Instructor Bans Kit Lenses From Photography Course
Kit lenses frequently get a bad reputation as it is, but one photography instructor took things to the next level and banned them from her course. As is typical on the internet, outrage ensued.
Kit lenses frequently get a bad reputation as it is, but one photography instructor took things to the next level and banned them from her course. As is typical on the internet, outrage ensued.
Composition and camera settings reign above all in landscape photography, and a good image is made in the choices you make at that stage. This fantastic video tutorial follows a seasoned landscape photographer as he visits four different locations and discusses the light, his composition, lens choices, settings, and more that lead to his final images.
There's plenty of dumb stuff that people say when they get into photography. So, let's dispel some of the common myths that are floating around.
Canon has been blazing full speed ahead with its RF lenses, with two of the new models being the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM and the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM. Both feature some of the company's latest designs and features, but offer vastly different capabilities and price points. Which one is right for you? This excellent video comparison takes a look at the image quality and experience of using both.
In landscape photography, a single scene can yield vastly different images simply by how you choose your camera settings. As such, this is a place where a lot of things can go awry. If you are new to landscape work, this helpful video tutorial will show you some common mistakes beginner landscape photographers make with their camera settings and how to fix them to create more effective images.
I love using reflections for my landscape photography. A nice sunrise or sunset with a reflection of the colored sky in a pond or lake is very rewarding. But you can find reflections everywhere. I tell you about it in this article.
For this critique, my own mother rated the images.
Now that the Sony a1 is out, a lot of the market's attention has been turned toward Canon and Nikon, who are readying the EOS R3 and Z 9, respectively, for announcement. It looks like Canon's EOS R3 will arrive first, in just a few months.
Chromatic aberration is by far one of the most common lens issues you will have to deal with, particularly with cheaper lenses or wide-aperture primes, and it can be quite distracting if not addressed. Thankfully, most post-processing programs can handle it quite easily nowadays. This awesome video tutorial will show you how to quickly and easily remove chromatic aberrations with just a few clicks using Lightroom.
For this critique, we don't just want to see a great photo, we want to see a clever concept.
Datacolor has released a brilliant new bundle to help you manage your colors and deliver better results. The new SpyderX Create Kit includes the world's fastest display calibrator the SpyderX Pro along with several accessories including the ColorReader EZ.
Many photographers have made the switch to Canon's recently fleshed-out ecosystem, but that might not mean they have sold all their glass. Instead, there are many options for adapting Canon EF lenses to the new Canon RF mount. Here is a comparison of the three official Canon adaptors.
Now that all the major camera companies are heavily invested in mirrorless, a lot of attention has turned to the arms race of sorts between Sony, Nikon, and Canon at the upper tier of camera bodies. We have seen the Sony a1, we know the EOS R3 and R1 are coming, and now, it seems we know quite a bit more about the Nikon's upcoming flagship, the Z 9.
Every time a piece of software catches attention, a question many photographers ask is how useful it is in a professional workflow. This is exactly what this article is aimed to answer about Zoner Photo Studio X. I used it in a professional photography workflow and saw how it could be integrated.
Once you have the basics of using artificial lighting down, you can start to really explore your creativity and develop a recognizable personal style by exploring more unique ways of using lighting. This quick and to-the-point video tutorial will give a few helpful tips and ideas for creative lighting for portraits.
How do you go about choosing lenses for what you're going to shoot? In this video, Roger Deakins shares his methods. The rules aren't made up by filmmakers. It's about how you want your audience to experience the shot.
A photography workshop is a fantastic way to fast-track your learning, but going into it completely blind might cost you time and money, so it's essential you do these eight things before attending.
Photoshop offers a huge range of ways to make selections for extracting parts of a frame or creating layers masks, each appropriate for different situations. The Select and Mask workspace offers a very straightforward and powerful method for tackling a variety of tricky selection scenarios, and this helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to get the most out of it.
Macro photography has many challenges that are unique to it, but when you can overcome them, you can produce entrancing photos of seemingly mundane things right around you. The learning curve can be a bit steep, though, so if you are new to macro work, be sure to check out this fantastic video tutorial that shows eight mistakes beginners commonly make and how to fix them or avoid them altogether.
As a long-time user of Silver Efex, I wanted to answer the question for myself: is the update to the Nik Silver Efex Pro plugin alone worth the upgrade? So, I downloaded the latest version of the Nik plugin suite from the DxO website and gave it a test drive. Here are my initial impressions.
Ultra wide-angle zoom lenses are tricky to manufacture, with a lot of difficulties to overcome. One of Tamron's newest lenses, however, has been getting strong reviews. So, how does it hold up?
Canon Rumors claims to have received confirmation from several sources that Canon plans to release an alternative version of its groundbreaking EOS R5 that’s better suited to videography in early 2022. What should Canon fans expect?
Nikon's new Z fc has been widely praised for its return to retro styling and — indeed — taking the design cues of the much loved FE/FM series. It's one thing to make a retro camera, but it's quite another thing to sell it. So, who is it targeted at?
Morten Hilmer is a wildlife and nature photographer who manages to film himself while photographing his various wildlife projects, creating some very interesting mini-documentary series.
In landscape photography, some locations are just tricky to shoot, even if their photographic potential is plainly obvious. And while it is tempting to just pack it up and move to the next location, before you do that, try returning to the basic principles and working the scene to get as many compositions as possible. This great video tutorial discusses getting the most out of a location.
