No Photoshop Please, We’re French
In 2009, French lawmakers proposed a law that photographs where a model— the key word is “model” not your aunt Sally—has been photoshopped be labeled as such. In 2017, that law is now going into effect. The BBC reports that the Photoshop rule does not apply to the removal of blemishes being or retouching to hair. France 24 reports that as of October 1, 2017, anyone who publishes a photo in which Photoshop is used to “either slim or...
Tutorial Tuesday: Going Retro
If you ever you get stuck for ideas, a retro style or pose is always something that’s fun to try. Last Tuesday, I told you how I made ‘Old School Hollywood Portrait’ images and today it’s an playful homage to the kind of shots that the late Peter Gowland made during the 1950’s. I was fortunate to know Mr. Gowland late in his life and my book Joe Farace’s Glamour Photography is dedicated to Peter and...
LEDs in the Round
The trend of using continuous light sources, such as LED, plays well with photographers integrating video into the services they offer clients. But there’s also a convenience factor. A continuous source lets you see the how light falls on a portrait subject exactly as it will appear in the final image and can use your in-camera meter to arrive at an exposure, if only approximate, before checking against a histogram. I’ve tested...
Mixing Monolights & Graffiti
Godox Photo Equipment Co. Ltd was founded in China in 1993 and offers a full line of lighting equipment including studio, portable, power pack and head along with speedlights, macro lights, remote controls and camera accessories. Blink Photographic is distributing Godox in the USA and I tested three different monolight models: All offering variable power control, triggering via a wireless remote and compatibility with the Bowens S...
Shanny Speedlights in the Studio
If you missed my First Glace post on the Shanny speedlights take a quick look at it, before reading today’s post. Or not. As I’ve said many times this is not a “my way or the highway blog.” The Shanny SN600EX-RF for Canon ($199.99) is a transceiver speedlight that is both a transmitter and receiver. The flash has all the same functions as the ($149.95) SN600SC but adds a wireless feature with 15 channels and 3 groups with...
Clothes Can Make or Break the Portrait
You’ve heard me say it before but I still think that client communications is the most important aspect of portraiture. That dialog begins with the initial contact and then moves through all of the communications that happen during a session but to make the best possible portrait, it should start before a subject arrives at your studio or the shoot’s location. Offering a few simple tips to subjects before a shot can make their...
Studio Tuesday: Posing on Seamless Paper
Posing a portrait subject against a seamless paper background is the ultimate tests of your ability to make something from nothing; you’re shooting without a net—naked, even if your subject is wearing clothes. All that stands between you and a good portrait is your imagination. Because there’s nothing for your subject to interact with, your posing directions are going to have to be more precise than normal and you better cross your...
