Tutorials

Livestream Setup in my DIY Home Studio for Photography Videos

A lot of folks have asked me for the details on the livestream setup and gear that I use to produce my photography videos for YouTube. I’ve been doing YouTube videos weekly now for just about 4 years. The home studio setup that I am using now is the result of lots of trial and…
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Self Portrait Tutorial. How I shot my profile photo for social media and my photography website.

I got new glasses this past week. I like my new look, but that meant I needed to shoot a new profile picture. I thought I’d take a second to share some of my self portrait tips. Watch the VIDEO… When shooting a portrait, ask yourself: WHO is the subject? Me! WHAT is the photo…
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How to shoot a fitness magazine cover shot

Have you ever thought about shooting a fitness magazine cover? You know, the ones with the white background, clean, crisp commercial lighting, three quarter length pose, really fit and sexy subject who looks really happy. . . sound familiar? You see these all the time when you’re in the checkout line at the supermarket. Those…
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Photographing people with glasses – How to avoid glare in eyeglasses

One of the most common questions I receive: what’s the best lighting to use for photographing people with glasses, so that you don’t have reflections or glare on eyeglasses? The answer is easy… and I can use any kind of lighting arrangement I want to. I just set my lights, do my test shots, and…
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Learn How to SEE Light. Remember the Egg!

When I started telling the egg story in my workshops many years ago, I got the sense that people were just humoring me as they sat there nodding their heads as if they understood the message. So I went ahead and recorded a video to show what I was talking about when I told the…
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Body Painting – The Mermaid Model Project

The Mermaid Model Project is a body painting and digital scenery shot that was conceived and executed by Philadelphia based makeup artist Morgan Chalfant. (www.MorganTheMakeupArtist.com) Body Painting Concept We made the decision early in our discussions that we didn’t want a Disney styled mermaid. We wanted a look that was both mythical and grungy and…
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How to shoot a hair flip and make it look AWESOME!

Hair flips are just cool! But it’s not as simple as just telling a model to flip her hair As you will see in the hair flip video, as the photographer you need to be the models eyes since she has no idea how the head flip looks and whether or not her hair is…
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How NOT to Shoot a Self-Portrait – With One Light

Radio DJ’s often say that they have a face made for Radio. Hence the reason they aren’t on Television. (Unless your name is Ryan Seacrest) There is a reason I work behind the camera, I simply hate having my picture taken. Probably because I am never happy with what I see in the finished result.…
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Monopod Aerials – A cool and easy trick

A monopod is not just a one legged camera stand. With a little bit of creative thinking, they can be the solution to many difficult camera shots. In this case I am going to show a technique for creating elevated camera angles that I call Monopod Aerials. Using a monopod we can take a shot…
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Who says bounce flash is ugly?

“Never use bounce flash for portraits!” When I was a young photographer (back in the film era) I was taught that bounce flash for people pictures was not flattering and should only be used for event and news photography. Recently I did a Google search on the phrase “Bounce Flash” and got back more than…
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What exactly is a beauty shot or beauty portrait?

A Beauty portrait is a close-up portrait, usually a crop from the bust up or closer. It can range from little to no makeup all the way to dramatic creative makeup with lots of fu-fu surrounding the model. This is a Beauty portrait… …and this is a beauty portrait One of my favorite things to shoot…
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How to shoot a portrait in bright sunlight with no reflectors or lights

Shoot a portrait in bright sunlight? Are you kidding me? Harsh light? Heavy shadows? Squinting subjects?… OMG that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Well, it can be a disaster unless you are willing to break some rules and be a little creative. Let’s take a look at how we can shoot awesome portraits and…
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Equipment And Lighting For Shooting The Female Nude

Planning KISS IT! = Keep It Simple Stupid Especially for your first few shoots… select a simple concept or lighting style and don’t try to over do it. The majority of my fine art nudes are shot with one or two lights. Even when I am not using the models face, I am much more…
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