I live in the Philippines and here in my city we have two festivals. Other very well known festivals in the country are just a puddle jump away. I got started because of an invite from a fellow street photographer and I got hooked! What’s also fun is that you get to meet new festival photographers and join contests. I’ll share with you what I have learned over the years of shooting festival photography.

Securing a photographer pass will allow you to move around with the performers…

Secure a Photographer Pass

The most important tip is to get a photographer pass. These days most street festivals in Asia have barriers lining the streets to separate the crowd from the performers. Onlookers are not allowed to mingle with the performers for safety reasons and also not to hinder the flow of the parade.

You can circumvent this by securing a photographer or media pass. The pass can usually be secured from the festival’s office or the local tourism office. Do this ahead of the festival to avoid any hassle. Security personnel usually let photographers with the proper identification through the barricades to shoot freely amongst the performers.

Bring only what you need with you…

Travel light…

Choose your gear wisely when shooting street festivals in Asia. You won’t go very far with a trolley or backpack full of expensive equipment. The sheer weight of all the gear will hamper you from getting to the places you need to go to get the perfect shots.

I normally just carry around one body with a wide to normal zoom lens attached. I also have a small point and shoot camera with a telephoto zoom in my pocket just in case I need to shoot something far away. I carry around just a flash, some extra batteries, an ND filter if the sun is extra bright and a gorillapod or monopod.

It would also be wise to bring along an extra shirt or two and some water. The heat can be quite an inconvenience in festivals in Asia.

Know where and when to shoot… and keep moving.

Know the Festival Route

Scout the route of the festival a day ahead of the parade. Get to know the important locations like the staging areas, grandstand areas and where the media stays. These are good clues to where the good shooting spots are for the parade.

Look for other vantage points and interesting places to shoot from along the route too. It would be a good idea to get a map and mark the places down so you don’t get lost.

Find unique perspectives like getting the camera high up…

Be mindful of other photographers

I have not attended a street festival in Asia that has not had its fare share of photographers. There will be a lot of them around. So be mindful of your surroundings and see if you are getting in the way of another festival photographer. Photobombing another photographer will surely not earn you any new friends. So keep an eye out for others who are shooting the festival with you and perhaps you will make new friends.

Feel the rhythm of the music to know the high points of the dances…

Feel the vibe and have fun

The last tip is to get into the festival spirit. Feel the beat of the music and the atmosphere. Once you get the beat, you will know when to press that shutter button for the key shots. It would also be good to let go and just have fun. Dance a little, and join the crowds. You will get a better perspective of the events if you have fun.

Shooting a street festival in Asia is one very unique experience. It is colorful, vibrant and exciting. If you find yourself in a local festival, bear in mind these tips. They will help you get into the action and capture some awesome memories.

Go out there and have fun! Stay safe.

Just have fun in the festival…

The post A Photographers Guide: Shooting a Street Festival in Asia appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I started out shooting portraits around seven years ago by accident. Ever since the first time, I grew to love portrait photography made a career out of it. I will share a few tips to make shooting outdoor portraits simple and enjoyable.

I always choose secluded parks or public areas for my portraits…

Choose a Good Location

Outdoor portraits should always start with a good location. It would make it easier for you to shoot good portraits if you do not have to worry about the background. Choose a location that is not busy and with little pedestrian traffic. The location should also be free of clutter and distractions.

A good example of a good and simple location would be a secluded area of a park or beach. Another example would be the rooftop of a building. For me, I usually shoot in a park or a pedestrian walkway that does not have many people passing by.

Flat even natural lighting is just beautiful when done right…

Portrait Lighting

Ambient lighting is the most natural lighting to use for photoshoots. It would be a good idea to time your outdoor photo shoot to take advantage of the golden hour in the morning or afternoon. The golden hours would be one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset.

Good sunlight during the golden hour and when there are overcast clouds provide you with soft and even lighting. Taking advantage of the pleasant natural lighting would improve the overall quality of your photos. It is something that is very hard to replicate with a basic flash kit.

If you do find yourself in the harsh midday sun, find a shaded spot where you can shoot.

I choose lenses where I have enough room to frame my subject…

Portrait Lenses

Most photographers would shoot portraits with a telephoto lens for best results. For outdoor portraits, I tend to choose prime lenses in the 35mm to 50mm range. These lenses have little distortion and a lot of room for framing. I can add a bit of background to my portraits which can make your portraits a little more interesting. The additional layer will help you emphasize the subject without consuming the entire photograph.

I only choose telephoto portrait lenses beyond 70mm when I intend to do close up shots.

Shallow depth of field blurs out enough for the background…

Shallow Depth of Field

When shooting portraits, especially when I have a busy foreground or background, I always go for shallow depth of field. The narrow area of the photo that is in focus helps me separate the model from the background. The resulting “bokeh” can also be an additional visual treat for your portraits.

