Photoshop 101: A Beginner’s Guide

March 29, 2009 by Mike Luter
Filed under Videos

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Studio Lighting Techniques using Bogen MonoSpot

Studio lighting doesn't have to be complicated to get great results. This is a simple 1 light set-up using a Bogen MonoSpot aimed directly at her. Check out the pull-back shot below to see my exact lighting set-up. I was sitting on the stool in the bottom left of the frame. I started right next to the light and then rolled around getting different angles. I liked this one the best. ============================== You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, ...

Posing Basics: The Masculine and Feminine Head Positions

In this section we will take a look at proper head positioning. The two basic head positions are the masculine and feminine head positions. Masculine Pose The masculine head position is accomplished by turning subjects head toward either shoulder, tilting top of the head away from the lead shoulder. This position can work for both male and female subjects. Feminine Pose The feminine head pose is shown in images below. This is accomplished by tipping the head towards the lead shoulder. This pose works well on females. Although some males may fall into this poses when sitting in front of the camera, it looks ...

Adding Movement to Your Image

In the world of "I'll do it in Photoshop" many new photographers are not learning many of the basic techniques used in the good ole film days to be able to create effects in camera. Now, don't get me wrong....applying movement in Phototshop does have some advantages. For example, you can control how much of the image gets the motion effect, as well as the direction and strength of the blur. However, when deciding if I should to create an effect in Photoshop or in camera, here's the way I approach the matter. I simply do whichever one will be the ...

Glamour Head Shot Techniques

The difference between shooting a typical head shot an creating a glamour portrait are really obvious. The lighting must be flattering, the filters soft and the make-up truly professional. It’s the execution of these principles that will set your work apart. Our studio technique involves a few simple steps that give us the “Hollywood” look, as demonstrated in the accompanying photo. For the primary light , we used a Photogenic MonoLight that has been placed into a Halo Light Modifier. The halo gives a soft, low contrast lighting and a quality that sets the mood. The main light is placed on a boom ...

Add Impact To Your Photos with this Photography Tip

Most portraits are shot in the standard vertical orientation (which is where the term portrait comes from). However, to add impact to your portraits don't be afraid to crop the image in a horizontal format. Try shooting some images horizontally in your next session. For this image not only did I crop the image in the horizontal format, the model is placed in the in the far right of the frame. What would this shot look, like if she was placed dead center in the frame? Static - no impact. AND I cropped off the top of her head - all in ...

Building a Studio Background Tip

You don't have to have expensive sets and backgrounds in order to get a stylish, trendy look. This background was made with the siding material that you can buy from your local Home Depot. Since this was the first time we ever used it, we simply clamped it to our background stands. As you can see, it produced some great looking images. After a couple sessions we decided to make it a permanent background at the studio and it has proved to be very popular. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="455" caption="Online Photography Training: Making a Stylish, Trendy but Cheap Background"][/caption] Since we decided ...

Studio Lighting with Photogenic Mini-Spots

This set-up was done using 5 tungsten continuous light sources. The lights used for this set up are Photogenic Mini-spots. These lights are a lot of fun to work with, and provide a will you can only achieve with his style of lighting. We use these lights a lot for Hollywood style glamour and when doing character studies. A couple things to consider when using tungsten continuous lights are: 1. Make sure you get lights that have focusing capability. 2. It it is also important to be able to control the output of the lights. For this particular light we had to ...

Using Posing Stools Correctly

At first glimpse talking about posing stool height may seem silly to you. Although that couldn't be further from the truth. Correct posing stool height is very important to maintaining your subjects proper posture. The correct height for the posing stool is slightly above the knee. At that height it forces the subject to sit properly producing a slight L shade between the body torso and the upper part of legs. The subjects feet should just reached the floor. If the posing stool is too low it tends to add weight to the subject. This will not please many of your ...

Basic Posing Techniques

Basically, your job as a professional photographer is to make your client look good (or better than they actually do) in their portraits. The first thing I typically do is a quick facial analysis to determine if the subject has one side that is better than the other. Many times this is very obvious, especially if they have a scar or blemish, but often times you need to make a point of doing a quick facial analysis before starting the session. Here are a few common things to look for: One eye smaller than the other - by putting the smaller eye ...