Food photography benefits from creative ideas that entice customers with the allure of the food! This guide equips you with practical techniques to photograph various food types. For a deeper understanding of each technique, follow the links in each section for a more detailed exploration. 

Food Photography Ideas

First, we will cover a wide range of the most common food categories in food photography. You can browse this list to find the specific food type you want, or read each one to learn the different techniques. 

If you want to become a food photographer, I suggest you read each section in detail. This will introduce you to several techniques that may be useful as you start your career. You will also see similarities between the different categories. These are the key points to keep in mind in every food photography photoshoot. 

Fruit and Vegetable

Let’s look at some tips for shooting fruit and vegetables. You can try to use the best quality produce you can find. Make sure it’s fresh and free of blemishes.

Lighting is key in food photography. Use backlighting or side lighting to bring out the texture of your subject. Avoid front lighting, which can create unwanted shadows. A spritz of water mixed with glycerin can make fruits and veggies look fresh and juicy. Get close with macro shots to highlight interesting textures. Also, use few props to keep the focus on your subject.

Pattern and repetition can add visual interest to your photos. Choose backdrop colors that complement your subject. A single well-chosen prop can provide context without being distracting. You can try shooting in a dark and moody style for a different look. You can use the “shoot in a box” technique with black cards to create heavy shadows. Telling a story with your photos can engage viewers and trigger their imaginations.

Fruit photography is a great way to practice your skills. If you want to learn more, our fruit photography article has plenty of tips and techniques to explore.

Cake

Natural light is the best option for cake photography, especially if you’re new to the craft. Position your cake near a window and use a diffuser or curtain to soften harsh light and avoid shadows. Experiment with side lighting, backlighting, and side backlighting to create contrast and dimension in your photos.

Keep your cake photography minimal, using only a few props to avoid detracting from the main subject. Choose props carefully, opting for small items in cohesive colors and patterns. Get creative by using props in unconventional ways, like placing cupcakes on a vintage tray or cake stand.

The best camera angle depends on the cake you’re shooting. Frosted layer cakes look best shot straight on, while overhead shots work well for storytelling. Use food styling tricks to enhance your subject, such as adding cardboard layers between cake slices or creating a styrofoam cake for decoration. Shape the light with diffusers and reflectors, and use a smaller aperture for precise focusing. With practice and these tips, you can capture stunning cake photography.

Cupcakes

Let’s now look at some great tips for shooting cupcakes! Try to tell a story with your cupcake photos by conveying a sense of atmosphere. Use props and backdrops with colors and textures that fit the occasion, like pastel for a wedding or dark shades for chocolate cupcakes. Emphasize different textures by lighting from the side, back, or side-back to create dimension and make your cupcakes glow.

Choose your camera angle and orientation wisely to highlight the best features of your cupcakes. Make your images pop with bright, complementary colors, but focus on just a couple to avoid a chaotic look. Use a pastry bag to pipe on frosting in simple or fancy swirls.

Add extra texture and interest with sprinkles or other decorations, but don’t overdo it. Use composition principles like leading lines, repetition, and the rule of odds to create harmony. Take your photos to the next level in post-processing by balancing whites, blacks, shadows and highlights, and tweaking colors.

To learn more about cupcake photography, check out this in-depth guide covering everything from styling to editing techniques.

Ice Cream

Ice cream photography can be challenging, but with the right techniques, you can capture mouthwatering photos. Start by setting up your composition and lighting in advance, using a stand-in ice cream to avoid melting. If you’re not shooting for a brand, consider creating fake ice cream using mashed potatoes, corn starch, or frosting mixed with confectioner’s sugar.

Adding human elements like hands holding the cone can make your photos more authentic and engaging. Toppings such as sprinkles, nuts, and whipped cream can add texture and visual appeal to your ice cream pictures.

Use props to tell a story and create a fitting atmosphere, but keep the overall look simple and playful. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and experiment with closeups, unexpected settings, or conceptual photography. With practice, you’ll be able to capture stunning ice cream photos. Dive deeper into the world of ice cream photography, and explore our comprehensive guide.

Chocolate

Chocolate can be tricky to photograph. To make it appealing, prepare the chocolate by removing any bloom or imperfections. Handle it with care to avoid fingerprints.

Use side lighting to bring out the chocolate’s texture. Backlighting can create a nice sheen, but use a bounce card to avoid underexposure. One light source is all you need for beautiful shadows and highlights.

Edit your chocolate images in Photoshop for a smooth, refined look. Use the spot healing brush, clone stamp, and healing brush tools to fix flaws. With a little planning and care, you can take drool-worthy chocolate photography.

Cookie

Cookies are great to photograph. Think about using color theory when choosing props. Cookies are usually warm colors like brown and yellow. Pair them with cool-colored props like blue ceramics for a nice contrast.

Choose the best angle to showcase your cookies. Flat lays work well for decorated cookies. For simple cookies, stack them and shoot from a low angle.

Get creative with styling techniques. Use a syringe to make chocolate drops around the edge of a cookie. Or dip a food ring in chocolate and place the cookie inside the circle. You can also make a swoosh with a spoon and liquid chocolate.

Cookie photography is a fun way to get creative with food photos. Use these tips to take your images to the next level.

Dessert

Capturing delicious dessert photos is all about highlighting the beauty and appeal of sweet treats. Choose relevant props and backgrounds that complement your dessert and help tell its story. Use simple tools like a fine-mesh sifter to sprinkle cocoa or powdered sugar, or a vegetable peeler to create chocolate ribbons.

Soft, natural light is best for dessert photography to keep colors vibrant. Use a diffuser or bounce light back onto your subject with a white card. And don’t forget to set white balance correctly, using a grey card if needed.

Photographing frozen desserts like ice cream can be tricky. Pre-scoop servings and keep them in the freezer until shoot time. Gently blow on edges with a straw to soften, or press the top down for a freshly-scooped look. With some preparation and creative tricks, you can capture dessert photography that looks good enough to eat!

Burger

Here are some great tips for styling and shooting delicious burger photos. You can choose fattier meat for a juicier look and add grill marks for an authentic feel. Also, melt the cheese to get an awesome gooey texture.

Use veggies like tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles to add contrast and color to your burger. Pick props and backdrops that fit the theme, like rustic cutting boards for a pub-style burger. Experiment with different angles, but usually stick to eye-level for the best view of the layers.

Get in close to highlight all the delicious details. Finally, perfect your burger photos in post-processing using Lightroom and Photoshop to clean up imperfections and adjust colors and shadows. With these tips, you’ll be taking mouth-watering burger photography in no time.

Pizza

Pizza photography can be challenging, but with the right tips, you can capture mouth-watering images. Start by choosing the right equipment, like a camera with a full-frame sensor and a 50mm or longer lens. Avoid wide-angle lenses as they can distort your pizza.

Lighting is key to well-lit pizza photos. Use directional, natural light from the side to reduce highlights on the cheese. Style your pizza with simple, relevant props and partially cook the base before adding toppings.

To achieve the perfect cheese pull, use string mozzarella and have an assistant hold the slice while you shoot. Focus stacking can help keep the entire pizza sharp. Edit your photos minimally to maintain a natural look. After some practice, you can master the art of pizza photography.

Drinks

Capturing creative reflections in drinks is a fun way to add interest to your photos. To get started, think about the story you want to tell with your reflection. Cut a shape out of thick paper to use as a template for the reflection.

Arrange your composition with the drink and props that match your story. Use a tripod to keep your camera steady and position it so you can see the surface of the liquid. Set up a soft light source above the drink to create a bright reflection.

Hold the paper template between the light and the drink to create the silhouette reflection. Adjust the sharpness by moving the template closer or further from the drink. If you want to learn more about creative reflection photography, there are many helpful resources available here.

Cocktail

Cocktail photography is all about making your drinks look realistic and appealing. Use garnishes, specialty ice cubes, and fresh ingredients to style your cocktails. You don’t always need real alcohol – water can be a great substitute for vodka in a martini shot.

Fake condensation on the glass adds a cool, authentic look. Mix a 50-50 solution of glycerin and water in a spray bottle and mist it onto the glass. This will last much longer than water alone.

Capturing the beauty of cocktails requires the right cocktail photography techniques. With some creativity and attention to detail, you can create stunning drink photos that will impress your audience.

Indian

Let’s now take a look at some techniques to approach photographing Indian cuisine. Use props like traditional plates and cutlery to create an authentic scene. Combine different textures to make the photo more appealing, such as adding crunchy toppings to creamy dishes.

Create strong contrasts by using complementary colors or presenting a colorful dish on a dark background. Use hard light to create a moody and dramatic atmosphere.

Choose the best angle for each dish to give it depth and highlight its unique features. Pay attention to timing and photograph each item when it looks its best, such as capturing the flames cooking tender meat or the steam rising from a freshly prepared curry.

Indian food photography is also a great opportunity for indian food photography storytelling. Include elements that represent the local culture and culinary habits to make your photos more authentic and engaging.

Steak

Here are some tips for taking better steak photos! Choose high-quality meat from a butcher rather than the supermarket. Keep the meat looking fresh by avoiding piling it up and letting it air out if it was packaged. Trim any ugly parts but leave some fat for texture and flavor.

Use simple, natural backgrounds like wood, butcher paper or marble that complement the red hues of the meat. Side or backlighting helps showcase the texture without making the meat look too shiny or dull. Undercook the meat slightly and brush with oil to maintain a vivid, moist appearance.

Incorporate simple props like knives, herbs, spices, oil and vegetables to enhance the composition. Capturing the preparation process with human elements can turn your photos into a compelling story. Food styling tricks like blowtorching chicken skin or painting on grill marks are fair game too. For more meat photography secrets, dive deeper with our full guide.

Steam

Adding steam to your food photography can make your images look more appealing. Side backlighting is a great way to capture steam. Position your light source between at an angle toward your camera.

Using a dark background is important when photographing steam. Steam is light in color and somewhat transparent, so it won’t show up well unless there is contrast from the backdrop. A tripod is also a must when shooting steam shots, as it frees up your hands to style your scene and quickly place the steam before it evaporates.

When shooting in natural light, use a faster shutter speed of at least 1/200th of a second to freeze the movement of the steam. If you want to photograph steam in more detail, you can learn additional techniques such as using boiling water, a clothing steamer, or even a water-soaked tampon in the microwave.

Cooking

Food action shots make cooking photography dynamic and realistic. To capture impressive shots, use a tripod to avoid camera shake and freeze the movement. Set a fast shutter speed of at least 1/125 or 1/160, and adjust your ISO and aperture accordingly.

Natural light is best for cooking photography to get realistic colors. Avoid using flashes or artificial lights that can create reflections or ruin the food’s appearance. Experiment with the motion by practicing the pouring or sprinkling techniques beforehand, and use manual focus to ensure sharp images.

Shoot in continuous mode or with a self-timer to capture the perfect moment. Choose the right angle that leaves enough space for the motion without creating large empty spaces. With these cooking photography tips, you’ll be able to create mouthwatering action shots that engage your viewers.

Food Photography Environments and Techniques

We will now look at different environments you may find yourself in when taking food photography further. These tips will cover how to act in professional settings and what you should expect when you get to each shoot. 

The techniques we touch on are great for assisting your food photography ideas. These will offer different approaches that will make you stand out from your competition. These aesthetics aren’t for every photographer, but we recommend trying them to see if they suit your photographic style. 

Restaurant

Restaurant photography can be challenging but rewarding. To pull off a successful shoot, ask the client for a shot list so you know exactly what to deliver. Visit the restaurant beforehand to check lighting and plan your setup.

Make it clear that you’re not responsible for food styling – that’s the chef’s job. But bring along a basic styling kit to tidy up plates. Also pack linens, dishes, and props to create the desired look and ambience.

Shooting tethered lets you view images on a larger screen and get client approval on the spot. Involve the chef to coordinate timing of dishes. By putting these tips into practice, you’ll capture images that satisfy everyone. Read out in-depth guide to learn more about the tricks of the trade in restaurant photography.

Commercial

When photographing food for advertising, it’s important to make the food look as appetizing as possible. Use food styling tricks like adding color to soups, painting grilled chicken for a golden skin, and using fake ice cubes that won’t melt. For tricky shots like milkshakes, you can even use instant mashed potatoes with coloring to mimic the look without the mess.

Convey the right message and tell a story with your food photos. Show the product being served or eaten to create an appealing scene. Highlight any unique features or benefits of the product, like if it’s vegan or allergy-friendly.

Get creative and use humor in your shots to grab attention. Include people to make the images more relatable and tap into emotions. Influencers can help expand your reach, but be aware you’ll have less control over the final result. Our extended article contains all you need to know about food photography techniques for advertising.

Christmas

Here are some fun Christmas picture ideas using levitating objects like cookies and sugar. One easy method is to hold and shoot each object separately, then combine them in post-processing. This works well when the objects are not too close together.

Another option is to keep everything in place with thin wires or fishing line. Suspend the objects in the air, take the shot, then remove the supports in editing. You can also add falling sugar or flour for a magical effect.

Arrange your cookies on a plate as the main focus. Glue some to supports like knitting needles or skewers to create a falling effect. Use short shutter speeds to freeze the motion of falling sugar, or longer exposures for streaky paths. Remove the visible supports later in post-processing by layering a “clean” shot. With a few simple tricks, you can capture the wonder of christmas picture idea like levitating treats!

Dark Food

Dark food photography is all about creating moody, dramatic images using minimal lighting and the chiaroscuro technique. Move further away from your light source to reduce the light hitting your subject. Use thick curtains to darken the room, allowing just enough light to illuminate the food.

Backlighting is key for enhancing texture and creating a mysterious atmosphere. Place your light source behind the subject, using diffusers and black fill cards to sculpt the light and produce shadows. Choose muted, non-reflective backgrounds like dark blues, greys, or black, and incorporate textured materials like weathered wood for a rustic feel.

Compose your shots using the Rule of Odds, placing props at intersecting points on the Rule of Thirds grid. Underexpose your photos slightly in-camera to increase contrast without blowing out highlights. Finally, bring your images to life in post-processing by focusing on color treatment and brightening the food while maintaining shadows. Dark food photography allows you to create captivating, emotive images that stand out from the crowd.

Fine Art

Fine art food photography is a creative way to capture the beauty of food. Lighting plays a key role in bringing out the colors and textures of your subject. Side lighting or backlighting are great options, while front lighting can create unwanted shadows.

Composition is also important in guiding the viewer’s eye through the frame. Simple compositions can be very powerful, so avoid having too much going on. Styling and composition go hand-in-hand, so think of ways to add interest to your dishes with garnishes or textures.

When editing your photos, you have more freedom to experiment with color treatment and toning. The HSL panel in Lightroom is a great tool for this. You can also try split toning to give your images a unique look. Fine art food photography is a fun way to practice your lighting skills and create stunning images. Click here to learn more about fine art food photography.

Tilt Shift

Tilt shift lenses are a unique tool for food photography. They allow you to control the plane of focus and create a miniature effect. With a tilt shift lens, you can keep the subject in sharp focus while blurring the background.

These lenses also let you shoot at the most flattering angle. You can include or exclude props and other elements around the subject. This is useful for product shots or magazine covers where text needs to be added.

