Top Tips For The Beginner Photographer

I've been a photographer for a little over a year now and I feel like I've come a long way from where I started. However, I know I still have A LOT to learn as. In this blog post I would like to share with you the resources I've found to be the most essential in helping me grow as a beginner photographer. I've divided the sections into shooting tips, post-processing tips for Lightroom, and then bonus tips. If after reading this post you have any questions regarding any of these tips or if you have any tips that have helped you grow, leave me a comment!

Lightroom Keyboard Shortcut Tool

I was scrolling through Facebook today and stumbled upon this helpful website. Here's a link to an awesome website that has a virtual keyboard with all of the shortcuts in Lightroom.

Do You Have G.A.S.?

G.A.S. is the worst. Every photographer has had it, and if they haven't, they will at some point in their life. I remember getting it after I visited a local camera shop close by my house. So what is G.A.S.? G.A.S. stands for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Basically it's when you think you need a piece of gear even though in reality you just think you need it. This can apply to anything though. A person can think they need a new iPhone 6s, but they just want it. Honestly, I'm just now starting to get over this syndrome.

5 Things I Always Have In My Camera Bag

Let me start of by saying that I'm a gear nerd. I'm constantly looking at gear online and reading what others have to say. Before I buy any piece of equipment, I generally research and compare products for weeks so I know that I'm getting the best piece of gear that will help me accomplish the job at hand. Also, please understand that I am a college kid and the price of an item plays a big role in my purchasing decision. However, I believe that the 5 items listed below give you the most bang for your buck in terms of price versus quality, and I highly recommend purchasing all of them at some point in your photography career.

How I Shot It: The Purge Edition

I love using speedlights. They're easy to set up, easy to adjust, and they produce awesome light in a very affordable package. In this post I wanted to share with you how I shot one of my current photos of my friend, Will using two speedlights.

Ultra-Wide Angle Lenses For Lifestyle Photography: My Thoughts

Let me start off by saying that I never thought I would want a wide angle lens. Like many photographers, I fell in love with the creamy bokeh of a fast prime lens the second after I shot my first portrait session. I loved throwing the background completely out of focus and isolating my subject in the frame. However, I think I've found an exception to my preference: the ultra wide angle lens.

The BEST Light Modifier EVER

I just wanted to take a moment to proclaim my love for one of the most affordable light modifiers known to photographers: the reflector. This piece of equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, but they all do the same thing: they bounce light on to your subject to fill in the shadows created by your key light. This blog post will be dedicated to looking at the positive and negative things about reflectors as well as the impact that a reflector can have on your shots.