Free Workshop This Weekend: #BeAlpha Live Online
Every year, Sony hosts a number of free online educational platforms. For me, these have quickly become events I don't want to miss. And the next one is this weekend on August 15th.
Every year, Sony hosts a number of free online educational platforms. For me, these have quickly become events I don't want to miss. And the next one is this weekend on August 15th.
What will you be doing for World Photography Day? There’s good reason to get on board. Some exciting happenings are going on, including some free live presentations from top-notch photographers.
It's time for another Critique the Community and this time I'm asking you to push the envelope a little bit. For this critique, I'm asking you to post your most controversial, unsettling, or "uncomfortable" photos.
The additional steps and costs involved with shooting on film often put many photographers off. What if you could have the best of both worlds and use digital in your older film cameras?
What benefit can having two screens on a laptop offer you and is there anything more to this device than that? We review ASUS' newest dual-screen laptop to see if it is worth your time and money.
Photography is about growth, and there are many times I wish that I could tell my younger self a few things about photography. While I'd start out by saying "You're not as good as you think you are," there are a few more practical tips in this video from Gear Focus.
The new Elinchrom ONE is the company's latest monolight, offering a rechargeable battery that makes it portable and versatile whether you are working in the studio or on location. This great video review takes a look at the light and the sort of performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.
Photography rules are among some of the most frequently disputed ones. Of course, there is a reason for their existence. Our eyes find it more logical to look at a scene that follows the rule of thirds. Color theory dictates that red and blue are colors that contrast really well. Every tutorial on gels will prove this right.
We have known the Nikon Z 9 mirrorless camera is on its way fairly soon for a while now, and specs have been slowly trickling out. Another set of specs have leaked, and it looks like the camera will be quite impressive.
Here's a high-quality but low-price entry-level drone from DJI, the Mini SE. Originally, DJI said the drone wouldn't come to the U.S. or Europe, but today, it's hit the databases of major retailers like B&H Photo.
There are endless articles and videos discussing the pros and cons of shooting in raw versus shooting in JPEG. I’ve long been a proponent of raw for the editing capabilities, but what's more important than file sizes and editing? Longevity.
There is a lot of hype in the camera industry, whether over the latest and greatest gear, presets, shortcuts to great images, or something else. Some of it is justified (depending on your perspective), but some of it is nothing more than empty hype. So, what is worth listening to? This interesting video essay discusses nine things one photographer believes are overhyped right now.
Apple has announced this week that it is going to start rolling out new child safety features. These features are coming later this year in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. Apple says that this program is ambitious and protecting children is an important responsibility.
The ocean of equipment and information out there can make choosing your first camera difficult and daunting. In this video, one professional photographer gives you a number of different options for all budgets.
There's no doubt about it, even if you have the best camera and lens, the correct settings, a good location, and a great model, a poorly thought out pose can ruin the image. Here is a tip for ensuring you pose your subject in a way that has you taking great images.
There are a million reasons to buy a new camera. Some are more valid than others. In this article, I take a look at some of the silliest rationales for buying new cameras.
Once you have mastered the fundamentals of light and how it behaves, you can start exploring more advanced multi-light setups that allow you make more creative and personal images. If you are ready to level up your portrait lighting, check out this awesome video tutorial that will show you an advanced three-light setup using both v-flats and gels.
Good lenses are rarely affordable; a high-quality professional lens almost always costs thousands of dollars. However, the Tamron 24mm f/2.8 Di III OSD M 1:2 costs just $199 and offers impressive performance and versatility, especially for its price. Is this the next lens for you? Check out this great video review to find out.
Eventually, as we progress in our commercial photography careers, we will become a part of sizable shoots with producers attached. Your first shoot with an experienced producer will feel like flying first class for the first time; you will never want to go back.
Over the last year and a half, we’ve all realized the importance of connections. And as the world grapples with how to connect at a time when we’ve become increasingly isolated, there’s nothing better than finding symbols of hope in the real world.
The camera world is absolutely awash in supertelephoto zoom lenses right now, and there are plenty of options out there with varying capabilities and price points. This excellent video comparison takes a look at two of the best options, the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports and the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS.
Nikon recently posted its first quarter financial report which shows improved sales but still leaves many questions unanswered about its post-COVID recovery. Is it making or — indeed — losing ground to its competitors?
Time-lapses are a right of passage for photographers, but they're an incredibly deep area. While a basic time-lapse is fairly straightforward and achievable with just a modern camera, more complex, cinematic productions require some know-how in both camera setup and post-production.
Sigma's latest lens is the 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, bringing with it a useful focal length range suitable for anything from sports to wildlife at a decently affordable price. This awesome video review takes a look at the lens and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
If you're a wedding or event photographer, chances are, you've encountered mixed lighting situations. Though mixed lighting can be used creatively, there are times when it just isn't ideal. Today, I'll be walking through several examples of mixed lighting conditions with solutions on how you can work around it on location or fix it in post-production.
