Archive for Make Better Photographs – Page 44

Photography Burn-Out: How to Avoid It: by Marc Sadowski

Marc Sadowski Waterfall Photo 1Photographing weddings for a living is fun. The way I see it, I get to do what I love. I get to go to a kick-ass party and get free food at the same time! This is the life! What can possibly be bad?

For long time wedding photographers, there is one little issue that adds up as the season goes. Repetition.

When you look at it, the routine for a wedding is essentially the same. Get photos of the bride getting ready, the ceremony, the portraits, the reception. Even the music is the same. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the song
“I Gotta Feeling.”

Adding to this: wedding photographers have to constantly be aware of what is happening. Our job is to be where the action is. We can’t afford to miss a beat. The constant awareness increases that sense of repetition.

So how do you shake the repetitious feeling?

For me, I take a Zen-like approach. At least once a month, I take a day trip. It doesn’t matter where as long as it’s interesting and as long as I can enjoy the location. Read More→

HDR Best Practices Guide – Part I, In The Field

Hello.  My name is Brian and I love HDR.

Brian Matiash HDR House Image

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L, 17mm, F 4, ISO 100, HDR, 9 Exposures

Ok.  It has been said.  So, what do we do now?  Well, I figure that if you’re going to obsess about doing something, at least obsess about doing it the best that you can.  And that is what my hope is with this post – to share the knowledge that I’ve picked up after over the years shooting brackets for HDR imaging.

I have been inspired by the selfless sharing of knowledge from some of my favorites in the HDR world, notably Trey Ratcliff and the wonderful folks at The Windy Pixel.  And so, I began putting together notes that I have kept in my head or in my Evernote book and compiled what you are about to read.

I recently had the opportunity to present on HDR Photography to a group of photographers and one part of my presentation dealt with the best practices that I follow every time I go out to shoot for HDR, as well as when I’m at home processing the shots.  It turned out that this part of the presentation was very well-received and so I figured that it may help to share these tips here. Read More→

5 Tips to Create Great Actor Headshots

When becoming an actor, Actor Headshots are one of the most important requirements and can make the difference between getting casting calls or not. Headshots for actors help agencies place their talent with Film Makers, TV Producers and alike. No matter if you’re looking to become a Hollywood Super Star California Actor or star in a Disney Production in Orlando, FL a high quality acting headshot by a professional headshot photographer is critical!

Last week I received a bunch of requests via my Twitter and Facebook account requesting that I would place a few examples of what actor headshots look like and explain what makes one better than the next.

Well, all of you with this question are in luck. Just yesterday a great guy named Benjamin James came into my photography studio to have his Acting Headshot photographed before leaving for LA California to pursue an acting career. Read More→

Professional Branding… Do I need it?

I’m publishing this short entry as a follow up to my previous article titled “Branding Portraiture Photography“. Let me beginning by giving you some background: A few weeks back the studio receives contact from a brand new company which was in need of a “Look“, a “Brand“, or “Image” to allow their clients to recognize them immediately when seeing their promotional materials.

This strong association between the Company and the Brand is one of the most critical factors when starting a new venture and is so often over looked..

How many of you have been handed a business card that was pure white, with color text, and sporting a logo which was certainly picked out of a book at a local print shop? Come on… How many? Over the years, I’ve seen my fare share of this type of rubbish which negatively reflects on the business no matter how “fantastic they are or say they are”.

Remember, if it appears to a client that you are not taking your company seriously, I assure you, they will not either! As they say, ” Too make money one must spend money!” When starting a new business you can cut corners and save money in many areas but when it come to the face of your establishment, its “BRAND” or “IMAGE”, this is something you must pay a professional to get it right. Read More→

The Good Ol’ Days: by Dominic Lee, AMPA

My Aunt nabbed me at a cousins wedding recently and complained that I never sent her the photos from the last family event as promised.

I told her I had emailed them to her son but his mailbox was full so they bounced back to me. To which she replied: “well send them to me; if my mail box is full sure the Postman will just knock at the door”.

So it’s little wonder that this same lady is bewildered with the notion that her daughters wedding album is costing exactly the same as the house & farm they bought in County Cavan back in the 50s for £3000 (Old Irish Pounds).

Farm House in Cavan Read More→

Go Behind-the-Scenes of a Domino’s Pizza Photo Shoot

I found a link to this video on Twitter today and just thought I would share it. This is a fun behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to a big budget commercial photo shoot. Take notice of the techniques they uses to get just the right look for the pizza cheese pull.