برچسب: Portraits

  • Photo Gallery: Vibrant Portraits with the Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS Sports Lens

    Photo Gallery: Vibrant Portraits with the Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS Sports Lens

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    Sigma is pleased to feature a gallery of fashion and dance portraits by photographer Anabel DFlux. This gallery is comprised entirely of images shot with the Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports lens. With a large maximum aperture of F2 and a flattering focal length, this premium prime lens is an excellent choice for portraits with exceptional depth and compression, perfect for intentional, beautiful blurring of backgrounds and foregrounds that makes subjects pop.


    Featured model: Lee Lim @fa.mulan.rouge

    About

    Anabel DFlux is a published photographer in Los Angeles, California. Having started her photography business at the age of 15, Anabel has dedicated her life to her photographic passion. From canine sports to exotic animals, to some of the biggest musicians in the world – Anabel’s work doesn’t fall into any specific niche. She believes there are no limits to what you can create, and to photograph everything that gives you that spark of inspiration.

    Equipment used


    200mm F2 DG OS | Sports

    EXPLORE MORE


    This travel gallery – photographed with the Sigma 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS | Contemporary lens on a Fujifilm X-H2 camera body – was captured by photographer Devon Smith Jr. during a summer trip with Brooklyn to Alaska, an organization dedicated to helping diverse youth from Brooklyn, New York experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Alaska’s rugged natural environment. From climbing a glacier, to rafting down a rushing river, to sleeping in a tent under the stars, BK2AK helps close the gap to outdoor adventure by increasing access to the outdoors.


    There are lenses that document life, and then there are lenses that transform it. The Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports has a way of making the everyday feel extraordinary. See how photographer Meg Loeks uses this lens to make her portraits truly stand out.

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  • 21 Soulful Portraits Shot Under Beautiful Light Using Creative Compositions

    21 Soulful Portraits Shot Under Beautiful Light Using Creative Compositions

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    Portrait photography is one of the most popular genre and one of the most difficult one to master as well. Capturing portraits may seem very simple in terms of lighting, posing, etc., but you will need to take care of a few important factors to capture soulful portraits. Here are some stunning portraits that have been shot creatively while also making use of interesting light.

    Portraits can be taken for a lot of reasons – professional, business, memories, events and so on. Depending on the purpose, you should be able to capture portraits that can be cherished for years to come. If you are new to portrait photography, it can be quite a nervous, challenging task and something a bit difficult to handle. If you would like to overcome the challenges and start capturing incredible and memorable portraits, we recommend you to check out this eBook, “The Art Of Portrait Photography” by Photzy.

    Vitaliy Shevchenko
    Mohammad Faruque
    Mubariz Mehdizadeh
    behrouz sasani
    Andriyko Podilnyk 
    Photo by Валерия Прокопович
    Natalya Ukolova

    In order to capture the best portraits, you need to choose the best location, look for stunning backgrounds and the right light to get the desired results. You don’t need the most expensive gear and lighting setups to capture stunning portraits. A beginners’ camera and an affordable 50mm f/1.8 lens will work just fine to shoot under natural or slightly low light situations. If you want to master the art of portrait photography, we recommend you to check out this eBook, “The Art Of Portrait Photography” by Photzy.

    Dmitry Mineev
    Ekaterina Krusanova 
    Diyar Shahbaz 
    Sebastian Mark 
    Farrinni 
    Howen
    Vitaliy Shevchenko

    Capturing the best portraits also depends on using powerful compositional guidelines and effective poses where you need to take care of the subject’s hands, knees, elbows, and necks. This depends on the type of portraits and the purpose of the shoot – for example capturing environmental portraits of people doing their day to day tasks in their own space, etc. If you wish to learn a lot more related to portrait photography, and capture gorgeous shots, check out this eBook, “The Art Of Portrait Photography” by Photzy which contains 214 pages of fast easy learning, packed with illustrations, case-studies and assignments to verify your knowledge. 

