This poses a unique challenge: “How can we market our business if we can’t show what we do?” On top of that, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have strict guidelines about what they consider “sexual content,” which further complicates our marketing efforts. So what do we do? How do we get our work in front of our ideal clients?

For all genres, but especially for boudoir, your marketing strategy should focus on these key elements: helping your clients get to know you so they can trust you, while also complying with social media rules. If we don’t follow the rules, we could lose our social media accounts, a fate that has befallen many in our industry.

Building Trust in Boudoir Photography

We’ve all had that client who absolutely rocks her shoot but decided not to share any of her photos. Yes, it’s disappointing, but pretty common. Obviously you need to respect your client’s wish, but here are a few things you can do to increase the chances of having images you can share and use in your boudoir photography marketing materials.

Capture Anonymous, Faceless Photos

Of course we still want to show images with a face, and showing emotion and connection, but women are much more likely to allow you to share images that don’t show her face or identity.  Make sure you add those anonymous and detail shots into your shoot flow.  I only ask about sharing images at the ordering session and only after they have chosen their images.  Then I ask “which images can I share”, instead of asking “can I share your images”. This way you go through their session, and she can choose which images she is ok with you sharing.  It is very rare to have a boudoir client be ok with you sharing all of their photos, but 95% of clients will let you share some. Especially if you are making sure to add those detail and anonymous shots in their selection.

Ask for In-Studio Only Permission

You can also ask if you can share “in studio” only…some women don’t want you to share online but are totally fine with you showing women that come in your studio. Make sure to ask, and of course, always have them sign an image release.

Navigating Social Media Guidelines

Compliance is crucial with social media boudoir photography marketing. Even if a client gives you the go-ahead to share their nude photos, posting them on social media can get you shut down. Best advice? Follow the rules when posting, and if you are running ads and you want them to get approved, don’t show traditionally “boudoir-ish” images. You can use images of your boudoir studio, images of you, or more “beauty” images, with not too much skin showing.

10 Proven Boudoir Photography Marketing Strategies

So yes, we have unique challenges, but how do you actually find clients? And how can you set yourself up to be booked solid, so you don’t have to worry where your next booking is coming from?

If you are struggling to find clients right now, let’s dive into my top 10 proven and actionable strategies for finding and booking boudoir clients, as well as that BIG mistake you are probably making that is affecting your ability to get booked…and how to fix it).

#10 Content Crafting For Your Target Market

Most businesses don’t pay enough attention to this. They post a recent photo with hardly an explanation and expect clients to flood to their DMs.

A big way to market any business is putting out free content, whether that is on social media, your website, your emails or other platforms.

Most photographers don’t give much thought about what they post, or they are posting for photographers and not for finding clients. Before you post anything you must know who you are talking to so that what you post will resonate with the exact client you want to work with.

For example, a meme you think is funny, but is something that would appeal more to your friend group, or maybe someone much younger than your ideal client, is something you should avoid posting. Your content needs to help your perfect client get to know you better, so they can decide if they can trust you.

You can post boudoir images for sure, but if your client is a mom in her mid- 40’s, posting images of models in their 20’s will not help your client feel like you are the photographer for her.

#9 Private Facebook Group

If you haven’t yet set up a group for past and potential clients, you are missing out. It’s still an excellent platform for connecting and sharing content that appeals to your ideal client.

A private group is especially useful as a boudoir photographer because women will feel more comfortable posting about their experience and their images there. You can ask past clients to invite their friends, who are usually just like them, so they are probably also your ideal client. Again, keep in mind what you post in this group, with your client in mind.

#8 Voice Memos for Direct Messages

This is an easy yet overlooked strategy. I always encourage people to send me PMs or DMs, because when they do, I respond with a voice message. It’s much more personal and easier than typing, or getting on the phone, and people love it! It’s a great way to turn an inquiry into a client because people will trust you more just by hearing your voice. And remember, if they get to know, like and trust you they are more likely to book.

#7 Gift Vouchers

Instead of offering free shoots to build your portfolio, give a voucher with a dollar value. For the first 18 months, the majority of my sessions were voucher shoots- I gave them out everywhere.

Give a voucher worth the cost of a certain number of images on your price list. For example if you want to use images for your portfolio, and your lowest collection is $1200, give a voucher for that amount, with the understanding that you are allowed to use the images for boudoir photography marketing.

If you just want to use a voucher to get people in front of your camera, do a lower amount which means people need to spend some money with you. This way you won’t require people to sign an image release.

Think of a voucher like a gift certificate that they can apply to their invoice. The idea is if you are showing them 30+ beautiful images they will (hopefully) want to buy more than what the voucher covers.

#6 Expos & Shows

Invest in securing a booth at a local event or even a large-scale international bridal or women’s show. The objective should be to introduce yourself to a new audience and convert them into followers. I bring a heap of vouchers to these events and I also run a giveaway to generate interest. However, the ultimate goal is to collect as many email addresses as possible. This allows me to nurture these new leads, helping them get familiar with who I am and build that essential “know, like and trust” relationships. Are you seeing a theme here?

#5 Run A Sale

Here is another strategy to boost your revenue and fill up your calendar: run a special promotion.
I have a specific approach for executing these promos. Basically, you slash the cost of your session fee and throw in a few enticing bonuses upon making a purchase. For instance, I offer a $99 deal that provides the client with bonuses of $1500, with purchase, all for just $99.

It’s an absolute bargain for them, and these promos, when set up properly, consistently rake in significant profits for me. The biggest sale I ran generated over $80,000 in sales and booked my calendar for months. One of my students used my strategy for running a Black Friday sale and managed to book her calendar for 7 months in advance.

These sales are effective when executed with a plan. I have a mini-course that walks you through the steps to make your next sale profitable.

#4 Client Testimonials

Testimonials are essential, especially for boudoir photographers. Social proof in the form of testimonials can be a powerful tool.

Remember about the trust factor? A boudoir shoot is usually outside of the comfort zone of your client, so having some words from another woman is a great way to help your potential clients trust you.

