Select a scene from the EV chart to see recommended exposure settings. EV 0 = 1 sec at f/1 at ISO 100.
Select a lighting condition above.
Frame
composition guides for photography
Rule of Thirds
Golden Ratio
Diagonal
Centre Weight
Negative Space
Frame in Frame
Leading Lines
Clear
3:2
4:3
1:1
16:9
4:5
Select a composition guide above.
Print
resolution & print size calculator
Snap
4 × 6 in
Standard
5 × 7 in
Classic
8 × 10 in
Portrait
11 × 14 in
Gallery
16 × 20 in
Large
20 × 30 in
Statement
24 × 36 in
Exhibition
30 × 40 in
Monumental
40 × 60 in
72 DPI (screen)
150 DPI (draft)
300 DPI (print)
360 DPI (fine art)
Select a preset or enter dimensions.
Lens
focal length reference & depth of field
Select a focal length above.
Full Frame
APS-C (1.5×)
MFT (2×)
Phone
Enter values above to calculate depth of field.
Expose
exposure triangle calculator
The exposure triangle: Aperture controls depth of field. Shutter speed controls motion. ISO controls sensor sensitivity. All three affect exposure equally.
Aperture
f/4
Shutter
1/125
ISO
400
Archive
personal photo gallery
Images stored locally in your browser. Nothing uploaded.
Field
photojournalism field guide
Built in memory of Dith Pran
Photojournalist · Survivor · Witness · 1942–2008
Photographer's Rights (USA)
You may photograph anything visible from a public place — streets, buildings, people, police activity — without permission.
Police cannot legally delete your images or demand you stop shooting in a public space.
Private property owners may ask you to leave. You must comply, but they cannot seize your camera or memory cards.
Editorial use of images taken in public does not require model releases in most jurisdictions.
Commercial use of identifiable people requires a signed model release.
Always check local and international laws when working outside the USA — rights vary dramatically.
Ethics in the Field
Do not alter the content of news photographs. Cropping and tonal adjustment are acceptable. Adding or removing elements is not.
Caption accurately. Who, what, where, when. Never assume — confirm.
Subjects in crisis deserve dignity. Ask yourself: would I want this image published of me at my worst moment?
Bearing witness is a responsibility. Dith Pran stayed behind so the world would know. That choice defines what photojournalism is.
If you witness something that requires immediate human intervention, intervene first. Photograph second.
Field Gear Checklist
Safety in the Field
Always tell someone where you are going and when to expect you back. Check in regularly.
Know your exits before you need them. In any crowd, location, or building — identify two ways out.
Press credentials help but do not protect you. Wear them clearly in conflict zones. Remove them in situations where they make you a target.
Back up your memory cards at every opportunity. The image that matters most is the one you almost lost.
Know the signs of secondary trauma. Photojournalism takes a toll. Talk to someone.
Manual — White Balance & Color Temperature
What white balance does: Every light source casts a different color. Your eye corrects automatically. Your camera does not — unless you tell it to. White balance tells the camera what "white" looks like under your current light so all other colors fall correctly around it.
Kelvin scale — color temperature reference:
1,000–2,000K — Candlelight. Deep orange.
2,500–3,200K — Tungsten / incandescent bulb. Warm orange-yellow.
3,200–4,000K — Halogen. Slightly cooler warm white.
4,000–5,000K — Fluorescent. Neutral to slightly green-white.
5,000–5,500K — Daylight / electronic flash. True neutral white.
5,500–6,500K — Overcast sky. Cool blue-white.
6,500–8,000K — Open shade. Noticeably blue.
8,000–10,000K — Deep shade / blue sky. Very blue.
Camera presets and when to use them:
Auto (AWB) — Reliable in mixed or changing light. Can shift between frames. Not ideal for consistency across a series.
Daylight / Sunny — 5,200K. Use outdoors in direct sun.
Cloudy — 6,000K. Adds warmth to compensate for cool overcast light.
Shade — 7,000K. Corrects deep blue cast in shaded areas.
Tungsten — 3,200K. Use under incandescent bulbs to remove orange cast.
Fluorescent — 4,000K. Use under office or studio fluorescent lighting.
Flash — 5,500K. Matched to most electronic flash output.
Custom / Kelvin — Set a precise value. Best for controlled studio work.
Practical rules:
Shoot RAW and you can correct white balance in post with zero quality loss. It is a metadata instruction, not a pixel change.
Shoot JPEG and white balance is baked in. Get it right in camera.
Mixed light sources (tungsten ceiling + window light) cannot be fully corrected with a single WB setting. Choose the dominant source and correct the rest in post, or use gels on your lights to match sources.
When in doubt, shoot slightly warm. Cold images feel clinical. Warm images feel human.
Color casts to recognize:
Orange cast — too warm / WB set too high in Kelvin. Lower your Kelvin value or switch from Tungsten preset in daylight.
Blue cast — too cool / WB set too low. Raise Kelvin or use Cloudy/Shade preset.
Green cast — fluorescent contamination. Switch to Fluorescent preset or correct with magenta tint adjustment.
Magenta cast — over-corrected fluorescent. Reduce magenta in tint control.
Manual — Post-Processing & the Edit
RAW vs JPEG — the fundamental choice:
RAW — The full unprocessed sensor data. Every bit of information the camera captured. No in-camera sharpening, no compression, no baked-in processing. Larger files. Requires post-processing software (Lightroom, Capture One, Darktable — free). Maximum editing latitude. The professional standard.
JPEG — Processed and compressed in-camera. Smaller files. Ready to use immediately. White balance, contrast, and sharpening are baked in and partially destructive to edit. Fine for social media and quick turnaround. Not for anything you intend to print large or edit heavily.
RAW+JPEG — Shoot both simultaneously. RAW for editing. JPEG for immediate sharing. Uses more card space but gives you both options.
Reading the histogram:
The histogram is a graph of tonal values in your image — left is black (shadows), right is white (highlights), middle is midtones. Height at any point shows how many pixels exist at that brightness.
Clipping left (shadows) — a spike hard against the left wall means pure black with no detail. Lost shadow information.
Clipping right (highlights) — a spike hard against the right wall means pure white with no detail. Blown highlights. Cannot be recovered.
Expose to the right (ETTR) — push your exposure as far right as possible without clipping highlights. RAW files hold far more recoverable detail in shadows than highlights. Underexposed RAW files produce noise when lifted. Overexposed highlights are gone forever.
A good histogram has no hard clipping on either wall — unless the scene genuinely contains pure black or pure white.
The basic tonal edit — in order:
1. White balance first — correct the color cast before anything else.
2. Exposure — overall brightness. Raise or lower the midtones.
3. Highlights — recover blown areas by pulling down.
4. Shadows — open up dark areas by lifting.
5. Whites — set the brightest point just below clipping.
6. Blacks — set the darkest point. Adds contrast and grounding.
7. Contrast — overall tonal separation. Use sparingly after the above.
8. Clarity / texture — midtone contrast and local detail. Not sharpness.
9. Vibrance / saturation — color intensity. Vibrance protects skin tones. Saturation affects all colors equally.
10. Sharpening and noise reduction last — always.
Sharpening and noise:
Sharpening is always the last step. It enhances whatever is already in the image — including noise. Sharpen after noise reduction.
