Abstract Photography to Stir Our Emotions and Express the Art Within Us
How to Take the Perfect Portrait
Portrait photography requires a level of trust, intimacy and spontaneity that other types of photography work simply do not. Your subject can often also be less than comfortable with one of these elements, so as a photographer, it’s important to have a failsafe routine in place that you know is going to produce great results, whether you know the subject or not.
Talk
First of all, it’s always worth having a conversation beforehand. Have some specifics in mind when speaking to the subject, such as what they hope to get out of the experience and how they want the end result to look. Try to keep subjects away from talking about physical aspects of the photo and more to the feeling they want to capture. It’s also essential to ascertain anything they would never be comfortable with doing before you start shooting, as often subjects can feel coerced into something once behind the lens, or lose a sense of the rules they had set for themselves at the start of the process. When all of this has been established, just chat. People tend to forget how important simple conversation can be in workplace situations, and as the person that holds the camera, you can often hold an intimidating ‘authority’ without even realising it. Reveal things about yourself and what you would like from the day - this will give you and the subject a fair and easy exchange. It’s true that time is money, but a friendly chinwag shouldn’t take you too long and will help save you time in the long run, as you should start off with much better shots from the get go.To Buy or Not to Buy: 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself before Buying a Tripod
Life is a constant battle between two conflicting ideas or forces, at the end of which everyone is forced to make a choice. When it comes to photography, in some twisted way, the battle is all the more intensified. What starts with ‘which brand and make to buy?’ goes on to ‘which lens?’ and somehow, sometimes turns to ‘To buy tripod or not to buy?’- Which is most confusing because well, some can do without it, some can’t. If you’re one of those poor souls, who are perennially clouded by this one doubt, here are a few questions you should ask yourself before going for a tripod.
The Philippines and The Photographer
as told by Michael Anderson
I could taste the dirt in my mouth, the textured grit between my teeth. It seemed that no matter how much I tried to block its entrance, it had a way of taking up residence and making me want to expel it. However, the knowledge that that expulsion would only end up back in my face taught me to simply endure the uncomfortable experience of racing through roads that were not anything like the least maintained roads that I had ever experienced growing up in the country.
I didn't know if the taxi driver received a higher payment by delivering his passengers in a faster amount of time, but that trip from Manila to Tuguegarao helped me to appreciate the speed laws in the Americas, and even appreciate that there is the existence of highway patrol. I closed my eyes and hoped that I would arrive in one piece when we got to Tuguegarao. Obviously we did, or I would not be here describing my visit to the Philippines so many years ago, now.