How to Blend Ambient and Artificial Lighting

Using natural or artificial light is not always a binary choice; often, you will want the two to complement each to produce a more balanced overall photo. If you would like to make your lighting skills more versatile, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to blend ambient light with flash for portraiture work.

The Best Wireless Headphones in 2022

I purchased the eight most popular noise-cancelling wireless headphones to find the best one. Sadly, there isn't a single set that is clearly the "best," but I can help you choose your next pair wisely.

Learn How This Landscape Photo Was Edited

In general, landscape photography is a two-step process, shooting the photo and polishing it through the editing process. As such, your skills at the computer need to be as finely honed as those behind the camera. This excellent video tutorial will show you the process of taking an image with a lot of potential and turning it into a compelling final photo through the power of editing.

Why Most Photographers Should Turn This Lightroom Setting On

Lightroom has more than one way of keeping tracking of the edits you make to your images, and the various methods have pros and cons that you should be aware of as your catalog grows. This helpful video discusses the usefulness of XMP files and why you should consider using them.

A Unique Element in Your Photography That Only You Can Bring

When we create a photograph, there are things we can do to change it from being mundane to interesting. Here are some of the most important aspects of composition and the one unteachable factor that is exclusively yours to discover.

What Photos Can You Create With a Kit Lens?

Photo gear is quite expensive, and tricking out your kit can be a serious hit to your bank account. And yet, we often chase that next new piece of gear in the hopes of getting better image quality. And while new equipment can do that, you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish with basic equipment. This great video shows you the fantastic photos you can create using nothing more than a kit lens.

How to Create Subtle Light With Off-Camera Flash

When you think of using artificial light for portrait photography, you might think of it being a calculated, obvious aesthetic, but often, using flash is more about creating a subtle, understated effect that makes your images more balanced and well exposed. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use artificial light to create an elegant effect for an eye-catching photo.

How to Combine Focus Stacking and Exposure Blending for Better Photos

I have already written two articles about focus stacking here. The first article dealt with how I use automatic focus bracketing in the field, and in the second article, I shared my focus stacking workflow in Helicon Focus. To provide you with even more tools, I now show you how I combine focus stacking with exposure blending.

Which of These Wide Angle Zoom Lenses Is Right for You?

A wide angle zoom lens with an f/2.8 maximum aperture is useful for a wide range of applications, including wedding photography, landscape work, astrophotography, and more. Such lenses can be quite expensive, however, often going for north of $2,000. Both Tamron and Sigma offer much more affordable options, however, and this excellent video comparison takes a look at both to help you decide which is right for your work.

How to Get Photo Credit

Millions of photos are uploaded each day, but we don't know who took them, unless they are properly credited. With proper credit, you can actually book more jobs, and it's a remarkable way of expanding your network.

A First Look at the New Canon EOS R7 and R10 Mirrorless Cameras

For the first few years of the RF mount, Canon released only full frame mirrorless cameras, but now, both the EOS R7 and EOS R10 offer APS-C options for photographers who enjoy the extra reach and more affordable price of a crop sensor camera. If you are considering either of the cameras for your own work, check out this great video review that takes a look at both models and the performance and image quality you can expect from them in use.

Understanding the Value in Pursuing Personal Projects

Photographers are creators. As creatives, we have something to say. Photography, as a medium, can capture a mood or a message as powerfully as words, music, paintings, and sculptures. Embarking on a personal project is the perfect opportunity for a photographer to convey their message without the influence of any client concerns.

A First Look at the New MacBook Air

Apple recently announced the new MacBook Air, which brings with it a range of notable new features and improvements, including the company's latest SOC, the M2. This great video takes a first look at the new computer and everything you can expect from it in real-world usage.

Are You Too Rigid in Your Landscape Photography?

Because we can't control the light or conditions in landscape photography, it is quite important to plan ahead to ensure that the time of day and weather will be right for the photos you want to create. However, as important as that is, it is also crucial that you be willing to stay flexible if an unexpected opportunity arises or the weather is not cooperating. This great video discusses why being overly rigid can be detrimental to your work.

A Lightroom Killer? We Review Gemstone Photo Editor 12

If the Adobe subscription package is pulling at your budget, perhaps this single payment editing software can give you everything you need, plus more. With so much other software out there, what makes this one any different? In this article, we'll focus solely on the raw editing capabilities of the software to see if it is the answer to your subscription deal.

An Effective One-Light Setup for Portraits

If you look at the work of professional portrait photographers, you will probably notice that they often employ multi-light setups to achieve their desired looks. And while those are useful, you can absolutely create professional-level photos with a single light, and this helpful video will show you what you can accomplish with one.

