Supply shortages have hit many industries quite hard in the last few years, and the camera and computer industries have not been immune. A recent discovery of contaminated materials at two major manufacturing plants has led to significant impacts on the flash memory market, which analysts predict will likely lead to increased prices.
The challenge of portrait photography is that beyond needing to master an array of technical things like lighting setups and often fairly intricate editing techniques, you also need to be able to make your subject comfortable in front of the camera, all while managing the photography side of things. If you are wondering how you can improve your own portraiture, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five tips to help you take better images.
If you want a successful career as a photographer, you have to dismiss one toxic term that damaged our industry: "starving artist." It has caused more damage and more self-doubt to artists across the globe than probably anything else.
Years ago, Sigma reinvented themselves with the Art series, which quickly grew into a full line of highly respected lenses, known in particular for their image quality and affordable prices. The company has continued to expand its offerings, which now include the Contemporary line, meant to "achieve a balance between convenience and performance." The 20mm f/2 DG DN is the latest entry in that line, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it.
If you’re into astrophotography, a drone typically isn’t your camera of choice. That’s why I was surprised to see Haida’s release of a light-pollution reducing filter for the new Mavic 3, which they’re calling the NanoPro Clear-Night Filter. Does this filter change the experience of shooting with a drone at night?
If you look at the sort of landscape photos that tend to dominate the popular pages of Instagram and the like, they are often lit with warm, golden rays, augmented by dramatic skies, rich colors, and dramatic contrasts. And of course, those can be incredible images, but the conditions required to create them are often not present, and they are not the only compelling type of landscape photo. This excellent video shows you that you can create good landscape images no matter what the conditions you encounter.
There are a ton of beautiful tourist spots out there begging to be photographed, but the problem is that unless you are extremely lucky, you will likely have to deal with people in the shot. You could take a bunch of photographs as people move around and then painstakingly mask in different parts of the image, or you could try this neat method that lets Photoshop take care of it automatically in just a few seconds, as this helpful video tutorial shows.
I've been editing exclusively with Adobe Premiere for over 12 years now, but today, I decided to give Final Cut Pro a try on a real project. Final Cut impressed me.
Voigtlander is known for making lenses with rugged build quality and great image quality, and the MACRO APO-LANTHAR 65mm f/2 Aspherical lens is no different. This fantastic image review takes a look at this interesting lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
There are lots of lighting techniques to learn, some simple, some complex, and they all offer something a bit different. One of my personal favorites is clamshell lighting and in this video, learn how to do it and when it will work particularly well.
Of course, you should never outright copy or steal the work of other photographers; that is never in question. However, there is something to be said for turning work you know and love into something of your own, and this great video tutorial discusses the merits of doing so.
Getting your first tripod is a balance between affordability and quality. This tripod from K&F Concept might be a good start.
It seems hard light is trending these days. From elaborate food spreads in Bon Appetit to fashion shoots for Burberry, hard light is in. If you've ever wondered how to create this look, this quick and simple tutorial will lay it out for you. I'll share a few concepts, and you can watch the video for a demonstration.
In the days of film, the square format used to be more popular, particularly since 6x6 medium format cameras were around. Nowadays, no digital camera has a native 1:1 aspect ratio, and as such, the square format has fallen out of popularity quite a bit. That being said, it is a tremendously interesting and different way to compose and digest images, and this helpful video tutorial will give you some useful advice on creating interesting photos using it.
Warning: although Photoshop was used to identify the guitar, this isn't really photography-related, but this story is too good not to share.
Amid a busy week, I figured I’d share a few brief thoughts on why it’s important to keep moving forward and why it’s just as important to sometimes remain still long enough to see where you stand.
If you want to shoot for brands and land large commercial projects, you have to know how to pitch to brands in a way that matches their expectations while still helping your own work stand apart from the other portfolios they have seen. If that is something you are new to or if you want to improve your chances, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will walk you through the entire process step by step to get you up and running in no time.