Noise reduction softens detail. Apply the minimum needed. Over-processed images look plastic.
High ISO noise is normal. It is not a failure. It is a record of available light. Many of the most important photographs ever taken are grainy.
Export settings reference:
Web / social media — JPEG, sRGB color space, 72–96 PPI, longest edge 2048–3000px, quality 80–90%.
Print (home / lab) — JPEG or TIFF, sRGB for most labs / Adobe RGB if your lab supports it, 300 PPI at final print size.
Large format print — TIFF preferred, Adobe RGB, 300 PPI minimum at output size. Check with your print lab.
Client delivery — JPEG, sRGB, full resolution, quality 95–100%.
Archive / master — Full resolution RAW preserved. Never delete originals.
The ethics of editing — photojournalism standard:
Tonal adjustments, cropping, and dust removal are acceptable.
Removing, adding, or moving any element in a news photograph is fabrication.
AI-generated or AI-altered content must be disclosed and is not acceptable in editorial contexts.
The photograph is a record. Treat it as one.
Manual — Camera Systems & Sensor Formats
Sensor format explained:
The sensor is the digital equivalent of film. Its physical size determines how much light it captures, how lenses behave on it, and how shallow your depth of field can be. Larger sensor = more light = less noise = shallower DOF potential at equivalent apertures.
Full Frame (35mm equivalent) — crop factor 1.0x:
Sensor size: 36mm × 24mm. The gold standard. A 50mm lens behaves like a 50mm lens. Maximum low-light performance. Shallowest depth of field. Largest, heaviest bodies. Most expensive.
Common systems: Canon EOS R, Nikon Z, Sony A7, Leica M.
APS-C (Crop sensor) — crop factor 1.5x–1.6x:
Sensor size: approx 24mm × 16mm. Multiply your lens focal length by the crop factor to get the full-frame equivalent. A 35mm lens on APS-C behaves like a 52mm on full frame. Smaller, lighter, less expensive. Excellent image quality in modern sensors. The working photographer's most common format.
Common systems: Fujifilm X, Sony A6000 series, Canon EOS M/R50, Nikon Z30/50.
Micro Four Thirds (MFT) — crop factor 2.0x:
Sensor size: 17.3mm × 13mm. Double the crop factor. A 25mm lens is equivalent to 50mm full frame. Very compact systems. Excellent video. More depth of field at equivalent apertures — an advantage for video, a limitation for shallow portrait work.
Common systems: Olympus OM / OM System, Panasonic Lumix G.
Medium Format — crop factor 0.64x–0.79x:
Sensor larger than 35mm. Extraordinary dynamic range and tonal graduation. The tool of studio photographers, landscape specialists, and high-end commercial work. Very expensive. Not a field camera for most assignments.
Common systems: Hasselblad X, Fujifilm GFX, Phase One.
Smartphone cameras:
Tiny sensors (typically 1/1.7" to 1/1.28") with computational photography compensating for physical limitations. Excellent in good light. Noise and dynamic range limitations in low light that no software fully overcomes. The best camera is the one you have. Every important photograph taken on a phone is proof that the sensor is not the story — the eye is.
Megapixels — the truth:
24 megapixels is sufficient for any print up to approximately 20×30 inches at 300 PPI.
45–60 megapixels is for large format printing, heavy cropping, or commercial billboard work.
More megapixels means larger files, slower cards, more storage, and more processing time. It does not mean better photographs.
The single biggest factor in image quality is not megapixels — it is light.
Memory cards — what matters:
Speed class affects write speed — important for burst shooting and video. Look for V30 minimum for stills, V60 or V90 for RAW burst or 4K video.
Capacity: 64GB–128GB is a practical working size. Carry multiples rather than one large card — a failed 256GB card loses everything.
Brand: SanDisk, Lexar, Sony, ProGrade. Avoid unbranded cards. A card failure in the field is irreversible.
Never format a card until images are backed up in two locations.
Free tools and resources — what the pros use:
Darktable — Free, open source RAW processor. Full professional feature set. Cross-platform.
RawTherapee — Free RAW editor. Exceptional tonal control. Steeper learning curve.
GIMP — Free image editor. Not optimized for RAW but powerful for post-processing and retouching.
PhotoPills — Paid but affordable. Sun, moon, Milky Way planning. Essential for landscape and astro photographers.
The Photographer's Ephemeris — Sun and moon position planning. Web version free.
Lightroom (Adobe) — Industry standard. Subscription. The most widely used professional workflow tool.
Capture One — Professional alternative to Lightroom. Excellent color science. Subscription or perpetual license.
Scout
location scouting · light direction · permits · notes
A scout is not a site visit. It is the shoot before the shoot. Every minute spent scouting saves ten in the field. Know where the light falls. Know where you will stand. Know who you need to ask.
Guide Number (GN) = Flash power rating. GN ÷ Distance = Aperture. GN ÷ Aperture = Distance. All values at ISO 100.
Enter guide number plus either aperture or distance to calculate.
FLASH SYNC SPEED
Your camera has a maximum sync speed — the fastest shutter speed at which the full sensor is exposed simultaneously. Exceed it and you get a dark band (the shutter curtain) across the frame.
TYPICAL SYNC SPEEDS BY SYSTEM
DSLR / mirrorless (mechanical shutter): 1/200s–1/250s
Rangefinder (leaf shutter lens): up to 1/500s–1/1000s
Some medium format systems: up to 1/1600s
Electronic shutter: varies — often no sync limitation
HIGH SPEED SYNC (HSS)
HSS allows flash use above the mechanical sync speed by pulsing the flash rapidly during the exposure. It works at any shutter speed — but at a cost:
- Effective flash power drops significantly at high speeds
- Battery drain increases
- Range decreases
WHEN TO USE HSS
- Shooting portraits in bright daylight with wide aperture
- Overpowering ambient sun to isolate subject with flash
- Any time you need shutter speed above 1/250s with flash
SECOND CURTAIN SYNC (REAR CURTAIN)
Flash fires at the END of the exposure instead of the beginning.
Use for motion blur shots where you want the sharp flash-lit subject at the end of the motion trail, not the beginning.
Feels more natural for movement going forward.
X-SYNC
The sync terminal on older cameras. A 3.5mm or PC port that triggers external flash reliably at or below the mechanical sync speed. Still used with studio monolights and older triggers.
FLASH MODIFIER REFERENCE
BARE FLASH
Harshest quality. Smallest effective source size relative to subject.
Maximum power — no light lost through modifiers.
Use for: hard shadows, dramatic edgy editorial, fill flash in bright sun.
DIFFUSION DOME / CATCHLIGHT DOME
Softens slightly. Bounces light in all directions.
