Tricks to Making Your Clients Look Thinner in Photos

I spent almost a week asking other photographers how they make their clients look thinner in photos. I typed it up at my website:  http://www.danggoodphotography.com/blog.html

Please visit it and let me know if you have anything to add or any comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Written by Linh Dang

Five "Musts" for Stunning Portraits

Must #1: Know the fundamental concept of “Exposure Triangle”. 

Must #2: Know that it’s NOT the camera that takes great photos; it’s YOU, the photographer. 

Must #3: Know the correct poses for each body type.  

Must #4: Understand Lighting and Shadows.

Must #5: Keep a Photography Journal.

I wrote in detail of the five "MUSTS" for stunning portraits on my website blog: www.DangGoodPhotography.com 

Please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks for visiting!


Written to bless you by Linh Dang {Photographer, Artist, Writer}
Founder of Freedom Collage

Finding Your Niche

As artists, we are always trying to find something that will make us different from the rest. Once we claim that Jesus is our God, His Blood makes us holy and clean again. Holy means to be set apart; which means we are already different from the rest. All we really need to do is follow the passion God has already placed in us and we will create that niche. 

In the meantime, below are a few ideas to get the creative juice flowing. When I plan on painting, making a collage, creating a monoprint or preparing for a photo shoot, I do the following:

1.  I pray and ask God to guide me, guide my hands and my eyes. I want to see what He sees.
2.  I study other people’s work for the technical side of it. Why does this piece appeal to me? What is     different about it compared to the others? If I don’t know, I ask God to help me understand.
3. I visit sites like Pinterest, ShutterStock, istockphoto to see what people like and what is considered good.  There are a lot out there; you just need to see which site suits your style best.
4. On days I don’t have a photo shoot scheduled; I take my camera with me and force myself to stick with a theme. The theme can be anything: taking photos of walls, doors or windows.  I love shadows, so I had a day where I only took photos of shadows.  I shoot what I love; it is more fun and less stressful that way. And I don’t worry about messing up; it’s part of the learning process.
5.        I shoot with my heart, eyes and ears open to/for anything.
    

      Written to bless you by Linh Dang {Photographer, Artist, Writer}

Founder of FreedomCollage

Ways of a Secure Woman

With this new business, I got a little insecure and worried that people won’t like my work. So, I got a book by Beth Moore, “So Long Insecurity”. 

 Below is what I learned. I hope this blesses you.

The Grace of God forms us completely so there shouldn’t be any insecurity in us. God won’t force security on us. It’s up to us and God to be set free of insecurity. Insecurity does not improve or help us with anything. Insecurity is unbelief. We don’t believe God is who He says He is and that we are not who He says we are. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges us to live a life worthy of all calling. We have a calling on our lives! We are supposed to be set aside from the others. We are meant to be free and secured. Grace is to form us completely new.

Victory or Defeat resides in the mind. (Isaiah 43:18-19) We need to memorize scriptures so we can be free. (Ephesians 4:22)

There are five statements that describe a secure woman. To be secure:

1. We are saved from ourselves. Insecurity is narcissistic. The word insecurity itself means = A human being curved in upon self. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, It’ll go up and out instead of curving back to ourselves. Insecurity is a form of pride. And God hates a prideful person. We are loved and valued by god. Security will make us think less often of ourselves and more about how we can reach out and help others.
2. We get to know Truth and walk out Truth. Truth is Jesus. The more we live withdrawn from God, our hearts become darker and we come addicted to things (i.e. alcohol, gambling, bad relationships) many try to manage strong hold instead of just being free. We desire bad things because we believe in the lie (If I can have this, be this, obtain this, then I will be… ) This is a lie. The truth is that when we are in Christ, we are set free of all this. We are able to walk knowing that we are already valued. Jesus values us with a value we can’t even fathom. The One who thinks we are valuable is not only the most powerful, but is also the most generous in the Universe. With God, nothing is impossible. We have nothing to fear, and we should not be insecure.
3. We are clothed with intention. Proverbs 31:25, clothed with dignity and strength. Every day of our lives, we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. We are made new every day. We have to be intentional that we will walk as a new person in Christ every morning. When we are filled with God’s Presence, insecurity has no room to stay. Once we have a strong focused mind, we will be dangerous for God. Christ is the greatest adventure of life. Once we give our life completely to God, we will have the greatest outcome. We will have a security we can’t even imagine. There is no high like the Most High.
4. We are rebound by Love (Ephesians 4:32 - Eph. 5:2). Living a life of love as the dear beloved child of God. We need to be imitators of God, then we will be able to love others even when they don’t love us back. Luke tells us to “love even our enemies”. Everything we do always come back to love.
5. We are exceptional in life because we are created by God. We matter and we are significant, because we belong to God. As His daughters, when the secular world looks at us, they need to say, “Wow! No one can handle that, except you, [put your name here] ! Every woman is threaten by others, except you, [put your name here]. No woman was nice to me, except you, [put your name here] . No woman handle aging well, expect you, [put your name here].” Now that’s what it means to be exceptional!

