One Brief Moment

In the previous article Beginners Tips for Sunrise Portraits : Part I, we discussed a number of tips and tricks that will guarantee a fantastic Sunrise Portrait-Shoot. Experiment with those tips and tricks before taking on these techniques.

Every photographer in love with a good portrait session wants to push the envelop with new techniques to improve results. We love capturing personality and creating something truly beautiful with our photographs. Personally, I’ve found sunrise shoots give me a thrill unlike any other time I could photograph. Sunrise shoots have captivated me with stunning images, enticed me with fond memories, and given me a new found love for portraits.

While sunrise shoots aren’t particularly complicated, I have found a few techniques that radically improve my results, and give my portraits a unique look. Before moving forward with these techniques, I’d recommend you start by watching for light – all the time and everywhere. After all, using this breathtaking light is the entire point of getting up before dawn for a photo-shoot. It’s soft. The shadows are long. Make the most of this “magic hour” by paying close attention to light all around you.

via Sunrise Portraits Part II – The Techniques.

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Pricing photography is often one of the greatest hurdles for people looking to break into the profession, bringing beads of sweat to the forehead just thinking about it. It’s especially nerve-wracking when you’re faced with a client demanding to know why they have to pay that much for your services. And chances are if you’ve just adopted the prices you’ve seen some other photographers in your area charge, without taking the time to actually calculate and understand what you charge what you do, then you’re going to be in some hot water to explain your worth.

You need to not only know the worth of the services you are providing, but you need to know how to articulate what you’re worth and why you’re worth it. Photography is an amazing creative outlet and career, but don’t doubt for a second that it’s a business. You’ve got to wear a lot of hats in this industry. Make sure you’re equally versed in the business practices as in the visual principles. When you can negotiate and state your worth with confidence and how you arrived there, you give your client confidence as well. Here are a few things I find critical when I find myself in the position of negotiating my worth.

via How Much to Charge for Your Photography: Negotiating Your Worth.

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In an era when we are drowning in images and lots of people and talents are competing for the viewers’ eyes or the magazines’ attention, have you ever wondered what makes you have a longer look at an image?

Is it the person that was photographed? Perhaps a certain color or an angle?

What is the secret of the photographers that mange to get their work published on magazines and newspapers? What is the secret of taking a strong image that lasts?

The secret of all strong images is their ability to provide the viewer a story .

Since the dawn of time, People gathered around the fire and shared stories with each other.

It doesn’t matter what subjects you like to shoot. If you want to become a good photographer, you have to be a good storyteller first. An image with a story, one that evokes emotion and curiosity will rise above other images and catch the viewer’s attention.

So what is the stuff of which “visual stories” are made from?

In most cases it is an emotion that the image creates. It can be empathy, curiosity or even negative emotions such is anger.

Even if you are dealing with macro or landscape photography it is better to have an image that tells a story. However, the best way for me to get a story is with people photography, as people are a large “pool” of stories and emotions.

Here are 5 tips for finding your “visual story” in Travel photography before departure, and on the road:

via The Secret of Creating a Strong Image – 5 Tips for Creating a Story in Your Image.

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Here is a good article on sunrise portraits!

Beginners Tips for Sunrise Portraits : Part I.

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One of the photography composition techniques for drawing the viewer’s attention is perhaps simplicity. Instead of including the entire scene with conflicting subjects, try minimalism, the art of framing the subject that stands out distinct in its own space. This is where negative space comes into the picture.

Negative space is the free / empty space around the subject of an image, perhaps occupied by smooth, blurred or soothing background which does not compete with the subject. This space can be creatively used for emphasizing the aesthetics of the subject. The negative space is used by artists; be it photographers, painters or designers to balance the composition and to present the frame in such a way that the viewer’s interest is drawn towards the center of interest. The inclusion of negative space in the photographs provides a place for your eyes to rest. It is as important as the positive space, the space occupied by the subject and the frame arrangement of elements itself.

via Negative Space — How To Creatively Use Negative Space In Photography.

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If you’re even remotely interested in making photography more than a hobby, you’ve probably got a Facebook fanpage. If not, get one now!

via Facebook for Photogs – 10 Ways to Generate Business.

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All the whistles and bells of the modern camera should, at least in theory, make crafting great images an easier and more straightforward process than it used to be – with all these exposure modes, focusing tools, picture styles and the like, camera manufacturers would like you to believe that it’s just a matter of squeezing the shutter and hey presto you’re Bailey. Certainly getting the tricky business of exposure right has become more straightforward for the technologically challenged – you really don’t need to know much to get some passable snapshots but what about if you want to take your photography further?

Photography is so very different an activity from that of even ten years ago. Good modern photographers need to be able to do so much more than compose and frame a shot, and whilst the traditional skills required for messing around with chemicals in a darkroom are waning, a whole set of new techniques are needed if you want to develop your photography to a really high standard. Here’s what I think are five key ways to make your photography shine:

via 5 Key Skills for the Modern Photographer.

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