The mirrorless versus SLR debate is the most hotly discussed topic in photography circles. One of the main reasons given for sticking to the SLR system is the superiority of the optical viewfinder (OVF). Over the past couple of years, I’ve started to question this point. In this article, I explore the areas where an electronic viewfinder (EVF) offers an advantage over on OVF.
Landscape photography can be a strange pursuit, isolating yourself for hours or even days at a time in pursuit of a technically perfect capture of a beautiful scene. But is that enough? This great video talks about finding deeper meaning in landscape photography.
Using your social media or YouTube account to generate meaningful income seems to be the dream (or at least part of it) for a lot of creatives, but having a large audience seems to be almost a requirement for that to happen. This great video talks about how you can still leverage your Instagram or similar platforms for income even if you don't have a massive audience.
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.
Drones are both more affordable and more capable than ever, and because of that, with a bit of practice, you can create awesome footage that will wow your clients. This great video will show you 20 essential drone shots to help you create the best footage you can.
Of all the genres one can shoot, perhaps none are more acutely uncomfortable than street photography. This great video examines the idea of discomfort in street photography, how you can combat it, and how you can use it to your advantage.
We're not all born with those piercing, ice blue eyes, and sometimes, you or your subject might want to change their eye color for one reason or another. It's not an overly difficult process, and this great tutorial will show you exactly how to do it using Photoshop.
In this video you will learn about the dual ISO technology featuring the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. You will also understand why using the lowest ISO can sometimes degrade your recorded image.
The color grading is one of the most memorable parts of any photographer's images, and it's a stylistic choice that we often admire in those photographers we look up to. This awesome tutorial will show you a clever technique for copying the color grading from one image to another.
Photographers can be a passionate bunch, and with all that fiery passion comes a lot of strong opinions and obsessive habits. Not all of those obsessions really benefit you, though, and some can actually hinder your progress. Here are a lot of things to stop obsessing about as a photographer.
ISO is known as one of the exposure factors. The higher the ISO the more brightness. Camera manufacturers are even boasting about how high their ISO is going when they want to sell you a camera.
Nighttime portraits are a great way to shoot some very unique and creative images that can really set your work apart from others. This great video will show you five helpful nighttime portrait lighting tips and techniques.
Vignettes are an incredibly simple and powerful way to draw attention to the subjects of your photos, but they can go far beyond just adjusting the exposure for part of an image. This great video will show you how to create your own custom vignettes using Photoshop.
Lightroom presets are one of the most popular purchases for photographers these days, but is it better to buy a set or to simply make your own? This great video will give you three reasons why you should consider crafting your own customized set of Lightroom presets.
Real estate photography is a reliable staple as a source of income for many photographers. The commercial applications of quality real estate imagery are self-explanatory and if you're just getting involved, this video is here to help you with the basics.
We've all heard the mantra about how gear doesn't matter (or at least, not to the extent we often like to think it does), but perhaps nowhere does that become more clear than when you give pro and amateur photographers expensive and cheap cameras to illustrate the differences. Check out this great video that pits those combinations against each other!
We live in an age where sharing your creativity with the world at large is unbelievably easy to do, but having that ability isn't a universally positive thing. This thought-provoking video essay looks at the dark side of using these large platforms and how they could be subtly influencing your creativity.
If you're anything like me, you suffer from a bit of decision paralysis and end up way overpacking your photography gear, particularly when you're going on a long trip. This great video will show you an easy and effective way to figure out which lenses you're using the most.
Whether you're an established wedding photographer or aspiring to be, here are some truths about wedding photography that will make you say "yep" or "I had no idea!"
Working with the brush tool is one of the most fundamental techniques every photographer should be well versed in when it comes to Photoshop. This great video shows you how to take your skills a step further by creating your own custom brushes for a variety of purposes.
“Let’s go to New Zealand!” Ka-ching, that’s a pretty chunk of change to shell out, but travel has become comparatively more affordable than ever before. If you are considering extended travel to invest in your landscape photography, you can save a ton of money without turning vagabond.
Go on assignment with a full-time professional landscape photographer to catch a glimpse of working life on location and making money from photography.
Portrait photography is a popular, though often difficult genre in which to be successful. This helpful video will give you three tips to improve your portrait images.
We're all always looking for ways to become better photographers. This great video talks about a method for improving your photography that you might not have thought about trying before.
Protecting and efficiently using your data is one of the most important computing topics any photographer or videographer should be acquainted with. This helpful set of videos will give you a quick introduction to the most common RAID setups to help you choose the right one for you.
