How To Customize the Shape of Your Bokeh For That Special Someone
Are we sometimes a little too obsessed with the quality of bokeh in our photography? Yes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a little fun with it.
Are we sometimes a little too obsessed with the quality of bokeh in our photography? Yes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a little fun with it.
70-200mm lenses are highly versatile, and though f/2.8 is the professional standard, not everyone needs that wide aperture or wants to spend the money to carry around that sort of bulk. 70-200mm f/4 lenses offer the same focal length range at a more affordable price and in a more portable form, and this great video review takes a look at Canon's mirrorless version, the RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM.
Having previously spent a few months with the 24-megapixel Nikon Z 6II, today, we move to its bigger brother, and I will begin a series of essays on Nikon’s latest high-resolution entry into the mirrorless camera market, the new Nikon Z 7II.
When it comes to modern autofocus lenses, your options are typically cheap-feeling plastic up to nice-feeling plastic. Finally, there’s an option for getting the build quality of a beautiful, vintage prime with modern optics and coatings.
The 35mm focal length is great for a huge variety of uses and is one of the most often-used lenses in a lot of photographers' bags. For Nikon mirrorless shooters, there is the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S, and this great video review takes a look at the performance you can expect from it in practice.
In this video I walk through my office desk set up at my studio and go through in detail what I use, and why I use it. Considering I spend more time here than anywhere else, I thought it wise to spend a bit more time and money on it.
Everyone loves a good deal and as every photographer will tell you, buying camera gear is a great way to spend a lot of money. This useful video gives you 10 way so save some serious cash when investing in new equipment.
Great composition in landscape photographs can be tricky and there are so many tips, tricks, and rules, some of the more basic principles can fall by the wayside. Here are seven tips based around one area of composition that is too often forgotten.
What can you possibly shoot in a snowstorm in northern Iceland in the middle of winter? There's not a lot of wildlife around and landscapes are a no-go, but hardy horses might just save the day.
One of the worst experiences any photographer can go through is breaking a piece of gear beyond repair. The question is, however, at what point is "broken" too broken to use?
Every photographer has likely struggled with the implications of using social media. If you've ever felt lost, sad, or insecure because of social you are not alone and I hope this article might help find balance in your journey as a photographer.
Many camera bags are created for limited applications. Not all bags can be as useful for every shooting situation. However, this expansive camera bag system just might have covered most, if not all.
Getting close to birds is forever a problem, the closer you get the more likely it is that the birds will notice you and fly away. However, a floating hide can transform your ability to get up close and personal with birds on the water.
Third-party lenses for Sony are plentiful and some slightly more obscure manufacturers have been producing some quality glass in the last two years. This 24mm f/1.8 lens from Viltrox — with autofocus — is going to cost a mere $399, making it a full thousand dollars less expensive than the Sony equivalent.
Soon you'll be able to capture footage and have it automatically transferred to a cloud-based platform where editors and production teams can get working on it.
While the Canon EOS R5 and the Sony Alpha 1 may represent different classes of cameras in their respective company hierarchies, there's a lot more that's similar about the two than initially meets the eye. It's with that in mind that Tony and Chelsea Northrup put the two cameras through the gauntlet to see how they compare on the big stuff.
For many photographers, using a hand held meter is considered next-level — particularly for film photographers. Often times though, they are a bit bulky and can get in the way. Is the Reveni Labs Spot Meter is the solution we've been waiting for?
Never work with children or animals, but if you have either, you know you're going to be photographing them. Whether you're photographing your own children or someone else's, here are some tips on how to take better photographs of them.
If you haven't seen the tempest growing in Wyoming, a fox named 15M was euthanized this week because of its growing habituation to humans. You might be asking, why is this news on a photo-centric site? Throw in an as-of-recently much-maligned, world-famous photographer and maybe you're interested?
Do you take criticism with a pinch of salt or often far too personally and too close to heart? Is there a happy middle ground where it can work for you?
Filmmakers, YouTubers, and other content creators received a big win recently when a D.C. Federal Judge ruled that the permit and fee requirements applying to commercial filming are unconstitutional. Still photography rules remain unchanged, although they weren't as restrictive as the filming rules.
For a lot of photographers, the need to edit and present their portfolio on the run is ever-present. Can the iPad Pro meet the needs of a modern photographer?
There’s an age-old debate in photography and filmmaking regarding the role of gear in the creative process. Will better equipment make you a better photographer? No. But also yes.
Street photography — particularly street portraiture — is such an engaging and appealing genre to view, but taking the images is somewhat harder for a number of reasons. Here is a beginner's guide for those photographers interested in hitting the streets with their camera.
If the global pandemic has impacted your photography business, you might be pondering other ways of creating an income while still producing images. Check out this list of seven ways to make money from your photographs.
