Forget the rule of thirds and leading lines. This is not an article that will give recipes or magic bullets for composing images. Instead, we will talk about methods and broad approaches I used to go beyond the cliché techniques and create unique imagery

Lighting a group of people can be particularly tricky for new photographers, but it does not have to be, nor does it take a lot of expensive gear. In fact, it can be done with just a speedlight and a bit of know-how. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced photographer showing you how to pose and light a group portrait using just a single speedlight.

Skylum's Imgmi for smartphones has been out for a while. Like Luminar Neo on the Mac and PC platform, it's an AI-based image editor with a host of features, including sky replacement, power line removal, and tools like saturation, exposure, shadows, and highlights for simple editing.

In a recent article of mine, I discussed switching from a DSLR to a smartphone for casual photography. Recently, one of my friends reached out to me and asked what camera he should get for a trip he is going to. I told him: to use his phone and gave him some tips. Here are the top 7 tips that every smartphone photographer should know.

Getting tack-sharp photos of birds in flight is not easy, but when you get it right, the results can be stunning. One of the most fundamental aspects of this is choosing the correct shutter speed. If you are new to bird photography and wondering how to go about selecting the right shutter speed, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer showing you everything you need to know.

With 2023 well underway, it's time to look back at what has been a busy year for Luminar Neo, the AI photo-editing software from Skylum. Since its launch back in 2021, Luminar Neo has seen many updates, performance improvements, and major feature enhancements, including new AI-powered tools, and has established itself as a powerful editing tool for both amateur and professional photographers alike.

The Fujifilm X-T5 mirrorless camera takes the already highly respected X-T series and brings to it a wide array of impressive features and new capabilities, perhaps most notable being the highest resolution sensor ever seen in an X Series camera, making it quite an intriguing option for many creatives. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Do you all remember the when Sigma released the “Bigma” in 2001? The Bigma, or Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM, dominated the amateur and semi-professional market. 22 years later, in a time of mirrorless cameras and high-end optics, the next Bigma is here. Welcome to the new Sigma 60-600mm for Sony E. Is it worth your money? Read on to find out.

The impact of smartphones on photography has been well documented and profound. One lesser-discussed element of smartphones' influence on photography, however, might be the change in what photographers now want and expect from dedicated cameras.

50mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular out there, offering a versatile focal length useful for everything from portraits to events, in tandem with excellent low-light and narrow depth of field capabilities. Both Sigma and Sony recently released new premium 50mm f/1.4 options, and this great video comparison takes a look at both to help you decide which is right for your needs and budget.

While micro four thirds is still seeing development from a few companies, one manufacturer is throwing in the towel. In a recent interview, Sigma's CEO indicated that due to a decrease in demand for micro four thirds lenses, the company will no longer be developing new options for the format, though they will maintain their current lenses.

At its most fundamental level, photography is about being able to read light and create images with interesting, dynamic, or flattering light. If that is something you are still learning, this great video tutorial will show you a simple setting hiding in just about every camera that will make the process a lot easier.

Sigma's Foveon sensors have long had a small but loyal following who love their sharp images and vibrant, accurate colors. Since the advent of the L mount alliance, there has long been the hope that the Foveon sensor might find its way into a full frame camera. Sigma's CEO recently confirmed that those hopes might soon come true.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from editing photos to writing text, to generating "photos" out of thin air. This technology is going to revolutionize every facet of the world, and photographers need to be ahead of the curve or risk being left behind permanently.

Recent research shows that there are excellent reasons why you should abandon the camera phone that have nothing to do with how good the pictures are. There’s a darker side to camera phones that we ignore at our peril.

Conventional wisdom in studio portrait photography tells us to avoid shooting portraits wide open. But in this video, I will show you why I shoot portraits wide open all the time, and you should try it too.

If you find your photos are often a bit monotonous and lacking in interest and you are unsure of how to break out of that rut, this is the video tutorial for you. A simple change of habit can help you take more varied images and expand your eye beyond what you are used to shooting.

Canon’s cinema line of cameras ushered forward the post-DSLR years for video users, and now, they could be set to do the same with mirrorless designs.

Very few people jump right in to running a photography business full-time. The vast majority start out slowly, doing photography on the side while they maintain their primary income from another job. That can be a particularly stressful time, but as this excellent video essay details, with the right mindset, you can become more intentional and focused and achieve your goals sooner.

24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a huge range of photographers, as their versatile focal length range and relatively wide maximum aperture make them suitable for many different genres and shooting scenarios. For Sony shooters looking for the best the company can offer, there is the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

This camera was released a whopping seven years ago. Being the last-of-the-line DSLR for Canon, it is still the best 5D camera they will ever make. While there are photographers switching from DSLR to mirrorless, the 5D Mark IV is still being sold to photographers worldwide. Let’s review this camera and see how good it is in 2023.

Though it takes a lot of skill with a camera and in editing, being a successful professional photographer takes a lot more than just those. If you feel comfortable with your skills and your portfolio and you are wondering if you are ready to make the jump, check out this fantastic video essay that features an experienced professional detailing how to know if you are ready.

Fujifilm cameras have been popular for decades, but in the past few years, they have released bodies that are fully in vogue and thus difficult to find. Are they worth the hype? Should you buy a Fujifilm camera in 2023?

In a lot of my articles, I go on about how incredible Capture One is and how every photographer (with a few exceptions) should switch from Lightroom to Capture One. In this article, we will finally take a deep dive and see for ourselves why it’s worth considering the switch in 2023.

