I Like Your Picture: Recent Episodes
William Beem
A photography show to help photographers become better visual storytellers so they can take better photos to share, sell and remember. Welcome to our photography podcast, The Photo Flunky Show, hosted by William & Lee Beem. Photography offers limitless options and there are plenty of voices in the field. Our weekly show emphasizes the importance of story and creativity to help you visualize the photo in your head before you ever click the shutter, as well as helping you understand your gear and post processing tools. We cover everything from your DSLR to your smart phone so you can consistently capture the best photos. After the shot, we'll help you understand Adobe Lightroom and other tools to bring out color, details and amaze your audience. Subscribe to The Photo Funky Show now at http://williambeem.com/itunes to have each weekly episode delivered to your for free.
Every photo needs post-processing, even if it's only to sharpen the photo. The biggest problem we see in post-processing is the tendency to overdo your editing.
In this episode, we'll offer 10 tips to help you achieve your post-processing goals with as little effort as possible.
The post 10 Secrets About Post Processing appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode278
Photo composition is more than just relying on the Rule of Thirds. If you want to get beyond the training wheels of photography rules, we'll help you think like an artist.
We discuss photography etiquette to help you understand the Dos and Don'ts of different photography situations. Recognize the signs and know which boundaries to push and when to let go.
The post 10 Secrets about Photography Etiquette appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode276
Everyone needs photography training. The problem is that not all photography training is equal, or even good. We'll give you 10 things to understand when choosing your training.
Attending a course by one of your favorite photographers may be great or it could cause you to lose faith. Not every great photographer is a great teacher.
The post 10 Secrets About Photography Training appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode275
We have family from overseas in town this month, so we're taking a work break to spend time with them. I Like Your Picture will return in January 2022.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannakuh, and Happy New Year!
We share 10 creative photography secrets in this episode. If you're technically minded, but struggling with creativity, we can help you break through the mindset to learn how to be creative.
Creative difficulty comes from a lack of experience and possibly a lack of confidence. Don't worry. We've all been there. In this episode, we'll break down the barriers to help you release the artist inside of you.
The post 10 Creative Photography Secrets appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode274
Lenses in photography have a dramatic impact on your results. They determine your composition, depth, and image quality more than any other component. We'll help you understand what's important for your photography.
Do you need prime or zoom lenses? Is the most expensive lens always the best? We'll discuss those issues and more in this episode.
The post 10 Secrets About Lenses in Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode273
Without light in photography, there is no photography. One of the easiest ways to create better photos and evoke emotion is to learn how to control the light in your photos.
This episode is part of a larger series of 101 secrets for emerging photographers so it won't take you as long to learn things as I spent figuring it out.
The post 10 Secrets About Light in Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode272
We share 10 secrets about cameras that beginners need to know because those camera vendor ads mislead your expectations. We'll share the truth.
You'll learn what things to consider before you spend money on a camera and how to get the best value for your style of photography.
The post 10 Secrets About Cameras Beginners Need to Know appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode271
Our 10 secrets for beginning photographers help you eliminate some of the obstacles and confusion that many new photographers have to overcome.
These aren't tips about Rule of Thirds or anything like that. Instead, we discuss some of the things you need to understand as an artist and a beginner. You'll learn how to avoid some of the bad advise you're going to get in the photography field and concentrate on the things that really matter.
The post 10 Secrets for Beginning Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode270
There are things I wish I knew before starting photography. I could've achieved better results, faster. Also, I could've saved money. Learn from my mistakes.
You get a lot of advice from photography forums and other well-meaning photographers. Most of it is crap, though. You can't buy your way to success.
The post Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode269
Learn how to photograph a sunrise or sunset with our 6 tips and years of experience. We'll give you ideas that work for beginners and advanced photographers to create something your audience loves.
Getting a good photograph of a sunrise or sunset isn't about the sun as your subject. We'll help you understand how you can choose which time of day to take your photo and use it to enhance your subject to create a beautiful photograph
The post How to Photography a Sunrise or Sunset appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode268
We share 7 ways to develop your creative eye in photography. Learn how to pay attention to things you love and get ideas from other types of art so you can become a better photographer.
The post 7 Ways to Develop Your CREATIVE Eye appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode267
You can take the best travel photos with your smart phone. All you need are the 5 tips we have to share and your eye for storytelling.
Smart phone cameras are getting excellent results with newer models constantly improving and adding new features. You can immediately share your photos and also create an instant Cloud backup so you never lose your photos.
The post 5 Ways to Take the BEST Travel Photos with Smart Phones appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode266
This is an encore of episode 191 - Photo Composition Ideas for Travel Photographers. Now that many of us are traveling again, it seemed like a good time to remember how to compose a photo.
Should you make money from your photography? Who doesn't want more cash? Of course, going into business is very different from being a photographer. Listen to learn the pros and cons.
#photography #business #showmethemoney
The post Should You MAKE MONEY from Photography? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode265
Do photographs need post processing? If so, how much? We discuss how your story dictates the needs of your post processing and some ideas how to make the right choices.
Different file formats come with post processing from the camera, and others absolutely require some help to get the result you desire.
The post Do Photographs NEED Post Processing? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode264
We've waited a long time and now we want to visit our ultimate travel photography destinations. We'll let you know where we want to go, why, and our plan for storytelling photos.
Whether you want to travel near or far, there are elements of your destination that can appeal to the photos you want to create and the experience you want to have.
Come travel with us in this episode.
#travelphotography #themephotography #storytelling
The post Our Ultimate Travel Photography Destinations appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode263
Do you cringe when you see photography fads from the past, or do you cringe because you were part of the fad? We'll discuss some old fads and tell you how to recognize new ones.
The post 6 Photography Fads of the Past appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode262
Just a brief announcement for the upcoming schedule of I Like Your Picture. We're taking a Spring Break and will return on May 19, 2021 with a new schedule.
Successful photographers have one powerful trait in common. They don't let other people hold them back. You're kind of a big deal, but only if you allow yourself the freedom of being one.
In this episode, we'll share some tips for you to identify who you want to be as a photographer, identify what's holding you back, and warn you of the biggest enemy of your success as a photographer.
The post 1 Powerful Trait of Successful Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode261
Are you more creative in camera or in post processing? A good photo is a good photo, so there's no right or wrong. It's important to know your strengths.
I don't care how you make your photo as long as I like the result, so don't worry about which way you prefer to craft a photo. Play up your strengths to greatness, rather than build up your weakness to mediocrity.
The post Are You MORE CREATIVE in Camera or in Post Processing? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode260
We have 10 photography mistakes to avoid in this episode. These are the things that are easy to fix before you click the shutter, but not so much afterward. Keep these problems in mind before you compose.
If you make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. People who've taken photos for decades occasionally make these same mistakes. With luck, you'll learn from this list and develop good habits to help you avoid making mistakes in the first place.
The post 10 Photography Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode259
We share 10 photography ideas for outdoors to help you practice with your gear and composition, so you can become a stronger photographer.
It's Springtime when we recorded this and we've been shut inside for too long. Get your gear, head outside and find out what happens when you try our 10 photography ideas to use when you're outdoors.
The post 10 Photography Ideas for Outdoors appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode258
Still locked down? We have 10 photography ideas at home to help you practice and sharpen your skills.
Practice is essential for growth. We have a list of 10 ideas that can help you develop essential photography skills and techniques on the days when you're stuck at home.
The post 10 Photography Ideas at Home appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode257
The perfect camera bag may not be out there, but there sure are a lot of duds. We have 10 factors you should consider before buying your next camera bag.
How many camera bags do you need? You'll possibly end up buying more than you need, at least until you find out what matters to you in a camera bag.
That's why having a checklist like our 10 factors can help you save money in the long run. You'll know what you want.
The post 10 Factors to Choose the Perfect Camera Bag appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode256
Is your photography experience social or private? One of the things that changed photography for many of us during the lockdowns is the absence of social interaction that we got from photography.
Do you gain creativity from working with others, or do you need to be alone to concentrate on your photography?
The post What's Your Photography Experience? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode255
The best way to organize Lightroom Classic is to use the method that makes the most sense to you.
Many Lightroom Classic trainers ignore this basic truth and go on to teach their way, without giving any path or options for people who just think about things differently.
We'll show you a resource that can help you learn how to organize, find and share your photos using Lightroom Classic.
The post The Best Way to Organize Lightroom Classic appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode254
We share 5 ways to get tack sharp photos in this episode, and it's easier than you think. If you aren't getting the sharpness an detail you need, check out our episode.
We'll tell you why your photos need to be sharp, and where you need sharpness. Then we'll go into the 5 different techniques you can use to ensure that you capture and share tack sharp photos with your audience.
Every photo needs sharpening.
The post 5 Ways to Get Tack Sharp Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode253
We'll share 5 reasons visual storytelling is something you need to incorporate in your photography. People are wired to consume stories. Give yourself an unfair advantage in your next photo.
People engage with visual information much faster than text, and we're infatuated with stories. We'll help you understand why and how to engage your audience with visual storytelling, and without going over the top.
The post 5 Reasons Visual Storytelling is Critical for Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode252
I asked Lee to give me her objections to use off-camera flash in her photography, and she gave me 5 answers...and more. Check out why some folks don't like OCF.
