A Day In The Life - Studio Update

November has arrived and I can't believe we are almost face-to-face with 2012 but it's almost here. Things have been busy in the studio. I'm working on a new online store that will feature some fun illustrations and other work of mine, as well as booking portrait sessions and taking any available chance I have to indulge creativity. 

For anyone who is thinking about holiday cards with their pets, I will be posting a pet photography tutorial later this week, just in time for you to try it out this weekend! 

A few other updates:

Stay tuned for the pet photography tutorial coming later this week, and if you have anything you would like to see on my blog, leave me a comment below, thanks!

-M

How to Coach Subjects for DIY Portraits - Creative Community Series

I received some questions from readers of my blog this week on how to take portraits and the lighting in my portraits. I thought I'd share an easy tutorial on how to take natural light portraits!


How to Coach Subjects for DIY Portraits
Ditch the portrait studio, and take great photographs of your friends for their profile page, their rock band poster, or just because you’re feeling inspired!

With this easy-to-follow portrait guide, you’ll be snapping amazing portraits in no time.  Creating authentic photos with personality has never been easier with these easy coaching tips. 


SUPPLIES LIST

  •  Digital camera – either a DSLR or a point and shoot
  •  Access to natural light


You can use either your DSLR, or your point and shoot camera for this tutorial. 

STEP ONE: SELECT YOUR LOCATION

Find a complimentary background for your portraits.  The location should have soft natural light in the morning or late afternoon.  The background you select should go well with your friend’s clothing and personality.


STEP TWO: CHOOSE YOUR CAMERA SETTING

You want to be sure that you have the correct settings before you begin. Select portrait mode on your point and shoot camera.  If you have a DSLR, you can choose the same portrait setting, or select aperture priority (Av) and use a low f-stop like 2.8, to get a nice soft background. I shoot in Manual mode and use my light meter, however if you are not comfortable doing that, automatic or aperture priority is a great place to start. 

 

STEP THREE: POSITION YOUR SUBJECT

This step is where you show your friend the location and have them sit to relax for their portrait.  Sitting instead of standing will put them at ease. Ask them to face the natural light, and have them angle their body towards the camera.  


STEP FOUR: CREATE YOUR COMPOSITION

Move in closer to your subject or use your zoom to compose your image.  Try to create an interesting crop around their face for the portrait. Consider positioning their face off to one side of the photograph to add interest within the frame.  Everyone says the eyes are the window to the soul, so make sure they are in focus!


STEP FIVE: CAPTURE PERSONALITY

Everyone loves portraits that show authentic personality.  You can help coach your friend to their best portrait yet by engaging them in conversation while taking their photographs.  Ask them to do something funny or silly and then be prepared to capture the laughter afterwards.

 

EXTRA CREDIT:  Once you download your photos, open up one of your favorite images in the photo editing software on your computer.  Reduce the image color saturation. Then boost the contrast and brightness to create a timeless black & white feel to your portrait!


MORE IDEAS

  • Take the photographs from slightly above your friend for flattering and interesting angles.
  • Ask your friend to move around, act spontaneous, or do something fun for action photos.
  • Experiment with different crops of your friend’s face; focus on just their eyes or their smile. 

Download a print version PDF of this tutorial.


Have fun! Let me know if you liked this tutorial/how things worked out when you tried to take your portraits. If everyone likes this tutorial, I will post one about photographing your pets!

-Michelle

PS: Special thanks to Meg for modeling! 

5 Tips for Establishing Your Presence as an Artist - Creative Community Series

There are a few tride and true basics that can help you establish your presence as an artist who is serious about their work. 

1. Presentation - How do you present yourself to the world when you cannot do it in person? This is where your website, business cards, portfolio, bio, twitter, facebook, and previous patrons enter the picture.  All of these and more make up the presence of yourself and your work when you are not there to represent yourself.  You cannot be everywhere at once, and you never know where someone might hear about you and your work.  Put your best foot forward and make sure you've established these basics so that you have yourself covered.  More to come on presentation in another post.  Don't discount the importance of this---I can't tell you how many times I've heard about artists that do not have business cards to share, or the materials they are handing out are poorly made. 

2. Create New Work - Always create new work, even if it is just for yourself to expand your creativity and your expression of the world. As an artist it is important to constantly evolve to keep your work fresh and to expand your portfolio.  This will freshen your portfolio (presentation), breathe excitement into your passion for your craft (valuing your art), and give you the opportunity to intelligently discuss your current direction as an artist (presentation and networking). Most importantly, the world needs art and creating it is your contribution to improving the world around you. 

3. Valuing Your Art - This has less to do with pricing your work as it does how you conduct yourself and the respect you give your finished pieces.  If you believe in your work then find an avenue to show/exhibit your work. Make sure you treat the art with the utmost respect.  Finish the sides of your paintings, present your photographs in an interesting and well designed way, use quality materials, and go big or go home.  What I mean by that is, if you are submitting your work for review make sure you follow all of the instructions to the letter. If two artists each submit pieces for a juried show, and one has followed the submission instructions to the letter and the other artist drops their work off and it isn't even ready-to-hang in a gallery... well the latter says that you don't value your work, whether that was the message intended or not.  Your work should be professional, take well lit photos, and create quailty. Your work is the culmination of your creative energy, hardwork, and time, value it appropriately. 

4. Network with Artists - Get to know other artists. It is important to belong to a community of creative people. You may have experiences and knowledge that can contribute to an improved experience of others within that community.  You might also benefit from their expertise as well.  There is power in numbers which means a community may mean additional exhibit opportunities with increased exposure through the group's combined connections. But most importantly, you'll form amazing friendships.  I've met amazing artists through joining local groups and attending workshops out of town.  You never know where you might meet another creative like-minded individual who will become a great friend.  Without friends to share it with, life is pretty dull. Friendships enrich our experience and widen our perspective on the world. 

5. Give Back - Charity is important to the global community as well as our creative energy. Find a cause that is important to you and use your creative energy and talents to give back. You'll want to do your research to make sure that you are contributing to a legitimate cause. This tip isn't directly related but is one of the most important. Part of establishing your identity as an artist is knowing what you stand for and feeling confident in that knowledge. Whether it is helping someone who is local, rescuing animals, or a specific charity, giving back is a positive way to use your talent to help improve the lives of others and to create a better world for everyone. 

"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." -Albert Einstein

Be authentic. From a personal standpoint my biggest belief in life is that it is most important to be authentic to who you are and to live an authentic life. The real person behind the artist is always more interesting than a manufactured identity. Share your work and be inventive!

-Michelle