The latest version of Photoshop is here, and it brings with it some pretty nifty features that will both save you time and help you make better, more precise edits. If you are wondering what is new, what it can do, and how to use it, check out this great video that will give you an overview of what to expect and where to find it.
Lightroom Classic just updated to version 12, and there are some wonderful additions. Take a look here to see exactly what's new.
One of the most consistent opportunities we have as photographers to earn money with our cameras is photographing real estate and hospitality properties, such as Airbnb rentals, and contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take a huge investment to offer quality images for this purpose.
When it comes to landscape photography, we are at the mercy of the elements, and that can be a really frustrating thing, particularly when you have hiked for hours with a bag of gear on your back. So, what can you do when the weather is not great? The truth is that you can create worthwhile photos in any conditions as long as you approach things the right way. This excellent video tutorial will show you how.
Few photographic subjects are iconic than Marilyn Monroe, and even today, decades later, images of her capture viewers' eyes and photographers' imaginations. This awesome video tutorial will take you behind the scenes of a fine art nude portrait inspired by Marilyn Monroe and show you how it was lit, photographed, and edited.
Passion: I was raised in a generation that was spoon-fed it three square meals a day. My parents' generation, who were raised by the survivors of World War II, had a more tempered outlook. Then came my generation. We were systematically told we could be anything we wanted. The phrases, "live passionately" and "follow your passion" summoned us out of bed with ardor and launch full force into our dreams. My generation flocks by the millions to Burning Man and Tony Robins' conferences hoping to get another hit of zeal to keep going.
There's a part inside us all that wishes we were getting paid or paid more for our photography work. However, it's often the case that there are some perfectly logical reasons why we're not. Here are some great examples of why you're not getting paid clients.
The more you get into working with artificial lighting, the more you will realize you constantly little gadgets and accessories besides the lights and modifiers themselves. This great video tutorial will show you six things you should have in your bag that will keep your shoots running smoothly and help you tackle any problems that might arise.
In the midst of cancel culture, it's easy to make a misstep as a photographer. Sometimes, a seemingly harmless act could tarnish your reputation. I created this video because following these actions helped me, and I hope that it also serves you.
We are often taught that when it comes to portraits, soft light is the most flattering, while hard light, which introduces stark shadows and emphasizes skin texture, is to be avoided. While it is true that softer light is considered more flattering, that does not mean you should never use hard light; in fact, it can be fantastic for the right look and scenario. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot and edit a portrait shot in hard, direct sunlight.
Knowing how to balance flash and ambient light is one of the most important skills a portrait photographer can have, as it will give you the maximum creative and technical versatility needed to tackle just about any scenario. If you are wondering how to do this, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you four steps to creating a balanced, compelling photo using both flash and ambient light.
Together with the EOS R7 Canon released the entry-level EOS R10 mirrorless camera. Although I didn’t expect that camera to be special, it turned out to be a surprisingly capable camera. If you want to step into the Canon EOS mirrorless world, you can’t go wrong with this little gem.
Many photographers have become increasingly disillusioned by Instagram. Where once there was an app that placed top priority on sharing images, making it an invaluable tool for networking and connecting with potential clients, there is now a feed stuffed with videos, ads, and, of course, the dreaded algorithm. This has left many photographers looking for an alternative, with one of the current frontrunners being Vero. Is it worth investing time and effort in it? This photographer used it for 30 days to answer that question.
Iceland is the land of fire and ice, but what happens when there's neither? Travel plans can change at the last minute due to many factors, the weather being a big one, lost luggage another. So, how do you adapt and make even a short trip memorable? Do you push your creative boundaries and try something new, or do you just step back and enjoy experiencing each new adventure?
You’ve been commissioned to photograph new images for a restaurant, but there’s a lot of spinning plates and moving parts. In this article, I share my essential steps for preparing for and running a photoshoot at a restaurant.
Historic? Really? Allow me to justify. Despite 2021 being their inaugural year, the Natural Landscape Photography Awards have already earned a reputation among the landscape photography community as a bastion against the powerful influences of social media on the art form.
Every genre has different optimal gear setups, which is why it is important to sit down with your camera and take the time to adjust its settings to fit your subject matter and workflow. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing seven camera settings you should turn off to make your workflow more efficient and to improve that quality of your images.
Landscape photography takes a range of aptitudes to make successful images: technical skills with your camera and equipment, creative vision, the ability to forecast and respond to evolving conditions, and strong post-processing technique. If you would like to improve your landscape work, check out this fantastic video tutorial from an experienced photographer that offers a wide range of helpful advice sure to put you on the right track.
Although depth of field is often discussed in portrait photography, the conversation tends to center around background bokeh. In this article and the accompanying video, however, I would like to address depth of field as it relates to the face itself and attempt to answer the question as to which aperture is best for photographing faces.
The beautiful thing about photography is that no matter how new or advanced you are, there is always something new to learn. This excellent video essay features an experienced photographer offering 10 important bits of advice on a range of topics and will help you become a better and more content creative.
Building a website that helps potential clients choose you over others is not always an intuitive process. Here are six ways that you can upgrade your website.
Recently, Canon banned the production and sales of some third-party lenses for its RF mount cameras. Many photography enthusiasts bemoaned the decision and claimed Canon would lose out because of it. Now that Canon has confirmed the prohibition, what does the future look like for its RF mount cameras and lenses?
In the post-production process, it's very easy to get carried away and go a little too far with our edits. But sometimes, it's hard for us to tell if we've actually overdone things. This under-used Lightroom tool is great for exposing over-edited images.