Let's be fair, some of her reasons are about convenience and some are about a lack of experience. Does that mean she should embrace off-camera flash, or is she doing just fine with her photography using available light?
The answer is in this episode.
The post 5 Objections to Use Off-Camera Flash appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode251
Learn 5 reasons why no one likes your photos. it's not just a matter of skill, but also about taste and style.
You can learn all the technical skills that you want, but what really matters comes from your heart & soul, and it only appeals to a specific audience.
You can never be all things to all people, but you can learn what your audience wants from you - and doesn't want.
The post 5 Reasons Why No One Likes Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode250
Want to know the best way to organize your photos in Lightroom Classic? It's the method that makes sense to you, and we'll help you create a strategy to organize your photos.
It's frustrating to keep wasting your time searching for photos in Lightroom Classic. A little organization isn't that hard, if only you know what tools to use and had a strategy.
That's what we're discussing in this episode of I Like Your Picture, and there's a nice bonus at the end to help you out.
The post Best Way to Organize Your Photos in Lightroom Classic appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode254
If you want to create superior photos, there's one rule you need to keep in mind. It's not one you were taught, like the Rule of Thirds. We'll explain the single most important rule in photography.
Once you understand this rule, everything else falls into place. It helps you understand the reason why you create photos and how to keep them from sucking.
The post 1 Simple Rule to Create Superior Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode249
Creative photography is the objective, not merely documenting some person, place or thing. We'll tell you why adhering to photography rules doesn't lead to creativity.
If everyone does the same thing by following the same rules, how do you break out to get noticed? We'll share why it's good to break the photography rules so you can stand out of the crowd.
The post Creative Photography is the Objective appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode248
Break the photography rules you've always been taught if you ever want to escape mediocrity. Nothing great ever came from following the rules.
In this episode, we'll explain when and why photography rules are important to follow. Then we'll tell you why you should break the rules to learn more about your creativity and style.
The post Break the Photography Rules to Break Out of Mediocrity appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode247
As photographers, we aren't looking back. We'll share what you can expect from this podcast in 2021 to help you be the best photographer you can be.
Expect a little attitude this year.
The post What to Expect in 2021 appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode246
Tired of getting blank expressions? Learn how to direct your portrait subjects with one simple technique. We'll also discuss which poses to avoid.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Get the expression you want * The importance of gesture * How to direct your subjects The post How Do I Direct My Portrait Subjects? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode245
Lens choice can be a tough decision. We'll help you understand how different aspects of your lenses can work for your photography. Sometimes the most expensive lens isn't the best choice.
Even if you only have a kit lens, don't dismiss it and think you need to spend more money on an expensive or "pro" lens.
A lens is just a tool, and your style of photography and the results you need in your photos can help you dictate the right lens choice for you.
The post How Lens Choice Impacts Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode244
This is a brief episode to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and to let you know we'll have some Black Friday deals for you to save on your favorite photography things.
The post BONUS: Happy Thanksgiving 2020 appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the Black Friday Deals at: https://williambeem.com/blackfriday
If you want to spend on gear, make sure you get value for your money. There are a lot of cool things on the market, but you probably don't need most of them to make great photos.
Take it from a man who got caught up in Gear Acquisition Syndrome and learned which items are really important based upon the type of photography you like.
In this episode, we'll discuss how to recognize value for your money when you're ready to spend on gear.
The post How Much Should You Spend on Gear? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode243
Never give all your photos away. Your reputation is at stake, and people who ask for all the photos in a session often have a misunderstanding of what you offer. We can help you clear up that issue.
There are always photography groups where someone asks what to do when a client asks for all the photos.
By then, it's usually too late. You should have specified a written agreement before taking the first photo.
We'll help you understand why this request is a problem and how you can avoid it in the future.
The post Why You Shouldn't Give All Your Photos Away appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode242
Your reputation as a photographer, or what people think about you, can be the difference between getting someone to hire or collaborate with you or not.
Like it or not, everything you say and do impacts your brand as a photographer. Even if you aren't in business, you still want to collaborate, work or share with other people.
In this episode, we'll discuss some of the things that help you define your audience and determine your appeal to them.
The post What is Your Reputation as a Photographer? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode241
Were talking about how to photograph cities in this episode. There are many approaches you can take, including architectural, cultural, shooting for color and more.
You don't have to photograph an entire city in one visit. In fact, it's best to narrow your focus and concentrate on one aspect of city life. As we like to say, think like a coffee table book.
That advice allows you to think about the story you want to tell and what kind of photos you need to tell the story of your favorite city.
The post How to Photograph Cities appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode240
Learn how to photograph holidays and family events without ruining the day. You'll capture photos that tell stories for your family for years to come.
We'll teach you how to look for moments, stories, emotions and colors that add to your memories.
We'll also review how to structure those photos to tell the story of your family gathering.
The post How to Photograph Holidays appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode239
If you want to know how to photograph strangers, we'll share our experiences and advice. You'll get tips about when to get candid photos or posed shots, and how to ethically photograph strangers.
Photographing strangers is a great way to share how people live and work in their environment. It's also a great way to remember people you meet and interact with during your travels.
There are some cases when you want a candid shot vs a posed shot. We also cover some cases when people react poorly to being photographed by a stranger.
The post How to Photograph Strangers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode238
Knowing how to photograph kids helps you capture those family moments, yet still get something better than snapshots with Aunt Edna's knee in the photo. We'll help you get the right results.
The trick isn't to pose or take over your family gathering and turn it into a photo session. Instead, we'll teach you how to plan and prepare for events to unfold naturally so you'll be ready to catch whatever happens.
The post How to Photograph Kids appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode237
AI is a growing trend in photography software, but is AI photography software killing creativity by changing the way we work?
The trend for AI powered photography workflow saves time, but it also eliminates a lot of decision points to process a photo.
Is this a creativity killer, or just a natural evolution with new technology?
The post Is AI Photography Software Killing Creativity? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode236
Have you tried using creative photography exercises to improve your photos? Photography is like anything else. You gotta do your drills to improve your weak spots.
If you play sports, you do drills to build muscles and reactions to events in your game.
Creative photography exercises help you automatically react to find the best opportunities for photographs, no matter what genre of photography you enjoy.
Check out this episode and we'll tell you how you can practice key aspects of your photography so you get better photos.
The post Creative Photography Exercises to Improve Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode235
Color photography should't include random colors that lack harmony. In this episode, we'll help you organize your color photography to make an impact.
You'll learn how to choose colors that work together using color harmonies, themes and mood.
As a bonus, Lee shares a tip to enhance your colors quickly and easily in Lightroom or other post processing tools.
The post Color Photography with Intent appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode234
Do you feel like you have no time for photography? We'll discuss some common reasons and solutions to get you back to your photos.
The best way to make time for your photography is to make progress with your photography. So how do you make progress when you don't have time?
We have some ideas inside this episode.
The post This Is Why You Have No Time for Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode233
We created a new photography Facebook group called "I Like Your Picture" to be a social companion to this podcast and our YouTube channel.
If you're looking for a social group based upon photography that stays on topic and helps you achieve your photography goals, please visit us on Facebook.
The post We Created a Photography Facebook Group appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode232
Create visual impact in your photos to attract an audience. We'll discuss why visual impact is important and three ways to add visual impact in your photos.
Visual impact is how you get attention with your photography. It's the attention-getter that stops people from scrolling or walking by and forces them to engage with your photo.
We'll go over how and why you need to plan your photos for visual impact.
The post How to Create Visual Impact in Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode231
Learn why expression and gesture are important to your portraits and how to draw expression from your subjects.
Without expression and gesture, there's nothing emotional to draw interest to your photo.
We'll discuss how to define the intent of your photo and choose subjects to provide the expression, gesture and emotion that your portrait needs.
Some subjects need coaching and others are just naturals. You'll learn who to pick and why.
The post How to Direct Your Portrait Subjects with Expression and Gesture appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode230
Are you making excuses to avoid progress as a photographer? Check out these 5 excuses to see if you're avoiding potential and learn how you can fix the problems.
As photographers, we tend to sabotage ourselves and get in the way of our own results. In this episode, we'll discuss 5 common excuses that photographers make and learn ways to overcome them.
The post 5 Photographer Excuses to Avoid Progress appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode229
We discuss our home studio portrait session. Everything from our concept and plan to the issues we had to tweak. You can get some great results in a home studio with our tips.
Learn what works and what needs improvement for your home studio portrait session.
One of the important ideas was to have a concept you want to execute before getting started. That makes it easy to determine your background, light and subject to help ensure a great result.
The post Review of Our Home Studio Portrait Session appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode228
You can create a home studio for portrait photography or other genres with some simple gear to get started. We'll tell you what you need.
If you want to create a home studio for portrait photography, you need a few basic elements:
- Space
- Background
- Lighting
- Props
We'll tell you how to easily find resources to create your home studio.
The post Create a Home Studio for Portrait Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode227
Our Founding Member Launch gets started on July 23rd. We share more information on what portrait photographers can expect from this membership.
Thinking a portrait photography membership takes too much time, or that you're not at the right skill level yet?
We discuss why you can learn the concepts in about an hour a week, and that there's no better way to improve your skills than by sharing your ideas with a community doing the same thing you are - portrait photography.
