
(or even the best in your circle) is the moment you become unteachable.
Great photographers like Douglas Kirkland always keep the mindset of a beginner.
I’ve met my share of people who think they know it all. You know the
kind. You try and tell them something that you’ve learned and they shoot
you down, saying they already knew that. Or they refuse to accept
anything new because they aren’t willing to change their ways. This is a
death sentence to your creativity.
Set aside your pride and be willing to learn from others, even if you feel you’re at the top of your game.
7. Pick a Color, Any Color
Pick a color and create a portfolio around that color. If you have
time, do this with several colors. Go out and create images that
predominately feature a single color.
If you choose blue, consider subjects where this color is evident.
Focus on pictures by water, or the sky. Go out past sunset and into the
realm of “nautical twilight,” when the setting sun casts shades of deep
blues across the sky and earth. Find textured walls that are painted in
different colors and shades of blue.
If you choose yellow, scout out a field of sunflowers. Shoot subjects
straight into the sun, bathing the frame in golden sunlight. You can
make the color even more obvious in post processing by applying filters
of your chosen color over the image.
8. Shadow an Admired Photographer
For the most part photographers are nice, generous and giving people.
Sure, there are some who won’t give the time of day to a photographer
looking for a mentor, but who wants to shadow or even follow the work of
someone like that?
Find a photographer that inspires you and form a relationship with
them. Offer to take them out to lunch. If you’re lucky, you will be able
to learn from that person and maybe even shadow them.
Ask to hold lights for them during their photo shoots, or just carry
around their gear. You will learn a lot just observing how they interact
with their clients. If they shoot landscapes, the same applies. Offer
to carry their gear as they scour the places they photograph. Invite
them out for a photo walk and offer to buy dinner or a drink afterward.
Becoming a great photographer is a tough road to take by yourself,
having a mentor can make the difference between success and failure.
9. Discover the Golden Ratio
Also known as the Golden Mean, Divine Proportion, the Fibonacci Rule, the Rule of Phi, etc. The Golden Ratio
is a common ratio discovered by Leonardo Fibonacci and found throughout
nature, architecture, and art. The ratio is believed to make things
appealing to the human eye.
In nature, it is also believed to be the most energy efficient form
of design among living things. There is some debate around it but it is
very interesting to learn about.
The Golden Ratio is basically the “Rule of Thirds” on steroids. If
you have a few minutes, visit YouTube and watch this very interesting
(albeit sort of creepy) video of the Golden Ratio.
Becoming knowledgeable on topics like the Golden Ratio can drastically
increase your chances of creating images that attract viewers attention.
10. Find a setting and stick with it
If there is a setting on your camera you are unfamiliar with, go to
your camera and dial over to that setting. Now, commit to yourself that
you won’t take your camera off that setting until you are fully
comfortable with it.
If you are only comfortable with automatic, I wouldn’t suggest going
straight to manual but do certainly get out of the automatic settings
and into the creative ones.
You should view the automatic settings on your cameras as poison to
your creativity and photographic skill. These settings take away your
say in how the image will look, just short of composing the frame and
pressing the shutter.
Start out with either Av (Aperture Value) or Tv (Time Value) or P (Program) mode (learn about Aperture and Shutter Priority Modes here). Dedicate at least an entire day to shooting under just that one setting.
If you need help, there is always a wealth of information on this
site, but the most readily available resource is your cameras manual.
Most photographers don’t realize how much they can learn by simply
reading the manuals that came with their cameras. I’ve been known to
even read my manual on plane rides. What better time than when you have
nothing else to do? Once you get one setting down, move to the next one,
and work your way up to the infamous “Manual” setting.
11. Consider the Difference Between Inspiration and Creativity
There are a number of articles on the web similar to this one that
provide a list of ways to get better at photography. Almost all of those
lists will tell you to go online and troll the work of other
photographers for inspiration.
While this may be a good idea in moderation, I’m tempted to take the side of staying away from it.
How are you going to develop your own style by mimicking the work of
others? How are you going to exercise your creative juices when you get
all your ideas off the coat tails of other artists?
Owen Shifflett of Viget.com wrote an incredibly interesting (and incredibly popular) blog post called “Consumption: How Inspiration Killed, Then Ate, Creativity,” and I think any photographer or artist, new or seasoned, should read this article.