I shoot at around f1.8 to f4 on most portraits to keep the subject in focus while keeping much of the background blurry. This makes the subject “pop out” and be clearly seen in the photo.

Proper focusing will help enhance your images…

Focus on the eyes

A general rule that I share to new photographers is to always place focus on the eyes. The eyes, as they say, is the window to the soul. The eyes make the most interesting focus point of a portrait; if you are shooting a semi close up portrait.

Set your camera to use a single focus point. Select the focus point nearest to the eye after framing. This will ensure the focus will be on the eyes which also happen to be an easy spot for the camera to focus on.

Spot Metering

I always use spot metering on outdoor portrait photo shoots. The way spot metering works is that it checks the exposure on the focus point you select. Meter on the brightest part of the subject and lock the exposure there and refocus on the eyes. This technique will help you get both the exposure and focus right on your portraits.

Position the model so that the sun is not directly in front or behind to create some mood lighting…

Final tips

As a final tip, keep the mood in your photo shoot light and happy. Compliment your model and take it easy on the directing. The rapport your have with your model will determine how well they will take direction and how relaxed they are. So always engage them in a conversation and have fun while doing the photo session.

Learn More:

• A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding Metering Modes

The post Portrait Photography: Shooting Outdoor Portraits appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

My digital workflow is based on me shooting RAW files from Nikon camera. I find shooting RAW much more versatile as I don’t have to worry about white balance and picture control. I also happen to like that I can do a lot more editing with RAW files. So here is my workflow after I am done shooting.

I always import RAW files directly to Lightroom…

Importing and RAW File Converter

Most photographers of my generation used the Camera Raw plug-in for Adobe Photoshop to process RAW files. Others would use the Adobe Bridge as the photo software to make batch processing easier. I used do these but switched to Adobe Lightroom as it made dealing with RAW files much easier.

I import most of my files by date to Lightroom straight from my SD Card. I do an initial culling of photos before importing to save space. The beauty of having Lightroom is that it is a photo organizing software as well as a RAW converter. I store imported images in either my PC hard drive or one of the external HDD I carry around.

Picking and choosing is easier with the Lightroom catalogue…

Picking and choosing

I use the Smart Preview function in Lightroom to see which photos are worth editing. I also do initial edits like color correction, white balance adjustments and changing the picture control settings. I also do my initial color grading using Lightroom as I find it easy to copy edits from one photo and apply it to a whole batch.
Once I see the files I like, I use the quick selection function to mark them for editing.

I do complicated edits with Photoshop which you can open from Lightroom…

Editing Photos

Adobe Lightroom can edit photos the scope can be a bit limited. When editing photos especially portraits, I would go with Adobe Photoshop. Image editing would involve removing blemishes, cleaning the background and other manipulation techniques like liquefy or frequency separation. I will write about image editing in other posts. I also do cropping to some photos in Photoshop.
When editing an image from Lightroom to Photoshop, LR would always create a new file with the PSD extension. This way you can have multiple edited versions of the same photo. When I am finished saving the PSD, Lightroom will also update the photo in its catalogue.

I go back to Lightroom after the edits I make in Photoshop for final proofing…

Final Edits

Once I am done doing the heavy lifting using Photoshop, it is back to Lightroom for the final edits. I do my final touches using Lightroom by running presets for color grading and other effects. I also do my final cropping here so I can preserve the cropped areas if I change my mind.

After cropping I do image sharpening. Lightroom presets take care of that for me.

Once I am ready, I hit the export button to create the final JPEGs…

Exporting Final Images

I also export my final JPEG images through Lightroom. I find the export function easy and well executed. I can export everything in one go. I can also attach watermarks to all my images via the export function which saves me a lot of time.

Once I am done with the export, I will upload it to my cloud storage and my best photos to photo sharing sites like SlickPic.

The workflow I have is simple and it preserves the RAW files for future edits. If you noticed that nowhere in my workflow did I ever convert the RAW files to JPEG. There are times that everything happens in Lightroom but Photoshop is always there for the more complicated tasks. This digital workflow is also what I use when I shoot weddings and events.

I hope you learned something from my workflow. If you have something to share about your workflow, please leave a comment below!

The post Portrait Photography: My Photography Workflow appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I have been using the macro tube for over four years now. I got the cheap one by swapping it for a lens bag that I wasn’t using. I was a trade that changed my macro photography for the better. It takes a bit of time to get used to but once you master it, shooting will be a breeze.

A macro tube can get you really close to your subject…

What is it?

A macro extension tube is a steel tube that extends the distance between the rear element of the lens and the focal plane. The tube itself does not have any lens elements. It is literally just a tube and there are photographers who make their own extension tubes. Some extension tubes for macro do have electronic components to enable auto focus but are generally a lot more expensive.

