How to Do a Pin-Up Girl Photoshoot Using Stuff From Your Closet (Or Someone Else’s)
(this was my approach when I first began doing this sort of work)

• Cost: $0  (I had everything we used for these photos already on hand so we just got to it)
• Supplies For Backdrop: .
• White or light colored fabric. We used Fabrics that  I had laying around. You can also use white sheets, or anything that will cover up a lot of wall and floor space.
• A clip-on shop light or positionable lamp will work. I had two lights from amazon.com that were 60 bucks for the pair . You can use any kind of light source – the goal is just to be able to point the light where you want it to be (usually on the model’s face) which is important for indoor shooting.
• Thumb tacks or tape to tack up your backdrop to a wall.  I used a staple gun.

• Supplies For Costuming/Props: Here’s where you can get really creative.  What I did was simply google “pin-up girl photography” where a ton of photos popped up with all kinds of themes and ideas for poses and props.  But, just to save you that step, here’s some stuff I like to use the most. You most likely have, can borrow, or at least buy these items at the dollar or thrift store:
• A Cute Bathing Suit. Bonus if you happen to have a vintage inspired suit, lingerie, robes, stockings, garters
• High Heels: This needs no expounding.  Stilettos and peep-toes are great.  Espadrilles work too.
• Pencil Skirt and White Poplin Shirt: If you don’t happen to have a high waisted black pencil skirt, someone you know does.  Or you can just do what I do and hit the local thrift store.
• Big Flower/Cocktail Hats/Feather Fascinators:  Or, steal a flower off of one of your home’s arrangements and pin it in the model’s hair.
• Misc. Costuming Ideas: There are SO many!  Here are some I like most:  trench coats and umbrellas (for that “Singing in the Rain” vibe), feather boas, cat-eye glasses (I just found some yesterday at the dollar store), lots of drapery,  jewelry and pearls (raid the little girls dress-up section or your niece’s closet), an American flag towel or blanket (to wrap up in for the “patriotic pin up”), fishnet stockings, knee-highs, plaid skirts, anything else that looks retro or fun to use.  And if you want to do something oober-sexy for that special guy, get bold and put on some cute lingerie!
• A Bench/Table/Chair: For a lot of the pin up poses you’ll want to have your model sit on something.  Anything works, although simple seating is best since it doesn’t detract from the subject matter.
• Misc. Prop Ideas: Beach bag, books, old telephone, hand held mirror, umbrella, you get the idea.

Questions?  Would you like more ideas?  Google it!  There are SO many fun pin up sites out there that you can borrow ideas from!

So, you have your backdrop pinned up, your lights on, and all the costume stuff piled up and ready to go.  Now what?  Time to play DRESS UP!! I personally love to experiment with makeup and hair and have taught myself to do some pretty basic pin up styles.  But, if you aren’t as confident in you makeover abilities, check youtube tutorials to learn what you need to know quickly and easily.

Once you have your model’s face on and hair done, it’s time to start taking pics! Next, turn on some fun music and get going! Its hard to get started at first, especially if your model is shy.  So the best thing to do is find some poses you want to try and have them either printed out or up on the computer screen where you can instruct your model or just show her what you want her to do.  Pretty soon you’ll both loosen up and the original ideas will start flowing. Thats it!! Easy breezy and SO MUCH FUN! Your friends and family are going to think you’re a genius and master photographer!  But, I do have to say, that in order to REALLY get your photos looking in the pin-up style and professional, some editing is required.  I do almost ALL of my photo editing with Photo Scape which you can download free from Cnet.com.

Do you want to take perfectly illuminated portraits of outdoor subjects in bright sunlight? How about in situations where they’re standing in front of a bright background? Do you hate dark shadowed “raccoon eyes?” The answer to make your outdoor portraits pop, is to expose for the sky. Use this tip to make the shot every time!

Using a SLR 35mm autofocus camera and flash, you can create flattering and dramatic outdoor portraits with ease.

Technique:

With the flash turned off and your camera set in manual mode, use the camera’s internal exposure metering system. Looking through the viewfinder, press the shutter button halfway to illuminate the internal panel. The exposure meter is generally in the center on the bottom as you look through the viewfinder. (-2…1…0…1…+2)

To make the adjustments, start by selecting either your f stop or shutter speed. Aim the camera towards the brightest part of the picture, in this case the sky. Using the meter as a guide, adjust your shutter speed and f stop until reading is centered at 0. With the exposure set, turn on your camera’s flash, stand within a normal flash exposure range (6 – 10 ft.), focus on your subject and shoot.

