Archive for Guest Bloggers – Page 2

Photographic Philosophies: Batman vs. MacGyver: by Andrew Wagle

By Guest
Friday, April 27th, 2012

The current photographic community has two basic philosophies that are best personified by a couple of pop culture character heroes: “Batman” and “MacGyver”. Neither approach is inherently better but do carry with them their own sets of pros and cons. Please keep in mind that these characters simply represent the ideal polar extremes of a spectrum; most photographers will likely relate at a bit to both but more so to one than the other. It really doesn’t matter which hero you “like” more or if you like either one at all, they both have something to teach us about what it means to be a photographer.

Think about both characters for just a moment. Batman would make an awesome photographer. Batman wears all black, has an awesome computer with equally awesome screens, has a great understanding of gobos (bat signal), and has a high-tech fancy gadget for everything. MacGyver would make an equally great photographer even though he’s the complete opposite of that. MacGyver always gets the job done by improvising and working with his surroundings; it isn’t always “pretty and neat” but so long as he has his trusty pocket knife (sub a camera in our case) he got spectacular results. Read More→

Categories : Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Make Better Photographs
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Go Behind-the-Scenes of a Hot Rod Garage Pinup Girl Photo Shoot: by Boudoir Louisville

By Guest
Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Hot Rods and Pinup Girls kinda go hand in hand. What better place to shoot pinups than a great hot rod garage. My buddy Shawn has just this type of garage. It is packed floor to ceiling with really cool vintage stuff. Plenty to look at over here! He also has an old Chevy Gasser in there at this time. I wanted to do a set of pics where the pinup girl was working on an old car. We did a few of those and also shot a few of Bella on his Harley.

We have shot with Bella before. She is kind of a nut and fits right in with the Boudoir Louisville gang! Want proof? Be sure to check out our behind the scenes video from this shoot.

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Categories : Boudoir Photography, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Make Better Photographs
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Go Behind-the-Scenes of a Roadside Grocery Pinup Girl Photo Shoot: by Boudoir Louisville

By Guest
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

For years, I have driven past this old time country grocery store. There are not too many of these around these days. Everyone wants to go to the larger chain grocery stores. This little building is packed to the rafters with stuff. They also serve one hell of a lunch!

I knew I wanted to shoot some sort of vintage pinup girl session here, just needed to put together the pieces. Lucky for me, I have some great friends that hook me up with awesome cars for my shoots. The main car in this shoot is a 1958 Brookwood Station Wagon. There is also a Chevy C10 in the background as well. As we were shooting, a totally restored Thunderbird convertible pulled up. What the hell, I told him were to park and fired a few shots off. By the time he arrived, the sun was way past its prime.

Libby was our pinup girl. She is a true Bombshell! This is our third time shooting Libby, and definitely not our last! Be sure to grab the next issue of Retro Lovely Magazine, these will be in issue #8.

FYI, the last pic, other than my logo, is 100% unedited. Straight out of the camera!

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Categories : Boudoir Photography, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Make Better Photographs
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Photography Inspiration: by Andrea Boley

By Guest
Thursday, December 1st, 2011

A picture is worth a thousand words. This is a saying that many photographers live by. Photographs capture memories and help time stand still if only for a short while. As a professional photographer, you know that each shot has the potential to be “the one”, so everything must be perfect. From the lighting to the location, the best pictures are those that are well thought out and planned. This means that you are constantly on the hunt for inspiration. Location, without a doubt, can make or break the picture and can also determine whether or not your clients will trust you with their precious memories. If you are looking for great locations to capture memories for clients’ photo shoots, get inspired by the following tips.

Go on a drive through a historic town. Historic towns offer many options for photographers who are looking to add the “antique” edge to their photographs. I have received some of the greatest inspirations from going for a drive through a historic town. From old coffee shops to historic mom and pop businesses, there will be countless places for you to make each and every photo truly unique. Historic towns that have been preserved and are still in business are often clean and family friendly which makes them perfect for photo shoots.

