A Sharp Photo - Living Statue Project

I am creating a series with primarily metallic bodypaint.  I want to showcase all bodies and shapes.  If you are interested in participating, email me at: asharpphoto13@gmail.com and I will explain the project in detail.  I look forward to working with you :).

body paint art Model: Alana

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<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/body+paint" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">body paint art</a>


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Site: www.asharpphoto.biz

A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them. body paint digital art for sale

A Sharp Photo - Backlighting

A fact of photography is that you are representing a 3 dimensional world on a 2 dimensional medium.  So, while you may think you are taking a picture of your dog, that tree, your daughter; you are actually photographing everything in front of, to the side of and behind your primary subject.  When you don't consider this, the image can come out differently than what you saw in your head.

Backlighting (just what it sounds like) is when there is a lot more light behind your subject than in front of or on your subject.  This is why when you take a photo on the beach or on a sunny day, everyone comes out dark.  The easy way to resolve this is to get more light onto your subject.  You can either (via camera settings) darken the background and use a flash on your subject or if you have a powerful enough light, just blast your subject until they are exposed properly.  But, backlighting isn't necessarily a bad thing if you know how to work it.  Here are some examples of how backlit photos can be beautiful.

Because the background is brighter than the subject, using camera settings to darken the background darkens the subject as well giving me a silhouette.  Notice the emphasis is on the shape making the image much more interesting.

You can also create a hi key image by having an extremely bright background and matching that light on the subject.

Lastly, you can blow out your background and 'properly' balance the light on your subject to essentially isolate your subject against the background.

So, be aware of your environment and your light.  If you know what you are doing, backlighting can be another tool in your toolbox.


Follow me on Instagram/Twitter: @asharpphoto
Website: www.asharpphoto.biz

A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.

A Sharp Photo - What am I paying you for? Value vs. Price

One thing that many photographers (and entrepreneurs as well) deal with is disagreement from clients about cost.  Everyone can have a camera these days; phones, tablets and even some professional quality cameras are sold in the consumer market.  With this being the case, it can be difficult for people to pay someone to do what they believe they do already.  The difference between taking your own photos and hiring a photographer is probably akin to the difference between you driving to work and a stunt driver on a movie set.  While the tool may be similar, the knowledge that an expert has can yield a totally different finished product.

When the circumstances are optimal, most of us can take a good photo.  A cloudy day (yes, that's better than a sunny day for photography) shade, those things make the job easier.  But when things are less than ideal, you need an expert.  A pro will have the knowledge to overcome difficult situations and they normally have gear that you don't have to create beautiful images.  Weddings are a great example of when you need someone who really knows what they are doing.  Let's say the wedding is at noon on the beach.  That means that you have to know how to darken the background and simultaneously get that white dress bright without losing detail.  You may also have a reception that's normally dark and you need to have a way to create properly exposed pictures without that 'flash in the face' look.  If money were no object and you had 2 photographers to choose; one cost $10,000 and the other cost $250, which one would you choose?  Even if you hesitate on dropping $10K for wedding photography, you would at least compare the two, and I know I would ask myself why the other guy was charging so little.  Can you trust him to get the job done?  This day is important and I don't want to miss out on it because I took what seemed like a deal.

Photographers are doing much more than taking a picture, the goal is to create art.  You can go to a discount club or store and purchase an 8x10 for less than $3.  Knowing this, people balk at a photographer charging $50 for an 8x10 print.  Understand that you are not paying for photo paper or a canvas, you are paying for artistic vision.  That photographer saw something and nurtured it to immortalize a moment in time; that is what you are paying for.  When you look at a painting in a gallery that costs $1,000,000, its not the paint or the canvas or the wood or the metal that costs that much.  You pay for where that piece of art takes you, what it does to you, how it makes you feel.

So, you want to know what you are paying me for?  You are paying for my ability to portray who you are to the world.  You are paying for the fact that I educate you prior to the shoot so that you are ready and confident which makes you shine in front of my camera.  Lastly, you are paying for my ability to see you, really see you and how beautiful you are and reflect that back to you in my work.  That is what you are paying me for.


Follow me on Instagram/Twitter: @asharpphoto
Website: www.asharpphoto.biz


A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.

A Sharp Photo tip - Macro Photography

I enjoy shooting people and photographing beautiful sweeping landscapes but there's something cool about getting up close.  There are things that we see everyday that fit in the palms of our hands that have intricate details that we miss because they are so small.  Macro photography allows us to take in those miniscule features and enjoy them.  There are many ways to get this done (the right way as well as the 'right now' way); lets talk about it.

With just what you have
Seriously, you can take the lens off of your camera (if you have a DSLR), turn it around, hold it in front of your camera and shoot.  Sounds crazy but it works.  Its very difficult and you need the hands of a surgeon (or at least you should have been expert level at Operation when you were a kid) to get a clear shot.  With practice and patience it can be fun to play with.  Of course, having your lens off invites the danger of getting dust on your sensor as well as potentially scratching your lens. 

For just a little more...
You can get a reversing ring for between $10 - $30.  Same concept as above but your lens is mounted onto your camera so it is easier to manage and your camera and lens are more protected.  Now when you do this, you lose the functionality of having your lens mounted the correct way (no autofocus, no control over aperture) and the back element of your lens is exposed.  So here is another solution.

Intermediate level
Enter the Macro extension tube which ranges from $15 (does not communicate with your camera) to $130 (plays well with your camera).  The way an extension tube works is it puts space between your camera and your lens enabling macro capability.  There is no glass so it doesn't distort the image at all.  The difference between the lower end tubes and the higher end is that the higher end tubes have electronics so your autofocus and aperture controls work so you are as close as you can be to having a legitimate macro lens.  Whereas the lower end extension tubes do not have electronics.  You have the stability but not the functionality.

