I recently came across an interesting comment made by a participant in a photography forum: "You should only upgrade your camera only if it’s limiting you, not just because you have the money to."
Let me begin by saying I am in no way a professional sports photographer. I am simply a high school math teacher who loves three things: teaching, mathematics, and photography. As a serious photographer in my school, it often fell upon me to document sporting events for the benefit of the school and the students themselves.
If you are reading this article, there's a high chance that sooner or later you are going to buy a new camera. And as we all know, photography is not exactly a cheap hobby.
Conducting an interview and taking pictures at the same time may sound overwhelming but this is a usual practice in social documentary photography. After 8 years of talking while shooting, I now feel as if something is missing when I silently click a shutter button or interview someone without a camera in my hands. However, this type of work is full of challenges and pitfalls. Here is how I navigate this territory.
Finding your photographic style takes time. It's a process. You may even think you found it only to discover that your preferences have changed. That's okay. That's good. It means that you are growing and evolving on your journey.
As a professional photographer for quite a few years now, I thought some of you may be interested in some photography business advice and tips through this entry-level straightforward photography business guide.
Figuring out the line between "good" and "too much" is one of the big challenges in photography, whether it's making adjustments in post-processing or figuring out what to include in a composition. In this 14-minute video, photographer Mark Denney shares 5 things to look for to figure out if your landscape photos are too busy.
A primary question in photography is, “What is composition”? Photo composition governs the manner in which our eyes travel through an image. It defines how objects within an image are placed relative to each other in such a way that generates visual excitement. Used correctly, it transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
A common misconception among beginning landscape photographers is that when using a tripod, one should stay at ISO 100 for the best resulting photos. Photographer Mark Denney made this 10-minute video dispelling the myth and showing examples of when that's not true.
The holidays in New York City are my favorite part of the year. It's such a magical and festive time all throughout the City. You'll find holiday trees, light displays, and the prettiest decorations around every corner.
There are many genres of photography, which I believe is what makes photography such a unique hobby or profession. The camera simply becomes a tool that facilitates a personal interaction with the wide range of variables in our culture.
In this video and article, we’re going to work through some of the nuances of maternity portraits in regards to lighting and posing. If you’re interested in learning more about how to capture maternity portraits, be sure to check out the full workshop over at SLR Lounge.
If you've ever worked in commercial photography, you know how complicated relationships with brands, agencies, and sub-contractors can be. In this 11.5-minute video, photographer Chris Hau details how he almost got sued as a result of those relationships and what he has learned since.
Photographer Pye Jirsa of SLR Lounge recently put together a video that every budding wedding photographer should watch. It's basically his version of "7 things I wish I'd known when I first started out as a wedding photographer," and it answers some of the most common questions (and dispels some common myths) about this popular genre.
I love looking in detail at another photographer’s work. To immerse yourself in someone else’s creativity—to see what their ideas spark inside of you, what excites you, what makes you sit up and think 'Wow, that’s really cool!'—that’s all great fuel for your own photography.
Capturing cool reflection portraits might seem like a breeze—you just put someone behind some glass and go ham, right? But as photographer Matt Granger explains in this tutorial, even a basic understanding of the "key variables" involved can open up more options for you.
I first became interested in storms when I was a boy growing up in Texas, the only state in the US that experiences tornadoes, hurricane and blizzards on a regular basis. I built a scale model of a supercell thunderstorm inside a clear plexiglass box using cotton and a light bulb for lightning, and won first place in the weather category at our local science fair. Then I got permission from my mother to climb onto our roof and build a weather station.
Professional photographers Daniel and Rachel of Mango Street have published a helpful video that covers the 8 most common mistakes that they see beginner photographers make. In other words: these are the 8 reasons why your photos suck, and how to fix them.
Do you want to switch from Canon to Sony? From Sony to Nikon? From Nikon to Panasonic? From Panasonic to Fujifilm? Well, I’m going to ask you to stop, take a deep breath, and consider doing the most boring thing: absolutely nothing. Instead of switching camera brands, you should probably stick with what you have.
When photographers are just starting out in their careers, they tend to make the same set of mistakes that cost them work and, therefore, money. In this short 4.5-minute video, photographer Scott Choucino cites five mistakes that held his career back and urges you not to make them yourself.
It's autumn again, and I thought I'd share some tips (and possibly inspiration) for your autumn photography.
When shooting portraits on location, choosing the right background is critical, and just like anything in photography, there is no one size that fits all.
As someone who loves to seek out and photograph unique weather events, I’m always excited to see a thunderstorm brewing over New York City, and of course my home, the Jersey Shore! There’s always something exciting to look forward to while you’re out storm chasing, including rainbows, storm clouds, fog, and of course, lightning!
One of the many traps photographers can fall into when seeking to grow in their craft is "gear acquisition syndrome" (GAS) or "gear lust". Wedding photographer Taylor Jackson made this entertaining 7-minute video explaining why gear addition isn't the path toward success in photography.
Every week, several people pop into photographer Matthew Vandeputte's DMs or drop into the comments on his YouTube to ask the same question: do I need to worry about my camera's shutter count if I start shooting timelapse. In this video, Vandeputte explains why you probably don't have anything to worry about.
Professional photographer and YouTuber Sean Tucker recently released a video that covers one of the most common (and tricky) questions that enthusiast photographers ask: "should I go pro?" In other words: should I take this thing that I'm passionate about, and turn it into my profession?
Photographer and occasional PetaPixel contributor Usman Dawood has put together a video and camera showcase that seeks to prove a simple, possibly overlooked point: the best beginner camera for aspiring professionals isn't a high-end APS-C system... it's a used Canon 5D Mark II.
Photographers love to shop for new gear, but when that gear is for safety during your underwater photography session, shopping become essential. I wanted to write this article to discuss the safety standards (or lack thereof) in the underwater photography community.
When it comes time to up their photo editing game, most photographers reach for a pen tablet like Wacom's Intuos Pro series. But what about pen displays? Wacom, XP-Pen, and Huion all offer displays that let you draw and edit right on the screen without sacrificing any of the features you get from a tablet. They're typically used by artists, but we wanted to know: are they worth it for photo editing?
I originally moved from the UK to New Zealand in search of a place that allows me to spread my artistic wings and really obtain that deeper level of natural landscape beauty. I ended up in Wellington, the national and artistic capital of NZ, where everything and anything goes.