Learning any new photography skill can be challenging, but there are strategies you can use to make it easier (and more effective). Here’s a good strategy for mastering new lighting techniques: Set aside time to practice regularly. Experiment with different lighting setups, try new techniques, and see how changes in angle and distance affect your…
In the ever-evolving world of photography, certain lighting gear has gradually faded from use, a couple of examples: the optical sync slave attachment and the PC cord/cable for flash sync. These tools have been overshadowed by advancements in flash technology and wireless connectivity. Optical Sync Device Let’s start with the optical sync slave attachment. About…
When using flash, adjust your shutter speed to control the brightness of continuous lights in your exposure. Continuous lights include ambient lighting, natural light, lamps, LED lights, and so on. Here’s the deal: let’s say you’ve got your flash dialed in for a perfect exposure on your subject, but that cool lamp in the background…
One of the most important elements that can make or break a portrait is lighting. Lighting can dramatically alter the mood, feel, and quality of a portrait. While there are various lighting setups and techniques, understanding the basics—Key Light, Fill Light, and Hair Light—can significantly improve your portrait game. In this blog post and video,…
One of the most important concepts every serious photographer should understand is the exposure triangle. Here, I’ll break down the three components of exposure: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, and discuss how they work together to create an image in your camera. What is the Exposure Triangle? The exposure triangle is the relationship between three…
In this video, I take you behind the scenes of a recent photoshoot I did with Molly, a young actor who is just a lot of fun to work with. During our time in the studio, I had a few goals in mind: testing out a used Sony 85mm 1.8 lens, experimenting with the Westcott…
I kinda have a love/hate relationship with small softboxes. I mean, small softboxes have a lot of advantages; they can be really light and compact – easy to travel with, and easy to use on-location. Now, the reason most of us want to use a softbox in the first place is because we’re looking for…
Here are 10 tips covering topics you should get familiar with when it comes to flash photography. I realize how frustrating flash can be; many of the concepts can be hard to get your head around. But the challenge is worth it. Take a look at this video and use it as a roadmap to…
Photographers know that creating a properly exposed image requires balancing three main exposure settings: ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. The optimal combination of these settings is based on the lighting conditions in your scene. But most people can’t just look at a scene and know exactly what settings to use. Even an experienced photographer’s guess…