People want to hear from other people just like them.

Ask specific questions to get meaningful quotes from your clients and share them across all your platforms.

#3 Before & Afters / Transformations

Much like testimonials, before-and-after photos serve as a form of social proof, and build trust.

Transformation images are particularly effective in the boudoir photography niche. Many women often doubt that they can look as stunning as the polished images they see from your portfolio. However, if they see a “before” picture of an everyday woman that looks just like her, and then sees their “after” shot, suddenly it becomes more relatable. They start to think “if she can look like that, then maybe I can too!”

This approach dispels their concerns and, once again, we are building another layer of trust between you and your potential clients.

#2 A Lead Magnet + Regular Emails

A lead magnet is a free offering you provide to your target audience.  It’s something they will find useful, for example a guide on “How to take a sexy selfie” or a “lingerie shopping guide”.

In return for this valuable freebie, they give you their email address. They get something they enjoy or find useful, and you get a way to stay in touch with them.

You’ll use this email list to send out regular communications, aiming to build that relationship based on trust, familiarity, and likability. The goal is that your emails are so engaging, and your lead magnet so valuable, that they will want to book a session with you.

If this sounds like a lot, you will be happy to know you can set it all up to run on auto pilot using an email provider, like Flodesk or Mailchimp. If you want help, I have a mini course on how to do that step-by-step, so it runs on its own, continually nurturing those leads and converting them into clients.

Lastly, one of the most effective yet often overlooked strategies for securing your ideal client is something you’re probably neglecting. This is that big mistake, and it’s sabotaging your boudoir photography marketing efforts and costing you bookings.

#1 The Art of Following Up

A lot of photographers drop the ball after sending an initial email in response to an inquiry.

If this is you, don’t feel bad- I did it too.

If someone is reaching out to you, that is a warm lead. They showed enough interest to contact you but then got sidetracked-maybe life got in the way or your reply email got lost in their spam folder.

You should be doubling down on these leads to really maximize your boudoir photography marketing. The common misconception is that you’re “annoying” or “bothering” potential clients by following up. But real talk here; they initiated contact, so it’s totally fine to message them again.

I recommend following up six times. If there’s still radio silence after that, only then do I consider them a dead lead. More often than not, they are grateful for the nudge and end up booking a session.

Don’t sleep on this. Implement a system where you follow up every few days until they either book, or specifically say no. You can easily set this up in your CRM, I use 17Hats for this, but you can use almost any studio management software for this.

You’d be surprised how many people appreciate the reminder and end up becoming clients.

There are countless other methods to attract boudoir clients, but if you nail these 10 strategies, and do them consistently, you will see an increase in your bookings.

Maternity Poses and Ideas

Here are some classic and unique pose ideas, coupled with tips to ensure your maternity photos truly shine.

1. Both hands under the belly

A classic pose that emphasizes the mother’s connection to her baby. Have the mom-to-be stand with her feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bent inwards while cradling her bump gently from below. This position accentuates the belly’s roundness and creates a protective and nurturing vibe.

2. One hand above and one hand under the belly photographed from the side

This pose adds dimension by capturing the belly’s curvature.  This maternity pose works particularly well when the wardrobe is loose, as it pushes the clothing inwards and shows off the shape of the belly.

3. One hand above and one hand under the belly photographed from the front

A direct frontal shot can be very beautiful to add to your set of maternity poses. With the hands placed strategically, it’s a great way to capture facial expressions while also highlighting the belly.

4. Both hands above the belly

While not as common as other hand placement options, both hands above the belly can add some variety to your maternity poses.

5. One hand above the belly and one hand holding something

This can be a pair of baby shoes, an ultrasound photo, or fashion accessory like a hat or scarf. It’s a way to introduce elements, style, or story to the maternity pose.

6. Dress toss maternity photo

Photographing from the side, have the expectant mother toss her dress so it flows in the wind. This dynamic shot is all about movement and the beauty of the feminine form during pregnancy. Use a fast shutter speed to capture the dress in motion.

7. Maternity couples photos

Incorporate the partner for a loving and supportive shot. The partner can stand behind or beside, placing their hand on the belly or around the mother in an embrace. This pose underscores the shared joy and anticipation.  We have a full article on couples maternity photoshoot ideas for more inspiration.

8. Henna/Mehndi belly blessings

This cultural touchpoint involves painting the belly with intricate patterns using henna (i.e. Mehndi). The dark designs against the skin offer a beautiful contrast and pay homage to traditions celebrating motherhood.

10. All Hands In

A maternity pose that evokes the essence of family. Have all the family members place their hands on the mother’s belly. It can be especially touching with siblings involved, symbolizing the collective love and anticipation of the newest family member.

Video: Posing Tutorial – Maternity Portraits

In this video, we’re going to work through some of the nuances of maternity portraits in regards to lighting and posing. If you’re interested in learning more about how to capture maternity portraits, be sure to check out our full workshop, which is also part of our Premium subscription.

Maternity Posing Tips

Next, to complete your understanding of maternity poses and posing, let’s review some basic tips for posing for maternity photography that we covered in the video above.

Bend One Leg and Ensure Good Posture

In maternity posing, ensure that the leg is bent to accentuate the curves and avoid a boxy look.  See the incorrect image on the left, with a refined version on the right.

Ask the subject to kick her hips to one side.  Which side doesn’t matter so do whatever is most comfortable for the subject.  However, it’s important to make sure the subject isn’t leaning with her hips away from the camera. This can de-emphasize the hips. Once the hips are kicked to one side, the subject’s feet should come together with one knee drawn in to hang over the other knee and create a tapered point in the dress. Next, ensure that the subject is standing up straight and check for details to make sure the dress is laid out nicely.

Use Hand Placement to Draw Attention

You can also bring those hands forward to direct our viewers’ eyes to our intended focus point. Here are a couple different examples.

