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Excuse my Rant!  I just couldn't help it.  I've been noticing way too many photos lately that were mediocre but could have been enhanced with better lighting or angle.

In this video I go through a few photos that can give you ideas on how to improve your lighting.  Here are a few tips to help even more.
  • Study photographs!  There is no replacement for studying other photographer's work.
  • Try to break down how photographs were lit, position of lights & shadow
  • Change the pose or angle for a portrait to get a better result
  • Watch the lighting on TV shows or movies.  They are great at what they do (most of the time...) so pay attention!
  • Last one: keep working at it and practicing!  Most great photographs don't fall in your lap, you need to CREATE THEM!

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Comments  

 
+1 # Rick Taylor 2011-07-14 08:29
Hey Greg,
Thanks for the video. Looking forward to trying the 24 shot challenge. Thanks again for all you do.
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+1 # Clair Matthews 2011-07-14 08:43
Very informative - Thanks Greg xxx

www.daysoutwithadslr.blogspot.com
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+1 # Luis Serrano 2011-07-14 08:50
Great video....Will do the challenge....Ne w to Digital Photography.... have a D3100 for a month now....
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+2 # Guian Gomez 2011-07-14 08:54
Awesome Greg! I would take the challenge! Haha! :D Thanks for everything. Your tutorials are always awesome. Nuff said.
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+1 # Michel Antoni 2011-07-14 09:59
Nice pictures
Love your style
Great video!
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0 # Kleemy 2011-07-14 11:20
Ok, so you talked about the most challenging job in taking photos. And you did well again, thank you very much! The problem is, we all know the paramountcy of seeing the light - but I often forget it, because I´m overextended with focus, composition and all that stuff. Probably practising is the only way out, right?
BTW I missed some pictures in your samples where the light-situation has been ignored. As an instructional contrast to your photos, you know?

Keep it up, Greg, I really like your videos and you ´re doing a great favour to us.

Best regards
Olaf
http://olaf-kleemeyer.de/
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0 # Stephen 2011-07-15 00:19
Thanks greg great stuff in this video
I really like the kiss shot in the church
Great idea
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0 # Matthew 2011-07-15 07:30
[quote name="Kleemy"]
BTW I missed some pictures in your samples where the light-situation has been ignored. As an instructional contrast to your photos, you know?

Really good video and perspective. Agree that a few "counter examples" would be good for folks to see - where lighting was poor or incorrectly used.
Just found your site and really like the content and approach.
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+2 # Jeff Shapiro 2011-07-15 08:38
Greg, I love the fact that you only use a flash when necessary. As we all LOVE natural lighting but sometimes a flash as a fill is great. Jared did a shoot 5 min portrait at a bowling alley and well he didn't use a flash which I though he needed as the subjects eyes were dark and pocketed. No catch light in the eyes makes the subject look dead compared to having catch lights. Again your style, your explanations with examples is showing people the "correct" way to get the shot done right! I truly appreciate all the time you take to make these videos I really think people don't realize how time consuming shooting, editing and posting your videos. I am constantly learning and growing as a photographer thanks to you! Kudos to you!
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+1 # ken 2011-07-15 09:26
Greg, great video. Very informative. Im not into portraits that much and I like only natural light, but I like your work and thank you for sharing with us.
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+1 # Dima 2011-07-15 12:29
Thank you Greg, very informative. Will try doing the challenge this weekend.
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+1 # George 2011-07-15 15:22
Hey Greg

