This week for week 16 I did another challenge from Be A Super Awesome Photographer by Henry Carroll which is Hard Light. This challenge is about photographing strong shadows that fall on subjects in hard light using only the windows in my house in strong sunlight as my light source.
This week I decided to use my phone for the challenge and here are the results:
For week 17 I have decided to do another challenge from Be A Super Awesome Photographer by Henry Carroll called Play Detective. This one a about taking portraits of the things people leave behind after they have left a room. You can do this by observing things that people have left on the street or my observing the things people in your household leave lying around when they leave a room. Or even getting people to guess who you are based on the objects you leave around yourself.
If you enjoyed this weeks challenge join in with next weeks Play Detective challenge and tweet or Instagram to @lucyandthelens and don’t forget to #playdetective.
Today I’m going to talk about some effects I have tried during isolation and rate them in terms of level 0 being the easiest and 5 being the hardest.
The first effect I tried was the twirl effect. This is where you turn the landscape or portrait into a twirl pattern. It’s a quick and not too difficult technique. I would give This a 2/5 rating.
Next I tried the dispersion effect which took me hours. It’s where you warp part of a photo and turn it into particles. I would suggest you might struggle to attempt this if you have never used Photoshop before as for me it was 4.5/5 in difficulty.
Thirdly was a shoot with the model over FaceTime. I’d seen a few photographers on Instagram doing a full model shoot over FaceTime, so I decided to try it. This works best on an iPhone as there is a special FaceTime photo button which will take you out of the equation and only show the model when the images are taken. After the shoot I did a few quick edits in Photoshop express to enhance the image using highlights, contrast, clarity and sharpen mostly. I’d give this 1/5 because I feel a beginner photographer could do this type of shoot even without using the photoshop to edit.
My fourth effect was creating tiny planets. For this all you need is a 99p phone app called tiny planets and you can create them yourself out of any photo. Some photos work better than others like I recommend using landscapes and Street shots for this kind of technique. As this is easily accessible and you aren’t required to be a photographer, I would say in terms of level this is as zero out of five stars.
Number 5 is the orb and has to be the easiest one I’ve done on photoshop with only 4 steps you only need to spend 2 minutes on it. So, this one gets another 1/5 for me.
The next technique is the optical art face portrait which actually turns a face and pixels. A series of little geometric squares all the way across the image. As this one is a many stepped tutorials and I did end up re organising some of the layers to fit the overall look, that I wanted for the end results. I also decided to move the layers for side to side in the second image to see what would happen. I’d suggest that this should be a 4.5/5 stars in difficulty.
The optical art text effect is by far the most difficult. It has 22 steps and it doesn’t always work. For example, you have to make a word cloud on the website it wants you to use to generate this isn’t compatible on every single computer. So, I had to traipse around the Internet to try and find another website that will allow me to create word clouds to the same effect which took a lot of time. Also following the 22-step process itself takes many hours And I feel you need to be a relatively avid Photoshop user to give this one a go. This one is getting 5/5 on the difficulty level.
Lastly, I tried the double exposure technique which is where you merge a portrait with a landscape or seascape. This one should receive another 5/5 as I think its not easy to get it perfect.
If you enjoyed seeing these effects why not subscribe to my blog and try some of your own.
I think that every day or at least every other day as a photographer you should try to spend one full hour On Instagram.
In this hour you scroll on the news feed and make a note about which images grab your attention and then make a comment and maybe even share them in your story.
If you don’t have time to spend a full hour you can always spend less time and save the images to go back and looked at later which I usually do when something catches my eye.
This is a really useful process because it allows you to spend time seeing what other photographers are doing and asking yourself if any of their ideas fit in with your brand. Could you implement something someone else is doing that you haven’t yet tried?
If you like something why not ask if the photographer is willing to share tips and tricks, especially when it comes to lighting because you can learn a lot from how someone else lights their subject.
At the moment I think that looking at hash tag social isolation and hash tag COVID-19 may also help you spark ideas for new posts too. Also, the hash tag FaceTime photo shoot is another one as now a lot of people are looking for new ways to take photographs with models when no one can meet up in person.
Something you need to always be doing outside of this hour is checking when someone follows you or leaves your comments. It is always good practice to reply to their comment and then engage with them on their own account. Any time someone followers you provided it its spam you should go and take a look at their profile, comment and then follow back.
For me I tend to spend time trying to post something every day. On a typical week I’d normally post 2 images per day on weekends and one image per day for the whole rest of the week. I also share all my posts On Facebook and Twitter.
As this post is all about Instagram why not follow me on there @lucyandthelens. If you liked this post stay tuned for more.
