8 Tips for Taking Photos at the End of the Earth

I recently wrote a piece for Bradt Guides' Travel Club offering tips on how to get the most out of a trip to the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. I, for one, am feeling serious withdrawal from travel. If you're planning a trip to Antarctica or love landscapes and wildlife, climb aboard.

Capture One 22 Brings New Features and Faster Speeds

Capture One has become the image-editing software of choice for a ton of professionals. Not only does it have some of the best color-editing abilities of any software, but it is also one of the best when it comes to speed and performance. But with Capture One 22, things just got even better.

On1 Announce the Release of On1 Photo Raw 2022.1

This major midterm upgrade to On1 Photo Raw brings more exciting and unique features that will certainly win it more converts from other asset management, raw development, and editing software programs

Lightroom’s Evolved: 3 Things New and Veteran Users Should Consider

Lightroom was one of the first serious photo-editing tools I used when I was getting started with photography, and it’s still a mainstay of my editing workflow. Whether you’re new to Lightroom or a veteran user, there are several unique considerations of the software: some are quirks of the program, while others are more recent changes that can impact your established workflow.

Why Can’t Photo-Editing Software Do This One Simple Thing?

Artificial intelligence is bringing incredible advances for photographers, from relighting portraits and making people smile, to cleaning up skin and swapping out skies. However, photographers everywhere would beg developers of photo-editing software to harness deep learning to create one simple tool.

How to Deal With Flat Light in Landscape Photography

In some genres, flat, even light can be a real boon for the photographer, but in landscape photography, it can rob a scene of the drama created by the interplay between light and shadow and the natural contrasts across the frame. That does not mean you can't create great images in flat light, though. This excellent video tutorial will show you what you need to know.

Is This 50mm Lens Worth the Upgrade?

50mm lenses run the gamut from under $100 to well over $1,000 and everywhere in between. Almost every new photographer is told to buy one of the budget options, a nifty fifty, but this lens offers a bit of an upgrade in performance and image quality without flirting with the stratospheric prices of top-shelf options. Is it worth the bump in price? This great video review takes a look.

What Actually Makes Us Better Photographers

All of us want to be better photographers, and it seems like the internet is overflowing with methods that claim to help you do that — some legitimate and some not. That being said, there are some dangerous rabbit holes you can go down in this pursuit of improvement, particularly when they involve your wallet. This excellent video essay features an experienced photographer providing a good reminder of what really matters when it comes to becoming a better photographer.

The Thing That Kills Good Photos

It takes the meeting of several factors to create a good photo, and the absence or poor execution of any one of them can often derail the entire image. Some of these factors are obvious, but some can sneak up on us, often not noticed until we are back at home to examine our shots on our computers. This great video essay discusses one of the tricker factors and what you can do to get it right.

What Is Bracketing and Why Is It So Useful?

Modern cameras are incredibly powerful tools, but there are still limitations to what they can do, some imposed by the current state of technology and some forever imposed by the laws of physics. That does not mean you are simply out of luck, though, as there are ways to work around these limitations. Often, this is done via bracketing, and this excellent video tutorial will show you some of the different kinds of bracketing, why they are valuable, and how to use them.

A Look at the Highly Affordable Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 Lens

Few lenses are more classic than a wide-aperture 85mm, which is often the preferred choice of portrait photographers. Nonetheless, a good 85mm lens can be awfully expensive. There are some quite affordable options out there as well, with one such example being the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8, and this excellent video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Nik Collection 4.3 Offers 35 New Nature-Related Presets

I'm a long-time user of Nik Tools, and the suite of filters and presets has been advancing rapidly since DXO took the software over in 2017. There are tools to create a variety of monochrome looks, perspective corrections, sharpening, HDR renders, analog and film replication effects, color adjustments, noise reduction, and sharpening. Now, DXO is offering version 4.3 with 35 new presets, most useful to landscape photographers.

Partial Eclipse, Partial Results

November’s astronomical events led me to plan for a week-long marathon astrophotography session. The catch was that it had to be around the full Moon, normally a frustratingly unproductive time for astrophotographers.

A Look at a Camera That Inspires You to Get Out and Shoot

Some cameras are designed to be pragmatic tools, meant to reliably get the shot without fuss no matter what situation you throw them into. Other cameras put form first, offering stylish designs meant to inspire your creativity. It is a rare camera that does both equally well. This excellent video review takes a look at one such camera and why it will make you want to go out and shoot with it.

How to Trick the Eye While Also Fixing an Obliquely Taken Image

Some discoveries in life are intentional and some are just happy accidents that work out in ways we never anticipated. I rely on the Transform tool in Lightroom to correct lines and perspectives, but I learned that it can completely change the look of an image to add interest and trick the eye of the viewer.

A Review of the Irix 30mm f/1.4 Dragonfly Lens

Irix has created a name for themselves by manufacturing manual focus prime lenses that are rugged, affordable, and quite sharp, making them a compelling option for any genre where autofocus is not a requirement. This excellent video review takes a look at one of the company's newer lenses, the 30mm f/1.4 Dragonfly, and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

The Secret That Makes You a Better Photographer

It is not difficult to get an okay shot as an advanced photographer. The problem is not seeing the things that would bring your photography even up to a world-class level. What if I would tell you that there exists a tiny subgenre in photography that makes not only most of the things you have to improve visible for you but also makes you a better photographer in all genres of photography?