Use for: environmental and event photography. Quick and convenient.
Not a substitute for a proper soft source — still relatively hard.
REFLECTIVE UMBRELLA
Opens wide. Inexpensive. Easy to use.
Softer than bare flash. Some light spills backward and sideways.
Use for: general portraiture, event photography, basic studio setups.
Silver — more contrast. White — softer wrap.
SHOOT-THROUGH UMBRELLA
Flash points through the umbrella toward the subject.
Softer than reflective. Light spills forward and spreads.
Use for: full-length portraits, group shots, even wrap.
SOFTBOX
Contained light source. More directional than umbrella.
The larger the softbox relative to the subject, the softer the light.
Use for: controlled studio portraits, product, food, commercial work.
Rectangular — resembles a window. Octagonal — more circular catchlights.
STRIP SOFTBOX
Tall, narrow. Creates directional rim or side lighting.
Use for: fashion, figure work, adding edge definition.
BEAUTY DISH
Metallic reflective dish with central deflector.
Semi-specular quality — between bare flash and softbox.
Characteristic circular catchlight. Slightly wrapping light with harder edge.
Use for: beauty photography, fashion, skin texture work.
White interior — softer. Silver interior — more contrasty.
SNOOT
Narrows the beam to a tight circle. Spot lighting.
Use for: hair lights, background lights, accent lighting, dramatic pools.
GRID
Attaches to softbox or beauty dish. Reduces light spill.
Keeps light from going where you do not want it.
Use for: controlled lighting ratios, dark backgrounds, precision.
BARN DOORS
Metal flaps that control light direction manually.
Use for: cutting light off backgrounds, shaping beams precisely.
REFLECTOR / BOUNCED FLASH
Bouncing flash off a ceiling or wall creates a large, wrap-around soft source.
White ceiling bounce is one of the most underrated techniques in photography.
Works well for events, interiors, available-light feel with flash power.
INVERSE SQUARE LAW
Light intensity falls off by the inverse square of the distance.
Double the flash-to-subject distance = one quarter the light (2 stops less).
Move flash twice as close = four times the light (2 stops more).
This is why positioning matters more than power output.
ND (Neutral Density) filters reduce light entering the lens without affecting color. Each stop of ND requires doubling the shutter speed. A 10-stop ND turns 1/1000s into 1 second.
Select base shutter speed and ND strength above.
FILTER REFERENCE
NEUTRAL DENSITY (ND)
Reduces light without affecting color.
Common uses: long exposures in bright light, open aperture in sun, smooth water and clouds, video at 180° shutter rule.
VARIABLE ND
Adjustable ND in a single filter. Convenient but can introduce cross-polarization (X pattern) at extreme settings. Use quality brands (Tiffen, B+W, Nisi, Breakthrough).
CIRCULAR POLARIZER (CPL)
Reduces reflections on water, glass, and foliage.
Deepens blue sky — maximum effect at 90° to the sun.
Adds approximately 1.5–2 stops of light reduction.
Rotate the front element until reflections disappear.
Does not work on metallic reflections.
UV / HAZE FILTER
Primarily used as lens protection. Modern coated lenses have minimal UV sensitivity — image quality benefit is negligible.
A quality UV filter has no image impact. A cheap UV filter introduces flare, reduces contrast, and costs you more than it protects.
GRADUATED ND (GND)
Darker at top, clear at bottom. Used to balance bright sky with darker foreground in landscape.
Hard GND — sharp transition. Use when horizon is flat (seascape).
Soft GND — graduated transition. Use when horizon has irregular elements.
Reverse GND — darkest in the centre. For sunrise/sunset where brightest point is on the horizon.
COLOUR FILTERS (film era / creative use)
Still used in film photography and creative digital work.
Red filter — darkens sky dramatically, lightens warm tones, high contrast landscapes.
Yellow filter — moderate sky darkening, classic portrait and landscape rendering.
Orange — between red and yellow. Standard landscape filter.
Green — lightens foliage, useful for natural scenes.
81A/81B warming filter — adds warmth without color cast in digital (often replaced by WB adjustment).
Color
color theory · skin tones · complementary palettes · color grading
Color Theory
Skin Tones
Color Grading
COLOR RELATIONSHIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS — Maximum contrast and vibration.
Pairs that sit opposite on the color wheel:
Red / Cyan
Orange / Blue — The classic cinematic pairing. Warm skin against cool sky or shadow.
Yellow / Purple
Green / Magenta
ANALOGOUS COLORS — Harmony and cohesion.
Colors adjacent on the wheel — they feel unified.
Warm analogous: Red, Orange, Yellow — sunset, autumn, warmth
Cool analogous: Blue, Cyan, Green — underwater, forest, winter
TRIADIC — Balanced vibrancy.
Three colors evenly spaced. Energetic but controlled.
Primary: Red, Yellow, Blue
Secondary: Orange, Green, Purple
SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY — Softer than full complementary.
One color plus the two colors on either side of its complement.
Less tension than true complementary — more sophisticated.
THE ORANGE AND TEAL LOOK
The most prevalent cinematic grade of the past 15 years.
Works because human skin contains orange/warm tones —
the teal shadows complement and separate from skin beautifully.
Too much of it reads as commercial. Use with restraint.
THE GOLDEN RATIO OF COLOR IN COMPOSITION
60% — dominant color (background, environment)
30% — secondary color (clothing, mid elements)
10% — accent color (small detail, point of interest)
This proportion creates visual hierarchy without competition.
SKIN TONE REFERENCE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
THE FUNDAMENTAL RULE
Every human skin tone, regardless of complexion, contains warm tones — reds, oranges, and yellows. The degree varies. The presence is universal.
A color grade that pushes skin toward green, blue, or purple
reads as unnatural and unflattering — unless intentional and controlled.
FAIR SKIN
Undertones: Pink, yellow, or neutral.
Pink undertone — easily goes red in harsh light. Shade slightly cool to compensate.
Yellow undertone — flatters warm light beautifully. Sunrise and tungsten are natural allies.
Shadows: Blue-grey. Highlights: Near white or warm cream.
Watch for: Overblowing highlights. Fair skin clips before you expect it.
MEDIUM SKIN
Undertones: Olive, yellow, or neutral.
Most flattering in: Natural light, open shade, golden hour.
Complementary to teal shadows without orange skin — the widest range.
Shadows: Richer shadow depth. Highlights: Golden amber to bronze.
Watch for: Magenta casts from fluorescent or mixed lighting.
DARK SKIN
Undertones: Red, blue-black, or deep brown.
Requires more light than pale skin to reveal texture and detail.
Dark skin absorbs light — do not underexpose. Expose to the right.
Shadows: Deep, rich, avoid crushing to pure black — detail is there.
Highlights: Specular highlights are narrower. Watch for overexposure on forehead, cheekbones.
Watch for: Auto WB systems often calibrate toward lighter reference points.
Manual WB gives you better control.
EDITING SKIN TONES
Use the HSL panel — target the Orange and Red channels specifically.