Mistakes are good because they teach us what not to do. Photographers, like any other people, make lots of mistakes. Here are three I see time and time again. Which ones are you most guilty of making?
Rawtherapee is a free and open software to edit your raw photographs. I take a look at the overall performance of organizing your photographs and making it easy to find what you are looking for.
Extending backgrounds is sometimes needed when you have a great shot, but the composition was a little off or the backdrop was just slightly too small. In this tutorial I'll show you two ways you can extend the backdrop in Photoshop CC with clean results.
Nathan Elson is back with another installment of his How I Got the Shot. As always, it's the little details he shares about his process that makes tuning in so valuable.
Sony’s a7S III packs a remarkable number of features into a ludicrously compact body, but would you be better off with the new Sony FX6?
In this Photoshop breakdown, watch as Dean Samed walks you through his process and layers, to show you how he created this synthetic lifeform art.
Superzoom lenses can be useful in that they cover a huge range of focal lengths without the extra weight and bulk from carrying a bag with lots of more specialized lenses. For landscape photographers, they can be especially useful, and this great video discusses why you should consider adding on to your arsenal.
A lot of the time, you will see professionals use two- or three-light setups for portraiture, but you might be surprised by the professional results you can get from just a single light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to master both the technical and creative aspects of a single-light setup for portraiture.
Phone cameras have come quite a long way in the past decade, going from an easy way to take casual snapshots that can be quickly shared with family and friends to powerful devices that can produce high-quality results in a wide variety of scenarios. This neat video shows just how far they have come.
Canon's supertelephoto lenses (informally known as the "big whites") are crucial for wildlife, sports, and photojournalism work and are also widely known as some of the best optics the company produces. As Canon continues to build out the RF mirrorless lens lineup, it looks like a lineup of supertelephoto lenses is coming soon.
Photographers use their computers a lot. I'd say 50% of the time spent working as a photographer or creative professional would be done on a computer. What if that could change into a more enjoyable experience, where you exchange your keyboard, which was designed for typing, for a console. Enter Monogram’s Creative Console Studio.
Forests might fill us with peace and tranquility, but the chaos of twigs and branches can make them a nightmare to photograph, especially if there’s no single strong feature to focus on. Right now, many of us are photographing close to home so here are 12 tips to help you make the most of your nearest woodland.
We're used to iterative developments in camera lines? Nikon's D800, D810, and D850 all provided incremental improvements. So what is unusual about the latest incarnation of Fuji's X-E lineup, the X-E4?
The Fujifilm GFX 100S takes the company's flagship medium format monster and shrinks both its size and price almost by half with very little sacrifice of features. With this and the company's other GFX cameras, we are now seeing medium format prices well into the realm of full frame. What does that mean for the future of photography?
The X-E4 is the newest camera in Fujifilm's X Series of cameras, and it brings with it a range of new features and improvements at a very reasonable price. This great video review takes a look at the camera from a stills perspective and the kind of image quality and performance you can expect from it.
It is very easy to fall into a routine in photography — taking the same general pictures, applying the same sort of edits, and taking the same opportunities. But stagnation can be a very dangerous thing both in terms of creative growth and professional success. This excellent video essay discusses why you should stop saying no to opportunities just because they might challenge you.
One of the most popular techniques for beginners to try with an advanced camera is long exposures, as it allows you to explore a world of new creative ideas. If you are just learning the technique, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the basics of how it is done.
Foreground interest is fundamental to landscape photography, even if not always required for a great image. But how do you effectively identify a viable foreground for your images?
No doubt, a lot of creatives tend to be quite introverted, and that can make it difficult when you are a photographer and need to be able to work with and direct people. If that is something you struggle with, check out this fantastic video essay that discusses being a photographer as an introvert.
I've been an avid landscape photographer for many years, and I've been a drone flyer for almost 4 years. I liked the idea of getting landscape shots from angles I simply couldn't get to from the ground. Living in Arizona, there's a lot of opportunities to get some lovely images from the air.
Artificial intelligence is fast becoming one of the most sought after features for image editing software, but which one is right for you? We've rounded up the five best AI image editing software for you to choose from.
What happens when you take a shot and you just love the expression of your subject, but the light lets you down? You take it into Lightroom and sprinkle some magic dust all over it, and in this tutorial, I'll show you exactly how I do that.
Landscape photography during the winter can be a fantastic chance to give your photos a completely different look and turn familiar scenes into something completely different. This great video tutorial will show you a range of useful tips on composition, settings, and more to make the best possible photos.
The long-awaited Sony a7S III finally made its appearance last year, and it has received a lot of good press. If you have been considering the camera for your own work, this great video review takes a look at the camera and how it holds up in practice.
With the Salsa Photobooth and its new features, you can do your part to make weddings safer as well as make more money.