Shooting with the rear LCD screen on your camera may be convenient, but you're also peering through a filter of colors and shades that you may not have been aware are altering the way you perceive your shots.
Depending on what genre you shoot in, you can often come home with literally thousands of images from a shoot, and culling them can be a tremendously tedious and annoying process. While you can cull in Lightroom, it is not always the fastest, particularly when it comes to rendering previews. Photo Mechanic is built with one purpose: to make culling large image sets and adding necessary info as efficient as possible. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to get the most out of it.
It's highly unlikely that many photographers have a 3D wiggle lens. What is it? And do you really need one?
Just over a week ago, I posted a general knowledge quiz to rattle your brains. Here are the answers and the background behind some of them. Even if you didn't do the quiz, I hope you find some of this information interesting and the links useful.
Both Tamron and Sigma have established themselves as creators of high-quality but affordable lenses that significantly undercut the prices of first-party manufacturers. For anyone looking for a super-telephoto zoom lens, the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary and Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD are both affordable and offer impressive performance. This great video review compares the two to help you pick the right one for your work.
A one-light portrait setup may seem simple, but it needn't be. There are so many different ways to manipulate artificial light that even if you limit yourself to just one, you can create a plethora of different, interesting looks. Here are twenty-one different lighting setups for you to try.
We live in a world where most of our images are intended for an audience. In this article, I’ll share some ways to circumvent that way of thinking to create simply to create.
When you're a new photographer, there is an abundance of information to take in, some of it useful, much of it not. The question is, what is white noise? Here are six things that one photographer believes people new to craft ought to ignore.
One of the best parts of photography, speaking from my own experience, is all the amazing creative people I have had the opportunity to collaborate with and all the great places I’ve been able to experience. In this video, Mike Gray really pushes the envelope by creating fashion images under harsh sunlight on a helipad.
Printing professional-quality images can be an intimidating task if you are new to it. However, it doesn't need to be overly complicated. By following a few simple steps you can easily create high-end prints ready for your walls or print sales.
Astrophotography is by far one of the most specialized genres out there, requiring quite a bit of specific equipment, software, and technique, but capturing things that are unfathomable distances away can be really rewarding. If you are new to the genre or looking to improve your work, check out this awesome video tutorial that answers 10 of the most common questions people have about astrophotography.
Canon's 35mm f/1.4L II USM lens is known for being sharp, with a beautiful rendering and strong performance. Nonetheless, like most Canon L lenses, it is rather expensive. Tamron's SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD undercuts the Canon's price significantly. However, can its image quality and performance match the more expensive option? This great video review compares both to see which is the best option for your own work.
Many street photographers might claim that the Leica M series is the best street photography camera. While they are not wrong, necessarily, I think the Ricoh GR Digital IV offers more flexibility and value.
Leica cameras and lenses are rather polarizing, with some seeing them as overpriced niche items that do not do anything special and some absolutely swearing by both the experience and images they offer. So, are they worth the price? This great video essay discusses the topic and why one photographer thinks they are worth their premium cost.
Bird photography is a very challenging genre that requires a lot of specialized knowledge, top-tier technique, and patience, but when it all comes together, it can reward you with stunning photos. If you are looking to improve your own bird photography, this awesome video tutorial features two seasoned professionals discussing their background and a range of lessons and ways to improve your work.
Non-Linear Editing software is rather simple. Footage clips are dragged into a timeline, and the editor can cut clips to shorten them and arrange them in an order that makes up the visual part of the video.
Wildlife photography can be a tremendously fun and interesting genre, but it often requires very long focal lengths, and the lenses involved can be very expensive. Canon's RF 600mm f/11 IS STM offers the kind of focal length wildlife photographers need at a very affordable price, albeit with some compromises to get to that price level. Is it still worth it? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.
As a long-term pro, it has been a while since I have looked into beginner studio lighting, and boy, has it changed since I purchased my first units! In this video, I look at a great first-time studio light.
Original, innovative photography is hard to find. However, Ethan Beckler has excelled. He leads the way in macro photography, pushing camera and lens technology beyond normal limits and creating astounding art at the same time. With great generosity, he shares his techniques with us.
Supertelephoto prime lenses are often prohibitively expensive, but in the past few years, we have seen a big influx of much more affordable supertelephoto zoom lenses. For Sony shooters, there is the FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, and this fantastic video review takes a look at how it performs in practice.
Photography is something we all choose to do willingly, and as such, it should be something that makes us happy. Nonetheless, a lot of photographers are not particularly happy, which is a shame. Why is that, though? This insightful video essay discusses some of the possible reasons.
Capturing the world in 360 has been a thing for years. While companies such as Ricoh and Insta360 have made the process far easier than the days of specialized tripod heads and sophisticated software, it’s still not an easily understood process or format. Vecnos aims to change that with its new IQUI 360 camera.
You could spend a lifetime out in nature with your camera and still barely scratch the surface of what is out there to photograph. If you would like to improve your landscape and nature photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features five helpful tips that will improve your work and expand your creative palette.
Adobe Photoshop is such a deep and impressive tool, that most things can be done within the software. While you may (and arguably, should) want to get it right in-camera, sometimes you don't have that option. Here is a great tutorial on how to fake the colored gel look.
GVM recently sent me their new 50SM lights, and in this video, I do a quick overview and put them to the test filming a puppy adoption video.