Tilt shift lenses can be expensive, but they open up a world of possibilities. If you’re interested in learning more about tilt shift food photography, it’s worth renting one to try out. You may find it’s a valuable addition to your kit for certain types of commercial food photography jobs.

Today, we will cover a wide range of advanced composition techniques to show you the multiple approaches you can take in photography. Each technique has different characteristics. We break down each approach in detail to give you a better understanding. If you want more detail, click the link in each section. 

Composition Techniques

Let’s start by looking at simple methods to produce advanced composition techniques. Even though these methods may seem basic, they are tricky to master. We will outline the best ways to get the most out of each of these photoshoot ideas. 

You can try many of these techniques from the comfort of your own home! If that doesn’t inspire you, go for a walk around your town or city. Try to get one image of each composition technique; the more you practice, the better you will get! 

Form

Form photography is all about making subjects stand out as if they’re 3D objects. It creates a line between 2D and 3D by using the right kind of light, angles, colors, and depth.

To take stunning form photos, experiment with side light to emphasize your subject’s shape and textures. Use a large aperture to separate your subject from the background and create depth. If your results don’t look eye-catching enough, try converting them to black and white to add emotion and put the spotlight on specific tones.

Shooting from different angles is key to making your photos look unique. It gives you more creative freedom to capture movements, colors, and textures. With a little imagination and practice, you can use form photography to take outstanding photos of anything. You can read our in-depth article to learn more about form in photography.

Shape

Shape is an important element of photography composition. It can create balance and symmetry or lead the viewer’s eye to the main subject. Photographers can use shape in many ways to make their images more interesting.

Light plays a big role in how shapes look in photos. Front or back lighting will create a flat shape. But side lighting adds shadows, giving the shape a 3D form.

Perspective also changes how shapes appear. A coffee mug from the side is a cylinder, but from above it’s a circle. Shooting straight on shows a flat shape, while angling the camera reveals depth. Using these techniques, photographers can find new ways to capture everyday objects. Learning to see the shapes that make up the world is key to creating powerful compositions. Shape in photography is an essential part of image composition.

Emphasis

Emphasis in photography is all about making your subject stand out. You can use composition techniques to bring focus and attention to your subject, even in a cluttered or busy scene.

One way to emphasize your subject is by using strong contrast. Place your subject in a brightly lit area surrounded by darker tones to make it pop. You can also use a shallow depth of field to blur the background and keep your subject sharp. This is especially useful in portrait photography.

Negative space is another tool for emphasis. By leaving empty space around your subject, you remove distractions and draw the viewer’s eye. Leading lines can also guide attention to your subject, while framing it within the scene adds even more emphasis. Click here to learn more about emphasis in photography.

Geometric

Geometric photography is all about finding and capturing the shapes and lines that make up our world. From the bold lines of a cityscape to the organic curves of nature, geometry is everywhere. Here are some cool ideas to get you started with geometric photography.

Look for repetition in your subjects, like brick walls or tiled floors. The repeating shapes will create a bold, eye-catching pattern in your photos. You can also use color to make your geometric images pop. Bright, contrasting colors will emphasize the shapes and lines in your compositions.

Perspective is another powerful tool for geometric photography. Try shooting from unusual angles, like low to the ground or high above your subject. This will create a unique and engaging point of view. And don’t forget about architecture – buildings are full of geometric shapes and lines that make great subjects for photos.

Ready to dive deeper into the world of geometric photography? There are endless possibilities to explore, from minimalist compositions to abstract designs.

Rhythm

Rhythm in photography brings structure and stability to your images. It’s about visual storytelling and composition building. Rhythm can hold the viewer’s gaze to a steady beat or quicken the pace as their eyes move around the image.

Rhythm is created by elements that repeat or echo throughout the photo. This could be a series of shapes that make a pattern or multiple subjects that appear at different points in the frame.

You’ll find rhythm in many types of photography, from street and architecture to portraits and landscapes. Bringing rhythm into your photos can help you make conscious decisions about composition and how you want the image to flow. Read on to learn more about how to use rhythm in photography, including the different types of rhythm and how to break rhythm for emphasis.

Negative Space

Negative space is the area around your main subject in a photo. It creates a relationship between the subject and background, allowing the subject to stand out. When used well, negative space attracts the viewer and leads their eyes to the main subject.

The space doesn’t have to be empty. Things can be in the negative space, but they should blend into the background and not draw attention. This directs the viewer’s focus to the main subject.

To use negative space, look at the area around your subject. Move around to frame the subject with negative space. Get closer to fill the frame with an interesting pattern, or step back to make the subject smaller. Negative space can improve your compositions in any type of photography. Here are some more tips on negative space in photography.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition in photography is all about showing contrast between two or more elements in a scene. This can be done through composition, forced perspectives, or props. Some examples of juxtaposition include animate vs inanimate objects, big vs small subjects, dark vs light colors, and natural vs man-made elements.

Photographers can also create juxtaposition in post-processing by merging different images together. This allows for creative concepts like mixing life and death or showing the contrast between poverty and idealism. Juxtaposition can evoke powerful emotions and make viewers think deeply about the story behind the image.

Finding juxtaposition examples is easy if you look for them in your environment or while juxtaposition examples in street photography. Capturing these contrasts can lead to striking and thought-provoking images that keep viewers engaged.

Advanced Composition Techniques

Now, we will look at more advanced composition techniques. Some of these techniques do not have set framing advice; instead, the content of the photograph holds the composition. 

If you familiarize yourself with these ideas, you will be well on your way to becoming an advanced photographer. The advanced composition techniques below are directed more by storytelling, one of photography’s key benefits. Learning to use storytelling to your advantage will set you apart from other photographers. 

Conceptual

Conceptual photography is all about expressing ideas and themes through symbols and creative editing. To create a great conceptual photo, start with an original idea. Then use editing to bring your vision to life.

You can find inspiration for conceptual photography all around you. Everyday objects can symbolize nature, and water can add emotion and drama to a portrait. Even your childhood dreams can spark ideas for nostalgic photos.

Anonymity is another powerful tool in conceptual photography. Partly hiding a subject’s face can make a concept more relatable. And simple tricks like conceptual photography can turn an ordinary portrait into a mysterious and thought-provoking image.

Symbolism

Symbolism is a powerful tool for photographers to express concepts and ideas beyond what is visible in an image. By using visual cues like color, objects, animals, and placement, photographers can convey deeper meanings and evoke emotions in the viewer.

Throughout history, symbolism has been used in various forms of art, from ancient carvings to Renaissance paintings. In photography, early practitioners adopted symbols to signify intelligence, while iconic images like Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother became symbols of the Great Depression.

Contemporary photographers continue to use symbolism in their work, drawing from both historical and modern symbols. By understanding and incorporating symbolism in their images, photographers can create rich, meaningful experiences for their audience. Symbolism in photography is a fascinating subject that can elevate your work to new levels.

Golden Ratio

The golden ratio is a powerful tool for creating pleasing and balanced compositions in photography. It’s based on a mathematical sequence that appears throughout nature, from nautilus shells to ocean waves. By using the golden ratio in your photos, you can lead the viewer’s eye through the frame in a natural way.

One common way to apply the golden ratio is with the phi grid, which divides the frame into a 1:0.618:1 ratio. This places the subject a bit more centrally compared to the rule of thirds. Another option is the Fibonacci spiral, where you position the main subject in the smallest part of the spiral and arrange other elements along the curve.

To use the golden ratio effectively, consider the scene and choose the method that best fits the subject and any leading lines or curves. Imagine the overlay as you compose the shot, and don’t be afraid to adjust your position to exaggerate lines and angles. With practice, the golden ratio can elevate your compositions from good to excellent. Learning more about the golden ratio in photography can help you master this powerful technique.

Golden Triangle

The golden triangle is a composition technique that uses diagonal lines to form right-angle triangles. These triangles act as a guide for placing the main subject of the photo at the intersection points.

Using the golden triangle can give your photos a more dynamic feel compared to other common composition techniques. To create the golden triangle, draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner, then draw perpendicular lines from the other corners to the diagonal line.

Place your point of interest at one of the intersection points and use leading lines that follow the diagonal. Subjects that work well with the golden triangle include portraits with the model sitting or lying down, mountains with a diagonal horizon line, and roads that cut through the frame diagonally. Golden triangle in photography is a great way to experiment with composition and create visually interesting images.

Triptych

Triptych photography is a creative technique that tells a story using three photos. Experiment with different formats like square or circle to make your triptychs stand out. Capture a series of movements using burst mode to create exciting action shots.

Themes can make your triptychs more meaningful. Love, nature, and symmetry are common choices. You can also split one image into three parts or put a spotlight on details that usually go unnoticed.

Triptychs are a great way to improve your photography skills. Work on a long-term photo series to document a subject’s progress over time. Or photograph different parts of an event to tell a more complete story. As you explore triptych photography, you’ll find a style that works for you and triptych photography will help you think outside the box.

Decisive Movement

Capturing the decisive moment in photography is about being in the right place at the right time and knowing how to take the shot. It’s not just luck, but also understanding your subjects and predicting their behavior. The more you observe and understand the subject, the better you’ll become at anticipating the perfect moment.

Developing your photographing intuition is key. Trust your gut feeling when you sense something special is about to happen. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to recognize and capture those fleeting moments.

Look for emotional moments, everyday life details, and motion in your scenes. Train your eye to see patterns and the things that disrupt them. If you’d like to learn more about decisive moment in photography, there are great resources available here to dive deeper into this fascinating topic.

Dynamic Tension

Dynamic tension is a powerful tool for creating dramatic photos. It involves using diagonal lines, paths, and body language that move in opposing directions. This creates a sense of tension and pulls the viewer’s eye through the image.

To use dynamic tension, look for multiple diagonal lines moving away from each other, paths that move in opposite directions, or contrasting body language between subjects. The strongest tension comes from the widest angles between intersecting lines, ideally 90 degrees.

Framing and rotation also play a role in emphasizing dynamic tension. Experiment with different angles and compositions to find the most dramatic effect. However, use dynamic tension sparingly in your portfolio to avoid overuse. You can learn more about dynamic tension in photography here.

Figure to Ground

Figure to ground photography is a composition technique that creates stark contrast between the main subject and the background. This contrast can be achieved through differences in lighting or color. The most dramatic example is a silhouette, but there are many other ways to use figure to ground composition.

To create a figure to ground photo, look for scenes where the subject is much lighter or darker than the background. You can also use contrasting colors, even if the lighting is the same. Squint your eyes to blur the details and make it easier to see the contrast.

Extreme contrast isn’t always necessary. Sometimes you may want to keep enough background detail to provide context for your subject. In these cases, aim for a more subtle contrast that still draws the viewer’s eye to the main subject. Figure to ground photography is a powerful way to create depth and visual interest in your photos.

Composition Principles

The composition principles section is crucial for advanced composition. These ideas guide us on what works and what doesn’t work in photography. These principles are formed from years of photographic experience, so it’s wise to take advice from their lessons. 

These principles range from simple points to consider in every photo to more niche concepts that may only be relevant to some styles of photography. Read more about each below, and make sure you try them out for yourself!

Value

Value in photography describes the range of light in your image. Altering the light is how you create contrast. Photographers group tones into blacks, shadows, midtones, highlights, and whites.

A histogram maps the tonal values with darker tones on the left and lighter tones on the right. The higher the peaks, the more of that tone is found in the scene. Most photographers avoid extreme tones, but you decide if you want to include pure black and white.

Understanding value will help create an emotional response to your images. High contrast images are bold and dynamic, while low contrast images are calmer and more mysterious. Value in photography is an important concept to learn to capture stunning photos.

Art and Design in Photography

The seven principles of art and design are balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, and movement. These principles help photographers create compelling compositions and engaging images.

Balance refers to the visual weight of an image, while rhythm is about the recurring distribution of visual elements. Patterns are repetitions of art and design elements that work together in a single frame.

Emphasis shapes the center of interest in a photo through color, space, texture, and line. Contrast is created by including opposing elements like light and dark or different textures. Unity describes the visual relationship between elements in an image, helping create a cohesive look. Movement guides the viewer’s eye through the photograph using lines, colors, and other elements.

By understanding and applying these principles of art, photographers can take greater control of their images and create more impactful photographs.

Fine Art

Fine art photography is a creative area of image capturing that relies on the photographer’s ideas and vision. These works are meant to be wall art, either for a private client or a gallery. Fine art images can resemble some meaning or be as abstract as the photographer desires.

Fine art photography contrasts with representational photography, such as photojournalism. It combines photography and conceptual ideas as a process where the artist tries to express their perceptions and emotions, which are then shared with others. While both fine art and commercial photography produce saleable images, fine art photography is not commissioned like commercial photography is.

Inspiration for fine art photography can come from many sources, such as movies, visual art, and reading. By using topics that interest them, photographers can work harder and stay focused longer. Famous fine art photographers to look to for inspiration include Damiano Errico and Brassaï, who blurred the lines between street photography and fine art with his images of Paris at night. Click here to learn more about fine art photography, including tips for getting started and avoiding common mistakes.

Gestalt Principles

The Gestalt principles are a set of rules that help photographers create more appealing and powerful images. By understanding how the human mind perceives visual elements, you can organize your compositions in a way that makes them more engaging and emotionally resonant.

Some of the most important Gestalt principles for photography include proximity, similarity, closure, and segregation. Proximity suggests that objects close to each other are related, while similarity implies that elements with similar characteristics form a cohesive group. Closure allows the mind to fill in missing information, creating a sense of completeness, and segregation helps the subject stand out from its background.

By applying these principles to your photography, you can create images that are not only visually appealing but also convey a stronger message or story. To learn more about how to effectively use gestalt principles in photography, explore the in-depth article that covers each principle in detail and provides practical examples.

Lead Room Principle

Lead room is the negative space in front of where the subject is facing or moving. This simple composition technique is essential in many types of photography, including portraiture, fashion, and events. By including extra space within the frame, you allow the viewer’s eyes to travel and provide context to understand the narrative.

When you don’t leave enough lead room, it creates a frustrating and uncomfortable feeling for the viewer. People prefer to see where the subject is moving or looking. Too little space makes the image feel suffocating and unappealing.

To apply lead room, shoot wider compositions and leave negative space, which you can always crop later. Experiment with extra-large negative spaces to create striking images that imply movement and freedom. Lead room will improve your compositions in portrait, landscape, sports, and street photography. If you’d like to learn more about lead room, there are great resources available.

We will cover different fashion photography genres and look at multiple editing approaches you can take to achieve different styles. Each section has a dedicated article. So, if you want more information on any subject, click the links! 

Fashion Photography Ideas

Fashion photography is a powerful force that not only defines generations but also disrupts its traditions. Striking a balance between the timeless and the contemporary in fashion photography can be a fascinating challenge, one that is enriched by a deep understanding of its history. 

If you are starting out in fashion photography, we recommend you try out every style to see which one you prefer. It is also worth trying out the styles you don’t like, as you may learn techniques that help you create your visual language. 

Editorial

Editorial photography is the staple mark of fashion photography. These are the photoshoots that exist in fashion magazines and online websites. It is important to know what has been done previously so you can bring your new and fresh ideas to the table. Let’s look at some key points to consider when shooting editorial fashion photography. 

