Shooting a panorama is quite simple in concept, but there are a few tips to follow that should give more consistent results. Whether you have never shot a panorama before or you're well versed, there may be something in here for you.
When you make the decision to become a professional photographer, it's easy to get wrapped up in all the gear you need, the software, and the technical abilities. However, there's a lot more to a successful career in this industry, and overlooking many of these elements can hold you back.
Self-portraits tend to get a somewhat bad rap, in part because of the selfie craze. But, self-portraits can be an incredibly beneficial process for photographers that can lead to great growth and skill development.
Portrait photography takes the combination of technical skills with your camera, lighting knowledge, the ability to work with subjects, and strong editing skills to make a compelling final image, meaning a lot to learn for the new photographer. If you are just starting out, this excellent video tutorial features five helpful tips that will help you get on the right track to becoming proficient.
When it comes to lighting for portraits, we mostly focus on learning how to light our subjects; after all, that is what the eye is drawn. But a complete image involves accounting for how the background is lit as well, and that can be the difference that makes your photos truly professional. This helpful video tutorial will give you five tips to improve the lighting of your portrait backgrounds.
Social media is a strange beast and one that's difficult to get working for you, particularly in recent times. This video will show you how to create a cinematic-looking photo series to increase your engagement on Instagram.
Not so long ago, Instagram was the perfect platform for photographers, but not anymore. How can you make your still images stand out on a platform that’s now all about Reels, handbags, and freebooting?
For many of us photographers in the commercial world, the key to getting good jobs for exciting campaigns is having the right agent by your side. However, finding the right agent and with space on their books for you can be incredibly hard to do.
If you have ever worked with a model, you’ve probably heard of the concept of model releases. Here is an explanation of when you need them and what kind of language they should contain.
Water droplets are a lot of fun to capture, but it can be tricky to time the shot and light the scene. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get started and create your own version of this classic shot.
Outdoor portraits with a dramatic sky behind the subject are a popular and timeless look, but usually require an off-camera flash to get a proper exposure on your subject. If you are new to working with artificial lighting, this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use off-camera flash to balance ambient light and produce a compelling portrait.
Despite being a lawyer for 10 years in California and a former professor of Business Law at UCSD, I only recently started using contracts in my client portrait work. Here are the reasons why I wish I used them sooner and how they could benefit your business.
The inverse square law is one of the most fundamental and important concepts in lighting, and as such, any photographer working with artificial light should have a good understanding of it. If you are new to it, this helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know, from the way the law works to the practical consequences it has on your photos.
The beauty of landscape photography is there are so many ways to shoot the same scene and to express your creativity. If you have been struggling with your landscape photography a bit, check out this fantastic video that discusses five techniques that can improve your work.
Anyone familiar with Karl Shakur's work is aware of his creativity, extreme attention to detail, and recognizable style. This video he produced during the COVID shutdown takes a quick dive into how he achieves his consistent color grading and clean aesthetic using Lightroom and Photoshop (although I was able to accomplish all of these things using Capture One Pro).
It was big news when Adobe introduced a super-resolution function in Adobe Camera Raw. Although this kind of enlargement is not new, many photographers were excited. I know four ways to get super-resolution. Which method do you prefer?
One of the most common and versatile uses of Photoshop is removing objects from an image in a convincing manner. If you are new to the program, this helpful video tutorial will show you two useful tools that will help you remove just about anything when used in tandem.
One of the most popular types of landscape shots is the long exposure of moving water. They are a great way to explore your creativity and expand your photographic palette into images that are not possible with more basic equipment. This great video tutorial will show you how to shoot long exposures of seascapes or other moving water.
Photoshop is full of a variety of tools, and there are many different ways to accomplish the same task, some more time-consuming than others. One of the most powerful time-saving tools out there is Content Aware Fill. This excellent video tutorial will show you how the tool works and how to get the most out of it to make better photos.
If you've been a hobbyist photographer long enough, or you're a professional photographer already, sooner or later, they will come for you. You think they won't, but they will.
Like Levels and Curves, Fill and Opacity in Photoshop can often cause confusion for people. Here, the two are explained so you'll come away with a far greater understanding of how they differ.
A telephoto lens can be a fantastic if underused tool for landscape photography. This fantastic video tutorial will give you some great tips for using one to expand your creative palette a bit.
Until 10 years ago, I didn’t know that being a professional food photographer was even a thing. I don’t come from a creative background, so if you had asked me what I thought they did, I would have been very far from the truth. Hopefully, I can shed some light.
Every few years, some brilliant young mind at an ad agency decides that the best way to promote the imaging capabilities of the latest and greatest upcoming smartphone is to create a series of campaign images on the phone. At this point, it’s a convention but proves the point: “This camera is so great that anyone can take great images with it. You know you want to be that person!”
Black and white images have been revered in photography since they were the only option and continue to do so today. What makes a great black and white image, however, can often come down to post-production.
Portrait photography is a tricky genre that takes the combination of good technique, creativity, and the ability to work with people simultaneously. If you have been struggling with it a bit, this helpful video tutorial contains six minutes of rapid-fire tips and techniques to help you improve your work.
