What Is Amazon Prime Day?

If you’re not familiar with Prime Day, it’s essentially a 48-hour flash sale on thousands of items from various retailers on Amazon, with the caveat being that to take advantage of them you must be an Amazon Prime member. Should you get Prime to take advantage of this? That depends, but Prime usually runs about $139 a year and depending on what you’re buying, you could offset the price easily. Even if you’re not sure, there’s a 30-day free trial you can sign up for.

What to Expect from Amazon Prime Day as a Photographer

Amazon will be adding new deals for Prime Day almost by the minute throughout the period, and many of those will be ‘Lightning Deals’. These deals are highly-discounted deals that last only for a few hours. They happen every day on Amazon anyway, but on Prime Day they are rampant and are the ones to really jump on. Basically, if you see something you want, act fast.

Of course, as with any big sale, there are a few great deals hidden in a sea of average ones, so we’re here to help you navigate through them so that you can save on things you need (or just want) for your photography hobby or business.

To get started, check out the full Camera and Photo Section of Prime Day.

What to Look Out For

Be skeptical about some of the “deals” that you see on Amazon Prime Day, as some are simply marked up in order to be discounted and some are not exclusive to Amazon.  If, for example, a camera is available on Amazon Prime Day at a discount, there’s a good chance, it’s also available at your favorite retailer for the same price.

For instance, if you take a look at the screenshot below, you’ll see that the Sony a7 III “Prime Day Deal” on Amazon is the same price as the same camera on B&H.

Of course, if you were going to buy this camera anyways, it doesn’t necessarily hurt to purchase it now and the temporary price drop could be legitimate across all retailers.

What to Buy

That said, there are still tons of great deals to take advantage of this year.  This is especially true with accessories and smaller brands in the photography industry.  Below are some of our favorites.  Note that some of them may not be available anymore by the time you click on them.

Amazon Basics Products

Amazon Basics products that you need on a shoot and in your office are great things to buy on Amazon Prime Day.  These include the following:

Amazon Basics 8-Pack Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, 2000 mAh

Amazon Basics Aluminum Light Photography Tripod Stand with Case

Memory Cards, Hard Drives & Storage

• Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB SDXC UHS-I Memory Card
• Lexar Professional 512GB CFexpress Type B Memory Card
• PNY 128GB EliteX-PRO60 UHS-II SDXC Memory Card
• Amazon Basics microSDXC Memory Card
• SanDisk 2TB Portable SSD – Up to 800MB/s, USB-C

Cameras & Lenses

• Sony Alpha A6600 Mirrorless Camera
• Panasonic LUMIX S5 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera
• GoPro HERO9 Black
• insta360 ONE X2 360 Degree Waterproof Action Camera
• Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master Full-Frame Constant-Aperture Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens

Camera Bags

• Lowepro LP36899PWW Slingshot Edge 250 AW
• PGYTECH OneGo Air 20L Camera and Drone Backpack
• Neewer 2-in-1 Convertible Wheeled Camera Backpack

Other Accessories & Misc

• ZHIYUN Weebill 2, 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilize
• eufy by Anker, HomeVac H11,Cordless Handheld Vacuum
• FLEXISPOT E1FR Height Adjustable Standing Desk
• Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 Chip
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds
• SAMSUNG 49″ Odyssey Neo G9 G95NA Gaming Monitor

Moreover, flash photography does not have to be intimidating. To help, we’ve compiled 9 helpful tips from our Lighting 101 workshop to use as your guide to flash photography, starting from how to use and operate a speedlight to full creative control of your flash.  The goal of this guide is for you to walk away with a sound understanding of flash photography that you can use to build upon with experience and practice.

Here is the outline of this camera flash guide:

1. Realize Why You Need Flash
2. Understand the Difference between TTL vs. Manual Flash
3. Learn the 5 Most Common Light Patterns
4. Choose Your Quality of Light
5. Balance Flash with Ambient Light
6. Memorize The Inverse Square Law (Flash Power)
7. Understand Bounce Flash vs. Direct Flash
8. Use Flash Modifiers
9. Understand Creative vs. Corrective White Balance

Step 1: Realize Why You Need Flash

After a certain point, natural light simply just isn’t enough. Here are 5 of our top reasons as to why you should use flash:

1. Control/Modify Light: while the sun is a powerful key light source, it can be difficult to try and modify such a large light source and flash allows you to do that.
2. Control the Amount of Light: when you’ve lost your natural sunlight there is only so much you can push your camera to retain the information in the image and this is where flash comes in to assist.
3. Control Direction of Light: we can time our shoots around sunrise and sunset but what happens when you are forced to shoot in the peak afternoon sun or late at night? Using OCF allows you to change the angle and direction of your light source freely.
4. Control the Quality of Light: for the majority of the day, the sun is a harsh light source with only a few ways to modify it to make it softer. Flash gives you the opportunity to create the exact quality of light with flash modifiers like MagMod.
5. Control the Color of Light: this is where the creativity of flash trumps the power of the sun, especially when working indoors and having to bounce your flash to combat the nasty tungsten lighting we find in most rooms.