Start with a clear idea for your fashion editorial photoshoot. Write down keywords and find photos for inspiration. This will keep your photos consistent. You should also collaborate with a team of talented make-up artists, stylists, and hairstylists. Guide them so everyone’s on the same page during the photoshoot.

Find 1-2 locations that fit your theme and won’t distract from the model. Many fashion editorials are shot in studios, beaches, or parks. Also, use different angles and poses to keep your photos exciting. Take your model’s advice on poses they feel confident doing. Break photography rules to develop your own style.

To learn more about the creative process behind editorial fashion photography, check out this in-depth article.

Runway

Runway photography is an exciting way to capture the latest fashion trends. To get started, attend small, local fashion shows and observe how they operate. Bring a camera that’s allowed, such as a point-and-shoot with zoom if professional gear isn’t permitted.

Choose a fast lens with a wide aperture like f/1.8 for low light and blurred backgrounds. Set your camera to Aperture Priority mode and use an ISO between 500-800. Focus on the models’ eyes and include details of the outfits to highlight the atmosphere.

Move around to photograph from multiple angles when possible. As you gain experience, build a portfolio and contact event organizers to get a media pass. Runway photography takes practice, but with these tips, you’ll be mingling with the pros in no time.

High Fashion

High fashion photography captures the essence of luxury and glamour. It’s all about creating beautiful, dreamlike images that showcase high-end style.

To shoot high fashion, you’ll need to understand the different genres and styles. Editorial photography tells a story through a series of images, often revolving around a theme. Beauty editorials focus on the face and top half of the model to highlight jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup.

Catalog shots are simple, with minimal styling and plain backgrounds to bring focus to the outfit. Lookbooks combine catalog and lifestyle photography to show different ways to wear clothes in everyday situations. Click here if you want to learn more about high fashion photography.

Vintage

Vintage photography is making a comeback. To create your own vintage photos, study the limitations of old film cameras and lenses. They produced soft images with grain and little contrast.

Choose a theme for your photoshoot, like 19th century portraits or 1920s group shots. Shoot with classic compositions using the rule of thirds. Pose your subjects in a rigid, static way or have them be silly and spontaneous.

Imperfections make vintage photos authentic. Don’t fix light leaks, dust, or grain in editing. Instead, use programs like Photoshop or free alternatives to lower contrast, desaturate colors, or add a sepia tone. Stage your scene with vintage clothing, props, and locations while avoiding anything modern. Vintage photography is a time machine to the past.

Lookbook

A fashion lookbook is a great way to showcase clothing in a lifestyle setting. Unlike catalogs with plain backgrounds, lookbooks feature models in real-life backdrops.

To create a lookbook on a budget, ask friends to model or use websites like Model Mayhem to find beginners who need portfolio work. Make the most of props you already have to complement the clothing and create different styles. Keep things simple to avoid overpowering the featured product.

Find backdrops that match the vibe of the clothes, like urban areas for streetwear or cozy cafes for a relaxed feel. Stick to clean backgrounds with few distractions. Use natural light during the golden hour for a beautiful glow, or shoot under bright artificial lights at night. Keep poses simple, with the model standing casually or interacting with the environment. Lookbook photography is a great way to learn fashion photography without the intimidation of editorials.

Artistic

Let’s now take a look at how we can create more artistic fashion photoshoots. You should use your location to find unique angles and perspectives. Shoot from high up or down low to show a point of view people don’t usually see. Try the dutch tilt by shifting your frame sideways for an edgy look.

Experiment with vintage film lenses for unusual effects like soft focus or beautiful bokeh. Prisms can also create kaleidoscopic effects, soft focus, and glints. Use color gels on your lights to enhance the mood of your photos.

Capture motion with long exposures or combine multiple exposures for creative results. Selective coloring can highlight the model’s clothes. And don’t forget about the classic, nostalgic look of black and white. To learn more, read this in-depth guide on artistic fashion photography.

Black & White

Black and white fashion photography is a timeless art form that can create striking and emotive images. By removing color, the photographer can focus on the subject’s expressions, textures, and the interplay of light and shadow. This creates a raw and honest perspective that draws the viewer into the photograph.

To capture the best black and white portraits, it’s important to plan your shoot carefully. Consider the lighting, location, and your model’s posing to create the mood and story you want to convey. Experiment with different apertures and ISO settings to create separation between your subject and the background, and to add dramatic grain to your images.

When editing your black and white portraits, you can use tools like filters, curves, and clarity to deepen shadows, brighten highlights, and add contrast to your photos. You can also add subtle grain or scratch textures for a vintage film effect. With practice and experimentation, you can learn black and white portrait photography and create stunning, soulful images that capture the essence of your subject.

Low Key

Low key black and white photography creates moody, atmospheric images. It’s often used for portraits and fine art nudes. The key is controlling the light to produce deep shadows and highlights.

Use a single main light considerably brighter than the ambient light. Carefully position the light and subject to reveal or hide details with the shadows. Remember, your camera captures a narrower dynamic range than your eyes see.

When editing, darken the shadows to eliminate unwanted detail captured by your camera. Adjust contrast, blacks, whites, and highlights to exaggerate the low key effect. Be careful not to overdo the adjustments, which can degrade image quality. Low key black and white photography requires precise exposure and thoughtful editing to achieve the signature high contrast look.

High Key

High key portraits with a tight frame, high contrast, shadows on the cheeks, and a white background are the hallmarks of the Platon photography style. While you may not be photographing celebrities, you can still create stunning portraits using this technique.

To achieve this look, you’ll need a couple of flash guns, light stands, and a small umbrella. Position the main light slightly above and in front of the model for a butterfly lighting effect. Use flags on either side of the model to deepen the shadows on their cheeks.

When editing the portrait, crop tightly, convert to black and white, and whiten the background. Adjust the brightness and contrast, and dodge and sharpen the eyes. Experiment with different angles and props to add your own creative touch to this classic portrait style. To dive deeper into creating platon photography portraits, we have a comprehensive guide that covers everything from gear to editing.

Keeping the camera’s shutter open for an extended period can create stunning visual effects. So, we explain everything you need to know to take long exposures effectively. Click the links in each section to delve into each subject more deeply.

Video Course

Infinite Exposures

Unlock the secrets of captivating photography with this Video Course:

• Learn to photograph waterfalls, waves, sunsets, and stars effortlessly
• Discover how to balance movement and stillness in your shots
• Master exposure settings easily, with or without a filter

What Is Long-Exposure Photography?

Long exposure photography generally refers to a certain shutter speed. It is longer than the normally very small fraction of a second used, and the exact length of that exposure can vary.

Motion blur can occur with fast-moving subjects, such as 1/60 s (seconds), at relatively fast shutter speeds. The key to mastering long-exposure photography is knowing the effects of shutter speed selection and using them to your advantage. Use these jump links to go where needed:

1. Long-exposure photography techniques
2. With natural phenomenon
3. With artificial light
4. Other photography niches
5. Long exposure using a smartphone
6. Recommended photography gear
7. Learning resource

Long-Exposure Techniques

It might involve playing with the ISO settings for a slow shutter speed, choosing a high f-stop, or using a neutral density (ND) filter. Whatever it takes, we have compiled a wide range of articles with advice on mastering the rather mesmerizing world of long-exposure photography.

It can be counterintuitive at first. We work hard to prevent blurry photos, but now we want to do it deliberately!

Ideas and Examples

Long-exposure photography is a fun way to capture movement in your images. The key is to use a slow shutter speed to blur moving elements like water, clouds, or people.

You can take long exposure photos almost anywhere. Try shooting busy roads at night to capture colorful light trails from passing cars. Or head to the coast and use a slow shutter to smooth out crashing waves for a silky, ethereal effect.

Waterfalls are classic long-exposure subjects, often with blurred, soft water tumbling over rocks. They look stunning! You can also get creative with light painting—use flashlights or sparklers to “draw” words or shapes while your shutter is open.

The possibilities are endless! These are just some long-exposure photography ideas you can try to create unique, artistic images.

Bulb Mode

Bulb mode lets you keep the shutter open for as long as you press the shutter button. This setting is ideal for capturing better long exposures.

Remember, we don’t want everything to be blurred. So, to avoid any camera shake, use a remote shutter release when shooting in bulb mode. A tripod is also important for sharper long-exposure photos.

You may need a neutral density filter to extend the shutter speed when using bulb mode. A polarizing filter can also help remove reflections and saturate colors. Graduated neutral density filters are useful for controlling the exposure.

Take time to learn to love your camera’s histogram. It can help you understand the exposure. And you see errors that are not noticeable on the camera’s screen.

One issue with bulb mode is that light can change during the exposure, especially at dawn or dusk. To avoid this, take test shots to check the exposure and histogram. Then, use an app like PhotoPills to calculate the final exposure time with your ND filter.

Bulb mode can also make bad compositions more evident. So, when framing your shot, be mindful of moving elements like clouds, water, and light trails. To learn more about bulb mode, check out our in-depth guide.

Long-Exposure Calculator

Long-exposure photography captures motion in a scene. Shutter speed controls the blur in moving elements like water and clouds. The longer the shutter is open, the more motion you capture.

ND filters reduce the light reaching the sensor (or film). They let you use slower shutter speeds in bright conditions.

A long exposure calculator helps determine the right shutter speed based on the ND filter you use. Enter your base shutter speed without the filter. The calculator then shows the adjusted shutter speed for each filter density.

Long-exposure calculators are available as smartphone apps and printable charts. They make finding the perfect shutter speed easy for creating stunning long-exposure images. We put together an easy guide to using a long-exposure calculator so you can try it yourself.

Creative Slow Shutter Speeds

A slow shutter speed is a powerful tool for creating dynamic and interesting photos. Motion blur captures moving elements while the camera stays still, giving the image a sense of movement. Panning follows a moving object, keeping it sharp while blurring the background.

Kinetic movements, like zoom bursts and camera rotations, create blur through camera motion rather than subject motion. Daytime long exposures use ND filters to capture dramatic effects in bright light.

Photographing clouds and water with slow shutter speeds can add texture and mood to your images. Light painting involves moving a light source in front of a camera or illuminating specific objects during a long exposure.

To learn more about the creative possibilities of slow shutter speed photography, check out our in-depth guide.

Motion Blur

Motion blur is when moving objects appear blurred because they move during the exposure. It can add a sense of speed and dynamism to your photos. To capture motion blur, you need a camera that allows manual settings and a tripod to keep the camera steady.

Use a slow shutter speed to keep the shutter open long enough to record the movement. The exact setting depends on the subject’s speed and how much blur you want.

You can also use panning to capture motion blur. Follow the moving subject with your camera using a slow shutter speed. The subject will be sharp while the background blurs.

Capturing moving clouds, water, and lights is another great way to use motion blur creatively. Motion blur is a simple way to add interest to your photos.

Advanced Motion Blur

If that has whetted your appetite for motion blur photography, we have 50 more ideas! Photographers can blur moving subjects like people, cars, and water using a slow shutter speed. This technique adds a sense of energy and life to photos.

To create motion blur, you need a camera with manual settings. It’s also best to use a tripod. 

Set a slow shutter speed, usually 1/60 s or slower. Then, as you press the shutter button, move your camera in the same direction as your subject. This panning technique keeps your subject in focus while blurring the background.

You can find great motion blur subjects in busy cities, sports events, and even nature. Waterfalls and clouds make excellent subjects. With practice, you can capture dynamic and artistic images. Our full article on motion blur photography has all 50 tips.

Camera Movement

Intentional camera movement (ICM) is a creative photography technique in which you move your camera during a long exposure. This technique adds motion blur and abstract effects to your images.

You can achieve great results by slowing down your shutter speed and moving your camera in different ways.

To start with ICM, you need a camera that lets you change the shutter speed. A tripod can help you control your movements better. And a wide-angle zoom lens makes the effects more obvious. ND filters are also useful for slowing your shutter speed in bright conditions.

There are many ways to create ICM effects. You can pan your camera to follow a moving subject, move it in a straight line, or rotate it around an imaginary axis.

Zooming your lens during the exposure or randomly moving your camera can also give interesting results. The key is to experiment and find what works best for your subject.

Intentional camera movement is a fun way to add creativity to your photography. You can create unique, eye-catching images that stand out with some practice.

Panning

Panning is a photography technique that captures moving subjects while blurring the background. This camera technique creates a sense of motion in the image. To achieve this effect, use a slow shutter speed between 1/15 and 1/200 s, depending on the speed of your subject.

Next, move your camera along with the subject, matching its speed to keep it sharp while the background blurs. A camera strap can help stabilize your movement for a smooth panning shot.

Adjust your shutter speed based on the subject’s distance and speed, using a faster shutter for closer subjects. Experiment with different settings to find the right amount of motion blur.

Panning takes practice, so don’t get discouraged if your first attempts aren’t perfect. Stand further back from your subject to make tracking easier. Use a wide-angle lens for the best results.

With some trial and error, you’ll soon capture dynamic, eye-catching images that convey a strong sense of movement. Explore our comprehensive guide to dive deeper into the art of panning.

Exposure Stacking

Exposure stacking is a technique that combines multiple exposures into a single image. It’s especially useful for daytime long-exposure photography when there’s too much light, even with ND filters.

To exposure stack, set up your camera on a tripod and take a series of shorter exposures that add up to the total exposure time you want. For instance, you can use eight 30-second exposures to simulate a single four-minute exposure.

In Photoshop, load the images as layers into a single file. Align the layers and convert them to Smart Objects. Then, go to Layer > Smart Objects > Stack Mode > Mean to blend the exposures into a smooth, long exposure look.

Further exposure stacking can help you create stunning daytime long exposures.

180-Degree Shutter Rule

The 180-degree shutter rule is a simple way to create cinematic motion blur in your photos. It states that you should keep your shutter open twice as long as the frame rate of your video. So, if you shoot at 24 fps (frames per second), you should keep your shutter open for 1/48 s.

This rule helps capture motion blur that looks natural to the human eye. Too little motion blur can make a video look odd, while too much can make moving objects blurry and unusable. The 180-degree shutter angle provides a good balance.

Consider the interval between each frame when applying this rule to time-lapse photography. The shutter speed should be half the interval time to follow the 180-degree rule.

For example, a two-second interval needs a one-second shutter speed. Our in-depth article explains the 180-degree shutter rule in more detail.

 

Long Exposure in Nature

Long exposures can reveal new and hidden beauty in natural phenomena. Rivers, waterfalls, seas, and lakes take on a surprising look. Lightning and meteors amaze us when captured with a long exposure.

Landscape

Long-exposure landscape photography can take your images to the next level. Look for overcast weather to add more interest to your photos, and track the sun’s position to avoid overexposed areas. Scout the location beforehand to get a preview of your composition.

Use a tripod and focus a third of the way into the scene for sharp results. Lower your ISO to minimize digital noise and learn to read the histogram for better exposure.

An ND filter can enhance your long-exposure photography. Plus, experimenting with Bulb mode can produce exciting results.

Be prepared to act fast before a scene changes, and set aside enough time to ensure you get the shot you want. Finally, you can use post-processing to stack your images for a long exposure effect without filters.

We have many more ideas in our full article if you want to learn about long-exposure landscape photography.

Water Tips

To capture that soft, misty water effect in your photos, you need to master long-exposure photography. Start by finding a safe location with plenty of room to shoot from different angles.

