How many hours a day are you spending retouching portraits? I'd guess too much. Today, I’ll be comparing three different pieces of software that automatically retouch portraits: Luminar AI, On1 Photo RAW 2021, and PortraitPro Studio Max.
When it comes to landscape photography, the standard lens of choice is the wide angle, as many scenes demand a large angle of view to get everything into one frame. And while wide angle lenses certainly have their place, other focal lengths are just as useful. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to choose the right lens for a specific landscape scene.
Landscape photography can be a frustrating pursuit at times, as you are at the mercy of what the light and weather give you, and those do not always align with your plans. That does not mean you should just pack up your camera and go home, though. You can still get worthwhile images in such scenarios, and this excellent video follows a photographer as he encounters just such a situation, providing an important lesson.
Today we’re going to discuss how WAFFLES will make you better at capturing moments in wedding photography. Yes, you heard me right. Delicious, warm, smothered in syrup waffles! Actually, it’s an acronym, because who doesn’t love a tasty acronym?
The Fujifilm XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR gives bokeh lovers the opportunity for some of the most extreme images out there. With such a boundary-pushing design, you might wonder if its image quality and autofocus performance can keep up with demands. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens in real-world usage and if it can provide the results you need.
Years ago, I taught a workshop on editing video for scientists. We primarily taught the shooting part of things with an iPhone and the editing part with iPads and iMovie because it would be easier to learn, not because they were particularly good tools. My how things have changed now that the new M1 iPad Pro is out.
Have you ever seen a complete 360X180 degree panorama on Facebook and wondered "how do they do that?" Today, I'll teach you.
Some of us don’t need to be persuaded to buy new camera gear like the Sony a7S III. Early adopters buy the latest and greatest simply because they love new tech, and many photographers are gearheads that can’t resist. Even so, it’s probably a good idea to support your purchase with these three reasons you should get the Sony a7S III.
It might seem like a silly question, but there are times where you will look at the images on the back of your camera and it will not be entirely clear if you have a keeper. So, how can you tell when you have taken a worthwhile photo? This excellent video tutorial discusses what to look for when evaluating your images.
Most professional headshot photographers use strobes for their studio work, but of course, that does not mean you can't use continuous or even natural light for your work. This excellent video tutorial from the one and only Peter Hurley will show you how to use both natural light and continuous lighting for taking headshots.
I have long been a staunch critic of the street photography genre. One of the biggest problems I've seen over the years, most notably as a judge in dozens of major contests, is derivative work. In this article, I will discuss six types of street photographs that we simply don't need any more of.
With the latest batch of updates, Photoshop has added a new feature to its array of neural filters: depth blur. Very much in beta, this tool has potential, but there’s clearly a lot of improvements required before it becomes worth using.
When it comes to lighting for portraits, we mostly focus on learning how to light our subjects; after all, that is what the eye is drawn. But a complete image involves accounting for how the background is lit as well, and that can be the difference that makes your photos truly professional. This helpful video tutorial will give you five tips to improve the lighting of your portrait backgrounds.
Contrast means so much more than the separation of light and dark. Understanding the different types of contrast can train our photographic eyes and improve our Images.
Astrophotography is a tremendously challenging genre, requiring specialized equipment, excellent technique, a lot of knowledge, and loads of patience. However, when you get a good image, it is all worth it, as you can capture some of the most remarkable photos of our universe. This great video follows an astrophotographer as he captures what he considers to be the best photo he has taken so far.
A 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a huge range of photographers, but such lenses are often quite expensive. Sigma's 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary comes in at about half the price of competitors, making it quite appealing for those who can live without 24mm on the wide end. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
The popularity of film is still on an upward trajectory with no signs of slowing down. With the film world changing constantly, it’s time to update the list of underrated and overrated film cameras.
Photography, like anything, has its trends that rise and fall, seemingly at random. Except it never is at random, and the latest trend of film point-and-shoot cameras has seen a surge in the last few years.
An ultra-wide angle zoom lens is a useful tool for many different genres, and while the professional standard of such lenses is usually f/2.8, those who do not need that extra stop can save a lot of weight and money by opting for an f/4 version. This excellent video review takes a look at one such lens for Nikon mirrorless shooters, the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S.
Another day, another dollar. In Nikon's case, it wishes it had a whole load more dollars, as its annual financial report shows significant losses. So, is it making progress to get itself back on a level footing with Canon and Sony?
Being a photographer requires a lot of different skills. A well-rounded photographer (pun intended) has technical proficiency with cameras, an understanding of the physics of light, and certainly a lot of business ability. However, there is one skill that all creatives must have. It relates to judgment and valuing your work. Check out this great video to learn more.
Wedding photography is a challenging, high-pressure genre, but the work does not end once you leave the venue for the night. There are some crucial things you should do after every wedding to give your business the best chance for success, and this excellent video discusses five of the most important.
Many compare the rapid rise of mirrorless cameras to the days when digital overtook film. But how different are DSLRs and mirrorless cameras? Well, not that different when compared to the change from film to digital photography. Let's see what changes were made from film to digital and how they compare to the current "giant leap" in technology.
For a lot of creatives, making all or a significant part of their income via YouTube is a dream. However, to get there takes a lot of serious, consistent work and the ability to remain constantly innovative and able to come up with new ideas and present them in a compelling way with high production value. This great video pulls back the curtain and shows you how one well-known photographer did on the platform in 2020.