Conclusion

Maternity photos are more than just images. They capture fleeting moments of anticipation, love, and transition. With the right poses and a touch of creativity, these portraits can become lifetime keepsakes. Whether you’re the photographer or the subject, consider these ideas and tips as a starting point, and let the beauty of maternity shine through.

What is Family Photography?

Family photography is a type of photography that focuses on capturing the likeness, relationships, and emotions of a family. It typically involves a photo shoot of family members together, either in a studio setting or on location. The goal is to create lasting memories and artistic images that showcase the unique bond and dynamic of the family. Family photography can include posed and candid shots, individual portraits, and group shots, and can be done for special events, mini sessions, smash cake sessions, holidays, or just to document the growth of the family over time.

Family Photography Tips

Here are some essential tips to make your next family photography session a success:

Find the Best Location for Your Session

Nobody wants to stand in the hot sun—or in the freezing cold—for an hour or more. Time your portrait around the season. In summer, always plan on sunrise or sunset to avoid the heat of the day (and to capture the best light). In winter, you may need to shoot on a weekend if it’s getting dark before Mom or Dad will get off work.

Likewise, we can’t control the weather, so include a Plan B when you book, whether that’s an alternate, covered location, a backup day or simply a location that includes both outdoor and indoor or covered options for shooting (like a gazebo or broad front porch).

Of course, remember that an overcast day can often lead to the best images, with even light across faces and nobody squinting into the sun.  Location selection is especially important for mini sessions, where you will be doing many shoots throughout the same day in the same location.  Find shade!

Schedule and Find the Best Times for Photography

Choose a date that works for everyone with clear start and end times.  For capturing quality family portraits, the most important thing to consider is timing – not only what time of day it is but also the season. The best time of day to take quality photos is, for most outdoor locations, golden hour, which is typically just before sunset or just after sunrise.

During this golden hour, natural light softens as the sun begins to dip below the horizon and its rays are diffused by larger particles in the atmosphere.

When considering what season to shoot, keep in mind that different months offer unique opportunities from gorgeous monochromatic snowscapes in winter to beautiful soft colors surrounded by lush green foliage in springtime.

Advise the Family to Dress Appropriately

One of the most important, yet sometimes overlooked details, is the outfits. Most importantly, families should choose clothing that has a unified feel – having everyone in the portrait wearing something in the same or similar color palette to add cohesion and consistency to the overall imagery.

In addition, picking out timeless styles will make the portrait look just as great 20 years down the road as it does today.   Avoid trends or outdated fashion and stick to simple, tasteful choices. Also, making sure everyone feels comfortable and confident with their outfit choices is key, so pick out clothing items that reflect each person’s individual persona! Lastly, consider the location and choose clothes that complement the background and season.

Make It a Comfortable Family Photography Experience

Encourage your family to relax and be themselves.   This could mean planning activities and encouraging natural interaction for more a lifestyle family photography feel.  Consider having them play games, tell jokes or just talk to each other to help put everyone at ease.

Of course, be sure to get a few traditional poses too, with everyone looking into the camera, smiling, and looking their best.  Find the right balance of traditional vs lifestyle family photos based on the client preferences that you discover in your planning and talk through calls.

Use Natural light For Most of The Family Photography Session

For the majority of your photos, shoot in natural light.  This lets you focus on getting the right interactions and expressions without having to adjust flashes or worry about the shadows that your flash might be casting on your subjects.  It also lets you get more photos and more variety of photos since you don’t have to worry as much about set up time, moving the light, or other factors.

Of course, this depends on your overall style and your proficiency with flash.

Prep the Kids

This is the most important tip for shoots with families. As the photographer, let the parents know to prep their kids for the shoot, beginning days in advance. Build it up to be a fun event that they look forward to, followed by a treat, like ice cream or a visit to the bowling alley.

While the anticipation factor is important, the same day buildup is even more crucial. Children should arrive with full bellies! Hungry children are unhappy children. If they still nap, make sure they get their full nap on the day of the shoot.

You can’t do enough to impart to parents the importance of bringing their kids to the session at their very best. A photo session is not the same as dropping them off at Grandma’s house!

Keep Kids Engaged During the Shoot

When you first meet a family for a shoot, spend five to ten minutes getting to know the kids. Run around with them. Consider bringing a small toy as a gift, or a stuffed animal you can introduce to them and let them play with. If they’re comfortable around you, they’re more likely to smile and behave during the shoot.

Bring a treat or snack for the kids (or prep the parents to do this). Photo shoots are the rare case where it’s okay to offer children a small bribe! Finally, be ready to work fast. Often, the best pictures of children occur in the first 20 to 30 minutes of a shoot.

Consider All Possible Family Combinations

Include a variety of poses and groupings, such as individual portraits, family portraits and fun candids.  Split up the groups into different organic pairings, such as kids only, parents only, kids and dad, kids and mom, etc.

However, as you work through your combinations, remember to start with the groupings that involve the children first, as they are less predictable and generally have less patience for photos than the adults.

Stay On the Move

Even adults can quickly tire of having their photo taken, but the more images you capture, in the most scenes and locations, the more variety and options you’ll have to offer your clients.

Every few minutes in one location, switch up your subjects’ stances. Have Dad hold Junior, or have Sister stand with her hand on Mom’s shoulder. Then immediately mix it up by having them casually walk toward you, looking at each other, to capture a candid moment.

Don’t stay in any one location for more than 10 to 15 minutes. Plan to move around your site. The time between spots is a chance to chat and get more comfortable with your subjects, and to let the kids have a break and run around before asking them to sit still again. It’s also a chance to capture great candid moments.

Prepare the Right Family Photography Gear and Other Items

Be sure to pack the right gear for your style and the scene.  This will vary from photographer to photographer.  However, here are a few items to consider:

• Camera
• Medium Zoom Lens
• Off Camera Flash, Flash Stand and Trigger
• On Camera Flash
• Camera Bag
• Extra Battery
• Plenty of Memory (at least 32GB)
• Reflector
• Props
• Snacks

Edit the Family Photography Photos

After taking pictures, photo editing can bring out colors, correct mistakes, or add an overall tone or style to the photos. Editing also helps to rid memories of flaws like red-eye, overexposed areas, or distracting objects in the background. Consider using Lightroom to correct your photos from scratch or start with a Lightroom preset.   To turn around and deliver your photos even faster, even consider AI Photo Editing, such as Impossible Things.