Increasing the distance between the rear element and the focal plane shortens the minimum focusing distance of the lens. The closer your front element is to the subject, the more magnification you will get.

The magnification of an extension tube is just amazing if you master using it…

The Pros

The main purpose of the macro extension tube is to increase the magnification ratio of your lens by shortening the focusing distance. The computation of the magnification is focal length / tube length. So a 50mm lens with a 50mm tube will get you 1:1 magnification ratio. If you double the tube length with the same lens, you will effectively double the magnification.

And yes, you can stack on as many macro tubes as you can. I have seen guys stack two or more tubes together to produce some impressive macro shots. There is a limit though for the magnification when using a wide angle lens which I believe is around 2.5x magnification. The best extension tubes in my opinion are made by Canon, Nikon and Kenko. All these brands have the electronic contacts and retain autofocus.

It can be a bit tricky to focus on quick moving subjects like my favorite Jumping Spiders…

The Cons

Once you attach a macro tube to your lens, you will find that when you look at the viewfinder it will be a bit darker than what you would normally expect. The downside of not having a lens element within your extension tube is that it does not transmit light that well. The longer the tube, the less light gets to the viewfinder prism and the sensor.

Another drawback is that the close your get to the subject, the less light there is available. Being so close, sometimes the subjects touch the front element already. The lens can also cast a shadow when you shoot with a flash.

The key is proper lighting using a flash…

How to shoot with an extension tube

Just like with any other macro photography technique, you set your lens to the minimum focusing distance and move the camera forward and back to get the subject in focus. Moving in and out rather than using the focusing ring will ensure that you are getting the maximum magnification for the subject.

With a macro extension tube, you will need to shoot at a shallower aperture. I normally shoot around f8 to f11 as it gets a bit darker when I go higher than that. You also need to shoot at a higher ISO to compensate for the extension tube light transmission. And it would be a good idea to have a flash with a diffuser attached.

Combining ambient light with the flash can create a cool effect…

My shooting style

Generally I set my camera to Manual (M) mode, with the shutter speed at around 1/100 or 1/200 depending on the conditions. The ISO will be around 800 to 1000 and the aperture at around f11. I set the flash to ¼ power then fire of a few test shots. I will then adjust the ISO, aperture and flash power to dial in the exposure.

Once I am satisfied with the exposure I will then go look for my subjects. I shoot from morning to mid afternoons when there is still enough light out. I don’t use a tripod or macro rail as it will limit my movement. That is the reason why I shoot at a high shutter speed. I use the Stoffen flash diffuser to soften the light from my flash and I don’t point the flash directly at the subject. Do avoid shooting in burst mode as the camera will tend to jerk.

Mastering the macro extension tube takes time. The first thing is to get the exposure right because lighting can be a bit tricky with macro photography. The second thing is nailing the focus. The last bit is to master the focusing distance.

So be patient, take your time and shoot plenty.

The post Shooting with a Macro Extension Tube appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Get to know your client

As with weddings, it would be really important to get to know who you are shooting beforehand. There should be a planning and conceptualization stage. Having a meeting with the couple before the actual shoot would establish what they want to achieve with the e-session. It would also be a good chance to become comfortable with the couple and vice versa.

List down the essentials like the engagement photo ideas, concepts, clothing and the date and time for the shoot. Also get to know who will be doing the hair and makeup for the couple so you can touch base with them before doing the shoot. With the details that you learn from the initial meeting, you can formulate a plan for the engagement photo session. You can also layout your story board in case the couple wants the output in a audio-visual presentation during their wedding.

simple poses can yield the best results…

Use simple poses

One of the biggest mistakes by most photographers starting out shooting prenups is that they think couples are models. Most couples have little to no experience posing in front of the camera. Start off with simple poses that the couple can do without much effort. The poses for couple photo shoots should emphasize not how well they project in front of the camera but the emotion of love and happiness.

Use poses like simple hugs, having faces near each other and holding hands. These are basic and natural that the couple would not have a hard time executing them. You can experiment with poses later on in the shoot when the couple is already having fun.

Working with ambient light is very convenient for everyone involved…

Ambient Light

I am a strobist by nature but I find that shooting ambient light photos are best for engagement sessions. Other than saving time on setups, ambient light photography is much more natural for the couple. Most couples find the large lights and flashes intimidating and may distract them from shoot. If you also do outdoor engagement pictures, moving around with your strobist kit can be taxing.

Use the golden hour during the afternoon to shoot your engagement session if you can. The sunset adds additional drama to the shoot. If you do find yourself needing some extra lighting, use those daylight balanced LED lightbars that are popular now.

I asked the guy to lift up the girl, but they candidly kissed after hearing the shutter click.

