How to Manage Thousands of Photos Quickly With Imagen AI and Lightroom

Culling is an essential part of a photographer’s workflow. However, sorting through thousands of images takes up precious time and focus. This article looks at how AI-assisted tools like Imagen’s Culling Studio help speed things up without losing creative control.

Is This the Best New 35mm Lens?

Viltrox’s new AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB FE lens brings an extra-wide aperture to Sony full frame cameras, letting you blur backgrounds and shoot in dim venues without pushing ISO. That mix of speed and moderate width gives photographers room to frame environmental portraits while you keep distractions melting away behind your subject.

Flash‑Ambient Balance Made Simple

Balancing on‑location flash with existing light sits at the heart of compelling portrait work. Photographers who understand how a slight shift in ambient exposure reshapes mood and subject separation gain tools that make creative intent feel effortless rather than frustrating.

Why Having a Faster Lens Isn’t Always Better

The recent launch of the Fujifilm GFX100RF has stirred quite a debate in the photography community. Many Fujifilm fans were frustrated by the decision to equip the camera with a fixed f/4 lens instead of a faster option like f/2.8 or even f/2. This backlash got me thinking: does a faster lens always make a camera better? And more importantly, does it help us produce a better image? The more I think about it, the more I realize that the obsession with wider apertures might not be that beneficial for visual output, but rather for bragging rights that often overlook crucial trade-offs.

Is the Nikon Z5 II the Perfect Entry-Level Full Frame Camera?

Entry-level full frame cameras can be a fantastic purchase, allowing access to premium image quality without extreme costs. Nikon recently introduced the Z5 II, an update to their popular Z5, offering substantial improvements and features aimed at serious but budget-conscious users.

Discovering New Perspectives With an Ultra-Wide Angle Lens

Choosing an ultra-wide lens can profoundly affect how you approach photography, forcing you to reconsider perspective and composition. Such lenses aren't for every situation, but when used correctly, they can offer dramatic, unique results.

Hands On With the New Canon EOS R50V

Canon’s new EOS R50V has just hit the shelves, and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an early unit to put it through its paces.

Transform Flat Photos With Simple Lightroom Masks

Editing a flat landscape photo to look engaging often feels tricky, especially when the lighting isn't ideal. Lightroom offers powerful tools to address this challenge, making dull scenes vibrant and engaging with careful masking techniques.

Breaking Free From Safe Photography

Finding your unique style in photography isn't about new gear or mastering every tip you read. Your personal perspective and approach matter far more than the latest camera or lighting setup.

The New Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Lens Enters the Ring Swinging!

The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB lens is the second full frame autofocus lens in the company’s flagship line, after the 135mm LAB, which was released in 2024. And, like the 135mm LAB lens, the 35mm continues to raise the bar and offers photographers outstanding quality and performance at a much more affordable price.

Capturing Powerful Photos From Everyday Moments

Taking photos that genuinely capture the feeling of a moment is harder than it looks. You might find yourself in an inspiring new location, camera ready, only to feel disappointed when your pictures don't match what you see.

Is It Really Worth Spending $600 to Import Your Files?

The ingest process is rarely the most glamorous part of being a photographer or videographer. It can often feel like a bottleneck, especially when you're juggling multiple card formats, dealing with slow readers, or fighting a tangle of dongles after a long shoot day. Lexar aims to change that with its Professional Workflow ecosystem, a modular system designed to streamline and accelerate this crucial step.

I got to try all the core components, including the Workflow Docking Station and a selection of its reader and SSD modules, to see if it lives up to the...

Color Spaces: Why Your Choice Matters More Than You Think

Choosing the right color space for your photography workflow directly impacts how vibrant and accurate your images appear. The difference between a stunning sunset with rich gradients and one that looks flat and posterized often comes down to this technical but crucial decision that many photographers make without understanding the consequences.

How Shadows Transform Black and White Photography

Black and white photography creates a unique visual language through its deliberate absence of color. The power of shadows and negative space within monochrome images transforms ordinary scenes into graphic, evocative compositions that engage viewers in a completely different way than color photography.

