03 Aug
PORTRAITS

Little Distractions That Efficiently Ruin your Photos

Aside from top portrait photographers camera failure and dead expressions, there are other things too that can effectively ruin your photos!

“It’s the little things that matter.” Nearly all of us are familiar with this old cliché, and this applies to pictures as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re having professional headshots, your family portraits, business portraits, or senior portraits taken, there are some minute details that you must pay attention to.

Obviously, nobody wants to kick hidden OCD in their pictures by ignoring tiny distractions that can 10/10 ruin your look in all of your photographs. To help you deal with this often overlooked issue, here are a few things on what you need to pay attention to before getting started with your photography session:

Wrinkled clothes

Whether you are deliberate or intentional about your outfit choices every single day or if you just throw on whatever piece looked clean… your wardrobe will say a lot about you and your authenticity. So even though your headshots and portraits are meant to focus on your personality, what you wear is still a huge part of it to consider.

But it’s not just about your choice of the perfect outfit – it’s about how appropriately you wear it, too. If your clothes are mad-wrinkled, be prepared to go from on-point to disastrous instantly.

Wrinkles, especially when photographed, become obnoxiously apparent. So, if you are looking for the quickest way to look like a total mess wrinkled clothes are your way to go.

Messy fingernails

Fingernails counts among one of those tiny details that smoothly go unnoticed, until there’s something off! Dirty fingernails or cracks and chips can be attention hogs – something you definitely need to avoid!

Whether you enjoy weekly nail spa visits or if you don’t ever really bother about your cuticles, when it comes to your professional portraits, you want to make sure your fingernails are looking just as fine as the rest of you.

If you’re up for a traditional business portrait from a famous portrait photographer, then you might not have to worry about how your hands look. But if you’re having a portrait session, senior portraits, or family portraits – your hands might as well be included in the frame. So, be sure to keep them clean and pretty just like you.

Chipped lips and dry skin

Besides the apparent fact that ashy skin and cracked lips aren’t anybody’s best look, it’s also really unsettling! And feeling such a way can automatically shatter your confidence. You want to not only look but feel your best. Therefore, drink enough water, nicely prep your skin and lips, so that all the makeup, outfit, and lighting look perfect on you.

Bulky make up

You want your photos to be easily recognisable, and heavy makeup can massively overpower the photo. Furthermore, the camera is sharp enough to pick up clumps of mascara or heavy foundation, so bear in mind to never go overboard with it.

Surely, nobody wants their pictures to be full of distractions. Hence, fixing these teeny tiny details is your way to make sure you end up with perfect portraits.

03 Aug
PORTRAITS

How to feel more confident during your portrait session

As a photographer, I so often hear my clients comment on how uncomfortable and awkward they feel in front of the camera. I understand how this can get a tad bit difficult for anyone who isn’t used to of the shutter clicking around them. This is why I have some handy tips for everyone out there who has been through this struggle.

So, buckle up and take these bits of advice which all famous portrait photographers believe in, and start feeling more confident and beautiful when you are put front and centre!

Get to know your photographer

If you’re comfortable around the person who’s shooting you, you will feel slightly more confident and free in front of the camera. You won’t be shy or grasp for air if they ask you to pose a certain way. I make it super easy for you as I thrive on getting to know my clients on a personal level before taking out my gear and start clicking. I want everyone to feel like themselves when my camera is around them – which is the only way to have exceptional images.

Wear comfortable clothes

There is nothing worse than wearing uncomfortable clothes on your shoot day and feeling self-conscious in them. It is advised to wear something that is not just flattering but also makes you feel as light and beautiful as you are.

Create a fun playlist maybe

Who doesn’t love-love a little music and some grooves before getting started?feel free to bring along your fun playlist – with songs that always lift your mood and get you in the moves. Music has the superpower to bring out all sorts of confidence in a person, and it will also help me to capture some of your beautiful candid moments – in your true essence.