For most photographers, Lightroom is the place where they will start their photos and often where they will finish them. If you are new to photography, you might be surprised by just how much you can do with Lightroom without ever touching Photoshop. This helpful video tutorial will give you seven tips to ensure you are getting the most out of the program and creating high-quality edits.
Landscape photography is a challenging genre that takes the confluence of a lot of techniques, creative ideas, and more to bring an image to fruition, but it is quite rewarding when you see the finished photo. This awesome video tutorial will show you how a professional landscape photographer shoots an image, from choosing the right focal length all the way through the edit.
I think that it’s often difficult for people to understand or see the real struggles that female and nonbinary creatives face in the photography industry. If you’ve been keeping up with current news, Canon has faced some criticism recently. They aren't the first and won't be the last to make a huge diversity misstep.
Small, affordable cameras with small sensors and small lenses are doomed to produce images with deep depth of field, but what if you could add shallow depth of field in post?
The Sony a7R IVA was a quiet upgrade to the a7R IV, and though most of the changes it brought were relatively minor, it still offers the highly impressive performance of the original a7R IV along with a few extra refinements. This awesome video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it.
The capabilities of smartphones when it comes to photography and videography have improved to a degree where they are legitimately useful tools for professionals and enthusiasts alike. I got my hands on Zhiyun's Smooth-Q3 to put it through its paces, and the results surprised me.
Selling prints can be a fantastic way to create a bit of passive income from your photography, but with so many images and photographers out there, it can be difficult to get a bit of traction to start generating sales. This helpful video discusses a photographer's experience selling prints online and some of the things he has done to increase his sales.
Persistence is a quality that can pay off in many areas of life, and photography is no different. Sometimes, in landscape photography, you do not get the sort of light or conditions you were hoping for, but that does not mean you should pack in the gear and go home. This excellent video shows you the kind of pleasant surprises that can await you when you stick around.
If you want to buy some items for your photography, prices are often high. It feels like the manufacturer has increased the price just because it is for photography. Sometimes, it is possible to make that item yourself. But is the DIY solution just as good?
Look at any photography discussion board or Facebook page, and you’ll quickly run into members obsessed with bokeh, or the quality of out-of-focus elements in a photograph. If you are in the bokeh-obsessed stage of photography, then large format wet plate photography is absolutely for you.
We all have bad habits in everything we do, whether we admit to them and acknowledge them or not. This photographer goes through six of his own and how he combats them.
How do you rate success in photography? Maybe, it’s earning a living from it. That isn’t a goal for everyone, but valuable lessons about successful photography can be learned from the business of professionals.
Constraints and challenges in photography aren’t disappointments. They are obstacles to be maneuvered towards and they increase creativity.
Lightning can be a fantastic way to add a bit of drama to a landscape image, though it takes some technique to capture those fleeting moments. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to photograph and create time-lapses of lightning.
Optical snoots are inexpensive attachments that can open up a world of possibilities for precise light placement. Here is a detailed description of how to use them and what you need to start creating with them.
Supertelephoto zoom lenses have come a long way in the last few years, and there are now a ton of great options out there. This excellent video review takes a look at three popular options: the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS, Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD, and Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports.
No doubt, strobes are generally the tool of choice for lighting studio portraits, but constant LED lights have seen an increase in capabilities and popularity in the last few years. If you are thinking of using them as an alternative to strobes for your work, this excellent video tutorial will show you some important techniques, camera settings, and helpful tips for getting the best possible results.
The Atem Mini switchers have become extremely popular for creatives that wish to take their streaming to the next level. Having the ability to switch between a number of different cameras and angles can be invaluable in many instances. Blackmagic Design seems to have the best options on the market, but which model is the right one for you?
Professional photography can be a really secretive world. Finding out what your competitors charge, who they are shooting for and how they got the contacts, and the way they managed to light that epic image can be a real challenge.
If you are looking for an affordable set of APS-C Sony E mount Cine lenses, then this article may interest you. Viltrox has just released a new set of manual focus cine lenses for Sony E-mount APS-C cameras with a minimum aperture of T1.5.
Modern cameras and lenses are small marvels of consumer technology, and over the years, we have seen all sorts of features come and go along the journey to today's products. Here are three features that never quite caught on that I wish would come back.
Wildlife photography is one of the trickiest genres to shoot as it requires a lot of knowledge, equipment, and patience for even a chance at a good shot. In this video, a world-class bird photographer walks you through his best tips for improving your composition.
Artificial lights and modifiers can quickly add up in cost, but you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish with only speedlights and basic modifiers. This excellent video tutorial will show you how you can produce professional-level portraits using just speedlights.
Things are still topsy-turvy with certain restrictions around the world, but in New York City, clients are bringing me into their offices again for headshots, so I wanted to share what I bring and why.