Tips for Your Commercial Photography Portfolio

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

A great commercial photography portfolio is your calling card in the industry, and your ticket to winning clients and landing jobs as a professional photographer. Read on to learn 3 key tips that will help make your commercial photography portfolio shine, so prepare to start getting the gigs you need to advance your career. These commercial photography portfolio tips will take your clips to the next level, so that you can scale the ladder to your dream job.

1. Offer Your Commercial Photography Portfolio In A Variety Of Formats

When you hand out your commercial photography portfolio, one of the things it is crucial to communicate to a client is that when they hire you, you will do everything you can to make his or her life easy. You want to be seen as professional and responsive, and as someone who proactively anticipates your client's needs. One great way to make this impression fast is to have your commercial photography portfolio available in a number of formats, including in print, on CD, and online, as AllArtSchools suggests. When you follow this advice and have print, digital, and virtual clips available, your first question to a client can always be "What's easiest for you?", a sentence that will be music to any prospective employer's ears.

2. Pitch Your Commercial Photography Portfolio Directly To The Job At Hand.

Instead of having one commercial photography portfolio, have several, one targeted to each kind of work you're hoping to do in your career. Have you taken some gorgeous nature images? That's great, but a client who's hiring for a fashion shoot won't care! A prospective employer will hire the person who seems most likely to do a great job on the specific project at hand, so make sure everything in the commercial photography portfolio you hand to a possible client is directly relevant to the task they'll need you to do. Try doing as PhotoCritic suggests, and put together a portfolio of just your fashion work, another that highlights your nature shots, another for photos you've taken of products, and so on for each genre you've got clips for, and are seeking work in. That way, as you move forward in applying for a variety of jobs, you'll always have your most specifically relevant work at your fingertips, ready to impress your next boss.

3. Include The Right Written Information In Your Commercial Photography Portfolio.

As Marketing For Photographers and Photography points out, you don't need to include much written information in your commercial photography portfolio. However, what you do put in can make or break a client's interest in your work. By reducing the amount of text, you help keep your prospective employer engaged with the images you're presenting, which is the goal of your commercial photography portfolio. You don't need to put forward the technical information for each picture, like your equipment choices or shutter speed, because the client only cares about your end result, not about the road you took to get the shot. You should offer a brief description of what each picture is, to provide some context, and a clean, professional, and specific title for each shot, so that it's easy for clients to reference a particular image in your commercial photography portfolio when they're in discussion with you, or with any colleagues who may be involved in making the decision to hire you.

10 Great Tips to Make Any DIY Winter Wedding Photography Successful!

photo source

This winter many couples are choosing do it yourself wedding photography in an attempt to save money. Wedding photography is tricky because if not done right there will be no good documentation of the special day. My dad does wedding photography as an amateur hobby; wedding photography is not skill less, but can be done easily with practice by almost any amateur photographer. This article will take a look at 10 tips to make DIY winter wedding photography successful; however keep in mind DIY wedding photography takes copious amounts of editing after the ceremony.

1. Camera

Taking wedding photographs should be done with the right camera, not a regular point and shoot camera. I recommend using the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, it takes high quality pictures and is relatively easy to use. This camera can be found at www.buy.com for $569.95, but you should check to see if anyone in the wedding party can provide this camera or a similar model to save on money.

2. Flash

Relying on the built in pop up flash in any camera is a recipe for failure; you will want to use an external flash for low lighting pictures, such as a church or an evening reception. Winter conditions outside will not require a flash due to the reflection of the snow, but it can be used if done right; however inside you will want a powerful flash. I cannot give a recommendation because certain flashes work for different cameras; therefore the flash will be determined by your digital camera choice. www.ritzcamera.com has a good variety of flashes, lenses, and cameras.

3. Lenses

Unfortunately DIY picture taking is not cheap and requires the proper zoom lenses for great photos from anywhere in the room. Buying any secondary lenses is not necessary, but they will make the pictures better. www.ritzcamera.com has a good selection of lenses; it is where I purchased mine.

4. Go Digital

The hardest part of DIY wedding photography is getting professional looking shots. Going digital allows for touchups on the pictures after they are taken so that they come out perfect. Going digital also saves on prints since all the photos can be saved on a flash drive or a CD.

5. Choose an artistic guest for the job

Capturing the right moment is what photography is all about; having a guest that is willing to take pictures who has an artistic eye is the best way to get quality shots. Do not expect a gift from the photographer as it takes hours of work to take and edit great shots.

6. Be aware of lighting conditions

Winter is the hardest time of the year to take photographs outside due to the reflective nature of snow and the brightness of the sun. Be creative on the angles of your photographs; many high end cameras also show the contrast ratio on the photos taken, look at the contrast to make sure the photos are coming out correctly.

7. Be aware of where the sun is

Do not shoot towards the sun or objects that are in the sun, it can cause shadows and some funky looking pictures. Just be aware of the sun and preview one or two pictures before taking more.

8. Capture photos with the theme

If your theme is a winter wonderland then capture that theme in the photos! Try to include shots of the bridal party and newlyweds in the natural theme of the wedding; also try to include guests in the same theme. Be creative with the shots, you may have to shoot at different angles to get the desired results.