Your flash will fill in and illuminate your subject nicely. If you desire more or less exposure on your subject, step forward or backwards accordingly. Some flash units can also be adjusted manually to allow shorter or longer bursts. This is also an option.

Very important, — always pay attention to the changing light. The sun going behind a cloud while you are shooting can affect the results of your image. The sky is no longer as bright as when the full sun was exposed so you will need to check your exposure meter again for the change in light.

Last, but certainly not least, be kind to your subject, don’t have them facing so they are looking directly into the bright sunlight. They will appreciate it and it will help to avoid squinty, closed looking eyes.

Examples

The image examples below were shot using a Canon 5D Mark II and Speedlight 580 EXII mounted on camera. The lens – 28-135 3.5-5.6 IS.

Photograph 1, was shot using the camera’s internal exposure meter as a guide. ISO was set at 100, f/13 the aperture with a focal length of 135mm. The meter centered at 0 at 1/125 of a second for the shutter speed. Here’s the result:

Photograph 2, shows the camera aimed toward the bright sky behind my subject, adjusting the shutter speed and f stop until the camera’s internal meter was perfectly centered at 0 . This recorded at 1/400 sec, f/13, ISO 100, 135mm. Here’s the result:

Photograph 3, the exposure meter was set for the sky, flash turned on, aim, focus and fire. Here’s the result:

Sum it up: 1/400 sec, f/13, ISO 100, 135mm with on camera flash. Pretty Blue sky, white billowy clouds, nicely illuminated subject…that’s a wrap!

Are you old enough to remember the television show, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood? The opening scene was a model mock-up of the perfect little neighborhood. That is a fine example of tilt shift photography images, and perhaps nostalgia has something to do with why these types of photos are adored. They’re colorful, cute, and they tend to make this big world around us feel a bit cozier.

There are several methods to achieving this look in a photo. One is to purchase a lens. Lensbaby came out with a series of lenses in 2004, fairly inexpensive and compatible with all of the big name slr’s camera companies. A Nikon or Canon tilt shift can run you up to a couple of thousand dollars.

 photo credit: VinothChandar

Another technique is to use Photoshop. Okay, so it’s not a look that you get sooc (straight out of the camera), but it can be decently achieved when using the right photo and Photoshop tools. Due to the nature of the shot needing to look like a model, an aerial view of something would help give it the right effect. So, photos from high places, such as a tall building, a rooftop, ferris wheel, helicopter, or a bridge would lend itself to a workable photo. It would also help to have clusters of the same subject type, such as people on a boardwalk, running a race or in a parade. Another idea that works well is to photograph large motor vehicles like busses, trucks, trains, airplanes or boats. A few simple steps in Photoshop, like pumping up the hue and blurring part of the image will give you a cute little tilt shift photo!

By blurring a large portion of the photo and leaving just a small slice, about 1/3-1/4 of the photo in focus, you create a shallow depth of field. There is also a site called tiltshiftmaker.com that will help you transform your sooc images into tilt shift works of art.

Tilt-shift photography images are fun and are becoming pretty popular. I personally feel a bit like a kid in a toyshop when I view these photos because they look like a fun toy to play with. Tilt shifts are fun shots that would look great in a kids’ room. As kids’ room décor is becoming a bit more sophisticated, this still gives a child-like feel, but has a mature look to it as well. I also think they’d be a great addition to an office, as they are fun and can attract positive energy to the place you probably need to seek a little joy when you look up from your desk.

These shots can also make a great 365 project or 52-week project for photographers, because we love to challenge ourselves and look for inspiration. By purchasing a special lens, using your Photoshop techniques, or scanning for tilt shift software on the internet, the project is all about having fun and learning something new.

1. Injuries
2. What you’re eating
3. Unextraordinary photos of your dog (or cat or baby)
4. Clouds
5. You kissing your significant (or insignificant as the case may be) other

Send this to your friends who need an intervention.

A crystal ball inverts the scenery so everything inside looks upside down and captures a really wide angle. It’s sort of a poor man’s fisheye lens, but more flexible in what you can do with it.