It’s Friday and It’s time for this week’s photo challenge. For this week in week 15 I did another challenge from Be A Super Awesome Photographer by Henry Carroll. Week 15’s challenge is Be Gross. This means photographing things that you would normally find in the rubbish or picking up rocks or rotted wood in the garden and photographing the things that lie beneath.
I photographed things in bins mostly and a little bit of the under rocks in the garden. Here are the photos:
For week 16 I am doing another challenge from Be A Super Awesome Photographer by Henry Carroll which is Hard Light. This challenge is about photographing strong shadows that fall on subjects in hard light using only the windows in my house in strong sunlight as my light source.
If you enjoyed this weeks challenge join in with next weeks Hard Light challenge and tweet or Instagram to @lucyandthelens and don’t forget to #hardlight.
Today I’m going to be dispelling the myth that if you’re in a creative rut you need to go to an exotic location.
Here are eight things you can do to get out of a creative rut.
Create an Assignment
You may find that if you give yourself an assignment. for example, a photo a day for a month or a year it instils some newfound creativity within you. I personally set myself a new photo challenge every Friday which I have a full week to do and this helps me think out of the box.
Here is a link to my latest Friday Challenge Post and some other related posts:
Create A Theme for A Photo walk
Another way to get out of this rut is to create a theme for a photo walk and then it becomes more like a treasure hunt and helps to provide you with ideas.
Do Something Different
Have a day where you go out and do something other than photography or whatever your profession is as sometimes you need to get away from it to end the rut. You can also try and learn something new that’s completely unrelated to your niche. (unique area of expertise)
Humans of Your City
How about creating your own humans of New York style project in your city looking for interesting characters wherever you go?
Take Inspiration from The Everyday
Another great way of getting out of a creative rut is to take inspiration from the everyday. How about picking up a book from your shelf and recreating the cover in one photo, a painting, drawing or anything else it inspires you to do. Find some other objects you have in your house and use them as your inspiration.
See What Other People Are Doing in Your Niche
How about browsing on your computer looking at what other people are doing in your niche.
Create A Mood Board
One of my favourite things to do when I’m stuck in a rut is to go on Pinterest. See what I can find and design my own mood board based on that.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Try doing something you wouldn’t normally do, something as simple as changing the way you take your morning coffee.
Just simply take your mind away from work.
I hope you enjoyed this post if so, stay tuned for more.
I have my own studio lights and also access to a studio at
UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) as I do my freelance work from there. So,
I’ve been reading books, blogs and googling techniques on how to light a
subject.
Here are some tips I have acquired about studio lighting from
the book lighting for portrait photography by Steve Bavister:
Persuading you’re subject to face the window
adds detail to the face and creates a strong profile. (Shoot this at a shutter
speed of 1/250 and an aperture of f5.6).
Placing your subject facing out of a doorway
gives strong illumination.
A reflector beneath a subject and a tilted
camera angle adds impact to a simply lit but powerful portrait. (Shot at 1/125
shutter speed)
The clam shell set-up: this is where a subject
is seated, and you place the light above her and maybe a reflector below her.
The typical studio set-up is when you place one
light to one side of the subject and one light behind her.
Using a light and a jumbo umbrella gives lots of
lighting control (Shoot at a shutter speed of 1/400 and an aperture of f11.)
The further you take a light to one side the
more moody and dramatic it becomes.
Photographing people wearing glasses requires a
high lighting position.
Below are a few more tips from DIY Photography:
Beauty Dishes add a natural catch light to your
images.
For a two light set-up use an octobox and fill
light with a colour gel: an orange or yellow gel will add a warmer tone to your
portrait. Try this on f1.8.
Old guys with beards photograph better with no soft
boxes.
Below is a video tutorial from DIY Photography: Lighting By Elaine Torres
Hi it’s that time of the week again. For Week 14 I did a challenge from Photocrafty: 75 Creative Camera Projects For You And Your Digital SLR by Sue Venables. This weeks challenge was Photo Message which is to write photo messages on a whiteboard and share them with people which I did for 7 days over on my Instagram @lucyandthelens and I am going to share them on here along with a few responses.
I decided to do this challenge for this week because I hoped to bring some positivity into the lockdown. I started and ended the week with the same message to say Stay Home, Stay Safe, Protect Your NHS as I wanted the message to be reiterated and people to bear it in mind.
Here are the messages for the week:
Day One and Seven
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day 6
Just a few responses to the questions too. For Day 3 creative I had experimenting with radial gradients, documenting the barren cityscapes and dancing in the park. For Day 5 teaching the best response of the week was I’m building a dark room, think I’ll get top marks for homeschooling my kids science.
