There will always be a first time. Choosing the right camera for your purpose will help you with your first steps in photography. Here are some suggestions.
When I first started shooting, I would spend absolutely no time planning my shots. I would focus tons of time and energy into every other aspect (location, wardrobe, mood, etc) but in some weird turn of events, it must have slipped my mind that the end goal is "The Shot." How that slipped my mind still baffles me. Instead of putting in the effort to plan what my actual finished images would look like, I found a model, found a location and showed up on shoot day with a plan to wing it.
Background blur has been the mark of the pro almost exclusively since the digital revolution began in the early 2000s. That polished and premium look is now coming to the world's most popular camera, which until now has been beholden to the physics of tiny sensors. Professional photographers may have more to fear than just fear itself.
There are many misconceptions or myths in landscape photography; here are seven worth forgetting about.
Lighting isn't easy, a world-class-perfectly-lit studio portrait happens with a lot of instinct and experience. A strong grasp of lighting comes with experimentation and practice. Those that know my aesthetic know I'm a huge fan of one light photography. With that said, every image I produce I try and maintain the look of one light, even though it very well be lit with six lights. If I'm shooting for a hair, the hair needs to be well lit. If I'm shooting for makeup, the light needs to fill the face and really show detail. The same applies to product photography or fashion. I always give the client what they need, but always retain my dramatic lighting style.
The age-old adage has served me well in most areas of my life, with cheap alternatives to products being short-lived and inferior. But one domain that I have noticed a shift is in photography, and I'm starting to wonder if it's even good advice for photographers anymore.
I've got a fun little DIY light modifier for you today. I call it the High Fashion Specular Reflector or "shiny board" for short. In my travels, I have to carry a LOT of gear. Especially when the trip is on my own dime and I don't have a budget to rent the cool toys I want to have. I came up with the idea for this reflector through experimentation and just obnoxious luck. I wanted to create a very hard light (in addition to the sun) to use on my model while on location.
I love my Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. Or was it a 1.4? It turns out that even though it says f/1.2 on the barrel, the story is more complex than that.
Generally speaking, losing detail in your image is a bad thing. However, there is a creative way to do so that is most commonly employed in cinematography, known as "crushing the blacks." I alluded to this technique in my recent article on creating your first Photoshop actions and I received a number of queries about this technique. This article will give you a brief overview of what the effect is used for, why you would use it, and how.
A newly-released photograph shows the incredible scenes that occurred when the International Space Station orbited the Earth, with the image taken when the ISS was passing the Sun. The photo, courtesy of Rainee Colacurcio, was taken in broad daylight.
If you are like me your work computer is one of your most prized possessions. It does the heavy lifting in post production, and it's also there in times of need, like "needing" to waste four hours on Facebook instead of finishing your retouching. So, what is the best way to keep that fine piece of machinery in tip top shape? Well, honestly there are a lot of ways, but I'm only going to tell you about my favorite apps, all 6 of them. Unfortunately for you Windows and Linux peeps I'm an Apple user, so most of these apps are Mac only. *womp womp*
Canon's mirrorless lenses have been lauded for their high quality and boundary-pushing designs, but their mirrorless cameras have generally seen mixed reviews for being a bit middle of the road and not challenging the likes of Sony. That is no more, as Canon has announced the development of the R5, with many firsts for the company and marquee features like 20 fps shooting and 8K video.
Although these eight features may not be the sexiest that Photoshop has to offer, they all really do help to make my life as a photographer so much easier.
It doesn't matter if you shoot with Canon, or Sony, or Nikon, or any other great maker, nor if you use a DSLR or a mirrorless, or your sensor is full-frame, APS-C, or micro four-thirds. Your gear will never be good enough. Here's why.
November 5: will the day live in glory or infamy? We're going to find out, as that looks to be the day Nikon will release their new retro compact full frame. Rumors are everywhere, so we'll just try and stick to what we know. There are five videos, giving you five chances to sneak a peak at this new camera.
