Yearly Archives: 2016

Portrait Lighting – Part 4 – Understanding Facial Characteristics

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It is a fact that about 80% of individuals do not like they way they look when having a portrait created of them.  Most do not realize that their issues are subconscious.  Why subconscious you ask?  Simple, when you look at a photograph of yourself you are seeing what everyone else see when they look at you, not the inverted image of yourself you are use to looking at everyday in the mirror.  Think about it, if you have a part in your hair it may look to you that it is on your right in the mirror, but everyone else … Continue reading →

Portrait Lighting – Part 3 – Understanding Light Patterns

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In creating strong portraits of people photographers define their subjects by using light patterns….     SHORT (narrow) Short Light is the most popular lighting pattern used by portrait photographers. The light falls primarily on the side of the face that is furthest from the camera’s viewpoint.  It has adopted the nickname “narrow” because it narrows/thins faces.       BROAD Broad Lighting patters are used generally to widen thin faces because light falls primarily on the side of the face that is closest to the camera’s viewpoint.  Broad Light is primarily a masculine light style.       SPLIT … Continue reading →

Portrait Lighting – Part 2 – Understanding Functions of Light

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There are so many names for light that one could easily get lost.  We have a Main source, which some prefer to call the Key, Modeling or even the Contrast Light.  Then there is a Fill source, which is also referred to as Supporting or Base.  There are background , Hair, and Accent which have a multitude of names such as Rim, Kicker, Back or Pencil.  But what do these source styles really do and how do we use them? MAIN LIGHT (Key/Modeling/Contrast) The Main is normally the strong or broad light source such as the sun, or in a studio … Continue reading →

Portrait Lighting – Part 1 – Understanding Light Ratio

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Photographers use light to create definition in the subjects/objects we photograph.  Generally speaking, whether you are creating a portrait of people or photographing a still life, you need a solid understanding of light ratio in order to properly light your subject matter; we use shadow as a definition tool for lighter subjects/objects and highlights to define darker subjects/objects  One could say that photographers use light similarly as a make-up artist will use make-up on their subjects to define their faces. Light Ratio Photography is defined as painting with light. So, obviously light is light, but it is all about what … Continue reading →

Imaging Sensors: Full Frame vs APS-C (Crop Frame)

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Steven Sasson was the pioneer and driving force in the development of both the digital camera and the DSLR.   He invented the first digital camera while working for Eastman Kodak in 1975. Seen below is Sasson’s first generation digital camera, as you can see,  it was quite large and weighed approximately 8 pounds. Not exactly as portable as today’s digital point and shoots or DSLRs. In 1989 along with Robert Hill, Sasson created the Kodak ECAM D5000. It was the first version of the modern day DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. The digital imaging (capture) sensor Sasson developed replaced film which ultimately changed … Continue reading →

Bokeh: Understanding Lenses – Part 3

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The first two installments of this three part series discuss types of lenses; explain focal length, background perspective, depth of field, and how to purposely throw your background out of focus. If you follow conversations on online photo boards you have probably heard threads discussing bokeh. But what is Bokeh and how can you create it? First of all, Bokeh is a Japanese term. It is used to describe the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. All lenses are capable of creating bokeh of some sort. Furthermore, the best examples are created using prime lenses with larger apertures, like f/1.4 … Continue reading →

Depth of Field: Understanding Lenses – Part 2

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Part 1 of this series explains how the focal length of lenses control depth of field and background perspective.How does this apply to the photographs you want to create?  Once you master controlling your depth of field you will be able to control what is in focus; you can purposely throw your background out of focus so only your subject(s) are in focus or you can choose to have your background in focus to include it in your portrait to compliment your subject(s).   A portrait, by definition, is a portrayal; to depict, written or visually an image or group of images … Continue reading →

Lenses – Understanding How They Work – Part I

As technology continues to advance DSLR camera bodies have a shorter useful life as, on average, most photo enthusiast and professionals upgrade their camera bodies every two years. Lenses on the other hand, if properly maintained, having a lifespan approximately 20 years, have more longevity. How does this translates to you the consumer? As long as you maintain your loyalty to a specific camera brand your lenses can be used with all compatible camera bodies. Your optics are ultimately most important, the better quality the lens, the better quality your images. With this in mind, it would be wise for you to invest in the best … Continue reading →

Meet the Nikon D500 at Larmon Photo

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  Visit LarmonPhoto.com today and check out the new DX flagship, the Nikon D500. Although this DSLR camera doesn’t appear to be more impressive than previous DX models, it certainly is loaded with processing power and technological advances. The D500 not only captures 10 images per second with the EXPEED 5 processor, but its Multi-CAM 20K autofocus system offers you 153 autofocus points including 99 cross type points.  The Nikon D500 captures video in 4K UHD, and has a high resolution tilt touchscreen display.  Built for today’s mobile photographer, the D500 has built-in SnapBridge (Wi-Fi® + Bluetooth) capabilities.. As always lenses are key to creating superlative images. … Continue reading →

Canon EOS 80D – Coming Soon to Larmon Photo

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If you are a fan of Canon, mark your calendar for Saturday March 12th because you are going to love the newest member of their EOS line, which will be available for purchase at Larmon Photo. Introducing the Canon EOS 80D. The powerful DSLR boasts a resolution of 24.2 effective megapixels. To say the EOS 80D is innovative would be an understatement.  The 80D has modestly impressive speed, instinctive controls, and my favorite feature is Wi-Fi. A responsive camera with a 45 point all cross-type Auto Focus and able to capture video at 7fps. Canon’s 80D was designed with the photographer in mind; it … Continue reading →