I’ll admit it — I’m a 35mm point-and-shoot junkie. I have a collection of electronic cameras that many film photographers would call "ticking time bombs". The reason for this is that many cameras made 20+ years ago were never intended to be used for this long.
A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the workhorse of choice for a huge number of photographers, suitable for a wide range of scenarios and needs. Sony recently released the second version of theirs, the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, and this excellent video review takes a look at the improvements and new features in the new lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.
A long exposure of a seascape will always be a great way to create a compelling image, but it takes a lot more than simply slapping an ND filter on your lens and going to town. One of the most crucial parts of a long exposure is choosing the proper shutter speed, particularly when moving water is involved, and this helpful video tutorial will walk you through the process to ensure you get the exact image you have in mind.
In part two of this series, we will discuss tips six through ten. These are steps you can take today to grow your photography business. If you missed part one, you can read it by clicking here. Special thanks to Lancaster, PA based headshot photographer Richard Waine for collaborating with us to create this series.
Learning to be a competent photographer takes mastering a variety of techniques and creative ideas, but learning how to run a successful photography business takes an entirely different set of skills. One of the trickiest things to learn is how to price your work, but this helpful video tutorial will give a ton of advice to ensure you get paid what you deserve.
50mm lenses can cost anywhere between less than $100 to over $2,000, with every level of image quality and performance imaginable. At $179, Canon's RF 50mm f/1.8 STM sits at the lower end of the price spectrum, but it still brings with it a range of quite useful features. 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.
On some days, we can see one composition beside another, but on other days, it is hard to find just a single one. What is the difference between those days, and how can we increase our chances to find outstanding compositions all the time?
Using filters for any kind of photography and filmmaking has always been an extra process to consider. This new filter system from H&Y just might be the most innovative one to date.
Interior photography is a challenging but fun genre that takes a combination of techniques to produce successful images. This helpful video tutorial will show you a range of tips and techniques on how to shoot and edit interior photos.
Wildflower photography can be a great way to enjoy nature and photography simultaneously. If you are interested in wildflower photography and unsure of how to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you several useful tips that are sure to improve your work no matter what kind of camera and lens you use.
The Fujifilm X100V is a popular and widely respected camera that offers a unique shooting experience and excellent image quality. With a fixed 35mm-equivalent lens, however, you might sometimes wish for a bit more versatility. The WCL-X100 II Wide Conversion lens allows you to turn that 35mm lens into a 28mm lens, and this great video review takes a look at the device and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.
The newly released Profoto Clic Softbox is a modifier that is designed to fill in the void that the A1 system had: no soft modifiers. Find out now how Profoto created the first Clic softbox that you can assemble in one second and whether this softbox is even any good.
Head outside, and you will find photographic opportunities everywhere you look, both big and small. If you are struggling a bit with your compositions, check out this fantastic video tutorial that offers a wide range of helpful tips that are sure to improve your images of outdoor subjects.
Few of us will ever become truly great photographers, but giving yourself the best chance of it is still very much worthwhile. There is one method that is certainly a key ingredient, but it's often overlooked because it's not as interesting as buying new equipment or traveling to new places.
edelkrone had announced its new portable jib the JibONE v2. The original edelkrone JibONE proved to be an excellent tool for creating interesting and creative shots. With the motorized features that edelkrone has become famous for, the JibONE offered an incredibly capable yet portable motorized jib. The new JibONE v2 takes this further with some important updates.
Composition is one of the more difficult things to learn. There are many rules and guidelines that can make a good composition. The crop tool inside Lightroom and Photoshop offers a bit of help to learn about composition and even helps you achieve the best possible composition in post.
Most modern cameras have ergonomic considerations built into them but are primarily designed to get results without getting in your way. However, the Fujifilm X100V mirrorless camera marries capabilities with an inspiring and fun to use design, making it quite the desirable and unique option. This great video review takes a look at the X100V and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Premiere Pro is a very powerful application for video editing work and the program of choice for many industry professionals, but it is not the most inviting piece of software and can be a bit daunting at first. If you are new to Premiere Pro and wondering how to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you five helpful tips to put you on the right track.
Skip the hour-long tutorials and get results by having a half decent grasp of Blender already.
Canon's mirrorless camera has filled out nicely in the last few years, with powerful models like the EOS R5 and EOS R3 offering professional-level performance and options like the EOS RP and EOS R6 offering more affordable pricing with reasonably balanced feature sets. Missing in all of that is an advanced APS-C mirrorless camera, but thankfully, that will likely change later this year.
There are sometimes surprising overlaps between photography and music. The more we learn about music, the more we can understand how that knowledge can improve our photography.
Nikon's Z 9 turned the mirrorless camera competition into a three-horse race again, keeping the pressure on Sony and Canon to continue innovating. Furthermore, Nikon just released firmware 2.0, which makes the camera even more powerful. This great video review takes a look at the camera with the latest firmware installed and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.
The new Sony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G lens has turned quite a few heads as a portable, versatile, and relatively affordable wide angle zoom. This great video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
If you ever get the feeling that photography is not valued today, it might interest you to know that Getty Images is offering $85k in three new editorial grants to support photojournalists and organizations, with an emphasis on supporting photographers whose work shines a light on important issues of our time.
With fast action and rapidly changing backdrops, getting the correct exposure can be a real challenge in bird photography. With the right techniques and a bit of practice, however, you can ensure consistently correct exposures, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know.
