Title: Workforce.Today I’m giving you some barista / Rowster - New American Coffee love!Good coffee. Good baristas. Good photography.= ROWSTER =http://rowstercoffee.com

Title: Workforce.

Today I’m giving you some barista / Rowster - New American Coffee love!

Good coffee. Good baristas. Good photography.

= ROWSTER =
http://rowstercoffee.com

Title: In the Moment.I never pass up an opportunity to photograph a beautiful barista. I really like the look of concentration on her face, the way the lighting is hitting her, and the black and white tones in this one. Not to mention… you can almost hear her thoughts of the moment. Photographed inside Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens.

Title: In the Moment.

I never pass up an opportunity to photograph a beautiful barista. I really like the look of concentration on her face, the way the lighting is hitting her, and the black and white tones in this one. Not to mention… you can almost hear her thoughts of the moment. 

Photographed inside Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens.

Title: A Cup of Smiles.Coffeehouse Portrait: Candid shot of Dustin Tinney at The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand. I believe he was talking to a customer about espresso when I snapped this one.

Title: A Cup of Smiles.

Coffeehouse Portrait: Candid shot of Dustin Tinney at The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand. I believe he was talking to a customer about espresso when I snapped this one.

Title: Body Language.Lori Slager / Owner- Barista at The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand. She does have that look of too much caffeine in her face, but then again who doesn’t have that look at a coffeehouse?

Title: Body Language.

Lori Slager / Owner- Barista at The Sparrows Coffee Tea & Newsstand. She does have that look of too much caffeine in her face, but then again who doesn’t have that look at a coffeehouse?

Title: Tap Tap Tap.My barista BFF Matt… he really loves his iPhone, kinda more that I love my coffee! 

Title: Tap Tap Tap.

My barista BFF Matt… he really loves his iPhone, kinda more that I love my coffee! 

Title: The Beardo Barista.Beardo barista shot from Rowster: New American Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III fitted with their new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens. 

Title: The Beardo Barista.

Beardo barista shot from Rowster: New American Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III fitted with their new EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens. 

Title: EAT SLEEP READ.I know this is going to get some people up in arms… but sometimes a portrait doesn’t have to have your subjects face as the main focal point. How dare I say that, right?Take the photo above of my barista friend Cam, while I have plenty of shots of him with his face being the main focal point in this shot I made his new font based tattoo the focal point. Yes, you can still see his face clearly enough to classify it as a portrait - but the sharpness in the photo comes from the tattoo. I also played with framing to give motion to the photo and decided on a semi-tight crop.So there you have it… I think this one turned out awesome. Enjoy. 

Title: EAT SLEEP READ.

I know this is going to get some people up in arms… but sometimes a portrait doesn’t have to have your subjects face as the main focal point. How dare I say that, right?

Take the photo above of my barista friend Cam, while I have plenty of shots of him with his face being the main focal point in this shot I made his new font based tattoo the focal point. Yes, you can still see his face clearly enough to classify it as a portrait - but the sharpness in the photo comes from the tattoo. I also played with framing to give motion to the photo and decided on a semi-tight crop.

So there you have it… I think this one turned out awesome. Enjoy. 

Title: Atmospheric.Photographing Baristas 101Baristas are more interesting to me than most people and I love photographing them! The key to a great barista portrait is making it interesting and making sure you capture elements of their personality. Having said that, to properly photograph a barista you need to take additional steps and show something about their work as artists.This is not always easy. Too often we think of portraits as merely face shots without any surrounding space. That makes for dull images. Give people room to breathe and when photographing baristas give some space for their work environment.  So how does one take a better barista portrait? Here are some helpful tips.1. Know Your Subject. It is critical to know your subject when doing portrait work. Find their hook, their interests, and include it in the finished product. If your portrait does not convey who they are… you will fall flat on your face.2. Know A Thing or Two About Coffee. A good photographer properly researches a subject before he photographs it. The more you understand the subject, the easier it is to get amazing photographs.3. Know a Barista’s Working Space. Simply put - know their working environment. Know the interesting places and know the areas to stay away from. Catch the machinery and not the dirty dishes, always be aware of the interesting areas that will show up in the backdrop of your portrait.4. Catch Their Energy. Don’t take flat portraits, catch baristas working or catch them with vibrant expressions. Remember a portrait does not need to be posed, some of my favorite shots I’ve taken of baristas have been candids. Portraits that lack energy never pay off.5. Catch Natural Light. Never use flash when photographing a barista. Use natural light and the lighting around you. An overly lit barista photo lacks depth, remember it is about catching them in their natural environment. 6. Catch Colors. Whether your photo is color or black and white - catch all the colors! From the mirrored images on the metals to the warm tones around them, catch them all. 7. Pull Them (1 through 6) All Together. I know it sounds cliche but A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words. When you tie all these steps together you get a portrait that speaks to the viewer. If you leave out any of the tips, trust me on this one - the portrait feels like it is missing something. As a photographer it is your job to capture all the areas of interest, always remember that.