Step 2: Understand the Difference Between TTL vs. Manual Flash

When it comes to photography as a professional, you want control amd precision. You don’t want your camera making decisions for you because it makes it hard to replicate settings, figure out how to troubleshoot, or give you creative control. Let’s understand the difference between TTL and Manual Flash:

• TTL – The flash takes a reading and makes its best guess.  The flash fires a pre-flash, which takes a measurement of the light reading, and then fires the flash at the power level that it thinks will properly expose the image. The biggest pro is that it’s automated and does the thinking for you, but it comes with a whole list of cons, which is why we prefer manually controlling our flash.
• Manual – The photographer controls the exact power.   At the end of the day, we want full control and precision. We want every one of our shots to be similar in exposure so that when we get into post-production, we can apply one set of development settings and be done.

More Information: Watch this quick minute tutorial using Manual Flash to create soft light!

Step 3: Learn the 5 Most Common Light Patterns

From left to right: Flat Lighting, Butterfly Lighting, Loop Lighting, Rembrandt Lighting, Split Lighting. For more information watch this episode of Slice of Pye.

• Flat Light: Flat lighting faces directly into the subject from the angle of the lens. Flat lighting is the least dramatic lighting pattern because it casts the least amount of shadows on the subject’s face.
• Butterfly Light: comes directly in front of and above the subject’s face. This creates shadows that are directly below the subject’s facial features.
• Loop Light: it falls right in the middle between flattering flat light to dramatic split light. Loop Light is a nice middle ground where most of the face is still in light but you still have enough shadows to bring in some definition.
• Rembrandt Light: move your key light around the subject until the shadow of the nose is touching the shadow of the face. This primarily leaves one side of the face in shadow but keeps a triangle of light on the cheekbone and eye.
• Split Light: Set up the key light 90° directly to the right or left side of the subject’s face. The line separating light and shadow will be down the middle of the nose and chin. This creates the most dramatic light and the least flattering light to use.

More Information: Read this article to better understand how to use light direction and light quality to take better portraits.

Step 4: Choose Your Quality of Light

There is no absolute right or wrong when it comes to the artistic world of photography, however, there are looks that do tend to go better for specific situations. Let’s discuss the differences between the 4 different qualities of light.

• Hard Light: A light that qualifies as soft or hard is quite simple, it is the transition from light to shadow on a subject.
• Soft Light: has a gentle transition from light to shadow.
• Diffused Light: A light that has its reflective qualities removed is called diffused light. When this light hits a subject, the reflective light does not bounce back into the camera. Showcasing a soft and diffused light quality
• Specular Light: A light that retains its reflective qualities. When this light hits a subject, the reflective light bounces back into the camera. This light has stronger highlights and stronger contrasts.

More Information: We recently did a Slice of Pye Episode on the Profoto Instagram covering this topic – you can watch the full episode here!

Step 5: Balance Flash with Ambient Light

The balancing act is simple in theory: lower flash power combined with longer shutter speeds offer a more natural look, and higher flash power with shorter shutter speeds will create something more dramatic looking.

When working with flash, your aperture will determine how much of the flash gets to the sensor. This means that if you’ve chosen a wide aperture for your desired background look, you will need less flash power to get your ideal exposure. The power of your flash is determined by your desired look and you can see on the slide from Lighting 101 above, for a natural look you’ll want to decrease flash power and brighten your ambient light exposure.

More Information: Read this article to better understand how to balance ambient exposure with flash.

6. Memorize The Inverse Square Law (Flash Power)

The Inverse Square Law states that any physical law stating that some physical quantity or strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that physical quantity.

For example, if you set up your light 1 meter away from your subject and you are getting 100% power flash hitting your subject. You move your light back 1 meter and now you’re 2 meters away. Does that mean you lost half your light, about 50%? It seems to be logical but it’s not the case. You actually lose 75% of your light.

More Information: Check out our Lighting 101 workshop to fully comprehend the Inverse Square Law!

Step 7: Understand Bounce Flash vs. Direct Flash

Bounce flash does not work in every situation, but it provides a great solution for indoor venues and locations with low, neutral or bright ceilings.

Direct flash has a very distinct purpose and looks when used correctly. Often times, amateurs point the flash straight forward because they want to fill the face with light in dark situations make the subject look like a deer in headlights. The key here is anything but subtlety. Give the flash enough power to become the main and primary light in the scene. Just watch out not to blow any highlights, especially over the skin.

More Information: Both have their intended uses however, there is almost always a better option than using direct flash so it’s important to understand when it can be used vs. when it shouldn’t be used. Here is a great example of when direct flash is appropriate.