Master shooting candid shots

Keep an eye out for candid moments during the engagement photo shoot. Walking from one location to another, the couple might share some moments together that you can capture. I always keep my camera ready for those moments. Most couples let their guard down when they think you are not looking so you can also bait them into those candid moments by looking into your LCD screen for a while but secretly observing what they do. If you can’t capture the candid moment, you can ask them to repeat what they just did as a pose.

keep the mood of the shoot light…

Encourage Interaction and have fun

The last and most important tip is to encourage the couple to play around. Direct the general pose but let the couple improvise. The engagement photo shoot would have a more natural feel if you let the couple do what they want and just document it.

Also make the couple laugh and joke around with them. Tease them and make them feel excited about the photo shoot. Compliment and encourage them to make the atmosphere light and happy. When both the photographer and couple are having fun, the results can be magical.

The engagement photo shoot can be an intimidating experience but rewarding experience. I remember feeling very satisfied after seeing the couple in tears while watching an AVP of their own prenup shoot. So remember to have fun and be in the moment with the couple. A fun engagement session will most likely translate to better photos for the couple and an easier time for you as the photographer.

One last note: Take advantage of Slickpic’s privacy function to send photos privately from your engagement session to the couple. Uploading and sharing is easy. So upload your photos in Slickpic now!

The post Shooting Your First Engagement Photo Shoot appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I have been doing photoshop retouching for the last three years and frequency separation is one of the tools in my arsenal. It is fast and super easy to do but with impressive results. The best thing about it is that it looks all natural as it preserves skin texture.

This is the original image. I out some of the background stuff a bit before starting the step by step.

The photo…

This photo is one that I shot around 2 years ago with a model. This particular portrait was for the portfolio of the makeup artist I work with. I chose this photo because it emphasizes the closeup skin textures that we want to edit out.

These are the areas that we will be working on…

What to edit

I took the liberty of highlighting a few areas of the subject’s face for us to edit. If you can see from the photo, there are a number of spots that we would like to correct. There are blotches, pimples, scars and other imperfections that we would want to clean.

Step 1: Create copies

First thing you need to do with frequency separation retouching is to create two copies of your base layer. I would recommend renaming the first copy as “low” and the second layer as “high”. Toggle the “high” layer visibility to off. Group the copies in a folder and rename the group to frequency separation.

add enough Gaussian Blur to make the skin texture disappear…

Step 2: Adding Gaussian Blur

The next step is to select the “low” layer. Then go to Filter and select Gaussian Blur. Add enough blur to the image that the skin texture disappears but not too much that everything blends together. I usually set the blur from around 4 to 8 depending on the photo. In the example I used 5.5 on the Gaussian Blur.

Before changing the layer blending mode, the “high” layer will look grey. You can see some of the details like the eyes.

Step 3: Apply Image

Step 3 starts off by toggling the “high” layer visibility to on. Select the “high” layer and then go to Image and select Apply Image. In the layer selection choose the “low” layer. For the blending selection choose Subtract. Add the value 2 for Scale and 128 for Offset. I’m sure there is a complicated explanation for the values of Scale and Offset but I am not the one who authored this technique. I just use the recommended values.

Once you set the values, you will see that the layer will turn grey with some faint details. These are the details that are blurred out from the “low” layer. Change the blending mode of the layer to Linear Light to complete the step.

The Gaussian Blur used to even out skin tone is a little more than what you used in the “low” layer.

Step 4: Remove Blotches

The next step is to remove the uneven colors of the skin. Select the “low” layer. Use the Lasso Tool and select an area that has uneven skin tone. Be sure to change your feather to somewhere around 30px to make the transition smoother. Once you have selected an area, add more Gaussian Blur to it. Set the blur radius to a point where the skin tone blends well. Repeat this for all the areas where you think there are uneven tones.

You can also clone out areas where there are different colors on the skin. A good example would be a pimple or a dark scar. Once you cloned it out, select the general area of the imperfection and then apply Gaussian Blur to even it out. You can see in this step of Frequency Separation retouching you are only dealing with the skin color or tone and not the details. Toggle the visibility of the group on and off to see the difference.

Use the clone stamp tool to remove imperfections in the “high” layer…

Step 5: Edit Textures

For step 5, you should select the “high” layer. Select the cloning tool and change the Sample Layer to Current Layer. Clone out the imperfections like scars or pimples. You can also remove wrinkles and eye bags this way. What is neat about it is that when you clone out things, only the textures are cloned not the color. So you can sample from one area where there is a different color and apply it to another area. Do this to all the areas where you need to clone out.

The last thing to do is just to adjust the opacity of the group. Apply as much or as little of this beauty retouch as you wish by adjusting the opacity. Set the opacity to what you think is best for your photo. After that you are done with Frequency Separation retouching!

I used Lightroom for the before and after image. You can clearly see the difference…

Before and After…

I am adding this before and after so that you can see the results. This portrait retouching technique can be done very little time once you get the hang of it. As you get better, you will see the quality of your retouching get better.