Conclusion

Family photography is a special way to capture memories and relationships with the people your subjects love most. Professional photographers should know just how to make a family session filled with fun, laughter and warmth.  The photos should be artfully crafted to provide an end result that perfectly captures the essence of each family member and their special bond together as a unit. By following these tips, you can ensure that your family photography session results in beautiful, timeless images that capture the love and bond of the family. For even more in-depth video tutorials, see our Family Photography 101 Workshop.

Light Painting Photography Video Tutorial

In this video, we’re going to show you how to capture a light painted portrait with both a DSLR and an iPhone using string lights to create motion in this quick 4-minute tutorial. This video is an excerpt from our course Creative Photography 101 that dives deep into a whole new world of unique and ingenious photo techniques that will set you apart no matter what camera you prefer to use.

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Lighting Painting Photography

Light painting photography is a fun and creative way to capture unique and stunning images. Whether you’re a professional photographer or a beginner, you can create incredible light paintings with any camera.   Let’s discuss the basic steps to light painting photography.

Get the Right Light Painting Gear

While you can create light paintings with just a camera and a light source, there are a few pieces of equipment that can make the process easier and more enjoyable. A tripod is essential for keeping your camera stable during long exposures, and a remote shutter release will prevent camera shake when taking the photo. Additionally, a flashlight or headlamp can be helpful for finding your way around in the dark.

Before we dive into the actual tutorial, let’s discuss what we used to create this technique:

• Cameras and Lenses – Canon 5D Mark IV paired with a Sigma 50mm Art f/1.4 and an iPhone 11 Pro Max to show you that light painting can be done on pretty much any camera, even your phone.
• Tripod – Peak Design Travel Tripod: This has become a staple in our collection, especially when it comes to mobile phone photography. With different mount options available, this tripod helps to stabilize phones for creative mobile photography like you’ll see in this video. For light painting, it is required to have a tripod to stabilize your shot.
• Light Painting Source – When it comes to choosing light sources, there are many options available. Some popular choices include flashlights, glow sticks, sparklers, LED Hybrid Light, amazon String Lightsand even fireworks. Each type of light source produces a different effect, so it’s worth experimenting with different options to find the look that best suits your style.•
• Colored Film Gels or colored tissue paper – If you don’t have a light source that can change colors, use gels to change the color of the light source.
• Wireless Shutter Remote Control Release – A wireless shutter remote will allow you to capture the photos without touching the camera.  This will be helpful to prevent camera shake.
• Editing Tools – Both images you’ll see as the final products in the tutorial were edited in Lightroom & Lightroom Mobile using Visual Flow Presets.

Determine Your Light Painting Location

Light painting photography often requires a controlled dark environment to achieve the desired results, and various light sources, such as flashlights, LED lights, or even fire, can be utilized to add a diverse range of colors and shapes to the final photograph.  Here are a few things to consider when choosing a light painting location:

• Dark Location – Whether you are shooting in a studio or your home, find a dark space where you can cut away most of the ambient light. Since we are slowing down our shutter speed, we will be opening up the light coming into the camera which means our ambient light exposure needs to be pitch black.
• Interesting Background – Choose a location that will provide interesting backgrounds and surfaces for your light paintings.
• Permission – Make sure you have permission to be in the location and that it’s safe to shoot at night.

It’s also a good idea to prepare your light sources ahead of time. For example, if you’re using glow sticks, activate them and attach them to your light source so they’re ready to go when you start shooting.

Place Your Camera on a Tripod

We mentioned above that the Peak Design Travel Tripod is one of our favorites in our kit; and it’s largely in part because of the multiple mounts that you can get for when you don’t want to lug around your DSLR or mirrorless camera everywhere. A tripod is crucial for this technique because we want to prevent camera shake since our shutter speed is so slow.

Dial-in Ambient Light Exposure

In terms of camera settings, you’ll want to use a low ISO setting to reduce noise in your images, and a small aperture to create a greater depth of field. Additionally, shooting in manual mode will give you full control over your camera’s settings, allowing you to make adjustments as needed. Use an an exposure that doesn’t blow out, i.e. overexpose your light source and retains the highlights.

The key to light painting is using a long exposure time, typically between 5 and 30 seconds, to capture the light trails and patterns created by your light sources. The longer the exposure time, the more time you have to create intricate and detailed light paintings. Start with a shutter speed of 5 to 10 seconds when light painting and then dial your Aperture and ISO to black out the room.  Then shorten or extend the shutter speed time to taste as you play around.

Bulb Mode – You can also turn your camera to the B or Bulb Mode, a setting that keeps the shutter open for as long as you need to paint your picture. You’ll control that with your wireless shutter.

iPhone – If you’re on an iPhone, newer models such as the one we used in this video, have Night Mode which allows you to slow your shutter speed down in the native camera app. Fret not – if you own an older model or a different phone altogether you can download the Pro Camera App by Moment which has become one of my must-have photography apps.

Instruct Your Subject to Hold Still

Another crucial element to nailing focus in a shot like this is to advise your subject to remain as still as possible. Since we are creating movement with the string lights, we want our subject to be still throughout the shutter drag. You can even explain to them what you are attempting to do so that they have a clearer understanding of how to pose.

Get Creative with Light Painting

There are many different techniques you can use to create unique and interesting light paintings. One popular approach is to paint light around your subject’s face or body, creating a dramatic and dynamic effect.