Our founding member launch starts on July 23rd with monthly and annual options to join - and a 30 day money back guarantee.
The post Inside a Founding Member Launch appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode226
A portrait workflow process has a lot of benefits. The biggest one is eliminating the pain of ignorance and mistakes because you don't know what you need to accomplish.
In this episode, you'll learn the five milestones you need to incorporate in your portrait workflow. That keeps you on track to work with your team and make sure you get the shot of your dreams.
The post Why You Need a Portrait Workflow Process appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode225
One Time Offer! I'm launching a new membership site for portrait photographers, and you can be a founding member with a lifetime deal.
Check out the episode. If you're interested, visit https://williambeem.com/lifetime to let me know that you'd like more information. No payment right now.
Learn how to select your best portrait after completing a session. It's daunting when you have dozens or hundreds of photos. We'll show you how to choose the best portrait.
You'll learn how to use groups to divide and conquer with your portrait session photos. Then we'll show you what criteria to use in order to find your best portraits and eliminate the rest from consideration.
As a result of using this process, you'll do better on your next portrait session when you know what you want, so you can eliminate taking photos that don't serve your purpose.
The post Select Your Best Portrait from All of Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode224
Deciding which type of print to select for your photo can be tough, but we try to help in this episode. Check out our advice on paper, canvas and metal prints for your photos.
We'll share the importance and impact of printed photos and why you may want to start printing your own photos.
Then we'll delve into how you can prep your photos for printing, and decide which type of material, frame and features are right for printing your photos.
The post Which Type of Print is Right for My Photo? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode223
Introducing a New Search Tool for Our Podcast. Now you can find anything mentioned on the I Like Your Picture podcast with a quick search on our blog.
Audio search is real and it's now available to you on the blog. Just listen to this episode for instructions to search and some examples of how it works.
Not only does this tool provide audio search, but it's also creating transcripts for the podcast episodes to help you find information from past episodes and posts.
The post Introducing a New Search Tool for Our Podcast appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode222
I answer 5 questions about lighting from an experienced photographer who isn't familiar with off-camera flash. We'll share different answers that can work for everyone.
Have you been a photographer for a while, but just never got into off-camera flash? That's exactly why I asked Lee to come up with questions for me about lighting.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to use off-camera flash in your photos, and sometimes the answer doesn't require any flash at all.
Be sure to listen to this episode, and we'll give you an option to ask your own questions for a future episode.
The post 5 Questions About Lighting appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode221
Learning how to convey a mood in a portrait helps your audience understand the story you're sharing. A mood immediately tells viewer's what's going on in your photo.
You can use mood to set the groundwork for a positive or negative feeling within your story, which helps support the emotion you want your audience to feel.
We'll share a bunch of elements and ideas you can use in your portraits to define the mood of your story.
The post How to Convey Mood in a Portrait Session appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode220
Your portrait session isn't done until you deliver your photos. How you deliver your photos says something about you and the experience you create.
There are three broad categories of delivery, and we'll discuss all of them.
- Digital files
- Books and layouts
Delivering the photos you took in your portrait session is the last thing people will remember about you. We'll help you think of ways to impress your subject and team so they want to work with you again.
The post Deliver Your Photos to the People Who Need Them appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode219
Knowing how to post process your portrait isn't just a matter of slapping on a preset. We'll tell you how to select your best photos and provide a workflow to process your portrait.
Learn how to review similar photos to choose your best shot. Then we'll talk about how to clean up your images and the right order to do it.
Finally, we'll discuss methods to enhance your photo and sell your story to give your audience a portrait they'll love.
The post How to Post Process Your Portrait appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode218
Ever show up for a portrait session and just wing it because you have no idea what to do? This episode gives you a framework to help your odds of success.
We'll share things you need to know and communicate with your talent, how to review your set and get the most from your portrait session.
Portraits are collaborations by nature, and the size of your team may vary. We'll discuss the different roles that you need to consider, even if someone has to double or triple-up on their responsibilities.
The post How to Execute a Portrait Session appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode217
Learn how to plan a portrait session so you're prepared on the day of your photoshoot. We'll discuss the people and things you need to organize for your portrait session.
You'll need to gather your team and start assembling the things you need to bring your portrait concept to life.
The post How to Plan a Portrait Session appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode216
Understanding that photography is not reality is the gateway to artistic expression. Photography is just a representation of something, so give yourself permission to be an artist.
You'll never see a waterfall the same way as a long exposure photograph, so what are we trying to achieve? The truth is that photography is merely a representation of something. If you're caught up in trying to capture reality, you'll never progress.
Give yourself the freedom to create something and let go of the illusion of reality.
The post Why Photography is not Reality appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode215
When it's time to develop a portrait concept, you want to let your imagination flow. However, we'll give you some guidelines to keep your concept in the right direction.
Think of this episode as a framework for your creative imagination. It's good to come up with an original concept, but also daunting if you don't know where to begin.
We'll give you a few guidelines to consider as you explore your imagination to develop your portrait concept.
The post How to Develop a Portrait Concept appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode214
How much light do you need for your photos? We're not just asking about the total volume of light, but what parts of your scene do you need to light and how many light sources do you need?
While some photos with a lot of brightness and light work well, there are also times when you shouldn't overnight your subject.
How do you know the difference, and how can you work your scene with one or more light sources to get the right look for your photograph?
The post How Much Light Do You Need? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode213
Does every photo need to tell a story? This episode dives into photos and art that's a bit more abstract and doesn't tell a story, yet still has visual impact and interest.
Why is abstract photography interesting? How can you use color, shape and light to create a visually interesting photograph?
We'll cover all of that in this episode of I Like Your Picture.
The post Does Every Photo Need to Tell a Story? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode212
Are you stuck at home? It happens to all photographers sooner or later. We have 10 ideas to help your photography while you wait out the storm or whatever else keeps you at home.
There are plenty of opportunities for photographers to get organized, learn something new, practice, or have some fun with a family portrait session.
The post Ideas for Photographers Stuck at Home appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode211
We've identified four common photography obstacles and have some advice to overcome them. Is something getting in the way of creating the photos you want to create?
We'll help you identify when you need to learn something new, how to have confidence, gaining approval from others or just overthinking the situation.
The post Common Photography Obstacles appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
When we get more experience as photographers, we learn how to create unexpected compositions for our audience. The goal is to give our viewers something new, unexpected and interesting for them to enjoy.
What is the ultimate goal of photography? Is it merely to document a person, place or object? Maybe for some. For others, it's an artistic expression.
While we grow as photographers, our audience expects more from us than merely repeating the same old things. They get bored if we don't show them something new.
The trick with an unexpected composition is not just to show the audience something new, but something new that they'll like and enjoy.
That takes time, practice and maybe a bit of luck. You start to see opportunities that you didn't realize before, and that's what leads you to create new photographs to share with your audience.
The post Create an Unexpected Composition appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode209
Use our Lightroom Classic Development Workflow Checklist to get the best results processing your photos and save time wasting tactics that cause rework.
If you think that working your way through the Lightroom Classic Develop module panels from top to bottom is the right order, you're wrong.
We've broken down your post processing flow into three sections to Prepare your photo, Enhance it and then Add Effects.
You'll learn the right order to resize, crop, clean up, apply global adjustments and local adjustments to avoid one control overpowering another one. Download our checklist so you always have the guide with you to make quick work of developing your photos in Lightroom.
The post Lightroom Classic Workflow to Develop Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode208
Rhythm and Proportion in photography are two elements of composition that you can use to engage your audience. Rhythm shows patterns that draw the eye closer, while proportion shows how to use objects of different size in your photos.
Rhythm in photography happens when you use patterns, like rings of water emanating out after you drop a stone in a still pond, or rows of seats in a stadium. One of the interesting things you can do is show how to interrupt that pattern, and cause your viewer to pay attention to the interruption.
Proportion deals with the relationship between objects in size and space. We'll talk about how to use either perfect proportion or distorted proportion - and when to use them to engage your audience.
The post How to Use Rhythm and Proportion in Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode207
Use texture in your photography to create a bit of tactile sensory input for your audience, to direct the eye, and add create contrast in your photos.
Texture helps you create a bit of an illusion with your viewer's mind. When they see something with texture, they start to imagine how it feels. That increases their engagement with your photo.
You can use texture to direct the eye to your subject, or create contrast between your subject and background.
Some photographers add their texture in post processing, and we'll discuss some methods to capture texture and combine it with a subject using composite post processing.
The post How to use Texture in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode206
Contrast in photography is more than just tonal differences. You can add contrast with color, texture of concepts. We'll help you understand why contrast works and how to use it for your audience.
Contrast helps your subject stand out from its surroundings. You can help emphasize your subjects with color, tones, textures or concepts - like a fish out of water.
The post Why Contrast in Photography is So Important appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode205
Do you know how to choose the right subject for your photo? It's amazing how many random snapshots seem to lack a subject. You can make any subject look good, but it's vital to have a subject in your photo.
You can emphasize your subject with a few techniques:
- Placement in the frame
- How you light the subject
- Using the background and surroundings to tell a story
In this episode, we'll help you understand if you have the right subject and show you have to make it stand out in your photos.
