Composition Basics Composition is defined as the arrangement and combination of elements within a confined frame such as a canvass, a photograph to create a complete image. Composition can include factors such as design, order, structure, texture, form, and other elements brought together in one frame. In photography, composition is probably the biggest influential factor in creating eye-catching works of art. The ability of a photographer to include or exclude certain elements... Read the Full Article

Basic Portrait Lighting While there are no hard statistics to track the kind of photographs people take, it’s safe to assume that bulk of the photos we take are portraits. Whether the portraits taken are snapshots, formally posed, group shots, or self-taken, portraits are probably the main reason why we purchased our cameras. The portrait helps us remember those who are important, valuable, admire, and influence our personal lives. While... Read the Full Article

Classic Lighting Styles Portrait lighting styles are not set in stone, the lighting positioning and styles discussed in this article are generally accepted and expected lighting parameters that have endured the test of time to bring out the best look for portraits. These lighting patterns can be used as a starting point for more complex portrait lighting styles you can develop individually as an artist. Light Positioning There are three basic light positions... Read the Full Article

Digital Workflow – Basic Global Adjustments Most digital photographs could use some level of enhancements as a camera may render slightly different exposures, colors, contrast, or sharpness when viewed on the monitor as compared to viewing from the camera’s LCD screen. This article covers the basic global adjustments that targets the overall appearance of the photograph, not specific areas-of-detail in a photograph. Here we have our base image.  The image is pretty... Read the Full Article

We’ve discussed the importance of developing a workflow for dealing with our image files once we venture into digital photography. Let us now discuss the basic sequence to get started in developing a workflow that will suit our personal needs. Note that the steps below are general guidelines and you should be able to customize your own workflow based on they types of photographs you work with. It is assumed that... Read the Full Article