Donald Pennington

What Happened To The 9-Year-Old Smoking In Mary Ellen Mark's Photo?

The photographer, who died last month, has a famous portfolio of arresting images. Among them is a shot of two children in 1990. Amanda thought the photo shoot would change her life. It did not.

6 Tricks to Get a Good Holiday Family Photo

Photo: Coverd PhotographyGetting a great family photo often feels like a Sisyphean undertaking. You need to get everyone smiling, looking the same way, with their eyes open. Simple right? I hate to admit it, but there have been a few times where a photoshop face swap had to be done (getting a great photo of…

How a Photographer Turns a Woman On |

Karen Brody tells us 3 powerful ways to create a turned-on state in a woman that photographers the world over have always known…

Do You See A Duck Or Bunny? This Optical Illusion Tells A Lot About You

When you look at this drawing, what do you see? A duck? A bunny? Or both? This optical illusion first appeared in a German magazine in 1892 with the title “Kaninchen und Ente,” which translates to Rabbit and Duck. The image has now resurfaced on the internet and people are going

What to wear for your family photos.

Today on studio 5 I talked about what to wear for your pictures. Hope this helps and thank you to all my darling clients for dressing so ...

10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Photographer

When selecting a wedding photographer, there are three important elements you should keep in mind: personality, the photographer’s style, and cost. The first two are related to character traits unique only to that person and cannot be copied. The third element fluctuates due to many different variables. Let’s talk about each in the order of importance. Personality First and most importantly are the character and personality…

When to use a Professional Photographer

What’s the difference between hiring a professional photographer and taking your own photos? Despite the advances in technol...

Career Crush: What Does It Take to Be a Professional Photographer?

Why Hire a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)?

Learn more about why hiring a Certified Professional Photographer matters.

23 Things You Will Never Hear a Professional Photographer Say

I love it when clients RE-edit my images and then share them on Facebook. No, no…by all means…you go ahead and pose yourself. Come on, weather…I need a bright sunny day and NO shade! I’m sorry you don’t like your new hair cut in these pictures; that’s totally my fault. Okay, clothing suggestions: you wear …

Should laser backdrops be used in family photos? Mullet over.

25 Cool Ideas To Display Family Photos On Your Walls

If you are like most people, you have a lot of family photos sitting in a photo album. It would be great to find a way to display all of your photos in an...

50 Cool Ideas To Display Family Photos On Your Walls

Photos with your family are something we all cherish and would like to keep near us all the time. What do you do when you want to follow that rule but also have a creative decor? Well, you take one of the clever ideas for displaying family pictures we supply you with! There are lots of different ways you can do this. Opt for the larger sizes of pictures if you like the quality of the photo and look for an impactful effect…

Portrait Photography Resources to Help Your Business Grow

Everything you need to grow your portrait photography business. Discover all the benefits of being a PPA member.

3 Mistakes Professional Photographers Make That Could Ruin Their Career

Photoshop fail? Hilariously botched family photos are no joke

The photographer told the family she used a smoothing tool to get rid of shadows.

Can a Professional Photographer Use 360 Photography Commercially?

Does 360 Photography make sense when it comes to commercial photography? Actually, it could. However, the results will be fleeting.

How Professional Photographers Actually Spend Their Time

We talked to a number of professional photographers about how they spend their time. Guess how much of it is spent shooting?

'Wooden Family' photos: A silly prank becomes something more

“If you can see the humanity in an inanimate object you can see humanity in a stranger or someone you don’t know,” said photographer Otto Riesenberg.