Photoshop Tips: Frequency Separation Retouching – Final Image

The Final Image

The final image of the portrait is at the top of this blog. It is not yet perfect but I edited it in just under 15 minutes which also included me taking time to capture the process. I added sharpening and vignette to the final image as those are normal parts of my workflow.

There you have it, a quick and easy photoshop step by step guide to Frequency Separation retouching. Use this technique and I guarantee that the results are very impressive. It is super simple to do and very quick too.

If you find this post helpful, please leave a comment below. You can also ask me about clarifications on how to do this technique. You can also comment on what you want us to feature in our how-to section with regards to photo editing.

Have fun!

The post Photoshop Tips: Frequency Separation Retouching appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I have been shooting from a time before digital photography started. When I shifted to dSLRs, the debate was already very heated. I have tried both and shoot both on a regular basis. Let me walk you through the basics on shooting RAW vs JPEG.

Most of my portraits are shot using RAW…

RAW vs JPEG Comparison

RAW is the file format that has all the image data captured by the camera. All the data is intact and uncompressed that the file is called a digital negative. RAW files store all the dynamic range and the highlights and contrasts. It is called RAW because you need to process it to get a final image as the images are not as sharp or has the contrast of a JPEG.

On the flipside, JPEG is, if you compare it to film, a developed image. A JPEG from the camera applies all the settings that are on the camera like sharpening, white balance and others to the image. The camera also strips the image of data that it does not deem necessary as it cannot be seen by the naked eye. The data is also compressed to make the file size smaller.

I also use RAW for macro to pull exposure and detail from the background…

Advantages and Disadvantage of RAW

The main advantage of RAW is that it has all the image data intact. On a camera that shoots 12-bit RAW image you can store upto 68 billion possible color combinations. Another good thing about RAW is that it has all the dynamic range and exposure data. You can change the exposure of the image to a certain degree. You can also change the Color Space, white balance and picture control settings on a RAW file as these are not final.

The disadvantage of shooting RAW is that it needs to be processed to see a final image. You also need a RAW photo viewer to see the image as it is not recognized by most operating systems. RAW files need to be processed by a dedicated RAW to jpeg converter like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. The files are also very large as it contains all the data. Shooting RAW will also be stored in the memory card slower than JPEG because of the file size.

When shooting street photography I lean towards shooting JPEGs since I don’t do much editing…

Advantages and Disadvantages of JPEG

Shooting JPEG is very convenient if you need the files in a hurry. JPEG is recognized by most devices and can be readily viewed. All the settings of the camera are applied to the image so it is ready for export to clients or stored in photo repositories. The files are generally smaller and more can be saved in the memory card.

The main disadvantage of JPEG is that it has already been processed by the camera. It means that it is not as flexible as RAW when being edited. Data that has been lost due to the compression cannot be recovered through editing. If you get a setting wrong while shooting, you cannot adjust it in post processing unlike RAW.

For events, JPEG is better for me as RAW won’t keep up with me shooting in burst mode…

So which is better?

Shooting RAW or JPEG is more of a preference than a necessity. It is much more related to the shooting style and the need of the photographer in the final image. It can also be related to what genre of photography you do.

I shoot RAW most of the time when I have portrait or macro sessions. I chose to shoot the RAW format for its flexibility. I can adjust exposure and white balance on my photos easily. I know most landscape shooters also shoot RAW most of the time as they need all the dynamic range they can have during post processing. Anytime I need the maximum data in my images, I will definitely go RAW.

I only shoot JPEG when I need to shoot a massive number of shots in a short time. When shooting weddings or events I tend to choose JPEG as there would be no buffer limit in my camera. I also shoot JPEG in street photography as I do minimal post processing on them.

So the reason for shooting RAW vs JPEG is down to what the photographer really wants. There is no one that it better than the other as both have advantages and disadvantages. The important thing to consider is that the file type you choose should fit your needs and your workflow.

The post The Debate: Shooting RAW vs JPEG appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Creating and taking interesting family portraits can be very rewarding. Do a good job and you will certainly retain the client for the succeeding years. You will surely also get referrals if you impress them and their relatives. As it is, I have listed a few tips that can make it easier for those who are going into the business of a family photographer.

Collaborate for family portrait ideas

Whenever I book clients, the first order of business is to understand what they want for the photoshoot. Gather the ideas that they have about the theme, location and the best time would be for them. Do not be afraid to ask them for the particulars of the portrait session. Once you have a picture of what they want, you can suggest family portrait ideas to your clients. See what they like and paint a picture of how the photoshoot is going to happen.

Knowing what the client wants will give you a rough idea of how to execute the photoshoot with them.

Remember to involve the client in the creative process

Scout for a good location

Location is always important for any family portrait photography session to be successful. After collaborating with the family for ideas, you already have some clue about what location to pick in order for you execute what you envisioned for the shoot.
If you have to pick an outdoor location, choose a place where there would be little distraction from the shoot. This is especially important when you have little kids present. They may tend to wander off or lose focus. Once they are distracted, it would be really hard to get their attention back.

