Zaki Qutteineh
Photography

There comes a time during many photography lovers’ life when they grow distant from their camera; they would be itching to grab their DSLR and start shooting yet something prevents them from doing so. It feels like you’re in a battlefield, where you feel like external forces are fighting against your inner self, where you may even start questioning your motives. This happens for many varied reasons, mine for instance was due to temporary lack of inspiration, some get tired of

So you bought a DSLR, a trusty little lens & a tripod … you must be thinking ‘what next?’. Well, more than often, people tend to start researching & planning the purchase of a flash light (speedlite / speedlight). Those little devices have the capability to produce a powerful burst of light, and are capable of adding a lot to your images if used correctly. Unfortunately, many people new to photography buy one of those little beauties, yet end up dropping them off, why? Fear …

My first two years with a DSLR can be easily summarised as experimentation; I experimented with candid photography, landscapes, cityscapes, macro, travel, street portraiture & even some studio portraiture. I had no doubt it was street portraiture that I enjoyed the most and found myself most competent at, it all just felt natural & fluid. All it required was some location scouting, a willing smiling subject, my camera, a trusty lens, a theme & some good natural light. At time

We all can agree that pictures tell stories; a picture is worth a thousand words after all! If there is no story to be told or no emotions to be triggered, then regardless of how technically sound an image might be, it will be labelled worthless; maybe not so by whoever shot it, but by the audiences. Then how do we tell the story? How do we capture that feeling or emotion? Well, by the use of ambiance (colors, tones, shadows, perspectives / angles), or by capturing the right

One of those questions I get asked the most is ‘What shooting mode & what settings do you use?’ … well, the biggest portion of its answer lies within what or where I’m shooting; allow me to elaborate: Shooting modes: Automatic: I only set my camera’s main dial to Automatic when I’m handing it over to someone else to shoot my portrait (be it on travel or at some leisure park). Shutter priority: When I’m shooting handheld in low light & wish to eliminate camera shake or when I

At some point you will feel the need to build a portfolio, a web space where you can showcase your talent & best creations / shots. Doing so, you will go through all your previous work & start filtering for those images that stand out … however, that is easier said than done; as what appeals to you personally might not be really appealing for the masses. So today we’ll be discussing how to go about the filtering process for your portfolio, and how to present it. Start out by