Filters can be used in a variety of situations, particularly in landscape photography, but do you need them when you do night photography, and will they improve your images?
One of the most fundamental and important features of any camera is autofocus, and modern bodies have impressively capable and comprehensive systems that are designed to competently tackle just about any scenario you can throw at them. With those capabilities come some complexity, however, so if you are new to photography, check out this great video tutorial that will show you the ins and out of autofocus systems and settings and how to choose the right option to get the best results.
I shoot solely raw. However, I know some tremendous photographers whose cameras are set to record just JPEGs, and they will never change. I am envious because they spend less time in front of the computer. Shooting raw is worth learning, but maybe there's also a good reason to shun it.
Being a creative comes with a healthy dose of assaults on our confidence, both internal and external. When it comes to those internal assaults, one of the worst is impostor syndrome. Impostor syndrome can undermine your confidence and make it difficult to perform at your best behind the camera. This excellent video essay discusses the issue and what you can do to overcome it to become a happier and more confident creative professional.
With a relatively light and small footprint along with a wide aperture for its focal length, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G ED is a compelling option for Nikon mirrorless shooters in a wide variety of genres. 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.
There’s no shortage of lenses to choose from when it comes to the Micro Four Thirds mount, and so, for one to stand out, it’s got to offer something special. The Venus Optics Laowa 50mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro APO is a lens that just happens to have a few tricks up its sleeve to make a case for itself, namely 2:1 magnification for macro photography and the computer chips to make it play nice with Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Pentax may have a smaller market share than most, but their users are quite loyal to the company and its determination to keep DSLRs alive and evolving. The K-3 Mark III is their latest flagship APS-C DSLR, and this great video review talks about some of the improvements to the camera and shares lots of sample images to show what you can expect from it in practice.
If you're starting out in photography or videography, it feels as if there are unlimited items you need, which is not the case. However, there are some less expensive tools that can aid in your production and make a bigger difference than their cost implies.
Suzanne Phoenix is a photographer and artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her work is primarily portrait based, with a focus on developing and fostering community. We had an opportunity to connect and talk about the importance of relationships and consent in the photography world.
The Canon EOS R5 and RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens are two of the company's best offerings, offering top-notch image quality, high resolution, and performance even with an extreme aperture, making them an especially exciting option for portrait shooters. This excellent video shows the kind of performance and image quality you can get from the combination.
The Milky Way is the first major landmark after capturing stars in astrophotography, depending on where you are in the world. However, capturing it can be tricky, require some know-how, and the right equipment. So, here are five tips to help you get it right.
Sony Netherlands gave me a Sony a1 for a review. During two weeks, I dove into this amazing camera, learning about all the things that make the Sony a1 the top of the Alpha line-up. I shot a lot of pictures and learned a lot of things about this camera. These are my thoughts.
As far as extreme lenses go, Canon's 200mm f/2L IS USM is near the top, with one of the most extreme focal length and aperture combinations out there. Though it was generally designed as a sports and wildlife lens, it has found a second home as a portrait lens, and this fun video discusses what it is like shooting with it, both the pros and the cons.
Landscape photography is traditionally done with a wide angle lens in order to capture the majority of the scene in the frame, and while there is nothing wrong with that approach, you can make images that are just as visually interesting with longer focal lengths. This excellent video shows how one photographer uses a supertelephoto zoom lens to create minimalist landscape photos.
Frequency separation is a Photoshop technique that involves "separating" the colors in an image from the textures. Though typically used by portrait photographers for retouching a model's skin, it's a useful tool for landscape photographers to have on their belts. In this article, I outline two cases in which frequency separation helped me process a recent image.
A lot of us spend a ton of time working in Lightroom, and anywhere we can increase our efficiency, even by just a little amount, can add up to big savings in the long run. This helpful video tutorial will show you a variety of ways to work more quickly in Lightroom and save a lot of time.
The art of creating an appealing and memorable, moody portrait is often in the post-production of that image as much as it is in the lighting. In this short video, you get some tricks for getting the most out of your shot when you're creating a moody edit.
There are few videos I have clicked on faster than a drone filming itself crashing into a volcano in Iceland. This video shows a DJI first-person view drone as it records the rivers of lava flowing out of Fagradalsfjall before plummeting into a fiery death, all in glorious 4K.
Bo Burnham's new Netflix comedy special hit people's screens last week, and it has been receiving wholesome responses. The new special, titled "Inside," was impressively solo-filmed over the course of a year, with nothing more than minimal gear inside a small room.
Lights and specialty modifiers can be quite expensive, and filling out your collection can be a major hit to your wallet. However, one of the most versatile modifiers and a favorite of many studio photographers is also one of the cheapest. The humble v-flat is tremendously useful, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to create eye-catching light.
Whereas things like camera settings and lighting can be quantified and thus committed to memory in a straightforward manner, posing and directing a subject is a bit more nebulous and often gives photographers a fair amount of trouble. Peter Hurley is well known as a master of directing and posing, and in this excellent video tutorial, he shares some of his best advice that is sure to improve your own work.