Blur is generally seen as a negative thing in photographs. Sure, it can fully ruin an otherwise good image or take away from a moment that would have otherwise been wonderful to document. But, blur can also be an amazing and helpful tool, one that can add a lot to an image, as long as it is used intentionally and thoughtfully.
No doubt, a sunrise or sunset showering a scene with dramatic golden light is a popular look for a good reason, but it should not be all that we look for in landscape photography, and you could be missing out on great shots if you ignore gray days. This interesting video examines the topic and discusses why there is more to life than obsessing over sunsets.
Vignettes can make or break an image and can literally lay waste to the final outcome if overcooked. I’ve never been a big fan of the vignette feature in Lightroom, but that’s not because of what it does or how I use it. It’s simply because of the immovability of it.
"Big Magic" has changed my approach to photography, and art in general in more than one way. I rarely urge anyone to do anything; I think it’s too intrusive. But this time I do. I urge you to read this book like it’s The Bible. Here's why.
Any sort of photography, regardless of the genre, gets all the more difficult when you have been out of practice for a while. If you have not been out with your camera for a bit, this helpful tutorial will give you some great tips to get back in the saddle.
Photography, like most crafts, has a number of strands to it. To become a master of the craft, there is a lot of ground to cover, but there are certain skills that will pay dividends for the rest of your career.
Few things are more important when it comes to making a successful photo than getting it in focus. This fantastic video tutorial will show you a range of tips and settings to increase your chances of getting an image sharply in focus.
I have a closet filled with camera bags but I think I might have found the best camera bag for adventure and travel photographers. There are countless bags on the market but every adventure requires a slightly different bag. The goal is with the right features, versatility, and customization, one bag can do everything!
A lot of photographers seem to fall for promises that presets make, and sometimes, they are true. There are packs out there that give decent results. But the problem with presets is that they do the creative work for you instead of helping you be the creative you wish to be. And that is what is holding you back. But what if there's one unique preset that will distinguish your work from everyone else's? You can't buy it, but you can develop it. Here's how.
Landscape photographers generally do everything they can to ensure top-level image quality: a slow, deliberate workflow, steady tripods, mirror lockup mode, low ISOs, and more. So, what happens when you go against all that? It turns out you can still create fantastic images. This interesting video follows a photographer as he eschews all the rules for the sake of creativity.
If you’ve decided to start selling prints of your work, you’ve found there are a lot of options, from print-on-demand websites where your work is part of a larger marketplace and orders are fulfilled by the website, to customizable platforms that you can make all your own. Art Storefronts attempts to offer the best of both worlds.
One of the best parts about landscape photography is that you can create a variety of different shots of the same scene just by varying your settings. If you are new to landscape photography, this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to choose the proper camera settings for your photos.
A little different from the last handful of episodes, Nathan Elson’s How I Got the Shot, Episode 7, moves into a darker-toned portrait set marked by its emphasis on moody overhead lighting.
In this video tutorial, watch as Dean Samed shows you his top five tips on how to use the pen tool in Photoshop. It is the sharpest and most precise way to cut out anything.
Forest photography can be a complex endeavor. There are many factors to take into consideration to increase the aesthetic value of your photo. There is one thing I keep having to remind myself, which applies to all the scenes I have photographed so far.
Adobe's newest version of Photoshop comes with an intriguing feature in the Camera Raw dialog, Super Resolution, which promises to leverage machine learning trained on millions of images to upsize images to quadruple their original resolution. Does it hold up to its promise? This excellent video takes a look at the new tool and how it performs in the real world.
A lot of photographers struggle when they first start working with off-camera flash. One of the most fundamental and crucial techniques you will need to master is balancing your strobes and ambient light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to do just that.
Taking a successful portrait requires the confluence of good technique, creativity, and your ability to interact with and direct your subject. If you have been struggling with your portraiture work, check out this excellent video tutorial that will offer you five tips to help you produce better results.
Every genre has common traps that lure photographers in, causing them to miss out on better images, and landscape photography is no exception. This excellent video tutorial discusses five of the most common traps and how to recognize and avoid them in your work.
After capturing the majority of my portfolio with the Canon 5D Mark IV over the last four years, it was time for a change. So, why did I choose the Canon R5, and what do I expect it to do for my photography?
Most of us who shoot portraits do not work with professional models on a regular basis, and as such, it pays to know how to work with regular people to make them as comfortable as possible in front of the lens. If that is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial will give you five tips for taking better shots of regular people.
The internet is absolutely bursting with photography tips and advice; however, some helpful ideas are often overlooked for one reason or another. This fantastic video discusses five often overlooked tips that will help you become a better photographer.
There are numerous ways to edit a landscape photo with dozens of tools at your disposal. However, Lightroom's Calibration tab is one that does not get anywhere near as much attention as more common tools, even though it can invigorate your images. This great video tutorial will show you how the Calibration tab works and how you can use it to give your images a bit more pop.
