How To Use Flash During The Day.

Have you ever had a photo that looked all blown out like this?

Here is the problem. When I took this shot, my daughter was in the shade. The light meter in my camera took the exposure reading off her face. Since she was in the shade, the background became too bright.

So, to solve this problem I needed to add more light to the subject so that the light in front balanced better with the light in the background.  

By using my on camera flash I got this:

See the difference!  The exposure is balanced in this photo.

So next time you are out taking shots and you have a background that is too light, try this technique and see what you get.

BTW, I know this isn’t the best shot of my daughter. In fact the pose is terrible. but I posted it to show the technique. 

Hope you enjoyed this tip. Let me know what you think by adding a comment.

Thanks:)

How to Become the Best Photographer!

While writing this blog I have talked to a lot of people that love photography. They are passionate about it.  They   absolutely love photography, but they get frustrated because they compare themselves to other photographers. I have to admit that I am one of these people.  I see other photographers that just seem to outshine me and I want to be better. I want to be the best at what I do. However, at this point I am not. So, I keep trying. I keep learning.
So, here is the question I have been asked:  How do I become a better photographer?
There are a lot of answers to this question.  Here are my suggestions.

1. Read.  This is one of the most important things you can do as a photographer.  Go down the the local book store and buy some books on photography. Or even better, go to the library.  I heard somewhere that if you read 20 books on a subject it is considered as having a masters degree in the subject. So, get your masters in photography without having to go to a School and pay for it!

2.  Look at other photographs.
I love to look at others photographs.  With the internet at your fingertips you can spend hours looking at photos.  When you see a photo you like, try to figure out how they did it.  Look at the pose( if it is a portrait), of look at the direction of the lighting.  Figure out what time of day it was shot at. Then try to duplicate it.
Join www.flickr.com . There are millions of photos to look at!

3.  Go out and shoot.
I once met a pro photographer who shot a minimum of 36 shots a day(One role of film, does this date me?)
His idea was to get as much practice as he could because it does take practice to become a great photographer.

4. Be patient.
This is the frustrating part.  It takes time and a lot of practice and a lot of learning to get great at anything.  Don’t expect to become great overnight.

Hopefully this helps answer those questions that I have been asked.  I can think of a few more, like going to school, classes, joining organizations, but those cost more money. If you can think of others please leave comments so others can benefit from them. Thanks, Brian.

How to make a little bit more off a wedding or portrait sitting….

Well, I was thinking the other day about all this crappy economy stuff that is going on. I hope it gets better soon, though I feel in my gut that it’s here to stay for a while. Anyway,  I know a lot of photographers who are working hard to get weddings and portrait sittings and are really suffering because of the lack of work. Lets face it, photography is a luxury and when people are low on money, they cut out the stuff that is not a necessity.

So, This means  that if you are out there busting your butt as a photographer you need to get creative to get the gig. Thinking outside of the box is good and every dollar that you make is important cause you have to pay the bills.  Then I thought, why not offer a digital frame loaded with photos of the shoot you just did!  I have a wedding album that I never look at, but a digital frame sits up on the buffet all the time!  This might be an extra money-maker for you! Anyway, just a thought!

Let me know if you agree, leave a comment!
Thanks:)