Modern camera gear evolves at a breakneck pace, and as such, it can be tempting to watch the news of the latest and greatest cameras and lenses and pull out your credit card. When should you actually drop the money to upgrade your gear, and when should you turn your attention elsewhere? This helpful video essay discusses the topic and might just help you save a lot of money and improve your images at the same time.

Nikon's impressive new NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens is here, and along with it comes some of the best image quality and optical performance ever seen from Nikon, at least on paper. How does it perform in the real world, though? This great video takes a look at the lens and how it balances and feels on some of Nikon's most popular mirrorless cameras.

Although it sounds like a nasty disease, like athlete's foot or tennis elbow, the photographer's eye isn't that. We take our eyes for granted, and they are an essential part of photography, both metaphorically and literally.

There are some aspects of film photographs that can’t be replicated with digital.

Some brands attract vitriol to a degree that is hard to fathom. Typically, they are expensive brands that many photographers do not believe can justify their price. At the top of that pile is Leica, and yet, the brand has die-hard followers and disciples.

When it comes to making great imagery, post-production is perhaps one of the most important steps that can make or break your image. Sure, you can master all elements to making an image, but if you forget post-production, you will be stuck miles behind someone who knows how to edit. In this article, we will discuss ways how to get better results when editing.

A 35mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most useful options in many photographers' bags, and that makes Sony's FE 35mm f/1.8 an intriguing option for a lot of users. Is it right for you? This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

You can spend a lot of money on lights and modifiers for portrait photography, and while there are certainly reasons why professionals invest in expensive equipment, you can absolutely create professional-level portraits with the most affordable gear — even a shoot-through umbrella and speedlight. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know.

The new Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM lens is here, and it brings with it some of the company's most advanced features and capabilities along with the promise of top-level performance and image quality, all at a surprisingly good price. Can it provide all that in practice? This fantastic video review takes a look at everything you can expect.

Cosina, known for their Voigtländer lenses, has announced four new lenses, including some impressive options for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, and Nikon F users.

The 50mm f/1.4 lens is arguably one of the most popular lenses of all time. And Sony just released its second offering for their full frame mirrorless lineup.

The advice I often hear on the internet is this: choose a photography genre and stick to it. I want to float the idea of developing your style instead and shooting what you’re passionate about. I’m not talking about the jack of all trades approach, but developing your skills in a few genres that you like and come naturally to you.

In this video from nature photographer Simon d'Entremont, he details many solid techniques to help you improve your photography.

There are so many cameras out there these days, it can be difficult to see the wood from the trees. As a result, some excellent cameras can be overlooked and this offering from Sony is one of them.

Most of the problems I get asked to fix in my role as technical support for photographers has to do with Lightroom. This article will show you the way I use Lightroom to be able to find any photograph I've shot in the last 10 years in under a minute. This is how best to organize and categorize your files to best serve you as a photographer and the tips and tricks that you might have otherwise missed.

Rarely is a landscape photo finished the moment you press the shutter; almost every such image requires some degree of post-processing to create the finished product. It is easy to get a bit mired in the editing phase, though, finding yourself pushing sliders back and forth as you experiment and try to create the best possible version of an image you know has potential in it. How can you be creative but stay efficient? This excellent video tutorial will show you what you need to know.

Cosina, more commonly known for manufacturing Voigtländer lenses, is teasing the launch of four new lenses, including two Fujifilm X mount options, a Canon RF mount mirrorless lens, and even a DSLR optic. The RF mount option will even include electric contacts, while one of the X mount lenses will be "super-fast."

Few cameras in recent years have caused as much of a stir as the EOS R5, which brought features like a high-megapixel sensor and 8K raw video, instantly showing the world that Canon was extremely serious about the mirrorless realm. The EOS R5 has been a highly popular camera, but now that it has been 2.5 years since its release, it is about time to start thinking about the second version of the camera, which we may see before the EOS R1.

It has been about 1.5 years since the Nikon Z9 was announced, and the company is about due for another big camera announcement. It looks like that might be happening soon, with activity ramping up behind the scenes.

Addiction. Hedonism. Chasing the dopamine hit. Just another taste. Just one more like. Ok, maybe 10, then I’m done. I swear it’s all I need! Here’s what I’m doing. Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s who’s doing this and hey, look, I’m present. Lifting the lid on the banality of everyday life. Journalists of the quotidian. Instagram is not what it used to be. We can all agree to that. And no truer is that than from the perspective of the humble photographer. Surely, it’s time to grow up, isn’t it?

Rarely is a portrait image finished once you have pressed the shutter; almost every such photo requires some degree of retouching to finish it. If you are not as comfortable at the computer as you are behind the camera, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced portrait photographer showing you a complete portrait retouching workflow sure to help you create compelling images.

There are probably two main software options when it comes to the processing of Fuji raw files that most photographers tend to use, Adobe Lightroom and Capture One. The choice, however, depends on the user's personal preferences, as both have their strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re thinking of making your love for photography into the thing that pays the bills, here are a few pitfalls which you might want to avoid.

It sounds like a strange concept, but the reasoning behind it is sound, and it is straightforward and easy to do. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to edit your photos in reverse and why it will help you make better and more precise photos.

Videography, unsurprisingly, has the added element of needing to not only frame a shot but consider how a camera might move within the space for the duration of the video.

We all want to take better photos, but how can you do that? Whether you are an amateur or experienced professional, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing five helpful tips that will lead you to better images.