I decided to create a list of some past blog posts that I created for Holiday Portraits. I wanted to put them all in one place to make it easier to locate…so you can spend less time searching and have more time Taking Pictures!

Enjoy!

Tip #1

Here is a Digital Background Portrait Idea For The Holidays.

This can be done with or without using a Digital Background or Digital Prop when creating this portrait. The Holidays are the busiest time for most Photography Studios and….Read More Here!

Tip #2

The Holiday’s are one of the busiest times for portrait photographers and their businesses. That’s why you need to take advantage for these busy times and be creative in your sessions.

I wanted to share 5 new portraits we just created for…Read More Here!

Tip #3

I received an email the other day asking about Holiday Portrait Ideas for families and small groups. So…I wanted to share some portrait ideas and posing tips to help you create Amazing Shots this Holiday Season.

Here’s a portrait we just created…..Read More Here!

Tip #4

In this post I wanted to show you how one of our  Digital Creations Club Members created (3) Studio Portraits with just (1) shot. This is why Digital Backgrounds and Props are so Amazing and so….Read More Here!

Tip #5

Here’s a few shots that Becky VanPeeren posted from our Digital Creation’s Club. She did a great job creating these portraits and took the time to plan before the actual shot. This made the final image look flawless and….Read More Here!

[VIDEO] Creating Holiday Portraits That SELL – How To Lesson

Tip #6

This video lesson was never posted on the blog…but I sent it out to our NPB Subscribers and students. I wanted to include it here inside this tips guide to help with your Digital Cut Outs and see me actually take you through every step in creating these portraits.

Click Here to Watch!

Here’s a portrait we just created for our Digital Creation’s Club and it’s called “Home For The Holidays”. Remember what I said before? You should always name your sets and themes that you advertise.  Go ahead and swipe our new name “Home For The Holidays”

Pic #1 – Home For The Holidays Theme (Family Pose)

Posing Tip: Try to always group subjects tight together avoiding gaps. Use the children as bookends to complete the pose.

Pic #2 – “Home For The Holidays Theme (Children Posing)

Posing Tip: Have the children look at a present or a book. This will help create a more natural pose and the parents will love it!

Pic #3 – Presents By The Tree Theme (Children Posing)

Posing Tip: Have your subjects touch hands and lightly touch heads. This will create a sense of closeness and bring the image together.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a great portrait. It can be a certain pose or a new portrait idea that inspired you to create a unique shot.

Feel Free to study these images and swipe these ideas to use in your own photography sessions.

The lesson here is to take a little time to plan for your session and it makes things a lot easier in post edit. This shot wasn’t shot in a studio or with any over the top lighting set up. She has a well exposed image shot against a white wall. Sweet and simple

Enjoy!

Shooting TIP: Try to leave at least 4 ft between your subject and your background or backdrop anytime your photographing a subject. This will help reduce harsh shadows and allow some separation.

One last thing…Beck used our Elegant Velvet Parlor Digital Creation set from our Digital Creation’s Club.

Have fun and Happy Shooting

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UPDATE: So many people wanted to know the lighting set up…so I emailed Becky and asked what she used.

I put together a little diagram from what she told me. It’s like I said…pretty basic, but she received well exposed images to cut out in Photoshop. In the end…she created Amazing Portraits!

She even said this was her first attempt after joining our Digital Creation’s Club.

Here’s what she said:

These were actually some of my first portraits I made using digital backgrounds. I never even used photoshop, till I found you that is, because it was all so overwhelming. Everything I did to these pictures was learned from your videos!!!

So..I guess you can tell people that they really don’t need over the top lighting set ups to achieve beautiful portraits.

Again thank you so much for choosing my portraits, you really made my day!!!
Becky

I know how hard it is sometimes to be creative and I thought these new portraits we just created could inspire you.

We received a lot of emails from our Digital Creations Club members asking us to create some new themes for Valentine’s Day. That’s basically what they pay us to do…be creative for them

If you study these portraits, you can see that they’re simple…but very creative. That’s what people want when they hire you as a photographer to take pictures of their kids, families or pets. They want to have you be the professional and have great ideas.

Portrait #1

Sweet Little Surprise

Here’s the components for this shot:

1. Rose Colored Canvas Background

2. Floral Suitcase

3. Long-Stem Rose

4. Pearl Necklace

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Portrait#2

Valentine Basket Set

Here’s the components for this shot:

1. 6′ x 12′ White Vinyl Background

2. Tall Wicker Basket – We create a pink and red one for this set.

3. Felt Hearts Glued To Basket

4. Heart Overlay Applied To background (Optional)

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Portrait#3

Valentine Bag Set

Here’s the components for this shot:

1. 6′ x 12′ White Vinyl Background

2. Various Sizes For Bags

3. Tissue Paper For bags

4. Plastic Hearts Scattered On Floor

5. Heart Overlay Applied To background (Optional)

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Portrait#4

“Made With Love”

Here’s the components for this shot:

1. 10′ x 15′ Tan Muslin Background

2. Large Burlap Hearts

3. Felt Hearts Glued To Burlap

4. Close-Pins

5. (Optional) Paper Hearts For Subject To Create Their Own

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Portrait#5

“My Love Letter Box”

Here’s the components for this shot:

1. 10′ x 15′ Tan Muslin Background

2. Heavy Cardboard Letter Box

3. Plastic Hearts For Floor

4. (Optional) Tan Vignette Overlay

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So…there you have it!