    Raphael Nast 
    dariush radmand
    Andriyko Podilnyk 
    Andras Vas 
    AnimGraph Lab
     Amanda Kelly

    Further Reading



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  • Capture Authentic Portraits With These Tips, Lighting Techniques, Styles And Poses

    Capture Authentic Portraits With These Tips, Lighting Techniques, Styles And Poses

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    Portrait photography is a genre in photography where the photographer captures the subject’s personality and story. In order to capture effective portraits, the photographer needs to make use of the right light, background, props, attire and poses, as long as they are not candids where instant moments need to be captured. 

    Portraits can be captured in any environment under any light situations and it depends on the story and mood you are trying to capture in the image. Here are a number of resources that cover everything you need to know about capturing authentic portraits, from lighting to different styles and types of portraits.

    Photo by Amir Geshani

    Portrait photography may seem like a boring genre for some people who have not actually shot portraits or gotten deep into that genre. When it comes to portraits, there are a number of types of portraits that you can actually shoot and in many creative ways. It’s not just a couple of types like professional, candid, wedding, event, etc. This article talks about 23 different types of portraits you can try today.

    Photo by Jason D. Little

    Most photographers rely on natural light for their photography and this also applies to a lot of portrait photographers. Natural light is beautiful and if you have a good understanding of light, you can manipulate natural light to your advantage to capture stunning portraits. This article provides tips that will be useful for natural light portrait photographers.

    Photo by Leonardo Toshiro Okubo

    Professional photographers mostly tend to shoot portraits in studios because they can have full control over the lighting, background and other elements that contribute to the process. It also saves the photographer from scouting for locations which in itself can sometimes be a tedious task. Shooting portraits in a studio also requires taking care of a lot of things and this article provides a ton of tips for shooting studio portraits.

    Photo by Aloha Lavina

    When we talk about natural light, we immediately think of grand landscapes, outdoor architecture, wildlife, outdoor, sports, nature photography, etc. Portraits can also be shot under natural light and they look really stunning if the light is used wisely. If there are times where your subject may require light to fill in shadows etc., you can use reflectors to fill in light. This article talks about the art of capturing natural portraits using reflectors.

    Photo by Warren Wong

    Portraits can be shot either indoors or outdoors depending on the time of day, purpose of the shoot, the results that you are looking to achieve, the weather and so many other factors. When capturing portraits outdoors, care needs to be taken when choosing the location and the type of light (golden hour, overcast, midday, night, etc.). This article discusses some secrets to capture perfect outdoor portraits.

    Photo by vahid kanani

    Portraits that have a black background can look very professional and lend a certain mood to the overall image. In order to get a black background in portraits, you can either choose a black background and use the light settings effectively to keep the background dark. Or, you can make use of the contrast between the light and dark and make the background dark, no matter what the colour. This article discusses how you can capture a portrait with a black background.

    Photo by Tanja Heffner

    In photography, shooting with available light is a skill as it requires a good understanding of light and some creative thought on how available light can be used for the best images possible. The same applies when capturing portraits – they do not always require additional or artificial lights and can be shot beautifully with available light if well planned. This article discusses how to use available light for good portrait photos

    Photo by Cottonbro

    There are times, especially indoors or outdoors when the sun is behind the subject and you need some light to bounce off something onto your subject for better illumination of your subjects in portraits. This is where bounce light comes in handy to fill in areas that are dark or need better illumination. Light can be bounced off walls, ceilings, reflectors, etc., and this article talks about some simple ways to bounce light to capture better portraits.

    Photo by Timothy Dykes

    There are times when the available light is just not enough to capture sharp details and the right colours in your portraits. If you shoot portraits often, then it is good to have a speedlight to improve the quality of your photos. With a single speedlight, there is a lot that you can achieve. This article talks about using speedlights to capture some of the best portraits.

    Photo by Samarth Singhai

    Having a camera, a good lens, location, subject and maybe a speedlight cannot help with capturing the best portraits all the time. In order for your portraits to be powerful and effective, you need to make use of compelling compositional guidelines that can take your portraits to the next level. Effectively placing the eyes and taking care of other factors when composing a portrait is important and this article talks about some fundamental composition techniques for portraits.