Use a slow shutter speed to create a silky look. Experiment with various speeds to find what works best for you.

A neutral density filter is essential in bright light to prevent overexposure in your water photos. Always use a tripod and remote to avoid unwanted motion blur. Try photographing water from unusual angles to make your images stand out.

Want to learn more about water photography? Our in-depth guide covers everything from the best settings to creative techniques for capturing stunning water shots.

On the Beach

Long-exposure beach photography can create stunning shots uniquely showcasing the beach’s beauty. A sturdy tripod is essential to avoid camera shake caused by wind or waves hitting the tripod.

ND filters are also important tools for long exposures. They reduce the amount of light entering the camera.

Shooting from the top of a cliff can help smooth out the waves and create a level sea with soft color transitions. This composition works best with rugged elements like cliffs and fast-moving clouds.

Another technique is to create a foggy water effect by using a long exposure of at least 20 seconds. This setting averages the movement of the waves.

You can capture water trails by shooting receding water with an exposure time of 1/2 s to two seconds. Ultra-long exposures of 30 seconds or more can completely smooth out the water and clouds, creating a surreal effect.

To learn more about long-exposure beach photography, check out our in-depth article.

Lightning

Photographing lightning takes practice, but there are strategies to improve your shots. Check the weather to predict when lightning will strike, and choose a suitable location with a clear view of the storm. Use a sturdy tripod to keep your camera steady in strong winds.

An intervalometer can help you take sharp photos without touching the camera. Protect your gear from water damage with a lens filter, rain sleeve, or even a plastic bag. Two main approaches to capturing lightning are long exposure and a specialized trigger.

You keep the shutter open with long exposure, hoping to capture a strike. A trigger detects changes in light levels and automatically takes the photo at the right moment.

Whichever method you choose, stay safe and be patient. We have an in-depth guide that explains how to photograph lightning.

Meteor Showers

To photograph meteor showers, use a wide-angle lens or fisheye on a tripod. Set your camera to manual mode with a wide aperture, high ISO, and a 30-second exposure time. Then, turn off image stabilization and autofocus.

Choose a dark location away from light pollution. To complement the sky, include an interesting foreground like a building or tree. For the best results, frame the area where the meteor shower originates.

Be patient and take many shots, as meteors can be rare, even during a shower. You can stack your images together in post-processing to capture more meteors in a single frame.

To photograph meteor showers successfully, dedicate a few hours to the process and enjoy the experience!

Sunsets

Capturing stunning long-exposure sunsets requires the right tools and techniques. A sturdy tripod is essential to avoid camera shake during longer exposures.

Use a wide or mid-range lens and a small aperture like f/11 or higher to create a deep depth of field. This setting keeps both the foreground and background in focus.

To create motion effects, use shutter speeds of several seconds or more. This setting blurs moving elements like water, grass, and clouds. ND filters can help reduce light entering the lens, allowing for longer exposures even in brighter conditions.

Watch out for blown-out highlights when using long exposures. Use a remote shutter release or your camera’s timer to minimize vibration.

With practice and experimentation, you can create beautiful long-exposure sunset photos. They showcase the beauty and motion of the natural world.

There is much to learn about the best techniques for capturing long-exposure sunsets, so look at our detailed guide. It covers everything you need to know.

 

Long Exposure With Artificial Light

It isn’t just nature that can provide you with the right light for stunning long-exposure photos. You can use all sorts of artificial light sources. Flashlights, phones, fireworks, and sparklers are tools you can use.

Light Painting

Spiral light painting is a fun and creative photography technique. It involves using a long exposure and moving a light source in a spiral pattern. This technique creates beautiful, colorful swirls of light in your image.

To create spiral light paintings, use a toy lightsaber or a light source with a long shaft. Start with your back to the camera, then turn on your light and point it down as the shutter opens. Slowly turn while lifting the light above your head, staying in one spot to keep the spiral neat.

With some practice, you can create stunning spiral light photography images. Experiment with different light sources and interact with your background for unique results. If you want to learn more about spiral light photography, we think you’ll want to read our guide.

Light Trails

Light-trail photography is a fantastic way to capture the energy and motion of a city at night. To create stunning light trail images, you need a camera with manual settings, a sturdy tripod, and a remote shutter release.

Set your camera to a low ISO, an aperture between f/4 and f/11, and a shutter speed of 10 to 30 seconds.

Choose busy locations like long avenues, roundabouts, or bridges to photograph the flowing traffic. Including famous landmarks or buildings in your composition can add interest and context to your light trail photos.

Experiment with different focal lengths to achieve various effects. Try wide-angle shots showcasing the surrounding environment and telephoto images that compress the trails into the distance. Light-trail photography is a creative and exciting way to capture the pulse of a city after dark.

Light Graffiti

Light graffiti is a fun and creative way to experiment with long-exposure photography. Set your camera to Manual mode and use a slow shutter speed.

This setting lets you paint or draw with light sources. You can use flashlights, sparklers, or even your phone while the camera’s shutter is open.

Depth of field is important for creating sharp, focused, light graffiti images. Use manual focus or shine a light on your subject to focus, then switch to manual to prevent the camera from refocusing.

A narrow aperture (f/8 or higher) provides a deeper depth of field. But this setting requires longer exposures and higher ISO.

Experiment with different light sources and have fun with them! You can even play light graffiti games with friends, like drawing pictures for others to guess. Light graffiti is a great way to explore light painting and add a unique twist to your night photography.

More Light Painting

As we’ve seen, light painting photography is a fun and creative way to capture unique images. Again, you need a camera with manual settings, a tripod, and a light source like a flashlight or sparkler.

Set your camera to a slow shutter speed and low ISO. Then, focus in the dark using a flashlight. When you’re ready, press the shutter button. Next, move your light source to “paint” shapes, words, or designs while the shutter is open.

Experiment with different lights and movements to create interesting effects. You can even try kinetic light painting by moving your camera instead of the light source.

Light painting works well in dark studios or outdoors at night. You can create stunning photographs that blend reality with abstract designs with a little practice.

Read our article to learn more about light painting photography. It has plenty of tips and ideas to boost your creativity.

Fireworks

Photographing fireworks can be challenging. But with the right gear and techniques, you can capture impressive shots. Use a tripod to keep your camera steady during long exposures. Set your camera to manual mode and shoot in RAW format for the best results.

Start with an aperture of f/11 and adjust as needed. Use a slow shutter speed of at least 1/20 s or try Bulb Mode to control the exposure time. Keep your ISO low, around 100 to 200, to avoid noise in the dark sky.

Focus manually on the area where the fireworks will explode. Vary your composition by changing your angle, zooming in or out, and including foreground elements like silhouettes or landmarks.

When editing, adjust clarity, contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, and vibrance to bring out the details and colors of the fireworks. To learn more about photographing fireworks, check out our in-depth guide.

Sparklers

Sparkler photography is a fun and creative way to add magic to still-life images. To get started, gather props like sparklers, matches, and other items for your scene. Then, choose a light source, whether natural light or studio lights.

Build your set one object at a time, starting with larger items and moving to smaller details. Use two lights to illuminate your scene or one light and a reflector. Stick the sparkler in a cork or bend the end to keep it steady to prevent motion blur.

Adjust your camera settings for well-exposed shots. Use a shutter speed between 1/100 and 1/10 s and high-speed continuous shooting mode. You can also photograph sparklers inside jars or make glowing figures with tracing paper.

In post-processing, choose the best shot and make minor adjustments to tone and contrast. Sparkler photography offers endless possibilities for creative still-life images.

 

Other Long-Exposure Niches

Human creativity has almost no limits. So, you will find photographers who have used long exposures in various photography styles. Slow shutter speeds are deployed almost everywhere, not just in landscapes and waterscapes.

Time-Lapse

Long-exposure time-lapse photography combines the techniques of long exposure and time-lapse. It creates surreal and captivating videos! You need a camera, lens, intervalometer, tripod, and ND filter to shoot a long-exposure time-lapse.

Choose a busy location to capture more movement and create eye-catching light trails. Shoot in manual mode to maintain consistent camera settings throughout the time-lapse. Use a slow shutter speed of three to ten seconds to create the smooth, long-exposure effect.

Manually focus your camera to avoid inconsistencies, and use an ND filter to prevent overexposure in bright daylight. For the best results time-lapse, set your intervalometer to the desired interval and number of photos using a long exposure time-lapse calculator.

Portraits

Long-exposure portraits create dream-like effects by keeping the camera shutter open for several seconds or even minutes. This records movement as blurry streaks, perfect for surrealistic portraits.

To best shoot long-exposure portraits, use a tripod, remote shutter release, and a light source like continuous lights, strobes, or even a phone screen. Find a dark location to avoid overexposure and unwanted light streaks.

Experiment with light painting by moving a portable light source to draw patterns or words that appear as light streaks. You can also move the camera or ask your subject to move for creative effects.

Long-exposure portraits require patience and many test shots to find the best settings and techniques. But the magical results are worth it!

Daytime

Daytime, long-exposure photography captures the beauty of motion in well-lit scenes. You need a camera with manual settings, a sturdy tripod, and neutral density (ND) filters to create this effect.

ND filters reduce the amount of light entering your lens. This filter lets you use slower shutter speeds without overexposing the image. When composing your shot, look for moving elements like water, clouds, or crowds of people.

Set your camera to Manual or Shutter Priority mode. Start with a low ISO and small aperture (like f/16) to limit the light hitting your sensor. The shutter speed depends on the day’s brightness, the strength of the ND filter, and the speed of motion in your scene.

Experiment with different shutter speeds to find the perfect balance of motion blur and texture. We have an excellent article to help you master daytime long exposure.

Night Cityscapes

Capturing stunning cityscapes at night requires the right gear and techniques. A fast lens with a wide aperture like f/1.2 or f/1.8 is essential for letting in more light. Use a tripod and remote trigger to avoid camera shake and ensure sharp images.

Timing is key when shooting night cityscapes. Arrive 45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to capture the best light. Wait an hour or two after the sun completely sets for pitch-black skies.

Use a high ISO between 80 and 3,200 for optimal low-light performance without excessive noise. Compose your shot using the rule of thirds grid and focus manually using Live View.

Set your camera to Aperture Priority mode with the widest aperture setting, or use the 300 or 500 rule in Manual mode. Bracket your shots and consider applying HDR when editing to bring more details out.

Our in-depth guide offers many ideas for learning more about long-exposure night photography.

 

Long Exposure With a Smartphone

We are increasingly taking our photos with our smartphones. Even professionals often have smartphones with them more often than their fancy pro cameras. Part of the reason is that we can take increasingly sophisticated pictures with them, including long-exposure photography!

iPhone Long Exposure

Shooting long-exposure photos with an iPhone is easier than you think. Use a tripod to keep your phone stable and prevent blurry images. The native Camera app has a Live Photos feature that lets you apply a long-exposure effect to your shots.

For more control, use third-party apps like Camera+ 2, Slow Shutter Cam, or Procam 7. These apps let you adjust shutter speed and brightness to create light trails. ND filters can help you shoot long exposures in daylight by reducing the amount of light entering the lens.

You can also get creative with light painting by using a flashlight to draw shapes in the air. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different techniques, like swiping the camera or shooting while walking.

Editing your long-exposure shots with apps like VSCO or Lightroom Mobile can help improve contrast and color. To learn more about long-exposure iPhone photography, we have a detailed guide covering everything you need.

Long-Exposure Apps

There are other ways of taking long-exposure photos with your phone, whether you have an iPhone or an Android. Several excellent long-exposure apps are available for both operating systems.

These apps give you manual control over the camera settings, like shutter speed and ISO. This control lets you take long exposures, even in daylight. Some apps also have built-in presets for specific scenarios, like light trails or low light.

Using a long-exposure app, you can capture smooth, silky water or light trails at night. You can also get creative by blurring motion in street scenes or sports.

Are you interested (who wouldn’t be?) in learning more about the best long-exposure apps? If so, take a look at our detailed guide.

Light Painting With a Smartphone

Light painting is a fun and creative photography technique that captures the movement of light in a scene. You don’t need expensive equipment to do it. A decent smartphone with manual settings or a long-exposure camera app does the trick.

You need a tripod or a stable surface to rest your phone on to get started. To avoid any camera shake, use a camera remote or self-timer. You can also use an LED light, flashlight, or even another smartphone as the light source.

Experiment with different exposure times and light sources to create unique effects. You can capture traffic light trails or “paint” letters and shapes in the air.

With some practice, you can create stunning, ethereal images using your smartphone. Our guide to light painting with a phone offers these and many other inspiring ideas.

iPhone Night Photography

Capturing stunning night photos with your iPhone is easier than you think. Start by using a third-party app like Camera+ 2 that lets you adjust exposure settings manually. These apps let you use a low shutter speed or wide aperture to capture dark scenes.

When shooting handheld, keep your shutter speed between 1/120 and 1/60 s. Set your ISO between 400 and 800 to minimize noise.

For longer exposures, stabilize your phone on a tripod and use the camera timer to avoid shaking. Activate HDR mode to capture a wider range of highlights and shadows.

Timing is key. Start shooting during the blue hour just before sunrise or after sunset for vivid skies and ample ambient light. Find bright areas with artificial lighting to create beautiful contrasts without raising your ISO.

Try long exposures to capture light streaks from moving cars for creative effects. With some practice and our iPhone night photography tips, you’ll capture stunning low-light images in no time!

 

Long-Exposure Photography Gear

As we have seen, you don’t need a fancy camera to get great results. But some things like a tripod make the task so much easier.

Tripods

A sturdy tripod is essential for long-exposure photography. It provides stability and support to capture sharp images in any environment.

The best tripods are lightweight yet durable. They’re easy to carry on long hikes or expeditions. Look for aluminum or carbon fiber tripods, as these materials are strong and resistant to the elements.

Adjustable legs and a versatile head are also important features. They let you set up your camera on uneven terrain and at different angles. Ball heads and pan-tilt heads are popular choices that provide flexibility and precision.

With the right tripod, you can focus on composing stunning long-exposure shots. It will hold your camera steady, even in low light or windy conditions. A tripod is a worthwhile investment that improves your images.

If you’d like to learn more about tripods, our article on tripods for landscape photography provides additional information and recommendations.

Our Top 3 Long-Exposure Photography Tripods

Manfrotto Element MII Tripod

Manfrotto Element MII Tripod

Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100

Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB 100

K&F Concept Lightweight Travel Tripod

K&F Concept Lightweight Travel Tripod

Lenses

The best lens for long-exposure photography needs sharp optics and a wide focal length. The Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM is our top pick. This beautiful zoom lens has an ultra-wide field of view and superior optical quality.

It has a Sub-Wavelength Structure and Air Sphere coatings on the glass to improve clarity. The f/4 to f/22 aperture range is ideal for long exposures. And it’s weather-resistant for outdoor use.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 and Sony FE 20-70mm f/4 G are great options. These lenses provide the wide angle needed for long-exposure photography and have the optical quality to match.

Our Top 3 Long-Exposure Photography Lenses

Canon RF 14-35mm F/4L IS USM

Canon RF 14-35mm F/4L IS USM

Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm F/2.8

Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm F/2.8

Sony FE 20-70mm F/4 G SEL2070G

Sony FE 20-70mm F/4 G SEL2070G

ND Filters

An ND filter is handy for long exposures and a great way to remove people from your photos. It limits the light entering your camera, letting you use longer shutter speeds. This filter helps blur out moving objects, like people walking through the scene.