Bring some interesting props for a unique portrait

Establish a shooting order

As with any photoshoot, it is always a good practice to create a shoot list for your family portrait photography session. This would be very important when working with a client that has a lot of family poses or family members present. Start with a set of simple poses to get everyone in the mood for the shoot. Once you feel that the entire family is ready, then you can choreograph the shoot to achieve items in your shoot list.

After you are done with the list of family poses and other family portrait ideas you might have, you can freestyle and inject some randomness into the shoot. It would make the shoot seem more natural and also fun for the entire family. You can try to vary the participants like having only the females, males or even just the kids.

Also be sure to finish the shoot list quickly when you have little ones involved. I have done shoots where we had to wait on a baby who wouldn’t stop crying.

You can change your perspective to make the photos more interesting

Have fun when shooting

The last and most important tip would be not to get too serious when in a family portrait photography session. Talk to the parents, joke with the kids and have fun with everybody. Keep the mood light and enjoyable. Remember to be subtle when directing family poses or choreographing a scene. Compliment the participants from time to time and interact with them in between shoots. It would also be good to let them see funny photos to break the ice in cases where they are too shy.
Family portrait photography is a stable way to make a living as a photographer. Unlike weddings, family portraits can be done annually or when there are new family members. Repeat clients are very likely especially when you do a very good job and maintain a good relationship with your client. So be creative, fun and professional and it might well be an annual thing with every client you book.

What’s more fun than shooting in a cinema?

The post Family Portrait Photography: Taking Fun Family Photographs appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

So what makes the nifty fifty lens great? Why do we recommend it to most hobbyists starting out? Here are a few reasons why you should have it in your lens lineup.

It’s a matter of perspective

The perspective of the 50mm lens on a full frame camera is almost the same as what your eyes see. So when you see something that you like, you can just lift the camera to eye level and click. Basically, you can frame with your eyes and not spend most of your time looking through the viewfinder. Having the normal perspective, a photographer will spend more time looking for creative shots to take because you have minimal shift from what you see with just your eyes or through the viewfinder.

Many street photographers like the nifty fifty lens for its normal perspective. It represents almost accurately what the shooter sees. In the world of street photography, having the ability to just frame with your eyes and capture it exactly as you see it is very important.

It is really easy to frame shots with the 50mm…

The lens makes you think

The 50mm, being a fixed focal length lens, is a lens that makes you think. As with any prime lens, you don’t have the zoom ring so you have to move your feet when shooting. With the 50mm prime, you will be moving a lot. Using your feet will make you think of how to get good angles. You will walk, crouch or tiptoe just so you get to capture the scene you want.

If you compare shooting a 50mm to something like a 24-70mm, with the nifty fifty you will really work for your angles. With the zoom, you will be tempted to just stand where you are and fiddle with the zoom ring. I shoot with both primes and zoom lenses, and what I notice is that I really walk around a lot when I have a prime lens on.

The Aperture

The nifty fifty normally comes with wide apertures of f1.4 to f2; some even go to f0.95 which is absolutely insane. Having the capability to shoot wide open affords you some very creative shots. The depth of field of a 50mm lens is shallow enough to separate a person from the background but not too shallow that when you focus on the eyes, the nose is out of focus. This is particularly useful when shooting portraits.

If you are fan of “bokeh” or the out of focus bits, a 50mm prime will get you a lot of it. What I like about the bokeh on the 50mm is that it isn’t too blurred out like on longer telephoto prime lenses. It is also a good low light lens too because of the wide aperture.

The depth of field of my 50mm Nikkor lens is something is often take advantage of.

It’s light weight…

The 50mm is a light weight lens with the Nikon and Canon versions being significantly lighter that lets say a 35mm or 85mm. With the 50mm, you won’t be complaining about the weight of the camera and lens. I can shoot longer with the 50mm since I won’t tire easily when carrying it around. You might not understand this if you haven’t done something like a wedding coverage or events that can last for hours.

One other thing is that the 50mm is a very compact lens. It does not look intimidation or catch the attention of people like the big zoom lenses or primes. You can be very inconspicuous with the fifty which is very handy when shooting in the streets.

The Fifty is so versatile that I use it a lot for portraits and events…

It is very versatile

The nifty fifty lens can be a lens that you would use for portraits, landscape, events, group photos and many more. Heck, it can even be a macro lens if you mount it to a reverse ring. I personally use the 50mm for events, street photography and portraits. The main thing to its versatility is the normal perspective that I already mentioned. Once you get used to shooting the 50mm, you would have it on your camera for most shoots.

I started out with the nifty fifty lens and two decades after, I still prefer it over my other lenses. Something about the lens just feels right when shooting. If you still don’t own a fifty then I suggest you try out one. It is the best lens for the price which is also one of its best characteristics and something that I need to expound further.