All that’s left is to step behind the subject, set your camera on a timer and press the shutter. Once the shutter opens start spinning the lights to create a pattern. For this tutorial, we kept it simple and just had the lights spinning in a circle but you can try different shapes, outline the subject’s body, or even change your positioning. Play around and see which one you like best but make sure to take a couple of shots to ensure that your subject is in fact still and there is no blur of their face or body parts. Here are the final images with Shiv’s shot on the Canon 5D Mark IV and Jae’s shot on an iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Creative Light Painting Photography Ideas

To solidify your understanding of these concepts, here is another Light Painting Video Tutorial. In this video, we’re going to walk through more creative light painting photography effects featuring our lovely model Renee.

These three photos were taken consecutively, as you’ll see in the video. It just goes to show what kind of variety in the imagery you can get with light painting photography.

Creative Idea 1 | Circular Motion Light Painting

To achieve this look swipe the light in a semi-circle or circular motion, depending on how far around your hand can rotate. Keep the light close to the subject to fill more of the frame, or back up and create a circular frame surrounding the subject’s body. With all of these light painting photography ideas, make sure you take multiple shots to ensure that they are sharp and your subject isn’t moving.

Creative Idea 2 | Waves in Light Painting

Adding a bit more motion, swipe the light from left to right in windshield wiper-like motion. This allows you to see the tiny LED light streaks across the frame and adds a bit more interest to the light. Test out a few different wave patterns and make sure they are pleasing to the eye rather than being a distraction for the viewer. You can use these as leading lines as well.

Creative Idea 3 | Highlight with Light Painting

Use the light to paint out the subject and chisel them from the background. You can see that this is a much tighter composition, however, it still shows great detail and graphically interesting.

Bonus Light Painting Tips

To create more than one letter or shape without having them run together, simply turn the flashlight off after you finish one word, then move over a bit and turn the flashlight on for your next letter. You can get some funky effects if you have some light spill onto the person doing the painting.

Conclusion

Light painting photography is a fun and creative way to explore your artistic side and capture stunning images. With the right equipment, techniques, and post-processing, you can create amazing light paintings with any camera. Remember to be patient, persistent, and creative, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches and techniques to find the ones that work best for you.

If you enjoyed this tutorial, make sure you check out our Tik Tok where we’ve been sharing fun mobile photography tutorials just like this one! Be sure to sign up to be the first to know when our Creative Photography 101 course releases to learn more fun tips & tricks to level up your creativity game.

Video: 5 Tips for Better Beach Portraits

Through a decade of experiences photographing weddings, portraits, engagements, and more at the beach, I’ve developed these 5 beach portrait ideas and tips to make the most of the beach’s stunning scenery for better images. For this video, I’ll be photographing my friend, Chelsea. I’ll also be using the Canon EOS R5 paired with the Canon 28-70mm f/2L lens. Let’s jump in.

Here’s what we’ll be covering in this article:

1. Photograph Along the Water Line
2. Look For Natural Frames for Beach Portraits
3. Photograph Beach Portraits in the Shade
4. Showcase the Landscape in Beach Portraits
5. Find a Foreground for Interesting Beach Portraits

Photograph Along the Water Line

When shooting beach portraits, take advantage of the water line as a natural leading line in your composition. Position your subjects along the edge of the water, where the sand meets the waves. This not only adds a dynamic element to the image but also helps create a sense of depth and perspective. The gentle waves rolling in or retreating into the ocean will add a touch of motion to the scene, making the photo come alive.

I love photographing against the water because the foam reflects the light back at the subject. This natural bounce light creates a subtle fill. I’ll show you an example.

I often like to photograph couples along the water line. I got low and framed Chelsea against the sky and had her walk as waves came up and got this image.

A bonus tip is to frame the subject against the highlight in the water. Pull the angle over to the bright reflection and you can capture a great profile image.

With the fill from the waves, we end up with a beautiful portrait.

Look For Natural Frames for Beach Portraits

Beaches are often adorned with natural frames that can enhance the composition of your portraits. Keep an eye out for palm trees, driftwood, rocks, or even beach umbrellas that can act as frames within the frame. Framing your subjects with these elements not only adds visual interest but also helps draw the viewer’s attention to the main focal point—the people in the photograph.

Photographing your subject by themselves on the beach will look great by itself. However, the subject is doing all the work. To mix it up a bit, look for natural elements to help create some interesting poses and frames for your image. Our beach has some great rock formations we’ll be using to naturally frame Chelsea.

I used the sun to frame Chelsea and exposed dark in order to preserve highlight detail. I’d normally use the histogram but in these types of scenes, it’s often difficult to tell when you’ve lost information.

After, I came in closer and used the rock formation to entirely frame Chelsea. This is a technique I use a lot for my engagement clients. I let just the right amount of sunlight peek through and we end up with this beautiful portrait.

Photograph Beach Portraits in the Shade

The harsh midday sun at the beach can cast unflattering shadows on your subjects and cause them to squint uncomfortably. Instead, opt for shooting during the golden hours—the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. During these times, the sunlight is softer and casts a warm, flattering glow on your subjects, making them look more radiant and reducing the chances of harsh shadows.

Beaches with a lot of cliffs will have many shaded areas you can photograph under. The natural light coming from the sky itself rather than the sun provides a large and soft light source that is great for beach portraits.

The rocks provided a great formation for creating foreground and background elements. I also had Chelsea look straight ahead to capture the light on her face.

Showcase the Landscape in Beach Portraits

While your primary focus may be on the people in your beach portraits, don’t forget to showcase the stunning coastal landscape as well. Incorporate the vastness of the ocean, the textures of the sand, and the colors of the sky into your compositions. This not only adds context to your portraits but also helps evoke the feeling of being at the beach.

Our clients know us especially for this style of images. We capture a vast and wide shot of the landscape with our subjects framed small somewhere in the scene. This rock formation provides a great opportunity for this type of shot.

It’s important to underexpose if you’re photographing your beach portrait against the sun. Check the histogram to make sure the image isn’t clipped on the highlights and capture as much information as possible.

With Chelsea posing in unique shapes, we end up with these stunning images that showcase the environment. These are the types of images we often use for the covers or prints of our wedding and engagement clients.

