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Mike O'Leary
Killorglin, KY, IE

Articles written by Mike O'Leary

Have You Used This Lighting Technique in Your Food Photography?

When working with lights, be they artificial or natural, the tendency when starting out is to light from the front, or at least at 45 degrees. But if you want to create something moodier, using your main light source as a backlight is possibly the quickest way to get something interesting.

A Novel Way of Understanding Composition in Photography

Composition in photography is deep if not fairly abstract subject matter, and beyond the Rule of Thirds and Golden Spiral, things can get very subjective or in need of contextualization. This video offers quite a different way of approaching composition, using a technique developed by graphic designers.

Five Tips For Photographers on How To Avoid Burnout

People both outside of and inside the industry tend to romanticize the idea of being a professional photographer. But with pressure from technology and increased competition leading to low pay and more demand from clients, burnout is something that many of us either have or will experience in the future.

The Pioneering Photography of Harold 'Doc' Edgerton

With all of our fussing over codecs and bitrates, and demanding 4K 120 fps at every latest camera release, it can be good practice to look back at where some of this technology started in order to get a bit of perspective. This beautifully edited video illustrates perfectly how the likes of Canon and Sony are most certainly standing on the shoulders of giants.

Great Advice on How To Produce a Cohesive Body of Work

There are many ways in which a photographer can tackle a particular project in order to create a set of images that complement each other. — from color to composition, the list is a long one. This photographer points out some interesting themes which have influenced how he approaches his projects.

Do Photographers Need a Graphics Tablet for Editing Photos?

The short answer is no, you don't need one; however, they do make some jobs not just easier but more enjoyable. Not all tablets are created equal, though, so this photographer gives his take on a brand you might not have heard of before.

Strobe Lighting for Beginners

Strobe lighting can seem quite daunting for the uninitiated, but once you get past any fear you might have and just dive into it, it really isn't that complicated. This straight-to-the-point introduction to strobe lighting is a great place to start.

Should You Turn Your Passion for Photography Into a Business?

Virtually everyone who has started a photography business has asked themselves this question. The short answer is "it depends," but this video gives you five solid questions you can ask yourself if you need to make the all-important decision.

Stuck at Home Alone During Lockdown? Try These Creative Self-Portrait Ideas With Strobes

At this point, it's fair to say that all of us have felt a touch of cabin fever over the past year, and with lockdowns/restrictions still in place all over the world, it's all the more important to keep the mind and body active, not least of all, the creative mind. This video has a few nice ideas for you to try with some basic gear.

You Don't Need A Huge Lens to Take Great Wildlife Shots

Gear envy is an ever-present topic in the photography community, and not least so when it comes to wildlife photography. With the best super-telephoto lenses amounting to $5,000 and upwards, it's not hard to imagine why.

Can't Get Rid of Ghosting Effect in Your HDR Images? Try This Instead

Bracketing your exposures and automatically blending them together in your preferred software is probably the handiest way to get the most dynamic range from your camera without introducing a load of noise. But how can you blend shots accurately when your subject is moving?

Why Showing Your Process Is a Powerful Promotional Tool

If you're trying to break into the professional photography scene, or if you need to pivot your photography business and attract new types of clients, sharing the behind the scenes of your shoots can be an extremely effective marketing tool. This video explains why.

10 Easy Poses For Wedding Photography

For a lot of beginners — and even for some seasoned photographers — posing your subjects can be one of the most difficult aspects of photographing people. This video from an experienced wedding photographer offers 10 poses that you can try out without breaking into a creative sweat.

Learn How to Make Your Own Food Photography Backdrops

Can't afford those beautiful but expensive textured backdrops for your food and beverage photography or maybe you just like the idea of making your own unique version? Check out this video for a fun and affordable way to create your own.

Six of the Best Landscape Conditions to Photograph in Your Lifetime

Landscape photography is one of the most common genres because of its accessibility. However, this ease of entry has resulted in a saturation of very good, yet somewhat over-photographed landscapes. This video will point you in the direction of something a little more special.

Inexpensive Pieces of Gear That Every Landscape Photographer Should Have

After we've bought all the important pieces of kit we need for landscape photography — a camera and tripod — there are other not so obvious things we pick up along the way when we realize we almost can't do without in certain situations. This video takes a look at some of the cheap and useful things that one of the world's best landscape photographers packs in his bag.