    Photo by Pablo Heimplatz

    Couple portraits are something that are most sought after in the field of portrait photography. Capturing couples in their candid moments can portray the bond or connection that they have with each other, but it is also good for experienced photographers to know some classic methods for posing in order to get the best results. This article talks about poses for impressive couple portraits.

    Photo by Kinga Cichewicz

    If you are someone who loves to capture portraits but are nervous to be in front of other photographers, or to capture photos of other people, you can capture your own portraits, which is self portrait. When capturing self portraits, you are working with yourself and you are both the subject and the photographer. You have the freedom to capture your personal moments without worrying about the fact that you have to pose in front of someone else. This article discusses how you can capture storytelling self portraits.

    Photo by Taya Iv

    Portrait photography does not have to be done with posed subjects, looing into the camera in a perfect location. There are times when you may have limited resources and space, but portraits can always be captured using the available light, simple props lying around the house and sometimes some DIY filters or hacks. This article talks about 10 ways in which you can elevate your portrait photography.

    Photo by Brad Starkey

    If you are a street photographer, you can also capture stunning and powerful street portraits. Streets are full of moments, stories and colours and it is a great place to capture candid moments of people going about their daily lives. The right location, good use of light and some observational skills along with some patience will yield great street portraits. This article discusses tips on capturing stunning street portraits.

    Further Reading



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  • Wildlife Portraits That were Captured Under Wonderful Side Lit Conditions

    Wildlife Portraits That were Captured Under Wonderful Side Lit Conditions

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    Wildlife photography is quite difficult but once you get the hang of it, you will be able to come home with photos that you can add to your portfolio. When you understand light, photography becomes all the more interesting and using this for wildlife photography can help to capture portraits of animals and birds in unique ways. Here are some stunning wildlife portraits that make wonderful use of side lighting so you can get ideas and some inspiration for your next wildlife photography session.

    Side lighting is one of the most interesting and common types of lighting set up that works great for many genre of photography. Side lighting helps to add depth and drama to the photo also enhancing the textures through light and shadows. If you are struggling to understand light or use it to your advantage, we recommend you to check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy that will help you to discover the secrets to controlling, manipulating and reading light used by the professionals.

    Photo by John Cox
    Photo by  Tim Mossholder
    Photo by Colin Watts 
    Photo by Geranimo 
    Photo by Kartik Iyer
    Photo by Patrick Baum

    When using side light, especially out in nature, in the wild, you may not always be lucky enough for the light to fall at the desired angle. You need to move around and shoot from different angles, perspectives to get the light falling in the right direction to capture the shot that you intended. You need to study the light in the location and then control or manipulate it to your desire. To learn more about this process, check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy.

    Photo by Geranimo
    Photo by jean wimmerlin
    Photo by Abhijit Sinha
    Photo by Clayton Hafer 
    Photo by Ratanjot Singh
    Photo by mana5280

    Light in the wild cannot always be great for a photographer’s advantage. There are times when photographers choose a particular time of the day, for their shots – early mornings and late afternoons mostly. But, what about other times of the day when actions happen in the wilderness and many interesting subjects are out and about in the wild? You do not want to miss those opportunities. Check out this eBook “Understanding Light” by Photzy and this guide will give you the ability to recognize, control, and manipulate light. The course is taught through 155 pages of easy learning, packed with illustrations, case-studies and assignments to verify your knowledge.

    Photo by Lewie Embling
    Photo by Sammy Wong
    Photo by Colin Watts 
    Photo by piera riva
    Photo by Francesco Ungaro 
    Photo by Tim Umphreys

    Further Reading



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  • 18 Classic Black And White Portraits To Inspire A Weekend Portrait Photography Project

    18 Classic Black And White Portraits To Inspire A Weekend Portrait Photography Project

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    Portraits are a genre of photography that are not usually done by many photographers simply because they think that it needs expensive gear and lighting accessories. If you choose the right location and light conditions, portraits can be captured using the gear that you have in hand, including your smartphone.