Lightroom and Photoshop are generally considered to be tools for standard (still) photography, but simple video tasks can be handled entirely within your photographer’s Lightroom and Photoshop subscription package (no need for Adobe Premiere Pro), and without any third-party add-on tools. In particular, the pair of programs handles time-lapse videos quite nicely.
Canon's RF lens range has been expanding but some of their earlier lenses are closing in on early classics for Canon mirrorless. One that has been particularly well-received, is the 50mm f/1.2.
It used to be that for serious color grading work, you needed to work in Photoshop, but Lightroom now offers some powerful controls for color grading that let you take precise control to dial in the exact look you want. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to leverage those controls to color grade your photos.
Cyanotypes are a type of printmaking process invented in the 1800s by Sir John Frederick William Herschel, 1st Baronet KH FRS. What a name!
There have been so many cameras over the last 20 years that there are certainly some bargains to be had now. In this video, two cameras each costing less than $300 are pitted against one another.
Vuhlandes is a film photographer based in Detroit, Michigan. In this video, he collaborates with cowgirl Brianna and her horse, Dapper Dan, to create images that meld Vuhlandes’ urban style with a distinctly nostalgic, yet new Americana.
There are many ways to skin the proverbial cat when it comes to editing your images these days, many of which are excellent alternatives to the most famous software. So, Patrick had a look at PhotoWorks 10.0 to see how it holds up.
Canon has released more information on the upcoming EOS R3 camera, with a variety of specs now available that give us more information on what to expect, as well as a gallery of new images of the upcoming camera.
With more and more amazing lenses being introduced at a dizzying pace, I find myself asking a very basic question: How many lenses do I actually need?
Currently on sale for just $249 and weighing less than half a pound, the Tamron 20mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 lens is an affordable, versatile, and highly portable lens. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.
Apple's M1 Macs turned the computing world on its head a bit, offering impressive performance and jaw-dropping battery life at prices that were much more affordable than traditional levels, ushering in a new era of computing for creatives. This great video review discusses the M1 MacBook Air as a long-term solution for creatives and if it can handle the often heavy demands we place on our computers.
Shooting a panorama is quite simple in concept, but there are a few tips to follow that should give more consistent results. Whether you have never shot a panorama before or you're well versed, there may be something in here for you.
Making photography a career is the dream for a ton of people, but very few find lasting professional success. Why is that? There are many things that make it difficult, but one of the most common and damaging is something we often do to ourselves.
Learning how to balance artificial light with ambient light is one of the most important and versatile skills for a portrait photographer to learn. If you are still working on that, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a series of outdoor portraits shot using a combination of strobes and ambient light and how they were lit.
When I first saw the Platypod, I honestly thought it was a gimmick. Compared to the lightweight Gitzo travel tripod I’ve loved for years, the Platypod is really just a piece of aluminum with some holes in it. I scoffed at the concept of it for a long time since I had no idea how much it would improve my travel photography.
Frank Lee blends mundane domestic visuals against the backdrop of equally repetitive sounds to create not mere actuality, but reality.
NIK Collection 4 is hitting the virtual streets today with some updated tools and some welcome changes to its GUI.
I had the opportunity to check out what a team behind stabilization technology can do with regards to shooting video on mobile devices.
As landscape photographers, one skill that always requires honing is composition. Essentially, we seek to find a bit of beauty in the chaos of nature and then capture it in a frame. Finding and capturing reflections is a great way to portray order and symmetry. Here I've compiled some tips and tricks that can help you master your reflection compositions.
When it comes to the business of photography, for many reasons, pricing is one of the things that often trip people up. But, once you stick to a few simple rules, it becomes easier.
The original Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro lens was well known for being a versatile performer, offering 1:1 macro capabilities, sharp images, excellent image stabilization, and reliable autofocus, becoming a favorite of not just macro photographers, but portrait and wedding photographers as well. The new RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM brings some major improvements, and this excellent video review shows the image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
Somewhere between Allen Funt and season 245 of Survivor, reality television has become the most popular genre of television. We’ve seen a handful of photography-centered shows, but not nearly enough. Frankly, even I got tired of watching the drama of America’s Next Top Model just so I could watch 10 minutes of photography. Thanks to Rankin and the BBC, we’ve been giving something much better.
Even if commercial car photography is not your thing, there is always something to learn from seeing professionals on a shoot. Especially when the results are this impressive and the gear used was minimal.
While some manufacturers have been releasing gear at a breakneck pace, Nikon has been quite quiet the last few months. It seems they are finally waking up, though, with a lot of lens announcements rumored to come this week.
Self-portraits tend to get a somewhat bad rap, in part because of the selfie craze. But, self-portraits can be an incredibly beneficial process for photographers that can lead to great growth and skill development.
Twenty feet away from arguably the most spectacular high desert scene lay a pile of photographic detritus. Busted tripod legs, smashed lenses, and camera bodies pulverized beyond recognition, the scene looked more like a badly bungled camera store robbery than a National Park vista.
With its latest line of M1 devices, Apple has really shocked the market. Laptops such as the Apple MacBook Air are demonstrating performance that is on par with more expensive computers. Now, the Apple M1 iPad Pro is demonstrating incredible performance.
Camera sales are declining rapidly. There is seemingly nothing that we can do about it.
