Photography is a secretive business, but in this video I show you exactly what equipment I use as a professional food photographer.
We all love to drool over those beautiful, fast (and oh so expensive) f/1.2 and f/1.4 lenses. But do you really need that top shelf glass, or would you be better served by saving your money and investing in a cheaper version? This great video talks about some of the more intangible facets of lenses and why it's about more than just the widest apertures.
Weddings are a nonstop whirlwind of technical and creative challenges, and the more knowledge and tricks you can have for both categories, the better. This awesome video follows a photographer behind the scenes at a wedding and focuses on his use of off camera flash to help you learn how to quickly and effectively turn dull and drab lighting into professional images no matter where you're shooting.
I'm the first to admit I love Lightroom. Sure, it has its issues, like occasionally slow performance on good hardware and an admittedly aging interface, but I'm comfortable with it. There are a number of tasks, though, that you just shouldn't be using Lightroom for. Want to know what they are?
Sony cameras have some incredibly powerful and advanced autofocus systems with intricate settings and numerous customization options. At times, however, all those capabilities can almost be a bit overwhelming. This helpful video will show you the ideal autofocus settings for portrait shoots.
In most lenses, the center of the frame might be razor-sharp, but the corners and edges always appear a little soft. It’s something that’s been a problem for thousands of years within optical devices, with many researchers giving up hope until a recent breakthrough from a Mexican physicist, who has now developed a formula that will change how lenses are manufactured.
There will always be paid advertisement, and you can explore that. Do not forget about the possibility of free advertisement from people in your lives. Your friends and family are there to help. Getting a recommendation from your close circle serves as a powerful tool for the new photographer.
As still photography cameras and motion cameras continue to merge with technology, so have, to an extent, the expectations of our profession. No better way to prepare yourself for the future than to learn from the masters.
Adding some video production offerings to your photography workload has become pretty common for a lot of photographers. Even though a lot of the technology is transferable, not all the skills are, and shooting interviews, both in the setup and getting better dialogue, can be difficult to learn.
Whatever is your wedding photography style, inevitably, a part of your final gallery will be filled with photos of guests. So, how can we make them less dull and repetitive? How can we "wow" our clients?
Macro photography is the art/practice of photographing tiny things. If you have the spare cash, It's easy to just go out and buy a macro lens to start shooting, but in order to get those crisp, back to front, pin-sharp images, a little bit of technical know-how and computer wizardry is essential.
Many of us have either done this ourselves or have a friend that has done it. I'm talking about getting out to a location only to learn that you don't have a usable memory card or battery.
Photography is an art full of popular techniques and styles that are used and emulated by millions of photographers worldwide. Are some of those techniques overrated, though? This interesting video examines what one photographer thinks are five of the most overrated photography techniques in use today.
Before I became a photographer, I had ideas as to what the career might be like, boy was I wrong. Here is what a week as a professional photographer looks like.
It still boggles my mind that Adobe hasn't added color wheels to Photoshop in 2019. It's a tool loved by colorists and video editors, yet photographers are forced to rely solely on curves and sliders instead. Fortunately, the guys at Retouching Toolkit fixed Photoshop once again.
It is common in landscape photography (and other genres) to want to wait for the best conditions before heading out to shoot, but sometimes, that can make you miss other great shots. This awesome video talks about the importance of not becoming too reliant on conditions and instead learning to rely on your skills to make great shots.
Astrophotography can be a very tricky and specialized genre, but it is also highly rewarding when you get it right. This awesome video will walk you through the entire process from start to finish to get your first image.
In his latest video, wildlife photographer and educator Steve Perry talks about specific autofocus problems to be aware of in the field that could prevent you from getting sharp images.
If there is one thing as photographers we love more than debating over new camera bodies it is camera bags. Chances are if you're like me you have a closet full and you are always looking to get another.
Last week, Sony surprised us all when they announced their latest a7R mirrorless camera. I had the chance to use the new a7R IV shooting a number of different portrait studio sets at the launch event, and in this first-impressions review I offer my opinions on its updated body design and performance.
Modern cameras are remarkably capable machines, and with all those capabilities come a veritable plethora of options, features, and customizations, and it's well worth taking the time to explore them to customize your camera and make it work better for your personal shooting style and needs. This excellent video discusses 10 settings you should consider changing on your camera.
"If you’re not on Instagram, you don’t exist." How many times have you heard a statement to that affect? I recently had a discussion with a fellow professional photographer about the value of Instagram. In this article, I’ll explore our conclusions.
Today, I’d like to talk about one easy concept that will help you break out of your ruts and grow your business.
Photography equipment is hardly cheap, and it's important to properly maintain it so it can last longer and you can maximize the return on your investment. This great video will show you everything you need to know to properly maintain all of your photography equipment.
"What is your budget?" Have you ever asked that question? Actually, the more important matter is: Have you ever been asked this question? How has it made you feel?
Regardless of how long you've been into photography, every so often, you'll wish you had tried a different setting, shot the photo with a narrower or wider composition, or shot a vertical orientation. I have a technique that I employ from time to time to ensure I get the perfect photo.