The real deal
Actual macro lenses, there really isn't much to be said.  No fiddling, no working around, just the ability to get nice, close clear images.  The other thing to point out is that its just a lens.  So if you have a 100mm macro, you can shoot a portrait of a person or you can shoot a fly close up.  The exponential increase in image quality is matched by a big price tag.  These lenses can cost from a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand.  Of course, this is your best value all around but only you know if macro capability is that important for you.

A few tips for great macro image:

- Use a tripod, the more stable your camera, the sharper the image.
- Use live view, this way you can zoom in and verify the focus.
- Use a trigger release, this will minimize camera shake and if you use a wireless remote, it will nullify it all together.
- Use either off camera flash or continuous light.  Continuous light is best because you see what you'll get.

Happy hunting, its a small world!!!

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A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.

A Sharp Photo tip - Three legs are better than two

Weekend before last I got to photograph the 2015 #curvenationexpo.  Fashion shows are fun but they can be grueling; nonstop action and tons of little moments from the models that you don't want to miss.  In order to frame the shots correctly, there should be some distance between you and the stage so you will likely need to shoot with a long lens.  Add to this mix, less than optimal lighting and limited options in terms of you setting up lighting and now you have to slow your shutter speed down (you want to keep your aperture at 5.6 or smaller so that the clothing has the most detail).  Handholding under these conditions for 2 hours or so is a recipe for disaster.

I was able to set up 2 lights so that was helpful.  I like to move around when I shoot and get different angles but I thought it was a great idea to bring tripod.  I pretty much shot the whole show at 70mm and 1/50 (the rule is your shutter speed shouldn't be less than your focal length when handholding, it is possible but difficult).  Furthermore, when I got home to process, all of the images were perfectly straight making my post work much easier.  So for my day to day, I dont really use a tripod but for events, I highly recommend it.

Follow me in Twitter/Instagram: @asharpphoto
Website: www.asharpphoto.com

Asia Marin

Devorah Story wearing Tia Lyn

Nikki Carter wearing Tia Lyn

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Lakesshia Slaughter-Allen

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Dori Carter

A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.

A Sharp Photo - Taking Good Selfies

I am a member of a business group on facebook and one of the members asked me about using selfies in an about page on a business site.  While I think best practice would be to hire a professional who is proficient in taking headshots, it is possible to get a great image yourself with a little effort and these tips.

- Phone cameras are normally 35mm and that isn't the best focal length for portraits. Because its so wide, you have to have it close to your face to get a headshot. When you do that, it distorts your features. So you'd be better served to shoot wider and crop in ( below the bust line or even waistline)

- An image on your website should invite people to you as opposed to just show them what you look like. Think of something that makes you smile or feel confident or feel helpful when you are taking a photograph and that will show in the photo.  Also, dress the part.  Wear something that you might wear to an interview or networking event or meeting.  Not only will this look good in the photo but it will affect how you carry yourself.

- Eyes tend to go to the brightest part of the photo so you want to make your face the brightest part of the photo. Because you are shooting with your phone, it isn't likely that you can control the light as much as you can with a camera so you have to choose an appropriate background to make this happen. Optimum would be you facing a window with a dark wall behind you.

- I don't often use my phone for photography but my understanding is that the rear camera is of higher quality than the front facing camera. You will get a sharper image if you place the camera on a stand (or prop it somehow), set the timer, get in place and take the image that way.

- Shoot it in portrait mode (vertical) and try to frame right at the top of your head to right underneath the neckline of your shirt.


Headshots are my wheelhouse so of course feel free to reach out to me.  If you are in the Central Florida area this weekend, I am working with Detour Entertainment Productions and doing a headshot special.  Contact the information on the flyer to book your slot.

Follow me in instagram and twitter: @asharpphoto
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A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.

A Sharp Photo - Great Headshots

If you are an actor, you need a great headshot.  This is normally the first step for casting directors as they are trying to cast roles.  Your headshot gives the casting director a preliminary way to 'see' you in a given role.  But, other people in other lines of work can benefit from a stellar headshot as well.  If you own a business, this is how you can give new customers a glimpse of who you are.  If you use LinkedIn, a great headshot can grab the attention of someone who sees your profile.  A solid, natural looking headshot can even be beneficial on a dating site.  Here are a few tips to put your best face forward:

- Wardrobe
Make sure that your clothing is clean, pressed and in good repair.  While a headshot is generally head and shoulders, when you are well dressed or comfortably dressed from head to toe, it affects the way you carry yourself.  Stay away from busy patterns or trendy clothing as the image will become dated as styles change.

- Hair
Make sure your hair is styled prior to your session.  When you know you look good, you show it.

- Its all in your head
Its nigh impossible to show what happy/confident/friendly/trustworthy look like.  But, we can all feel those thoughts/emotions and when you genuinely feel them, they show up on your face.

If you live in the Orlando area, this is a great deal for you to take advantage of.  Call or email the information on the flyer to reserve your spot.











Follow me in Twitter: @asharpphoto
Follow me on Instagram: @asharpphoto

A Sharp Photo is a Central Florida based (Orlando to Ocala) photography company specializing in Actor/Corporate headshots, Film & TV Production photography, Boudoir, Portrait photography and Art.  Michae E. Allen started this company in 2012 and his aim is to use photography to show people the beauty in themselves and the world around them.