Perhaps more than ever, it's easy to compare yourself to other photographers, and that can be detrimental to both your business and your creativity. This great video talks about why it's so important to be yourself as a photographer.
It's still quite cold across much of the United States, and with winter still in full swing, it's a great time to get out and photography the unique beauty it brings along with it. This great video takes a look at how photographing ice can make for unique and gorgeous images.
One important setting can drastically affect your computer monitor’s accuracy. It’s important to check, but is almost hidden in the menus.
When it comes to flash photography, there seems to be a constantly recurring question: manual or TTL flash? So at the end of the day, which one should you really be using?
I recently spent time working alongside Alice Prenat, the portrait photographer behind the elegant Parisian studio, Portrait Madame. After her talent was discovered by Sue Bryce, Prenat launched an upscale brand and studio in Paris, where she celebrates the "everyday" woman.
New gear is always fun to work with, however a new piece of glass is not going to make you a better photographer. Many new photographers feel the urge to buy the latest gear thinking it will improve their skills.
Photographing during winter can give many different conditions. Some wet and foggy, some snowy and some even stormy and snowy. Here are some tips on photographing them.
We spend a lot of time educating ourselves to be better photographers in the professional realm, but given our skills, it's just as important to discuss how we can take better photos of our family and personal lives. This truly excellent video will give you nine lesser-discussed tips for better family and documentary photos.
Selling prints is a tricky business with seemingly infinite reasons for someone to decide they don't want to purchase your image. But one simple question can dramatically increase your odds of convincing a potential customer to pull the trigger on investing in your art.
Let’s face it, hair can be a bitch to work with in postproduction. My clients rarely have hair like you see in a Pantene ad, but of course, I always want it to look that way in the finished product. That’s why this oldie but goodie from Phlearn is worth a revisit.
There are lots of mistakes (both subtle and obvious) that are easy to make in the course of pursuing photography as a hobby or as a career. This helpful video details four such traps to be on the lookout for and what you can do to avoid them.
Modern cameras can be set to very high ISO values. But the higher your ISO is, the more noise will be visible. There is a point when the noise levels become higher than acceptable. Do you know what high ISO value is still acceptable for you?
I know you probably didn't enjoy reading that title. We all enjoy buying and playing with new gear. But before you push that buy button, take a few minutes to consider the points made in this video.
One of the most fundamental lighting skills every photographer should possess is the ability to bounce light effectively. This helpful video will show you why bouncing light can be such an effective technique and how to use it for your own work.
One of the best investments any photographer can make for their business is in education. There is always new gear, techniques, and knowledge to learn about and there is no better way than a fun destination conference. WPPI held each year on the Las Vegas strip is all about fun, education, and the destination.
On location lighting can be tricky. Here's one easy three-light flash setup that you can use just about anywhere.
Learning about photography was once confined to books, courses, and mentorship. Now, however, there are more resources at our disposal than we could ever deplete. Here's one that flies a little under the radar.
Bird photography is a lot of fun, but once video gets into the mix it can be really confusing on how to do it right. Tim Boyer shares three educational videos containing many tips that will get you off on the right foot.
When it comes to photography, sometimes we don't have a roll of black paper. In this video from The Creative Contrast, they show us two and a half ways to get an invisible black backdrop with both natural light and strobes.
When you schedule a couple weeks for landscape photography, do you revisit locations from prior trips? It’s tempting to visit new places, but if you want to drastically level-up your portfolio quality, start investing more time in one spot.
One of the most frustrating hurdles we deal with when shooting indoors is the strong color cast that incandescent light emits. I'm going to share with you a quick and easy fix in Lightroom (or Photoshop) to remedy that dreaded "orange glow" when white balance isn't enough.
The results from macro photography, when well done, can be spectacular as a dazzling, miniature world comes to life. Check out this great video to learn how to use any lens to get started with macro photography immediately.
Shooting in raw format generally produces images that are flatter than what we may have seen with our own eyes, which is why post-processing work is so important to achieving the image we visualized. There are countless ways to add depth to your image, but this video shows how to create an almost three-dimensional look rather easily.
Everyone's always looking for more pop in their images. And more wow factor. And better light. And crisper colors. But in order to get them, most people tend to overcomplicate things far too much. Learn to use Curves and get everything you need with a minimum of fuss.
I do mostly outdoor photography and anyone who does this can get bitten by the night sky bug. All those beautiful stars and the dramatic Milky Way beckon, but for many beginners it seems an impossible task.