The season of colorful leaves and pumpkin spice everything is upon us, and just like those orange coffee drinks, the vibrant foliage of fall is a fleeting presence. Are you and your camera ready for it? The time to prepare for autumn photography is now.
When it comes to landscape photography, a wide angle lens is most often the tool chosen for a given scene, simply because most scenes have a lot to take in. However, wide angle lenses come with their own unique challenges and pitfalls. This great video tutorial will show you five helpful tips for improving your landscape images when working with a wide angle lens.
A free piece of software that looks and runs like Photoshop sounds too good to be true, right? Here's what you need to know about this potential "Photoshop killer".
The majority of photographers simply take their pictures, pop out the memory card, and import their images into their computer. If you are working in a studio, however, tethering can be a real improvement to your workflow, and this great video tutorial will show you why and help you troubleshoot common tethering issues in Lightroom and Capture One.
I’m currently just casually reading about Deleuzian philosophy. Gilles Deleuze, a French philosopher, and Félix Guattari wrote about truth as coming from multiple sources.
A portfolio review is a great way to get feedback and direction for your photographic practice. It’s also a great way to connect with industry professionals. If you have been considering getting your work professionally reviewed, this article can shed some insights on what to expect and how to prepare.
Improving your keeper rate is desirable, but it also usually plots out your growth as a photographer; the higher your skill, the better your keeper rate. However, there are tips and tricks that are developed for the sole purpose of improving your keeper rate regardless of skill.
Have you had the client you're convinced is pure evil? Why do they behave like that? It seems they like to spread misery and just make life difficult for everyone in sight. Believe it or not, there's a method that I use to help bring them back down to tolerable levels. In some cases, they've become my biggest ally and supported me over the years.
It is important to work with one light at first so you can master all its fundamental properties and techniques, but once you feel comfortable with that, you can really expand your creativity by experimenting with more complex multi-light setups. This informative video tutorial will show you how a photographer created a challenging and eye-catching hair shot using five lights and gels.
In a previous article (Easing into Astrophotography with a Telescope), I listed a few resources for stepping up to telescopic astrophotography. Beyond learning the basics of sky navigation and learning to extend your photographic equipment knowledge into long exposures, an introductory overview of astronomy is a good idea so that you are aware of the photographic possibilities available to you and the wide array of equipment that may be needed.
While portraits with a narrow depth of field that isolate the subject against a wall of blurry colors and ill-defined shapes are quite popular, they can sometimes be a bit one-dimensional. Environmental portraits are a chance to increase the nuance of your images and tell stories about your subjects. If you want to improve your own environmental portraits, this great video tutorial will give you five tips that will help you on your way.
One of Photoshop's most useful and classic techniques is the ability to change the color of any object convincingly. This can come in handy in a wide variety of situations, such as adjusting the color of your subject's clothing, and this great video tutorial will show you how it is done.
Back before we had spectacularly capable modern sensors and advanced post-processing programs, photographers had to turn toward more involved techniques for reducing noise, and those methods are still useful today. This particular technique can both reduce noise in your images and help you create long exposures in post, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how it is done.
Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration. Something like a tornado would probably qualify as bad weather. However, if the weather is not threatening your very safety, I would go so far as to say it is good weather for landscape photography, rain, shine, or anywhere in between, and this great video demonstrates why.
You shoot perfect pictures. But are they the photographic equivalent of fast food? Maybe it’s time to consider changing the way you shoot and reject sausage machine images.
Fall is also upon us, and with it will come numerous opportunities for photos of vibrant leaves and landscapes. The time of best color often passes unexpectedly quickly, though, so it is important to be ready and have a plan in place if you want to get the best possible photos. If you are preparing for autumn photography, check out this great video tutorial that offers some helpful tips and advice.
No doubt, we would all love to travel to the world's most epic and popular photography destinations, but there are thousands (if not millions) of nearly identical shots from each spot, and it can cost a lot of time and money to plan such a trip. However, there are treasures to photograph all around us, and this great video essay discusses why we should consider taking more pictures of our home areas.
There are plenty of articles to give you the basics on how to shoot soccer or baseball, but what about sporting events that are a little more unusual, such as parkour or rock climbing? Here are a number of tips that might well carry over to lots of other different shooting scenarios.
Thanks to a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop, your dog portraits can be drastically improved with a little bit of editing, so follow along.
Starting in any new genre of photography can be daunting. Each comes with its own challenges, and landscape photography is no different. If you are a beginner landscape photographer and looking to get started with it, check out this helpful video tutorial that will give you a basic three-step process for creating images.
If you look at the work of a lot of the best photographers, their images go beyond technical quality and novel creativity by drawing you in with the stories they tell. The concept of storytelling in photography is a bit nebulous, however. So, how do you do it? This excellent video essay features a seasoned photographer talking through his thought process in creating such a photo.
If you have ever looked at the product page for a lens, you may have noticed some strange graphs called MTF charts. Though they look a bit unusual, they are not particularly hard to read once you know what data they convey, and they can tell you a lot of useful information in a short amount of time. This helpful video will show you how they work.
Most photographers' workflows consist of taking the photos, removing the memory card, putting it in a reader, and importing their images. There is nothing wrong with that, but shooting tethered can be a real boon to your workflow if you are working in a studio, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to do it.
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. From there, I'll be walking through the step-by-step changes to the shot until we get to the final image using various props.
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. This excellent video tutorial will show you how just such a shot was created and the process the photographer went through to create the final image.
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? This excellent video tutorial will give you seven ideas to help you get back on track.
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.
