As a fairly established photographer, many beginners ask me what camera to buy to get started. What’s more important: body or lenses? Or is it the brand? My standard advice has always been to buy a cheap, used body and save your money for quality lenses. A beginner just doesn't need a high-end camera. That’s easy to say, of course, when you shoot on a Nikon D800 with some pretty nice glass. Perhaps it was time to do a little experimenting of my own to see what, if any, difference there was between a top end camera and something cheap.

If I were shooting portraits on a desert island and could only take one lens with me, it would be hard to leave my 70-200mm behind. After picking up a Canon 16-35mm for a trip to Scotland, though, I've found myself using it more and more often when I have people in front of my lens.

Lightroom obviously is a powerful editor with the highest level of user-friendliness. It’s made to help beginners and advanced photographers edit their photographs within the blink of an eye. Its shortcuts can speed up your edits. Here are my favorite ones and a description of when and how I use them.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article pitting the venerable Nikon D800 against a lowly Nikon D40x in a portrait shoot. The purpose of the article wasn’t to see if the D40x was as good as the D800 (it obviously isn’t), but to ascertain whether a beginner would be better off getting something cheap to start out with than starting with a behemoth of a camera.

When you're working with models (or anyone really), there are certain things you should keep in mind, both to make the shoot go smoothly and successfully and to ensure that proper boundaries are established and everyone involved feels comfortable and respected. Here are five dos and don't of photographing models.

The tone curve can seem a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's by far one of the most intuitive, efficient, and powerful ways to adjust your images. This great video will introduce you to both how the tone curve works and how to use it.

Photography is not just about capturing beautiful images; it is a powerful tool that can positively impact our mental and physical well-being. Whether you are an amateur or a seasoned photographer, picking up a camera and immersing yourself in the art of photography can bring numerous advantages to your overall health. In this post, let's explore the remarkable benefits that photography offers for both mental and physical well-being.

For the longest time, my favorite lens on any camera system was a 35mm wide-aperture prime. The focal length forced me to get "in the action" for impactful portraits, yet it was wide enough to capture wide angle scenes. But a new lens has recently won my heart and assumed the top spot in my kit. In this video and article, I'll be walking through a photoshoot while demonstrating why the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 lens is my favorite lens of all time.

As the technology inside our cameras continues to advance, understanding and controlling all its new capabilities becomes a little more complicated. Between autofocus modes, points, zones, calibration, and the material components making it all function, there’s a lot going on that can potentially make you miss your shot. In this easy to follow video, Steve Perry from Backwoods Gallery shows us eight (sorry, not 99) common autofocus problems and solutions to make them work the way they should.

The evolution of a photographer's skill set and perspective over time can drastically change the way they view their craft, especially in the realm of landscape photography. This video documents one such examination and some common mistakes that emerged.

Have you ever struggled with getting creative in your photography, but whatever you have tried, it didn’t solve the problem? Artists think in a very special way. Knowing how can massively change your photography.

It's so simple yet so powerful and has literally saved me hundreds of hours and untold gallons of frustrated, angry sweat. If you want to know a quick, fast camera hack that can make your photography life a rosy ride of comfort, then keep on reading.

If you haven't made any bad choices, then that just means you haven't been shooting long enough.

Want to improve your images? Here are seven rarely talked-about approaches, not involving the camera settings or composition, that may help you take your photography to the next level.

Have you ever been to a spectacularly picturesque location and envisioned a perfect image in your head, only to never commit and follow it through? I’m far too guilty of that, but this time, I was determined to get the shot I wanted, no matter how many ridiculously hilarious mistakes it took along the way. Here’s how I did it.

It's amazing how adding just a little bit of shadows can drastically improve the depth of your photographs. Contouring faces is a little trick that can take a few minutes to do, but ultimately increases the overall image quality. I'm going to show you how to use the adjustment brush tool in Lightroom to act similar to the dodging tool in Photoshop, and then the key areas to brush for properly contouring a face.

Have you ever used on-camera flash with disappointing results? In that case you probably didn't use the on-camera flash in the best way possible. With these tips you should be able to get much better results.

The ability to direct models (any model) in your shoot is key to any visual project. You might have the best location, styling, and lighting setup, but if you don’t have the right kind of emotion in your model's face, it will all have been for nothing. Your mission is not just to press on the shutter release, but to also be a director. Here are the dos and don'ts and a little bonus at the end.

Self-doubt and imposter syndrome can plague even skilled photographers, making it difficult to recognize genuine progress in your craft. Understanding the key indicators of photographic growth helps you acknowledge your achievements and maintain momentum in your creative journey.

Photography is an art form that allows us to document life’s journey and encapsulate moments that hold profound significance. This fantastic video details one photographer's transformation from a corporate professional to a passionate artist, giving a compelling narrative about pursuing happiness and finding solace in photography.

Most newer photographers will begin their editing journey in Lightroom rather than Photoshop, and even as you become more advanced, you will notice that you can still do a lot or even most of your editing in the former, only needing to resort to the latter for truly complex post-processing tasks. If you are a beginner and looking to understand how the various editing functions in Lightroom work, check out this great video tutorial that will have you up and running in no time at all.

When you're first getting started with artificial lighting, knowing where to place the lights can be a bit daunting. This helpful video will show you five classic positions that are fundamental to lighting.

Utilizing natural light in your photography can be a quick and easy way to create portraits without having to fuss over strobes, light stands, and light modifiers. In this video, photographer Anita Sadowska takes us along for a swimwear shoot in an NYC location that features floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow for a generous amount of natural light to enter.

Editing is a huge part of landscape photography and the chance for you to add your personal style to your images. If you are looking to improve your own editing, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you seven different editing techniques that are useful for working with landscape photos.

A polarization filter is a great tool for reducing glare on shiny surfaces. A welcome side effect is the more saturated colors. Especially during autumn, a landscape photo will get a nice warm appearance. Unfortunately, automatic white balance may counteract the effect.

Lightroom is full of little hidden features and settings, but perhaps the least addressed setting of all is the Camera Calibration tab. Hidden at the very bottom of the Develop module, here's what that tab controls.

You've got some extra money burning a hole in your pocket and you're ready to upgrade your gear, but is it better to spend that cash on a new camera body or a new lens? This helpful video will help you decide.

If you want your photos to have that painterly, moody feel, editing is key. It’s possible to achieve stunning results with just a few thoughtful adjustments, even when nature doesn’t provide ideal conditions.

What if you could control perspective distortion and focus with pinpoint accuracy at any aperture? Dive into the world of tilt/shift lenses and learn how pros use the Scheimpflug Principle to create stunning images.

Lightroom recently rolled out a new and far more powerful masking panel, and if you have not taken the time to incorporate it into your workflow yet, you are missing out on some highly useful tools. One particular function, Intersect, is a bit strange and not necessarily intuitive, but once you get the hang of it, it enables quick and powerful edits, and this excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about it.