If you've ever wanted to inject a sense of speed into your automotive photos but haven't quite nailed the camera settings, then don't worry, because you can edit in some dynamic motion blur to your images with these simple techniques with Photoshop CC.
Capturing good wildlife images can be a thrill, but it takes a lot of good technique, knowledge of how animals behave, and more. If you have been struggling with your own images a bit, this excellent video tutorial will give you 10 helpful tips that will help you take your photos to the next level.
So, what are the best settings for wildlife photography? Most people would argue that aperture priority would be the best way to tackle shooting fast action like wildlife and sports. It gives you the best balance between automatic camera settings (like picking the correct shutter speed) and manual control (like the ability to compensate for exposure).
Creating a successful landscape photo takes the confluence of a wide range of factors, such as technique behind the camera, creative vision, understanding of the elements, and post-processing capabilities. If you are looking to improve your own photos, this helpful video tutorial features seven tips that should get you to where you want to go.
Did you know that Adobe Photoshop has a great selection of very helpful in-app tutorials for all levels that you can access for free? Here's a run-through of you can get your hands on them all.
Lightroom is often more powerful and capable than it appears on the surface, and one such example of that is the Targeted Adjustment Tool, which can make your workflow a lot more efficient and precise adjustments far more efficient. This helpful video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of the Targeted Adjustment Tool and why it is so useful for a range of applications.
One of the hardest things for artists to learn is how to make it professionally. In this video, a commercial photographer describes his journey and the obstacles he overcame to achieve success.
We are nearing the end of summer, and as fall approaches, there will be numerous opportunities to capture vivid swaths of color as the leaves change. This excellent video tutorial features a seasoned landscape photographer discussing his process of scouting and planning autumn photography along with some helpful composition tips.
Dynamic range is one of the most fundamental properties of a camera sensor and one of the leading specs photographers are concerned about these days. What is it, though, and why is it so important? This great video tutorial will introduce you to the concept and show you its practical consequences on your images.
It is exceedingly rare that you will take a portrait that does not need some degree of retouching, and as such, there are common post-processing mistakes you should be aware of before you start your edits. This helpful video tutorial will show you five common mistakes portrait photographers make when retouching images and how you can avoid or fix them.
There is little more frustrating than one of your best shots in any given shoot being slightly blurry. While sometimes it's all but unavoidable, there is often lots you could have done differently to capture the shot without any blurring. In this video, an expert bird photographer discusses how he keeps his images so sharp.
Do you have a photo that you found totally amazing until you noticed something in the background that ruined everything? If you do, you’re not the only one. When shooting a subject, always keep an eye on your background.
Despite all the different tools at your disposal, making smooth, controlled selections in Photoshop can be tricky, especially when you're trying to isolate highlights. Here's a great way to do it.
Adding props is a simple and effective way of adding production value to your photographs. Not only do they add additional points of interest, they also can add to the story you're trying to tell. In this video and article, I'll be walking through the creative process of how an image evolves to the final version. To do this, I'll begin with a basic "walk-up" shot.
Going too far with an edit is something we have all been guilty of at some point, and it is something for which the temptation never quite disappears. Here are seven signs you have taken that edit of your landscape image from refined to gaudy and what you can do to fix or avoid the issue.
My favorite season is about to hit the Northern hemisphere, autumn. With its riotous color and vibrancy, the forests of autumn transform into a landscape and nature photographers' playground. Here are my tips for planning your ultimate fall color adventure.
No doubt, when you are first learning about artificial lighting, it can feel very foreign and difficult to master, particularly when it seems like pros are using complex multi-light setups for all their shots. However, you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish with one light, a reflector, and strong knowledge of the fundamentals of lighting.
For landscape photographers, a sunny day with no clouds in the sky is kind of boring and does not make for particularly interesting photos. On the other hand, that does not mean you should just pack up your bag and head back home if you encounter such a day. This excellent video tutorial follows a landscape photographer as he demonstrates what you can shoot on such days.
Creative ruts are something we all go through at one time or another, and they can be frustrating if you are a hobbyist and downright dangerous if you are a professional whose income relies upon your ability to come up with interesting and effective ideas and content. So, what can you do when the creative juices stop flowing?
No doubt, it is a lot of fun to nerd out over cameras and lenses, but becoming a successful photographer takes a variety of essential skills that have nothing to do with the latest and greatest equipment. This excellent video discusses three of those important skills and how they will make you a better photographer.
It is one of the most upsetting things that can happen to a photographer, and it is frustratingly common: you discover your images have been stolen and used without permission. What can you do in this situation? What can you do the prevent it in the future? This excellent video essay features a seasoned photographer discussing the issue and offering a lot of helpful advice.
There are a lot of "rules" in photography, meant to codify what makes a good image and how to create one yourself. But for every rule there is out there, there are 100 notable exceptions to it. So, how do you break the rules in a way that produces compelling photos? This excellent video discusses three different ways to go about it.
The vast majority of landscape photos are only half done once the shutter has been pressed; a lot of the image is created in the edit, both from a technical standpoint and in adding your personal style. As such, it is important to be aware of where things can go wrong, and this excellent video tutorial details one of the most common mistakes and what you can do to avoid it.
Some of photography is intuitive, some of it requires some understanding, and then there are quirks of the craft that can catch you out completely. This particular truth of photography is counter-intuitive and can be frustrating too.
Shooting portraits using natural light means paying careful attention to how that light is behaving and how it falls upon your subject. This insightful video gives you a series of tips on how to make the most of a wide variety of shooting conditions.
