Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
OnPortraits.com was built to fulfill a positive mission: I want to give you actionable tips and tactics so you can create the portrait photographs you want.
But I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today, and I want to talk about 4 things I truly hate about portrait photography in 2019.
Prestigious competition the Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) recently announced its 2019 winners. Among them was Malaysian photographer Edwin Ong Wee Kee, whose photo of a Vietnamese mother carrying two children won the Grand Prize of $120,000. However, a behind-the-scenes shot of this moving image has been going around. And it shows that, apparently, the winning photo of the HIPA contest was staged.
As a general type, portrait photos are often disliked by the subject themselves. From the early formative years of grade school on into the advanced years of adulthood, the uneasy feeling for the dislike of your own picture is universal. Yet it is not for vanity sake, or to spare the shock of another from seeing self-assumed horrors. Assuming you are neither a narcissist or a beauty queen with flawless perfection, you may be like the rest of the human race. There is real science behind the reason why you may not like your own photograph.
Wide-angle lenses are not the most common choice for shooting portraits, but they can give some interesting results. If shooting wide is your creative choice for portraiture, there are some things to watch out for. In this video from Adorama, photographer David Bergman will give you some quick tips on what to keep in mind when shooting portraits with wide-angle lenses.
You might well have heard of Sophia, a humanoid robot built by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics. Although she’s not a human, she resembles one in more than just facial features. She interacts with people, she can reportedly recognize faces, and she can mimic 62 human facial expressions. So how do you photograph something (or someone) that so closely resembles a human, yet isn’t actually a real human?
Italian-born photographer Giulio Di Sturco had a chance to take portraits of this humanoid robot and her expressive silicone face. But even more than that: he was granted exclusive permission to explore the story behind Sophia and the lab where she was made.
Christmas has gone. We’re almost to the new year. In a few hours, we’ll be there. But it’s never too late for a festive wintery themed photo shoot. Winter’s still going to be here for a while yet. In this video, photographer and educator Gavin Hoey walks us through his process to create this festive fine art composite portrait in the studio.
When you’re traveling, everything is new to you and there’s so much to photograph: nature, landscapes, cities, and of course: the people. It seems like a dream come true, but it can be a real challenge to photograph people in a country new to you and in a different culture. There are so many nuances to keep in mind and many potential misunderstandings.
In this video, Mitchell Kanashkevich discusses all the hard truths about photographing people while you’re traveling. But he also offers solutions to overcome challenges and end up with splendid photos, memorable experiences, and perhaps even some new friendships.
I have no idea where I first heard this, but it’s extremely true: “the main difference between painting and photography is that the painters need to work hard to put things into their images, whereas photographers have to work hard to take things out of their images.” Painters start with a blank canvas, and every single thing that ends up in the final piece of art is a result of careful craftsmanship, years of hard-earned skill, and raw intention. The photographer’s canvas, on the other hand, is all of the world’s visual chaos, and he or she must deploy an equivalent amount of craftsmanship, skill, and intention to weed out all the fluff.
Any city or town can be a source of fantastic backdrops if you just know where to look. In this short, fun and informative video, Tajreen and Chloe of Tajreen&Co will show you four portrait locations you can find in any neighborhood. Even the ugliest one!
Photographers mainly use light tents for capturing product shots. But have you thought of fitting a human into a portable light tent? Konseen Photo Studio is a pop-up light tent that lets you photograph portraits. It’s foldable and comes with the built-in LED light, so you can set everything up without hassling with too much gear.
You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.
To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.
JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page