    Closeup portraits are more effective because you will be capturing your subjects features and personality and this also means that your subject needs to feel comfortable during the session. With a few tips and techniques in mind, you can start shooting perfect black and white photos in a matter of few days. We recommend you to check out this new Black and White Portrait Photography Project so you can learn how to shoot stunning portraits that will look classic and timeless.

    Here are 18 classic black and white portraits that can inspire you to capture some portraits this weekend.

    Photo by Damian Barczak
    Photo by Sherin Sam
    Photo by Lissaa Spiridonova
    Photo by  Alexander Krivitskiy
    Photo by Luis Quintero
    Photo by Mustafa Enes ARDIÇ

    Portraits can be further classified into various sub-genre and various lighting techniques can be used to capture different moods in portraits. Natural light always adds great depth and drama to portraits, but indoors or in a studio, artificial light can be manipulated to capture stunning portraits. Check out this new Black and White Portrait Photography Project that comes with guides and cheat sheets to help you master black and white portraiture.

    Photo by  Sushant Sodanwar
    Photo by Alexander Krivitskiy
    Photo by Mehrdad Ghadiri
    Photo by  Ali Nejatian
    Photo by Omid Armin
    Photo by Timur Khan 

    If you are a beginner to portrait photography, you might be worried about lighting or what settings to use for your first portrait session. Whether you wish to shoot indoors or outdoors, this Black and White Portrait Photography Project will give you all the help you need to get started with black and white portraiture. Even if you are an experienced photographer, this project can help you capture portraits in different styles.

    Photo by SHAYAN Rostami
    Photo by Vitaliy Shevchenko
    Photo by Janko Ferlič
    Photo by  Maria Budanova
    Photo by Bruno Cervera
    Photo by Engin Akyurt 

    Further Reading

    Share:  



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  • 6 Fundamental Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Portraits

    6 Fundamental Composition Techniques That Will Improve Your Portraits

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    One of the most interesting subjects to photograph on this planet is the humans and it is because of the varied characters and personalities that each human possesses. Portrait is a unique genre and similar to all other genre in photography, one needs to give importance to composition when creating a portrait.  It is through effective compositional guidelines that the photographer can create a visual impact and connect to the viewer through their photography.

    A portrait needs to convey the character and mood of the person and composing a portrait can be a bit tougher than you might think. There are several things like lighting, right subject, best camera settings and locations you need to get right to create successful and compelling portraits.

    In order to create engaging portraits and not snapshots, you need to have the skills and technical knowledge in making portraits.  One of the most important factors among these are composition techniques and here are six composition techniques that can be used to improve your portraits.

    1. Placing the eyes on the upper third
    2. Filling the frame
    3. Framing your subject using frame within a frame
    4. Using leading lines
    5. Leaving space for your subject to look at
    6. Using different perspectives or angles

    1. Place The Eyes In The Upper Third:

    You may all have heard about the basic rule that most photographers start with – the rule of thirds. In order to create a visual impact in your portraits, when shooting in portrait orientation, it is best to have the eyes of the subject on the upper third of the frame.

    Place the Eyes on the Upper Third when framing your subject
    Štefan Štefančík

    If you are shooting in landscape orientation, then going by the rule of thirds, it is good to have the dominant eye of the subject on or near one of the vertical lines of the rule of thirds grid.

    Place the Eyes on the Upper Third when framing your subject
    Bollie6734

    Note: 

    An exception to the above technique can be when you are shooting full body shots where you can be positioning your subject on the right or left third of the image.

    2. Fill the Frame:

    When making a portrait, you are capturing the character and features of the person. So do not hesitate to get close and fill the frame with your subject’s face. Do not limit yourself to just the headshots, but try filling the frame when you do head and shoulders shots, medium shots or three-quarter shots.

