5 Tips On How To Shoot Killer Portrait Photography by Jim Jordan

This really excellent article on Photoshelter is full of advice and help in how to get great portrait images, even if some of the examples are outside most of our opportunities. Photoshelter is a great blog and one worth bookmarking and following

“Jim Jordan is a widely sought-after fashion, celebrity, lifestyle, and kids photographer based out of Los Angeles and New York City. Some of his notable clients include Vogue, Elle, J.Crew, and Mercedes Benz. He’s also taken portraits for major celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Berrymore, and Charlize Theron.

We wanted to learn more about Jim’s creative process from start to finish – so I picked Jim’s brain and walked away with his top 5 tips on how to shoot killer portrait photography.”

This weeks roundup of photography tutorials and links

©Keith Barnes

From Toad via Lightstalking this weeks selection of the best. “This week has been full of great tutorials, photography and truly interesting blogs to enjoy and Toad Hollow Photography has been busy collecting links to share with everyone.  The end result is this comprehensive page of great resources to visit showcasing incredible talents and posts in the exciting field of photography.  We sincerely hope you enjoy the sites in this list as much as the Toad did in bringing them to you.”

Check out the Toad’s photoblog featuring Canadian landscapes and historical artifacts, and his Fine Art Photography website.

Here is a taste of some on offer

TUTORIALS

How to Shoot Silhouette Photography – this is a thought-provoking and very clear tutorial on how best to achieve silhouette based photography.  These great tips and tricks will help everyone to achieve the exact results they are going for in this genre, and it’s an article that is truly worth the time to read.

Back To Arizona – this is a truly great post by Blake Rudis that belongs in both the Tutorials section as well as the Great Photography section in this weeks list.  Blake captures and shares a few truly epic shots in this post, but he also shares some great tips and tricks for low light photography that is guaranteed to deliver some great information for how to go about performing this genre of image production.

Creating An Abstract Landscape Image – a highly detailed post takes the reader step-by-step through the process that Curt Fleenor utilized to create a really wonderful abstract piece.  Each step is carefully documented with great visuals and screen captures, producing a well-rounded article that is sure to teach everyone a little about this style of imagery.

The Ultimate Do-it-yourself Small Flash Modifier – a truly top drawer tutorial piece by Doug Pruden details how to go about creating an inexpensive flash modifier to reduce the harsh effects of on-camera flash systems.  The technique that Doug discusses is so simple, yet does result in some pretty dramatic changes to the images captured.  This is a well-written and detailed piece, well worth the time to read.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Luna…Who? – this wonderful Saw-Whet Owl is a native to Canada and is also one of the tiniest owl species to be found.  Edith Levy captures and shares a series of photos of this just gorgeous little bird, really bringing to life all her character and spirit.  No matter what style of photography you prefer to view, these shots are absolutely guaranteed to bring a huge smile to your face and there is no way we can express strongly enough how wonderful they really are.

Life Cycle – prepare to be absolutely blown away by this epic photograph from the studio of Barbara Youngleson.  Using a completely unique composition and then post-processing the shot in black-and-white, Barbara delivers a strong and dramatic picture that is guaranteed to take your breath away and leave you wanting more.  Definitely one of the highlights in this weeks’ list, this is truly a must-see shot.

Click Here: Explode Your Brain With All of These Great Photography Links

Tate’s national photographic archive ‘rescued from skip’ after internal tipoff

Dalya Alberge reports in The Guardian today

“An art charity saved the crucial collection after employee’s call, but another archive was dumped by the V&A”

The Tate’s discarded archive, now stored on these shelves, contained photos of art from its collections and beyond, such as these images of two John Hoppner works. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

“Art historians have been disturbed by allegations that the Tate was about to dump its invaluable photographic archive in a skip when another institution realised its importance and rescued it, and that the Victoria & Albert Museum has already destroyed its own thematic archive. Curators, who consider such resources vital, were not consulted.

The archives were full of photographs of artworks from their collections and beyond – crucial visual histories, invaluable for comparative research and for studying any deterioration as a result of time or restoration.”.…MORE

Rémi Ochlik

I was in Syria in 2009, I was struck by how really friendly everyone was, it is so sad what is happening there now. That sadness is not confined to the courageous Syrian people but also to the journalists who cover the unfolding ruthlessness of the regime.

From the BJP by Olivier Laurent

“Rémi Ochlik was killed in Homs, Syria on 22 February. Friends and colleagues tell BJP what made the young photographer one of a kind – “a man who knew better than take unnecessary risks…..When Paris Match asked Rémi Ochlik and writer Alfred de Montesquiou to leave Syria as their security became an issue, the 28-year-old freelance photographer looked at his photos. “He wasn’t happy,” writes de Montesquiou. “He wanted better. He wanted images that truly showed the tragedy and the violence being waged against the Syrian people.” But before going back on his own, using a network of fixers and militants, Ochlik took an insurance policy. “He knew better than going into Syria on his own without preparing for all eventualities,” says photographer Olivier Laban-Mattei, one of Ochlik close friends and co-workers. “He knew what he was doing.”….MORE

Here is a link to an article in The Guardian that has a selection of Rémi Ochlik’s images