Title: Atmospheric.

Photographing Baristas 101

Baristas are more interesting to me than most people and I love photographing them! The key to a great barista portrait is making it interesting and making sure you capture elements of their personality. Having said that, to properly photograph a barista you need to take additional steps and show something about their work as artists.

This is not always easy. Too often we think of portraits as merely face shots without any surrounding space. That makes for dull images. Give people room to breathe and when photographing baristas give some space for their work environment. 

So how does one take a better barista portrait? Here are some helpful tips.

1. Know Your Subject. It is critical to know your subject when doing portrait work. Find their hook, their interests, and include it in the finished product. If your portrait does not convey who they are… you will fall flat on your face.

2. Know A Thing or Two About Coffee. A good photographer properly researches a subject before he photographs it. The more you understand the subject, the easier it is to get amazing photographs.

3. Know a Barista’s Working Space. Simply put - know their working environment. Know the interesting places and know the areas to stay away from. Catch the machinery and not the dirty dishes, always be aware of the interesting areas that will show up in the backdrop of your portrait.

4. Catch Their Energy. Don’t take flat portraits, catch baristas working or catch them with vibrant expressions. Remember a portrait does not need to be posed, some of my favorite shots I’ve taken of baristas have been candids. Portraits that lack energy never pay off.

5. Catch Natural Light. Never use flash when photographing a barista. Use natural light and the lighting around you. An overly lit barista photo lacks depth, remember it is about catching them in their natural environment. 

6. Catch Colors. Whether your photo is color or black and white - catch all the colors! From the mirrored images on the metals to the warm tones around them, catch them all. 

7. Pull Them (1 through 6) All Together. I know it sounds cliche but A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words. When you tie all these steps together you get a portrait that speaks to the viewer. If you leave out any of the tips, trust me on this one - the portrait feels like it is missing something. As a photographer it is your job to capture all the areas of interest, always remember that.

Title: Nonverbal Communication.The Right Focal Length: What is Focal Length?Perspective control is a powerful compositional tool in photography, and often determines one’s choice in lens/focal length. So what is focal length? Simple put - focal length is the optical system/distance from your camera’s body to it’s subject. Yes there is a a longer more drawn out mathematical way of explaining it, but I didn’t want to loose anyone and to be honest it is boring! What one needs to keep in mind is that a shorter focal length has greater optical power than a longer one, meaning it bends the rays more strongly and that results in bringing them to focus in a shorter distance.So what focal length is the right one for you? Well that can be a loaded question but to help you in that decision I will refer you to the industry standards:• Less than 21mm: Extreme Wide Angle and is normally used for Architectural Shots• 21 - 35mm: Wide Angle and is great for Landscapes• 35 - 70mm: Normal and is the preferred range for Street and Documentary• 70 - 135mm: Medium Telephoto and often considered Portraiture Lenses• 100mm: Macro and is normally a dedicated 1:1 ratio lens for extreme Close Ups• 135 - 300+mm: Telephooto and are called big guns, think Sports, Birds and WildlifeSo this is what the industry tells us… I tend to tell people “go with what you like”, but I refer to the chart above when helping people decide what lens is right for them. Take the photo above, I used a 40mm prime lens and it produced an amazing portrait. It’s often said the best lens is the lens you have on your camera. Words to live by!

Title: Nonverbal Communication.

The Right Focal Length: What is Focal Length?

Perspective control is a powerful compositional tool in photography, and often determines one’s choice in lens/focal length. So what is focal length? Simple put - focal length is the optical system/distance from your camera’s body to it’s subject. Yes there is a a longer more drawn out mathematical way of explaining it, but I didn’t want to loose anyone and to be honest it is boring!

What one needs to keep in mind is that a shorter focal length has greater optical power than a longer one, meaning it bends the rays more strongly and that results in bringing them to focus in a shorter distance.