Taking full control of your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO is one of the most fundamental things every photographer needs to master. There is a range of camera modes to assist you with these settings, ranging from automatic mode to full manual mode, with a set of semiautomatic options in-between the two extremes. One such in-between mode is aperture priority, and this excellent video tutorial discusses its usefulness and how to use it.
Wedding photographers are always looking for ways to book new clients, and while paying for advertising is certainly one way to do that, it is, by far, not the only way. This fantastic video tutorial will show you 10 different ways to land more clients without spending any money on advertising.
Some photographers go their entire career without deliberately photographing people. However, most of us, at some point, will want or need to photograph people in specific situations. If you’re not used to working with models, here’s some helpful advice on how to go about it. Whether you want to learn portraiture or need to shoot a model for a specific job, this guide will be of use.
Wedding photography is a challenging genre, and if you are preparing to enter it, it can be a little daunting. If you are ready to get started and looking for some advice, check out this fantastic video tutorial from an experienced wedding photographer that will give you some good advice to put you on the right track.
The drive south from Akureyri had been eventful, to say the least, but the snow subsided and we managed to stop briefly and get some minimal shots every now and again. As color began once again to show in the landscape we began to feel more hopeful as we headed towards Vestrahorn.
Using a phone to shoot professional work isn't new, but most instances involve situations where the photographer has almost full control. But how would a phone stand up to the same test if the photographer had little to no control over the lighting and environment?
Wide-aperture 85mm lenses are the classic choice for portrait photography, but, of course, they are not the only focal length you can use. 135mm lenses have long been a popular alternative choice, and several companies make impressive options. This great video review compares the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, Samyang AF 135mm f/1.8 FE, and Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art lenses.
70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are highly popular workhorses, suitable for a huge range of genres and applications. That being said, they are both expensive and rather bulky. If you do not need that extra aperture to stop, but still want the versatility of that focal length range, a 70-200mm f/4 can save you both bulk and money. This excellent video review takes a look at Sony's option, the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS.
For the last couple of months, Patrick and I have been moving into our new homes in Puerto Rico and building out personal studios in each. Let me show you what I've built.
Why do some photography businesses fail? Training courses talk about how to make a business work, but overlook the commonplace mistakes. This is how not to run a business, with five lessons from a photography business that stank and sank.
Creating a successful landscape photo takes creative vision, solid technique, and often, a bit of luck. If you would like to improve your landscape images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you seven helpful tips sure to help you improve your photography.
If you have not done so recently, now is a great time to see how much you’ve improved as a photographer. One of the best ways to see how you have grown is to recreate your old images.
One of the best tools you can use to progress as a photographer is one that anyone can obtain without a single dollar being spent.
The challenge of landscape photography is that you do not have control over the placement of the elements in the scene, and as such, it can be challenging to create compelling compositions. If you are new to the genre or find yourself struggling a bit, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you some common composition mistakes and how to correct them or avoid them in the first place.
360 video has opened up tons of new creative opportunities for filmmakers even when they're not shooting in 360 mode. The apps included with new cameras such as Insta360's ONE X2 can reframe and cut video into compelling 2D footage, and new modes that incorporate AI are creating possibilities that were previously unheard of.
Do you occasionally transfer many memory cards at the same time? Do you also need a Thunderbolt dock that allows you to attach multiple peripherals to a computer with a single cable? Well, I have the perfect product for you.
One of Lightroom's simplest features is also one of its most useful: the before/after function. This goes much deeper than simply switching back and forth between edited and unedited versions of your photos, though. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to get the most out of the feature, as well as a nifty hidden trick that makes it all the more useful.
Do you even know who you’re talking to? I am the most powerful person in the industry. I will do everything to destroy your career and make sure you never get any work after what you did.
One of the most essential and useful artificial lighting techniques a photographer can know is how to create a pure white background. There are several ways to go about this, each with advantages and disadvantages. This fantastic video tutorial will show you a few reasons why photographers often have trouble with this and some techniques that are sure to help you find success.
Shooting landscapes at night often calls for gear that isn’t entirely essential for shooting during the day. Here are some suggestions for shooting single images, as well as star trails and time-lapse photography.
Is this the king of flash? Well, very likely, yes. The Profoto Pro-11 is the world’s most expensive flash, that behaves like the world’s most expensive flash. I had the Pro-11 unit to review and here are my thoughts.
How acute is your "Photoshop OCD"? Different types of work and styles require different levels of scrutiny on their images. In some cases, it may just be your personality that imposes extreme (and perhaps unnecessary) amounts of attention to detail. #guiltyascharged. Whatever the reason is, if you have Photoshop OCD and are always looking for new tricks to add to your tool box you will totally geek out about this one.
I have a cage for my iPhone. But I thought about how I could it to rather use MagSafe instead of clamping it in each time I wanted to shoot a video. And now Moment has released the perfect MagSafe-equipped Mobile Filmmaker Cage. They’ve sent one over for me to test, and here are the results.
Once they got serious about mirrorless cameras and lenses, Canon wasted little time expanding the RF mount's offerings, but one standard lens that is still missing is a fast, premium 35mm prime. No doubt, that lens is coming eventually, and it looks like we can expect it later this year.
Certain beliefs dominate photography, leading to a monotonous similarity in images. Breaking free from peer-pressure-imposed restrictions can revolutionize your pictures. But don’t expect those lost in the fog of mediocrity and with limited imagination to appreciate it.
