How to Reduce Distractions in Landscape Photos

A question to ask yourself before composing your landscape photos is: what's the subject? Having a clear answer to that will help you create good photographs. But there are situations where no matter how you position your camera, some elements in the frame will distract from the main subject. In this article, I share editing techniques you can use to alleviate that problem.

5 Simple and Effective One-Light Setups for On-location Portraits

While many pros working in studios will use complex multi-light setups for portraits, when you are shooting on location, it is often much better to employ a single light that allows you to be a bit more nimble. And with a bit of lighting savvy, you can still create fantastic professional-level portraits. This great video tutorial will show five easy one-light setups sure to help you make compelling images.

What Is Going on With Capture One?

The list of monthly subscriptions photographers are pressured to keep up becomes longer every year. From Dropbox to Pixieset, Adobe to Honeybook, and Shootproof to Fundy, photographers' monthly bills multiply annually. Now, Capture One wants a piece of the pie, and its community is not happy about the announcement.

How a Cool Camera Can Make You a Better Photographer

We often hear about how gear does not matter, and while that is a well-meaning sentiment, the truth is a bit more nuanced than that. In fact, the right piece of gear can actually make you a better photographer. This great video essay discusses why that is and will help you find a little inspiration along the way.

Affordable and Versatile: A Review of the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 AF Lens

35mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most important and popular options out there, equally at home in a huge range of scenarios, including portraits, weddings, events, astrophotography, and more. Premium 35mm lenses can easily run north of $1,500, which makes the Viltrox 35mm f/1.8 AF a breath of fresh air. This great video review takes a look at the lens and if its performance and image quality allow it to compete with those much more expensive options.

Six Photography Books to Add to Your Christmas List

Santa's coming! And for many photography enthusiasts, that means gear! For the luckiest amongst you, it might mean lenses and bodies. Others might be looking forward to a Loupedeck Live or Simplr Strap. That stuff is fantastic, too. For me, though, wedding photography is my job, and I don't ask Santa for gadgets because I buy them when needed. Instead, my family now usually asks: "which book do you want for Christmas?"

A Review of the New DJI Mini 3 Drone

DJI recently released the Mini 3, the latest entry in the company's respected and widely varied line of consumer drones. Despite coming in a remarkably portable package (8.8 oz or 249 g), the Mini 3 still comes with a wide range of modern features and capabilities. This excellent video review takes a look at the Mini 3 and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Beginner's Guide to Luminosity Masks in Photoshop

When it comes to post-processing, one of the most useful tools at your disposal is the luminosity mask, which can help you create more precise and efficient edits. If you have not tried luminosity masks if your work before, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of creating and using them.

A Bit of History About the Golden Ratio and Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is the first thing that is taught about composition in photography. It seems to have some similarities with the golden ratio, but in reality, it’s something completely different. Let’s have a closer look at the history of these so-called rules to get a better understanding.

10 Crucial Tips for Photographing Your First Wedding

Wedding photography is one of the most demanding and difficult genres, requiring strong technical and creative capabilities, the ability to quickly and effectively solve problems, and strong interpersonal skills. If you are getting ready to photograph your first wedding and feeling a bit nervous, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced wedding photographer sharing 10 important tips that will help you to better prepare and ease your nerves.

Affordable and Versatile: A Review of the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 Lens

In the last few years, Tamron has reinvented itself to become one of the most exciting companies in the photography industry, offering a wide range of lenses that are both affordable and rather versatile. Perhaps no lens is more emblematic of that than the 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2, which is both quite cheap and able to tackle a wide range of needs. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Which Is Better for Photography: The Canon EOS R6 Mark II or Sony a7 IV?

While there are extreme cameras out there that offer things like ultra-high levels of resolution or super-fast burst rates, for the majority of photographers, they are a bit of overkill. Cameras with more moderate specifications and features will satisfy the needs of most of today's photographers, and two of the best options out there are the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and the Sony a7 IV. This great video comparison takes a look at both to help you decide which is right for you.

MTV-Era Bio-Series Cinematographer Uses Visual Language to Tell a Story

High School, the new bio-series about indie-pop sensations Tegan and Sara, provides a strong example of how filmmakers can use visual language to help to tell their stories. I had a chance to talk to cinematographer Carolina Costa about her work on the series.