Find a Foreground for Interesting Beach Portraits

Adding a foreground element to your beach portraits can create a sense of depth and dimension in your images. Look for interesting objects, such as seashells, beach toys, or beach grass, to place in the foreground of your beach portrait. By doing so, you’ll add visual interest and lead the viewer’s eye into the main subject—the people in the portrait.

I use this beach portrait tip for our wedding clients. For example, I’ll often take a photograph with the ring as the foreground. Here, I’ll be using the sand since we have that in abundance.

I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the sand as it tricked down. I let the sun slightly peek out from behind Chelsea and we end up with these images.

Conclusion

Beach portraits offer a fantastic opportunity to capture the natural beauty of both the subjects and the coastal environment. By photographing along the waterline, looking for natural frames, shooting in the shade, showcasing the landscape, and creating a foreground, you can elevate your beach portraits to new heights. So, grab your camera, head to the nearest beach, and start capturing stunning portraits that will be cherished for years to come.

I hope you enjoyed this article/video. Be sure to refer these five beach portrait ideas and tricks if you’re ever in a pinch. The beach provides countless opportunities for amazing photos for any genre, whether it’s wedding, portrait, family, etc. We use these tips and tricks for our own engagement and wedding clients and have gotten consistently great results. Be sure to check out our Premium Channel where we have full courses on Weddings, Engagement, Maternity, and more. You’ll see in practice how we use these tips to capture images that wow our clients every time.

5 Primary Key Light Video

In this video, we’ll explain the 5 primary key light patterns and the ‘why’ or purpose behind each of them. Keep watching after this video to watch our past episodes of this series.

5 Common Key Light Patterns

1. Flat Lighting
2. Butterfly Lighting
3. Loop Lighting
4. Rembrandt Lighting
5. Split Lighting

Common Key Light Patterns #1: Flat Lighting

Flat Lighting Definition:

The first common key light pattern we’re going to look at is flat light. With this pattern, the light source faces directly into the subject from the angle of the lens. Flat lighting offers the least dramatic lighting pattern because it casts the least amount of shadows on the subject’s face.

Flat Lighting Placement:

Place the key light in front of your subject in the same direction you’re shooting. Angle the light so it lies “flat” on the face (see the image below). This pattern offers very flattering light for portraits because it decreases wrinkles and imperfections. Also, when using flat light, remember to light from slightly above the subject’s face. Lighting from below will create an unnatural and unflattering look.

Flat Lighting Common Uses:

Because this light pattern produces very flattering light, photographers primarily use flat lighting in headshots and glamour editorial shots.

Flat Lighting Examples:

Summary: When we light the subject from the same angle of the camera, it’s referred to as flat lighting. It’s purpose is to cast minimal shadows, and fill the details of our skin to create a soft and flattering look. In fact, of all the lighting patterns, a soft flat light is generally going to be the most flattering since it will fill lines, and imperfections. For this reason, it’s often used for beauty and fashion work. 

Common Key Light Patterns #2: Butterfly Lighting

Butterfly Lighting Definition:

Butterfly Lighting (or Paramount Lighting) comes directly in front and above the subject’s face. This pattern creates shadows directly below the subject’s facial features. The most notable shadow, and where this lighting pattern gets its name, is a butterfly-shaped shadow just under the nose. It is also called “Paramount Lighting” because this lighting pattern was used heavily in the Paramount movie studio of old Hollywood.

Butterfly Lighting Placement:

Start the key light in the flat light pattern, then raise the light up until you see the “butterfly” shaped shadow under your subject’s nose. Angle the face of your light so it points at your subject. The only difference between flat lighting and butterfly lighting is the height and angle of the Key Light. This creates the same flattering features as flat lighting but includes shadows underneath the nose and chin.

Butterfly Lighting Common Uses:

This lighting pattern works well in beauty shots when a reflector is added underneath to soften the shadows.

Butterfly Lighting Examples:

Summary: This light source is similar to flat light, the light source is still directly in front of the subject, and from the same angle as the lens. The difference is that it’s simply brought up to shoot down onto the subject’s face. It’s characterized by a bit more shadows directly under facial features and specifically a butterfly shadow that appears right under the nose. Fun fact: it’s nickname “paramount” comes from Paramount studios who often used to use this lighting technique to photograph their talent. 

Common Key Light Patterns #3. Loop Lighting

Loop Lighting Definition:

Loop lighting is one of the more common key lighting patterns. From the featured image at the top of the article, we see that this pattern falls right in the middle of the spectrum between flattering flat light and dramatic split light. Loop Lighting offers a nice middle ground where most of the face is lit, but enough shadows remain to create some definition.

Loop Lighting Placement:

Loop Lighting evolves from Butterfly Lighting very simply. If you already know how to get to Butterfly lighting, all you need to do is move your light around the subject until you get roughly 25°-50° to the left or right and angled down to the subject’s face.

Loop Lighting Common Uses:

Because this light pattern’s unique angle, it creates a more dramatic look with a shadow that falls off the nose pointing down to one side. The subject will have more light on one side of their face. You can use this to your advantage and light your subject’s “good” or preferred side of their face.

Loop Lighting Examples:

Loop Lighting Example 2:

Summary: This is where we begin to move the angle of the light source about 25-50 degrees from the subject’s face. From this angle, we start to introduce a little more directional shadow on our subject. Keep in mind, as we introduce more shadows onto our subject, we can dictate the intensity of that shadow by the amount of fill light that we let into our scene. In this current slide, we have very little fill light so the shadows are more intense. But here, we have the exact same lighting patterns that are used over a soft fill light. The result is again, fewer shadows = less drama. 

Common Key Light Patterns #4: Rembrandt Lighting

Rembrandt Lighting Definition:

The Dutch master painter, Rembrandt, used this style of lighting in many of his paintings, thus, the name of this pattern. While it is true that many Baroque painters used Rembrandt lighting in their paintings as well, the combination of Rembrandt’s popularity and prolific use of the pattern likely earned him the nod. Rembrandt lighting can be distinguished by half of the subject’s face in shadow except for triangle-shaped light on the cheekbone and eye.

