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Three cheap and easy DIY reflectors you can use to take your portraits to the next level

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Reflectors are one of the most valuable tools a portrait photographer can own. And we’re not talking about monetary value, but usefulness. Their cost is relatively inexpensive, but the value they can bring to your images can be pretty immense. But what if you’re just starting out and don’t want to buy one or several reflectors of varying sizes? Or what if you just don’t have the size and shape of reflector you need in an emergency?

Well, here’s Jay P Morgan from The Slanted Lens here to save the day with three DIY options that you can repurpose for use as very effective reflectors. You might already even own one or all of the things he shows off in the video and not even thought about using it as a reflector before.

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Here are three ways to add a second light to your flash setup for shooting portraits

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There has been a lot written (and put onto video) over the years advocating the use of a single flash and there’s nothing wrong with that. They’re often packed with wonderful advice that’s geared towards either educating those who’ve never used flash before or helping those with far too much gear to really limit themselves in order to master that most basic of techniques.

But once you’ve mastered lighting up your subject with a single flash, how do you go about adding another? Why would you even need to do so? Well, in this video, Gavin Hoey walks us through the potential problems of only using a single light that can only be overcome by adding another and offers up three different ways we can add a second flash to our setup in the studio.

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This crash course teaches you everything you need to know about using flash for portraits

Flash is almost an inevitability when it comes to portraits. At some point or another, you’re going to find yourself frustrated with the “natural light” and you’re going to want to either try to overpower it or complement it to improve its looks or you’re going to give in completely, head indoors and go for a more studio-style setup away from the wind and rain and crappy weather. Whatever the reason, it’s as inevitable as Thanos.

But where do you begin? What gear do you need to get started? What do all the terms mean? How do you use them? What are modifiers? Key light? What? Well, all these questions and more are answered in this hour and a half long video from photographer Ed Verosky. It’s a complete crash course on using flash to shoot portraits, although much of what’s said applies to flash in any context.

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Take your images up a notch when working with non-pro models

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If you’re like me then most of your portrait shoots are probably not spent photographing professional models. In fact, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have shot with an experienced professional model. I actually prefer to work with non-models, it’s a different challenge and with a slightly different approach you can create fantastic images.

In this video Irene Rudnyk walks us through some of her tips for getting the most ut of photographing a non-model.

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Grand Tetons National park axes plans for portrait photography permits

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Grand Teton National Park has reversed its decision to require a permit for any kind of portrait photography within its boundaries. The proposed rules had provoked criticism from both photographers and first amendment lawyers and were axed following a successful campaign by several photography associations.

The rules were in direct contradiction to existing laws on what is and isn’t allowed in National Parks in terms of commercial photography and were proposed mainly due to a large increase in weddings and wedding portrait sessions being held within the park.

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How to set up and recreate caustic lighting for portraits in the studio

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Don’t be alarmed! Yes, the title of this article may seem a little bizarre, no it’s not helping my SEO, but I assure you that there’s actually a scientific reason behind its ‘caustic’ name.
For many years I’ve played with the idea of recreating various lighting looks that many of us may know and love from the natural world around us. Sure, we can buy fancy lighting modifiers that all serve a purpose, but sometimes their look can be a little too clinical, and frankly boring. Yes, once again I’m looking directly at you, softbox users. I guess we all start somewhere though ;)

Now that I’ve ostracised half of my readers in the first paragraph, let’s see if Jake’s latest DIY lighting modifier is actually any good!

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4 ways that using grids will take your images up a notch

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Do you use grids on your light modifiers? Well, if you don’t, you might be missing out. In this video from Adorama fashion and beauty photographer, Lindsay Adler walks us through a few different ways that using grids can take your images from good to great.

“Grids will change your photographic life,” says Lindsay, “I don’t feel hyperbolic saying that!” So how exactly will using a grid help?

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The easy way to turn your garage into a professional home portrait studio

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At some point or another, most people who shoot portraits get the idea into their heads that it’d be quite nice to be able to shoot them from home. But how? Well, if you’ve got a garage, it’s relatively straightforward, as portrait photographer Pye Jirsa from SLR Lounge illustrates in this video where he does exactly that by turning his garage into a home studio that gives professional results.

The good news is that you can do it fairly inexpensively and it’s not a permanent irreversible change. If you need to use your garage as an actual garage for your vehicle, you can still do that. But when you want to shoot portraits, you can empty it out and easily set it up as a studio space for shooting portraits using just natural daylight.

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How to shoot long exposure portraits combining flash and continuous light in the studio

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Sometimes it can be great to flex your skills and show off your lighting prowess, but we can often run into the danger of the image being more about the lighting technique rather than the look of the final image itself. This is something I always try and hammer home when I’m teaching new techniques.

Is there anybody here old enough to remember the horrendous HDR portraits of the early 2000s? The images were all about showing off the latest HDR technique rather than the subjects themselves and the results were nothing short of terrifying. Too young and have no idea what I’m talking about? Just Google HDR portraits and you’ll see what I mean.

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Want to be a better portrait photographer? Get in front of somebody else’s lens

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When was the last time you had your photo taken? I mean, not just a quick selfie or holiday snap, but an actual portrait of yourself taken by another photographer?

For most of us, it’s often a case of the Cobbler’s children having no shoes. We are so busy and focused on our clients that we rarely ever have time to update our own professional photographs. But in today’s age of visual branding, it’s more important than ever to practice what we preach, and actually have a nice professional up-to-date photograph of ourselves for our website and social media.

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