Landscape photography is one of the trickier genres of photography due to the lack of control you have. Although you may have control over aspects such as composition, lighting can in the scene can prove a little challenging. Sometimes, you may end up with a picture lacking depth, and overcoming this issue could drastically improve your photography.
Stock photography is often viewed as a form of "passive income" for photographers that have a low barrier of entry. But just because that's the case doesn't mean it's easy. A seasoned stock photographer shares some of the mistakes she made when starting.
If you look at your camera, you will find a button to change the white balance. You can choose either auto white balance or one of the other predefined settings. But it is also possible to set the color temperature itself. Is there a difference between color temperature and white balance?
We often preach the importance of planning ahead in landscape photography, but the truth remains that nature does not always cooperate, and even if you expected dramatic, interesting skies, even a slight deviation from the weather forecast can leave you with dull monotony overhead. So, what can you do to avoid going home empty-handed? This helpful video tutorial will show you.
If you are first starting in photography, this quote by the famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson might seem outrageous or overly harsh. But as someone who has taken at least 10,000 photos, I can tell you that there is a lot of truth to this, and more importantly, this idea can be freeing.
The challenge of portrait photography is that beyond needing to master an array of technical things like lighting setups and often fairly intricate editing techniques, you also need to be able to make your subject comfortable in front of the camera, all while managing the photography side of things. If you are wondering how you can improve your own portraiture, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you five tips to help you take better images.
If you want a successful career as a photographer, you have to dismiss one toxic term that damaged our industry: "starving artist." It has caused more damage and more self-doubt to artists across the globe than probably anything else.
If you look at the sort of landscape photos that tend to dominate the popular pages of Instagram and the like, they are often lit with warm, golden rays, augmented by dramatic skies, rich colors, and dramatic contrasts. And of course, those can be incredible images, but the conditions required to create them are often not present, and they are not the only compelling type of landscape photo. This excellent video shows you that you can create good landscape images no matter what the conditions you encounter.
There are a ton of beautiful tourist spots out there begging to be photographed, but the problem is that unless you are extremely lucky, you will likely have to deal with people in the shot. You could take a bunch of photographs as people move around and then painstakingly mask in different parts of the image, or you could try this neat method that lets Photoshop take care of it automatically in just a few seconds, as this helpful video tutorial shows.
Of course, you should never outright copy or steal the work of other photographers; that is never in question. However, there is something to be said for turning work you know and love into something of your own, and this great video tutorial discusses the merits of doing so.
It seems hard light is trending these days. From elaborate food spreads in Bon Appetit to fashion shoots for Burberry, hard light is in. If you've ever wondered how to create this look, this quick and simple tutorial will lay it out for you. I'll share a few concepts, and you can watch the video for a demonstration.
In the days of film, the square format used to be more popular, particularly since 6x6 medium format cameras were around. Nowadays, no digital camera has a native 1:1 aspect ratio, and as such, the square format has fallen out of popularity quite a bit. That being said, it is a tremendously interesting and different way to compose and digest images, and this helpful video tutorial will give you some useful advice on creating interesting photos using it.
If you want to shoot for brands and land large commercial projects, you have to know how to pitch to brands in a way that matches their expectations while still helping your own work stand apart from the other portfolios they have seen. If that is something you are new to or if you want to improve your chances, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will walk you through the entire process step by step to get you up and running in no time.
Did you have to take cursive in elementary school? Is that ability to write in beautiful, curvy letter lying dormant somewhere in the recesses of your mind after all these years? Why not awaken those skills and use them to create a beautiful custom watermark for your images? This great video tutorial will show you how to do just that quickly and easily using Photoshop.
When it comes to portrait photography, it is not uncommon for photographers to have a focus on the technical aspects of their craft. However, what if the secret ingredient of portraiture is more than just nailing a technically perfect photograph? Portraiture is all about the human subject and displaying their authenticity with each photo taken. The hidden ingredient that can take an average portrait to an exceptional piece of work has everything to do with the human connection to the subject.
