When Generative Fill in Photoshop Beta was announced, it seemed the world had gone crazy. From this time onward, nothing about photography could be trusted anymore, they said. It was the end of photography the way we know it, or so it was believed. But perhaps we’re really scared for nothing.
Being young is something I hope to never let go of. There is a sense of invincibility that can't be taught or explained. You just have to live it. Sometimes a photograph can take you to a point in time, or evoke feelings beyond what your eyes are seeing. Alex Currie is a photographer and director currently living in Los Angeles, California, who knows how to tell a story with a single frame.
I always had a strong love/hate relationship with the New York City subway, never picturing I would be driving again. But now that my work is having me travel more frequently, I find myself in the market, looking for that perfect vehicle. The first thing I did was a search for "Best Vehicles for Professional Photographers" on Google, with no luck. So, after further work, I wanted to share my findings and knowledge with you, so when you start looking for that perfect photo-mobile, you know just where to start!
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?
With the release of the Z 7II and the specs running so close to those of my beloved D850, it makes sense that it’s the first of Nikon’s mirrorless cameras to really make me consider the switch. But what will happen when I get out of testing mode and put my feet to the fire in the real world?
So, you’re thinking of becoming a street photographer? What are the most important things to get you started? Find out!
The U.K. recently experienced an incredible lunar eclipse by the name of “super blue blood moon.” Here, one professional skyline and cityscape photographer, Michael Tomas, aka London Viewpoints, talks us through photographing the momentous event, as well as his other impressive works.
I’m done with it. Seriously.
Landscape photography is all about patience, preparation, and planning. Here are five simple tips to help make sure your next landscape outing is a success.
I have spent the last four months working on a YouTube channel. Despite two-step authentication, I had my channel stolen. Here is what has happened and how it has been dealt with by Google.
Travel photography is perhaps one of the broadest genres of photography because of how it overlaps with almost every other kind. It encompasses a wide range of shooting styles and shooting scenarios to fulfill a simple goal, which is to illustrate and tell stories about a place. Because a particular place is always made up of various intersecting dimensions, there is no single approach or style that encapsulates travel photography.
Photography isn’t an all-or-nothing venture; you can be a part-time photographer and do quite well for yourself while maintaining a full-time job. Here’s how to do it.
If you're new to flying a drone, there is a lot to learn. I wanted to share my practical advice that can save you time and money. This is the advice I would give myself if I were to go back in time. I would hopefully have helped prevent some frustration and improved my ability to create!
In 2006, Leah Caldwell was eating at a Chipotle near the University of Denver when a photographer took her picture. When she got up to leave, the photographer asked her to sign a release form for use of the images, but she said no. Eight years later, when Caldwell went into a Chipotle in Orlando, Florida, she saw her picture on one of the restaurant’s walls, and subsequently in two other locations in California.
For the last decade I’ve been sticking to my guns, shooting on a Canon 5D Mark II with a small selection of lenses. This camera has been the love of my life for so long even my family and friends get jealous. But what if you get the opportunity to dive into the dark depths of the deep end and shoot with a camera you’ve never dreamed of having the opportunity to shoot with before?
As a commercial photographer, I have a ton of competition from other photographers. There are a lot of other people who take fashion pictures. There are even more people who claim they take fashion pictures. All in all, it seems like I’m up against the world when it comes to working. If you ever wondered how to beat your competition, here is an approach that always works. Always, without exaggeration.
Have you ever had that gut-wrenching feeling of being defeated after a wedding reception? Let’s be real, it happens. There comes a point where photographing wedding receptions get so frustrating that you either dive deep into off-camera lighting, or you get out of shooting weddings altogether. I can relate 100%. Despite the terrible lighting, there are a couple ways to pull this off without just turning all the lights on in the building and compromising the receptions atmosphere. These are a few of the ways I light a wedding reception.
When you see an incredible location in images, often our gut reaction is, that it must be Photoshopped or that you need to go to an epic location to get great shots. In this article, see how I shot these cinematic portraits on the side of a road in my area by using just one camera and one lens. No fancy lighting or Photoshop.
