Most Bookmarked Articles

We’ve all been there, stuck with bad light and fresh out of ideas. I may spend up to an hour pre-lighting before a model or subject steps onto set, I work out the kinks and make sure everything is how it should be. But, despite my best efforts to make it right, every now and then I run out of time and have to wing it. We all have our “go to” lighting scenarios, but when you’re standing in unknown territory, keep the following tips in mind and you just might make it through the storm.

Almost a year ago I posted The Ultimate Guide To The Frequency Separation Technique article and soon after that I created our Retouching Academy community group for retouchers and photographers who retouch their own work. We have been seeing a lot of before & after images posted there by artists of all levels from complete beginners to seasoned pros.

Merely two years ago, Stanislav picked up his first camera: a Lumix G3 for $600. From that point forward his inspirational journey began. The majority of his mind-blowing work was taken in his attic using friends as models. Now he is known as Sean Archer - a natural light photographer who specializes in female portraits. His work is proof that it’s not about gear. It’s about the photographer; it's about the vision of the artist.

Landscape photography has become boring. How many more photos do I have to scroll through on social media of the same old locations? Those must-have photos of the red houses in Hamnøy, Lofoten; the waterfall at Kirkjufellsfoss, Iceland; the lone tree at Buttermere in the Lake District. It’s like looking through a schoolboy’s stamp collection. Every kid has exactly the same stamps because they’re the easiest ones to find and buy with your pocket money.

In this article, I share the photo editing workflow I use for all my photos, and if you want to achieve high-quality results, this is for you.

If it’s not on paper, it’s not a real photograph. You must’ve heard this sentence at least once in your photographic journey. For many, it rings true. The best way to appreciate our captures is to hold them on a physical paper. But how to best print at home? Which printer to get? How to use it?

Stop motion animation is a great technique for creating attention-grabbing content to promote a brand or your own photography, or even just for fun. In this article, I am going to show you how to shoot and assemble a series of still images to create an eye-catching stop motion animation.

Understanding the nuances of Lightroom is crucial for photographers, as it not only refines their work but also streamlines their workflow. If you are new to Lightroom, check out this incredibly comprehensive video tutorial that will show you 70 tips and tricks for editing your images in the program. 

In a recent article, I shared a selection of easy-to-avoid photo editing mistakes. Today, it's time for five more. Some of them might sound obvious, while others are more subtle. What they all have in common: they can ruin an otherwise great edit.

Photography is as much about what you show in your photos as it is about what you hide. Too many details can overwhelm the viewer. You can already be selective about what you include in an image when you capture it. There are also several techniques that help you simplify a photo in post-processing. One way to do so is by introducing a darker mood and by shrouding less important areas in darkness.

Growing and sustaining a photography business has never been for the faint of heart, but it is possible to do if you have an excellent, multi-faceted plan. I recently collaborated with Lancaster, PA based headshot photographer Richard Waine to compile a list of 20 steps photographers can take to get their phone ringing, and build a business that stands the test of time. These tips will be presented in four installments. 

The Curves adjustment panel is probably one of Adobe Photoshop's most frequently used tools, right alongside Levels. But did you know that there is a tried and tested way to quickly get perfectly color-corrected images every single time? Knowing this basic technique will save you hours of time and effort when learning how to color correct your images in Photoshop.

Photography is an art, and like all art forms, seven basic elements comprise our images. Although, I challenge that number, I think there are eight. Understanding these elements helps us to take our creativity to the next level.

Learning photography and trying to create better photographs can be a daunting task when you're just starting. Here are some guidelines I've taught in my workshops to help new photographers create stronger images.

Wildlife photography can be incredibly rewarding when things go right, but it's incredibly difficult to master. That's why when you have a good photo that's let down by a few of the camera settings, you should use Lightroom to transform that drab shot into something much more beautiful.

Capturing a great landscape photograph is extremely rewarding because a lot of things have to come together in order to nail it. But sometimes no matter how hard you try there's just a little something missing. In this walkthrough, I'll show you how to enhance your landscape images with a composite in Photoshop CC.

When you think of retouching skin, you likely think of using Photoshop over Lightroom, and for deep or intricate work, that is definitely where you should be working. However, Lightroom offers some built-in tools for this, and they can often be all you need to produce a finished photo. This great video tutorial will show you how to use them to produce naturally retouched portraits that still retain detail in the skin. 

Low-light shooting brings its own problems with underexposure, high-ISO noise, and difficulty focusing. But with a few tweaks in Lightroom, you can save those otherwise lost photos and bring them back to life.

Frequency separation is a Photoshop technique that involves "separating" the colors in an image from the textures. Though typically used by portrait photographers for retouching a model's skin, it's a useful tool for landscape photographers to have on their belts. In this article, I outline two cases in which frequency separation helped me process a recent image. 

Are you using long exposure with artistic intent?

Automotive reflections can be a pain, especially if you are restricted to where you can shoot the vehicle. Reflections of the surrounding environment can really ruin your image.

Often in certain genres (such as landscape or macro photography), you need more depth of field and sharpness than is possible to capture in a single image. When that happens, you will want to turn to focus stacking. It is a relatively straightforward technique, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you a workflow for it using Lightroom and Photoshop. 

Street photography — particularly street portraiture — is such an engaging and appealing genre to view, but taking the images is somewhat harder for a number of reasons. Here is a beginner's guide for those photographers interested in hitting the streets with their camera.