Pull down Saturation slightly if skin reads too intense.
Shift Hue slightly yellow (not red) for a more natural look.
Use a graduated or radial mask to correct skin without affecting the whole frame.
The best skin tone work is invisible. If someone notices you edited the skin, you went too far.
COLOR GRADING REFERENCE
SHADOWS vs HIGHLIGHTS
The most powerful lever in color grading is splitting:
shadows one direction, highlights another.
Classic: Cool/teal shadows + warm/orange highlights.
Moody: Blue shadows + desaturated highlights.
Vintage: Green shadows + faded, lifted highlights.
Always grade shadows first — they establish the mood.
LIFTING THE BLACKS
Raising the black point creates a "faded" or "matte" look.
The image never reaches pure black.
Associated with film emulation and moody editorial.
Too much reads as soft and unfinished unless intentional.
LUTS (Look Up Tables)
A LUT applies a preset color transform to your footage or image.
Think of it like a photographic filter — a starting point, not a finish.
Apply at low opacity (30–60%) and refine on top.
Never apply a LUT as a final grade without checking skin tones.
SATURATION vs VIBRANCE
Saturation affects all colors equally — can quickly oversaturate skin.
Vibrance raises saturation in less-saturated areas, protects skin tones.
Almost always use Vibrance over Saturation for natural images.
CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHIC PALETTES
Kodak Portra look: Warm, slightly desaturated, lifted blacks, creamy skin.
Fujifilm Velvia look: Saturated, high contrast, deep shadows, vivid greens.
Ilford HP5 (B&W): High contrast, grain, deep blacks.
Cross-processing look: Split colors, teal greens, magenta reds, lifted contrast.
Cyanotype look: Blue-dominant tonal grade, silver-blue whites.
THE FINAL CHECK
Always check your image on multiple screens before delivering.
What looks perfect on a calibrated monitor looks different on a phone.
Deliver in sRGB for all web/social. Use AdobeRGB or ProPhoto for print.
Never deliver color-critical work from an uncalibrated display.
The 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of every file. 2 different media types. 1 offsite. A memory card is not a backup. A single external drive is not a backup. If you have one copy, you have zero backups.
3-2-1 Rule
File Naming
Card Tracker
THE 3-2-1 BACKUP RULE
3 COPIES of every important file
2 DIFFERENT STORAGE TYPES (e.g. internal drive + external drive, or SSD + NAS)
1 OFFSITE COPY (cloud storage, drive at another location, or upload to client)
THE PROFESSIONAL WORKFLOW
On location:
1. Shoot to primary card.
2. If camera has dual card slots: write simultaneously to backup card.
3. Back in hotel: copy primary card to laptop AND external drive before sleeping.
4. Never format a card until the images are on at least two drives.
After the shoot:
5. Ingest to primary working drive.
6. Copy immediately to backup drive.
7. Upload selects or full shoot to cloud (Backblaze, Google Drive, Dropbox).
8. Keep the original cards until delivery is confirmed.
THE CARDINAL RULE
Never format a card until the images are confirmed in at least two locations.
"I'll do it later" is how careers end.
STORAGE MEDIA COMPARISON
SSD — Fast. Reliable. No moving parts. More expensive per GB.
Lifespan: 5–10 years in active use. Degrades without power over time.
HDD — Slower. Moving parts. Fails with drops. Cheaper per GB.
Lifespan: 3–5 years in active use. Mechanical failure is common.
RAID — Multiple drives. Redundancy built in. Not a backup — a convenience.
RAID protects against drive failure. Not against theft, fire, flood, or human error.
Cloud — Offsite by definition. Dependent on internet and subscription.
The best offsite backup available to most photographers.
LTO Tape — Long-term archival standard at the highest professional level.
Expensive setup. 30+ year archival lifespan. Used by studios and archives.
RECOMMENDED MINIMUM SETUP
Working drive (SSD or HDD) — active project files
Backup drive (external HDD) — mirror of working drive, updated daily
Cloud storage — offsite, updated after each shoot
Original cards kept until delivery confirmed
DO NOT DO THIS
Format cards immediately after transfer to one device.
Store all drives in the same physical location.
Rely on cloud as your only backup without a local copy.
Delete RAW files after delivering JPEGs.
FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS
WHY NAMING MATTERS
Camera default names (DSC_0001.jpg) are useless in archive.
Professional naming makes files findable, sortable, and identifiable.
A consistent system is the difference between a searchable archive and a pile of files.
THE RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE
YYYY-MM-DD_ClientName_ProjectName_####.ext
Examples:
2026-04-05_SmithWedding_Ceremony_0001.RAF
2026-03-15_NatGeo_UrbanPortrait_0247.CR3
2026-04-01_PersonalProject_CityNight_0089.ARW
WHY DATE FIRST (YYYY-MM-DD)
ISO 8601 format. Sorts chronologically in any file browser.
Always year first, then month, then day.
NEVER: 04-05-2026 — does not sort correctly.
FOLDER STRUCTURE
/2026/
/2026-04-05_ClientName_ProjectName/
/RAW/
/Selects/
/Exports/
/WebJPEG/
/PrintTIFF/
/Receipts/
BATCH RENAMING TOOLS
Lightroom — renames on import with custom template.
A-Rename (Windows, free) — powerful batch rename.
NameChanger (Mac, free) — simple batch rename.
ExifRenamer (Mac) — renames from EXIF data automatically.
Adobe Bridge — batch rename with metadata templates.
DO NOT INCLUDE IN FILENAMES
Spaces — use underscores or hyphens instead.
Special characters (/, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |)
Version numbers for originals — only for exports and edits.
Generic words like "image", "photo", "scan" alone.
Client
client database · project briefs · delivery status · contacts
Every client is a relationship. Every project is a promise. Track the brief, the deliverables, the deadline. Photographers who lose clients lose them to disorganization more than talent.
Know your cost of doing business before you quote a single client. Your rate must cover equipment depreciation, insurance, software, travel, editing time, and a profit margin. Shooting time is rarely more than 30% of the work.
Quote Builder
Rate Guide
Select a project type and enter your rates to build a quote.
PHOTOGRAPHY RATE REFERENCE
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
New / emerging: $150–$400 half day
Established, local market: $400–$1,000 half day
Premium / sought-after: $1,000–$3,000 half day
Top-tier commercial: $3,000–$10,000+ per day
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Entry-level: $800–$2,000
Mid-market: $2,000–$5,000
Premium: $5,000–$15,000+
Package pricing is standard — include hours, rights, deliverables clearly.
COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Emerging: $500–$1,000 per day
Mid-career: $1,000–$3,000 per day
Established commercial: $3,000–$8,000 per day
Top advertising: $8,000–$30,000+ per day
Usage licensing is additional to the creative fee — always.
EDITORIAL / MAGAZINE
Rates vary enormously by publication and territory.
Major national magazines: $300–$800 per published page.
Local / regional: $100–$300 per day.