Warning: The following interview contains adult language, adult situations and nudity.
Michael Donovan rules. It says so on his website. It also says so on his Tumblr. It says so anywhere you’d find his name. And to be perfectly honest, believe the hype. Michael Donovan does rule. This is why I’m here, in a Lower East Side bar that never left 1982, having a drink and trying to hold a conversation while Asian fetish porn plays on TVs that I’m sure were taken from the dumpster behind a Motel 6.
If you want to get a good feel for the pulse of the photography industry, looking at the camera equipment photographers are renting is a good place to gain some insight. Lensrentals has released their data on the most popular camera equipment of 2017, and it has some interesting facets.
I've been out of college for just 8 years now and in my mind I am far from being "successful." I'm not going to pretend that I know what it takes to become successful, obviously I'm still trying to figure that out, but I've made enough mistakes to know what not to do. This is my list of the top 5 ways to never become successful.
Flickr has been acquired by SmugMug, and the official date for the switchover is looming. Here is why now might be the time to back up everything, reach out to all your followers, and maybe think about deleting your account forever.
It’s ironic, really. Instagram is the world’s largest social photo platform, yet photographers are constantly subjected to their photos being posted and re-grammed without a credit or tag in sight. Here’s why.
Since we learned about the surprising new f/11 super-telephoto lenses about to be released from Canon, we assumed that they would be affordable. Little did we know just how cheap they were going to be.
There are countless ways to spend money, especially when you're starting out. Camera companies do a very good job of selling you gear, some of it you’re not even sure you need. Here are 5 things I wish I bought when starting out in photography.
Taylor Swift has come under a lot of fire in recent months regarding some of the restrictions and limitations in the contract photographers are required to sign when shooting her "1989 World Tour", but Mickey Osterreicher, the general counsel for the National Press Photographer’s Association, just announced via a statement to Poynters that the seven-time Grammy winner has agreed to revisions to her contract that will hopefully make it more palatable to media members.
As someone who has been making landscape photography videos since 2017, I have had my fair share of cameras to allow me to get the job done. I am also someone who doesn't jump onto the latest and greatest tech the moment it comes out. Instead, I normally wait until I can pick a unit up secondhand, long after it has proven its worth and capabilities. This, however, has now changed due to the latest release from DJI, the Osmo Pocket 3.
There are endless instructions and formulas out there you can choose to follow when working towards becoming a photographer. To say that it's overwhelming is an understatement. I know all too well how easy it is to let the discouraging cloud of options cause you so much anxiety that you fail to accomplish anything in a day. Our time, money, and attention spans are limited, but you do not have to let this stop you from following your dreams. I know, there's a lot of tutorials to watch and gear to purchase, but it's what you do every single day that will take you farther than anything. So, here's what I do, and I do it obsessively.
Since the birth of social media, almost every business, public figure, and of course, creative, like us, are discovering new, interesting ways to engage with their following to portray value. In our industry, engagement and creativity in garnering it is very essential because of the abundance of noise and content that exists in the social media world. By constantly looking for new ways to engage with their fans and projecting value to clientele, there are always innovative ways to fill the gap. With that being said, there’s a new kid on the block and its name is Snapchat.
Recently, news broke that Canon is likely planning a significant firmware for the EOS R5 later this year, including a high-resolution pixel-shift mode. Now, it appears that mode may offer a whopping 400 megapixels of resolution.
Today, I’d like to discuss a camera that I’ve talked about once before. After my initial glowing review, how has the Canon EOS R5 held up after six months of operation in the real world?
Sigma has built a solid reputation for its commitment to innovation and excellence in its ever-increasing range of photography lenses. The Contemporary series offers a very high-quality glass and price-friendly option for all photographers.
With such good deals currently available on the Sony a7 III, buyers are faced with a tough decision: should you take advantage of the low prices to grab yourself a deal, or is it better to hold off until Sony releases the shiny new A7 IV next year?