Are you thinking of becoming an assistant? Trust me; assisting can be brutal, yet it can be exciting as well. It really depends on who you assist. Working in this role is the best way to gain lots of experience, especially when you're working your way to becoming a professional photographer. Working closely with a professional gives you valuable insights on equipment, processes, and techniques.
At some point in our career, we all have to deal with a nightmare client. Here are a few tips to help spot them and then avoid them.
Portrait photographers are told time and time again that their goal is to somehow bring a subject's soul, as Godard would phrase it, to life. Is this just myth? Is it even possible? Can you manipulate what aspects of a person's personality are highlighted in a portrait?
Every so often, among the broad and amorphous photographic community, you will find a rather puzzling paradox: Gear doesn’t matter, and yet if you don’t have expensive gear, you’re not a proper photographer. How ridiculous.
What do oversize truck tailpipes, paleolithic sculpture, and the vibrancy slider have in common? And what might they have to do with helping us create more engaging photographs? Why do some abstract paintings move you and others don't? Why should we react to an abstract work of art at all?
More and more people fall in love with photography everyday. This will only increase the more approachable and affordable it becomes. There seems to be some people who think that because of this photography is somehow dead. Yeah, that really makes a ton of sense. Maybe the people saying there is no way to succeed in today's saturated market, are really just the same naysayers that have been telling musicians, athletes, entertainers, scientists, or charities for years that it can't be done. Anything can be done with enough determination. And luckily for us, determination is free.
Darkness is one of the most difficult situations to work with. Cameras have come a long way towards improved performance in low light but no light is an entirely different can of worms. Unless your goal is to create more ISO snow than Christmas in Alaska you need to introduce light. Flash is great at pouring some much-needed illumination into the frame but it isn't so great at making sure that your camera is in focus when you do so. Even the best autofocus system in the world continue to struggle in the darkness so, as photographers, it is our job to stack the deck in our favor by leveraging strategy to give our focusing systems a leg up.
One of the most commercially viable careers as a photographer can be fashion or beauty photography. In fashion photography, you are mostly shooting people, and you have details like clothes, makeup, and mood that you can capture in creative ways. You can create fantasies, capture a personality, and really build a name if your images are unique, and you will get people asking for you if you’re able to portray a certain feeling or mood. How to get started is often most aspirational photographers’ stumbling block. I can tell you that it is the ones who "show up and shoot" who build the careers and names for themselves from it. So, how do you do it?
Choosing the software to suit your specific needs is not an easy decision for most. A quick search of internet forums will introduce you to zealots from all sides who will tear down anyone who doesn’t use their chosen software. It’s unhelpful at best. As someone who has played for both sides over the past few years, I’ve had a good look into both Capture One and Lightroom. Today, we’re going to look at five reasons why Capture One is simply better than Lightroom. Next week, we’ll do the opposite.
In 2019, I switched mounts, tried out some new gear, and built a new editing setup. Looking back at the year, there are some pieces of equipment I’d buy again in a heartbeat, while others weren’t even worth the cost of return shipping.
As a landscape photographer, I've come to realize that one of the most important factors that can make or break a shoot is the weather. Landscapes themselves might not change, but the way they appear through the lens can vary dramatically depending on the weather. Understanding how to predict and interpret weather conditions is something I now consider crucial for capturing standout images. I only wish I’d appreciated its importance earlier in my journey. Before we get into what I wish I knew, let's discuss the importance of understanding weather for landscape photography.
Producing high-quality headshots in high volumes can be a daunting task. However, with over 6,000 headshots produced annually, we have cracked a code to high-volume headshot success. We know firsthand how challenging it can be to work efficiently without sacrificing quality.
Time-lapse photography has quickly become one of the most popular forms of creative expression in the past year. A ton of expensive gear and advanced methods exist to produce cinema quality videos like the opening sequence in "House of Cards," but this shouldn’t deter you from getting out and trying it on your own.
Being a family photographer is hard. Ask anyone who does it or who has tried it. But it's also one of the most rewarding fields of photography - in my opinion at least. Family photos are a treasure in most families. They showcase who your loved ones were at the time they were taken, they show off your kids' personalities, and most importantly, they bring to life memories of loved ones that have passed. These tips I've explained within will help elevate your family photography to a new level.