Step 8: Use Flash Modifiers

While understanding how to use a flash is the first step, modifying it for corrective and creative control will really help perfect the shot. Our favorite flash modifiers on the market are the MagMod flash modifiers. They are great for beginners and give photographers the ability to quickly and easily modify their flash. These are our top 3 favorites:

• MagSphere: an omnidirectional flash diffuser that gives you the best looking light possible.
• MagGel: is made of silicone rubber material which holds up to 3 gels. This is great for corrective/creative white balance which you will learn about in the next section.
• MagGrid: carefully optimized beam pattern provides even light coverage and eliminates unwanted light spill, allowing photographers to capture cleaner and more consistent photographs between shots.

Besides MagMod modifiers, one of the best modifiers to have on you at all times is a shoot-through umbrella. This is a great flash modifier for soft, beautiful light no matter where you are.

Step 9: Understand Creative vs. Corrective White Balance

In photography, there is always room to bend the rules when it comes to the “correct” way to do something. Creatively speaking, there is no “perfect” way to set your White Balance. Every type of light has a color and the best way to achieve the right color in almost every situation is actually the WB setting that may seem the most intimidating and yet is actually the most simple: Kelvin White Balance.

1/2

This slide represents Kelvin White Balance settings for corrective white balance.

This slide represents Kelvin White Balance settings for creative white balance.

Take your camera inside and outside, and practice dialing the Kelvin up and down until the image looks right. In no time at all, you’ll start to remember which numbers correspond to which shooting conditions. A lot of indoor light is somewhere around 3000-4000K. Daylight is around 5000-6000K. Deep shade, or after-sunset light, is 7000K+. In no time at all, this will become second nature!

More Information: Check out our Ultimate Guide to Creative Use of White Balance.

We hope you enjoyed our Beginner’s Guide to Flash Photography! If you’ve mastered the foundation of flash photography be sure to check out our more advanced off-camera flash courses to learn creative tips and techniques to up your flash game or purchase our comprehensive Flash Photography Training System which includes Lighting 101, 201, 3, and 4!

Video | 3 Tips for Dramatic Fitness and Athletic Portraiture

What is perfect light?  Well, that’s always going to depend on the subject matter and the desired effect. In this tutorial, we are going to give you a few simple tips on how to chisel out the human body using dramatic highlights and shadows which will work perfect for athletic and fitness portraiture.

Fitness Photography Steps (The Approach)

Photographers tend to shy away from deep shadows and hard highlights but these elements can be so powerful when they are used with purpose. Even though our model is in great shape, you can see that without properly configuring our light that his body structure and features don’t show through if not lit correctly. For the image that we want to create, what we want to do is allow the light to break across our model’s body creating deep shadows and bright highlights which will reveal his muscle definition.

1. Start with One light

Even if you eventually want to create an image with a multi-light setup, always start with just one light and then figure out if you need to add additional light sources. For our shoot we started out with the Profoto B1 as our primary light that is meant to be cast over our model’s face and body.

Although we aren’t huge fans of shooting TTL, Profoto’s system features a hybrid TTL system that is quite useful – it allows you to set the camera’s settings to your desired Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO and then simply set your Profoto remote to TTL. The remote will dial in the appropriate exposure on your Profoto B1 and at that point you can switch the remote over to manual for it to retain the power settings previously decided in TTL mode. From there you can simply adjust up and down with micro-adjustments to modify the power of any of your lights in the scene.

2. Determine if an extra light is needed

After that one light is setup, target areas of the body that are lost in shadow and decide if you need to fill or if you need an additional light. Turning on your modeling light shows you exactly where your light will hit your subject. This is one of our favorite features of the Profoto B1 because it has a built in modeling light. The lack of chords and built in battery also make it extremely portable making it easy to set up 3 to 4 of these on shoots without worrying about having a generator on hand.

[REWIND: THE 3-LIGHT SETUP THAT ONLY REQUIRES ONE LIGHT]

For our second light we set up 2 additional Profoto B1’s with gridded 1X6 Profoto Stripboxes to diffuse and direct the light. These two added lights help to chisel our our model’s features, especially against the darker background where we noticed a loss of detail as the body faded into the shadows.

3. Adjust model’s post and position

Once your lights are set into their basic positions adjust your light setup by adjusting your model’s pose and position. This will have a dramatic effect over how the light is falling onto your subject. Using the exact same lighting setup we were able to create all of the following images by simply moving and adjusting their pose within the set.

Fitness Photography Editing Tips

After the fitness image is photographed, finalize and polish the photos in Lightroom and Photoshop.  Here are essential fitness photography editing tips.

Choose Between Natural and Dramatic (Stylized) Edits

For a more natural look, start by dropping contrast and raising the exposure.  You want to flatten out the shadows and highlights since natural light has a softer appeal to it. When it is more stylized that’s when we increase clarity and bring back our shadows and blacks to increase the intensity and drama in the image.

