Videos
Videos
Ambient vs Flash for location portraits
When it comes to shooting portraits on location I know many photographers who love to make best use of the ambient light. I also know lots of photographers who wouldn’t dream of shooting on location without flash. Although I pr...
Videos
Low Key Lighting
If you have a small or portable studio set up then low key portraits should be high on your list of “must have” lighting skills. Why? Apart from looking amazing, great low key lighting can be achieved with simple eq...
Videos
Creating shadows with D.I.Y. Gobos
Placing an object in front of a light source will usually cast a shadow of some sort. In the studio, if the object is solid it’s known as a flag but if it’s full of gaps (or semi translucent) it’s called a GoBo and can be incre...
Videos
Four looks, one grey background
Sometime back I made a textured wall for my studio which I love but the most important thing about it is the colour. If you can only choose one background for your small studio then for me it’s always going to be grey. Why? Bec...
Videos
5 FAQ’s (and answers) about flash meters
If you shoot with flash you may well be aware that speedlights and (increasingly) studio strobes come in either manual or TTL versions. If you’re shooting weddings, events or any sort of running and gunning photography, T...
Videos
Gavin vs Mark Portrait Challenge
A few weeks back I was honored to have Mark Wallace, my friend and fellow Adorama TV host, stop off at my studio for a couple of days. Mark has been travelling the world for the past 18 months or so and this was the first time ...
Videos
Tips for Better Bokeh
Recently I shared a few of my bokeh shots as a Friday Freebie. Nice as they are, nothing beats shooting your own stock shots and luckily bokeh is easy to do. This time of year is also perfect for bokeh shots with many places co...
Videos
Photoshop vs Make-Up
If you’re shooting any kind of portrait, the value of good quality make-up can’t be underestimated. For example, editing time can be massively reduced in family photo shoots by applying a little powder to reduce shiny skin on m...
Videos
5 Questions about flash meters
One of the very first lighting accessories I brought was a flash meter, in fact the same meter gets used and abused almost every time I use manual flash. I’ve used my handheld flash meter with speedlights and studio flash...
Videos
Smoke on location
It’s amazing how adding a little bit of smoke can completely alter the look of a portrait shoot and a few months back I made a little video showing how I use a smoke machine in my studio. But with the long summer days and...
