FREND.

PHOTOGRAPHY
A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
 thank you!

THANKYOU.
It means so much to us that you have chosen to download our photography guide
and support us. We hope this brings you some of the knowledge you crave.
 A NOTE FROM US.
Many of you have been asking about our various photography lighting setups and what gear we use to shoot with.
We have been blown away by the interest and intrigue so we thought it would be beneficial for you to understand how
we have created some of the photography you would have seen shared on our website and socials.

Most of what we will share in this guide follow basic photography lighting principals and practices. Nothing we do is in any
way ‘revolutionary’ or ‘ground breaking’, the methods we use are also used by many other photographers around the world.

It is important to note that we do not state in any way that our way of means of lighting and our style of photography are
industry leading, nor the most advanced or efficient, these are simply our methods. We believe that being successful
in photography and the art of composition comes down to each individuals ability to create something
effective from whatever means or method they have access to, there is no right or wrong.

What makes our photography unique is simply that we don’t try to be anyone else, we aspire to create a product
that we are happy with and that our client will love. It’s inevitable that we take inspiration from others and
fellow creators but it is vital that we remain unique and true to what we wish to achieve.
CONTENTS.
LIGHTING 5
Types of lighting 6
How to light 10
Hard Light 13
Soft Light 18

COMPOSITION 27
Focal Point 29
Horizon Line 31
Even Crop 33

GEAR 35

POST PRODUCTION 43
Lightroom 46
Crop 50
Retouching 52
LIGHTING.
types OF LIGHTING.
Within all photography, lighting can be classified into two main categories, those being Hard light and Soft light.
These are named after the way in which the light hits the subject and the subsequent shadows it creates.

HARD SOFT
Hard Light is exactly as it sounds, a harsh, direct light which is unobscured by any forms of diffusion. When hard lighting hits the Soft Light is a light that has been diffused from its origin before it reaches the subject. This can be by many means but the
subject, a solid shadow is cast often with a hard edge. This style of lighting is often intense and dramatic as the shadows are most common in the world pf photography is to use a soft box or diffusion box. This helps to distribute the light evenly over the
deep and can cast over other subjects while the highlights are punchy and bright. subject or area and will in most cases nullify any harsh shadows from occurring.

Examples of hard light photography: Direct Sun, Camera Flash, Exposed Bulb, Torch Light, Car Headlights etc. Examples of soft light photography. Sun Behind Clouds, Lamps, Camera Flash with Soft Box, Sun Behind Curtains.
HARD LIGHT

More examples of Hard Light Photography.

SOFT LIGHT

More examples of Soft Light Photography.

TYPES OF LIGHTING cont.
Choosing which method of lighting will dramatically change the outcome of your image. Think about the context of the photo,
who it’s for and who the subject is. Soft light will often give the image a more polished and rounded look whereas hard light, a
more edgy, indie look.

Take a look below at how changing the type of light changes the appearance of the image. Consider the aesthetic you are
going for and how you want the image to be perceived before choosing the lighting method.

PEOPLE FOOD PRODUCTS

Hard Light. Soft Light. Hard Light. Soft Light. Hard Light. Soft Light.
 HOW TO LIGHT.
First things first, every photo you will see in the next steps have been lit using a single light.
Our main objective is to have the most natural looking lighting no matter if we are opting
for a hard or soft lighting setup. What’s the most natural source of light that there is?
The sun and there’s only one of those so in our mind, you should only need
one light to re-create the sun’s light.
UNDERSTANDING SHADOWS
When casting a shadow upon a subject, we should consider the length of the shadow and how it effects the composition.
When placing our light source, the higher the light, the shorter the shadow. The lower the light, the longer the shadow. Short Shadow.

Consider the length of your shadows and how it might effect the composition and other elements in the shot.
Long shadows in a crowded scene can often overlap and block out other subjects i,e a vast dinner table food spread,
whereas with a single product hero shot, a long shadow can look bold and intentional.

This diagram shows how the subject casts various shadow lengths depending on the height of the light.
Medium Shadow.

