Landscape photography is a challenging genre that requires strong technique, the ability to forecast and adapt to conditions, creative vision, and a lot more. If you would like to improve your landscape images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer discussing eight tips that will help you create better, more compelling shots.
"Collabs" are the new currency between aspirant photographers and content-pressured models. Both parties are looking for scroll-stopping images to gain attention as they rise up in their respective industries. What happens when the images don't measure up to the expectations?
When it comes to a genre in which you can't control the light or the placement of elements in the frame, storytelling can be a really tricky thing to implement in your work. Nonetheless, if you can successfully convey a story with a landscape photo, it can be what turns a very good shot into a top-shelf image.
Pretty much all of us want to take sharper images. However, there are a ton of things that can derail that pursuit, including equipment, camera settings, and even how you stand and hold your camera. If you would like to improve the sharpness of your photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features six helpful tips sure to put you on the right track.
Lightroom is one of the most common applications in the photo industry, used by millions of photographers for cataloging their images and performing basic to intermediate edits on them. As the foundation of many photographers' workflows, it is important to ensure that you are using Lightroom correctly.
Photography is as much about what you show in your photos as it is about what you hide. Too many details can overwhelm the viewer. You can already be selective about what you include in an image when you capture it. There are also several techniques that help you simplify a photo in post-processing.
It takes a lot of different skills and qualities to become a competent photographer, but one of the most important of those has nothing to do with a camera, but rather your ability to keep at it despite setbacks or discouragement.
When you are new to landscape photography, there is a lot to learn: camera settings, forecasting and planning around conditions, reading light, and more. One skill stands above all else, and this great video tutorial makes a case for why it should be first on your list when you are learning the genre.
If your camera is mounted on top of a tripod, should you turn your camera's image stabilization off? These findings might surprise you.
One of the most frustrating things about landscape photography is that you have no control over the light, and an otherwise perfect scene can be ruined by it. Just because the light is not great, however, does not mean you need to pack it in and head home; sometimes, the answer is adjusting your approach a bit.
Should you add a Fresnel-type light to your collection of gear for portrait photography? Besides looking like a great prop in your shot, is it a light you can use as your main source for photos?
We are quickly approaching one of the best and most popular times of the year for landscape photographers in the Northern Hemisphere, when the leaves will turn, making for vibrant, popping scenes all around. The window of best opportunity is small, though, so you will want to make sure you are ready.
Wouldn't it be great if all of your clients and subjects came to you? There are times when you may have to make the trip to them, and if you do podcasts, how easily can you pack up your studio of mics and other gear with you to record on the go?
Depending on where you are at in your photography career and what genre you specialize in, you may not have a lot of experience with models on set. If you are still unsure of how to interact with a model, especially if they are a glamour model, here are some things to keep in mind.
Learning how to work with artificial lighting is something every portrait photographer should learn, as it will free you of relying on certain locations, weather, and times of day and enable creative shots that would not be possible otherwise.
I’ve been fortunate present photography workshops over the past 15 years. My focus is usually on lighting for beauty, but I’ve presented on other topics as well including how to pose a subject so they look natural on camera. I’ve also attended many workshops from both well-known photographers and lesser-known names as well.
When you are new to photography, you will probably dabble in a wide range of different genres, which is a great chance to discover what excites you most. However, if you decide to make a living from photography, you will want to consider specializing in a single area.
In some sense, the objective, quantifiable nature of things like exposure settings and lighting ratios makes them a little easier to learn than something more subjective like posing, which is why a lot of photographers struggle with it.
Feeling lost on your photographic journey is common. So are being in a creative rut or having periods of low motivation. At times, we can all struggle to feel inspired to pick up the camera and get out there. A lack of direction, purpose, and reason can be the culprit for these aforementioned photography ailments.
Clamshell lighting is one of the most classic and commonly used setups for portrait photography, and when done right, it can produce eye-catching and flattering results. If you have not used it before, check out this great video tutorial that will show you how to create a proper clamshell setup for portraiture.
Practicing street photography is one of the quickest ways to become a better photographer. Here's why each and every one of you should be hitting the streets with your camera.
Artificial lighting enables new creative opportunities and versatility that simply would not be possible otherwise, and it is a skill every portrait photographer should consider learning.
The foundation of success in anything you do is understanding what you should be doing and what you most certainly should not be doing. Are you guilty of these three issues holding your photography back?
No matter the genre you shoot, the world we live in often demands content churned out at a breakneck pace, and our attention spans are accordingly attuned to that speed. That can be a mistake that stops us from bringing home our best images. This excellent video essay discusses the importance of slowing down (quite a bit) and why it can bring you better photos.
If you are new to artificial lighting, the array of terminology and equipment can be a bit overwhelming at first. One of the most important distinctions is that between a speedlight and a strobe. Though the terms are sometimes used somewhat interchangeably, they are fundamentally different devices with distinct purposes.