The post How to Choose the Right Subject for Your Photo appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode204
You can use depth and dimension in your photography to help your viewer enjoy a sense of realism. Instead of looking at a flat 2D image, your photos become a window to view your scene.
We'll discuss some techniques to add depth and dimension, including:
- Foreground, Middle and Background
- Natural Frames
- Leading Lines
- Use Perspective
- Depth of Field
- Point of View
- Point of Focus
- Selective Lighting
- Shadows
The post How to use Depth and Dimension in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode203
Learn how to use movement in your photography to create anticipation, tension and interest in your photos. We'll share some different techniques to imply movement in your still photos.
Movement in photography is a great way to make your audience stop and take a good look at your photos. Movement gives a much more lifelike appearance to your subjects.
People wonder what will happen next, and they engage with your photos as they ponder the possibilities.
The post How to Use Movement in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode202
Understand how to use space and balance in your photo compositions. We'll teach you the five elements of balance and three elements of space, and how to use them in your art.
Everything in your photograph should serve a purpose for the final composition, but how do you know if each element is in the right place?
We'll discuss how you can impact the emotional strength and message of your photography just by using some simple concepts to arrange the balance and space in your photographs.
The post How to Use Space and Balance in Your Photo Compositions appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode201
We're celebrating 200 episodes of visual storytelling on the I Like Your Picture podcast. If you're new to the show, join William and Lee to understand how to improve your photography with visual storytelling.
We'll review the five elements you need to understand when you're taking photos.
- Audience
- Background
- Light
- Subject
- Emotion
Get our free guide to visual storytelling to go over each of these points with photos to show how we implement each step. Just visit:
https://williambeem.com/visualstories
The post Celebrating 200 Episodes of Visual Storytelling appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode200
Every element in your photograph should have some unity together to support your subject and story. We'll talk about why unity is important and what elements you need to consider to create unity in your photos.
You'll learn about the elements that can help you create unity in your photography, such as:
- Color Harmony
- Mood
- Lighting
- Supporting Subjects
The post How to Create Unity in Your Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode199
Learn how to take outstanding family Christmas photos without missing out on the fun or interfering with your holiday gathering. We'll teach you how to prepare to get the great photos your family will treasure.
You'll learn how to plan your shot list and involve your family to make it work, how to capture the special moments without interfering with them, and ho you can share your Christmas photos with your family and friends.
The post How to Take Family Christmas Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
Top-Down Photos are an easy way to be creative, either with or without collaborating with someone else. We'll share some easy ways to light and decorate a simple set for your top-down photos.
You'll learn how to plan your top-down photos and design your set. We'll tell you where we find great resources for our top-down photos, and how you can build your set in layers.
Next, we'll share some simple lighting ideas - using either window light or of-camera flash.
We'll review how to support your camera to get a perfect shot every time, from simple steps to using some gear for support.
The post Top-Down Photography Setup Tips appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode197
Knowing how to decide which lens to use can really improve your composition and storytelling in photography. We'll review lens criteria and share how to make the right choice for your story.
A lens is more than just a focal length. You need to consider the angle of view, the bokeh you may want, how it performs in low light photography and even the kind of distortion it causes.
All of these factors about lenses should be part of your decision making process. We'll talk about some of the creative and realistic issues that can affect your next photo.
The post How to Decide Which Lens to Use appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode196
Photo composition is more than leading lines and rule of thirds. You also have to know what doesn't belong in your photo and what elements shouldn't obstruct each other. We share the photo composition tips no one else talks about.
It helps to understand how people really interact with your photos so that you know how to craft compositions they'll love.
For example, did you know that most people view a photo from the bottom up? How would you change your composition as a result?
What's the best perspective to use with a wide angle lens to show depth? We'll cover all of this and more in this episode.
The post Photo Composition Tips You Should Know appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode195
As a portrait photographer, you want to learn how to improve expression and gesture in your photos. Don't wait for the subject to come up with something interesting. We'll tell you why and how to improve your photos with expression and gesture.
In this episode, we'll share:
- Why expression is critical for portraits
- What is gesture and how to use it
- How Expression and Gesture Tell Stories
Remember, you're not just a photographer when it comes to creating portraits. You're the director and everyone counts on you to make a great photo. There's more to it than just creating a correct exposure.
The post How to Improve Expression and Gesture in Portraits appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode194
Photographers fail more than they succeed. That's why you need to embrace your failures as opportunities to learn. Analyze what went wrong, make some corrections, and try again. We'll help you enjoy the path of incremental improvement in this episode.
You'll learn:
- Why you fail more than you succeed
- What failure is your path to becoming a better photographer
- Incremental improvement is the key to your future success
The post Why Photographers Fail More Than They Succeed appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode193
Typography for photographers is a set of tips and advice for photographers who need to use typography for slides, social media and other graphics, but just don't know how to design great looking type. We'll tell you how to get started.
You'll learn why and when to use typography with your photos. Every day issues like:
- Social Media Graphics
- YouTube Thumbnails
- Pinterest Images
- Blog Headers
- Marketing Material
- Watermarks/Branding
- Slideshows
We'll give you the fundamental rules to make your typography look professional.
Then we'll top it all off with some tips to enhance your typography and enhance your typography.
The post Typography for Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode192
If you're looking for some photo composition ideas to improve your travel photographer, we have a list of things to help you bring out the character of your destination. Go beyond the usual Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines advice with this episode.
You can learn how to drastically improve your travel photography and get an unfair advantage to create better photos. We'll help you know what to look for and find a way to get photos that other people miss.
The post Photo Composition Ideas for Travel Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode191
Snapshots are getting a bad rap among photographers. Yet million of people understand the value of personal stories captured in the moment. Be sure to capture your own stories to share with family and friends.
Life's precious moments won't wait for artistic photography. You need to be ready and engaged to capture some snapshots about the events and moments in life. Not just for yourself, but for your family down the line.
We'll give some tips to help you take better snapshots, but the most important message is to concentrate on getting your moments instead of missing them while you reach for perfection.
The post Why Snapshot Photos are Great for Telling Stories appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode190
We answer your questions about off-camera flash in this episode. Everything from when and why you need to use off-camera flash to where you should place the light. If you're just getting started with flash, check out this episode.
Do you know whether to use eTTL or manual mode for your flash? What affects the results you get when using eTTL? We'll answer those questions and more.
Knowing where to put the light or how to blend flash with ambient light are some common questions we'll also address.
The post Answers to Your Questions About Off-Camera Flash appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode189
The best way to begin photography is to avoid the usual pitfalls that suck in most photographers. We'll help you find your purpose, avoid unnecessary expenses and provide the key to creating better photographs.
Too many beginning photographers get gear happy. We get it. When you aren't sure what to do, buying more gear is fun and a great way to experience. The problem is that great photos don't come from great gear. You have to pull them out of your soul with technique and emotion.
We'll help you forget the idea of buying your way to creating great photos and the results will be much more satisfying.
The post How to Begin Photography in 2020 appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode188
Who should critique your photos? Having a critique can be a valuable experience to learn, but not everyone really knows how to do it well. We'll explain what makes a good photo critique and where to find someone you can trust to do it.
Just as important as a good photo critique, we'll talk about some people who you should avoid when it comes to providing a photo critique. Unsolicited critiques are generally useless, but you also want to watch out for some signs that tell you who can provide a good photo critique and who doesn't have the skills.
Finally, we'll help you understand how to critique other photos and why it's a good exercise to improve your photography.
The post Should You Invite Others to Critique Your Photos? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode187
Learn how to enhance iPhone photos with Lightroom CC. Editing photos on your mobile phone with Lightroom provides a lot of power and saves time. You can take advantage of advanced photo editing features and share on the go.
We'll help you understand how to correct white balance errors in specific locations using the Mix tools.
There's an order of operations to understand which tool to use, as some tools will affect the impact of others. We'll tell you the step-by-step process to make the best results on your photos.
The post Is a How to Enhance iPhone Photos with Lightroom appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode186
Should every photographer learn Photoshop? Clearly, many don't use Photoshop due to the learning curve that comes with it. We'll discuss the pros and cons of learning Photoshop, as well as some alternatives to Photoshop.
We discuss the difference of capabilities between Lightroom and Photoshop. It mostly comes down to how much you need to enhance your photos, or how much you need to manipulate your photos.
Of course, there are tasks that Lightroom simply can't handle, like creating composites, graphics or even scrapbooks. Photoshop is an outstanding resource when you need to add layers of different elements together.
We also discuss some Photoshop alternatives, like Canva, ON1 Photo RAW and Skylum Luminar so you can decide whether you need Photoshop or not.
First time photography frustrations may make you want to toss your camera in the lake, but there's joy on the other side of the learning curve. We'll discuss some major frustrations at different stages of photography and why you need to press on.
When you think about it, most people don't start photography in order to understand how to use their camera. They want to get beautiful photos and understanding how to use the camera is just part of the process in order to capture great images.
It doesn't stop there, though. We have to learn a number of things:
- How to use flash
- How to organize our photos
- How to post process our photos
- Specialty techniques like HDR
- Retouching portraits
In this episode, we talk about some of our photography frustrations, and what happens if you just give up. It takes a bit of frustration to get the photos we love, giving truth to the phrase, "You must suffer for your art."
The MagMod system works for small flash and now they're getting into support for strobes. Find out why so many small flash photographers love MagMod and see if it's right for your photography.