In your natural edits, focus on getting natural skin tones, which can be more challenging that other forms or portrait photography.   Why? To prep for a fitness shoot many of your subjects are going to use spray tans to build better muscle definition, which can cause skin tones to be oversaturated. On top of that you might be u lighting/strobing methods with generally harder edge lights, adding in harsh shadows and highlights.  So the first step is finding your natural skin tones.

Add Shadows, Blacks, Sharpening and Clarity in Photo Editing for Fitness Photography

Add Shadows, Blacks, Sharpening and Clarity when photo editing for fitness photography.  These can enhance certain features of the body without over-doing the image as a whole. Specific lighting adjustments like this are perfect for Lightroom to handle in an efficient and simple manner, and the best part about it is, if similar images are taken in this series, the edits can be batch synced across to make them look uniform.

This is another great example of how we can create gritty, textured images all within Lightroom just by tweaking the lighting to enhance and carve out features. Fitness Photography leans toward the high-sharpened look because of its incredible attention to detail.

Crank up the clarity and add dimension to your images so that you can see clear and defined muscles in your images. Fitness photography is all about showing off the body in the most flattering way possible and that stems from a combination of a great camera angle, impeccable lighting, and strong and dynamic editing.

Try experimenting with High-Pass filters to enhance and sharpen your image to get that gritty, textured fitness look.

Use Photoshop as Needed

The above edit needs to be taken into Photoshop for all the meticulous background retouching, something that Lightroom would probably be unable to handle. The Patch Tool in Photoshop is the perfect option for a fix like this, sampling similar areas to regenerate a cloned portion of the image.

Pulling the previous into Photoshop, we are able to make refined adjustments due to the powerful tools of the program. We can retouch with greater detail in Photoshop and not have to deal with the Lightroom’s inability to keep up with finite adjustments.

Using Liquify to Reshape Awkward Body Shapes

Fitness Photography Inspiration

Here are more fitness photography photos for your inspiration taken by Pye Jirsa.

Conclusion

In conclusion, fitness photography can be both challenging and rewarding. With the right techniques and approach, you can capture stunning images that showcase the beauty, strength, and power of the human body. Remember to experiment with different lighting, angles, and poses to create images with interest and impact. Stay flexible and open to trying new things, and don’t be afraid to take risks and push the boundaries of what is expected in fitness photography. By following the tips outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to creating images that inspire and motivate others to pursue their own fitness goals. So grab your camera, hit the gym, and start capturing the magic of fitness photography!

Thank you for entering the Atmosphere Aerosol + SLR Lounge Giveaway. The giveaway app randomly selected a single winner, and out of the 3,000+ entrants, the winner is…Shannon Schaapveld from Wisconsin! Congratulations on winning the bundle of prizes!

If you didn’t win, no worries. We’ll have another giveaway coming up soon with another great giveaway partner, so stay tuned for that!

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

If you’ve been looking for a way to boost your creativity and help your imagery stand out, we may have just the solution: fog. A small amount of fog can add a lot of depth and texture to your photos. The team at Atmosphere Aerosol has packed the magic of a movie set-quality fog machine into an aerosol can, giving you the creative tools of filmmakers in a convenient, highly portable package. To help give your photography a creative edge, Atmosphere Aerosol and SLR Lounge have joined together to give away the best canned fog “machine” on the market and a free annual pass to world-class education!

One lucky winner will receive a case of 12 cans of Atmosphere Aerosol, as well as a one-year Premium Membership from SLR Lounge. Whether you’ve been in a creative rut or you just want to keep building momentum in your photography journey, this combination of prizes will open up new levels of creativity and allow you to expand your portfolio.

The Giveaway Prizes – Atmosphere Aerosol and SLR Lounge Premium Membership

Here’s a quick look at the prizes offered in this giveaway.

Atmosphere Aerosol

Atmosphere Aerosol is used to quickly, easily and safely create a fog-like atmosphere on-the-go for photography and cinema. When sprayed in an enclosed room or area without wind, and then backlit, it enhances photos and films. Odorless, non-toxic, clear, no stain spray. The winner will receive 12 cans.

SLR Lounge Premium Membership

SLR Lounge Premium is an online training program for photographers with unlimited access to 30+ full workshops and over 1,200 videos on a variety of topics, from camera basics to advanced flash photography. An SLR Lounge Premium Membership gives you access to stream ALL of the current SLR Lounge workshops. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, we have tutorials to help you grow as a photographer. No matter your experience level, we’re confident that you’ll benefit from our large and growing library of education.

[Related Reading: Atmosphere Aerosol Company Feature | The Best Canned Fog “Machine” On The Market]

How to Enter

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. Giveaway ends May 20th, 2022.

Win Atmosphere Aerosol + SLR Lounge Premium Giveaway ($456 Value)!

Good luck!

All of the education from the guides as well as our workshops is derived from our experience at Lin and Jirsa Photography, a Los Angeles Wedding Photography Studio with over 10 years of experience and over 2,000 weddings. For comprehensive wedding photography education, be sure to check out our full workshops in our Premium.

Introduction | Why Are We Here?