A Camera (Or Phone) For Every Budget

It's the holiday season, and that means that many folks are considering a new camera. That doesn't mean you should run out and by the cheapest DSLR or mirrorless camera, and photographer and YouTuber Tony Northup explains why.

Ringo Starr: The Beatles Drummer Turned Photographer

Many of us know Ringo Starr as the drummer from the Beatles, but did you know he is an accomplished photographer too? I think you may be pleasantly surprised to see what happened when he swapped his drumsticks for a camera.

5 Reasons to Visit Cambodia as a Photographer

Heritage sites around the world are definitely worth seeing for yourself and photographing. A way to start your list is by visiting and exploring Siem Reap.

A Look at the New Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM Lens

Recently, Canon announced the EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera, and alongside it came the RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM lens, the update to one of the company's most popular lenses, the EF 135mm f/2L. As such, expectations are high for the new version. This great review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Impressively Affordable Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II

Samyang has long had a reputation for producing manual focus lenses that are sharp and very affordable, and recently, they have started to add autofocus options, making them viable for many more photographers and situations. One such option is the AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II, which offers photographers the popular combination of a portrait focal length and very wide maximum aperture, all at a price significantly lower than many other options. Can it compete with those more expensive options? This excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect.

How One Photographer Used Continuous Lighting to Photograph Actress Vivica A. Fox

There are several timeless photography debates that are fun to engage in but will probably never be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. There’s film versus digital, zoom lenses versus primes, small compact minimalistic camera versus fully featured monster-sized pro camera, and of course, continuous lighting versus strobe lighting. This article will not seek to determine whether strobes or constant lights are better for portraiture, but we will take a deep dive into how one photographer used continuous lighting on a recent celebrity shoot.

Will We Finally See Sigma Lenses for Canon RF Mount?

Canon has clamped down tightly on the RF mount, disallowing essentially any third-party lenses with autofocus. This has been to the dismay of many photographers who embraced lenses from companies like Sigma and Tamron, which often offered options that were either cheaper or simply not available from Canon itself. At least one company is still highly interested in the RF mount, as recently confirmed by Sigma's CEO, Kazuto Yamaki.

Getting Better Photos When Walking With Your Camera: Part Two

Do you take your camera for a walk? In this second article on that topic, we will be considering why it is good for you and your photography in ways you might not think, why you could leave the telephoto lens behind, and how to improve at photographing animate subjects even with a shorter lens.

Helpful Landscape Photography Advice and Tips

Landscape photography can be tricky, complex, and frustrating, but it can also be tremendously rewarding. If you'd like to improve your own work, check out this excellent video interview that offers a lot of insightful advice sure to help you on your way.

Is This the End of the Stock Photographer?

The demand for images is higher than ever, and yet, the security of many photo jobs is in more peril than ever. One of the hardest-hit genres of the last few decades has been stock photography. Is AI going to kill the genre entirely?

The Biggest Reason Photographers Fail

My quest to become the best photographer I can be has encountered many failures, but if I truthfully examined the reasons why I failed each time, some common elements always seemed to appear. Take a look to see if they might apply to you, too.

A Review of the Canon EOS R7 Mirrorless Camera for Photography

The Canon 7D and 7D Mark II were two of the company's most popular DSLRs, as they offered professionals and advanced amateurs many of the features from higher-level cameras like the 1D series at much more affordable prices. Now that we are in the mirrorless era, the EOS R7 has picked up that torch and has brought with it a huge range of new features and upgrades sure to catch the eyes of a lot of photographers. This great video review takes a look at the camera from a photographer's perspective and the image quality and performance you can expect from it in usage.

Getting Better Photos When Walking With Your Camera: Part One

Walking photography should be a genre of its own; it is the most popular form. There are simple things you can do that will ensure you come home from your walk with better photos than before. This is the first of two articles looking at ways to improve those images.

4 Tips for Taking Your Images From Amateur to Professional

Have you ever seen images and wondered how they create an editorial look that you just can't seem to recreate? It's clean, it's crisp, it may be edgy or sleek... you can't quite put your finger on it, but whatever "it" is, you want it for your work. Here are a few tips, from composition to post-production, that will upgrade your images and give you a more professional look.