Nikon’s recent lens announcement, the Z 28-75 f/2.8, came as a bit of surprise. Notably absent from the roadmap, with few rumors or speculation in the run-up to its appearance, this lens is an odd duck in more ways than one. Is this a promising development for the Z system or a missed opportunity?
Instagram Stories are here to stay. That is no surprise to anyone. In a recent year-long study, Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, found what everyone pretty much already knew: Instagram has effectively killed Snapchat Stories with the advent of Instagram Stories. Amongst influencers (and let's be honest, social media Influencers run the social media game), usage of Snapchat Stories has fallen 33 percent in the last year while influencers are twice as likely to post stories via Instagram.
What's the point of your photography? And how do you engage viewers with your images more? I reached a stage where I struggled to clearly answer these questions but then I implemented a few very helpful techniques evident in these images that really helped me define my photography.
Whether you're wistful for the good old days, or want to recreate an analogue feel in your digital photos, this Lightroom technique will help you adorn your photos with that vintage feel.
Boudoir photography at its core is more about the experience the client feels than the reward of the album or other products. When the client steps foot in the door, they have already committed to a life changing event that he or she will be relying on the professional to create for them. One photographer is choosing to create an experience for her clients on a deeper psychological level that is proving to create not only a higher trust but also a connection for loyal returning clients.
Camera releases have been hit and miss in the last few decades in particular. Which missed the mark by the most, though?
Every portrait session with a new subject could bring new challenges. Some people are more comfortable in front of a camera than others, while some just take a little time to open up. I've put together a list of tips that may help you along the way during your portrait sessions.
The big names in the photographic industry have made some mistakes. Some have been addressed, while others are rearing their ugly heads. It's time they cleaned up their acts and served photographers and not their investors.
Most of us approach our pricing with some apprehension and anxiety. It is a topic of much discussion and debate among creative professionals, but with a little ingenuity, you can break away from boring pricing and use it in a way that will excite your client and build a brand identity!
Twitter has been at the top of the news cycle since Elon Musk completed his purchase of the company for $44 billion. And although the mere mention of his name stirs a variety of emotions, political opinions, and other reactions, for the sake of this piece, I want to focus not on the political ramifications of his acquisition of Twitter, but rather on how it will impact us as photographers. I am greatly interested, in fact, in some of his proposed changes to the platform and how they may affect photographers and content creators, especially if the change is positive.
If you’ve been a wedding photographer for any amount of time, you know that you are going to spend a lot of time in loud wedding receptions, and this is my public service announcement to please protect your freaking ears. All wedding photographers and filmmakers need ear protection as part of their kit for the long hours we spend in front of bands and DJ speakers at volume levels unsafe for our hearing, and so, I rounded up a few options for you to consider below.
If this is your first time buying a digital camera and you are just starting out your foray into digital photography, it is understandable for you to be a little baffled when choosing what to buy for your first digital camera. I remember starting my photography career with a Canon S2 point and shoot and two generic lamps from IKEA, shooting product photography for a startup company.
One of the best ways to step up your photographic game as a portrait photographer is to improve the quality of your subjects. There are a variety of ways to do this ranging from improving your ability to coach strong expression, working with better makeup artists, or improving the quality of styling. The easiest method, however, is by working with experienced models who are practiced in interacting with the camera and already know the fundamentals of posing and expression. Finding a strong model to work with means the shoot becomes more of a collaboration that provides you the opportunity to elevate the quality of your work.
Most people have one eye that is slightly more closed than the other, and it does show in photos more than when you are just looking at the person. Today, I want to share a quick tip about how I open eyes and even them out.
Many landscape photographers love the use of high dynamic range techniques in their landscape photos. The lightest parts are reduced in brightness, and dark parts are lifted to become near midtones. Perhaps this is not the best choice to edit a landscape photo.
The holiday season is a time when we put down our tools and use the downtime for important issues, like making wishes for the following year. Not me, though, my wish list hasn't changed since 2009. I keep getting what I don’t need while my seemingly obvious wishes are ignored.
How many hours a day are you spending retouching portraits? I'd guess too much. Today, I’ll be comparing three different pieces of software that automatically retouch portraits: Luminar AI, On1 Photo RAW 2021, and PortraitPro Studio Max.
