Simple Tip for Better Pics

Posted on March 30, 2017 by April Lahti | 0 comments

Have you ever taken a picture of something beautiful- a scene, person or moment- and then looked at the result and thought “that doesn’t capture it at all!”? This simple tip will lead to dramatic results for your pictures:

Turn off your flash and use natural light whenever possible

Lighting is a huge part of what makes a good photo, but it's often overlooked because people are so focused on capturing the subject. As a result, they end up surrendering creative control of lighting to their camera. I definitely recommend avoiding use of your on-camera flash. The internal flash of cameras and phones tends to create unwanted shadows and dull-looking photos that have a flat quality. When photographing your subject indoors, try to pick a room that’s brightly lit by a window.

These two photos were taken in the same room. In the first one the subject was on the couch on the opposite side of the room from the window. The second photo was taken in the same room only a couple of moments later. All I did was move myself and my subject closer to the window and no flash was necessary. You can see how the quality of the image is better in the second photo. It captures the contours of her face better and makes the photo come alive. It has a much more natural quality. You can always try moving yourself or your subject to get a better lighting angle. You generally want the light to be shining on your subject (from an angle is nice to get those contours). The only exception to this would be when you want to get a silhouette. Then you simply place your subject in front of the light source. Try experimenting with lighting and angles of lighting to get different effects.

        

This same rule can apply for artificially lit situations. In the following example the camera recommended flash. There wasn’t much natural light coming into this huge building, but it was still decently lit by indoor lighting. The flash was completely inadequate in this large space.  The subjects were somewhat lit, but the background faded into darkness. For the second picture I turned off the flash, which made all the difference. The key was to take advantage of the artificial light in the building.

If there isn’t enough light to get a sharp picture, try increasing the ISO number. This makes your camera more sensitive to available light. If the photo still looks too dark, you can use your exposure compensation to brighten everything up.  I’ll be talking about ISO and exposure compensation in future blog posts.

Posted in lighting tips, photo tips, photography tips, portrait photography

8 Ways to Use Leaves as Portrait Props

Posted on October 02, 2016 by April Lahti | 0 comments

In my part of the world the autumn season brings with it an explosion of color and many photo opportunities. Not only is it a great time to capture nature’s beauty, but it’s also a perfect time to get some very unique portraits. I’m focusing specifically on leaves in this post and I’ve gathered some fun and creative ideas from around the web on how to use these natural beauties in your photography this fall.

1. Even the youngest of subjects seem to be fascinated by the colors and textures of fall leaves.  Try laying your babies down in the leaves and watch their eyes light up:

2. The belly pose is always a cute shot for kids.  Try getting several kids in a leaf pile together- it will surely bring out those smiles (OK my son's smile is a little fake- he didn't like being sandwiched between his sister and cousin)!

3. Here’s another great angle for littles in the leaves (photo by Dan Zen):

4. Another no fail plan for a great natural shot is to have kids throw  leaves into the air- no forced smiles here (photo by Seth Lemmons)!

5. Once you make sure there isn’t anything nasty or sharp in your freshly raked leaf pile, get some shots of the kids jumping in (photo by Patrick):

6. Use leaves in a portrait to replace the traditional bouquet (photo by Vladimir Pustovit):

7.  Autumn is a great time for family portraits too.  The leaves can provide a stunning backdrop for any family photo:

8. And don't forget to use the colorful boughs to frame your family shots:

If you have other ideas for how to use the autumn leaves as portrait props, please share in the comments below. Enjoy your fall!

Posted in autumn photography, fall photography, portrait photography