Years ago I became acquainted with the work of Mona Kuhn. Her work is stunning, but what I found most interesting was her process. Mona frequently develops friendships with her subjects and photographs them over days, weeks, even months. Making photos in this fashion allows her to capture moments that are more intimate and natural. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try.
In this episode, Mark goes to “battle” against harsh light and an ugly background for an outdoor portrait. He’ll show you 5 quick tips to get a great portrait out of nearly any situation.
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In this episode, Mark shows how he uses a high pass filter in Photoshop CS6. He’ll show some quick skin retouching, and how he uses the high pass filter to get a much sharper image.
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It’s always a good idea to have a few lighting setups that you know inside out. This gives you a great safety zone if you get stuck during a shoot.
In this episode, Mark explains one of his go-to lighting setups. Using a large 4×6′ softbox as the key, white foam core for a fill and a small 2×3′ softbox as a kicker, Mark gets a beautiful portrait.
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One of the questions Mark frequently receives is how to light a portrait so there aren’t any shadows on the face. Mark will show you that adding a second light isn’t always the answer.
With a couple simple techniques, you will learn how to get great portraits without harsh shadows.
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In this episode, Mark visits Gavin Hoey in London and comes up with an idea to do a composited image.
Mark flies back to Arizona to take some “chilly” photos on a white background. In Part 2 of this episode, Gavin will use Photoshop to make Mark’s model look like she’s in London!
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In this episode Mark demonstrates some techniques for shooting portraits (and a few other things) in natural light. Mark uses nothing but his camera, no reflectors or fill flash, to get terrific results. Mark also talks about open shade and how you can use it to get different lighting results.
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In this episode Mark shows you how you can control your speed light for some creative exposure options when shooting outside.
(This is the first episode of Season Two and that’s why the numbers have changed from episode 75 to 201. There are no “missing” episodes between 75 and 201.)
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Watch this video to learn the do’s and don’ts of portrait photography. Also learn how to break the rules. When can you chop off the top of someone’s head or limbs? What are the real no-nos of portrait photography. Mark gives you the rules of thumb as well as good posing advice.
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In this episode, Mark explains how to best light a subject for black and white photography and get dramatic results. Learn how adjusting the position of light can change contrast in relation to the subject. Mark walks you through studio exercises to fully illustrate the relationship of shape and color.
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