Today, I’m tackling photographer-on-photographer criticism. And while some may read this article (as well, some may not) and comment that criticism can be valuable, I’m here to dispel that belief.
There was quite a bit of buzz about the Arsenal Smart Camera Assistant some months ago. It's a hardware device that can plug into many DSLR or mirrorless cameras (though there are some important exceptions which I'll detail later.) It's designed to automate a lot of shooting situations, and make AI based decisions about camera settings to get you the best possible images.
When you think of Bob Ross, what comes to mind? A soft-spoken man, painting beautiful landscapes. But, Bob Ross was so much more than a painter. For me, he has changed my life and transformed the way I see myself as an artist.
Are you looking for a quick setup to photograph a group of individuals? Perhaps you only have a few minutes to set up and need a consistent look across all your subjects. Well, then this single light high key setup should be part of your lighting library.
When it comes to taking photos on your mobile device in low light, the options are kind of terrible: a super bright flash that blinds everyone and a not so great photo or ambient light in a dark room where everyone ends up blurry or even grainy. This ridiculously easy iPhone hack will take your low light mobile photos to a whole new level.
I remember the thrill of owning my first camera: the Panasonic FZ20. I was so excited; I didn't need an alarm to get me up for sunrise. How things have changed! These days, if no one is commissioning the shoot I struggle to be motivated. This article tracks how this happened and offers four suggestions on how to keep enjoying photography.
It is a photographers nightmare to see precious and expensive camera equipment fall. I have seen it happen quite often and most of the times a tripod was involved. Fortunately it never involved my equipment. Perhaps it is due to luck, but I believe ten important guidelines helped a lot.
Alongside their success at the Golden Globes, 20th Century Fox has announced that they will be releasing a side-by-side comparison of Bohemian Rhapsody's recreation of Queen's 1985 Live Aid set and the 1985 footage itself. You'll just have to wait a few more weeks until January 22.
We photograph inanimate objects practically every day. We even photograph non-human, animated objects, on a regular basis (hello, Fido). But what happens when you are asked to document the “life” of a humanoid, life-like robot?
You carry that decent camera around with you because you want decent photos. Every so often, then, you need to get some of those unprocessed raw files on to your phone. How do you do it?
There are somewhere around 7.5 billion people on the planet, and with that many, it might seem as if every possible landscape photography location has been explored. But really, that's just not the case, and you might be missing out on some great opportunities.
Formatt-Hitech is a company that's been making ND filters for quite some time now. There are a large number of photographers that consider them to be the only choice for them and Formatt has worked hard to develop that reputation. With several new companies entering the market recently, I wanted to see how Formatt-Hitech filters performed.
We have all experienced it: loading our photos into Lightroom just to realize they are very disappointing. Instead of trashing them, go through the photos, analyze them, and see why they do not work.
Recently, there has been a push to have photographers keep their shoot locations secret, as park administration and others are asking photographers not to geotag their images. I don’t agree, and think this practice is counterproductive.
Working in a creative field is often full of uncertainty and feeling the need to compare yourself to others. This great video talks about why that's a toxic attitude.
It's not very often, if ever, you may think to use your smartphone when shooting film, but there are a few tips and tricks you can use on your phone to help you out. What are they? Take a look!
People are going to the plastic surgeon to get rhinoplasties because their mobile phone cameras distort their noses too much while taking selfies. What does photography mean in 2019, and where are we going?
A scratched car, tiredness, and terrible weather are just some of the things you might encounter in your photography. I was hit by all three on a late evening in the Faroe Islands.
Let's be really honest for a second here: almost all of us love a shot with some really good bokeh in it. This quick and helpful video will tell you everything you need to know about getting those buttery smooth backgrounds.
We've all had our fair share of nightmare clients. I'm part of a Facebook group where photographers air their grievances and seek advice from their peers on how to handle certain situations. A recent topic of conversation was sharing stories of nightmare wedding clients and potential red flags they look for during their initial consultation. See below for some of my favorites.
Imagine a treasure trove of more than 700,000 images from one of the greatest cities on earth, capturing pre-war architecture in all its glory, and digitally archived for your photographic enjoyment. No, they aren’t professionally shot or technically perfect, but they are a feast for the eyes all the same.
Netflix recently released the newest season of its photography-centered TV show "Tales by Light."
Nothing beats the thrill of discovery — especially if that discovery involves a long-lost tape of your 80s era wedding, for example.
Glassware can one of the trickiest products to shoot, but when you nail the shot, you'll find the results were well worth the effort. This quick and helpful video will show you how to eliminate pesky reflections and get a clean, well-defined shot of glassware.
