I recently had the chance to speak with Chris Menges about his newest project, "Waiting for the Barbarians." Menges’ insights into the art (and underlying politics) of filmmaking are a must-read for anyone looking to tell stories with film.
The Contax T2 was a luxury compact rangefinder released in 1991, combing excellent image quality and controls that have since made it a desirable option for film aficionados. Contax no longer exists and T2s now sell for thousands of dollars. Why do they cost so much and are they worth the investment?
Many things are required to be an excellent landscape photographer. Knowledge of your equipment, understanding the attributes of light, and an eye for composition are just a few of these skills. However, there is one skill that is often underrated.
A winter frost can give the most amazing nature photos, from dewy spider webs to seemingly diamond-encrusted berries. Find out how to capture those frosty shots with this method that can help you get great shots every time.
The broad and often contentious topic of pricing one's photography services can be a mind-melting process for new professional photographers or for those that are less business-savvy — but it needn't be so difficult. This video not only looks at the ways in which photographers can raise their rates, but also why every photographer should periodically increase their prices.
Lightroom is a deceptively complex program with a wide variety of settings that can impact both your workflow and the quality of your images. This excellent video details some lesser-known settings in the application that you should nonetheless be aware of.
A shift lens is a uniquely useful optic for a variety of applications, particularly for architecture, where the ability to correct perspective and keystone distortion allows you to make buildings look more natural. This excellent video review takes a look at one such lens available for a variety of lens mounts, the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift.
Working with models can make your job a bit easier, but for those of us who shoot portraits of people who are not models, having a firm grasp of posing is crucial. This excellent video will teach you how to pose normal people and still get professional images.
Running a photography business can be a risky and nerve-racking venture, and it helps you to have all of the business advice you can before you dive into things. This excellent video essay discusses how one photographer nearly lost his business and offers seven essentials for building and running a successful photography business.
It doesn't matter how perfect your settings both in and out of the camera are, if your subject is posed poorly, the shot will be all but ruined. Here is a guide to some techniques on posing males for your next portrait shoot.
There’s been some intense discussion in recent weeks as to whether freedom of expression gives photographers the right to be intrusive and disrespectful towards their subjects when photographing in public. Do the laws governing street photography need to be addressed, or does any change pose a threat to the First Amendment?
Imagine being able to film unlimited 8K video, or capturing images of deep-sky objects all night with almost zero noise. While there may be better ways to manufacture a camera without heat issues, there is a market for a camera that could be cooled beyond the average current camera housing.
There are five crucial pieces of kit you should always take with you when heading out with the camera. Read on to find out what they are and if you have them already.
What do you actually need to know to do landscape photography?
If you’re ready to upgrade from your kit lens and you’re wondering what to choose, consider getting yourself a fast — yet affordable — prime lens. Here’s an overview of the most popular options which should give you an idea of what will best suit your photography.
I would have sworn that "affordable" and "medium format" were mutually exclusive. I would have been wrong.
Who doesn't love a good black and white photo? How about a black and white only digital camera? How about a black and white only digital camera with a fixed lens? Sounds great, right?
Figuring out how to price your photography services can be really tricky and a bit nerve-racking, especially when you are thinking of raising your prices. If that is something you are thinking of doing, this excellent video discusses how you can do so without losing your clients in the process.
Apple's new Macs with their own silicon have been smashing conventions with highly impressive performance numbers, ultra-long battery life, and affordable prices for the power you get. If you have been wondering about the new MacBook Pro for your own work, this great video review features a photographer pitting the new laptop against his tricked out i9 MacBook Pro.
A few days ago Patrick and I posted two images and asked you to vote on your favorite. What we didn't tell you was that one was taken with an iPhone and the other was taken with a Nikon D850. The majority of you chose the iPhone shot as the better photo.
Though it was introduced 50 years ago, the Mamiya RB67 is still one of the most beloved cameras out there, widely sought after by many film photographers. What makes this camera so special? This great video follows a photographer as he shoots with it for the first time.
The level you set your prices at is crucial to your business, of course, but so is the perception of your brand. One issue many photographers overlook, however, is how their prices impact the perception of their brand. This excellent video examines the topic.
No doubt, a wide aperture wide angle lens is one of the most versatile optics a photographer or videographer can have. If you are a Fujifilm shooter and looking for such a lens for your kit, check out this great review of the XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR.
With so many new cameras for every type of photographer and videographer, a few bodies from that last few years have dropped off the radar almost completed; this is one of them.
When it comes to photography, there are a few fundamental basics one needs to cover before shooting. Besides needing a camera, decent battery life, and a reliable and solid support system, you need filters to combat the daylight sun's harshness, introduce contrast, remove the annoying infrared noise, and polarize the sky or any reflections. Some filters also allow you to create those beautiful, abstract, long-exposure, misty seascapes with streaky clouds overhead.