Height of Light
Long Shadow.

Subject.

Length of shadow cast.

UNDERSTANDING SHADOWS

Short Shadow. Medium Shadow. Long Shadow.

 HARD LIGHT setup.
Our main go-to for light positioning is always to light the subject from the side. Unless we are specifically going for a dramatic
‘back’ or ‘front’ lit shot, lighting a subject from the side allows the shadows to fall in a more natural way to the eye of the
viewer. Think of it like reading from left to right, the image will seem more balanced to the eye when shadows
are cast from the side of the composition.

To emulate direct sun light, we place our light high and far from the subject. If we want to create an early morning
or late evening look, the light should be lowered slightly. If we’re after a mid-day, direct from above look,
we must place the light higher up and angled down.

Remember hard light means to have the light bulb exposed so make sure all coverings and soft boxes are removed.
Be careful not to glare directly at the flash when it goes off as the exposed bulb can be harsh on the eyes.
Should you find that you’re not after the deep shadows that hard light setups can produce, simply
reflect some light back into your shot using a white reflector sheet or alternatively, you could
add another light to the other side of the composition to give some subtle fill.
 Exposed Bulb
Side View.
2.5m Above Ground.

5m to the side, pointing to the side of the subject.

EXAMPLE 1
 From Above.
5m to
the sid
e, poin
ting to t
he side
of the
subject.
Exposed Bulb

Subject

Table

Camera

EXAMPLE 1
 Exposed Bulb
Side View.

2.5m Above Ground.

5m to the side, pointing to the front of the subject.

EXAMPLE 2
From Above.
Curtain Backdrop

Subject
Hand Model

5m
to
the
sid
e, p
ointi
ng
to
the
fro
nt o
f th
es
ub
jec
t.

Camera

Exposed Bulb

EXAMPLE 2
 soft LIGHT SETUP.
Our main go-to for light positioning is always to light the subject from the side. Unless specifically going for a dramatic
‘back’ or ‘front’ lit shot, lighting a subject from the side allows the shadows to fall in a more natural way to the eye
of the viewer. Think of it like reading from left to right, the image will seem more balanced to the eye when
shadows are cast from the side of the composition.

Soft light means to have the light travel through diffusion, in most cases using a soft box. The amount of diffusion you
use will determine the softness of the shadow’s edge. Think of it like the sun filtering through the curtains, the more
layers of curtains you add the light becomes less and less intense. Soft light setups will require the light itself to be
closer to the subject than that of a hard light setup as the light’s intensity is being dulled by the diffusion.

The size of your soft box will make a big difference on the shadow you cast. The smaller the diameter of the soft box
the more channeled the light traveling through is and will therefore cast a stronger shadow. A overly large soft box
will displace the light in a wider area where the depth of the shadow won’t be as strong. There’s no right or wrong way
here, see what style of shadow fits your aesthetic.
 Diffused Bulb

Side View.
1.5m Above Ground.

1m to the side, pointing to the side of the subject.

EXAMPLE 1
 From Above.

1m to the side,
Diffused Bulb pointing to the
side of the Subjects
subject. Table

Camera

EXAMPLE 1
 Diffused Bulb
Exposed Bulb
Directly facing
ceiling.
Side View.
This setup is called ‘bouncing’ and often works best
in a small confined space where perhaps having the
light facing the subject directly is too harsh and the
image appears obviously lit.
2.5m Above Ground.
If the room or space has a light/white ceiling, we can
move our light up close to the height of the ceiling and
point the bulb directly up so when triggered, the light
hits the ceiling and spills evenly across the room.

You can also try this method without diffusion if you

feel the light intensity is not high enough.

EXAMPLE 2
 From Above.
Diffused Bulb
Directly facing ceiling.

Background Wall
Subjects

Camera

EXAMPLE 2
 TECHNICAL settings.
Whenever shooting with an unnatural light source such as a Flash Kit or Speedlite, it’s important to reduce any other
variable lighting that we might have coming into our scene. This could be by blocking out natural light sources with
curtains or scrims or turning off overheads and down lights etc. However whenever this isn’t a viable option for
us we will need to compensate using our camera settings.

