This Is Why Photographers Don't Succeed

A couple of weeks ago, I published a piece on the Jack of All Trades Photographer, which covered the plight of the gigging photographer just starting out, doing what he or she can to build portfolio content and generally begin to make a living from it. Imagine my surprise when just a few days later, the topic was covered by straight-talking, commercial super talent and formerly of this parish, Scott Choucino!

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Submit Your Best Long Exposure Shots

Welcome to the June Critique the Community!  For this contest/critique, we are doing another abstract theme that should allow more photographers to enter. For this month we want to see your best photograph that feature "Motion Blur".

Why You Should Consider Buying an Old Film Camera

Film is enjoying a resurgence right now, and yet, in an age of ever-burgeoning megapixel counts and clinically sharp lenses, it can seem a bit strange to some to purchase an old film camera whose technical image quality could not dream of competing with modern equipment. And yet, that is exactly what you should do, as one photographer argues in this interesting video essay. 

Sigma Announces the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Lens

Sigma's Art line of lenses have long been popular for offering superlative image quality at prices that are often significantly more affordable than first-party options. Today, the series welcomes its newest member, the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art.

A Simple Composition Technique to Improve Your Wide Angle Photography

When you use a wide angle lens, you can fit so many things in the frame, it can be difficult knowing what you should include and what you shouldn't. Here, we take a look at one simple composition technique you can use to enhance your wide angle photography skills.

Affordable Lighting for your Home Studio: We Review the SmallRig RC120B

Constant lighting has dropped dramatically in price, with companies like SmallRig making excellent products — along with accessories — that are refreshingly accessible. How good is the SmallRig RC120B, a bicolor packing a decent amount of power and coming in at just $259?

A Review of the Impressive and Affordable Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 XF Lens

In the past couple of years, Viltrox has established themselves as a manufacturer capable of creating lenses at some of the most competitive prices on the market that often outperform their affordable costs. One of their newest offerings, the AF 75mm f/1.2 XF, offers Fujifilm X series users the enticing combination of an ultra-wide aperture, a portrait focal length, and an affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice. 

A Beginner's Guide to Using Manual Mode

Manual mode can be a bit intimidating to a lot of new photographers, but learning how and when to use it will make you a better shooter and give you far more creative control over your images. This helpful video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of manual mode and how to use it to create technically correct and creatively inspired photos. 

How to Increase Photo Studio Profits

Starting a photography studio can be an exciting and fulfilling endeavor, but it can also be challenging to make it profitable. Here are a few tips to help you create a successful and profitable photography studio.

Learn How These Fantastic Portraits Were Shot With Just One Light

While many professionals employ the use of complex setups consisting of multiple lights, even just a single source can create vivid and compelling images when in the right hands. This excellent video tutorial will take you behind the scenes to show you how a photographer shot a striking series of full-body portraits using just one light. 

5 Photography Books for the Discerning Reader

Reading is what? FUN-damental! Ok, my bad dad joke aside, books are a great way to gain a deeper perspective on a topic from those making great strides within a field.

A Look at the Canon EOS R6 Mark II for Wedding and Travel Photography

The Canon EOS R6 was one of the most well-balanced cameras of the past few years, offering a range of the advanced features found on the EOS R5 without the more extreme specs that most photographers do not need, making it a practical and well-priced option for a huge range of users. The EOS R6 Mark II follows up on the original with a range of improvements and new features, and this great video review takes a look at how it holds up for wedding and travel photography.

Has RED Become What It Set Out to Defeat?

In the world of cinema camera technology, RED has established itself as a major player. Starting off as the underdog, they have pushed industry stalwarts to innovate or die. However, a recent revelation has sparked concern among competitors and consumers alike. RED is preventing other camera manufacturers like Sony, Nikon, and DJI from innovating by enforcing its broad patent for on-camera compressed raw video.

How to Get Your Photography Website Found on Google in 2023

This is the video I've been waiting for! SEO is the bane of my life. If I'm being honest, I don't really understand it. Being 48 and a photographer for almost 16 years, I have a good knowledge of my job-related skills and what it means to be able to capture a great photograph. However, I, as I suspect like a lot of photographers, know just enough about social media, websites, and SEO to be dangerous. This video outlines what it takes to get to the top of Google in 2023 and where to go to get more information about the subject.

A Review of the Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2 CF Lens

Zeiss lenses are loved for their uncompromising image quality, with sharp rendering, deep and contrasty colors, and beautiful bokeh. The Batis 40mm f/2 CF offers the respected Batis design in tandem with a wide aperture and unique focal length. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice. 

Here's a Brilliant Free App for Astrophotographers

If you shoot a lot of astrophotos, you know all about gradients. They are almost always present in your images, and they have to be removed to smooth out the sky background and make your images look their best. 

5 Night Photography Tricks With Slow Shutter Speed

If you enjoy taking photographs at night and want to experiment with different techniques, this is the video for you. Here are 5 slow shutter speed tricks to get some great-looking images after dark.