How Good Is the New Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G Mirrorless Lens

Sony's E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G is one of the newest lenses from the company, and even though it comes in a portable package and does not cost that much compared to comparable options, it packs in it a lot of nifty features for photographers and filmmakers alike. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

4 Mistakes Photographers Make Editing Landscape Images

Most landscape photographs require at least some degree of post-processing to produce a complete image, and as such, you need to be comfortable with your skills not only behind the camera but at the computer as well. If you are working on improving your landscape image edits, check out this excellent video tutorial that discusses four mistakes photographers make in the post-processing stage and how to fix or avoid them.

How To Be an Artist in an Ever-changing Marketplace

The things that help us survive in life are often the same as those which help us survive in business. And when you make your living from your art, survival in business can feel a lot like life or death.

How Good Is the Affordable Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 Lens?

The wide-aperture 85mm lens is one of the most popular out there, especially among portrait and wedding photographers. However, a good 85mm lens can often be quite expensive. The Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 bucks that trend, though, and it looks like quite a nice bargain. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Should You Use Teleconverters for More Reach?

On the surface, teleconverters seem like a fantastic way to help a lens pull double duty by allowing you to extend its focal length for a lot less than it would cost to buy another entire lens. While they can be quite useful, they also have some drawbacks you should be aware of before you buy one. This helpful video will show you their pros and cons as well as some other options to help you decide the best approach for your work.

Here’s Why You Need To Invest in This AI Photo Editing Software

AI retouching software is becoming increasingly more popular among photographers. The key benefits are that these kinds of software perform complex tasks quickly and to a relatively high standard. This effectively saves a great deal of time, and it's that time benefit that can end up being extremely valuable.

The Ugly Truth About Iconic Places in Landscape Photography

There is nothing better than being out in nature, inhaling all the mood out there, deciding on the best possible camera position, and enjoying landscape photography. But what if there are 25 other photographers beside you so that it becomes difficult to move just 20 inches to the left or right without disturbing another photographer?

A First Look at the New Fujifilm X-H2S Camera and XF 18-120mm f/4 R LM PZ WR Lens

Both the Fujifilm X-H2S mirrorless camera and XF 18-120mm f/4 R LM PZ WR lens are impressive new devices from the company, and so far, it looks like they will be quite popular with many photographers and filmmakers. This excellent video takes a first look at both the camera and lens to give you an idea of what you can expect from them in practice.

A Beginner's Guide to Using Polarizing Filters for Better Photos

There are two fundamental lens filters in photography, the ND (neutral density) filters and the polarizing filter. While the ND probably gets a bit more usage, the polarizing filter is quite useful as well. This great video tutorial will show both why and how photographers use polarizing filters to improve their images.

Images You Can Create From Your Own Bedroom

If you hop on Instagram or the like and click on a landscape photography hashtag, you are likely to see mostly scenes from famous locations, often in distant and remote regions. And while there is a reason so many people shoot at those locations, they are not the only worthwhile places. In fact, as this great video shows, you can create fantastic photos even from your own bedroom.

5 Simple Mistakes You Need to Avoid as a Photographer

Photography is a complex thing that takes a combination of technical skill, creative vision, and (if you are a professional) business savvy to find success, making it easy to fall prey to traps that can derail you along the way. Here are five subtle mistakes photographers make that can negatively affect their experience, images, or careers.

How to Create Natural Light in Studio

It might seem strange to work in a studio only to use it to replicate the look of natural light, but it is a classic style that can be quite effective for a wide range of applications. This useful video tutorial will show you the technique behind creating the look as well as some helpful tips you can use to make it your own.

A Beginner's Guide to Street Photography

Street photography can be a very challenging and intimidating genre, particularly when you are a beginner, but if you persevere with it, it can seriously benefit your skills across quite a few genres. If you are new to the genre and unsure of how to tackle it, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to head out and get started shooting.

Ideas and Tips for Photographing at a Fairground

Photographing at a fairground can be fun to do. It’s a fun place to go to, with lots of people, bright lights, and action. It can also provide some challenges for capturing great photos. I have some ideas and tips if you plan on photographing at a fairground.

Canon Patents Two More Interesting Lenses

Canon has had the pedal to the floor when it comes to lens development for the last few years, and it seems they have no intention of stopping. Two new patents have emerged that show two more extreme lens designs, both based on respected DSLR lenses.