    Filling the frame with the subject’s face also helps emphasize textures and other details like lines, wrinkles, etc. in the portrait. You can also look into the subject through a closer view of their eyes in the photograph.

    get close and fill the frame with your subject’s face
    Luxstorm

    3. Frame Your Subject With Frames Within The Frame:

    When making portraits, you do not have to eliminate or blur the background, instead use the elements like doors, windows, lines, etc. to frame the subject to keep the viewer’s attention on your subject.

    use the elements like doors, windows, lines, etc. to frame the subject
    Clem Onojeghuo

    You can also use elements like windows, doors, arches or any other natural or man-made structures in the foreground to frame your subject to create visually interesting images.

    you can even use leaves and tree branches to frame the subject
    Corey Saldana 
    use the elements like doors, windows, lines, etc. to frame the subject
    Samarth Singhai

    4. Use Lines To Lead The Viewer To Your Subject:

    Lines are another interesting feature when it comes to composition for any genre of photography. They can be so powerful and be used to lead the viewer into the frame to your subject. Use lines and frame your subject in such a way that the lines lead the viewer’s eyes to the subject or their eyes.

    5. Leave Space In Front Of The Subject:

    This is a very important technique that needs to be taken care of. If you are making a portrait where the subject is looking in one direction or their body is facing a particular direction, then, always leave space in the direction your subject is looking into (in front of them)  or their body is facing, just like how you would leave space in the direction of movement of your subject. Do not frame in a way that the subject is positioned, facing a direction where they exit the frame immediately.

    5. Leave Space in Front of the Subject
    Mustafa Omar

    6. Use A Different Angle Or Perspective:

    Do not stop with just straight up shots at eye level, but change angles to show your subject from a totally different perspective. You can get higher or lower or move to the left or right of your subject to get the right composition and personality of your subject. It also helps avoid certain distracting elements behind or around your subject and can lead to powerful portraits sometimes.

    Use a Different Angle or Perspective
    TunaOlger

    These are some of the many composition techniques required to create stunning portraits, but with the techniques mentioned here, you can create beautiful well-composed portraits. Once you master these techniques, do not hesitate to break these techniques in a creative way.

    Further Resources:

    1. 6 Tips To Capturing Better Eyes in Portrait Photography
    2. 5 Mistakes Beginners Make In Portrait Photography And How To Avoid Them
    3. 5 Surprisingly Simple Tips For Stunning Black And White Portraits
    4. 5 Free E-Books on Photographing Candid Portraits
    5. Bite Size Tips – Capturing Classic Portraiture Compositions
    6. 15 Amazing Photos That Will Make You Appreciate Juxtaposition



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  • Winners of DIVE Magazine’s Big Shot Portraits Photo Competition

    Winners of DIVE Magazine’s Big Shot Portraits Photo Competition

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    Winner – ‘Blenny With Attitude’ by Ralph Paprzycki: A sarcastic fringehead (Neoclinus blanchardi) on a night dive at Veterans Park, Redondo Beach, California (Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 lens at 35mm, Ikelite housing, Sea&Sea YS-D3 strobe with snoot; f/8, 1/125s, ISO 500)

     

    DIVE magazine has unveiled the winners of its latest Big Shot underwater photography competition, which had “portraits” as its theme. Ralph Paprzycki was crowned the overall winner for a fierce-looking sarcastic fringehead captured off Redondo Beach, California. Ralph beat 200 or so other entries to claim the top spot.

    The runners-up were equally compelling: Marcia Riederer’s eye of a dwarf minke whale came in second, Rowan Dear’s arresting leafy seadragon was third, and JillAnne McCarty’s charismatic American saltwater crocodile scored fourth. Moreover, the impressive collection of Highly Commended images demonstrated the high quality of the contest’s entries overall.

    Check out all the winners below and head over to DIVE’s website for more on their Big Shot competition.

