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I bought a $200 camera and lens so people would stop giving credit to the camera for my photos

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When I began posting my photos online, I started getting comments like ‘wow, you must have a great camera’ or ‘anybody can take photos like these with expensive gear’ or ‘I can’t take photos like these because I can’t afford an expensive camera like yours’. It breaks my heart when I hear people say things like this. Or when they feel like they can’t get any better or they don’t have a chance because they have a cheap camera.

So I had enough of these comments and decided to prove them wrong by finding the cheapest camera and lens I could find and take some photos with them!

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20+ gorgeous backlit rainy photos and a tutorial on how to take them

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When it’s pouring rain, taking outdoor portraits is not the first thing most of us would do. But Japan-based photographer Ilko Alexandroff uses the rain to his advantage. He takes amazing backlit portraits in the rain, and they make it worth getting wet. In his latest video, he shares plenty of his gorgeous backlit rainy portraits. He will give you a tutorial on how to take them, from light position to camera settings. And of course, he’ll give you some advice how to protect your camera and strobes so the rain doesn’t ruin them.

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How to use direct sunlight to your advantage and get some awesome shots

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Most of the photographers avoid direct sunlight when taking outdoor portraits, especially if the Sun is the only light source. However, you can turn the harsh sunlight into your advantage, and use it as a key light. Jay P. Morgan picked up his camera to show us how to do it, and ended up with some interesting shots using only the light coming from the Sun.

Jay and his crew shot in Bombay Beach, CA. The subject is an astronaut in a reflective suit, and I just love the location with the abandoned cars, trailers and houses. Even though the light is a bit flat, there are some tricks to make it more appealing and make the shots more interesting.

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How I shot this portrait in sunset using a two lights setup

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Shooting an evenly lit portrait in backlight is a bit of a challenge. Photographer Daniel Ceapă has created a wonderful, balanced portrait in conditions like this using a two lights setup. He has shared his image and some BTS shots with DIYP, along with a detailed explanation how he took the photo. So, all of you searching for knowledge and inspiration in OCF portrait shooting, this will certainly be a valuable resource.

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Shooting portraits with flash vs natural light – 3 setups in 3 minutes

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“Natural light photographers” is a strange term. To some it’s a badge of honour, stating that they either don’t need to use flash to get what they want, or that they simply don’t like “the look of flash”. To others, it’s generally derogatory, suggesting that somebody only uses natural light simply because they don’t know how to use flash. But both are excellent options for lighting up a subject.

Calgary based photographer Nathan Elson utilises both in this comparison of shots in the studio and outdoors using flash and natural light. This behind the scenes video posted by Nathan just goes to show that no matter which is available, there’s ways ways to bend it to your will.

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How to protect your strobes when going on a snow shoot

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If you go out on a shoot in the rain or in the snow, you;d better make sure your gear is protected. I mean Cameras, strobes and water don’t mix well together. I know Ilko does a nylon bag thingy when he goes out in the rain, and now, I see Manny Ortiz doing a similar thing in the snow.

They both use a plastic bag to protect strobes. (Well, Manny also uses a collapsible wescott brolli to hide from the rain).

I wonder if this nylon thing is common for shooting in harsh conditions. My hacker brains tells me it’s a great idea, then my skeptic brain is worried about color shifts, heat building up and nylon melting on the strobes.

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How to use a reflector to create flattering light for portraits

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Reflector is most likely the second or the third thing most of us buy after the camera. If you are a portrait photographer, you probably use it a lot. But are you using it properly? In this video, Joe Edelman teaches you how to use the reflector properly and create flattering light for your subject when shooting outdoors. And the way to do it is actually very simple.

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