10 Tips for Shooting Better Videos With Your Smartphone
Smartphones make for great back-up, b-roll, and supplementary cameras for all manner shoots. If you want to get the most out of your phone's video capturing capabilities, watch these tips.
Smartphones make for great back-up, b-roll, and supplementary cameras for all manner shoots. If you want to get the most out of your phone's video capturing capabilities, watch these tips.
For photographers, the "Blue Tick" next to your name is an important signal to clients and customers that you are of some merit. Here's how you can get verified for free on all your email accounts.
If you are new to the studio or want to practice your lighting techniques plus save time when in the studio, you should check out this 3D software by Ellixxier.
Landscape photography and camping seem almost meant for each other, especially if you want to capture things like a sunrise or early morning fog. So, if you are headed out for such a trip, what do you need to pack? This excellent video tutorial features a seasoned landscape photographer discussing what he packs on overnight trips.
Green can be a particularly unflattering color to have present in the skin, as it can make people look rather sickly. If you shoot portraits outdoors, it will often appear in the subject's skin. Luckily, it is not particularly hard to correct, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to fix it quickly and effectively using Photoshop.
There’s so much more to black and white than the simple removal of color. We must understand both color and tone, plus their relationship with the world of monochrome. Here are 10 tips to help you become a better black and white photographer.
The Sony a1 and Canon EOS R5 are the two best cameras available from the respective companies at the moment, and both offer the sort of remarkable performance and advanced features that professionals and advanced hobbyists demand. So, which is right for you? This excellent video review makes a thorough comparison between the two cameras.
Minimalist long exposures of moving water are a highly popular look for landscape photographers, but they also take careful consideration of your composition to avoid crossing the line between minimalist and simplistic. This great video tutorial follows a landscape photographer as he shoots minimalist seascapes and discusses his process and some helpful tips for getting the best photos.
Photographers often write to me to share their portfolios and websites. I am not often impressed. Today's photography is repetitive and derivative in a way that I find immensely underwhelming. Yet, every so often, I am surprised. Susanne Otterberg is one such surprise.
Headshots really aren't rocket science, but sub-par images being created, which can break the personal brand for which they are intended. This short video points out five relatively simple things that can be fixed with a little preparation before your next headshot session.
If you are looking for a compact and travel-friendly motorized camera slider to add some creative and stable shots to your videos, then you need to check out the Zeapon Micro 2 Plus motorized camera slider.
What ultra-wide angle prime lens makes a compelling case to you? Here are six worth looking at.
To get landscape images with fantastic depth that lead the viewer's eye, you are likely to have to wrestle with the problem of the foreground or the background not being tack sharp. In this video, you can see behind-the-scenes how one photographer achieves front-to-back focus on his landscape images.
Even if it is not your specialty, product photography is a great genre to practice because it will seriously challenge your lighting and editing skills, both of which will likely carry over to other genres in which you work. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to light, shoot, and edit a dramatic multiple-product shot using just three speedlights.
SmugMug, a household name when it comes to online image hosting, has developed a new service called Source. Already known for their incredible functions in online display and sales of images, SmugMug is taking the next leap towards providing photographers with new, never-seen-before cloud storage and management service for next to nothing.
As busy at professional photographers are with a myriad of different things, it might seem ridiculous to suggest adding a personal project on top of the pile. However, many professionals will tell you that a personal project can be the most important thing you do with your camera. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to get one off the ground and to see it through to the end.
The Sony a1 and a7R IV are two of the most advanced mirrorless cameras out there, and both offer very high-resolution sensors in tandem with a range of other advanced features. So, which one is right for you? This excellent video review compares the two of them with a particular focus on wildlife and landscape work.
Notwithstanding problems with ramping back up production to pre-COVID levels, manufacturers have been generally optimistic about the emerging camera market as consumers start spending money that has been hoarded over periods of lockdown. Canon looks set to be the big beneficiary, but what about the other manufacturers?
Fujifilm Instax cameras are some of the most popular instant cameras on the market. In some sense, Fujifilm Instax cameras have revived instant photography. With all the different-sized film and types of cameras available, it can be difficult choosing the right one for you. Here is a comparison that might be of help.
Rain is one of the most desirable and effective weather conditions for portraying mood and a more somber aesthetic, but waiting for it to occur naturally is rarely viable. In this video, watch as a small production team creates a melancholic scene by faking rainfall and controlling the light.
The histogram is that graph that accompanies your image. It tells you a lot about not only about the exposure, but also the contrast of your photograph. Knowing how it works can help you improve your photography, and it’s not a difficult thing to learn.
Lighting dictates an enormous amount about your final image, from mood and feel, to exposure and color. However, whether the light is hard or soft can also make a significant difference, and knowing when to use each is crucial. In this video, learn different lighting setups for each and the benefits of them.
There are lots of people who like and prefer a natural light look over flash, but sometimes the conditions outside may not cooperate with you to produce great results. Sometimes you have to grab a flash, here's a few ways you can get a more natural look when you do.
One of the biggest confusions that you might notice as you venture into astrophotography is that photographers and astronomers measure their equipment differently. Photographers tend to refer to their lenses in terms of their focal length, while astronomers refer to their telescopes by the diameter of their opening. Thus, a 75mm f/6 telescope has a focal length of 450mm. Meanwhile, a 75mm camera lens at f/6 has an aperture of 12.5mm. If a photographer is told that someone is shooting a 155mm lens hand-held, it would not raise an eyebrow, but an astronomer told the same thing would be incredulous! I can only barely lift my 155mm telescope onto its mount!