Many editorial shoots do not pay well — they build reputation.
Never give up commercial rights for editorial rates.
REAL ESTATE / ARCHITECTURAL
Residential: $150–$500 per property
Commercial / high-end residential: $500–$2,000+
Virtual tours / video add-ons are additional.
WHAT YOUR RATE MUST COVER
Equipment depreciation: Cameras, lenses, lighting. Divide purchase cost by working lifespan.
Insurance: Equipment + liability. Non-negotiable for professional work.
Software: Lightroom, Capture One, Photoshop. Annual costs.
Storage & backup: Drives, cloud storage.
Travel: Vehicle, fuel, parking, flights for location work.
Marketing: Website, portfolio printing, social media tools.
Your actual time: Shoot time + travel + editing + admin + email + client management.
Taxes: Set aside 25–30% of gross for tax obligations.
LICENSING — UNDERSTAND THIS
Your creative fee is for the time and skill to make the image.
Licensing is separate — it is what the client pays to use the image.
Usage rights are determined by: medium, territory, duration, exclusivity.
An image shot for $500 in creative fee might license for $5,000 for national advertising.
Never include unlimited usage in your base rate. It is a separate negotiation.
License
image licensing tracker · usage rights · copyright log
Copyright belongs to you the moment you press the shutter. Licensing is the agreement that defines how someone else may use your image. Track every license. Unlicensed use is infringement. Undocumented licenses are disputes waiting to happen.
Dith Pran submitted his work from a war zone with film he had to smuggle across borders. You submit by email. Do it. The photographers who get published are the ones who send the work.
Your equipment is your livelihood. Know what you have. Know what it's worth. Know where the serial numbers are when — not if — something goes wrong. Insurance companies need serial numbers. Police need serial numbers. Customs agents need serial numbers.
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Lighting
Golden Hour
sunrise · sunset · golden hour · blue hour · civil twilight · live data
Live sun times from your location. Powered by sunrise-sunset.org — free federal data, no account required. Allow location access or enter coordinates manually.
Enter location and date above, then tap Calculate.
GOLDEN HOUR — WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO USE IT
Golden hour is the period after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low on the horizon. Light is warm, soft, and directional — it wraps around subjects, creates long shadows, and adds dimension that midday light destroys.
SUNRISE GOLDEN HOUR
Arrives without warning. The light changes fast — you have minutes, not hours. Scout the night before. Know exactly where you will stand and what you will point at. Set up before civil twilight ends. Wait.
SUNSET GOLDEN HOUR
More predictable. Watch the light direction as afternoon progresses. Position yourself so the light falls where you want it. The best light often comes in the last 10 minutes before the sun drops below the horizon.
BLUE HOUR
Before sunrise and after sunset. The sky turns a deep, even blue — no harsh shadows, balanced ambient light. Ideal for architectural photography, cityscapes, and any scene where you want the sky to retain detail alongside artificial light. Lasts 20–30 minutes depending on season and latitude.
CIVIL TWILIGHT
The period when the sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. Enough light to see without artificial sources. For photographers: the transition zone between blue hour and true darkness. Some of the most dramatic sky conditions occur here.
PRACTICAL NOTES
The closer to the equator, the shorter the golden hour. Near the poles in summer, golden hour can last hours. In Florida (Pete's location) golden hour is brief — typically 20–30 minutes. Plan accordingly.
Overcast days eliminate golden hour quality but can create beautiful, even diffused light all day. Do not cancel a shoot because it is cloudy.
Moon phase and illumination calculated precisely for any date. For moonrise and moonset times, the tool uses astronomical algorithms accurate to within minutes. No API required — all math runs locally.
Select a date to calculate moon data.
MOON PHASES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
NEW MOON — 0% illuminated
The sky is darkest. No moonlight to compete with stars.
Best for: Milky Way photography, deep sky, maximum star visibility.
The galactic core is visible from dark sky locations.
WAXING CRESCENT — 1–49% illuminated, setting after sunset
A thin crescent low in the west after sunset. Good for landscape compositions with a crescent moon. Sets early — leaves the night dark for astro work.
FIRST QUARTER — 50% illuminated, setting around midnight
Half moon. Sets around midnight — gives you a dark sky for the second half of the night. Good compromise for photographers who want some moonlight AND dark sky time.
WAXING GIBBOUS — 50–99%, setting after midnight
Moon is bright enough to illuminate landscapes. Good for moonlit landscape work but washes out stars.
FULL MOON — 100% illuminated, rises at sunset
The landscape photographer's ally. Rises at sunset, sets at sunrise. All night illumination. Dramatic lighting on terrain, water, architecture. No Milky Way visible but extraordinary landscape light.
Best for: Moonlit seascapes, mountain landscapes, architectural photography at night.
WANING GIBBOUS — setting before sunrise
Rises late — the night starts dark. Moon illuminates landscape in the early morning hours. Excellent for photographers who shoot before dawn.
LAST QUARTER — 50% setting before sunrise
Mirror of first quarter — rises around midnight. First half of night is dark for astro. Second half has moonlight.
WANING CRESCENT — rising before sunrise
Very thin. Rises just before dawn. Sky is dark for most of the night. Second-best phase for astro after new moon.
MILKY WAY VISIBILITY (Northern Hemisphere)
Core visible: approximately late February through October.
Best months: April through August.
Core direction: South to southwest.
Best time: Midnight to 3am during prime months.
Requirement: New moon or thin crescent. Bortle 4 sky or darker.
THE BORTLE SCALE (dark sky quality)
1 — Exceptional. No light pollution. Zodiacal light and gegenschein visible.
2 — Truly dark. Most observers never experience this.
3 — Rural sky. Milky Way impressive, shows structure.
4 — Rural/suburban transition. Milky Way still a showstopper.
5 — Suburban sky. Milky Way visible but washed out.
6 — Bright suburban. Milky Way faint, only near zenith.
7 — Suburban/urban transition. Milky Way nearly invisible.
8-9 — City sky. No Milky Way. Only brightest stars visible.
Weather
live forecast · cloud cover · wind · conditions · NOAA data
Live weather from NOAA api.weather.gov — official US federal weather data. No API key required. US locations only. Allow location access or enter coordinates manually.
READING WEATHER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
CLOUD COVER
0–25% — Clear sky. Harsh directional light midday. Golden hour is spectacular when unobstructed.
25–50% — Partly cloudy. Intermittent soft light. Can be dramatic with light breaking through.
50–75% — Mostly cloudy. Diffused light all day. Flattering for portraits. Boring for landscapes.
75–100% — Overcast. Even, soft, directionless light. Excellent for: portraits, macro, forest, waterfalls.
WIND
For long exposure: wind above 10mph will blur foliage, water, and clouds — sometimes beautifully, sometimes uncontrollably.
For hand-held: wind affects camera stability. Long lenses are most affected.
For portraits: wind moves hair. This is either great or terrible. Decide before you arrive.
