Modern cameras are tremendously complex and intricate machines, and as such, there are often settings that may not be the best choice for your work and may even cause you to miss a shot or not come home with the best quality images. This excellent video tutorial features a seasoned photographer showing you some important settings you should consider changing to improve your workflow and photos.
In recent years, Tamron has entirely reinvented themselves as a company that produces competitive lenses that offer excellent performance and image quality at prices that are often significantly more affordable than many first-party options. One of their latest lenses, the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, offers a highly versatile focal length range suitable for a huge range of genres and applications. This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.
When it comes to landscape photography, many photographers like to stick to the golden light that is only available around sunrise and sunset, when warm, dramatic rays of sunlight cascade through the frame. However, if you only shoot during those times, you are missing out on a ton of photo opportunities. This great video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer showing you why different times and conditions can make for worthwhile images.
Creative ruts happen to just about everyone, and they can be both frustrating and detrimental, particularly if you derive your income from your work, often leading to a vicious circle. If you find yourself stuck in a rut and unsure of how to get out of it, check out this great video that discusses why these lulls happen and what you can do to get the creative juices flowing again.
On the never-ending camera buyer’s merry-go-round? Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way.
There have been some mighty impressive moon shots taken with cell phones these days, but are they even real? In the case of Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra, the answer is: maybe.
When I got the opportunity to test out this lens, I jumped at the chance. An ultra-wide angle zoom at f/2.8 would be great for so many different photographic applications: landscape, architectural, interior, astrophotography, events, creative, and video, to name a few. Did I get the opportunity to test it out with all of these? No, but what I did get to try certainly produced the results.
Landscape photography is a challenging genre that requires good technique, planning, creative visions, and sometimes, just a bit of luck. If you would like to improve your landscape photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing 10 common mistakes landscape shooters make and how to fix them or avoid them altogether.
When it comes to landscape photography, foliage is often one of the most important components of an image, and as such, it deserves a lot of close attention, particularly when it comes to color. If you would like to improve your landscape photos, check out this great video tutorial that will show you how to leverage Photoshop to create more accurate and vibrant foliage.
The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 laptop is a beautiful device that offers Windows users a lot of versatility in a relatively small package in tandem with long battery life. This great video review takes a look at the 2023 version of the device and the sort of performance you can expect from it in usage.
There are many simple and effective techniques that you can utilize to improve your photography when you're just starting out. Check out these seven simple tips to help you improve your photography as a beginner.
As a photographer, you know that having the right gear can sometimes make all the difference, and this includes tripods. With the launch of the Benro Theta, shooting just became more fun and easy. This revolutionary tripod combines portability, stability, and intelligence, making it one of the most essential tools for photographers on the go.
The majority of portrait photographs are only half finished once the shutter button is pressed; almost every image will require some degree of post-processing to be complete. This helpful video tutorial will show you an effective, professional-level retouching workflow using frequency separation and dodging and burning that will help you create compelling, polished results.
Generally, when it comes to medium format, lenses do not have the same extremely wide apertures many full frame or APS-C options do. Nonetheless, there are a few such options out there for medium format users, and they can offer some extreme and unique results. One such option is the Mitakon Speedmaster 65mm f/1.4 XCD for Hasselblad mirrorless cameras, and this great video review takes a look at the sort of images you can create with the lens.
In landscape photography, sharpness is often one of the top priorities, and photographers will go to great lengths to ensure that their photos are crisp. If you are new to landscape photography and ready to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced shooter sharing seven useful tips sure to improve the sharpness of your images.
If one argument gets photographers riled, it’s whether one should protect the front element of a lens with a UV filter. Should we instead use a lens hood? Let’s settle the argument with this definitive answer by testing an Urth Plus+ pro filter.
The Mac mini line has long been popular for offering the Mac experience in a desktop at a very reasonable price and in a small, easy package. The line took a major step forward when Apple started offering their own silicon in the computers, and in the latest iteration, users can now even opt for a Pro chip. So, how good is the new M2 Pro Mac mini? This excellent video review takes a look at the computer and everything you can expect from it.
Fujifilm recently introduced their latest 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, the X-Trans CMOS 5 HR. Along with announcing two new cameras featuring the X-Trans 5 chip, a list of lenses that are "optimized" for the new sensor was also released. But do you need the optimized lenses to get the most out of the new cameras? I address this and more in my latest video.
As a photographer, understanding your place in the market is essential to the success of your business. Whether you are just starting out or are an established photographer, it's important to have a clear understanding of your competition, your preferred target audience, and demand for the photography services you offer.
A lot of portrait photographers are scared of working with artificial lighting, but it is a skill that is well worth learning, as it will make you a more capable and versatile photographer and better enable you to realize all your creative visions (and those of your clients). If you are new to working with flash, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a simple and highly effective one-light portrait photography setup.
Being a professional photographer can be extremely demanding and can easily lead to burnout and/or a loss of passion for the craft. And yet, many professionals persevere into that dangerous territory out of the need to constantly churn out fresh material. It does not always have to be that way, though. This interesting video features a seasoned professional discussing how he stepped away from his camera for a couple of months but still moved his business forward.
While it used to be that Photoshop was the place for any sort of advanced photo editing, in recent iterations, Lightroom has become impressively intricate and capable. In fact, you can now do a lot of things in the program you used to have to switch to Photoshop for, and often, you can perform them more efficiently in Lightroom. This great video tutorial will show you three functions and techniques you might not be aware of and how to use them in your editing.