Rembrandt Lighting Placement:

From the Loop Lighting position, 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.

Rembrandt Lighting Common Uses:

Rembrandt is a stronger angle than loop lighting, making it look more dramatic. The more shadow we add to our subject and the more we turn our light away from flat lighting, the more dramatic our lighting becomes. It is used heavily in all types of portrait photography, including portraits of athletes. It is also the type of lighting we used in the video above!

Rembrandt Lighting Examples:

Summary: Our light comes from above, but now at a stronger angle to the face where now we only see triangle shape light over the opposite cheek and eye. This visually interesting lighting pattern is named after the painter Rembrandt who’d frequently use this lighting pattern for his portraiture. For many of us (myself included), this is a photographer favorite. 

Common Key Light Pattern #5: Split Lighting

Split Lighting Definition:

Let’s turn now to the last lighting pattern on this list: split lighting. Split lighting simply “splits” the subject’s face, lighting half of your subject’s face while leaving the other half in shadow. Because of the angle of light, there is no Rembrandt triangle, only shadow.

Split Lighting Placement:

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.

Split Lighting Common Uses:

If flat and loop lighting fills in wrinkles, split lighting will exaggerate them. Photographers often use this lighting pattern in athletic portraits just for that purpose. It exaggerates their muscle definition and body features.

Split Lighting Examples:

Summary: Split lighting is created when the light source comes directly from the side of our subject. It’s characterized by half of the face in light, versus half in shadow. Split lighting is not for the faint of heart, use this lighting pattern when your intention is to show heavy shadows or light vs dark type concepts. 

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this overview of 5 common key light patterns. Once you’ve mastered the primary patterns featured here, you can take it a step further and modify the light or add secondary lights. As a result, setting up your key light for what you want will save you time and unneeded frustration in post. We guarantee that if you understand these 5 common key light patterns, you will instantly start to create more images the way you want to, whether they be flattering or dramatic.

If you’d like to dive deeper into lighting education, check out our Flash Photography Training System, which covers the fundamentals for shooting with everything from on-camera flash to multiple off-camera flashes for creative effect.

The following article focuses on posing for family photography.  For a higher level overview of family photography, see our article on family photography tips.

Before Your Clients Strike a Pose

While most photographers reach for the camera to start a session, we suggest putting the camera down. Here’s why: Directing is 10 times easier and more personable when you’re not hidden behind a camera. Take this opportunity to connect with your clients and show that they are your complete focus. We start every portrait session by running our clients through the Foundation Posing Framework.

Classic Family Photo Poses

Begin with the classic pose and have your subjects face the camera in order to get them comfortable for the session. The classic pose is one of the easiest family portrait poses for the following reasons:

1. Simple Pose – Your clients have likely posed for photos using some variation of this pose.
2. Quick Pose – Because it is a simple and familiar pose, getting in and out of this pose requires little time.
3. Safe (albeit Boring) Pose – While not very creative, it’s the traditional, must-have shot.

Transition your clients into a V-Up pose and frame them within the scene by creating equal visual weight throughout. In all of our family portrait poses, we want to show connection and familiarity with touch points; the more touch points we create, the more intimate a pose becomes.

This photo is often the one they use for holiday cards or for their wall art, so make sure you’re happy with the results from this pose before moving on!

Affectionate Family Photo Poses

Is there such a thing as too much space between family members? Of course! In order to create more of a connection (literally) between family members, direct them to hug into the middle. Doing so not only creates more intimacy but also ensures we have a focal point in our images.  This is a perfect family portrait pose for a family hugging onto their child, grandparent, or other person of focus.

In family portrait sessions, we want to highlight connection while also keeping the photos as authentic as possible. Utilize multiple touch points and wait for natural reactions. Keep an eye out for distractions like natural pointers and negative or tight framing.

Action Family Photo Poses

Sessions with children typically include a unique set of challenges, most of which leave the photographer working on borrowed time. In these instances, we need to move very quickly, but always remember the family is looking to you for direction, charisma, and warmth – no pressure right?

Incorporate action to engage the entire family and then wait for the right moment to capture natural reactions. We like to refer to this as assisted photojournalism – watch this webinar to see what it’s all about!

Seamlessly transition from the classic pose to something more candid by directing the family to run, jump, or even compete in a posing contest. These less formal poses will help you capture more authentic looking images and, because they’re fun to do, they can help delay any meltdowns. Also, if your clients are actually having fun, there’s a good chance that will be reflected in the imagery you create!

Editorial Family Portrait Poses

We typically get requests for editorial family photos during weddings rather than family portrait sessions. When shooting in an editorial style during a wedding, it’s important to communicate that even though these shots are complex, time-consuming and risky, they often stand out (in a good way) as the most memorable photos.

Don’t be intimidated by group editorial posing. It takes practice, research and time to fine-tune due to the nuances and focus needed for every subject in the image. By asking the family to smile with just the lips, for example, we can capture a serious but soft gaze.

Be sure to understand your client’s vision before attempting editorial family formals.  This style of photography is a departure from traditional family photos and should only be used when you know that the clients wants it.

Family Photo Poses with Tight Crops

As photographers, we’re aware of the importance of being in the right place at the right time. However, with a bit of directing, we can take a more active role and convincingly recreate candid moments.

In large family portraits, space changes the presence in the photo and creates a mood and sense of symmetry, even with an odd number of people. Reducing the amount of space in the frame has the same effect. To make a moment more intimate, we suggest reframing for a tight crop. By limiting distractions, the focus is on emotion and body language. To reinforce familial relationships, focus on hand placement to establish a connection.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of 5 easy family photo poses. Group posing can be a tricky task for photographers who lack the experience, confidence, or knowledge to guide and communicate with their clients to get the perfect shot.  For some, especially those who consider themselves to be introverts, it’s the most challenging aspect of portrait photography.

See more tips from The Complete Posing Workshop to perfect your family portrait sessions! Or start streaming the workshop as a Premium member right now!

