I Wish I Knew This Before Going Full Frame
Full frame cameras are often considered the tool of choice for professional photographers. You rarely find such cameras in articles aimed at beginners. For many photographers, transitioning to a full frame camera is the next logical step in their journey. In this article, we will explore some crucial factors to consider before making the leap to full frame.
How Technical Obsession Can Ruin Your Creativity
A lot of photographers spend much of their time obsessing over the technical quality of their images, and while that certainly matters, there is such a thing as taking it too far, which is something many of us are guilty of. Worrying too much about technical quality can often cause too little focus on creative development and exploration, which can be quite detrimental to one's growth and maturation as a photographer. This excellent video essay features a seasoned photographer discussing the issue and how to fix it.
Important Truths About Being a Professional Photographer
Being a professional photographer is an extremely challenging career, and it is important to have a realistic idea of what it entails and how best to get there before you make the dive. If you are considering going into professional work, check out this excellent video essay that features an experienced commercial photographer sharing some hard-earned insights into the industry and life as a professional.
4 Productive Mindsets When Traveling for Photography
For a lot of photographers, the act of traveling is a double-edged sword. We travel to be able to see the world and draw as much inspiration as we can from everything we see and experience. At the same time, the act of traveling often requires pushing out of our comfort zones and leaving behind a lot of the things that allow us to operate with fewer worries and limitations.
How Good Is the New Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena Lens?
The latest lens getting all the attention is the Nikon NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, which promises superlative image quality and creamy bokeh. Nonetheless, the portrait lens landscape is perhaps the most competitive of all, and it takes a major achievement to stand at the top. Can the 135mm f/1.8 deliver? This excellent video takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you will be able to expect from the lens in practice.
The Importance of Repetition and Perseverance in Landscape Photography
Landscape photography can be a real trudge sometimes, both literally and metaphorically, with tremendous amounts of effort exerted for just the chance at the photo you are looking for. And with that can often come frustration and a lack of motivation. Nonetheless, the best landscape photographers often have a few traits in common: they repeat shots and they persevere through challenges. This excellent video essay discusses how those qualities can serve you.
Review of the Amazing Sony's FE 2.8/16-35 GM II Lens
Sony has introduced the second iteration of its popular FE 16-35mm G-master lens. While improvements have been made, the most striking change lies in its reduced size and weight. Sony kindly provided me with this lens for an honest and unbiased review.
Is This Ridiculously Affordable Lens Any Good?
In the past few years, we have seen a real influx of highly affordable lenses that still offer serviceable to even good results, but even by those standards, the new TTArtisan 500mm f/6.3 is really, really cheap. Can it offer good performance and image quality despite that very low price? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect from it in usage.
A Compact and Effective Portrait Lighting Setup
When you are working in a studio, you can have just about whatever lighting you want at your disposal, no matter how complex and cumbersome the setup. However, when you move to on-location shoots, simplicity and portability are the name of the game. This awesome video tutorial will show you an easy, compact, and effective lighting setup for on-location portraits.
How Good Is This Affordable Ultra-Wide Prime Lens?
Viltrox has continued to establish themselves as one of the leading companies in the industry when it comes to competitively priced lenses that still offer the sort of performance and image quality that pros and advanced hobbyists require. The AF 16mm f/1.8 FE promises to continue that tradition while also offering a range of innovative features in tandem with an ultra-wide focal length and very wide aperture, making it an appealing lens to a wide range of creatives. This great video review takes a look at the how it holds up in practice.
Photography Opinions That We Should Burn
I'm not sure if you've noticed, but the photography community is an opinionated bunch, and to make matters worse, there are a lot of people outside of the community who are opinionated about it too! So, let's take the edge off by sharing the worst photography opinions and why they should be condemned to history.
The Softest Light You Can Get: An Easy Guide
There are numerous applications for soft light, from portraiture to product photography, from macro to fashion. Soft light stands as one of the cornerstones of photographic expertise.
The Power of Supertelephoto Zoom Lenses
When you think of supertelephoto zoom lenses, you probably think of genres like sports and wildlife photography. No doubt, they are highly useful for such applications, but their value extends far beyond those applications. This great video essay discusses some of the many great ways you can use a supertelephoto zoom in your own work.
Wooden USB Drives Are Still a Must for Wedding and Portrait Photographers
If you think digital downloads are enough to supply clients with, think again. USB drives are still the standard, and here is why.
We Review The Sigma 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Fujifilm
The 23mm f/1.4 Contemporary lens is the latest offering in Sigma’s lineup of fast, compact, prime lenses for Fujifilm X Mount cameras. With a 35mm equivalent focal length, the 23mm is sure to be popular for street photography, portraits, landscapes, and more.
The Best iPhone 15 Pro Max Filmmaking Accessories
DxO Announces Photolab 7 Raw Processor and Filmpack 7
DxO Labs’ has released its latest raw development and editing tool: Photolab 7. Plus there's an update to its tribute to analog photography: FilmPack 7.
A Review of the Viltrox AF 28mm f/1.8 Lens
Viltrox has been a company on the rise in recent years, establishing a reputation for lenses whose performance and image quality often far exceed what one would expect for their affordable prices. The AF 28mm f/1.8 lens offers a popular alternative focal length in tandem with a wide maximum aperture, again at a competitive price, and this excellent video review takes a look at if it will be another hit for the company.
Introducing the New NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena
One of the ongoing mysteries on the Nikon rumor sites has been answered. And it comes in the form of the new NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.
DJI Mini 4 Pro: Finally, The Best Beginner Drone?
It is another day, and we have another drone release from DJI. This time, it is the DJI Mini 4 Pro, and this could possibly be the best beginner drone available to you. In this video from Kai W, he runs the new drone through its paces.
3 Pieces of Camera Gear That Surprised Me
Here Is How I Light My Images as a Pro Photographer
I love light; it is the foundational component of my photography. I started off with light setups from the internet; however, I soon realized they don’t work for what I was aiming to get. This led me to come up with my own way of lighting photographs. Here is how I do it and how you can learn it.
Important Photo Editing Fundamentals for New Photographers
Creating a successful image is almost always a two-step process: shooting and editing. As you grow comfortable with your camera, you should also work on developing your post-processing skills. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced photographer sharing some of the fundamentals of editing photos and offering some helpful advice sure to put you on the right track.
How to Photograph Wildflowers in Windy Conditions
Wildflowers can make fantastic subjects or complements to the subject of a landscape image, but when they start thrashing about in a stiff breeze, it can be tricky to still get optimal image quality. If you keep finding your plans foiled by the wind, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features a seasoned landscape photographer sharing some helpful tips for photographing wildflowers in such conditions.
Five Annoying Moments in Photography!
We have all been there! Out and about on a photo shoot, trying to photograph a beautiful landscape or during a portrait session, and then something happens, which annoys you to your core. Join me in this article as I discuss some of the frustrations I have experienced.