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Photography
Self-Portrait Photography Filled with Emotion: Laura Zalenga

Learn how to delve into your thoughts and feelings using photography with Laura Zalenga Laura Zalenga (@laurazalenga) is a German freelance photographer with a passion for creating self-portraits filled with emotion. In 2018, she was one of seven international artists selected for the Adobe Creative Residency. She has worked for Adobe, Artemide, Disney, Lufthansa, Sony, and many more and been featured in a Sky Arts documentary. In her Domestika course, Laura takes you on an intimate journey of self-discovery and experimentation through the art of self-portrait photography. ‘Self-portrait taught me everything I know about photography. It also taught me how to accept myself more and how important it is to spend quality time with yourself.’ She finds inspiration within her memories, moods, and emotions, other times in places, light conditions, and even everyday objects. Her style is defined by clear visual language, the power of telling stories, and showing raw, honest emotions. Let’s get to know her and her unique and emotional art.
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Photography
15 Food Photography Ideas To Try This Holiday Season

Discover the possibilities to photograph your favorite dishes during the holidays and share on social media What would the holidays be without our favorite dishes? Without a doubt, the creation of fond memories often happens when we share food at the table. Food photography is that creative discipline in which everything that food makes us feel is transferred to an attractive visual language. During this holiday season, prepare your camera (or your mobile) to capture the dishes that you will enjoy with friends or family, and share your results on your social media. Below, members of Domestika's community share projects that will whet your appetite to create. If you want to see the details of each project and more images of the series, click on its red title.
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Photography
What is Documentary Photography?

This artistic discipline, different to photojournalism, captures real scenes in the unique style of the photographer Photography lovers have been transported to far-away corners of Brazil by Sebastião Salgado’s photos. They have roamed the streets of Paris through the eyes of Robert Doisneau. Documentary photography freezes conflicts, stories, and scenes in time, yet using a more artistic and authorial approach than, say, photojournalism.
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Photography
5 Free Classes For Taking Creative Photos and Videos At Home

Learn from the experts how to create spectacular photos with the resources you have at hand The time when high-impact photography necessarily required expensive equipment or a professional set is long gone. With the help of these 5 experts, you can simply use your mobile (or use that old SLR camera that you may not use) to create photo and video projects that reflect your personal style, and all from the comfort of your own home! To watch each class, just click on its red title. Enjoy!
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Photography
What is Light Painting Photography?

Visual artist and photographer Cristias Rosas introduces you to the technique of "painting" with light There are different methods to achieve unique effects in artistic photography that allow images to go beyond what the camera can capture. These methods allow creators to express their emotions and communicate more subtle messages to their audience. Often, they also produce more striking images. One of those methods is light painting. Visual artist and photographer Cristias Rosas (@cristias_rosas), who has explored the expression of metaphors through his images in artistic photography, explains what it is and how to apply it to your pictures.
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Photography
7 Tips for Photographing Your Artwork

Learn how to photograph your artwork for your portfolio Sharing your work online is a great way to grow your audience and take advantage of creative opportunities. But to do that, you need high-quality images of your work. For analog mediums, that typically means having to take photographs. After spending so much time and care on your final artwork, it’s important to understand how to best capture and showcase it. Find below some useful tips on commercial photography so that you can make the most of your work.
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Photography
Dos & Don'ts For Freelance Photographers

Visual poet and photographer Danny Bittencourt shares interesting advice on how to manage your career as a freelance photographer Choosing which themes to explore in your work, developing your own visual language, managing your routine and timetable, being your own boss... Sounds pretty good, right? Of course, being freelance has a lot of benefits, if and when you can avoid the most common problems. Visual poet and photographer Danny Bittencourt (@dannybbittencourt) is an expert in freelancing. In this post, she shares her dos and dont's for freelance photographers. Discover more in the video below:
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Photography
The Story Behind "Accidentally Wes Anderson"

We spoke to the creator of the popular Instagram account who has just launched a bestselling book for adventurers Accidentally Wes Anderson was created for adventures and explorers. It is a book brimming with beautiful photos and intriguing narratives for curious beings. Each photo looks like a frame straight out of a Wes Anderson film. Yet these are not film sets. They are authentic spots that you can visit, all over the world, and each spot has its own unique and enchanting story.
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Photography
Domestika Diaries: Verónica Cerna

