Hailed as one of the world's greatest portrait photographers, Platon has captured the likings of world leaders, actors, musicians, and human rights victims. What does it take to capture the world’s most recognizable images? I spoke to Platon himself to find out.
One of the most recognizable aspects of any visual artist's style is their color grading, and it is a fantastic way to really level up your own work. If there is a painting, movie, photo, or some other visual piece that you really love the color grading of, this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to copy it directly to one of your own photos using Photoshop.
Astrophotography is one of the most rewarding but complex genres of photography. There are a lot of steps that go into creating a great image of the night sky and Milky Way, and what better way to learn than to watch somebody do it from start to finish.
Lightroom is often more powerful and capable than it appears on the surface, and one such example of that is the Targeted Adjustment Tool, which can make your workflow a lot more efficient and precise adjustments far more efficient. This helpful video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of the Targeted Adjustment Tool and why it is so useful for a range of applications.
Last week, we walked through How to Capture an Environmental Shutter Drag Portrait. A shutter drag portrait is a portrait that captures movement around a subject using slower shutter speeds. Following the steps in the video, we wound up at a final raw image. In this video and article, I'll be walking through the editing process from start to finish in both color as well as black and white to get to our final images!
Perfecting skin in portraits is one of the hardest edits to do well, as it involves an interplay between removing unwanted blemishes and retaining skin texture. That's why in this tutorial, I'll show you how to make simple, well-balanced edits using Lightroom.
The FAA has some new regulations you have to follow as a drone pilot, regardless of whether you're just flying recreationally, or even if you already hold the Part 107 certification. Fortunately, compliance is free and easy, and you can do it right now.
With the rise in photographers choosing film over digital, large format film cameras are becoming more sought after. But can this look be recreated with a digital camera? Here’s how one photographer did it.
Whereas things like camera settings and lighting can be quantified and thus committed to memory in a straightforward manner, posing and directing a subject is a bit more nebulous and often gives photographers a fair amount of trouble. Peter Hurley is well known as a master of directing and posing, and in this excellent video tutorial, he shares some of his best advice that is sure to improve your own work.
Do you want to become a better wildlife photographer but you aren’t sure where to start? Here are five tips to help you create beautiful animal photographs no matter your skill level.
Passive income, the Holy Grail of personal finances. Who wouldn’t want to make money from all those old photos without having to lift a finger? With that in mind, I’m going to share with you my own experiences as a casual photographer selling my existing back catalog of digital photos online. It’s been an interesting experience to say the least and I even made a little money.
Posing is something a lot of us struggle with, and it can be twice as hard when there are two people involved. If you have trouble posing couples, this fantastic video tutorial will show you 10 great poses to add to your playbook.
Whereas most landscape photos involve vast, sweeping scenes, woodland photography is an interesting change of pace that challenges you to create compelling imagery in densely packed spaces full of competing elements. This excellent video discusses the challenges of woodland photography and offers some helpful tips for creating better compositions.
One of the most difficult aspects of photography is knowing how to actually find a good picture so you can take it. How do you know when one is in front of you? This insightful video tutorial discusses how to see good photos before you take them.
One of the most hated aspects of editing in Photoshop is making selections for masks, composites, and localized edits. The more difficult the selection, the more disliked it is, but there may be an easier way you aren't using.
If you study the work of professional portrait photographers, you will probably notice a lot of them use rather complex multi-light setups, but you will also find plenty of fantastic images created with only a single light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create eye-catching portraits using no more than a single light.
Often, the process of shooting is only half of what it takes to create a good landscape photograph. The edit is where you bring the image to life and add your personal touch. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to use the adjustment brushes in Lightroom to sculpt the light in your photos and create dynamic, eye-catching images.
For all its tremendous complexity and variety of features, perhaps no aspect of Photoshop is more important than layers. If you are new to the program, this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about layers, including what they are, why they are so useful, and how to employ them in your work.
One thing, which is always absolutely essential to nail in photography, is the focus. There are several approaches to focusing in landscape photography and in this article, I will pros and cons of MF, AF, and BBF.
There has been a concept in self-improvement that has been quietly growing for me, but one book I read in 2020 caused the eruption of the idea, and it has changed the way I approach photography, as well as every other area of my life.
Targeting specific colors to change in Photoshop can be difficult, especially when you only want to affect particular areas or elements of the frame. Learn how to do it here with this really great method.
Ever pulled the images off your camera, zoomed in to 100%, and been a little disappointed with the results? Ever had a hard time figuring out what went wrong? In this series, we’re looking at 11 common causes of poor clarity and how to address each. With a little practice, you’ll be able to glance at an image and know how to fix it.
This lens is an essential part of my photography kit and one, which I would not go out into nature without. In this article, I want to show how you can master and get the most out of your 24-105mm zoom lens and hopefully inspire you to use it more in your landscape photography.
Ever gotten your images off the camera, zoomed into 100%, and been a little disappointed with the results? Ever had a hard time figuring out what went wrong? In this series, we’re looking at 11 common causes of poor clarity and how to address each. With a little practice, you’ll be able to glance at an image and know how to fix it.