For next week for week 15 I am going to be doing another challenge from Be A Super Awesome Photographer by Henry Carroll. Week 15’s challenge is Be Gross. This means photographing things that you would normally find in the rubbish or picking up rocks or rotted wood in the garden and photographing the things that lie beneath.
If you enjoyed this weeks challenge join in with next weeks Be Gross challenge and tweet or Instagram to @lucyandthelens and don’t forget to #begross.
Welcome to my first instalment of my monthly Photographer Q and A. My first photographer is Gig Photographer: Button Photographic.
How did you get into Photography?
I started by taking holiday snaps on an old iPod many years back and I realised I quite enjoyed the act of taking photos, eventually I bought myself a DSLR and I kept shooting more and more.
What kind of gear do you use?
I use a Nikon D3300 with a NIKKOR 35mm lens most of the time
Which is your favourite lens? Why?
My 35mm because it is the perfect length for me as I find it can get shots with a lot of coverage but also shots that are close up.
So, you’re a gig photographer? How did that subject peak your interest?
I did one random gig shoot with a friend’s band and after that I began doing it more often and slowly built a love for the shots I was getting and the music I was hearing especially within the Manchester music scene.
What settings do you typically use for your gig photography?
I have to use settings which are typically best for low light, but every gig venue has different lighting so sometimes It isn’t as hard to make sure the shots are well lit.
Do you follow a shot list when you shoot a gig or event, or do you prefer to have free reign?
Free reign
How do you usually post process your work?
I organise all the shots that I like and then put them through lightroom so I can improve colour and light where it is needed
What makes a good photograph in your eyes?
If the photo gives people a lot of visual information and tells a story that typically is quite good but also a well framed and lit photo goes a long way as well.
Are there any other styles of photography you enjoy?
I really enjoy landscape and architecture photography as it is quite different from what I usually shoot
Tell us the story behind your favourite picture?
A shot I took when I went camping last September, we spent a few hours walking in pretty rough rain before getting to the campsite but when we got there and started pitching our tent we were greeted with this gorgeous rainbow.
It was a lovely surprise considering I expected the weather to be atrocious the whole time and I was overjoyed to get a shot of it.
I shot it on my Nikon D3300 with my Sigma 10-20mm lens.
I can’t really decide whether this is my “favourite picture” but it’s up there for sure!
Rainbow By Button Photographic
Have you done any cool projects recently that you’d like to discuss?
I have started shooting on film as a bit of a personal experiment to see how my film photos compare to my digital ones, I have found it to be very refreshing as it is a lot more involving.
When you do travel what do you take with you and why?
My Nikon D3300 with my NIKKOR 35mm and sigma 10 – 20mm because having these two lenses usually give me the variety I want when travelling and they aren’t too heavy.
Is there any photographers work that has influenced and inspired you? If so who?
Cody Smyth has been a big influence on my Music photography because of his amazing work documenting the early years of The Strokes.
Do you shoot both digital and film?
I have recently started shooting film as mentioned before.
Where do you expand your photographic knowledge?
Lots of practice is the best way I learn new skills.
Gig Photography By Button Photographic
Gig Photography By Button Photographic
Gig Photography By Button Photographic
Gig Photography By Button Photographic
Lightening Strikes by Button Photographic
Skater Against Grafitti Wall by Button Photographic
I hope you enjoyed something a little different showcasing and discussing the work of Button Photographic: Gig Photographer. Stay Tuned for the next installment with Alf Myers Photography:Street Photographer Next Month.
It’s Friday and You know what that means it’s photo challenge day.
Last week I set my week 13 challenge which was another challenge from be a Super Awesome Photographer called Make A Scene. For this challenge I used toys and other objects as props to create a scene. Henry says to use a lamp to create dramatic lighting and experiment with backgrounds to make the scenes more theatrical.
This week I took out a selection of Sylvanian Familiies And A 50mm Lens and some other objects to create my scenes.
Here are this week’s results:
Lets Go On An adventure
Lets Go On An adventure
Lets Go On An adventure
Lets Go On An adventure
Stay Healthy Kids
Stay Healthy Kids
Lets Plant Kids
Lets Plant Kids
Lets Plant Kids
Lets Plant Kids
I Want To Ride A Unicorn
I Want To Ride A Unicorn
What Do We Read Next
Workout Time
Workout Time
Workout Time
Lets Play Chess
Read To Me
I Believe I Can Fly
I Believe I Can Fly
For next week in Week 14 I am going to be doing a challenge from Photocrafty: 75 Creative Camera Projects For You And Your Digital SLR by Sue Venables. Week 14’s challenge is Photo Message which is to write photo messages on a whiteboard and share them with people which I will be doing for 7 days over on my Instagram @lucyandthelens and I will share them on here and maybe some of the ressponses to them next Friday.