Go memorize Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Every time I feel insecure about my work, I read the 5 statements above, then I pray for God to fill me up and use me as His vessel. We do our best work when we are free to be us and to show the love and truth that God has given us.

Written to bless you by Linh Dang {Photographer, Artist, Writer}

Founder of FreedomCollage

The Last Time I Saw Your Face

I believe I have always been spiritual. Most Asians are. Spirits and superstitions were engrained in my DNA since the day I was born.

On the morning I arrived to earth, my grandmother spat in my face, “Pah, a girl. She is so ugly! Look at that pale skin, not even a mother could love that. Who will want to take her off our hands?” Grandmother asked the servants in the room with a façade of disbelief.

“A girl; is it worth sending words to my husband? Should we call him from the war so he can come look at her? It’s not a boy. I don’t want to waste his time.” My mother said in her weak nineteen-year-old voice.

My father, a soldier on the American side, was fighting his own people for freedom in Vietnam. 

Four days after my birth, my father snuck back from the shooting and blown bodies to hold a new life in his arms. Through the night, he held me as he stared at my face until it was twilight. To increase his chance of survival, he left when the sky was pitch black, when it was hard to see the silhouette of a person walking into the jungle. 

That was the last time he held me, the last time he saw my face, the last time he called my name.

Written by Linh Dang

FREE Organizing Template for the Business Woman

I created an organizing template for women who have a job, but also want to start their own business.  If you want the pdf version, please write to linh@danggoodphotography.com and I will send it to you.

I hope this blesses you.

Created by Linh Dang {Photographer, Artist, Writer}
Founder of FreedomCollage

Passion is Beauty

'The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy’ by Yves Saint Laurent.  I couldn’t agree more. Jesus wants us to be passionate for life and for the things we do. Either be hot or cold, but don’t be lukewarm. When you come up with an idea, make that decision to give it your all.

Besides, loving Jesus, part of my passion is photography.  I give my photography business a good chunk of my time. It is still at the beginning stage, but I need to make it a success and the only way to do that, I have to be passionate about what I do. Part of that means taking workshop from the photographers I admire. 

Recently, I took a workshop on producing magazine quality photos with striking poses and Photoshop. Then, I took another workshop on special effects to make the photos look extremely interesting.

Yesterday, I met with one of the models and she told me a modeling agency likes my work. They want to print the photos I took of her and asked if I would consider working with their models. I am really excited! 

Today, I want to share what not to wear in a photo shoot:

• Busy patterns. It can make you look like you weigh more and it’s distracting to the eyes.

• No pure white: This causes glare and can make you look washed out.

• Avoid BIG logos, shirts with wordings, BIG numbers: These are all distracting. Modeling agencies want to notice you, so you shouldn’t compete with your shirt for their attention.

• In group photos, make sure everyone color coordinates, so the focus is on the family instead of the one person who has the odd color out of the whole group.

• Bring props, your favorite hat, jewelry, shoes, umbrella, etc.  It makes the photo interesting and fun.

Okay, leave a comment if you have anything to add or if you just wanted to say hi!

Written by Linh Dang {Photographer, Artist, Writer}

Founder of FreedomCollage