Adobe Photoshop has had so many features added in the last few years that it's easy to miss some that could be helpful to your work. The Puppet Warp tool is one that I regularly forget exists, but for compositing and more artistic post-production, it can be superb.
There is so much to think about and keep track of in photography, even more so if it is your career. As such, it can be easy to get caught up thinking about the wrong thing or focusing too much on something at the expense of another. It is important to remember what really matters at the end of the day, and this worthwhile video discusses that.
It used to be that if you wanted to do serious color grading, you needed to head over to Photoshop, but in recent iterations, Lightroom has gained some easy-to-use and powerful color grading tools that make it easy to accomplish what you need right there. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to use Lightroom's color grading tools to create better images.
Tamron's holy trinity of f/2.8 zoom lenses has been a runaway hit for the company, offering smart compromises that bring professional-level quality and performance at prices that significantly undercut those of first-party options. The 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD is the longest of the trio, offering a versatile focal length range and wide maximum aperture suitable for a wide range of scenarios. This great video review discusses how it holds up after a year of usage.
Fujifilm has made medium format remarkably affordable compared to the past, bringing it within the realm of full frame prices and making it a viable alternative for many photographers. If you are interested in getting into the system, both the GFX 50S and GFX 50S II are fantastic options at different price levels, and this great video will help you choose which is right for you.
Yongnuo is well known for making highly affordable speedlights, but in the last few years, the company has branched out into manufacturing lenses that follow in that budget-friendly tradition. One such lens is the YN35mm f/2R DF DSM lens, and this excellent video review takes a look at how it performs in the real world.
If you're new to photography and want to dip your toe in the waters of flash, you could be forgiven for not knowing where to start. There are speedlites ranging from cheap through to expensive by anyone's standards, and it can be difficult to delineate which option is the best value. Here is one photographer's answer to the best low-cost speedlite.
Fujifilm has lowered the bar of entry to digital medium format cameras significantly, allowing many to enjoy the larger sensor size without having to spend the price of a new car. However, Hasselblad has options that are now in line with higher-end full frame cameras, so how do they compare?
When most people think of Leica cameras, they think of their iconic rangefinders and associated lenses, but the company actually maintains several different camera systems. If you are interested in the Leica aesthetic and experience but are not sure which one is right for you, this excellent video review goes over three distinct full frame options and their differences, pros, and cons.
Hop on Instagram, and you will probably get the impression that landscape photography is the sort of thing where you travel from epic place to place, enjoying jaw-dropping views and beautiful weather. The reality is far from that, though, and you can get a greater appreciation for the process by seeing what really happens behind the social media posts, and this awesome video will show you just that.
The season of colorful leaves and pumpkin spice everything is upon us, and just like those orange coffee drinks, the vibrant foliage of fall is a fleeting presence. Are you and your camera ready for it? The time to prepare for autumn photography is now.
The Canon EOS R3 is finally here, and it offers some jaw-dropping specs that are sure to have a lot of photographers and filmmakers salivating. How does it hold up in real-world usage? This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and discusses how it performs.
When it comes to landscape photography, a wide angle lens is most often the tool chosen for a given scene, simply because most scenes have a lot to take in. However, wide angle lenses come with their own unique challenges and pitfalls. This great video tutorial will show you five helpful tips for improving your landscape images when working with a wide angle lens.
Most drones are pretty simple when it comes down to it: a flying device with a camera attached. Accessories are not really that common in the drone world besides basic things like propeller guards. However, one DJI drone system comes with some bizarre accessories, and this neat video takes a look at them, what they are useful for, and how well they work.
Astrophotography is one of the most rewarding but complex genres of photography. There are a lot of steps that go into creating a great image of the night sky and Milky Way, and what better way to learn than to watch somebody do it from start to finish.
A free piece of software that looks and runs like Photoshop sounds too good to be true, right? Here's what you need to know about this potential "Photoshop killer".
In this video, compare the Nikon Z 5 with a kit lens to the Nikon Z 7 with the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for print results. Is there as much difference as you would think, or would you be happy with the entry-level camera and the kit lens?
The majority of photographers simply take their pictures, pop out the memory card, and import their images into their computer. If you are working in a studio, however, tethering can be a real improvement to your workflow, and this great video tutorial will show you why and help you troubleshoot common tethering issues in Lightroom and Capture One.
For the longest time, digitizing film was both the best and worst part of being a film photographer. In walks pixl-latr, and the world of digitization is forever different.
It takes more than a wide aperture and the right focal length to make a good astrophotography lens. Sigma's 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens offers a slightly longer but still reasonable focal length paired with that wide aperture, making it a potentially useful candidate for astro work. This great video review takes a look at the lens from an astrophotographer's perspective and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.
The brand new EOS R3 is packed full of exciting features and we’re now starting to get an idea of just how well they perform. Artificial intelligence and eye control autofocus are exciting advances, but what advantages do they bring?
Alongside the much-anticipated EOS R3, Canon has announced the release of two new lenses for its full frame mirrorless cameras: the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM and RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM.
Canon has fully unveiled the EOS R3, a full frame mirrorless camera with a 24.1-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor that shoots continuously, black-out free, at up to 30 frames per second. The R3 will go on sale at $5,999.
I’m currently just casually reading about Deleuzian philosophy. Gilles Deleuze, a French philosopher, and Félix Guattari wrote about truth as coming from multiple sources.
What is the greatest challenge you faced on a photoshoot? Your answer may very well include time pressure, an annoying art director, lack of gear, unknown locations, and much more. This is exactly what Profoto did to some four photographers who were asked to only take their camera to a secret location.