Pick any genre of photography, and you can spend days listing the rules and tips to make one successful in it. But sometimes, it's good to remind ourselves of the essentials that we should always be thinking of when shooting, and this great video does just that for all you landscape shooters out there.
Nothing says sunrise or sunset like an explosive sunburst. The geometric pattern can double the interest in your photos when composed soundly, but you need to get a few settings in order. Here’s a guide to picking the right lens, mitigating flare, and composing the shot just right to create crisp, gorgeous sunbursts!
From bags, to tripods, and gadgets: were there any standout products that people picked up?
If your partner is not involved in the photography or videography industry, you may not have thought about teaching them to become your assistant or second shooter. But what if this could be a great addition to your photography? Let's look at how this could help you build your business!
A BBC videographer had a terrifying few minutes as a hungry and aggressive polar bear attempted to break through the glass pod protecting him from certain death.
Have you ever wondered what went into creating the most iconic images? In this insightful breakdown, see how photographer Alexis Cuarezma shot one of his favorite images.
A day job that involves being paid to climb and photograph mountains sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Alas, that’s exactly what Meghan Young does,making anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 per year from sponsored social media posts and photo licensing.
Sigma has been really cruising the last few years, but it seems they've outdone themselves with their 105mm f/1.4 Art lens. Check out this awesome review of this sharp piece of glass.
Creating cinematic images is usually associated with using a single light setup, but you can also use three lights to pop your subject and add more depth.
Color grading your videos can be tricky, so it's best to have an arsenal of options when one doesn't work out right. In this tutorial from YouTuber photoshopCAFE, you'll learn how to use Photoshop to digitally enhance and correct your video works.
As 2019 arrives, I look back at my camera-purchasing decisions over the last 12 months and learn a lesson or two about the meaning of the word “value.”
I know, right? I too would have thought that more people would have common respect and courtesy for others, but apparently, I was wrong.
There really is a difference between shooting boudoir and shooting glamour, even though there is a fair amount of crossover. Understanding the difference between the two might actually be valuable information for directing where you take your business as a photographer.
You might be familiar with a few common ways photographers use a v-flat for their shoot, are there other ways you can use a v-flat? Here are some non-traditional ways you can use V-Flats on set and on location.
While observing other photographers using v-flats, I would say most use them in two different ways. Here are the five most common ways to use a v-flat.
Robert Irwin, son of the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, is already an award-winning photographer, but has now added further accolades to his CV at a surprisingly young age, after having an image of his receive high commendation at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards in London.
You’re scrolling through social media when you see a photograph that looks terribly familiar; it looks so much like one of your photographs that it takes you a minute to realize that it’s some else’s work. What do you do?
Los Angeles-based photographers Flannery Underwood and Jon Brandon Cruz have created a joint YouTube channel under the name Black & Ginger. The duo's first video on the channel was a Lens Challenge featuring Detroit-based photographer Jessica Kobeissi and NYC-photographer Brandon Woelfel.
Making photos look "cinematic" is a big trend these days, often times with various plugins and presets, but this hack brought to us by The Creative Contrast allows us to get photos with the trademark anamorphic bokeh that it hard, if not impossible, to fake in Photoshop.
The holidays are fast approaching, and if you're anything like me, it’s time to scramble for those last-minute gifts. Here are seven gifts that would be great for photographers that you can also simply download online.
New underwater photographers often ask me what my favorite lens is for creating underwater images. And while I have a few different lenses that I shoot with underwater, none get used more than my Tokina AF 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 AF DX Fisheye Zoom Lens. It is lightweight, great for travel, and has a very short focusing distance, which makes it ideal for close focus wide angle underwater photography.
Every now and then, it's nice to be reminded of how spoiled we are and how much information really lives inside our raw files. Whenever we capture a raw image, we have a plethora of information at our disposal. That's all well and good, but this one example really helps bring it home.
In the first article in this series, I discussed themes that would affect freelance photographers most: mixed-message branding, teaming up for video, and the opportunity cost. This second piece focuses on some of the issues that hit us photographers where it hurts most: profitability of video services, client satisfaction, and the sheer embarrassment of moving to the dark side!
The Instagram hustle is real, and it’s here to stay. Everyday photographers are using Instagram to get more coverage and be seen by their potential client pool. But with all the noise on social media, do you actually need a huge following on Instagram? I don’t think so, and here’s why.
It’s a busy week for advancing technologies. If AI being able to create scarily realistic portraits wasn’t enough, a new website allows users to remove the backgrounds of their images entirely free – and in seconds.
There are plenty of retailers online who sell modern day lenses, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to find a trustworthy seller, but how should you go about finding and buying vintage lenses that have been off the market for years?