9. Use the flash

Even in snowy conditions you should experiment with the flash for better pictures, the bright the background the more the object you are photographing will stand out. This may not always be the case; therefore you should check the pictures being taken to make sure they are coming out professionally.

10. Edit, Edit, Edit

No DIY photography is complete up completion of the ceremony! There are countless hours of editing that must be taken on to get professional looking results. If you do not have the proper computer skills try to find a guest that would be willing to help edit in exchange for their wedding present.

This site has some extra DIY tips that can help during a winter wedding; I did not cover many these tips, so it may be a good read: http://www.squidoo.com/weddingphotographyguide

Sources:

www.ritzcamera.com

http://www.squidoo.com/weddingphotographyguide, DIY Winter Wedding Photography

Using Depth of Field for Photography

source,credit

It's one of the greatest tools available to photographers, it's easy to use, and yet it's among the least known and used abilities of a camera today. Pro photographers have used it for decades, but the amateur can use these same techniques without paying the professional price. It's called depth of field, and it's accessed through the use of the aperture.

The aperture, simply put, is the hole that light comes through in your camera. Light passes through the front of the lens, through a series of glass pieces, through a hole at the back of the lens, and into the camera. The aperture is the hole in the back of the lens, and you get to control this vital part of the camera, if you decide to want to bump up your pictures. You can place the camera on auto, and the camera will adjust its aperture, shutter and more to the situation it sees. By placing the camera in more manual modes, you take on powerful and personal control, and YOU get to decide what you want to create with your photographs.

An important factor here is lighting. Any photography relies heavily on the lighting that you are using, whether it be from the natural, ambient light around you, or artificial light, like a strobe or other flash unit. Especially while using natural light, it will be important to use a tripod to keep the camera steady while shooting. If you are shooting on a cloudy day, without much light, then the camera must compensate for less light by having a longer shutter speed, which it will do automatically in the mode I'll be explaining in a moment. A longer shutter speed means the camera won't be able to have a clearly focused picture without the use of the tripod.

Depth of field simply means the area of focus, or the area in the picture that is in focus might be a more accurate term. Photography is a two dimensional medium, having height and width, but it lacks depth, the third dimension. Your photography can create the illusion of that depth through a few easy camera settings. You may be asking yourself, why would I want to create the illusion of depth, and what is it good for? Part of the reason is to create a sense of emphasis. When you take a picture of a large area, with trees, birds, squirrels, people, rocks, etc, what is the thing or object that you are zeroing in on? Is there anything that you really want to emphasize to your viewer? If so, it's probably getting lost in the crowd of other things on the scene. The squirrels are so small you can barely see them, the people are walking their dogs, and the trees are swaying in the breeze. But what if you wanted to focus on the viewer on the flowers in the garden? When you create emphasis on an object, it strengthens your photo, and actually guides the eye of the viewer to that object. You could take pictures to create a story about that, as you can read in my article about photo stories. When you get in to take close-ups of the flowers is where the possibilities of great photography begin.

Emphasize the garden by focusing in on one or two flowers at a time. Grab a tripod, get down to eye level with them, and then get ready. Place your camera in a mode that allows you to change your aperture; the mode is usually called "A", or "AV" on some models. Film cameras can allow these changes too, on SLR models. They require you to simply change the f-stop manually on the aperture ring. On your digital camera, use your selector buttons to change your aperture. You'll see on your digital camera, most likely, a letter f, with the number on the readout on either the monitor, or the info panel on the top of the camera, or perhaps both areas. The f means f-stop, which is the name commonly used to describe the number of the aperture setting. The best way to emphasize a flower is to have only that flower in focus, and to have the rest out of focus. Change your aperture to a really low number, such as 2.8, 4, or 5.6. When the lens is at a low number like this, the lens hole is wide open, but it is creating a small area or depth of field; basically an inch or two will be in focus. Focus your camera, and shoot. Now, look at the camera, and look at your pictures. The one or two flowers should be in focus, but do you see how the background is fuzzy and out of focus? This is what is called a "shallow depth of field", and that comes from using a small number f-stop. That's because you've taken control of your camera, and changed the outcome! Because only the flower is in focus, and the rest is blurred out, you have guided your viewer to what YOU want to emphasize! You have used one of the most powerful tools available for a photographer to bring a new focus to your pictures. Try this with a lot of different scenes; look how the item is forced to really stand out for you because it's the only thing in focus.

Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum are the pictures that have the entire photograph in focus; such as a lighthouse standing out from the beach, with horseshoe crab shells in the immediate foreground. This is also done by changing the depth of field of your camera. Here, you again change your aperture, but this time place it on a high number like 16, 22, 28, etc. This is to create a large depth of field by using a small hole in the back of the lens. Again, you must use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Take a picture with something in the near foreground, such as a rock or the crab shells, and then compose your picture with a mountain or some other object some distance away, focus, and shoot. Remember to use the rule of thirds here for additional emphasis. As you'll see, both areas should be in focus, again showing the third dimension and creating the illusion of depth. This is a large depth of field.

