Tog-Talk Kevin Ahronson

Five of my top tips for photographing people

I've been photographing people for a long time.  I started doing it almost as soon as I bought my first 35mm film camera.  In my home town of Brighton (on the south coast of England) I cut my teeth on capturing ordinary people going about their daily lives down on the beach and on Brighton's busy, bohemian streets. 

In later years I moved into the studio and I had several years shooting weddings, families and corporate headshots.  You pick up some tricks when you shoot as much as I did,  and on today's Tog-Talk I'm going to share my thoughts on five really helpful things to either avoid... or things that are essential if you want to take good images.

There is great advice here for newbies with cameras, but I'm also sure there will be things to learn for photographers who have been shooting for a while.

Need more..?
If you want to know a bit more, check out my Tog-Talk website which usually has photos and additional words of guidance: www.tog-talk.com


Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Test Your Knowledge

Or you could simply test your photography knowledge and have a go at our free Photography Assessment Tool

Episode 10 of the 10-part series looking at Photography Basics.

In this final episode I take a look at the editing options for your photography.  Editing is an interesting subject and people often have strong views on its pros & cons.

For most of us, editing allows us to produce images which are more eye-catching.  We remove unwanted objects, we balance shadows and highlights, tweak colours and adjust the final shape of the image with cropping. 

If you would like to know more about editing your own photos, you will find this edition of Tog-Talk very interesting.


Links to editing software mentioned in this edition of Tog-Talk.

Used mainly professionals and advanced amateurs 
Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom PlanCapture One 
Beginners Editing Software
Photoshop ElementsAffinityLuminarGimp (free)
This isn't the entire range of editors on the market, but they are perhaps the most well-known / capable. 


Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Test Your Knowledge

Or you could simply test your photography knowledge and have a go at our free Photography Assessment Tool

At some point in your photography, your enthusiasm will sadly decline.  It's inevitable.   It happens to most photographers, so don't feel guilty. 

It has happened to me a number of times over the years, and through those experiences, I believe I have found some of the best solutions to keep me constantly motivated.

This is episode nine of a 10-part series looking at Photography Basics.  In  this episode I look at what to do when your photography-mojo leaves you, when inspiration and motivation feel beyond reach.   

If you've ever found yourself in the wilderness, dry, lacking creative inspiration, you were not alone and hopefully the experiences I share with you today will be genuinely helpful the next time it happens.

Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Or...

Or you could simple have a go at our Photography Assessment Tool

Episode 8 of the 10-part Photography Basics series and we are asking the question that I am asked all the time...

"Which Lens Should You Buy Next?"

Having got the kit lens that came with your new camera, you're now looking to take your photography to the next level.  You realise that this lens is perhaps not the best lens to help you.   Kit lenses are usually (there are some exceptions) very low quality and to get the kind of photos you're hoping for, you really need to get something else.

This week's Tog-Talk unpacks some of the mystery surrounding lenses and I give you my recommendations for the next lens to buy...


Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Or...

Or you could simple have a go at our Photography Assessment Tool

Why do some photos come out dark?

This is such a common question among new photographers. 

Surely with today's super-clever (and super-expensive) digital cameras, you'd expect the technology to guarantee that every shot is perfectly exposed, every time?  And yet it isn't.

The thing is, cameras can't read our minds.  They don't know what we're thinking.  They have no idea what creative thoughts are going through our minds when we look at a scene. 

They simply measure the light they see and react according to their programming.  It is up to us to take control of the camera to get the results we want - and in this week's episode I will show you a couple of really easy techniques that anyone can master.


Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to improve your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Or...

Or you could simple have a go at our Photography Assessment Tool

Some of us love to photograph beautiful landscapes, others like to shoot people... maybe in the studio or maybe capture them candidly on the street.  Helen Davies does most of her photography on the kitchen table and produces stunning images.

This week's Tog-Talk takes a week off from the current series on Photography Basics to look at a very talented lady.  We will return to the 'Basics' series next week as we look at tips on getting your photos correctly exposed, especially under difficult lighting situations.

But now, it's back to Helen...

Creative Table-Top Photography
I've known Helen for a few years and I have been regularly impressed by the quality of her work and her creative imagination .  Working with liquids, lights and various items usually found in the kitchen, she has proved to me that photography is not just landscapes and people.   

In this weeks's Tog-Talk, Helen reveals her secrets for taking great table-top shots...  and along the way, we have a few giggles as well.

I've taken the step of posting additional information and examples of her work in my blog, The Photography Teacher.   There's only so much information that can be shared in a podcast.  With a visual medium like photography, sometimes there simply has to be a way to show off the images. 

Check out the The Photography Teacher to see some of Helen's work, and while you're there, feast upon all the other tutorials that are freely available on the site, including the higly popular 30 Days of Photoshop series.

Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:
Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.
The Photography Masterclass (one year course)Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.
This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Or...

Or you could simple have a go at our Photography Assessment Tool