One of the most common photography accessories is a lens hood – a piece of plastic or metal that attaches to the front of your camera lens and makes it look more professional. But lens hoods are about more than looks. Just to name one benefit, they can make a major difference in a picture’s image quality. This article covers everything you need to know about using lens hoods to capture the best possible photos.
The Canon Rebel SL2 is one of the lightest and most versatile entry-level DSLRs on the market. However, if you’ve just bought this camera, you might have realized that its menu settings are less than optimal by default. In this article, I’ll go through every important menu setting and tell you my recommendations for setting it properly. Hopefully, this will make it easier and simpler to take great pictures with your new camera.
We are always on the lookout for the best new finds to fill our online shopping carts. And because we love our readers, are always sure to share our very favorites with you!
Courtney Larson, acclaimed documentary photographer and the new Director of Click Pro, is here today giving us the scoop on her current top ten most-loved things.
1. Starbucks
I worked at Starbucks all throughout college and into motherhood, a total of 7 years. With a typical “opening” shift, I was up at 4:30am and used espresso to wake me up. So, fast-forward, I’m a lifer. I feel like my day hasn’t officially started until I’ve had my drink- Iced Venti, 1-pump Toffee Nut, no-classic, Starbucks Doubleshot. A mouthful, for sure. Silverlining is the baristas know me so well that they have my drink made before I ever even need to ask.
2. Ankle boots
I’ve been wanting the Free People version of these boots for ages, but couldn’t justify the pricetag (obviously my money was being syphined into coffee). I about fell over when a knock-off boots popped-up at Target with their Universal Thread line! These boots are so comfortable! I stand just over 5’ tall and it’s hard to wear boots since they tend to make my legs look even shorter. The side cut on these boots help me avoid cankles. Haha!
I actually don’t own this lens yet! I rarely use anything longer than an 85, but I picked it up when I was assisting a friend at a wedding and fell HARD. It allowed me to get a photojournalist perspective on moments I not able to get close to– like the Best Man toast at this wedding.
4. Illuminate Vintage
We just bought a little brick 1949 home in Phoenix and it needs to be completely updated. One of the first things I did was source out new lighting because fresh, modern lights can make a world of a difference. Oh, man. I found this little company, Illuminated Vintage, and have bought four versions of their lights so far! My favorite is a sconce for the bathroom, but I have yet to install it. Pictured here is the semi-flush mount pendant in the living room.
5. Le Labo, Santal 33
I questioned if I should even share this one with you. Not because I want to keep it all to myself, but because I feel so extra even telling you about it. But, it’s good, guys. So good. I first smelled this perfume on Ruthie Lindsay at Click Away and finally asked her what she was wearing when I couldn’t stop trying to breathe it in! It is pricey, but a little goes a long way… and I get compliments EVERYWHERE.
6. Goodwill Finds
We have THE BEST Goodwills in Arizona. There are dozens and they all run 50% Saturdays twice a month. You can find me scouring them every few months, and half my home is curated from things or furniture I’ve discovered! This woven picture was my latest score and I am obsessed with the colors!
7. Shadows
When I first connected that light and shadows express the same things about the scene (a lot of light means no shadows, harsh light means harsh shadows), it opened up a whole new world to me. My art switched from being light-focused to being shadow focused and my favorite portraits are ones where I can isolate my subjects in both.
8. Magmod
Magmod’s flash modifiers were a game changer for me and my reception wedding work. I finally feel like I can handle any scenario and I’m not fiddling around endlessly with my settings and harsh “flashy” shadows. Magmod’s grid and sphere are MUST HAVES! (They work perfectly with Godox flash system, too!)
9. Pink
This is probably 2017 of me, but I have recently fallen back in love with pink. My five-year-old isn’t complaining. I love putting touches of dusty pink throughout our home. This rug is from Urban Outfitters and will eventually go in our kitchen to compliment the pink dinnerware I also bought from them. Yep, pink plates and bowls. Is this my mid-life crisis??
10. Becca Cosmetics
I feel like I turned 33 and my skin decided to age overnight. I no longer could throw on whatever brand concealer I picked up at Target, but needed something that didn’t sink into every new line and wrinkle. Becca products are powerful, hide what I want them to, but don’t cake. I have yet to try anything from them that didn’t work for my skin.
The post 10 things documentary photographer Courtney Larson loves appeared first on Clickin Moms blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time.
Clickin Moms blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time
One of the smallest and lightest Canon DSLRs is the Rebel SL2, announced in June of 2017 and retailing for $ 549, body only. The SL2 also goes by the names “EOS 200D” and “Kiss X9” outside the US market. Despite the camera’s small size, Canon packed a lot into the SL2, including a tilt-flip touchscreen, dual pixel autofocus, and the company’s newest 24 megapixel sensor. This detailed review covers everything you need to know about the SL2.
Raise your hand if you are the keeper of stories for your family.
If your hand is up, chances are high that you have a massive photo collection of your family on birthdays, holidays, and milestones.
But how many in your collection feature the place you live out your little story every day? How many make your home the main character? How many display the beauty of what you and your family have built, made, or left behind?
If you’re missing this piece of your family’s puzzle, consider fleshing out your family narrative by incorporating what I call “storytelling still life images” into your routine shooting.
A storytelling still life image is a naturally occurring scene or object that tells a story and contains no people. I enjoy photographing storytelling still life photos all over my home, but my favorite spot is the kitchen window above the sink.
Without realizing it at first, I’ve made the kitchen window a muse. It’s now become a long term project of mine to photograph the window throughout the year.
Some photos depict the scene outside:
Some signal the season by what’s on the counter:
Some bring back a rush of memories for me because of the seasonal light and presence of items I associate with that part of the year:
And still others contain small reminders of my kids’ ages by including their artwork or science experiments:
I photograph my window at the holidays:
And I experiment with light, framing, and lenses (pictured below, macro and wide):
My window is just one example of how storytelling still life images can hold memories and emotions.
However, the possibilities for muses around the house are endless! If you want to try your hand at making some at-home still life images, start with these tips…
Look for scenes that include details that denote your current season of life. Sippy cups or sports bottles? Crayon drawings or history reports? Nursery rhymes or the classics?
If you find a scene that will be lit by more compelling light in a few hours, take your just-in-case photo now and then come back later and try again.
Scan the borders of your photo: what are you excluding? Including? Have you chosen the best perspective for the story you are trying to tell?
There’s no rush here: your subject is not going to run away or switch activities. So use the opportunity to focus on purposeful lens choice, careful framing, and intentional exposure.
As storytelling photographers, we accept that there are limitations to how we capture photos starring our family members.
They get to choose what they’re doing and where they’re doing it. And we follow their lead. It’s part of the gig.
But photographing storytelling still life images is a break from those limitations. It satisfies the artist in us and grants us the time and space to use our knowledge of what makes a good photo.
And the best part? You don’t even have to leave the house!
The post Make still life photographs that tell your family story appeared first on Clickin Moms blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time.
Clickin Moms blog: Helping you take better pictures one day at a time
