Life as a creative requires consistent inspiration. Sometimes we can find that inspiration within, but other times it is necessary to look outside of ourselves. These 5 photographers who inspire offer unique viewpoints and evocative imagery- a combination that never fails to ignite my own creativity. Photographers Who Inspire | Nisian Hughes Starting out with […]
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So you’re in the process of choosing new photography gear. How do you make sure that you purchase the best piece of equipment possible, and that you’ll fall in love with using it? Choosing New Photography Gear: Know Why You Need It New gear is fun. The rush of buying it. The bliss of using
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A few days ago I shared my most recent Day in the Life session. Here are some tips to help you complete your own DITL: Do pre-plan Although I do try to capture a day as authentically as possible, the fact that I have to be both Mom and photographer in one day means that
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Continuing with the theme of the ‘behind the scenes’ peek into my editing process, here is a 6.5 minute video of 1 image, start to finish in Lightroom. The video includes a pullback, the SOOC image and my full editing steps. Scroll down below the video if you’d prefer to pick up some quick tips via reading.
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I love peeking behind the curtain at other photographers’ processes. From watching them shoot, to creeping on their SOOCs (straight out of camera images) I can never get enough of watching others work. This video will give you a quick overview of my export process in Lightroom. Fellow pseudo-snoopy types, enjoy ;) Summary of
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I’ve been photographing my kids, frequently, since my oldest was about 1 and 1/2 years old. That means he has been a constant subject for 8 years, now. His brothers have known no other life besides one with Mom’s face frequently covered with a camera. Over the years I’ve figured out that there are certain
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Sometimes I wish that all of the important moments of life happened in beautiful light. Lovely, warm, light afternoon light, or moody deep inside light on an overcast day would be fantastic, but more often, memorable events take place when the light is less than wonderful. There is always the option to add light deliberately
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I’m not someone who likes to draw a lot of attention to myself. Blending in, being part of the crowd, keeping my behavior and the presentation of myself as neutral and unobtrusive as possible is the way that I typically prefer to function. Thus, making public self portraits runs counter to my natural tendencies. However,
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It is Spring, but I know some parts of the Northern Hemisphere are still dealing with snow! Here are a few tips to make shooting outside in snowy conditions as productive as possible: 1- Meter Carefully When Shooting Outside in Snowy Conditions Any scene that includes a large amount of information that has a tonal
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Using leading lines is one very effective method of harnessing compositional technique to create more impactful imagery. Leading lines can either be very bold and easy to follow, or they can be quite subtle and almost subconsciously guide a viewer through the frame. The goal of using leading lines is to create a path through
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Light is almost everything in photography. Literally, photography means “light writing,” but more applicable to the act of creating imagery is the fact that studying and understanding light will immediately increase your skill as a photographer. One easy to grasp distinction to understand is the difference between directional and flat light. Purposefully choosing which type to
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I spend about 99% of my editing time in Adobe Lightroom. Clean, simple editing tends to be the type that produces imagery closest to my vision, and I find the interface of Lightroom to be easy, and time efficient, to use. Today, I am sharing a video that walks through a basic Lightroom edit. The video
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The Rule of Thirds is one of the most used compositional approaches in photography. According to MoMA.org, composition is: The arrangement of the individual elements within a work of art so as to form a unified whole; also used to refer to a work of art, music, or literature, or its structure or organization. The
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Using framing elements is a quick and easy way to add depth and interest to your photographs. Here are 3 (and 1/2) ways to utilize framing elements. Foreground Only Find, or create, a frame between your subject and the camera. You can utilize architecture, objects, other people, fabrics or even deep shadows. Anything that creates
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What can sometimes be the most chaotic morning of a family’s year also contains some of the most memorable moments. Emotions running high, the potential for magic in the eyes of the children is palpable and there are color, textures and lights galore. Need a few strategies and tips to photograph Christmas morning (or any other holiday
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When I first started out with photography, I did 2 years of 365s, back to back. That daily practice of shooting, editing and sharing made a huge difference in my initial growth. If you’re considering taking on a 365, here are some of my best tips: 1. Find your tribe Like most aspirations, photography is
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Winter is coming. (But not soon enough… for Game of Thrones fans. Ha) And with winter, many of us experience a drop in motivation to shoot. With that in mind I’ve compiled a short list of some of my favorite easily accessible resources for you to peruse when you need a creativity pick-me-up and some
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The chance to pull the curtain back and peek into others’ behind the scenes is always fun. I’m also always amazed by how unique the results are for an identical camera +lens combo, when shot by different photographers. Here is a (somewhat incomplete… I have a few more lenses, but they either live on my film
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As we dive into the holiday season, opportunities for photos of kids engaged in easily recognizable activities abound. But how to add variety and interest while photographing the holidays instead of creating images that can easily look the same year after year? Here are a few quick tips: Cut Off the Heads Frame your
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Multi day, fly away on a jet plane trips are wonderful. For me, they’re almost essential. However, it isn’t practical to travel abroad often, or take week long trips away from home. Thankfully, it is more than possible to live as a perpetual tourist in your own home town, reaping the benefits of noticing the
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Stay in a private residence when traveling with kids. Hotel living can be simple. There is an ease to knowing that hotel management is available 24 hours a day. However, staying in a private residence is my favorite form of accommodation when traveling with kids. When you rent an apartment or home, you generally have
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1- Be kind to your back. Use a backpack, if possible. While out shooting travel photography it really isn’t the time to carry a cute bag. You’re on your feet all day, the beds you sleep on at night probably aren’t all that restorative and situations are perfect for creating back, neck and shoulder pain if you
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Travel. It’s one of those activities that exhausts me from beginning to end, and I question my sanity while planning, traveling and recovering, but for me, a life lived within a radius of a few hundred miles would feel incomplete. Experiences that my family have had traveling have given us a new appreciation for the
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Beauty noun The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest). (dictionary.com) What jumps out at you when you
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