Wedding receptions serve as social outlets for friends and family to celebrate the bride and groom in their new role as husband and wife. They’re also chock full of fast-paced activities that can leave you scratching your head and missing moments if you’re not adequately prepared.

Below, you will find an overview of lighting gear used to light receptions as well as ten things to look for when photographing receptions on the wedding day.

Wedding Reception Photography Lighting

Here are our favorite lighting tools, modifiers, and stands that help us create dynamic and unforgettable imagery. We’ve listed several options so that you can choose what works for your budget and style.

Lighting:

• Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT
• Yongnuo Speedlite YN600EX-RT
• Godox VING V860IIC TTL Li-Ion
• Profoto A1

CTO Gel:

• Mag Gel Holder
• Mag Gel Standard Set

Remote Trigger:

• Canon ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter
• Yongnuo Wireless Speedlite Transmitter
• Godox XProC TTL Wireless Flash Trigger
• Profoto Air Remote

Light Stand:

• Manfrotto 5001B Nano Stand
• Fovitec Photography & Video Light Stand Kit

Diffusion:

• Westcott 43” Optical White Satin
• Profoto OCF Beauty Dish
• MagBox

1. Use This Timeline Equation To Efficiently Capture Details/Decor

Wedding reception photography of the decor and details serves many purposes, not the least of which is capturing memories for the bride and groom who are often too preoccupied to appreciate them on their big day. Unfortunately, despite the vendors’ best efforts, there is usually very little time to capture them before guests are allowed into the area. Luckily, there’s a solution to help you efficiently photograph all of the decor.

For the day of the wedding, here’s a great timeline equation to consider based on how close the decor is to being ready versus how you should photograph it:

• The less complete the details are, the tighter the shot should be.

In other words, if only one or two tables are ready in the reception area, shoot close-ups of the details: Place settings, menus, cutlery, centerpieces, party favors, etc. As the details in the room start to come together, you can shoot wider until everything’s ready and you can capture the wide shot of the room. If the decor is ready when you get in to photograph it, start wide and work towards capturing close-up details. That way, you’ll be covered in case people start walking into the area.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth official Wedding Photography Guide on shooting wedding ceremony and reception details next week.

2. Add Context To The Story Of The Grand Entrance

Most wedding reception photography begins with a grand entrance, which typically includes a high-energy introduction for the parents of the bride and groom, as well as the bridal party and of course the newly married couple. Because they happen so quickly, grand entrances often prove challenging (but not impossible) to capture. The action unfolds rapidly and trying to light the moving subjects requires planning ahead.

One thing to remember while photographing a grand entrance is to tell the story of the action through the photos and capture more of the scene/environment. Simply photographing the bride and groom as they walk through the door, for example, neglects the (sometimes) hundreds of guests who are standing behind you, cheering on the wedding’s VIPs. The point is not to immortalize the moment they walked through the door, but rather to showcase the energy of the moment as the bride and groom are being fervently celebrated by family and friends.

3. Find Interesting Angles For The First & Family Dances

When it comes to capturing first & family dances, think creative photojournalism. This situation is photojournalistic in the sense that the action unfolds naturally and cue-free, but there’s plenty of room to play creatively with lighting and angles to enhance these special moments.

Throughout the dance, use medium to wide angles to show the scene/environment as well as tight or close-up angles to highlight the emotions shown in the subjects’ expressions. Also, look for objects to shoot through to add a creative element to the image, and be mindful of negative space. Sometimes, the objects you use to create a shoot through can also be used to obscure unwanted elements in the background.

As for the lighting, anticipate your angles and setup a light or two to suit your needs. See the diagram below for the wedding reception photography lighting layout featured in the image above:

As you can see in the diagram above, lights should be set high up at a top-down angle (to avoid casting shadows on your subjects’ faces) and aimed toward to center of the dance floor.

4. Capture Reaction Shots From The Bride & Groom During Toasts & Speeches

Toasts and speeches tend to be hit or miss when it comes to humor (depending on which batch of cliched jokes the speakers use), but they’re almost always emotional. During this part of the wedding reception photography evening, capturing great expressions on the subjects’ faces is key, whether you’re capturing the speaker or the reactions of the guests (or the bride and groom). This means that you will likely need (or would benefit from using) a solid 70-200mm lens so that you can cover a wider range of focal lengths.

In addition to covering the angles (wide, medium, and tight/closeup), you’ll need to consider lighting. There are several ways to light the speakers as well as the bride and groom. Check out this Minute Photography video for great wedding reception lighting tips.

5. Plan Ahead To Setup For The Cake Cutting

Like first dances and toasts, the ideal backdrop for cake cutting portion of wedding reception photography is the audience (or guests). If a coordinator or wedding planner asks, be sure to inform them of your preferred shooting direction. In cases where you are tasked with coordinating the cake cutting session, try to position the couple between you and the other guests.

