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9 behaviors of great photographers that you should embrace

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We all look at the most successful photographers and wonder what would it take to “be them”. There are some things that we can point to with certainty that are the key to their success. Skills, intelligence and very importantly, discipline.

You have probably heard the phrase “Work smarter, not harder”. My experience has shown that most successful photographers actually do both, They are definitely hard workers, but they work smart by embracing a set of values and adopting behaviors that help them accomplish their goals and dreams.

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Catchlights 101: Why they matter and how to get them right

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The eyes are the window to one’s soul. What truly brings out the eyes in your portraits is a small, yet important detail: catchlights. In this short but very informative video, Joe Edelman takes you through the basics of catchlights – the psychology and science behind them, their importance, as well as plenty of useful tips to get them right and make the best out of your portraits.

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For an in-home photography challenge that can keep you busy for hours, try Egg 2.0

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Photographing eggs is something Joe Edelman’s become quite well known for, and something he often recommends. 10 years ago, he made a video specifically about the topic and how it helped him to “see the light”. It’s a lesson he often suggests to people who are struggling to understand how light works, and it’s brilliant in its simplicity.

Well, now, Joe has turned that decade-old 4-minute video into a 43-minute experiment for his “Stuck at home photography challenge” series to help stave off the boredom while we’re all stuck at home and isolating ourselves from the outside world.

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If you’re stuck at home with nothing to do, try working on your macro photography

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It’s a strange time. Spring is here and it’s starting to warm back up outside after the winter chill, but no matter where we are in the world, we’re still mostly stuck indoors. For photographers, this can be frustrating. We’ve spent the last few months just itching to get back outside, and now we can’t. What can we do?

Joe Edelman has been thinking about this and over the past few days, he’s been doing a series of videos with photography challenges to try when stuck at home. Naturally, it’s a multi-part series, because we’re going to be here for a while. This one covers some pretty interesting creative macro tips for you to have a go at.

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This infinite background machine was sitting in your house and you didn’t even know it

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How would you like to have an infinite number of different backgrounds for your portraits? What if I told you that you can? In fact, it’s very likely that you already have this “infinite background machine” at home? Any ideas what it might be?

If you thought of a TV, you were right. In this video, Joe Edelman will tell you all the benefits of using a TV screen as your backdrop, and he’ll also teach you how to use it to make the most of it.

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Make a simple DIY bokeh background for under $10

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Christmas is over and you may want to pack up the decorations for the next year. But before you do it, there’s a simple, cheap DIY project to try out. In this video, Joe Edelman shows you how to make a bokehlicious background for portraits with the stuff you probably already have at home. And even if you don’t, you’ll need about $10 for this build.

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15 helpful tips for flying with camera gear

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Traveling is wonderful, but it can be stressful if you’re flying with photography gear. You need to transport everything safely, plus avoid any potential misunderstandings at the airport because of the electronics you’re carrying. So, if your photography or video work takes you abroad often, Joe Edelman offers plenty of tips to make your life easier. In this video, he suggests the best bags and gear to carry, as well as packing tips to make your gear safe and make you carefree during a flight.

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What fans to use and how to use them for blowing hair in the studio

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Using fans to blow hair is one of the most effective ways to add a little life to a portrait or headshot. But it’s not easy. It’s not as simple as just throwing a fan, ramping up the power and hoping for the best – although that’s the method that seems to be most commonly used.

There are potential issues with blowing air at your subject’s head, though. In this video from photographer Joe Edelman, we learn what some of those problems are, and how we can get around them.

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Stop asking others for opinion, it doesn’t help your photography

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If you post your photos on social media and critique groups asking for opinions: well, you should stop doing that if you want to improve. This is what Joe Edelman argues in his latest video, so let’s see how the opinion of others can slow your progress down instead of improving it.

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How to make your own DIY Justin Clamp for half the cost of a real one

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Originally made to help Joe McNally solve problems that would occasionally pop up on shoots, the Justin Clamp has become a popular addition to many photographer kit bags. It was created by Bogen/Manfrotto employee Justin Stailey from some standard off the shelf components. It served its function perfectly, so it became known as the Justin Clamp we still have today.

While excellent, they’re not exactly cheap. A handful of these in your bag can set you back a couple of hundred bucks. Another Joe, photographer Joe Edelman, has different solution, though. A DIY option that costs about half of the original Manfrotto (less if you shop around), and it seems to be a very good substitute.

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