ND filters come in different strengths, from ND2 to ND100,000. A higher number means less light and longer exposure times. You’ll need to experiment to find the right strength for your shot.

For the best results, shoot in low light and avoid crowds. Place your camera on a tripod, set a long shutter speed, and attach your ND filter. Take a few test shots and adjust your settings until you get a well-exposed image with blurred-out people.

It takes practice, but an ND filter makes removing people from photos much easier.

Our Top 3 Long-Exposure Photography ND Filters

Cokin Nuances Extreme ND 10 Stop Filter

Cokin Nuances Extreme ND 10 Stop Filter

Lee Filters ProGlass IRND 6-Stop Filter

Lee Filters ProGlass IRND 6-Stop Filter

PolarPro Peter McKinnon Variable ND Filter (82mm)

PolarPro Peter McKinnon Variable ND Filter (82mm)

 

Long-Exposure Resource

We think there’s plenty here to get you started on a long exposure journey. We’ve reviewed a popular eBook if you’ve got the bug and want to know more.

Photzy Guide

Photzy’s Complete Guide to Long Exposure Photography is a good place to start for those interested in this technique. It covers the basic skills needed to analyze a composition while shooting and post-processing.

The eBook provides practical advice on setting up your shot, including potential problems you may encounter. The author, Kent DuFault, is cautious and precise in his instructions.

But the guide has some shortcomings. The graphics are confusing and lack professional design. Plus, many example photos look amateurish and don’t effectively illustrate the concepts.

You can learn more about Photzy through our review and decide if this eBook suits you.

We Highly Recommend

Photzy's Complete Guide to Long Exposure

Looking for information on long exposure photography? Photzy’s eBook has you covered! You learn to capture stunning long-exposure shots with step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.

 

Today, we will give you a number of ideas to consider when conducting a family photoshoot. We will look at different styles and approaches you can take. We will also cover ways to take advantage of family events. By the end of this article, you will have plenty of ideas for your next family photoshoot.

Family Photoshoot Ideas

Family photoshoot ideas span from formal family photoshoots to candid events. Between these two extremes, there is a lot of room for experimentation. One point we will briefly cover is generational family photography. You can come up with fun ways to show the different generations of your family.

Family photoshoots can be a great way to spend some time together. The added excitement of putting on nice clothes and setting up props can make memorable moments. Make sure you take behind-the-scenes shots because the setup can often be a great time for candid shots.

We will now guide you through a range of different family photoshoots. Read the full article in each section if you want more ideas!

Family

Let’s take a look at some family portrait ideas you can make your own. You can group your subjects into triangles to create a strong composition that works for families of all sizes. You could also experiment with depth of field by placing family members at different distances from the camera to highlight certain people or family dynamics.

Don’t forget to include the family pets! Bring along their favorite treats and use burst mode to capture the perfect shot. Encourage interaction and play by having the family walk, picnic, or toss a ball around together.

Get creative with simple props like signs or seasonal items. Shoot during golden hour for soft, warm light that’s gorgeous in family photos. Lifestyle photography captures candid moments at home, like the family laughing and chatting together in their own environment.

Looking for more family portrait ideas? This article dives deeper into each tip so you can create treasured photographs of any family.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle photography captures real-life events and candid interactions. It’s somewhere between documentary photography and classic portraiture. To improve your lifestyle photography, give your clients clear directions on what you want, but let them decide how to get there.

Capture the in-between moments to show your clients’ true personalities. Focus on details that are important to the story you’re telling. And use your technical skills to read the scene and find the right camera settings, as things can move fast.

Lifestyle photography works well for travel, weddings, and even fashion shoots. The key is to capture images that reflect who your subjects really are, not just what they’re wearing or where they are. To learn more about capturing amazing lifestyle photography, we have a detailed guide that covers all the essentials.

Generational

Capturing photos of multiple generations is a heartwarming way to save memories of your loved ones. There are a few creative ideas you can use in your next family photoshoot.

The frame method involves each generation holding an empty frame, then editing the photos together to create a spiraling timeline effect. Holding hands is a simple yet powerful way to show the connection between generations.

Black and white photos give a timeless, elegant look to family portraits. You can also recreate old family photos to bring a wave of nostalgia. These generation photo ideas are a great way to connect family members across many decades while practicing your photography skills.

Beach

When planning family beach pictures, coordinate outfits instead of matching them. Choose a color palette like navy, white, and khaki for a nautical feel. Pastels and whites fit beach settings well, while dark colors can feel heavy and formal.

Avoid heavy patterns that distract from faces. Solid colors are a safer bet, and knits in light tones add nice texture. Clothing should be comfortable for walking, sitting, and playing in the sand.

Open shoes or sandals continue the casual beach vibe. If your family wants more ideas for beach photo outfits, our family beach pictures article can provide plenty of inspiration.

Vacation

Let’s now look at some vacation ideas. Find the best photo spots at your destination by asking local photographers, friends who have visited, or searching photography websites. Don’t overpack camera gear – bring a camera body, wide-angle lens, prime lens, tripod, and flash. Wake up early to avoid crowds and capture sunrise light or local life.

Try to make the most of available light, even harsh midday sun or low light. Avoid cliche vacation photos by trying creative techniques like jumping shots, forced perspective, or silhouettes. Balance portraits and landscapes to tell the whole story of your trip.

Include your family in photos and capture candid moments. Photograph the local culture through food, using natural light or a flash. Get out at night to take long exposures or do light painting. Review your images daily to find the best shots from your vacation photography.

Read our dedicated article to learn more about vacation photography.

Picnic

Picnic photoshoots are a fun and creative way to capture memories with family and friends. When planning your picnic photoshoot, choose a scenic location like a forest, beach, or park. Pay attention to the background and avoid any distracting elements.

Shoot during the golden hour around sunrise or sunset for soft, flattering light. Help your models choose comfortable outfits that fit the surroundings. Add props like a picnic basket, blanket, and decorations to enhance your images.

Picnic photoshoots work well for family photos, engagement sessions, and group shots. Capture close-up details of the food, decorations, and surroundings to help tell the story. Most importantly, have fun and be spontaneous – the best pictures often come from unplanned moments. For more tips on capturing the perfect picnic photoshoot, check out our in-depth guide.

Birthday Party

Birthday party photography can be challenging, but it’s a great time to capture memorable shots. Get detail photos of the cake, presents, and decorations to set the atmosphere. Candid shots of kids laughing and playing help build a narrative.

Don’t miss traditional moments like blowing out candles, hitting the piñata, or opening gifts. Use flash to fill in shadows or brighten dark rooms, but diffuse it to avoid harsh light. Change perspectives by getting low for kids’ eye level or shooting from above.

Take lots of photos to ensure you get a few good ones of each moment. Capture guests too, especially family members. Birthday party photography is rewarding when you learn these birthday party photography tips to tell the story of the special day.

Graduation

Graduation photography captures one of life’s most important milestones. To take great graduation photos, you need the right camera and lens. A professional camera will let you take sharp photos in any lighting situation.

Use a wide aperture to blur the background and make your subject stand out. Take photos of the venue beforehand to find the best angles and lighting. Use burst mode to catch candid moments throughout the ceremony.

After the ceremony, take portraits of the graduate with friends and family in a well-lit outdoor location. Adjust your camera settings, like using a high ISO, to get the best results indoors. For more tips to improve your graduation photography you can read our our in-depth guide.

Christmas

The holidays are a great time to take memorable family photos. Capture candid moments of your loved ones as they open gifts, bake cookies, or decorate the tree. These heartwarming shots will be cherished for years to come.

You don’t need a professional studio to take great Christmas photos. Set up a simple DIY studio by having your subject sit in front of a Christmas tree or string lights. Use a lamp or window light to create a warm atmosphere.

Don’t forget to document the festive spirit around your neighborhood too. Head outside and photograph the beautiful decorations, lights, and displays that catch your eye. With a little creativity, you can capture the magic of the season in your own unique way. Check out our in-depth guide to learn more about christmas photography.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to capture special moments with your camera. Plan your photography shoot in advance by deciding on equipment, setting up scenes, and considering post-processing. A zoom lens like a 24-105mm is ideal for capturing wide-angle shots and close-ups of food.

When posing family members for group photos, create interest by staggering people throughout the frame at different heights. Take your time and shoot multiple frames to ensure everyone looks their best. You can use a timer to include yourself in some photos too.

If you’re shooting with available light, set your camera to handle the challenges of low light. Shoot in Shutter Priority or Manual mode with a low F-stop number and the highest ISO your camera can handle without excessive noise. A Speedlite can help fill in ambient light, but avoid using the pop-up flash.

Focus on details like autumnal decor and food close-ups, and try shooting from different angles and focal lengths. Candid shots and behind-the-scenes moments can add variety to your collection. Read our dedicated article for more thanksgiving photography tips.

Funeral

Funeral photography requires extra care and respect. Talk to the family beforehand to understand their wishes and make them feel comfortable. Visit the venue early to get familiar with the lighting and setup.

During the funeral, wear dark clothes and blend in. Use a silent shutter and avoid flash photography. Focus on capturing special moments and details that celebrate the person’s life.

Never post the photos on social media without permission. If you’d like to learn more about  funeral photography, our article has helpful tips for taking meaningful and respectful photos.

But kids? Kids are naturally curious and expressive. They don’t yet have creativity-squashing rules in their minds. So, teaching photography to kids is less about giving them rules and more about allowing their creativity to blossom.

You might want to create formal photography classes for kids or teach your child the joys of photography. Either way, if you teach a child photography, their curiosity and creativity will skyrocket!

Video Course

Photography for Beginners

Unlock the secrets to stunning photography with this course:

• Learn to effortlessly set up your camera for any situation.
• Master the art of selecting the perfect exposure every time.
• Discover 10 composition rules that elevate your photos instantly.

Photography for Kids: 15 Valuable Lessons

Here are 15 valuable photography lessons for kids. You don’t have to teach them all these lessons at once. You can bookmark this post and choose a subject to cover whenever you take pictures with them.

1. Choosing a Subject

A photo’s subject is one of photography’s most basic and essential details. Most kids understand, even innately, that a photo should have an object or person in it.

Talk to them about what’s in the photograph and what is most important in the photo. Introduce the term “subject” and ask them to think of other ways to photograph that same subject.

2. How to Compose a Photo

By default, most kids tend to center everything in the photo. Some kids place subjects so far off the edge of the image that the object or person is cut off entirely!

Start teaching kids composition by introducing the idea of placing subjects elsewhere in the photo. You can introduce this idea by taking your own photos of the same subject with a different composition.

Another popular photography exercise for kids is to give them a picture frame with no glass or back. Ask them to “frame” objects around the house in different ways. This photography exercise doesn’t even need a camera!

3. How to Hold a Camera

Holding a camera isn’t just about grabbing it in whatever way is comfortable. A proper grip helps reduce camera shake while allowing easy access to the rest of the camera’s controls.

Teach kids to wrap their bottom three fingers around the camera grip. Then, have them place their index finger on the shutter button and their thumb at the back. With larger cameras, their left hand should go under the lens to help support that weight.

4. How to Focus

When you first give a child a camera, they will use the auto area autofocus (AF) mode. As kids build a basic grasp of photography, show them single-point AF mode (if their camera has one). They can select where the camera focuses using the arrow keys on the back of the camera.

For an exercise, place two objects on a table, one close to the camera and one farther away. Have them move the focal point over one, then the other, refocusing each time. This is a great way to introduce how focus varies based on distance.

5. Camera Modes and Settings

Before teaching a child about exposure, explain the camera modes for different types of photography. Show them Sports mode for action shots and Macro mode for close-ups.

Show them how to change the camera mode and what each mode is best for. This will help build a foundation for learning about exposure.

Exposure

Kids with a firm grasp of basic photography concepts can start to learn about exposure. Don’t dive straight into Manual mode. This is overwhelming, even for adults. Teach one aspect of exposure at a time. Use simple language and lots of practice.

Shutter Speed

A visual aid may help teach kids shutter speed. Show a YouTube video of a camera shutter at work. Explain how the shutter is a door that opens to take the picture, and anything that moves while that door is open will blur.

Find a moving object, like the family dog or a fan. To show this, take a photo with a fast and a slow shutter speed. Encourage practice using shutter priority mode.

Aperture

Visuals are helpful here, too. Go outside on or before a rainy day with a narrow glass and a wide bucket. Ask them which one they think will collect more rain. Then, wait and see if they’re right. Explain that, like a wider bucket gathers more water, a wider aperture gathers more light.

You can then better introduce the concept of depth of field. Ask them to take a photo at a wide aperture and then the same photo at a narrow aperture. Compare how the background in the two images looks.

6. Experimenting With a Camera

Most photographers—at any age—learn through experimenting. And with digital or instant photography, there are few consequences for kids trying something one way and then another.

Kids who learn by experimenting often remember information better than verbal instruction alone. And with digital cameras, no film is wasted. You can delete an image with a few clicks. So, encourage kids to try multiple ways to take a photo.

Giving them an object to photograph is a great exercise to encourage kids to explore with their cameras. Ask them to take ten different photos of that object.

If they get stuck, help them brainstorm other options. These might be changing the point of view, moving the object to a new location, or adjusting the camera settings.

7. Changing Perspective

Photography is a way of seeing. A camera helps young photographers show others their unique viewpoints. So, offer tips on perspective when teaching photography to kids. This is especially helpful if they only photograph everything at eye level.

Encourage them to shoot while lying on the ground or standing on tiptoes. Suggest they take a picture of their subject from another angle, like above or below.

8. Zooming In

Changing camera angles isn’t the only way to adjust perspective. Getting closer or farther away from the subject is another way to change perspective.

So, teach your child to use the camera’s zoom to make objects closer or farther away. Then, ensure kids know they can zoom with their feet, too!

While teaching how to zoom, encourage them to explore macro photography. You can show them how to turn on a camera’s macro mode.

A fun exercise in macro photography is to ask them to take pictures of objects up close. Then, have them show you their photos and see if you can guess what those objects are.

9. Having an Eye for Detail

An eye for detail is a great thing to have as a photographer. Encourage them to slow down before they take the picture.

Are they holding the camera straight? Is the subject crooked? Is there a random, distracting object in the photo that could be removed? This is a good time to teach young photographers to look for distractions in the background, too.

Make suggestions on looking for distracting objects that could be removed by adjusting the perspective and zoom. Help them see awkward background placement, like a telephone pole sprouting from the subject’s head.

A great exercise to teach this is to try the opposite. Ask them to take funny pictures of their stuffed animal wearing funny “hats.” Have them position objects in the background that appear to pop from the stuffed animal’s head.

10. Being Creative

Children often have their drawings and artwork graded in today’s rigid academic schedule. Take a different approach to photography for kids. Let the child know that photography is about creativity and showing others how you see the world.

Encourage creativity, even if it means “breaking the rules.” Tell them what you love about the photo. Then, instead of telling them what you hate about the photo, encourage them by using “what ifs.”