Because the groom is generally taller than the bride (but not always), place the groom behind the bride when positioning the couple near the cake. As per usual, consider storytelling when capturing the action and cover wide, medium, and tight angles of the couple as they cut the cake, feed each other, make toasts, and react to the situation. Be careful not to miss moments while chimping (deleting photos) as the entire sequence can start and finish in a matter of a couple minutes.

Compositionally, use the cake as a context piece and frame the couple beside it. Secondary angles (other than tight vs. wide angles) are typically not needed for photographing the cake cutting, so second and third shooters should focus on VIPs or other guests’ reactions.

6. Focus On the Group During The Bouquet & Garter Toss

When photographing the bouquet or garter toss, the bride or groom will take center attention early on (the bride for the bouquet, the groom for the garter toss), but the focus should ultimately be on the group who’s trying to catch the flying object. The action often moves quickly, and you can’t ask for a do-over, so it helps to know what to expect and how to light the scene so that you can move into position before the moment has passed.

For these types of scenes, zoom lenses (such as a 24-70mm) work well because they allow photographers to capture both wide and tight angles of the action. Bouquet and garter tosses usually draw large groups of “single” participants, so 24mm focal length should work for capturing the entire group while the 70mm focal length will allow for closer shots of expressions, which are usually pretty funny (as illustrated in the image above).

7. Get Into The Action For Open Dancing

During the open dancing part of wedding reception photography, your best bet is to get close and in the action. A 24-70mm zoom lens should serve you well in these situations so that you’re able to capture images at a variety of focal lengths from a fairly close-up position; otherwise, a wide-angle prime lens should also work well. Regardless, we want to emphasize again to shed the shyness and get on the dance floor. Doing so will help you meet one of the biggest goals of photographing open dancing, which is making the party look fun and full of people.

Check out this Minute Photography article to learn how to capture a Dance Floor Twist!

8. Schedule time for a Sneak away Night Portrait

For the optional “sneak away” couples session, which usually happens toward the end of the reception, allocate enough time to travel around the reception site’s premises. In most cases, couples have chosen their wedding and/or reception venue based on certain aspects of architecture, landscape, or art. Keep that in mind as you location scout and find what works best for your vision of photography.

When it comes to sunset/night shots, remember that lighting may be an issue and it is your job as a photographer to be quick on your feet and realize that getting your shots should be based on quality over quantity. Focus on how much ambient light you have available and get those shots first, then see how you can add and modify lights to work with your fading light.

9. Be Aware Of Cultural Nuances

While wedding reception photography features many similar traditions across multiple cultures, including a grand entrance, first dance, speeches/toasts, and even cake cutting, there are also traditions that are unique to each culture. For example, at a Jewish wedding reception, you should expect to photograph the blessing of the challah bread as well as the hora dance. At a Chinese wedding reception, you might get to witness a Chinese Lion Dance, and it’s not uncommon for professional dancers to entertain guests at Hindu wedding receptions.

Learn how to photograph cultural weddings with the help of our Cultural Wedding Photography Guides!

10. Team Up With The Planner To Direct The Grand Exit

There are several ways for a bride and groom to exit their wedding reception and many of them are creative and grand: petal tosses, sparkler exits, and more. Depending on the type of exit the couple would like to do (information that should be finalized before the wedding day), try to coordinate with the planner to get the guests and newlyweds into position at the appropriate time, usually as the reception is wrapping up. This can be especially tricky for wedding reception photography that includes several hundred guests, so it’s best to plan ahead and begin the process in advance.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a lot of ground to cover when photographing wedding receptions. From the grand entrance on through to the grand exit, activities move quickly and require focus and anticipation in order to avoid missing moments.

You can find additional information in Photographing the Reception, a comprehensive course in our Wedding Workshop series that covers everything you need to know so that you don’t miss a moment, as well as lighting tips to make each image look amazing! Check out this course in the SLR Lounge Store or stream it as an SLR Lounge Premium Subscriber.

Thank you for entering the MagMod + SLR Lounge Giveaway. The giveaway app randomly selected a single winner, and out of the 6,000+ entrants, the winner is…Lukas Janik from Poland! Congratulations on winning the bundle of prizes!

If you didn’t win, no worries. We’ll have another giveaway coming up soon with another great giveaway partner, so stay tuned for that!

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Our friends at MagMod just released version 2 of their modifiers. These are now optimized for round-head flashes, are up to 40% lighter, have stronger magnetic attachments, and have completely redesigned gels .  To celebrate, MagMod and SLR Lounge have joined together to give away some amazing gear and world-class education!

One lucky winner will receive a MagMod bundle that includes a Professional Flash Kit 2, Pro Creative Gels, and Pro Artistic Gels, as well as a one-year Premium Membership from SLR Lounge. Wherever you’re at in your photography journey, this combination of prizes will no doubt open up new levels of creativity and allow you to expand your portfolio.

The Giveaway Prizes – MagMod Bundle and SLR Lounge Premium Membership

Here’s a quick look at the prizes offered in this giveaway.