A camera is only worth what you're willing to pay for it, and the same is true of camera manufacturers. A business is not necessarily the sum of its parts, and its value is reflected in its share price. By this yardstick, Sony is streaking ahead while Nikon is bombing. How do they compare?
Color is one of the most important aspects in photography. If you've read any of my previous articles, color is the thing that I'm frequently yapping on about, because it really is crucial. It's what gives many images that emotional connection that we feel and that connection can make or break an image.
Edward Hopper’s paintings are renowned for their use of light, color, and composition. As photographers, what can we take from his work?
Have you been considering getting into filming weddings, but not sure where to start? Here are six first steps to help you get started.
In this video tutorial, watch as Redouane Naouri shows you how to add clouds in Photoshop. One of the biggest challenges in photo manipulation is creating a sense of realism. If you can add realistic atmospheric effects, then you are already on to a winner.
What camera should I buy? It’s a question that, as a photographer and professor, I get asked all the time. It’s also a question that has no straight answer.
Texting has become a primary form of communication for many people, but business norms don't always keep up with social norms at the same pace. This raises the question: is it appropriate to text your clients?
The histogram can be one of the most useful tools at a photographer's disposal for dialing in the correct exposure and taking greater control of your edits. If you are unfamiliar with how a histogram works, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you both what a histogram is and how to use it to create better edits of your images.
Most of the time, when you see the work of a professional, they are probably using higher-end equipment. And why there is certainly justification for more expensive equipment, it is important to remember just how good the images you create can be even with budget equipment, and this great video shows how good fundamentals can get you there.
Whether you're shooting on a micro four-thirds sensor or medium format, beautiful portraits are attainable. But if your goal was to have the lightest, most portable setup that can create high-quality portraits, which body and lens would you choose?
As much as photography has gained from 2020's relentless releasing of cameras, videography has arguably gained more. Canon's new, affordable (for a dedicated cinema camera) video-centric body is another stellar option with just a few caveats.
Most beginner photographers are obsessed with figuring out the settings used by their favorite photographers. This video addresses those who ask specifically about flash power, but the answers can be applied to almost any question about camera settings.
Some of the most popular lenses that Fujifilm has produced, are its f/2.0 primes. They offer great image quality in relatively tiny packages, while maintaining an affordable price point. Recently, a company called Viltrox has been competing in this affordable category and we decided to compare options from both companies.
While everyone is talking about the Canon EOS R5, its little brother seems to get less attention. The Canon EOS R6 looks like the same camera, but with less resolution. But the Canon EOS R6 is a complete different camera all together. Let's have a look at it.
Mirrorless cameras have been taking over the photography scene for quite a few years now, and they're widely heralded as the next step in photographic innovation. But there are quite a few reasons why they're not the game-changer we were expecting.
The end of the year is always a time to both make one final push to close the business year strongly and to reflect on the current state of affairs. As a photographer, it’s also a good time to look back on where you stand as an artist and where you still want to go.
Composition is by far one of the most deceptively nuanced and difficult to master aspects of landscape photography, and one of the traps photographers frequently fall into is making their frames too busy. This excellent video discusses whether a scene can be too busy and what you can do to correct the issue if it is.
If you are new to photography, you have probably heard over and over the importance of shooting raw over JPEG, but you might not have heard why this advice is repeated so much. This excellent video discusses the advantages of raw over JPEG and shows some illustrative examples to prove the point.
In this video tutorial, watch as Abbey Esparza shows you how to create a dynamic split water effect in Photoshop. This is a really cool effect that I have seen in many composite images. So, if you have always wondered how it is done, watch this tutorial.
Rumors have been circulating for a while that Nikon plans to upgrade its legendary D850, but the latest speculation claims that the Japanese manufacturer is in fact planning not one but two more DSLR cameras. Is this the right move and what should these cameras be?
In this video, Dean Samed attempts to break a very labor-intensive Photoshop World Record: the most complex image ever composited with the Pen Tool. Samed is a UK-based Digital Artist known for his work in the horror-publishing industry, and judging the task at hand here, the horror is very real indeed.
A good wide-aperture 35mm lens is one of the most versatile lenses out there, popular for a wide range of photography and videography applications. This great video review takes a look at one such lens, the Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA.
You read that correctly. The brilliant Fujifilm medium format camera that was already shooting 100 megapixels, has just had an update to the firmware that introduces Pixel Shift Multi-Shot so you can capture 400 megapixel images.
The product shot on a white background is a staple of product photography, but it isn't the easiest shot to get. In this video you'll find some key tips for what you need to do to get those shots, as well as how to light them properly.
Learning how to effectively diffuse light is one of the most powerful skills any photographer can have, as it leads to softer and more flattering portraits. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use different kinds of diffused light for better portraits.
