Today’s Photo of the Day is “Sandhill Cranes in Monte Vista” by Gary Gray. Location: Monte Vista, Colorado.
Want to get your images in the running for a Photo of the Day feature? Photo of the Day is chosen from various galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.
When you think about camera gear, what comes to mind? A camera bag might be an afterthought, but I think it’s almost as important as the camera itself! Think about it – what good is a high-quality camera if you don’t have a good way to carry it into the field? As a wildlife photographer, I find it critically important to get a bag that’s suited to field work. In this article, I’ll highlight the most important features I believe the ideal camera backpack must include for wildlife photography.
Boudoir photography is a unique form of portraiture in which you use many of the skills employed for other types of people pictures, and a few more. In the quick tutorial below you’ll learn an important technique that’s often ignored.
When shooting boudoir you need to nail focus, exposure, and composition, like with all styles of portraiture, but there’s another key goal with this particular genre; namely, accentuating the model’s physical attributes to achieve flattering images that are also sensuous and alluring.
Effective posing is critically important, and some photographers overlook the importance of carefully positioning a subject’s hands in a way that adds to the overall effect. This is exactly what you’ll learn how to do today.
Mike Lloyd is a California-based pro who launched his career as a fashion photographer before narrowing his focus to boudoir. And in much the same way that good pianists make great organ players, accomplished fashion photographers have the skills necessary for excelling at boudoir.
As Lloyd says, “If you’ve ever shot boudoir you know how difficult it to pose hands and have them look good and natural.” This episode simplifies this task by demonstrating how to master the placement of hands using several of Lloyd’s favorite poses.
One reason Lloyd’s work is so compelling is that he’s an expert visual storyteller, a skill that’s common among all excellent photographers—no matter what type of images they shoot. As you see, hands can play an important role in accomplishing this task.
You may want to make a few screen grabs for future reference as Lloyd demonstrates several hand poses. These include placing hands sideways, asking the model to hold various items, positioning the subject’s hands in her hair, and a few more.
All this takes is a bit of practicing directing a model, and you’ll be able to get the job done with ease.
Image sharpness is an interesting topic with regard to all styles of photography: On the one hand nobody wants soft photos, but at the same time you can really mess up a nice shot by going overboard during the editing process.
Put another way, the goal is to achieve sharp images that no one can describe as “crispy.” It the tutorial below, one of our favorite outdoor photographers explains how to do things right—with the seven steps he uses to “capture perfectly sharp images every time with any lens.”
Toma Bonciu is an intrepid outdoor photographer with an impressive portfolio of landscape, travel, and adventure imagery. He presents his time-proven tips in no particular order and makes this bold promise: “I can guarantee you 110% if you do this your photos will always be clear and sharp.” Sound good?
Tip #1 is something we’ve stressed over and over again, but it bears repeating: If you want sharp photos, mount your camera on a sturdy tripod whenever possible. Some photographers ignore this “rule”—particularly when they want to lighten their load or when long telephoto lenses aren’t being used.
Bonciu explains why being lazy in this regard may result in disappointing shots—regardless of conditions—and he has some great advice for making the most of this very important accessory. He also explains why it’s essential to deactivate image stabilization when using any form of camera support.
If you absolutely insist on shooting handheld, be sure to pay attention to Bonciu’s third tip. Here he reveals the formula he uses to determine his minimum shutter speed depending upon the focal length of his lens. His approach is rather unique in that it changes depending upon whether he’s shooting with a full-frame or crop sensor camera.
Bonciu’s other tips are equally valuable, and may differ from what you’ve heard before. But it’s a pretty sure bet that you’ll be pleased with the images you shoot by following his pro tips.
There’s much more to learn about shooting in the great outdoors on Bonciu’s instructional YouTube channel. So take a close look and put his experience to good use.