The easiest way to do this is to change our camera settings so that if we were to take the same image without triggering
our flash kit or constant light, the image simply appears black or completely void of light. This means that our camera isn’t
picking up any other light sources other than what we will input using our chosen light. To achieve this, lower your camera’s
ISO as well as increase the F stop to ensure the image appears black or almost black. It’s important to remember that
simply increasing the shutter speed will effect the timing of the flash so often this isn’t an adjustable setting for this method.

Toggle your flash kit or speedlite source back on and fire off the same image to see how much light is now being
introduced into the scene. From here it is a matter of trial and error to find the right balance of light. You can
increase the intensity of the light by turning the dial on the back of the kit, or keep adjusting your
camera’s ISO and F stop to compensate if you are happy with the light’s intensity.
 Shutter Speed 1/160 Shutter Speed 1/160
F6 F6
ISO 250 ISO 250

Image 1 Image 2

No Flash Triggered. External Flash Triggered.

Here’s an example of how the same image looks without the introduction of our external light source. This was shot very close to a
window so you can see some natural light spilling in on Image 1 however it’s not enough to effect the result in image 2 as the flash kit’s
intensity overruled any other lighting variables in the scene.
There is no one set-and-forget combination of camera settings that will always apply in flash photography.
There are too many variables in any given scenario for one rule to apply to all however below is what we
tend to find works best for the photography we do.

ISO.
in 90% of our photographs using an external flash, our ISO sits between L (lowest) and 250.
This is because when using a flash, we shouldn’t need to compensate with a higher ISO when we can
simply increase the intensity of the light on the back of the kit.

F-stop
We love to have a crisp image where most elements are in focus. When using an external flash, there is more
than enough light coming into our shot that having an f-stop high and shallow can often appear too bright
where we begin to need ND filters. Our go to f-stop is f6 but our shots usually sit anywhere between f4 and f10.

Shutter
To avoid shutter curtains when using an external flash or strobe, our shutter speed is the one element of the
settings that should probably remain the same each time you shoot. There are of course more advanced
kits out there that allow a much faster shutter speed sync however with entry level systems we find that
1/125 and 1/160 are great to allow for a crisp clean shot on most moving and still subjects.
SLOW SHUTTER EFFECT
This effect is called a slow or drag shutter effect and is achieved by slowing the shutter speed
down to a rate that is drastically slower than the speed of your flash light. The light leaks occur as
a result of either camera movement or if the subject moves after the photo is taken.

As the light is triggered and the camera snaps the photo, the light that is emitted will light the
scene or subject to enable a sharp frame but as the camera’s shutter speed is slower than that of
the light, the camera continues to take the photo after the light has dissipated and the movement
in the frame drags the remaining light with it.

The speed to which you set your shutter will determine how intense the light leaks become. You
may have to increase your F stop to cater for the higher shutter speed as doing this will equate to
a brighter scene.

Our go to settings for these shots were...

Shutter Speed: 1/4

F-Stop: f6
ISO: 400
COMPOSITION.
A BALANCED
IMAGE.
Composing an image ‘correctly’ can’t be judged on one single criteria. Correct
composition is largely subjective however there are some useful rules of thumb that
will instantly make your images appear more pleasing to the eye if applied correctly.