I'll be the first to say that the MagMod light modifiers are not inexpensive. However, there are built to last, lightweight and small to fit in your bag, and offer a wide array of options to create beautiful light for your subjects and background.
I've used the MagMod light modifiers for a couple of years, and now I'm trying out their MagBox - they're version of an octabox that works with either small flash or studio strobes.
We'll go over all of the options, the prices, and I hope this helps you understand if the MagMod system is something you should investigate for your photography.
Every photographer needs an off-camera flash system, because there are always times when you need to control part of the light on your scene. We'll discuss what makes a flash system work, and some potential problems that cost money.
Off-camera flash is a wonderful thing. It allows you to be a director with your lighting, even if you're working with wildlife or landscapes. There are times when you just need a punch of light to emphasize part of your photo.
So why do you need a flash system? Isn't it fine to have a flash in your bag and strobes in your studio?
Not aways. Sometimes you need to use lights with different sizes and power capabilities, and it's much easier on you if they work together on the same system.
I'll share some of my convoluted systems used in the past to make my flashes and strobes work together, and how we're now in a place where it's much easier to develop an off-camera flash system that won't break your budget.
Make your subject pop in your photographs. It's one of the best ways to draw people into your photos, and we'll share a number of tips to help your subject stand out in your photos.
The key concept is to find ways to cause some contrast between your subject and everything else in the photograph. You can do things to help before your photo session, as you're taking photos, or in post processing.
We'll discuss how to use some of the tools and techniques at your disposal to compose your photo to enhance your subject and give it some dimension just a bit stronger than everything else in your photo.
What enhances a woman's face and body? We'll discuss the differences between good makeup and good post-processing, the big difference between reducing vs eliminating and the things photographers shouldn't forget.
We all want our portrait subjects look their best, but what does that mean and how should we go about it?
It turns out that there's a fair amount of things you can do before you click the shutter that not only helps enhance beauty, but also saves you a ton of time in post processing.
Sometimes the camera captures features that you don't notice when you interact with someone in person. Do you eliminate or reduce those features? We'll go over the pros and cons of each possibility.
Finally, we'll point out some of the things that photographers tend to forget during the photo session. You'll want to keep an eye out for these issues, or better yet, have an assistant who watches for some things that may cause a lot of work in post processing.
We hope you love this episode!
Thinking of buying a new camera? Thinking of switching brands? It could be a good idea or maybe just a waste of money. We'll help you understand when it's time to upgrade or switch, or when you should stick with your current camera.
There are plenty of good reasons to buy a new camera. My favorite reason is "because I WANT it."
If that isn't your reason, then you may want to think about what you stand to benefit from making a switch - particularly if you're going to change brands or systems. That can be an expensive proposition.
Two good reasons to avoid buying a new camera are:
1: It's not going to make your photos look any better
2: You could be giving in to hype.
However, maybe it is time and you need to think it through. Check out this episode to hear our reasons for upgrading or switching your photography gear for the better.
Learn how to create a photography portfolio and why you need one.
Your portfolio is a visual resume. It doesn't just show what you can do. Your portfolio shows the kind of work that you want to get hired to do. If you're interested in attracting new business or showing your expertise in a specific part of your photography, we'll help you understand how to build a great portfolio.
The post How to Create a Photography Portfolio appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode178
If you want to know how to be creative when you don't feel like it, it's important to know why you feel that way and who wants you to be creative. We'll share some tips to help you turn on your creativity when you need it.
It's important to know your audience and what they like to get from you. That narrows down your options, which is a good way to find something creative. Serving others has benefits.
One of the biggest thieves of your creativity is stress, burnout and being overworked. We'll help you recognize the patterns that cause stress and help you find ways to alleviate it before you get stressed out.
Finally, we share a list of five tips to be creative by being prepared. Number 4 is one of my favorite tricks, and it's so easy to use.
Check out our tips to be creative when you don't feel like it.
What is truth in photography, and does it matter? We'll explore how photography distorts the truth and how. Everything from your lens choice to your angle of view and even the timing of you photo bends the truth a little bit.
In this episode, we'll explore:
- What is truth?
- How photography distorts the truth
- Why a little absence of truth is a good thing
Do people look to photography for truth? We edit photos to make them look more desirable to viewers, but how can you ensure your photos are true, not fake?
Then again, perhaps this is a case where truth is in the eye of the beholder. Listen and decide for yourself.
Your photography direction will change as you gain experience, meaning the kind of photos you enjoy taking when you start aren't likely to be what you enjoy as you gain experience.
Starting photography is a lot like learning how to drive. There are a lot of rules to remember, and a lot of technical issues to master. The subjects you choose when you start are rather forgiving. Just as the roads you drive when you start aren't as challenging as the ones you use later.
As you gain experience, both in photography and in life, you start thinking differently about your photography. it's less about the technical skills and rules, and you concentrate more on your creativity and storytelling.
In this episode, we share how and why we made changes in our photography direction and the subjects we choose. You'll likely encounter something similar, and knowing to expect a change may help you master it in less time.
The post Why Your Photography Direction Will Change appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode175
One of the most common questions I'm asked about portraiture is where to put the light. Today, we're going to answer that question by sharing five portrait lighting patterns.
To be honest, this is the wrong question to ask. That's because the best place to put your light is to get the result you want. so the real question to ask for portrait lighting is:
What kind of shadows do I want on my subject's face?
There is a time and place for each of the five portrait lighting patterns, and we'll discuss each one and when you want to use them. We'll cover:
- Flat Lighting
- Split Lighting
- Loop Lighting
- Rembrandt Lighting
- Butterfly Lighting
Additionally, we'll go over the difference between Broad Lighting and Short Lighting, which allows you to decide how you want to choose the angle you use to photograph your subject.
It's a short episode, but packed with useful information.
The world is full of bad photography advice. We give some common examples and tell you how to recognize when you're getting less than expert information.
Some people mean well and keep repeating bad advice. Other people think they know it all and desperately want to show off, even if they don't have any experience to back up the advice they're giving.
In this episode, you'll find out:
- The Internet is full of bad advice
- How to Recognize Bad Advice
- Some Examples of Bad Photography Advice
We cover some common issues like:
- When you need a model release,
- What a watermark does and doesn't do for you
- Shoot as many photos as you can
- Buy expensive gear
- Don’t Shoot in Bad Light
- Don’t put the subject in the middle
- Never use on-camera flash
When you hear some absolute statements, chances are you're getting bad photography advice. Come join us as we investigate some of the common advice that you likely want to ignore.
What's your backup strategy to save your photos?
Every single hard drive will fail. It isn't a matter if "if", but "when" a drive fails. It's impossible to avoid.
When your drive fails, you need a strategy to save your precious data. For photographers, that means your RAW files, final JPEGS, Photoshop files, Lightroom Catalog and perhaps more.
In this episode, I'll share my own experiences with catastrophic failure and near loss of everything.
We'll go over the 3-2-1 backup strategy so you can understand why this strategy works and how to implement it for your own photo backups.
The post How to Backup Your Photos with a 3-2-1 Strategy appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode172
Learn how to use photographs to tell your stories. We have a love of stories programmed in our DNA. You can use your photographs to reach viewers on a deeper level.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why you want to tell stories with your photos
- The elements you need to understand to tell a story
- How to tell stories either with a single photo or a series of photos
You'll also find a coupon code for a discount on Skylum software, like Luminar and Aurora HDR.
The post REPLAY: How to Use Photography to Tell Stories appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode111
Every photographer needs a tripod to get those tack sharp photos or long exposures, but there are times when tripods become annoying and it's time to put them down.
If you want to do any of the following, you need a tripod:
- Long exposures
- Tack sharp photos
- HDR
- Focus stacking
- Stroboscopic photos
- Food or Product photography
There are many more times when a tripod really helps, and it's an essential tool.
We'll discuss which types and materials to buy depending upon your needs. Some tripods cost a lot more than others, some are bigger than others, and there's no need paying for features you aren't going to use.
You'll learn how to decide which tripod materials and features matter most to you so you can make the right buying choice.
The post Why Tripods Are So Annoying and Absolutely Necessary appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode171
Everyone has a relationship with food, so it's an interesting story for most people. We all eat at least once a day, and hopefully more. Food photography is a great subject to build your audience - whether you're looking for a nutritional message, culinary tips, or just Instagram-worthy photos.
We'll help you understand how to create interesting backgrounds, lighting and styling for your food photos for studio or Instagramming your favorite restaurant menu items.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why Food Photography is so enjoyable
- How to tell a story with your food photos
- How to choose or create the perfect background for your food
- How to setup your lighting or use available light
- How to style your food to create the right mood
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode170
Looking for some inspiration for your next photo? Well, you won't find it here. In this episode, we discuss why inspiration - while good - isn't the secret to creating better photos.
Inspiration is unreliable. Yet plenty of photographers and influencers propose to offer you inspiration for your photography.
We think that's a bit misleading, because that isn't how inspiration works.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why ideas and examples aren't inspiration
- That real inspiration is a surprise
- How to improve your odds of being inspired
Inspiration is a wonderful thing when it strikes, but it's good to know is and isn't truly inspiration.