Wonderful, as always, info in your latest video. I have turned off my image replay on my camera and am going to a farmers market tomorrow and am going to shoot many (hopefully) wonderful things.
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+1 # Gary Thursby 2011-07-15 20:51
Thanks sooooooo much for this video Greg! I believe your right about seeing the light and understand where the "sun" is placed in an image. I always try challenge myself all day at work to look at different scenes and try and see the light. Hey it will be easy for me to do your challenge Greg I will just use my F100! HEHE! You can really tell G that you have a very deep understanding of phototgraphy and it shows in your portfolio and videos G! In The Art of Photography book I have been reading it talks alot about light how to control it, understand it, and use it to create the photo you want. LOL it also says alot of beginning photogs use very high contrast images to cover up the fact they do not understand light. They just want people to say ooh to the pic cause it looks snappy. If you understand light you know high contrast images are not ALWAYS right for the image. Just love that b&w baby photo and its low contrast!!! Can't wait to see ya in Vegas and pick your brain G!
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0 # Lauren Bradshaw 2011-07-16 20:10
Another great, informative tutorial. I am going to go watch it again!
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0 # Don VJ 2011-07-17 11:15
Greg,
This is what I keep over-looking in my compositions! I really appreciate this tutorial.
I am a noob in photography, I study hard, and I have known lighting is important. But it didn't really 'get it' until now, and now I am racing back through tons of photos... "That's it!...That's why it is 'just another photo'!"

I have a rant...you should 'RANT MORE'!!

Thanks again.

Don
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+1 # Jarek 2011-07-17 11:44
Hi Greg!
Thanks for very informative tutorial. Keep up the good work and keep sharing the knowledge you've got!
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+6 # Gregory Cazillo 2011-07-17 13:04
Quoting Dave:
Don't know why you keep saying "great image" looking through your shots, they aren't. Self praise is no praise! Your not Jared Polin, nowhere near!


hahaha! Your funny :( Where do you think he got his wedding photo ideas? Who did he learn from in college when he couldn't do studio work? ME!
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+1 # Christina 2011-07-17 13:31
Great video(s)! Really love how you explain most things in detail to really understand them. Can't wait for more video's. Also, really enjoyed watching you out shooting. You should definitely do more of them :)
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0 # Ved Prakash Upadhyay 2011-07-20 23:16
Great stuff again Greg! Thanks for sharing. Keep them coming!
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+1 # Kamal Chugani 2011-10-29 08:14
Very Good video. What I like is the way you explain things with so much patience and the way you cover a topic, be it the smallest of things.
Best wishes.
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0 # Patrick 2012-03-06 15:47
In the video you told us that an high key photo is a photo with a white background. This is not true. A high key photo is a photo with mostly (90%) light tones and 10% dark tones. It is a misunderstandin g to think that high key photo is what you mostly see on the internet. Blown out or white backgrounds.
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0 # Gregory Cazillo 2012-03-07 09:07
I'd love to know where you got that definition because I've never heard it before. High key doesn't have to be studio. Your definition makes it sound like if I took a photo of someone wearing all black clothing on a bright background then it wouldn't be high key, but in fact it would because of the scene its in not the overall tones of the entire image.
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0 # Mark 2012-05-31 10:18
Cazillo, your videos are nice, lots os explanations, I am a beginner and I do photos for hobby, I'd like to ask you a thing that I do not understand, The camera light meter sees a reflected light, my question is, does the camera read the light always in the center of the lens ? or does it follow the red square focus?
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0 # Gregory Cazillo 2012-06-01 09:37
I'm working on an exposure video to explain all that stuff in detail. Most cameras have spot metering that follows the focus points. You also have center weighted which is a portion of the center of the viewfinder and matrix (or evaluative in Canon) that examines the entire scene.
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0 # Mark 2012-12-16 01:09
Thanks, Greg! Though I already put seeing-the-ligh t principles into practice, it's always good to hear another photographer's perspective and pick up a few tips in the process.
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0 # Sakongpeii 2012-12-18 11:42
Hi Greg,t hanks for the video. Own a nikon D3000.going to upgrade to a D7000 soon.am going to take that 24 shot challenge. Thanks again..
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0 # Mohamed elsayed 2013-06-13 21:03
if you please what is HDR mean
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0 # Debbie 2013-07-14 00:12
Great videos, been watching them all night. You explain things very well. Thanks.
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