by Reed Hoffmann | Mar 30, 2012 | Advanced, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, Light, People
Last week I shot some high school senior portraits for a friend’s daughter. As always, the three words “Subject, Light, Background” ruled what I did during the shoot. I already had my subject, so I needed to find good backgrounds and think about how I would use the...
by Reed Hoffmann | Feb 14, 2012 | Beginner, Composition, Exposure, Intermediate, Lenses, People
Every workshop I teach, I preach “Subject, Light, Background.” Remembering those three simple words – thinking about them – will almost always improve your pictures. And they often help each other, so working on one can usually improve the others. Recently I was...
by Reed Hoffmann | Jan 15, 2012 | Beginner, Exposure, Flash, Intermediate, People
I was on the road teaching a workshop last week, and part of it involved giving a little how-to on the basics of off-camera flash. The group was amazed at how easy it is. That’s true now, but it wasn’t always that way. Back in the old days (pre-2004), getting...
by Reed Hoffmann | Nov 14, 2011 | Advanced, Beginner, Camera Gear, Exposure, Intermediate, Light, People
As someone who loves taking pictures, I try to have a camera whenever possible. It’s not always convenient to carry an SLR, though, and point-and-shoots can be disappointing. So I was happy to hear that Nikon was entering the “small camera with larger...
by Reed Hoffmann | Sep 20, 2011 | Advanced, Camera Gear, Flash, People
One of my favorite accessories when doing flash photography is a VALS – Voice Activated Light Stand. In other words, a person you can direct to put a light where you need it. Recently my wife Sharon played this role for me, and is just one of the many reasons I...
by Reed Hoffmann | Aug 2, 2011 | Advanced, Beginner, Composition, Education, Intermediate, People, Travel
Earlier this month I was able to attend the New England Camera Clubs Council annual conference, in Amherst, MA. I’d heard good things about it for years, and was pleased to find it lived up to its reputation. If you have a chance, you should really try to...