You will never progress as a "wanna-be" photographer. Learn why it's imperative to assert that you are a photographer and how that changes the way you approach your photography. In this episode, we'll help you learn:
- Why you have to stop Wanting and start Being a photographer
- Why your mental attitude about photography affects your performance as a photographer
- How to get started as a photographer
The post Why You Don't Want to Be a Photographer (You Are One) appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Have questions or comments? Be sure to join the conversation on the show notes page.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode168
How you behave as a photographer can mean the difference between getting a photo or not. If you have poor etiquette, you won't find much luck getting access or collaborating with others.
In this episode, we'll define a few things:
- What is photo etiquette
- Why this matters to amateurs and professionals alike
- Why your online behavior may matter more than your in-person behavior
- The number one question you need to ask yourself before presenting yourself as a photographer
Lee and I tried to approach this topic in a respectful way, as we aren't trying to talk down to anyone. It's just that we've been around a few touchy issues that likely could've been avoided, and we hope to share some of those experiences with you so that you never have them in the first place.
Photos are visual stories, and every great story should tug at your emotions.
When you know your audience, you begin to understand what they want and how you can serve them. Evoking emotions is one of the best ways you can develop your audience.
Here's what you'll learn in this episode:
- Why do we tell stories?
- The two primary methods of evoking an emotion
- Why emotions help your photography improve
The post Why Every Photo Should Evoke an Emotion appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode166
Serving others is one of the best ways to improve your photography. Learn how developing your audience will teach you to be a better photographer.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why it's imperative to find your audience
- How to discover what your audience wants
- How serving your audience benefits you and your photography
If you're a photographer in business, defining your audience is a great path to creating better work and earning higher profits.
For those of you who aren't in business, the same advice applies to help you improve your craft, build a social media or other audience, and really target your photography to know what you should be doing to create your next photo.
The post How to Improve Your Photography by Developing Your Audience appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode165
We're changing the name and brand of our podcast from The Photo Flunky Show to I Like Your Picture podcast. Check out this episode to find out more about our new direction.
In this episode, we introduce our core beliefs to help you improve your photography with visual storytelling.
- We'll help you understand how to find and nurture your Audience.
- You'll understand how to find the right background for your subject
- We share the critical importance of lighting that creates a mood and develops a story for your subject
- You'll learn what subjects your audience truly wants, and how you can always deliver for them
- Finally, you'll understand why every photo should evoke an emotion and which ones your audience wants.
The post Introducing the I Like Your Picture Podcast appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode164
Backgrounds are one of the three pillars of your photos, along with subject and light. In fact, I think that finding the perfect background is often more important than your subject.
In this episode, we'll teach you:
- The purpose of a background in your photos
- What attributes your background should and should not have
- How to asses a potential background for your subject and story
Photography should always work to tell a story and evoke an emotion from your audience. We share the creative and important points to consider every time you take a photo, so you can take the perfect photo every time.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode163
Learn how to use graphics with your photos. We'll cover how to compose your photos for graphics, how to make your text stand out, and which shapes and colors to use...and why!
Your photos should never need a graphic to help you tell your story. However, there are times when your photo needs to be part of an overall graphical composition to use for a specific purpose.
It could be for a blog banner, an advertisement, business cards, handouts or social media headers.
Not every photo is great for graphics, though. We'll describe what you need to consider when composing your photos and how that may vary for different formats or purposes for your graphics.
Then we'll cover how to select text, colors and shapes to use for your graphics and how to choose them.
Finally, we'll cover how to choose your fonts to serve different purposes. Then we tell you how to make them stand out so people see your message.
The post How to Use Graphics with Your Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode162
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please SUBSCRIBE to the show.
Understand what depth is in your photography and how to use it to make your subject pop. We'll share 5 techniques to show depth in your photos.
We know that shapes are very powerful when used in photography, but you can turn shapes into dimensions by showing depth in your photos. A sense of depth leading from foreground to middle and background encourages your viewers to step inside your photo.
Depth creates a sense of reality in your photos.
You can create a sense of depth using leading lines, perspective, color separation or depth of field.
We'll discuss examples of how to use each technique (and a bonus tip), as well as tell you how to apply these techniques in your photography.
It doesn't matter if your genre of photography is portraiture, landscape, street or food photography. These concepts will work for every type of photo.
The post How to Use Depth to Impress Your Photo Audience appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode161
Learn how to understand the language of light and its power to tell your story. Everything from the direction, color, quality and amount of light speaks to us. We'll tell you what it says.
Light is how photographers communicate. We start with a canvas of shadow and light is our brush. You have incredible power to convey how your photograph tells your story through the use of creative lighting.
Whether you want your story to be dark, dramatic or ebullient & joyful. The way you use light is the primary way of communicating with your viewer and evoking an emotional response.
The post How to Understand the Language of Light appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes and photos at: https://williambeem.com/episode160
Looking for new ways to improve your photography and tell better stories without relying on new gear? In this episode, we'll share how you can use color to create better photos by understanding a few key principles.
- Understand how colors make you feel
- Learn how to find colors that work together
- Learn how to create visual depth with dominant and receding colors
We're note against Black and White or monochromatic photography. Everything has its place. However, we live in a wonderful world of color. Learning how to understand how colors make your audience feel gives you an extra power when creating and composing your photographs.
Telling stories with color photography requires you to learn how to find colors that work together, and which ones you can use for visual depth.
We'll discuss this and much more in this episode of The Photo Flunky Show.
The post How to Use Color to Create Better Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode159
Taking street photos of strangers is a great way to add story elements to your travel photos. We'll show you how to evaluate your scene and flatter your subjects to get fabulous portraits.
The post How to Take Fabulous Street Photos of Strangers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode158
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel.
Outstanding travel photography doesn't need to be a mystery any longer. We'll help you know what to look for it and when to find it. Spark your imagination with 4 tips.
The post 4 Secrets to Outstanding Travel Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel.
Learn how to secure your camera gear during a trip. Keep safe, avoid hassles, and learn how to deal with unexpected changes while you travel.
The post How to Secure Your Camera During a Trip appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode156
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
We share 7 travel photography tips (with maybe a bonus tips or two) of things you need to consider before you ever leave your home.
The post Travel Photography Tips: What You Need to Know Before You Go appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode155
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Don't think of it as an iPhone. It's your camera on the go and we'll tell you how you can get the most out of it with 10 suggestions. Bonus, we also give a quick review of Moment Lenses.
The post 10 Ways to Take Better iPhone Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode154
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Learn how to evaluate a scene's potential for a great composition. We share 10 elements you need to consider in your photography composition to create striking photos for your viewers.
The post Improve Your Photos With 10 Elements of Composition appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode153
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Not everything in photography has to be expensive. We share 10 inexpensive accessories that can make your life a bit easier and more productive.
The post 10 Inexpensive Photography Accessories That Save You Time appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode152
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Everyone makes mistakes, but we want to help you avoid them. Here are 10 mistakes you should consider and avoid the next time you enjoy your photography.
The post 10 Ways to Completely Ruin Your Photograph appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode151
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
I screwed up at Portrait Photography so you don't have to make any mistakes. Check out the 10 mistakes I made when starting portrait photography and avoid my examples.
The post 10 Mistakes I Made When Starting Portrait Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode150
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
You know that you can tell stories with your photos, but we'll show you how they can work together to establish a scene or support your main subject. Visit the show notes at:
The post The Core Elements of Storytelling Photos appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode149
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Food photography requires attention to detail, but don't be afraid of crafting photos in your kitchen or home studio. Lee share's exactly how she did it from setup to finished photo.
The post Is a Food Photography In Your Home Studio appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode148
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Everyone starts with snapshots, but not everyone progresses from there. When do your photos go from snapshots to art?
The post When Do Your Photos Go From Snapshots to Art? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Happy Thanksgiving! Lee and I wanted to share our thanks for everyone who subscribes or listens to The Photo Flunky Show. We appreciate the emails and hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.
You don't need new gear to improve your photography. We give you three suggestions (and a bonus) to help you take better photos with the gear you own now.
The post Is a How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying More Gear appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode146
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Do you find that photography is more satisfying for using the gear or creating the photo? It's OK if to be a gear enthusiast. We like to talk about the joy of photography, but what if you get your joy from playing with all the cool toys?
The post Is Gear More Fun than Creativity? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode145
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Does your location have good light or bad light? How do you tell which is which, and can you change it to suit your photo needs?
The post Good Light or Bad Light: How Do You Know Which is Which? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode144
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
How do you decide which way to post process your photos? Do you go with something artistic or should you represent the subject the way you saw it? Let's find out.
The post Should You Process Your Photos Naturally or Artistically? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode143
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Do you ever find yourself explaining your photos to others? Perhaps you can use our tips to let your photos stand on their own.
The post Do You Have to Explain Your Photos? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Social media photography groups and apps are getting filled up with more adult oriented photography, but these sites are open to children. Are we sure where to share these photos?
The post Is a Would You Share This Photo with Your Kids? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode141
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
How do you decide which is your most important lens? There are many aspects that help a photographer tell a story. One piece of gear that's more important than the camera body is our lens.
The post Is a Your Most Important Lens appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode140
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Photographers have a lot of sayings, but what do they mean? We take a look at some common photographer sayings and give you our take on what they really mean.
