Using Off-Camera Flash to Create Dramatic Images
Lighting

Using Off-Camera Flash to Create Dramatic Images

Light is pretty much everywhere, you just have to find it. Just because you find light doesn’t mean it is good light. As a full-time wedding photographer, it’s part of my job to find the best light to flatter my subjects. My groom wants to look cool and my bride wants to look beautiful. When good light is available, I’ll certainly use it, but it’s not always there. But guess what is always available? My off-camera flash.

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Powerful & Portable Lighting for Destination Photography
Lighting

Powerful & Portable Lighting for Destination Photography

As a photographer known for my creative use of small “pocket” flashes, I long resisted transitioning into the world of larger studio strobes. But I did my research and became intrigued by Phottix’s system. If you shoot like I do, Phottix may be your ideal all-in-one setup for powerful, portable destination photography.

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Using Consistent Lighting to Brand Your Business
Branding

Using Consistent Lighting to Brand Your Business

Nothing affects your ability to gain and maintain business like learning how to light in a way that defines your brand image. If you haven’t honed in on your photography brand image yet, now is the time to start. You have control over lighting like no other businessperson does. There are three easy ways you can start displaying a strong brand using lighting as your guide.

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light
Lighting

Light Through a Wedding Day

If you’re overwhelmed by the technical side of lighting, don’t fear. You can try these simple approaches to wedding day lighting. As with every part of the wedding day, I apply in-studio lighting techniques to my photographs using my keylight (the main light), hair light (light that separates the subject from the background) and fill light (fills in the shadows). The mood I want to create changes throughout the day as the story I am telling changes, so my light sources vary from natural to artificial.

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Beauty Lighting Made Easy
Lighting

Beauty Lighting Made Easy

In beauty light, there are several tried and true tools and techniques guaranteed to create gorgeous light every time. In this article, I demonstrate the basics of beauty lighting, lighting pattern and fill light options, introducing accent lights and best tools and techniques to get the job done right.

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Mastering the Golden Hour
Lighting

Mastering the Golden Hour

Why do we covet those last few minutes of light at the end of the day? Obviously, the golden light is much easier to work with. It’s the beauty and versatility of the light that we cherish. Most importantly, it provides us more options for creatively capturing our couple’s love story. The key to successful wedding portraiture at golden hour is flexibility.

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Lightroom to Capture One Pro
Post Production

Migrating From Lightroom to Capture One

The change from Lightroom to Capture One is a challenge at first. They look completely different, and I am sure you had the same feeling before you used Lightroom for the first time. Learning the interface, customizing your Workspace and designating keyboard shortcuts will save you the most time. With this article, I intend to show the possibilities of migrating from Lightroom to Capture One.

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NYC Concept Shoot
How I got the shot

How I Got the Shot – NYC Concept Shoot

Recently I had the honor of working with and photographing the beautiful Bella. I met Bella and her family at ShutterFest 2017. She was one of the models for the event. At the time, I didn’t have a chance to work with her one on one, but I knew I wanted to spend some time and try some new concepts with her.

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Making Something Out of Nothing
Lighting

Making Something Out of Nothing

There is an expectation for professional wedding photographers to deliver our best work at every single wedding. Location can certainly help with this. It’s a lot easier to create impactful images in the streets of Venice than Flint. Now, I don’t know about you, but I rarely get to shoot in the streets of Venice, and still create artistic, impactful images for my clients on a consistent basis. You need to set yourself up for success.

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Creating Behind-the-Scenes Content That Sells
Business

Creating Behind-the-Scenes Content That Sells

As photographers and business owners, we need to be celebrities of a sort—potential clients need to know and trust us so they feel confident enough to hire us (and rave about us to others). It’s time to start creating your fame through behind-the-scenes content. Here’s where to start.

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Behind the Shutter

Photography training and education for the modern photographer

In today’s competitive landscape, quality online photography training and education is priceless to your growth. Unfortunately, most publications contain a ton of fluff. No real meat to their content. Not at Behind the Shutter. We are committed to the photography community and improving professional photography by providing current, insightful, and in-depth educational content.

Training topics include photography lighting techniques, photography off-camera flash tips, photography posing guides, photography business concepts and marketing strategies, Facebook for photographers, boudoir and glamour photography training, high-school senior photography concepts, IPS (In-Person Sales) strategies, family photography, Lightroom tutorials, Photoshop how-tos, and much, much more.