While being a lighting assistant doesn’t require a specific skill set, the job does go beyond simply carrying equipment and following instructions. A good lighting assistant is engaged, proactive, professional and personable. Each lead photographer will have different expectations for their lighting assistants; but in general, there are certain things that all lighting assistants should keep in mind.

5 Responsibilities of Photography Lighting Assistants

Note: From this point on “you” will refer to the lighting assistant

Assist with Lighting

As the lighting assistant, your primary tasks will include shaping the light.  These might include the following:

• Using a reflector to bounce light onto the subjects
• Setting up flashes on flash stands
• Adjusting the settings on external flash units
• Holding/aiming video lights.

If you don’t know how to do any of these things, don’t worry. These skills are easy to learn and they can be picked up on the job.  Prior to the shoot, research lighting basics such as the difference between natural and artificial lights and the basics of flash photography.

If your lead photographer has allowed you to bring your camera along, make sure that you are not distracted from your primary task of being a lighting assistant. Though you may think you’re doing a great job holding a light with one hand and shooting with the other, chances are, you’re not doing either well at that moment.

Manage Equipment

It’s your responsibility to keep track of and organize the equipment. As you travel from location to location, even the lightest tripod can start to weigh you down. As you take breaks or set any equipment down, it takes a conscious effort to keep track of everything. As the lead photographer hands you a lens or other equipment to put away, make sure it’s secure and organized so you can easily find it again when it’s needed. And as you set up a flash stand outdoors and the wind picks up, it’s your duty to glance over and make sure it’s not going to tip over. These are just a few examples of managing and organizing the equipment; but in general, keep in mind that you’re dealing with expensive equipment, from $300-$1000 tripods to $500 to $3,000 lenses. Be proactive and make it your responsibility to stay on top of the equipment.

Watch for Details

The lighting assistant should help the lead photographer watch for details. In an ideal world, the lead would notice everything in a scene; but sometimes, with so much on his/her mind, things can slip through the cracks. Keep an eye out for a couple of things in particular:

The Background – Is there anything distracting or out of place in the background? Watch for water bottles, bags, or any other clutter in the background that might distract from the image.

The Subjects – Watch for stray strands of hair, wardrobe malfunctions, and other obvious issues. If you’re on a wedding shoot, always mind the wedding dress and veil and make sure they are always looking at their best.

 Dress Professionally

It’s important to dress appropriately. For an engagement session, styled shoots, portrait sessions or family sessions, feel free to dress casually but ensure your wardrobe looks presentable.  Also, be sure to prepare for any changes in weather and shooting into the evening. Wear comfortable shoes, as we may be walking a lot; and if we’re heading to the beach or into the woods, make sure you don’t wear anything that you wouldn’t mind getting a little wet or a little dirty.

For weddings, our studio dresses in full black, conservative attire. Black collared shirts or sweaters with slacks is the norm; but this is flexible as long as you’re using your judgement and represent the studio professionally. Skirts, dresses, and heals aren’t a great idea, as you never know if you have to climb over or onto anything.

Act Professionally

Be sure to stay engaged in the moment, staying off of your phone and avoiding the bored/disinterested look. We realize that it’s not the most exciting job in the world, but as with any client serving industry, it’s important to focus on the job and act interested. Talk when appropriate but make sure you’re not making comments that distract from the moment.

Always remember that you are a vendor and an employee at any event. Clients and their guests will often invite you to have an alcoholic beverage and join in on the fun and dancing. However, it is important to politely decline these offers. While a little drink and dance may seem harmless, it could be a major liability if anything were to go wrong during the event. Grab a bite when it is deemed appropriate, get some water and a soda to stay hydrated, but never cross the line between guest and professional.

Ask Questions Only When Appropriate

Many of you lighting assistants are aspiring photographers, excited to observe and eager to learn. Some of the most educational experiences in our photographic careers was during the time we were apprenticing and assisting other master photographers. Simply paying attention to the photographer, his technique, and interactions with the client, often taught us more than any class, lecture or book ever could.

However, make sure you understand that the shoot is not a training session. Fight the “lemme see” instinct and wait until it’s appropriate to view the photographers work that you helped create. Unless it’s a question about the task at hand, save your photography questions until after the shoot.

Besides the 5 points above, it’s important to just simply use common sense. Be on time, be friendly, and have a great attitude, even if your job is to run to the car and grab a piece of equipment. Hopefully the learning experience along with the financial compensation will make it worth your time. And of course, make sure you have fun.  Here are a few more tips for photography assitants

1. Know the Photographer, and What he Does – It is important to research photographers before applying to assist them. This can help you do better in an interview as well as weed out photographers whose style or specialty do not match your interests.
2. Early is “On Time.” On Time is “Late.” – Seriously, you should always be 10-15 minutes early. Not only does it give a good impression, but it prevents you from ever being late.
3. Know Your Stuff. – Its important to know what you are doing. The photographer is going to be relying on you to get things done and if you can’t then you won’t be around very long.
4. Know Their Gear, As Well or Better Than They Do – You need to know their cameras, lenses, how they like them setup and stored. This is key to being a well respected assistant.
5. Think Ahead and Stay Busy -Think about things that can be done before they NEED to be done. This will go a long way towards bolstering your rep. That and never stand around, always be doing something. If  you cant find or think of anything to do then ask for something to do, just never stand around unless you are on a break.
6. Know Where Things Are on Location – Know where the nearest bathrooms are, where the electrical outlets are, and things like that. This will impress most photographers.
7. Solve Problems – Inevitably there will be issues on a job or project, be proactive and vocal with solutions.
8. Be Silent and Invisible – You are not the center of attention. You should only speak when spoken to, and should not interact with clients or other people unless instructed to by the photographer. A good assistant will be invisible on set.
9. No Self Promotion, Ever. – You work for the photographer, you represent them. You should never give your your business card or point someone in the direction of your website over the photographer with whom you are assisting. This is the cardinal rule of assisting (and 2nd shooting) and if broken you will almost always be without a job after the photographer finds out.