The post Is a Sh*t Photographers Say and What it Really Means appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode139
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Silhouette Portrait Photography is a great way to see your subjects as shape and form, rather than color and texture. It's a nice change of pace.
The post Is a Silhouette Portrait Photography: Everything You Need to Get Started appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode138
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Learn why storytelling is important to your photography.
Understand how to use story elements in your photography
and create your unique voice in photography.
The post 5 Elements of Story Telling with Photography appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode137
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Everyone makes mistakes in photography. We discuss 10 of the most common mistakes we see in photography, and we've made every one of them ourselves.
The post Is a Top 10 Common Mistakes by Beginning Photographers appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode136
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
The Internet is angry with the new Nikon mirrorless cameras, yet Nikon is apologizing that it can't manufacture them fast enough to meet demand. What's wrong this this picture?
The post Is a Nikon's Mirrorless Camera Drives the Internet Insane appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode135
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please Like and SUBSCRIBE to the channel. Click the Bell icon to get notices whenever a new video gets uploaded.
Knowing how to use color in photography opens a number of creative doors. There's good color, and there's bad color. We'll help you understand so you can use the right color.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode134
Lightroom is a great tool to organize your photos, but some people go through a lot of unnecessary effort. We'll tell you what Lightroom needs so you can stop wasting time.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode133
Photographing portraits generally works best with clean backgrounds and no distracting elements, but you don't always get to work in a perfect environment. Here's how we do it.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode132
There's a simple reason why I never use Artificial Light in my photography, but it's probably not what you think. Light is actually easy to understand.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode131
Learn how to prepare for a portrait session so you and your subject both get the results that you expect from your collaboration.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode130
I had a bit of a computer disaster recently. My boot drive failed suddenly and completely. We teach you what you need in order to cope with disaster.
The post Is a How to Survive a Computer Disaster appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode129
If you enjoyed this episode of The Photo Flunky Show, please SUBSCRIBE to the show at https:/williambeem.com/itunes
Photography pricing shows customers the value you provide so you can negotiate a profitable contract that delivers a photo to meet their purpose or desire.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode128
Turn your fireworks photos into colorful masterpieces using our guidelines for Lightroom, Luminar or any other processing software.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode127
We cover how to take fireworks photos on this show, covering how to plan your shot, prepare your gear, and we provide some best practices to perfect your fireworks photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode126
Learn How to Protect Your photography gear and follow TSA Regulations on Your Next Photo Trip.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode125
Capturing great travel photography and video using mobile devices like an iPhone, GoPro or a point and shoot like the Canon G7x Mark II is easier than you may think.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode124
Upgrade your photography to stop taking average photos and learn how to create something eye-catching, instead?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode123
If you want to learn how to improve your creativity and photography, you're going to also have to learn how to let go of a few things.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode122
Using the right photography keywords in Lightroom is the smart way to organize your photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode121
Learning how to find your inner motivation for photography can be a tricky thing. In fact, most people never really think about it.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode120
All photography needs some post processing help. Whether you need Adobe Photoshop or not may depend upon which genre of photography you enjoy.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode119
Big Photography News: Does This Mean We Can Ditch Facebook Groups and Go Back to Flickr Communities?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode118
We cover the pros and cons of five different methods to learn Lightroom, from getting started to more advanced usage.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode117
The travel photography tips we discuss deal with your preparation and you're state of mind so you can communicate something special about your destination to your viewer.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode116
Pixeo helps you find great travel photography locations through a curated list of geotagged photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode115
I decided to call this episode “Confessions of a First Time Flasher” because something finally happened. Lee came to me […]
The post Confessions of a First Time Flasher appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Nervous about photography? Sometimes photography makes you feel very peaceful, yet other times feel stressful. What's the difference and why does it happen?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode117
Photography isn't a crime and anyone in a public place has no expectation of privacy. So why do some people think they have a right to hassle photographers when we aren't doing anything wrong?
Knowing how to use photography to tell your stories can provide you with a number of benefits. You want to tell stories with your photography and cover a number of ways to do it.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode111
Portrait photography is a bit different. It's the only kind of photography where you feel like you're being judged or rated while you're taking the photos, not just after you share them.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode68
The portrait photography session went very well. It wasn't without some apprehension and profanity (before, not during), but we came away with a variety of shots that pleased both of us.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode110
Start producing your photography session. Think of these tips as a format to help you visualize your result and think of all the details necessary to make it happen.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode109
Starting out in Photography? We want to help new photographers avoid some of the surprises and mistakes many of us make along the way.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode108
There are some folks who can pick up a camera, learn the rudimentary fundamentals of exposure and then start making great photos. Why are they so naturally gifted and we aren't?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode107
Does your photography need a kick in the pants? If you get into a rut and don't feel like doing the same thing, you stop taking photos. What you need is something fresh in your photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode106
Off camera flash photography buying decisions may seem difficult. I'll discuss my current lighting gear and why it was time to make a change. You may want to update your own gear.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode105
Photography goals come up at the start of every year, but you don't have to wait for January to start. We discuss why you should set your photography goals and how to make them work.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode104
Your photography portfolio tells the world what you can do as an artist. It isn't just about earning business. It's about earning the business that you want to do.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode103
Many photography challenges emphasize taking a picture every day for a year. We'll help you understand what you should expect from a photography challenge to improve your results.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode99
No one said that photography is an inexpensive pursuit. You need to remember that there isn't a correlation between the amount of money you spend and the quality of photos you create.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode101
Our photography podcast is 100 episodes old. That seems like a milestone worth celebrating. So we decided it would be nice to look back on where we started and what we became.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode100
Make your photography more interesting. These are tips that everyone can use to plan and create interesting photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode99
Travel photography helps you round out your portfolio. While it's tempting to move on to new places with fresh scenery, there are times when I want to go back to a destination to complete some unfinished business.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode98
What Photography Software do you use? Adobe announced Lightroom Classic CC vs Lightroom CC for 2018. Is there a right choice? What's your best option?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode97
Adobe Lightroom is great photography software. My Lightroom editing workflow may help you get better results and save time.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode65
Detail photography is easy to overlook. Imagine a trip without photos of the food, or a wedding without a photo of the rings. Your detail photos are essential story elements.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode96
Dramatically improve your photography by avoiding these 10 photography mistakes. These are common errors and I've made every single one of them.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode95
Social media is part of your photography marketing strategy. If you wonder why nobody sees your social media posts, It's because social media promotion is a rigged game.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode94
iPhone photography upgrades are here. The tenth anniversary of the iPhone brings three new models, and we're comparing the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X for photographers.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode93
Color can be your photography subject, or it can influence how someone perceives your subject. We can use color psychology to invoke feelings and emotions. People associate certain colors with a sense of time of place.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode92
The Nikon D850 is a beast of a camera, packing a lot of specs into one package. Is your photography gear in need of an upgrade? If so, this is one tempting camera.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode91
Is your photography satisfying? Does your progress as a photographer seem to get stagnant? You know what you know, but you don't know how to jump start the quality of your photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode90
Avoid photography clichés. Two of the most common tips new photographers get to improve photographic composition are the Rule of Thirds and Leading Lines. Have you ever noticed that they contradict each other.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode89
Good photography is all about featuring your subject. We're going to discuss the things that cause the human eye to react.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode88
Photography requires good relationships. Making your ideas come to life often requires a bit of help. Here are a few examples where developing relationships can help your photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode87
A photography school is a trade school. Is it worth the debt in order to learn the basics of photography? You to decide whether the benefits are worth the cost.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode86
A photography critique is a useful method to learn. I've received welcome critiques from photographers better than I am. There is a very key difference between a consensual critique and an unsolicited photo critiques.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode85
Simplify your photography by eliminating color. Sometimes color is a distraction. Eliminating color can reveal an entirely different message or feeling.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode84
Product photography can seem daunting. Some of your initial research can lead you down the wrong path. It's actually very simple if you understand your purpose.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode83
Photography genres are very personal. There may be a correct genre of photography for you. I divide photography into two genres explain why different photographers like different styles.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode82
Getting tack sharp photos takes a combination of factors .To get tack sharp photos, you need to eliminate as much motion as possible. We'll tell you how to do it.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode81
The hard part of photography is to look at your own portrait. We amplify our insecurities when we see our portrait. Most people don't see these issues, but the insecurities are real.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode80
What are your photography rituals? Rituals are the series of steps you take, or the process you follow, to complete a task. It's easy to fall into a little ritual without even planning it.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode79
Chasing followers on social media to market your photography is a lame strategy. Instead, improve your social media engagement to get interactive followers.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode78
The greatest enemies of your photography are Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Fear, uncertainty and doubt can creep inside your mind. You need to learn the signs and identify the carriers.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode77
Celebrate your success in photography to change perceptions for you and the people who may hire you. Celebrating your success creates an air of positive results.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode76
Now that our photography podcast hit 75 episodes, I realized that we never discussed the origin of the podcast. We share what photography means to us and what we've learned along the way.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode75
When does sensor size matter to your photography? Those occasions are specific, predictable, and quite often the minority of times most people need to take a photo.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode74
