I shot a beautiful backyard wedding this weekend.
I was in a position near the front when they had communion.
I was kind of trapped there for a bit as the ceremony continued, so I looked for a different type of moment.
That’s when I saw this moment.
I love that it seems that they are all alone on the most special day of their life.
I always want to capture moments like these that are completely unique to each bride and groom.
Placing the bride and groom at the extreme lower right of the canvas gives this moment and almost magical composition that isolates just the look on the brides’ face.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

Yesterday, I had a portrait session for an aspiring actress.
I shot the majority of the session with strobes and umbrellas, buy at the end I shot a few natural light frames.
I have a certain spot in my house that is perfect for this.
A large window that faces north, so the light is ambient but directional with some semi-transparent curtains that knock down the light even more.
The effect is beautiful light.
I also used one of the umbrellas to bounce just a bit of fill light back into my subject to even the light slightly.
Just look at the eyes, you can see the specular highlights on the left side of each of her eyes and the slightly brighter left side of her face, too.
This lighting set up provides directional light that is soft and incredibly flattering to just about any subject.
Go right now and find a north facing window and try this out on your next portrait shoot.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

Mother’s Day is coming, in fact, it’s Sunday!
This is an outtake from a surprise Mother’s Day gift that I shot this week.
Recently, I’ve had a string of fantastic models/subjects.
This 3 year old was amazing!
I just told him what I wanted and he did it.
If you have ever tried to coerce a 3 year old to do anything for a camera, you know how tough it can be.
This photo shoot was a dream.
For this image, I just told him to lift his hands to the sky and he told me the sun hurt his eyes.
I said to close them and you can see the energy he put into this image. Fantastic!
The ambient/open shade left as soon as I finished this sequence. The beautiful light went to harsh direct light as the sun burned through the clouds just as we ended this photo with the flowers.
Timing is everything!
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

This week a video was released by a father who photographed his daughter every week for 10 years.
An amazing feat and testament to patience and the will to stay the course.
When my oldest son was born, my mom took a polaroid of him every month on his birthdate. It was a great idea that I wished I had thought of and done. His first year of life is documented by these polaroids and my mom always showed up with her camera on the appointed date.

CLICK HERE
I think this is a great inspiration to get all of us to start documenting our lives.
Now we all can’t start and finish a project that lasts for ten years, but what about one that lasts a month?
Documenting our world can sharpen our photographic skills, help us to appreciate our lives and the people in them and help us to look back on our lives and have a visual record that can last beyond ourselves.
Look around your world and start documenting your life.
Start small and work up and be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

Making effective landscapes is just as hard as making a beautiful portrait.
I was able to capture this image during a recent wedding.
What was amazing was in the middle of the summer, at the end of the day, there were hardly anyone on the beach.
I was able to make a landscape/portrait that made this couple feel and look as if they were practically the only people on the beach.
I placed the horizon very low in the frame to emphasize the sky.
I also used my 15mm which captured just about 180 degrees, the sun is almost in the frame, opposite of the bride and groom.
Great things can happen if you look hard enough and prepare.
I found the perfect moment, in between masses of people on both sides, just out of view.
Be inspired!
Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that matter.
For example, just a slight gesture turned this main image into a keeper for me, by a small detail.
Just the introduction of the subject’s hand grabbing her toe, made this an interesting image that is worth keeping, rather than throwing it on the trash heap.
It’s the tiny in congruencies that make things interesting.
WIthout that slight gesture, it’s just a photo of a pair of boots.
With it, it becomes a story telling element, that makes the viewer wonder what is going on and will make them stick around longer, too!
What makes for a good gesture?
That is the $64,000.00 question.
It’s like capturing lighting in a bottle, no one knows how, they just know when it happens, it’s great!
So, experiment.
Try different things and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
This is a process that allows for missteps, and rewards those that take chances.
Be free and be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!

In honor of Encyclopedia Britannica announcing they will stop printing the once ubiquitous info book, I found this old image that I made a few years back.
Paul Gaughen, 62, of Fountain Valley sold Encyclopedia Brittanicas, door-to-door, selling 4,088, for more than 30 years. His last sale was July 8, 1995 and he still has the log books that chronicle his years of selling. The company announced this past week they will only be producing electronic versions from now on.
This portrait helps to visually explain this announcement, or as we say in the business, to “put a face on the story.”
This type of prop photography is more accurately described as an environmental portrait.
One that explains visually what the person in the photo does.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I photographed this wall a few weeks ago, during the construction of these metal poles that the letter has been placed on.
I wondered what was going to be on the poles and today I found out, the name of the center.
It makes sense, but I was curious.
The curvy lines on the wall just looked beautiful and so I took a quick image of the letter E.
Sometimes, it’s just about a pretty picture.
Be inspired!
Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I speak a lot about finding beautiful light for your portraits and today is no different.
Direct light with interesting shadows is just made for portraits.
Light that is passing through something to create great shadows is best and light that is at the most 45 degrees or less is going to be flattering for your subject.
The hight the light source in the sky, the more unflattering to your subject it will probably be.
Obviously, that’s a general rule, so experiment and you might be pleasantly surprised with your results.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS

I love the beginning of semesters.
There is such promise and hopes of new ideas and images to be created.
Today’s post deals with natural light portraits.
Most of the images that photographers make are related to people.
So I inform my students that learning to light their people photos is a priority.
The unfortunate students that forgot their cameras this morning were tapped to be our models.
It was interesting to see and show my students how different 4 models can be.
Two were really at ease, one was okay and one was super nervous.
With the right amount of coaching, each subject was made to look at ease and we were able to capture good photos of each subject.
The light utilized was all natural.
The main light source was the ambient light that was shining through the window.
The fill light in the room was coming from other windows that were further away, camera left and a fluorescent that was weak and overhead, but really wasn’t strong enough do affect the photo in any way.
In this image, we directed the subject to put her shoulders against the back wall, put one of her feet on the wall(which was actually too high) and to turn her head towards the window.
The result was a pleasing natural light portrait.
The trick is to identify your light sources.
The ambient light in this image isn’t strong enough to overpower the light coming through the window.
So the photographers’ job is to make sure the subject cheats their face towards the strongest light source.
Look for the light and you’ll be making better and stronger portraits in no time.
Be inspired!

Michael is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now,” and, “Mommie Pics,” ebooks that help everyone become better photographers through tips and secrets that he has learned during his more than 25 years of experience as a professional photographer and photography teacher. Her currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, California. To purchase either ebook, click the links. CLICK HERE FOR “TakeBetterPhotosNow!
CLICK HERE FOR MOMMIE PICS