You can get a crystal or glass ball or sphere by robbing a sorcerer, borrowing it from that crazy tarot card lady around the corner, or buying one off eBay (which is what I did since I don’t live near Hogwarts Academy.) It cost me less than $50 including shipping.

A lot of the shots looks great if you rotate the image 180 degrees (flip it upside down in your image editing program) so what’s reflected inside the crystal ball looks right side up and the background ends up blurry (out of focus) and upside down.

Play with the placement of the ball closer and farther away from the camera lens and be sure to focus on the image inside the ball – dslr’s are a lot better at this on manual mode since autofocus will often not focus properly. Turn off the flash, and be aware of any glare that’s coming from your side of the ball.

Added bonus: when you’re walking around with a crystal ball in your hand (like I just did in Miami Beach), people will think you’re a sorcerer. Especially if you’re wearing a cape or laughing maniacally. If you can get past the initial fear, people might even pay you $5 to tell them about their future. And afterwards, you can take a picture of them upside down. Everyone wins.

Flash

Using the flash on your digital camera to introduce more light to the scene artificially is the most obvious way to solve the problem of low lighting. However, flash photography has many drawbacks.

When it comes to taking pictures of people or animals, using a flash can spoil your shot by distracting the subject or causing them to blink. There’s also the age-oldproblem of ‘red eye’, which although with a digital camera can be eliminated during processing using photographic software, can ruin an otherwise excellent portraitshot.

A flash can also lead to a shot that looks artificial as it will tend to illuminate closer objects while making backgrounds and other elements look dull. On top of this, many built-in flashes concentrate light onto the centre of the image, leading to ‘flash fall-off’ at the edges of the image and a lack of contrast around the edges of the picture.

With a standard point-and-shoot digital camera it can be difficult to take good photos using the built-in flash. But if you have a digital SLR camera you can use an adjustable external flash gun to bounce the light off walls, ceilings or other surfaces to create a more natural lighting effect. A handy tip is to cover the flash with tracing paper, which will also help to diffuse the light and give a more natural result.

Use a big lens

The amount of light entering the camera through the lens is also a crucial factor. If you’ve got a digital SLR camera you can improve image quality in low-light conditions by using a bigger lens. The size of the lens determines the maximum aperture opening (measured in f-stops), and consequently the amount of light that enters the camera.

When it comes to lenses, the lower the f-stop number the larger the aperture, so when purchasing a bigger lens for low light photography go for one with a low aperture number, such as f1.4.

Exmor Cmos sensor

night shots require steady hands

The key to getting a crisper image in low conditions is increasing the amount of light getting to the image sensor inside the camera. With a standard digital camera the sensitivity of the sensor is limited as a result of the network of tiny wires running across it. This means that the image has to be electronically boosted, inevitably resulting in digital ‘noise’ that spoils the overall quality of the picture.

The Sony Exmor Cmos sensor has solved this problem by placing these wires behind the sensor, allowing more light into the sensor naturally. This means that the image does not need to be artificially boosted to such a high degree, resulting in low light photos with significantly reduced picture noise, even on a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Play with the ISO settings

higher ISO means more noise

Finally, you can play around with the settings on your camera and see what works best with the light available. You can change how sensitive the camera’s sensor is to light by altering the ISO setting. A higher setting, such as 800 or even 1600, will pickup more light, but it will also increase the amount of image noise.

You can also use a lower shutter speed to keep the aperture open for longer and allow more light in, but to reduce motion blur you will need to use a tripod (this is especially true if you’re shooting HDR). This method is also not effective for capturing moving subjects. If you are not comfortable playing around with these settings on your camera, then it’s best to switch them to auto and take your chances.

Popular Digital Cameras at Amazon

photo credit: MiiiSH

Why wait until you reach your destination to start taking photos?  If you own a DSLR camera, Using the right tricks and techniques, you can capture some great shots from the moment the plane leaves the runway.
Find DSLR Cameras on Amazon

Top tricks:

The following is a guest post by my sister Ineta McParland, who who inspires me with her ability to see beauty in the smallest of forms with her pictures of animals and nature in Sarasota, FL.

photo credit: aneye4wonder

We are visual creatures. We rely mainly on our vision to survive in this world. We see pictures everywhere. In fact, we are inundated with pictures: printed, on TV, real life – constantly moving and changing. Everybody makes pictures: from drawing and painting to making graphs, having images in our minds to taking photos. Art is everywhere.