     

    Second Place – ‘Eye to Eye’ by Marcia Riederer: This encounter happened during a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia. This curious dwarf minke whale came so close that I could only see her eye, even through my wide-angle lens (Sony A7RV, 16-35mm, Isotta housing; f/6.3, 1/250s, ISO 1000)

     

    Third Place – ‘Portrait of a Dragon’ by Rowan Dear: Having spent several days shooting the leafy sea dragons and their habitat, I decided to switch to the Sony 90mm macro lens for a night dive. While shy at first, this male leafy – who was also carrying eggs – eventually became more comfortable in my presence (Sony A7IV; 90mm macro lens, Red Video Focus Light, INON Z330 strobes; f/18, 1/80s, ISO 320)

     

    Fourth Place – ‘Toothy Grin’ by JillAnne McCarty: This large American saltwater crocodile, in Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina, swam over to see our boat. I slipped into the water and waited with my eye in the viewfinder. As the crocodile came towards me, he suddenly jerked his head and snapped his jaw. I captured the image with his teeth nearly on my camera’s dome port (Nikon D850, Nikon 16-35 mm lens, 240 mm dome port, Nauticam housing, ambient light; f/20, 1/200s, ISO 800)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Playtime’ by Rowan Dear: Taken at Montague Island, Narooma, Australia. This playful sea lion was zipping through the seagrass. It made for a perfect image of contrasting colours showing these playful animals in their environment (Sony A7IV 16-35mm 2.8 lens, INON Z330 strobes; f/8, 1/200s, ISO 320)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘‘Seacow’ by Romeo Bodolai: This dugong was feeding on seagrass at Marsa Shagra in the Egyptian Red Sea (Sony a7R4, Canon 8-15mm fisheye, Nauticam housing, Ikelite strobes; f/10, 1/250s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Trigger Happy’ by Michael Gallagher: Titan triggerfish are notoriously aggressive around their nests during breeding season, and this one was no exception! I snapped this photograph while hurriedly retreating, and it was not until after the dive that I realised that I had captured the potent beauty of this special fish and its formidable teeth (Canon 5D3, Canon 50mm macro lens, Hugyfot housing, dual Inon Z240 strobes; f/11, 1/125s, ISO 400)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Spotted’ by Michael Gallagher: I encountered this magnificent male parrotfish dozing on the reef during a night dive in Lhaviyani Atoll in the Maldives (Canon 20D; Canon 60mm macro lens, Ikelite housing, Ikelite DS-125 strobe x1; f/16, 1/100s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘‘Hair Ball’ by Michael Gallagher: Frogfish must be one of my favourite fish of all time, and this hairy frogfish must be one of my personal favourite underwater sightings (Canon 50D, Tokina 35mm macro lens, Hugyfot housing, Inon Z240 strobe with snoot; f/22, 1/200, ISO 200)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Nobility’ by Imogen Manins: I regularly visited this individual during freediving sessions at Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, Port Philipps Bay, Australia. The rocky reef was covered in a lush carpet of green seaweeds of the Caulerpa genus, providing rich feeding rounds for the bigbelly seahorse (Olympus TG6, Backscatter Air Lens, Olympus housing, video light MW4300; f/3.2, 1/160s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Prince of the Waterfall’ by Romeo Bodelai: Traunfall is a breathtaking waterfall in Austria with excellent visibility (10-15 m) and underwater rock formations, along with plenty of large pike (Sony a7R4, Canon 8-15mm fisheye, Nauticam housing, Ikelite strobes; f/22, 1/2s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Embedded’ by Christian Horras: At the end of a dive around Anilao, I saw this little blenny and decided to try a different take for a picture. I used a slow shutter speed, a snoot and a little camera movement to create the effect in the picture (Nikon Z8, Nikon 60mm macro lens, Seacam housing, Seacam Seaflash 150D strobes; f/16, 1/10s, ISO 64)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘Playful Calf’ by Vanessa Mignon: Every year, humpback whales travel to Tonga, to mate and give birth. During that time it is possible to swim with them. That day we saw a small fin break the surface, and start swimming in circles, a sign that it was a calf coming up for air while its mother was resting below (Canon 5D Mark IV; Canon 16-35 mm lens, Nauticam housing; f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 320)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘‘The Pinch’ by Fabi Fregonesi: An anemonefish with a shrimp delicately perched on its head with the anemone as a frame, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia (Canon 5D Mark IV; 100mm Canon lens, Nauticam housing, 2 Inon Z330 strobes; f/18, 1/250s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘‘Orange Beauty’ by Miguel Ramirez: While diving in Wakatobi, Indonesia, I was lucky enough to see this beautiful and rarely spotted spinecheek anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) (Nikon D500; Nikon 85mm lens, Hugyfot housing, Inon Z330 x2; f/25, 1/200s, ISO 100)

