How I Shot the Cover of Rolling Stone: Year Three

To read about this journey from the beginning, start here. [Note: I have not yet photographed the cover of Rolling Stone! But by the time this blog series is finished, I will have photographed the cover] Year three was the year I finally moved to Manhattan. I moved from my apartment with three roommates in Brooklyn to […]

Installing Presets in Lightroom 5

Installing Presets in Lightroom 5 Mayra (QUESTION): [A photographer] gave me his presets but I don’t know how to install presets. Phillip Van Nostrand (ANSWER): I can tell you how to install presets: 1) Click on Lightroom>Preferences>Presets 2) In the middle of the screen it should say “Show Lightroom Presets Folder.” Click on that. Phillip Van Nostrand […]

Two ways to charge for your services

Terra (QUESTION): Can we discuss a price list and what I should charge for services like family sessions, family parties, individual portraits, and a friend’s underground band wants me to do a shoot for them as well? Phillip Van Nostrand (ANSWER): For all of those things, you have two options: one is easier to do and the […]

The Biggest Photography Mistakes You Can Make

Lauren (QUESTION): What are some of the biggest photography mistakes you see photographers making, both business-wise and skill-wise? Phillip Van Nostrand (ANSWER): I think a big waste of time that I see people doing is playing around with edits a lot, trying vignetting, or vintage edits, playing with contrast, etc. I kinda wish someone had told me to […]