The pin-up model was one of the most iconic styles of the 20th century, and even today, decades after its heyday, it is still a very recognizable and eye-catching look that makes for great portraits. In this great video tutorial, you will learn how a vintage nude pin-up portrait was conceptualized, lit, and photographed.
We live in a three-dimensional environment, so understanding how the nautical terms of roll, pitch, and yaw work can eliminate glaring errors and elevate our photos. While effects are obvious, others are unexpected. Here's an exercise to hone your skills.
Editing images is no easy task to undertake. Using editing software such as Lightroom or Capture One requires quite a bit of learning and getting used to. However, even if you know how to use editing software, you still need to edit images in such a way that enhances their beauty, rather than destroys it. Essentially, you need to know the why behind the how. Here are some mistakes I made when editing pictures because of not knowing the why.
One of the questions I had when starting out was how to get jobs. How to turn my hobby into money? The advice on the internet was few and far between. So, here is my advice to anyone who wants to take the next step and make some cash from their art.
As a portrait photographer, I often struggle to create new work. To add a new image to my portfolio, I must involve at least one other person who will be photographed by me. Contrast this to a landscape photographer, who can get into her vehicle, drive to a cool shooting location any day she desires, and create new images with relative ease.
Portrait photography is a popular genre that challenges a variety of skills, both with technical skills like your handling your camera and lighting and with more subjective skills like working with subjects. If you would like to improve your portraiture, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses three common mistakes and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place.
Working in Photoshop with multiple layers and then trying to navigate to those layers to make tweaks to your edits can sometimes be time-consuming and at times also very annoying if you have forgotten to name the layer.
Datacolor’s new Spyder Checkr Photo is a sized-down version of the original Spyder Checkr professional color reference tool while also being a vast improvement over the previous smaller version, the Spyder Checkr 24.
News recently broke that Viltrox, a brand known for their affordable lenses, has stopped manufacturing for the Canon RF mount after rumors that Canon had asked them to pull their products. Canon recently confirmed that news, and it certainly raises questions about the future of third-party lenses for their mirrorless cameras.
Feeling lost on your photographic journey is common. So are being in a creative rut or having periods of low motivation. At times, we can all struggle to feel inspired to pick up the camera and get out there. A lack of direction, purpose, and reason can be the culprit for these aforementioned photography ailments. So, let’s dig into these questions and uncover the possible “whys” behind your keen need to capture.
Have you ever held back on sharing your photos, pitching an idea, or showcasing your art? How many times have you let Impostor Syndrome hold you back?
Every year, I've had to hear about how a new technology was going to kill the photography industry. I ignored it all, until now.
Composition is a particularly tricky aspect of landscape photography, especially since you have no control over the placement of the elements in the scene. If composition is something you struggle with, check out this awesome video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer offering some great advice sure to help you improve your photos.
If you are new to the world of artificial lighting, it can sometimes feel like trying to learn a foreign language. It is really worth taking the time to learn it, though, as it will open up creative opportunities that simply are not possible otherwise and make you a far more versatile photographer. This excellent video tutorial will show you essential off-camera flash gear and some helpful basic tips to get you off and running.
Practicing street photography is one of the quickest ways to become a better photographer. Here's why each and every one of you should be hitting the streets with your camera.
Knowing how to light, pose, and compose a portrait is only half the battle. To create a successful final image, you also need to have strong editing technique. If you would like to learn how to properly edit a portrait, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will guide you through the entire process, including frequency separation, dodging and burning, and color grading.
Aside from the price, often in the vicinity of thousands and thousands of dollars, can you actually tell the difference between an f/2.8 lens and an f/4 lens?
Are you struggling to find your style as a photographer? In teaching photography, I am often asked how you even know what your style should be. This is both the easiest and hardest question. Let me explain why.
Flowers are some of the best subjects for macro photography, offering an almost endless range of looks and opportunities to expand your portfolio. If you are interested in your improving your flower macro imagery, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you seven useful tips sure to put you on the track to better photos.
If I promise to not curse and do my best to keep my rants to a minimum, can we have a discussion about the ongoing dilemma for photographers which is Instagram?
There are some essential things about being a photographer, most of which photography books don't usually mention. Here are the seven most important lessons I learned as a photographer, including one exercise I use to hone my skills.
There are many different techniques you can use to retouch a portrait, and one of the more advanced and powerful out there is frequency separation. This helpful video tutorial will show you what frequency separation is and how to use it to edit a photo.
Along with shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, white balance is one of the most fundamental settings on your camera and something you will want to consider before you take a photo. So, what is white balance and why does it matter? This excellent video tutorial will introduce you to white balance, what it is, and how to control it for better images.
One of the most important habits every photographer or filmmaker should develop is a strong backup strategy that guarantees the safety of your files in the event of a hard drive failure or natural disaster. If you have not created yours yet, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to properly ensure the safety of all your files.
Taking your cityscape photos during blue hour is always a safe bet if you don't get spectacular light at sunrise or sunset. A deep blue sky provides the perfect color contrast to the incandescent lights in the city and will help you create a pleasing result. But what if you are lucky with light and weather? Do you take a photo while the colors pop in the sky or with the city lights during blue hour? Luckily, you can get both by applying a technique called time blending. In this article, I show you how.
As much as lighting, posing, composition, and settings matter for creating a good portrait image, they are only half of what it takes to create a successful final result. You also need a strong post-processing workflow. If you are new to portrait work, check out this great video tutorial that will show you a basic editing workflow for creating polished final images.
Thinking outside of the box can often result in interesting creations being made. Here's what happens when you repurpose an old iPhone for a glitchy photoshoot.