MagMod Professional Flash Kit 2

The Professional Flash Kit 2 has everything you need to create epic images quickly and easily. Control or diffuse light like a boss with a collection of MagMod’s most popular magnetic modifiers and Pro Gels. Please note, the kit does not include a speedlight or ‘flash.’

MagMod Pro Creative Gels and Pro Artistic Gels

MagMod Pro Artistic Gels

MagMod Pro Creative Gels

Adding a dramatic pop of color to your images has never been easier thanks to MagMod’s rigid, polycarbonate Pro Gels. The new MagMod Pro Gels are redesigned to be faster and stronger than ever thanks to MagMod’s new embedded magnet design and increased strength. Add one or multiple Pro Gels into your flash modifier stack and you’re all set for fast, easy control over the color, density or hue of your flash. Combine both Pro Gels and other MagMod 2 modifiers for extreme customization of your flash setup! Please note that these products require a MagGrip.

SLR Lounge Premium Membership

SLR Lounge Premium is an online training program for photographers with unlimited access to 30+ full workshops and over 1,200 videos on a variety of topics, from camera basics to advanced flash photography. An SLR Lounge Premium Membership gives you access to stream ALL of the current SLR Lounge workshops. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, we have tutorials to help you grow as a photographer. No matter your experience level, we’re confident that you’ll benefit from our large and growing library of education.

How to Enter

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. Giveaway ends April 18th, 2022.

MagMod Bundle + SLR Lounge Premium Giveaway ($647 Value)!

Good luck!

Why Enter?

Whether you’re shooting on-location or in the studio, having high-quality, easy-to-use lighting modifiers can make a world of difference in terms of streamlining your workflow and improving the quality of your imagery. For years now, our team here at SLR Lounge has used and benefited from the innovative products  created by the MagMod team, and we’ve even featured them in our flash photography workshops. We always say that education comes first when it comes to elevating your photography, but having great gear certainly helps minimize the technical challenges for making it happen, and it can even inspire new creative directions.

The course begins by learning the fundamentals of raw image editing, but Pye quickly ramps up the complexity and teaches advanced editing techniques that simply could not be done until Adobe’s latest Lightroom update. Some of these techniques utilize automated masks, slider hacks, AI automation, and multi-level color corrections that are sure to blow your mind!

Included in This Tutorial

• 10+ Hours of Video Lessons Categorized by Specific Topic
• 49 Lessons That Build in Complexity
• 147 Exercise Images to Edit Yourself
• Pye’s Start-to-Finish Lightroom Workflow
• Mobile Shooting and Editing
• Pye’s Favorite Professional Lightroom Presets
• Instant Download: Viewable on Any Device, Anytime

You can purchase it here.

Course Overview

Here’s a list of just some of the topics that Pye covers in the new course:

• Lightroom Software Overview
• Mastering raw + jpeg image development
• Color Panels and Advanced Color Grading
• How to Build One-Click Lightroom Presets
• Creating Cohesive Imagery via Color Theory
• How to Simulate Film and Cinematic Looks
• How to Fix Common Issues Like Mixed Lighting
• Advanced Tone Curves and HDR Development
• Sky Enhancement and Replacement
• Retouching without Photoshop
• Lightroom Dodging and Burning
• Faking Flash in Post-Production
• Brenizer Effect in Lightroom
• Advanced Layered Masks via AI
• High-Speed Culling
• Batching Facial Retouch via Lightroom AI
• Optimizing Lightroom’s Speed
• Lightroom CC vs Mobile vs Classic
• Shooting + Editing with Lightroom Mobile

Engaged Learning

You’ll follow along and work through every image you see in this tutorial from start to finish. We’ve included all of the raw exercise files so you can follow along step-by-step. Practice and hands-on experience are essential to building good Lightroom habits.

Key Concepts

In addition to advanced image development techniques, here are a few more key lessons within the course.

Fast, Lightroom Retouching Workflow!?

Pye shows you how to do a multi-image Lightroom retouch in under 60 seconds. What!? Not only does he teach this technique for a single image, but Pye also shows how to batch retouch by taking advantage of the newest AI masking and selection features in Adobe Lightroom’s latest updates. With a few clicks, Pye edits eight images from the same scene, makes color adjustments, burning, and local adjustments, all in 68 seconds. That’s start-to-finish complex edits in an average of 8.5 seconds per image!

The Power of Presets

A well-designed preset can save you a huge amount of time, and when created correctly, it can work for just about any image you apply it to. Along with the purchase of this tutorial, you will receive some of Pye’s favorite “one-click” professional presets that he uses on a daily basis (and many are sold separately on his online education platform). On top of that, he will teach you the best concepts and approaches he uses when building his own presets so you too can create your own “one-click” presets that work consistently and effectively over hundreds of completely different images. Applying these lessons will help you speed up your workflow and bring a more cohesive look to your portfolio.