It is affordable, versatile and easy to use, what more would you look for in a lens?

It is a sharp lens too!

The post Nifty Fifty Lens: Why Get the 50mm Prime appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I started taking beauty shots to help out makeup artist friends with their portfolios. I find it interesting that the simple task of taking a photo of just the head and shoulders can be such a complicated thing. So, I will be sharing a simple guide to make your foray into shooting creative beauty shots a lot more enjoyable.

Work with a team

Most photographers who have experience taking beauty shots work with a team. As a guy, it would be impossible for me to do the makeup for photoshoots. So I work with a team composed of a makeup artist, hairstylist and clothing stylist. It could be just one other person who can do all those things but the important thing is getting the help. I can tell good hair and makeup but can’t correct it or fix it so having a team is very important for me.

If the model knows a lot about makeup and styling then I can just work with the model.

Shooting with a telephoto lens lessens distortions

Use a proper lens for portraits

Since beauty shots are closeup photos it is really important to use the right lens for the shoot. I would recommend using a telephoto lens longer than 50mm. I personally use a 90mm lens for my portraits. The reason behind this is that telephoto lenses do not have the distortion associated with wide angle lenses. Some say that the camera adds ten pounds to the model, which is because of the barrel distortion of lenses below the telephoto range.

Since you are working with telephoto lenses, you can use a tripod to get rid of the lens shake. Just hand holding a camera for a long period of time, especially with a heavy telephoto, would surely cause severe handshake as the shoot progresses.

Be use to use soft diffused light as it is very flattering for beauty shots

Beauty lighting is the key

In headshot photography, it is important to use soft diffused light. I use two 4x5ft softboxes with my speedlights. Soft light evens out the imperfections in the skin and makes the shots more flattering. You can use several other diffusers to soften the light from your flashgun or modeling light. Shoot through umbrellas and a beauty dish works just as well as a softbox for beauty lighting.

Before starting the shoot, you can take several test shots to adjust lighting. You can ask the model to just sit infront of the camera just so you can dial in your settings before really going about the shoot. I tend to give ample time for the test shots to get everything right. I also do not change my settings as much as possible after I get it right.

There are other ways to illuminate your subject for creative beauty shots but the main idea is to first try something simple and manageable like a softbox. Eventually, you can use other ways to diffuse light like bouncing it off walls or reflectors.

Communicate with your model

Good communication is very important to get good model photos. I tend to shoot a few frames then explain to my model what I see and what I think would work. Directing model poses is easier when you are in the same page about the output. It would also be good to complement your model from time to time during the shoot as it boosts morale and gets them to work with you more. Have the mindset that the model is a part of your team.

Get it right in the camera

It is very important to have the mindset of getting everything right when shooting rather than thinking you can correct things in post processing. Get the beauty lighting, poses, makeup and everything else while shooting so that you do not need to do much later. It is harder to correct things during post processing than while on set. It takes me a longer time to remove stray hair using Photoshop than it while shooting. Getting it right the first time will save you more time.

It takes time to get to the level that you can shoot creative beauty shots. Take it slow and practice a lot. In time, you will eventually get the process down and start to get really creative. Learn, understand and find your own style.

If you are looking for an awesome site where you can share your beauty shots to your clients privately then Slickpic.com is perfect for you. You can create an album that you can share only to specific people with the privacy control features of the site. Clients can then “Like” photos, rate them and send feedback. If you still do not have a Slickpic.com account, sign up for one now!

While most beauty shots are of the landscape orientation, you can shoot it in portrait as well

The post Portrait Photography: Taking Creative Beauty Shots appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

I remember that I was fairly new in the photography industry when I was asked to do my first wedding photoshoot. It was a nerve-racking experience that I thankfully got through. Over the years, I have learned lessons on shooting wedding portraits after the ceremony and before they enter the wedding reception. Here are some of the most important things I want to share with you about shooting creative wedding portraits.

Building Rapport

Wedding portraits, as with any portrait photography, is all about building rapport with your clients. Be their best friend in the most special day of their lives. Having the couple as ease during the portrait session would make your life as a photographer that much easier. Guide them through the process and be gentle when giving instructions about wedding poses that you want them to do. You also need to have the couple focus on the wedding photoshoot as they can be worrying about a million things like the reception.

In between takes the couple relaxes for that split second, be sure to capture it…

Scout the Location Ahead

It would be very wise to be familiar with the location of your wedding photoshoot ahead of time. You should check the condition of the area and see if it would be fit for what you intend to do. Scouting ahead would give you a rough idea of what gear you need to bring with you like if you need an extra set of speedlights and remote triggers because poor lighting conditions.
Also check if the area is safe for the couple especially with the bride’s expensive wedding gown if you plan to take things outdoors. The last thing you would want is to ruin the gown or having shoes soiled.