It's tough to know how to decide what gear to buy. With so many options on the market, it's easy to overthink your decision. Trust me, I do.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode73
It's become very clear that more of my potential audience is watching YouTube. Video is part of how I can tell the story of my photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode72
Overusing photography software in post processing is too much is something of an undefined line. How much is too much? The reasons vary based upon purpose of your photographs.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode71
Convention photography is great fun! People put a lot becoming their character. These folks make great photography subjects because they are just out of the ordinary.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode70
We don't pretend to be dog photography experts, but we have six proven tips to help you get nice photos of your pets and have fun while shooting.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode69
Portrait photography is a bit different. You're collaborating with other people. It's where you feel like you're being judged while you're taking the photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode68
I'm creating portrait photography resources on the web site. We discuss why I'm taking on a project like this one, how it will unfold, and what I hope happens as a result.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode67
There are good people on every photography forum I've ever visited, but it seems that some let a few people ruin the experience. Why do photography forums devolve into rudeness.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode66
There's more than one right way to use your photography software. We hope this discussion gives you some ideas to improve your own editing workflow.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode65
Is creativity or technical skill more important? Lee and I approach photography from opposite sides. She's more creative than I am and I'm more technical.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode64
Help Your Photography Using Lens Rental Services. Lee and I discuss some of the benefits of lens rental services that may not be apparent, but could save you some hassle and frustration.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode63
Event Photography for the Ones You Love. Candid family photos can be more than snapshots, and they can delight your family and friends who enjoy the way you preserved their memories.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode62
Give Your Photography a Boost with Canva. Canva is a design tool to help photographers to make a statement, rather than as just a pretty picture.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode61
You can Improve your photography with Art and Design Elements. Composition is a way to communicate, to tell a story. Art and design are the tools that help you tell your story.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode60
We discuss how black and white photography fits in modern photography. We'll cover photos that work well in black and white, and discuss when black and white is a mistake for your photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode26
You're into photography because you love it. Then someone wants to give you money for your photography. It's flattering. It's also a new source of pressure. Is that what you want?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode59
Photography should be bold and take risks. Use exaggeration in your photos as a creative and fun way to bring out your subject.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode58
I started The Photo Flunky Show photography podcast earlier this year and it's been an incredibly satisfying experience. This episode is a brief recap of some topics we discussed in 2016.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode57
Fireworks photography doesn't require you to spend a lot of money on camera gear. You can get great fireworks photos using inexpensive equipment as long as you have a few key elements.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode56
The Best DSLR Choice You Can Make Is One That Serves Your Photography Needs
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode55
We think photography is pretty simple, but we get why someone can get overwhelmed by all the possibilities, options, configurations and style. W e have some suggestions to help deal with the overwhelming options.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode54
Your photography style is your own preference and unique way of composing a photograph. The combination of your subject, composition, lighting and processing develop your style.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode53
Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show. We want to take this opportunity to tell you how much we appreciate you for listening to our show.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode52
Boost your photography marketing by building an engaged audience on Instagram.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode51
Bad photography habits come in many forms. They can be mental blocks, composition issues, or post processing errors. We'll discuss common bad photography habits and how you can fix them.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode50
Every photographer wants to know the truth about getting access to those wonderful photography locations. The secret question to answer is why you belong there.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode49
We have some food photography tips today. Food is an enormous part of our lives. Our travel food photography tips give you some insight to get your best photos.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode48
Photography is rewarding and so is sharing your photos online. However, there is something tactile about holding your photos. Getting your photos in print leads to a lot of decisions, though.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode47
Technical photography isn't the same as creating an interesting photo. You need both your technical capabilities and your photographic creativity to make interesting images.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode46
Everyone has a photography attitude, whether you think about it consciously or not. Today we talk about the mental aspects of how we approach our photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode45
Photography is full of options. We talk about our different styles of using Adobe Lightroom CC. You may find out that much of what you've learned becomes irrelevant if you don't need the benefits of the systems and techniques that we're taught.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode44
Your Camera Bag Can Make or Break Your Photography Experience Welcome to episode 43 of The Photo Flunky Show where […]
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Aurora HDR 2017 is Almost Here Hello and thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show. My favorite HDR […]
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Photography Foulups Affect Everyone Hello, and thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show, episode 41. I really appreciate […]
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Event Photography Can Bring Fun and Challenges Thank you for listening to episode 40 of The Photo Flunky Show about […]
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Flash Triggers: Which One is Right for You? Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show, episode 39. I […]
The post Flash Triggers – From Slaves To Pocket Wizard Mastery appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Improve Your Available Light Photos With 8 Tips to Evaluate and Use Free Light Thank you for listening to The […]
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What Types of Light Modifiers Do You Need for Off Camera Flash? Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky […]
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Off Camera Flash for Complete Beginners Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show. This episode is for anyone […]
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Create Social Media Photos With These Four Apps Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show, episode 35. We […]
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Balancing Travel Photography with a Family Vacation is Tough When I was a single man, my vacations were dedicated photography […]
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Sharing Timeless Photography Advice Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show, episode 33. We appreciate you for taking […]
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Why Learning From Your Disappointments Makes You A Better Photographer Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show episode […]
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Tripods May Be Your Best Friend Thank you for listening to The Photo Flunky Show – episode 31. We really […]
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Relax About Gear – It's Time for Photographers to Chill Out Welcome to episode 30 of The Photo Flunky Show! […]
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Is a Successful Photographer Really What You Think? Welcome to episode 29 of The Photo Flunky Show! When you think […]
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Are Your Post Processing Techniques Out of Fashion? Thank you for listening to episode 28 of The Photo Flunky Show. […]
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I'm Guilty of Shooting Subjects That Photographers Have Shot To Death Thank you for listening to episode 27 of The […]
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Black and White Photography: Is It Overused or Overrated? Thank you for listening to episode 26 of The Photo Flunky […]
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Learn How to Choose the Right Video Camera Welcome to episode 25 of The Photo Flunky Show – How to […]
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Share Your Travel Photos In A Different Way Welcome to episode 24 of The Photo Flunky Show about different ways […]
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Help Your Travel Photography With Five Common and Lightweight Items Welcome to episode 23 of The Photo Flunky Show. On […]
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Get Started Developing Your Photography Style Welcome to episode 22 of The Photo Flunky Show. On this episode, we talk […]
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Digital Scrapbooking For Yourself Or The People You Love Welcome to episode 21 of The Photo Flunky Show. We explore […]
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Want to Know How to Travel With Your Photography Gear? Welcome to episode 20 of The Photo Flunky Show. This […]
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Five Tips for Beginning Photographers Welcome to episode 19. This week's show takes five topics from Monday's blog post about 101 […]
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Finding Photography Information Online and Offline Being a photographer means you always need to know something else. In this episode […]
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Know Where to Share Your Photos Online You have plenty of options to share your photos online, but which one […]
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Reviewing, Editing and Post Processing by Lee Beem Reviewing, editing and post processing are critical parts of the photo assignment. […]
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Lee had a photography assignment to cover for a web site. We discuss how she prepared for the event with little notice, as well as her strategy for dealing with getting the shots she wanted during a crowded day with changing light.
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I'm Pretty Surprised with My Initial Benefits from Podcasting I always wondered why so many podcasters want to tell others […]
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Photographers may love their tripods, but security guards seem to hate them. Sooner or later, you may have some encounters […]
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Photography rules are great for learning composition, lighting and other elements of photography. As you grow in your abilities, you […]
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Photography watermarks can be a touchy subject. There are really only two reasons to watermark your photos - Marketing and Theft Prevention. Do watermarks really help in either case?
The post Is a Is a Photography Watermark a Good Idea? appeared first on William Beem Photography.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode11
Photography store B&H Photo Video has a history of lawsuits stemming from discrimination cases and mistreating employees. Why are you shopping here?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode10
Inspiration is one of the most used words in photography. Are you creating photos because you were inspired, or are you merely imitating work you've seen elsewhere?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode9
Are you using your photography software the wrong way? I share my three point system for Lightroom organization to keep things simple and effective.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode8
Photography blogging is a way to establish your identity and brand online. While sharing on social media can be an important part of your efforts, you always need to bring people back to your home base.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode7
Is HDR photography over, or has the game changed with techniques like 32 bit TIFF files and Luminosity Masks? With modern cameras using better sensors, do you still need HDR photography?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode6
What is the value of your photography? Many people want to use your photo, but they don't want to pay you for the privilege. Instead, they tell you that it'll be great exposure for you.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode5
There are 7 barriers to great photography that are all inside your head. Some of the answers may be outside of your comfort zone, but that's just what it takes to break down those barriers.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode4
There are plenty of places to share your photos online, but which one is the best for your needs? Spend a moment thinking about how the traffic you get on social media is going to help you as a photographer.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode3
Photography Copyright infringement makes you feel violated. The emotional reaction is often to proceed with legal action, but is that the right decision?
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode2
Is professional photography right for you? I'll take a look at some of the issues involved and tell you my three criteria for knowing when it's time to be a professional photographer.
Visit the show notes at: https://williambeem.com/episode1
The Photo Flunky Show photography podcast launches this week on Wednesday, February 10, 2016. It's a new podcast by me to discuss issues facing photographers and bloggers. I hope you'll check it out and share it with your friends.