As a photographer with a decent following on both YouTube and Instagram, you start to see certain patterns in the comments and direct messages. One question I see repeatedly is about camera settings. “What is the EXIF data of X or Y photo?”. I always wonder why people want that information.
When it comes to composition rules, we often use the rule of thirds to build up a composition. It is an easy way to bring a little bit of order in chaos. Another good habit is the use of lines. It can be used to strengthen your composition.
Like many photographers, I was intrigued by the announcement of the Peak Design Travel Tripod. It was a Kickstarter offering, like many things Peak Design sells. It appeared to be a fresh look at what a travel tripod should be, so I plunked down my money. I opted for the carbon fiber model, as travel tripods are all about weight, and carbon fiber is lighter.
Are you daydreaming about traveling while on lockdown? Why not immerse yourself in the beauty of deserts and learn how to capture beautiful landscape images when we're allowed to travel the world once again?
Composition is a subtle and intricate aspect of landscape photography, and there are a few places where it can go wrong. If composition is something you struggle with in your work, this great video details 10 common mistakes and what you can do to correct them.
Minimalist photography by and large captures my imagination far more compared with traditional landscape photographs. I also I find that the less that’s in the frame, the more challenging it is to photograph. Go figure.
The Orton Effect is a common technique used on landscape photos that can lend your images a soothing, ethereal glow that can be a great choice for projecting a certain mood. This excellent video tutorial will show you how you can use Photoshop to add the effect to your own landscape images.
I have to admit that I'm having a hard time right now. My anxiety level is high, and I'm in desperate need of some change.
With landscape and travel photography, you might only have one chance at the shot, regardless of the quality of light. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through how I edited a blue hour shot of the Virgin River in Zion National Park, using ACDSee Photo Studio and targeted adjustments.
The wide angle lens is probably the most common tool in any landscape photographer's bag, but it comes with its own unique set of challenges and pitfalls. If you are having trouble creating compelling landscape images with your wide angle lens, this great video discusses three common mistakes and what you can do to correct them.
Here is a simple tutorial on how to turn your outdoor photos into minimalist landscapes.
Many photographers are dealing with stress and worrying which leads us to be up all night. During the last recession Brett Missick turned his insomnia into a lifelong project.
Mood is not as easily definable as it is in genres that involve a living subject displaying emotions for the viewer to see, but it is still possible to convey feelings in a landscape image with just as much power as something like a portrait. This great video discusses the process of adding mood to landscape images.
Landscape photography composition can be a subtle and tricky thing, but it is one of the most crucial aspects of any successful image. If you have trouble with your own landscape compositions, this helpful video will give you five rules to help you improve as well as advice on when you can afford to break them.
The wide-angle view is probably the most used in landscape photography these days. It shows the landscape and can make some highly impactful photos. Here, I show you how to use an ultra-wide-angle lens to make impactful photos.
Forests are an abundant resource around the world, and they offer a wide range of photographic opportunities that evolve throughout the seasons and change with the weather. This excellent video tutorial discusses some great tips and ideas for composing forest images.
With Photoshop, there’s not much need to carry around a book of physical filters anymore, but there are still two that you have to make sure you have. Want to know why?
If you've taken photos in your past travels that may not have exactly pleased you, you should take some time after a while to revisit them.
Composition is a nuanced and subtle thing, and any single landscape scene can give you a wide variety of possible images. If composition is something you struggle with a bit, this excellent video tutorial will give you some helpful advice for how to compose your landscape images.
There are few people working in landscape photography today that have more influence on the contemporary scene than Marc Adamus. His images are some of the most dramatic, inspiring, and simply beautiful.
Instagram has been the go-to social media for many photographers for the past many years. It is getting old as a platform and has undergone many changes. I have used it daily for the past four and a half years and gone beyond 300,000 followers. Here, I share some tips on how I did it.
Sunrise can be a magical time for landscape images, and if you are one of those brave people who can roll out of bed in time to make it out to shoot it (seriously, how do you do that?), you can often come home with some really beautiful photos. This excellent video tutorial will give you five tips for taking better sunrise shots.
Composition in landscape photography can be a really subtle and tricky thing. If it is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial will give you nine guidelines that can help you improve the compositions of your landscape images.
Focus stacking is an excellent technique for creating ultra-sharp images with deep depth of field. This great video tutorial will show you how use focus stacking in your own landscape images.
Samsung's latest flagship phone has some camera specs that are sure to make lots of photographers and videographers do a double take, and while they are certainly impressive, you might be wondering how the phone performs in the real world. This excellent video follows a photographer as he takes the 108-megapixel Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone into the wild for a landscape shoot.
