Chances are, when you first picked up your camera, you had it set to Auto. Auto does the heavy lifting, it decides the exposure, focus and white balance, and you just get your shot, right? It's simple, and easy. You actually could keep shooting like that, if you prefer. There's no rule saying you have to do anything other than what you want to do (despite the title of my post). BUT if you want to take it to the next level, you need to start shooting manual. Let me explain why. Une[...]
Last fall, I participated in my first styled shoot. It took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I got a lot of great images out of it. A styled shoot is a a photoshoot that you are paying to participate in. The organizer finds a scenic location, dresses, models, makeup artists, florist, and anything else needed to make a perfect scene for a photographer to shoot. Fun fact: Many of the photos in bridal magazines are styled shoots. After the shoot, the organizer or photographer submit[...]