Browsing all articles by Chas Elliott.

Smoke Art Photography – An Introduction

Here at DPS we are always on the look out for photographic techniques that are pushing the boundaries of the medium. This week I’m excited to highlight Stoffel De Roover as he gives us a window into the amazing world of “Smoke Art Photography”.
If you read our last photographer highlight article, you remember that one [...]

Baby Photography 101

The last how-to article I did was on photographing expectant mothers. It only makes sense that we follow that up with how to photograph babies. Much of the setup information is the same, such as lighting and equipment, so if you need a refresher, read the previous post on photographing indoor maternity sessions.

1. Timing
This can [...]

Entering the World of Wireless Flash Technology

If you are an avid reader of DPS, you have probably gleaned that many of the professional photographers that contribute are relying more and more on wireless flash technologies.
There is so much to be gained from getting the flash off your camera, losing that boring straight at you lighting, and moving it about [...]

Reflections on Product Photography

I’ve been a fan of photographer Joachim “Kim” Guanzon for sometime. He’s one of those photographers that has a bag of tricks that is as deep as a canyon, always leaving me with the “how did he do that” feeling.
I recently saw some of his product photography work and decided to get the answers straight [...]

Darkening With Light

Have you ever wondered how photographs get that background darkness that makes the person appear to be standing in front of some great abyss? Well, that effect isn’t as difficult as you might think and the trick seems counter intuitive.  
The key is to darken your picture with more light.
Let me explain with an example.
On Sunday, [...]

How to Shoot an Indoor Maternity Session

Fellow DPS photographer Natalie Norton wrote an article awhile back giving tips on shooting pregnant tummies outdoors. This article covers what you need to know when doing it inside with controlled lighting. I questioned whether an article about maternity photography would be useful to many readers, but in the end, most of the tips shared [...]

5 Tips for Travel Photography in China

More images of my trip to China can be viewed here.
Tip 1: Be prepared for low light situations.
Many of the places you go won’t be keen on having a high-powered strobe continuously blasting. Not only is it distracting for everyone around, it also reduces the number of over-priced postcards venues like to sell you on [...]

Learning the Secrets of Wedding Album Design

In this post professional wedding photographer Chas Elliott shares some tips on creating Wedding Albums.
An introduction to wedding albums
If you have been to a recent bridal show, you have witnessed the impressive growth of an entire industry revolving around wedding albums. Some brides are even choosing their photographer based on the quality of their albums. [...]

Darkening Backgrounds With Light in Portraits

Today Charles Clawson from blog.chaselliot.com shares some portrait tips on getting dark backgrounds… with light.

Have you ever wondered how photographs get that background darkness that makes the person appear to be standing in front of some great abyss? Well, that effect isn’t as difficult as you might think and the trick seems counter intuitive. [...]