If you enjoyed this weeks challenge why not have a go at next weeks Photo Message challenge and tweet or Instagram to @lucyandthelens and don’t forget to #photomessage.
Today I’m going to review the master photography podcast titled Six creative portrait images with Connor Hibbs (Colorado Based Photographer), Hosted by Jeff Harmon (photographer).
I went into this podcast as a first-time listener of master photography podcasts. I didn’t know what to expect from this 1 hr 12-minute podcast at all, but I was very impressed. It was extremely insightful and having the show notes on hand during meant I could develop a deeper understanding of just what was happening.
The podcast starts with a message telling us to stay safe which is important right now due to the pandemic.
At the start of the discussion Connor and Jeff talked about the anatomy of a portrait shoot. In finding that Connor didn’t have any personal projects in his portfolio he set himself a challenge to do one fun personal project every month. Just taking something for himself. This is something that helps his photography grow and flourish.
This is something I find exciting too. Back in 2016 I set myself Photo Challenges weekly to expand my creative thinking and grow as a photographer. It was just this month that I decided to bring it back while we are in isolation and carry on even when this period ends.
For me my personal projects are usually with models/ clients I now call friends. I like to do shoots with concepts like at Halloween I collaborated with another photographer and we did a harlequin and jilted bride shoot with a model each. We shot this in the woods and in December I worked with an actress I’ve worked with a few times, who’s really good at makeup to do a jack frost/ ice queen inspired Christmas Shoot.
So, think about this don’t just take images for someone else, do some personal projects for yourself too.
The next part of the podcast was about how he connected with his first model who was in the first two images. It was fashion photographer Johnny Edward who he met on Instagram around 6 years ago and they did a swap shop earlier this year. So, they both took photos of each other.
The two photographers also used each other’s set-ups in the shoot. Myself knowing a lot of photographers I think this is a great idea. It would teach you both something as you would see what lighting set-ups the other photographer would use and see if you can implement them into your future shoots and whether they can implement yours.
I think that photographing another photographer might provide you with a new perspective and I’d like to try this when life gets back to normal.
Unless you’re a self-portrait artist or really love taking selfies photographers tend to rarely shoot themselves. a compliment to the photographer is when the image is used as a social media profile picture like Connor Hibbs did with Johnny Edwards photo as mentioned in the podcast.
The main thing I took from the first shoot with Johnny Edward that was shown is that he tried to find objects and props to compliment the image which is something I should do more of. Johnny got a £10 rug from a thrift store to use. I suppose the message here is to always look for props you can take to a shoot. The closest I’ve done to this is using masks to represent hidden identity.
Id’ definitely recommend looking at Johnny Edward’s Instagram @johnycreative like Connor does not only for the amazing photos but for how he tailors them to the square format.
Tips from Connor – Lighting closer to a model creates a more dramatic falloff from the backdrop. Also always try and bring the models personal style into the photoshoot, using complementary tones. Sometimes adding a scarf to an outfit can make an image more compelling. The style of the portraits of Johnny are a really cool blend of high fashion and eclectic style.
I learnt from this shoot not to be afraid to look anywhere and everywhere for one of a kind pieces you can add to your shoots. Also, like Connor did for the other 4 images with the rapper always ask a model to bring a variety of outfits and put them together yourself.
Connor says a shoot will be more natural if you tell the model what poses to do to start them off and then just let the poses flow.
Connor used some one, two and three light setups with a variety of different modifiers mostly circular modifiers and for the 3-light set up two strip lights to light the background and a key light in the foreground to the right of the camera.
With the rapper Connor used a red paper backdrop and pushed himself to experiment with colour. Sometimes trying something new and getting out of your comfort zone can give you more creative control.
Here’s my favourite tip from the entire podcast. Jeff stated that if you use a light grey backdrop and a gel to get new colours the grey makes the gels stand out more. I can’t wait until I’m back in the studio to try this the results in the show notes look brilliant.
Connor always shoots his studio work with 1/125 f8 and iso 100 or 200 and adjusts the aperture accordingly.
Finally, at the end of the podcast Jeff and Connor mentioned a photo contest running from March 19th -April 19th on Flickr and the rules are all images must be shot between those dates and you can win a 30-minute masterclass with one of 4 professionals.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this podcast for portrait photographers and I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5.
If you enjoyed this post let me know in the comments and read more.
