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Kids
When shooting kids, it is important to shoot a lot of different ways, to see what will work. Take a lot, and see what works, then refine that. Best to use simple studio lighting. I try to engage the...
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More than looking pretty
When I photograph people, there is often a conflict involved. There usually is, I might even say. Why? Because I want to show the person’s character. Their inside; their conflicts;perhaps, their deep...
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The Thinning Lens
As a photographer, I photograph a lot of people who are reluctant. Usually, they are reluctant because they do not like their looks. They want to be Jennifer Aniston, and in their mind they are...
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A simple, but effective, trick
A simple trick, used by photographers the world over, is this. Can you see what we did in this shot from two days ago, a portrait of Liz Medori? Yup, we used a fan. A simple cheap fan; I usually use an...
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Fit for purpose
Portraits need to be fit for purpose. Take this picture. A résumé picture: I have shot this model clothed, nude, in studios, outdoors, traveling: every picture is different. A resume picture needs to...
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Gelling!
In yesterday’s shoot with Vanessa Scott in Timmins, Ontario, I used gels to recreate the sunlight that was fast fading below the hills. All shot with Canon’s amazing 85mm f/1.2 len. (1/200th, f/4,...
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A small, important detail
The catch light in someone’s eyes are essential: no catch lights, no portrait. And that catch light needs to be not in the centre, as when you use a pop-up flash (can you spell “deer in the...
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Big News!
OAKVILLE, 24 November 2014—After many months of preparation, Michael Willems has tonight released his sixth and latest e-book, “Powerful Portrait Photography: Making Portraits That Tell 1001 Words”....
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“My first… etc”
I very often hear people who are a little ahead of themselves. They do paid portrait shoots before learning how to focus, that sort of thing. They do not want to learn formally, for instance from a...
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Smile?
Ever wonder why models never smile in advertising photography? Why they always look so serious… aggressive even, sometimes? Because they want to look perfect, that’s why. Smiles create smile lines… but...
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Glasses are not a problem
In a shot with glasses, avoid reflections – and it is easy. Move the lights (umbrellas, softboxes, whatever you use) 45 degrees to the subject’s side, and 45 degrees up. If you see a reflection, like...
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Forbidden word
A forbidden word when doing portraits, especially of men: “SMILE!”. I say that for two reasons. First, you do not necessarily need a smile in every portrait. Art portraits, glamour: fashion,...
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Angle
A word about a very important aspect of people photography: angle. When I make a portrait, one of my main tasks is to find the right angle. People have flattering angles, and less flattering angles....
View ArticleQTOTD: Music
Or “Quick Tip Of The Day”: I am setting up for a portrait shoot, and his reminds me to mention to you the following quick tip: Always have some music on the in the background when shooting a portrait....
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Look in my eyes
..or, do not! What I mean is this: for a character portrait, you do not necessarily need eye contact. In fact, often, there is more of a story – more intrigue, more for viewers to work out for...
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Not too shallow
I hear people say sometimes that “you cannot shoot portraits at wide open apertures”. So then how this available light portrait, shot on a full frame camera with a 50mm lens at f/1.2 (yes, f/1.2!)?...
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A simple chiaroscuro portrait or two
In the last few days I took two people’s portraits using just one off camera flash. Here’s Michelle and Adnan, respectively: How did I take those? First, I set the camera so that the ambient light...
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Faceless faces
Here’s an exercise for you. Capture expressions without visible faces. Huh? How? Is that even possible? Yes. Look at this silhouette from Monday’s class at Sheridan College: Now let’s make it slightly...
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“Smile”…?
“Opa en Oma Willems” To emphasize what I wrote yesterday, look here. My grandparents, in 1928 in Tilburg, the Netherlands. In other words: just before they were to set sail to the Dutch East Indies,...
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How quickly things change.
The thin veneer of civilization… I am sure it has been mentioned enough to be a cliché. But just like truisms, clichés are true – that’s why they are clichés. Civilization can change, turn bad, or...
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