Tag: photography technique

by Jaycob Shayla

Lighting Techniques Every Professional Photographer Should Master

The use of natural light takes technique and planning. Determine the golden hour in your area and plan studios around the same time. This is a soft, warm light that produces flattery skin tones and soft shadows. By spending money on curtains or scrims that can be adjusted, you also have options of controlling intensity and direction so that you can adjust to subjects and moods.

a group of people behind the scene takes shots under camera lighting

Use of Artificial Lighting without Authenticity Loss

Artificial lighting is predictable and stable. These are important to professional photographers who are on a tight schedule. Begin by using base lights like softboxes or LED panels, which produce soft diffused light.

These applications assist in the simulation of daylight, in addition to being able to control brightness and color balance completely. Light up important areas and fill lights to mold the features of your subject in a complementary manner. Separate the subject and the background with back or hair light, and give each portrait more depth.

With product-style shots, e.g., the newborn props or maternity accessories, you can look into a portable lighting setup that enables you to re-create the effect of your studio at the homes of clients.

Measuring Your Lighting ROI

In order to make investments in lighting equipment a worthwhile endeavor, apply a data-driven approach. Monitor the measures such as time saved in retouching, frequency of revisit by clients, and rate of referrals before and after making improvements in your lighting system. Check the impact of the visual consistency of your portfolio on lead generation: the more refined the images, the higher the response rate of your site inquiries.

With the quantification of the benefits, you can make good decisions about acquiring or improving gear. In the long run, this helps you increase in size without damaging your aesthetic.

Conclusion

Lighting is not just a tool of art. It is a marketing tool for your photography company. Natural and artificial lighting is not only going to uplift your work when used intentionally, but also to boost your bottom line. We advise photographers to invest in both lighting education and lighting gadgets as a long-term business plan. Control the market by controlling the light.

by Kayson Meridith

Mirrors and the Art of Reflection Photography

Nowadays, consumers shop for a bathroom mirror online when seeking to find ways to update the looks of the room that provides them comfort. Yet if a consumer is a photographer, his or her purpose might be different. This type of visual artist uses mirrors of different kinds in mastering a photography technique called Mirror Photography, a.k.a. Reflection Photography.

Don’t be surprised to chance upon or meet a photographer who’s into buying mirrors in different shapes and sizes, as he or she wants to master his or her skills in Reflection Photography.

Capturing photo-worthy images projected by reflective surfaces, like mirrors, window panes and polished metals is no easy feat. Yet in order to get the best results, photographers have to seriously hone their Reflection Photography skills using the most common medium: mirrors.

Reflection photography at higher levels can even capture the most captivating scenery reflected on bodies of water as large as the ocean or even as small as a dew drop.

What Exactly is Reflection Photography

Reflection Photography is a method of taking still photos of images projected by a reflective surface, of which mirrors and glass objects are the most common medium.
Reflection is a phenomenon that happens when light rays bounce back and change direction when hitting a smooth surface. The unexplainable outcome does not pertain to the smooth surface but to the light that bounces back; whilst projecting likenesses of objects and surroundings within the proximity of the smooth surface.

A surface is considered smooth if it has no
irregularities whatsoever. The presence of irregularities can affect the smoothness that allows light to bounce back and reflect images. The principle of reflection states that the reflection angle occurring on the smooth surface is always equal to the angle of the incident ray. The latter refers to the light rays that hit the smooth surface.

The principle of Reflection Photography therefore, follows the same principle observed for conventional reflections on smooth surfaces.

That is why most photographers who have set their mind and goals in becoming a Reflection Photographer, invest time and money in perfecting their Reflection Photography skills.

Lighting as an Important Element

Inasmuch as lighting is important, being the element that creates the reflection phenomenon, photographers should also take note of the time of day for their photography artwork.

Expert photographers give advice that snapping images of reflections on smooth surfaces should be done repeatedly at different times of the day in order to get the most satisfying results.