     

    Highly Commended – ‘‘Shining Seahorse’ by Stefano Colombo: I had my buddy backlighting while I used a snoot for filling in the front of the seahorse during a muck dive in Tulamen, Bali (Canon EF 5DMKIV; Canon 100mm macro lens, Isotta housing. Inon Z330 strobes, Snooty Snoot; f/13, 1/200s, ISO 320)



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  • Processing Portraits – A New Toy…

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    I’m working on a new people-based photography project and decided I’d give Skylum’s Portrait Editor a try. New toys are always fun. 😀 Here’s one of the early results. Very pleased with the look given the demanding desert conditions that the tool had to deal with! More soon… and if you want to check out Aperty you can do so here.

    Trey Ratcliff - StuckInCustoms.com - Creative Commons Noncommercial contact licensing@stuckincustoms.com

    The post Processing Portraits – A New Toy… appeared first on Stuck in Customs.

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  • Business Owner Portraits For A Beverage Brand – A Photo Editor

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    By Craig Oppenheimer, Wonderful Machine

    Each month, we explain a recent cost estimate, contract, or purchase order in the form of a Pricing & Negotiating article. By redacting the names of the photographer and the client, we can share useful information that would otherwise be confidential. You can read more about our Pricing & Negotiating services on the Consulting Services page of our website.

    Concept: Portraits of business owners, and images of them interacting with products at a manufacturing facility
    Licensing: Unlimited use of up to 30 images for five years from first use
    Photographer: Portraiture specialist
    Client: Beverage brand

    Summary

    I recently helped a portrait photographer create an estimate and negotiate a project for a beverage brand. The client was launching a new product within a larger portfolio of beverage companies and wanted to capture portraits of business owners interacting with their products at a manufacturing facility. The images would help tell the story of the product’s origins and the people behind it.

    The shoot took place over a single day and focused on five main setups with variations on the same themes. The photographer and crew worked to capture 30 final images. Although the client initially requested unlimited use across all media, based on the creative brief and our discussions, the images were primarily intended for use on their website and social media. While they were not willing to restrict media use, we did convince them to limit the duration of use to five years.

    Fees

    Traditionally, photographers in this market have undervalued usage, and local clients, such as this one, were accustomed to more conservative rates compared to other major markets. I priced each of the five main setups at $1,500, totaling $7,500, and added a creative fee of $2,500, bringing the total fee to $10,000.

    Crew

    We kept the crew lean, including a first assistant for both the scout and shoot days and a Digitech for the shoot day, all at rates appropriate for this market.

    Styling

    After a call with the agency, they asked that we include light prop styling in our bid, with a dictated prop budget of $750. We factored in a prop stylist for both prep and return time, in addition to the shoot day, and detailed the prop budget as instructed, while noting that the final amount would depend on the creative direction. We also added a hair and makeup stylist and noted in the “client provisions” section at the top of the estimate that the client would be handling their own wardrobe.

    Equipment

    We allocated $1,000 for the rental of the photographer’s own gear as part of the production.

    Misc.

    We allocated $750 to cover mileage, parking, meals, and any other unforeseen expenses on the shoot day.

    Post-Production

    We allocated a few hundred dollars for the photographer’s time to create a web gallery for the client and set a rate of $100 per image for retouching, allowing up to one hour per image for each of the 30 images they would select.

    Feedback

    The estimate was received well, but they asked if we’d be willing to reconsider the time limitation and grant perpetual usage. I suggested that we at least double the photographer’s fee, but we ultimately included an extra $5,000, bringing the total creative/licensing fee to $15,000. While I would have preferred a higher fee, I think the shelf life of these images would likely have been around three years.

    Results

    The photographer was awarded the project.