Maximizing Your Photography Budget: Pro Gear Without Pro Prices

Getting the most value from your photography equipment requires strategic thinking, not endless spending. Smart gear choices can save you thousands while still producing professional-quality images that stand up against those shot with the latest and most expensive equipment.

Affinity Photo 2: A Powerful Lightroom and Photoshop Alternative

Affinity Photo 2 offers powerful editing capabilities at a fraction of Adobe's subscription cost, making it an increasingly popular choice for photographers looking to break free from monthly payments without sacrificing editing power.

Advanced Photoshop Techniques for Perfect Window Views

Getting a clear, balanced view through windows in real estate photography often presents unique challenges, especially when different windows have varying levels of brightness. Tackling this issue effectively can significantly improve the quality of your interior shots, highlighting the property's surroundings without distracting exposure discrepancies.

Is Failure the Secret to Better Photography?

As photographers, we plan our shoots. Anyone photographing outside will check weather, sunrise or sunset times, and try to understand anything else that might impact getting a good image. But do you ever plan to fail?

JPEG vs Raw: Which Format Fits Your Workflow?

The debate about shooting in JPEG versus raw format is familiar territory for most who hold a camera. Understanding their differences isn't about deciding a winner, but rather about knowing which works better for your specific needs as you shoot and edit.

How to Capture Stunning Landscapes in Any Light

Understanding how to use light creatively transforms ordinary scenes into extraordinary photographs. Knowing how to handle different lighting conditions ensures you never walk away empty-handed, even when conditions initially seem less than ideal.

Vintage Lenses for Modern Cameras: A Practical Guide for Photographers

In recent years, some of the world's cheapest lenses have made appearances in the world's most expensive movies. Several scenes in "Batman" (2022) and "Dune: Part Two" (2024) were filmed using re-housed vintage Soviet optics first produced in the 1950s. Surprisingly, these lenses—actually defective copies of optically superior German Zeiss designs mass-produced in Soviet factories—are cheap and plentiful and can be obtained for under $100 apiece. So why are major movies being shot on cheap lenses?

Testing Nikon’s Versatile 28-400mm Lens in the Real World

When traveling, choosing what gear to pack is always a balancing act between capability and convenience. A single lens that covers a wide focal range can drastically simplify your kit, but often at the cost of certain performance trade-offs.

Advanced Photoshop Layer Techniques for Cityscapes

Mastering complex lighting conditions is a crucial skill when capturing city scenes at night. Getting clear, balanced exposures in areas with intense contrast can significantly elevate your final images.

Find Clarity and Direction in Your Photography

Feeling stuck, unsure of what to shoot, is a common issue when you pick up your camera. It’s frustrating and can sap the joy out of photography if you let it linger too long.

Tips for Great Street Photography

Street photography has grown hugely in popularity over the past couple of years. For me, it’s become one of my favorite photography genres because it’s easy to do, a lot of fun, and so accessible. Most of us live in or near a large town or city, so a spontaneous outing is feasible without planning. I like that. And you don’t need a lot of fancy, expensive gear.

Simplify Your Photo Edits With Smarter Masking

Masking is one of those skills that can dramatically change how you edit your photos. Knowing how to manipulate masks effectively can save you a lot of frustration and improve your editing results, especially when the AI selections in Lightroom or Photoshop Camera Raw aren't quite perfect.

Physical Filters vs. Digital Editing: What's Best for You?

Are filters still relevant in landscape photography, or have they become outdated? Deciding whether to invest time and money into filters or rely solely on digital editing significantly affects your photographic workflow and results.

How to Shoot a Cat (and Other Living Creatures)

In my first portfolio review, my critic was drawn to the cat photos, “because I know how hard that is,” he said. I didn’t let on that it’s not so hard. I volunteer at a local shelter and have learned a trick or two. And it turns out that best practices for cats also apply to dogs, horses, birds, and, come to think of it, people.

How Much Camera Automation Is Too Much?

Automation can streamline your workflow, but it also has clear limits. Understanding when and how to use automation effectively can significantly impact your final images.

Unlock the Potential of Your 28mm Lens

Unlike the popular 35mm, the 28mm is often misunderstood or underutilized, but with the right approach, it can significantly improve your photography.