For example, “What if you laid on your belly to photograph that flower instead of standing over it?” Or, “What if you placed the flower off to the side of the picture instead of in the center?” Rather than criticizing, help them see the possibilities!

11. Storytelling With Pictures

A good photograph tells a story. And it’s important to teach kids that it’s possible to do this with their photography.

Look over their photos and ask them to tell you a story about what’s going on in the photo. This exercise helps kids recognize that photographs tell a story or a narrative.

12. Setting a Daily Photo Challenge

This is particularly good if you’re on vacation, where every day can present a different challenge. One day, it could be door handles. The next day, street animals or sea shells.

The possibilities are endless, and the challenge helps your kids look for things deliberately. They then think about how to capture and present the subject interestingly.

You can expand the challenge on a day out. For instance, telling them, “Find five different chairs and photograph them,” could keep them busy all day. And they will always see the world around them with a photographer’s eye!

13. How to Care for a Camera

Simply owning a camera is a lesson in itself in responsibility. If you give a child a camera, teach them how to take care of it. If they know and appreciate the value of a camera, it might also save you some money in the long run!

Whether it’s a kid’s camera or a more advanced digital one, it’s important to teach them that cameras are fragile. This can also be a good time to review the parts of a camera and the basics of how it works.

Kids should be taught to use the neck strap to avoid accidentally dropping the camera. They should also be instructed to keep it in a camera case or a safe spot when not in use so it’s not damaged. It’s also a good idea to teach kids how to use a lens cloth to clean the lens.

14. Appreciating Photos as Art

Photography for kids can also build an appreciation of art in general. Besides encouraging kids to take photos, encourage them to look at photos too.

Go to an art museum and talk about the images or Google images of some of their favorite places or things. Discuss the images and why they like them or not. You can also discuss the photography terms or concepts you’ve already introduced.

15. Practicing Picture-Taking

If the kids you teach use digital cameras, little is wasted when practicing photography. Encourage children to take another shot to fix what they didn’t like the first time.

Cameras that kids can use without supervision are perfect. They should be inexpensive and not overly complicated. These include kid cameras or even instant or Polaroid cameras. Kids can practice with them anytime.

It’s best if they can take their camera places to photograph whatever inspires them as they go through their day. This makes picture-taking second nature to them.

Photography for Kids FAQs

These are common and frequently asked questions we get about photography for kids. We hope these answers help you better teach kids about photography.

How Do I Start Photography for Kids?

Start with simple, engaging activities like photo scavenger hunts or capturing what’s in your backyard. Emphasize fun and experimentation to ignite their interest.

What Is a Good Age to Start Photography?

Kids as young as five can grasp basic concepts. But at around 8 to 10 years old, they develop better motor skills and attention span for structured learning.

How Do I Teach My Child to Take Pictures?

Begin with the fundamentals—holding the camera steady, choosing and framing subjects. Encourage creativity and storytelling, guiding them to see the world through their lens.

Teaching older kids concepts such as camera modes and exposure is good. The biggest thing to remember when teaching photography to kids is to encourage them to be creative and show their view of the world.

What Are the Best Photography Classes for Kids?

We have recommendations for beginner photography classes online. These classes are geared toward adults, but you can use them as a reference to teach kids about photography.

Basic photography classes teach students how to use a camera, recognize a picture in a scene, and compose an image. Some common topics include exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focus, and editing software.

What Is the Best Beginner Camera for a Child?

The best beginner camera for a child is durable, easy to use, and offers different shooting modes. Waterproof cameras are great for kids because they’re hard to destroy.

An older child may do well with a used, beginner DSLR or cheap digital camera. You can also start kids with disposable cameras or instant cameras. Of course, many kids start with your smartphone’s camera or theirs. That’s fine, too, and it is a great learning opportunity.

The Best Cameras for Kids to Shoot Photography

Seckton Kids Selfie Camera

Seckton Kids Selfie Camera

Dylanto Instant Camera for Kids

Dylanto Instant Camera for Kids

MyFirst Camera 3

MyFirst Camera 3

Conclusion: Photography for Kids

Teaching children photography doesn’t just give them the skills to take a good photograph. Photography for kids exercises their creative muscles and encourages exploration. It builds valuable visual and critical thinking skills for later in life.

When teaching kids photography, start slow and use plenty of encouragement. Build on each skill, moving at whatever pace works best for the child’s skill level. Encourage practice with photography games and give them lots of time with a camera!

Video Course

Photography for Beginners

Unlock the secrets to stunning photography with this course:

• Learn to effortlessly set up your camera for any situation.
• Master the art of selecting the perfect exposure every time.
• Discover 10 composition rules that elevate your photos instantly.

But what photography magazines do you pick off the shelf? Options like Popular Photography are no longer in print. But many other great photography magazines are available.

Our Top Pick

Amateur Photographer

An unrivaled pedigree, and still a winning formula of news, articles, opinion, and advice.

The Best Photography Magazines to Read

Here are today’s most popular magazines for photographers in every genre.

Our Top Pick

1. Amateur Photographer

The longest pedigree in photography magazines, with news, reviews and advice columns. AP has weathered the challenge of the electronic age with an active website and print and digital editions of the magazine.  

Amateur Photographer printed their first issue in 1884. This is the oldest weekly photography magazine for non-pros.

Today, you can access the Amateur Photographer website. Or subscribe to the weekly print magazine. This makes AP one of the best magazines for photographers who prefer print. AP has the industry’s latest trends and news.

AP magazine covers everything you may want to know. It has news and reviews, photography techniques, and opinion articles. The mix of topics is suitable for both beginners and more advanced enthusiasts.

Best Nonprofit Journal

2. Aperture

A nonprofit publisher, Aperture says it “champions photography’s vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society.”

Aperture magazine is a photography journal created by the Aperture Foundation. Aperture is a serious photography magazine, not a publication covering the basic how-tos. The journal features top artists as well as ideas and industry insight.

The Aperture Foundation is a nonprofit that aims to connect the photography community. Aperture Magazine is a big part of that. The organization focuses on sharing inspiring work and ideas.

There are several options when it comes to subscriptions. You can opt for one that includes both print and digital.

Best B&W Magazine

3. Black & White

A premium fine-art magazine dedicated to the sublime skills of monochrome photography. There’s a free trial issue offered in the US.

As a fine art photography magazine, B&W also heavily focuses on art. As the name suggests, B&W features black-and-white photography. Within that genre, the magazine covers a variety of different topics.

This magazine shows you everything from what it’s like to work as a documentary photographer to photography contests. B&W remains a popular magazine despite digital camera technology. The magazine is published bi-monthly.

Subscription prices vary based on your location.

Best Magazine for Women

4. Click

Click is aimed at women in photography, as creators, business owners, or hobbyists.

The editors of Click describe the publication as a magazine for modern photographers. The contemporary photography magazine targets a female audience. It accompanies the Clickin’ Moms blog as a print resource.

Click covers a variety of topics. Its content includes everything from business tips to inspiration as well as gear and tutorials.

The magazine is published six times a year.

Best Annual Magazine

5. Digital Camera World

Part of the Future Publishing group, DCW is an annual print and Kindle magazine, backed up by a website with features, reviews, and articles.

Digital Camera contains an excellent mix of content that helps photographers stay on top of the latest gear news. It’s also great for those looking into new techniques and ideas.

This is an annual magazine. It’s good for amateurs and even professional photographers looking for a mix of how-to’s and gear advice.

Best for Interviews

6. Digital Photographer

Another Future Publishing publication, Digital Photographer is available is available in print, digital, and combined subscriptions. Expect gear reviews, how-to’s, and interviews.

Digital Photographer is a UK-based publication that reaches both enthusiasts and professional photographers. The magazine focuses on publishing top images. They also include photographic advice and insight into the latest technology.

Success stories from professional photographers are also often included on the pages. The publishing company behind Digital Photographer also publishes “bookazines.” These are longer guides. They focus on a single topic, such as wildlife photography and camera guides.

Best Contemporary Magazine

7. Foam

This is the official magazine of the Foam Museum in Amsterdam. Fascinating collated articles are its hallmark.

Foam Magazine takes a different approach. This contemporary photography magazine focuses each issue on a specific theme. Within that theme, the magazine includes interviews, articles, and, of course, photographs.

The photography magazine is also often noted for its quality printing. This helps show off the photos inside.
Foam Magazine only releases three issues a year.

Best Nikon Magazine

8. N-Photo

A magazine dedicated to Nikon users and their gear. They feature Nikon gear, professional Nikon users, advice, and news.

N-Photo doesn’t focus on a specific type of photographer. Instead, it focuses on a particular range of gear. The Nikon-only photography magazine focuses on gear from the camera giant. But it isn’t owned by Nikon.

The magazine includes the latest Nikon Gear and tutorials. And it has advice from professional photographers. N-Photo publishes 13 issues a year.

Best Outdoor Magazine

9. Outdoor Photography

As its name suggests, this is the magazine for everything to do with outdoor photography.

Outdoor Photography is another excellent photography magazine focused on the outdoors. The difference is that Outdoor Photography is a UK-based magazine.

The magazine includes everything you need. It suggests locations in and around the UK to shoot news and gear reviews. It also contains several features with tips from industry experts.

Best Outdoor Magazine

10. Photography Week

This is a weekly with a difference. There’s no physical print version, just a weekly digital edition. It makes the most sense on tablet devices.

Photography Week is a digital photography magazine. They aim to help photographers get the most from their gear. The magazine publishes the latest gear news and tutorials. They also include industry insight and special features.

The magazine was initially designed for iPhone and iPad. Now it’s also available for Kindle and Fire devices and others.

Best Canon Magazine

11. Photo Plus Magazine

Styled as The Canon Magazine, Photo Plus brings you articles, reviews, and news from the world of Canon cameras.

PhotoPlus Magazine is designed to help Canon users learn new techniques. The Canon-focused magazine also includes reviews as well as tutorials on post-processing. PhotoPlus is another publication from Digital Camera World.

Best Magazine for Pros

12. Professional Photographer

Aimed squarely at professional photographers, you’ll find articles and reviews designed to appeal to those who make their money with a camera.

Professional Photographer skips the newbie advice. It tailors articles to those who use their camera as a career tool. The magazine includes gear reviews and news. They also offer business tips and insight from pros in the industry.

The Professional Photographers of America publish it. And it’s been around for more than 100 years.

Conclusion: Best Photography Magazines

Photography is a constant learning process. And photography magazines are a great way to continue learning, no matter your level. Explore photography magazines tailored to your experience level. You’ll find inspiration from industry leaders, whether a beginner or a professional.

Our Top Pick

Amateur Photographer

An unrivaled pedigree, and still a winning formula of news, articles, opinion, and advice.

High-Quality Prints

Canvaspop Canvas Printing

Looking for inspiration for photo gift ideas? Check out this article featuring a variety of personalized options. Transform your favorite photos into beautiful wall art with canvas printing from our store.

Creative and Personalized Photo Gift Ideas

Let’s dive in and look at 33 creative and personalized photo gift ideas for family members and friends!

Our Top Pick

1. Canvaspop Canvas Printing

If you know of a single image that means a lot to someone, a canvas print is one of the best gifts you can give. Maybe it’s a scene from a momentous occasion or a memorable family vacation. Many sites, such as Canvaspop, produce an easy service from start to finish. You can choose from a selection of canvas styles and sizes.

2. Golden State Art, 13.6 x 19.7 Black Photo Wood Collage Frame

If a canvas print is too big, consider putting together a series of photographs in an elegant frame with a white mat. These are great gifts for people to keep family favorite photos on their desk or wall at work or a home office. Framed photos are a simple present to spruce up someone’s home.

3. SKYRHYME 10.1-Inch Wi-Fi Digital Picture Frame

Instead of printing pictures and putting them in a photo album or a regular frame, why not put them in a digital one? A digital frame automatically cycles through different photo collections. They can be family photos, beautiful landscapes, or favorite memories!

4. Snapfish Photobook

A photo book by Snapfish is a perfect gift to encapsulate your favorite memories. It’s an easy way to share your favorite photos with friends. Or, you can take a collection of pictures from a memorable event and sequence them together. Photographs generally exist in the digital sphere nowadays. So printing a photo book is a fantastic personal gift. The photo collection will survive as long as it’s taken care of. Plus, there’s no need to worry about accidentally deleting images!

5. Photobox Notebook

A great way to have an everyday reminder of good times is to make a personalized notebook through Photobox. So whether someone is taking notes or writing in a personal diary, those words will always be accompanied by great pictures.

6. Custom Silhouette Art

What if someone has too many photographs in their house? Or maybe they prefer something a bit more stylized? Silhouetted art could be for you. Silhouette art is where a photograph of your choice is turned into a simple outlined image. Get these made at Not On the High Street. Select picture style, background color, product, and even a personalized tagline to go with your images.

7. Mixbook Photo Calendar

If you think having one image printed and on display isn’t enough, how about having 12 of your favorite photos? A photo calendar is a wonderful, functional way of sharing pictures. Mixbook provides an excellent photo calendar service where you have a selection of designs to choose from.

8. Custom Shutterfly Mousepad

A photo mousepad is a practical gift that can be useful for a long time. I still use my personalized photo mouse pad from my trip to Disneyland about 20 years ago! Find a great selection of mousepads at Shutterfly.

9. Personalized Photo Key Chain

A photo key chain is another present almost guaranteed to be used and seen daily. Places like Shutterfly give you plenty of options to find the perfect style for your family or friends.

10. Etsy Photo Locket

Consider a locket if you are looking for a more elegant photo gift. Loved ones can experience the magic of opening it to find an intimate family photo. You can find these photo gifts from Etsy, Amazon, your local jewelry store, or a flea market. Any photo printing shop will help you out with the miniature print. Take in the locket, and they can judge the size and shape. It is a gift someone can treasure forever!

11. Pressed Glass Photo Frame

There is something exquisite about pressed glass frames. Presenting images this way makes them look as though they are suspended in the air. This is a great way to preserve your special keepsakes if you have older black-and-white photos or Polaroids.

12. Personalized Snow Globe

Consider a personalized snow globe from Photobox if you’re looking for something small to fit on a desk. It’s like having a photo frame but with an added touch of Christmas or winter.

13. Personalized Photo Bookmark

What better than a reminder of your loved ones, every time you open your latest book? This custom-printed bookmark is a stylish and handy way of not losing your place. And it makes every time you sit down to read even more special.

14. Custom Snapfish Magnets

For people who want mementos in the kitchen, a fridge magnet is a great place to put family vacation photos or other memories. You can revisit special days as you cook. Snapfish provides an excellent service. You can choose from different design templates and styles.

15. Personalized Photo Cushion

Do you have the perfect image to tie in someone’s living room decor? Or maybe you want to give your friends a comfortable couch companion? A personalized throw pillow from Snapfish could be the answer to your problems.

16. Personalized Shutterfly Blanket

There is no better crossover between fun and functionality than a custom photo blanket from Shutterfly. There are many ways you can lay out your images. Most places will give you a template to help you with your layout. If you are confident in Photoshop, make a document the same size as your desired blanket. Your imagination is your only limit!

17. Personalized Reusable Shopping Bag

What if you want to get photo gifts for a friend or family member who is environmentally conscious? A reusable bag from Shutterfly is your answer. Ensure your friends don’t use single-use bags for shopping anymore. They can take the same custom bag out every time!