It’s not unusual to hear lists of things that successful people do, but what about some patterns that are destined to hold you back? Here’s a list of six habits that you should do your best to avoid as you progress your career as a creator.
One of the frustrating parts about landscape photography is that unlike most other genres, you do not have any control over the light. Getting surprised by the light often leads to landscape photographers making a mistake that deprives them of worthwhile images, and this excellent video discusses why and how to avoid it.
Astrophotography is a tremendously challenging genre that requires some specialized techniques and knowledge, but when you nail a shot, the results can be jaw-dropping. If you are looking to improve your astro images, this excellent video tutorial will show you five great tips that will help you take better photos of the night sky.
Landscape photography is a popular genre, but the vast majority of those who enjoy it do it as a hobby and not a profession. So, how do those who do it professionally make a career out of it? This insightful video features a professional landscape photographer discussing his long-term approach to his career and some things to be aware of along the way.
Sports photography is a challenging genre that requires fast reactions and solid technique, but it can also be a ton of fun and can yield jaw-dropping action images. If you are looking to improve your sports images, check out this great video tutorial that offers five helpful tips to take better shots.
Last week, we walked through How to Capture an Environmental Shutter Drag Portrait. A shutter drag portrait is a portrait that captures movement around a subject using slower shutter speeds. Following the steps in the video, we wound up at a final raw image.
Something landscape photographers often have to deal with is extreme dynamic range and the fact that different parts of the frame look better at different times of day. A common technique is to take multiple exposures and blend them in post, and this awesome video tutorial will show you how to do it quickly and easily using the Lighten blending mode in Photoshop.
We spend a lot of time talking about different kinds of lights and modifiers, but once you have spent a lot of money on your setup, you will want to make sure the stand you put it on will hold it safely and allow you to maneuver it as needed. This helpful video tutorial will show you four commonly used types of studio light stands, when they are appropriate, and how to use them.
There are millions of wonderful pets in shelters at any given time, all waiting for someone to take them home and love them forever. One of the best ways to give back with your camera skills is to photograph shelter pets to increase their chances of being adopted. These great videos will show you the importance of doing so and offer you some helpful tips and tricks for doing so.
There is not a more confounding and mysterious element of digital photography than ISO. And just when we've all thought we've figured it out and it starts to make sense, another wrinkle appears and threatens our conceptions all over again.
Jupiter is one of the most stunning objects in the night sky, and while it is relatively close to us are far as objects in space go, it is still a mind-bogglingly far distance from our home planet, making it a real challenge to photograph. This neat video goes behind the scenes to show the process an astrophotographer went through to get a photo of the biggest planet.
When it comes to organizing and editing your images, there are two behemoths in the industry: Lightroom and Capture One. They are very distinct applications, and you may find you prefer one over the other.
We usually see a photograph as a solitary work, a passing moment in time captured to be examined on its own. However, creating a coherent story through a body of work can lift your photography up to a new level.
No doubt, we are constantly bombarded by temptation for newer and better cameras and lenses, and we often delude ourselves into believing that they will flip a switch that will suddenly make our photos vastly better. At the end of the day, it is all about the light, and this awesome video pits an iPhone versus a Hasselblad to show you just how true that is.
When photographers hear overcast skies, we immediately think of flat light. What this usually means is an overall lack of detail and contrast, especially in the sky. It might be easy to assume that the sky during overcast days is uninteresting, but I want to show you the opposite, that overcast days are some of the best times to get deep and dramatic images.
There are photographers that are so masterful in their creation of images that they are worth studying in the hope you can siphon off some of their brilliance. In this video, watch as some of Joel Meyerowitz's legendary street photography is broken down and analyzed.
You have probably seen professional photographers in certain genres (weddings, for example) shooting with two camera bodies simultaneously. Why do they do this and what are the benefits of carrying that extra weight? This excellent video discusses the topic and offers some tips for working with two cameras simultaneously.
Creating a good black and white photograph takes so much more than simply converting a color image to monochrome; they are an art entirely unto themselves. If you are looking to improve your black and white shots, check out this great video tutorial that offers 12 helpful tips that will have you taking better shots in no time.
If you want to learn photography from scratch and you haven’t bought a camera, your phone is all you need to start.
For the majority of photographers, their website is the central hub through which potential clients will find and decide whether or not to hire them. And so, it is important to put a lot of careful thought into your website, as it can make or break the success of your business.
Cityscapes are a fantastic marriage of human construction and the natural elements that challenge your technical skills and offer the opportunity for jaw-dropping photos. If you are looking to improve yours, check out this excellent video tutorial that shows you how a professional photographer approaches such an image.
Gaining a strong grasp of lighting is essential not only to producing technically competent photographs but for developing a personal creative style as well. If you are struggling a bit to get up and running, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a versatile and effective portrait lighting setup that is useful for a wide variety of scenarios.
One of the most fundamental skills any photographer needs to have is the ability to get their images in focus consistently, even in difficult scenarios. Modern cameras offer some highly advanced autofocus systems that have made this job a lot easier, but in certain situations, this simple technique can outperform even the best autofocus system.
Wedding photography is a highly competitive genre that requires a lot of anyone looking to make a career of it. And so, when you are first starting, it is important to do everything you can to give yourself the best chances for success.
Few things are certain in the career of a photographer, and so, it can seem crazy to leave a relatively stable profession like engineering to pick up a camera instead. However, that is exactly what one photographer did, and this great video essay features him discussing his journey, why he chose to get into photography, and how he went about it.