The used market is always full of lenses, and given how well many photographers take care of their gear, you can often save a fair bit of money and still get a quality lens by purchasing preowned. There are a few things you should check before you agree to buy that lens you are eyeing, though, and this quick and helpful video tutorial will take you through them all to make sure you are not wasting your money.
An industrial photographer is someone who photographs the people and the products associated with multi-million dollar companies that make machines and tools for industries such as power and electric, trucking, and construction. As an industrial photographer, you will photograph everything from a two-ton drill used underground to a two-inch screw that secures a safety harness used by workers from a state electric company.
Have you ever been out for landscape photography and didn’t get weather conditions that would support your compositions? Here are a couple of ideas you can try.
When it comes to landscape photography, a narrow aperture and large depth of field is the norm, as we generally want to get everything from the foreground to infinity sharp. Of course, that is a creative decision, and just like any other such decision, you can do something else. So, is it worth trying landscape photographs with a narrow depth of field? This great video makes a good case for it.
When we shoot photographs, we may or may not want to increase the appearance of depth in the image. Many more tools than depth of field are available to us. Here are some things we can do to add or decrease perspective.
Creatives are inundated from all directions by messages meant to undermine their confidence in their work and to get them to focus on things other than the act of creating an image. If you find yourself a bit lost in the midst of all that right now, take a few minutes to watch this great video essay that contains an important message every photographer and filmmaker should hear.
One of the biggest challenges of landscape photography is that unlike most other genres, you do not get control over the light on a scene. And while you can follow the weather forecast and plan in advance, nature does not always cooperate. That does not mean you should just pack in your bag and head home, though. This excellent video tutorial discusses what you can do to still come home with great images when the sky is boring.
The beauty of artificial lighting is that you can create whatever look you want, wherever and whenever you want. That does not mean things need to be overly complex, however. In fact, just two lights can offer a ton of versatility, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to create some dramatic and compelling couples portraits.
Being a wedding photographer takes a lot of skills, one of them being the ability to effectively manage time while corralling a large group of people. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to properly plan and schedule your timeline to ensure you get all the shots you need.
Photographing landscapes is easy. After all, landscapes are everywhere. Choosing a good composition is often much more difficult. It can be helpful to take small steps, slowly building up the most attractive composition. Let me show you how I often work for my landscapes.
Are you looking for an easy way to achieve great lighting with minimal gear? Regardless of whether it's because you are starting off and have to stay within a certain budget or you simply do not want to carry and set up a lot of gear, here's an easy way to get perfect lighting.
Three-dimensional "pop" is a sort of nebulous thing that portrait photographers often chase in certain lenses, as it can take an inherently two-dimensional representation of a person and make it feel more lifelike. You can also contribute to the effect through your editing, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do it through some clever though not difficult use of Photoshop.
Some genres of photography allow you to produce a large number of images in a given span of time, while others tend to be more methodical and require a fair amount of patience. Landscape photography tends to fall into the latter camp, but that does not mean there are not things you can do to make yourself more productive on location. This helpful video will detail seven ways you can make yourself a bit more efficient and productive the next time you head out.
When it comes to landscape photography, sharpness is often one of the top priorities. If that is something you want to improve in your images, check out this excellent video tutorial that details a straightforward process for coming home with sharp photos every time you head out with your camera.
Before the digital era, you could still shoot panoramic photographs, but you generally had to resort to using a special kind of camera to do so, especially if you wanted the best possible image quality. This neat video follows a landscape photographer as he uses an absolute behemoth of a camera to create a special panoramic print.
Masking is an important part of any decent photographer's post-production process. Sometimes, the masks are easy, but other times, they can be painfully time-consuming. However, if you learn about this hidden tool in Photoshop, your editing life will instantly become so much better.
All photographers need the ability to sell well, from selling prints to selling ideas to others to selling themselves. Use these psychological concepts to help you get more of what you want.
Film has seen quite a resurgence in the last few years, and after over a century of production, the number of used cameras available can be a bit overwhelming. If you are interested in getting into film but are not sure which camera is right for you, this helpful video will show you a variety of different styles at various price points to help you choose the right one for you.
