Recent Education Articles

How to Create Large Prints of Your Photos

There is something special about seeing your work in print, and a particularly large print can be especially entrancing to behold. This great video tutorial will show you the process of creating a large print from shooting it to hanging it with plenty of helpful tips along the way.

4 Easy Ways To Get Out of a Creative Rut

We all fall into creative ruts at one time or another; it is a natural part of photography. And it is not always an option to simply wait it out. So, what can you do? This great video tutorial discusses four different tips for breaking out of a creative rut and finding inspiration again.

This Landscape Photographer Breaks All the Rules and Gets Great Photos

Landscape photographers generally do everything they can to ensure top-level image quality: a slow, deliberate workflow, steady tripods, mirror lockup mode, low ISOs, and more. So, what happens when you go against all that? It turns out you can still create fantastic images. This interesting video follows a photographer as he eschews all the rules for the sake of creativity.

100 Essential Camera Angles, Shots, and Movements

There is an almost infinite variety of camera angles, shots, and movements at your disposal to realize your creative visions, and the more you know, the better your work can be. This fantastic video will show you examples of 100 essential angles, shots, and movements.

One-Light Product Photography

Given the global pandemic of COVID-19 (and the year that shall not be named), I very quickly found out that I am indeed, contrary to previously held opinions, an extrovert (and not an introvert). But given the situation, I wasn’t photographing people. What could I make that would work well with the images I already create? I do quite a bit of fashion and beauty work, so why not products that go with those?

What Are the Correct Camera Settings for Landscape Photography?

One of the best parts about landscape photography is that you can create a variety of different shots of the same scene just by varying your settings. If you are new to landscape photography, this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to choose the proper camera settings for your photos.

How to Make On-Camera Flash Look Natural

Photographers generally avoid on-camera flash whenever they can, but there are situations in which you will not have another option. For those situations, there are certain things you can do to make the light look more natural, and this helpful video tutorial will show you what they are.

What Do Photographers Mean When They Say Highlights Are Clipped?

As you get into shooting and editing, you will probably hear photographers talk about blown-out or clipped highlights and shadows. What does it mean to clip something and how does it affect your shooting and editing? This short and easy-to-follow video tutorial will show you what you need to know.

Choose Colors Deliberately for Extraordinary Photos

There are a bunch of different ways to make your photos stand out: great light, gorgeous model, amazing locations, idealized retouching, but one that is often overlooked in favor of these less subtle approaches is color. We photographers tend to schedule a shoot, show up, capture what's there, and pat ourselves on the back for our genius, but what goes into the shoot before we schedule it can be just as important to the end result as what we do with our lights or our camera. Let's look at an example from my work for Lifetime. No lights. No reflectors. Just color.

How To Make Your Portraits More Creative

Portraiture is about much more than simply capturing someone in a pleasing pose with good lighting; it takes a certain amount of creativity to make images that distinguish your work from the crowd. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to make your portraits more creative.

How to Replace a Sky and Add a Proper Water Reflection Using Photoshop

Sky replacement is one of the biggest trends right now, with many programs offering replacement capabilities at varying degrees of automation. Photoshop recently added a powerful sky replacement feature, and though it does not handle water reflections automatically, it is not that difficult to add them manually, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how it is done.

15 Tips To Help You Become a Better Photographer

Photography is a complicated pursuit, requiring the confluence of a myriad of different skills and your creative vision to find success. This fantastic video gives 15 tips on a range of topics that will help you become a better photographer.

How To Use a Tilt-Shift Lens, Part 1: The Shift Function

The tilt-shift lens is probably one of the most special lenses available. It allows the photographer to turn, shift, and tilt the lens in many different ways. In this article, I explain when and how to use the shift function.

Why You Should Stop Using Sliders for Editing Landscape Photos

The majority of us start editing our photos by working with the sliders in Lightroom or our editing program of choice; after all, they are right there when you begin to edit. However, that might not always be the best way to work. This fantastic video discusses why you should perhaps forgo the sliders more often and embrace a different approach to editing your photos instead.

