Learn real photography skills from a professional photographer.
I publish videos about photography and photojournalism, sharing the knowledge that I have gained during my 20-year career as a professional photojournalist and filmmaker, in order to help YOU improve YOUR photography.
I produce work for clients including National Geographic, The Guardian and the Pulitzer Center and I am a fellow of the UK's Royal Geographical Society. I specialise in documenting environmental issues and have travelled across the world photographing stories surrounding the climate crisis.
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This is beautiful focused advice. I thought I was crazy about going to the same spot over again at times always using different lenses to see which lenses are best for that specific spot
I enjoy going out and taking photos, either that be on the street, carnivals, parks, travel distances for landscape. I realized that I have no direction of my photography, and conveniently called myself “eclectic” photographer. That is, until just now. Hearing your presentation, something clicked somewhere in my brain. Something to ponder. THANK YOU, Indeed.
These are the standard composition stuff. I assume most photographers already know. The practical problem is to apply them when going out to shoot. Often time when I was shooting I always struggle how to hold camera to get that composition.
Thanks for the comment. I would suggest taking each technique one at a time and look for situations in which you can apply them when shooting. Hope you can watch the other videos here on my channel about composition that may offer other insights that may help you.
got your ebook yesterday I think you can add a link to this video on chapter 5 "Composition is King"? thanks for your videos, regards from Puerto Rico.
I used to tilt my camera when taking pictures pretty regularly - oft justifying it 'to get everything in.' Fact is, it is relatively rare that an image warrants being taken in tilted fashion. Otherwise, it quickly tires and becomes just another gimmick. One example of it's possibly warranted use might be tilting the camera to photograph someone coming down some steps while carrying an unwieldy load of things - to emphasize the precariousness of the situation. But never just 'to get everything in' ! . . . Nor, I would add, just to make a banal scene "more dynamic." Not taking a picture that can't be justified on its own merits - what ever they may be - is more likely the best option. Always ask yourself, 'What is the point of this picture, what am I trying to communicate?' and find the most effective way to do it. If you find yourself tilting the camera, most often it is probably because you really have nothing to say . . . so just move on.
How should a photographer go about getting informed consent and (if necessary) child assent before taking a photo? Asking permission removes the organic nature of street photography, but it seems like the ethical thing to do, especially when photographing children, people with a disability, or an individual/group who doesn’t want their image floating around the internet? It seems almost manipulative to snap a person for one's pleasure, financial gain, or portfolio with no benefit to the subject who may not even know that their likeness is being used. Any solutions to do street photography in a respectful way that honours the subject's autonomy while still capturing a genuine portrait of reality?
Hi Janice. Good question. General practice within professional photography is that if the images are to be used in an editorial context e.g. news, issue reporting, model releases aren't needed. If the images are to be used for commercial purposes e.g. advertising, corporate etc. then releases are needed. Every country has different lays however and some countries are more strict about public photography, so it's always best to check and abide by local laws, customs and practices.
You make a big issue about size & weight of the zooms. So why use f2.8? Both of those lenses come in f4 versions which are both smaller and lighter. I’ve just come back from a trip abroad where I took a 20mm f1.8 prime, 24-120mm f/4 zoom and a 70-200mm f/4 zoom. For early mornings & evenings going out from the hotel, specifically to take photographs, I used all three. Going out for the day I only took the 24-120mm (except on a morning spent in caves where the 20mm made sense for both fast aperture and wide field of view). The result? 85% of images on 24-120mm, 10% on 20mm and only 5% on 70-200mm.
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Hi Emile. Check out this video on my top 20 composition techniques ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8XBYt-_U4WE.html Many can apply to B&W photography too.
I always face the issue of getting grains in my photos? How I can avoid it and make pictures look more realistic and better? I use Canon R50 with stock lens (18-45mm)
Might be an ISO issue i.e. choosing the right ISO for the lighting conditions you are shooting. www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/iso.html
Photographers take credit for elements of their photos that the had no control over “I framed the boy in the doorway” no he was standing in the door. You got lucky you didn’t plan that element lol
Hmm, you’re looking at this incorrectly. Let’s say you walked upon a scene and it caught your eye, like the boy in that photo, your job is to then quickly compose/frame the photo. There’s another method of framing a great shot and just waiting for minutes or even hours until a good subject/element walks into frame. But I agree in that there are times when a shot is taken and you later realize how lucky you got because elements came together or the shot had something you didn’t even have time to compose. Yes, 100%. And I could see guys like this dude being like “yeah you see how I composed this moving hand to be framed perfectly in this other object.”