The dynamic range of a camera is something that is considered to be important. A large dynamic range is often preferred. But how can you make use of this in your photography? In this article I will explain how you can use your camera’s dynamic range in post processing.
How many times have you had to buy a tool while on the road or borrow one from a building manager during a photoshoot? Over the years, I have built this small, lightweight kit so this wouldn't happen anymore.
Photoshop offers a ton of customization opportunities, letting you configure and alter it to fit your workflow. While the default options are a great starting point, there are five preferences I’d consider must-change for the best experience. Want to know how you can make Photoshop work better for you right away?
Portrait photographers don’t always have the luxury of working in a nice large studio with loads of room to shuffle strobes and modifiers. If you’ve ever wondered how to get classic, timeless results when shooting in cramped, often improvised spaces, check out this short video.
No doubt, any photographer who plans to work in a studio will need to learn proper artificial lighting techniques to realize their creative visions, but flash comes with its own pitfalls and challenges. If you are struggling or new to such techniques, this fantastic video will show you nine mistakes to avoid and how to fix them.
For many photographic applications natural light is almost always preferable — the only problem is, oftentimes the quality of that natural light is either too harsh or too diffused. This tutorial discusses the conditions for good natural light, and how you can reproduce it using some inexpensive equipment.
With just a few simple ingredients and a couple of camera hacks, you can make these otherworldly photos at home on a budget. From the comfort of your own living room, you'll be able to capture images reminiscent of those famous iPhone wallpapers.
Being able to change the color of elements in your image gives you great freedom in the overall look of your scene. Here's a quick guide on how you can do that, by Adobe themselves.
If you have ever wondered how to pose your subject for headshots but are stumped at the first hurdle or perhaps you're photographing someone who is not used to being in front of the camera, then these handy techniques will improve your outdoor portraits.
In this video tutorial, I show how to create dynamic images by using dodging and burning and painting in some light effects.
I believe that perhaps the most significant challenge for many photographers is image noise. I often struggle with this myself when shooting fast-moving wildlife.
Dropping an object or a person from one photograph into another photograph is an art, and the extent to which the result is convincing is largely dependent on how well you can match color and light. This in-depth tutorial shows you how.
Most Lightroom users aren't taking advantage of this simple feature that literally organizes your photos for you, and it only takes around 30 seconds to set up in Lightroom Classic. Save time, and keep your library organized by following this tutorial.
If you want to take your landscape photos to the “next level” depth and separation are two hugely important factors you need to consider.
Smartphones have become an indispensable tool for most people, photographers included. We talk a lot about great apps for photographers, but here are five fantastic non-photography apps for photographers that will make your life far easier.
Layer masks are probably the most significant tool/concept within Photoshop, but for the beginner, they can be a little bit confusing. This helpful tutorial will clear up any concepts that you might find baffling.
Double exposures have been around since the days of film, but thankfully, you can create them digitally now (with a lot more control over the final result too). Now is a great time to grab a couple of photos from your library and to try it out yourself, and this great video tutorial will show you how to do it in Photoshop.
In order to be a great portrait photographer you need a set of decent tools in order to do your job. Whether you work in the studio or out in the field we take a look at five top lenses for portrait photography.
Post-processing is, in many ways, deeper and more complex than taking the photograph itself. While that provides greater creative control and room to maneuver, it also creates more pitfalls. Here are some crucial tips for post processing your images.
Lighting is absolutely crucial to creating a successful portrait, doing more than simply illuminating your subject, but also communicating, mood, intention, and much more. This fantastic video will show you nine different portrait lighting setups you should know.
Retouching a portrait in Photoshop often takes the use of a wide variety of techniques, all of which you must have a good grasp of to create a professional image. This fantastic video will show you how to use frequency separation, dodging and burning, color grading, and more to retouch a portrait in Photoshop.
Creating a portfolio is more than simply selecting pretty images. In this video, I go over three photographers' work who are at different levels and explain how they should build their portfolio and what they need to do to move up to the next level.
While most of us are sitting at home as non-essential personnel, many have come up with ways to keep the creativity flowing. Some are learning how to photograph wildlife, some leaning on their new love for macro, and some even testing out product photography for the first time. One photographer decided to test out some DIY options for products saving herself some money while she had the time on her hands.
Professional landscape photographers do a lot more than simply pack their bag and head out into the wilderness to find great shots. There is an impressive amount of careful planning that goes into most shoots that often leverages some very helpful modern tools. This excellent video will show you how to plan your own landscape shoot to give yourself the best chances of a successful outcome.
Flat lay photography is quite popular at the moment, as it is a versatile way to cleanly show off a range of items in a professional manner that nicely fits with a variety of visual styles. This excellent video tutorial will give you lots of helpful advice for taking better flat lay images.
Are you at a stage in your photography career where you would benefit from being represented by an agency? What are the things you should be aware of before you start sending out your portfolio?