Make use of the farm. You are probably thinking that making the farm a great photo location is impossible. Think again! Old red barns, wagons, tractors, etc. all make the farm a perfect photo location. This location can offer a fun experience for children and families who enjoy all things farming. It is particularly good for little boys who are on their first adventure to the farm.

A mountainous walking trail. One of the most beautiful inspirations that I have come across was on a hike up a mountain trail. If nature is your client’s choice for location, a small hike may just be the answer. From pristine waterfalls to exotic plants, this location is second to none for nature lovers. Be sure to hike up the mountain before hand to find the perfect time for lighting for your photos. Wooded areas may only receive minimal light throughout the day. Read More→

Categories : Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Make Better Photographs
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Guide to Keywording Images – Part 6: by Jody Apap

By Guest
Thursday, October 27th, 2011

How Should I Keyword the WHY and HOW in My Images

This is the final installment of my series on how to keyword your images to increase your stock photography sales.  All the suggestions I’ve made should be applied to your images, whether you’re a full-time stock photographer, an hobbyist who hasn’t taken the plunge into selling stock yet, or if you are managing an image library for your company, school, non-profit or group of any kind.

Today we will cover the why (concepts, emotions, actions and adjectives) and how (photographic techniques used) of your images.

If you’d like to read the whole guide to image keywording, start here: How Should I Keyword My Images.

However, if you’ve already read the first five parts and are dying to read the exciting conclusion, then let’s get to it.

WHY

The why of the images is often as important if not more important than the actual objects in the image.  These keywords are generally describing why the people or object were worth photographing and, hence, worth buying.

For my own convenience, I’ve found that dividing the why into four distinct separate categories help me find more appropriate keywords. Having more discrete categories of keywords makes it easier keyword every element of the image.

I’ve divided the why into four categories: actions, concepts, emotions and adjectives.

  • Actions:  What’s happening in the image, whether it’s people or animals doing things, such as children eating or skipping, or an actions that is being depicted by objects, such as snow falling or raindrops splashing.
  • Concepts:  What’s the story of the image?  Home security, achievement, globalization, or the roaring 20’s are just a couple examples.
  • Emotions:  What are the people feeling?  Joy, love, apathy, and pride to name a couple.
  • Adjectives:  Important adjectives to describe the subjects of the image, such as red, shiny, expensive, bent or lazy.

Skimping on these keywords may very well mean missing out on marketing the most important part of the image–the story being told by the photo. Read More→

Categories : Guest Bloggers, Make Better Photographs, Stock Photography
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Guide to Keywording Images – Part 5: by Jody Apap

By Guest
Thursday, October 20th, 2011

How Should I Keyword the Where and When of an Image?

Here I am again with another installment of my guide on how you should be keywording your images to maximize sales.

So, you think that the WHERE and the WHEN of an image should take about 5 seconds to cover. Well, the way most images are keyworded for these concepts, it’s easy to believe that most photographers think this, but there are several layers of keywords worth using to ensure your images are looked at by as many appropriate buyers as possible.

If you’re not convinced that its not worth your time coming up with as many correct keywords as possible, then you better read Image Keywording: The Best (and cheapest) Marketing You Can D0.

WHERE

The where of the image should be easy enough.

This image is of the Eiffel Tower, but don’t forget Paris, France, and Western Europe. That covers the place name, but you better also use the keywords landmark, tourist attraction and tourism. While someone might be looking for Eiffel Tower, other buyers may simply be looking for landmark Paris or tourism France. Remember, you cannot know exactly what the buyer will be searching for.

While this takes care of the proper place names, you should also use generic place keywords, such as:

  • exterior
  • interior
  • outdoors
  • studio shot

There are other aspects of WHERE the image is set that you should keyword. Read More→

Categories : Guest Bloggers, Make Better Photographs, Stock Photography
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