A portfolio review is a great way to get feedback and direction for your photographic practice. It’s also a great way to connect with industry professionals. If you have been considering getting your work professionally reviewed, this article can shed some insights on what to expect and how to prepare.
Improving your keeper rate is desirable, but it also usually plots out your growth as a photographer; the higher your skill, the better your keeper rate. However, there are tips and tricks that are developed for the sole purpose of improving your keeper rate regardless of skill.
There’s a vast range of lenses available for Sony’s E mount, including a healthy selection of primes for those on tighter budgets. Here’s a list of eight impressive lenses that cost less than $650 each.
Have you had the client you're convinced is pure evil? Why do they behave like that? It seems they like to spread misery and just make life difficult for everyone in sight. Believe it or not, there's a method that I use to help bring them back down to tolerable levels. In some cases, they've become my biggest ally and supported me over the years.
It is important to work with one light at first so you can master all its fundamental properties and techniques, but once you feel comfortable with that, you can really expand your creativity by experimenting with more complex multi-light setups. This informative video tutorial will show you how a photographer created a challenging and eye-catching hair shot using five lights and gels.
Art is subjective, but the professional world of commercial photography is far less so. With this in mind, how do you work out if your work is good enough to make it as a professional photographer or one day will be?
In a previous article (Easing into Astrophotography with a Telescope), I listed a few resources for stepping up to telescopic astrophotography. Beyond learning the basics of sky navigation and learning to extend your photographic equipment knowledge into long exposures, an introductory overview of astronomy is a good idea so that you are aware of the photographic possibilities available to you and the wide array of equipment that may be needed.
While portraits with a narrow depth of field that isolate the subject against a wall of blurry colors and ill-defined shapes are quite popular, they can sometimes be a bit one-dimensional. Environmental portraits are a chance to increase the nuance of your images and tell stories about your subjects. If you want to improve your own environmental portraits, this great video tutorial will give you five tips that will help you on your way.
Black and white photography moved from a necessity to a decision long ago, but it is still revered and enjoyed today as one of the primary forms to display a photograph. However, editing from color into black and white can take some time to master and create truly memorable results. In this video, go through an advanced seven-step process for turning a basic black and white edit into a masterful one.
Once you try this mouse from Logitech, it is likely that your Wacom tablet will be pushed to the back of your desk to gather dust. With 20 fully programmable buttons, including a clickable scroll wheel that also tilts either way, the level of functionality reached with this mouse is unmatched by any mouse or peripheral device on the market. Not to mention, it's budget-friendly!
Why should you keep an ultra-wide angle lens in your bag for portrait, engagement, and wedding shoots?
Back in 2015, a Kickstarter campaign appeared for a curious plastic box that attaches to your camera’s hot shoe and allows you to stabilize footage in post so successfully that it replicates the feel of a gimbal. How good is the SteadXP, and could it replace your DJI Ronin?
Ever wanted to make a complex mask in Lightroom but haven't had the patience to follow through? Well, using this simple technique, you can do it in just five seconds.
Premium portrait lenses usually offer apertures of around f/1.4 and sit at prices around $1,500 to $2,500. If you just want a portrait-length lens without ultra-narrow depth of field or the high price tag such lenses come with, one with an aperture like f/2 or f/2.8 could be a better choice. Sigma's new 90mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens seeks to fill that need at an affordable price, and this great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.
One of Photoshop's most useful and classic techniques is the ability to change the color of any object convincingly. This can come in handy in a wide variety of situations, such as adjusting the color of your subject's clothing, and this great video tutorial will show you how it is done.
Mirrorless hasn't only won the battle, it's won the war. Last year — 2020 — was a landmark as more mirrorless cameras were shipped than DSLRs. It is the primary design choice for manufacturers and is therefore the future of the camera. However, the future of photography undoubtedly lies with the smartphone.
Back before we had spectacularly capable modern sensors and advanced post-processing programs, photographers had to turn toward more involved techniques for reducing noise, and those methods are still useful today. This particular technique can both reduce noise in your images and help you create long exposures in post, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how it is done.
Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration. Something like a tornado would probably qualify as bad weather. However, if the weather is not threatening your very safety, I would go so far as to say it is good weather for landscape photography, rain, shine, or anywhere in between, and this great video demonstrates why.
Non-destructive editing is crucial to preserving original image detail. It keeps the highest quality image available and will allow for countless re-editing in the future, but how do you do it in Photoshop CC?
One of Sigma's newest lenses is the 24mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary, and it brings with the promise of good image quality and performance in a small package, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. How does it hold up in practice? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.
A frequent refrain among photographers is that the area around their home is just too boring to photograph. Here are a couple of ideas to help you find engaging and meaningful photographic projects in locations that feel completely uninspiring.
I was invited for the introduction of the new Fujifilm GFX50S II at Fujifilm Netherlands. Besides the introduction to this new mirrorless medium format camera, I was able to use a pre-production model in the studio. In this article, I will share my first impressions of this new camera and compare it with the first version.
In the world of drone photography, it’s hard to remember that there are players in the market that aren’t DJI. But maybe you are in the mood for something different. Maybe you’re just starting out. It might be worth it, in that case, to check out a few other options.
Whether you're a videographer or not, you'll likely find yourself having to use a video editor at one point or another. If you think that is or will be true for you, here is an incredible tip for one of the key functions in Adobe Premiere Pro.
You shoot perfect pictures. But are they the photographic equivalent of fast food? Maybe it’s time to consider changing the way you shoot and reject sausage machine images.