How to Use a Reflector for Shaping Light for Portraits

A reflector is one of the cheapest and most effective tools for shaping lighting for portraiture, and it can easily replace the need for another light in a lot of scenarios. If you have not been taking full advantage of your reflector or you are new to working with lighting, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to use one for portraiture work.

A Review of the New Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G Mirrorless Lens

The Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G is one of the company's newest lenses, and despite its small size and relatively affordable price, it brings with it a huge range of features that make it desirable for both photographers and filmmakers. If you are a photographer interested in the lens, check out this fantastic video review that takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in stills applications.

Savage Sports Photography

How do you get “the shot”? The saliva spewing out, as a fighter gets the decisive knockout blow. The sprinters desperately leaning forward in to gain the winning inch as they cross the finish line. The water tracing the swimmer's face as they come up gasping for air. Sporting events happen so fast, and even if you make the most of your camera's impressive burst rate, it takes a lot more to nail your sports photos. These are three pillars I always lean on to create savage sports imagery.

A Beginner's Guide to Using Aperture to Take Control of Your Photos

Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the three fundamental exposure parameters that give you technical and creative control of your images, and mastering it is crucial to growing as a photographer. If you are new to photography and a bit perplexed about how aperture works, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know.

The Good and Bad About Nikon Cameras and Lenses

Though it seemed doomed to linger behind Canon and Sony for a while, Nikon has made some serious steps forward in the mirrorless realm in the last year or so, and it seems full frame is a three-horse race once again. So, where does the company stand right now? This interesting video discusses the good and bad of Nikon's camera and lens lineup at the moment.

Not All Color Calibrators are Created Equal. See Why.

Being a commercial photographer working on ad campaigns, I pay a lot of attention to color. From image capture to the final result, color plays a significant role in my work. The tools I use for color, by all means, determine the quality of the result.

Tricks for Masking in Adobe Lightroom

I've never been a huge fan of photo editing in Lightroom. In the past, I used it to organize my photos and for basic raw processing. But since the introduction of the new masking feature, I do a large part of my post-processing in Lightroom. Here, I share two videos, in which I show how I use Lightroom masks.

3 Basic Flash Techniques Every Portrait Photographer Should Learn

When you are new to working with artificial light, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to balance all the technical and creative aspects while also posing your subject and controlling the camera. If you are a beginner and looking to improve, check out this great video tutorial that will show you three flash techniques every portrait photographer should know how to employ.

A Look at the New Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens

Sigma's latest lens is the 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary, and it offers the versatility of a wide angle zoom with a wide maximum aperture at a price that significantly undercuts typical first-party offerings of the sort, making it an intriguing option for many photographers and filmmakers. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

5 Reasons to Consider Converting a Photo to Black and White

Converting an image to black and white is one of the most fundamental yet powerful editing techniques, but there are no hard and fast rules that dictate when you should do so. If you struggle with knowing when to edit a photo in black and white, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you five things to consider when deciding whether or not to do so.

Is it Time To Show the World Crime Scene Photos of Gun Violence Victims?

Buffalo, New York. Uvalde, Texas. Tulsa, Oklahoma. A month ago, none of these towns would have been in the news for anything remarkable, but now, they have all shared headlines for the same reason: each has had a mass shooting, all within the last month. And each time, we never actually see what the carnage looks like. Is now the time to change that practice?

A Review of the Powerful Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a1 is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive cameras ever released, with features and capabilities that allow it to tackle just about any photo or video situation you could conceivably throw at it. This fantastic video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in a range of real-world scenarios.

Did B&H Just Leak New Apple Products?

Everyone's favorite camera store, B&H in NYC, has built placeholder product pages for Apple products that are supposed to be announced tomorrow. Is this actually a leak or are they simply preparing for any products to be announced?

Think Outside the Box With Luminar Neo

Now in its seventh year and incarnation as Luminar Neo, Skylum's editing software can fit the needs of some photographers as a standalone app or as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom. But what if you want to push the limits of your creativity with it? That's when you have to think outside of the box.

10 Great Wedding Party Poses

Group photos and video of the wedding party are some of the most shots you will need to get at a wedding, but posing a mass of people under significant time constraints can be a real challenge, even for experienced creatives. If you would like to learn about posing wedding parties, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you 10 effective poses sure to take some of the pressure off of you and help you make compelling images.

Can the OM System OM-1 Mirrorless Camera Compete With Full Frame Flagships?

The OM System OM-1 sets a new standard for micro four thirds cameras by offering features and capabilities that help it compete or even exceed those of APS-C and full frame options. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.