If you’re preparing for a portrait session of a family avoid hopping
online to scavenge other photographers sites for posing ideas and post
processing looks. Where is the uniqueness in that?
With the age of the internet, any bit of information is available at
our finger tips within seconds. When we immerse ourselves in the work of
other photographers, we end up ripping off our own creativity.
Instead sit down with a pencil and paper and start brainstorming.
It’s going to be tough, it’s going to take some time, but what if out of
all that, you came up with something completely unique? Something
completely yours?
12. Find something you’re not comfortable shooting and go after it
Getting better at anything involves getting out of your comfort zone.
If all you do is photograph families and seniors, go out and shoot
landscapes one weekend. All of the sudden, your images are going to
require completely new camera settings. No more people to pose, no more
assistants to hold your flash, no more backdrops or props, no more
shallow depth of field or fast shutter speed requirements. Now you have
to think about your subject in a complete new way. A landscape doesn’t
listen to you. You can’t tell it to move the left or right, or use a
flash to reveal a bit more light in a certain area. For the most part,
landscapes require deep depth of fields, slower shutter speeds, tripods
and a whole new eye for composition and lighting.
If you spend time photographing things you are not used to, I promise you will come away with new ideas for what you are comfortable shooting. You’ll also develop a deeper understanding of your camera too.
13. Use a Tripod
According to a recent poll here at dPS around 70% of readers use a tripod less than 50% of the time.
Personally, I know very few photographers who carry a tripod around with them – you almost never see it with amateurs.
Something interesting happens when you attach your camera to a
tripod. Suddenly, everything slows down. There’s no more snapping photos
left and right – quickly filling up memory cards. When you use a
tripod, you really have to take the time to compose your image. This
mainly happens because you can no longer move the camera around freely.
You now have to adjust the tripod to be level with the horizon. You have
to move it left or right manually to adjust the position of your
subject. Just by doing this, you slow down and really think about your
image.
Go out and take 10 images hand held, then immediately take 10 more on
a tripod. See which set comes out better. I’m willing to bet it will be
the latter.
14. Join a Local Photography Club
One of the best things you can do as a photographer is network with other photographers.
Yes – networking online is a great tool and shouldn’t be overlooked,
but having face to face interaction with like minded people is so much
better! There are plenty of ways to seek out local photographers. You
can join the local PPA division in your city, or just google photography
clubs in your area. One of the best clubs I ever joined was a local
photography group through Meetup.com.
This group has a wealth of very talented photographers and they hold
around 4-6 events every month! Whether it’s just doing a photo walk
around the city, or getting a VIP pass to the local sports stadiums,
these groups are a blast to be a part of!
There you have it, 14 ideas you can implement immediately into your photography.
Of course you can’t do all of these at once, but any time you feel
you need a boost, be sure to check back here. If you have more ideas
and/or tips, I’d love to here from you. If these tips have helped you in
any way, I’d love to hear from you as well. Be sure to leave a comment
below or send me a tweet (@jamesdbrandon)
and let me know your thoughts. Be sure to suggest this page to any
other photographers you may know. Thanks and happy shooting!
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How to Improve Your Art – The Creative Process in Photography
As photographers, we all want to be constantly improving our work.
However, often this can seem like an uphill struggle, especially when
you are just starting out. As an art form, photography is all about the
creative process and exploring ideas through images, but in order to
really create great images you need to put a plan in place for your own
development; especially focused on skills, inspiration, purpose and
output. By tackling these elements you can focus your mind and develop
your work, to help you produce better and more refined art every time
you go out on location.
Skills – The Basics
In order to get on to the creative elements, having a solid
understanding of the base knowledge first is integral to improving your
art as a photographer. I’m not going to go into detail here about
understanding exposure, depth of field, composition, etc., but these are
key things to spend time on.
It may seem like a huge task, but with solid work you can come to grips with being able to shoot in full manual mode
easily within a month. After that point, you need to understand the
basics as well as the layout of your camera’s functions, helping to make
it an extension of yourself and not a distraction from your intended
subject. There are a large number of fantastic tutorials here on dPS that can help you to get up to speed and really understand the basics.