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  • Portraits And Still Life Images For Cosmetics Brand – A Photo Editor

    Portraits And Still Life Images For Cosmetics Brand – A Photo Editor

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    Concept: Portraiture and Still Life Images for Cosmetics Brand
    Licensing: Unlimited use of all images captured for one year
    Photographer: Beauty and Still Life specialist
    Client: Cosmetics brand

    Summary

    I recently worked with a photographer to help them develop an estimate for a campaign promoting a cosmetic brand’s new product. The brand wanted still life images as well as images of the product in use by professional talent in a studio setting. The creative brief called for a mix of minimal setups against a white background, along with a few scenarios that involved prop styling and set design.

    Fees

    The client initially presented a shot list that included eight main shots. One of the shots was identified as a key visual while the others were considered supplemental. Although they requested unlimited use of all images, they were willing to limit the duration to one year.

    I felt the key visual was worth $5,000, images 2-3 were worth $2,500 each, and the others worth $1,000, totaling $15,000. I had wanted to include an additional few thousand dollars as a creative fee. We understood, however, that we might be pushing the limits on the fee as it was. Ultimately, my goal was to keep the bottom line in check and stay under $50k total.

    The agency, surprisingly, asked us to include a licensing option specifically for 110% of the one-year rate to include a pre-negotiated rate for a second year. In most cases, when pre-negotiating a duration extension, I’m accustomed to a request for a reduced rate compared to the original fee. I clarified this request on a call with the agency art producer. Sure enough, they explained that they’d be willing to pay 110% for an additional year, so I included that cost for the licensing and for the talent.

    In addition, the client requested we present a firm bid, rather than an estimate. I noted this at the top of the document. In this scenario, the photographer keeps any unused funds if the cost of the production is less than anticipated. This also means, however, that they would need to cover any overages if expenses were higher than anticipated. Overall, we were very confident in these fees/expenses based on the working relationships with the specific crew members, styling team, casting director, talent agents, and locations we anticipated working with.

    Crew

    Although the production was rather straightforward, we included a strong team to help quickly execute the vision. To that end, we added a producer, first assistant, second assistant, digital tech, and production assistant, all at rates appropriate for the specific market.

    Styling

    The creative brief definitively called for a prop stylist to create a few background elements and manage the products. The photographer already had a local stylist they wanted to work with. We included rates we received from them, which included their prep, shoot and wrap time. There was a need for very minor wardrobe styling, and this prop stylist was able to take on both roles. Separately, we detailed the anticipated prop and wardrobe costs, along with their kit fees and miscellaneous expenses potentially incurred in the process of acquiring all of the necessary items. We included a hair/makeup stylist and, as there were a few shots that involved close-ups of the talent’s hands holding the products, we also included a manicurist.

    Casting and Talent

    I included a rate received from a casting agent to help us find one subject based on the talent specs provided by the agency. The agency planned to pay the talent directly, but I discussed an appropriate talent fee with the agency producer. I noted this in the line item without having that line item impact our bottom line since the billings would go through the agency.

    Locations

    We included $2,500, which would allow us to afford a generously sized studio in this particular market.

    Equipment

    We included appropriate rates for the rentals the photographer would need in order to execute the creative vision. In addition, we also included fees for the digitech’s workstation as well as production supplies to make everyone comfortable on set.

    Meals

    I based this on $80 per person for 19 people, which included breakfast and lunch.

    Misc.

    I added $500 to cover any unforeseen expenses. We also noted a fee for insurance, which the agency specifically asked that we include. I often calculate insurance fees based on 1-2% of the bottom line.

    Post-production

    We just included a fee for the photographer to perform an initial edit of the photos and help make selects because the agency would handle retouching. As a separate fee, we included a line for hard drives, delivery, and archiving.

    Results

    The photographer won the project. Shortly after, however, the shoot was postponed, and then quickly brought back to life with an increased scope that included two talent. This increased the shot list in addition to production expenses. As a result, we increased the creative/licensing fees by 50%, added a producer pre-production day to handle the changes, increased wardrobe, added another manicurist, added a hair/makeup stylist assistant, and increased casting and talent. We also were asked to include some extra equipment to help facilitate remote viewing by a few clients who would be unable to attend the shoot in person. Here is the final estimate, which was approved:

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