1. Focal Point.
2. Horizon Line.
3. Even Crop.
 1. FOCAL POINT.
The first key to a balanced image is to try to have a clear focal point to the image, a hero of the frame.
Something that instantly draws the eye and takes center stage. This focal point doesn’t always have
to be centered in the frame, it just needs to be intentional and purposeful. The focal point
should always be sharp and in focus, allowing everything else in the composition
to compliment and draw the viewers eye back to the hero.
We can clearly define who and what is the hero in these images. In this image there is no clear focal point. Multiple
The other elements of the shot help to frame the hero and give it further emphasis., elements of the photo take up equal amounts of
space and are all in focus. The eye doesn’t know
to focus on the product, or the hands and the
black bottle in the front of frame is dominating the
composition and is largely irrelevant.
 2. HORIZON LINE.
Another easy and simple way to create a balanced image is to make sure our horizon line is straight
or as natural as possible. If your intention is to create a more intriguing composition with Dutch
angles and obscure points of view, then a straight horizon line might not be what you’re after.
However in general, we want our images to appear natural and balanced to the eye, so a great
way to do this is to ensure our vertical and horizontal lines are perpendicular or as close as possible.
As much as possible we want our horizon line to be at 180 degrees and our vertical lines to be at 90 degrees.
 3. EVEN CROP.
In much the same way that a balanced horizon line appears more natural to the eye, so too does the
effect of an even crop. Cropping or resizing our images is a key part in correcting our composition
before finalising an image and often can change the entire dynamic of the image to make it much
more impactful. An uneven or ill thought out crop to an image can be very uneasy to the
eye and can often ruin the effect of an otherwise great image.
Cropped to allow the hero dish to be centered in Cropped to enlarge the subject and fill the frame Cropped to avoid background distractions such
the frame and remove the edge of the table. to exclude the irrelevant sections of the image. as light and other subjects.
GEAR.
THE million $ QUESTION.
Gear is a tricky subject...

What should I shoot with? What should I use for Lighting? What brand is the best?

It’s all subjective and relative to your situation. You should consider the budget, the type of photo-shoots you
intend to do, logistical means such as storage and transport and also reviews on different models/products.

In this guide, we will provide you with the items we use at FREND and a few alternatives that we would
recommend also. Before committing to purchasing anything you should consider if it is right for YOU.
CAMERAS.
Canon 5D Mark 4 Body Canon R6 Mark 2 Body
-DSLR -Mirrorless
-RRP $3000 AUD -RRP $4000 AUD
-30.4 Megapixels -24 Megapixels

We shoot our photography on a Canon 5D Mark 3. Mirror-less cameras like this Canon R6 Mark 2 are offering a great
This camera model is almost a decade old so although it’s a great alternative to the DSLR models that we have all been used to
camera to use, we would not recommend purchasing on of these in shooting with. Coming in at a slightly higher investment price, these
2023. Canon has a 5D Mark 4 which is much the same however has mirror-less models will certainly pay you back in quality.
a few additional features that help to increase productivity. The R6 Mark 2 is definitely a camera we have our eye on for 2023.
ALT CAMERAS on a budget

Canon EOS 1500D Body Canon EOS 6D Mark II Body Canon EOS 90D Body
-DSLR -DSLR -DSLR
-RRP $700 AUD -RRP $2000 AUD -RRP $1700 AUD
-24 Megapixels -26.2 Megapixels -32.5 Megapixels

Canon EOS R8 Body Nikon Z50 Body Canon EOS R100 Body
-Mirroless -Mirrorless -Mirrorless
-RRP $2500 AUD -RRP $1300 AUD -RRP $1100 AUD
-24 Megapixels -20.1 Megapixels -24 Megapixels
LENSES.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L IS Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART Series
USM Macro
-RRP $1500 AUD -RRP $2500 AUD -RRP $1000 AUD

For our photography we use this extremely Other lenses we have used in the past that are worth investing in are the three pictured above. Being that
versatile Sigma Art Series 2.8 24-70mm they are all prime lenses, you should weigh up whether you have a variable lens that might negate the need
Lens. This Lens allows us to shoot wide for one of these. For us, the 85mm and 100mm lenses here are top of our wish list.
enough for most scenarios whilst also
offering us a great close up/portrait length
of 70mm.

-RRP $2500 AUD

UNDERSTANDING FOCAL LENGTHS.
The length of your lens’ capabilities in ‘mm’ plays a major roll in the look and appearance of your shot. Focal length is first and foremost the scope to which you see
your composition through the lens but it can also change the depth of the shot as the aperture and focal length effect one another.