HUMIDITY
High humidity haze reduces contrast and color saturation, especially at distance. Landscapes shot through humid haze look flat. Best atmospheric clarity: after a cold front passes, when dew point drops sharply.
GOLDEN LIGHT CONDITIONS
The best golden hour light often follows afternoon storms — the atmosphere is clean and the light bends dramatically through the clearing edge of departing clouds.
Watch for: crepuscular rays, rainbow light, afterglow (the sky 15 minutes after sunset when clouds glow from below).
RAIN
Rain gives you: wet reflective surfaces, clean streets, dramatic skies, emptier public spaces. Shoot during light rain with a weather-sealed camera or umbrella. Shoot immediately after rain before surfaces dry.
FROST AND FOG
Morning fog: arrive before dawn. Fog burns off fast — you have 30–60 minutes maximum. Low light through fog is extraordinary.
Frost: shoot before the sun hits it. Frost melts in minutes once light arrives.
Focus at the hyperfocal distance and everything from half that distance to infinity is acceptably sharp. The single most useful concept in landscape photography that most photographers never use.
Hyperfocal
Sharp Stars
Enter focal length above.
HOW TO USE IT
Set your lens to the hyperfocal distance shown above.
Everything from the near limit to infinity will be acceptably sharp.
This is not perfect sharpness — it is acceptable sharpness, based on the circle of confusion for your sensor.
For maximum landscape sharpness: use the hyperfocal distance, not infinity focus.
Focusing at infinity wastes depth of field behind infinity where nothing exists.
The NPF rule is more accurate than the old 500 rule. It accounts for aperture and pixel pitch, not just focal length.
Enter values above.
THE NPF RULE
Max shutter = (35 × aperture + 30 × pixel pitch) ÷ focal length
Pixel pitch = sensor width (mm) ÷ √megapixels × 1000 (in microns)
More accurate than the 500 rule which ignores aperture and resolution.
At high resolution (45MP+) the 500 rule allows too much trailing.
The NPF rule adapts to your specific camera.
Crop Calc
crop factor · full-frame equivalent · field of view · effective aperture
A 50mm lens on APS-C does not see like a 50mm lens. It sees like a 75mm lens on full frame. Know your equivalencies before you buy a lens or book a shoot.
Enter focal length and sensor above.
DOF EQUIVALENCY EXPLAINED
A 50mm f/1.8 on APS-C gives the same field of view as a 75mm on full frame.
But the depth of field equivalent to f/1.8 on full frame requires f/1.2 on APS-C.
The background blur you see depends on both field of view AND depth of field.
To exactly replicate a full-frame look on APS-C you need a wider lens AND wider aperture.
This is why full-frame cameras are prized for portraits — not field of view but depth of field.
Light Ratio
key to fill ratio · f-stop difference · studio metering
Lighting ratio is the difference in brightness between the lit side and shadow side of a subject. It controls how dramatic or flat your portrait looks. 2:1 is even. 4:1 is classic. 8:1 is cinematic.
Calculator
Ratio Reference
Select key and fill readings above.
LIGHTING RATIO REFERENCE
1:1 RATIO (0 stops difference)
Flat. Even. No shadow side. Used in beauty photography to eliminate wrinkles.
Key and fill are equal. Looks like a ringlight from the front.
2:1 RATIO (1 stop difference)
Very subtle shadow. Flattering. Fashion and lifestyle standard.
The shadow side is half as bright as the lit side. Barely noticeable.
3:1 RATIO (1.5 stops difference)
Classic portrait. The most universally flattering ratio.
Clear shadow side but not dramatic. Works for almost any subject.
The standard ratio taught in most portrait photography courses.
4:1 RATIO (2 stops difference)
Dramatic. The shadow side is one quarter the brightness of the key.
Adds character and dimension. Works well for male portraits.
The ratio where "moody" begins.
6:1 RATIO (2.5 stops difference)
High drama. Strong shadow. The lit side and dark side read as clearly separate.
Editorial and cinematic portrait work.
8:1 RATIO (3 stops difference)
Cinematic. The shadow side is nearly black.
Used in noir-style work, dramatic editorial, conceptual photography.
Can be unflattering without careful control.
16:1 AND BEYOND
Pure drama. Essentially one light with no fill.
The shadow side is black. Used for graphic silhouettes and high-contrast editorial.
PRACTICAL NOTES
You do not need a light meter — you can estimate by eye.
Move your fill light further away to reduce its contribution.
A white reflector as fill gives approximately a 3:1–4:1 ratio naturally.
A silver reflector gives approximately a 2:1–3:1 ratio.
No fill at all gives approximately 8:1 or more depending on ambient light.
At small apertures, diffraction softens the entire image. High-resolution sensors show diffraction earlier than lower-resolution ones. Know your limit before you stop down.
Enter megapixels and sensor format.
Calculate the shutter speed needed to freeze motion — or to achieve a specific amount of blur.
Enter values above.
THE SUNNY 16 RULE
In bright direct sunlight, set aperture to f/16.
Shutter speed = 1 ÷ ISO.
At ISO 100: 1/100s. At ISO 400: 1/400s. At ISO 800: 1/800s.
This gives a correctly exposed image in bright sun without a meter.
ADJUSTMENTS BY CONDITION
Sunny, distinct shadows — f/16
Slightly overcast, soft shadows — f/11
Overcast, no shadows — f/8
Heavy overcast — f/5.6
Open shade / sunset — f/4
Deep shade — f/2.8
HOW TO USE IT
Set ISO to 100 (or your base ISO).
Set shutter speed to 1/ISO (1/100s at ISO 100).
Adjust aperture by the conditions above.
This is a starting point — meter if you can, but this gets you in the ballpark every time.
WHY IT WORKS
The sun's output at the Earth's surface is remarkably consistent on a clear day.
The Sunny 16 rule has been taught to photographers since the 1950s.
It works on film. It works on digital. It works when your meter fails.
Dith Pran did not always have a meter. He had knowledge.
RECIPROCITY
Any combination that gives the same exposure value is equivalent:
f/16 at 1/100s at ISO 100
= f/11 at 1/200s at ISO 100
= f/8 at 1/400s at ISO 100
= f/5.6 at 1/800s at ISO 100
NATURAL WINDOW LIGHT — THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S STUDIO
NORTH WINDOW (Northern Hemisphere)
Never receives direct sunlight. Consistent, soft, cool, diffused light all day.
The traditional painter's light. The portrait photographer's reliable ally.
No harsh shadows. No color shift through the day. No sudden changes.
Use: portraits, still life, food, any work requiring consistency.
SOUTH WINDOW
Receives direct sunlight — harsh and changing through the day.
Use with a diffusion panel (white sheet, shower curtain, translucent roller blind).
Or wait for overcast sky to diffuse naturally.
Diffused south window in overcast: some of the most beautiful portrait light available.
EAST WINDOW
Direct morning sun. Warm, low angle. Raking light that reveals texture.
By midday it has moved on — cool and diffused for the afternoon.