How a Cheap Umbrella Can Produce Professional Photographs

Lighting modifiers are a necessary tool for working with artificial light, but they can be quite expensive, and building a library can quickly drain your wallet. However, the humble umbrella is highly affordable, and you might be surprised by the shots you can create with them. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create professional profits using an umbrella.

10 Helpful Tips for Working With Actions in Photoshop in Just Two Minutes

If you spend any amount of time working in Photoshop and particularly if you perform the same tasks over and over, it is well worth learning about actions, as they can greatly increase both the consistency and efficiency of your workflow. Whether you are new to actions or a seasoned user, this fantastic video tutorial will give you 10 tips for working with them in just two minutes.

Why You Should Learn to Use Your Camera's Manual Mode

If you are brand new to photography, you are likely using your camera in auto mode right now. And while modern cameras are highly advanced devices, auto mode can be fooled quite easily and will not always give you the results you want, which is why you should consider learning manual mode. This great video will show you the huge differences between the images that can be made with auto and manual mode.

5 Great Tips for Improving Your Photo Portfolio

Your portfolio is your calling card for potential clients and the thing by which they will decide if they want to hire you. This excellent video tutorial will give you five tips for improving your portfolio.

Natural Light Versus Flash Versus Strobe

Roberto Valenzuela is a Canon Explorer of Light and is constantly pushing himself and others to learn the possibilities of light. In a recent project, he set out to take images of a single model with three different types of light (natural, flash, and strobe), and I asked him to talk us through the results.

Even Light for Full-Length Portraits

A little different from the last handful of episodes, Nathan Elson’s How I Got the Shot, Episode 7, moves into a darker-toned portrait set marked by its emphasis on moody overhead lighting.

Using a 70-200mm Lens for Landscape Photography

When you think of landscape photography and the lenses used, you likely think of wide angle options meant to capture all of the scene in one frame. And while those absolutely have their place, longer focal lengths can enable creative possibilities that weren't possible before. This great video examines what you can accomplish with a longer lens.

What Should You Look for in a Pro Camera?

You have carefully perfected your technique, you have developed a creative style, and you are ready to truly invest in a professional-level camera. How do you choose the right one for your work? Before you drop a significant amount of money on one, check out this fantastic video that details what you should be looking for in a professional camera.

Five Tips for Mastering the Pen Tool in Photoshop

In this video tutorial, watch as Dean Samed shows you his top five tips on how to use the pen tool in Photoshop. It is the sharpest and most precise way to cut out anything.

5 Tips To Help Edit All Your Photos

One of the most difficult things in editing isn't knowing how to color grade, use radial filters, or Photoshop. It's knowing what a photo needs once you sit down to edit it and these five tips should help guide you in tackling any photo you have.

Helpful Tips for Selling Landscape Photo Prints

One of the most common ways to make money through landscape photography is to sell prints, but with such a crowded market, it can be tricky to stand out. This excellent tutorial discusses some of the best-selling types of prints as well as some helpful tips for maximizing your sales.

How to Create Beautiful Baby Portraits Using Natural Light in Your Own Garage

If you don’t have a ton of fancy lighting gear at home, this doesn’t mean that you can’t produce gorgeous studio-style images. This in-depth video tutorial shows you how to get great results using minimal equipment from the comfort of your own garage and dives deep into how they're edited in Lightroom.

What Level of Photographer Are You?

No matter how good you are, there is always room to learn more and improve as a photographer. There are many different levels you go through in your development as a photographer, and knowing where you are can help you prioritize where to focus your attention next. This insightful video discusses the five levels of proficiency as a photographer and what it means to be at each one.

Fantastic Posing Ideas for Couples Portraits

Posing is something a lot of us struggle with, and it can be twice as hard when there are two people involved. If you have trouble posing couples, this fantastic video tutorial will show you 10 great poses to add to your playbook.