18. Personalized Suitcase

Avoid accidentally picking up someone’s suitcase by getting a personalized suitcase. Dyefor gives the option to have a full print on both sides of your bag. This is the perfect photo gift idea for the jet setters out there.

19. Custom Phone Case

A thoughtful gift to get someone is a custom phone case. It adds a personal touch to the everyday. Not only is it protective of your smartphone. But it can also be a warm reminder for the person you give it to. You can create an original design with your favorite photos, picture collages, digital collages, and more.

20. Personalized Wrapping Paper

What if you already have the perfect gift but want to add a custom touch? How about making your own wrapping paper? You can select from a range of styles and easily upload images to put in patterned templates.

21. Custom Photo Cake Icing

The ultimate party pleaser is having your own photo on your cake. This used to be an expensive choice where you would have to go to a particular baker. Now, you can order the layer of icing with a custom message online!

22. Custom Photo Bunting

Are you looking for a way to add an extra-special touch to a party set-up? Get some personalized bunting. What better way to show the different faces of the guest of honor around the whole room?

23. Personalized Mug

A classic option. Giving the gift of a nice, personalized mug goes a long way, especially with an image that warms the soul as much as a nice cup of tea.

24. Personalized Photo Coasters

Yet another classic option. Giving the gift of a nice, custom photo coaster goes a long way. This can be a perfect companion to the personalized mug above! You can even use a series of photos.

25. Custom Camera Strap

Are you looking for a present for the avid photographer? Why not add a simple addition to their kit with a custom camera strap from Etsy? There are plenty of materials to choose from and different degrees of personalization. It’s an easy, thoughtful gift without going over the top.

26. Photo Reel Viewers

Are you feeling nostalgic? Do you want to pass on memories to younger family members or the whole family? Maybe they’ll get a kick out of this great Photo Reel viewer. Photo Reel viewers are a fun way to see photographs in an intimate way. Uncommon Goods makes the viewers, along with your own customized picture reel.

27. Personalized Photo M&M's

If a friend has a sweet tooth, give them customized M&Ms! This well-known chocolate brand lets you print a small portrait onto each small piece of chocolate. Pick your colors, photos, and package.

28. Personalized Photo Hat

Are you looking for a present that adds a bit more style? How about getting a personalized hat? You can turn your image into a vector and have it embroidered. Or, if you want to stick with a photograph, they can print a patch to stick on.

29. Photo T-Shirt

There is no better way to keep a personal photograph close to your heart than by wearing it on your chest! You can find fantastic customized T-shirts on Amazon.

30. Custom Socks

Do you have someone who won’t wear pictures on a T-shirt? Custom photo socks could be the right personalized gift to give someone. You’ll find a wide selection of design templates to choose from. Some options even cover the whole sock!

31. Custom Photo Puzzle

Looking for a family activity with a personal touch? A custom photo puzzle is a unique gift idea for whole families or problem-solving friends. Putting a puzzle together is a great way for people to spend time together and enjoy your selected photo. You can select the puzzle size and how many pieces there are.

32. Custom Playing Cards

A pack of cards is common to have around for games night. Why not make it that much more fun by adding your own photos to them? PersonalizedPlayingCards.com specializes in this. They give you a choice of different card types—some are even poker-quality!

33. Custom Photo Rubik's Cube

CanvasChamp makes a great selection of fun ways to show photos. You can find this in their custom Rubik’s Cube section. Not only do you get the choice of putting your favorite photos on a Rubik’s cube, but there are also fun magic cubes that reveal your images in exciting ways.

Conclusion: Creative Photo Gift Ideas

After going through this list of photo gift ideas, you will have more than enough gift options for your loved ones. Make sure you read each website’s size and image resolution requirements. The quality of your photos will make or break the gift, so ensure you provide the highest quality possible.

High-Quality Prints

Canvaspop Canvas Printing

Canvaspop features a variety of creative, personalized gift options. Transform your favorite photos into beautiful wall art with canvas printing from our store.

So are robots taking over the illustration business? This Jasper Art review answers that question. We’re impressed with the AI-generated images. But Jasper Art isn’t without its limitations.

We take you through Jasper Art in detail. We show you how to generate images. And we show you the results. This updated review looks at Jasper’s abilities with photorealistic images. And you’ll know if Jasper Art is the solution for you.

We Highly Recommend

Jasper Art

Discover an innovative software that uses AI to create stunning images from basic words and phrases. Appreciate the ease and speed of generating content with Jasper Art.

What Is Jasper Art?

Jasper Art is an AI image generator. That means it uses artificial intelligence to generate images. You insert a few keywords and phases. And the Jasper Art bot uses these prompts to create amazing images.

Many readers might be familiar with Jasper AI, the writing assistant. That program uses artificial intelligence to write text. It’s for blogs, websites, and marketing materials. Jasper Art is the artistic sibling of Jasper AI. It’s an AI bot that creates images rather than text.

Jasper Art can take a few words and modifiers to create stunning images. We go into more detail about how to use the program below. But Jasper Art can imitate different artistic styles. And it can copy the style of specific artists.

You can set a mood, and you can select the medium type. You can select acrylic, charcoal, or watercolor. It can even create realistic photo-like images. But as we’ll see, the results are not perfect.

Who Should Use Jasper Art?

Jasper Art is for people who need unique content and need it quickly.

In the world of online commerce, content is king. You need content that attracts attention to sell products or promote brands. And good images are key to beating the competition.

There are excellent websites that provide good-quality stock images. But the online marketplace is so competitive. And other content creators use the same sites to source their images.

This means you lose points for originality by using the same images. And that could affect your SEO score and Google ranking. But you don’t have to rely on the same old stock photos with Jasper AI.

Jasper Art gives you unique images to use for original content. You can generate AI art from any keywords. This means you can create something no one else has.

Plus, you can tailor each generated image to match your content. And because there are so many variables, your competitors will unlikely generate the same thing.

Jasper Art isn’t free. But it’s not expensive if you’re a single user. The paywall might put off casual creators with a slim budget. But for more well-established users, it offers good value for money.

Jasper Art Features

Jasper Art is a single-purpose program. It uses AI to generate images from text prompts. That’s the main feature. But Jasper Art has two modes from which you can generate images:

• Free Form Mode: This lets you type your own words for more specific and unique images.
• Templates: You select specific genres or art styles and generate images within that field using keywords.

We’ll take you through both modes in the following sections.

The Interface

Jasper Art has an easy-to-use interface. It isn’t a big program, so there’s no danger of getting lost. Everything is laid out well, and the tools are easy to find.

As mentioned, there are two modes you can use to generate AI art—Free Form and Templates. All options are in the Free Form mode drop-down menus. And it has a text box for typing prompts.

When you click Create, Jasper gives you four AI images. You can enlarge them individually for a better look and copy or download them.

If you don’t like the results, you can click Create again. And it loads four new images!

You also have options to like or dislike the results. This gives the program feedback. Plus, you can flag images if anything inappropriate is generated.

Jasper Art is quick at generating images. After you click Create, you get four eye-catching images in just a few seconds!

Free Form Mode

Free Form mode gives you the most options when generating images. And it is the easiest way to generate AI art with Jasper.

Jasper Art gives you a 400-character limit in the text box. But it’s more than you need in most cases. And we’ve found it’s best to keep it simple (more on this later).

You start with a basic image description. This can be anything from “apples in a bowl” to “Brad Pitt holding a monkey.” Be specific with your description and type in specific people, animals, or objects.

Using group nouns is also okay. If you type in “fruit,” it gives you a selection of fruit. You don’t need to type “apples, oranges, kiwis,” etc.

You can also use famous characters and celebrities as your subject. As suggested, famous actors are no problem for Jasper Art. Jasper uses AI technology to create images that resemble that person.

Of course, stick to well-known actors and public figures. It won’t know an actor who appeared in a 1989 episode of Murder, She Wrote.

You can see Jasper Art’s rendition of “Brad Pitt holding a monkey” below. It’s in a cartoon style, but the likeness is striking. There’s no denying it looks like Brad Pitt.

Style and Medium

Free Form mode gives you more prompts for creating images. The next input is Style. You’re given a drop-down list of style options to choose from.

When we originally reviewed this AI software in 2022, the style drop-down gave you 13 options. But now you only have six styles to choose from.

The six remaining styles are Abstract, Anime, Art Deco, Digital, Pop Art, and Surrealism. Other styles like 3D Render and Retro have been removed, which is disappointing.

Another user input option in Jasper Art is Medium. And since 2022, the total number of media to choose from has decreased from 15 to seven.

You can choose from Acrylic, Collage, Ink, Mixed Media, Oil Paint, Photography, and Watercolor. You no longer have Charcoal, Crayon, Classic Oil, or pencil sketch.

Inspiration

Inspiration is your next set of options in Jasper Art. You can choose the style of six famous artists, and the AI bot will generate images in that artist’s style.

Originally, you had eight artists to choose from. But you only have six in the current program. They are Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Norman Rockwell, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Vincent Van Gogh. 

The two removed Inspirations were South Park and Pixar. Neither are specific artists, which might be why they were removed.

We have two images generated by Jasper Art below. They are both portraits of Princess Diana with the medium set to acrylics.

The Jasper Art image on the left has been generated with the Inspiration set to Picasso. The right image has Dali as an influence. They’re both distinct and have traits of the named artists.

Image generation like this is fascinating. But I’m not sure either artist would put their name on these pictures.

Mood and Keywords

This AI art generator lets you select a mood for the images. But again, the number of moods on the list has been reduced.

When we last tested the program, you had a list of 19 moods. Now you only have a selection of six moods. That’s a drastic drop-off!

The moods you’re left with are Calm, Exciting, Fun, Gloomy, Happy, and Whimsical. Moods like Aggressive, Energetic, and Dull are no longer there.

The other drop-down list lets you choose keywords. Jasper AI gives you 12 keywords to help you get the image you need. And this has increased from the nine available keywords in our first review.

Keywords are 8K Resolution, Ambien Light, Black & White, Close-Up, Flat Lighting, Full-Face Portrait, Global Illumination, High Resolution, Highly Detailed, Masterpiece, Photorealistic, and Realistic.

Combining an “Ink” medium with the keyword “Realistic” gives you an impressive AI image. Our ink portrait of George Foreman generated by Jasper Art is below.

The likeness isn’t perfect. And it still looks like a digital image. But the effect is impressive.

It has also created some unusual objects on either side of his face. They are perhaps meant to be boxing gloves. But adding strange touches like this is something Jasper Art is prone to do.

Free Form Mode Tips

The AI image generator gives five input options besides the main image description. But you don’t have to fill every box. You can leave some as “none.”

We found less is more when using prompts in Free Form Mode. So we encourage making a few selections and leaving a few as “none.”

The more information you give Jasper Art, the less you get back from the AI tool. If you fill every box, the results are more confusing and less distinct. There’s too much information, and the AI image generation tool can’t handle it.

We gave Jasper Art something simple with a “rat on a boat” description. But we overloaded the program with style, medium, and mood.

The results (below) look good. But Jasper hasn’t exactly followed all the instructions. So it’s best to keep it simple.

Using the Prompt Box

The prompt is often the key to getting exactly what you want from Jasper. As many users say about AI programs, the results are only as good as your prompt.

As we said, Jasper Art’s prompt box has a limit of 400 characters. You can’t write an essay there. But you can give the bot detailed instructions. But, of course, you need to be concise and specific. 

It’s best if you start with a specific subject. It can be an object, animal, famous person, or character.

You’re then free to type other words that indicate the style of picture your want. You can type artists that aren’t featured in the Inspiration.

You can test Jasper’s art knowledge by referencing Joaquin Sorolla or David Hockney. We look at this in more detail below.

We started with something simple. Our input was “sad dog, acrylic, energetic.” You can see the AI-generated art below. We have four nice results, although I’m unsure how “sad” option four is.

Template Mode

In Template mode, Jasper Art gives you a list of 10 templates to choose from.

The templates are Food Photography, Ink Art, News Graphics, Product Close-Ups, Realistic Animals, Realistic Person, Stock Photography, Storybook Illustration, Travel Photography, and Wallpaper.

You’re given a prompt box when you select the template you want to use. It’s the same prompt box from Free Form Mode with a 400-character limit.

Only here, you don’t have the drop-down options. All your input has to come from the text box. 

Template mode is simple to use. But we found it unreliable.

On many occasions, the AI bot wouldn’t generate any images. It would give us an error message to say it hit a snag. We never had this trouble in Free Form mode. 

Successes and Shortcomings of Jasper Art

When you first use Jasper Art, there’s no denying it’s impressive. With just a few words and prompts, it turns text into images. And when you stick to the basic inputs, the results are very good.

But Jasper Art doesn’t always hit the mark. We’ve already seen a few examples of strange and inaccurate occurrences. But now we’ll look at Jasper’s shortcomings and limitations in more detail. 

Limited Knowledge of Artists’ Styles

As we’ve seen, you can produce images in the style of six artists using the Inspiration drop-down box. First, Jasper has already reduced the inspirations from eight to six.

But we also found limited art knowledge when you use the text box. We put Jasper’s art knowledge to the test by adding artists’ names to the prompt box. And we had mixed success. 

Would Jasper Art generate an image in the style of Russian expressionist Wassily Kandinsky? The AI-generated art below does resemble the work of Kandinsky.

The comparison shows Kandinsky’s work on the left and Jasper’s on the right. The style doesn’t match exactly. But there are definite similarities.

Jasper Art may have missed a few robot art classes, though. We gave it “dog in park, Goya, sad.” The AI image generator gave us four pictures. But they don’t resemble the work of Francisco Goya.

And when we entered “child on the beach, Sorolla,” Jasper couldn’t produce anything. So Jasper Art isn’t an artist imitation app.

Plus, most Jasper Art users don’t want to generate images that look like the work of Goya or Sorolla. People want an AI image generator to produce picture content on any topic. But does it deliver?

Photorealistic Images

Illustrations and artist-inspired works are what some content creators are looking for. But most media producers are looking for high-quality, true-to-life, photorealistic images. Is Jasper Art up to the task?

We have to say Jasper Art’s attempts at photorealism are hit-and-miss. We’ve often been taken aback by the results at first glance. But even after a quick investigation, excitement is replaced by concern.

Objects and Scenes

The best photorealistic results are requests for inanimate objects or lifeless scenes. The fruit bowl below is a good example. We typed “fruit bowl in a country kitchen” with the keyword “photorealistic.”

You know exactly what you’re looking at. And you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a genuine photo—at least at first glance.

Jasper Art’s soft focus effect is the first indication that it’s an AI-generated image. A shallow depth of field is a common tool in photography.

But even in the focused areas, there’s a soft, dreamy texture. Even so, this image wouldn’t look out of place on a food blog.

Animals

When it comes to realistic animals, Jasper Art also does a decent job. At least it does a decent job sometimes. 

With the prompt “cat next to a window,” the medium set to “Photography,” and the keyword set to “Photorealistic,” we generated the image below.

It’s not half bad. The cat looks like a cat. And you even get good texture and detail on the fur.

The polished wooden floor looks excellent too. You could post this on social media, and many would not realize it wasn’t a real photo.