Best for: morning lifestyle shoots, warm emotional portraits, texture work.
WEST WINDOW
Direct afternoon sun. Warm, golden as afternoon progresses.
The light improves toward sunset. Window facing west in late afternoon is golden hour light concentrated.
Best for: late afternoon portraits, warm golden lifestyle work.
WINDOW SIZE AND DISTANCE
The larger the window relative to the subject, the softer the light.
The closer the subject to the window, the softer and more directional the light.
Moving the subject back from the window wraps the light around them.
Moving the subject to the edge of the window creates a split or Rembrandt pattern.
SUBTRACTIVE LIGHTING
Place a black card or dark surface on the shadow side of the subject to increase contrast.
This "subtracts" light from the shadow side rather than adding fill.
Results in richer shadows and more depth than simply turning off a fill light.
REFLECTORS
White card or foam board — adds soft fill. Approximately 3:1–4:1 ratio.
Silver reflector — adds brighter fill. Approximately 2:1–3:1 ratio.
Gold reflector — adds warm fill. Use outdoors. Looks unnatural indoors under cool window light.
ONE MODIFIER THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
A white sheer curtain in front of the window turns harsh direct sun into a giant soft box.
Cost: $10. Effect: transforms any room into a workable portrait studio.
BLACK & WHITE CONVERSION — COLOR FILTER EFFECTS
When converting color images to black and white, digital "color filters" replicate the effect of physical filters used in the film era.
RED FILTER (high contrast, dramatic)
Darkens blue sky dramatically — turns it nearly black.
Lightens red and orange tones — skin, brick, warm foliage.
Classic landscape filter. Makes white clouds pop against dark sky.
Use for: dramatic landscapes, architecture, portraits with strong skin tones.
ORANGE FILTER (moderate contrast)
Less extreme than red. Good general-purpose landscape filter.
Darkens blue sky noticeably. Lightens warm tones moderately.
Use for: everyday landscape work, street photography, documentary.
YELLOW FILTER (subtle)
Light control — slight sky darkening, slight skin lightening.
The traditional portrait filter. Renders tones closer to how the eye perceives them.
Use for: portraits, natural landscapes, documentary work.
GREEN FILTER
Lightens green foliage — trees and grass become bright and textured.
Darkens red tones (skin reads slightly darker — use with care on portraits).
Darkens blue sky less than red filter.
Use for: forest, botanical, natural landscape photography.
BLUE FILTER (rarely used)
Lightens blue sky and blue tones. Darkens reds and oranges.
Skin renders dark. Creates a moonlit, cold feel.
Use for: intentional effect, water, industrial, night-like aesthetics.
IN LIGHTROOM / CAPTURE ONE
The HSL panel in B&W mode lets you control each color channel's brightness independently.
This is more powerful than a single filter — you can combine effects.
Raise orange to lighten skin while also raising blue to lighten sky simultaneously.
This combination is impossible with a single physical filter.
Posing
portrait posing · body angle · hands · eye level · direction
Fundamentals
Portrait
Groups
Direction
POSING FUNDAMENTALS
THE BODY ANGLE RULE
Almost never shoot a subject facing directly at the camera.
Turn the body 30–45° to the side. This slims and shapes.
The face can then turn back toward the camera — creating a dynamic tension.
A body angled away but face looking back is one of the most versatile poses in photography.
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
The hip that carries weight should be away from camera.
The free hip pops slightly — creates an S-curve in the body.
This applies to all genders — the degree varies, the principle holds.
Standing straight with weight equal on both feet reads as flat and formal.
CHIN FORWARD AND DOWN
The single most universally flattering adjustment.
Bring the chin slightly forward (toward camera) and slightly down.
This separates the jaw from the neck, defining the jawline and eliminating double chin.
Tell subjects: "Bring your forehead toward me slightly."
SHOULDERS
Dropped shoulders read as relaxed and natural.
Raised shoulders read as tension, anxiety, or cold.
Have subjects take a breath and exhale — shoulders naturally drop.
One shoulder slightly lower than the other adds dynamic asymmetry.
THE EYES
Where the eyes look defines the mood of the image.
Eyes to camera — engagement, directness, connection.
Eyes away — introspection, narrative, mystery.
Eyes upward — aspiration, youth.
Eyes downward — sadness, reflection, intimacy.
The catchlight in the eye (reflection of the light source) brings eyes to life. No catchlight = flat, lifeless eyes.
HANDS
The most difficult thing to pose and the most noticed when done badly.
Never let hands hang flat against the body — they look like flippers.
Hands at rest: fingers slightly curved, as if holding a very light object.
Never show the back of the hand straight to camera — show the edge.
For women: fingers together, gentle curve, elegant.
For men: looser grip, more angular, natural hang.
Give hands something to do: in a pocket, on a surface, touching something relevant.
PORTRAIT POSING SPECIFICS
SEATED PORTRAITS
Sit the subject on the front third of the chair — not against the back.
Sitting fully back compresses the torso and widens it in frame.
Lean slightly forward — creates engagement and alertness.
One foot slightly forward if legs are visible.
For crossed legs: ankle over knee for men (reads masculine), knee over knee for women (reads elegant) — though this is stylistic, not prescriptive.
STANDING PORTRAITS — FULL LENGTH
Always shoot from slightly below waist height for a full-length portrait.
Shooting from above for full length shortens legs.
One foot slightly in front of the other — breaks the symmetry.
Weight on back foot, hip slightly popped on free side.
HEAD TILT
A slight head tilt communicates approachability and warmth.
Tilt toward the raised shoulder — natural and gentle.
Tilt away from the raised shoulder — slightly more assertive.
No tilt — direct, powerful, formal.
Too much tilt — puppy dog. Avoid unless intentional.
CAMERA HEIGHT FOR PORTRAITS
Shoot at or slightly above eye level for a neutral, equal relationship.
Shoot below eye level — subject appears dominant, powerful, larger.
Shoot above eye level — subject appears smaller, vulnerable, younger.
For headshots: lens at eye level is standard professional practice.
BROAD VS SHORT LIGHTING (in posing context)
The side of the face turned toward the camera is the short side.
The side facing away is the broad side.
Short lighting (light on the side turned away): slims the face, more dramatic.
Broad lighting (light on the side facing camera): widens the face, more open.
Most portrait subjects are flattered by short lighting.
THE CATCHLIGHT POSITION
The ideal catchlight position in the eye is 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock.
Dead center (12 o'clock) from a ring light looks unnatural to many eyes.
Low catchlights (6 o'clock) look eerie — as if lit from below.
A second smaller catchlight from fill is acceptable. Three or more looks messy.
GROUP POSING
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM
Groups create visual clutter. The photographer's job is to create order from chaos — and to make it look effortless.
STAGGERING HEIGHTS
Never line people up at the same height.
Use stairs, steps, posing blocks, different chairs, and having some people stand while others sit.
A pleasing group photograph has peaks and valleys in height — never a flat line.
