How to Make Your Own Food Photography Backgrounds

Creating an eye-catching and successful food photo is about more than simply lighting and arranging the food in a compelling way; you need to be able to create a set that complements the food and enhances the overall mood of the image. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced food photographer discussing some ways you can go about doing that.

What is the Best Camera Mode for Landscape Photography?

For more than 30 years, I tried different camera settings for my landscape photography. With the settings I use today, I don’t only feel more flexible, but they allow me to nail each of my photographs technically.

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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".

A Review of the New Laowa 90mm f/2.8 APO 2x Lens

Venus Optics has long been known for producing unique and capable lenses that offer impressive performance at quite affordable prices. Their latest lens, the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 APO 2x, offers twice the magnification of a traditional macro lens for not a lot of money, and it is available for all major mirrorless full frame mounts. This great video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice. 

Should OM Systems Release an Update to This Impressive Classic Lens?

Not many kit lenses are known for their performance or image quality, but there are a few hidden gems out there that offer quite a lot for not a lot of money. One such example is the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3, and this great video review takes a look at the lens, what makes it great, and why OM Systems should consider an updated version. 

Insight From the Creative Conference in New York City

We often describe children as creative. We are impressed at how they create art using nothing more than a crayon and a sheet of blank paper. Many adults, however, neglect the artistic spark they had in their youth and label themselves as “not creative.” The Creativity Conference, a no-cost, full-day event held in New York City on June 10, presented speakers who encouraged the adults in attendance to believe that they are indeed creatives who should be proud to pursue and share their artistic creations.

What Camera Quirks Annoy You?

Modern cameras are quite capable and powerful machines, but none of them are perfect. Every camera has quirks that we find annoying or would like to change. This interesting video discusses five annoying camera quirks in current cameras. 

Godox Parabolic Light Modifiers: Better Than Broncolor?

Parabolic light modifiers are some of the most versatile on the market. Coincidentally, they are also some of the most expensive ones out there. Loved for versatility, hated for the price, and very few photographers actually own them. Godox set out to create an affordable but also a truly parabolic softbox. So, how did they do? Spoiler alert: much better than I expected.

Can Modern Supertelephoto Zoom Lenses Replace Expensive Primes?

There used to be no contest in image quality between supertelephoto prime and zoom lenses. Zooms simply could not keep pace with primes, and if you wanted to create professional-level photos or work in demanding conditions, you had no choice but to shell out for a top-shelf prime. Supertelephoto zoom lenses have made tremendous progress in the last few years, however. So, do you still need to buy those ultra-expensive primes? This great video discusses the topic. 

Three Reasons a Monopod Is Better Than a Tripod: ProMaster Air Support AS431 Monopod

Tripods have been sturdy companions for photographers all over the world. A good tripod can help you produce images that are simply not possible when shooting handheld. Unfortunately, tripods can be a bit of a pain to carry around, especially if they're any good. This is why, in many cases, a monopod ends up being a better option. 

Two Months With the DJI Mavic 3 Cine Drone

The DJI Mavic 3 is the company's newest drone, and it brings with it a nice range of new features and improvements. This great video review takes a look at the drone and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice. 

Light Lens Lab Hints at Prototype for Replica Leica Standard

I recently noticed something interesting while looking through the Leica Classifieds page on Facebook. One of the distributors of Light Lens Lab posted an image for some upcoming products, including what appears to be an Abrahamson-style rapid winder and, more significantly, a Leica Standard-style camera. 

8 New Film Photography Announcements Ranked in 2022

It didn’t seem like there was much to cheer for film photographers in 2021. Supply chain issues, global film shortages, and price rises led to a wave of discontent among film photographers, leading many to cry into their soy lattes and burn their berets.  

Can You Use the Canon RF 800 f/11 for Astrophotography?

Wide field astrophotography is quickly becoming an established niche that is increasingly available to more hobbyist photographers with the availability of better, smaller, and cheaper tracking mounts. But the smallest galaxies, nebulae, and planets have always been prohibitively expensive to capture. Can this lens change that?

Make Your Landscape Photos Pop With These 5 Easy Tips

The best way to get a good landscape photo is to be at the right place at the right time. Sometimes, though, you can be there and still struggle to get a photo that's different from what's already out there or the weather isn't cooperating, and that's where the magic of editing comes in.

Shooting With the Cheap and Small Canon RF Primes

Canon has a lot of amazing but expensive RF lenses. If you can’t afford these L lenses or don’t want to spend that amount of money, you can also choose the more affordable versions. I took three primes on a trip to France to find out how they perform in real life.

The Power of the Portrait

Mastering portraiture involves more than knowing which lens to use to ensure your photograph does not show unflattering perspective distortion. It is not enough that you understand where to place strobes to create dramatic lighting. As portrait photographer Mark Mann explains in this excellent video, it is important that you make a personal connection with your subject.

A Review of the New Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 Lens

Viltrox has established themselves as a company producing highly affordable but impressively capable lenses, and their newest option, the AF 13mm f/1.4, offers Sony and Nikon mirrorless APS-C photographers and filmmakers a versatile ultra-wide angle focal length paired with a very wide maximum aperture. This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice. 

How One Creative Started Getting Higher-Paying Jobs

Higher-paying jobs are the goal of just about any photographer or filmmaker, but the path to getting there is not always clear. If you are looking to land those more lucrative gigs, check out this great video essay that discusses how one creative started pulling down more income with his work. 

Five Common Video Editing Mistakes

Creating a compelling, professional video is just as much in the editing as it is in the shooting process. Editing is a serious undertaking, and as such, it can be easy for things to go wrong. This great video tutorial details five common mistakes creatives make when editing video and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place. 

How to Blend Ambient and Artificial Lighting

Using natural or artificial light is not always a binary choice; often, you will want the two to complement each to produce a more balanced overall photo. If you would like to make your lighting skills more versatile, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to blend ambient light with flash for portraiture work.