The conceptual photographer Verónica Cerna shares her creative routine and describes how her profession has adapted to lockdown Pictures, by definition, require the presence of two people: the photographer and their subject. So restrictions like those imposed in the wake of Coronavirus, which oblige us to maintain distances between one another and avoid moving from one place to another, can complicate or even stop the work of a photographer. Verónica Cerna, photographer and cofounder of the audiovisual studio BAF, whose work has been recognized in the International Photography Awards and The Photo Phore, explains to us in this installment of Domestika Diaries how her creative process as a photographer has changed during the current situation. You can see the video below:
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Photography
What Is and How to Create a Cinemagraph

Photography magic! We explain how to create movement in a static image step-by-step What is a cinemagraph? It's a fascinating combination of photos and videos. It usually consists of a small movement repeated in a loop within a picture, while the rest of the image remains entirely still. It results in a groundbreaking yet realistic effect. Nowadays, standing out in the digital world is necessary, and multimedia content is more than ever a visual experience. A fantastic moving image can help you achieve that distinguishing visual end product. Cinemagraphs, with their instantaneous visual elements, attract the viewer's attention. They are small, sophisticated works of art, subtle yet sufficiently attractive, that can capture our attention among the multitude of images we consume daily. Creating a cinemagraph is not difficult, and we’ll explain how, step by step. This is a short tutorial, and if you want to explore this technique, Mexican photographer Fernando Montiel Klint (@fernandomontielklint) teaches it in the Domestika course Creation of Cinemagraphs:
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Photography
Materials: Make-up For Artistic Self-portrait Photography

Cristina Otero talks us through her favorite products for creating experimental make-up looks Cristina Otero (@cristinaotero) is a photographer specializing in artistic self-portraits. At the age of 15, Cristina became the youngest Spanish artist to present a solo exhibition in a gallery. While her main clients tend to be art collectors, she has also worked on commercial projects for brands and organizations such as Huawei, Renfe, and Turismo Andalucía. Cristina started out drawing portraits of women, using herself as a reference. Drawn to hyperrealism, she began experimenting with photography and using herself as a model. When it comes to post-production, Cristiana insists, “I don’t edit, I paint”.
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Photography
10 Fashion Photography Icons

Rebeca Saray shares 10 of her favorite fashion photographers with Domestika
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Photography
7 Polaroids and Inspiring Quotes by Andrei Tarkovsky

Discover this collection of Polaroids taken by the Russian filmmaker–each one is accompanied by a quote that invites you to step into his world… Memory, dreams, and spirituality play a central role in the meditative work of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. Born in Zavrazhye in 1932, he is considered by many to be one of the greats of film history. He won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury twice at Cannes with Solaris (1972) and The Sacrifice (1986); the Golden Lion in Venice for Ivan's Childhood (1962); and was posthumously awarded the Soviet Union's prestigious Lenin Prize. Many of his sequences are iconic, such as the burning house in The Mirror (1975) or the protagonist’s long walk in Nostalghia (1983) as he tries to keep a candle alight. Tarkovsky was also concerned about the aesthetic and moral implications of the art itself, a topic he explored in his most-celebrated book, Sculpting in Time.
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Photography
What is CGI Photomontage?

Discover this method for creating impressive (and often unimaginable) images, as if by magic The initials CGI stand for “Computer Generated Imagery” and refer to any form of visual expression that uses a digital medium: digital photography, analog photography scanner, digitalizations, image banks, and 3D images, etc. Ricardo Salamanca (@ricardo_salamanca) is a designer and art director. He has worked on advertising campaigns that have won awards at festivals around the world. Ricardo describes CGI as “the result you create with an image that has been digitized,” which involves integrating photography shots, 3D images, or takes of actors performing against a green screen, as well as any other image generated using digital means.
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Photography
What Is Location Scouting, and Why Is It Important in Photography?