Forget if there’s even a camera

Now, this might sound kind of silly considering there will definitely be a camera right in front of you, but it is very easy to keep yourself distracted from thinking ‘oh, this isn’t my angle? Am I posing right? Does she think I’m ugly and horrible at this? I bet these photos are a disaster’. No dear, famous portrait photographers don’t think about all such when they’re photographing you.

This is what you sign up me for, to guide you through your awkwardness and make sure your shoot is an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Pamper yourself beforehand

Now, this doesn’t have to be anything extra; it could be something as simple as getting your manicure done or having your hair blow-dried or getting a massage. If you do something for yourself, that makes you feel all fuzzy and warm inside, it can help boost your confidence and radiate through the lens onto the final result.

Most important of all, don’t forget to have fun! Your portrait session shouldn’t be something you dread, but a day you are looking forward to and will be a really happy memory for yours to cherish for many years!

03 Aug
PORTRAITS

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Family Photo Outfits

Deciding what to wear on your family photo session can be just as challenging as finding the most perfect and popular portrait photographer. After all, these are the photos that are going to be featured on the photo wall of your house and cherish for many years to come. It may seem overwhelming to choose the perfect outfit that could make or break your family frame.

Whether you are looking for fun beach picnic outfits or fall family photo outfits, use these tips to help you select the perfect looking outfit for you and your family.

Coordinating colours not matching

Long gone are the days when everyone used to match a white shirt. You don’t have to get every member of the family to buy a white shirt and jeans to nail your family portraits. Allow different personalities to shine with different colors and patterns. Pick a colour scheme and let everyone wear clothes of their choice – following that colour scheme.

Accessories

Accessories not only add a pop to your outfit, but they can also act as props in photos. Have the man wear a tie and allow the lady to hold it; sunglasses for the boys; necklaces for the girls to play with or big hats to hide behind.

Remember, the idea is not to capture still and perfect moments. Family photos are all about the fun and candid side of a family.

Limited patterns

Personally, I like having such an outfit in the frame, which has all the colors in it. However, not everyone in the photo should go with patterns as it may look distracting.

Consider picking one outfit at first that has a lot of fun patterns or colours now get all the people to work out their outfits accordingly. This gives you plenty of choices when picking your coordinating colors.

Say no to characters (unless it’s a theme)

Yes, your little one may be obsessed with their Toy Story shirt these days, but you may want to leave it at home for the family photo session – unless you are going to have a Toy Story themed shoot.

Just like patterns, characters on shirts are also pretty distracting as they can make your photo look too busy.

Befriend textures

I am the biggest fan of a cotton fitted t-shirt (who isn’t thou). However, in photos, I like to add textures like belts, scarves, or jackets to add a little more wow to the image. Don’t shy away from experimenting with different textures.

By adding more textures through accessories or the material of your outfits, you are adding depth, interest, and pop to your photos.

03 Aug
PORTRAITS

7 Killer Portrait Posing Tips

Posing is one of the most difficult “arts within art.” It takes a lot more than a nice camera and a good outfit to get you looking good in portraits. These posing tips are to enhance the ideas you’ve already been browsing on Instagram.

2/3rds turn

Ever wonder why humans gain 10 pounds in the camera? It’s because we have to cut out the entire environment around them, forcing our subject to take up more room in the frame. Instead of facing square to the camera, top portrait photographers always advise them to do a 2/3 turn away from the camera. Having you turn this way will give you a slimmer profile look in the camera, shaving off those 10 extra pounds.

Texture lighting

When working with the lighting, I want to position you in a way that light passes across you instead of at you. This is very important to remember if you are wearing heavy patterned outfits.  If the light does not pass across your dress, then I won’t be able to see the “textures” as I want to. We all can agree on how important it is to capture the details. Thus, the light needs to go across the subject, and not at the subject.