Did you have to take cursive in elementary school? Is that ability to write in beautiful, curvy letter lying dormant somewhere in the recesses of your mind after all these years? Why not awaken those skills and use them to create a beautiful custom watermark for your images? This great video tutorial will show you how to do just that quickly and easily using Photoshop.
Would you pay $5,600 for a zoom lens? And a variable aperture one at that? It sounds crazy, but with the Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f/2.8-4 ASPH., you get that beloved Leica look with the convenience of a zoom lens. How good is this premium offering? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.
When it comes to portrait photography, it is not uncommon for photographers to have a focus on the technical aspects of their craft. However, what if the secret ingredient of portraiture is more than just nailing a technically perfect photograph? Portraiture is all about the human subject and displaying their authenticity with each photo taken. The hidden ingredient that can take an average portrait to an exceptional piece of work has everything to do with the human connection to the subject.
Natural light portraiture is forever popular, but as us photographers know, more light isn't necessarily better. In fact, like half-breed vampires, we shy away from the sun at its brightest during midday.
The used market is always full of lenses, and given how well many photographers take care of their gear, you can often save a fair bit of money and still get a quality lens by purchasing preowned. There are a few things you should check before you agree to buy that lens you are eyeing, though, and this quick and helpful video tutorial will take you through them all to make sure you are not wasting your money.
An industrial photographer is someone who photographs the people and the products associated with multi-million dollar companies that make machines and tools for industries such as power and electric, trucking, and construction. As an industrial photographer, you will photograph everything from a two-ton drill used underground to a two-inch screw that secures a safety harness used by workers from a state electric company.
I own a lot of modifiers. My studio contains Broncolor Hazylights, old fresnels that are as rare as hens' teeth, and softboxes of pretty much every size from under a meter to so big I can stand inside them, but this latest addition is the one that has helped me.
If you're sick of cramming all your various camera bags and light stands into your car, then you're not alone. With a little know-how, it's possible to take the headache out of shoots by building the ultimate production van.
When Fujifilm released the X-T4 in April 2020, it didn’t feel like a massive upgrade over the hugely popular X-T3, and even Fujifilm stated that the newer camera was intended more as a sister than a successor. After two years of heavy use, how does the X-T4 hold up in 2022?
My first camera was a Minolta SRT-101. I loved that camera. It was an excellent tool for learning about photography and manual exposure. As it was completely manual in operation, the internal meter was my only guide for achieving correct exposure, outside of using an external source or just guessing. Fast forward 20-plus years and the way I use an internal light meter has remained largely unchanged. That all changed recently.
One thing is for sure: Nikon mirrorless shooters are not at a loss for choice when it comes to standard zoom lenses. With four native options from Nikon, plus the option to pretty seamlessly adapt F mount options, you might be wondering which lens in the crowded field is right for your needs and budget. This excellent video comparison takes a look at five options and all their pros and cons to help you make the right choice.
Camera manufacturers have really found another gear the last few years, obliterating the old maxim that you could have things like resolution or shooting speed, but not both, by releasing cameras that can tackle literally any situation you can throw at them. So, who holds the current crown? This excellent video compares the Canon EOS R3, Nikon Z 9, and Sony a1 mirrorless cameras to find out.
Have you ever been out for landscape photography and didn’t get weather conditions that would support your compositions? Here are a couple of ideas you can try.
When it comes to landscape photography, a narrow aperture and large depth of field is the norm, as we generally want to get everything from the foreground to infinity sharp. Of course, that is a creative decision, and just like any other such decision, you can do something else. So, is it worth trying landscape photographs with a narrow depth of field? This great video makes a good case for it.
Let’s check out two new filters that expand H&Y’s unique Revoring system plus take a close look at an unexpected new filter.
Shooting products in a studio environment is not the easiest form of photography. It takes patience, knowledge of light sculpting, and clever post-processing. People also incorrectly assume that you must have a great deal invested in equipment.