Photographer Viridiana enlists the main aspects of this pre-production stage Preparation is crucial in all kinds of photography to determine the success of your images. Once you have a concept clear in your mind, it is time to move on to pre-production. This includes finding a place to shoot, in other words, location scouting. Photographer Viridiana (@holaviridiana) specializes in editorial fashion photography, and her work has appeared in magazines such as Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan. Read on as she explains why scouting a location is essential.
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Photography
Turning a Concept Into a Strong Project Statement

Conceptual portrait photographer Verónica Cerna shares tips for turning a concept into a strong project statement Verónica Cerna (@veronica_cerna) is a photographer and videographer who’s had her work published in magazines such as Musée Magazine, Shots Magazine, Better Photography, and Revista Pecado. Verónica started out creating self-portraits and has always been drawn to experimental portraiture. During her teens, she discovered that photography was a way for her to understand herself and take control of her body. She counts Edward Hopper, Ouka Leele, and Gregory Crewdson among the artists she’s been most influenced by. In her Domestika course, she invites you to learn about her process for creating a series of conceptual portraits. In this blog, she shares tips on how to create a concept and convert it into a powerful statement.
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Photography
Domestika Diary: Elaine Li

Art director and photographer Elaine Li shares her process for capturing cityscapes This year, coronavirus has had an impact on nearly every sector, and for industries like travel photography the sudden restriction of movement has come with a unique set of professional challenges. But just because travel is limited doesn’t mean photographers still can’t turn their lenses onto their home cities, finding new ways to capture iconic landmarks. Elaine Li is a Sydney-based art director and photographer who specializes in cityscapes and travel photography. In this Domestika Diary, she explains what lenses she likes to use and takes us on a sunset photoshoot of the Sydney Opera House while sharing tips and recommendations about how to take dynamic shots.
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Photography
What is Visual Storytelling?

Photographer and designer Marioly Vázquez explains why visual storytelling is the best branding ally you can find Social networks were designed to make people connect to each other, but, according to Marioly Vázquez (@cestmaria), the way we use them now can often make us feel more isolated. In this context, how can you get your personal project or brand to truly connect with the audience? Marioly, an expert in creating creative online content, has the answer. Find out what visual storytelling is, how to build your brand, and how to create deep connections with your followers using this technique.
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Photography
5 Essential Books to Learn Composition and Balance

Improve your photo composition skills with a handful of recommended publications Creating an image is not merely putting different elements together. Composition and balance are essential to ensure our photo elements are well placed, effectively structured, and guide the viewer's gaze to the center of our image. Lídia Vives (@lidiavivesphoto) is a photographer specialized in artistic photography and known for her pictorial self-portraits that always hide secrets. Lídia's work has been exhibited in galleries in Spain and Australia and is inspired by the Renaissance's great Italian masters.
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Photography
The Pros and Cons of Photography Work from Home

In the video 'Working from Home', photographers in three different countries relate their experiences of bringing their production into their homes In the second half of September, the US environmental scientist and engineer Gretchen Goldman went viral, with more than 300,000 likes on her tweet graphically portraying the truth of her WFH set up. With just two photos, she shows how she appears working remotely, impeccably dressed (from the waist up) while commenting on a political and environmental issue on CNN. Meanwhile, in the image next to her, we see the environment she really finds herself in during the broadcast: surrounded by children's toys, in a messy room, with a chair for a desk. This has become a common reality for many millions of workers around the world during this pandemic: between 25% and 30% of workers in the United States and the European Union, according to a report by Global Workplace Analytics, a number that could reach 41% by next year, as a study by the consulting firm Gartner predicts. To understand how professionals in a career essentially linked to contact, interaction, and physical presence have adapted to working at a distance, we interviewed photographers from different corners of the world. Among them, the Brazilian Bob Wolfenson, creator of some of the most famous portraits of celebrities, anonymous people, models and personalities of his country; the Hong Kong based Elaine Li, art director and multi-faceted photographer; and the duo Daniel Rueda and Anna Devis (@annandaniel), from Valencia, Spain, whose photos take a fantastical, ironic, and stylish look at the everyday that has earned them almost 900 thousand followers in Instagram. Watch the video below:
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Photography
Be Inspired to Compose Artistic Photos