In layman’s terms, the higher the number in ‘mm’, the more ‘zoomed in’ the lens will be.
In contrast, the lower the number in ‘mm’, the more ‘zoomed out’ the lens will be.

For example, a 24mm lens is considered a ‘wide angle lens’, allowing you to capture open spaces, landscapes and group portraits etc.
A 100mm lens is considered a ‘macro lens’ giving you detailed close ups of small objects or products etc.

Photographer’s Sweet Spot

18mm 35mm 80mm 100mm+
Wide Angle. Macro
Landscapes etc. Insects, plants,
& small objects etc
As len’s are such a costly investment, our advice is to get a versatile lens, one that can do
multiple focal lengths to give you adequate coverage for multiple scenarios.

If you can have from 35mm to about 70/80mm covered, you’ll be in

good stead to shoot just about anything that comes your way.

We call this the ‘Photographer’s Sweet Spot”.

 FOCAL LENGTHS EXAMPLES

24mm 35mm 50mm 70mm 100mm

LIGHTING.
ENTRY LEVEL Advanced

Godox Sk300 v2 Canon Speedlite TT350 Godox AD600 Pro Kit Canon Speedlite EL-5
Approx RRP $200 AUD for 1x light. Approx RRP $150 AUD. Approx RRP $2900 AUD for 2x light full kit. Approx RRP $600 AUD.

A great entry level light and one we have used for the majority of the photography you have Should budget not be an issue, we highly recommend investing in
seen to date is using the Godox SK300 V2 and our speedlite flash is the Godox TT350. the Godox AD600 Pro Kit. This kit is not only extremely reliable
These are both entry level pieces of equipment and if you are serious about getting into and outputs an amazing light for your images but is battery powered
photography and client work, we wouldn’t recommend using these long term. They will both and completely chord free, allowing you to move around sets with
do the job if you are on a small budget however have their limitations. ease.

The Canon Speedlite EL-5 is a much more reliable and high quality
speed-lite than the Godox TT350.
POST PRODUCTION
LAST BUT not LEAST.
Post production is a space where we can really flex our creative muscles and set our work apart from others.
The amount of post production and editing you do on your images is totally up to you. Some photographers
like to do minimal changes/editing, whilst some like to use this stage of the process to really craft,
shape and build upon their images using many different editing techniques. There is no right or wrong.

Ultimately we want to end up with an image that we are happy with.

Here you will see what post production looks like for FREND.
OUR POST
PROCESS.
Each and every time we come to the stage of editing our
images we engage in a 3 step process.

1. Lightroom.
2. Crop.
3. Retouching.
1. LIGHTROOM.
Many photographers use Adobe Lightroom as their primary tool for editing images and
we are no different. It’s by far and away the most effective and user friendly tool to use for
image processing and is the industry standard for most professionals.

If you are serious about getting the best our of your RAW photos, Adobe Lightroom is a
must for your post production process. We can adjust all elements of our image in here
and with the most detailed control. Make sure to be capturing all your photographs in RAW
format to allow Lightroom to get the most out of your image.

There are many other photo editing applications and programs including Adobe Camera
Raw, Capture One and Photoshop etc, however Lightroom continues to be the leading
platform to use for image editing.

Adobe Lightroom requires a subscription to adobe creative cloud.

Some alternatives we’d recommend trying if on a budget.

- Capture ONE
- PhotoDirector Essential
-ON1 Photo RAW
-Apple Photos
USING PRESETS.
A simple way for beginners in Lightroom to utilise the software to your advantage is to
use Lightroom Presets (A pre-determined set of adjustments) that will give you a go-to
look every time you need it. It is vital to remember that presets should always be used
as a base and never as a one-click-fix for all of your images.

Once you apply a preset, often the first things you will need to do is to adjust the white
balance of the image (temp/tint) and the exposure, as these two sliders are likely to be
the most variable from each shoot you do. Once you have reset the white balance and
exposed the image correctly, it is now up to your creative eye to tweak the image to get
the end result you desire.