ODD NUMBERS
Odd-numbered groups (3, 5, 7) are easier to compose than even numbers.
With even numbers, you get symmetry that can feel stiff or a gap in the middle that looks like a mistake.
If you have 4 people, create 3+1 rather than 2+2.
THE TRIANGLE
Three people: the tallest in the back center, two shorter on either side slightly forward.
Creates a natural triangle pointing upward.
Scale this for any size group — build in clusters of triangles.
BODIES ANGLED INWARD
In a group, have subjects angle their bodies slightly toward the center.
This closes the group visually and creates connection between subjects.
Bodies angled outward from center creates a dispersed, disjointed feeling.
CONTACT BETWEEN SUBJECTS
Physical contact (touching shoulders, arms around each other) unifies the group.
Gaps between people read as disconnection.
For families: encourage natural physical contact — this is how they actually stand.
For professional groups: lighter contact — a hand on a shoulder is appropriate.
THE COUPLE
Angle toward each other.
The taller person slightly behind and to the side.
Physical contact — hands, touch — communicates the relationship.
Shoot from slightly above for environmental couples portraits.
Shoot at eye level for intimate connection shots.
DIRECTING SUBJECTS
THE FIRST MINUTE
Most people freeze in front of a camera.
Your first job as a portrait photographer is to break that freeze.
Talk constantly. Ask questions. Make the subject think about something other than the camera.
"What did you have for breakfast?" sounds absurd — it works.
ACTION-BASED DIRECTION
"Look at me" = stiff, formal.
"Walk toward me slowly" = natural movement, natural expression.
"Adjust your hair" = gives hands a job, often results in a natural expression.
"Laugh at how awkward this is" = genuine reaction to a real situation.
WHAT NOT TO SAY
"Smile." — Creates a fake smile. Every time.
"Relax." — The least relaxing thing to say to someone who is nervous.
"Just be natural." — Natural is impossible when someone is self-conscious.
WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD
"Think about something that made you happy this week." — Real expression.
"Look just past my left shoulder, then back to me." — Creates a natural blink and refresh.
"Tell me one thing about yourself I wouldn't guess." — Shifts focus from the camera.
GENUINE LAUGHTER
The best portraits often come from genuine laughter, not posed smiles.
Say something unexpected. Tell a terrible joke. Be willing to be ridiculous.
The expression that comes right after laughter settles is often the best frame.
MOVEMENT
Walk, turn, sit down, stand up — movement creates natural body positions.
The best portrait of a walking subject is often the mid-step frame.
Ask subjects to walk away from you and look back — creates a narrative.
READING THE SUBJECT
Some people need energy from you — match them and elevate.
Some people need calm from you — slow down, quiet your voice.
Reading which type your subject is and adapting is more important than any posing technique.
This is a starting-point template — not legal advice. Have any contract reviewed by an attorney in your jurisdiction before use.
Required when photographing private property for commercial use, or when property (building, artwork, vehicle) is identifiable and featured prominently.
DELIVERY SPECIFICATIONS BY PLATFORM
INSTAGRAM
Feed — square: 1080 × 1080px. Portrait: 1080 × 1350px. Landscape: 1080 × 566px.
Stories / Reels: 1080 × 1920px (9:16).
File format: JPEG. Color space: sRGB. Max file size: 8MB (feed), 4GB (video).
Quality: Export at 80–90% JPEG quality. Instagram re-compresses — start with the best.
Key: Instagram degrades images significantly. Shoot at highest resolution. Export at exact pixel dimensions. Never let Instagram crop for you.
FACEBOOK
Cover photo: 851 × 315px. Profile: 180 × 180px (displays at 170 × 170).
Feed photos: minimum 1200 × 630px recommended.
File format: JPEG or PNG. sRGB.
TWITTER / X
In-stream images: 1200 × 675px (16:9 preferred). Up to 4 images per tweet.
Profile: 400 × 400px. Header: 1500 × 500px.
Max file size: 5MB for images.
LINKEDIN
Feed images: 1200 × 627px. Profile: 400 × 400px minimum.
Background/cover: 1584 × 396px.
PINTEREST
Optimal: 1000 × 1500px (2:3 ratio). Tall images perform better.
Standard: 600 × 900px minimum.
YOUTUBE
Thumbnail: 1280 × 720px (16:9). Must be under 2MB.
Channel art: 2560 × 1440px — safe area for all devices: 1546 × 423px center.
WEBSITE / WEB USE
Full screen hero images: 2400–3000px wide. Compress to under 500KB for fast loading.
Gallery images: 1200–2000px on longest edge. Quality 75–85%.
Thumbnails: 400–600px. Quality 70–80%.
Always use sRGB for web. Never deliver AdobeRGB for screen use.
PRINT LABS
Standard print: 300 DPI at final print dimensions.
Fine art / gallery: 360 DPI. Some labs request specific ICC profiles.
Large format / billboard: 100–150 DPI at final dimensions.
Always download and use the lab's specific ICC profile for accurate color.
Proof on screen using the lab's profile before ordering.
CLIENT DIGITAL DELIVERY
Full resolution JPEG: longest edge 4000–6000px depending on sensor.
Color space: sRGB for general clients. AdobeRGB only if client specifically requires it and has a calibrated monitor.
Always include the photographer's copyright in the filename or watermark.
Delivery method: cloud link (Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer), online gallery (Pixieset, ShootProof, SmugMug), USB for archival clients.
PORTFOLIO REVIEW CHECKLIST
EDIT TIGHTLY
A portfolio of 20 perfect images is stronger than a portfolio of 40 good ones.
If you are unsure whether an image belongs, it does not belong.
Every image must earn its place. None are in there because you worked hard on them.
The viewer does not care how hard you worked. They care what they see.
THE OPENING IMAGE
The first image sets the entire tone and expectation.
It should be your strongest, most representative work.
Do not save the best for last — the viewer may not get there.
THE CLOSING IMAGE
The last image is what the viewer carries with them.
Make it strong. Make it memorable. Make it feel like a conclusion.
SEQUENCE
The portfolio should have a rhythm — varied but cohesive.
Alternate orientation (horizontal/vertical) with intention.
Two images of similar tone/content next to each other compete. Separate them.
Think in pairs: what does this image look like next to the image before and after it?
CONSISTENCY
A portfolio should feel like it was made by one person with one vision.
Technical consistency: same color grade, same treatment across images.
Subject consistency: focus on a discipline or tightly related disciplines.
A portrait portfolio that includes three landscape images raises questions about your focus.
NUMBERS BY USE
Agency submission: 10–15 images.
Gallery exhibition proposal: 15–20 images.
Client portfolio (commercial): 15–25 images by category.
Online portfolio (public website): 20–50 images maximum.
Personal archive is not a portfolio. Curate.
SECOND OPINION
You cannot objectively edit your own work.
You love images for the memory attached to them.
You love images for the technical difficulty you overcame to make them.
The viewer has neither memory nor context. They see only the image.
Ask someone you trust to be brutal. Then listen.