Color is one of the most powerful triggers in life, and in photography, it is no different. We are irresistibly drawn to warm colors, sunrises and sunsets, the golden haze of dawn in a fall woodland, or the luster of summer strawberries.
Most photographers are familiar with the golden hour, the time of day just after sunrise and just before sunset, but a lesser-known time of day is the blue hour. This great video explores the blue hour and the sort of landscape images you can create during this time.
Landscape is a complex genre that takes a lot of skill, forethought, and creativity to create successful images. This excellent video will show you a wide variety of tips to improve your landscape photography.
Lightroom has a lot of great tools for editing your photos and putting your creative touch on your work, but one that gets a little less attention than some of the more common functions is the split toning panel. Nonetheless, it is a great way to add a personal touch to your images and develop your own style. This great video will show you how to take advantage of the split toning panel in Lightroom for your landscape images.
The best camera is the one you have with you. And, a lot of times, you will find yourself equipped with just your smartphone. So, why not use these simple tips to improve your landscape shots instantly?
If you have an ear for music or you're tuned into pop culture, you're likely aware that Kenny Rogers passed away last week. Did you know that he was also an avid photographer? Did you know that Rogers was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum?
Using the long lens to make epic self-portraits is both fun and fascinating. In this video, I will share all my techniques for obtaining these extreme perspectives.
Are you guilty of only using a wide angle lens for landscape photography? If that is the case or you just want some confirmation that both a standard zoom and a telephoto lens also work, you might want to check out this video.
As you advance in landscape photography, you'll likely come across techniques such as exposure blending or focus stacking. But what if you want to do both?
Here is a fact: You will not find your creativity by following a rule, regardless of how many people believe it. In this series of articles, I aim to put this right. I’m on a mission to change how photography composition is taught — forever.
Billions of people around the world are self-isolating to slow the spread of Coronavirus. However, it's not just our physical wellbeing at risk, but also our mental health. Stu McKenzie has pioneered a new project to help veterans with PTSD, which could also help those suffering from anxiety and depression during the quarantine.
Doing long exposures is the most fundamental trick up a landscape photographer's sleeve. But for effective use of its visual effects, there are a few essential steps that one must follow.
Given how intricate and tricky product photography can be, you might think that you need complex multi-light setups to produce a professional shot. And while those certainly have their uses, you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish with just one light. This great video tutorial will show you how to light and edit a professional cutlery shot with a single light.
You might think that the best landscape images are made with dramatic, hard light that casts arcing shadows across the land. And while that can certainly make for great images, you might be surprised to learn why flat, "boring" light can actually be a landscape photographer's best friend.
Landscape photography takes the confluence of technique, creativity, planning, and often, a bit of luck to create a successful final image, and as such, it helps to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible before you ever take a shot. This great video will give you seven helpful tips to improve your landscape photography.
A world impacted by the deadly coronavirus is undoubtedly an eerie one. With everyone confined to their homes and only allowed limited trips to "essential businesses," photographers all over the world are venturing out and capturing their neighborhoods at their emptiest, from the busy streets of Times Square to desolate airports and makeshift temporary hospitals.
You might think your progression is slow, you might think you suck and will never be as good as your idols. It takes time to learn photography and here I show you my development.
Creativity has always been on the tip of everybody's tongue. What it is, where to find it, and how to get yours. This week in my Vision & Light videocast I speak with a great friend of mine, the exceptionally talented landscape photographer and educator Sean Bagshaw.
Shooting and editing sunsets and sunrises can be tricky with such a wide dynamic range. In this video, there are six tips on how to achieve those dramatic, attention grabbing shots.
Okay, I get it, that’s a pretty bold statement, but hear me out. I’ve been working on this for nearly two decades.
One area a lot of photographers can focus their quarantined free time is updating their portfolios. Unfortunately, taking new and fresh photos is probably not part of that process, but that doesn't mean you still can't find new images to add to your website or social media stream.
It’s amazing how a few simple insights can open up whole new vistas of possibility in your work. Here’s how a combination of camera work and composite editing were used to create an image of a cozy mountain-scape.
Unlike most other genres, you do not always get the chance to remove distractions from the frame in landscape photography. But when should you use post-processing software to remove an object from a landscape image after the fact? This excellent video discusses how to tell whether something is a help or a distraction in a landscape photo.
While most of the world is stuck at home, the good people at Irix prepared this very comprehensive guide to shooting Astrophotography.
For my annual trip to Lofoten, I had the opportunity to shoot with the Fujifilm GFX 100. Prior to the trip, I had just a few weeks to get acquainted with the camera. Here are my thoughts on this 102-megapixel camera for landscape photography.