How to Use Essential Studio Equipment

No doubt, it is fun to learn about cameras, lenses, and editing techniques, and learning how to properly use a C-stand or clamp might not be as immediately alluring, but it is just as important when it comes to working in a studio and accomplishing what you need to. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to use a variety of common studio equipment effectively.

How to Properly Set Up Your New Canon EOS R5 or R6

The Canon EOS R5 and R6 are Canon's newest mirrorless cameras, and they are impressively advanced machines capable of tackling a wide variety of scenarios with ease. But to get the most out of those capabilities, you need to set yours up properly, which is a bit of a complicated process. Whether you just got your camera or you have had it for months, this great video tutorial will run you through all the important menu options and how to set them.

How to Use Your White Seamless as a Light Source

Nathan Elson is back with another installment of his "How I Got the Shot" short-form tutorials. This time, Elson is sharing his process for creating an image using light reflected from his seamless as his key.

Off-Camera Flash for Beginners

You can do quite a lot with natural light, but if you want to truly take full control of your photos, learning how to work with artificial light is the way to go. If you are wondering how to get started, this excellent video tutorial will guide you through the process of shooting outdoor portraits using a speedlight and affordable shoot-through umbrella.

How to Create High-Key Portraits With a Mix of Natural and Constant Light

The high-key look is quite popular in a variety of applications, as it produces a bright, punchy image that instantly draws the viewer's eye to the subject. You do not always need powerful strobes to achieve it, however. In fact, you can do it with nothing more than natural light from a window and a constant LED source, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how it is done.

My Golden Rule of Forest Photography (Not Fog)

Forest photography can be a complex endeavor. There are many factors to take into consideration to increase the aesthetic value of your photo. There is one thing I keep having to remind myself, which applies to all the scenes I have photographed so far.

How to Retouch a Portrait in Photoshop

Knowing how to light, pose, and shoot a portrait is only half of what it takes to create a great image. In order to create a polished, professional portrait, you also need strong editing skills. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to professionally retouch a portrait in Photoshop and to also add your own personal style to it.

How to Photograph Eye-Catching Seascapes

Seascapes can be a great alternative to standard landscape images and a way to use the motion and energy of the water to offset stationary objects and create more dynamic visuals for your viewers. This excellent video tutorial will show you a landscape photographer's experience from his point of view as he shoots seascapes.

How to Create Ultra-Soft Portraiture Light

Soft light is great for portraiture, offering a flattering rendering of your subject's features. This great video tutorial will show you how to create ultra-soft light for portraits.

A Fundamental Off-Camera Flash Technique

A lot of photographers struggle when they first start working with off-camera flash. One of the most fundamental and crucial techniques you will need to master is balancing your strobes and ambient light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to do just that.

5 Ways to Improve Your Portraits

Taking a successful portrait requires the confluence of good technique, creativity, and your ability to interact with and direct your subject. If you have been struggling with your portraiture work, check out this excellent video tutorial that will offer you five tips to help you produce better results.

5 Traps Landscape Photographers Fall Into

Every genre has common traps that lure photographers in, causing them to miss out on better images, and landscape photography is no exception. This excellent video tutorial discusses five of the most common traps and how to recognize and avoid them in your work.

6 Lighting Setups To Take Your Reception Images To the Next Level

Reception lighting is where most photographers struggle the most. The chaos of the dance floor mixed with low-light shooting conditions make for a constant struggle. But these six lighting setups will help you take your reception images to the next level.

How to Compose Woodland Photographs

Whereas most landscape photos involve vast, sweeping scenes, woodland photography is an interesting change of pace that challenges you to create compelling imagery in densely packed spaces full of competing elements. This excellent video discusses the challenges of woodland photography and offers some helpful tips for creating better compositions.

How to Use Exposure Bracketing and Focus Stacking for Better Landscape Photos

Landscape photography often demands extreme levels of dynamic range and depth of field — frequently more than your camera or lens can deliver. When that happens, exposure bracketing and focus stacking are your best friend, and this helpful video tutorial will show you how they are done.