Natural light, a few daffodils and a slightly reluctant toddler were all it took to get this spring-time portrait. I’m no fan of daffodils but I do admit they lend a spring-time feel to portraits. Of course, as garden flowers tend to be just a foot or two from the floor, you need to get low down in order to include them in the frame, as I did here. Talking of frames, JOIN NOW to view this and hundreds of …
In the UK, the month of April is famed for its continuous showers. On the day of this shoot, however, the promised rain did not arrive… Instead, we improvised with a hose pipe, using a flash head behind the subject to light up the ‘raindrops’. Watch the video to see how we did it. https://player.vimeo.com/video/275296598 Toddler Staging Rain Umbrellas JOIN NOW to view this and hundreds of articles, videos, critiques and discussions dedicated to the art, passion and business …
Topshade occurs when your subject is shielded from the sun overhead, by trees, building overhangs and archways or tunnels. Tunnels of topshade provide a special lighting opportunity, and are worth looking out for. As Paul shows in this video, changing the position of your subject within that tunnel enables you to fine-tune the balance of light on your subject’s face compared to the light in the background. Then, JOIN NOW to view this and hundreds of articles, videos, critiques and …
Most of the time, portrait photographers work with a stationary subject and camera. The best action shot of this young skateboarder, however, involved moving both subject and camera at the same time. When your subject is moving, you typically increase your shutter speed to freeze their movements. But what if you want to capture that sense of motion, rather than prevent it? Here, Paul shows us how he used controlled panning to capture young Kai on his skateboard. JOIN NOW to …
Your location doesn’t have to be a limiting factor: with a little creativity, you can achieve a lot in a space most people would pass by without a second glance. In fact, you don’t even need to change or move much to achieve a varied set of portraits in one small area. In this short video, Paul shows how he created seven very different portraits of our young model, Kai, in ten minutes, JOIN NOW to view this and hundreds of …
Amelie (aged three-and-a-half) brought her own creative ideas (and demands) to her portrait session – who am I to argue?! We had a spring-themed, outdoor portrait session planned with Amelie, but she turned up with a plan of her own… to wear her princess outfit. Everything goes smoother when you work with your client, rather than fighting against them, so I went with the flow and started the session by capturing Amelie in her golden dress in the studio. JOIN …
With all the time and kit in the world, it would be easy creating spectacular newborn portraits all the time. Back in the real world, there’s often a balance to be sought: what kit do you really need, versus what would be nice to have, and what can you realistically achieve in the time that you have? This was taken before I owned dedicated kit for photographing newborns. When it comes to equipment, it’s easy to feel like you can’t …
My high risk strategy for getting young James to look directly down my camera lens (and why safer alternatives are a good bet for engaging portraits, too) To get this shot, I challenged James to throw one of his marbles and land it inside my lens hood. He thought this was very funny and set about the task with enthusiasm. This gave me plenty of opportunities to capture the right moment just as a marble went airborne. I happily acknowledge …
When Grace’s mum turned up at my studio with her daughter’s name in big fabric letters, an idea started to form… Follow my thought process and find out how I turned it into a reality. Grace is the daughter of one of the couples whose wedding I photographed previously, Amy and Jonny. When they came in, Amy mentioned she had brought some props but nothing quite prepared me for the soft, fabric letters spelling out her name! I’m not normally …
Making your shoots fun for your subjects is key to getting memorable portraits. This image was the final shot of the day and the result of a playful interaction. The shoot with George and his parents was over, and we were walking back to the studio. I had plenty of shots already, but then we passed a church with a huge door. An image formed in my mind. Note: to create the sense of height in the doors, I lay …