Carlos Herrejón's references will help you create beautiful photomontages Artistic photo composition, or artistic photomontage, means generating surprising narratives within an image using powerful creative and visual metaphors. The process begins with careful planning and usually involves a great deal of editing. This is Carlos Herrejón's (@carlos_herrejon) specialty. He creates striking photo compositions that work as conceptual fine art:
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Photography
What Are the Types of Photo Lenses and How to Use Them

Find out how to maximize each click, as we explain the difference between macro, telephoto, and fisheye lenses There are a few differences between each of the five most popular photographic lenses that go beyond size and shape. Here are the keys to deciding which lens to use when and improve your photography skills. Fisheye Fisheye lenses have become very fashionable over the last few years and are characterized by minimal focal length (between 6 and 16 mm). This feature allows us to include massive areas of the space photographed with a view up to 180º or more, distorting straight lines. Recommended for: fisheye lenses are for photographers who do not want to capture the world as it appears, but rather as a bright, magnificent, and distorted place. Not recommended for: neutral-toned images without distortion.
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Photography
Hard Light and Diffused Light in Photography

Learn to use light in your photos to achieve the desired effect every time In photography, natural light is the most unpredictable element when we set up for a shoot. Until we are behind the camera, we cannot be sure what type of lighting we’ll be working with, so we need to know how light affects the scene. Zony Maya is a master of this skill. He explains the difference between a hard and a diffused light, and how to use these lighting conditions to achieve incredible pictures.
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Photography
What is a Fashion Stylist and How to Become One

Learn about one of the most desirable and important jobs in fashion today and how to make it your own Clothes are the building blocks of fashion. How we put an outfit together is as important as each individual piece. Whether it’s on the runway, in a magazine, or in our day-to-day life, styling can transform how a person is seen, for better or for worse.
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Photography
A Brief History of Fashion Photography

Join Park Studio’s Carola Rafowicz on a tour of the key moments in fashion photography As a creative discipline, fashion photography has evolved along with photography itself. Changes in the perception of the aesthetic and social functions of photography, as well as technical advances and social changes, have given this discipline its versatile character. Creative director Carola Rafowicz from Park (@parkcreative), an expert in the execution of projects and strategies for brands, production and fashion, gives us a brief account of the most emblematic moments in the history of fashion photography.
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Photography Teacher
Essential Photography Apps

The apps you need for planning, editing, and uploading photos on Instagram
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Photography
Download a Free Adobe Photoshop Lighting Action

Use this Photoshop action to easily and quickly edit your photos Lighting is a very important factor in the work of Carles Marsal (@carlesmarsal). The images he creates are made up of bits and pieces of other imagery, therefore taking into account light and the direction of shadows is vital to the final results. No matter how fanciful and unrealistic the subject may be, the lighting must be realistic. After perfecting his process and working with countless photos, Marsal has automated parts of his techniques and encapsulated them into a Photoshop action that helps him organize layers of light and shadow and create magical photos.
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Photography Teacher
Conceptualization of a Fashion Photoshoot

Learn about the creative development of a fashion publishing house from the photographer's viewpoint
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Photography
5 Resources to Create Beautiful Photomontages

Discover these sites and resources to create high-impact photomontages Photomontage is the composition of different images to create a completely new one; it’s used as much by artists as by advertisers. Here are the best free resources to aid you start out or perfect your skills in this creative discipline, helping you achieve better finishes with your experiments in photomanipulation.
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Photography
5 Essential Photo Retouching Courses for Perfectionists

Photo editing and retouching experts show you how to improve the quality of your photographs Every great photographer knows that to achieve great results, retouching is an indispensable part of the post-production process. If you want your photos to be flawless and look professional, check out these courses, in which five experts share their knowledge to help you reach your full potential. To learn more about each course, click on the title in red. Introduction to Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, a Domestika Basics course by Juan Achiaga This Domestika Basics course will show you how to master Adobe Lightroom from scratch. Learn to organize, store, and edit your photos like a pro. Get to grips with the program’s basic tools, storage, and organization system, as well as the Develop module.
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