Faking Flash in Post-Production

When you look at this before/after image, what are your first thought? Flash was added? It was edited heavily in Photoshop with some complicated masking? Both assumptions would be wrong, but many other people probably were likely fooled as well.

Pye’s going to show you creative masking techniques that you can use to add flash (seen here), enhance skies, lift out detail, create sunflares, and more.

Re-Touching without Photoshop

When a photographer talks about “retouching an image,” most people immediately think of Adobe Photoshop. However, learning how to casually edit in Photoshop usually takes quite a bit of time, and once those edits are made, it can be nearly impossible to apply those same editing techniques to dozens or hundreds of images from the same session without having inconsistent results across each individual image. With Pye’s “retouch without Photoshop” techniques, you can clean up skin, dodge and burn, and whiten eyes and more in Lightroom without anyone ever being able to spot the difference.

On-Location Shooting + Editing

To demonstrate the power of editing when brought into the shooting process, Pye will take you on location around the streets of Charleston. Using just his phone, along with the concepts you’ve learned, he’s going to demonstrate how to capture and edit landscapes, portraits, and architecture for stunning results.

How to Purchase

This workshop is available exclusively for purchase through the Fstoppers Store and made available for SLR Lounge Premium Members.

Considering the amount of money we spend on camera bodies and lenses, it stands to reason that we should choose a high quality camera bag capable of protecting our gear. If you’ve spent time any time researching higher end packs, you already know that the best bags on the market don’t come cheap, and rightly so. Fortunately, you now have an opportunity to pick up one of the best camera packs that money can buy and it won’t cost you a thing.

We’ve teamed up with f-stop for a special giveaway to offer one lucky winner an amazing new f-stop AJNA 37L DuraDiamond Essentials Bundle, which includes a pack, camera bag insert, and rain cover. As we discovered in a recent review, these backpacks are meant for photographers who want to protect their gear under the roughest conditions. We can confidently say that f-stop has earned its place at the top with expertly crafted camera packs that use extremely durable materials, offering some of the best protection possible for your camera gear.

The AJNA 37L DuraDiamond camera pack is part of the elite Mountain Series DuraDiamond Backpacks, and the new model we’re offering in this giveaway has benefitted from one of f-stop’s biggest updates, featuring several major upgrades from the earlier version. It’s worth noting that the DuraDiamond fabric used in the AJNA is proprietary to f-stop, and it is lighter and stronger than previously used fabrics. Multiple upgrades to storage and organizational features are available, and the camera pack includes the same 20-year warranty as all f-stop Mountain Series DuraDiamond Backpacks.

[Related Reading: f-stop Backpack Review | Anja & Tilopa DuraDiamond | Rugged Quality, Redefined?]

The Giveaway Prize – f-stop AJNA 37L DuraDiamond Camera Pack (with the Essentials Bundle)

f-stop has led the field in modular packs, bags and accessories for over 15 years, and the tradition continues with the AJNA 37L DuraDiamond Camera Pack. The AJNA 37L offers ample space as well as a complete carry system with virtually endless configurations to provide your perfect solution. This giveaway bundle also includes a rain cover and your choice between the Slope – Medium or Pro – Large Camera Inserts, which you can use to carry a large camera kit that might include multiple cameras and lenses.

f-stop Anja 37L DuraDiamond Camera Pack Specifications

• BAG TYPE: Backpack / Backpacking
• GEAR ACCESS TYPE: Main compartment opens from the back
• CAPACITY: 37 Liters (Recommended up to 27 lbs / 12 kg)
• OUTER MATERIALS: DuraDiamond body fabric, Welded IP65 TPU weather proof zipper
• BUCKLE MATERIALS: Mostly Metal
• PADDING MATERIALS: Jersey laminated EVA-padded back panel, Hypalon reinforced
• COLORS: Anthracite, (Gray) Cypress Green, Magma (Orange)
• WEATHER PROOFING: Fully weather-proof exterior shell (Rain shell included)
• DIMENSIONS: 60.6 x 32.7 x 25.8 cm
• INTERIOR SPACE:
  Main Compartment: 29.5L (Pro Large ICU)
  Top: 2.5L
  Front: 3L
  Side: 2x 1.1L
• CARRY-ON (AIRPLANE OVERHEAD BIN) COMPATIBLE? Yes
• WEIGHT: 1.47 kg (2.2 lbs) (no ICU inserts; large ICU: 0.76kg/1.71lb)
• WARRANTY: 20-Year warranty, 45-day satisfaction guarantee

You can find an in-depth overview of all the specs for the AJNA 37L DuraDiamond here.

How to Enter the f-stop Anja 37L DuraDiamond Camera Pack Giveaway

You can enter using the widget below or by clicking this link. There are a total of 6 ways to enter and each entrant can gain over 20 entries if you complete all of the entry methods. Giveaway ends March 16th, 2022.

f-stop Gear AJNA 37L DuraDiamond Camera Pack Giveaway ($440 Value)!

Good luck!