How to Change the Background of an Image Using Photoshop

Changing the background of an image convincingly is about a lot more than simply creating a precise mask for your subject and dropping in a new backdrop. It takes the ability to accurately evaluate and match things like lighting, color, perspective, depth of field, and more. If you are wondering how to do all those things, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to convincingly change the background of an image using Photoshop.

Using a 4K UHD Projector for Cinematography

As all facets of technology take large, confident strides forward, there are many unintended synergies and applications between them. One example of this, which is still relatively new to being viable, is using a projector as a background for photography and videography.

Enjoy Calming Fog Sunset Photography With the Sony a1 and 35mm Film

For many of us, 2021 has been no better a year than 2020. Take a break, and rise above the fog with this incredible video from Michael Shainblum, as he captures long exposures, time-lapses, and film images from high above the clouds in San Francisco.

How to Be a Happier Photographer

Whether hobbyists or professionals, we all became photographers because we enjoy the process of creating images and sharing them with the world. But often, somewhere along the way, things go awry, and we end up unsatisfied and/or unhappy with the pursuit, sometimes turning our back on it altogether. If you find yourself in that place, this awesome video essay discusses how to make yourself a happier photographer.

How to Photograph the Comet Leonard

After all the excitement we got last year from the comet NEOWISE, it's hard to believe that right now, there's another potential naked-eye-visible comet screaming through the solar system at 158,000 miles per hour.

Elia Locardi Tests Sky Pollution Filter in Puerto Rico

Welcome to the next—and 6th—episode of our 8-part video tutorial series about long exposure photography and how different filters can produce dramatic results. As a reminder, each time we drop a new video, you have the chance to win some awesome prizes. Follow the instructions included in this post to enter this week's contest.

Is This the Best and Worst Camera Gear of 2021?

2021 brought a huge array of excellent gear. Here’s a roundup of the best and worst releases of the year, including a decision for the best stills camera that will take a lot of people by surprise.

How to Simplify Overly Busy Landscape Photos

One of the challenges of landscape photography is that unlike many other genres, you do not have control of the elements in the scene, only where you position yourself and how you choose your composition. This can often lead to overly busy compositions, but this helpful video tutorial will give you some good advice on how to counteract that and produce stronger, more compelling images.

Fuji's Workhorse Lens: A Review of the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR

A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the workhorse lens of choice for a lot of photographers and filmmakers, offering a versatile focal length range and wide maximum aperture. One such lens for Fujifilm shooters is the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, and 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.

A Review of the Successor to the Brilliant Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8

Tamron has had some excellent lenses over the years but nothing quite reached the caliber of their 28-75mm f/2.8 which was extremely well-received. Now, with that previous model discontinued, Tamron has released the new version, but can it keep up the earlier model's legacy?

Should You Put Your Pricing on Your Photography Website?

Should you put your pricing on your photography website? It is a tricky question: on one hand, without it, you might annoy potential customers who want an idea of what they should expect to spend. On the other hand, with it, you might scare aware potential clients before you have had the chance to make your case for why you are worth the money. If you are wondering how to approach this, check out this great video tutorial that will give you some helpful advice on the topic.

Which Nifty Fifty Lens Is Right for Nikon Photographers?

A 50mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most versatile lenses a photographer can own, offering a relatively neutral focal length suitable for everything from portraits to landscapes and the ability to shoot in low light or leverage subject-isolating narrow depth of field. If you are a Nikon shooter looking for the right 50mm lens, check out this great video comparison that looks at three options at a range of price points.

Is This the Best Lens That Fujifilm Has Ever Made?

In September this year, Fujifilm announced a wide range of new primes, seemingly part of an ongoing effort to update its range of glass with sharper lenses complete with better autofocus and wider apertures. Has Fujifilm produced a better lens than the 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR?

Can This Affordable 85mm Lens Keep Up With Professional Photographers' Demands?

A wide-aperture 85mm lens is always a popular choice for portrait photography, but such lenses can often run well north of $2,000. However, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 lens promises a classic optic at a much more affordable price, and this excellent video review takes a look at if it can provide the sort of performance and image quality professionals still demand.

You Might Have to Wait a Long Time to Get Your Canon EOS R3 and Lenses

Along with the Nikon Z 9 and Sony a1, the Canon EOS R3 is one of the hottest cameras on the market, representing the current pinnacle of the company's technology. If you would like one of your own, best to get your preorder in as soon as possible, as it may take several months to get one.

Free Educational Event: Sony Creative Space 2021

It's rare to have a free educational event. It's even rarer to have such an event with big-name educators such as Chris Burkard, Scott Robert Lim, and Brooke Shaden. But the Sony Creative Space 2021 is doing just that plus so much more.

How to Edit Your Landscape Photos With Pure Freedom

There is more information on how to edit your photos available than ever before, and while that is certainly a great thing for anyone who wants to improve as a photographer, it can lead to using someone else's editing habits and techniques rather than developing your own creative voice. If that is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial will help you find more creative freedom in your edits.

Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Manual Focus

Modern cameras are ludicrously good at focusing automatically, able to lock on small targets and track them precisely and accurately through many challenging situations. These autofocus systems are not totally infallible, however, and there are times during which it is actually a better choice to switch to using manual focus. This great video tutorial discusses why you practice using manual focus and why it can be useful for your work.

We Review the Nikon Z 9 Mirrorless Camera

Nikon allowed me to try out a preproduction model of the Nikon Z 9. This long-awaited camera turned out to be a marvel. During a fortnight, I came to appreciate this camera a lot. In this article, I'll tell you about my experience.