One Seamless Background, Many Lighting Options

It’s the ratio between key light and background illumination that determines the look of a background—from light to dark and anything in between

William Sawalich

Quite often, when a portrait subject enters my studio and sees the background I have set up, they have something to say about it. Whether they love it or hate it, I often find myself saying the same thing: “It won’t look like that.” The reason, of course, is that the light I apply to the background will dramatically alter it. But still, they seem... Read more

The Timelessness Of Black-And-White Street Photography

How to turn your street shots into monochrome masterpieces

Text & Photography Brian Matiash

Converting your images to black and white can add depth and soul to your street photos. In this shot, I’m especially fond of the way the treatment brings out the swirls of the steam from the vat of hot soup. Whenever I hear the term “Street Photography,” I have an almost Pavlovian response: In my mind, I conjure up a series of photos that have... Read more

Camera Controls: White Balance

Are your indoor pictures too yellow? If so, change the white balance.

William Sawalich

A popular issue for new photographers is when the color of their pictures comes out wrong—particularly when photographing indoors. Depending on the situation, indoor photos often shift too warm, shifting yellow and orange. If your indoor pictures don’t have the correct color, you might need to adjust your white balance. It’s the way cameras adapt... Read more

How Lynn Saville Works The Night Shift

This New York City-based photographer uses patience and knowledge of art history to shed new light on the challenging genre of night photography

By Jill Waterman / Photography Lynn Saville

“This image is from my ‘Acquainted with the Night’ series and is shot in the Roof Garden at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,” says Saville. “A sculpture by Gaston Lachaise looms against the sky over Central Park.” Growing up in North Carolina during the 1960s, Lynn Saville was more attuned to fashion than photography. “I honestly... Read more

How To Create A Risograph Effect In Photoshop

Emulate this vintage printing technique for fun, funky photos

William Sawalich

The Risograph is a type of print made with a method similar to offset printing in which a halftone screen is used to lay down individual ink colors in separate layers. Risograph printing has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for photographers, it’s particularly suited to making monotone or duotone style prints. This method can be approximated... Read more

How To Photograph Musicians

Whether you travel great distances or just to the next town to see and shoot your favorite bands, use these tips to improve your photos of musicians

Text & Photography by Terry Sullivan

I captured this photo of Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth singing at Nassau Coliseum in 1980 on film using a long telephoto lens that lacked image stabilization on a Minolta SLR. Today’s technology would have allowed me to get a lot more detail and better color accuracy. Yet I accurately captured the right moment, when the singer connected with his... Read more

Camera Mode: Shutter Priority

Help your camera set the right exposure in any situation, based on the shutter speed you choose

William Sawalich

Recently, we explained the way Aperture Priority mode works, so today we’ll look at its counterpart on the automatic exposure spectrum: Shutter Priority exposure mode. Often represented by an S or Sv on the camera mode dial, Shutter Priority mode sees the photographer dialing in a manual shutter speed and leaving the selection of the appropriate aperture... Read more

DIY LED Light Panel

How to affordably build your own continuous key light for photos and video

William Sawalich

Not long ago, we updated the overhead lights in my studio, replacing the fluorescent fixtures with LED light panels. Not only are LED lights much more affordable and convenient than fluorescent tubes or incandescent bulbs, but they’re also much more energy-efficient. As the electrician was prepping one of the units for the ceiling, I took note of... Read more

Planning A Photo Trip To Jordan

Learn how to capture exceptional shots in the Middle Eastern land of Jordan

Text & Photography by Mark Edward Harris

Bedouins with their camels make their way across Wadi Rum. E. Lawrence, known for his heroic actions during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, was immortalized as “Lawrence of Arabia,” the title of an epic 1962 film based on his wartime activities described in his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I channeled both... Read more

Camera Mode: Aperture Priority

This auto-enhanced exposure mode provides a great combination of assistance and control

William Sawalich

Some photography snobs cite the capability to shoot in manual mode as a badge of honor, eschewing any other mode as something akin to cheating. But I’m a longtime professional photographer, and while yes, I do like shooting in fully manual mode, I use Aperture Priority mode on a regular basis as well. Typically represented by a capital A (or sometimes... Read more

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