A photo calendar is an extremely popular gift, especially for Christmas. As the Christmas season approaches, we’ll show you how to shoot a one-of-a-kind personalized photo calendar that is sure to bring joy to your loved ones!

Shooting in the studio may seem much scarier than it actually is. If you don’t have a friend who’s a photographer to tell you how it’s done, or don’t have an upcoming class, we’ll share the basics of a studio photoshoot. What is a daylight lamp? What is a honeycomb or a snoot? Is any of it necessary? Learn the answers to these questions and more.

There are many of you out there that might be considering a start in studio photography. Aside from renting a studio, there’s also the option of creating a space of your own design. In this case, one of the most important decisions you’ll be making will be choosing the lighting. This includes not only choosing specific brands of lighting, but also the types of lighting. There are more options out there than you may think. 

If you’re bored of motionless photos, you can create dynamic and special photos with help from powders. You just have the model or someone else sprinkle them onto their environment during the shoot. This can be ordinary flour, or even “holi”: special powdered paint. By freezing that powder in pictures, you can immortalize unique moments full of action.

We all have a favorite photo style or a dream photo. And for many photographers, that’s a window-blind portrait. But there’s one little problem. Sometimes when you’re getting ready to take this kind of photo, the weather suddenly just isn’t cooperating. Got everything ready, but the sun just won’t shine the way you need? We know a way around that. Create a dark-stripes setup in your own home or studio. It’s very easy!

Sick of running around with your camera outdoors? Whether you’re cold or you just want a change of environment, sometimes it’s good to head into the warmth of a cozy studio. I’ll show you why every portrait photographer should give studio photography a try. A studio’s configurable flashes will give you almost unlimited control over light, which is a big advantage over photographing outdoors. And it’s so easy to get started. In this, the final part of my miniseries, I’ll show you that even in a studio, you’ll never be bored!

Like many beginning photographers, you may wish for your own studio. But do you really need one? Many pro photos today are born outside the studio. In fact, more and more photographers are avoiding classical studios completely. This trend has been apparent for the past several years. So here’s a tip on how to work like a modern pro from the comfort of your home—by creating your own home studio.