Composition is a particularly tricky aspect of landscape photography, especially since you have no control over the placement of the elements in the scene. If composition is something you struggle with, check out this awesome video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer offering some great advice sure to help you improve your photos.
Modern landscape photography often uses quite a wide range of post-processing techniques, almost to the point that it can be overwhelming knowing which to employ for a photo or to learn the full gamut employed by many photographers. Do you really need to invest all that time and effort into learning and using all those techniques?
Having seen many beautiful images of newborns in the past, when I recently became a father for the first time I was keen to get some images of my newborn daughter. Unfortunately, the photographers I wanted to use had no availability, so I thought I'd try it myself. It was an interesting experience.
Natural light portraiture is a great way to stay versatile and able to move through a variety of locations and poses quickly without having to deal with the logistics and interruption to your creative workflow presented by lugging around a bunch of lights and modifiers. However, because you can’t control the light, you need to consider your compositions a bit differently.
One of the greatest innovations by modern camera and lens manufacturers is image stabilization, which helps to compensate for our natural tendency to slightly shake when holding an object. Like any such feature, though, it is not free, and lenses and cameras with stabilization tend to cost more. So, do you actually need it?
Spectacular light and a unique subject alone don't make a great photo. A good composition that ties the two together is also required. In this article, I give you six tips on improving your photo compositions and dealing with different light and subject matter.
Travelling to exotic locales? Searching for rare megafauna in spectacularly remote landscapes? Here are some tips from experts on how to get the best photographs while respecting your subjects and their environment. Spoiler, it's not all about your camera.
If you are new to the world of artificial lighting, it can sometimes feel like trying to learn a foreign language. It is really worth taking the time to learn it, though, as it will open up creative opportunities that simply are not possible otherwise and make you a far more versatile photographer.
Dog photography can be a tremendously fun and rewarding genre, but it also takes a fair amount more skill than it might seem on the surface.
Knowing how to light, pose, and compose a portrait is only half the battle. To create a successful final image, you also need to have strong editing technique. If you would like to learn how to properly edit a portrait, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will guide you through the entire process, including frequency separation, dodging and burning, and color grading.
Dancers are incredibly athletic artists, and as such, they can make for wonderful portrait subjects. There are some specific techniques and considerations you should be aware of if you want to get the best possible photos, however.
Your mind plays clever tricks, helping you make sense of the world. It creates imaginary groups and lines. So, understanding how that works will lead you to take more compelling photographs.
Street photography is a genre that requires both a lot of savvy and technique but also a fair dose of patience. Even if you do not do street work, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from the genre that can be applied across pretty much all photographic pursuits. This excellent video essay discusses those lessons and how to use them to improve your own images.
Even to the non-photographer, the look of light through a window is quite recognizable, and as such, it is an excellent way to give your portraits an elegant and timeless look. Of course, we do not always have the ability to just use a window with natural sunlight streaming through, and as such, knowing how to create it in studio is a useful skill.
Do you have old grainy photos that you'd love to modernize and bring new life to? Photoshop has a new filter that lets you do just that in a matter of seconds.
Shooting portraits on location is a fantastic way to add some drama to your shots or to use the surrounding environment to complement your subject and to tell a story.
Are you struggling to find your style as a photographer? In teaching photography, I am often asked how you even know what your style should be. This is both the easiest and hardest question. Let me explain why.
Rarely is a compelling landscape photo made entirely in camera; the majority of such images require at least some degree of editing to be complete, and this is your chance to show off both your technique and your creative vision. So, how do you actually approach the edit?
One of the most challenging and often frustrating parts of landscape photography is that you do not get any control over the light. While you can do your best to predict the conditions, nature will not always cooperate. So, can you create good photos in boring light? Absolutely, and this great video will show you some of what you can accomplish and how to go about it.
There are some essential things about being a photographer, most of which photography books don't usually mention. Here are the seven most important lessons I learned as a photographer, including one exercise I use to hone my skills.
In my latest video, I address seven common mistakes that beginner headshot photographers make and offer ways to avoid these pitfalls.
Two of the most fundamental tasks you will perform in Lightroom are importing and exporting images. When you are working with large batches, both processes can take a significant amount of time, and as such, it is well worth taking the time to establish a consistent and efficient system.
If you are looking to break into the wedding industry, one of the best things you can do is become a second shooter. If you are ready to start picking up more second shooter gigs, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced wedding photographer offering seven tips to help land more bookings.
Lightroom is the sort of program that you can spend years using, only to discover something you had never seen before. Whether you are new to the program or a seasoned user, this great video tutorial is likely to have a useful nugget of information in it sure to improve your images and make your workflow easier and more efficient.
Woodland photography is an interesting and challenging sub-genre of landscape work that requires a bit of a different approach in order to create successful images. If you would like to improve your forest photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer discussing some helpful advice for taking better landscape images.