It's a little known tool in the photographer's toolbox, but almost any camera made in the past four years will have some sort of ability to work with depth of field, whether they have a point and shoot or DSLR. Every photographer, of every level, has the ability, through practice, to create beautiful photographs that can rival those of the pros, by using the tools available with every camera. Use the strength of depth of field when you create the third dimension in your photographs, and add a new and incredibly
powerful personal dimension to your photography.

Using Depth of Field for Photography

credit

It's one of the greatest tools available to photographers, it's easy to use, and yet it's among the least known and used abilities of a camera today. Pro photographers have used it for decades, but the amateur can use these same techniques without paying the professional price. It's called depth of field, and it's accessed through the use of the aperture.

The aperture, simply put, is the hole that light comes through in your camera. Light passes through the front of the lens, through a series of glass pieces, through a hole at the back of the lens, and into the camera. The aperture is the hole in the back of the lens, and you get to control this vital part of the camera, if you decide to want to bump up your pictures. You can place the camera on auto, and the camera will adjust its aperture, shutter and more to the situation it sees. By placing the camera in more manual modes, you take on powerful and personal control, and YOU get to decide what you want to create with your photographs.

An important factor here is lighting. Any photography relies heavily on the lighting that you are using, whether it be from the natural, ambient light around you, or artificial light, like a strobe or other flash unit. Especially while using natural light, it will be important to use a tripod to keep the camera steady while shooting. If you are shooting on a cloudy day, without much light, then the camera must compensate for less light by having a longer shutter speed, which it will do automatically in the mode I'll be explaining in a moment. A longer shutter speed means the camera won't be able to have a clearly focused picture without the use of the tripod.

Depth of field simply means the area of focus, or the area in the picture that is in focus might be a more accurate term. Photography is a two dimensional medium, having height and width, but it lacks depth, the third dimension. Your photography can create the illusion of that depth through a few easy camera settings. You may be asking yourself, why would I want to create the illusion of depth, and what is it good for? Part of the reason is to create a sense of emphasis. When you take a picture of a large area, with trees, birds, squirrels, people, rocks, etc, what is the thing or object that you are zeroing in on? Is there anything that you really want to emphasize to your viewer? If so, it's probably getting lost in the crowd of other things on the scene. The squirrels are so small you can barely see them, the people are walking their dogs, and the trees are swaying in the breeze. But what if you wanted to focus on the viewer on the flowers in the garden? When you create emphasis on an object, it strengthens your photo, and actually guides the eye of the viewer to that object. You could take pictures to create a story about that, as you can read in my article about photo stories. When you get in to take close-ups of the flowers is where the possibilities of great photography begin.

Emphasize the garden by focusing in on one or two flowers at a time. Grab a tripod, get down to eye level with them, and then get ready. Place your camera in a mode that allows you to change your aperture; the mode is usually called "A", or "AV" on some models. Film cameras can allow these changes too, on SLR models. They require you to simply change the f-stop manually on the aperture ring. On your digital camera, use your selector buttons to change your aperture. You'll see on your digital camera, most likely, a letter f, with the number on the readout on either the monitor, or the info panel on the top of the camera, or perhaps both areas. The f means f-stop, which is the name commonly used to describe the number of the aperture setting. The best way to emphasize a flower is to have only that flower in focus, and to have the rest out of focus. Change your aperture to a really low number, such as 2.8, 4, or 5.6. When the lens is at a low number like this, the lens hole is wide open, but it is creating a small area or depth of field; basically an inch or two will be in focus. Focus your camera, and shoot. Now, look at the camera, and look at your pictures. The one or two flowers should be in focus, but do you see how the background is fuzzy and out of focus? This is what is called a "shallow depth of field", and that comes from using a small number f-stop. That's because you've taken control of your camera, and changed the outcome! Because only the flower is in focus, and the rest is blurred out, you have guided your viewer to what YOU want to emphasize! You have used one of the most powerful tools available for a photographer to bring a new focus to your pictures. Try this with a lot of different scenes; look how the item is forced to really stand out for you because it's the only thing in focus.

Now, on the opposite end of the spectrum are the pictures that have the entire photograph in focus; such as a lighthouse standing out from the beach, with horseshoe crab shells in the immediate foreground. This is also done by changing the depth of field of your camera. Here, you again change your aperture, but this time place it on a high number like 16, 22, 28, etc. This is to create a large depth of field by using a small hole in the back of the lens. Again, you must use a tripod to keep the camera steady. Take a picture with something in the near foreground, such as a rock or the crab shells, and then compose your picture with a mountain or some other object some distance away, focus, and shoot. Remember to use the rule of thirds here for additional emphasis. As you'll see, both areas should be in focus, again showing the third dimension and creating the illusion of depth. This is a large depth of field.

It's a little known tool in the photographer's toolbox, but almost any camera made in the past four years will have some sort of ability to work with depth of field, whether they have a point and shoot or DSLR. Every photographer, of every level, has the ability, through practice, to create beautiful photographs that can rival those of the pros, by using the tools available with every camera. Use the strength of depth of field when you create the third dimension in your photographs, and add a new and incredibly
powerful personal dimension to your photography.