Chin down

Many people have the natural instinct to slightly lean backwards in a photo. They may not realise, but all it does is make the photographer see up their nose, into their mouth, and their partially closed eyes – which not at all adds anything to a good pose! By keeping your chin down, I can avoid capturing the inside situation of your nose and mouth and get your eyes wide open also.

Diagonal lines

Our world is made up of horizontal and vertical lines, and it does not help when you are nervous in front of the camera and go deep into the performance mode by keeping your arms and hands down straight. Any famous portrait photographer would break that up by introducing some diagonal lines into the portrait. This is why we want you to pose, putting a hand on your hip or inside your pockets. I believe this not only adds a bit of “attitude” to the photo, but it also makes the subject feel a bit more casual and comfortable.

Shift weight

When positioning you, I want you to put your weight on your back foot. Shifting the weight helps align the shoulder and hip track giving a more relaxed pose for you to stand. By standing this way, you will be naturally turned 2/3rd from the camera.

Hand posing

Hands are more than OKAY on portraits. You can show the pinkie side of your hand, keep fingers soft and look for triangles as they make images interesting; leave space between your arm and body. Just keep it all-natural, so you don’t overdo it and end up hand modelling (read weird hand modelling).

 

Surely, no one wants to look like an awkwardly stood pol in their portraits. Hence, following such simple tips to look better in your photos is the ultimate key to have great looking portraits.

03 Aug
PORTRAITS

7 Creative Self Portrait Ideas

While we are all self-quarantining (not very thankful to the monstrous COVID-19), the hunt for new activities to kill boredom is just never-ending. From cooking to organising to video chatting our friends, there’s nothing more left to try for some of us – except photography.

Yeah, taking photos of household objects is fun to an extent, but experimenting with self-portraits is a whole new world of its own. To keep you all hooked, I am here with some uber-aesthetic self-portrait ideas to try at home.

Work out that silhouette

Silhouette photography is your way to produce dramatic self-portraits. Whether you’re shooting in your room or the garden, this is a pretty easy portrait technique to pull off. All you need is a sheer bright light source in the background.

Ditch the auto settings on your camera. Use a fast shutter speed, keep your ISO low, and set the aperture according to the lighting condition and voila!

Extreme close-ups

The extreme close-ups that famous portrait photographers take are everybody’s favourite – and very easy to recreate. Focus on any particular facial feature and capture it. For example, focus your crooked teeth smile or your eyes/lashes. Leave half of your face out of the frame, sp that the viewer’s eyes are drawn to your focal point even faster.

Shoot your hands

A self-portrait doesn’t mean photographing your face only. One great self-portrait tip is to try shooting your hands. Hands are unique; they can tell a person’s whole life story through their wrinkles, callouses, and scars. How you choose to pose with your hands is up to you; hold an object, touch someone else’s hands, or simply play with your own.

Make a diptych or triptych

Diptychs and triptychs are a combination of two and three photos, respectively. Combining the poses side by side, weaves a story. You could shoot yourself – following one theme – from different angles, zooming in and out, changing lights, or simply capture yourself in different poses. Put all of these together and tell your own creative story.

Shoot in black & white

Black and white adds timelessness to your portraits. Top portrait photographers remove the colour from images and put more emphasis on texture and contrast. Pay attention to the shadows and highlights in your shot. Work on the contrast post-production; by increasing it, you can really make your black and white portraits pop.

Get creative with framing

With a tripod and some planning, it gets easier than ever to incorporate an interesting frame in your photos. The possibilities for creative self-portraits are endless, whether it’s a window frame, a doorway, an object with an opening, some foliage, or even your own hands.

Use interesting shadows

The most essential element to a great photo is proper lighting. However, it’s not like that the absence of light will completely screw your photos, yet it is another tool you can make most of to create cool self-portraits. Try shooting next to your window blinds, across your plants, around the fence – possibilities are just endless. All of it will produce a sense of mystique in your photos.

So, grab your camera/phone and get creative! You can share your shots in the comments, too, for all of us to take inspiration.