RAW Edited using a preset in Adobe Lightroom

RAW Edited in Lightroom. RAW Edited in Lightroom.

RAW Edited in Lightroom. RAW Edited in Lightroom.

*all edited using the FREND Lightroom Preset Pack.

FREND.
LIGHTROOM
PRESET PACK.
To help assist our fellow photographer FRENDS, we have saved some of our signature looks as
Lightroom presets for you to download and use for your images.

This Lightroom preset pack includes our top aesthetic looks, each with their own unique mood.
These presets were created from images you have seen on our social feeds, so you can be
sure they’re tried and tested on real-world shots. Each preset is adjustable and customisable, to
allow you to tweak them to suite your style and save hours editing and colour grading.

Including
FREND FOODIE FREND VIVID
FREND INDIE FREND FROSTY
FREND MOODY FREND VINTAGE
FREND PUNCHY FREND DUSKY
FREND NEUTRAL FREND SUNNY

Available through the FREND STORE.

2. CROP.
Linking back to our section on COMPOSITION, the second part of our post
production process is to successfully crop each image to achieve our desired
composition. Most of the time, when we are shooting, we are not shooting the exact
composition that we will see in the final image. Often we need to crop in, give more
space in the frame for our focal point or crop distracting sections of the scene.
Before Crop After Crop Before Crop After Crop

Before Crop After Crop Before Crop After Crop

*all edited using the FREND Lightroom Preset Pack.

3. RETOUCHING.
Not all photographers retouch their images. This is definitely a step extra that you can
apply to your editing process that will take your photos to the next level and give you a
leg up on other photographers in your niche. Often a timely and sometimes mundane
process, retouching our images can often be the difference between a good
photo and a great photo.

There are a many different things we can do when we talk ‘retouching’ however
we are going to go over our main 3.
1. SKIN & BLEMISHES.
Obviously, when it comes to skin and blemishes, there are
certain levels to what we want to achieve.

If you are shooting for a high end magazine or an editorial

piece, often a very highly retouched image would be the goal.

For images of a more casual nature, we just want to clean up

any inconstancies and or blemishes that detract the eye from
the main subject and overall composition.

To achieve this, we open our image inside of Adobe

Photoshop and use the Spot Healing Brush Tool to draw
over the parts we want to remove. The trick is to do this in
small sections at a time to avoid the result looking fake.

Before Retouching After Retouching

2. DUST & DIRT.
This is often the most subtle part of what we do in post
production but trust us when we say it makes a dramatic
difference to your images.

We call this a digital clean up. Essentially we want to remove

any parts of the image that may be of a distraction to the eye.
Any dirt on tables, finger prints on glasses, glints or reflections,
crumbs on fingers, stains on carpets etc. The list goes on.

We want our image to look as clean and as pleasing to the

eye as possible. We use the Spot Healing Brush Tool in Adobe
Photoshop and simply brush away these inconsistencies.

Have patience, this process can be time consuming and

tedious but is a worthwhile practice. Make sure to increase
your photography rates to include retouching if you are
engaging these time consuming steps.

Before Retouching After Retouching

3. DISTRACTIONS.
Sometimes when we are shooting on locations, it can
be hard to avoid certain real-life elements that get in the
way of our shot.

In a situation like the example shown, in order to get

a clean image of the building signage we had to remove
the distracting power lines in post to make this a more
presentable image.

We achieve this by using a combination of the Content-Aware

Fill and the Spot Healing Brush Tool in Adobe Photoshop and
even using some of Photoshop’s new AI integration software
to help change parts of the image we may not be happy with.

The goal with this is not to change the core structure of our
image, more to do away with distracting elements that detract
from the balance of the composition.

Before Retouching After Retouching

A FEW last WORDS.
So there you have it! Our comprehensive guide for how to shoot like FREND.
We hope this guide gave you some valuable insight into our workings and how we achieve
the photos and content that you have grown to love. We would love to know your thoughts
on this Photography Guide so open up a discussion with us on Instagram
messages or shoot us an email at [email protected]
THANKYOU!