Here’s a great tutorial for those of you who shy away from people pictures due to the misconception that a studio, expensive lighting equipment, or advanced skills are required to capture impressive portraits.

Photojournalist Sean Gallagher begins with a question, followed by an insightful answer. What you’ll learn will provide enough confidence for you to capture impressive portrait photos of loved ones, family and friends, and interesting strangers you meet throughout your travels.

So here’s the question: What makes a compelling portrait? According to Gallagher, “A good portrait reveals what a person looks like, but a great portrait reveals who they really are.” Gallagher is a photojournalist and documentary photographer/filmmaker who has produced fine work for National Geographic, The Guardian, and the Pulitzer Center among others. So he knows of which he speaks.

Gallagher refers to his style as “environmental portraiture”—unencumbered by all the gear that you may have found intimidating. A camera, lens, and natural outdoor light is all you really need—apart from the five important tips that Gallagher reveals. He’s a very adept visual storyteller as you’ll quickly discern.

What’s the key to creating an excellent environmental portrait? According to Gallagher, “it’s not just to focus on the person within the frame, but to also take into consideration the background and surroundings of the subject.” He explains that these additional elements can reveal things about who the person really is, where they live, and where they work.” In others. In essence, this is what storytelling is all about.

A common technique is to move in close and set a wide aperture to isolate a subject against an out-of-focus background.  This method can certainly be effective, but Gallagher’s approach is pretty much the opposite. Hence one tip is to “give your subject breathing room and more space.” He provides a few compelling examples of how this style enables you to reveal more about a subject.

Gallagher illustrates why it’s also critical to “pay attention to the details,” whether or not you’re familiar with a subject. In this regard, it’s often the “little things” that faithfully depict the true essence of someone’s character. He demonstrates why this suggestion is particularly important when shooting his style of portraits with a wider perspective.

The foregoing tips all contribute to telling a story which is what makes Gallagher’s imagery to captivating, and he has more advice to impart on this essential topic. He also provides several helpful ideas for getting creative during the process. He puts it like this: “You don’t always have to use the same lens, camera position or angle when you’re making portraits.”

So think about the position of your subject within the context of their surrounding so that they reveal something about themselves that’s unique. Sometimes that may be a simple as framing the person with a natural element within the frame.

There’s a lot more to see and learn on Gallagher’s interesting YouTube channel. And on a related note, be sure to check out the tutorial we posted with another pro who describes several ways to pose female subjects for alluring portrait photographs.  

Most photographers understand why the Curves tool is so effective for achieving optimum tonal adjustments with just about any photos you shoot. Today we’ll let you in on a little secret that enables users of all skill levels to employ Curves to the max for quick and precise results.

This straightforward method relies upon the Eyedropper to set points on the Curves you want to change, and the points you want to leave as they are. This way you can limit the impact of the Curves to specific tones that need work.

Pro Landscape photographer Scott Davenport is also a very adept instructor with an uncommon ability to simplify image-editing tasks that often seem difficult. In this episode it only takes him five minutes to demonstrate the advantages of the oft-ignored Eyedropper tool when working with Curves.

Davenport uses Lightroom to demonstrate this effective trick, but the technique also works with ON1 Photo Raw, On1 Effects, or any other editor with both a Curves tool and an Eyedropper. He provides an overview of the powerful Curves panel, just in case it’s not part of your current workflow, so you can begin using it today.

His sample image is a seascape photo with a lot of potential, and he walks you through the simple step-by-step procedure for turning it into money shot with a little help from the Eyedropper. His goal is to emphasize rock formations in the foreground by leaving shadow areas alone while accentuating midtones.

Texture and Clarity are also part of the equation, but all the heavy lifting is quickly accomplished by selectively targeting the rocks with Curves—specifically by clicking in the Dropper to get the job done. So what does he want to change? “In this case I want to raise the Luminance and increase the brightness of certain tones.”

But here’s the key: He also wants to “protect” other areas of the scene without sacrificing detail throughout the frame. You’ll see how he samples various tones, and then select a specific tone (or tones) that need adjustments.

Of equal importance is understanding how to select other tones that you want to protect, i.e. those you don’t want to change—like the dark, lowest portion of the large rock formation closest to the camera. You can also use this method to protect highlights if that’s what’s required for an image at hand.

Davenport sums up the lesson like this: “It’s a very powerful technique that’s not hard to do. Use the Picker, work visually, and have fun.”  After watching the video take a look at his instructional YouTube channel where you’ll find many more straightforward tips and tricks.

And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we posted from another image-editing expert who demonstrates a simple Lightroom Spit-Toning technique that can transform good landscape photos into great ones with better colors and contrast.

The long and the short of it, Sigma America just announced two new full-frame prime lenses designed specifically for full-frame mirrorless camera systems. Joining the Sigma lens lineup are the world’s first f/1.4 diagonal fisheye and a rugged, lightweight Ultra-Tele.

The Sigma 15mm f/1.4 DG DN Diagonal Fisheye | Art costs $1,999 and provides a 180° angle-of-view (measured diagonally).

The Sigma 500mm f/5.6 DG DN OS | Sports is priced at $2,999 and features splash- and dust-proof construction.

Both lenses are expected to be available in mid-March 2024, and both are offered in Sony E-Mount and L-Mount versions.

Click HERE to find an Authorized Sigma dealer in your area.

∞ Shutterbug Staff