Choose Colors Deliberately for Extraordinary Photos

There are a bunch of different ways to make your photos stand out: great light, gorgeous model, amazing locations, idealized retouching, but one that is often overlooked in favor of these less subtle approaches is color. We photographers tend to schedule a shoot, show up, capture what's there, and pat ourselves on the back for our genius, but what goes into the shoot before we schedule it can be just as important to the end result as what we do with our lights or our camera. Let's look at an example from my work for Lifetime. No lights. No reflectors. Just color.

Why Is the Leica M6 Such a Popular Camera?

The Leica M6 is a classic film camera that’s going to set you back well over two grand before you even attach a lens to it. What is it about this camera that makes it so desirable?

Do Photographers Need a Graphics Tablet for Editing Photos?

The short answer is no, you don't need one; however, they do make some jobs not just easier but more enjoyable. Not all tablets are created equal, though, so this photographer gives his take on a brand you might not have heard of before.

Struggling To Get Commercial Clients?

It can seem like a game of who you know and chance as to if you are the photographer chosen for a job. If you find yourself frustrated that photographers more expensive than you and not as good as you are getting the gig, this could help.

How To Make Your Portraits More Creative

Portraiture is about much more than simply capturing someone in a pleasing pose with good lighting; it takes a certain amount of creativity to make images that distinguish your work from the crowd. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to make your portraits more creative.

How to Replace a Sky and Add a Proper Water Reflection Using Photoshop

Sky replacement is one of the biggest trends right now, with many programs offering replacement capabilities at varying degrees of automation. Photoshop recently added a powerful sky replacement feature, and though it does not handle water reflections automatically, it is not that difficult to add them manually, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how it is done.

15 Tips To Help You Become a Better Photographer

Photography is a complicated pursuit, requiring the confluence of a myriad of different skills and your creative vision to find success. This fantastic video gives 15 tips on a range of topics that will help you become a better photographer.

More Sony Lenses Are on the Way Next Week

Sony recently announced the FE 50mm f/1.2 GM, a spectacular lens that pushes the boundaries of the E mount. It seems they are not slowing down, as we will likely see three more lenses next week.

Why Eye AF Is All Anyone Talks About

So much of the discourse surrounding the latest cameras is usually about Eye AF: how fast it is, how consistent, is camera X’s better than camera Y’s. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not just because it’s the latest buzzword.

How To Use a Tilt-Shift Lens, Part 1: The Shift Function

The tilt-shift lens is probably one of the most special lenses available. It allows the photographer to turn, shift, and tilt the lens in many different ways. In this article, I explain when and how to use the shift function.

Why Is the Best Photo an Instant Print?

In an age of digital, of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat; photos are de rigueur when it comes to promoting yourself. News is fast, which means if you want to get noticed, you need to be faster. The tool of choice is obviously the smartphone because it can take and deliver photos instantly. So, why on earth is an instant print desirable?

This Windows Laptop Challenges the Speed of Apple's M1 MacBook Pros

The Apple MacBook Pro M1 has shown impressive results. With the latest round of software optimizations for the M1 processor, it seemed to be unbeatable. However, Gigabyte is demonstrating incredible results. The combination of Intel and Nvidia seems to be offering better performance than a top-spec Apple MacBook Pro M1.

What Is Happening Over at Hasselblad?

Hasselblad has had a storied history in the camera business. Even today, they’re making some impressive cameras, such as the medium-format X1D II.

Why You Should Stop Using Sliders for Editing Landscape Photos

The majority of us start editing our photos by working with the sliders in Lightroom or our editing program of choice; after all, they are right there when you begin to edit. However, that might not always be the best way to work. This fantastic video discusses why you should perhaps forgo the sliders more often and embrace a different approach to editing your photos instead.

How a Cheap Umbrella Can Produce Professional Photographs

Lighting modifiers are a necessary tool for working with artificial light, but they can be quite expensive, and building a library can quickly drain your wallet. However, the humble umbrella is highly affordable, and you might be surprised by the shots you can create with them. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create professional profits using an umbrella.

10 Helpful Tips for Working With Actions in Photoshop in Just Two Minutes

If you spend any amount of time working in Photoshop and particularly if you perform the same tasks over and over, it is well worth learning about actions, as they can greatly increase both the consistency and efficiency of your workflow. Whether you are new to actions or a seasoned user, this fantastic video tutorial will give you 10 tips for working with them in just two minutes.

