The total solar eclipse on April 8 inspired even novices to point a lens towards the sky. Eventually, social feeds filled with eclipse photos that all started to look similar. But, some solar eclipse photos stood out from all the rest. These four wedding and portrait photographers captured the eclipse in stunning, unique ways. Find inspiration from these unique solar eclipse photos by Lindsey Thorne, Megan Kelly, Luke Payne, and Jason Vinson. Lindsey Thorne, Lindsey Thorne Photo © Lindsey Thorne Photo In much of the U.S., the eclipse took place when the sun was at its highest point in the sky ..read more

I’ve long felt disenchanted with the contrived. I suppose that’s why I took a bit of time away from self portraits. It’s more challenging to capture something natural, authentic, and less curated when first you have to set up your camera, establish your camera settings, and get into place. Recognizing that self portraits have always been the catalyst for evolution in my work, I’ve been making an effort to get back into them in a way that feels real to me. So I set up my camera to fire a few hundred shots over 20 minutes while I flowed through my usual morning ritual — an intuitive yoga flow ..read more

Rangefinder’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography is an exclusive list of up-and-coming wedding photographers from around the globe. Our final 30 Rising Stars are selected in a process that involves three rounds. Initial nominations are made by established industry professionals and wedding photographers. Nominees must have been shooting weddings on a full-time basis for five years or less to be eligible. If picked from among the nominees, they are requested to fill out a questionnaire and submit 30 photos from their portfolio. Those who show exceptional promise for advancing and evolving ..read more

Capturing mood and atmosphere in photography isn’t a single technique but rather the play of different elements off each other. When composition, light, pose, and expression all work together to convey the same mood, a photograph sings. This week, we asked five of Rangefinder’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography for their advice on creating mood and atmosphere in photography. Gain insight and inspiration from the photos of the week by Robin Goodlad, Raphaëlle Granger, Agata Grzaba, Daniela Gutiérrez Herrera, and Rune Havn. Robin Goodlad, Robin Goodlad Photography © Robin Goodlad Photograp ..read more

When you master natural light, you can create amazing images in virtually any lighting scenario Mother Nature sends your way. In her portrait photography career of ten plus years, Nikki Closser has found that using the natural light of the sun is the easiest and most efficient way to create warm and authentic portraits, and she shoots 90% of her portraits without the aid of artificial light. Closser has compiled a treasure trove of rules of thumb and tricks of the trade for shooting natural light that she reveals in her new course, The Natural Light Masterclass, which is on sale for 75% off f ..read more

WPPI just finished its best year since the pandemic, and already organizers are working hard to make 2025 even better and are offering an amazing presale ticket price. WPPI educator Jason Vinson, who has been speaking every year at WPPI since 2018, recently noted in an Fstoppers article called “WPPI is Bigger and Better Than Ever,” that “WPPI is now as good as it ever was, and getting better each year.” (Be sure to check out Vinson’s article in Fstoppers if you haven’t yet. It’s a great read!)  Organizers made 2024 the best year yet, not by simply trying to replicate what WPPI has b ..read more

There seem to be many myths pertaining to boudoir photography, and unfortunately, these myths prevent many women from participating in this amazing experience! Let’s go ahead and bust five of the biggest myths that clients have, so you can ease their fears if you find them being hesitant. © Harmony Photography1. I Have to Be Naked It doesn’t matter if someone is wearing lingerie, a potato sack, or something in between. The main purpose of boudoir photography is to empower the subject, not make them uncomfortable. There is only one person who dictates how far a client needs to go in a shoot to ..read more

Instagram quickly fills up with the latest photography trends — but what makes an image stand the test of time? A timeless image is based on emotion or a moment rather than a trending technique. This week, we asked five of our Rangefinder 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography what it takes to create timeless photography. Find inspiration in this week’s Photos of the Week from Radostina Boseva, Tash Busta, Aurora Ceriani, Traci Edwards and William Young. Radostina Boseva © Radostina Boseva One way to create a timeless image is to use timeless technology, like the Contax 645, 80mm Carl Zeiss l ..read more

Jihan Cerda is a stunning wedding photographer, who also happens to shoot engagements, maternity, newborns, families, and high school seniors. In fact, it’s no accident. Many of Cerda’s subjects are return clients who come to her for engagement shoots and stick with her through all the phases of their blossoming relationships and growing families. Cerda says, “There’s something about giving really great service, beautiful photos, giving the connection, and educating and communicating with the client. If you can just get these things under control and slowly work towards nailing those fou ..read more

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