Common Mistakes #1
Centering your subject in all images Centering the subject in all your images isn’t great. It is fine in lots of situations like headshots, but not everything. I want you to think of the Rule of Thirds. The Rule of Thirds divides your image into 9 equal sections using...
Which Business? – Headshots
So what is a headshot? You’re probably thinking it’s a portrait, well I guess it is, but it’s really a subsection of portraits. The head and shoulder photo is used by business people, actors, and actresses all over the world as a promotional tool. Just think how big...
Which Business? – Wedding Photography
This week’s “Which Business” episode is on Weddings. Everyone that starts out doing family portraits wants to get into shooting weddings. It seems like it’s the next step on the ladder, but it’s not for everyone. My story I started out shooting sports...
Which Business? – Sports Photography
The reason I started a photography business was to shoot figure skating. My daughter had started skating the year before. The moment I realized I could make money shooting figure skating was at her first competition. The club had hired a company to shoot stills and...
Which Business? – Real Estate Photography
I’ve done my fair share of real estate photography and it isn’t as glamorous as it looks. Yes, shooting stunning multi-million dollar mansions would be great, but regular homes are not that exciting. Taking pictures of a house that has been staged is a pleasure....
Which Business? – Branding Photography
Branding photography has been around for a few years now. I used to sell them as business portraits. Since the rise of online entrepreneurs, the term branding started being used. You could divide branding up into personal branding, and corporate/business branding but...
Which Business? – Pet Photography
Pet Photography My original idea for the podcast was for me to start a new photography business and let the listeners follow along. It was going to be either a Headshot or Pet photography business, I hadn’t decided which one, then Covid19 joined us and I...
Which Business? – Family Portraits
Family Portraits Like many other photographers, I’ve done my share of family portraits. I enjoyed it about 50% of the time and wondered why I was doing it the other 50%. When I was home in front of my computer processing the images I would forget that it was like...
10 Things all Photographers Need
10 Things all photographers need #10 Flash Being able to use a flash or Speedlight is a skill all photographers need. On or off-camera flash can make a huge difference to your images. If you are in business, this one skill can put you head and shoulders above your...
How to Make your own Presets and Actions
How to make your own Presets & Actions If you use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, you have the option of using presets (LR) and actions (PS). If you use them properly they can save you lots of time editing. Photoshop Actions An Action is a recording...
I’ve just got my 1st Camera, Now What?
I’ve just got my 1st camera, now what? OK, so you have just got a new camera, and you are wondering what all the weird dials and settings do. Well, it’s easier than you think, let’s get started. User Manual When you’re starting out your camera manual is going to be...
How Can I Be More Creative?
How can I be more creative? So what does Creative mean? Cre·a·tive Involving the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of artistic work. Being creative involves using your imagination and creating original ideas. But that's easier said...
How do I Create a Blurred Background?
How do I create a blurred background? So let's start by giving the illusive blurry background a name. It’s called Bokeh, and it originated in Japan. It means haze or blur. So from now on every time you hear a photographer mention bokeh, you know they are...
Why do I Need a Histogram?
Why do I need a Histogram? What is a Histogram? A histogram is a graph that shows the brightness of the pixels in your image. The horizontal axis of the histogram goes from pure black on the left side, to the brightest white on the right. The vertical axis...
What Settings do I Need to Capture Fast-Moving Subjects?
What settings do I need to capture fast-moving subjects? Subjects that are considered fast-moving There are so many subjects that can be considered fast-moving. So to make it easier we’ll start with the slowest first and that would be kids running. The fastest...
Is Editing your Images Cheating?
Is editing your images cheating? If you are a member of any online forums or Facebook groups, I’m pretty sure you have heard someone say, “I like to get my settings exactly right so I don’t have to edit”. Well, I say good for them, if they are satisfied with...
10 Things a Photographer Should Avoid
10 Things photographers should avoid doing Shooting with a dirty lens I think that not cleaning your lenses after every shoot should be illegal. It takes no more than 30 seconds to clean the front and rear glass. Do it after a shoot and your lenses will always...
What is the one thing that will improve your photography?
When I started the podcast my dream was to get 1000 downloads by the end of the first year. Well after 10 months the download count is at 2,300 and should pass 3,000 by the end of April. Which is incredible and way beyond my wildest dreams. Before we get...
How to Shoot a Silhouette
How do you shoot a silhouette? The simple answer is to shoot your subject directly in front of the light source. You want the outline of your subject to be sharp and their boy to be black. Just because you stand Uncle Bob on a hilltop at sunset doesn’t mean it will...
Two Easy Ways to Get Professional Results
This week I’m going to cover two ways to get professional results. These are two techniques that will help you take better photos, and put an end to all the second-guessing you do during a shoot. Just a heads up, both these techniques need you to use a tripod. So the...
Can you make money as a Travel Photographer?
Can you make money as a travel photographer? The answer is, in a pandemic-free world, yes you can. The thought of traveling the world and making money from photography is very appealing. You really need to know what sells, who to sell to, and how to plan it all out....