Let's really be honest here, Facebook and Instagram have changed the rules enough times now that it's driven most of the fun out of the social media platforms and it's long been time for a change. Instagram used to be great for photographers but has since become an almost pointless endeavor for anyone that doesn't already have 100,000 followers or more.
If you don't have control of the lighting in which you're shooting, you may end up with an otherwise great image that has a harsh, distracting shadow somewhere on the subject. This helpful tutorial will show you everything you need to know to remove such shadows using Photoshop.
If you’ve ever wondered what plant is in the foreground of your last magical landscape image, there’s a few apps out there that can help. Those apps can also keep you from trampling rare and endangered species and habitat to get that epic Instagram shot, and along the way you’ll end up learning a few Latin names… maybe.
Recently, there has been a viral story going around about an ice cream truck doubling the cost for influencers. The anti-influencer perspective is real and understandable, but I wanted to write about the other perspective. Can influencers be useful for you and your business?
Cameras don’t always come cheap, but when you find the right fit for your style and your business model, value isn’t always only about the sticker price.
When working with models, posing is an important element in the shot. If you are not comfortable with posing your models, or maybe they are not as experienced, there's a lot of information to help you learn from when working with female models. When working with male models, not every approach will work the same and there are not as many resources out there.
The business of photography is unique in a specific way like few other careers are. Many people that call themselves professional photographers are also hobbyists that love to shoot whether they get paid for it or not. Is that a gift or a bonus to calling photography your career or is it an affliction?
I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot this fashion spread for Glamour South Africa back in March while I was in Barcelona. Right before the trip, I did some research and had asked some locals for some location recommendations.
Good composition is one of the subtler and trickier aspects of landscape photography, and it goes far beyond just memorizing a few heuristic guides such as the rule of thirds. This excellent video will give you seven advanced composition tips to improve your landscape photos.
All too often, I find myself guilty of concentrating on hero images — the one phenomenal image that will get noticed by the right people and will propel my career. In this video, National Geographic photographer Susan Seubert talks about the process of creating a story.
There are a variety of valid reasons you may need to enhance the out of focus blur in Adobe Photoshop. Whether it’s a limitation of your equipment, limitation of the shooting environment, or you just want to make a creative change, this tutorial shows you the trick to making fake bokeh look great.
Being new to strobe lighting can be a bit overwhelming, but learning some fundamental techniques and manners of working can have you on your way. This helpful video tutorial will show you one of the most important techniques: balancing strobe light with ambient light.
You aren’t going to get very far as a wildlife photographer if the animals are constantly being scared away before you get into position. Here are some helpful tips on improving your approach.
If you’ve pushed a photo edit too far in post processing, you’ve probably noticed a halo effect happening at high contrast areas of your image. If you didn’t catch it right away, here’s the trick to removing them at any time.
We may be pro at all things photographic, but is it enough for us to succeed as photographers in this day and age? What are the other components for the winning formula?
Some of the highest performing cars, up close and personal. Formula 1 recently released a video to give us a track-side glimpse of what it's like to photograph these cars week-in and week out. Photographer Vladimir Rys was also kind of enough to share some of his images to help illustrate what they capture.
Jeff Whitlock’s work as a high-end retoucher has been gaining notice for the last several years, and just about every time I turn around, Jeff is sharing some amazing project he’s just worked on. From the "This is not Magritte" series to his work on portraits of celebrities, Jeff has been knocking it out of the park with great regularity.
There is no way to stay on top of your creative game if your body is falling apart. The wear and tear of shlepping gear up 4 flights of stairs, down alleys and packing, repacking and packing again takes its toll on our bodies. Here’s a few ideas, tips and tricks to help you work until freelancers get good healthcare….
When you are new to artificial lighting, it can be a bit of a tough world to navigate. This great explores one of the most fundamental concepts behind working with artificial light and why it's so useful for photographers.
Once in awhile, a story teller is able to capture something of what it means to be a photographer. Between the Lines is a short film showcasing beautiful cinematography and scenery. It is artfully and masterfully crafted and is possibly the most inspirational 13 minutes you will watch this year.
Landscape photography is a unique genre full of its own challenges and difficulties, but it can also be highly rewarding and even meditative. This helpful video discusses several dos and don'ts of landscape photography to improve both your work and your experience.
Scanning film has always been a bit of a pain. However, with time comes progress, and Nate over at Negative Lab Pro has been doing some awesome work, making scanning C-41 film using a DSLR or mirrorless easier than ever. However, using Negative Lab Pro with a flatbed scanner has always been a bit lacking. That just changed with Negative Lab Pro 2.0 and an unlikely partner: Vuescan.
In this article you will learn how to get perfect exposure and color in your videos, consistently every single time you shoot. And it all starts with getting your settings right in camera first.
Photography can be a slow process, with lots to learn and improve upon and many mistakes made along the way. As such, it can be hard to tell if and how you're improving. Here are five signs that you are becoming a better photographer.
