Artistic Photography

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art photography, artistic photography, car photography, commercial photographer, commercial photography, painting with light, photography techniques, photos of ferarri, photos of ferarri 360 spider in studio, professional car photography, taking photos of lightning

Taking artistic photos is all about seeing the world around you in a different way than “the average person”  These photos need to be composed in such a manner that they intrigue and fascinate the viewer.  There is a number of ways to achieve this like for instance using photography techniques such as painting with light or simply taking the shot from an interesting angle…

Painting with light is a creative technique enjoyed and used by amateurs and professionals alike.  Take a look at the photo of the guitar fretboard lit with different lines of colour.  Photography in it’s most basic form is all about light, capturing light with film or on a digital sensor.  Without light there would be no photography, end of story.  So when we use the technique painting with light we basically use external light sources in a dark environment (anything from laser pointers, fire and torches with coloured cellophane to create different effects)  So the guitar was placed in a dark studio and we used a mid depth of field (roundabout f8.0) and a slow shutter speed (30 seconds – to give you enough time to change the coloured cellophane on the torch and neatly run the light all along the subject) and viola!

As for interesting angles, the photo of the Liqui-Fruit bottle was taken on a lightbox (with raspberries carefully placed all around) and from right above to create this interesting looking image.

So you see, it’s really not that difficult, all you need to do is think out of the box and let your creativity run free…

Riani Labuschagne

084-645-4352

labuschagne.riani@gmail.com

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Outdoor couples portraits

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couples photography, couples photography jhb, couples photos, couples photoshoots, outdoor couples photoshoots, outdoors couples photos, professional couples photos, professional photographer, Professional photography, Rietvlei zoo farm

Ahh being young and in love…

Taking photos of couples can sometimes be a tricky discipline to master as you need to capture something invisible, the connection between two people.  You need to make them feel comfortable with just being themselves whilst being in the spotlight.  Ideally (as in the photos) above you want your subjects to “spend time together pretending there is no photographer capturing their every move”

I do this with interactive posing so instead of just standing looking at the camera and each other you start a conversation between the couple and watch the magic happen 🙂  So as with all couples there is the controversial question of how they met, and I can promise you that I have had some pretty interesting answers…

With outdoors couples photography I recommend that you always take something to drink and a blanket (especially if you are planning to have them sit and lie down)  And don’t forget planning goes a long way.  Discuss the shoot beforehand so that both you and the client have a clear idea of the look of the shoot (guide them in terms of what to wear and what to expect and I promise you that they will more confident upon arrival.)

For more info contact me on 084-645-4352 or labuschagne.riani@gmail.com

Riani Labuschagne

Food Photography

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food photographer, food photographer in jhb, food photographer in johannesburg, food photographs, food photography jhb, photos of food, professional food photography, professional photos of food

Food can sometimes be a tricky subject to photograph.  Steaming bowls of food cool down in minutes and ice cream melts just as quickly (which means you only have a few precious minutes to perfect your lighting) and , so what do you do?

First off you need to understand light.  We are surrounded by light but we never learn to fully appreciate it.  Carefully study the way light wraps around a loved one’s face early in the morning and take time to absorb the wonderfully soft light just before the sun dips below the horizon in the late afternoon.  This even applies to when you have your lunch, place it on the counter and study the way the light and shadows enhance and hide certain features.

By following these simple guidelines you will already be halfway to a better photograph of food.  When you set up your shot, take an object (which has a similar shape and size as the food you are photographing) and try to get your lighting 99.9% correct before you even think of placing your plate of food in front of the lens.

All you need to do is make a normal plate of food look good enough to eat (literally 🙂  )  Slow down and make time to examine the colours and textures of the food while your food stylist prepares it.  And lastly, a very important tip when photographing food is to visualize the shot you want to create.  Without this vision you will be lucky if you get anything good enough to show off…

Lastly here are two quotes that I think very much apply to the art of food photography:

 “Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography” – George Eastman

“It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the ordinary.” – David Bailey

Riani

084-645-4352

labuschagne.riani@gmail.com

Taking photos of fire drills…

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alberton photographer, fire fighting photography, fire fighting photos, fire fighting pictures, photos of fireman, photos of firemen, pro photographer, professional fire fighting photos

As a professional photographer I am very fortunate to do what I love everyday of my life.  But a business is a business, and as we know, even when you love your work there will always be some aspect of it which you don’t love doing as much as the res,t but it still needs to be done.  Sometimes you will find yourself getting caught up in these things and that bright flame of passion will become slightly dimmed.  And so, YOU as an artist need to re-ignite that flame…  Which is exactly what I did when I joined up with the Boksburg fire department to photograph one of their fire drills.

The fire department has field training exercises 2-3 times a year where they actually light big fires (gas fires this time) and teach the recruits how to approach and put out different sized fires with different approaches.

Photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, usually gather at these fire drills as we are all keen to capture some amazing images.  Events like these allow photographers the freedom they crave to capture what they see without any boundaries.

What I really like about these shots are the fact that they are so simple yet so effective. Bright colours with the human form silhouetted in the foreground and the sprays from the water hoses all combine to form striking images…

I am really looking forward to another one of these evenings!

Riani Labuschagne

084-645-4352

labuschagne.riani@gmail.com

Outdoor family photoshoots

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carefree family photos, family portrait photos, fun family photoshoots, outdoor family photos, outdoor family photoshoots, outdoor family pictures, outdoor family portraits, professional family photographer in jhb, professional family photos in jhb, professional photographer

There is something carefree about family photo shoots done outdoors, wouldn’t you agree…?  And I think it has something to do with the fact that kids (and grown-ups) reconnect with themselves when they are in a park or veld.  Your world seems to slow down as you look at your kids running all around the trees and you are surrounded by something bigger than you.

I have known the “P”s for almost 3 years now I think and have been privileged to grow into their family 🙂  From taking photos of their little boy when he was one month old, and again when he was just over a year and then capturing his sisters first few days at her 3 day newborn shoot.  And through all of this we have built such an amazing friendship.

We decided to head out to Rietvlei for their outdoor family photos.  The main reason being is kids can be more free when they are allowed to run and play everywhere.  It may require a little bit of work from the photographer but you get so involved in capturing those perfect family photo moments that you forget that you are sitting on the wet grass, lol!

At the end of the shoot we had captured some amazing shots and the kids felt as though they have been on a playdate (and mom and dad needs some ice-cream)

For more information and ideas contact me on 084-645-4352 or send an email to labuschagne.riani@gmail.com

Riani Labuschagne