Why You Should Learn to Use Your Camera's Manual Mode

If you are brand new to photography, you are likely using your camera in auto mode right now. And while modern cameras are highly advanced devices, auto mode can be fooled quite easily and will not always give you the results you want, which is why you should consider learning manual mode. This great video will show you the huge differences between the images that can be made with auto and manual mode.

5 Great Tips for Improving Your Photo Portfolio

Your portfolio is your calling card for potential clients and the thing by which they will decide if they want to hire you. This excellent video tutorial will give you five tips for improving your portfolio.

The Analog Look in Lightroom: A Review of RNI’s All Films Pack

There’s a lot of options in the preset and profiles space, but in my experience, one has stood above the rest. If you’re looking to bring a bit of analog spirit to your images, here’s why RNI's All Films 5 pack is the product you should get.

NFTs Are a Pyramid Scheme and People Are Already Losing Money

Photographers, filmmakers, and digital artists are falling over themselves to mint NFTs in a get-rich-quick scheme that will do little beyond transferring wealth from artists to tech billionaires. Why are so many people buying into the idea that something is rare because everyone says it is?

How To Make a Story in the Edit

This video takes you through the process of piecing together a documentary or any video with a story. You'll see the workflow, how the edit is put in a workable space, and how you can recycle certain parts of the shots you captured to strengthen the narrative.

Natural Light Versus Flash Versus Strobe

Roberto Valenzuela is a Canon Explorer of Light and is constantly pushing himself and others to learn the possibilities of light. In a recent project, he set out to take images of a single model with three different types of light (natural, flash, and strobe), and I asked him to talk us through the results.

Even Light for Full-Length Portraits

A little different from the last handful of episodes, Nathan Elson’s How I Got the Shot, Episode 7, moves into a darker-toned portrait set marked by its emphasis on moody overhead lighting.

Why Are Brands Ditching Product Photography and Moving to CGI?

Shooting products has been a staple of many photographers, but with the advantages brought by CGI, more and more companies are starting to make changes to how they create images of their products. Why are they moving, and do photographers need to adapt?

Using a 70-200mm Lens for Landscape Photography

When you think of landscape photography and the lenses used, you likely think of wide angle options meant to capture all of the scene in one frame. And while those absolutely have their place, longer focal lengths can enable creative possibilities that weren't possible before. This great video examines what you can accomplish with a longer lens.

Elevate Your Photography by Using Hand-Painted Backdrops

While I agree that a great photographer can create incredible images using basic tools, it is no secret that great tools can help a good photographer achieve greatness. Over the last year or two, new strobes, new lenses, and a plethora of modifiers have helped elevate my studio photography to new levels, but one tool has brought it to a new level more than anything else: painted backdrops. And so, I wanted to share some resources on how to get painted backdrops without putting a second mortgage on your house.

These Filters Make Long Exposures Even Easier

One of the most rewarding yet mysterious elements of landscape photography is seeing the results of a long exposure. A few weeks ago, I had the chance to check out a new set of filters that mount using magnets, and the resulting photo is pretty interesting.

What Is Hasselblad Trying To Tell Us With Their Slow Camera in 2021?

Once you sit back and take look at photography, I think you'd agree that the time spent taking photos is often the most undervalued yet the most significant aspect of the process. The Verge reviews the Hasselblad 907X 50C, which has a price tag of $6,400 for the body alone, and it's slow. But, can slow actually be a good thing?

The Two Best Backgrounds for Flattering Skin Tones

The background is an element of a scene that's easy to overlook, but it has huge power over the final image. Here are two of the best backgrounds for accentuating skin tones in your portraits.

What Should You Look for in a Pro Camera?

You have carefully perfected your technique, you have developed a creative style, and you are ready to truly invest in a professional-level camera. How do you choose the right one for your work? Before you drop a significant amount of money on one, check out this fantastic video that details what you should be looking for in a professional camera.

Five Tips for Mastering the Pen Tool in Photoshop

In this video tutorial, watch as Dean Samed shows you his top five tips on how to use the pen tool in Photoshop. It is the sharpest and most precise way to cut out anything.

What I'm Hoping for From the Development of the Nikon Z 9

While March might be a bit early for me to already be filling out my holiday wish list for Santa Claus, the recent announcement that Nikon is developing a Z 9 to be released this year already has me in a festive mood.

5 Tips To Help Edit All Your Photos

One of the most difficult things in editing isn't knowing how to color grade, use radial filters, or Photoshop. It's knowing what a photo needs once you sit down to edit it and these five tips should help guide you in tackling any photo you have.