Rangefinder’s Top 10 Articles from 2015

December 30, 2015

By Jacqueline Tobin

As 2015 draws to a close, we thought this would be the perfect time to highlight the top ten articles that resonated with you, everything from posing to new gear releases to ways to improve your bottom line.

Photo © Ben Sasso

 

1. The Quirks of Backlighting (and How to Handle Them)

Readers clicked in droves to get a behind-the-scenes look at Ben Sasso‘s backlit photo sessions. Sasso provided the Rangefinder audience with a challenge/solution approach to numerous backlighting scenarios ideal for wedding photography and portraiture.

2. 10 Tips from Headshot Master Peter Hurley on Shooting Female Faces

Start with a neutral palette, transmit authority, and utilize shadow-less light from the sun. These are just a few tips that headshot master Peter Hurley offers readers. The photographer, who also teaches the Headshot Intensive, a crash course for photographers looking to finesse their portrait-taking techniques, offers ten tips specifically for shooting female faces.

3. Bold Talent: Three Contemporaries Turning the Wedding Industry On Its Head

These three photographers—Jeff Newsom, Gabe McClintock and Cinzia Bruschini—may not have decades of experience under their belts, but they are making waves in the industry. Their uniquely crafted photos and definitive styles caught our attention.

4. 12 Fashionable (and Functional) Camera Bags

Vendors are integrating more fashion-forward designs and patterns into the camera bag category. Our March roundup brings together a smattering of some of our favorite fully functional bags for men and women that break the mold, and also add a dash of style to your photo persona.

5. What’s in Brooke Shaden’s Bag?

Perhaps Brooke Shaden‘s ‘What’s In Your Bag’ feature ranked highest on our Top Read stories this year because of her unique approach to gear: “I don’t work well with equipment,” the Arizona-based fine-art photographer says. Our readers learned that Shaden shoots sans clutter and carries only a camera, lens, tripod, timer, remote and an inspiration notebook.

6. Finessing the Fine Art of Family Photography, Above the Herds of Hobbyists

Rangefinder spoke to three family photographers—Jayme Ford, Summer Murdoch and Anna Jones—each of whom have soared above the herds of hobbyists into a league that is more akin to fine art than to the subjects they shoot, to hear and learn how their own families influenced the way they tell stories, see light and find beauty in the chaos.

7. Hands-On Review: Full-Frame, Low-Light 4K Filmmaking with the Sony a7s

Our readers took an interest in Sony’s new full-frame mirrorless camera with 4K video capabilities. In our hands-on review, we discovered that the Sony a7S fills a unique niche that would otherwise cost over $50,000 to fulfill.

8. How to Price Your Photo Biz for Profit

For photographers, managing the business side of the process is often not where the bulk of the talent lies. We asked photographer Bryan Caporicci to simplify the pricing process to ensure that our readers understand how to price their services so they are profiting each and every time they show up to a shoot.

9. Bold, Beautiful Boudoir: Finding Your Niche and Creative Voice

With more and more photographers creating boudoir images for a wide range of clients, building a highly creative and profitable niche in this style has never been more compelling. Rangefinder spoke with three photo studios—The Last Forty Percent, CherieFoto and Gabe McClintock—and got their secrets to boudoir success while staying true to their distinctive styles and attracting clients who share their sensibilities.

10. Lara Jade’s “Dog Days” Journal: Breaking Down a High-End Fashion Shoot

Rangefinder spoke with fashion photographer Lara Jade to get the scoop on her latest assignment for ELLE Singapore, Dog Days, and how she conceptualized the shoot from budgets, to gathering a team, to the big shoot day.