As with everything else, there’s a right a tool for every job. For a photographer, the decision between film and digital is sometimes simple, sometimes less so.
Are you walking the right path?
In his trademark understated introduction, Ted Forbes acknowledges that technology is a charged conversation for photographers. Photographers are something of a Luddite-like bunch. On the whole, we seem to have a preference for the technology we learned the craft on. Be that a medium format film camera, a digital DSLR and an early version of Photoshop Elements or a more modern mirrorless, we seem to stand up against the tide of change like it's in our DNA. What are we going to do about the rise of machine learning?
Time-lapse and hyperlapse photographer Matthew Vandeputte recently shot a 24-hour time-lapse from his London balcony only to discover that a small creature appeared to have done a few laps over his images during shooting, ruining the entire sequence. Was it a worm on his sensor? Can you explain what happened?
No doubt, Photoshop is the place to go if you want to do the most precise local edits, but a lot of the time, you will just want to finish a photo in Lightroom without going through the time and effort involved with working in Photoshop. One way to do that is to take advantage of Lightroom's Spot Removal tool, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to get more out of it.
We all hear photographers lamenting about how great things were in the film days before just anyone could easily buy a camera and take a good photo, but are the golden days of this profession really behind us?
In a bizarre practice only possible in 2020, Disney World has been Photoshopping masks on guests who are not wearing them for ride photos, though they have now announced that they will cease the practice after negative guest feedback.
The Z 6II, the second iteration of Nikon's original general full frame mirrorless camera is here, and it brings with it a number of improvements over the original model. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.
I wanted to explore if freeware can perform better than the most common software subscription for photographers. Find out where Darktable, the free alternative for Lightroom, is ahead — and where it falls behind.
Looking for a way to take your editing to the next level? Range masks not only save a trip into Photoshop, they also simplify an extremely powerful tool that will improve your editing, no matter what genre you shoot.
A 38-year-old woman plunged to her death at a well-known Instagram photo spot in Australia on Saturday. As sad and regrettable as this is, the real question is why do people keep risking life and limb for a photo?
Have you ever considered introducing a slider in your videography kit? This video reviews the compact Smartta SliderMini 2 and also compares it to the Rhino Slider. Which one would you choose?
Fashion photography often makes use of complex setups with multiple lights, but that does not mean you can't create compelling images using just a single light. This excellent video tutorial will show you four different ways to use a single light for creating fashion imagery.
Two separate lawsuits have been filed against Facebook, claiming that the social media giant illegally bypassed competition by purchasing two of its rival companies, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Running a successful photography business takes a ton of work, and it is important to keep things well organized to make your life easier. This helpful video discusses five tips for organizing your photo business to keep things running as smoothly as possible.
Children's portraits are a fantastic time to embrace your creativity to make a photo that shows the happiness of childhood. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to light, shoot, and edit a children's portrait from start to finish.
Growing as a photographer is a tricky thing, as it takes continual development and mastery of numerous technical skills along with simultaneously growing as a creative and finding your voice. If that is something you are struggling with, this excellent video essay discusses five mistakes you might be making that could be holding you back.
A diffusion filter gives halation with lights, especially in low light scenarios. It also softens skins and harsh textures when shooting portraits. The aim of these filters are to get an organic, dreamy, almost cinematic effect in photography and video production.
Brand new kit breaking the bank? No problem. Take a snoop in the photography bargain bin to discover used camera kit that's still top quality at a fraction of the price.
Am I the only one sick of all these master photographers and YouTubers showing flawless, precise photo edits done in one take with no mistakes? Here's a look at my master workflow for creating flawless photos, one lucky shot at a time.
A wide-aperture 35mm lens is quite versatile, suitable for numerous applications ranging from events coverage to portraiture. The Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE for Sony E mount cameras is one such lens, and it comes in a very small package at quite an affordable price. This great video review takes a look at what you can expect from it in practice.
Bokeh fanatics, you read that right! This lens opens to an insanely wide f/0.75. If you are a fan of backgrounds being blown to smithereens, this might be the ultimate lens. Check out the unique look this 65mm f/0.75 lens creates.
Spy agencies have come up with some ingenious means for capturing images in enemy territory and this fascinating interview with a former CIA chief shows how pigeons and fountain pens were useful tools for gathering information through photography.
Canon has created some very innovative and impressive lenses for the RF mount, with optics like the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM pushing the boundaries of lens design and offering photographers new creative opportunities. It seems Canon is showing no signs of stopping, with several further patents for new mirrorless lenses emerging.
