Just like writing a good story, in photography, the setting is a character that shares equal weight with your main subject. It’s the relationship between those two elements that sells and tells the story. This is why at Cooper & O’Hara we start the planning of every shoot with a question: what is the setting going to be, and how does it tell the story?

Whether you’re picking up a camera for the first time to shoot video or you’re coming from the photography side and could use a guide to translate what you already know into videography terms, this video has you covered on the exposure basics.

Anya Anti is an internationally published photo artist from the Ukraine who now lives in the Big Apple. If you have never seen her work, you are missing out on a whole series of quirky, interesting, and fantastical images that stir up emotion and imagination.

Aperture is one of three elements of the exposure triangle. Not only does it control the exposure, but also lets you control creative effects of an image.

Sometimes photos are called high key or low key. I never thought much about it and just made the photos I liked, regardless of what it could be called. But when is it correct to name a photo high key or low key? Let’s find out.

If you're a photographer living in a coastal city, hobbyist or otherwise, it's almost a given you've taken your camera seaside to snap what you were hoping to be some stunners. This has been the case for me, and I was sorely disappointed when my photos were nothing like what I had imagined they would be. If only there were an extensive, nit-picking guide to creating the photos you see in your head. Anton Gorlin has created just that: an impressively in-depth guide to seascape photography that really gets down to the nitty-gritty.

Replacing a sky is one of the most common and useful skills a Photoshop user can have, and there are several ways to go about it. If you are beginning to learn the technique, this awesome video tutorial will show you four different ways to go about it using Photoshop.

Seascapes are one of the most imaginative sub-genres of landscape photography. It’s challenging enough to create a compelling landscape image when “what you see is what you get,” but with the energetic waves constantly changing a sizable portion of the composition, seascapes can be incredibly difficult.

Engagement and couples portraits can be challenging, since you have to juggle posing two people simultaneously while, of course, dealing with all the other normal parameters, like composition, lighting, and more. If you would like to take a little pressure off yourself and improve your photos, this excellent video tutorial will show you five effective compositions for engagement and couples portraits.

There's a certain mysticality that often gets assigned to work as a creative — the gifted artist that somehow conjures genius from thin air. This image is inaccurate at best, and it's downright poisonous for the artist themselves to subscribe to it. Here's how a professional really thinks and works.

Unseen photo shoots can offer a rare glimpse into the challenges and unpredictability of creating compelling images, shedding light on the realities of managing expectations, conditions, and results.

There are tools that many photographers neglect and this is one of them. The histogram is criminally underused, possibly because it isn't all that intuitive to beginners, but once you understand how to read it, it can keep you from making costly mistakes.

Growing up on comic books and graphic novels I have always been a fan of anything illustrated. When I started taking photos and creating art, I wanted my images to have a similar feel.

Creating a strong black and white image is something photographers of almost every genre should know how to do. This helpful tutorial will show you everything you need to know to do it in Photoshop.

Embracing the challenge of dull, overcast days, this video offers a refreshing perspective on photography under conditions many might find uninspiring. Highlighting creativity over clarity, it suggests that less-than-ideal weather can be the perfect setting for exploring new photographic techniques and compositions, offering five different ways to approach such weather.

Knowing how to quickly and effectively adjust your photos in Lightroom can significantly improve your final results. Getting the basic sliders right means your images look natural, realistic, and closer to what you saw when taking the shot.

After all the excitement we got last year from the comet NEOWISE, it's hard to believe that right now, there's another potential naked-eye-visible comet screaming through the solar system at 158,000 miles per hour.

Along with aperture and shutter speed, ISO is one of the three fundamental parameters that control the balance of exposure in your images, and as such, mastering it is crucial to becoming a competent and confident photographer. If you are new to photography and looking to improve, check out this great video tutorial that will give you a practical guide to ISO and how to use it in your work.

Action sport photography has always been something that I have been drawn to, but I just don't have the access and opportunity to shoot it very often. So when I got the chance to shoot some wakesurfing, I Instantly jumped at the opportunity. The one thing I wanted to do going into the shoot though, was come out with something different.

By far, one of the most common issues you'll run into when editing photos is halos around a selection. This helpful video guide will show you two tools to get rid of them when using Photoshop.

Jerry Ghionis probably doesn’t need an introduction anymore. He is a Nikon Ambassador, a WPPI Grand Master, as well as a three-time AIPP Australian Wedding Photographer winner, just to name a few of his achievements. Many that have attended his five-day workshop speak highly of his teaching skills and technical knowledge. If for some reason you cannot get a seat to one of his masterclasses, there is still the Ice Society, and it is now available for only $100 a year.

Capture One and Photoshop make for a powerful combination for editing portraits to produce professional results. This fantastic video tutorial gives a complete guide to editing a portrait from start to finish using both applications and a wide variety of creative tricks and techniques.

I know, I know. My post last Sunday also featured Zack but when you put yourself out there as much as he does, you're going to get noticed (a lesson for us all). Besides, this isn't really about him. This is about one of the greatest challenges ever conceived in the photography industry. That's right kids. It's the 2014 Gulf Photo Plus ShootOut, pitting Sara Lando against Zack Arias with cameos by some of the best shooters in the industry.

Often, photographers get caught up in capturing reality, aiming to recreate what they see as accurately as possible. However, a more impactful approach might be to embrace creative expression, using your camera as a tool to convey mood and atmosphere rather than just the physical details. This shift in perspective opens up a wealth of artistic possibilities, helping you produce work that resonates on an emotional level.

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?

A legendary and elusive creature in the world of photography, autofocus can feel almost mythical to some. For beginners—and even some intermediate photographers—its modes, functions, and best uses often remain a mystery. Look no further; let’s break it down and explore how to make the most of autofocus.

Wildflowers can make fantastic subjects or complements to the subject of a landscape image, but when they start thrashing about in a stiff breeze, it can be tricky to still get optimal image quality. If you keep finding your plans foiled by the wind, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features a seasoned landscape photographer sharing some helpful tips for photographing wildflowers in such conditions.

When it comes to video editing, color grading is one of the most crucial steps to creating a polished finished product, though it is the kind of thing where you can spend hours going back and forth between minute changes. If you want to make sure your workflow is as efficient as possible while still producing good results, check out this great video tutorial that will show you three techniques to speed up the process.

Masking is an essential technique for photographers aiming to refine their images with precision, affecting specific parts of an image without altering the whole. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to get started.

Enhancing your photos by targeting specific areas with masks can dramatically improve their quality. Here's an advanced technique that will help you take greater control.