TakeBetterPhotosNow.com » Portrait Photography

Interesting Light Portraits

Michael Kitada — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:00:35 +0000

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

Mona Lisa Magic

Michael Kitada — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:22 +0000

I’ve been lucky enough to see the real Mona Lisa in the Louvre.
Last weekend I was surprised to see a duplicate in downtown Los Angeles.
Painted on a steel building was the lady herself!
Beautiful colors and imagination, she was about 20 feet tall and she adorned the roll up portion of a garage door.
It was a pleasant surprise in the midst of Little Tokyo, surrounded by refurbished condominiums and dilapidated buildings, she held court with grace and elegance over them all.
I was more than happy to document this ode to Leonardo’s masterpiece.
I challenge you to take a walk in your neighborhood and find something to be inspired by.
Old or new, let it stir up the creative juices for photographic journey.
Be inspired!

Color Photos

Michael Kitada — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:48 +0000

This is the most amazing wall.
The orange color was so brilliant, it could probably be seen from space.
It reminded me of how color can be used so effectively in photography.
One of colors greatest photographers is Alex Webb.

Here’s an example of his work that uses color as part of the composition.
Look to use color as strong compositional elements rather then just as window dressing.
Be inspired!

Capturing the Moment

Michael Kitada — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:00:36 +0000

Today’s post is about capturing the moment.
Anyone can take a picture.
In fact, cameras are everywhere and tons of people have access to a camera at their fingertips.
Not everyone can make a great photo.
Capturing a great moment, makes a huge difference.
Let’s talk about how to do that:
1. Be ready.
Not everything or everyone is going to be considerate enough to wait until you have your camera up and ready to push the shutter. Be prepared. Think about what you want to try and capture and have your camera up, set and ready to go.
2. Consider your equipment.
Besides price, there’s a lot of difference between a DSLR and a point-and-shoot. One of the main things is the delay between when you depress the shutter and when it actually makes an image. Know that and be prepared to anticipate the action.
3. Dream Big.
What’s the best thing that could happen at the event that you are trying to photograph? Say it’s a wedding. The bride being lifted up in the air on a chair? Well, since you aren’t the main photographer, how about standing on a chair so you aren’t blocked by everyone else? Think ahead and prepare.
4. Connect
Make a connection with your subject and let it show in your photograph. Look at the example for today’s post. I was shooting an engagement session in San Francisco. Great background, but I let the couple forget that I was even there and they just started to have fun with each other. Pretty soon they were lost in each others eyes and I had my photo.
Take these tips and start to incorporate them into your shooting style and you’ll be capturing moments like a pro in no time.
Be inspired!

Lighting Tips

Michael Kitada — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:28 +0000

Light is everything.
Especially when it’s used correctly.
Today’s post is about lighting subjects with subtlety rather than with a wide brush every time.
Find light that only lights a portion of your subject and you’ll start to see more interesting images.
The first image shows exactly what I’m talking about.
During one of my classes, the students found this light streaming through a second story window.
They took turns posing and directing each other.
Learning to only let the light strike a portion of each of their subjects.

Here’s another version.
The subject’s eyes are deep set and allow the light to only hit her forehead and cheekbones.
The result is more mysterious and interesting, than blasting the whole scene with flat even lighting.
Be inspired!

Studio Lighting Photography

Michael Kitada — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:00:53 +0000

In contrast to yesterday’s post, here are a few studio portraits that I made before the natural light portraits.
The space where I was able to make these portraits was a furniture warehouse.
They had built a cove or a background with a curved background that makes it look like a seamless set.
I was very happy!
My plan was to photograph the subject with a laptop that displayed the cover of her one of her documentary films.
To do that light can’t hit the screen of the computer, thus I lit only the face of my subject and I placed a green gel on the background to compliment the color of the computer display.
I like how the chair and the subject’s legs are basically silhouettes.
For variety, I switched the background gels from green to blue.

The ratio of the background light to the main exposure is about 1 stop difference which allows for the saturation of the background light.
I actually increased it, just a bit for the blue gel.
Studio lighting becomes so much more interesting when it is used in a focused manner, rather than spraying everywhere.
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

More Natural Light Portraits

Michael Kitada — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:37 +0000

I really enjoy natural light portraits.
There’s such enjoyment in finding interesting light and then placing a subject in that light to make beautiful portraits.
That was my quest on my last assignment.
I was asked to make a portrait for a client.
I first photographed my subject with my computer and some rather complicated lighting.
It worked out alright and my client might even use those images.
Afterwards I decided to try out a few natural light portraits.
The space I was shooting in was a furniture warehouse.
Lots of beautiful light was streaming through windows and open bay doors.
I thought that this should be easy.
I finally decided on a clean wall that was by an open bay door.
Shadows were falling on the wall from a iron security door.
The patterns were perfect for a portrait.
I placed my subject in between some shadows and started framing the image up for the maximum composition.
Framing my subject in the left vertical and her head near the upper left area of convergence and the CD in the lower left area of convergence.
These portraits worked out so much more natural than the studio lit images.
Sometimes we forget that simple can be best.
Natural light portraits helped me make images where my subject was more at ease than with studio lights.
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

Natural Light Portrait

Michael Kitada — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:03 +0000

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

Composition

Michael Kitada — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:00:39 +0000

Today we take a look at something that might seem simple, but it’s a key component to making great images.
Composition!
In the past I’ve shared about the Rule of Thirds, now I teach the concept of The Grid!
Think of a Tic-Tac-Toe grid.
Now imagine the lines of the game being overlaid onto the canvas of any image.
Main subjects need to be placed where the 4 lines intersect to have visual impact.
Viewers are naturally lead to these 4 areas.
In fact, the worst place to have your subject is dead center.
Visually speaking, the center is the most boring placement for subjects.
So, I encourage my students to look to the outside squares of the Tic-Tac-Toe grid for better composition.
The habit of placing the subject in the middle comes from the focusing mechanism being centered.
It’s a hard habit to break, but with practice, better composition comes from a lot of practice.
In today’s photo, my daughter is in the upper left of the grid area.
This example shows how this type of placement creates a stronger, more visually appealing image.
Practice seeing the grid in all of your images and you’ll notice how much stronger your images start becoming.
Be inspired!

Michael worked as a photojournalist in southern California for 20 plus years and has taught photojournalism at UCLA. He currently is an adjunct professor at Cal Baptist University in Riverside, CA where he teaches photography. He is the author of, “Take Better Photos Now!”
click here for “TakeBetterPhotosNow!

Children’s Photography

Michael Kitada — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 08:00:39 +0000

Children’s photography can be an incredibly tough and elusive project for any photographer.
Too often even the best veteran professional can be reduced to an amateur when kids decide not to respond.
How can you overcome this?
My best tip is to be real with them.
Tell them what you want to do and then have fun.
I try to not have my expectations too high and see what happens.
This first image came from a shoot where I told my subject to make faces.
What kid doesn’t want to make faces?
It’s all in the attitude of the photographer.
Back in my photojournalist days, I had to create a rapport with people all the time.
Plus, kids can be a lot of fun and the photos that you take are treasures to their parents.

Don’t forget the details, too!
I used these little daisies as props and noticed how delicate they looked in my subjects hands.
A great image.
Speaking of daisies, props are great for adults, but even better for kids!

After she played with the daisies, this subject decided to see if the flowers had a pretty smell.
Another good image.
To review:
1. Be real and have fun.
2. Don’t show fear, kids are like sharks and blood. They smell fear a mile away. Be confident.
3. Details make precious images.
4. Don’t forget props!

Be inspired!