Photo editing is a powerful tool that allows you to transform your images in many ways, from enhancing the atmosphere in a photo to increase of image quality. However, common editing mistakes can negatively impact the final result. In this article, we'll explore five of those.
I didn't think DxO PureRAW 2 for Mac and Windows could be improved, but it has been, in a variety of both subtle and not-so-subtle ways that improve workflow. The latest, version 3, is out today, and the company says PureRAW 3 features DxO’s latest artificial intelligence technology, DeepPRIME XD, delivering industry-leading noise reduction and RAW image enhancement; greater control over which corrections are applied through DxO’s renowned Optics Modules; and user interface modifications that offer improved integration with every photographer’s workflow.
If you're like me, you've got photos strewn over a variety of storage devices: local, on the web, maybe even some off-line storage. Keeping track of these images is a real pain. I've got multiple image editing apps: Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar Neo, and some dedicated astronomy editing apps. I'm also a former Aperture user (groan). Lightroom has its own catalog system, and it's very good. But I've also got photos in the Neo catalog (it's not so good as a catalog) and all my iPhone photos in Apple's Photo app.
Automation is now an integral part of photography. There are innovative ways you can use it to make your workflow run like clockwork and allow you the time to concentrate on your creativity.
Mobile phones have become more advanced and are capable of capturing high-quality video footage, and with that mobile phone gimbals have also become increasingly popular and are a game changer for content creators, vloggers, and anyone who wants to capture professional quality footage.
In this article and the accompanying video, I will show you how to create four unique portrait looks using one light and v-flats.
In the DSLR days, Canon made a few surprising good wide angle lenses for their APS-C cameras, one of which was the EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, which offered a versatile focal length range in a portable and affordable package. Can it keep up with the demands of a modern high-resolution sensor, though? This excellent video review takes a new look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.
Taking amazing photos is the wish of every landscape photographer. You can go out and photograph what you encounter, or you can plan everything in great detail. What do you prefer, planning the perfect photo or taking your chances? Or is there a way in between? Let’s find out.
While different genres place different levels of emphasis on getting sharp images, landscape photography generally demands a higher-than-average priority be placed on consistent sharpness. If you are working on becoming a better landscape photographer, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced creative sharing some helpful advice for getting sharp shots on a consistent basis.
One of the best parts about the Micro Four Thirds system is the availability of a lot of small lenses that pack a lot of image quality into those tiny footprints. If you are looking to expand your lens arsenal, check out this fantastic video that features a seasoned Micro Four Thirds user sharing five of his favorite lenses for the system.
LinkedIn is not just a platform for jobseekers; it is a powerful networking and marketing channel for entrepreneurs, such as photographers. If you ever serve other businesses with your photography, then LinkedIn is a great place online to find and connect with the right people in your niche. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
Samuel Bilodeau compares some of the best monitors on the market to see how they stack up. Are the prices worth it?
Of all the things that go into making a compelling image, posing is perhaps the thing that photographers struggle with the most. If that is something you have trouble with, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you three easy posing techniques for when your subject is sitting on the ground or floor.
Rain in the forecast can be a disappointment for photographers and their clients, especially if they planned an outdoor photoshoot. Rain can ruin the vision for perfect, directional lighting that was originally planned, making it difficult to capture the desired mood or atmosphere. However, instead of rescheduling or moving the shoot entirely indoors, photographers have an opportunity to capture interesting and creative photos with an outdoor rain photoshoot. In this article, we’ll provide you with some rain photoshoot tips to prepare and inspire your creativity.
Though we normally think of Photoshop as the place for complex edits, in recent iterations, Lightroom has become a tremendously capable and surprisingly intricate program. As such, there are some features and capabilities you might not be aware of. This excellent video tutorial will show you seven such features and tips and how to use them to make your landscape photo edits more efficient and improve your overall image quality.
You can be proficient with a camera and lighting and have a strong creative voice, but to find success as a professional photographer takes strong business skills as well. If that is something you are new to and you would like to improve, check out this great video tutorial that will give you some helpful advice for the process of booking new clients to help you increase your chances of landing the job.
In January, the BBC published a story about a man who was sent dog food by Amazon when he ordered an iPhone. The article prompted numerous other readers to come forward with similar stories, including cameras being replaced with cat food and computers swapped for surgical masks.
Landscape photography can be done anywhere and everywhere. That’s undeniable. However, there are certain places that would be best for when you are learning and standing out.
The first thing that comes to mind when panoramas are mentioned is an extremely wide field of view. Often, you need multiple photos to cover such angles. A panorama can also be achieved by a crop. Which method should you use for landscapes? Cropping or stitching?
Let’s chat a bit. Have you ever stopped to think why you chose photography over all other avenues of artistic expression?
Gaining technical competence is hard enough, but developing an original creative voice is an entirely separate challenge. This can be particularly tough in a genre in which you do not get control over the presence or placements of elements in the scene, such as landscape photography. If that is something you find yourself struggling with, check out this fantastic video essay that discusses the process of finding originality in landscape photography.
Are you thinking of buying yet another lens? Can't wait for a new body? (In my case, reincarnation is the only option). This article covers the main reason why my Synology DS1821+ is the best purchase I made in 2020 for my photography business.