The use of artificial intelligence in photo editing is becoming more prevalent with every day that passes. It never fails to impress me, but this has gone one step further, and perhaps, a step too far.
If it's a full frame camera with a high-resolution sensor you're after, you've now got quite the selection. Two of the titans in that competition are pitted against one another to see which is the best for stills photography.
2020 has seen some remarkably good cameras released and perhaps a dud or two. Which was the best? Here is my pick.
Because of the pandemic forest photography is more popular than ever. Forest photography is also one of the really hard genres of nature photography to be successful at. Fog and good conditions are usually necessary for success, but they are just not enough.
It feels like a bad dream, that just got worse. Just when you thought the nightmares were over, you awake in a cold sweat plagued by the same recurring terrors. Yes, the JPEG really is that bad so why do we keep clinging to it? Isn't it time we killed it off and moved on to something better?
A hyperlapse can revolutionize a video project, or even become one of its own. However, for the best results, a mechanical slider is usually recommended. In this video, find out how to create a great hyperlapse, hand-held.
With more options than ever before, buying your first camera or upgrading to a newer camera can be tricky. The amount of research that will likely go into your acquisition will be vast, so here's a video that may aid in your selection.
Looking to shoot portraits but need to acquire some lighting gear? What should you get, strobes or continuous lights? While both offer their pros and cons, here are a few reasons why you shouldn't use continuous lights for your portrait photography.
The Canon EOS R5 has received a ton of fanfare for its highly impressive features, but its companion, the EOS R6, is also a highly capable camera and costs significantly less than the EOS R5. This excellent video review takes a deep look at the camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
Lens breathing is a common problem (particularly in video work), and understanding it can help you to take better control of your work. This excellent video tutorial will show you what lens breathing is and why you should be aware of it, particularly if you shoot video.
Most landscape images take a fair amount of editing to produce a finished result, and with all that post-processing, you often run the risk of going a bit too far. If that is something you sometimes struggle with, this excellent video tutorial discusses six signs that you have overedited a landscape image so you can fix them before you export your photo.
There’s a variety of options for creating panoramas. Lightroom and Photoshop both have it built in, not to mention the variety of standalone programs. One, however, stands far above the rest: here’s the best program to get if you want to create panoramas.
There are a lot of things that go neglected during the pandemic. But while a little undone personal grooming won't harm anyone, leaving your printer unloved for some time can cause some headaches.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut in photography but don't worry, here are 9 surefire ways to supercharge your motivation.
Knowing how to communicate with models and set up your lighting are crucial to shooting portraits, but what are some more practical tips for creating a striking body of work? This video lists 10 great ideas to get you inspired.
In a break from tradition, Pantone has announced not one but two colors of the year for 2021. Which did they choose?
When starting out in photography, almost everyone makes mistakes. Here are 10 mistakes when it comes to using strobes and continuous lights.
Today, Leica has announced a new addition to their SL System of full frame mirrorless cameras in the Leica SL2-S. Again listening to its audience and expanding the line to accommodate different users' needs, the SL2-S is a new 24-megapixel sensor in the same body as the SL2 and priced slightly more affordably at $4,895.
Viltrox has quietly announced its new 85mm f/1.8 STM lens for Nikon Z cameras, making it the first third-party lens for the mount that features autofocus.
We’ve all seen videos of experienced photographers paying tiny sums of money to have their photos edited via an online marketplace, but what happens when someone quotes you video editing services at a cost of just $2 for every minute of the final video?
Lighting can be a challenge to learn, and you might think you need complex multi-light setups to obtain professional results. And while there will always be a place for those, you might be surprised by what you can accomplish with just a single-light setup. This excellent video tutorial will show you five different lighting setups you can create with only a single light.
During the previous years, many of my photographer friends and colleagues switched over to Sony, often for good reasons. I also considered a switchover, but I never did. Now, I am grateful I never did.
Today we are asking our readers to vote which of these two photos is the better image. I'm not going to tell you anything about these two images, but I'm excited to reveal the twist in a few days after everyone votes on the more appealing image.
It's difficult when a pet dies, but as photographers, we can choose to honor our loved ones with photos that will last forever. Here's what I chose to photograph when my pet died.
Tis the season to not only reflect on your photographic year just passed, but also to do some planning for the future.
Traditionally, umbrellas are considered to be the lowest end of lighting modifiers, with beauty dishes being one of the more expensive and professional options. However, you might be surprised by how close you can get to the beauty dish look using a small shoot-through umbrella, and this excellent video will show you how.