I've been a satisfied user of the Nik tools suite going way back to 1995 before Google bought, then dropped it. In 2017 DxO rescued the popular suite of editing tools, and they've never been better.
If you want to create a YouTube video for your photography, and you don't just want a talking-head on the screen for five to ten minutes, then you need to plan it out before you even turn on a camera. These YouTube creators with over 200K subscribers detail how they go about planning each of their videos.
At the alarming rate of destruction and wanton littering and waste that is happening globally, is it time for us as photographers to stop publicly announcing the location of our shoots?
Wedding photography requires you to be at the top of your game, as there are a lot of must-have shots and no second chances. One of the most important sets of images is the family formals, and this helpful video tutorial will show you how to shoot them quickly, effectively, and with as little stress as possible.
It has never been an easy task to make a profession out of something that is fun, and to keep that thing fun, and in 2021 photography is certainly no exception, but are our expectations wrong?
I make a habit of spilling as much ink as possible in this column towards extolling the virtues of making your gear purchases based on business needs rather than emotion. In today’s article, I will do the opposite.
Unfortunately, wedding reception venues are not really designed with photographers in mind and are often quite dark, but your clients will still expect high-quality photos of their special day. So, how can you ensure that you are getting top-notch images? This helpful video tutorial features a seasoned wedding photographer sharing five tips to improve your wedding reception lighting.
Camera gear has become remarkably advanced, but on the other hand, it has also become rather expensive. At what point are camera bodies and lenses simply too expensive? This interesting video discussion addresses the topic and if camera gear is simply too pricey nowadays.
It is incredibly important for stories to be told by people who have a lived experience of the situation. Mayeul Akpovi does just this with his incredible time-lapse videos of African cities.
We talk a lot about the many things it takes to be a successful photographer, including strong creativity, good technique, and excellent business skills. However, before anything else, it requires the proper mindset for success. If you struggle with that, this fantastic video essay will help you get back on the right track.
It might seem like a strange thing to reduce the size of stars in a night sky photo, but if you want to better show off deep-sky objects, it can help bring them to the fore. With so many stars in the sky, it can be a bit of a tedious task, however. This great video tutorial will show you three different methods for reducing the size of stars both easily and efficiently.
The ideal situation is to take a photo that requires no editing whatsoever. But those shots are few and far between. In most cases, it's important to edit photos in order to develop them properly, but how long is too long when it comes to image editing? I'll be taking a look using Lightroom.
Film photographers revere only one thing as much as the camera they're shooting with, and that's film stocks. Every film photographer has some favorites, but here are one photographer's picks that won't cost you the earth.
Videography has become more demanding than ever before in terms of expected quality. While much of this difficulty is found behind the camera, on location, your edit makes up a large part of it too. In this video, find out how one videographer makes his videos pop in the post-production phase.
Noise removal is a challenge in photography. In raw processing, it can leave images looking muddy. Then, Topaz DeNoise AI came along and changed the game. Now, On1 has launched their own specialist AI-driven software to snap at its heels. Will their NoNoise AI rule supreme?
Canon recently released a list of RF lenses that it cannot meet the demand for. Is this simply poor planning or a clear sign that its new lenses are exceeding expectations?
Landscape photography during the summer months can lead to a motivational slump due to the weather conditions. Bright sunshine, clear blue skies, long daylight hours, and busy locations can often lead to a drop in productivity and creativity for the landscape photographer.
The basic workflow for most photographers is taking a photo, pulling out the memory card, putting it in the computer, and importing photos into their processing application of choice. However, many professional studio photographers use tethering to more efficiently transfer their images to their computer, but it comes with a lot more benefits than just making the pipeline more efficient. This awesome video will show you some of the benefits and why you should consider implementing it in your work.
For most photographers, Lightroom is the place where their photos start and often, where they finish. When you are first starting in photography, it is probably the program you will first need to master, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how everything you need to know about editing a photo with it.
Last week, the head of Instagram declared that the platform is no longer an app for sharing photos. Photographers are now turning to Twitter in their droves. Why is Instagram abandoning its roots and what makes Twitter the best alternative?
Sensor size is one of the most fundamental and influential aspects of a camera, and often, when you buy into a certain camera system, you are committing yourself to a certain sensor size unless you spend a lot of money to switch systems again. So, what is the right sensor size for your work? This excellent video discusses why sensor size matters and what the right choice for your wants and needs is.
Nikon mirrorless shooters have two new lenses at their disposal, the NIKKOR Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Macro and the NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro. While both offer the 1:1 magnification of a true macro lens, there are some major differences between the two. This helpful video review compares both options to show you which is the proper one for your work.
For the past several years, the film community has seen a surprisingly strong revival that has brought with it some new film stocks, the return of old favorites, and unsustainable high prices.
I’ve been a longtime Panasonic Lumix shooter, and while even though it may seem like Micro Four Thirds may be a standard that’s in its twilight, there are still a lot of good deals to be had for filmmakers on a budget: Witness the Panasonic Lumix G85.
There are a lot of keys that unlock great-looking video productions, and one, in particular, is your b-roll. Not only can it improve your story-telling and flow, but it can keep the viewer engaged and watching — something more important than ever in today's world of distractions. Here is how you can shoot a great b-roll sequence from start to finish.
Most photographers try their absolute best to avoid ISO noise in their photos and some spend an age trying to rid their images of it in image editing software. But it's not as much of a problem as you think and here's why.