A Review of the Fujifilm GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

Fujifilm's GFX line of medium format mirrorless cameras revolutionized the industry by including an array of modern features traditionally reserved for smaller-sensor bodies and putting them all together at extremely competitive prices. Perhaps the most intriguing option of the line is the GFX 100S, which brings the company's best sensor in a body that competes on price with top-level full frame options. This great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from the camera.

What Surveillance Photography Alone Cannot Show Us

As a medium, photography is all about sight. If you can’t see it, you can’t really take a photograph of it. The alternative is, of course, things like art, music, or prose where you don’t need to see something to make something about it.

3 Important Landscape Photography Lessons

Landscape photography is a challenging genre that requires a balance of technical abilities, creative vision, the ability to predict and adapt to evolving conditions, and a lot of persistence. If you would like to improve your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial from an experienced landscape photographer that will teach you some important lessons sure to put you on the right track.

One Year With the Nikon Z9

After a year in my bag, it's time for a recap of the first 12 months with the best camera I’ve ever owned.

What Does It Take to Shoot a Magazine Editorial?

An editorial shoot, like any type of photography, requires a perfect blend of planning and play. Timing is critical, especially when working with a celebrity. In this video, London-based photographer Ejatu Shaw shares a behind-the-scenes look of her shoot with radio host Roman Kemp.

The Truth About Landscape Photography

Landscape photography can become frustrating if you get too focused on results and constantly compare yourself to other photographers. While browsing the web and visiting social media sites, you see countless photos of spectacular sunrises and sunsets. But getting truly awesome conditions is rare, even for those who are pros at planning. Let me share what the reality looks like.

An Effective Technique for Waterfall Photography

Waterfalls are some of the most popular landscape photography subjects, offering the ability to add a sense of motion to otherwise still scenes and to leverage natural leading lines to bring your viewers' eyes through the scene. If you are new to the genre and looking to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you some helpful tips and techniques for improving your waterfall photography.

Why Camera Gear Matters

Photographers love to talk about gear, but there is also a strong contingent of those who believe that all that discussion is a distraction from what really matters. The truth is probably somewhere in-between: gear does matter, and your choice of it can affect your workflow, but it is still the means, not the end. This interesting video discusses the matter and why gear matters.

We Review The Infinite Texture Plugin: With 70,000 Images Files, You Can't Go Wrong

As a digital artist, being able to easily get your hands on overlays and effects for your images can sometimes be a costly experience and, at times, not provide you with enough scope of selections for your edits. One of the plugins I have in my collection is Infinite Texture, which provides a whole host of editing possibilities, from simple sky replacement to more complex edits.

A Practical Beginner's Guide to Aperture

Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the fundamental parameters that helps you create balanced exposures and gives you a ton of creative control over the look of your photos. If you are new to photography and looking to improve your photos, check out this awesome video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of aperture and how to use it to take better control of your images.

The Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2022

2022 has been quite the year for photo gear, with a huge range of impressive camera and lens releases. What has been your favorite? What failed to impress you? This hilarious video discusses the best and worst camera and lenses of the past year.

Is Tagging Your Photos With GPS Coordinates Useful?

I’ve been making a tutorial about the Map Module in Lightroom Classic for the Dutch Photographic community. It can be a lot of work collecting and adding GPS data to your images. Does this information have any use at all, or is it just nice to have?

How to Photograph a Longform Photography Project

As the adage goes, “you have to run before you can walk.” This also applies to photography. Once you’ve learned how to consistently make a good image within your camera, what is the next step?

How to Make Better Sky Selections in Photoshop

Since Lightroom and Photoshop introduced their automatic sky selections, changes to the sky in landscape and architecture photos have become very easy. But, how good are those automatic selections? If you edit photos for web representation alone, they are mostly good enough. But if you intend to print your photos, you might want to improve them, which is what I show in this article.

An Unusual but Effective One-Light Portrait Photography Setup

If you are new to working with artificial light, you might look at some of the complex multi-light setups seasoned professionals use and feel a bit overwhelmed or discouraged. However, you can absolutely make creative, compelling, and professional-level portraits with just a single light, and this neat video tutorial will show you one of the more unusual but effective ways of doing so.