Yet from all the images that we see everyday, sometimes one stops you in the tracks, makes you think and takes your breath away. It could be a painting, a drawing, a photograph, or some other creation. Not only does the beauty pull you towards it, it feels like you were there when the moment was captured. It evokes a certain emotion, as if you can feel it, you can hear it, touch it or taste it. It is not only visual delight, it is so much more. Or, sometimes you can not put your finger on it, but it somehow draws you in like a magnet. It might evoke a distant memory or a secret desire. It totally captivates you and you are left speechless. You become one with the artist at that moment.

Now if you are on the other side and you want to create something that extraordinary, how do you do it? Simple – follow your passion. What in life captivates you? What takes your breath away? What makes your heart beat faster? What interests you so much that you want to learn more? What puts a smile on your face? What makes time fly? Immerse yourself in that moment, feel every feeling, every sensation in your body, and create what you see, imagine, hear, feel, touch. Express yourself through drawing, painting, creating, dancing, music or taking pictures frame by frame until you catch that right moment, that feeling that is deep inside of you. When it comes from your heart, it shows, and others will notice it.

Now when you’re ready to create your masterpiece, you may ask “what equipment should I use?”

The answer may surprise you: It really does not matter. If you can afford state-of-the art latest things, great for you, if you know how to use it. However, what I truly believe is that if you create or capture something that comes from your heart, that passion will radiate to the viewer no matter what equipment you will use. The moment will capture their hearts, as they captured yours by creating it. The passion will show and it will shine through.

Don’t miss out on the everyday moments you want to capture with your little ones! Photographing infants and toddlers can be the most exhausting and stressful assignment for a professional with a limited time frame and cranky kids, but those of you with your very own portable human and a camera have no reason to miss out! Make it a point to keep your camera in a quickly accessible spot. Convenience is key!

Here are just a few simple tips to making sure you capture the moments before they’re missed. Most of these tips are for both point and shoot and SLR users. If you’re the type that’s never switched your camera’s setting from automatic, give it a try and you’ll be amazed at the great shots to be had. Here are some tips:

1. NO FLASH

Get a more professional look even if you are limited to a small point and shoot by using available light. Open up the curtains and play right next to a window or outside under open shade. Overcast days are great for this. Your shutter speed will be slower without the flash so try a higher ISO setting if your shots look a little blurry.

2. USE COLOR

Adding a little color can brighten a shot and create a fun fresh look. Try pining a colorful sheet up on the wall behind the play area. Using a colorful chair, rug, pillow, etc… look around and you’ll find something fun!

3. NAP TIME

Take advantage of nap time! Try using a dark sheet or blanket, it really helps with the contrast especially if you enjoy converting your shots to black and white. It’s also a great time to get those extreme close up detail shots of feet and hands wile they’re still. Try close ups for a fun collage or multiple photo frame.

4. ZOOM!

If you’ve a got an SLR and a decent zoom lens you can capture amazing candid shots of everyday activities. Just sit back, keep your camera in hand and click! If you’re more than 15 feet from your subject go ahead and turn the flash off.

Again, the most important part of getting the shot is not having an amazing camera, but keeping the one you have nearby.

It really got me thinking about what it takes to take a truly great photo and it’s actually very simple. Here’s the real secret:

Show people something they’ve never seen before

If you think back to a photo that really inspired you or moved you, it was probably a photo of something that you’ve never seen before. Or it was a photo of something you have seen – but captured in a really unique way that you’ve never seen before.

There are billions of photos out there of people posing in front of things, there are billions of photos out there of places and things – and they all eventually fade together – but what makes a photograph really spectacular is something that captures attention.

This is why I love HDR, tiltshift, fisheye shots, and anything else that’s just different from the norm. You don’t even have to go anywhere to take a spectactular shot – just look around wherever you are and DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

To help you get started thinking in the right direction, here are 10 ideas:

1. use shadows

2. get closeup

3. capture patterns

4. use long exposure

5. get low

6. blur it

7. use lots of empty space in your composition

8. use reflections

9. capture motion

10. get down, look up

And that’s not even scratching the surface – there are plenty more resources for taking unique, interesting, and creative photos. Now go out there and capture something truly unique.