The Challenges of Producing Your Own Photography Book

Creating a photo book involves far more than just selecting images; the practicalities of production, publishing, and shipping present significant hurdles. Understanding these challenges can help you realistically plan your own book project.

My Favorite Luxury Camera Accessory: A Hawkesmill Strap

We like to buy ourselves little luxury indulgences once in a while that make us feel good—something as small as a fancy bar of Swiss chocolate, or maybe a new piece of jewelry or a designer shirt. So my thinking is, why not do that with camera accessories? It makes sense. After all, you’re likely to use your camera more than you’ll wear a shirt, and too much chocolate is bad for you. When I treated myself to my Leica Q2 Monochrom, I did just that. I bought the perfect luxury accessory for it: a Hawkesmill strap, proudly handmade in England.

Mastering the 35mm Lens: Key Composition Tips

The 35mm focal length holds a special place in photography, prized for its natural perspective and storytelling ability. Its strength lies in capturing just enough context without overwhelming or distracting the viewer, striking a balance that feels intuitively right.

Efficient Exposure Control Using Auto ISO

Auto ISO can significantly improve your photography, especially when handling shifting lighting conditions or needing quick adjustments. If used correctly, it helps you maintain consistent aperture and shutter speed settings without constant manual tweaks.

The Art of Creative Photography

Creating powerful photographs often comes down to how deeply you can enter a creative state during a shoot. This state, known as the photography flow state, can significantly improve the quality of your images by letting you focus entirely on composition, lighting, and storytelling elements without distraction.

Photoshop’s Updated Hue/Saturation Tool

Photoshop recently updated its hue/saturation adjustment tool, making it simpler and more intuitive to quickly modify colors in your images. Mastering color adjustment techniques can significantly improve your editing efficiency and image quality, offering precision control without complicated procedures.

How to Precisely Apply Lightroom Gradients

Applying a linear gradient in Lightroom can feel limiting since the effect usually starts strong at one edge and gradually fades out. Here's a better way.

The One-Camera, One-Lens Travel Experiment: Was It Worth the Risk?

The idea of traveling with just one camera and one lens wasn’t something I decided on a whim for my most recent trip to Hong Kong. If I am being honest, it was mainly inspired by Leica’s design philosophy, Das Wesentliche, or "the essentials," when I read about it a few months back.

Saramonic K9 Review, Wireless Audio For True Audio Professionals

A few weeks ago, I tested the Saramonic Ultra against the Rode Wireless Pro and DJI Mic 2 — and to my surprise, the Ultra held its own, even outperforming in a few key areas. But what if you need something more professional? The Saramonic K9 is the answer.

Nikon's New 135mm f/1.8: Worth the Premium?

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens has sparked considerable attention for its high-end optics and build quality. It's an attractive choice, particularly if you specialize in portrait photography.

The Key to Sustainable Wedding Photography Marketing

Marketing a wedding photography business differs greatly from marketing other businesses. Weddings involve high emotion, significant expense, and one-time events, making client trust and connection crucial.

Simplify Your Scenes for Stronger Photos

Minimalist photography challenges you to see landscapes differently, stripping away complexity to highlight the simplest, most essential aspects of a scene. It's a style that demands thoughtful observation and a willingness to slow down to uncover quieter, more intimate perspectives.

Master Manual Mode With These Outdoor Portrait Tips

Learning to shoot in manual mode gives you greater control over your photography and helps you understand how to adapt to various lighting conditions. Mastering this skill is particularly valuable for outdoor portraits using natural light since you have to constantly adjust settings to match changing circumstances.

How to Use Color Theory to Improve Your Photography

Color impacts your photography more than almost any other factor. It shapes the mood, guides the viewer's attention, and can determine whether your image resonates emotionally or feels disconnected.

Unlocking Better Outdoor Portraits With a Beauty Dish

Using a beauty dish in portrait photography is often misunderstood or avoided because of misconceptions around harsh lighting and challenging shadows. Yet, mastering this lighting tool can elevate your outdoor portraits significantly, creating a natural, defined look that large, soft modifiers can't replicate.