When you see an advert on YouTube, it either has to be gripping and interesting for you to continue watching, or it's clicked through. Artlist has a strong campaign, and they made a video explaining the process of shooting one of these ads.
Admit it or not, we all like new gear or the next best thing. We try not to think about it, but that thought just sticks and goes round and round in your head like a cyclone until you either realize you don't need it or you give in and using your hard-earned savings to purchase it, only to find that you didn't need it after all and that it hasn't made your photographic practice any better.
Since the dawn of reality television, we've seen a plethora of professions and niche topics covered. That said, there have been very few photography-focused spinoffs of the reality genre. Photo Challenge Show aims to take a step in changing that.
Getting feedback is one of the most important ways to become a better photographer. Often, however, many photographers are unsure on how to find someone who can give feedback, and what feedback to even listen to. Check out this great video which explains the ways you can get better feedback on your work from relevant people.
There are times when you need some extra protection for your equipment, even if you transport it in your camera bag. A pouch can offer that extra protection, or you can wrap it in a cloth. Haida has created the Magic Stick-It Wrapper Cloth for that.
Composition is a tricky thing when it comes to landscape photography, where even subtle variations can make or break a photo. If you have been struggling with your compositions lately, check out this great video tutorial that will give you five unusual tips that will help you improve your landscape photos.
The 50mm lens is one of the most versatile lenses a photographer can own. If you don't have one already, now might be a very good time to add one to your camera bag.
For 2021, the first event of the “eclipse season” is a lunar eclipse on the morning of May 26. The second is an annular solar eclipse on June 10. In an annular eclipse, the Moon appears too small to block the Sun out entirely, so at maximum eclipse, the Sun is visible as a ring (annulus).
Since the launch of the EOS R5 and the EOS R6 Canon has been releasing a lot of new RF glass. Everything from compact consumer lenses to true professional workhorses. One of the most requested Canon RF lenses was an L-series 35mm lens.
The rise in stock of mirrorless cameras has been significant in the last decade, but there are a lot of misconceptions about the difference between them and DSLRs.
Trade for Print or TFP shoots are shoots where the photographer doesn’t pay the model and the model doesn’t pay the photographer. They are a great tool for when models and photographers are starting out or when they don’t have a budget. Here are some tips for how to make them successful.
If you enjoy adapting vintage lenses to modern cameras, this review of a lens from the 1950s and 1960s, might be for you.
Not so long ago, Instagram was the perfect platform for photographers, but not anymore. How can you make your still images stand out on a platform that’s now all about Reels, handbags, and freebooting?
While many reviews look at how sharp a lens can be, for this review, we’ll be looking at a filter that does the opposite. Haida's NanoPro Mist filter is actually designed to add a soft glow, while still keeping fine details. Now, before you think about the JCPenney portrait studio shots of the past decades, this filter is subtler. Haida’s NanoPro Mist filter is instead designed to diffuse the highlights and soften the overall contrast, bringing the filmic characteristic of halation to digital. Does it live up to the task?
The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens is a bit of a legend, known for its insanely wide aperture and a favorite of numerous portrait photographers. Now that the mirrorless age is upon us, its natural successor, the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, is here. This great video review compares the new lens to the prior EF version, and it shows just how remarkably good the latest model is.
Sony's new FE 14mm f/1.8 GM lens offers an extremely wide maximum aperture for such a focal length, enabling both photographers and filmmakers impressive creative capabilities and looking like a dream for events and astrophotographers. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.
I just bought a DSLR — the Canon 5DS. Yes, you read that right, and no, this article is not a repost from 2016. DSLRs are a very viable option that you should look into before buying your next camera.
Lightroom recently added some new tools for color grading, and there are now multiple ways to warm up the highlights, add a cinematic touch to the shadows, and more. This excellent video tutorial will show you two different ways to selectively color grade your photos in Lightroom.
As a full-time van dweller and landscape photographer, I’ve come to appreciate the virtues of the pairing. The ability to park up in comfortable accommodations near or at your desired shooting location is tremendously valuable. To do this daily is invaluable.
Google is changing the way that its Android smartphone cameras process darker skin tones in order to address historic problems relating to how people of color are portrayed in photographs.
Having now had at least one of the second generation of Nikon Z cameras, either the Z 6II or Z 7II, in my possession for almost a year now, I thought I would share three of my favorite things about the cameras so far.
Do you wish you could adapt your medium format glass so that you could shoot medium format images on your full frame camera? This adapter does exactly that, giving you all of the high resolution and lens performance that comes with it.
If there is one thing big-budget movies know how to do well, it is color grading. If you have a favorite movie in mind when it comes to color grading and you would like to apply that style to your photos, this helpful video tutorial will show you how to take it and apply it to your own photos using Photoshop.
Seb Agnew is a German-based photographic artist. His practice is based on creating tableaux imagery, which is set in the real world, but with elements that make the ordinary extraordinary. His characters challenge the human experience and often face moments of disorientation and solitude.
Compositions make or break photos, and they can be a really tricky thing to master. If you have been struggling with your compositions lately and need something that can get you back on the right track, check out this quick and helpful video tutorial on how to improve your compositions.
The new iMacs are here, and Apple has updated its popular computer with a variety of new features ranging from new color options to the company's lauded M1 system on a chip. For photographers and filmmakers, it is likely to be a good choice for creative work. If you are interested in it for your office, check out this great video review that takes a look at how it performs for photo and video work.
