Photo By Jim Ogilvie

When planning a studio portrait session for a friend or client, we often can get bogged down with concerns of the specific gear we will need to create a look we’re trying to achieve.  We may find that we don’t have the gear on hand to produce that ‘big soft light’ or perhaps we feel compelled to make things somewhat more difficult than they need to be. 

There’s a powerful camera hiding inside your phone! Camera phones have replaced traditional cameras for millions of people, and it’s easy to understand why: they’re small, they’re always with you, and they let you instantly share your photos and video with your friends and followers. Keep these simple tips in mind and your phone photos will look their absolute best.

Many parents have a love-hate relationship with the annual school photography program. Either their children look amazing or they are in total disarray. School photos often end up tucked inside the Christmas cards of relatives and friends, and you want your child to look great. Parents can use the following tips to make the day less stressful for their child and enjoy better results with school photos.

Portrait lighting is so much more than getting the light ‘correct’. It’s about creating a particular look through the lighting modifiers used.  Some modifiers are designed to produce a very soft, shadow-filling type of look.  Others produce a much harder light that accentuates texture and create a sense of drama. 

Aperture is a professional photo management and editing system from Apple, and has become popular with many photographers over the years. Recently Apple has indicated that no further development of this software will occur.  While there is the possibility of medium term support of the software (such as OS compatibility), we should not expect the software to grow beyond it’s current form.  

It is often said that the best camera is the one with you. This is never truer than when your baby takes those long awaited but unpredictable first steps. And there’s way too much baby stuff to carry without having to carry around your camera equipment into a diaper bag, just in case. We’ve put together the best ways to capture those precious moments with your smartphone.