We created 5 portraits that are simple to produce, but are very creative. Whether you use Digital Backgrounds in your business or not, you can easily create these for your business.

Of course…if you’re not a Digital Creations Club member and you want these done for you…check out our NPB club here!

I hope these portraits have inspired you to add new fresh ideas to your portfolio. Remember, it’s about being creative that will get you noticed and sometimes we need other Photographers to help us do that

I would love to hear what you think about these portraits. Post a comment below!

Click the “LIKE” button to spread the “Love“

Happy Shooting!

(Press Play Below)

This video is a recording of a “Live” Webinar Joe Marshall and I recently  did were we answered Photography Business questions that were submitted from some of our NPB students and subscribers.

We did this Photography Webinar to answer these questions, so not just one, but many people could benefit from them.

Here’s some of the questions that were submitted and we answered on the Photography Business Webinar.

• 1. How do I get my black background to not look washed out?
• 2.I use a light meter, but my pictures are still coming out under or over exposed.
• 3. What size studio do I need? Do I need one?
• 4. How do I get more clients on a budget?
• 5. How to get a clear shot if my model is moving?
• 6.What Photography Niche Is best to create a business around?
• 7. Do I need to change my custom white balance in the studio if I change lenses?

If you enjoyed this “Webinar”, leave us a comment below and let us know what you learned from it.

Make sure to click the “LIKE” button below and show us a little love

This was a picture shot by one of our EZ Flash Photography students and wanted some tips on how to make it a better portrait. So, we decided to create a video going over some simple changes to make it better.

When taking family portraits it can be challenging getting everyone posed properly to create an even exposure. Joe points out that adding just one simple light in back of the camera can make a HUGE difference.

Watch the video below and we’ll go over other important things, like clothing, posing and the triangle stacking method.

Click the play button below to watch this lesson.

Check out The EzFlashPhotography workshop…HERE!

Let’s face it, when you’re first starting out in the photography business you have wonderful dreams of owning all the ‘best’ equipment but your budget dictates just how much money you can put towards it. You already know that if you don’t have light, you simply cannot make a photo so let’s see what you can do as a starting photographer to produce well lit images.

In this series of articles we’ll be delving into identifying what your light sources are and how to use them effectively. Natural light has been around from the beginning of time and will always be an available free resource as long as it exists. Here are some basics on natural light that you might want to consider.

Using Free Light

Many people start out by using what available light there is and one absolutely free source of great lighting in nature is the sun. Even on a rainy or cloudy day, this light is wonderful to shoot with because the clouds become a great diffuser creating more even lighting with less shadows.

Avoid Direct Sun

At times the bright sun can become your enemy and produce harsh shadows, squinted eyes and blown out details. I suggest you find yourself a shady spot and use the more diffused light from the shade to light your subject more evenly. Shooting at the right time of the day, the golden hours (either one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset), produces incredibly stunning images.

Using Window Light

Window light is another great source to take advantage of. As long as the bright sun is not coming through the window, you have another diffused lighting situation. Using window light can produce some amazingly powerful effects that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Create A Softer Light

You can also add a white  light weight sheet over the window to create a large soft light. This works just like a studio “soft box” that most studios own and use on a daily basis. We will talk more about them in a future post.

We will check out what readily available artificial light sources you have on hand that you can use to take your photography business up a notch. It can help you decide where you need to invest your hard earned dollars. For now you can use these techniques above and  receive great results that look  professional.

Until next time, happy shooting!

What we will focus on here is mostly the immediate family that usually consists of between two and six people. Here are a few Digital Photography Tips For Great Family Portraits to remember when working with families:

Tip #1 Make them Comfortable

It is difficult to get great expressions on faces when people are straining to maintain a certain pose. It’s important to make every effort to pose the family in a way that will give you the best opportunity to capture their best ‘side.’

Tip # 2 Watch your Composition

Part of the challenge of family portraits is to compose your shot in a way that will draw the viewer into and around the photograph in a pleasing way. Pose family members in triangles. The natural flow of the portrait will then allow the viewer to see each family member in an easy and progressive manner.

Tip # 3 Using Props

Using a big wing-backed chair with mom or dad sitting in the chair and the rest of the family members posed around it always makes a great shot. Using park benches, trees, rocks, fireplaces, stools and even the ground or floor are all good ideas to help you capture that unique shot. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination and creativity!

Tip # 4 Dressing Similar

This should be discussed before the family shoot is to take place. It will save you a lot of headache if all the family members are dressed in complimenting styles and colors. Strips, polka dots, clashing colors and printed clothing can give you a disconcerting and uneasy feel to a photo. We want to produce a photo that will convey the harmony and love between family members and draw the viewer to the faces; not be distracted by clothing that is outlandish or clashing.

Tip # 5 Watch the Lighting

If you are shooting in a studio, make sure you have your lights set up to enable every person’s face to be clearly seen. Although shadows can add intensity and interest, make sure it is balanced properly. Taking family photos outside can present a whole new set of  challenges.

Shooting at the golden hour of the day (one hour before the sun goes down) is an option that will give you wonderful lighting conditions. Once again, it is of prime importance that all family member’s faces can be clearly seen.

Taking family portraits can present some very interesting challenges. You, as the photographer, have the opportunity to capture the very character and intimacy of the family unit. It takes planning and practice to create a stunning portrait that will become a  treasured family memory for years to come.

Happy shooting!