Focus Days
Taking your learning further is all about practice and persistence,
so think about spending a few days focused on certain image types. Set
yourself the task of going out the door to just shoot panning images,
wide angles, bokeh, etc. This will help you to formulate the skills in
your photographer’s arsenal and produce more creative images for the
future.
No matter how many years you have been shooting, testing yourself and
constantly putting in the time will always help you improve. If you
can’t find a whole day, why not a lunch break at work? Small efforts
done consistently lead to great results.
Restrict Yourself
Creativity is something people often believe thrives with options,
but in honesty, having too many things to choose from can often dilute
your vision and reduce the creativity within your images. Restrict yourself
by focusing on a single subject for an extended period of time. Build a
long term project in your garden or local nature reserve and keep
returning to build upon your images.
Another option is to work with a single focal length or prime lens
to explore how you can make the most of what you’ve got. If you don’t
have a prime lens use a piece of gaffer tape to hold your zoom lens in
position to stop the temptation of zooming in or out. These practices
will enhance your skills when it comes to general shooting, as you will
be able to quickly select and formulate the ways and ideas you want to
shoot.
Record
In order to get the best out of the images you are taking and the
skills you are learning, remember to record them. Working with a simple
notebook or online workbook, evaluate the images you have taken for
successes and failures, in order to cement the lessons in your mind and
learn from your work.
Inspiration
Inspiration is very important for your development as a photographer.
Without constant inspiration it can be hard to formulate ideas and
develop on past work. Staying inspired doesn’t just mean looking at
other photographer’s work, as often over-saturaturation of a single
medium can result in less creativity. So it’s better to take input from
as wide a range of sources as possible.
Galleries
A traditional showcase of artwork, galleries are still a fantastic
option for gaining some inspiration. The variety of work on show, from
ancient works such as stone carvings and cave paintings, through to
impressionism and modernism, really do offer a superb variety of visual
stimuli. Often, to get the best out of them, attending a tour or
showcase day can help, giving you the backstories of the work as well as
explaining the techniques and mediums used. This knowledge will inform,
and allow you to formulate your own processes when creating images in
the field.
Nature
As a wildlife photographer, nature is a huge inspiration to me.
Heading out on walks, be it with or without a camera, is a great way to
soak up some atmosphere. Look at light and shape of the landscape, and
pull in ideas for future images.
Architecture
Buildings
offer fantastic inspiration for photography. Lines, form and shape are
used to make striking structures and can be a excellent source of
inspiration. Focus on looking for the way the shapes are used to form
elegant structures or draw your eye to a pivotal point. Additionally,
take note of the way shadows form, as this will help you imagine and
anticipate lighting for future images.
Online
In the modern world the internet has a huge amount to offer, and with
so many fantastic resources it is full of inspiration. Taking a look at
photographers’ portfolios, or the feeds of 500px, Flickr, etc. offer
superb images that can be the perfect inspiration for your own work. One
thing to avoid is that of visual trends, copying styles just because
they are popular. It is always worth noting that just because an image
doesn’t have many Likes or Favourites” does not deny its worth as
inspiration, as images will always mean different things to different
people.
In person
A great way to find inspiration is to become part of a community.
Heading to events in the photography world such as exhibitions or trade
shows can provide a great way to meet like-minded people as well as see
some excellent work. Also, think about looking for a local photography
group or club. Many areas have these and they offer a great chance to
meet up and discuss work and camera techniques with your peers, all the
while helping you improve and develop your skills.
Record (again)
Just as above, it’s very important to also record your inspirations.
Write down the names of artists and photographers you want to look up,
and make notes on what you like and dislike about certain images and
media. All of these thoughts and feelings are great to revisit when
creating to help formulate and focus your own work. Remember to keep
that notebook handy!
Purpose
Creativity often needs purpose and so do your images.The most
powerful images almost always have a purpose behind them, be it to tell
stories, stir emotion, tempt us, or give us a glimpse into something
we’ve never seen before. Images with purpose have greater strength.
When wanting to improve your own images look for purpose within your
shots. Tell stories through single images or start to work on
documenting a larger idea through multiple images.
Have the story in your head and shoot frames to help tell it
pictorially. Stories don’t need to be huge photojournalist essays,
instead start off by just showcasing the mundane, everyday occurrences.
Training yourself to make powerful images of these situations will
equip you with the necessary skills for more exciting opportunities in
the future. Working on a local project, be it in your back garden or
local community, means you can spend a great deal of time focused on
your images as well as developing your story and vision.
