A presentation, a class and a talk to 100+ photographers

I was given 2 days notification to give a 90 minutes presentation to 100+ photographers at Smugmug HQ in Mt View. Despite this being such a short notice, I think the presentation was a major hit !! Check out all the comments below!!!

Tips & techniques to take great family holiday photos

Photographer Michael Soo shares with us, a load of tips on how to take great family photos in the Marc Silber's Tips and Techniques Show! Check it out!

20 photos featured in MAXIM Magazine

I've been really privileged to photograph NFL and NBA Cheerleaders for their swimsuit calendars for the past few years and have always look forward to the assignment. These sessions have produced gorgeous individual portraits and calendar shots. And I’ve had a fabulous time. The cheerleaders are just as nice as they are great-looking, and the energy, from start to finish, is totally positive and fun.

Maybe it was that energy that attracted the attention of MAXIM, the international men’s magazine. I was delighted to learn that 20 of my portraits of the Buccaneers cheerleaders recently appeared on its website. This is huge for a couple of reasons. First of all, Maxim usually features only 1-2 images from a photographer. And second, the Maxim website has content that never appears in the magazine. Because of that, it’s become very popular with masculine viewers around the globe.

In this positive spirit, I want to offer a few tips from my experience in photographing women. These tips work, whether you aspire to appear in a magazine or just want to have a great picture of yourself taken. Here goes:

Tip #1 - Unless you haunt the gym and have amazing abs, never face the camera head on. Always angle your body slightly away. You'll appear slimmer and more buffed.

Tip #2 - Turn your face toward the main source of light, which could be the sun, a lamp, or a bright wall. That will throw some of your face into shadow, which is not a bad thing. This brings me to tip #3.

Tip #3 - Show off your strengths and minimize your weaker points. For example, if you think your face is too large, use the shadow created by the light source to make it seem smaller. You can also use your hair to hide parts of your face. Or, if you have beautiful hands, use them to cover areas you don't want to emphasize. The possibilities are endless.

Tip #4 - Chin up! Yep, your mom was right. Lifting your chin just a bit will give you an automatic face lift and help you look self-confident and happy! Very appealing.

Tip #5 – Forget the camera. It’s not there. Yeah, right, that’s really good advice… The camera and the photographer ARE there, which is why you’re there. So here’s a trick to help you feel and look more natural and relaxed: Use your thoughts to create an environment that you love, like the beach or the mountains, and “go” there. You did that time and time again when you were a kid, and your imagination can serve you just as well now.

- Michael Soo

Tutto for your photoshoots

A bag that I recommend if you are photographing using portable lights, a light stand, battery pack, reflectors and a few other loose equipments. It's a light stand holder, a carry-on lugguage, a battery pack holder, lightstand strap, a sandbag and much much more. No, not affiliated with them but they are quite amazing.

This is a specialized bag that they put together for me. If you want one, call Susan at Tutto and tell them that Michael Soo sent you.