Scout ahead to know what parts of the location would be best for shooting wedding portraits

Have a Shoot List

Planning is key when shooting wedding portraits as there is a very short window of time to get everything done. Create a list of poses, scenes and unique wedding photos you might want to execute during the session. It would be good to go through this list with the couple a day or two before the wedding and see if they approve of your ideas or if they have their own fun wedding photo ideas that you can work on. Highlight the ideas that you like the most in your list.

Once on location, work through your shoot list starting from simple poses first to get the couple (and entourage if they are present) comfortable with you and also buy yourself time to get your camera settings right. Once you have the couple at ease then try the wedding poses you highlighted on your list but also be flexible as unexpected things can happen during the shoot.

Some moments are just too magical and unexpected

Capture Emotions

The things that most photographers miss during the wedding photoshoots are those moments when the couple candidly smiles at each other in between takes. The couple has just exchanged vows minutes before your shoot and surely still feel the butterflies in their tummies. One thing I noticed is that couples tend to let their guard down after they hear the shutter click and let out natural emotions. What I do is shoot the intended pose but also be ready to do a burst of clicks right after as the couple relaxes. Look for those moments as they will be priceless.
Wedding photography is a very challenging undertaking especially when shooting creative wedding portraits. The most important thing that a photographer can do is keep calm as it can really be chaotic at times. Remember to relax, have fun and keep a look out for the unexpected. Things can happen quickly so always have your finger on the shutter button. Lastly, be in the moment and connect with the couple and their emotions; it will help you get the most awesome wedding portraits.

I like to showcase candid moments in between choreographed wedding poses

The post Wedding Photography: How to Shoot Creative Wedding Portraits appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.

Taking photos of your first concert photography gig can be daunting but we are here to share some tips with you to make it easy and enjoyable.

Bringing the right gear

The first thing you have to consider when shooting concerts is the gear you have to bring with you. The best cameras for concerts would be one that can handle noise well as you will be shooting in low light. Any camera that has low noise at high ISO would work well. If would also be of help if your camera focuses fast even in low light.

Lenses are also a big factor to taking good concert photos. Ideally, professional concert photographers take with them two zoom lenses: one wide angle and a telephoto. The lenses are typically built for low light with fast constant apertures of f2.8. Having the constant aperture would improve your experience as you won’t need to fiddle with the aperture controls as you zoom in and out when framing shots. It would also be good if you have two camera bodies for the lenses you bring as you don’t want to be changing lenses in the middle of a concert and miss important moments.

Lastly, it would be nice to have a flash. Any through-the-lens (TTL) flash would do especially when shooting wide angle shots of crowds and other candid moments.

A fast lens is important as you will shoot in low light during most night concerts…

Choosing the best settings

Now that we have the gear down, the next bit would be what settings to use. As with any event, it would be ideal to set your camera to aperture priority when shooting concert photos. Having the camera set to aperture priority would lessen the time fiddling with the controls and gives you more focus on framing and timing your shots while not worrying about getting the right exposures. The lighting also tends to change abruptly during concerts so having the camera decide the right exposure would be a big plus.

One other important setting to consider would be shooting RAW versus shooting JPEGs. With RAW photographs, you do not have to worry about getting the white balance right when shooting. The white balance tends to change fast during concerts and you wouldn’t want to be caught with the wrong WB settings. Only use JPEG when you need to send out photos immediately after shooting. The only downside of shooting RAW is running out of card space.

Telephotos help when you need to take photos of a far stage setup…

Timing your shots

Concert photography is about anticipation and timing shots. Get a feel of how the concert runs during the first few songs. This is especially true when shooting band photography where the musicians tend to go crazy during the chorus of songs. Get to know how the band / artists move around the stage and how the crowd reacts to certain portions of the show. Once you understand the subjects, you can then anticipate and time your shots accordingly.

It would also be good if you familiarize yourself with the band’s songs beforehand; it is music photography after all.

Time your shots well especially when there are a lot of lights…

Look for Candid Moments

Candid moments are a must when shooting concerts and music festivals. The band may have a touching moment in between songs or people in the crowds may do crazy things. Always have one eye open for the other things going on during the concert. When you know you already have good photos of the artist, you can then focus on looking for those moments that would make viewers feel the vibe of the event.

Concert photography is and should be fun. But there are times that you might at times get caught up in shooting that you will forget to enjoy the moment. Remember to focus on the artist(s) and the crowd but it should also be important to enjoy the music as well. Having fun will bring out the best in your photography.

Have fun, take lots of photos and feel the music.

Candid shots help the viewers get the vibe of a music festival…

Play with the lights and the crowd. Turn off your flash to get silhouettes…

The post Tips for Concert Photography: Shooting Your First Concert appeared first on SlickPic Digital Photography School.