In the last decade, drones have created a completely new genre of photography for the average consumer. Their biggest hurdle has been poor resolution and dynamic range but with these few tips, you can get a lot more detail out of your drone photography.
Would you like to hang up a boring picture on your wall? Properly not. But what can we do to turn boring weather conditions into interesting photographs?
DaVinci Resolve is free to download and use as an NLE. They’ve uploaded tutorial videos in the past, but in the last few weeks, they’ve uploaded in-depth tutorials that make it much easier to understand what you’re doing when you start changing the parameters of a clip’s color. Here are the color-grading tutorial videos.
Being talented with a camera and having creative vision are, of course, necessary for becoming a successful professional photographer, but they are far from sufficient. Running a thriving photo business takes a lot of separate skills, and this helpful video tutorial details a few of them and offers some useful tips along the way.
Capturing portraits of musicians is one of my favorite things to do. As a musician myself, I think that I have a unique perspective that helps me to connect with my musician clients. Working with other creatives always makes for an inspiring portrait session, and finding novel ways to incorporate an instrument into a portrait is a fun challenge. In today’s article and accompanying video, I will give you five tips that have helped me create engaging portraits of musicians.
Landscape photography challenges you to work with conditions you can't control while still employing a range of techniques and bringing your creative vision to fruition. If you would like to improve your images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses three lessons an experienced landscape photographer thinks everyone should learn.
I'm going to provide 10 additional tips about using Kodak's popular TMax 100 that I learned from my experience with it. Hopefully, these set you up for success with your Kodak TMax 100 photos.
We have all seen minimalist photos that use just the bare minimum of elements and the interplay between colors and light and shadow to grab our attention and invigorate our imaginations. However, behind those seemingly simple compositions are often tremendously complex mechanisms and thought processes. This great video essay discusses the idea of minimalist photos and how to find success with them.
It can be easy to get caught up in the practical side of photography, particularly if you are running a business, and to lose sight of the artistic side of it. However, we all first picked up cameras because we enjoyed the creative process and the ability to express ourselves through the medium. So, how do you find success if you have devoted yourself to being an artist photographer? This insightful video essay explores the topic.
Have you ever seen those bold modern ads that just force you to stop and look? One got me this week. I was driving, and a billboard had a colossal burger, most likely shot with the 16-35mm lens, and a bold, canary yellow background with that primary McDonalds red. "I need that burger! Wait... I'm a gluten-free vegan!" I tipped my hat to the photographer and kept driving.
Creating a compelling and technically sound panoramic photo takes a bit of specialized technique and knowledge in addition to all your normal tools and creative vision, but when you put the time and effort in and get it right, the results can be jaw-dropping. If you would like to dive into creating your own panoramas, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will get you up and running in no time.
They can change the ordinary to the extraordinary. However, there is a lot more to creating low- and high-key photographs than just under- and over-exposing. Discovering how they work can dramatically improve our photography. It's also the reason why cameras should have one specific feature.
If you hop on the internet and look for tips on how to get better at photography, you’ll be bombarded with ideas. It can get a bit overwhelming if I’m being honest. In this short video, Edward Gilbert speaks to one easily applicable tip to becoming a better photographer.
Natural light portraits are quite popular, particularly among newer photographers who are still learning the ins and outs of lighting, camera settings, posing, etc. They can be deceptively complex, however, which leads to some common mistakes. If you are shooting natural light portraits and want to improve your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that details some of the most common mistakes photographers make.
You are probably going to fail may not be the advice you want to hear, but it's an important pill to swallow. Take note of what world-renowned photographer Martin Parr has to say in this interview.
Sharpness is important in almost all photography genres, but it takes on particular importance in landscape photography, where the goal is often to have everything in the frame as crisp as possible. If you want to improve the sharpness of your landscape photos, check out this helpful video tutorial that features three different techniques for getting those shots as crisp as possible.
When you are first starting, landscape photography can seem daunting, especially when you see all of the beautiful images others post online. Here are a few ideas taken from my experience that may help you find more success as a landscape photographer.