But as with the fruit bowl, we have the image’s soft-focus finish. Everything is slightly fuzzy and soft. And that’s a real tell that this is an AI-generated image.

The other tell is the cat’s left eye. This isn’t well rendered at all. And the eyes, as we’ll see in the next section, are a problem with Jasper Art images.

Jasper Art isn’t always so successful in generating true-to-life animals. As you can see with the monkey images below, they all have an undeniable digital AI quality.

The detail is incredible. But each image looks thoroughly artificial. And that’s even after we used the “photorealistic” keyword from the drop-down box.

Generic People and Celebrity Faces

When generating photorealistic images of people, Jasper Art is oh-so-close yet oh-so-far. When you generate four images of realistic people, the initial reaction is amazement.

But the more you look at them, the more it just doesn’t look right. Take a brief look at the four images of the Sikh men below.

The fact that Jasper Art created this man out of nothing is mind-blowing. And even the soft focus effect we saw on the animal images is less prevalent.

The problem comes when you look at each image more closely. And that problem is with the eyes. It’s one area where Jasper Art slips up.

The Sikh in the yellow turban is the most obvious example. But it’s a feature in every image. Not only are the pupils facing in different directions. The eyes are also different sizes. 

This is only one of the main identifiers that help us pick AI images from real images. So photorealism isn’t quite there when you look at the pictures closely. 

The results are more disappointing when you want photorealistic images of famous faces. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world’s most recognizable and photographed people.

That means Jasper has plenty of images to reference. And yet it can’t generate photorealistic images of the football player with any real success.

Again, we see the same problems (pictured below). First, none of the results are particularly photorealistic despite using the “Photography” medium and the “Photorealistic” keyword.

The next problem is that it doesn’t look like Ronaldo. There is a resemblance. But no one is going to believe that’s him. And it has the same problem with the eyes. They are facing different directions.

But Jasper Art‘s failings here are good news for celebrities. Fake images can cause a lot of problems. And using people’s likenesses without their permission might bring up legal issues too.

Failing to Answer Prompts

Jasper Art lacks extensive knowledge of artists and their styles. So you can’t set up an AI art forgery business yet. But we’ve also found it can’t always generate images that fit your description.

We entered “frog driving a car” into the prompt box in our original review in 2022. And Jasper Art produced some nice frogs in the “Crayon” medium (pictured below).

But the images generated weren’t exactly what we asked for. Not one of the frogs is sitting behind the wheel of a car.

We tried the same prompt again to see if Jasper Art had improved. We couldn’t use the “Crayon” medium because it’s no longer available. Instead, we used the “Acrylic Paint” medium. 

The results from our recent test are better. You can see cars or at least car-like features in all the images. But is the frog driving the car in any of them? No, not really.

The fact that Jasper can create these images at all is amazing. But it doesn’t always hit the mark.

A frog driving a car is a silly suggestion. But it illustrates an important point when talking about AI image creation. Jasper Art is intelligent. But it’s still a ways off from creating with human intellect.

You can ask a young child to draw a picture of a frog driving a car. Their execution level might not be as high or quick. But they will understand the concept of a frog driving a car.

Image Uses and Legal Restrictions

Jasper Art lets you create images. But can you use these images commercially? The simple answer is “yes.”

You can use a Jasper Art image in your blog or on marketing material for your company. You can even use them in advertisements. But using Jasper Art images isn’t all smooth sailing.

Images created with Jasper Art fall under a creative commons license. This means the person generating them doesn’t own the rights. Others can then use them as they please.

Plus, Jasper Art generates images using the information it finds online. It actively copies the style of famous artists.

That means there’s a risk an image can infringe on an artist’s or image’s copyright. And as the creator, the user is held responsible.

You also have to be careful using a person’s likeness for advertising. When you use a photo to advertise a product, everyone in the picture must sign a model release form.

A celebrity might be inclined to sue if they see their face on an ad they didn’t know about. So proceed with caution when you use Jasper Art. They do have a good FAQ section on their website.

Jasper Art Access and Prices

Jasper Art comes as part of Jasper’s subscription packages. You can’t subscribe to Jasper Art on its own. You must choose one of the full plans, including their AI writing tools.

Jasper has three subscription plans to choose from:

• Creator: This is their cheapest plan. It is for individual users and has a limited toolbox.
• Teams: This plan caters to small businesses and collaborative groups. It’s double the price of the Creator plan. But you get more than twice the access.
• Business: This is their top plan. It has no set price, as everything is negotiated to fit your company. Jasper creates bespoke plans to meet your needs as a business.

Jasper Art comes as standard in all the subscription plans. But the problem is that you can’t access it as a stand-alone program. It only exists as an extension to the larger Jasper AI content program. 

Jasper Art Alternatives

Jasper Art isn’t the only AI tool in town. There are other AI image generators. The two main rivals are PhotoAI and MidJourney. Both produce custom images from basic text entries.

PhotoAI

If you want photo-realistic images of people, there’s no better software than PhotoAI. It’s an incredible text-to-image AI generation tool that allows you to create original images of yourself or other people in any situation. 

PhotoAI has several public “characters” build into the program. But you can also turn yourself into an AI character. All you need to do is feed it photos of yourself, and it creates a character you can use in your AI-generated images. It doesn’t have to be you. You can turn anyone you know into a PhotoAI character.

The software is really easy to use. You don’t need any experience with AI or advanced computer software. The main skill is mastering the prompts. Thankfully, PhotoAI has plenty of pre-programmed prompts you can use with your characters. 

You can generate images of your character in different outfits and fashion styles. You can experiment with different scenarios and environments. And you can have the character partake in any activity you can imagine.

PhotoAI isn’t perfect. It still struggles with specific elements, like hands and sports equipment. But overall, the results are truly staggering. The photorealism is outstanding. And many of the images can pass for real photos. It’s the best photo-realistc AI software there is.

Read our full PhotoAI Review to find our more about this incredible software.

MidJourney AI

Our colleagues Jenn and Nick have done an in-depth review of Midjourney. They were both very impressed with the results. 

Their tests show that the Midjourney AI can handle more input information. And the AI art is intricate and detailed. You can read her full review of MidJourney for more info.

You can test the beta version of Midjourney for free. You get 25 free image generations then you must pay for the service.

For those who want more, there’s a monthly subscription. The basic subscription package gives you 200 image creations a month. And there’s another package with unlimited image generation.

Our Verdict for Jasper AI

Writing this Jasper Art review has shown us two things. The first is that AI image generators are amazing tools. Artificial intelligence can transform basic text into stunning images. It can also mimic well-known artists and draw famous faces.

The second thing we’ve learned is that robots aren’t taking over just yet. They’ve taken a few classes at art school. But Jasper Art hasn’t got his full diploma yet.

Photorealistic AI images have come a long way. And the results are genuinely impressive. But they are still far from perfect. Even with the best results, a tell or two identifies it as an AI image.

Jasper Art isn’t an all-in-one creative team. It can mimic many styles. But viewers can often identify AI pictures from those of a talented human. Companies that want real works of art need to employ human artists. Bots create content. Artists create art.

This is a good AI image generator for people needing a lot of fast content. It produces fantastic art images for blogs, marketing emails, and even ads. You can create whole websites with images generated by Jasper Art. And it’s a more creative alternative to using stock photos.

Jasper Art still has its limitations. And these will cause some frustration when trying to create original content. But overall, we think it works well for mid-level content. So try Jasper Art for yourself!

We Highly Recommend

Jasper Art

Discover an innovative software that uses AI to create stunning images from basic words and phrases. Appreciate the ease and speed of generating content with Jasper Art.

As of this writing, Midjourney’s Discord has over 14 million members. And this artificial intelligence art generator may change the way you create images.

What Is Midjourney?

Midjourney is a research lab that explores new mediums of thought. Their goal is to expand the imaginative powers of the human species.

What we are talking about here is Midjourney’s interactive “bot.” It uses machine learning to create pictures based on text.

A bot is an autonomous program on the internet or another network that can interact with systems or users. The program takes concepts and makes them a reality.

You simply describe what you want to see. Then the Midjourney bot goes out and finds images that are like what you described. And then it combines them uniquely and artistically.

What you get is more than a simple composite. Midjourney is an AI image creator. You get an entirely new creation! Now, many similar AI technologies have developed, including DALL-E 2.

How to Get Midjourney

The Midjourney multiverse opened up beta testing in July of 2022. Before, you had to have an invite to get onto the platform. But with expanded access, everyone can try out this new world of AI art generation.

The Midjourney bot runs through the Discord server. Open Discord in your browser to use the program. Or download the desktop or smartphone app onto your laptop, computer, or phone.

In a browser, go to Midjourney and click “join the beta.” Then, accept the invite. While you are here, look at the “getting started” link, where you will find general instructions on using the bot.

When you return to the Discord app, you should now have a Midjourney icon in the left-hand column. It is white with a boat icon.

That’s it! You are in! Time to have some fun.

How to Use Midjourney

Now let’s look at how to make AI-generated art. Click the Midjourney app icon in Discord. This takes you to the Midjourney workspace.

In the left-hand column, you will see a list of chat rooms. Start in one of the Newbie rooms.

In the “message” area at the bottom of the page, type “/imagine.” Here are the basic and advanced ways to lay out your prompt. The instructions are pretty clear.

Type what you want to see. Your prompt can be as fanciful as you want. You can include subjects, artistic styles, mood descriptors, and anything else.

Enter a whole paragraph, one word, or your favorite song lyrics. The combinations are endless. Let your imagination fly free!

I wrote, “/imagine a photograph of a photographer climbing a mountain to take a picture of a dinosaur.” 

Then, you have to scroll to find the message the Midjourney bot has made for you. You should be able to notice it easily with the yellow highlight.

You should see the AI working, which may take a minute or so. When the image has finished being created, scroll to find your new response.

Midjourney then gives you a range of options (pictured below). You can get an upscaled version of each image (U1, U2, U3, or U4).

Or you can ask it to do variations of a specific image (V1, V2, V3, or V4.) You can also get it to produce completely new results.

I decided to make it give me more variations of the fourth image. (Midjourney assigns the top-left image as number one and the bottom-right image as number four.)

The results were great, and I liked the fourth image the best. So I clicked U4.

Next, I went to find my final image in the chat. Then I clicked on the image to save it.

The Art of Writing Midjourney Prompts

There is a certain art to writing prompts, which is half the fun of Midjourney. Currently, the bot seems better at creating artistic images than photographic ones. And that may be the point.

Sometimes the results look like a photo. But mostly, they look like paintings or drawings. The program has a style of its own.

It really depends on the descriptive words you use. If you want a photo, try specifying a vintage photo like a wet plate or tin type.

The bot even recognizes many famous people. A daily prompt included John Oliver. And for 24 hours, everyone on the server created pictures of the comedian like the one below.

But this has led to the creation of “deep fakes.” These are realistic-looking images (or videos) of real people in imaginary situations or doing or saying imaginary things.

This caused Midjourney to put a pause on free trials. And it has even banned using the word “Pope” to prevent images using his likeness.

Creators often perfect their images by running the program many times. Each time they refine the prompt description and try different variations.

Some prompts add functionality and do something specific.

By default, all the images are in a square format. But typing “–ar 16:9,” for instance, changes the aspect ratio to a wide landscape, perfect for video screens.

If you want to see all of the art you made, go to the Midjourney page and log in. Your creations will be on the home page. And you can download them from there.

Can Midjourney Post-Process Photos?

Photographers often ask me if Midjourney can post-process photos taken with a camera. The short answer is no. This is not an image editor.

You can get images based on your photo and prompts. But you are not going to get a post-processed version of your photo.

To base your image on an existing photo, start the prompt with the web address of your photo. I usually save images into Dropbox or Google Drive and copy the associated link.

Follow the photo link with text describing how you want the final product to look.

Midjourney and Copyright

By default, images generated on Midjourney are public. Everyone can see what you are creating.

You can even interact with someone else’s creations by upscaling one you like or asking for variations. This means you get to see and learn from other creators’ prompts.

To use the app, you have to be open to the public nature of the platform. But if you can’t live with the open space, you can pay a fee to make your account private.

Copyright for AI-generated art is a bit ill-defined at the moment. You create the prompt. But the bot actually creates the image.

Midjourney is no longer providing free trial accounts. But it used to be that art created with a free trial account had a Commons Noncommercial 4.0 Attribution International License. So you could use images if you credited Midjourney and didn’t make money off them.

Today, you must pay for an account, and you can use your art as you wish. This includes selling them.

But the company can use your images. And since you created the images on a public forum, you probably can’t expect to use them exclusively. (You can read Midjourney’s Terms of Service here.)

Copyright law is complicated at the best of times. Throw artificial intelligence into the mix, and we are in for some interesting copyright cases. It remains to be seen how AI copyright issues pan out.

How Much Does Midjourney Cost?

Midjourney used to offer a free trial that allowed you to make up to 25 images. But as of March 28th, 2023, they stopped the free trial.

There are monthly and yearly (discounted) subscriptions. You can review Midjourney’s various plans. The Basic Plan monthly subscription ($10 per month) allows you up to 3.3 hours of usage per month.

The higher-level Standard Plan monthly subscription ($30 per month) gives unlimited creations if you work in “relaxed” mode. And there’s “fast GPU” mode, which allows you to create images faster. But you are limited to 15 hours monthly for this plan.

Plus, there is a Pro Plan ($60 per month) available. This increases your monthly time to 30 hours. And it increases the number of concurrent jobs you can have and speeds up processing times.

And there’s a Mega Plan for $120 per month that allows 60 hours of “fast GPU” mode usage per month. And it allows more images to be created concurrently.

Again, here is the link for Midjourney’s subscription plans so you can see which is best for you.

You can manage your subscription anytime by typing “/info” into the message bar.

Best Midjourney Alternative

PhotoAI is the best alternative software to Midjourney. It’s an AI photo generation tool dedicated to creating photo-realistic portraits of people. And while the results are not always perfect, they can be incredible. 

The top selling point of PhotoAI is the creation of AI “characters”. And you create characters by feeding the program real photos of a specific person. That person can be you, a colleague, or a family member. The more images you feed the robot, the better the AI renditions are.

Once you’ve trained the software on your character, you create new images using text prompts. You can suggest locations, activities, and even specific items of clothing. The robot then uses that information to generate photo-realistic portraits of your character. 

It isn’t perfect. It struggles with hands, limb proportion, and equipment. But when PhotoAI gets it right, you have usable AI-generated portraits. PhotoAI is at the very forefront of the AI imaging revolution. 

Read our full PhotoAI review for a deeper dive into this astonishing program. 

Midjourney: Our Verdict

Midjourney AI is a powerful tool for artistic image creation. You don’t need to be able to draw or have an artistic background. Simply describe what you want to see and let the bot do the rest.

But you cannot always anticipate what Midjourney will give you. It is like rain on a car windshield. The results are somewhat predictable with a large dose of randomness.

You do not always get exactly what you had in mind. But you often get a really cool image that you were not expecting!

It is getting better and better at photorealism. And soon, its images will be almost indistinguishable from normal photos.

You can control the Midjourney bot to an extent depending on how well you can verbally describe what you want to see. For many, this is tricky.

Again, you cannot always predict what the bot will render. There is an element of chance to what you get. In this way, it feels more like a game. So spin the wheel and see what you get!