Amateur and professional photographers know the value of a quality photo backdrop. They are used for providing a predictable background, controlling light, drawing attention to the particular subject, and much more. When photographers are looking for quality backdrops to use either in a studio or out on-site, they are often faced with many choices of material. Canvas makes an excellent choice for photographers in a variety of situations. Here are some areas to consider when deciding if a canvas backdrop is the best choice for a particular situation.

Photo umbrellas are often used to control the lighting in photo shoots, especially harsh brightness and extreme contrasts that can leave unwanted shadows against a photography background. One benefit is they create a soft, diffused lighting effect –especially for portraits. Reflective umbrellas are useful here because they reduce the contrast between shadow and light. Of course, not all photography umbrellas are the same, so it’s important to know which umbrella to grab in a given situation.

Creating stock photos may not be the photography you dreamed of doing your entire life, but it’s a great way to boost your personal revenue while you focus on the art you do enjoy. Whether you’re a wedding and family photographer, a studio photographer or a photojournalist, commercial photography is a great industry to get started in at any point in your career. It gives you the opportunity to take creative, crisp photos while earning some extra cash at the same time.

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Walsh

Everyone knows the advantages of working in the studio. Studio photography lets you exercise complete control over your environment, allowing you to shoot anytime, day or night. Unfortunately, studios also have one weakness:  plain backgrounds can be a bit boring for certain photo shoots. Recently, however, new products have been coming out that really liven up the old background standbys that have been in use for years. Floor drops – realistic recreations of various floor materials – offer photographers a way to create incredibly detailed environments for their subjects, with very little effort.

One of the first steps to getting your studio lighting right is learning the lingo. It’s easy for lighting jargon to sound like another language to a newcomer, but with a little practice, you’ll soon be speaking it like a native. To get you started, here are the most commonly used lighting terms:

Taking great people pictures isn’t always just about the subject, it can also be a matter of using a different approach, a different technique, or even a green screen background to capture what might otherwise be an ordinary picture. Taking a step in a direction you haven’t taken before can be a bit intimidating but the rewards of a one-of-a-kind image are worth the risk. No matter what kind of camera, setting or photography background you are working with, you can capture pictures of people that make your audience take a second look.

Taking photographs of pets can really be fun and exciting, although this type of photography does at times produce a challenge. Yet, it can be financially rewarding for the photographer who takes the time to understand what is needed in order to actually capture the true personality of a client’s pet and make them extremely happy. The first thing that the photographer must realize is that each animal has a different personality. Not all of them will play well with the photographer when trying to direct a shooting session.