Sometimes, we’re hampered by malfunctioning gear or we just can’t afford to invest in a second speedlight, so it’s imperative that we learn how to make do with what we have. Creating an evenly lit, bright, and airy portrait with just one speedlight might seem like too much to ask, but not if you have a few grips and some reflective material at hand.
We Are Lady Parts, the story of an all-Muslim-female punk band in London, is a groundbreaking collaboration between creator Nida Manzoor and cinematographer Diana Olifirova. Not only is the plot compelling and refreshing, but Olifirova and Manzoor also use a variety of filmmaking techniques to develop character, move the story along, and visually excite their audience. I had a chance to speak with Olifirova about putting Manzoor’s project on screen.
In the history of visual art, few figures loom as large as Rembrandt. His influence on photography is so great that “Rembrandt lighting” has become a staple method for portraiture. But Rembrandt Lighting is often a poor choice for photographing women, especially when working with corporate clients.
Learning how to use a camera, control lighting, and edit to consistently produce compelling images is hard enough, but turning that into a successful business is an entirely different challenge altogether. If that is something you have been wondering about or struggling with, this great video contains an important reminder to help keep you from becoming discouraged.
If you like shooting your muse in a night-like environment, you might run into some difficulties. With flash, it is also possible to create the night during daylight. This way, it becomes much easier to shoot your muse, without all the difficulties you encounter while shooting in the dark. On top of that, it isn’t difficult at all.
The octabox is one of the most fundamental and useful lighting modifiers out there, able to provide a wide variety of looks for portraiture while remaining relatively easy to set up and master, making it an ideal first choice for anyone working on learning artificial lighting. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to take one octabox and get three distinctive lighting styles from it, giving you a lot of versatility without a lot of work.
We are often taught that when it comes to portraits, soft light is the most flattering, while hard light, which introduces stark shadows and emphasizes skin texture, is to be avoided. While it is true that softer light is considered more flattering, that does not mean you should never use hard light; in fact, it can be fantastic for the right look and scenario. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot and edit a portrait shot in hard, direct sunlight.
