One question I receive in my workshops for beginners is about flashes. Particularly “What the heck is this for?”

And, “Does it actually do anything?”

Not all flashes have these two items that cover the flash head and pull straight out, but if yours does and you’ve always wondered, here is your answer.

Those two items both serve different purposes. The one that flips over the flash itself is a diffuser. Its job is to spread out the light from the flash. You might have seen larger diffusers, such as a softbox over a flash. Those diffuse even more light than this piece of plastic. But it actually is better than nothing when it comes to spreading out light. At

…

Time for another poll (on a topic we’ve not run for a few years) – Do you have a photoblog?

We’re not talking here about a Flickr account or some other photosharing site – do you have your own blog where you share photos?

If you do – we’d love to see a link to it in comments below – feel free to share them and tell us in a few words what type of photography we’ll see there.

In photos, as in life, we like to have some place to go. Not having a direction in a photo is one of the reasons for people becoming bored of viewing photos or lackluster responses on internet sites. People can’t always put their finger on why your photo leaves them uninspired, but it may be because they aren’t sure where to go and what to see.

To help alleviate this problem, give your viewers some place to go. Not in every photo, but think of it from time to time when setting up a shot. There are a few ways you can give your viewers a place to go in your photo and I’ve listed some suggestions below.

Tight Focus and Blur

The first technique deals with a …

Fashion photography has always had a magical aura to it, as it accentuates the best of design and human form. In addition to the expected attention to lighting and shooting there is a great deal of artistry added to each shot with special care given to photo design and post-production that reflects the artistic eye of the photographer. The late Richard Avedon is perhaps one of the most famous fashion photographers, but as interest in DIY off-camera lighting intensifies and digital technologies continue to push the boundaries of creative possibilities new and creative talent continues to emerge. One such photographer is Sean McCormack who is today’s guest on “3  Minutes with…”

1. Describe your photography in 100 words or less.
I’m passionate about light in my photography, be it ambient or fully controlled in the studio. I love mood and drama and creating it …

One of the challenges of charging for your photography is figuring out how to get clients. You’ve got the technical know-how, but what about the business and marketing side? Strapped for cash and looking for ways to generate buzz about your photography? No problem. Marketing doesn’t have to cost much money if you are willing to put in the time. Here are 11 proven ways to get free marketing for your photography business:

Networking

Networking is a great way to get your name out there and make connections with other businesses that can lead to partnerships and referral business. Be sure to have a plan of what you would like to accomplish (meet two new people, etc.) go prepared to chat up lots of new people and finally, have a plan for follow up. It’s those follow up get-togethers for coffee that …