So what focal length is the right one for you? Well that can be a loaded question but to help you in that decision I will refer you to the industry standards:

• Less than 21mm: Extreme Wide Angle and is normally used for Architectural Shots
• 21 - 35mm: Wide Angle and is great for Landscapes
• 35 - 70mm: Normal and is the preferred range for Street and Documentary
• 70 - 135mm: Medium Telephoto and often considered Portraiture Lenses
• 100mm: Macro and is normally a dedicated 1:1 ratio lens for extreme Close Ups
• 135 - 300+mm: Telephooto and are called big guns, think Sports, Birds and Wildlife

So this is what the industry tells us… I tend to tell people “go with what you like”, but I refer to the chart above when helping people decide what lens is right for them. 

Take the photo above, I used a 40mm prime lens and it produced an amazing portrait. It’s often said the best lens is the lens you have on your camera. Words to live by!

Title: The Mullins.As a photographer you either love or hate headshots. Having said that… you will be asked for them on countless occasions. In my opinion, the more natural and candid the headshot appears the better the portrait. The more overly posed your headshot is the less of the person you are trying to show comes forward. So today I thought I’d share some tips I use when taking a headshot or portrait.5 Tips for Keeping Your Portraits Natural Looking1. Respect. A very important and often overlooked part of photographing people. Everyone who comes in front of your camera deserves respect, they deserve to be treated how you’d like to be treated. Having respect is a great way to break the initial ice, as well as put a lasting memory into your subject head… not only causing them to come back but recommend your services. Remember, a bossy photographer is not pretty - not even cute.2. Remember the Hands. Hands can be distracting in portraits if placed wrong - my suggestion is to put something in them. Have your subject hold something or place the hands out of sight. 3. Pull Up a Chair. No one, and I repeat no one looks flattering if shot from below. In fact this is a sure fire way to make enemies with your photography! I carry a collapsable stool with me to every shoot and it has saved me a countless number of times. When people tell you “I’m not photogenic” 9 times out of 10 they are remembering a photo that was not shot where you are above the subject. Shooting from above not only adds depth but also slims and lengthens your subject.4. Distract Your Subject. Don’t just sit them in a chair and start taking photos. Talk to them, get to know them (remember #1 respect), and get them talking. Any subject will do… the key is to get them comfortable. When you get their attention away from themselves it results in a natural look. Make them laugh, yes - joke with them! Some of my favorite shots are the ones that are not traditional. This tip is also extremely important when shooting children - you have to be on their level and not so adult-like.5. Get Out of a Studio Environment. Nothing says unnatural as a portrait in a studio. I’m sure I will get a lot of hate mail over this one but it’s true. Taking portraits of subjects in their own or familiar surroundings makes for some of the best portrait/headshots I’ve seen. Having said that - you as a photographer need to find the right place for the portrait in their environment. Remember to keep it simple and clean. Think about the space where you are shooting and how you can use it creatively.

Title: The Mullins.

As a photographer you either love or hate headshots. Having said that… you will be asked for them on countless occasions. In my opinion, the more natural and candid the headshot appears the better the portrait. The more overly posed your headshot is the less of the person you are trying to show comes forward. So today I thought I’d share some tips I use when taking a headshot or portrait.

5 Tips for Keeping Your Portraits Natural Looking

1. Respect. A very important and often overlooked part of photographing people. Everyone who comes in front of your camera deserves respect, they deserve to be treated how you’d like to be treated. Having respect is a great way to break the initial ice, as well as put a lasting memory into your subject head… not only causing them to come back but recommend your services. Remember, a bossy photographer is not pretty - not even cute.

2. Remember the Hands. Hands can be distracting in portraits if placed wrong - my suggestion is to put something in them. Have your subject hold something or place the hands out of sight. 

3. Pull Up a Chair. No one, and I repeat no one looks flattering if shot from below. In fact this is a sure fire way to make enemies with your photography! I carry a collapsable stool with me to every shoot and it has saved me a countless number of times. When people tell you “I’m not photogenic” 9 times out of 10 they are remembering a photo that was not shot where you are above the subject. Shooting from above not only adds depth but also slims and lengthens your subject.

4. Distract Your Subject. Don’t just sit them in a chair and start taking photos. Talk to them, get to know them (remember #1 respect), and get them talking. Any subject will do… the key is to get them comfortable. When you get their attention away from themselves it results in a natural look. Make them laugh, yes - joke with them! Some of my favorite shots are the ones that are not traditional. This tip is also extremely important when shooting children - you have to be on their level and not so adult-like.

5. Get Out of a Studio Environment. Nothing says unnatural as a portrait in a studio. I’m sure I will get a lot of hate mail over this one but it’s true. Taking portraits of subjects in their own or familiar surroundings makes for some of the best portrait/headshots I’ve seen. Having said that - you as a photographer need to find the right place for the portrait in their environment. Remember to keep it simple and clean. Think about the space where you are shooting and how you can use it creatively.