Always ask yourself the following;
Why am I creating this image?
What am I trying to show?
What are the key elements in this story?
How can I find a unique angle?
These thoughts will help you work toward creating stronger images
with purpose and meaning, leading to far more creative photography.
Output
Art deserves to be shown and deciding how you are going to output
your final work is a great way to focus your creativity. In the modern
world, most images just end up on a hard drive, away from the light of
day where no one can see them. With all the work and effort you are
putting into them, they deserve more.
In terms of being creative with your work, think about how it should
best be shown. Often people lean toward online media, showcasing work
through the likes of Flickr or Facebook, Although these are a great way
of getting work out there, they can numb the creative and learning
process somewhat.
Think about outputting to hard media, printing out your work as well
as online platforms. There are loads of great ways to produce photo
books, magazines and gallery style prints
that will look far better and suit certain bodies of work far more. The
creative process of learning to design a photo book, bring together a
12-part print collection, or design a magazine spread, will also be an
excellent learning curve to help you when working on future projects.
In addition, there is something to be said for holding a final piece
of work in your hands. A finished print really is the ultimate moment
for an image. Having passed through all of the creative stages from
conception and execution, through to editing and final completion in
your hands is a great feeling, and one every photographer deserves after
finishing an image.
In order to produce more and more creative work it’s all about
focusing on the process. The skills behind creating, the inspiration and
purpose behind projects, the final results and how they are output. By
taking time to think through these stages you can really focus your mind
and produce refined work to be proud of, as well as constant develope
your skills and grow as a photographer in the future.
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Monday, April 13, 2020
Love Story
Viral video - Cell phone video, Inspiration for you Videographers considering a topic for your next project.7,875
views on Facebook. Your video may receive more.
With the new year here, many of us are making resolutions and setting
goals for the coming year. As photographers, we are always striving to
hone our skills and learn more about our craft, and the start of a new
year is the perfect time to take on a photography project.
Photo by Cara Farnell
Now, there are multitudes of daily, weekly and even monthly projects
to choose from, but a popular choice is a self-portrait project. Whether
you commit to a daily 365 project, or a 52 weeks project, let’s look at
the benefits and possible challenges of a self-portrait project for
2012: 1) With self-portraiture, you have the luxury of
being able to work at your own pace, in a safe environment. You are
exploring self-portraiture for you, and only you, which gives you the
freedom to experiment with lighting, posing, post-processing and so much
more, without the pressures of needing to please a client. 2) Whether you are a portrait, landscape or nature
photographer, creativity and originality play an important role in your
work. If you are not used to being in front of the lens, exploring
self-portraiture can open your mind to new creative possibilities. Each
of us has our own unique form of creativity, but the more we stretch our
creativity, the more we grow as photographers. We can easily fall into a
creative rut, but sometimes, trying something new, like
self-portraiture, can help us avoid that dreaded rut, especially if you
stretch yourself on a regular basis. 3) If you specialize in portraiture, experimenting
with self-portraits will give you new ideas that you may then want to
apply when you are photographing another person. Practicing
self-portraits on a regular basis will help you narrow down what type of
posing, lighting and composition will work in a given situation. That
way, when you photograph another person, you will spend more time
photographing them and interacting with them, rather than scrambling to
set up the technical aspects of your shoot.
Photo by Dina MacLeod
4) If
you commit to a 365 project, good for you! You are in for an extremely
rewarding experience. But, let’s be honest here – a lot of us are too
flooded with work, family and life to make that sort of leap. If you do
not see yourself undertaking a 365 project, then you may want to
consider a 52 weeks project. There are just as many photographers who
have completed the 52 weeks as the 365 project, and at the end of the
journey, they have come just as far as the people in the 365 camp.
Photo by Lee Jeffryes
5) Finally, self-portrait projects offer you a
regular dose of self-expression and exploration. With a creative medium
such as photography, even if you do not regularly take self-portraits,
each of your photos is a reflection of how you see the world. It is
nearly impossible to explore self-portraiture without growth on a
personal level, and personal growth, as photographers, almost always
equals new creative horizons. Want to learn more about HOW to take great Self Portraits?Check out Anna Gay’s eBook on the Art of Self Portraiture.