When we shoot photographs, we may or may not want to increase the appearance of depth in the image. Many more tools than depth of field are available to us. Here are some things we can do to add or decrease perspective.
In the past few years, in addition to a lot of ultra-premium lenses, there has been a second movement toward more affordable lenses that make certain compromises to provide good performance and image quality without breaking the bank. For Nikon mirrorless users, one such option is the NIKKOR Z 28-75mm f/2.8 lens, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
Creatives are inundated from all directions by messages meant to undermine their confidence in their work and to get them to focus on things other than the act of creating an image. If you find yourself a bit lost in the midst of all that right now, take a few minutes to watch this great video essay that contains an important message every photographer and filmmaker should hear.
Creatives love and hate Instagram. While everyone is on it, very few enjoy being there. The platform is constantly changing the way it prioritizes work, as well as banning creatives without any reason. I was one of the unlucky many to experience such a ban.
One of the biggest challenges of landscape photography is that unlike most other genres, you do not get control over the light on a scene. And while you can follow the weather forecast and plan in advance, nature does not always cooperate. That does not mean you should just pack in your bag and head home, though. This excellent video tutorial discusses what you can do to still come home with great images when the sky is boring.
The beauty of artificial lighting is that you can create whatever look you want, wherever and whenever you want. That does not mean things need to be overly complex, however. In fact, just two lights can offer a ton of versatility, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to create some dramatic and compelling couples portraits.
Being a wedding photographer takes a lot of skills, one of them being the ability to effectively manage time while corralling a large group of people. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to properly plan and schedule your timeline to ensure you get all the shots you need.
Frank Döring is an architectural photographer based in Kentucky, USA by way of Frankfurt, Germany. He also focuses on personal documentary projects with a focus on the Anthropocene.
When looking for things to add to your list of gear and props for your photography studio, some items may not be as obvious as others. Are windows blinds on your list? Here's how you can use Venetian blinds to add a different look to your portraits.
Perhaps no camera series has created a larger paradigm shift in the industry in the last decade than the Fujifilm's GFX series, which brought medium format prices into direct competition with the upper levels of full frame and modernized many of its capabilities at the same time. The GFX 100S is one of the most impressive options in the line, and this great video review discusses one photographer's thoughts after eight months with the camera.
Photographing landscapes is easy. After all, landscapes are everywhere. Choosing a good composition is often much more difficult. It can be helpful to take small steps, slowly building up the most attractive composition. Let me show you how I often work for my landscapes.
Are you looking for an easy way to achieve great lighting with minimal gear? Regardless of whether it's because you are starting off and have to stay within a certain budget or you simply do not want to carry and set up a lot of gear, here's an easy way to get perfect lighting.
Three-dimensional "pop" is a sort of nebulous thing that portrait photographers often chase in certain lenses, as it can take an inherently two-dimensional representation of a person and make it feel more lifelike. You can also contribute to the effect through your editing, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do it through some clever though not difficult use of Photoshop.
Like life itself, all things evolve and change over time. Though as business owners, photographers don't always know what that is going to look like.
Once Canon brought the EOS R5 and RF 28-70mm f/2L USM to the market, they showed they were extremely serious about mirrorless innovation, and they have not looked back since. And it looks like they plan on keeping their foot on the gas, as more patents have emerged for interesting lens designs sure to please a lot of photographers.
Some genres of photography allow you to produce a large number of images in a given span of time, while others tend to be more methodical and require a fair amount of patience. Landscape photography tends to fall into the latter camp, but that does not mean there are not things you can do to make yourself more productive on location. This helpful video will detail seven ways you can make yourself a bit more efficient and productive the next time you head out.
Golden hour is the holiest of times for photographers of many genres, however, it takes some technical understanding if you want to get the most out of it in your portraiture. In this video, Irene Rudnyk takes you behind-the-scenes of her beach portraiture shoot at golden hour to give you some tips.
